WHITE HOUSE SCANDAL CARTOONS!
So the 24-hour news channels just aren’t enough for you? Admit it: You can’t get enough of the White House scandals. Thankfully, the Internet feels your pain and remedies it with hundreds, yes hundreds, of political cartoons from op-ed pages all over the country. Thankfully, for those of us who are suffering through the scandal with low-speed modems, most of the cartoons are reproduced in black and white. Search by cartoonist’s name, newspaper’s home state, or by topic—which currently includes the White House, Princess Di, Mark McGwire, NASCAR, and Microsoft.
MYSTERIES.COM: With summer winding down, you still might have a few days left to head to the beach and roast in the sun while racing through the pages of a juicy mystery novel. What’s that sound? The rain rap-tap-tapping on your windowpane? If the weather has turned inclement, you can still get a heady fix of whodunit, thanks to Mystery.com, A&E Network’s new mystery site. Each day a new mystery is posted here, and although the interactivity falls short, the writing quality and level of suspense are both high. What’s more, if you want to find out which mystery shows will be airing on the telly, the site features a TV listing and info on how to purchase your favorite mystery videos.
BARBECUE’N: The smell of a ragin’ barbecue on a hot summer night is one of the reasons many people claim they can’t become vegetarians. Whether you’re wet behind the ears when it comes to the great outdoor activity, or a seasoned charbroiler, Barbecue’n has something for you. Not sure what cut of meat to grab at the market?
Take a look at the cut guide and rating system. If it’s a recipe you’re after, Barbecue’n’s got ‘em by the dozen.
You can even read about the role spices play in a barbecue as well. No longer will you think that a barbecue means simply throwing a burger on the grill.
ART WAVE: You’ve got curtains, not sheets, on your windows, you’ve stopped drinking milk from the carton, about the only thing left for you to do to officially enter adulthood is buy some art. If you don’t have $50 million kicking around for a Van Gogh, don’t fret. Instead, hop online and take a stroll through Art Wave. Art Wave showcases work by dozens of artists, searchable by name and genre. n
1998 CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PROFILES: Netizen, educate thyself! If you grow weary or even jaded with all the news of political fundraising stealing what little ethics was left in politics, the Center for Responsive Politics has a site to help you raise your awareness of the situation. Select the state elections you’re interested in tracking, find the congressperson’s name, and discover how much has been raised, spent, where the money is coming from, and what elections are the most costly. Outraged at what you find? The site also features copious information on what you can do to express your dissatisfaction and how to educate those around you.
SWOON: Miss the latest fashion spreads? Need some love advice? How about a horoscope? Sounds like a magazine, doesn’t it? Very good, kids! It’s Swoon, the online home for four of Conde Nast’s hottest properties: Details, GQ, Glamour, and Mademoiselle. You won’t find all the articles in this online outpost, but you will find some, plus online-only features. And fellas, if you’re too embarrassed to pick up a Glamour in the supermarket but are dying to find out just what women want, now you can—from the privacy of your own computer.
COLLEGE OF COMEDY KNOWLEDGE: So you wanna be a stand comic, eh? Take this Web site . . . please! OK, OK, so obviously we need some work, but if you’re serious about our desire to stand up in front of strangers and run the risk of humiliation, you’ll find some helpful advice here. Greg Dean, a semi-pro comedian in his own right, has assembled this tutorial to demonstrate that not just any schmuck can be a stand-up comic. Pore through the assembled terms to grasp comedic theories such as alternative possibilities, decoy assumptions, and hammocking. Interest piqued? Of course there’s a punch line, and in this case, it’s a shill for Dean’s comedy workbooks and audiotapes; but much can be learned without spending a dime.
ALBUM REVIEWS: Though the LP as a music format might be nearly extinct, its purists can take comfort in knowing that even current CDs are still referred to as “albums.” And album reviews are just what you’ll find on this ew site, sponsored by SonicNet, one of the leading music sites on the Internet. Drawing from SonicNet’s stable of writers, you’ll find hundreds of archived album write-ups and dozens of current ones. AR puts the emphasis on rock and roll here, so sorry, no reviews of Lawrence Welk retrospectives. But if you’re considering buying the upcoming Beck release, you’ll want to stop in here to see what the trained ears are saying.
E-mail me at webmaster@hal-pc.org with any comments you have and tell me what you want to see here.