I had originally planned to title this week’s column, “Politics,” but we have learned not to discuss that matter if we want to keep friends (or readers here). Since those of us of a certain age clearly remember the Watergate affair and since Deep Throat recently revealed his identity, what better time to browse the Internet and dig for secrets.
White House Tapes . The nonpartisan Miller Center at the University of Virginia has a staff that reviews and posts transcripts, with audio highlights, of some of our past presidents. The website is a service for historical researchers and journalists and represents one of a larger family of sites that focuses on American politics. Those include AmericanPresident.org, the Scripps Library, and AmericanPoliticalDevelopment.org. Those links are easily accessed from the White House Tapes website, and the very curious may find themselves surfing deeper and deeper into lesser-known barrels of information. While all of us worry about spyware tracking our every move in cyberspace, we can at least do a little retrograde spying ourselves by listening to once clandestine recordings made by Richard Nixon, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson.
National Security Archive . There are many interesting items to peruse here, whether you are interested in politics or not. I never knew that Elvis Presley wrote a letter to then-President Nixon asking to visit the White House and requesting that he (Elvis) be made a Federal Agent at Large. It should come as no surprise to cynics that the photos of Elvis with Richard Nixon in the Oval Office are the most requested items from the National Archives—much more so that requests for copies of the Declaration of Independence. But back to politics. You can read a ream of materials from the September 11 Sourcebooks, or the Deep Throat Files, or Nuclear Policy or dozens of other items dealing with past and current national security issues, including quite a lot about Afghanistan. This website is the project of an independent, non-governmental research institute and library located at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Think About It . In my search for sites about secrets, I suppose it was inevitable that I would run across a few websites dealing with the Men in Black, the Grays, Area 51, and the numerous, deep underground tunnel-worlds that some say exist under U.S. soil. The secret information here is said to have come from a national security insider who remains unnamed, of course. This discourse talks about the very top secret moon and Mars bases, the Human Genome project gone awry and genetically altered creatures that exist deep below the earth. I quickly scanned much of the material here, having read or heard about it years ago. But if you keep reading, you will come to a paragraph that warns us that because we now have knowledge of these very secretive activities kept from us average Joes and Janes—that our own lives can be in peril because of our discovery. A creative mind can take this material and fashion some very entertaining novels or movies based on the stuff here. In fact, some creatives have done that already.
Secret Files from Ghost Village . There are no political secrets here that I could find. Just ghost stories submitted by people who found this website. Some of the stories might cause the hair to rise on the back of your neck, or maybe not.
Saturday, July 23, 2005
This and That Returns
There is no way to categorize this week’s selections of websites. Blame it on random surfing. The scope of mentions this week varies from lawnmower racing to international real estate listings. Let’s just jump right in.
U.S. Lawnmower Racing Association . You may be thinking that because our lawnmowers have not been getting much of a workout this summer, we might as well put them to use in a competitive sport. What’s amazing is that most states have a lawnmower racing association, and these people take their sport seriously. The national association’s motto says, “We turn a weekend chore into a competitive sport.” Just so you know, the cutting blades have to be removed before any race, and there are different levels. Modified mowers in competition can reach speeds up to 80 mph. And give the state of Indiana a gold star for another first: the lawnmower races in 12-mile, IN (wherever that is) have been going on for at least 30 years. If you are curious, you can watch this sport on July 30 at the Porter County Fair. Our state’s association is based in Indianapolis, and representative Greg Duncan can answer your questions. Contact him through the link on the website or phone him at 317.955.7941.
Passenger Ships of the Great Lakes . The Marine Historical Society of Detroit has a website with a nifty link that should satisfy maritime history buffs. This is the Beacher’s Bill Keefe’s territory, since Bill knows his maritime history inside and out. Two passenger ships mentioned on this site are worth mentioning here: the Eastland and the Tashmoo. While the Tashmoo plied the waters of Lake Huron, it is an interesting boat—a side-wheeler excursion boat built in 1899—that you might have expected to see along the Mississippi River. And the Eastland, who many know about from watching channel 11 or reading about it in the Tribune, sank in the Chicago River in 1915. Eight hundred and ten passengers drowned in that disaster. What I did not know is that the Eastland was raised and rebuilt by the U.S. Navy in 1917 and served as a training boat during both World Wars. Lots of fascinating information on this website for anyone interested in learning about the Great Lakes.
Long Bets Foundation . Now here is a website that intellectuals will fancy. Meaty matters are predicted, chewed upon, discussed, or bet upon. The bets are about things that matter, directly or indirectly, the website explains. These are not guesses, but theories that affect science and/or society. Free registration allows you to vote, but you have to register your true name. The minimum period for a prediction is 2 years and there is no maximum. All votes and discussion threads remain online in perpetuity, so one will be able to look back and see how “prophetic” or not participants have been. The neatest thing is that the winning bettor donates his 50% of winnings to a charity of his choice; the other half goes to the Long Bets Foundation to keep the website running. This website is not really intended for the casual gambler, but for someone who likes to think very deeply about subjects that matter. My description of this site may be found wanting, so I suggest you go there yourself and read the “about” page. Then jump in and think about adding your own prediction—if you think you can compete with the fine minds on this site.
International Property Listings . Speculation in the real estate market has reached an all-time high, so you might as well expand your horizons and look at what is offered in places such as Grenada, Greece, Mexico, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, El Salvador, and so many other countries. Some of us have to just resort to dreaming, rather than acting on most of these offerings, so the pictures alone will have to do.
U.S. Lawnmower Racing Association . You may be thinking that because our lawnmowers have not been getting much of a workout this summer, we might as well put them to use in a competitive sport. What’s amazing is that most states have a lawnmower racing association, and these people take their sport seriously. The national association’s motto says, “We turn a weekend chore into a competitive sport.” Just so you know, the cutting blades have to be removed before any race, and there are different levels. Modified mowers in competition can reach speeds up to 80 mph. And give the state of Indiana a gold star for another first: the lawnmower races in 12-mile, IN (wherever that is) have been going on for at least 30 years. If you are curious, you can watch this sport on July 30 at the Porter County Fair. Our state’s association is based in Indianapolis, and representative Greg Duncan can answer your questions. Contact him through the link on the website or phone him at 317.955.7941.
Passenger Ships of the Great Lakes . The Marine Historical Society of Detroit has a website with a nifty link that should satisfy maritime history buffs. This is the Beacher’s Bill Keefe’s territory, since Bill knows his maritime history inside and out. Two passenger ships mentioned on this site are worth mentioning here: the Eastland and the Tashmoo. While the Tashmoo plied the waters of Lake Huron, it is an interesting boat—a side-wheeler excursion boat built in 1899—that you might have expected to see along the Mississippi River. And the Eastland, who many know about from watching channel 11 or reading about it in the Tribune, sank in the Chicago River in 1915. Eight hundred and ten passengers drowned in that disaster. What I did not know is that the Eastland was raised and rebuilt by the U.S. Navy in 1917 and served as a training boat during both World Wars. Lots of fascinating information on this website for anyone interested in learning about the Great Lakes.
Long Bets Foundation . Now here is a website that intellectuals will fancy. Meaty matters are predicted, chewed upon, discussed, or bet upon. The bets are about things that matter, directly or indirectly, the website explains. These are not guesses, but theories that affect science and/or society. Free registration allows you to vote, but you have to register your true name. The minimum period for a prediction is 2 years and there is no maximum. All votes and discussion threads remain online in perpetuity, so one will be able to look back and see how “prophetic” or not participants have been. The neatest thing is that the winning bettor donates his 50% of winnings to a charity of his choice; the other half goes to the Long Bets Foundation to keep the website running. This website is not really intended for the casual gambler, but for someone who likes to think very deeply about subjects that matter. My description of this site may be found wanting, so I suggest you go there yourself and read the “about” page. Then jump in and think about adding your own prediction—if you think you can compete with the fine minds on this site.
International Property Listings . Speculation in the real estate market has reached an all-time high, so you might as well expand your horizons and look at what is offered in places such as Grenada, Greece, Mexico, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Poland, El Salvador, and so many other countries. Some of us have to just resort to dreaming, rather than acting on most of these offerings, so the pictures alone will have to do.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Balance
The word, “balance’ can mean many things. This week we peek into the worlds of two individuals who balance objects for a living. Ballerinas know about balance, and we found a fine site with archives of photos of famous ballerinas past and present. Also, we review a website that promotes balance of mind, body and spirit.
The Ballerina Gallery . Many young ladies initially became attracted to classical dance after watching Moira Shearer in “The Red Shoes.” This website is a collection of photos of prima ballerinas, with short biographies of most of them. The photos are extraordinary, and many poses are of a famous dancer in costume, en Pointe. Moira Shearer, Cynthia Gregory, and dozens more dancers have photos archived here.
Rock Balancing . Log on to sculptor Bill Dan’s website and be amazed at his skill at taking stone riprap and creating a “sculpture” from diverse sizes and shapes. The San-Francisco-based artist lets you view his gallery and his method of balancing the rocks (no glue, no fasteners), and you’ll wonder how much patience it takes to even attempt such a feat. View his balanced stones and you can understand why Dan gives talks to school children on creativity and the art of the possible. Links take you to other Pacific Coast rock balancers: Jim Needham, who has created a Gravity Garden that has become a big attraction in the Big Sur area; also Daryl Maddeaux, Ron Divino and Art Ludwigs. Says Jim Needham: “The beauty of rock stacking is working with objects that are entirely different from each other and seeing the beauty in each and discovering how they work with each other.”
Card Balancing . Bryan Berg at age 17 broke the first Guinness World Record for a tower he built of cards reaching to 14-1/2 feet tall. Now 31, Bryan Berg has found himself happily stacking cards for a living, and making appearances around the U.S.—on television, in the press, in corporate seminars, and at Disney World and at the Star Wars Celebration. The graduate (and later, faculty member) of Iowa State (architecture) earned a Masters in Design Studies at Harvard. But it is his grandfather he credits for teaching him at age 8 the basics of stacking cards. Berg has created a replica of Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World; Cloud City for Star Wars’ fans, the New York City Skyline, and his latest grand-scale work, a tower reaching more than 25 feet high. Berg has been the winner of the World’s Tallest House of Cards event thirteen times in a row. On his website, he shows you how he begins his foundation with cards arranged in grid patterns. And you can see samples of some of his large-scale works online. Whoever has said that his future was in the cards must have been talking about Bryan Berg.
Soulful Living . The rock stackers seem to know the soul of any given rock, ballerinas know the soul of dance, and Bryan Berg’s soul knows that cards can be played beyond bridge or poker. The rest of us can access all the inspiration and guidance we may need or want for balance of our minds, bodies and spirits at Soulful Living. Pick from one of at least a dozen categories pertaining to healing, self-improvement, serenity, dream work, grief, shadow work and more and read articles by doctors and psychologists, counselors and ministers, teachers and light workers and life coaches. Chances are you will find a topic that fits your present circumstances, and gentle guidance to help you get in touch with a meaningful new perspective about a current situation.
The Ballerina Gallery . Many young ladies initially became attracted to classical dance after watching Moira Shearer in “The Red Shoes.” This website is a collection of photos of prima ballerinas, with short biographies of most of them. The photos are extraordinary, and many poses are of a famous dancer in costume, en Pointe. Moira Shearer, Cynthia Gregory, and dozens more dancers have photos archived here.
Rock Balancing . Log on to sculptor Bill Dan’s website and be amazed at his skill at taking stone riprap and creating a “sculpture” from diverse sizes and shapes. The San-Francisco-based artist lets you view his gallery and his method of balancing the rocks (no glue, no fasteners), and you’ll wonder how much patience it takes to even attempt such a feat. View his balanced stones and you can understand why Dan gives talks to school children on creativity and the art of the possible. Links take you to other Pacific Coast rock balancers: Jim Needham, who has created a Gravity Garden that has become a big attraction in the Big Sur area; also Daryl Maddeaux, Ron Divino and Art Ludwigs. Says Jim Needham: “The beauty of rock stacking is working with objects that are entirely different from each other and seeing the beauty in each and discovering how they work with each other.”
Card Balancing . Bryan Berg at age 17 broke the first Guinness World Record for a tower he built of cards reaching to 14-1/2 feet tall. Now 31, Bryan Berg has found himself happily stacking cards for a living, and making appearances around the U.S.—on television, in the press, in corporate seminars, and at Disney World and at the Star Wars Celebration. The graduate (and later, faculty member) of Iowa State (architecture) earned a Masters in Design Studies at Harvard. But it is his grandfather he credits for teaching him at age 8 the basics of stacking cards. Berg has created a replica of Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World; Cloud City for Star Wars’ fans, the New York City Skyline, and his latest grand-scale work, a tower reaching more than 25 feet high. Berg has been the winner of the World’s Tallest House of Cards event thirteen times in a row. On his website, he shows you how he begins his foundation with cards arranged in grid patterns. And you can see samples of some of his large-scale works online. Whoever has said that his future was in the cards must have been talking about Bryan Berg.
Soulful Living . The rock stackers seem to know the soul of any given rock, ballerinas know the soul of dance, and Bryan Berg’s soul knows that cards can be played beyond bridge or poker. The rest of us can access all the inspiration and guidance we may need or want for balance of our minds, bodies and spirits at Soulful Living. Pick from one of at least a dozen categories pertaining to healing, self-improvement, serenity, dream work, grief, shadow work and more and read articles by doctors and psychologists, counselors and ministers, teachers and light workers and life coaches. Chances are you will find a topic that fits your present circumstances, and gentle guidance to help you get in touch with a meaningful new perspective about a current situation.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Pop Web Icons, Project Awry and First Names
Pop Web Icons, Project Awry and First Names
These three unrelated websites belong in what have become my “This and That” columns that show up here about once a month. I need to credit one of the sources I use to find interesting sites to write about, and that source is a popular blog known as J-Walk . Keep in mind that not all of the sites this Arizona-based writer talks about are family-friendly. And keep in mind that some of the “Top Ten Popular Websites” mentioned below need to be screened before you let your children view those picks. If you have trouble accessing these sites, you can go to the CyberScribbles Too blog and access them directly.
Ten from the Wave
If you are an avid web surfer, then you know the joke behind “all your base are belong to us.” The original science fiction website written in broken English must have set a record for setting off slack time in offices worldwide. The Wave magazine has posted a list of what it considers the Top 10 all-time most talked about and laughed at (and later, widely parodied) websites, where All Your Base ranks third on their list. If you have had your mouse buried in the sand, you need to get with it and log on to All Your Base and some of the others for some hearty laughs. The Top 10 according to the Wave are: 1) Star Wars Kid; 2) Bubb Rubb; 3)All Your Base; 4)Bonsai Kitten; 5) People Falling Down; 6) Lightning Bolt; 7) Hampsterdance; 8) Tourist Guy-911; 9) Mahir Cagri—I Kiss You; 10) Jay Maynard—Tron. Get surfing and start laughing.
Project Awry . Imagine two gymnasium-sized supercomputers housed at the University of Pittsburgh and at Moscow State University. A bevy of scientists are sitting around, brainstorming. Their mission is to suggest, process and cross-reference Everything that Could Go Wrong. The computers whir 24 hours a day, making 6 trillion calculations a second. The result is to be a catalog of every possible unfortunate scenario of error and misfortune. This 10-year in the making project is supposed to provide “valuable research or used as a preventative tool.” I have no idea if federal grant money (my money, your money) is involved in this project. I also wonder how much these scientists are paid. I have a few people in mind who could win a top award for WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING that should be invited to join this project. Anyway, some of the catalog items thus far include such misfortunes as “snagging shirt cuff on doorknob,” “neglecting to maintain nuclear reactor cooling system leading to meltdown,” “phone system down,” “final exam directions misinterpreted,” and thousands and thousands of others. Woe to us.
Behind The Name . This is a fun site where you can look up your first name and find out its origin and meaning. But wait! There’s much more here to keep you interested. You can discover the current most popular names in the United States and in a few other countries. You can find out your name days. You can generate a new name (great for writers looking for a pseudonym or for crooks) and you can generate that name in one of several categories, such as a “fairy name,” a “rap name,” a “French name,” and many more options. If you and your spouse are expecting, you can peruse a huge database of name options, including twins’ names. I like the name generator best. Behind the Name provides the etymology and history behind first names and it may be the best “name” site on the Web.
These three unrelated websites belong in what have become my “This and That” columns that show up here about once a month. I need to credit one of the sources I use to find interesting sites to write about, and that source is a popular blog known as J-Walk . Keep in mind that not all of the sites this Arizona-based writer talks about are family-friendly. And keep in mind that some of the “Top Ten Popular Websites” mentioned below need to be screened before you let your children view those picks. If you have trouble accessing these sites, you can go to the CyberScribbles Too blog and access them directly.
Ten from the Wave
If you are an avid web surfer, then you know the joke behind “all your base are belong to us.” The original science fiction website written in broken English must have set a record for setting off slack time in offices worldwide. The Wave magazine has posted a list of what it considers the Top 10 all-time most talked about and laughed at (and later, widely parodied) websites, where All Your Base ranks third on their list. If you have had your mouse buried in the sand, you need to get with it and log on to All Your Base and some of the others for some hearty laughs. The Top 10 according to the Wave are: 1) Star Wars Kid; 2) Bubb Rubb; 3)All Your Base; 4)Bonsai Kitten; 5) People Falling Down; 6) Lightning Bolt; 7) Hampsterdance; 8) Tourist Guy-911; 9) Mahir Cagri—I Kiss You; 10) Jay Maynard—Tron. Get surfing and start laughing.
Project Awry . Imagine two gymnasium-sized supercomputers housed at the University of Pittsburgh and at Moscow State University. A bevy of scientists are sitting around, brainstorming. Their mission is to suggest, process and cross-reference Everything that Could Go Wrong. The computers whir 24 hours a day, making 6 trillion calculations a second. The result is to be a catalog of every possible unfortunate scenario of error and misfortune. This 10-year in the making project is supposed to provide “valuable research or used as a preventative tool.” I have no idea if federal grant money (my money, your money) is involved in this project. I also wonder how much these scientists are paid. I have a few people in mind who could win a top award for WORRYING ABOUT EVERYTHING that should be invited to join this project. Anyway, some of the catalog items thus far include such misfortunes as “snagging shirt cuff on doorknob,” “neglecting to maintain nuclear reactor cooling system leading to meltdown,” “phone system down,” “final exam directions misinterpreted,” and thousands and thousands of others. Woe to us.
Behind The Name . This is a fun site where you can look up your first name and find out its origin and meaning. But wait! There’s much more here to keep you interested. You can discover the current most popular names in the United States and in a few other countries. You can find out your name days. You can generate a new name (great for writers looking for a pseudonym or for crooks) and you can generate that name in one of several categories, such as a “fairy name,” a “rap name,” a “French name,” and many more options. If you and your spouse are expecting, you can peruse a huge database of name options, including twins’ names. I like the name generator best. Behind the Name provides the etymology and history behind first names and it may be the best “name” site on the Web.
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