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Welcome to the 151st issue of the Cool Tricks and Trinkets
Newsletter offering weekly insights into new, cool, useful, fun, unusual
and interesting sites on the Internet.
In this issue:
- Frontier House Adventure
- Internet Boom and Bust
- Do You Believe?
- Short Takes
- What should I put on the fence?
- Practical Pet Care
- Human Body Online
- FARK
- Web Awards Scoop
Frontier House Adventure
Experiential history is a way of exploring a time period by putting
yourself under the natural and technological conditions of that era.
Produced through the cooperation of PBS and NBC, 'Frontier House' is a new
reality TV show that documents the experiences of three modern families
living as 1880's Homesteaders on the American Frontier.
The website for 'Frontier House' is outfitted with a complete description
of the television 'project', including an introduction to the three
families, the conditions under which they will live, and the filming of
their day to day lives. There's a section on the history of Homestead
life, as well as a live Web Cam pointed directly at the Frontier Valley.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/frontierhouse
Internet Boom and Bust
We've all heard the sad stories of young, fresh dot-com companies that,
despite their initial success, went belly up. What has been less
publicized is the effect that this financial roller-coaster ride has had
on the employees of these companies.
EatTheseWords.com is a collection of personal stories from people of all
ages who were involved in the 'Internet Boom and Bust (1995-2000)'. These
stories elucidate the individual experiences behind the headlines and big
name businesses, capturing the essence of what it was like to be on the
front lines of the biggest and most exciting financial boom in
history.
http://www.eatthesewords.com/
Do You Believe?
The next time someone asks if you believe in ghosts, click over to this
site and show them Arthur Conan Doyle's spirit exuding from a medium's
nose, caught on film in 1932.
The American Museum of Photography's exhibition of spirit photography from
1868 - 1935 gives you three galleries devoted to ghosts and ectoplasm
captured on film. The images chronicle spirit photography, starting with
"technological marvels intended to amuse" to the international
wave of spirit photography launched in 1868 when a Boston engraver claimed
that he had taken actual photographic records of ghosts.
See the images that for nearly a century were at the heart of the
controversy -- and decide for yourself if the photographers were really
seeing dead people.
http://www.photographymuseum.com/believe1.html
SHORT TAKES:
Prehistoric Internet
Have you ever wondered what the Internet looked like when the dinosaurs
roamed, long before the corporate invasion and IPO frenzy took over?
The Browser Emulator recreates the experience of web surfing as it began,
quite simply. Long time web users will get a kick out of revisiting the
old Web, complete with line-mode browser, NCSA mosaic, and the original
Netscape Navigator.
http://www.dejavu.org/emulator.htm
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Act Convincingly!
Acting has become an extremely popular endeavor, a potential quick route
to big money (most often not) that combines hard work, rejection and
talent.
This site attempts to teach young thespians some important tips on how to
'act' convincingly. Black and white video of a wonderfully sarcastic young
actor sneezing, endorsing a product, and even 'thinking' is accompanied by
written instructions.
http://www.zefrank.com/acting/index.html
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Copy Kat Recipes
If you have restaurant taste but a microscopic budget, check out
CopyKat.com, where your favorite recipes from Boston Market, The Olive
Garden, and other popular eateries are ripe for the picking.
Search the index of restaurants alphabetically, or just choose from the
site's 'You Gotta Try This!' section. It contains some of the best recipes
known to mankind.
http://www.copykat.com/
What should I put on the fence?
Anyone who's ever struggled with petty rules, regulations and cruel
landlords will relate to this lighthearted tale of one Englishman's
struggle against a fence. This fence is located in a nice neighborhood in
London, near Hyde Park, and has been used by the anonymous 'Fencemaster'
as a convenient spot to lock his bicycle during work hours.
The website he has created is filled with the typically eccentric and
individual content that makes personalized sites so enjoyable. Visitors
will hear the entire 'story' of his struggle with the landlady, learn
about the history and benefits of bicycling, and read myriad stories about
this man and his struggle to keep riding to work.
http://www.whatshouldiputonthefence.com/
Practical Pet Care
Pets are an important part of our culture; loyal companions that enhance
the quality of our lives with their love, character, and natural presence.
While the average family pet is usually a cat or a dog, people around the
world have opened their homes to more exotic animals as well.
The Practical Pet Care website is an online resource for pet owners to
learn about the proper care of their animals. The site provides info on
dogs, cats, rodents, fish, birds, lizards, snakes, spiders, and even
crustaceans! Users can buy pet products, place ads in the 'Pet Yellow
Pages', and send in pictures of their pet to be put on display in the Pet
Gallery.
http://www.practical-pet-care.com/
Human Body Online
Nature is a genius inventor, having created many complex and beautiful
things including unusual species and ecosystems. The human body is perhaps
its most glorious achievement yet, though many of us have very little
information about how our own bodies function.
Human Body Online is part of the BBC online network, a website that
focuses on educating visitors about the structure and systems of the human
body. The site uses a 'dummy' to demonstrate the various aspects of the
body, such as 'Organ', 'Skeletal', 'Muscles', 'Nervous System', and
'Circulation'.
There are also links to related pages such as 'Health', where you can use
the 'Life Calculator' to determine your current life expectancy.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/
FARK
The biggest complaint people have about the 'news' is that it is sad and
depressing. Thanks to the boys at FARK, we can now stay informed about
many important issues around the globe and still smile at the same
time.
This is one of the funniest sites we've seen in a while. Fark.com is
stocked to the brim with humorous articles and news bits from genuine
media sources. Each news entry is labeled with bizarre but helpful titles
like 'Amusing', 'Ironic', 'Asinine', 'Cool', 'Strange' and 'Stupid'. Users
can scroll through the 'Farkives', choose from one of the 'Fun Games', or
submit their own wacky news story.
http://www.fark.com/
Web Awards Scoop
When surfing the Net these days, it seems like almost every site you visit
has won some kind of an award or recognition from the Internet community.
But who gives out these awards, what are they honoring, and which of them
are legitimate accolades?
Four men recently got together and created Award Scoop, a 'one-stop
location for accurate facts and information' about the various Web awards
that are regularly issued by different parties on the Internet.
http://www.awardsscoop.org/
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SUBSCRIBERS' SITES - Many of our subscribers have fascinating on-line projects. This weekly section will introduce you to some of these sites. Please let me know about your project so that I might mention it in this section. Write me at
info@tricksandtrinkets.com
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OOo-(_)-oOOo--------
Seize the mountain spirits,
Make them divulge their secrets.
Only with strength is there discovery.
Tao
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Have a great weekend.
Charles Kessler
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