Now and again it's fun to take a peek into a world that you
would otherwise never know (or might take for granted.)
Mailing lists are uniquely suited for such excursions. In the
past, we've delved into the mysterious realms of ostrich
farming, underwater archaeology, and soup folding. Here's one
that addresses a subject we all take for granted: apples. How
many varieties can you name off the top of your head? I came
up with two--red and green. How about a Newtown Pippin or a
Sheepsnose? Then there are the confusing examples: the Coxe's
Orange or the Winter Banana. Be forewarned--much of the
discussion is heavy-duty: cultivation, propagation, alternative
agriculture, waste utilization, and other areas of interest to
those in the know. 

To partake of the fruit of knowledge, send an email to 
"listserv at maelstrom dot stjohns dot edu" 

Leave the subject line blank, and type the command 

subscribe APPLESOFTHEWORLD [last name] [first name] 

in the body of the message. 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

ArcaMax.com's e-zine page, offers not 1, not 2, but 24 
separate daily newsletters. Topics range from entertainment 
news to health tips, bible verses to movie reviews. (You can 
even get cartoons delivered to your in-box as image attach-
ments.) The Arcamax site has an up-front privacy policy 
promising that it will never sell your e-mail address to outside 
interests. 

Check the Web site for an index of available newsletters: 


http://www.arcamax.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Indiana Jones made archaeology sexy for the masses, and
the world is the richer for it. Of course, it's an extremely
demanding discipline, requiring training in history, science,
art, culture, chemistry, and--for the adventurous
types--bullwhip combat. Three lists out of Arizona State
University feature archaeology discussions. HISTARCH
covers historical archaeology; SPANBORD covers the
history and archaeology of the borderlands of the U.S.
Northern Mexico; and SUB-ARCH deals with underwater
archaeology. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail with
SUBSCRIBE [listname] [yourname] in the body of the
message to "listserv at lists dot asu dot edu" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Art Cars Really Do Change The World!!!

When you drive an ArtCar, heads, turn, frowns become smiles, 
the sun comes out, and cars all round you start to Rock!  
People will become friendly.
No other art form connects with the public like an artcar. Would 
you like to do this good deed for the world?
You need not be an artist to create an artcar! Artcar artists are 
a diverse group. Ordinary people just like you! You will find us 
all to be friendly and dedicated to helping. You can start small 
and easy. It need not be expensive - but - it will be wonderful, 
Whatever you do! Our purpose is to help you to consider 
creating an artcar. Could it be that there are already enough 
plain cars on our roads.....? Please join in ...come .....explore!

Vehicles Make Good Artworks

To get in touch via email: "cbladey at mail dot bcpl dot net"

They have a general web site at: http://www.artcars.com/

A good resource for aspiring filmmakers, the Auteur
Newsletter actually comes in two versions. The basic
Auteur list is the regular digest, distributed approximately
every 4-6 weeks, containing interviews and articles on
industry Web sites and resources for filmmakers. Auteur
Weekly follows a different format, featuring weekend box
office reports, links to entertainment and industry news,
stock report synopses, and so on. 

Subscribe via the Web site at http://www.tk-productions.com/auteur

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Blister is a list for readers who don't mince words.  On Blister, 
members simply share lists of books (book list: B-lister, get it?) 
with each other.  It's not a discussion list at all--the idea is you'll 
discuss books privately, once you figure out who shares your 
tastes.  On Blister you can contribute any book-related list you 
like, regardless of genre. 
So, for instance, you could post a list called "Best Sci-Fi Books 
I Read in the Seventies," or "Books That Left Me Cold," or "Books 
That Changed My Life and Made Me Cry," or "Stephen King: Best to 
Worst," or "Eight Books Borrowed From My Cousin Albert on 
Saturday."  All on the same day, if you wanted.  

Start making your lists and send a message to "majordomo at world dot std dot com" with 

"subscribe blister" (w/o the quotes, of course) in the body of the message. 

Here's another great list that demonstrates how friggin'
cool the Internet can be. Carfix Online is for anyone
interested in repairing their own vehicles--a task for the
truly courageous indeed. Here you can post questions on
repairs of any type, and other users can respond with
helpful tips, timesaving ideas, and the occasional dire
warning to FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STAY AWAY FROM THAT 
TRANSMISSION CASING! Be specific whenever you can--it 
helps others help you. By subscribing, you also get a 
newsletter every 7-10 days with general maintenance 
information. It's like having several dozen mechanics 
on call for second opinions, or even sixty-third opinions. 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to "carfix_online-subscribe at onelist dot com" 
 
 or check out the Web site at 

http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/carfix_online
 
 --This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

There are many, many people in this world who consider
themselves "cat people." Every single one of them
frequents this list. Not really, of course--it just seems that
way. The Cat Addiction list averages around 80 posts per
day and is aimed at people with multiple-cat households.
Helpful advice abounds, from how to plan for vacations to
those tricky litter box issues. There are both a cat
psychologist and a human psychologist on the list, so
you're covered five ways from Friday. It's also a good place
to arrange for kitty adoptions. Go with the digest version
unless you want your e-mail inbox as swamped as your
litter box. 

Sign up via OneList at http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/CatAddiction

or send an e-mail to "cataddiction-subscribe at onelist dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

A strange new substrata is emerging in electronic newsletters,
all operating on the same basic principle: They reprint items
from the news, then append smart-alecky commentary after
each item. Comedy On Tap is a good example of this kind of
newsletter at its best. Each daily dispatch features items and
commentary on news, entertainment, politics, and so forth. Plus
you get a joke of the day, a tasteless joke of the day, a "this day
in history" fact with attendant comedy, and random funny
quotes. 

A sample: A month after surgery cleared a blockage in his
carotid artery, Bob Barker is heading back to "The Price Is
Right.'' The longtime game show host says he'll resume taping
the show on October 25. 

(Anybody who can guess the heart rate from his new
pacemaker, without going over...) 

Waka, waka. Sign up via the Web site at 

http://www.comedyontap.com/newsletter

or send a blank e-mail to 

"subscribe-comedyontap at lyris dot enlist dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

You can divide most people into two groups: 
One group likes to read and inevitably forwards those 
goofy joke messages that make their way around the Internet. 
The other group loathes the practice, hates to get this type 
of borderline spam, and never forwards the stuff to anyone else.
 
For those of us in the middle, the PCS Computer Jokes
Mailing List sends you one--and only one--computer joke
per day, which you can read and/or forward at your
discretion. Discretion is really the operative term here. The
PCS list, run by the Personal Computer Services
consulting firm, maintains a relatively high standard--that is
to say, the jokes and stories are generally funny and
worthwhile, often contributed by long-suffering tech support
people. One recent dispatch: "Our Help Desk recently
received an e-mail from a user: 'Help!! My e-mail isn't
working. I can't send or receive messages. Please write
back ASAP as to what I should do.'" 

Follow this link at your own risk, it doesn't seem to have been
updated since 1999, although the old archives are still there,
and available.

Subscribe via the Web site at http://www.why-not.com/jokes

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

from the discussion so far these folks are all running media 
cons; the talk of late has been nothing but actors and appearance fees.
It's also a small list, with only 11 members.

visit the Web site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/conrunners

--This tip contributed by "anonymous"

Assembled by a shadowy figure known only as Kenny J,
the Conspiracy of the Week mailing list is a monthly
roundup of the covert and the covered up--those vast
conspiracies that can only come to light through the
ceaseless efforts of truth-seeking Web denizens. You can
guess the rest. Here you'll find news, updates, and links
regarding those worldwide military-industrial conspiracies
that can be so hard to keep up with in our workaday world.
For instance, there's the insidious yet little-known fact that
the cartoon Scooby Doo was a government experiment
exploring the links between TV and crime. You better
believe it, pal. You'll also get updates on old conspiracy
classics like "The Moonwalk Was Faked," "Atlantis Has
Risen (but Is Being Kept Off the Maps by the Illuminati),"
and the soon-to-be-classic "The Gay Teletubby." 

The truth is out there at http://members.tripod.com/~kenny_a_j/conspiracy

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

This biweekly newsletter from the Philadelphia law firm
Sheller, Ludwig and Badey focuses on consumer news,
product recalls, and class action suits--particularly those
that relate to online commerce. Recent archives indicate
that the newsletter does a good job of collecting valuable
consumer information in one place. In particular, each
dispatch lists products that manufacturers recently
recalled, according to the Consumer Product Safety
Commission. On the other hand, some news items seem
conspicuously lacking in detail: A recent item suggested
that online search service Alta Vista "will begin offering
advertisers the opportunity to have their Web sites listed at
the top of search results." That's a serious allegation, yet
the item listed only "recent reports" to back up the charge.
I'd like to see some links to independent resources. 

Check it out for yourself at 
http://www.sheller.com/enews.htm

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

where people can post upcoming con announcements:

visit the Web site at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/conventions

--This tip contributed by "anonymous"

Cool Tips and Trinkets tackles the daunting task of
providing cool and interesting Web destinations on a
weekly basis. The value of such a list depends greatly on
just how interesting the recommended sites really are. I
like this list because it provides a short, weekly laundry list
of potentially bookmarkable sites. A recent edition
included a full-service weather site I'd never heard of
(weatherhub.com) and an online millennium timeline,
provided by the Associated Press. You'll also get links to
subscriber-submitted Web sites (there are more than
50,000 subscribers at last count) and links to other mailing lists. 

Subscribe via the Web site at: http://www.tricksandtrinkets.com/subscribe.htm

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

We've all heard the story about the person who was into 
collecting comic books, and by the time they I discovered girls, 
They had a half-dozen boxes full of immaculately
preserved issues of Superman, Spiderman, The Hulk, and so
forth. It is usually the plan to cash them all in someday--until 
it is found out that mom had sold them all for $20 at a garage sale
while the person was away in college. Ah, well. Cyber Age 
Adventures is an evolutionary step for the superhero adventure 
genre; a weekly e-mail magazine featuring original fiction contributed by
readers. Recurring characters include Etheria, the Minuteman,
and Outback Jack. It's all good fun, and especially
recommended for anyone with a closet full of old comic books.

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to "cyberage-subscribe at onelist dot com"

or check out the Web site at http://www.cyberageadventures.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

The Media Research Center bills itself as "the nation's largest and
most respected conservative media watchdog organization." It
generally provides an interesting perspective on national media
coverage and the oft-alleged liberal bias of the press--broadcast
television in particular. Regardless of your political affiliation, you
have to hand it to these folks. They tape and analyze national
media coverage daily (more than 150 hours per week, according to
their Web site) and scour the airwaves for perceived bias in news
reporting. The daily CyberAlert is basically a distillation of content
posted to the Web site. Make no mistake, the CyberAlert is from
the Right, and they're refreshingly candid about the fact. 

Visit the Web site at: 

http://www.mediaresearch.org/cyberalerts/cyberwelcome.asp

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Maintained by an informal group of political activists, the
Cyberjournal Web site is the digital home of Citizens for a
Democratic Renaissance (CDR). The project grew out of
various Usenet discussion groups and basically leans far
to the left politically. The organization hosts two moderated
e-mail lists: the Renaissance Network, billed as "a chat
room for activists," and Cyberjournal, hosted by author
Richard Moore, which offers news and analysis. The
politics aren't for everyone, but discussion is lively and
articulate. 

Check out the archived Renaissance Log posts at the Web site: 

http://www.cyberjournal.org

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Dedicated to discussion of "the philosophical and
psychological implications of subjectivity in cyberspace,"
Cybermind is an ambitious mailing list, featuring Serious
Thinkers thinking Serious Thoughts. Among the issues
addressed, according to the online charter, are the
emergence and/or disappearance of the body in
cyberspace, the phenomenology of the terminal screen,
sex/gender/sexuality theory and electronic subjectivity,
and (uh-oh) the psychoanalysis of lurking. What's that
famous quote? "Gaze too long into the abyss, and the
abyss also gazes into you." Something like that. 

For a slightly creepy meta-freakout, send e-mail to 

"listserv at listserv dot aol dot com" 

with a message body of 

subscribe cybermind [your name and e-mail here] 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

In the spirit of Jack Handey's "Deep Thoughts" comes the
Daily Affectation, a sendup of those saccharine
affirmations that spread via e-mail like a rash. These are
short-but-sweet dispatches, aimed to crack a grin and then
become instantly disposable. 

Some recent examples:

"Good deeds are forgotten in the blink of an eye...but an
imaginative felony can be our ticket to immortality." 

"If Life hands you lemons today, smile and give thanks. 
Then when Life isn't looking, give him a quick knee to the 
groin. That'll learn him." 

It's interesting to note that the Daily Affectation isn't 
exactly daily--it often goes silent for a few days at a 
time. Evidently, "daily" is just an affectation. 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to 
"DailyAffectations-subscribe at topica dot com"

Or check out the archives at 


http://www.topica.com/lists/DailyAffectations

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

More puzzles and riddles this week: The Daily Brain Teaser
provides just that--one riddle per day, delivered to your in box,
with the answer to the previous day's riddle thrown in as well.
(If you don't want to wait for the answer, you can zip over to
the accompanying Web site.) The newsletter is ad-supported,
but the design is simple and efficient, so getting to the goods is
easy. A warning: This kind of daily brainteaser list can be very
addictive. Once you read the puzzle, you may find yourself
distracted all day long, thinking about it and thinking about it,
until you're ready to QUIT YOUR JOB AND THROW YOUR
COMPUTER THROUGH THE FRIGGIN' WINDOW BECAUSE
THAT STUPID PUZZLE IS EATING AWAY AT YOUR BRAIN
AND ... well, you see my point. Be careful. 

Subscribe via the Web site at: http://www.afunzone.com

or send a blank e-mail to: "Intelligence-subscribe at listbot dot com"

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Another nice little daily mailer from the folks at Mailbits, the
Daily Vocabulary Mailing is exactly what it sounds like. Every
day, you get an e-mail with a new word and definition, plus the
old sample sentence. Pop quiz: What does the word "vitiate"
mean? (A) to consume by eating; (B) to energize; (C) to damage
the quality of; (D) to dance frenetically. The answer is (C), to
damage the quality of. (Veteran test takers will note that the
answer to any multiple-choice question is almost always (C).)
And by the way, it's pronounced /VISH-ee-ate/. Now the
question is, what does "frenetically" mean? 

Sign up via the Web site at http://mailbits.com/Words/default.htm

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

This Web site and mailing list is dedicated to those great
little moments we've all experienced that inevitably turn
into the stories we tell late at night after a beer or
three--"Did I ever tell you about the time…" The Damndest
Thing has been getting pretty popular through word of
mouth--actually, text-of-e-mail is more likely these
days--and offers a generous variety of strange-but-true
yarns, like that of the airplane pilot who wrote in to tell
about the time he saw "the wing of an Asiana 747-400 cut
into the tail of a parked Aeroflot IL62 at Anchorage
International Airport while trying to make a U-turn." Or the
fisherman who watched in disbelief as a first-time
motorboat owner floated past with his boat still attached to
the driving trailer underneath. Subscribe to the mailing list
and you'll get semiweekly updates with the best recently
submitted stories, plus URLs for the occasional illustrative
photo. Much fun. 

http://www.thedamnedestthing.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Star Trek fans are renowned for their--I suppose
"thoroughness" is the polite term--when it comes to
debating the fine points of Gene Roddenberry's classic
science fiction empire. Dateline: Starfleet is a monthly
newsletter launched way back in July 1990 by editor Bill
Mason shortly after the debut of the Star Trek Club forum
on America Online. The man does the work of 100
androids here, collecting news from all arms of the
sprawling Star Trek galaxy--updates on past and present
actors, writers, and other contributors, plus current
broadcast schedules for all programs in syndication. 

Make it so at:  http://www.data1701d.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

If online evidence is any indication, it appears that every
single person in the world--regardless of gender, age,
profession, or orientation--has a secret crush on The
X-Files' David Duchovny. The David Duchovny Estrogen
Brigade is a semi-famous (and long-closed) mailing list for
a devout group of virulently fanatic David Duchovny
admirers. You can no longer subscribe to this list, but you
can check out the amazing Creative Archive Web page. I
bring this up strictly as a public service, to demonstrate
what mailing lists can lead to--harder stuff. This is what
can happen to a single-minded group of subscribers, given
enough time, estrogen, and Fox television reruns. 

Brace yourself: http://www.ddeb.com/ddfiction.html

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

One of the pleasant surprise side effects of the Web boom
is the new proliferation of quality online comics.
Newspaper comics pages are notoriously conservative and
hard for newcomers to crack (and do we really need Hagar
the Horrible anymore?). But the Internet opens up new
distribution options for up-and-comers. The Deep End is a
consistently funny single-panel cartoon by Anton Ballard.
It's actually published in several newspapers already, but
is also available via the Web or as an image attachment
via e-mail. 

Check out the online archives to see if The Deep End is 
your thing: http://www.deep-end.com

Or subscribe by sending an email to "IMZQT4U at fcmail dot com"
with "Deepend Mailer" (w/o the quotes, of course) in the 
subject line of your message.

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

This list is but one of many services and publications from
the National Endowment for Democracy, a private,
nonprofit organization founded in 1983 "to strengthen
democratic institutions around the world." The list is
moderated and dispatches come in digest form anywhere
from two to six or so times per month. Newsletters feature
breaking news from around the world regarding democracy
issues, as well as reading lists, information on upcoming
conferences, and reprinted articles from various
publications. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail message to

"majordomo at free dot ned dot org". 

On the first line in the body of the message, type: 

    subscribe democracy_news 

You will begin receiving dispatches as well as a reply
e-mail explaining how to post messages to 
DemocracyNews. 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

To subscribe by email:

     1. Send an email message to "dispatch at cnet dot com"

     2. In the body of the message put the following:

          subscribe [your e-mail address]

Pitched as a mailing list for "serious UFOlogists," the 
Discuss-UFO list comes in a semidaily digest format (that is, 
once every day or two) and features generally coherent 
discussion on the topic of extraterrestrials, conspiracies, 
and so on. The tone is friendly and the level of discourse 
more elevated than you might expect. Plus the participants 
seem to have a healthy sense of humor about it all--a recent 
post warned of an extraterrestrial computer virus that will 
erase your hard drive, drink your beer, and give you Dutch 
Elm Disease. 

The list is affiliated with the Picard UFO Research International 
Web site. 

Sign up via the Web at 
http://www.onelist.com/viewarchive.cgi?listname=discuss-ufo

--This tip contributed by Leigh Anne Jones

Ditherati is a daily newsletter with a simple agenda. Every day,
it sends out a single quote from the world of new media.
Usually, it's an embarrassing quote, or a cynical one, or a stupid
one. The Ditherati newsletter is there to laugh on the
sidelines--it's the Information Age as spectator sport. One
recent featured example of heavy spin control, from AltaVista
CEO Rod Schrock: "There's a huge advantage to being last.
You can come up with a vision and a strategy that's better."
Whatever you say, Rod. 

Sign up via the Web site at http://www.ditherati.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

An excellent source of information about what is hot 
and a place to get it.

   To subscribe on the Web:

     1. Go to http://www.download.com/PC/Join/?dld.pc
     2. Check the DOWNLOAD.COM PC box on the screen
     3. In the field provided, enter your email address
     4. Click on the subscribe button

   To subscribe by email:

     1. Send an email message to "listserv at dispatch dot cnet dot com"
     2. In the body of the message put the following:

          subscribe download-dispatch

While there are a lot of medical advice and reference Web sites
out there, Dr. Koop's Community offers an unmatched level of
interactivity. (Yes, it's that Dr. Koop--C. Everett, former surgeon
general and Colonel Sanders lookalike.) Chief among this site's
interactive virtues is its newsletter feature. Like many
newsletters ambitious Web sites offer, this one is chiefly
promotional--you'll find updates on new features and offerings
with links pointing back to the Web site itself. But for the
caliber of content Dr. Koop's Community offers, it's worth
subscribing. Once you click back to the site, you can choose
from a library of online medical resources, including a medical
encyclopedia and online pharmacy, or select health topics
alphabetically from the home page's drop-down menu. You can
also join ongoing message board support forums with other
users (for quitting smoking, say), or tune in to regular chat
sessions with medical experts on a variety of topics. 

Subscribe at http://www.drkoop.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Like most good ideas, this one is simple: a general
all-purpose mailing list for solving those occasional minor
problems that pop up during your day. Some recent
queries include how to get poster putty out of the carpet or
Coke out of the keyboard. Many of the problems, as of
now, tend to be computer related--but as more folks join
the list, questions and answers should get more varied. If
another list member has an answer to your question, he or
she can respond to the list serve for all to see, or just send
you a private reply. This list is for your everyday dilemmas,
mind you. Don't bother airing your existential grievances here. 

Find your answers at 
http://EmailProblemSolver.listbot.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

It's no secret that there are a ton of recipe mailing lists out
there, but many presuppose several years of training at a
French culinary school. The Everyday Cook list is for those
of us who know our way around a kitchen, but don't have
12 hours to kill simmering brandy truffles or whatever. This
weekly list delivers tips and a recipe of the week that
anyone can make. Some past examples include the
20-minute key lime pie, easy grilled salmon, and the
perfect omelet. The Web site is nicely put together, with
archived recipes and handy bonuses like a glossary and
spice guide. 

Sign up via the Web site at 
http://www.everydaycook.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Online genealogy research has become a booming business--and 
with good reason. What used to take handwritten letters and 
laborious trips to public library microfiche files, you can 
now accomplish easily via the global reach of the Internet. 
Family Tree Finders, a daily newsletter by genealogist Rhonda 
R. McClure, features well-written articles related to genealogy 
and often discusses online strategies. In fact, one recent issue 
covered Brigham Young University's annual Computerized Genealogy 
Conference. 

Delve into the past at http://www.sodamail.com/site/ftf.shtml

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

With the success of commercial hosting services like Topica,
OneList, and ListBot, mailing lists are getting easier to publish
by the hour. Traditional publishers are catching on as well, and
the number of electronic newsletters is skyrocketing. How to
keep afloat? Fidget.com, a new online directory for all kinds of
e-publications, recently went live with more than 600 indexed
newsletters. The site also puts out a few unique newsletters of
its own. It's a good idea whose time has come. Fidget president
Sharon Gillenwater says that unlike existing directories aimed at
publishing professionals, Fidget targets regular Internet users
looking for quality, reputable e-pubs. 

Check it out at: http://www.fidget.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

MyFree.com bills itself as the Ultimate Source for Bargain
Lovers, and you really can't argue with that. The site looks
like a Yahoo directory of Internet freebies, with two dozen
or so categories (bridal, cooking, parents, crafts) and no
less than 12 separate newsletters. The Free Stuff Daily
Sweepstakes List delivers daily sign-up information for
various contests of the "no purchase necessary" variety,
both online and off. There's also a weekly digest version.
Keep in mind that these contests exist solely for
marketing purposes, and you're likely to get swamped with
spam once you give away your e-mail address. Consider
using a Web-based e-mail account if you want to give it a
shot. 

Sign up via the Web site at http://www.myfree.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

It's heartening to see there are those still striving to
disprove the adage "There's no such thing as a free lunch."
The Do You Wanna Freebie Newsletter is a marvel of
cooperative freeloading. Subscribe to this list, and every
week you'll get an e-mail detailing 50 or so URLs offering
free trial offers, contests, sample packs, and so on. A
recent edition featured Web sites offering free samples of
calendars, mouse pads, Frisbees, nutrition bars,
sunglasses, shaving cream, incense, and vitamins. That's
not to mention special offers including (I'm not making any
of this up) Uncle Harry's Natural Tooth Powder, Brighten
Up Natural Mood Elevator, J&J Soothing Vapor Bath & Gift
Basket, Free Sample of Cloth Material (Allergy Sufferers),
Tummy Tamer Acid Control, Irena Fresh Royal Jelly,
Fermipan Yeast Sample and Catalogue, and the intriguing
Free Herman Poster. 

Get your grab-bag at 
http://members.tripod.com/~JMcCall/join.html


--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Sometimes you don't need a good reason to start a 
mailing list. Case in point: Friends Need Friends, a small 
new list simply looking for others to join and chat. It's kind 
of like a global, electronic pen-pal experiment. Spamming, 
lurking, and vulgarities are not allowed, and you'll be 
working on the honor system here. Topics are otherwise 
unlimited--pets, hobbies, jokes, and the impact of the 
Magna Carta on parliamentary procedure. Well, no, just 
kidding about that last part. 
But what the hey--why not bring it up and see what happens? 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to 
"FriendsNeedFriends-subscribe at onelist dot com " 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

The Frugal Shopper is another list of the popular freebies
variety, wherein you can find links to online bargains, free
giveaways, rebates, coupons, and sweepstakes. A recent
issue offered leads on how to get free samples of litter box
freshener, snack crackers, a CD from K-Tel, and--of
course--mouse pads. If you can't get a free mouse pad
these days, you're not really trying. Each issue is divided
into Free Offers, Bargains & Great Deals, and
Sweepstakes & Contests. You can also sign up for the
Frugal Shopper Discussion List, a moderated forum for
up-to-the-minute bargains both online and off, and the
similar Winning Sweeps Discussion List for sweepstakes
and lotteries. 

Get into the express checkout lane at http://www.thefrugalshopper.com

 --This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Hey Mac fans! Here's a cool list for those of us who like to keep
tabs on just what those folks at Apple are up to these days.
Even if you're a PC user, it's worthwhile to pay attention to this
crowd--many are the innovations that have come from Apple's
Cupertino, California, headquarters. It's fairly geeky stuff, and
of course I mean that in the best sense of the word. If you're a
PC person, you may be tempted to drop in and flame or at least
rock the boat a little. Don't. These people are smarter than you
are, and besides, it's bad karma. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail to "join-fast at clio dot lyris dot net"

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

In the history of wasting time, a few inventions have truly risen
to the top. These devices demonstrate the ability to kill huge
chunks of time pleasantly and efficiently. The current champion
time-killer is indisputably Nintendo's GameBoy, the last word in
handheld video games. 

The GameBoyLand Newsletter comes out every two weeks or
so, and includes the latest news, reviews, and cheats for
popular GameBoy titles. The newsletter also offers plenty of
links back to the GameBoyLand Web site, which has detailed
screenshots, audio files, and video clips. 

If you're serious about your time-wasting techniques, 
subscribe via the Web site at http://www.gb-zine.8m.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

When holistic hankerings meet millennial anxiety, you get
The Gentle Survivalist newsletter. This relatively new list is
the e-mail arm of a print 'zine that's been around since
1991. Generally, it covers the kind of things less charitable
types might call "New Age-y." According to the mission
statement, "TGS respects and supports all efforts to throw
material and emotional ballast overboard; to live lives of
simplicity, dedicated focus, and joy. Although our interests
are all-encompassing, we shun all forms of darkness,
substances, and media bombardment that would pollute
our inner natures and erode the spiritual progress we have
achieved thus far." Specifically, you'll find a lot of
discussion about nature-based Y2K preparedness,
including how to forage for food and store water and wheat.

Check out the Web site at http://www.infowest.com/gentle

or subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to 
"gentle-survivalist-subscribe at onelist dot com"

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

 There is probably no specimen of modern humanity so
alternately admirable and irritating as the Organized Type.
Everybody has a few of these people in their life, and it's
hard to know whether to emulate them or hate them. But
let us take the high road, shall we? The Get-O-Life mailing
list is a forum for those who aspire to organizational
greatness, be it at home, at work, or just in general. Post
a question or just lurk to see how other people tackle the
problem. As is often pointed out, the hardest part is
knowing where to begin. One contributor suggests inviting
friends over for an evening, thereby forcing yourself to get
things together beforehand. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail to "getolife at geocities dot com"

with the word "subscribe" in the subject field (For the
Digest version, put "subscribe digest"). 

Or visit the Web site at http://getolife.hypermart.net/

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Here's a nice option if you're looking for some light reading
before bedtime. The Global Intelligence Update is a daily
dispatch from Stratfor.com, a global news and analysis service
with a fiercely independent streak. Each day's mailing is an
analytic report of geopolitical, economic, or military events
drawn from a different region of the world. There are also
weekly analyses, and both quarterly and annual reports. Some
recent topics: "Eurasian Instability and a New American
Strategy," "World Bank Reverses Position on Financial
Controls," and "China's Available Military Options and Its
Relations with the U.S." To subscribe, send an e-mail with your
first name, last name, and e-mail address to "alert at stratfor dot com" 
 
Or visit the online archives at 

http://www.stratfor.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

You don't want to learn the hard way about unhealthy 
computing habits: Eyestrain, repetitive stress injuries, 
bad posture--they can add up. This quarterly newsletter, put out 
by the ergonomic consulting company VDT Solutions, covers a 
lot of territory. Here you'll find the latest news from the world of 
ergonomic computing (upcoming conferences, for example), plus 
detailed discussions on particular problem areas. For 
instance, VDT recommends that 70 percent of office 
illumination bounce off the ceiling, which produces a 
uniform level of lighting much like daylight. The 
newsletter targets managers and facilities personnel, 
but is useful for anyone hoping to avoid injury. 

Sign up via the Web site at: http://www.rsinomore.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Hologram Tales, the free SF & Fantasy magazine - 
This list is used to e-mail out a free magazine which 
features a range of tongue-in-cheek observations about 
the latest SF and fantasy movies, books, videos, model 
kits, comics and any other news scoops they can get 
their grubby little mitts on. 
All the usual targets are covered ... Star Wars, Phantom 
Menace, Star Trek, DS9, Voyager, Xena, Dune, parallel 
universes, William Gibson novels etc. This list has a 
number of high profile subscribers, including George 
Lucas, Ken Livingstone, Arthur C. Clarke and Steven 
Spielberg. 
The thing we like most about this newsletter is its wry 
sense of humor - very British and terribly amusing. 
Highly Recommended ... a Six Star e-mail newsletter.

TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS LIST: 
Contact list owner at: "jessica_p_martin at hotmail dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Jessica Martin

Home networking has been heralded as The Next Big
Thing in the technology industry for the last few years, and
with good reason--many households now have more than
one computer, and the cable industry is trying like the
dickens to get both your TV and your PC online.
Home-Networking.Org is a Web site and mailing list for
people setting up home networks, regardless of what kind
of hardware or software is used. You can post a question
or simply lurk and pick up pointers. Also includes help for
Linux users. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail to "majordomo at home-networking dot org"
with the word subscribe in the body of the message. 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Ever since "Scream" reanimated the genre, we've been fed a
steadily decaying diet of postmodern slasher flicks aimed at the
high-school crowd. However, recent films such as "The
Haunting," "The Sixth Sense," and "Stir of Echoes"
suggest that old-fashioned creepiness is making a
comeback. Must be millennial anxiety. Horror Plus is a
fairly busy list that scares up more than 20 messages a
day, and features impassioned discussion of such topics
as "Sequels Which Many Consider to Be Better Than the
Originals." ("Sleepaway Camp III" and "Slumber Party
Massacre II" got some votes.)

Check it out at http://www.onelist.com/community/90horrorplus

or subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to 
"90horrorplus-subscribe at onelist dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

An interesting trend has begun to develop in the onliine writing
community. Due to the egalitarian nature of the Internet, many
different Web sites and maiing lists cater to writers in different 
genres--after all, it's a lot easier to get published online than it
is the real world, which necessitates printing presses,
distribution outlets, and so on. So which genre attracts the
most prolific group of writers online?  Horor.  Whether you
blame it on Stephen King or millennial anxiety, it's true. If 
you're a fan of reading or writing horror fiction, check out the
very busy HorrorLit mailing list. Past discussions include a
breakdown of the "Storm of the Century" miniseries and a 
debate regarding the preferable way to be laid to rest.
(Cremation seems to be the way to go, so to speak.)
Contributors to this list tend to be very articulate and polite,
which is somehow even creepier. 

Get scared at http://www.onelist.com/viewarchive.cgi?listname=horrorlit

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

We're not sure it's really the BEST humor around, but 
if your ambition is to mail out several jokes and other funny 
stuff every single day, you're pretty much bound to toss out 
some duds. That's our theory, anyway. Judge for yourself 
with a subscription to the Best of Humor digest (you can 
get the jokes individually, too, but the digest is less clutter). 

Send ONE of the following commands (depending on whether you 
want a regular subscription or digest) to 
"majordomo at bestofhumor dot com"

       subscribe humor 

                OR 

       subscribe humor-digest 

Another in the legion of humor mailing lists out there,
HumorPosters features all clean, above-the-belt jokes and
quotations. The gimmick here is that the jokes come in
poster format for easy printing and, one assumes, cubicle
decorating. The e-mail itself has a kind of crude formatting,
but for the real deal you should double back to the
originating Web site, which features fully formatted humor
posters with illustrations. The jokes are pretty good, too. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail to "HumorPosters-Subscribe at Topica dot com" 

or check out the Web site at http://laugh.at/ramondchew

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

This coolest newsletter name, Inklings
comes from the very useful Web site, Inkspot.com, an online
resource for writers. What a great word: 

inkling [ingkling] (plural inklings) noun 1. faint idea: a vague
idea or suspicion about a fact, event, or person. 

At any rate, Inklings details new resources for writers on the
Internet, market information, tips, interviews, and how-to
articles. There are also links to classified ads, but be
forewarned: Paying gigs are few and far between. Still, there are
a lot of good leads both in the newsletter and on the Web site,
and it's a good way to keep an eye on the growing market for
online writing. 

Subscribe via the Web site at http://www.inkspot.com/inklings 

Or send an e-mail to "adminfaq at inkspot dot com"

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

If you spend a lot of time researching the Internet, you
know how trying it can be to find what you're looking for
online. Despite all the advances in search technology, the
Web is simply growing too fast for any one resource to
keep track of. The Internet Research News mailing list is a
weekly roundup of news regarding online research
techniques and services. The newsletter doesn't generate
much original material, but rather reposts content from
major news services. For example, if Yahoo introduces a
new directory service, Internet Research News gathers
independent reviews of the new service and sends them
out. The newsletter arrives every Thursday and usually
features 10 to 15 items of interest. It's a good way to keep
abreast of the latest advances in online research
techniques. 

Check it out at: http://www.coppersky.com/ongir/news/index.html

 --This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Jokes Every Day delivers five or so jokes every 
morning to your e-mail in-box. 
It's a very popular list--recent archive postings indicate 
there are currently more than 26,000 subscribers. (When the 
list launched in June 1988, there were 7 subscribers, 
according to the archives.) The jokes are all "clean," 
though some are mildly suggestive, and well copy edited. 
If you've subscribed to massive joke lists before, you know 
that grammar is seldom a priority. Each day's edition also 
includes several ads, but this is to be expected with a list 
of this size. In fact, the list has spawned several Web site 
offshoots, including Jokes Every Day Cartoons 4U, Jokes Every 
Day Top 100 Sites, and Jokes Every Day Tune Inn. 

You can link to them from the Web site http://www.jokeseveryday.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Sci-fi's venerable Star Trek franchise is very probably the
only television show that sparked the creation of an
entirely new language. The purpose of the Klingon
Language Institute's mailing list is, according to the Web
site, to "use and discuss the Klingon Language (tlhIngan
Hol), which was constructed by Dr. Marc Okrand for use in
the Star Trek films and television series." Be forewarned:
These folks have been using and expanding the
manufactured Klingon language for several years, and
many posts are entirely written in Klingon. Many members
are academics, linguists, and serious hobbyists, but
newcomers are welcome. Among the KLI's ambitious
projects are efforts to translate the Bible and the works of
Shakespeare into Klingon. 

To subscribe, send an e-mail with 
"subscribe tlhingan-hol [your name]" 
in the body of the message" to "listserv at kli dot org" 

The listbot will figure out your e-mail address automatically. 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Making Lemonade is a Web site and mailing list dedicated
to single parents, featuring plenty of tips and advice on
how to handle situations unique to the single-parent family.
Even though this is basically a newsletter, there's a lot of
healthy give and take among readers and several sections
for posting questions that other single parents can respond
to. Also, you get featured links, recipes, job and career
resources, and plenty of encouragement in the form of
stories, poems, and so on. There's a good deal of ad
content in both the newsletter and on the Web site.

Subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to: 

"lemonaders-subscribe at listbot dot com" 
 
or visit the Web site at: http://makinglemonade.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

To subscribe by email:

     1. Send an email message to "majordomo at mint dot net"
     2. The subject should be blank.
     3. In the body of the message put:

          subscribe mmdd-list
          (do not include a signature)

A lot of comic book fans believe that Iron Man is the
toughest of all Marvel superheroes. He could mop the floor
with Captain America, then wax it with Spiderman. The Mighty
Marvel Mailer is a weekly newsletter from the good people at
Marvel Comics that will keep you informed of the latest in
superhero happenings. Besides detailed information on the
latest issues of all Marvel titles, it offers links to cover art
previews, upcoming chats with Marvel artists and writers, and
regular contests and sweepstakes. And you gotta love the
subscription confirmation message: "Hi Hero! Thunderous
THANKS for joining the multiplying multitude of MIGHTY
MARVEL MAILER recipients!" Right on! 

Subscribe via the Web site at:
http://www.marvelcomics.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Here's another good example of a mailing list that can bring
people together in a good way. Mixed Emotions is an online
support group for adult children dealing with the death or
impending death of a parent from whom they are emotionally
estranged. "Those of us who are/were estranged or distant from
a parent due to emotional/verbal abuse, alcoholism, or other
addiction/dysfunction undergo a wide range of mixed emotions,
and a different grieving process than those who grew up in
more 'normal' families," writes list owner Carol Martzinek.
Archives and posting rights are reserved for members only, so
you'll have to sign up before you can look around. 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to 
"MixedEmotions-subscribe at onelist dot com" 

or go through the Web site at 
http://members.tripod.com/carolannem/mixedemotions1.html

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

A cool kind of pop-culture art form all its own, the movie
poster has attracted a wide range of admirers and
collectors. The MoPo list is an active and established
community of aficionados, and this is a great place to
arrange deals--you can buy, sell, trade, and barter with
hundreds of other collectors. It's also a good place to get
advice and tips on how to care for and restore your
collection. Be sure to read the online FAQ, as it provides
guidelines on what's appropriate to discuss publicly and
when you should move to private e-mail when conducting
business.

Subscribe via the Web site at http://www.filmfan.com/

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Now and again, a film like Patch Adams comes around to
delight audiences, disgust critics, and illustrate the widening
gap between casual and professional moviegoers. Of course, it
works in both directions--many are the art-house critical
darlings that audiences shun in droves. The MoviePoll mailing
list has an interesting angle. Each day, a new movie is sent out
to the list for review, along with a short synopsis. If you've
seen the film, you can respond and rate it on a scale of one to
four stars. The next day, the average score for that film is sent
back out to the list, along with a new title. Of course, you can
also add your own commentary--for instance, "I find Kubrick's
visual irony in the denouement suggests a supple narrative
throughline" or "Kate Blanchett is a babe!" 

To subscribe, send an e-mail to 
"MoviePoll-subscribe at onelist dot com"

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

DISCLAIMER

Personal computers are individual machines with performance 
that can vary with components, software, and operator ability. 
The Naked PC is not responsible for the manner in which the
information presented is used or interpreted. Also, although 
we work hard to provide you with accurate Internet links in The 
Naked PC, we are not responsible for Internet links herein that 
represent sites owned and operated by third parties. We are 
not responsible for the content, accuracy, performance, or 
availability of any such third-party sites. Grass stains may 
not wash out. Do not leave on your car dash with the windows 
rolled up on a hot day.

REDISTRIBUTION POLICY

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However, please do so only by sending it in full, thereby 
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We do request that, once they've reviewed an issue or two, 
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Also, if you wish to post this newsletter to a newsgroup or 
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SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

To subscribe or unsubscribe, surf on over to: 	

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You might think you know a lot about movies, but a subscription 
to this twice-weekly newsletter is likely to show you the true 
depths of your (relative) ignorance. Dispatches are sent every 
Monday and Thursday, and each one gives a brief description of 
two movies and the year they were released, plus the occasional 
bonus hint. Some are easy, some are hard, some are so obscure 
they may as well be made up. Nevertheless, answers follow in the 
next newsletter, so you're never totally left in the dark. 

For subscription information, stop by 

http://www.namethatmovie.net/ 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Not surprisingly, the folks over at NASA run a pretty great
Web site and basically take full advantage of the online
medium. Science@NASA is a growing list that forwards
new stories as they are posted to the Web site. More often
than not NASA includes downloadable audio, visual, and
animated graphics files with each new posting. (You must
access the attachments separately from the Web site;
they aren't clipped to the newsletter itself.) Recent features
include an interactive online tool that can tell you if and
how global warming is impacting your neighborhood, and a
cool article on what comes out of the TOP of thunderstorm
clouds. 

Point your aluminum umbrella toward the Web site at: 


http://science.nasa.gov/news/subscribe.htm 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

To subscribe by email:

     1. Send an email message to "One dot step at nycmetro dot com"
	   -or- "belve at aol dot com"
     2. In the subject of the message put:  subscribe
     3. In the body of the message you should make a polite
        request to be added to their mailing list.

          (This is strictly a manual operation and they are very
          nice people so you can be relaxed and chatty if you wish.)

For those who are very serious about their wines, 
the Passport Wine Club offers an online resource for 
discovering, researching, and--of course--mail-ordering 
various wines. The Passport Wine Club mailing list profiles worthwhile 
and often little-known vineyards in France, Italy, Australia, 
California, and other regions. Each week's selection also 
includes serving tips, advice on which foods go best with 
a particular wine, and a bit of history as well. While there's 
something of the inevitable snobbishness, the Passport 
Wine Club list offers wines suitable for any budget--or at 
least any budget likely to belong to a person seeking out 
mail-order wines online.

Take a sip at 
http://www.topwine.com/isignup.html 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Brought to you by the pallid folks at the Pathway to
Darkness Web site ("The Ultimate Online Vampire
Resource"), Pathway News is a monthly vampire
newsletter filled with news and links to the latest in
vampire culture happenings--new books, movies, games,
and trivia. This is more pop-culture than deep-six goth stuff
(the temptation to insert bad puns here is overwhelming,
but I'm staying strong), and references run the gamut from
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" to a discussion of whether
vampires could live at the bottom of the ocean. Like
worrying about sharks isn't bad enough. 

Sign up via the Web site at 
http://www.pathwaytodarkness.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

This month's Just In Time award goes to the heroic PokeParents
list, a sorely needed forum for moms and dads of children
obsessed with the wildly popular Pokemon card game. For
those somehow unfamiliar with the Pokemon phenomenon, it's a
trading card game featuring strange little Japanese cartoon
critters. Think baseball cards plus Beanie Babies, times brilliant
cross-marketing, squared. Or something. At any rate, the little
kids understand. "With Pokemon the phenomenon gaining yet
more steam with more cards, a November film release, line of
candy, etc., I think that a sensible, intelligent forum for parents
will become increasingly useful," writes list owner Ethan Miller.
Being a Pokemon uncle myself, I think he's right. 

Check it out at: 

http://www.topica.com/lists/pokeparents/read

or subscribe by sending a blank e-mail to: 
"pokeparents-subscribe at topica dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Powell's Books is among the last of a dying breed--a
successful independent book dealer in a land of
corporate-owned chain-store giants. (If you're ever in
Portland with several hours to kill, be sure to stop by the
main store downtown.) Powell's has successfully branched
into online sales as well, via its popular Web site. Besides
its amazing range of used and rare books, Powell's almost
always has several versions of older books--new, used,
paperback, or hardcover--for you to choose from. The
newsletter is basically promotional, and often features
advance word on upcoming sales and specials, in addition
to staff picks and occasional contests. 

Subscribe via the Web site at 

http://www.powells.com/newsletter.html

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

As the name suggests, this list delivers one recipe per day via 
e-mail (except on weekends--you'll have to wing it then). 
Recipes are gathered from various sources; list creators 
Richard Rowand and Tim Lee contributed many family 
favorites, and recipients have submitted their own favorites. 
Each recipe comes with a personal introduction, adding a 
nice homey feel to the proceedings. ("My mom made the 
best lasagna I've ever had. Really. My high school buddies 
always seemed to know when to drop by at dinnertime. 
Luckily, mom didn't mind…") The recipes are creative but 
usually pretty basic--no need for exotic spices. You should 
be able to find everything you need already in your cupboards 
or at the corner store. And of course you can contribute your 
own specialties. (I'm thinking of sending in my mom's 
world-famous Glaswegian pepper-vinegar mussels. Don't you 
laugh--they're exquisite.) 

Sign up at 
http://www.recipedujour.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Essentially a promotional vehicle for The Rose & Thorn
Web site, this bimonthly newsletter provides the highlights
and contents of each new edition of The Rose & Thorn
E-Zine, a literary publication combining contemporary
writing with traditional prose and poetry. The Web site
itself features the full-length stories when published, but
the newsletter is a good way to get alerted when new
editions are posted. You'll also get an editor's overview and
links to other online publishing venues. A good choice for
dedicated readers and writers. 

Subscribe via the Web site at: 

http://www.theroseandthornezine.com/

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

In a typical display of Scottish resourcefulness, this newsletter
(which is also a Web site) has written a little subscript into
its home page that lets visitors continuously vote the site
into mailing list directory Ezine's roundup of the most
popular mailing lists. Cheating, maybe…but that sort of
moxie is worth heralding and applauding, no matter what
the context. And it's quite cool--if you're a Scot yourself or
know one, check it out. You'll find short stories, poems,
Scottish history, downloadable Celtic music clips--even
recommendations on vintage Scotch whiskey. Highly
recommended. 

Subscribe at 
http://www.scottishradiance.com/radtab.htm

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Very probably the best television show in the history of the
medium, The Simpsons deserves every Emmy the
academy throws its way. It has also developed a loyal
following, and its dense and highly referential brand of
satire encourages fans to mull over the roughly 7,000 gags
delivered in each episode. The Simpsons-L list has well
over 1,000 members, so you'll almost certainly want to
subscribe to the daily digest version. Recurring topics
include "Where Is Springfield?" and "Is Smithers Gay?" as
well as other items of unquestioned import. Check out the
comprehensive and very funny online FAQ for more details.

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail message to 
"simpsons-l-on at lyris dot snpp dot com"

or visit the Web site at 
http://www.snpp.com/

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

 it's fairly small, 5 people, and most of  the folks on it 
seem to be in Tennessee.

visit the Web site at 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/southern-fandom

--This tip contributed by "anonymous"

How's this for a tall order: The folks at NASA's Office of
Space Science, according to their Web site, are
responsible for "all of NASA's research from the middle
levels of Earth's atmosphere to the edge of the Universe."
What's more, "Our quest is to understand our cosmic
origins and destiny." Whew. You can keep up with the
latest goings-on by subscribing to the weekly Space
Science Update newsletter. The tone is enthusiastic but not
too techie, and the news items give a feel for the day-to-day
decisions at NASA that the mainstream press rarely
covers. ("In better news, last week we gave the Two
Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers (TWINS)
mission the go-ahead for development.") 

For subscription information, rocket on over to:
 

http://spacescience.nasa.gov/announce/listserv.htm#update

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Putting the "short" back in short stories, Story Bytes is an 
ingenious little mailing list and e-zine specializing in 
"fast fiction"--stories between 2 and 2048 words. 
Submitted stories come along once or twice a week, 
with a full-featured e-zine digest version available 
monthly. In keeping with the theme of digital distri-
bution, the word count for any given story falls on a 
power of two (2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and so on, up to 2048.) 
Stories tend to be of the slice-of-life variety--short vignettes 
that suggest more than they tell--and many of them are 
unexpectedly moving.  There's a strong strain of Christian 
writing, but submissions are in no way limited to that. You 
can submit your own stories as well; writer's guidelines 
are available.

Check it out at  http://www.storybytes.com 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Since the premature retirement of such great strips as
"Calvin and Hobbes," "The Far Side," and "Bloom County,"
many readers have rightfully lamented the lack of funny
cartoons in the newspaper. Well, forget the
newspaper--online is the way to go. Superosity is a
seriously strange comic strip from creator Chris Crosby. It
chronicles the adventures of an idiotic Web site designer,
his cocker spaniel dog, his scheming teen idol brother, his
superintelligent sentient board-shaped creature, and an
alternate future version of Brian "Kato" Kaelin. Really.
Subscribe to the list and you'll get the daily strip delivered
as an HTML attachment. 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to 
"superosityHTML-subscribe at onelist dot com"

or check out the Web site at 

http://www.superosity.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

The Society for Writers, Editors, and
Translators--SWET--is a professional organization for
people working with written English in Japan. The society
formed in 1980 with a Tokyo networking party, and it now
has over 300 members. In 1996, the SWET-L mailing list
emerged to serve the same constituency, though you
needn't be a SWET member or even be working in Japan
to join the list (it helps to have at least a compelling
interest in Japanese culture and the Japanese language,
however). The posts range from the day-in-the-life
dispatches to "two yens' worth" opinions to calls for
assistance (one subscriber recently sought help with a
translation to satisfy a "slightly kibishi" client). 

To join the list, send a message to 
"LISTSERV at PEACH dot EASE dot LSOFT dot COM".

In the body of the message, type 

SUBSCRIBE SWET-L 

followed by your full name, all on the same line. 

--This tip contributed by Leigh Anne Jones

Writer, editor and "unelected pundit" Keith Dawson puts this
weekly newsletter together, gathering notable news from the
computer industry, with an eye toward e-commerce and Internet
issues. The newsletter does a great job of getting to the meat of
the vast amount of technology news generated each week, and
the tone is just right--"serious but not somber," as Dawson puts it. 

Subscribe via the Web site at 
http://www.tbtf.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

A weekly newsletter drawn from Randy Cassingham's syndicated 
Colorado newspaper column, This Is True belongs to the 
seemingly inexhaustible "Weird News" genre of mailing lists. 
The difference here is that Cassingham follows each item 
with a wry commentary. The newsletter comes in two varieties. 
The advertising-supported free edition features about half of 
the items you get in the $15 per year premium edition, and 
arrives about a week later. 

A sampler: 
"Diana LaPorta, running for a seat on the Volusia County (Fla.) 
School Board, insists she has a bachelor's degree even though a 
local newspaper has revealed she earned it at 'Hamburger Univer-
sity,' a training program for employees of the McDonald's hamburger 
chain. (Reuters) (Commentary: If she gets on the school board, that 
may be the only university the kids will be eligible for.)" 

As you can see, the supplementary humor is nothing to write home 
about. Go with the free edition. 

Subscribe at 
http://www.thisistrue.com/subscribe.html

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

There are currently a half-dozen or so major Web-based 
mailing list hosting services, including heavy hitters 
like Onelist, eGroups, and ListBot. One service about 
which I've gotten a lot of positive feedback is relative 
newcomer Topica, which recently acquired Listz, one of 
the godfathers of the mailing list arena. Topica is 
designed to bring mailing list hosts and subscribers 
together via the Web: You can host your own list on 
Topica's servers, subscribe to any existing lists, or 
use the Web site to read and manage your lists without 
having to use an e-mail account of your own. I particularly 
like Topica's well-designed interface, which makes naviga-
tion easy and intuitive--although occasionally the frames-
based design gets confused with too many back and forward 
commands. There are also comprehensive list description 
entries, which indicate the subject of the list and let 
you browse through discussions before joining (at the 
discretion of the list moderator.) 

Check it out at http://www.topica.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald 

Online travel services have grown increasingly (and
deservedly) popular. Once you've booked a cheap roundtrip
to Detroit in 15 minutes online, it's hard to go back to the
grim world of calling multiple airlines on your own.
Travelocity.com is a market leader in this category, and its
weekly newsletter, The Traveler's Check, is well worth
checking out. You'll get the latest industry news (it
frequently and dutifully covers fare wars), as well as
general travel tips and feature stories. The newsletter is
available in text format, or as an attached HTML document
with images and links. 

To subscribe, stop by the Web site at: 

http://www.travelocity.com/newsletter

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Did you know that at the time of his death, Thomas Edison
had patented more than 1000 inventions? It's true. This
useful bit of trivia is brought to you at no extra charge as a
way of leading into today's featured list, United Inventors.
The list exists for "the sole reason of uniting inventors into
one national group," and features discussion of the
treacherous world of patents, funding, and so on.
"Complicated and shark infested" is how one subscriber
recently put it. The list has around two dozen subscribers
as of now, and averages around seven to ten posts per day. 

Subscribe via the Web site at Topica (enter "United Inventors" 
in the search box):   

http://www.topica.com 

Or send a blank e-mail to "UI-subscribe at topica dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Visitations.com is a Web site you should check out. It's
just one of many, many online resources for strange UFO
conjectures, but it nicely represents the genre as a whole.
Those who suspect they might have been unknowing
abductees at some point, and/or are currently under the
influence of extraterrestrial mind control, will find useful
information and plenty of support. Some factoids: "Most
abductions are conducted by the 'greys' of traditional
description." (Greys are the stereotypical little guys with
big heads and big eyes.) Also this: "The 'greys' (and in
some cases black creatures in 'capes' that act as 'guards'
during the painful and terrifying 'medical operations') have a
way of 'blurring' their faces in the minds of the abductees,
so that the abductee cannot later recall what the alien
'faces' looked like." 

The mailing list is designed to keep you abreast of new
content online, as well as serve as a general forum for
discussion. 

To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to:  "visitations at dswebnet dot com" 

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

Here's another multivitamin e-mail, in which we alert you to
dozens of newsletters in a single tip. Women.com has a long
and growing list of newsletters for women, in both text and
HTML format. Featured newsletters are weekly, biweekly, or
monthly. There's The Stork Report, for moms and moms-to-be;
Crayola Family Play, featuring ideas and activities for the wee
ones; Women's Wire; Sex and Romance; and more commercial
offerings such as Good Housekeeping Buzz and What's New @
Victoria's Secret. To subscribe, you'll have to provide the usual
demographic information. According to the privacy policy, the
site only shares information with others by your permission.
(Usually, if you want to enter any contests or sweepstakes, you
have to give up the goods.)

To subscribe, check out the Web site at: 

http://www.women.com/membership

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald

It's nice to see an old-school print magazine go online with
an understanding of the strengths of new media, and
WritersDigest is one such example. (The Sporting News is
another.) Besides running a very cool Web site, the folks
at WritersDigest also issue a semiregular newsletter
(about once a week) with tips and how-to articles for
writers of all levels, though those looking to get published
will find this most useful. Some topic examples are: Tips
for Creating Fiction Ideas, Tips for Writing From Personal
Experience, The Basics of Writing the Nonfiction Query
Letter, and Advice From First Novelists About Getting
Published. 

Get the write stuff at 
http://www.writersdigest.com

--This tip contributed by Glenn McDonald