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By JULES ALLEN
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 11, 2001
Feel free to browse...
www.Ebates.com
If you're an online shopaholic, you stand to put an few extra bucks in your pocket by using this free site. I buy oodles of goodies from places such as Outpost.com, Buy.com and Peet's Coffee. This site gets me up to an extra 25 percent off, depending on the merchant. Of course I've yet to find a retailer that offers double-digit percentages for stuff I buy all the time. But I'm cheap and a discount is a discount. If you're constantly waiting for the Big Brown Truck to deliver what you've forgotten you've ordered, a nice check every three months could be a nice surprise. The privacy policy seems to be sound, the site is easy to use and you've got the option of giving your savings to charity. Quite nifty.
www.OnlineClassics.com
Classical music fans are somewhat underserved when it comes to getting their fix through streaming audio, though not half as neglected as classic jazz fans. Music programmers who put Kenny G and that "smooth" rubbish where Coltrane belongs should be given 20 lashes with a wet noodle. At least classical fans have access to a great resource such as Online Classics. It's a growing collection of things other than the Four Seasons and the 1812 Overture.
www.TheFirstTwins.com
It's not just for obsessive, voyeuristic politicos but a real slice of National Enquirer for those of us without subscriptions. This Jenna and Barbara Bush fan site has the appeal of a rush hour traffic smash. You know you shouldn't watch but you can't help yourself. Thinking back, Chelsea never got this kind of media attention as the First Daughter. Then again, there was just the one of her, and if she did manage to sneak a beer, she probably was smart enough to get one of those nice Secret Service fellows with a real ID to do the buying. It's PG-13 stuff, so steer clear if you like to write letters to the editor about moral decline.
www.Snopes2.com/religion/jedi.htm
Look out, California. Those cheeky Aussies are challenging you for that wild and crazy populace award. It seems that some wag thought it would be a wheeze to tell obsessive compulsive Star Wars fans that by putting "Jedi" in the religion field on a census form would force a government to recognize it. Popped into an e-mail, this myth snowballed and even the usually hype-resistant Brits bought into it. My favorite line has to be "Marking Jedi on a form doesn't make anyone a Jedi any more than writing "I can fly' will turn that person into a bird."
Museum.SySun.com/museum/index.html
If you're feeling frisky one evening, hide the mouse and watch the family try to use the computer. Roll on the floor laughing as they try an Alt-this and Control-that. And use the Web? You've got to be kidding! Alternately, you could show the young whippersnappers what it was like back in the old days with a visit to this site. Back then, computers were operated by fat, sweaty guys with names such as Bill and Graham who were wizards with all the power. A few minutes in the CP/M emulator or Altair BASIC and you'll get an appreciation of why this was so. Then the Mac came along, ruined it for Bill and Graham and the rest is history. Or at least a miniseries.