Grimm Fairy Tales II

If you really want to get to heart of the stories that the Brothers Grimm wrote, then there's no better source than this site. Short on graphics but long on content, this website offers 209 different stories by the brothers, presented in glorious black and white text. From Hansel and Gretel to The Valiant Little Tailor, all the stories are there, and, yes, the scary parts are intact. Have fun!

Guess Master

Do you enjoy guessing games? Guess Master, says the site, is the "home of Internet guessing games for all ages," and as far as I can tell that description is right on the money. The page boasts all sorts of guessing games, including Guess the Person, Guess the Animal, Guess the TV Show, and even Guess the Object. You think of an object and the site's Artificial Intelligence program tries to guess what it is. There are all sorts of variations on guessing games here as well, enough to keep the whole family guessing what will come next for a long time to come.

Foreign Mego

Everyone (well, okay, not everyone...) knows that Mego made 8" action figures in the United States in the 70's and 80's. But did you know that Mego also sold - or licensed other companies - to sell Mego action figures in a multitude of companies across the globe, including Japan, Canada, Mexico, England, Italy, Spain, and France? And these aren't necessarily just the same figures with different packaging, either. In England, for example, Mego released Space: 1999 action figures through Palitoy that never appeared in the States. Visit the Foreign Mego website and learn all about Megos in other countries, including pantsless Planet of the Apes figures in Mexico. (I guess they figures that since apes in the zoo didn't wear pants that Planet of the Apes figures shouldn't either. Of course, they had shirts, shoes, and even guns, so who knows?)

Grimm Fairy Tales

Some of the original Grimm fairy tales were, well, grim. I mean, come on, how many times do witches get burned alive in ovens in children's stories these days? Not many. Which means it's no surprise that this site, which offers up richly detailed animated stories, avoids all the nasty stuff. Still, it's a fun site, and the kid's will love it. Though they'd probably love the nasty stuff even more.

Soda Pop Stop

If you're a soda pop connoisseur, this is one site you just have to visit. The Soda Pop Stop, run out of Los Angeles, California, is an online store that offers just about every different brand of soda that you would ever want, and then some. The prices are reasonable and, yes, they ship. They even have one of my old favorites, Frosty Root Beer. Drink up!

Video Jumbles

Video Jumbles, says the copy on the website, is "the weirdest form of parody ever to [SIC] exsist." Aside from the spelling error, which is strange but not all that weird, I'm inclined to believe them. "Video Jumbles" are created by inserting pauses in recorded footage to create humor not otherwise therein contained. To see what I mean, download an MPG or two from the site. Folks featured in the jumbles include Robert Schuler, Jesse Duplantis, and Jonathan Harris, who played Dr. Smith in the classic TV show "Lost in Space."

Mr. Potato Head

Who doesn't remember Mr. Potato Head? Most kids had one, but eventually discarded the toy when they grew older. Now you can spend hours playing online with the virtual Mr. Potato Head! The site gives you all sorts of eyes, noses, mouths, hats, and eyewear to choose from, in order to make the Mr. Potato Head of your dreams. Even better, when you're tired of this old spud, be sure to load up Mr. Lemon, Mrs. Pepper, or Miss Onion and have a smorgasbord of a good time.

The Fifth Dimension

I've been a fan of Rod Serling's original Twilight Zone since I was a little kid. That said, this site is an excellent source of material for folks like me. The site includes 485 pages, 3,886 pictures, and 62 sound files, all related to the Twilight Zone. Moreover, there's a message board, quizzes, and even a guide to the Twilight Zone DVD's to keep you busy for many spooky nights to come.

Patent of the Week

Every Tuesday, Glenn MacStravic adds a new - and strange - patent to his website. When I checked, the patent of the week was the Thermochromic Urinal Mat. The mat is fitted inside a urinal and when, umm, "used", causes previously invisible text or artwork in the form of a joke or advertisement to appear on the mat, delighting the user to no end. Yes, this patent is real, and the site shows the real, filed document in PDF format. There are plenty of patents to browse through (the site dates back to 1998) and you can even suggest clever captions for some of them.

Britney's Guide to Semiconductor Physics

Who knew that pop singing sensation Britney Spears was also an expert in semiconductor physics? Not content with simply singing, says the site, Spears will guide you in the fundamentals of the vital laser components that have made it possible to hear her music in a digital format. Learn about lasers, semiconductors, radiative and non-radiative transitions, and more, all courtesy of Ms. Spears incredible intellect! You can even download official Britney's Guide to Semiconductor Physics wallpaper for your PC.

Stay-at-Home Dad

Since I AM a stay-at-home (and work-at-home) Dad, I'm not sure I can rightfully call this website weird without also calling myself weird in the process. So, instead, this site is the useful website of the day. The website offers articles on fatherhood, links to regional and local group meetings, discussion forums, ideas for projects to do with your children, and even, um, poetry. Poetry? Okay, I guess this site does qualify as weird after all. If you're a stay-at-home father, however, you'll get a lot of use out of it. Check it out!

The Official Smurf Website

They're back! Actually, they never really went away, the Smurfs were just learning a new medium - the Web. The Official Smurf Website offers up a gallery of little known facts, (did you know the Smurfs were invented in 1958?) as well as free screen savers, pictures of the figurines, a random Smurf comic strip generator, and more. You can even buy new limited-edition Smurf figures. This website is just Smurfy!

The American Presidents

Curious about the Fathers of our country? Of course you are! And who isn't? This site, according to the proclamation on the entry page, offers plenty of "Cool Information and Neat Questions"! Find out why George Washington really wasn't the first president of the United States, where Abraham Lincoln slept, how Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt were related, and more. Low on fancy graphics but thick with trivia, this page is a must-see for fans of the good ole USA.

Katbot

According to this site, Katerina Bottynski (aka Katbot) is a secret agent from the planet Katatonia, sent to Earth in the guise of an Eastern European exchange student. Katerina's mission is to study adolescent aggression by living with a family in Long Island. She also has a secret agenda: to delve further into her love for what earthlings call "Rock Music." Using the site's Katatonian Intergalactic Transmitter (K.I.T., for short) you can view mission reports, look through a scrapbook, listen to alien music, and in general follow Katbot's adventures on Long Island. This ain't your everyday, average weirdness - we're talking cosmic-level weirdness here. But it's fun, and isn't that what really counts?

What Breed of Dog Are You?

Have you ever wondered what breed of dog you're most like? Okay, me either, but this is still a fun quiz to take. The Website asks you a series of twelve questions - things like whether or not you like to cuddle and the size - or lack thereof - of your group of friends. When I took the test, I was told that I was a Scottish Terrier because I was (ahem!) fearless, feisty, and an intrepid explorer. Answer a few questions a little differently, though, and you might be a Pekingese or even a Chihuahua. If you're doggone tired of all the other quizzes, throw yourself a bone and go fetch this one instead!

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

The original Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was a "trilogy" (actually, five) of books written by the late, great Douglas Adams. In the books, there's a device called The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy that enables the user to look up information on practically any subject on this world or any other. The online Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy website takes up where the fictitious device left off and attempts to recreate it on the Internet. Web surfers from all over the world are invited to submit entries on whatever subjects suit their fancy, be it a serious entry or something comical and more in line with the original books. The result is a website that's fun to browse and is both maddeningly annoying and occasionally brilliant. I'm sure Adams, who helped start the site, would be proud.

Handcuffs

If you collect handcuffs (doesn't everyone?) then you absolutely have to visit this site. Handcuffs.org showcases handcuffs from all over the world, with an emphasis on vintage American handcuffs created from the time of the civil war throughout the 1970's. The site highlights the value of said cuffs, stories on how they were used, a guide to the companies that make them, a bibliography of books about handcuffs, and more. There's even a section on that perennial favorite, thumbcuffs. My favorite section of the website has to be "Escape Artists and Their Crafts," which explores the art of Houdini and others like him. If you're ever caught in a pair of handcuffs and want to find out more about just what exactly is binding your wrists, this website is a surefire escape from your manacled blues.

Bad Sideburns

Throughout history, many men (as well as the occasional woman) have sported less-than- handsome sideburns. Think Elvis Presley, Sonny Bono, and Andrew "Dice" Clay, and you'll get the idea. This website lists them all, along with photos, and also includes sections on bad sideburns in art, a history of bad sideburns, and a FAQ about the site. And, yes, just in case you were wondering, you can buy merchandise from this site - everything from calendars to t-shirts to pens, all sporting bad sideburns. My favorite section, though, is the "What If?" section that hypothesizes what certain folks might look like with bad sideburns. I don't want to give too much away here, though I will say that Mr. Clean looks particularly, well, unclean when sporting huge pork chop sideburns. Explore further at your own risk!

Daze of Our Lives

No, this isn't another fan page devoted to NBC's #1 soap opera. Rather, it's a page devoted to state of the art 19th century humor. Go figure. The site features a comic strip that (and I'm quoting here) "combines engraving art from the 19th Century with the irreverent and ironic humor of Martin Archer." Updated every day except for Saturday and Sunday, the site offers an archive of past strips as well as the ability to send your favorites to your friends via e-mail. Thought-provoking at times, funny at others, and occasionally just plain goofy, this site will inject a little much-needed 19th century humor into your everyday modern life. Who could ask for anything more?