| Iron Chef Compendium Just in case your haven't had your weekly fix of frenetic cooking battles, ambient koto music, and hyperactive reporting, here's a site sure to satisfy any leftover Iron Chef cravings. The glory of Kitchen Stadium and all its subjects are layed at your feet. Meet the esteemed judges, from the stone-faced food critic Kishi to a bevy of giddy, dainty Japanese starlettes, "tee-heee-heee." Get current with an impressive list of battles and their results dating back to 1993. Learn what Iron Chef Morimoto is really like when the cameras are off, why Kaga is such a ham, how Fukui san makes an honest living, and which chef truly reigns supreme. |
| Famous Name Changes William Jefferson Blythe was the 42nd president of the United States. Eleanora Fagan was the lady who sang the blues. Demetria Gene Guynes, star of the movies Ghost and Indecent Exposure, was married to macho Die Hard actor, Walter Willison. These are just a few of the trivia tidbits on Famous Name Changes. Some entries include why the person changed their name -- such as Lucille Fay LeSueur receiving her stage name of Joan Crawford through a fan contest sponsored by MGM. But some names defy easy explanation, like U2's David Howell Evans, a.k.a., the Edge. |
| Color Contrast & Dimension in News Design As the massive circulation of USA Today attests, sometimes pretty colors win out over trenchant articles. The Poynter Institute of Journalism in St. Petersburg, Florida, presents this crisp introduction to color theory and its applications in news presentation. Yes, the good ol' primary color wheel makes an appearance, but the site's Flash technology enables all kinds of fun interactive goodies: mess with a Van Gogh painting, adjust the colors in a newspaper layout, and generally manipulate all manner of visual exercises. You're also invited to learn about the unique characteristics of the color gray (which is actually quite cool). |
| Taronga Zoo's Gorilla Website The Taronga Zoo in New South Wales, Australia, invites you to explore the world of gorillas in this clean, simply designed web site. First, brush up on your gorilla facts, then get up close and personal with the patriarch of the zoo's gorilla population, Kibabu, and his extended family. Share a day in the life of a gorilla keeper (which seems to revolve primarily around feeding and clean-up duty), and if the spirit moves you after reading about the threats currently facing the animals and efforts at conservation, sign up to sponsor one of Taronga's gorillas. |
| Caine is Caine "One bloke. Loads of films." So reads the tagline for this articulate, enthusiastic look at Michael Caine, one of cinema's most famous cockneys. During the span of his five-decade career, Caine has acted in more than 100 movies, from Alfie to Zulu (with recent roles in Miss Congeniality and the remake of Get Carter). Oliver French created this artistic, unofficial fan site and penned reviews for each of Caine's films, accompanied by images. Applause for Sir Michael and Mr. French! |
| Resignation.com: Historical Documents (R.I.P.) Whether it's a politician nobly resigning due to disapproval of public policy or a CEO resigning after just over a year on the job, the resignation letter offers closure to all those involved. This site takes a fascinating look at a collection of such missives throughout history, running the gamut from Mikhail Gorbachev's profound and apprehensive letter to Geri Haliwell's short-and-sweet confirmation that she has, indeed, left the Spice Girls ("P.S. I'll Be Back," she says). The site provides a glimpse into the decision-making process that leads a person to this sometimes dignified, other times ignoble, exercise in throwing in the towel. |
| Modern Living Han Hoogerbrugge produces these cool little animations starring his hand-drawn alter ego and puts them up on the Web every couple of weeks. Click through the 80+ panels in the archives to watch the evolution of an artist as he plays with a new medium and makes discoveries. Take "Prelude," the current tableau, which pictures our hero as a lounge lizard communing with nature. Or episode #41, "Dream," an interactive abstraction that's both simple and beautiful. While the entire collection is unilaterally amusing, many of these hand-crafted gems are, at their best, inspiring. Dive in. |
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