This is a collection of TCP | I. P. [Internet Protocol]
and Internet tools gathered from around the World-Wide Web for anyone
interested in tracking down DNS, HTTP headers, traceroutes from various
backbones, and more.
This is the W-WW page extracted from above which will do a domain
registration & host location on a registered domain name or
I. P. Address. Its drawback is that you have a maximum of
fifty addresses which you can search per your own
I. P. Address. [If you need to get around this limit,
configure a proxy in your browser. That shall get you another fifty.]
Here is a Japanese W-WW site where you can lookup the domain record
of an I. P. address without it counting against an external
limit [such as Ad Hoc's lookup function]. But it also seems to be inaccurate
for some of them.
This is not a left-clickable link. To use this, right-click
on it; select "Copy Link Location"; paste that into the
'Location' line; and then type in the URL about which you want to inquire.
This is MSV.DK. The site is administered by Martin Svenningsen.
It is an Internet networking utility page which measures your connection
speed; and has available options to perform Whois, DNS lookups, and
browser checks. It also has a rubric covering site security and privacy,
& much more.
This is another World-Wide Web site where you can look up your
own (or another) I. P. Address. Back parse to the virgule
and learn more about its distributed intrusion detection system.
If you are considering upgrading to broadband Internet access, this is a
very informative & comprehensive site which will let you know if your local
telephone company's central office has _DSL wiring, and from which providers.
It has an informative forum where subscribers with _DSL or cable modems relate
their experiences. You need to accept cookies to use this site.
Here is a comprehensive site noting newsservers available to you.
Some are inadvertantly open, and will soon close, but some are dedicated
to this. Dmoz.org predates Wikipedia. It is still a good W-WW site
for exploring topics.
This is a cracking forum's page with free NNTP newsservers. You can
search for a specific newsgroup on the twenty-two newsservers it currently
has. Keep in mind that most of these newsservers will not carry all the
newsgroups in which you could be interested.
Search IRC features the most complete, up to date and relevant IRC search
on the web. Its IRC search engine monitors 5,968 IRC networks to bring you
more live IRC channels, more active IRC users, and over 5,000 pages of
information on IRC networks, their services, and their servers.
If you reside in California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, or
Wisconsin, and have a non-wireless prefix supplied by A.T. & T.;
this W-WW page informs you of the prefices that it considers to be in your
Band “a” & “b” (untimed calls) calling areas. Input
your area code and prefix. Click through for a printable version.
JavaScript|ActiveX® must be enabled.
Tiny Apps is a depot of applications for Windows®-based computers.
All of these applications (& programs) are scripted in tight, concise
code. The webmaster also maintains a weblog, and offers a free E-Mail
newsletter.
mIRC is the Internet Relay Channel program I recommend for all users
with Windows®-based computers. The current version is v7.25. It has
been downloaded over 150 million times. (Please send Khaled the
registration fee.)
Here's an excellent site with links to many significant Internet programs.
You can locate utilities about audio | video, compressors, newsreaders, and
all kinds of editors, graphics, players, encoders, hard drives, proxies,
safety, security, & more. I alert you: It automatically plays music
when you land here.
This is a site where you can learn about Internet & computer
security; and what is inside your computer [cards, drivers, & settings].
It has a rubric orbiting around Linux. Registration is not required. It is
now on the Yuku forum software.
This is a hub W-WW site with information about on-line applications
and software programs to secure your computer. There is also a forum for
which you may register.
This is a clearinghouse of information, including a message forum,
which alleges that PayPal™ is a corporation that requires its
users (in the U.S.A.) to waive their rights to credit card consumer
protection laws, and that the user may not issue a chargeback for
anything purchased using his | her credit card and PayPal™
account in order to use the service. Withdraw your money out of
PayPal™ before it confiscates it. Making matters worse, eBay®
now mandates that new users can only pay through it. I submit this is
a good time to quit using eBay®.
This is the weblog of Alice Hill, who, along with Bill O'Brien, for
12¾ years, had a monthly column in "Computer Shopper"
magazine. Computer Shopper underwent remodelling, and their column
(“The Hard Edge”) was kicked to the curb of the
information superhighway after the October 2004 issue. Alice has revolved
back to computer coverage with this W-WW site, which aims to bridge the
gap between the informal and mostly amateur-run tech weblogs and the
polished, but often slow and advertiser-supported, tech portals. This W-WW
site had problems with PayPal™.
Gibson Research Corp. offers this page for PC & Windows®
users only. On this page is a service where you can securely test your
computer's shields & probe your computer's ports. There are also
other solid services for protecting your computer here.
Spybot Search & Destroy is a program which digs deeply into
the workings of your computer to find (& eradicate) programs that
are stealthily tracking your W-WW surfing behavior. It is available
in 32 languages. This site has gone missing at times.
Here is an excellent site giving specific, detailed information (in two URLs)
on how to make yourself less visible to World-Wide Web sites, Usenet newsgroups,
and E-Mail address harvesters, while still browsing, lurking, & contributing.
The digest version: Disable both Java and JavaScript|ActiveX®.
This site provides solid information and news about anonymity &
privacy on the Internet. There is now also a message board for which you
may opt to register. It requires a proxy with TLS capability.
This is a Wikipedia-styled page which provides information about the
different methods of blockings and ways to bypass them. The site is available
in English, Polish, & German.
Freenet is a peer-to-peer network designed to allow the distribution of
information over the Internet in an efficient manner, without fear of
censorship. Freenet is completely decentralized, which means that it cannot
be attacked or blocked.
This is another comprehensive security W-WW site with information
on how to secure your computer to withstand incursions of privacy,
& repel spyware or malware. Note the "Anonymous surfing"
box on the upper left.
This is the first entry in a series in a weblog by Amy Gahran. It is
a superb series of articles about what you and I should do
when we encounter someone who, inadvertantly or advertantly, disrupts our
on-line experience. The short form is: Take a breather. But it also
classifies the disrupters, so that we can understand what he | she
ultimately wants.
This is the W-WW-based free E-Mail service I recommend now for new
accounts. I have an account here. It scans each complete email, including
attachments, for virii and spam. If a virus is found, it is blocked at the
gateway, and isn't even allowed onto its servers. It utilizes greylisting,
public, and private blacklists, and the award-winning SpamAssassin to
detect spam. If detected, it is then discarded and will only appear in
your spam folder if it's potentially legitimate.
This is a successor to FastMail.FM. Opera Software obtained it two years
ago. My main E-Mail account will remain at FastMail.FM; but new accounts
wanting free access will have to sign up here. [FastMail is becoming its
‘premium access’ brand name.] It remains a service dedicated
to bringing the fastest, most accessible, & feature rich, free E-Mail
service on the W-WW. It uses greylisting as a spam-fighting procedure. It
requires neither Java nor JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Ananzi is an E-Mail service which is hosted in South Africa. It has
a good virus detector, and does not automatically open E-Mail
attachments. It allows 10 MB of storage for non-subscribing accounts.
Its hazard: It sends weekly sponsored HTML E-Mails. If you open an HTML
E-Mail in any browser, you will be tracked, and, while Ananzi would not
do such; this is a common trick (including forging the
"From:" field to make it seem to be from someone you know)
used by virus writers to try and infect your computer. You need to
select the ‘Old Ananzi’ version in order to surf here
without turning on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
SpamGourmet is a free E-Mail service which you can use to protect
your real E-Mail address. The concept here is that when you encounter a
situation where you need to provide an E-Mail address (a forum, an
on-line travel price quote, someone who you do not know), you give it a
disposable E-Mail address which will die after a limited number,
specified by you, of E-Mails will be forwarded to your real E-Mail
address, but the other party will not have your real E-Mail address.
This works. I keenly recommend it.
Do you need an E-Mail address to attach to a music or video clip
which you are sharing (to comply with state law)? Or do you just want
to avoid being spammed when you register for a forum? One method is to
use a disposable E-Mail account. This site offers hundreds of companies
which will allow you to not use your primary E-Mail account. View its
forum.
This site teaches you how to refine your searches to hone in on exactly
the material which fulfills your quest. It will take some time initially, but
you will know how to find information very swiftly thereafter.
StartPage is a search engine which claims it is "the world's most
private search engine". It does not record your I. P. Address
(so when a law enforcement agency demands the I. P. Address of
everybody who searched for "tgp", or
"wikileaks", yours will not appear), or place any cookies on
your hard drive. It feels its search results are more comprehensive, and more
accurate than other search engines. Its unique capabilities include an
Advanced Search, a global search, and power refinement. StartPage goes via
Google™. I send you to the page where you can specify technical
searching parameters.
This is a search engine associated with StartPage™. It also does not
record your I. P. Address, or place any cookies on your hard drive.
IxQuick goes via Bing.
Google™ is a search engine and portal which is especially keen
on rejecting URLs which are nothing more than spam traps. This link
sends you to the TLS version of the 'Advanced Search' page.
I moved Yahoo!® behind Google™ on purpose. Getting
spammed when searching for something is rough, but not as hazardous as
submitting to a “hunting party” from a law enforcement agency
which wants identification of everybody who sought on-line
information about a certain topic (most of which have nothing to do with
terrorism - WikiLeaks [c.v. - and which itself is now on the list of
topics on each subpoena] revealed that "tgp" was one of
the topics on the subpoena).
Frequently, as you surf the W-WW, you may encounter a URL which you
would like to refer into a forum, weblog, E-Mail message, or Twitter, but
which is so lengthy that cutting & pasting it will result in the URL
being extended beyond one line, or you running out of characters in your
text message. Snip URL is designed to correct that. It will snip the long
URL into a much shorter URL which serves as a seamless “gateway”
to it. If you register here (which requires cookies accepted), it will
store your snipped URLs to illustrate how many surfers have clicked on them.
Its hazard: A URL shortener can be used for evil [i.e.: hiding
affiliate codes, or standing in for malware domains] as well as good.
I certify to you that I shall always only use them for good.
RingSurf offers easy access to thousands of member World-Wide Web sites
organized by related interests into easy-to-travel rings. If you seek other
persons who share your hobby, link here. RingSurf is completely free & does
not require you to identify yourself in order to maintain a site thereupon.
Domeus is Europe's biggest free to use newsletter and mailing list
community. It allows you to create, send and subscribe to thousands of
interesting newsletters and mailing lists on a variety of topics.
Get personal. Here is where you can learn who is celebrating a birthday
today. You can send them a private E-Mail message, or perhaps browse their
World-Wide Web pages.
This is an add-on for Firefox browsers. Download it, and the
pertinent dictionary. (I am using it for Japanese - English
translations.) Restart Firefox and right-click to enable it. Then, when
you mouse over a character in Japanese, a bubble will appear
giving the definition of that character in your designated language.
I submit that all erotica enthusiasts will need to (at
least) learn how to comprehend Japanese. Rikaichan will help.
Here is a site which provides translations of words, & URLs
from English to French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese,
Japanese, or Korean (and vice versa). It is powered by Systran.
The World-Wide Web is truly universal, now that it has this phenomenal
service. This page will translate your designated text into Pig Latin. You
need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
I have modified all of my links to proxy judges & environmental
checkers with the anonym.to [c.v.] link anonymizer referrer.
This will allow you to click on these URLs and not be declassed in the
result by the HTTP_REFERER {sic} variable. All the proxy judges to
which I link are version 2.35. AnonyLevel 1 is the most secure. What is
most important is whether your actual Internet Protocol
[I. P.] Address is displayed anywhere on the output
screen. If you know of any more version 2.35 proxy judges, please
E-Mail me. This is a numeric I. P. Address judge.
These are particularly useful for detecting CoDeeN | PlanetLab
proxies. Those proxies, while promising swift performance, filter out
[i.e.: will not let you view the content thereupon] all
sites with numeric I. P. Addresses & many sites
orbiting around particular topics (including how to find non-CoDeeN |
PlanetLab proxies). Its FAQ page also notes that it monitors all
users and the World-Wide Web sites surfed using its proxies. If
you view a list of anonymous proxies; all of the Port 3124, 3127,
8888, and many (but not all) 3128 proxies are CoDeeN | PlanetLab
proxies. I would never use a CoDeeN | PlanetLab proxy. I
consider this the equivalent of entering your motel room and
discovering there is a recording camera in the ceiling light fixture.
In all modern browsers, the HTTP_DNT [Do Not Track] variable,
when implemented, lowers a Level 1 or Level 2 [“elite”] proxy
into Level 3 or Level 4. Test your proxy to see if it can handle
TLS connections. If it cannot, you may elect to use a different one
for TLS. You need check your proxy against only one of
these judges. If you search for proxy judges via Google™,
clicking on "Cached" on the result screen will show
you the information about the bot(s) Google™ uses to spider the
World-Wide Web. [black on white] [www28.atpages.jp]
The CGI code which was used to create these proxy judges was scribed
by someone in Japan. Proxy judges consume a goodly amount of CPU time on
a server. If a series of judge requests occur, it slows the response
time for other W-WW pages hosted thereupon. This is another reason
webhosts prohibit them. [black on white]
Some proxies will not technically reveal your actual I. P.
Address; yet will show its octets in reverse order. I prefer to discard a
proxy like that and test the next one on my list. [white on black]
I do not link to the proxy judges which were inaccurate. (I tested all of
these proxy judges with a Level 4 anonymous proxy. Some proxy judges
did not check enough variables, and rated it a Level 3 or 2 proxy.) [black on
white]
I have added environmental checkers here. All are version 1.04, and
black on white. The presumption is that they are just as accurate as
determining whether you are anonymous as a cgi-bin proxy judge, but are
not as intensive a use of CPU time on a host server. This is a resolved
numeric I. P. address environmental checker.
Anonym.to is an interstitial screen which is useful when you
want to visit, or send traffic to, a World-Wide Web site which you do
not want the site to know from where it was linked. It can be used
dynamically by prefacing the "http://" in the destination URL
[& you must include the destination URL's "http://" in
your text] with "anonym.to/?".
I have resorted the order of the W-WW sites which offer lists of
anonymous proxies. I found this W-WW proxy site while checking
Environmental checkers. You can search for proxies via three
characteristics. A WHOIS link for each proxy is also included. Why should you configure an anonymous proxy in your W-WW browser? A vocal minority always claims that you must be doing
something “illegal” if you prefer to remain anonymous. There
will always be those who abuse certain privileges or liberties, but
those few cannot be allowed to ruin an entitlement for the overwhelming
percentage of people who do not abuse it. There are many factors
why privacy is important. First: There are repressive governments that
forbid access to certain sites, censor the World-Wide Web, and then
monitor users who show interest in particular topics. Second: There are
people who want to tell the truth without fear of repercussion, such as
corporate whistle-blowers and bloggers. Third: There are intelligence
needs, in both corporate and government sectors. Fourth: An on-line
stalker could pinpoint the precise community where his | her prey
resides by deciphering that user's I. P. Address. (Many
internet service providers in the U.S.A., in particular cable television
corporations, put their host server's city & state in the
REMOTE_HOST variable. Many broadband internet users never change
their I. P. Address, usually because they do not know
how.) Finally: We live in an age where our personal &
private data, including names, identity characteristics, telephone
numbers, dates of birth, credit reports, buying habits, demographics,
and surfing tendencies are traded like commodities. When I
want to let a W-WW site know who & from where I am, I disengage the
anonymous proxy. Otherwise, it is not entitled to that information.
I found this W-WW proxy site through Dmoz.org. It is sorted by
latency, and has a dynamic function which you can use to refine your
proxy selection. A column identifies if the proxy supports TLS. To
prevent spiders or bots from raping its bandwidth, it now utilizes a
visual identification code [captcha] which needs to be replicated
before it displays the proxies. It is available in English or Russian.
Our webmaster is still trying to collect money for access to
alleged “VIP proxies”. But he at least gives you two
screens for free. If you wonder what has happened to Samair.ru
& NNTime.com [under common ownership]; both decided to try to
convert their W-WW sites to subscription proxy pages. First of
all: It is wrong to try and charge for something which is
available elsewhere for free. Secondly: It is impossible to
remain anonymous when purchasing something on-line. If you were stupid
enough to actually pay for access to it, when a government or
organization subpoenas Paypal™ for the credit card numbers
of the subscribers to the anonymous proxy list, Paypal™
would rat you out. Since credit card numbers lead directly
to your front door; get used to being a defendant.
I found this site through delicious.com. It underwent an upgrade.
It displays proxies being tested in real time. You may filter the output
in a selected manner. Its biggest problem is many of the proxies it
displays as "Anonymous" actually spill your I. P.
Address. It also has a forum, and an IRC channel.
This is Proxy Forest, a multi-faceted W-WW site, available in
English or Japanese. The columns on the page which you should note are
"Anonymous", "Time" (lower is better), &
"Rank" (“A+” is best - but beware that some of these
might be a CoDeeN | PlanetLab proxy). Its script has a problem which
results in some proxies being duplicated. There is also a Japanese-language
(only) BBS here. It is one matter to have a proxy from a specific
country. However, if the proxy in that country is registered to
(for example) an elementary or middle school; or the R.I.A.A. or
M.P.A.A. [these are referred to as "honeypot" proxies]; you
will still be filtered from some W-WW sites, and probably monitored
wherever you surf. I would discard that proxy and test the next one on
my list.
Here is a forum, administered by Lorissa, where members post
exclusive lists of proxies they have detected. You need to turn
on JavaScript|ActiveX® and register in order to view the proxies.
The Tor Project is free software, and an open network that helps you
defend against a form of network surveillance that threatens personal
freedom and privacy, amongst other things. It is free & open
source. It works only with the Firefox W-WW browser because
other browsers are not open source, and thus, could hide some monitoring
code within. I recommend downloading the Tor Browser Bundle
module. I also keenly suggest that you use a separate version
of Firefox for Tor surfing than when you are not Tor surfing. The
situation with WikiLeaks [c.v.] shows that the genuine “censors”
on the World-Wide Web are not merely governments, but corporations
[server hosts and payment processing services - why is there a
funding blockade to WikiLeaks, which has not been found guilty of anything,
but Rupert Murdoch's English corporation, which admitted illegal actions on
its part, continued to transact?] that possess the keys to it. Tor will
increase its influence due to their throttling actions.
I have begun investigating PHP & CGI proxies. This is a proxy
server page which lets you specify which browser variables you want to
pass on to the specific website. It bypasses most W-WW filters which
attempt to keep you from accessing any number of websites which
somebody deems "non-essential". This is a CGI proxy which
offers a way to access ".onion" W-WW sites and other
services available via Tor. You may also try changing a URL
ending in ".onion" with ".tor2web.com".
This is the most amazing resource you shall ever find
on the World-Wide Web! The Internet Archive is a U.S.A.-based 501(c)(3)
public nonprofit that was founded to build an Internet library, with
the purpose of offering free and permanent access to historical digital
collections for researchers, historians, and scholars. I found my
“lost” Chicago POWER results & statistics pages archived
here, and there are a lot of Grateful Dead concerts as well.
You have probably heard about this. Wikipedia is the free on-line
encyclopedia which any registered user can edit. This is the main page
of the English-language section.
I have known about this Wiki-styled webpage since 2008. But now you
have probably heard about this thanks to the release of documents and
cables collated by the U.S.A. This is a very important resource
for whistle-blowers and investigative reporters, amongst others.
I have to emphasize this: DDoS attacks are bad. They should
not be undertaken by anybody against any W-WW site.
Developers of internet surveillance packages like to sell their software
suites as the “solution” to DDoS attacks. They are not
- but that claim increases their profits and puts more W-WW sites on the
wrong side of the privacy & anonymity border. The proponents of
legislation or regulation aimed at "rogue foreign
websites" may drape their argument with the cloak of protecting
“intellectual property”, but you should realize that WikiLeaks
would be one of the first W-WW sites which would be attempted to
be delisted and removed from DNS registers!
It is one thing to go after multi-national banks. It is another thing
to go after republic nations. Going after both will result in
a massive cyberattack on both the legal and “illegal” fronts.
Twittercensored the term "#wikileaks" from
trending! The same “kiddie scripts” which were originally
created only for use against “reprehensible” World-Wide Web
sites hosting content like "ch!|d pr0n" (Whose
definition?), "neo-Nazism", or "anti-Islamic blasphemy"
were used to DDoS WikiLeaks. Real, constructive progress will never
result from a DDoS attack. The best quote I have viewed about
WikiLeaks: "It is not wrong to lie, cheat, steal, corrupt,
and torture. Somehow, it is wrong to let people know about it."
Twitter is a method by which to communicate rapidly with other persons
on its network. I am registered as "pudgym29". All my
interests are on display here. Its hazard is you need to check
who has decided to follow you every time you logon. Spammers
should be reported. People whose interests may be diametrically opposed to
yours [prevalently termed “haters”], may also try to follow you
for their own nefarious purposes. Unless you lock | protect your Tweets,
they will be able to read them. Law enforcement agencies are also now
observing Tweets, and according to some reports, maintaining 30% of the
accounts on here. Therefore, never admit to having committed, or
desiring to commit, an “illegal” act on Twitter!
This is an application used mostly in mobile situations in which a
registered person can “check-in” at a venue. In many instances,
it is merely to denote where that person is at that moment. In some cases
though, if that person is following a certain purveyor or service, a
special offer will be contemporaneously offered. This is a very precise
tracking service which can be used by stalkers or other miscreants (A
burglar could learn that you are not at your home then, and try to
break-in there.). With that warning, I will relate that this is a fun
application, enabling one to be promiscuous checking-in in the course
of the day. Badges are awarded for accomplishing certain objectives,
including a few of which you may not be proud. I send you directly to the
TLS page where you logon.
This is the W-WW site of the U.S.A.'s most important voice on behalf of
individuals. You do not have to agree with all the positions it supports in
order to understand its importance. I deduce traffic to this site is being
monitored by the F.B.I., C.I.A., and | or N.S.A.
The EFF, one of whose founders is John Perry Barlow, is an organization
promoting freedom of expression in digital media. It is the leading civil
liberties group defending your rights in the digital world.
Free Speech Internet TV is the first audio | video hub on the
World-Wide Web created and defined by the people who use it. Free Speech
Internet TV's commitment is to offer services. It is available on
Dish Network® direct broadcast satellite (channel 9415).
This site will yield the ZIP + 4 ZIP Code for virtually any address serviced
by the United States Postal Service. You need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Here is a good interactive site which will provide the exchange rate
between your home country & the recipient country. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX® to use this site.
GeoTweeter is a widget which enables you to provide a link displaying
a point on a map within the 140-character message limitation on Twitter.
It is a service of Schmap.
Even a luddite knows what is the technological definition of "spam".
This is a valuable W-WW site which is a clearinghouse of information on
how to combat spam, from your own E-Mail inbox, all the way back to the
reprehensible & loathesome cretin who sent it.
This is Snopes. Since 1995, it has been a W-WW site which
debunks the mentioned topics. Before you forward that E-Mail, or
recirculate the URL which purports to disclose a life-changing message,
please check here.
Are you tired of getting mailings from banks offering you another
credit card, mortgage, or line-of-credit offer? This TLS W-WW site,
maintained by the U.S.A.'s “big four” credit reporting
bureaux, is where you can terminate receiving those offers in the mail.
This may not be 100% effective; because there are some financial
institutions which do not use the big four's services; but it should
significantly curtail the onslaught.
Across the U.S.A., some houses of religion are dabbling into something
expressly prohibited to them by the U. S. Constitution: Partisan
politics. This organization exposes which ones are, and offers actions
which can be taken to cease this.
The World-Wide Web has many sites on which miscreants are annotated.
Here's a site which identifies the miscreants whose “day jobs”
are being paid snitches for entrapping other individuals (who may not be
contemplating any “illegal” activity). It strives to be the
largest online database of informants and agents. There is also a forum
for which you may register.
This is the W-WW site of the financial institution in which the
majority of my funds are deposited. It has been on the corner of Belmont
Ave. & Cicero Ave. since 1944. It is FDIC insured. It is a bank I can
highly recommend to everyone in metropolitan Chicago, especially those
not wanting to entrust their money to a multi-national corporation. It
offers many banking services for free; and has consultants who speak
English, Spanish, or Polish. It now offers a Visa® credit
card with quite reasonable terms. If you're looking to dump a
national bank credit card, inquire here.
Boing Boing is an aggregator of both blog postings and W-WW v2
websites across a vast spectrum of topics. It has been consistently
rated amongst the "Top 10" W-WW sites.
This is a comprehensive forum with many dedicated members which
should help you (& I) discern how to accomplish a particular quandary.
(I am using this to try and learn how to transfer SLP-speed VHS
videocassettes to either my computer or a DVD recorder.) You need to turn
on JavaScript|ActiveX®, & accept cookies to post or respond here.
mySimon is a service of CNet® Media. It is a World-Wide Web
site which turns its shopping bots loose on the Internet to find
prices of items for which you are seeking. For something eminating
from a W-WW behemoth, it is extremely good.
This is a W-WW site which collates deals, coupons, rebates, &
special on-line offers. It concentrates on computers and electronic
gear. It strives to be your portal to the hottest deals.
This W-WW site allows you to compare product prices across a
spectrum of on-line purveyors. It also has a keen forum where you
can learn about the sites surveyed herein, as well as technical
aspects of computing and the Internet.
Here is another W-WW site which compounds discount and free offers on the
Internet. The moderators of the Bidding For Travel BBS [c.v.] urge
everybody to use this site's link to Priceline® to submit their bids.
This site also collates “coupon deals” on-line.
Savings-Center has nineteen categories, with over 1,300 stores,
which are searchable on several variables.
ConsumerNow was created as a public service for on-line consumers and
shoppers. I send you directly to the page with the on-line coupons. If you
are a newbie to on-line shopping, back parse and then select the links
labelled "5 Easy Steps to Online Shopping", & "10
Commandments of Online Shopping".
This was formerly Froogle™. It is a search engine which spiders
on-line catalogs. It supposedly accepts no funds to artificially elevate
a particular purveyor's placement in the results. I send you to the
advanced_product_search page, where you can change the result
order to ‘Sort by price: low to high’.
Groupon began as a side project of a progressive political
organization along the lines of Moveon.org. But its ability to
negotiate pricing deals with local restaurants, & stores, swiftly
overtook the original intent. You have to sign up with an E-Mail address
in order to access the site [It will send you a daily E-Mail.] It may
still be losing money, but it continues to attract venture capitalists.
As for the deals it has been able to purvey; I think they're very good. It
helps if you know someone with whom you can enjoy the deal. Most are
overwhelming for one person alone. I send you to the Chicago page.
This is an intermediary between restaurants which shows all of them
that deliver to you. It has a network of over 13,000 delivery restaurants.
You may alternately search by cuisine. You may order on-line, or by
telephone. It is currently available in 28 U.S.A. cities. I recommend
registering for this service (Requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on, &
cookies accepted.).
Craig's List began as a cooperative forum in San Francisco, CA.
It matured into an on-line campus compounding social and business
spheres, for communities across the U.S.A., and around the world. The
communities are on the right side of the screen. Despite the negative
coverage it has attracted from “mainstream” media, there are
solid deals and valuable services available here. Craig's List prefers
you browse with Firefox.
This is Chicago's most astute forum discussing food, both
domestically, and commercially. I am registered here. I can recommend doing
so also. (Requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on, & cookies accepted.)
This is along the lines of Craig's List, but featuring registered
users relating experiences in a spectrum of products and services,
and local flavor. Should you wish to register (which is required to
post), you need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®. My reviews begin
at http://snipr.com/yelp1. The bloom of Yelp's rose is gone.
It has reached critical mass, which unfortunately also means it has
attracted a solid percentage of users whose reviews are tainted, and
should not be relied upon. There are also credible reports, and
a lawsuit was filed (but was dismissed on technical
grounds), alleging that Yelp skews the display of a venue's reviews to
put a “negative” one atop the list, and shadowing all the
“positive” reviews. Then it would supposedly solicit the
venue to become a Yelp sponsor. In other words, this is an on-line
version of the old syndicate “protection” [| extortion]
racket. {"Nice little place you got here. You know; it'd be
horrible if something bad was to happen. We can help you minimize that,
for a very small fee."} My reviews are real. I tend
to give venues the benefit of the doubt. But if a venue is a poor
value for the money, I shall mention that. People are definitely
trying to game it. I mention both sides in the interest of
egalitarianism. I was a mainframe computer programmer. I know how
simple it would be to compose an algorithm which would do what some
service owners and providers allege is happening. [Two variables. Yelp
sponsor: 0 = non-sponsor, 1 = sponsor. Review sort order: 0 =
ascending, 1 = descending.] I am seldom logged on here. I am
not Yelp's target audience. I send you directly to the TLS page
where you logon.
Mobog began as a W-WW site where people could submit a photograph
they had taken with their mobile telephone. It has modified to a
photograph sharing community. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX®, & accept cookies to register here.
I have ordered books from Edward R. Hamilton, of Falls Village,
CT., for over twenty-five years. It started out as a remaindered-only, mail
order company. It keeps its prices low by not accepting credit cards or
doing any billing. The ultimate payoff is at the conclusion. It charges
only $3.50 for postage & handling, regardless of the number
of books which you order.
If you are perplexed by the panoply of "10-10"
long-distance dialing services, here is a valuable W-WW site which has
information on many of them. Intrastate, interstate, &
international rates are annotated. In North America, the telephone
number you dial to learn who is your default long distance carrier for
that line is 1-700-555-4141.
This is a World-Wide Web site featuring the funniest, cutest, & some
very amazing cat pictures. If you opt to register, you may also rate the pictures.
Here's a good W-WW site with lots of information and resources for cat
lovers. You can even obtain a semi-anonymous E-Mail account ending in
"@i-love-cats.com".
Beer Me! is a W-WW beer site maintained by Richard Stueven,
who is a brewmaster at the Gottberg Brew Pub in Columbus, Nebraska.
This site is the most complete source of brewery and beer information
available on the Internet.
The concept behind this W-WW site is that beer can be so much more
distinctive than the industrial megabrews excessively advertised on television.
Taste these. Your perception will be altered (for the better).
If you collect beer coasters, labels, crowns, neon signs, glasses or
steins, bottles, or cans (the Brewery Collectables Community of America
is a more concentrated organization if you primarily have those), join
the A.B.A. I am member #1727.
This was formerly the Brewers' Association [link]. The BA has become
big enough that it now needs multiple W-WW sites for each wing.
This is the wing aimed at people who are not necessarily homebrewers, but
enjoy savoring craft beers, either on- or off-premise. I continue to
encourage you to join the American Homebrewers Association to take
advantage of the "A.H.A. Member Deals" Program.
Brewing News is a panoply of beer newspapers covering much of the
U.S.A., and portions of Canada. It has core articles common to all the
regions, and customized columns for each of the states [or portions of
a state] in each regional newspaper. It also offers an E-Mail list which
you may opt to join.
Ale Street News, published bi-monthly by Tony Forder & Jack
Babin, has been around since 1992. It is the most widely circulated
beer publication in the U.S.A. It is centered upon the northeast and
the east coast, but includes coverage of beerworthy events worldwide.
There is also a forum for which you may register.
This is the weblog of Rick Lyke, another member of the now-defunct
North American Guild of Beer Writers. Rick has scribed articles which
appeared in a spectrum of brewspapers; and now he brings his
perspective to the on-line universe.
I love close-ups. Here are some close-ups you would not expect to view.
This site features photographs taken through an optical microscope of some
of the world's most famous beers.
This is a Web v2.0 forum, and repository of beer-worthy venues
reported by its forum members. I have broken out the Chicago Beer Map
separately [c.v.]. The webmaster is Jonathan Surratt. You must turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX®. With the advancement of mobile W-WW
programs & applications, the Beer Mapping forum is dwindling in
traffic & popularity. But it has reached a plateau which renders
it useful for people seeking beer-worthy venues in a certain city.
I am impressed by Untappd. But until it releases an
application for mobile computers | netbooks, I will not add it here.
I have registered for it, and you may friend me there.
This is the World-Wide Web gateway to Jason & Todd Alström's
network which strives to give beer consumers a voice; provide beer
education; empower consumers to learn, share, and advocate; rally
to support the beer industry; & put the respect back into beer.
It also publishes a print magazine. There is a forum here in which
you may be interested (requires JavaScript|ActiveX® should you
want to register & post).
This is a useful World-Wide Web page which attempts to collate to
which U.S. states a craft brewery ships its beer. It can be searched
either via a particular state, or by the specific brewery. You need to
turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Some of the World-Wide Web sites on this WebRing are in need of
revision (& some are gone), but this has good information on the
sites which are current.
This is the World-Wide Web site of the legendary Homebrew Digest
E-Mail list. It is a U.S.A.-based 501(c)(3) educational charity
maintained by Karl Lutzen & Pat Babcock. If you prowl its
archives, you can find here one of my first ever E-Mail messages,
sent to here back in June 1994. (When I was using a
Commodore 64 on an Amiga BBS.) I break out of the frame for you.
This is a W-WW site which aims to help you find an interesting pub
in the U.K. It has reviews from both staff and its registered users;
encompassing 40,000 venues. It is the U.K.'s biggest and busiest
pub, bar, & club guide. You need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Here is a W-WW site which informs you which taverns (in those states
where it is permitted by law) offer discounts on beverages, et cetera;
and when they do so. It has thirteen cities.
This is a dynamic W-WW page which currently attempts to denote which
beers are available at both on-premise & off-premise venues in twenty-three
U.S.A. cities, including: New York, NY.; Philadelphia, PA.; Chicago, IL.;
San Antonio, TX.; Denver, CO.; Portland, OR.; Seattle, WA.; San Francisco, CA.;
Los Angeles, CA; & Toronto, ONT., Canada. Alcohol by Volume levels and
prices for each are annotated. Beers and breweries may be searched for.
I send you directly to the Chicago main page. If you register, which I
recommend [requires JavaScript|ActiveX® enabled, & cookies accepted],
it allows you to make tasting notes for each beer you have. There is also a
forum here. This is a W-WW site whose capabilities make it fun to play with.
You may also follow it on Twitter as "beermenus", but it has
not tweeted in a long time.
This is a revamped rubric in the Chicago Reader® aegis. It provides
information on a spectrum of bars in Chicago. The Reader is now affiliated
with the Chicago Sun-Times®.
This is another comprehensive W-WW site striving to collate beer
and food specials for taverns in five metropolitan areas: Chicago, IL.;
Milwaukee, WI.; Bloomington, IN.; Baltimore, MD.; & Washington, DC.
Use its ‘search and crawl’ functions for a more thorough hunt.
You must turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®. This site has four frames.
There are many aggregators compiling this data, including Drinktown,
but this W-WW site seems to have the most frequently updated database of
bar & food deals at venues in Chicago. I send you directly to the
"Bar" specials rubric. (It is affiliated with the Chicago
Sun-Times®.)
This is a spectacular customized Google™ map which plots
practically all of Chicago's beerworthy venues [Brewpubs, taverns,
breweries, package stores, & homebrew supply stores] over the
street grid. Additional information about each venue may be discerned
by clicking on the dot, or the text link on the right side of the
screen. The map will take a long time to load completely. You must turn
on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
The Chicago Beer Society has been around for thirty-five years.
In this span, the universe of beer has greatly transformed (and it
may be transforming again); and much of that transformation can be
traced directly to its members. It is an organization for both
homebrewers and beer enthusiasts, with events occurring every month
in the metropolitan Chicago area. I recommend joining it.
Here is the first draft of a wiki-styled page which will
purportedly collate all the frequently asked questions sent to the
Chicago Beer Society [c.v.] E-Mail listserv; so that the same
query does not have to be made again.
It was about time somebody stated this. This is a weblog of
Jessica. She is determined to shatter the huge misconception out there
that females do not care for beer. She is not affiliated with any brewery,
beer company, or distributor. She intends to offer unbiased, refreshing
reviews & accounts of her beer adventures. There will also be sporadic
interviews of the purveyors of breweries and beers available in
metropolitan Chicago. You may also follow her on Twitter as
"grlslikebeertoo".
This organization was founded in December 2010. Its mission is to
inform craft beer geeks about the events and locations around the city
& surrounding suburbs. You may also follow it on Twitter as
"chibeergeeks".
Quenchers Saloon has been Chicago's premier beer bar since 1979.
It is located in one of the most vital neighborhoods of Chicago, at
the northeast corner of Western Ave. & Fullerton St. [2400 W. &
2400 N.] There's no telling what beers it will have. Its prices are
less expensive than other taverns (because it only accepts cash).
It has live music regularly. Its proprietor is Earle Johnson.
Delilah's, at Lincoln, Diversey, & Racine on Chicago's
north side, is the tavern which is as loony and eclectic as me. It
scores on multiple levels (beer | music | movies). Mike Miller is the
proprietor. I hope, but I doubt, that the metropolitan area where you
live has a tavern as enthralling as Delilah's, which has now been
around for 19¾ years.
Another great music & beer venue in Chicago. This one has two
things which push it beyond the normal: Cheap beer, and an eclectic
booking policy which traverses all musical genrés. I send you to
the non-Flash® version. You may also follow it on Twitter
as "theemptybottle".
This tavern, shoehorned into an old manufacturing district of
Chicago [at 1354 W. Wabansia], features good beers and enthralling
live music acts. It is a 2½-block walk north-northwest from the
Throop bus stop on North Ave., east of Elston Ave.
At the same bus stop as the Hideout, but on North Ave. proper
[1315 W.], is this eclectic bar, open until 4:00 am every
night (5:00 am on Saturday), with nightly events orbiting around
beer, spirits, punk & hard rock music & videos,
“nu-wave” burlesque, fetish BDSM, & erotica.
The Twisted Spoke is a friendly “biker” bar at Grand
& Ogden [501 N. Ogden Av.] in Chicago. It has superb beers as well.
I am drawn to have the $2.00 "Butch's Beer Special". It is
presented as the one selection which it feels is unworthy of being
served there {"We carry 52 good beers and one that really sucks.
It's usually best not to ask too many questions like, “What is
it?” What it is is only two bucks."}, but you should
not believe that. It has included some great beers from breweries such
as Atwater, Left Hand, Oasis, Pyramid, Portland, Summit, Stoney Creek,
Victory, Lakefront, MacTarnahan's, New Belgium, Anchor, & even
Affligem Abbey Ale. If you drive here, I recommend you try
to park on Elizabeth St., which is a one-way northbound street north
of Hubbard, west of Racine, & east of Ogden. If you take the Blue
Line “L”, the closest stop is Chicago; not Grand
(walk south-southwest down Ogden). This W-WW site is undergoing
comprehensive revision, so this is the only page extant currently.
This is a craft beer bar on W. Madison St. at Aberdeen St., 2½
blocks west of Halsted. It is a sporadic venue for tap takeovers
by a brewery, either local or distant. Its wi-fi network's SSID (when
working) is "virus_downloads". You may also follow it on
Twitter as "thebeerbistro" {doh}. There is now
a second Beer Bistro, which was formerly SmallBar Fullerton, at
1415 W. Fullerton Ave. on the north side. Its Twitter nickname
is "thebeerbistro2".
The intersection of Lincoln | Belmont | Ashland has become a
Chicago craft beer destination. Fizz, at 3220 N. Lincoln Ave. is the
venue with the longest history of offering these beers. Its prices
are below average. It is a rare north side tavern offering Argus
[c.v.] beer [usually its Pegasus India Pale Ale].
This is another venue near Lincoln | Belmont | Ashland [@ 3244 N.
Lincoln Ave.] It has artisanal food, including vegetarian options,
and a good selection of beers, both on draft, and packaged. It is
larger than it seems; move towards the rear of the venue, and you'll
see another section with tables. You may also follow it on
Twitter as "thenorthdown" {doh}.
Here is another venue which should have been on here a while ago. It
is at 2900 W. Belmont Ave (@ Francisco). I think the reason I left it
off was because it didn't need me to tell you about it. Even before it
was depicted on a television show, it was a tavern with an
‘attitude’. Somehow, despite its kitchen being only 16'
× 6', it began creating artisan hamburgers, and naming them after
heavy metal rock bands. It is a venue for the digital era -
you will either love it or loathe it - no in-between. The time when
it seemingly has the shortest line out its door is weekdays between
2:00 - 6:00 pm. A line from its beer menu distinctively reads:
Death to Miller and Budweiser... they are over-produced and
inferior products that prevent passionate craftsmen from sharing their
gifts with all of us.
This is a pioneering venue, part of a national chain which includes at
least one ex-U.S.A. Men's National Soccer Team player investor, orbiting
around craftbeer, gastropub cuisine, and soccer {doh} (domestic &
international) (It is an official U.S. Soccer [c.v.] Bar). It is one
block west of the intersection of Division St. & Damen Ave. Its hazard:
The Damen bus route ceases running at 22:30, and Division just after 24:00,
so you could face a five block walk to the closest Blue Line “L”
station. You may also follow it on Twitter as
"smallbardst". It also opened and operated a venue on west
Fullerton Ave., but sold it to the Beer Bistro [c.v.].
This is a solid venue modelled after British-inspired pubs. It purveys
comfort food of animals humanely raised and without growth hormones or
antibiotics. Its Haddock is flown in daily from Georges Bank in the North
Atlantic Ocean. I know of no other bar anywhere in metropolitan Chicago
with four handpump offerings. If the first floor is crowded, go
upstairs. You may also follow it on Twitter as "owenandengine".
If you are on a tight layover, and can visit only one craft beer bar
in Chicago, I recommend Hopleaf. It is on the far north side of Chicago on
Clark St., near Ashland Ave. & Foster Ave. There are three bars. The ones
on the first floor have more draft selections than the one on the second
floor. Belgian-inspired foodstuffs are also available. The proprietors are
Michael Roper & Louise Molnar.
This is a solid beer bar on Hoyne Ave. (@ Armitage Ave.) If you
have heard about a new, or obscure, beer which may be available in the
U.S.A., this would be one of the venues which would have it. The
selections are superb, & the waitstaff are devoted. (Some have
earned the CicerOne certification.)
FitzGerald's is the Chicago area's most eccentric indoor concert venue.
It is in Berwyn, a west border suburb, at 6615 W. Roosevelt Rd. From
“fat” music; to rhythm & blues; to big band jazz; to touring
national acts: All of them play here. It needs a night time bus route
connecting it with the Forest Park branch of the Blue Line “L”.
This Chicago production brewery is the undertaking of Tracy & Doug
Hurst. They are dedicated to brewing lagers, and to a lesser extent, other
Germanic styles, which have been under-represented in the craft beer movement.
(Ales can be brewed and released quicker, which can be more important to the
finances of the craft brewery.) I love their Dynamo Copper Lager.
The brewery is currently in the Ravenswood neighborhood on the north side of
Chicago, but they are actively seeking a larger facility within the city of
Chicago. They also maintain a weblog at
http://metrobrewing.blogspot.com/ They are one of the very few
breweries willing to comment publicly when they seemingly lose a tap handle
at a venue to a beer from a more-well-financed brewery or distributor,
something which is “illegal” in Illinois. More breweries are
opening up in Chicago as I scribe this. When and if each establishes a
World-Wide Web site, it may appear here.
Here is a brewery with an amazing story. Its proprietors, Beejay Oslon
& Gerrit Lewis, met while working at a Chicago package liquor store.
They went to Belgium and worked at the De Struise Brewery. When they returned
to Chicago, U.S.A., they formulated a business plan. But it ultimately hinged
on a Kickstarter project. It raised its goal. It is now brewing
at a medium-sized facility on north Western Ave. Most of its output is in
22-ounce bottles. It also has a weblog at http://atimeforbeer.blogspot.com/
(but it hasn't had an entry since November 2010).
Nearly everybody in Chicago missed this one. This brewery began
having its beers appear in a select number of beer bars in the collar
suburbs of Chicago in December 2009. It is located on Chicago's far-south
side in what a century ago was a Schlitz® distribution stable. It is
the undertaking of Robert & Patrick Jensen.
This is the brewpub at which everybody in Chicago was gawking
awaiting its opening. It is located at 2323 N. Milwaukee Ave.; within a
two-block walk from the Blue Line “L”'s California
station. Its production brewery, on N. Kedzie Ave, whose
brewmaster is Jim Cebak, is now operative. So you now also find
Revolution beers at other Chicago venues.
This brewery finally got a regular World-Wide Web page. (I am not on
Facebook, and you could not give me money to make me sign up for
Facebook.) The brewery, and its adjacent tap room, is on N.
Lincoln Ave., between Irving Park Rd. & Montrose Ave. It offers its
main beers in 16-oz. cans. My favorite beer from it is Over Ale.
Pete Crowley is the brewmaster here. It is on the southeast corner
of Randolph & Halsted Sts. near Greektown in central Chicago.
It is also the new home for Chicago's Drinking & Writing Theater.
You may also follow it on Twitter as "haymarketpub".
This brewery is on N. Elston Ave. on the northwest side of Chicago,
close to where I worked [at Bankers Life & Casualty Co.] 33 years ago.
For its start, it will be a production brewery only, kegging, and
packaging in 16-ounce cans. Its first two beers are Golden Wing Blonde
Ale, and Cut Throat Pale Ale.
Here is the W-WW site of one of my favorite regional breweries.
This is the second-oldest brewery still operating in the U.S.A. It is
now owned by a Canadian corporation which has introduced some
intriguing 'bridge' beers to its house brands [Huber Bock, Rhinelander].
Many of its beers can be found at Trader Joe markets.
My favorite Milwaukee brewery is Russ & Jim Klisch's Lakefront Brwy.
I especially like Eastside Dark. It is located on Commerce St.,
northeast of downtown. After a long lapse, it is again sending draft product
to Chicago. You need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Goose Island Beer Company brews & bottles several ales &
lagers from two locations both serendipitously numbered 1800. For now, it
also operates the former Weeghman Park Brewpub at 3535 N. Clark St.
The August Schell Brewing Company has been operating in New Ulm,
MN. since 1860. It brews some of the finest beers in the entire
U.S.A. It is the prime example why small, regional breweries which also
devote part of their production capacities to "contract beers"
must not be allowed to go out of business. I will do everything I can to
ensure that this does not happen. But it no longer distributes to
Illinois.
This is the long name of the Schlafly Brewpub, St. Louis' largest
American-owned brewery. When I visit St. Louis, I wind up
spending some time at one of its two locations (The brewpub near
downtown, or the Bottleworks in Maplewood.). I love its beers;
I agree with most of the viewpoints expressed by Tom Schlafly; and
this World-Wide Web site regularly makes me smile and chuckle.
St. Louis' foreign-owned brewery seems to prefer that the Schlafly
beers are unavailable where its beers are offered, as there are
frequent reports of Schlafly losing a tap handle, or being
precluded from being purveyed at a public festival, which,
by law, the festival organizers should not be able to do. (Read
the small print at the bottom of the “home” page.)
This is an astounding beer bar in downtown Denver, CO. whose motto
is, "No crap on tap." Denver is so beerworthy; it is
difficult to suggest just one venue you should visit. If you are here
during the Great American Beer Festival™, this is where
you will find the special beers of which brewers could not dedicate
enough kegs to be able to serve them there.
This has nothing to do with a classic automobile. The Toronado is a
diminutive tavern in San Francisco, CA. (in the Haight - on Haight St.)
Latitude: -122.43014 N; Longitude: 37.77215 W. It is most famous for
its annual Barleywine festival (in February).
This was formerly N T N. It is the live interactive game
played primarily in taverns (although it is now available on Dish
Network® dbs for a monthly fee). This is why I have it under this
rubric. One Sunday night in June 2002 in Irving, TX., at a
Humperdinks, I scored 14,229 [out of 15,000] in one game of
Wipeout. You may also follow it on Twitter as
"buzztimetrivia".
You don't need a pricey HTML (HyperText Markup Language) editor to write
HTML. This is where I learned HTML. All my pages are maintained using regular,
old "WordPad®", and utilize the commands included here. The
instructions are available in twenty-four languages.
Enter the URL of the World-Wide Web page whose links you want to check into
the query box and click 'Submit'. This site will save you a lot of time; however,
I recommend clicking on the URLs it shows to be broken. Some sites do not want
to be remotely spidered, so there is a possibility for false positives.
These three URLs were found in moonsliver's Insane Journal [c.v.]. This
is an interactive page (requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on) which outputs the
color value (a 216-color webmaster's palette) in both RGB and hexidecimal.
There are four frames on this page.
This is a weblog and forum where designers, both on-line and off,
experiment and present color tableus & palettes. It strives to be a
resource that monitors and influences color trends.
This W-WW site helps one compose a particular color scheme; with
five base sets comparing and contrasting ‘warm’, and
‘cold’ colors. A drop-down box allows for schemes for
infrequent human vision ailments [e.g.: protanopy].
If you do not need a nearly-infinite color selection, this URL
illustrates the 390 non-dithering colors which can be reproduced in
many browsers, including older versions of Netscape. Inexplicably,
this page went off-line. I have resorted to pulling it off the
Internet Archive's "Wayback Machine" [c.v.] from
its final revision (23 June 2011).
Here is a site where you move your mouse to a specific pixel on the screen
which most closely represents the color you desire. Click thereupon, and the
shade shall be broken out for you, along with its hexidecimal code.
This page has also gone off-line. I am also pulling it off the Internet
Archive's "Wayback Machine" [c.v.] from its final revision
(15 April 2008). Would somebody please reinstate this page in a
functional state?
This site has three, well-thought-out frames. This allows you to
interactively test out text, background, & link colors. You need
to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®.
Quimby's is Chicago's most comprehensive zine store. Many of the
zines which I read are obtained here. It mails zines within the U.S.A.
(International postage rates are now exorbitant.)
These are the “Berne Convention purveyors” to which I refer
on my "Adult-Oriented" bookmark page. Here is an organization
which manages to scarf up some obscure videos released beyond the U.S.A.
Its prices are low. It also works the “B”-movie event circuit.
This site has not been updated since October 2011.
Keith J. Crocker's "Exploitation Journal"
is dedicated to the serious study of exploitation and drive-in cinema
of the 1960s & 1970s. Keith J.'s video service is Cinefear.
Keith J.'s latest movie is "Blitzkrieg: Escape From Stalag
69".
This was formerly "Shocking Images". It has shifted its
focus from video, T-Shirt, and soundtrack sales toward this weblog.
It is the official World-Wide Web site for [R.I.P] Rudy Ray Moore, Don
Edmonds, & Jean Rollin. If you noticed; DMCA actions have caused a
clutch of these purveyors to cease business. But very few of the movies they
offered were actually in a true release by the property rights holder. {These
purveyors offered movies on demand. Now the majors want to offer
movies on demand for the features on which they feel they would lose
money putting out as a DVD or Blu-Ray. Guess who created the market for
their movies on demand?}
This is the organization which defends illustrators of comic
books, & the stores which sell them. Some judges and juries have
convicted comic book store owners for selling a comic book intended
for "adults only" to an adult. More recently, persons have
been indicted for possessing illustrations (hand-drawn, or
computer-generated) of an ‘underage’ person in a sexual
situation. If the idea is to prohibit objects which
can be used to try to convince a real-life ‘underage’ person
to commit a lewd act, it would seem you also need to restrict or
criminalize chocolate, soda, bubble gum, & ice cream. ["Hey
little girl, want some candy?"] But somehow, I can't envision
Hershey, Nestlé, Coca-Cola, & Pepsi allowing their products to
be so circumscribed. So is barring illustrations really effective?
Steven Puchalski's "Shock Cinema" website.
"Shock Cinema" is a zine, published four times a year,
which reviews some of the most bizarre, illusive films ever made. It is
a superb read. I recommend subscribing to it ($20 for four issues).
"Cashiers du Cinemart" is a movie review zine
published by Mike White. Mike has strident opinions on today's
corporate movies. I recommend obtaining Mike's new book,
"Impossibly Funky", which has tales of Mike's jobs orbiting
around movies and movie theatres. This site has a frame.
This is an informative forum orbiting around DVD releases of
obscure movies of the past. All genrés are represented. Mentions
of “Berne Convention purveyors” are allowed. I recommend
signing on to its forum (requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on, and
cookies accepted). It directs you to register with a First and Last
Name (or First Name and Last Initial). I am here under a pseudonym.
The main site offers links to data and reviews of contemporary
releases. Sections thereof are not safe for work [NSFW] due to
uptight adults who are okay with the raw carnage of "Rambo"
movies, but can't handle an exposed female nipple.
McBeardo's Midnight Movie Mayhem is a resource for cult film news,
reviews, & bloody boobs. (Sections hereof are not safe for work
[NSFW].) Those films, and their tangential attachments (books,
soundtracks, nudie-magazine layouts) are what it covers, ranging from
the dawn of cinema, through the grindhouse era, to today's latest
direct-to-video releases. McBeardo is the defining moniker of the
Brooklyn-born miscreant occasionally still known as Mike
McPadden and Selwyn Harris. You may also follow him on
Twitter as "mcbeardo".
This is the on-line component of the eclectic, entertaining, and
informational print magazine "Vice". I should have had
this on here before; but I think I was unsure if it should be here, or
on an adult bookmark page. Sections here are NSFW, but I think the
majority of the material should place it on this page. The page
checks a browser variable to direct you to a specific language's
version thereof.
This W-WW site has a dual orbit. It promotes a twice-annual movie
& memorabilia exposition by Ken & Pam Kish, in Strongsville, OH.
[a suburb of Cleveland]; of which I have attended a bunch, and always
had an intriguing experience. The next exposition will be on 4 - 6
October 2013. Its other orbit is the sales of DVDs, posters, and
trading cards of movies, at prices lower than other purveyors.
This is where Jon Kitley expounds on horror movies. He has gotten
quite deep into this. He seeks to educate, expand, & entertain his
browsers' knowledge of the horror genré. He lives in Aurora, IL. He
also works the “B”-movie exposition circuit. This page has a frame.
After a lengthy absence, this forum, administered by “RomanyX”,
was finally restored to the World-Wide Web. It is another movie &
entertainment-orbiting forum with a singular rubric. Should you wish to
register here, it requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on, and cookies accepted.
I should not have to explain too much about this troupe. So I won't.
This World-Wide Web site is comprehensive, accurate, &
includes the dead parrotloony. Have
I mentioned I am the chairperson of the local chapter of the
"Society For Putting Things On Top Of Other Things"?
Many classic theatrical cartoons have been cut or edited in order
to be shown on television (and even when re-released on videocassette
or DVD). This site serves as a guide to those lost moments.
This is an absolutely comprehensive clearinghouse of the animated
television show "The Simpsons". This site has guides,
news, and information. It is where to head if you have any queries.
"Gauntlet" is a zine which explores the limits of
free expression in the U.S.A. It is published twice a year, in May &
November. It is a valuable resource in the face of paranoia, hype, &
the spin given against free expression by those who seek to censor it.
This guy (Stuart Helm) is a freelance artist & illustrator,
now residing in Asheville, NC. He has a weblog now as well. He
used to have a registered trademark before the corporate bullies
at Kraft® Foods decided they didn't like some of his
illustrations. They sued. The CBLDF [c.v.] tried to negotiate. They
managed a settlement which confiscated his trademark [Why did
Kraft® not object when he was applying for it?], but he did
not have to sign a non-disclosure agreement, and he is allowed to
parody the name of Kraft® in the future. {There may be an
anti-Kraft®-parody on this page now.} View the documentary
about this litigation by Brigid Maher, titled "The King, The
Lawyers, & The Cheese". I make a conscious effort to
not buy anything manufactured by Kraft® Foods.
Kraft® Foods deserve all the bad karma they receive, on both
the corporate and individual levels.
This site is the World-Wide Web site of Jake Austen's &
Jacqueline Stewart's "Roctober" zine. Roctober [n.b.:
There is no "k" in its name.] covers many topics, including
music, comics, monkeys, masked performers, skateboarders, & Sammy
Davis, Jr. View the "Chic-A-Go-Go!" wing. The
Roctober book, "Flying Saucers Rock 'N' Roll", is now out
here, and I can recommend its purchase.
Since 1992, Hollywood's "Scram" magazine has been
chronicling “unpopular culture”. The editrix is Kim
Cooper. The print zine went on hiatus after issue #22. This site,
and her weblog (linked from here) shall continue.
"Giant Robot" is a zine self-described as
"Asian Pop Culture and beyond." It deals with Asian &
Asian-American pursuits. This W-WW site has a frame, and parts of it
require Flash®. It also has retail stores in Los Angeles, & in
San Francisco; as well as a restaurant ("GR-Eats") in western
L. A. I like "Giant Robot" enough to donate to its foundation.
What happens to punk rockers when they get older? It has been
attributed that they read "Razorcake" magazine. It
is a bi-monthly publication, published by a certified non-profit
organization in southern California, which still has a strong spot for
hard-driving music (& politics) which has a resist message
embedded therein. I recommend subscribing to this. A six-issue
subscription costs $17.00 [bulk rate] | [$23.00 = first class {U.S.A.}].
Ask for freebies. I like "Razorcake" enough to donate to its
foundation.
Here's a zine which looks at the contemporary world in which we live and
provides insight on the edges and wrinkles that make up our id. Some sections
of this site are recommended only for those at least 18 years of age.
A W-WW site espousing progressive ideas for dealing with today's world.
Subscribing to this magazine may result in you being refused a U.S.
Governmental security clearance.
The Music Box Theatre on Chicago's north side is one which is not
afraid to show films which have bypassed the Motion Picture Association
of America's rating system. With the increasing concentration of
ownership of movie theatres by large corporate entities, theatres like
the Music Box are very important.
Mr. Lloyd Kaufman, the President of Troma, has been involved in
filmmaking-on-the-cheap, for over 37 years. Check this W-WW site
regularly for new releases and specials. Net Neutrality is
still an issue for the Internet; but the battle has moved to a threat
from mega-entertainment media conglomerates like Sony, Disney, &
Universal to enact legislation in the U.S.A. [This is the CISPA
bill in the U.S. Congress.], and enact secret treaties
in other countries, which would effectively lock down creative
endeavors in the arts solely to the output from these mega-
entertainment media conglomerates. {There would be prior ‘cease
and desist’ and Internet takedown orders if one of the megas felt
an independent media project infringed on its copyright. The
independent media project would have to spend more of its funds on
defending itself in a courtroom than in actually making the media. So
the independent media would not be made, and the megas would retain
their 99% share of the market, which is their main intent.}
This is a superb W-WW site which was personally recommended to me
one Saturday evening. It is a repository of posters and lobby cards
for a vast spectrum of motion pictures. It has special sections for
selected movies & performers. JavaScript|ActiveX® is needed
if you wish to use the 'Search' function. Because of all the graphics,
sections of this site will take a while to completely load.
Do you need an answer about a certain record? You would do well to
reference one of Joel Whitburn's tomes. He acquired
"Billboard" magazine's permission to publish works
based on its charts' data. This W-WW site has a frame.
Live Journal was dumped for capitulating to a gang of
vigilantés; effectively turning a cold shoulder to free
expression on the World-Wide Web. The underlying reason: The
“bean-counters” hoping for a buyout of the corporation
figured whomever took over would not be able to place advertisements on
Live Journal pages where a weblogger expressed
controversial viewpoints. It “solved”
the problem by "permanently suspending" the webloggers
expressing those controversial viewpoints. (Having a Paid or Permanent
Account did not save them. If anything; since Live Journal knows
it will never get another dollar from a Permanent Account holder, it
has every incentive to find an excuse to get rid of that account.)
This is Insane Journal, another weblog service utilizing the Xanga
interactive free source software. "Squeaky", the major domo
behind Insane Journal, has gone on record that he will only remove
content from a person's weblog if he is presented with a genuine order
from a legal entity. Insane Journal has potential, but I am really
uninterested in long-form blogging now.
This has good technical information on setting up your computer
(regardless of operating system) to use the software. The links along
the left side of the screen contain additional information.
Hash House Harriers are people who compete in a foot rally, and whom
afterward consume lots of beer and comeraderie. They are "The drinking
club with a running problem." Registration is requested to view some
parts of this W-WW site.
If you're out on the highway, you see them everyday. Traffic is
moving safely and expeditiously, but not legally according to the posted
speed limit. Link here to learn where are the speed traps out on the
highways of the U.S.A. It is sponsored by the National Motorists
Association.
Is your flight delayed? Are you at the airport right now wondering if
the airline's gate agent is telling you the complete truth? Link here for
the real answer. This site collects data from air traffic control across
the U.S.A. Select by specific flight, airport, or aircraft type.
This is the once-controversial W-WW site founded by five then-major
U.S.A. airlines. I have found some solid travel bargains here. It has
suspended its service fee for airline tickets bought via it. All
these travel reservation sites work swifter if you use a direct
connection to the Internet, turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®, &
accept cookies.
Priceline® is an aggregator of airline tickets, & hotel
rooms. Practically all of its business now is in hotel rooms. [For
hotel rooms, you specify the star-level you desire. Here are the
minimum bids per star-level: 1-star = $15; 2-star = $17;
2½-star = $19; 3-star = $25; 4-star = $40; 4½-star = $45;
5-star = $55] Registration is required in order to use this
service. The concept is that you name the price you are willing to
pay for a hotel room, or a rental car, in a specified area. I
do not use Priceline (or Hotwire) for rental cars due to the
possibility of my low bid being accepted by Budget Rent-A-Car,
which attempted to scam me for triple the cost of my last rental from
it (in Detroit, MI.) by claiming I did not return its car with a full
tank of gas. I had the gas station receipt when I returned its car,
but its counter was disinterested in receiving it. Weeks later,
it sent me a letter announcing its charge. I got the attempted rip-off
removed from my account by mailing my credit card bank a copy of the
gas station receipt.
This is a comprehensive travel planning W-WW site offering the
facility to check airfares and hotels worldwide. In a few instances, it
may not find the lowest rate, but it will put you far enough along the
path for you to obtain the lowest rate: i.e. An air flight will almost
always be less costly to book at that airline's own W-WW site.
This is a BBS where you learn how users of Priceline® bid for
travel, including the prices which were accepted. This is a valuable
BBS which has reached critical mass: i.e. There have been enough
accepted bids to have a reasonable idea of how low you can offer. I
have used it to obtain hotel rooms in cities. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX®, & accept cookies. Bidding For Travel was
mentioned in "Consumer Reports". It is a member of
the Yuku network of fora.
This is another BBS dealing with the same topics as Bidding
For Travel. I would not call it a rivalry, but there are a clutch
of registered users at each BBS which feel that that specific
BBS is ‘better’ than the other. So I will present
both of them. You need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®, &
accept cookies.
Bidding For Travel links to Trip Advisor (which I have now learned
censors and bans people who post ‘controversial’ reports);
but this is the travel forum which I found most educational when
researching my trips to Tokyo, Japan. This forum has over 423,925 members
around the globe. It began as a resource for airlines' frequent flyer
program members to provide key data. It has expanded to include specific
recommendations within popular destinations. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX®, & accept cookies.
Hotwire® is a site which searches other travel W-WW sites searching
for low fares from the cities & on the days you indicate on its form.
You must register in advance with it.
This is a site with stories, tips, destination information, &
hundreds of links to travel W-WW sites. The most poignant one is
likely that to "Auction Advice".
This is a W-WW site, in the format of a weblog, which believes it is
the only airfare alert and comparison site that includes fares on
all airlines, including Southwest, Skybus, Allegiant, & JetBlue.
This is a W-WW site which monitors airfares on designated routes. If
you sign up for it, which I can recommend, you tell it the routes, and it
will send you an E-Mail when there is significant price movement on any
of those routes.
This is a specialized on-line travel agency which has negotiated discounted
airfares from a clutch of airlines for international travel. It offers a
selection, including many never previously available on-line, so as to find the
lowest prices, and best schedule options. The corporation was founded by travel
experts with decades of experience. It heralds, "Simply put - if you buy
your international travel from Vayama, you will save money and find more flight
options." I used Vayama to book my trip from ORD to NRT in March -
April 2010, and it saved me $141.39.
Fare Compare is an airline ticket comparison shopping World-Wide Website.
It is an independent airfare shopping site with the all the tools necessary
to help consumers find the best deals available quickly, easily, and
first. Its webmaster is Rick Seaney. Ticket prices often change
dramatically from hour-to-hour, day-to-day and week-to-week. Fare Compare
believes that no one site has the cheapest price, nor the best deal, at any
given moment. Less than 10% of passengers on each flight pay the cheapest
price for the same seat. Online travel agencies and metasearch sites want to
sell you a ticket. Fare Compare wants to help you find a cheap flight deal.
The cheapest flights will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, & Saturday.
This is my favorite airline. Other air carriers may match its airfare
prices, but then they will snipe you with any number of nearly
unavoidable fees. Sign up for Rapid Rewards®. The program has been
revamped, so I can't swiftly tell you how to earn a free flight. It now
requires a certain amount of points. However, you will be able to book and
find a seat when you attempt to claim your award flight.
This was formerly "Roomsaver". It is a collator of hotel &
motel coupons. This site also allows you to print out coupons from its
guides on-line. This corporation publishes the “green guide”.
I seldom watch much television. But I have been watching selected
shows on this channel over the past year. Specifically, "No
Reservations", "The Layover", "Bizarre Foods",
& "Man v. Food". This page includes much multimedia, and
as such, shall take a long time to completely load depending on your
connection rate.
This is a World-Wide Web site where Chicago is the midwest hub for
some amazingly low motor coach fares to other cities in the midwest. It
also has a northeast hub out of New York City, and a southwestern hub
in Texas. If you reserve sufficiently in advance, it could cost only
one dollar (depending on the day of the week) [+ a
50¢ processing fee]. Watch out for promotional codes which could
award you a free trip. It also has a wing for the U.K. You may register
if you wish it to save some of your data.
Interstate 95 [I-95] is the main highway on the east coast of the U.S.A.
Portions of it are a toll road. If you do drive I-95, here is a World-Wide
Web site which lets you know about food, lodging, gasoline prices, shopping,
& more along its route.
Motel 6 is the U.S.A.'s lowest-priced national motel chain. I began
staying at Motel 6 in 1987. On-line reservations are available. You may
register if you wish it to save some of your data. Seek the "Click
6" Internet specials.
When you travel, staying at a hostel puts you in touch with people
who are very interested in sharing their journeys with you. It is also
one of the least expensive ways to sleep. This is the central site of
HI-AYH. It is available in four languages. You don't have to be under
30 years of age to stay here, either. Bring a towel.
Chicago is one of the easiest cities (in the U.S.A.) to traverse
without an automobile. Unlike some cities, its system does not shut
down completely at midnight. Link here for routes, maps, & schedules.
On-line transit card ordering is available. A 24-hour pass costs $5.75.
You need either a "Chicago Card" [linked from here], or
a transit card to get the lowest fare [$2.25 bus | $2.50 “L”],
and to be able to transfer to one or two buses or “L”'s in a
two-hour span [+ 25¢]. Otherwise, each route you ride will cost
$2.25. There is now a Flickr® account in which it posts
photographs from its library. You may also follow it on Twitter
as "cta" {doh}.
Here is the CTA Bus Tracker Map broken out so you can display it in a tab
in your W-WW browser (rather than a separate pop-up window). Because of all
the data, it will take a while to completely load. I also recommend zooming
in one level closer than the default map. Google™ maps take a
while to completely load.
This is the page with the arrival times at a specific stop. I again break
it out so you can view it in a browser tab. This will load much swifter than
the map.
Here is the relatively new CTA W-WW site which attempts to communicate
when a train shall arrive at a specified station. Where it is sometimes
slightly off is at a station close to where a train originates its run.
[e.g.: @ Morse awaiting a southbound Red Line “L” train]
This is a new tracking CTA W-WW site [in beta] which can display the
next times of arrival of multiple bus routes and “L” lines at a
specific address. It can be configured to run automatically if you enable
location tracking on your mobile device. Otherwise, you may manually
input a street address, or landmark name.
This is an impressive user-generated W-WW page which depicts each
Chicago rapid transit station over the street grid. For further
information, click on the station dot, or the text link on the right
side. You need to turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®. [Google™ maps
take a while to completely load.]
This is the World-Wide Web's largest resource for information on
Chicago's rapid transit system. It encompasses transit history;
advocacy; and technical data. It is a member of the "Chicago &
Northern Illinois History Ring".
I have been a member of C.E.R.A. since 1978. It is the
longest-lasting conglomeration which has not yet dissolved, or extruded
me from its membership rolls. C.E.R.A. has been around since
1938. It is a railfan organization orbiting around the
metropolitan Chicago area. Since Chicago was a railway, and an electric
railway hub, it includes any number of "inspection trips" of
other electric railway properties of the midwest & eastern U.S.A.;
and even portions of Ontario, Canada. Monthly meetings of the
organization are held at the University Center at 525 S. State
St. in central Chicago on the fourth Friday of each month [at 19:00 hours].
This is a weblog which began as a place where surfers could describe
the unusual elements of their ride on the CTA. But it has amended to
where thoughtful discussion of the day-to-day operation of the Authority
is most frequently presented. It is now under the aegis of the
Chicago Tribune®'s “Chicago Now” W-WW presence.
Registration (which requires JavaScript|ActiveX® on & cookies
accepted) is required in order to respond.
This is an unofficial W-WW site maintained by an individual who is a
fan of motor coaches; especially those used by the Chicago Transit
Authority [c.v.]. It encompasses both text and images. I send you
directly to its forum, for which I can recommend signing up. You need to
turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®, and accept cookies.
It's a lot different being shown around by a friend in San Francisco than
navigating the foggy maze on your own. This is the best independent guide to what
is worth seeing, and what is just a tourist trap. This site has three frames.
It is overshadowed by the city's cable cars, but San Francisco also has a
fleet of electric streetcars running along Market Street seven days a week.
Here you can learn more about San Francisco's transit history, the postwar
P. C. C. (Presidents' Conference Committee) streetcars used to
provide service, and how to become a member of the organization.
I had difficulty deciding where to place this link. I found this weblog
from Keizo [c.v.]. I can surmise that Dennis knew him from when Keizo was in
southern California. Dennis lives in San Diego, CA. He writes on several
food-orbiting topics. The venues are all in southern California. I send you
to his entries labelled "Ramen". You may back-parse to see
his more recent posts, or select another keyword from the post.
The site of Sam's Army (a U.S.A. soccer booster club) and Mark Wheeler's
links to North American Soccer World-Wide Web sites. There are links to just
about every soccer link site out here.
This has seemingly become a more popular U.S.A. national teams booster
club than Sam's Army. The concept remains the same. A year's membership is
$24. Membership provides perks like discounts on apparel, and airfares. I
have joined this, & I can recommend joining this organization.
This is a significant and important World-Wide Web site with information
which is intended to provide soccer boosters interested in soccer in the U.S.A.
information on the top soccer spots throughout the country.
F.I.F.A. is the most significant organization on the
planet. It is the administrator overseeing all the efforts of its
member associations which operate in soccer [football]. Its mission is
to reach out and touch the world, using football as a symbol of hope
and integration. This W-WW site is available in English, French,
Spanish, & German.
CONCACAF is the confederation, similar to UEFA [Europe], overseeing
its member nations in this hemisphere. This includes the U.S.A. Its
prestige event is the CONCACAF Gold Cup™, held every two
years in the odd-numbered years. It also presents annually the
CONCACAF Champions' League®, whose winner qualify for the
F.I.F.A. Club World Cup in December. A Spanish-language version
of this W-WW site is available.
Here is the official site of the United States Soccer Federation.
The U.S.S.F. affiliated itself with F.I.F.A. in 1913. Besides all the
National Team programs, its marquee event is the annual Lamar HuntU. S. Open Cup Tournament.
This was the swiftest I have ever added a bookmark to this page.
It has lots of articles about the sports which do not command a
plethora of media attention: i.e.; the “minor leagues”.
This is the official W-WW page for the M. I. S. L.,
which is now under the operation of the United Soccer
Leagues. Its teams are in Baltimore, MD.; Chicago, IL.;
Milwaukee, WI.; Independence, MO. (Kansas City); Wichita, KS.; Syracuse,
NY.; & Rochester, NY.
We're trying it again. This is the W-WW page of the Chicago SOUL
M. I. S. L. franchise. The team's owners are Armando
Gamboa and Dave Mokry. The franchise will play their home games
in the Sears Centre in northwest exurban Hoffman Estates. {Closer to Elgin
than Chicago.}
Did you know that the U.S.A. has a National Soccer Hall of Fame?
Its physical location was in Oneonta, New York. But due to the
downturn of the economy causing fewer customers to visit the hall, it
closed down in August 2009. Everything is in storage. A new venue is
the probable outcome. Here is its W-WW site. The site has lots of
data about its inductees.
This is a blog webmastered by Tom Dunmore, but featuring many
guest commentators, which digs underneath the surface of professional
soccer (mainly in North America) to educate and inform soccer
supporters, and those intrigued by them. Tom also worked for
Peter Wilt for the Chicago RIOT [R.I.P.] indoor soccer franchise.
This somewhat obscure site orbits around the players on the U.S.A.
Men's and Women's National Teams. It has a good array of articles,
games, puzzles, playing tips, coaching tips, and other support
functions for soccer boosters in the U.S.A. There is also a message
forum for which you may register.
This is the W-WW site of Dave Brett. Dave has recorded and | or
traded for an impressive number of soccer games on VHS videocassettes.
If you are searching for a specific game, visit here.
The editor of "Psychotronic Video®" [R.I.P.]
magazine, Michael J. Weldon, raved about this freeform FM station in
Jersey City, NJ. [U.S.A.] To what do I listen now? The Dish
Network® dbs system which we have here at the domicile gives us
the Sirius-XM® commercial-free music channels.
KUSF is the free form radio station associated with the University
of San Francisco. It no longer has a terrestrial station: i.e.
It is now Internet only; but it can be found on iTunes® under
"College/University".
KKJZ-FM 88.1 (Long Beach, CA., U.S.A.) describes itself as “Where
jazz and blues live”. Its former call letters were KLON. You can listen
to the station in your browser by linking here. The C-Band {big ugly dish}
audio feed is at Telstar 7 (129° W); transponder #15 (H); subcarriers
5.58 & 5.76. It is a broadcast service of California State Univ. -
Long Beach (CSULB).
Walter Becker & Donald Fagen are musical genii. There is no musical
approach they cannot succinctly assuage. They finally earned both the
acknowledgment of their peers in 2000 by being elected to the Rock and Roll
Hall of Fame, and winning four Grammy® Awards for "Two Against
Nature". They will go on tour this summer. Donald also has a new
solo release titled "Sunken Condos".
This is Jim McKay's original Steely Dan fan internet resource. It
was founded in 1993. A popular venue for Steely Dan fans to chat is in here,
linked from the ‘bluebook’ rubric. It is a member of the Steely Dan
Webring.
This is an organization founded by musicians Mike Reed and Josh Berman.
It is dedicated to nurturing creativity, experimentation and artistic growth
among Chicago's jazz and improvisational musicians. It presents three
concerts each week: Sunday @ the Hungry Brain, Wednesday @ the Hideout,
& Thursday @ Elastic.
I was not waiting for Jim Egan to get an Internet account before adding
this link. (As far as I know; he still has access only at the university.)
This site was conceived as where those who dig the Grateful Dead could
gather to discuss the concerns of our common interest group. Registration
is recommended to post or respond in the forum. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX® to fully utilize this site.
This World-Wide Web site, by David Dodd, annotates Grateful Dead lyrics
(their originals only). The site provides links for words or phrases which
might benefit from some elucidation, without attempting to give definitive
“interpretations”. There are also links to other thematic essays.
The site has been frozen in place since late June 2007.
Here is the World-Wide Web portal to the artistic efforts of Jerry
Garcia, both with the Grateful Dead, and in side projects. You need to turn
on JavaScript|ActiveX® to fully utilize this site.
If you have ever spent any time listening to the radio in Southern
California, you have probably tuned in to a nightly show hosted by Art Laboe.
Art was a savvy businessman as well; as he never sold the masters of the
records which he released in the 1950s & 1960s on his record labels.
You can now hear his show by visiting this W-WW site.
Yes! It's the official Motörhead World-Wide Web site. This is
a great site, with links to both official, and fan-hosted W-WW sites.
"If it's too loud, you're too old!"
"The Big Takeover" is the pinnacle zine covering the
independent pop music scene. Its writers care about music, and support
the bands & musicians who pioneer, rather than rest on their laurels,
or are thrust at the public through brainwashing marketing techniques.
There is now a forum here for which you may opt to register. Jack Rabid
is the editor. Four issue subscriptions are available for $20.
This site's mission is to seek out the best music being made today &
spread it across the universe. Visit here to learn about the people,
organizations, independent bands, venues, stores, representatives and others
all working together.
If you have a record collection, I suspect you have either
duplicated some of the songs thereupon to another medium, or have
considered doing so. Here is a W-WW site which is dedicated to notating
mixed tapes, CDs, DVD-Rs, iPod® playlists, et cetera. You need to
turn on JavaScript|ActiveX®, and accept cookies in order to post or
respond here. My mixes are under "PudgyM".
If you are a fan of loony tunes and crazy comedy, you probably
already know about Dr. Demento. The core is a two-hour program, now
only posted on-line here (the broadcast was losing money).
This is a non-commercial, free, public service channel available to
terrestrial, cable, and satellite services. On Dish Network® dbs,
it is channel 9406. It is on C-band satellite Galaxy 17; transponder #18.
It features performance, orchestral, and visual arts. It is funded by
The Lloyd E. Rigler - Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation.
Link TV is an international & interactive channel that brings the
world's events, issues, and cultures to audiences in the U.S.A. It is under
this rubric because of its music programs. It is available on both
DirecTV®, and Dish Network® dbs systems.
RFD - TV ["Rural America's most important network"] is a
satellite channel dedicated to serving the needs and interests of rural
America. It is under this rubric because of its diverse music programming
(It has the broadcast rights to videotapes of old syndicated country
music programs, which it obtained from Willie Nelson's personal
library.). It also has regular series about railroads, both real and
model. It is available on both Dish Network®, & DirecTV® dbs
systems.
This is the zine which has original articles, and keeps tabs on the
other on-line and print publications covering pinball. There are now
only two companies in the entire world manufacturing mechanical action
pinball machines.
Here is the W-WW site of one company (out of two in the entire world)
manufacturing mechanical action pinball machines. If you have an older
W-WW browser, click on the 'site map' link in the lower right corner
of this page.
Did you link to a page which seemed to have the information for which you
were looking, but it had those unfamiliar Japanese kana characters on it? Here
is a World-Wide Web page which can come to your assistance.
This is Jisho, another Japanese to English dictionary. This page is
where you can enter an English word, tick the box that reads ‘Kana as
romaji’, and view the output in both kana and a pronouncible English
word. There are additional translations options at the top of this page. Jisho
is maintained by Denshi Jisho.
A dynamic table illustrating what the trading range is for these
two currencies. This shows the current month. You need to turn on
JavaScript|ActiveX®.
This is an English-language translation of a small chain of shops
in metropolitan Tokyo & Yokohama which offer a higher purchase
rate for a U.S. Dollar (& subsequent conversion to a Japanese Yen).
You will find much informative data here. I point out to you the
Japan Photos section. As you proceed, you may opt for a framed or
non-framed presentation. It has been online since March 1996.
This is the English-language home page for the above named
organization. There are more pages in Japanese which refer to the
general history of pinball.
This is an English-language W-WW page, in which beerworthy pubs,
restaurants, and shops in metropolitan Tokyo are reviewed. There is
also coverage of beer festivals and craft breweries in other areas of Japan.
This is Tokyo's (and probably Japan's) number 1 beer bar.
It has seventy beers on tap, including real ales. It is
off the beaten path in Ryögoku, an east-central area
[Sumida-ku] of Tokyo. The closest train station to it is the JR Sobu
Line's "Ryögoku" stop [west exit]. (If you catch it at
Akihabara or Ochanomizu, it will cost ¥130.) It is also within
four blocks of the #33 Toei bus route [¥200], which operates
northbound nightly until 22:54 hours, and which runs directly to | from
the Khaosan hostels in Asakusa [c.v.]. If you order designated beers
(indicated on the menu with a crown) during “Happy Hour”
(17:00 - 20:00 hours daily), you will receive a free pub snack. (Try
the pizza.) Click through from here to the "CUPON" {sic};
print it out, and present it. You will be automatically enrolled in
Popeye's frequent guest program, which earns you discounts on your tab.
I break out of the frame for you.
This is a bar in a neighborhood just north of downtown Yokohama,
which has two things going for it: Very low prices on “extreme”
craft beer, all of which are on draft and; recorded music, and music
videos, of hard rock and metal bands playing in the background.
Koichi-san is the proprietor. Beer is now being brewed for the bar
by Thomas Reiff. It is within staggering distance from Guest House
Kanalian [c.v.].
This is a weblog composed by Lee Reeve, another homebrewer and craft beer
connoisseur in Japan. Chris "Chuwy"'s blogs have been removed
from here because of inactivity.
A forum in both Japanese & English with information about craft beer,
its brewers, and the venues which serve it. I can recommend signing up for it,
which needs JavaScript|ActiveX® on, and cookies accepted.
I nearly had an article printed in the Lumpen organization's
"Mash Tun" magazine which was put out during
Chicago Craft Beer Week 2012. Sadly, my article was cut. This is a
Google™ map which displays where are the bars about which I wrote.
This is a weblog, powered by Disqus, in which our four regular
bloggers (and the sporadic guest blogger) pontificate on how to
enjoy Tokyo while spending as little money as possible.
This is a general-topic English-language Japanese weblog covering
a spectrum of activities in the metropolitan Tokyo area. Most of the
blog posts are photographic. Because of all the images on this W-WW
site, it will take a while to completely load. You may also follow
him on Twitter as "shibuya246".
This is the weblog of a young female who usually is in Tokyo, but
travels around the globe. She has appeared on satellite TV channels such as
the Travel Channel [c.v.] & CNN in the U.S.A.; and NHK,
& Canal+ in Japan, & France. She orbits around gothic style,
alternative culture, and ‘cute’ elements of Japan. Because of
all the images on this blog page, it will take a while to completely load.
You may also follow her on Twitter as "lacarmina".
You can also follow her cat, Basil Farrow's blog at
http://www.lacarmina.com/basilfarrow
Japanese English-language J-League Soccer Blogs and Fan Sites. Read
reviews of the best J-League blogs and fan sites on the Internet.
This blog has not been updated in a long time, because its author
contributes more often to another on-line soccer weblog. I leave it on
here because its extant links are still valid.
Here is another translated blog by an individual. I like his posts
because he has a habit of photographing the ticket machine and annotating
what is each button. So you can attempt to learn Japanese in this method.
You may also follow him, in Japanese, on Twitter as "ikemen3".
These three World-Wide Web sites are weblogs for English-speaking
people who are planning to visit Tokyo, love ramen, and do not read
enough Japanese to be able to understand Japanese ramen W-WW sites.
Here is a weblog which had incredible twists. Keizo originally
reported on ramen shops in southern California. He reviewed a solid
number of them. But when he began travelling to Japan and eating at
ramen shops there, he caught the ‘bug’ and wanted to make
ramen for a living. He moved to Tokyo, and is now the main
ramen-ya at Bassanova, in Setagaya ward. He is the
protagonist of the short feature "Ramen Dreams"
(2012). I have been to Bassanova. His ramen is fascinating. I feel
I have not had enough bowls of ramen to cohesively judge his,
though. You may also follow him on Twitter as "goramen".
Keizo [c.v.] links to many other blogs. Most of them have not had an
entry in years; so I did not pay much attention to them. But this
one had a reasonably recent post. On clicking through, I found more images
of ramen in Japan (mostly in Tokyo & Yokohama). Hiroshi-san says
nothing about his visits; however, it is a pragmatic proposition he
would not post about the shack if he did not enjoy the bowl. Because of
all the images on this W-WW site, it will take a while to completely load.
He embeds the reply function in his blog. This effectively throttles
anybody's ability to respond to what he displays. {Test it yourself.
Compose and save your reply off-line. Then paste it in as a reply. No
matter what you select as a profile, when you click on either button
beneath, your text will disappear without ever being sent to the
server.}
This is an English-language collator of news articles orbiting around
Japan. It encompasses twenty-one topics. The articles are interesting.
However, I cannot recommend registering, or even reading the comments
left by a plurality of its registered respondents.
Here's a great site pointing out all the non-touristy things in Japan,
and especially Tokyo. Note the links for "Budget Travel", &
"Really cool places no one ever visits". The page's author
sporadically has a column in "Japanzine", a free monthly
English-language Japanese magazine.
This is the pocket-sized atlas I obtained at a bookstore in Yokohama. It
should be translated into English. But for now, it is only available in
Japanese. Kanagawa Prefecture is where you will find Kawasaki, Yokohama,
Yokosuka, Misaki, Sagamihara, Hakone, & Odawara - all of which frequently
attract English-speakers visiting cosmopolitan Tokyo.
This is a fascinating site maintained by Steve Schultz, an
English-speaking person who was deported from Japan, but managed to
return. The link herein which has the data which caused me to add this
here is the one to the dictionary of the words used to describe
Japanese pornographic books and videos. This will help you if you land
on a Japanese W-WW site where the only use of English characters is in
the linking URLs. The bulk of this site orbits around music.
Somebody from Europe went and placed all the venues that
S. Schultz mentioned in his Tokyo Trip Report [linked from above] on
a Google™ map. Here it is.
This is a hostel in central Yokohama, within walking distance of the main
trains station. Lee-san is the proprietor here. It is a superb venue, period,
with enough home touches to make you return here again & again. Its guest
rooms are small. Each has an open compartment beneath the bunk beds, and a
combination lock locker inside the door. Even if your night time destinations
are in Tokyo, I recommend you stay here. (There are now a number of
good beer bars in Yokohama [c.v.], should you not want to travel far away.)
In a difference from other accomodations of this type, you do not need to
bring a towel. But you do need to bring night clothes | pajamas. Its rates
are as low as ¥13,000 | seven nights.
This is the W-WW site of the hostel group in whose properties I have
stayed when I have visited Tokyo. Its rates are very low. It provides
free Internet access for its guests. Its Asakusa properties are a short
walking distance from a Tokyo subway station on the route which serves
Narita Airport. Two of them are east of the Sumida River,
technically in Sumida-Ku. It has another property in a nook of
Chüö-ku near the Asakusa-bashi bridge. Khaosan's keenest
aspect is that it has surveyed the neighborhood to denote the shops,
clubs, & restaurants which provide similar values for the money.
It also operates hostels in Fukuoka and Beppu.
This is the English-language W-WW site of another hostel in Asakusa.
It is in Asakusa; i.e.: west of the Sumida River in Taitö-Ku.
If you can't book all the nights you want to stay in Tokyo at Khaosan,
this slightly more expensive (but still cheap) hostel is a suitable backup.
It is a long walk from the ASAKUSA(TOBU/SUBWAY) train station. Without
heavy baggage, the hostel estimates it will take eleven minutes. A free
“Panda bus” ride from the train station to Hanayashiki Amusement
Park, one block away, is available from 10:00 to 17:00 hours, every 30
minutes, seven days a week. You may also follow it on Twitter
(It posts more frequently in English than Japanese.) as
"asakusa_hostel".
This is a railfans' association, similar to C.E.R.A. [c.v.],
headquartered in England, which focuses on activity of the indicated
topic. JR, municipal, and private railway lines are covered. I have
joined this society. If you are interested in the topic, I recommend
doing also. It costs $36.00 | year. There is a U.S.A. representative
of the society (in Iowa[!]). If you contact me, I will pass along his address.
Here is [| are] the World-Wide Web site[s] which will
decipher the ‘hidden code’ known by residents thereof, but
not by overseas visitors there. Hyperdia is Hitachi's foray,
which I submit is better than Jorudan's [c.v.]. It is now available
in Japanese, English, & Chinese. What is the mystery?
The Japanese Railways (JR) line is not the only train operator
serving densely-populated areas. JR likes to present itself as such,
and it makes an effort to attract English-speaking riders. The other
private train lines seem to consider non-Japanese-speaking
customers as secondary. You begin by inputting the station
names which you want to transit in Japan. It notes what you are
typing and suggests the station(s) beginning with those letters. If
you are staying at a hostel in Asakusa, the station name you want is
"ASAKUSA(TOBU/SUBWAY)". Indicate whether the time you
enter is your desired departure or arrival time. Click on the
"SearchDetails" link for more key options; including where
you may optionally include a station or stations through which you
wish to pass en route. This is where you specify the types of
conveyances you want included ("Walk" is an option.), such
as extra-cost trains like the "Shinkansen",
"Airline", or "Limited Express"; the number of
routing options [up to ten] you would like; and now having an option
which will include, or exclude, JR trains. The output may be sorted
by cost, transfers, or time elapsed. Hyperdia will let you
click through [new browser windows] to investigate the train's run,
the service schedule for a specific station, and even a Google™
map of the area of the station. The results will let you know how
much it will cost; how many times you need to transfer (&
where); and how much time will be consumed. This is one of those
very rare W-WW sites whose facility makes it fun to play with, even
though some of its alternate routings are exasperating. I give
this service my keenest recommendation.
While doing background search on Hyperdia; I found this other
interactive W-WW site maintained by Jorudan. The concept is the same.
Its output is lengthier and less interactive than Hyperdia, but its
results should be the same. A Japanese-language version is available. I
break out of the frame for you. Compare and contrast the two of them.
