plep

plep Archive

20th December
Virtual Sky. 'The Virtual Sky is a portal to images of the night sky. We show the sky in many different representations and wavelengths in addition to the optical view that our eyes provide. Our main product is the Digital Palomar Observatory Sky Survey, covering the entire northern sky at about 1 arc-second per pixel. We also have the Hubble Deep Field, NVSS Radio survey, ROSAT Xray, some images from the Sloan survey, as well as Uranometria, a set of engravings from 1603 with mythological creatures. We do not do have planets, sorry, they are just too close to home! '

Transatlantic Cable Communications. The original information highway.

Glass Insulators Reference Site. Online museum, photo galleries etc. 'Glass insulators were first produced in the 1850's for use with telegraph lines. As technology developed insulators were needed for telephone lines, electric power lines, and other applications. In the mid 1960's a few people began collecting these insulators. Today there are over 2000 collectors, and insulator clubs, national shows, and good reference books are available.'

Horse in Art. 'Animal pictures are known from the ancient times. Examining today a big picturing made by pristine man on the wall of ancient cave more than 20 thousands years ago, one don't stop to surprise to the mastering, observance of its creator. Without doubt it was the genius. You may only guess what moved that pristine man, first artist, so realistically pictured an animal - wild horse? '

The History of Education and Childhood. 'international archive of links and source materials on the history of education & the history of childhood'

Greek Lovers. Collection of Greek myths connected with love. Via Loggia.

The Last Expression: Art and Auschwitz. Exploration of art created by prisoners at Auschwitz. (Northwestern University exhibition)
From the introduction :- 'The Last Expression project is a forum to explore the roles, functions, meanings and making of art in the Nazi concentration camps of World War II, focusing on the notorious site of Auschwitz-Birkenau. ' ... 'It is neither widelyrecognized in the realm of Holocaust history, nor in the discipline of art history, that concentration camp prisoners--victims of the Nazis--produced works of art during their incarceration.'

Giorgio Vasari: The Lives of the Artists. Illustrated companion.
'One day someone will write a treatise on those dinner parties whose fortunate conjunction of guests and ideas has changed the course of civilisation.'
'Cited no doubt would be that famous gathering in Rome in 1546 during which Cardinal Farnese asked Giorgio Vasari to assemble "a catalogue of artists and their works, listed in chronological order".'
'The result was 'The Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors and Architects', first published in 1550 in Florence, and revised and extended for a second edition in 1568.'

PolyKarbon Anime Manga Tutorials. How to draw manga.

The Shikoku Pilgrimage. 'The pilgrimage known as Shikoku Henro or O-Shikoku san is the oldest and most famous in Japan. Circumambulating the island via the 88 Buddhist temples designated as Sacred Places of Shikoku is meant to follow the trail Kobo Daishi (Kukai) walked in his youth for ascetic practice, searching for the Truth.'
'That is why the authentic pilgrims go on foot as the great saint did long ago. It takes about 60 days to hike the 1,647 km [1,000 miles], going deep into rugged mountains, plodding along sandy beaches, rocky coasts, through fields and hills, villages and towns. Indeed, it is a walking Zen.'
'The Shikoku Pilgrimage is nonsectarian, though Kukai was the founder of the Shikoku sect of Japanese Buddhism. Pilgrims seem to forget their Buddhist sects in worshiping Kobo Daishi who stands far beyond factionalism. Not all of the 88 temples are of the Shingon sect, either. It is impossible to discuss this pigrimage without recounting the life of Kukai.'
Via the Multilingual Guide to Shikoku.

Japan and Beyond: Letters Home. 'Welcome to our labor of love. We want to share our year in Japan and our travels through Asia with you. If you are interested in learning more about the background of our trip and our long relationship with Japan please read the Introduction below. If you are interested in Japanese culture, customs, travel, or other specific topics, please check the chapter topics to the left and click whatever appeals to you. There is nothing we like more than sharing our passion for travel and the people we meet with you. We hope you enjoy!'

For Tibet. 'Welcome to fortibet.org , a nationwide non-profit internet service whose purpose is to help support the Tibetan people, help preserve the culture, language, history, art and most importantly the precious Buddhist practices and direct transmissions from the ancient Tibetan lineage teachers. '

Jain Heritage. 'Albert Einstein remarked that the eternal mystery of the world is its intelligibility. True religion fastens to this element of intelligibility and creates a system of thought and action which leads to true harmony and bliss. And it is indeed so with Jainism. '

Montana Reservation Information. Guide for visitors.

Innu Nation, Canada.

1000 New York Buildings. Foreword to a book.
'Tall masts of Mannahatta! Superb-faced Manhattan! Beautiful hills of Brooklyn! Vast, unspeakable show and lesson! My city! Has anyone since Walt Whitman done justice to the ecstatic inventory of New York? This book comes close, with a thousand portraits, some familiar, some less so. It is a yearbook of sorts, picking out individuals in a cast of thousands, putting names to faces that are sometimes overlooked in the presence of New Yorks powerful, indivisible gestalt.'

The Capital and the Bay. 'The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925 comprises 139 books selected from the Library of Congress's General Collections and two books from its Rare Book and Special Collections Division. The collection includes first-person narratives, early histories, historical biographies, promotional brochures, and books of photographs that capture in words and pictures a distinctive region as it developed between the onset of European settlement and the first quarter of the twentieth century. '

Civil War Maps. 'The Civil War Map collection of the Geography and Map Division consists of reconnaissance, sketch, coastal, and theater-of-war maps which depict troop activities and fortifications during the Civil War. Part of this selection contains maps by Major Jedediah Hotchkiss, a topographical engineer in the Confederate Army. Hotchkiss made detailed battle maps that were used by Generals Lee and Jackson. This selection also includes maps that depict General Sherman's military campaigns in Tennessee, Mississippi, Georgia, and the Carolinas. '

The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft 1861-1865. 'Washington during the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft, 1861-1865 presents three manuscript volumes, totaling 1,240 digital images, that document daily life in Washington, D. C., through the eyes of Horatio Nelson Taft (1806-1888), an examiner for the U. S. Patent Office. Now located in the Manuscript Division at the Library of Congress, the diary details events in Washington during the Civil War years including Taft's connection with Abraham Lincoln and his family. Of special interest is Taft's description of Lincoln's assassination, based on the accounts of his friends and his son, who was one of the attending physicians at Ford's Theatre the night Lincoln was shot, on April 14, 1865. Transcriptions for all three volumes have been made by Library of Congress staff and are available online along with the digital images. '

The Richport East Villager. New York stories from a Puerto Rican perspective.

The Rhinelander Sugar House. (Museum of the City of New York) 'This window was originally part of the five story Sugar House built in 1763 at the corner of Rose and Duane Streets and used by the British during the Revolutionary War as a prison for American Patriots. The Sugar House was demolished in 1892 and replaced by the Rhinelander Building incorporating this window into the faade as a historical artifact. The Rhinelander Building was demolished in 1968 and the site is now occupied by Police Headquarters. '

New York Fanfare. 'The Costume Collection of the Museum of the City of New York holds over 850 diverse fans. They range from the early 18th to the 20th centuries and the designs include printed, painted, brise, feather fans and hand screens. This online exhibition offers a detailed view of a number of these historic objects. '

New York in Love? Early 20th century Valentines.
New York in Love. 19th century Valentines.

Gotham Comes of Age. 'New York through the Lens of the Byron Company, 1892 - 1942'

The High: Oxford. Photos of every building on Oxford High Street.

Village Postcards. 'Sending a virtual postcard is easy with UK Villages Online. Just follow the instructions along the way.By sending your card you should not end up on any junk mail list. '

Sister Wendy's American Collection.

Mass arrests of Muslims in LA. 'US immigration officials in Southern California have detained hundreds of Iranians and other Muslim men who turned up to register under residence laws brought in as part of the anti-terror drive. '
'Reports say between 500 and 700 men were arrested in and around Los Angeles after they complied with an order to register by 16 December. '
Consumptive.org comments on this story.

' The United States and its allies have said that their quarrel is not with the Iraqi people, but with Saddam Hussein and his regime. However, if it comes to war, ordinary Iraqis will be caught in the middle. BBC News Online spoke to six Iraqis about their lives, fears and hopes. '

Smallpox.gov. Smallpox information and education.

The Mayfly Project returns.

Couldn't agree more.
link

19th December
'Santa is dead and his annual present delivery is scientifically impossible, the Reverend Lee Rayfield has shockingly told children. Father Christmas has responded with an unprecedented public statement. Read it in full. '

Silent Night Museum. 'The museum is at the historical birthplace of Joseph Mohr, creator of the carol 'Silent night! Holy night!'. It's also a center of historic resarch about the carols origin.'

Soweto Photo Gallery. 'With a small hallway acting as a makeshift bedroom, Thabo Molefe shares his cramped home in Soweto, South Africa, with eight members of his family. They live on $62 a month, and Molefe has been unable to find work for two years.'

The Drum Decade: Urban Black Life. 'The 1950s was the decade in which the African National Congress and its alliance partners launched the massive Defiance Campaign, a huge peaceful affront on white supremacy. It was the decade in which the Freedom Charter, the central document of the anti-racist movement, was written on the basis of contributions from all over the country. And it was the decade in which the apartheid state responded with massive treason trials for those who defied it. '
'The 1950s also saw a new generation of black writers talking about the conditions of their lives in their own voices - voices with a distinctive stamp and style. The popular Drum magazine in the 1950s was their forum, and encouraged their emergence. It depicted a vibrant urban black culture for the first time - a world of jazz, shebeens (illegal drinking dens), and flamboyant gangsters (tsotsis) ... '
The Soweto Poets. (link corrected 20th Dec '02)

Soweto's Mountain of Hope. 'They call themselves the Soweto Mountain of Hope (Somoho), and it is from a nearby mountain, more accurately a hillock, that they hone their artistic skills and tend to the environment, giving a new lease on life to both man and mountain. '
'But they are not imposing figures at all - just a group of youths, mainly from Chiawelo in Soweto, who spend their days engaged in environmental and cultural projects, much to the delight and revival of the local community ... '

Nelson Mandela Photo Gallery. 'The Sunday Times Picture Library offer a unique collection of quality images focusing on Nelson Mandela'

'Welcome to our Hillbrow! you heard one man say to his female companion, who was a seeming newcomer to this place of bustling activity . . . '
'Welcome to our Hillbrow . . . '
'Your first entry into Hillbrow, Refentse, was the culmination of many converging routes. You do not remember where the route first began. But you know all too well that the stories of migrants had a lot to do with its formation. By the time you left Tiragalong High School to come to the University of the Witwatersrand, at the dawn of 1991, you already knew that Hillbrow was a menacing monster, so threatening to its neighbours like Berea and downtown Johannesburg, that big, forward-looking companies were beginning to desert the inner city, heading for the northern suburbs such as Sandton. The lure of the monster was, however, hard to resist; Hillbrow had swallowed a number of the children of Tiragalong, who thought that the City of Gold was full of career opportunities for them ... '

Brakenstroom: Stories from South Africa. 'When Jewish families left their shtetls in Europe, most went to America, but a large number were also lured to South Africa by gold and diamonds. Brakenstroom is a collection of short stories around one of these families who settled in the fictional town of Brakenstroom. These are stories that the author heard from his parents and their friends. All are based on truth and tell of life in South Africa without the politics that tainted all who lived there.'

6 Reasons to Love Africa. Via Enigmatic Mermaid.

The Burma Photo Project. 'The Burma Photo Project is documenting social development, health, and refugee programs in Burma and providing PR and fundraising photography to participating humanitarian aid organizations. The Project also seeks to raise awareness of issues affecting Burmese people and to promote the organizations working there. '

A Journey of the Heart. Burma.

The Burma Project. 'The Burma Project, established by the Open Society Institute in 1994, is dedicated to increasing international awareness of conditions in Burma and to helping the country make the transition from a closed to an open society. '

Beneath Buddha's Eyes.

Kidnappers demand ransom for Santa. 'Canadian thieves calling themselves Grinch Enterprises have kidnapped a Santa Claus figure off an Ontario family's front lawn and are holding the jolly icon for ransom, the owner says. '
'The group - who have struck at the same family home before and demanded a similar ransom - want the owners to collect canned goods for a food bank in return for getting their plywood Santa back before Christmas Day, Evelyn Hussey said. '

Decoding the Telegraphic, by Enigmatic Mermaid.

Yin Yu Tang, A Chinese Home. Via GirlHacker.

Remembering Jim Crow. Via wood s lot.

'Inferno & Paradiso is a view of heaven and hell on earth. It showcases the work of 18 of the world's most acknowledged photojournalists, the work of those people who visit the most extreme situations on the planet. '
'Each photographer has chosen two of his or her own images. One that brought them the most joy to photograph, and one that brought them the most pain. Eighteen slide projectors stand around the darkened gallery space. For 18 minutes Paradiso floods the walls, and then for 18 minutes comes Inferno, endlessly alternating through their cycle ... '
Inferno.
Paradiso.

'" How could she remain human in the face of such a betrayal of humanity?" Professor Wiesel asked in live video testimony, describing Plavsic as a gifted intellectual. "How did she reconcile that with her education, culture, conscience?" '

Sorry, whites only. 'The BBC's Milton Nkosi, a black South African, recently visited Orania, a whites-only community in his native land. He recalls his experience. ' (1st Jan 2000)

Saints, Spirits and Strangers: Masks from Malawi. 'The Maravi peoples, who comprise three main mask-producing groups (Chewa, Nyanja, and Manganja), have been settled in the region of Malawi since at least 1550. Masks were made by the mens' secret society, called Nyau, to which all men belonged. Nyau is thought to have existed for several centuries among the Chewa, the senior branch of the Maravi, before spreading to the southernmost Maravi, the Mang'anja, after 1875. The majority of the masks on exhibition were collected in the Chewa heartland between the 1950s and early 1980s, but made considerably earlier ... '

Gloriana! The Golden Legend of Elizabeth I. 'Francis Bacon recalled of Queen Elizabeth I of England that towards the end of her life "she would pleasantly call herself an old woman, and would talk of the kind of epitaph that she would like to have upon her tomb; saying that she had no fancy for glory or splendid titles, but would rather have a line or two of memorial, recording in few words only her name, her virginity, the time of her reign, the reformation of religion, and the preservation of peace." ... '

Bamiyan. The Buddhist caves at Bamiyan, Afghanistan.

The Tibetan Photo Project.

Kuber Singh Shakya: A Master Craftsman of Nepal.

The Tibetan Carpet. 'Although there is no written record of the history of carpet weaving in Tibet, it is likely that it was already well-established as a local fold art in the western and central regions of the country by 1000 C.E. The use of a vertical loom and the "cut-loop" knotting system which produces a thick, durable pile, are techniques which migrated from Western and Central Asia and Chinese, Turkestan. References to pile carpets can be found in the biography of Tibet's great saint Milarepa, who lived in the 11th-12th Century ... '

Heavy Weather. An exhibition about bad weather and the instruments used to predict it in history; from the Science Museum, London.

Fighting the U-Boats. Technologies and weapons: code-breaking at Bletchley Park, radar, the High Frequency Direction Finder ('Huff Duff') etc. An interesting history.

Wheelesley: Development of a Robotic Wheelchair System. 'The robot can travel semi-autonomously in an indoor environment. This allows the user to issue general directional commands and to rely upon the robot to carry out the low level routines such as object avoidance and wall following. '

Recipe of the Month from the Skirball.
Original Nuremburg Laws Signed by Hitler to Skirball Cultural Center on loan from the Huntington Library. 'The original text of the Nuremberg laws bearing Hitler's signature will be loaned by The Huntington Library to the Skirball Cultural Center for an indefinite period, Huntington President Robert A. Skotheim announced. The Huntington will also place on loan a deluxe edition of Hitler's Mein Kampf whose nightmarish vision was realized in the Nuremberg decrees. The laws and the book were both presented to General George S. Patton, Jr. by his troops in 1945, and were later given to The Huntington by the General, along with correspondence from the General to the Huntington concerning all of these materials. When President Skotheim visited the Skirball several months ago with Skirball President Uri D. Herscher, Skotheim was particularly struck by the story told there. This, Skotheim said, would be the appropriate venue in which to exhibit the Hitler related materials given The Huntington by General Patton. '

Cleopatra of Egypt: From History to Myth.

The Bust of Nefertete.

Egyptian Treasures in Europe.

Nevada's First Ladies Inaugural Ball Gowns.
Via the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs, via wood s lot.

Nevada Ghost Towns. 'Welcome to Shawn Hall's Nevada Ghost Town website. The purpose of this site is to provide the active ghost towner, historians, and arm-chair enthusiast an opportunity to enjoy the many wonderous ghost towns that Nevada has to offer. The main page of the website features a profile of a new ghost town every couple of months. These profiles provide a detailed history, summary of current remains, and when available, photographs. Some places included aren't necessarily ghost towns but fit the accepted description of a ghost town presented by legendary ghost towner Lambert Florin: "A shadowy semblance of a former self." ... '

White Pine County, Nevada Ghost Towns.

Colonnade Hotel. 'It's kind of difficult looking for the Colonnade Hotel when it's in the Loneliest Town on the Loneliest Road In America. Well, you guessed it! The Colonnade is in Eureka, NV and just our luck, Highway 50 runs right through the town. Known as the loneliest road in America, this highway traverses the country from Ocean City, Maryland to Sacramento, California. Hardly a lonely road in some parts but when you get to Eureka, that loneliness becomes beauty. You see, Eureka was once a booming mining town, the third largest city in Nevada back in the 1800's. Now it is a place to lose yourself in and to get away from it all. And what better place to stay? Of course! The Colonnade Hotel! So come and join us in getting lost in this captivating web site! There's plenty to see on our site, so take your time and have fun! Once again, we welcome you to the Colonnade Hotel and Eureka, NV. We hope your stay is a pleasant one! ... '

Ship of Gold. The worst peacetime sea disaster in American history.

California 1900. 'The turn of the century was a period of transition and momentous change. These years witnessed the beginning of some of the great innovations and themes of the twentieth century, and in these, California was an active participant, contributor, and leader. Automobiles were taking to the roads, advances were being made in industry and agriculture, cities were being illuminated with electricity, the arts were shaking loose of long-held ideals, and conservationists were becoming increasingly concerned about the environment. California was assuming a larger place on the national stage and was helping the United States to become a leader in world affairs ... '

Building California.

The Haunted Diary. 'Hello and welcome to the website! You're probably wondering why I created these pages, so first let me give you some general information. I lived in what you could say is a haunted house up until I was around 18 years old, and my mother still lives there. Some of the experiences include footsteps, strange music coming from nowhere, orbs floating around the room and my bed shaking violently while I was trying to sleep. I've since moved in with my boyfriend, 300 miles away, and the house I am in now also has a spirit or two inhabiting it. This website is a collaboration of my mother and I, therefore you will find experiences from both houses listed, as well as a ghost cam from at least one house. '

Spirit Photography. A personal site.

Odd Todd: A Holiday Greeting. Via Portage.

Pavilion Hostesses, Expo '67.
Stones in My Pathway.
Via Portage.

Rare "Corpse Flower" Retires to the Nursery. 'After a spectacular bloom on August 7, 2002, The Huntington's "Corpse Flower," the Amorphophallus titanum, has retired from public view. It was the second flowering for this rare Sumatran plant at The Huntington; the first was in 1999. Thousands of visitors came to witness the brief but magnificent bloom, drawn by the rarity of the event as well as by the plant's enormous size, unusual appearance, and notorious smell. '

Bethlehem's Star. From the Museum of Unnatural Mystery.

Christmas Urban Legends.

Claus.com. Santa's website.

The Adams Vault. Photos of cemeteries.

Fred Dibnah Appreciation Sheet.

Squirrel Fishing.
link

18th December
A Walk Through Time. History of time and timekeeping, from stone circles to atomic clocks.

Epact: Scientific Instruments of Medieval and Renaissance Europe.

Cameras: The Technology of Photographic Imaging.

Catalonian Manuscripts. Small collection of medieval manuscripts.

Incunabula. 'The Incunabula Collection of The Bancroft Library comprises more than 430 titles printed before 1501. The word "incunabula" is Latin for "swaddling clothes," as these books are from the infancy of European printing, typeset and printed by hand from moveable type. Incunabula reflect the transitional phase between the manuscript and print traditions. This fifteenth century media change is similar to the shift from print to electronic and multimedia communication taking place in the twenty-first century. The study of incunabula gives insight into the origins of a tradition which has greatly affected the course of western culture and development, and reveals much about the life, customs, and tastes of the educated during the Renaissance.'

Jewish Settlement in Siberia. 'From its very beginning, the history of the Siberian settlement became synonymous with the history of Russian exile, forced settlements, labor camps and prisons. While the burgeoning Moscow principality achieved its first victories against the Polish Lithuanian kingdom in the early 17th century, Mikhail Romanov (1613-1645), the first Romanov Tsar, established a separate Ministry for Siberian Affairs. By a special decree issued in 1635, all captured war prisoners - Lithuanians, Germans and Jews - were sent to forced settlement in Siberia. This policy was intended to strengthen the developing Moscow principality by bringing about a colonization of Siberia as well as by getting rid of all undesirable political opponents. The next tsar of the Romanov dynasty, Alexei Romanov (1645-1676), continued with this strategy. Following an extended internal struggle for the throne, Alexei resolved to punish his political opponents and their supporters by banishing them to Siberia. Subsequently, several dozen Jews and Germans from the German Sloboda district (till the beginning of the 18th century, all foreigners in Russia were called "Germans") were expelled to Siberia in 1659 as numerous opponents of the tsar sought shelter in the houses of "foreigners" ...'
Via Beth Hatefutsoth.

Toyota Automobile Museum.

Sushi Art. 'Welcome to sushi art! Featuring sushi rolled into beautiful works of art: butterflies, dragonflies and flowers. Try my nori-maki sushi recipe & find out about sushi history.'

Buddhist Suttas. Translated from Pali, 1881.

Faces of Slavery: Haiti's Forgotten Children. 'Thousands of children are living in slavery in Haiti - taken from their families in the rural villages or given up by desperately poor parents for the promise of a better life in cities like Port-au-Prince, Jacmel or Les Cayes.'
'The promise is rarely kept ... '
Haitian street kids gallery and stories.

The Haitian Times. News from Haiti. Highly informative and occasionally shocking.

Richard III Museum, York. ( skip Flash intro)
'Perhaps no English King fires the imagination more than Richard III, King of England for just 26 months (1483-85).'
'Demonised by Shakespeare as a deformed, hunchbacked villain, King Richard is said to have committed numerous brutal murders. Chief among these is the callous murder of his two nephews, Edward Prince of Wales (the uncrowned Edward V) and Richard Duke of York, the so called Princes in the Tower.'
'It is for this crime above all others that history condemns Richard III. But did he do it? Or is he simply the innocent victim of Tudor propaganda?'

Romans in Sussex. 'Welcome to the Romans in Sussex Website. The site is intended to provide an in-depth look into how people may have lived in the Sussex region during the later Iron Age, the Roman period, and early Anglo-Saxon times.'

The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery. Staffordshire local history, industrial heritage, arts and much more.
'The home of the World's finest collection of Staffordshire Ceramics'
'Discover the story of Stoke-on-Trent's people, industry, products and landscapes through displays of pottery, community history, archaeology, geology and wildlife. Explore rich and diverse collections of paintings, drawings, prints, costume and glass. More than 2000 objects on-line'
The Romans in Staffordshire.

The Sussex Archaeological Society, or Sussex Past. Much to see - Fishbourne Roman Palace, Lewes Castle, the Ann of Cleves House, the Priest House.

The Dock Museum, Barrow-in-Furness. The shipbuilding and maritime heritage of the north west of England.

Netting the Bay. 'Discover the history, traditions and people who have fished Morecambe Bay, the Irish Sea and beyond for centuries. '
The galleries.

The War in Burma, 1943-1945. From a primarily British perspective.
'The campaign in Burma was fought by troops from Great Britain, India and West Africa against determined and formidable Japanese forces, but to many of those who fought, the harsh climate and terrain often presented as great a threat as the enemy...'

The Battle of Britain. 'The Battle of Britain was the aerial conflict between British and German air forces in the skies over the United Kingdom in the summer and autumn of 1940. It was one of the most important moments in Britain's twentieth century history and a decisive turning point of the Second World War. Royal Air Force Fighter Command defeated the Luftwaffe's attempt to gain air supremacy over southern England and saved Britain from German invasion and conquest.'
'The defensive victory won in 1940 dashed German hopes of a swift end to the war in western Europe and ensured that Britain remained a free and independent state able to carry on the war. Victory was eventually won in partnership with more powerful allies, America and the Soviet Union, but, without the retention of the island base, in close proximity to the European mainland, it would have been impossible to launch the liberation of Europe and achieve the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany. '

Sinews of War. 'The story of the impact of the Second World War on the factories and workers of Britain and their invaluable contribution to the war effort.'

Electronic Neighbourhood. California history.
California Fiction.
Menu Collection.
Photo Collection.
Turnabout Theatre.

The Selective Conscience.
The Year in Ideas.
Via Rebecca's Pocket.

25 Years of the Brown Sisters and New York.

Time. 'On June 17th, every year, the family goes through a private ritual: we photograph ourselves to stop a fleeting moment, the arrow of time passing by. '

The Daily Photo Project.

Fluxus Research: Opening and Closing Doors and Drawers.

365 Polaroids.

One a Day Project.

A Paper Folding Project.

16 Colour.

Crystal Skulls. 'Some people with a mystical bend credit them with strange, supernatural powers. Geologists marvel at their size. Archaeologists wonder who made them. And nobody denies that they possess an eerie, horrible beauty unmatched by almost any other objects. They are the crystal skulls. '
(The Museum of Mankind mentioned is now part of the British Museum. The skull is not on display, but you used to be able to buy a postcard).

Commuter Game. (Shockwave)
link

17th December
Alexandra - A Johannesburg Township.

Haitian Vodoun Culture. 'In this website, we have tried to showcase years of research. However if some of this material seems too dense to you it is because it is not meant to be a primer to the Vodoun Culture. In any case, take a look around, let the table of contents guide you. Beauty and harmony need not be understood.'

Sabino Canyon: Our Desert Oasis. (Arizona)
'Sabino Canyon is one of Tucson's natural treasures. Fed by the waters of Sabino Creek and sheltered by the canyon walls, the plants and animals that inhabit the canyon offer an interesting contrast to those found in the surrounding desert. The shade and cool water attract Tucsonans year round to this site. '
'This exhibit invites you to take a virtual hike through the canyon. '

Speed Cubing Page. Guide to solving Rubik's cubes quickly.

The Drikung Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.

National Museum of History, Sofia. 'Welcome to the website of the National Museum of History in Sofia. Founded in 1973, the National Museum of History in Sofia contains more than 500,000 exhibits and is one of the largest history museums on the Balkans.'
'The aim of the museum is to provide a comprehensive view on Bulgarian history from the Prehistory to the present, in as broad an European context as possible.'

The Thracian Tomb-Temple at Starosel. 'In August 2000, a sensational discovery occurred near the village of Starosel, in central Bulgaria. Archaeologists found the enormous temple/grave of what is believed to be a Thracian ruler, possibly Sitakes I, the first king of a combined Thracian empire. Sitalkes had an annual income of 800 talents and ruled from the Danube to the Aegean. He invaded Macedonia with a supposedly 150,000 strong army. He died in battle in 424 BC. The site, 100 miles east of Sofia, has been dated as from the fourth or fifth century BC. The grave and its surroundings are thought by archaeologists to have been an important religious site for Thracians dating from the stone age ... '

Musee de Louvain-la-Neuve. 'Since 1972 this French-language university has created a new town with the highly evocative name of Louvain-la-Neuve. This is the only example of a university creating a town on a previously agricultural land, and is the first and only example in Belgium of a university museum open to the public. Part of the Department of Archeology and the History of Art, it was inaugurated in November 1979. The university city, designed on a human scale and entirely pedestrianized, is linked to the commune of Ottignies, with which it forms the independant municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve. It now has approximately 30,000 inhabitants, 15,000 of whom are students. Work has begun on the construction of a large central shopping mall, with a cinema complex, which, combined with its position 30 km south-east of Brussels, will attract still more visitors. In the centre of the town, the Museum of Louvain-la-Neuve currently occupies a surface area of 1,000 m2 on the ground floor of the Faculty of Philosophy and Arts building ... '

Interactive Haiku Home Page.

Japanese Old Tales. 'Read Japanese old tales in many languages.'

Annual Events in the Life and Nature of Kyushu. Calendar of Kyushu festivals.

Benwell: Centre of the Universe. (North East England)
'In 1997 a Local Studies Group from Benwell visited the Museum of Antiquities and were amazed to discover that in the past Benwell had been an important and cosmopolitan place and that a large collection of significant artefacts had survived as evidence of these facts. As one of them said proudly, 'Benwell really was once the Centre of the Universe!' This comment stuck in the minds of the Museum staff and they decided to mount this Web exhibition with the help of the local community. '
'Class 7H1 of West Gate Community College were asked to chose the objects for the exhibition from the many Benwell objects on display or in store in the Museum of Antiquities. They were then asked to write a paragraph explaining why they chose their particular object and prepare this for the exhibition. Sometimes their memories of the objects were not very accurate but no-one minded because everyone enjoyed themselves so much! ... '
This and more via the Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Jack London's Ranch Album. A pictorial biography.

The Jack London Collection. Great exhibit.
'Jack London (born Jan. 12, 1876, died Nov. 22, 1916) is best known for his books The Call of the Wild, White Fang, and The Sea-Wolf, and a few short stories, such as "To Build a Fire" and "The White Silence." In fact, he was a much more prolific writer whose fiction explored three geographies and their cultures: the Yukon, California, and the South Pacific. He experimented with many literary forms, from conventional triangle love stories to science fantasy. His noted journalism included war correspondence, boxing stories, and the life of Molokai lepers. A committed socialist, he insisted against editorial pressures to write political essays and insert social criticism in his fiction. He was among the most influential figures of his day, who understood how to create a public persona and use the media to market his self-created image of poor-boy-turned-success. London's great passion was agriculture, and he was well on the way of creating a new model for ranching through his Beauty Ranch when he died of kidney disease at age 40. He left over fifty books of novels, stories, journalism, and essays, many of which have been translated and continue to be read around the world.'

Changing Tastes. Menus of the Palace Hotel and Chez Panisse.
About. 'Changing Tastes examines a unique selection of special occasion menus from two of the Bay Area's most influential restaurants, the Palace Hotel of the late 19th century, and the restaurant Chez Panisse of the late 20th century. When juxtaposed, these two sets of menus tell an intriguing story of how fine dining in California has changed over the last century. '

Bridging the Bay: Bridging the Campus. 'A collaborative exhibit documenting the design and politics of San Francisco Bay Area bridges. '

Days of Cal. A virtual tour through UC Berkeley's history. History, photography, a Hall of Distinguished Berkeleyans.

Historic Topographic Maps of California. 'This is a project to provide Web access to the historic topographic quadrangles produced by the U.S. Geological Survey between 1895 to the present. Selected editions for maps covering the greater San Francisco Bay are currently available.'

New York Curmudgeon Tours. 'Take a walk with a real grouch and get a jaundiced view of the soft underbelly of show business. Probe the love-hate relationship between New York City and the Performing Arts. An iconoclastic look at the world of the Theatre and the Motion Picture Industry.'

The Lower East Side Conservancy, Jewish Synagogue Tours. 'Join The Lower East Side Conservancy for a tour of the Jewish Lower East Side of New York City, the cradle of modern Jewish cultural life in America! '
Bialystoker Synagogue. Virtual tour.

Radical Walking Tours of New York.
Highlights.
Today in radical history.

Rube Goldberg Machines. 'The purpose of a Rube Goldberg Machine is to build the most complicated machine possible to perform a simple everyday task. Built in '96-'97, this is my second Rube Goldberg Machine. The first one poured a can of soda in 35 steps. This one will turn on a blue-light to reveal a hidden message in 47 steps. Below the description of my 25 seconds of fame is a complete operation summary, followed by pictures with numbers referring to specific steps in the summary. In case you're wondering, it took me over 4 months to build this doozie of a machine! ... '

The Official Rube Goldberg Web Site.

Mathematics of the Rubik's Cube.
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16th December
Norad Tracks Santa.

Operation Letters to Santa. 'Christmas is a very special time of year filled with laughter, joy and anticipation. Friends and family gather from near and far to share the warmth of the season. The aroma of roasting turkey fills the house, and children's faces are aglow with wonder and delight. '
'However, many needy children do not have the same anticipatory glow. Many of these children exhibit a touching belief in the goodness and charity of the Christmas season that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. Their letters to Santa arrive by the thousands in every Post Office in our country.'
'Please read the "Operation Santa" articles that inspired this site. It is our sincere and fervent hope that after reading both stories, that parents, teachers, scouting and civic organizations will band together to form a local chapter of Operation Santa Claus in each and every town in this land.'

The Vanished Gallery.
'Desaparecidos is the Spanish word for "The Disappeared." For thousands of Argentine families, this word has become a symbol of a long harrowing nightmare. '
'In a coup on March 24, 1976, a military junta seized power in Argentina and went on a campaign to wipe out left-wing terrorism with terror far worse than the one they were combating. Between 1976 and 1983 - under military rule - thousands of people, most of them dissidents and innocent civilians unconnected with terrorism, were arrested and then vanished without a trace ... '
[ ... ]
'These pages are a humble attempt to bring the voices of the desaparecidos and their loved ones to the world. The vanishing was swift, a burst into a home at night, a few minutes and they were gone - not enough time to be heard. We owe it to them. '

Types Militaires Par Draner. Exhibition of military caricatures.
'Jules Renard was born into a family of good standing and prosperity in the Belgian city of Liège in November, 1833, and soon discovered in himself a liking for drawing and painting and for exercising in these media a personal style of caricature, though he undertook no formal art training. In 1861, at the age of twenty-eight, he went to Paris where, probably through family connections, he found employment with the manufacturing firm of the Société des Zincs de la Vieille-Montagne and, under his original surname, rose to be secretary of that lucrative corporation ... '

Khrushchev and Khrushchev: From the Kremlin to Brown University. 'Sergei N. Khrushchev (b. 1935) is the son of Nikita Khrushchev and his second wife, Nina Petrovna (d. 1984). Since 1996 Dr. Khrushchev has been a senior research fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University. In 1999 he and his wife Valentina Golenko became naturalized citizens. In 2000 he donated his papers, including memorabilia of his father, to Brown University Library.'
Memoirs of Nikita Krushchev.

DharamsalaNet, the Dharamsala Information Resource. Links and resources for the Tibetan community, culture, Buddhism, women, travel.

The Great Goddess Durga Slaying the Buffalo Demon. 'The great Hindu goddess Durga, the demon slayer, keeps the world free from ills and afflictions. She is formidable; she fights with weapons of all the gods. Here, in one from a group of Durga images from the Kotah school that are unrivaled in Indian painting, she is shown as the slayer of the greatest of all demons, the buffalo, the embodiment of evil ... '

Noh Robe. 'By the fifteenth century, Japanese Noh dramas, originally performed as part of religious ceremonies, had evolved into an officially sponsored entertainment fusing poetry, music, and dance. The costumes worn by the all male actors were made from sumptuous fabrics, often richly detailed with gold or silver stenciling and fine embroidery, their brilliance contrasting with the austerity of the stage upon which the plays were performed ... '

From Euclid to Newton. 'The Mathematics Collection is one of the oldest and most comprehensive resources of the Brown University Library system. Its roots are found in the Williams Table Collection - the original pre-Revolutionary War Library - whose highspots include Keckermann's Systema compendiosum totius mathematices (1617), Galileo's Discorsi e dimonstrazioni mathematiche (1638), Leybourn's Mathematical institutions (1704), Kersey's Elements of ... Algebra (1710), two editions of Euclid's Elements (1715, 1732), Rohault's System of natural philosophy (1728-29) and Ferguson's An easy ... introduction to Sir Isaac Newton's philosophy (1772) ... '

"Of the Poison Brand" Two Centuries of Sources for The Study of Alcohol and Alcoholism. For the Christmas season.
'An exhibition of materials relating to the history of the manufacture and consumption of alcohol and the movements devoted to controlling its use and rehabilitating alcoholics. '

Hunkin's Experiments. A fun site.
'Cool cartoons that will have you experimenting with food, light, sound, clothes, and a whole lot more! Hundreds of cartoon experiments from cartoonist, broadcaster and engineer Tim Hunkin. '

Kampala Art Tour. 'Recent photos taken in and around Uganda's capital city of Kampala. Hyperlinks lead to more photos. '

Ghost Town Gallery. 'This website is about Ghost Towns, abandoned settlements and historic places in the western United States ... '

Bodie, California. A ghost town.
'Bodie became a boom town in 1877 and by 1879 Bodie boasted a population of about 10,000 with 2,000 buildings, and was second to none for wickedness, badmen, and "the worst climate out of doors". One little girl, whose family was taking her to the remote and infamous town, wrote in her diary: "Good-bye God, I'm going to Bodie." The phrase came to be known throughout the west ... '
'The boom was over in four short years and by 1882, Bodie was in the grips of decline. The rich mines were playing out and mining companies were going bankrupt. Two fires, one in 1892 and the other in 1932, ravaged the business district. Bodie faded into a ghost town during the 1940's. It became a State Historic Park in 1962, managed in a state of arrested decay. Today, with less than 10% of the town still standing, it is still the largest ghost town in the western United States, and what is left looks much the same as it did over 50 years ago when the last residents left.'
The American West.

Women of the West Museum.
Women of the West exhibit. 'The Women of the West Online program features images, biographies, and classroom activities for twenty-six remarkable women who contributed to the development of the American West. They played significant roles in a variety of fields: the Creative Arts, Entertainment, the Environment, Science and Medicine, Sports and Adventure and Social Justice. We are pleased to introduce you to this diverse group of women. Feel free to share this program with your friends and family.'
Revealing Our Routes. Women of Boulder County, Colorado.

Friends of Rhyolite, a ghost town in Nevada. Images and history of the town and the ruins.
The Bottle House - 'under construction'. Seems appropriate.

Rhyolite: The Queen City of Death Valley.

Wells Fargo's History Pages. 'Since 1852... 150 years ago, Henry Wells and William G. Fargo founded a company that has become a legendary part of America. This heritage is still very much part of Wells Fargo's identity today, in our images, our people and our values.'
'Take a look at Wells Fargo's stagecoaches. Visit the History Museums and exhibits. Learn some of our history. Ask us a question. '

Fake Ghost Photos. 'See some of the best fake ghost pictures on the web! Sometimes in order to tell a fake paranormal photo from a real one you first must be familiar with what the fake ones actually looks like, and that's the reason for this page. Study them well and use the below examples as guides to help you determine authentic photos from the forged ones. All photos listed below are fakes, guaranteed!'
Haunted furniture for sale.
Ghoststudy.com.

Spooky Texas.
Ghost pictures.

Ted's Caving Page, with the story of his discovery in a local cave. Perhaps not all it seems.

World Refugee.

Merhan Karimi Nassiri. 'Since 1988 Merhan has been living in Charles de Gaulle airport, stranded without any personal documents. Now he's getting UN political refugee status - the first step to a new life beyond the departure lounge. ' (Nov. 1999)
One of BBC Online's Millennium Diaries. They're all worth a glance.
Witness. 'In News Online's Witness, BBC correspondents reflect on their coverage of some of the most extraordinary events of the past quarter of a century. There's also the chance to watch their original reports.' Starting with Tiananmen Square...
The Iraqi border with Turkey: 18 April 1991.
The ten greatest individuals of the last 1000 years, according to BBC Online readers. (But why is Jesus Christ eligible for the top 10?).

A good idea.
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