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>>> June 1, 2000
The time machine Comicdoobiest: Ah, for the heady days of '70s underground comix. Those little black and white packets of subversion created an entire iconography, with a visual style and catchphrases that can be found the world over. One of the comic characters that everyone recognizes but no one seems to identify is Vaughn Bode's Cheech Wizard, a little guy whose torso is mostly covered by an oversized hat. Part acid-damaged Wizard of Id, part violent Broomhilda, Cheech Wizard has been resurrected at The Vaughn Bode Site at www.pha.jhu.edu/~jdavies/bode where scanned comix are available to all. Don't forget to smash the state. Font-o-rama:Planning that big housewarming party but your invitations lovingly laid out in Helvetica Bold just don't make the cut? Fret not, friendly homemaker, you can be the host with the most with just one visit to www.chank.com/rotodesign/fonts/fonts.html. Just sit back and relax as you select from over a dozen retro '50s fonts from Rotodesign, available for both PC and Mac. Your hipster friends will know you can jive, dig it! : Michael Citrome |
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>>> May 18, 2000
Das Kalkulator Soviet samples: Some Web sites are devoted to, well, esoteric topics, but are fascinating nonetheless. Few people would check off the "vintage Soviet calculators" box on the interests part of a survey form, but a Web site called MOSCOW might change that. Short for Museum Of Soviet Calculators On the Web, MOSCOW is a fascinating tour through the history of electronic calculators made throughout the Soviet Union. In addition to samples of monolithic Soviet design, toaster-oven sized calcs with squint-to-see displays, there are also some astonishing modern designs. This site is a must for electronics geeks and industrial design fans alike. It's all summed up at www.taswegian.com/MOSCOW/soviet.html. Rage: Brand spanking new from AltaVista is Raging Search, a search engine that is not only blazing fast and remarkably thorough but also Spam-free. The means that looking up images of paintings of dogs playing poker won't result in all manner of pornographic nastiness. The machine is at www.raging.com . : Michael Citrome |
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>>> May 11, 2000
Return of the toys Rubber men Millions of small creatures lurking everywhere. That's what M.U.S.C.L.E. stood for, and the little pink--and later multifruit-coloured--wrestlers that made up the toyline are among the best remembered of the forgotten '80s playthings. Ask any fellow child of the '80s about M.U.S.C.L.E. and they'll lapse into that mouth-open eyes-rolled-back nostalgia pose, then quickly snap out of it with a comment like, "I had the one with 6 arms" or "my dog swallowed one." These little plastic freaks have achieved quite a renaissance on the Web, with almost a dozen pages devoted to them. The most essential link is Darrin Vindiola's M.U.S.C.L.E. Preservation Society ( http://members.aol.com/VINDI/MUSCLE.html). From there you can find out the origins of M.U.S.C.L.E., where to buy the toys and some of the interesting things people have done with them. 4 sides The square is a fascinating geometric shape. This site, home of Square Systems, has links to many interesting Web pages all about squares. Expect many 90 degree angles. Be there or be uhh.. at http://www.square.com. : Michael Citrome |
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>>> May 4, 2000
1,2,3, fight! You smell! The original Sissyfight hit the Net last year, and thousands of pseudo-schoolgirls have mercilessly taunted each other in virtual schoolyards ever since. The game of tattling, poking and ganging up has spawned a sequel--Sissyfight 2000. Fear not, the mechanics of the original game are still intact, but this new version promises to be even crueler. Take a tip from Networthy, people really hate being described as "hoochies." Nyah nyah at www.sissyfight.com. True, true Inspired by the Budweiser Whazzup commercials and the ongoing Elian saga, two wiseacres at playboy.com combined the two phenomena, resulting in a Flash movie that landed them in hot water with the Associated Press. Pilfering AP photos and Budweiser's soundtrack, the result is as funny as it is disturbing. See whazzup at www.geocities.com/elian_true. It's just waffle Gospel, country, and R&B influenced by breakfast food. Previously you could only hear these at Norcross, Virginia's The Waffle House but now thanks to the magic of RealAudio they're accessible to everyone. The site bacons at www.wafflehouse.com/rajukebox.htm. Michael Citrome |
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>>> Apr. 27, 2000
Gangsta, gangsta Goodfellas: Straight out of NYC, Jerry Capeci has been writing about the mob since 1986, and still hasn't gone for a swim in cement shoes. His Web site, Gang Land (www.ganglandnews.com) features a weekly column on what's going down in the underworld, as well as profiles of today's most famous mobsters. Ever heard of Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso? According to Gang Land, he was quite a button man in New Jersey. This site provides hours of entertainment for any would-be Elliot Nesses or Don Corleones out there in cyberspace. Perhaps if Mafiaboy saw how these guys paid for their crimes, he would be behind his computer right now. Bric-a-brac: Some artists use strange mediums for self-expression: spray paint, shoes and even their own bodies. There's a Japanese man by the name of Ken-Tucky who uses Lego bricks for his art, and the result is the most fascinating (and maddening) gallery of plastic creations. There are dragons, robots, and surreal chairs. Oh my! Connect at www.bekkoame.ne.jp/ha/hj22438/WORKS.html. Michael Citrome |
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>>> Apr. 20, 2000
Do you compute? Math Pop: Throughout most of history, physicists stood around in laboratories, looking important in their lab coats and bow ties, and rolled small coloured balls down ramps. With the advent of modern technology, they now have a new tool to advance their science, and guess what? It's fun. Sodaplay (www.sodaplay.com), developed by an intrepid band of British Web designers and programmers, is a Java applet that lets you create and animate two-dimensional models. Think Tinkertoy meets Newton's second law in your Physics 201 notebook. You can play with the existing models, which include a self-propelled triangle and a dancing pylon named "Dirk Jiggler," or create your own. Vectors were never so much fun. Cybershoes: When they were first released in 1984 at the time of the Los Angeles Olympics, Adidas' Micropacer was heralded as the shoe for the new millennium. Whether it's due to '80s nostalgia or irregularities in the water cooler at corporate headquarters, Adidas has decided to reissue the sneakers with the built-in electronic pedometer. Only now they're Y2K compliant. Keep track at www.micropacer.com. : Michael Citrome |
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>>> Apr. 13, 2000
WWW is a joke The Posse: "André the Giant has a Posse," says the ominous text staring out of thousands of photocopied stickers. What does it mean? That cryptic message has confused people the world over, but it's all the work of N.Y.-bred, Cali-based artist Shepard Fairey. Obeygiant.com (www.andrethegiant.com) functions as Fairey's manifesto/art gallery/store, where you can order videos, giant posters, and a multitude of André-themed stickers. Obey the giant. Yeah, boyee! Guess who's back. That's right, the original crazy guy of hip hop, Mr. Flavor Flav. The man described as the "creator of crazy styles now commonplace in the diversity of hip hop," now has his own Shockwaved Web site where you can download audio and watch the Flav in action. There's MP3s of brand-new material. Give up props at www.flavorflav.com. Parroty: It's the South Park kids doing Monty Python's dead parrot sketch in RealVideo. How funny is it? Well, let's just say that elective surgery will suddenly become urgent. Tell your friends at www.comedycentral.com/download/southpark/spmp_main.shtml. Michael Citrome |
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>>> Apr. 6, 2000
Superheroes and supervillains Ultraweb: Japan's longest running Sentai--a live action costumed superhero show--features Ultraman and his family of Ultramen and Ultrawomen from Nebula M78. A huge fan culture has grown up around Ultraman, wherever it has been shown in its various incarnations, from North America, to the Philippines, to Brazil and France. One of the best Ultraman sites is Ultraman Never Dies (http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Club/9395/), especially if you love toys and manga. For the Ultra-ignorant, check out the Ultraman FAQ at (http://home.iu.net/~jsewell/FAQs/Ultraman-FAQ.html). Radical, dude! Sure, we always hear about terrorist bombings, but do we ever get to know the terrorists for who they really are? The answer is no, we don't, and with good reason, because terrorists are basically nuts. The Index of Terrorist Group Files (http://www.scivis.nps.navy.mil/~library/tgp/tgpndx.htm), maintained by the U.S. Navy Graduate school, lists many of the big-name terrorist groups, and some you might not have heard of. With this info you could be the next Tom Clancy, or Una-bomber. Michael Citrome |