Welcome to this week's selection of Picks, where we've learned that in the world of spies Dry Cleaning has very little to do with dirty clothes. It's true. Furthermore, a One-Time Pad is by no means a place to sleep for just one night. Also, Mincemeat, while certainly a fascinating story about swallowing something whole, is not really that edible. How do we know such scintillating secrets? We've been reading Spy Fact of the Day, the site that accompanies Spy Book: The Encyclopedia of Espionage, by Norman Polmar and Thomas B. Allen (and published by Random House.) Quick. Look the other way. Someone's coming. Don't tell 'em we told you this. Blame Mata Hari.
Speaking of spooks and spies, June Houston has an aversion to the creepy sounds of her house. Fact is, "has an aversion" is a bit of an understatement. June's house heebie jeebies are so bad that she's rigged the platform under her bed, the inside of her trunks and parts her basement with live video cameras to catch the cacophonous cloaked culprits at work. Okay. Fine. How do you fit into all of this? Well, the live cameras are attached to the 'Net. Visit June's Ghostwatcher site and do exactly as the title suggests: ghostwatch. Keep vigil. Write to June and tell her what you (don't) see. Oh, and boo!
If June can't have a silent night, at least December can -- and in several languages to boot. What we mean is, just in time for Christmas, Jako Olivier has gathered together the lyrics of the carol Silent Night, Holy Night, as translated into a number of languages. According to Jako, "it's been said that [the song] has been translated and rewritten in 230 different languages." At this site yule find a variety of vernacular versions, including Afrikaans, Halaka, Irish-Gaelic, Norwegian and Sesotho. So, no reason to feel left out this season when you hear a group of carolers gently crooning, "Bosiu bo kgutsitseng, Tsohle di phomotse." Submit any lyrics you might know if you don't see them posted here.
In completely unrelated matters, this just in: turns out that, yes, it is a Dog's World. Literally. Which would explain this site, created by Dog World Magazine and offering everything from a Dog Talk bulletin board to Help the Canine Mind, Q&A with editor and animal behaviorist Peggy Moran. Dog World also spotlights a particular breed in each issue. This month's in-depth focus: The Shetland Sheepdog, otherwise knows as "Lassie." For the cat-lover in you, you may want to consider looking elsewhere, because afterall, a visit to this site would be like barking up the wrong tree. (We apologize for the weak pun, but hey, we try.)
In further completely unrelated matters, see the very cool Central Europe Online, a news magazine (and more) provided by the European Information Network and covering all aspects of the region. Find a full range of headlines reporting everything from politics to sports, as well as business news (stocks included) and articles culled from the local press. The site is more than just a news source, though. It's "Country Pages" offer vital statistics for travelers, as well as features on daily life, transportation, local politics, population, the environment, and more. A must see the next time you're planning a visit to (you guessed it) Central Europe. In the meantime, just plain interesting.
What? Not interested? You'd rather play spin the dreidel? Fine. Go ahead. Really, its nothing to feel gelt-y about. Oh, and Happy Hanukkah. Chanukah. Kanukkah. Khanuka. You get the point, there are a latke of ways to spell it.
Hey, it's either that or peruse the particluars of PEZ at Pez.org, a sweet shrine to the cute candy dispensers and oh so much more. Did you know that the name PEZ comes from the first, middle, and last letters of the German word for peppermint, pfefferminz? Amazing what you can learn when you take your pick(s).