Diversions

All links open to a new window because I don't want you to leave!

This is pretty neat: NASA's image of the day. Not only did someone send me this URL, but I heard about this site on Wisconsin Public Radio the following day. As Agent Cooper said, when two related events happen at the same time, play close attention.

All Music Guide. This site is so extensive for anyone interested in musical-related trivia, not the inane "what's your favorite color" sort of trivia, but trivia such as musician's birthdays, places of birth, musical genres, "music maps," (sort of like music genre's family trees), etc. But what's so really cool is you can look up an artist, find out their birthday, click on their birthday, and find out who else was born that day, then any web-savvy person can adjust the URL to the date of their choice, so you can find out who was born on your birthday! (For those astrologically-minded folks out there). No one with any name recognition fell on my birthday, at least from the genres of music I listen to, but Stan shares a birthday with David Byrne (different year though) Not to change the subject, Stan shares an "exact" birthday, same year, with actor Tim Roth (Pulp Fiction). Of course like any site about extensive growing and mutable topics, it's not all-inclusive and some of the information is misguided. For example the group I'm involved with artistically (Biota/Mnemonists) is only given a small mention and only a very unthorough discography, not to mention a questionable categorization with other other unrelated musicians. Clicking on Bill Sharp's name under Mnenonists will bring up a little known fact that he performed Gershwin tunes as a baritone vocalist. Wrong William Sharp, guys. Either that or he has many secrets. Also the site seems to be scripted so that certain hyperlinks will link to topics related by similar spelling only. However in an interactive attempt at fixing such flaws, viewers can submit feedback online as to how they would categorize lesser-known musicians. All Music also has a sister site called, you guessed it, "All Movie Guide." at http://allmovie.com. Runs on the same concept.

Heartless Bitches International. I laughed so hard I snorted coffee out my nose at this one. It's amazing how controversial this site is and how many women actually hate it! The biting humor is very witty (read "The Weak of the Week" for a frightening, yet hilarious trip into the land of the illiterate wanna-be Bitch applicant file) but it is all done with consummate self-parody and satire. My husband finds it funny too...both of us still haven't gotten through the entire site. Better grab a cup of coffee...you'll be there a while, but keep the monitor wipes handy.

Telephone Sex. You'll never look the same way at your phone again. It's good, clean fun. I'd show it to my conservative dad...or my daughter if I had one.

Nerd Test. The same company who brought you the Boxing Nun (I have one) and the Cricket Lick-it (no thanks), the folks at Archie McPhee have devised a way of ranking your Gatesitude. I ranked a respectible 34%...scoring between Steve Jobs (26%) and Liberace (40%) enough nerd to get me by in this very strange world without wreaking of Dust-Off canned air.

Guess the Sitcom Character/Evil Dictator. Caution: The first time you play this, you won't want to quit. I can't believe I stumped them on The Beverly Hillbillies' Ellie May. Don't take the word "sitcom" literally...it works for TV dramas too.

David Joyce's Homepage. All kinds of fun images to make online like fractals and millefiori, but it's really a site about Geometry! Each time you return, you'll be met with a new Millefiori image. Fun!

The following links I found through the Computer Generated Writing page. These are the ones I believe to be the best.

The Surrealist Compliment Generator. Have fun reloading!

Postmodern Thesis Generator. Where was this when I was in college? Stan and I would write fake essays for college courses and turn them in under fake names (they always got Bs), but this would've made it much easier. Is it just me, or does anyone else find this sort of deconstructivist writing hilarious? I mean where else can you find such Postmodern drivel like, "Therefore, in Erotica, Madonna examines Derridean reading; in Material Girl, however, Madonna examines the capitalist paradigm of context." They cover Tarantino, too.

Spew. More Dada nonsense using the same engine as the Postmodern Thesis Generator. Some of these options don't seem to work, but it's worth it for the topics "legal" (you could write your own contract and no one would know!), "porn" (gives a list of hot videos...hilarious...only a Dada Engine could create such descriptions like "The beef action is toe-curling"), and "ponce" (a synopsis of an Arts Review from a newspaper) There are a few other topics that are pretty twisted...and "ilrt" is great for creating fake names of organizations.

The Shannonizer. OK, maybe I'm just attracted to this link because of the name...let's just say it's a private joke between me and my closest friends in town. Feed the Shannonizer text or a URL and see it recompose the verbage using the editors Dr. Seuss, God, Miss Manners, Raymond Chandler, Lewis Carrol, Edgar Allen Poe, Hunter S. Thompson or Mark Twain.

Decoder a Go-Go. A higher recommendation than The Shannonizer if you're using it to view URLs, simply because it keeps the layout of the chosen webpage intact with the exception of javascript and background images. This might be my site, but this is my site on the Decoder a Go-Go. Update: The man who runs this site has such a wonderful sense of humor and makes wide use of random scripts throughout his site. Reload his front page often to increase your background choices and improve you musical quote trivia!

The Dialiectizer. Similar to Decoder a Go-Go...this time with your choice of accent: Swedish Chef, Elmer Fudd, Jive, Moron, Redneck, Pig Latin or Cockney (my favorite).

I'm not much of a fan of fan pages, not that I'm not a fan myself, mind you (I'd never profess to be so above that!), it's just that most of them are not that well done. Maybe Amanda's is an exception. Her Mulder Clone adoption service (which uses one of this artist's Environments on her Mulder Clone Order Form...what great taste in graphics and men!) is well-written with a lot of humor. Stop by to get your very own favorite Fox clone in choices of clothing and hair styles, accessories and temperament.

Etcetera

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