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While I’m surfing to do research for this column, I come across a bunch of interesting sites that don’t necessarily fit into one neat category, or maybe ones that do fit into neat categories but without enough time for me to research them in more depth. If I don’t tell you about these now, I’m bound to lose track and never mention them. And before I forget, I need to mention that the Michiana Amateur Computer Society will host its next meeting on March 15 at 7pm. They meet at Michigan City High School and the March meeting will be all about spreadsheets. Now, on to some interesting websites:
Dark Secrets . Here is a site where you are invited to send in your darkest, deepest secrets (anonymously, of course) and have them read by thousands, maybe millions of people. But, the catch is that you have to mail in your secret to the address listed. You cannot post online. Now, after reading a list of other peoples’ sneaky, snarky, or otherwise weird, hush-hush actions, you might feel right at home. Or not. There is no way of knowing for sure if the people who have volunteered their confidential quirks have had a catharsis and ended up feeling better for revealing their “dark” stuff. Most of the postings sound real, at least to me.
Dr. Unheimlich’s Disease Registry . Want your name to outlive your (totally made-up) illness? Fill in a few blanks and you can print out an official-looking certificate to post on your wall. A great gift for hypochondriacs.
Food Sculpture . A few weeks ago in this column I featured Cake Art. Now you have a chance to view some incredible, edible sculptures made of chocolate, butter, and cheese. The artist, Jim Victor, started out as a wood sculptor and has completed some plaster and bronze works, too. But when he answered an ad for a butter sculptor, his new career took off. His online gallery has photos of life size cows and people, a cheese bust of Christopher Columbus, replica of the U.S. Capitol building in Washington made of 400 pounds of cheese, a butter sculpture of a reclining woman in a bikini, and chocolate likenesses of Mickey Rooney and Anne Miller, among many, many others.
Ecological Footprint . This serious website probably does not belong in this week’s column, but here it is, anyway. A 15-question Footprint Quiz estimates how much productive land and water you need to support what you use and what you discard. You will be able to compare your score with others around the globe to determine how much acreage you currently “consume.” The answers will surprise you, and possibly urge you to make some positive changes. Which is the point of the quiz.
Modern Coasters . I could do an entire column on the category of rollercoasters, old and new. I am not a fan of the thrill rides, but for any readers out there who are, this website is a must. Detailed descriptions and a fair amount of photos add to the sense of being on the ride. I became dizzy reading some of the reviews, which includes the Big Shot in Las Vegas, the fiery Volcano, the Exterminator, and at least a dozen more. This site does not include any woodies, just the newest, fastest, scariest of the recent breeds. Also on the website is a place to download a free trial of a 3-D coaster ride, in case you can’t make it to an amusement park or need an immediate fix of scariness. The trial download also lets you create your own ride, if I read the information correctly. True coaster nuts probably own the software already. But, just in case you did not know about it, you do now.
Carousel Music . Go ahead, I dare you to laugh. We know that you can download the latest Rap tunes, Hip-Hop, Country, and other popular genres regularly heard on radio. But how many people know that you can download samples of calliope, caliola, band organ and fair organ tunes? Listening to these old-fashioned sounds of the carnival midway will put you in a summery, happy mood. Perfect listening on a drizzly, dreary February day.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Wednesday, February 16, 2005
Presidents
The Federal holiday that comes in mid-February is meaningless to most of us. Except, maybe, for sales advertisements. We know about George and the cherry tree and Abe studying in his humble log cabin. Beyond that mostly useless information, what do you really know about Presidents from past history? Me neither. But that’s where the excellent resources on the Internet can help all of us become more literate concerning the past leaders of our country. No bells and whistles this week—it’s all about reading, learning, or relearning. I apologize to my print column readers--I could not access the Presidental Facts Page, so it is not mentioned here.
American President . This is a great place to start researching our Presidents. The educational website was created by PBS, and its contents are reliable for research. Especially for learning about lesser-talked-about Presidents. Millard Fillmore predated Abe and taught himself to read. He had about 3 years of grammar school and married his mentor/teacher, just two years older than he. Abe was not the only U.S. President with humble beginnings, but then, Fillmore inherited his position when Zachary Taylor died in office. Remember that from history class? Me neither.
Presidents USA . Another good reference website with information similar to the one above. Each name has a separate link, making this website just a wee bit easier to get to the information about a specific President.
History Buff . Of all the websites I reviewed about U.S. Presidents, I found this to be most enlightening in the context of understanding the history of our nation. That is because this site includes the inaugural addresses of all the Presidents who delivered one (or more). And within each inaugural address, a history student can get a capsulized idea of the issues of that time period, as well as our nation’s evolution. Here is a quote from Abe Lincoln’s first inaugural address: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” That quote was not mentioned in my high school history book. What about yours?
Carl Gehrman’s Presidents Website . Gehrman has taken his college research and put it to use on the Web for the rest of us, with the caveat to check other sources for accuracy. He also invites others to correct any errors they may find. In his own words and attempting to maintain some objectivity, Gehrman summarizes the major social changes, major inventions, and the domestic and foreign policy of each administration. Also, he adds his own subjective analysis of the impact each President had on the nation—up to and including George H.W. Bush. Gerhman’s website is the one—if I were to choose only one to read—to gain a more comprehensive understanding of U.S. history from its beginnings up to the past decade.
American President . This is a great place to start researching our Presidents. The educational website was created by PBS, and its contents are reliable for research. Especially for learning about lesser-talked-about Presidents. Millard Fillmore predated Abe and taught himself to read. He had about 3 years of grammar school and married his mentor/teacher, just two years older than he. Abe was not the only U.S. President with humble beginnings, but then, Fillmore inherited his position when Zachary Taylor died in office. Remember that from history class? Me neither.
Presidents USA . Another good reference website with information similar to the one above. Each name has a separate link, making this website just a wee bit easier to get to the information about a specific President.
History Buff . Of all the websites I reviewed about U.S. Presidents, I found this to be most enlightening in the context of understanding the history of our nation. That is because this site includes the inaugural addresses of all the Presidents who delivered one (or more). And within each inaugural address, a history student can get a capsulized idea of the issues of that time period, as well as our nation’s evolution. Here is a quote from Abe Lincoln’s first inaugural address: “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.” That quote was not mentioned in my high school history book. What about yours?
Carl Gehrman’s Presidents Website . Gehrman has taken his college research and put it to use on the Web for the rest of us, with the caveat to check other sources for accuracy. He also invites others to correct any errors they may find. In his own words and attempting to maintain some objectivity, Gehrman summarizes the major social changes, major inventions, and the domestic and foreign policy of each administration. Also, he adds his own subjective analysis of the impact each President had on the nation—up to and including George H.W. Bush. Gerhman’s website is the one—if I were to choose only one to read—to gain a more comprehensive understanding of U.S. history from its beginnings up to the past decade.
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Chinese New Year
February 9 marks a second chance for all of us to put those lapsed resolutions into practice. Here are a few websites that provide information about Chinese customs at this time of the year, and beyond. 2005 marks the Year of the Rooster, in case you did not know. And the Chinese celebrate everyone’s birthday together on this one date. Not a bad idea. Note that this week's online edition is abbreviated. I found some bad links and so I did my best to delete them before you could get hung up in the wrong place.
China Page . A moveable feast, Chinese New Year is calculated by the second new moon after winter solstice. This website explains that the date marks “Spring Festival,” ending 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. The 2005 Year of the Rooster is year 4702, “Yiyou,” a calendar cycle based on stems and branches. To understand the cycle in more depth, you’ll have to log on to the next website below.
Year of the Rooster and Animal Zodiac. I know you were waiting for this. These are good places to learn the characteristics of a Rooster person, and you can use links to learn about the 11 other zodiac animals, and their compatibility with other signs. But for more in-depth definitions, be sure to check out the next website below.
Chinese Zodiac . What does the current year have in store for you according to your Chinese zodiac sign? This is the place to find out (free!). I hope the webmaster has updated the site, because she had yet to do so when I found the site four weeks ago. Another good website to check out is the Chinese Fortune Calendar .
Chinese Lantern Collection . The 15th day of Chinese New Year is celebrated with a Lantern Festival. The person who created this website began a hobby several years ago creating exquisite paper lanterns. His gallery is quite large. Ignore what he says about not giving instructions on how to make them, because at the end of his 2004 gallery, he indeed gives instructions and diagrams. If you have the patience of a saint, you might be able to follow what looked to me like very complicated cutting and folding diagrams. How many people do you know who create Chinese lanterns?
Fortune Cookie . Click the link on this page and a pop-up window will reveal a random fortune. If you don’t like the one that pops up, close the window, click again, and a different fortune is yours. You could keep doing this all day, I suppose. It won’t work if you have completely disabled all pop-ups, or if you have one of those programs that blocks all of them automatically. In that case, get thee to a Chinese restaurant and as for a real fortune cookie. The benefit is that you have a paper fortune to keep and a sugary confection to eat.
China Page . A moveable feast, Chinese New Year is calculated by the second new moon after winter solstice. This website explains that the date marks “Spring Festival,” ending 15 days later with the Lantern Festival. The 2005 Year of the Rooster is year 4702, “Yiyou,” a calendar cycle based on stems and branches. To understand the cycle in more depth, you’ll have to log on to the next website below.
Year of the Rooster and Animal Zodiac. I know you were waiting for this. These are good places to learn the characteristics of a Rooster person, and you can use links to learn about the 11 other zodiac animals, and their compatibility with other signs. But for more in-depth definitions, be sure to check out the next website below.
Chinese Zodiac . What does the current year have in store for you according to your Chinese zodiac sign? This is the place to find out (free!). I hope the webmaster has updated the site, because she had yet to do so when I found the site four weeks ago. Another good website to check out is the Chinese Fortune Calendar .
Chinese Lantern Collection . The 15th day of Chinese New Year is celebrated with a Lantern Festival. The person who created this website began a hobby several years ago creating exquisite paper lanterns. His gallery is quite large. Ignore what he says about not giving instructions on how to make them, because at the end of his 2004 gallery, he indeed gives instructions and diagrams. If you have the patience of a saint, you might be able to follow what looked to me like very complicated cutting and folding diagrams. How many people do you know who create Chinese lanterns?
Fortune Cookie . Click the link on this page and a pop-up window will reveal a random fortune. If you don’t like the one that pops up, close the window, click again, and a different fortune is yours. You could keep doing this all day, I suppose. It won’t work if you have completely disabled all pop-ups, or if you have one of those programs that blocks all of them automatically. In that case, get thee to a Chinese restaurant and as for a real fortune cookie. The benefit is that you have a paper fortune to keep and a sugary confection to eat.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Cake Art
February is a month of birthdays in my household and among several of my friends. February is also a time when brides-to-be are well into arranging the details of their summer weddings. So the subject this week is cakes—unusual and artful sugary ones.
Mike’s Amazing Cakes. I start here because Mike’s website gave me the impetus to surf for more cake artists of his class. Amazing cakes they are. Works of art they are. Once you see them, you may want to turn up your nose at any ordinary single, two-layer or more cakes for being too ordinary. The nicest part of browsing Mike’s and the other sites mentioned this week is that no calories are involved. We are just looking; maybe getting ideas for a future celebration. Who would want to slice up these art masterpieces?
Cakes by Design . Despite this slow-loading website, pastry artist Scott Clark Wooley has eyefuls of gorgeous cake examples to survey. Wooley’s cake masterpieces have donned the tables of a long list of luminaries, including Princess Aga Khan, Caroline Kennedy, George W. Bush, Erte, and I.M. Pei. Wooley’s site displays a Cake of the Month and many more examples in his online gallery. Wooley’s Academy of Cake Art gives classes on the art of making sugar flowers and molding gum paste. You’ll wonder how he managed to create the delicate lace designs on some of his cake sculptures. He will be happy to show you if you want to go to New York to attend one of his many classes. He provides a gum paste sugar dough recipe for those who want to experiment with sugary, edible art forms.
Special Occasion Cakes . Drop by this website to view the “Indian Love Song” cake, a fancy replica of the Taj Mahal. The Tower of Pearls wedding cake and Homer’s Donuts are interesting samples of well-executed design work.
Cape Cod Cakes . Most of the cake art websites I found are based on the East Coast, for some reason. Some unusual samples at this site include realistic-looking sandcastle and seashell cakes. The cake shaped like a handbag and textured like smooth leather is an interesting sample. As is a layered teapot in blue and white.
B Cakes by Keith . If the “B” stands for birthday, then Keith forgot to mention his line of wedding and novelty cakes. Two standouts are his cutout lace-tablecloth tea table and a lotus pond with flagstone rim.
International Cake Exploration Societe. The worldwide cake club was founded right here in the Midwest—in Monroe, Michigan. Photos of a few unusual cakes posted at this website include a whimsical teapot, a sweet little birdhouse, and a bride’s wedding dress fitting scene. Since this website is geared to membership news, let me be among the first to tell you that an upcoming Hollywood movie starring Hilary Duff will have some scenes about cake decorating in it. The movie’s title is “The Perfect Man.” Now, isn’t that something that you wanted to know?
Australian National Cake Decorators’ Association . Have a look at Australia’s National Competition Winners. My favorites are the pair of chimpanzees and the garden people.
Australian Cake & Sugar Art Museum . A museum of cake art? Yes indeed. Browse the gallery or check out the list of historical books about sugar art (Australian history). Also, the website provides information for brides about the cake part of the ceremony. Think about all the happy mice that might reside within the walls of this Aussie museum. And why don’t we have a similar museum here in the United States?
British Sugarcraft Guild . If you want to view over 100 more examples of unique and/or exotic cake designs, feast your eyes here. Be sure to look at the examples of modeling and the floral designs, too.
Mike’s Amazing Cakes. I start here because Mike’s website gave me the impetus to surf for more cake artists of his class. Amazing cakes they are. Works of art they are. Once you see them, you may want to turn up your nose at any ordinary single, two-layer or more cakes for being too ordinary. The nicest part of browsing Mike’s and the other sites mentioned this week is that no calories are involved. We are just looking; maybe getting ideas for a future celebration. Who would want to slice up these art masterpieces?
Cakes by Design . Despite this slow-loading website, pastry artist Scott Clark Wooley has eyefuls of gorgeous cake examples to survey. Wooley’s cake masterpieces have donned the tables of a long list of luminaries, including Princess Aga Khan, Caroline Kennedy, George W. Bush, Erte, and I.M. Pei. Wooley’s site displays a Cake of the Month and many more examples in his online gallery. Wooley’s Academy of Cake Art gives classes on the art of making sugar flowers and molding gum paste. You’ll wonder how he managed to create the delicate lace designs on some of his cake sculptures. He will be happy to show you if you want to go to New York to attend one of his many classes. He provides a gum paste sugar dough recipe for those who want to experiment with sugary, edible art forms.
Special Occasion Cakes . Drop by this website to view the “Indian Love Song” cake, a fancy replica of the Taj Mahal. The Tower of Pearls wedding cake and Homer’s Donuts are interesting samples of well-executed design work.
Cape Cod Cakes . Most of the cake art websites I found are based on the East Coast, for some reason. Some unusual samples at this site include realistic-looking sandcastle and seashell cakes. The cake shaped like a handbag and textured like smooth leather is an interesting sample. As is a layered teapot in blue and white.
B Cakes by Keith . If the “B” stands for birthday, then Keith forgot to mention his line of wedding and novelty cakes. Two standouts are his cutout lace-tablecloth tea table and a lotus pond with flagstone rim.
International Cake Exploration Societe. The worldwide cake club was founded right here in the Midwest—in Monroe, Michigan. Photos of a few unusual cakes posted at this website include a whimsical teapot, a sweet little birdhouse, and a bride’s wedding dress fitting scene. Since this website is geared to membership news, let me be among the first to tell you that an upcoming Hollywood movie starring Hilary Duff will have some scenes about cake decorating in it. The movie’s title is “The Perfect Man.” Now, isn’t that something that you wanted to know?
Australian National Cake Decorators’ Association . Have a look at Australia’s National Competition Winners. My favorites are the pair of chimpanzees and the garden people.
Australian Cake & Sugar Art Museum . A museum of cake art? Yes indeed. Browse the gallery or check out the list of historical books about sugar art (Australian history). Also, the website provides information for brides about the cake part of the ceremony. Think about all the happy mice that might reside within the walls of this Aussie museum. And why don’t we have a similar museum here in the United States?
British Sugarcraft Guild . If you want to view over 100 more examples of unique and/or exotic cake designs, feast your eyes here. Be sure to look at the examples of modeling and the floral designs, too.
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