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>>> July 6, 2000
Raggasonic Potty for Potter: While the entire world is abuzz over the latest novel in the Harry Potter series, nefarious forces are at work to ban the book series for promoting Aquarian godless values. Help put a damper on their repressive snit with Muggles for Harry Potter(www.mugglesforharrypotter.org) , a site dedicated to preventing the book series from being taken off the shelves. BR> Or, if you enjoy Mr. Potter and his magical turnips, point your browser to FANDOM Harry Potter (www.fandom.com/harrypotter) , a site on the excellent FANDOM network of fan-run media sites (www.fandom.com) for a daily dose of Harry Potter info. Dub selecta!: One of the Web's most unique video games, the extremely addictive Riddimwise (www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Heights/2597/Rwise.htm)challenges you to identify over 100 reggae riddims (drum & bass sequences) sampled from '60s ska to the latest ragga sounds. The site also includes an encyclopedia of riddims, so you can know the names of all those backing tracks Beenie and Bounty are up on, as well as a how-to guide to making your own soundbwoy killah riddim. Irie. : Michael Citrome |
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>>> June 22, 2000
Massive Don't grow up:Sugar cereal memories: Almost any kid who grew up in the '80s watched a lot of Saturday morning cartoons. Unlike today when "teen dramas" and big-hair religious programming dominates weekend television, the '80s were a time of brightly coloured, surreal cartoons featuring laser-gun-toting warriors fighting huge underground slime beasts. All this has resulted in twenty-somethings wandering around with vague memories of Inhumanoids and that cartoon with the fake ghostbusters and the gorilla. '70s cartoons have had it good too long, because the '80s cartoon revival starts right here with '80s Cartoon Alliance (8ca.homepage.com), a site with a year-by-year index of '80s cartoons. It's all here, from MASK to COPS to Glo Friends. The site includes stills and links to where you can buy videos. Robotical!: Red Robot (www.redrobot.com) is, according to its tagline, a little different than the other robots. It's also a very funny Web site, with content that's entirely user-submitted. What's more, if you send them something and they use it, they pay cold, hard American currency. Michael Citrome |
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>>> June 8, 2000
It's a conspiracy! Kooky kapers:Who built the pyramids of Egypt? Why is there a Masonic symbol on the American dollar bill? What was really in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Crank Dot Net won't answer these questions, but if you're a paranoid conspiracy freak, it'll certainly give you some more to ask. This collection of texts and links about pseudoscience, religion, conspiracies and the paranormal will keep you busy for days. Just cover your monitor with foil to make sure "they" can't see. Put all the pieces together at: www.crank.net. 8-bit rock: The type of phenomenon that could only find a home on the Net, The Minibosses are a rock 'n' roll band with a very unique style. They play old-school video game theme music with a metal edge, and distribute their tunes for free on the Web. Anyone who wasted their youth in the '80s playing 8-bit games like Castlevania, Contra, or the ueberclassic Metroid will recognize the themes. This is perfect summer party music for geeks. Press start at: www.minibosses.com. Michael Citrome |
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>>> June 8, 2000
It's a conspiracy! Kooky kapers:Who built the pyramids of Egypt? Why is there a Masonic symbol on the American dollar bill? What was really in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Crank Dot Net won't answer these questions, but if you're a paranoid conspiracy freak, it'll certainly give you some more to ask. This collection of texts and links about pseudoscience, religion, conspiracies and the paranormal will keep you busy for days. Just cover your monitor with foil to make sure "they" can't see. Put all the pieces together at: www.crank.net. 8-bit rock: The type of phenomenon that could only find a home on the Net, The Minibosses are a rock 'n' roll band with a very unique style. They play old-school video game theme music with a metal edge, and distribute their tunes for free on the Web. Anyone who wasted their youth in the '80s playing 8-bit games like Castlevania, Contra, or the ueberclassic Metroid will recognize the themes. This is perfect summer party music for geeks. Press start at: www.minibosses.com. Michael Citrome |
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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 |