BOB VILA

DICK CLARK

PLAY SITE

THE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HOME PAGE

DOTCOM.COM

ORBITZ

Menus.com

Degree Net

The Smoking Gun

The Ticket Assassin

Station Location

First Flight Centennial

Fielding's Dangerfinder

Currency Converter

Lonely Planet

Mac OS Hello Earth: Space Aliens found by your Mac

Consumer Search

Inside.com

Pop! The First Human Male Pregnancy

Vintage Calculators

Too Much Coffee Man

The Parable of the Monkeys

THE QUACKATORIUM

Earth Cam

Tastings (for the wine afficianados out there)

Misc. Info

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FEDWORLD

http://www.fedworld.gov/

FedWorld may sound like a 30-year-old B movie where androids take over the federal government, but it's actually a good starting point to help you search through the massive amounts of information the bureaucracy puts out. True, much of that info is garbage, but when you need to find a particular fact, garbage can be gold. You can search through the many FedWorld databases, from the Customs Service to Automotive Service Information. You can also search by keyword or simply browse through the thousands and thousands of pages of stuff. It's your government, take advantage.

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BIRTH AND LABOR CONFLICT CATCHER

http://www.babycenter.com/conflicts/

Okay, your wife or girlfriend is going to have a baby. You felt a little trepidation at first, but now you're good with all that. But with the extra responsibility cluttering your mind, have you thought about what's happening on the due date? No, not in the hospital, in the world of spectator sports! Worry no longer. The BabyCenter conflict catcher offers a handy tool to find potential conflicts on or around your due date. Is your baby due on September 8? Oh-oh! The U.S. Tennis Open is going on then! You can calculate for the exact day or include the weeks before and after. If you're a total slave to sports (and a bit of a jerk), you can even plan the conception date so the birth doesn't interfere with your addiction.

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CALENDAR ZONE

http://www.calendarzone.com/

Quick, what day is today? Cheater--you peeked at your computer display for the answer. Anyone who has ever gone on a prolonged vacation can vouch for how difficult it is to keep track of the days without constant graphic reminders. Calendar Zone will make sure you always have the right calendar to match your interests, lifestyle, or mood.

How about a bioregional calendar for the New Ager in you? There are historical, millennial, cultural, and even military calendars to spice up the ways you track time. There are calendar quotes and poetry and even a recipe for calzone--just don't ask me why.

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I-RESIGN.COM

http://www.i-resign.com/uk/home/default.asp

The first question is do you really need to go to a Web site to find four reasons to quit right now? Despite that obvious shortcoming, I-Resign is a great place to find the inspiration you need to quit. There are sample resignation letters that allow you to just plug in your own information, and breaking news from around the world about people who have just resigned. There's even a quit clock to determine how long you should wait before resigning based upon your position, salary, and job satisfaction. True, no one knows your situation better than you, but why turn down the friendly advice?

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JARGON-FREE WEB

http://www.jargonfreeweb.com/

Suffering from too much jargon in your life? Jargon-Free Web is a site that seeks to cut down on useless verbiage and lead the way toward clear, concise communications. First, submit some text to the Jargonator and find out how it rates. It uses a 1 to 6 scale, 1 being exceptionally clear and 6 being jargon-laden hooey. Then take a look at the jargon trash list, which includes such terminology as B2B and best-of-breed. How many corporate news releases describe that company as "a leading provider?" You will find this answer and many others on the Jargon-Free Web.

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UTORIALS

http://www.utorials.com/

There's so much to know and so little time to learn at all. If you want to learn how to play a game, build a shelf, or write computer code, but don't know where to look to find the answers, Utorials is a good place to start. A peer-to-peer site, Utorials lets you post your knowledge and experiences on the site, learn from other postings, and rate the postings you encounter. You can learn about dating, buying a car, computers, and more. Learn from someone's hard-earned experience or just share some of your own.

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W E B S I T E   P I C K   O F   T H E   W E E K - GOOGLE

This week's web site pick is a search engine that seems to outperform everyone else. You can tell you're at a "different" site when you go to the front page of Google and all there is a search box ... no advertising and just a few lines of text! Do a search on anything and you'll get a response back almost instantly (depending on your Internet connection speed). Google then allows you to search within the results of your original search. Also note the "I'm feeling lucky" button when doing a search. The results are different each time you click the button -- give it a shot. Go to http://www.google.com/ and see if you don't agree that it's one of the best search engines currently available.

I'm headed out to catch my plane back to California in a few minutes. Hopefully we'll have another nice warm and dry weekend so I can continue to get my garden back into shape and finish cleaning out our backyard pond. Thanks for spending a few minutes with us again and I look forward to coming up with more specials for you next week!

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SEARCH VOYEURS REVEAL WHAT OTHERS HOPE TO FIND

You want to know what's wrong with this country? Spend a little time with a search engine voyeur and you start to get some ideas. Just don't spend TOO much time with these voyeurs, or you might lose faith in humanity and stuff like that.

Okay, so maybe we're exaggerating. Judge the collective consciousness for yourself by checking out Magellan's Voyeur at

http://voyeur.mckinley.com/cgi-bin/voyeur.cgi

There's also a Search Ticker at WebCrawler:

http://webcrawler.com/SearchTicker.html

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WHERE'S GEORGE

http://www.wheresgeorge.com/

It can be difficult to figure out where all your money goes. At least with Where's George you can figure out where the small denominations are now. The site tracks where dollar bills go. Do you want to know where your money is after it has passed through your hands? Register with Where's George and find out. Reports on your dollar bills will detail each time the bill was reregistered and where and when that happened. There are forums to discuss money, stores to spend money, and links to find out more about money. All in all, a profitable use of your time.

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FACE GENERATOR

http://www.facegenerator.com

Despite your best efforts, the frustrations of life take their toll and you just want to rearrange someone's face. Well, rather than taking your anger out on an actual person and ending up incarcerated, try your hand at the Face Generator. Start with a generic face and work from there. How would he look if his eyes were closer together, his lips were thinner or his nose wider? Try different sets of sunglasses, add acne, or change his sex. Later you can sample some of the pre-generated faces and see your new friend as an alien or some other weird creature. (This site requires Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or higher.)

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MR. BLACKWELL

http://www.mrblackwell.com/

Do you want to know more about fashion? If so, this is probably not the site you want to investigate. Do you want to read catty comments about the rich and famous? Okay, you're in luck. Mr. Blackwell is best known for his annual list of the ten worst dressed, but there's more to the man than that. You probably didn't know (or didn't want to know) that he's an artist. Peruse the art, visit the gift shop, send him a pleasant email, or review his lists all the way back to 1960.

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BODY MIND AND MODEM

http://www.bodymindandmodem.com/

There are any number of ways you can alleviate the stress that pervades your life. You can squeeze the little rubber stress ball your spouse gave you for Christmas, yell at someone who doesn't deserve it, or focus your mind on harnessing your Ki, the energy martial artists use to break large, solid objects. This site takes the teachings of the Japanese martial art, Aikido, and applies them to everyday life. There are basic lessons on what Ki is and how to harness it, simple exercises, and articles describing how Aikido can help with conflict resolution, child rearing, and much more.

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YOUR WINDOW OVER ROME

http://www.capitolium.com/eng/virtuale/webview.htm

Feeling a little wistful about your last trip to the Eternal City? Don't let a skimpy bank account hold you back; with this live Web cam, you can check out some of Rome's coolest ruins without leaving your desk. The real-time video pans by the Roman Forum, Coliseum, St. Peters, and more.

Since you take control of the camera, you choose what you want to watch. You can pan left or right, up or down, and zoom in and out. Two cameras give you a complete panorama. When you're finished checking out the glory of Rome, click on some of the history links as well as 3-D recreations of what these sites looked like 2000 years ago.

FINDSOUNDS.COM

http://www.findsounds.com/

So you just got some new speakers for your PC, but you're getting a little sick of listening to the new Britney Spears CD while you surf? Here's a Web site that will help you find something completely different. FindSounds.com does just what it says--it's a search engine specially designed to help you locate sound files on the Internet. You can specify what kind of file format you're looking for (AIFF, AU, WAVE) and even the quality of the recording, in case you're really picky. Forgot what the mating call of a Blue Warbler sounds like? Looking for a cool sound effect for your answering machine? If you're an Audiophile looking for audio files, then this is the site for you.

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VERSUS MEDIA

http://www.versusmedia.com/

At first glance, this superslick site looks like it was designed by the Terminator himself... if he had been an independent record promoter instead of a killer cyborg. Versus Media appears to be dedicated to helping indie-bands promote themselves and turn profitable. Which it does. But even if you can barely play the harmonica, you'll want to check out Starvox and Deaththreat, two of the most killer (no pun intended) music zines on the Net. If you crave an insider's view into the underground/indie music scene that you definitely won't find on MTV News or in Rolling Stone, then take a click on the wild side.

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WEBGATOR

http://www.inil.com/users/dguss/wgator.htm

What do you want to know? Do you want to know about cults or criminal histories? Would you like to check out some adoption resources? Webgator is a comprehensive collection of investigative resources summed up in one handy navigation bar. Do you want to learn more about hate groups, high schools, or hunting licenses? It's all there--student and alumni databases, unclaimed property, wanted lists, and federal and state judiciary to name a few. You can browse by topic or conduct a search. Perfect for the private investigator in all of us but, you guessed it, a real productivity killer.

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NEW 2 USA

http://www.new2usa.com/

Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning for more bandwidth. Thinking about visiting or emigrating to the United States? There are a zillion things you should know about this country, and here's a Web site to help you sort them out. With departments for careers, education, housing, money, and immigration, this site can help you learn a lot about being in America. Do you need a lawyer or information about those complicated INS forms? What would you like to know about American attitudes toward work? There are tips on getting credit, shopping links, and much more to help make the adjustment easier.

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DOWNSIDE

http://www.downside.com/

Warning: This Web site contains a starkly realistic animation of someone jumping off a ledge. That alert probably sent many subscribers scurrying to see the cool graphics without even finishing this review. For the rest of you, Downside provides equally graphic illustrations (of the statistical variety) of what happens when a boom market goes bust. The headlines will let you know which dotcoms went out of business in the previous 24 hours, while the death watch illustrates precipitous drops in stock prices, extravagant burn rates, and the date specific companies are expected to go under. Pay special attention to Misery Row, where over-hyped stocks go to die.

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FIRST GOV

http://www.firstgov.gov/

You probably wouldn't consider going anywhere near our monolithic federal bureaucracy without at least a trail of breadcrumbs, but here's a site that tries to simplify those often fruitless attempts to get information from the government. Oddly enough, the page seems easy to use, and it isn't designed with traditional governmental counter-intuition. There are lists of interesting topics, from arts and culture to science and technology. You can learn about the three branches of government, check out federal asset sales, or for the real fun, check out U.S. Government for Kids, which will provide all the interactive games you'll ever need.

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WILD BRAIN

http://wildbrain.com/

Maybe you're a cartoon network fiend and they won't let you bring a television to work, or perhaps you've seen Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation and don't want to shell out for the videos. Either way, Wild Brain can set you up with enough online animation to satisfy your cravings. Features like Joe Paradise, Guilty as Sin, and The Perfect Weapon will get you started. There are shorts, festivals, and even games. Or, look through some of its online classics, like Felix Goes West. When you're finish, do a little shopping in the Wild Brain store.

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Sites You Can Use

UGetHeard

http://www.ugetheard.com

UGetHeard.com provides a service for you where you can send a letter complaint or applause to any company, any where.

Internet ScamBustersú

http://www.scambusters.org

Internet ScamBusters gives you a listing of most of the scams that have been plaguing the Internet, all in one place. They also give you the opportunity to sign-up for their newsletter so you can find out about all the newest scams that surface everyday.

Fraud Bureau

http://www.fraudbureau.com/

The Fraud Bureau is a free service, established to alert online consumers and investors of prior complaints relating to online vendors including sellers at online auctions and to provide consumers, investors and users with information and news on how to safely surf, shop and invest on the 'Net.

Internet Scams Ezine

http://inetscams.hypermart.net/

Internet Scams is an award-winning Ezine designed to give you the only defense you can have against a scam artist: Education.

Internet Scams and Rip-offs

http://sitemaven-design.com/i-scams.htm

Here's a guide to avoiding scams and frauds, before you become a victim of them.

law-n-legal.com

http://law-n-legal.com/

Law-n-Legal.com gives you a list of places you can go to where you can report someone who has ripped you off on the Internet.

Internet Fraud Watch

http://www.fraud.org/internet/intstat.htm

The Internet Fraud Watch section of the NFIC web site provides tips, articles, bulletins and other information that you can use to avoid fraud, protect your privacy, and navigate the Net safely and enjoyably.

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I GO U GO

http://www.igougo.com/

You have a bad travel jones and need to feed it however you can. At I Go U Go, there's no shortage of ways to satisfy your hunger. First, you need information. You can read through travel journals and regular features, or leaf through the photo galleries. Having piqued your interest, check out the travel resources, including guidebooks, packing lists, and a space to answer all your travel questions. Look over the travel providers and then, once you return from your adventure, you can go back to the site and submit accounts of your own travel abroad. You can even become a freelance travel writer and earn a few bucks along the way.

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IDEAS.COM

http://www.ideas.com/

Sears needs a new tool. Coca-Cola wants to enhance its packaging. S.C. Johnson has to simplify cleaning. Any ideas? No doubt you've had hundreds of fleeting inspirations that briefly entered your brain but were ultimately thrown out because you didn't know what to do with them. Don't let the brain drain continue. At ideas.com, you can market those fabulous ideas, or come up with solutions for corporate behemoths like the ones mentioned above. You can sell ideas, buy ideas, and even submit your ideas to specific companies or the public at large. Your special invention may be worth thousands of dollars--or not--but there's no success without trying, and here's a good place to start.

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VINCE LOMBARDI

http://www.cmgww.com/football/lombardi/

"Winning is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't win once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all the time." If this is the type of speech that gets you fired up to make a cold call, mow the lawn, or simply pop a cold one during a TV timeout, then run, don't walk, to this wonderful site. For many football fans, Vince Lombardi is a mythological character who descended from Olympus to kick some butt. For others, he was just a sore loser. You can read through some of his most compelling quotes, eyeball a sparse but poignant photo page, or read his famous #1 speech, excerpted above. Second place gets a set of steak knives.

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TELL ME

http://www.tellme.com/

What do you want to know? Perhaps you need to find a good restaurant, pick up driving directions, call a taxi, or look up your horoscope. Tell Me makes it easier to find this information. First, take advantage of the free sign up. Customize your preferences and you're ready to go. Let's say you want to find out about a restaurant. Simply call the handy 800 number and say, "Tell me." You can locate restaurants by city or type of food, and when you find a tempting one, listen to the Zagat review, or connect directly to make a reservation.

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THE MINERAL AND GEMSTONE KINGDOM

http://www.minerals.net/

In case you're interested, the chemical composition of amethyst is silicon dioxide. The color purple is caused by iron or manganese impurities. If this sort of information boosts your adrenaline, then you will simply adore this mother lode of information on every conceivable mineral and gemstone. There are definitions, classifications, alphabetical listings, photographs, and numerous cross-references. You can sort by alphabetical order, chemical group, color, hardness, crystal group, elemental classification, and Dana classification (whatever that is). If this is more information than you need, go straight to the image gallery and check out the pictures.

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TV EYES

http://www.tveyes.com/

Hard to keep up with your television viewing schedule because there are too many distractions? Here's an opportunity to let your computer relieve some of that pressure. At TV Eyes, they do nothing but watch TV. Well actually, they have software that does the watching. You simply provide a keyword for the software to watch for, enter your email address, and wait for the results. The email will link you to a transcript, which will theoretically contain your magic keyword. Eventually the folks behind the site would like to track every word in every type of media, and wouldn't that be a neat trick? So if you want to know what the buzz is on any topic, say the secret word and see what pops out.

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LEARN 2 TYPE

http://www.learn2type.com

Years ago, your mother suggested you take a typing class during summer school, and you thought she'd lost her mind. How were you to know that these skills would become critical in the information age? Don't fret, it's never too late to catch up, and with Learn 2 Type, the process is free. Start with the typing test. The site gives you a paragraph to type and calculates your speed when you're finished. If you come out a little slow, the message urges you to take advantage of the free membership and improve your speed. If you come out above average, the message encourages you to take advantage of the free membership and stay in practice. There's an online bookstore, carpal tunnel resources, and more.

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THE HUNGER SITE

http://www.thehungersite.com

By the time you finish reading this tip, someone in the world will have died of hunger. Though world hunger seems like an intractable problem, the folks at The Hunger Site want to use the Web to combat it. Everything you can do on the site, whether it be registering for Impact, the online newsletter, buying a sweatshirt, or becoming a sponsor, is designed to help bring food to somebody in need. You can put an ad on the site and really help out. Your contributions are funneled through the United Nations World Food Programme. The Net provides an easy way to be part of the solution.

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TOTEM DESIGN

http://www.totemdesign.com

You may have missed this acronym, but Totem stands for The Objects That Evoke Meaning. Those objects would include chairs, tables, or perhaps a nice ottoman. If you've been drooling over the latest Ikea catalogue, then this site will be your home furnishings nirvana. Imagine your living room with a David Design Hockney Sofa Modular System or an Asplundh Air Bench. Learn more about the Totem Gallery, view Totem TV, or purchase some of the aforementioned items. Don't let a design vacuum consume your existence. Meaning can be a simple mouse click away. Totem knows.

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BRONX ZOO

http://www.wcs.org/home/zoos/bronxzoo

Zoos are more than warehouses for animals; they are central to worldwide conservation, and the Bronx Zoo is an important part of these efforts. Whether you're planning a trip to the zoo or simply want to know more about wildlife conservation programs, this site will fill you in on all the details. You'll find historical information, maps, information about exhibits, and zoo news. You can check out the Snow Leopard Cam, follow the link to the New York Aquarium, tune in to World Conservation Society radio, check out a number of photos and video clips, and use information technology to commune with the animals.

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BOB VILA

http://www.bobvila.com

With the economy going so well, you've been hankering to do a little remodeling on your old house. Why hire a contractor when you can do it yourself? Bob Vila has answers to all the questions you will most certainly want to ask. First, take a look at some of the projects in progress to glean any obvious tips. It's nice, but you can have only so much fun watching someone else's dream house take shape. The real thrill is in the 3-D room designer, where you can build a virtual kitchen from scratch. There's also news, information about Bob, and a schedule of upcoming television appearances.

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DICK CLARK

http://www.dickclark.com

Maybe your grandparents appeared on American Bandstand in the '50s, and you grew up hearing about the thrill of appearing on television when television was the "new thing." There's something comforting about still having Dick Clark around, youthful as ever (though how that's possible we're still not sure!), spinning discs of the compact variety rather than the vinyl. Dick is up with the times and can keep you informed about this week's top ten hits, TV bloopers, or the wonderful hits of yesteryear. You can browse the archives or, if you have a rock 'n roll question, ask Dick. You can learn about everyone from Simon and Garfunkel to Erykah Badu.

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PLAY SITE

http://www.playsite.com

You're probably bored on the job, and who isn't? You'd like to make better use of the Internet, but all those shrill memos from your company's CIO regarding frivolous Internet use has given you pause. Don't let the IT police scuttle your dreams. Play Site allows you to engage in a number of multi-player games including bridge, hearts, spades, checkers, chess, and many more. If those don't float your boat, there's access to sweepstakes and sports games like Full Contact Fantasy Football. Remember, company resources are there for you. Don't let them go to waste.

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THE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE HOME PAGE

http://www.pitt.edu/~cbw/internet.html

Are you sick of physicians who seem to have answers to everything but solutions to nothing? This alternative medicine index can point you toward a wide array of sites that give insight into alternative treatments. The site is divided into multiple categories that address everything from diet to specific diseases. Each category lists sites to help answer your questions about standards of practice, herbal medicine, mind/body control, practitioners, schools, and virtually anything else you might need to know about complementary medicine. This is the mother lode of alternative medicine information sites. Use it with care.

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DOTCOM.COM

http://www.dotcom.com

If you have more than a passing interest in the Internet (and why would you get these tips if you don't?), then this site, generated by domain name governor Network Solutions, will keep you apprised of what's up on the Net. The site recently featured articles on broadband, start-up funding, and upcoming congressional action. Perhaps you're interested in the latest statistics on Web use, domain name assignments, or desire some fun facts about the Net. There are sections on business and consumer trends, international markets, and even some Net humor to get you through those cold, winter nights spent debugging the latest release.

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ORBITZ

http://www.orbitz.com

There is a veritable ocean of online travel sites, and choosing the correct one can be as difficult as defending your overhead baggage rights. Orbitz claims to simplify the process. Created by a consortium of major airlines, the site seeks to combine a user-friendly search engine with the most current information. Though the search does not currently cover foreign airports, a distinct disadvantage, the engine is easy to use, and the results are ranked with the lowest fares first. You can't book the flights on the site at this moment, but that refinement will be added in early 2001 along with provisions for international flights.

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MENUS.COM

http://www.menus.com

There's nothing like walking by a row of trendy bistros and looking over their menus. Add the convenience of the Internet and you have Menus.com. With its handy database, you can search by zip code, city, type of restaurant, or restaurant name to peruse the eats you crave. A brief description of the restaurant will whet your appetite, while a quick view of the menu will send you on your way. You can read the reviews and rate the restaurants yourself. The power search lets you look for restaurants that deliver, accept American Express, or promote a kid-friendly environment. Gourmet or gourmand, it's a dream come true.

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DEGREE NET

http://www.degree.net

Are you interested in earning your degree but don't want to go through all the commuting, registration, and other rigmarole? You've tried close-up education. Now take a look at distance learning. The site offers news, gossip, books, and guides, all designed to demystify the world of distance learning. Find out about schools, accreditation, fees, and other information you'll need to earn your degree via the Internet or mail. There's contact information for the schools that offer these services and links to sites featuring corporate training, government and military opportunities, and even discussion groups. If you're concerned about how distance learning is affecting education, there's a site for that too.

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THE SMOKING GUN

http://www.thesmokinggun.com

Bored with the limited number of confidential documents at your disposal? Has eavesdropping on your colleague's phone conversations and reading your wife's diaries left you wanting more? Smoking Gun is the perfect place to pick up quirky dirt obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Perhaps you'd like a closer look at George W. Bush's DUI arrest record or the court-related dirt on the New York Yankees. Stranger still, there's a copy of a highly questionable questionnaire a landlord gave to prospective tenants, the filings in a bizarre Canadian lawsuit, and even Bill Gates mugshot t-shirts. It's probably not what they meant by "the information age," but who cares.

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THE TICKET ASSASSIN

http://www.ticketassassin.com/

You're on your way home from a late night at the office when your rearview mirror is suddenly filled with the red and blue flashing grill lights of the police cruiser tailing you. Irritated, you curse Johnny Law and find a safe place to pull over. What do you do next? Ticket Assassin has many of the answers you'll need to survive this traffic stop. Though geared specifically for California, many of the tips are applicable in any state. They range from common sense information, like don't insult the trooper, to involved procedures, like changing your trial's venue. Download appropriate forms, learn how to improve your chances in court, and make sure you know your rights under the law.

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See, for the rest of you STmug members, your email will continue.............
STATION LOCATION

http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/temp/StationLoc.html

Where is the International Space Station? Is it above your head or above Mongolia? Perhaps it's that bright light at sunset, or is that Venus? This site takes the guesswork out of locating some of the larger man-made objects in space. You can locate the space station, Mir, Hubble, or Chandra, and many other bits and pieces of space technology. Three-dimensional images help you track these objects as they orbit Earth. Download the special NASA software, or follow the links to other tracking sites. Whether you're an avid sky watcher or a paranoid, space-junk freak, this site will keep you abreast of the opportunities or the danger.

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FIRST FLIGHT CENTENNIAL

http://www.firstflightcentennial.org

In these jaded times, when even space shuttle missions barely elicit a yawn, it's hard to imagine those heady days in the early twentieth century when manned, powered flight seemed like a distant dream. You may not be able to go to Kitty Hawk to pay homage to the Wright brothers, but you can certainly support their memory online. The First Flight Centennial Foundation seeks to preserve the memory of the Wrights and their great accomplishment on the dunes of Kitty Hawk. You'll find information about the Wright Memorial, the museum, and the Outer Banks. A great site for armchair flight historians.

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FIELDING'S DANGERFINDER

http://www.fieldingtravel.com/df/dplaces.htm

A couple of months ago, a group of rock climbers was kidnapped when the climbers stumbled upon a Muslim insurgency in the former Soviet Union. No one had told them it was dangerous. Don't let a lack of information ruin your vacation. The Fielding Dangerfinder will help you assess the risk wherever you go. Laid out by country, the Dangerfinder gives in-depth information on the history, combatants, how to get around, what to do if you get sick, and much more. Whether you're trying to stay away from danger or running for adventure as fast as you can, this handy guide will give you the scoop you need to be prepared.

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CURRENCY CONVERTER

http://www.oanda.com/converter/classic

Perhaps you were considering a career in foreign currency speculation or were wondering how many Italian Lira it takes to buy a stick of bubble gum. Most likely, you're about to go on a much-needed vacation and want to know how far your dollars (or pounds or yen) will get you. This easy-to-use currency converter lets you find the value of your own money, or anybody else's, as measured against the world's other currencies. You can even personalize the site by language, date format, and bank. You won't know the price of anything, but you'll know the value of everything.

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LONELY PLANET

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

There are loads of travel information sites out there, but many of them are targeted to people whose most pressing concern is whether to lease a Lexus or a Range Rover. Here's the site for those who know that money does not grow on trust funds. The comprehensive site takes you beyond the typical questions about food and lodging to address such important, but often neglected, subjects as safety and health, while the Thorn Tree offers discussion groups for opinionated travelers and The Scoop offers the latest news on everything from armed insurrections to air fare hikes. There are articles about offbeat destinations, city guides, and a store to buy all the Lonely Planet books you need.

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MAC OS HELLO EARTH: SPACE ALIENS FOUND BY YOUR MAC

Forget about "Red Planet," there's a safer way to find intelligent life in the universe. You can participate in the SETI@Home project, the largest shared computing project ever.

Best if you have a DSL line at home (or run it at the office; it's not a bandwidth hog), the SETI@Home screensaver works while you're away by analyzing bite-sized chunks of radiotelescope data and reporting back to the Berkeley-based project that works with SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence), popularized in the movie "Contact."

The official word: "As of February, 2000, SETI@home has grown to encompass 1.6 million participants in 224 countries. The amount of computing time contributed since May 1999 is equal to 165,000 years, averaging 10 Teraflops (about 10 times more than the largest supercomputer on the planet). It is the largest computation ever done, and has attracted the participation of 20,000 groups such as schools and private companies."

Pitch in! It's FREE (unlike building your own Very Large Array).

SETI@Home http://setiathome.ssl.berkeley.edu/

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CONSUMER SEARCH

http://www.consumersearch.com

You've almost paid off your credit card, so it's time to go shopping again. Although you may be an indebted consumer, you don't want to be an ill-informed one, and Consumer Search will help prevent that misfortune. Let's say eating out has put you in the mood for a new treadmill. You're torn between the TrueFitness and the PaceMaster. Consumer Search gives you a number of reviews to choose from, ranks the various products, and even tells you where to go to make your purchase. The nifty comparison chart gives you a graphical interface into all the features, warranties, etc. Rinse and repeat with cars, audio equipment, dishwashers, whatever.

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INSIDE.COM

http://www.inside.com

Does Entertainment Tonight not give you the depth of information you need to feel on-track with the stars? Want to know what's really going on in the world of entertainment? Well, Inside is the place you oughta be. Learn more about Paula Jones' pictorial and interview in Penthouse. Experience the infighting between Christina Aguilera and her former manager. View pictures of Kate Capshaw and a whole menagerie of other stars. Whether you are focused on books, television, movies, music, or some other aspect of the entertainment industry, the time has come to get wired in on the Inside scoop.

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POP! THE FIRST HUMAN MALE PREGNANCY

http://www.malepregnancy.com

For those of you who have waited patiently for the ill-fated Joan Rivers movie, Rabbit Test, to come out on DVD, here's an opportunity to follow the pregnancy of Mr. Lee Mingwei from artificial insemination to caesarian section. Curious about male pregnancy? Online movies give you a glimpse of Lee's life. Mystified by the science? Detailed descriptions and graphics take you, step-by-step, through the impregnation process. Uncertain of the ethics? Ongoing chats let you hear from experts on the future of this odd process. Male pregnancy: urban myth, performance art, or reality? You decide.

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VINTAGE CALCULATORS

http://www.vintagecalculators.com

For you baby boomers out there, here's a trip down memory lane. Remember when, years before the personal computer was a gleam in Steve Job's eye, the electronic calculator was first introduced. The calculators weren't the wafer thin variety we take for granted; in fact, they were kind of clunky, too big to fit in a pocket but somewhat belt-friendly and the perfect accessory for your favorite geek. Here's a site that collects them and even goes back to the bad old days of mechanical calculators. The site includes a collection of British calculators for you true aficionados. They were big, bulky, expensive, and kind of stupid, but they had character and that's what we love about them.

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TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN

http://www.tmcm.com

Despite what people are saying around the office, you're not an addict. True, you're always the first one to brew a pot in the morning, but that's just a coincidence. You get a little huffy when the pot runs dry and no amount of aspirin will cure those caffeine withdrawal headaches--but you're really okay. There's even a site with a cartoon character to help you feel good about your little, uh, habit. Too Much Coffee Man is a little edgy, but that's just from the caffeine. On this site, you'll find cartoons, animations, screensavers, a newsletter, and some really nifty merchandise. There's even a cheesy TMCM song, but chances are, after a few cups of coffee, you won't be patient enough to wait for it to download.

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THE PARABLE OF THE MONKEYS

http://www.research.att.com/~reeds/monkeys.html

You've heard this one before. Theoretically, if you had an infinite number of monkeys, an infinite number of typewriters, and an infinite amount of time, the monkeys, purely by chance, would reproduce Shakespeare. This site devotes itself to the many different references to this theory. Going back to the original 1913 quote by Emile Borel (which is in French, so don't expect me to reproduce it here), the site follows the evolution of the idea through its many restatements and periodic misstatements, including The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and a Dilbert cartoon. Interested in where this bizarre idea comes from? Here's your site.

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THE QUACKATORIUM

http://www.radiantslab.com/quackmed/

It's never a pleasant sensation, feeling your body being slowly propelled into the tiny opening of the MRI machine. But if you need to count your blessings, the Quackatorium offers a penetrating look at antique medical quackery and electrotherapy devices. Both fascinating and creepy, this retrospective into funky old technology includes the Radio Disease Killer, the Vitapulsar, and the Patho-Neuroclast. There are eye massagers, galvanic batteries, and medical (read torture) devices of all stripe. So jump up and volunteer for some extra x-rays, and remember, it could be a lot worse.

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12/12/00

EARTH CAM

http://tv.earthcam.com

You don't have to wait to be famous, and you don't have to limit your notoriety to fifteen minutes. With Earthcam, you can have your own internationally broadcast television station right on the World Wide Web. You don't even have to do anything sexy (though that sort of thing helps ratings). Or maybe you're not the exhibitionist you thought you were. Maybe, like Chance Gardner, you just like to watch. There are literally hundreds of personal Web cams on display, everything from the family Dachsund to the New Jersey foliage. Take a look, it's educational, titillating, and free.

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12/11/00

TASTINGS

http://www.tastings.com

Life used to be so simple. You'd go down to your local grocer, grab a box of White Zinfandel or a six-pack of Coors Light and quaff to your heart's content. But now that you're older and more highly evolved, you're not satisfied with the starter beverages anymore. What you need is a little guidance to help you make choices to match your lifestyle. Tastings offers an opportunity to learn about wine, beer, and spirits, including historical information, winery/brewery notes, and reviews of your favorite beverage. Learn who the best producers are and how to get in touch with them. Take a look at some ratings and tasting notes. Life doesn't get any easier, but it sure tastes better.

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12/10/00