Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore has long been one of my favorite authors. His work, which includes such titles as Practical Demon Keeping, Island of the Sequined Love Nun, The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, and The Lamb, is hard to describe but equally hard to put down once you've started reading. Some books are science fiction, some are horror, and one is even set in Biblical times, but all have one key ingredient in common: they're awfully darned funny. And now that you know who Christopher Moore is and why you should read his books, visiting his website should be the next logical step. Not only does the site contain descriptions of all his books, it also boasts unpublished stories, interviews, reader guides, and more. If you're a fan or think you might want to try one of Moore's books, visit this site. Like Moore's books, it's amusing, entertaining, and even makes you think.

Freakies

If you were a kid in the 70's, you'll probably remember enjoying the sugary delights of Freakies cereal. Actually, the cereal wasn't that great, but the commercials and toy prizes were what got you hooked - or at least that's what happened in my case. Original Freakies' creator Jackie End has revived the characters (if not the cereal) at her website, where you can read bios on each of the Freakies, hear the original theme song, order a video of the 70's television ads, and buy official t-shirts. About the only thing you won't find here is a substitute for that original sugar high, but hearing the Freakies belt out their theme song is close.

Funny Text Messages

Before visiting this site, I didn't think a website devoted to text messages could possibly be funny, as the title indicates. Fortunately, however, I was wrong. This amusing site includes a collection of various smiley faces, samples of funny text messages, a message forum for discussing said text messages, information about phone theft, links to related sites, and an online comic about text messaging. Done in Macromedia Flash, the comic lets you make various choices (kind of like one of those old "choose your own adventure" books) for Pete in his quest to date the girl of his dreams. The comic, like the site, is clever, fun, and definitely weird.

The 80s Server

The 80s Server, with garish colors and a penchant for overstating itself, is every bit as much 80's as the 80's themselves. Television, music, you name it - if it's from the 80's, this site has it. Along with all the information on 80's media, the server also offers live chat, 80's trivia, and a "totally awesome" program called Valley URL that lets you enter the address for your favorite Web page and then turns it into Valley Girl speak. This site would be perfect, except for one thing - you have to pay a yearly fee of $39.95 to access most of the good stuff. It only makes sense, after all, since greed is quintessentially a part of the 80's.

Land of the Lost

Rick Marshall, Will, Holly, dinosaurs, and even Sleestaks - this site has everything you ever wanted to know about the Sid and Marty Kroft TV series Land of the Lost but couldn't find anyone to ask. Complete with video captures from the series and an extremely comprehensive and well- written episode guide, this is one of the best nostalgia sites I've ever visited. Remember Cha-ka, the little missing-link monkey boy from the Pakuni tribe? Joy of joys, this site contains a Pakuni - English dictionary! If you're ever lucky enough to catch reruns of Land of the Lost, you'll finally be able to tell what they're saying. If that doesn't make you "kasa", nothing will.

Repairman Jack

The Official Repairman Jack Website is home to F. Paul Wilson, author of the popular Repairman Jack series of books which include The Tomb, Legacies, Conspiracies, and, most recently, Haunted Air. Repairman Jack is, as explained on the site, " ...a denizen of Manhattan who dwells in the interstices of modern society. He has no official identity, no social security number, pays no taxes. When you lose faith in the system, or the system lets you down, you go to a guy who's outside the system." The website is a great companion to the books and features a message board, a FAQ, descriptions of all the books, a cross reference chart for the various books and stories, and much more. If you're a fan of Repairman Jack (who will soon have his own movie) this site is a must-visit. And if you're not a fan, visit the site and check it out. You just might find yourself the newest member of the Repairman Jack fan club.

Marryingman.com

If you want to marry the woman of your dreams but don't have a clue as to how to pop the question, you need this website. This hot spot on the Web is, of course, geared towards selling things, but also offers information on how to pop the question, where to go on the honeymoon, how to throw a good bachelor party, and more. If you ignore the attempts to sell you rings, vacation packages, and tuxedos, (unless you really need these things) this can be a fun site. Just don't sign up for the reminder service the site offers unless you want to be henpecked to death - which is, perhaps, what marriage is all about after all.

Harley Race

Had he been born a couple of decades later, eight-time former National Wrestling Alliance world heavyweight champion Harley Race might have enjoyed the riches and fame of sports entertainers such as The Rock, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and Triple H. As it is, Race has to settle with being a well-respected legend who owns his own wrestling federation. Not a bad consolation price. Race's website serves both as a portal for his wrestling league (the WLW) and as an online store for fans to purchase videos. The site is also loaded with photos and information about Race's storied career. If you're a fan of classic wrestling, race (pun intended) on over to this site today!

Pez Land

Sure, they'll eventually rot your teeth, but what kid could ever resist the alluring temptation of Pez? Talk about your combinations - candy and a toy, all wrapped up into one! What could be better than Bugs Bunny's head doling our grape-flavored little candy pellets? If you don't know what I'm talking about (or even if you do) visit PezLand, the authoritative site for Pez dispensers on the Web. Offerings on this site include the history of the name Pez, a dispenser photo collection and a list of all the Pez flavors ever made, including coffee-flavored Pez. And believe it or not, that's not the worst of the flavors. Click on over to PezLand to get the scoop!

Sockmuffin The Elf

Christmas is just a little than two months away, so you knew the Christmas websites couldn't be far behind. This one, however, is just a tad stranger than most. The website is all about Sockmuffin the Elf, a grumpy little guy who has his feelings hurt one year when Saint Nick decides not to ask him to participate in the annual toy making gig. There's a book about Sockmuffin for sale on the website as well as several freebies, such as an interview with the cranky elf, an alien Christmas movie, and more. It's weird, but a Christmassy sort of weird. Visit it today or risk getting coal in your stockings come December 25th.

Gilligan's Island

Anything - and I do mean anything - you ever wanted, needed or desired to know about Sherwood Schwartz's classic television series Gilligan's Island can be found on this page. Complete with a comprehensive episode guide, bios on all of the cast members and information on the fan club, this site will take much more than just a three-hour tour to get through. Other goodies on this page include a online trivia game, the lyrics to the classic "Hamlet" episode and several RealAudio clips from the series. Few television sites are as complete as this one, which also features some really neat bloopers from the series as well as pages full of other cool Gilligan's Island stuff.

The Unofficial Schoolhouse Rock Website

If you don't automatically answer the phrase "Conjunction junction" with "What's your function?", then you weren't paying attention during Saturday morning cartoon breaks in the late seventies. Over 40 cartoon shorts in four different categories - American history, Science, Grammar and Math - were created by ABC, and this site pays homage to each and every one of them. Boasting RealAudio and WAV music from the shorts, as well as several Quicktime movie clips, this unofficial site is the consummate authority on Schoolhouse Rock. There's enough here to keep Web surfers with even the twichiest of fingers busy for hours.

Quisp Cereal

General Mills, the company responsible for creating Quisp, actually has a Web site dedicated to the breakfast cereal. The page is filled with everything a Quisp fan could ask for - photos of old cereal box giveaways, a Quisp historical timeline, and information on how to get your local grocer to carry the famed breakfast treat. (Yes, they still make it!) There are also some very cool pictures of Quisp himself, happily greeting you on the first page and scattered throughout thereafter. Have friends who don't know what or who in the heck Quisp is? No problem. Use the handy Quisp Internet postcard program, and send the unlucky soul an electronic letter extolling the virtues of your favorite cereal.

Watched It!

This site epitomizes what nostalgia is all about. Jam-packed with links to pages dealing with children's TV shows from the 70's and 80's, it's easy to spend a lot of time here. The Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, Scooby Doo, Godzilla - it's all here, waiting to bring back memories of Saturday mornings in your pajamas spent staring at the idiot box.

Thundarr the Barbarian

"In the year 1994, from out of space, comes a runaway planet, hurtling between the Earth and the moon, unleashing cosmic destruction," began the voice-over for this 1980 cartoon series. Well, we're three years past 1994, but the twenty-year-old cartoon series is still one of the best. Crammed full of pictures from the show and boasting a nice selection of downloadable wallpaper and icons, this site's main claim to fame is its detailed guide to all 22 of the cartoon's episodes. The page also offers up all sorts of fascinating tidbits on the cartoon's background, including the fact that Marvel Comics legend Jack Kirby created the characters. If you watched Thundarr as a kid, you'll get a big kick out of this site.

People Cards

For years, people have been collecting all sorts of trading cards - everything from baseball to Pokemon to, yes, even serial killers. So why should you be left out in the cold? Sign up on this site and you could grace your very own collector's trading card! Founded in 1999 by brothers Brant and Todd Herman, the site first published a physical set of 120 cards in 2001. Some of the questions on the sign-up form include: what is your most used expression, what possession do you hold dearest, and what is the weirdest thing about you? Answer correctly and you could be immortalized in cardstock forever - or at least until, somewhere down the line, your great, great grandson trades you for that Mickey Mantle card he's always wanted.

The People�s Cam

No, this isn't a cam located somewhere in the heart of Communist Russia. Rather, it's a live cam that you, the viewer, can actually influence. The cam shows a shot of the owner's PC screensaver. Type something - anything! - into the dialogue box below the live photo and, voila, it appears instantly on the screen saver. Pretty darned cool, if you ask me. And once you get tired of playing with the host's screensaver, be sure to visit other parts of the site, such as a human Mr. Potatohead who's face you can rearrange at your discretion. Is that isn't good, clean all-American fun, I don't know what is!

Labyrinth Locator

Labyrinths are ancient (and modern) mazes that people walk through in order to seek inspiration, relax, and just plain have fun. By using the Labyrinth Locator, (which is part of the Grace Cathedral website, a cathedral in San Francisco that boasts a labyrinth of its own) visitors can search for labyrinths worldwide. There are nearly 700 different labyrinths listed in the site's database, with more being added all the time. Each entry lists the name, location of the labyrinth, and as a contact e-mail for each, as well as whether or not each particular labyrinth is permanent or portable. In Texas, for example, there are 33 labyrinths, four of which are in Dallas. Search for one near you and give it a try!

Movie Mistakes

In the hit movie "The Matrix", there's a scene where Agent Smith is interrogating Neo. After Smith has sealed Neo's mouth shut and he is backed into the corner, when the camera cuts back to Smith you can clearly see a reflection in his glasses of Neo calmly sitting down in the chair. The Movie Mistakes website is filled with over 15,000 such mistakes in over 2,000 different films. Some of the mistakes are technical (such as the Matrix example) and some are continuity errors, such as the scene in the classic "Wizard of Oz" when, at the start of the movie, Dorothy walks along the pig pen fence and then falls in. When Bert Lahr picks her up, her dress is miraculously clean. With a multitude of reports on all sorts of different movies to choose from, this is a fun website for movie aficionados and casual viewers alike. After perusing this site, you'll never look at a movie the same way again.

The Hero Machine

Have you ever wanted to draw comic book or fantasy characters, but lacked the skill necessary to do a credible job? Well, The Hero Machine website won't give you the skill, but it will do the drawing for you. Creator Jeff Herbert offers the service (live through the website or on your PC via a downloadable program) free of charge, letting comic and D&D fans everywhere finally free the character that's been living somewhere in the dark, dank recesses of their brain.

The Air Car

If the oil companies don't manage to sabotage it, the Air Car could very well be the wave of the future. The car, which is only in prototype stage, runs on compressed air. The inventor, Guy N�gre, has developed an engine capable of propelling a car up to 70 MPH and that can cover a distance of nearly 200 miles with one tank refill. Not only does the car boast "Zero pollution" but it also purifies the air by released the clean compressed air into the environment. Available in the next few years in Europe, the car is eventually expected to come to the states as well. Imagine - a car that runs on air. And if we somehow run out of the commodity, we can always tap into the soon-to-be-unemployed oil company exces heads and siphon out enough to run our new cars for the next hundred years.

Russian Mail Order Brides

Having trouble finding Ms. Right? Don't have the time to date? Well, then, get a Russian mail order bride! (if you're female, you can also order a Russian groom!) Why marry a Russian woman, you might ask? The inspiration for the Russian Mail Order Brides website grew out of the frustrations the website�s creators had over trying to find nice American women to date. It's almost certain that they'd have had more luck had they stepped away from their PC for a few minutes, but that's almost beside the point. Visitors to this site can view and rate prospective mates and, once you've made a selection, purchase their mailing address from the site. Sure, it'd be nice to have a spouse who actually speaks the same language you do and that you didn't have to purchase over the Internet, but, well, beggars can't b choosers. Just make sure to invite me to the wedding!

www.tvtome.com

TV Tome has over 1,000 complete guides covering almost all the current shows and many of your favorite classics, and there's also an additional 2,200+ guides that are partially complete or under development. That's a lot of TV info! A search for "Leave it to Beaver" on the site comes up with two entries - the original TV show and The New Leave it to Beaver. Ignoring the new version (as anyone should) I perused the guide to the original black and white show that ran from 1957 through 1963. The guide included listing of all the episodes, a guide to the cast and crew, viewer comments, and even a section devoted to mistakes made during the filming. The site covers new shows as well, including the current 2002/2003 season. If you watch a lot of television, you'll love this site.