| The 1000 Journals Project This Pynchonesque social experiment follows the circuitous routes of 1,000 blank journals across the globe. Each journal comes with a simple set of instructions: add your own artistic statement, then pass it on. Or better yet, leave it in a public space (preferably one that artistic types are known to frequent). The site receives occasional updates on individual books (which are all stamped with the source URL): where it was found, who it was passed on to, what it looks like now, etc. The project's creator is "watching and waiting to see what develops... Somewhere, someone is reading a journal right now." |
| Pseudo Dictionary Bring them your slang, your webspeak, your neologisms. The editors of Pseudo Dictionary promise to provide a safe haven for the words and phrases that other dictionaries leave out in the cold. Recent entries include pentropy, "the tendency for the ballpoint pens at rest on your desk to suddenly and surreptitiously take flight, until none remain"; totjectory, "the unpredictable path of a toddler as he careers toward you at a mall or grocery market"; and middlenaming, "the act of calling someone by their full name. Especially useful when you're mad at that person, as that's what parents do." |
| Taquitos.net Let the wasabi chips fall where they may, here's a crunchy labor of love dedicated to... well, snacks. While the focus is on chips of every imaginable kind, like all great portals Taquitos.net has expanded and also covers chocolate milk and doughnuts. Spend a while, there's a lot to learn at this amazingly comprehensive snack resource, which includes image galleries, links to shopping, related news stories, and chips, chips, chips. Anyone care for sour cream and clam? |
| On the Rail Have a job in the food service industry? Looking for one? Want to know what's going on in the kitchen at your favorite eatery? Here's a site that puts a human face on "life in the restaurant business." Read behind-the-scene stories from the folks who are doing it night after night, catch up on industry news, or browse the job postings. The In the Weeds section includes an interesting discussion on the commercialization of cuisine, as well as the latest on serving celebrities, tipping policies, restaurant promotion, and more. Care for a salad with that? |
| zerotv Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, zerotv.com is "an internet TV station, entertainment website offering original dramatic and comedy content, as well as interactive music, comic and game show programming." Stop in today for a sampling of great material, and then keep coming back: the goal of the site "is to entertain people with 1-5 minutes of new material a day." We enjoyed the TV-like content on the site (everything from soap operas to monster chronicles), but without doubt our favorite feature is the song factory radio show. Send in your own lyrics and the folks at zerotv will turn them into an original song. |
| Song Fight! The concept is simple (and lots of fun): a number of people each write a song of the same title. You listen to each "version" and vote for your favorite. There it is. Stop in to experience the current "song off" or dip into the archive (which includes such great titles as "The Last Words of Cotton Wool" and "A B C D Puppies.") The week we visited, we voted for the best version of "I Love You." Who'd we pick? No telling. The site is open to everyone, so check for the next song invite, then submit your own. Best of luck to ya. |
| The International Collection of Tongue Twisters The "world's largest collection of tongue twisters" features close to 2,000 entries. Forget about "She sells seashells" -- try saying this ten times fast: "Wie weet waar Willie Wouter woon? Willie Wouter woon waar die weste winde waai!" That's Afrikaans for "Who knows where Willie Wouter lives. Willie Wouter lives where the west winds blow!" You'll also find teasers in Kazakh, Frisian, Estonian, Zulu, Hausa, Ibanag, and Araminian. Araminians have a tough time getting their tongues around that timeless piece of wisdom: "If I don't say that I admire myself, who shall then admire me?" |
| The Sacred Narghile It's over 400 years old. Millions of men and women use it on a daily basis. It's a fixture in coffee shops, homes, and restaurants throughout Asia and Africa. It's a Narghile, otherwise known as a hookah. This study of the water pipe examines exotic strains of tobacco and the hookah's place in Arabian-Islamic society, as well as features a wonderful collection of Narghile references in the arts. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy. |
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