(010301) NZine
The New Zealand Ezine
http://www.nzine.co.nz/

Plain Communications Ltd.
Christchurch, New Zealand

NZine is part special interest publication and part general interest publication. The special interest part comes into play in that the people who edit and maintain NZine are New Zealanders a lot of the content explores the popular culture and history of New Zealand. The subjects covered though prove interesting enough that better than three quarters of the folks who read NZine are from places other than New Zealand. Since 1996, weekly issues have looked at a myriad of topics — everything from electromagnetic radiation to walking the Milford Track. Currently there are 592 articles available, new material is added every Friday.  (Back to top of page)

(010302) PursuitWatch Network
http://www.pursuitwatch.com/

PursuitWatch Network
San Dimas, California, USA

Because it would seem that as a society, we have nothing better to do with our time than to stop everything and turn on the television set to watch some dumbass eluding the police in a chase on the highway system. Granted this is basically a California thing, but with the popularity of a world-wide broadcast of a certain white Ford Bronco a few years ago all regularly scheduled programming stops so airborne cameras can bring us the thrill and excitement. Afraid to miss the next chase? Then sign up for the free trial offer at PursuitWatch Network and receive word by telephone or pager when there's an event on regional television. Again, this is mostly a California thing so people in more rational areas may find the service useless — especially in places where these chases only last a short time and the subject is reminded upon capture that endangering the lives of other motorists, not to mention making a mess out of traffic, is simply not appreciated. It might also have to do with the fact that the local news stations can't yet afford helicopters.  (Back to top of page)

(010303) Houston Freeway Incident Map
http://traffic.tamu.edu/traffic.html

Houston TranStar
Houston, Texas, USA

_________________________________

Current Phoenix Freeway Conditions
http://www.azfms.com/Travel/freeway.html

Arizona Department of Transportation
Phoenix, Arizona, USA

_________________________________

San Diego Real Time Traffic Report
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist11/d11tmc/sdmap/mapmain.html

California Department of Transportation
Sacramento, California, USA

_________________________________

Puget Sound Traffic Conditions
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/PugetSoundTraffic/

Washington State Department of Transportation
Olympia, Washington, USA

A couple of readers responded to yesterday's Site du Jour of the Day episode featuring the PursuitWatch Network (http://www.pursuitwatch.com/) (SdJotD 010302). The PursuitWatch Network is a service that alerts members to live television broadcasts of police chases. The feedback wasn't so much about the service as much as it was about a generalization I made. Kat in San Francisco wrote in a friendly message, "This is not a 'California thing'… more like a Los Angeles thing. Those of us in the Northern region have far better things to do with our time…".

Every state has a city with a population density higher than the other cities in that state. While it may be unfair to judge the others by the largest city sometimes it happens. Think of Florida for example and either Miami, Orlando, or Tampa come to mind. While the rest of us in Florida are often embarrassed by the events which occur in those cities… add Tallahassee to that list, sometimes an entire population is judged by the actions of a few. To take the analogy a step further, many people who live in places outside of North America might have an image of the United States as the Wild West. An outdated view perhaps, but probably not uncommon. To that end, and while we are on the subject of traffic conditions have a look at a couple of sites suggested by long-time Site du Jour of the Day reader Phil Konstantin. In addition to maintaining On This Date In North American Indian History (http://americanindian.net) (SdJotD 970728) (SdJotD RCMM 000223), Phil is a member of the California Highway Patrol. Suggested way back in October 1998, these sites look at traffic conditions in four large western cities. By using animated maps, text, and in a few cases live cameras, motorists in Houston, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle can anticipate traffic problems and delays. For those visitors not able to immediately use the information provided, watching a traffic situation develop and clear can provide insight on the dynamics of automobile travel. Especially if you are in Los Angeles and plan on leading a parade of squad cars down to San Diego and into Mexico some day.  (Back to top of page)

(010304) Vote For America's National Tree
http://arborday.org/votealt.cfm

The National Arbor Day Foundation
http://arborday.org/

The National Arbor Day Foundation
Nebraska City, Nebraska City, USA

To raise awareness about the benefits of trees, The National Arbor Day Foundation is hosting the process for people to vote for America's National Tree. Leading contenders at the moment are Dogwood (http://arborday.org/dogwood.html), Maple (http://arborday.org/maple.html), Oak (http://arborday.org/oak.html), Pine (http://arborday.org/pine.html), and Redwood (http://arborday.org/redwood.html).

"America has the grandest trees on earth — the largest, the oldest, and we think, the most beautiful," John Rosenow, president of The National Arbor Day Foundation, said. "It's time for the American people to select a national tree as an enduring symbol of all of our magnificent trees, and of our natural heritage."

Voting started on January 1, 2001 and runs right up to the day before National Arbor Day which occurs on the last Friday in April. This year National Arbor Day is April 27. Schools are encouraged to participate and there are activities galore at the National Arbor Day Foundation site. In addition to information about the Vote For America's National Tree, the National Arbor Day Foundation has a number of other ways individuals and organizations can get involved.

Votes for America's National Tree are being accepted at the site or before April 1, 2001 by mail. To cast your vote by mail, include your name and address on a 3 x 5" card along with the name of the tree of your choice and send it to The National Arbor Day Foundation, Nebraska City, NE 68410.  (Back to top of page)

(010305) Message in a Bottle
http://www.thespoon.com/bottle/

Wes Modes
The Spoon Industries
Santa Cruz, California, USA

_________________________________

Message in a Bottle
at HoosierTimes.com
http://www.hoosiertimes.com/cgi-bin/bottle

The Herald-Times, Inc.
Bloomington, Indiana, USA

The romance of writing a note, sealing it in a bottle, and tossing it to the sea has been brought up to date with these two versions of the same novelty. Both are included because it is likely that each has a different database. Instead of depending on ocean currents to move messages, Message in a Bottle will take a note entered and pass it on to another person in the database. After a Message in a Bottle goes out, the e-mail address and name used to send it is added to the database. Children under the age of 13 are not allowed to participate and because of the random nature of this project there really is no telling who will get your message. While this is the fun of Message in a Bottle, it could possibly present a problem so exercise caution and good judgement with the content of your message should you decide to play. Using a secondary e-mail address would be the way to go here, sending a primary address to a total stranger is rarely a good idea.  (Back to top of page)

(010306) All Mixed Up - Songs About Food
http://www.mixedup.com/foodsongs.htm

All Mixed Up
http://www.mixedup.com/

Peter Bochan
WBAI 99.5 FM
New York, New York, USA

Part of the site for All Mixed Up, a Monday morning radio show hosted by Peter Bochan on New York's WBAI 99.5 FM (http://www.wbai.org/index.html) — All Mixed Up - Songs About Food lists 431 titles and the artists who performed them. Way more than an alphabetical listing, it's an eclectic mix of songs categorized by theme. Songs About Food is a small part of the All Mixed Up site but should serve as a fine introduction to the beauty of this site. Other lists include Elvis & Nixon Songs (http://www.mixedup.com/elvissongs.htm), and the Best Of lists that look at the years 1996 through 2000. The Best Of lists contain important and often ignored singles and albums plus a lot more. The weekly playlists are archived as well, and should also be explored. Lou Reed once said that everyone should have two radios, in case one breaks. I've never figured out if Lou Reed was joking when he said that because radio on the whole isn't very good. Especially once you start having money to buy records with. Peter Bochan's All Mixed Up is the sort of radio show and site that will encourage visitors to satisfy that hunger for new music again, even if the albums are older than the individual. There is a live stream of WBAI 99.5 FM but missing are archived audio streams of the program. Archived streams would be mighty helpful for visitors who are busy doing other things when it's 10 o'clock on Monday morning in New York City. Programming so darn good it only gets two hours a week in the largest market in the land.  (Back to top of page)

(010307) The Art of the Mix
http://www.artofthemix.org/

Lynxlight Productions
Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA

Many of us have enjoyed making music compilations on Cassette tapes and more recently on recordable Compact Discs. It's possible that this hobby started well before we even knew there was a name for such an activity. A Mix or Mixed tape is the most common name, most likely derived from the tendency disk jockeys have to run one track into another without missing a beat — the recorded results used to later evaluate the effectiveness of a particular segue.

A collection of favorites to listen to in a portable playback machine or in the car during a road trip, maybe even to share a batch of records with a friend. At one point the music industry was incredibly freaked out by the practice, adopting propaganda campaigns telling consumers that "Home Taping Is Killing Music," the labels even pushed for a new tax on blank tape purchases. Artists responded on the side of the record buyers — an act called Bow Wow Wow released a Cassette only single titled C30, C60, C90 - Go! Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers railed against a one dollar increase in the list price of an album by threatening to call the next record 8.98 if it was going to be released at $9.98. This was all shortly before the introduction of the Compact Disc. The digital format has grown up, making a Compact Disc at home is more cost effective now than making a Cassette once the initial investment has been balanced out. The MP3 format has added yet another twist to the tale, not to mention the impact Napster has had.

The Art of the Mix explores the magic involved in making a compilation, allows registered visitors to submit their latest and greatest, and the site makes these lists available for all to see. Thematic structure becomes obvious after looking at the track listings for just a few mixes — angst, drunken abandon, and fresh love/lust are just a few of the emotions that show up. The bottom line with any mix tape is that it has to be so well thought out (or not) that it bears repeated listening. The shorter play time of Compact Discs, 74 minutes more or less as compared to a pair of 45 minute sides with Cassettes makes for a more direct approach, a smaller canvas to work with.

Included below is the track listing for a Compact Disc I put together recently, it has become one of my all time favorites. Although creative titles often accommodate mixes, this particular example is tame.

Songs From The South (But Not All)

Rain At The Drive-In - NRBQ
Riding With The King - John Hiatt
Crawfish - Elvis Presley
The Image Of Me - Conway Twitty
Joe The Singing Janitor - Junior Brown
In A Daydream - The Freddy Jones Band
Watusi Rodeo - Guadalcanal Diary
It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) (Edit) - R.E.M.
Jackson Cannery - Ben Folds Five
Samson And Delilah's Beauty Shop - Steve Forbert
Claudette - Dwight Yoakam
Dance The Night Away - The Mavericks
(Hey Baby) Que Paso - Texas Tornados
Barbeque - Robert Earle Keen
Little Darlin' - The Gladiolas
Gonna Have Me A Yard Sale - Hasil Adkins and his Happy Guitar
Poison Girl - Chris Whitley
Funny How Time Slips Away - Al Green & Lyle Lovett
Southern Nights - Chet Atkins & Allen Toussaint
Blueboy - John Fogerty
The Fishin' Hole - Andy Griffith

 (Back to top of page)

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For a wide selection of Music, Movies, and More

(010308) RazorCentral
Principles and practice of straight razor use and care
http://razorcentral.tripod.com/

Arthur Boon
Maarheeze, The Netherlands

More common in horror movies than in bathrooms during the last 75 years, the straight razor is making a bit of a comeback. Modern disposable and electric razors nearly drove the straight razor to obsolescence, at least in the hands of consumers. Barbers are still trained to use them and many continue to do so. Nothing beats the closeness of a traditional shave and RazorCentral has information about the care and use of straight razors. Using antique instruction manuals and an understanding of the tool, Arthur Boon has created an outstanding site that not only serves as a reference manual, but also an introduction to a nearly lost art.  (Back to top of page)

(010309) Environmental Defense Action Network
http://actionnetwork.org/

Environmental Defense
New York, New York, USA

Environmental Defense (http://www.environmentaldefense.org/) is a not-for-profit advocacy group with four main goals: Stabilizing the Earth's climate; Safeguarding the world's oceans; Protecting human health; and Defending and restoring biodiversity. Their Action Network allows registered visitors the opportunity to send e-mail messages and other forms of communication to elected officials and policy makers. A partial list of the organizations on the Environmental Defense Action Network include: Alaska Center for the Environment (http://www.akcenter.org/), American Oceans Campaign (http://www.americanoceans.org/), The Clean Car Campaign (http://www.cleancarcampaign.org/), The Lake Superior Alliance (http://www.superioralliance.org/), and a host of others. Suggested by TheREALJoeyP who has participated in the ongoing Michigan Environmental Council (http://www.mecprotects.org/) campaign to Protect the Great Lakes from Water Exports and Diversions (http://actionnetwork.org/campaign/No_water_exports).

Before signing up for any part of the Environmental Defense Action Network make certain to read and understand the Environmental Defense Privacy Policy (http://www.environmentaldefense.org/AboutUs/privacypolicy.html ).  (Back to top of page)

(010310) Maine Blackfly Breeders Association
We Breed 'em, You Feed 'em
http://www.maineblackfly.com/

Marilyn Dowling, Holly Garner-Jackson, Laura Robinson, and Jim Wells
Maine Blackfly Breeders Association
Machias, Maine, USA

If you enjoy eating blueberries grown in the state of Maine, you owe the pleasure in part to the Maine Blackfly. As the primary pollinators of blueberries, the Maine Blackfly also fits into the grand scheme of things by feeding salmon, bats, and dragonflies. The nectar of the blueberry flower is just one delight for the Blackfly — human blood is another and May through July is prime season. The Maine Blackfly Breeders Association site is full of interesting information about the insects and about the organization which is actually a clever cover for a group of people who enjoy having fun and raising money for various Maine charities. Suggested by Site du Jour of the Day reader Mike Bateman who wrote, "You really should feature this site soon, so that potential customers can obtain their supplies before the season starts". The supplies Mike mentions are handcrafted Blackfly Buildings and other products on sale to raise money for the cause. A real hoot here is the twist on a traditional snow globe and at $45 The Blackfly Swarm Dome is a bargain at twice the price. Memberships to the Maine Blackfly Breeders Association are available cheap and come complete with a certificate suitable for framing, and the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped to preserve the Maine Blackfly for a little bit longer.  (Back to top of page)

(010311) CD Page
http://www.cdpage.com/

CD Page
Denver, Colorado, USA

Snazzier than Andy McFadden's CD-Recordable FAQ (http://www.cdrfaq.org/) (SdJotD 000621), the CD Page is a fantastic source for information about Compact Discs and DVDs. Standards are explained, tutorials are available to assist even the most experienced in the creation of Compact Discs. The casual and often humorous tone used to deliver information may help visitors out by taking the hard edge off of this type of technology, in particular when it comes to understanding the various standards used. If you burn your own CDs chances are that you will eventually need to figure something out to that end — the CD Page will be a great help.  (Back to top of page)

(010312) How to Fix 8-track Tapes
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/4831/8tracks.html

Jeremy Larsen
hosted by Yahoo! GeoCities
http://geocities.yahoo.com/
Santa Clara, California, USA

After spending the weekend working on a Compact Disc project I started thinking about the old days. When programming an audio package meant avoiding the spots on the 8-Track where the playback head chunked to the next set of tracks and concerns about data were limited to the paper label on the cartridge. There is still a recording 8-Track deck somewhere around here, or maybe not. For those who remember the glory of 8-Track tapes and may have a few in use, How to Fix 8-track Tapes could lead to an entertaining evening or two. The seven main sections cover topics including opening the case and how the dang things ever worked in the first place. Pointers to other 8-Track sites on the 8 Track WebRing can be found as well.  (Back to top of page)

(010313) Jack Berg Sales
Liquidating large inventory of collectors items
http://www.jackbergsales.com/

Jack Berg Sales
El Paso, Texas, USA

The phrase "Liquidating large inventory of collectors items" is a fine marketing term for what's actually going on here — if you sit on a bunch of stuff just long enough it'll pay for the space it occupied for 30 or 40 years and make a tidy profit to boot. It's a brilliant plan that seems to be working quite well for this Texas electronics wholesaler. Items available include electronics, toys and video games, jewelry & religious items, appliances, and much more. Because quantities on many of the items are limited I dare not give specifics, but almost all of this merchandise is new and in original packaging. It's obvious after looking at a few items that some are destined to go unsold, but there are indeed treasures in the lot. Brand new items at fixed prices without the aggravation of buying used or at auction. Site du Jour of the Day has no affiliation with Jack Berg Sales and to this point I have not done business with them. Use your best judgement, but at the very least enjoy browsing through pages of cool merchandise you thought you'd never see again.  (Back to top of page)

(010314) Time is on the Move
http://12.13.171.162/time/time.htm

Commtech Wireless
Cherokee, North Carolina, USA

Time is on the Move is one of those wonderful little diversions that needs to be seen. It's difficult to say how long this will be around so have a look soon. Thanks to Joanne Traeger for the suggestion.  (Back to top of page)

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(010315) freebizmag.com
https://www.freebizmag.com/

SynapseConnect, Inc.
Stamford, Connecticut, USA

Subscribing to free trade magazines often involves completing lengthy and detailed questionnaires or qualifying surveys — one for each publications. For residents of the US, freebizmag.com offers a solution to the procedure by allowing visitors to complete one master survey. The completed surveys are then forwarded to the publishers of the trade publications selected in the process. One survey, many free subscriptions. Be aware of the fact that the information given will be used for other purposes, mainly added to databases used and sold by SynapseConnect, Inc. This is not an uncommon practice in the trade publication business, if you currently subscribe to a trade magazine you may already know this. A few suggestions: Use a Post Office Box for the printed material, a secondary e-mail address for the registration process, and because of the fact that it will be requested, be certain that you are authorized to disclose information about the nature of the your company including financial data. Fulfillment is handled by the individual publishers and not freebizmag.com or SynapseConnect, Inc. so additional information could possibly be requested to start a subscription. In many cases the value of receiving trade publications comes with the third party offers and mailings in addition to the content of the specific publications. An up front listing of publications offered would make a nice addition here but even without that, this is a handy tool for rounding up trade subscriptions.  (Back to top of page)

(010316) Free Email Address Directory
Your guide to free email and much, much more!
http://www.emailaddresses.com/

Edwin Hayward
Tokyo, Japan

The practice of using a secondary e-mail address is occasionally mentioned in Site du Jour of the Day episodes and while many readers use the technique the subject deserves attention. I'm particularly fond of the Forwarding variety of free e-mail, these addresses pass along a message to another account without revealing a primary address. With Forwarding mail, settings can be changed in the even that a primary address changes somewhere down the line. The downside of this type of free service is the possibility that e-mail can get lost should the relay host be down. There are several other types of free e-mail accounts available and Free Email Address Directory: Your guide to free email and much, much more! not only describes the strong and weak points of each, the site also contains pointers to over a thousand free providers. In many cases, positive and negative feedback about a service is listed which can be useful. There is one important factor to be considered when using a free e-mail account — someone, somewhere is paying for it and you are the product. Banner advertisements rule when it comes to browser based e-mail, and don't be surprised to find the number of unsolicited messages increase over time. Free addresses are often sold to third parties, and the content of some may be of dubious taste. Consider using this secondary e-mail account for the sole purpose of containing the garbage accumulated as you register for sites and services — better in a throwaway account than to your real address. Free Email Address Directory: Your guide to free email and much, much more! is a great place to get started with alternate e-mail addresses. The experienced free e-mail user will find new options here as well.  (Back to top of page)

(010317) Horseballs
http://www.horseballs.com/

Horseballs, Ltd.
Rockville, Maryland, USA

Even if you have spent a lot of time around horses this site is something to see. A relatively basic site that includes a Frequently Asked Questions section and a handful of photographs. While I am by no means an expert on the subject, the animals in these photographs seem to be enjoying themselves. There is currently a contest being held as well, "Send us your photographs! We want to see those horseballs in action!" — it all looks so fun that I almost want to get a horse.  (Back to top of page)

(010318) Curling Basics
http://home.t-online.de/home/sticker/curling/

Markus Sticker
Dusseldorf, Germany

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World Curling Championships
http://wcc.curlit.com/

CURLIT Curling Information Technology Ltd.
Greifensee, Switzerland

The fact that the World Curling Championships are underway may be lost on a lot of people. The World Curling Championships for Junior Men and Women are being held at Ogden, Utah started on the 15th and run through 25th, an official Olympic test event for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games. The World Curling Championships for Men and Women are to be held at Lausanne, Switzerland from March 31st through April 8th. For that matter, Curling might be one of the most misunderstood of all sports. Not as popular in the US as it is in other countries, Curling will be carried on live television during the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games exposing the sport to its largest audience yet. In addition to providing ongoing results of the World Curling Championships, CURLIT Curling Information Technology Ltd. (http://www.curlit.com/) also provides data for other international Curling events and will cover the events of the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games.

For those unfamiliar with Curling, Markus Sticker's Curling Basics site utilizes Flash animations to demonstrate the key plays and techniques used in the game. A rudimentary understanding of the game helps — it's more than a bunch of folks sweeping ice and throwing stones back and forth across the ice. Strategy is an important part of Curling and that becomes clear after seeing only a few animations here. Text is up in both German and English language versions, pointers to related sites around the world are only two of the smart features of this site. Curling is cool.  (Back to top of page)

(010319) MirReentry.com
http://www.mirreentry.com/

MirReentry.com, Inc.
Mill Creek, Washington, USA

MirReentry.com has all sorts of content relating to retired Russian space station Mir. Motivation is financial, MirReentry.com, Inc. is hosting an airborne expedition to witness Mir come ripping through the atmosphere and its plunge into the waters of the South Pacific. Not only can visitors find out about the sight seeing trip, but pointers and information about Mir are galore. The latest estimated date for the reentry of Mir is March 22, traffic to MirReentry.com and similar sites will be heavy so keep trying or wait for a quieter time of the day. Thanks to JimmyD for the suggestion.

** Speaking of crash and burn — it would seem that Tripod.com is having difficulties with their servers. If you have been unsuccessful in visiting the Site du Jour of the Day Archive site during the last day or two please try again later. ***

 (Back to top of page)

(010320) Alice in Wonderland - An Interactive Adventure!
http://www.ruthannzaroff.com/wonderland/index.htm

Ruthann Zaroff
Belleville, Michigan, USA

Alice in Wonderland - An Interactive Adventure! offers a different look at the characters in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Using games, puzzles and other attractions of these books in the Public Domain, Ruthann Zaroff has created a exciting and enjoyable site suitable for children of all ages. The use of John Tenniel's original illustrations from the books only adds to the charm. A clever site that has probably inspired more that a few visitors to read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass for the first time — and some to read the stories all over again. Thanks to MirPo for the suggestion.

For the complete text of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have a look at the Official and Original Project Gutenberg Web Site and Home Page (http://www.promo.net/pg/index.html) (SdJotD 970402)

The latest on the disappearing Site du Jour of the Day Archive Site — in the words of Alice, “I wish you wouldn't keep appearing and vanishing so suddenly; you make one quite giddy!” And according to Tripod, "Dear SdJotD, We apologize for the removal of your site over the weekend. Due to some technical errors, we mistakenly removed several member sites and are in the process of restoring them. We did not single out you or your site, please accept our apologies as we work to remedy the situation. Sincerely, The Tripod Team".  (Back to top of page)

(010321) This Day In Music
http://www.thisdayinmusic.com/

Neil Cossar
Hayfield, England

This Day In Music takes a look at the daily occurrences in the world of popular music since the British Pop Charts started in 1952. Events in music from other English speaking countries are included in the story as well. More than a simple almanac, This Day In Music has quite a few added features updated every day — features that include news, trivia, and best of lists from around the world. Suggested by Eric Goff who wrote in about the What was No.1 on the day you were born? section of This Day In Music. Enter any date since the start of the Rock era along with your e-mail address, and receive a message with the results of either the US or UK chart-topper for that particular day.  (Back to top of page)

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For a wide selection of Music, Movies, and More

(010322) The Subway Page
Links to World Subway and Other Transportation Information Resources
http://www.reed.edu/~reyn/transport.html

Robert Reynolds
Portland, Oregon, USA

This large collection of subway related material is highlighted by maps of transportation routes in cities around the world. Pointers to official and unofficial sites, both above and under ground make this site a fine resource for travelers and rail fans. If you have ever wondered how many places have subway and light rail systems in use — or not in use like the abandoned subway at Cincinnati, Ohio, a visit to The Subway Page will be well worth the time.  (Back to top of page)

(010323) Guide Horse Foundation
http://www.guidehorse.com/

Don and Janet Burleson
Guide Horse Foundation Inc.
Kittrell, North Carolina, USA

Here is another one of those sites pertaining to a subject that doesn't often come up in every day conversation. Suggested by John Hoh, the Guide Horse Foundation fills a need for individuals who are blind and may be allergic to traditional guide animals. The non-profit Guide Horse Foundation places pigmy horses with people who might desire a longer life-span for their animal companion, have a special interest in horses, reside in a rural or suburban location, need occasional physical assistance, or experience conditions which might distract other animals guides. Horses have the strength and intelligence to assist in ways other animals may not be able to making them perfect in the right conditions. Smaller than miniature horses, pigmy horses have a life-span double that of dogs, from 25 to 50 years. The Guide Horse Foundation was established last year and through photographs and extensive text, this site explains the program and advantages of using pigmy horses as guides. An interesting solution indeed.  (Back to top of page)

(010324) Tell-My-Mom.com
Keeping our Teens safe
http://www.tell-my-mom.com/

NetMedia Consulting, Inc.
De Pere, Wisconsin, USA

Show your teen-aged children or grandchildren that you trust their judgement and driving skills. Cough up fifty bucks a year and put a bumper sticker that says "How's my Driving? Tell-My-Mom.com" on the back of the car they drive. If the kids goof off while driving, other motorists can call a toll-free telephone number in the US and Canada and have the folks at the for profit Tell-My-Mom.com mail you a report that states your kid can't drive. Punish them for a day or two and have a good laugh about the whole thing in a week. Conversely, you could make sure that they understand the seriousness of safe driving and perhaps require them to pay for their own registration and insurance policy. Paying one eighty dollar speeding ticket and living through a month of walking should do the trick. A nice idea but come on, if this is what it takes to get them to drive safely maybe they aren't quite ready.  (Back to top of page)

(010325) NitWits Network Australia
Head Lice Awareness and Management
http://www.nitwits.com.au/

NitWits Network Australia
Banksia Grove, Western Australia, Australia

With a new school year underway in the Southern Hemisphere, this Australian site suggested by Joanne Traeger looks at the universal problems associated with head lice. Tips for treatment and removal of lice and nits are presented as are answers to frequently asked questions. Recent trends in identifying and treating head lice have the outbreaks classified as less of a health issue and more as a social issue. In addition to selling tools for the identification and removal of head lice and nits as fund-raisers for schools, the NitWits Network Australia site has sections for parents, students, and school policy makers. A problem every school year in almost every country, this site may help remove the stigma associated with infestation and help prevent the spread of the dreaded louse.  (Back to top of page)

(010326) The MegaPenny Project
http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/

Alan Taylor
Kokogiak Media
Seattle, Washington, USA

It's often been said that the most of anything the human mind can visualize at one time is seven. That the number seven is riddled throughout mythology may tie in to that theory. Modern numbers, the quantities we use as a society today are in the thousands, millions, and billions — but few of us can put a handle on these numbers. There is a modern tale about a man who was ordered by a court to pay a fine, alimony, or some other form of compensation. The story continues with the man bringing five thousand dollars worth of pennies into the court room. The judge finds the man in contempt of court and has him arrested again. If this story has any truth to it the judge's motivation may have been in the fact that he or she was perturbed by the stunt. Five thousand dollars worth of one cent coins is an awful lot of coins.

The MegaPenny Project helps visitors visualize pennies in quantity. Starting with one penny and working up past a quadrillion pennies, The MegaPenny Project uses several points of reference including weight, mass, dollar value, and comparison to well known structures. The illustrations are fantastic here and seeing the concept of large numbers explained as well as it is here is very rare. Kokogiak Media has created a soon to be imitated landmark with The MegaPenny Project.  (Back to top of page)

(010327) Am I in PI?
http://www.facade.com/Fun/amiinpi/

Facade Market Concepts, Inc.
Encino, California, USA

Featuring The MegaPenny Project (http://www.kokogiak.com/megapenny/) (SdJotD 010327) yesterday brought to mind an old favorite. Am I in PI? was originally featured as Site du Jour of the Day on July 15, 1997 (SdJotD 970715), that review is included below.

There are many sites about the numeric oddity PI, some of them list it out incredibly far. Few are as interesting as Am I in PI? which checks to 1,254,543 digits for the first instance of a string you enter. Finding your Birthday is the intended search criteria here, but it works for other dates as well, and why not? July 15, 1997, entered as 71597 showed up at 34,868 into PI. The same date in the numbering system used for SdJotD (970715) showed up at 198,805. A very practical use for this novelty would be generating passwords or Personal Identification Numbers used with Automated Teller Machines. Facade Market Concepts, Inc. (http://www.facade.com) doesn't list this at their regular site, but do provide free Tarot, Runes, I Ching, and Biorhythms readings/reports making the main site worth looking at as well.  (Back to top of page)

Every so often I find it necessary to take a couple of days off and it's that time again.
Site du Jour of the Day episodes will resume during the first week of April.

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Copyright 2001, Edward J. Pelegrino. All rights reserved.
Harpo, Trade and Service Marks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

https://members.tripod.com/~SdJotD/2001/0103.htm

Updated March 28, 2001