| November 30, 2003 |
SleazyBars
When  looking to partake in an adult beverage at a local watering hole, a number of factors usually come into play -- ambience, a friendly barkeep, and attractive members of the opposite sex, to name a few. But if those are your sole criteria, don't darken the door of this site which aims to catalog the sleaziest bars from around the world. Currently representing bars in more than 20 countries, the list of dank dives keeps on growing. Each bar is also accompanied by a ribald and frank review appropriate only for the over-21 crowd that patronizes these sorts of establishments. Read about the extremely smoky 1881 Club in Pasadena, California; the dog friendly, cursin' crowd at the Lawndale Drive-In in Greensboro, North Carolina; or the depraved denizens of the Thermae in Bangkok. Instead of a shiny, happy place where everybody knows your name, the bars on this site are the sort of places where the socially unacceptable can drink alone under only the barest of light. Raise a Pabst Blue Ribbon and celebrate the grimy fun. (in Food & Drink) |
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| November 29, 2003 |
Prelinger Archives
The  Library of Congress is now the proud owner of a true labor of love -- a collection of over 48,000 ephemeral films collected by media archaeologist Rick Prelinger. How exactly are "ephemeral films" defined? The site briefly describes them as "advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur." After enjoying highlights like "Duck and Cover" and "Are You Popular?" we're inclined to call many of them hokey cold-war instructional films. But that would only be scratching the surface -- you'll also find old Lucky Strike ads, military venereal disease shorts, and Eisenhower campaign spots. Fortunately, there's a handy top 10 list for a cross section of topics. This incomparable treasure trove is presented courtesy of the same folks who host the Wayback Machine, a Borgesian archive of over 30 billion web pages dating from 1996 to a few months ago. (in Movies & Film) |
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| November 28, 2003 |
The American Package Museum
While  you can't always judge a book by its cover, you can certainly judge these everyday household products by the era in which they were designed. Here Kleenex tissues, Gillette razors, Lipton tea, and Peter Pan peanut butter from the early 20th century quietly reside in their understated wrapping. Back in the day, Alka-Seltzer came in glass tubes, Anacin in totable tins, and Bayer in baking-soda like boxes. In comparison to today's busy designs, these no-nonsense trappings are a testament to days when product quality spoke for itself. Compare Colgate and Crayola with their modern-day counterparts, and then see how little condensed milk and Wrigley's chewing gum has changed over the past century. After this walk down memory lane, you'll no doubt know your Flit from Shinola. (in Arts & Humanities > Design Arts) |
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| November 27, 2003 |
The Opinion Exchange
Ever  watch Hardball or the The O'Reilly Factor and know that given half a chance, you could blow those well-coiffed buffoons out of the water? Enter the Opinion Exchange, the self-titled "Portal of the Opinionated," and see how your skills stack up against the best bellyachers on any given topic. A bevy of provocative debates await your two cents -- from our polarized political system to the Scott Peterson case to Academy Award predictions. So how does it work? Pick a battle -- say, human cloning -- then read up on opinion articles, global reports, and the like to boost your argument. Take polls, view colorful infographics, and use message boards or real-time chat to discuss. Tear into these issues and gleefully unleash your inner gasbag. (in Social Science) |
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| November 26, 2003 |
craftster.org
What  have you crafted lately? The hip DIYers at Craftster have been busy whipping up evil ducky push pins and cartoony window shades, and they're more than happy to show you how to make your own. No cross-stitched bunnies here -- these crafty folks show off their wacky, retro, and oddball projects with irreverence and glee. Unlike some craft forums, this one is purposefully organized by type of project and materials used. With a few simple tools and a lot of recyclable goodies, you can make bracelets out of bottle caps, cap-gun parts, and binder rings. Maybe you want to add an institutional feel to your home with a coffee urn lamp, or put some sparkle in your life with a Lite Brite coffee table. You won't find any un-ironic tea cozies here -- just some sardonic cell phone cozies. (in Arts & Crafts) |
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| November 25, 2003 |
NoRelevance
Created  as a place to house graphical ephemera collected over the years, this online repository bursts with the "desolate, discarded, forgotten, and otherwise passed-over." In other words, this site is filled with distractions -- graphic design and typography that is, in one way or another, interesting and worthy of note. One of the site's current exhibits, The Cult of the Goat, features a collection of beer labels bearing an image of a goat's head -- some menacing and others affable. Another exhibit shows an eye-catching assortment of hand-painted and hand-crafted signs advertising oysters on the half shell, Ali Baba's Restaurant, and the Shoe Palace. For more eye candy, check out 45 RPM record labels and logos, a true lesson in graphic design. New exhibits are currently in the works, so mind your Ps and Qs and check back often. (in Arts and Humanities > Visual Arts) |
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| November 24, 2003 |
WW2 People's War
When  the entire world goes to war, the ramifications are felt for many generations. Sixty years after WWII impacted countless souls, its aftermath still colors the way we view other countries and cultures, their politics, the role of military, and the price we’re willing to pay for democracy. On this site by the BBC, all are invited to share their memories of the war, whether it’s a personal story or a family story. You can read stories posted by date, location, and key events. Most tales currently posted are from the British perspective, and include vivid and harrowing accounts of the Liverpool Blitz, the bombing of Wimbledon, school air raid shelters, and doodlebugs at playtime. In "The Day I Almost Bought It," Steve shares a close call as an eight-year-old in London. While some may think this is old news, the value of preserving first-hand WWII accounts for those who didn't live through it is worth any skepticism. (in Humanities > History) |
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