Readers rejoice! Bartleby.com is newly redesigned, providing an attractive new front-end to its great collection of literary staples. Looking for reference? Search the Columbia Encyclopedia for everything from abalone to zydeco. Got poetry? Yep. Bartleby offers a wide array of poetry anthologies as well as individual books by the likes of Emily Dickinson, T.S. Eliot, and Robert Frost. Need nonfiction? Try Teddy Roosevelt's memoir about The Rough Riders. If you ask us, visiting Bartleby.com is just good, old-fashioned Common Sense.
From 3DeeArts, a fun-loving graphic design team, comes this absorbing tour of one of the biggest, nuttiest cities on the planet: Tokyo. Ride on a bullet train, sleep in salariman cubicles, scramble through late-night markets, and explore the city's lush parks. If you're planning a trip, or just have a penchant for all things exotic and Japanese, dive on in. Beer in vending machines? Four-hour train commutes? As Donald Richie once wrote, "Tokyo is a city unrivaled. It stands on the cutting edge of the future and thrives on an inimitable blend of technology, trend, and tradition."
What if a dozen urban hipsters with a taste for quick and delicious cuisine decided to whip up a web site? They'd probably create this chic and easy online food guide that's bursting with great recipes and kitchen tips. Did we mention the panache? There's plenty at Greg's Top 5 (a list of five great wines for first dates), Cook Bookworm (fast cookbook reviews for the budget chef), and Cooking with The Rock Stars. This month, bassist Laura Ballance of Superchunk shares her recipe for roasted vegetables and sausage. Rock on!
Sit down and ante up! It's time to play some poker. Whether you attend a friendly game each weekend or hit the rooms in Vegas every couple of months, you'll find a wealth of useful information at this site. For beginners, there's the fact-filled Poker Info section, with an illustrated guide to the ranks of various hands, plus articles on the game's history, rules, and terminology. For the advanced player, other sections include a global directory of poker rooms, tournament listings and roundups, and even interactive games such as a crossword puzzle and a quiz.
Car freaks celebrate! You've never seen a hot rod site as comprehensive as this. Join your host Scooter on an odyssey that began with a stripped engine block, and will end with a beautiful vintage automobile. Scooter is documenting the entire build up of his 1933 Ford 3-window highboy coupe, and has collected over 365 photos and 68 articles so far. Search articles by subject (chassis, tranny, etc.), and don't forget to vote for mirror styles. From billet calipers to drop axles, radius rods to chassis spindles, Project '33 is a gearhead's dream.
From FujiFilm and photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand comes a collection of beautiful aerial imagery. If you've got a high-bandwidth connection, an updated web browser, and an affinity for slightly over-the-top interface design, then you'll love diving into the many sections of Earth from Above. Our favorite is the Motion Graphics area, which includes a series of cross-fading snapshots a little reminiscent of Godfrey Reggio's films (Koyaanisqatsi, et. al.). For quick access to all the site's images, head straight for the Photo Index.
Here's definitive proof that a workman should never blame his tools. The folks at Merrill Studios in Tokeland, Washington, have put together a charming collection of cheap-o cameras culled from thrift stores, garages sales, and online auctions. You'd hardly expect these $2 throwaways to still work, much less be capable of producing quality images. Nevertheless, along with photos and descriptions of the dozens of collected cameras, each entry offers sample photos taken with the listed model. Our favorite is the colorful Barbie Camera, but that may just be because it reminds us of Polaroid's cool new I-Zone camera. In any case, visit Junk Store Cameras and get clicking.
That winsome smirk, that jangly utility belt, those dashing bellbottoms ... it has to be Schneider. Fans of the seminal seventies sitcom "One Day At A Time" will appreciate this online shrine to the flamboyant actor Pat Harrington. You may not know it, but Pat was a razor-sharp standup comic in the fifties -- you can even purchase some of his albums here. Glean some wit and wisdom from the quote library, relive the glory days in the photo gallery, and check up on Pat's latest thespian exploits. Need a hand with that leaky faucet?