This section, as you have no doubt surmised, is reserved for those places that I have deemed worthy of special recognition. Each has its own strengths---it could be content, design, or simply something you'll not find elsewhere in the general virtual populace---but whatever it is, its uniqueness simply cannot be ignored. Ladies and gentlemen....the best of the best.
This is yet another example of my wife's ability to stumble onto the most unusual and interesting content the World Wide Web has to offer...and yank me by the ear to the computer to show it to me. (I really must talk to her about that---I don't know how much more punishment my ear can take...)
A little explanation is in order before I introduce you to this latest inductee...My wife is rather well-read on various aspects of religious history (heck, just ask her, she'll tell you). As such, she cannot help but become absolutely rabid with anticipation whenever she finds some person or Web page speaking of adherence to that singular faith known to the civilized world (and some parts of Colorado, too) as "Wicca". (This, for those who don't know already, is a word used by some of those who consider themselves to be practitioners of modern-day witchcraft.) You see, nothing pleases her more than to carefully peruse the information posed by said person or site, study each and every nuance displayed therein.....and gleefully riddle their every argument with intellectual bullets until they scream "No mas, no mas" and beg for mercy. (Now don't get me wrong, she's got nothing against true, honest witches---it's just that she has a big problem with people who spout off simply to gain popularity or self-grandeur without bothering to become fully educated about their chosen topic.)
Which brings us to our newest member of the Favorites gallery...and one of the very few times that my wife has found a witch that she actually likes. This young lady goes by the name DarkStar, she's based in the United Kingdom, proclaims that she is NOT a Wiccan (or "fluff", as she calls it), and has constructed a virtual collection of arcana the likes of which must be seen to be believed. I'm serious, folks---this place is HUGE. My wife and I plowed around inside her pages for at least an hour, and probably only covered about one-fourth of the material compiled therein. Spells, incantations, potions, powders, mojos (I had no idea what a mojo really was until now), opinions, dissertations---if you're curious about it, you'll find it here.
But, as with all the sites whose portraits grace these walls, it's not just about the size or the content. What REALLY impressed us was the great amount of research and thought that has obviously gone into it. As I told her in the entry I wrote in her guestbook, "we like to think we can recognize an informed opinion when we see one", and she certainly appears to have cracked more than a few books on her chosen subject.
One last thing before I shut up and get out of your way: If you are offended by the subject of witchcraft AT ALL, you should probably move on along to your next destination. DarkStar has very definite opinions about her path in life, and she ain't at all afraid of expressing them. However, if you fancy yourself open to discussing the subject in a well-meant and intelligent manner, gentle reader, then I can hardly think of a better place to start.
One of the many things that make the Web such a unique experience is that you just never know what you're going to bump into when you're looking for something else entirely. Such is the case with George's Jungle.
This is a rather complicated site to load in, but rest assured---it wouldn't be here if I didn't like it, and ladies and gentlemen, this has to be one the most impressively put-together sites I have yet seen. I blundered onto it while in a search for sites about the cartoon, and am glad I did. This neck-of-the-woods comes to us courtesy of...well, a guy named George, who else? But not just any George---he's a certified, and deserving, member of the prestigious HTML Writers Guild, and folks, you don't just wander into these lofty halls off the street. The variety of content, the excellence of organization, and the easy-on-the-eyes presentation all make this one of the finest personal sites I have yet witnessed, and certainly qualifies it as a place of high distinction. (The fact that George himself deemed my humble home worthy of his award, of course, had absolutely NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on his elevation to Favorites status. No, really. That's the truth. Honest. Hey, would I lie to you, my faithful reader?)
Before I introduce you to this gentleman, let me say this: It is not normally my policy to endorse a particular political viewpoint on these pages. The way I see it, you've got every right in the world to believe in whatever makes the world work for you, whether it be gun control, school vouchers, censorship, or keeping twenty-nine fresh bags of Chee-zee Puffs in every room of your house.
Having said that, I'll now say this...Jim Quinn just might end up being the guy at the end of the Apocalypse who turns to face the cameras as the last bomb falls, and says, "Told ya so."
For those not in the know, Jim Quinn runs the nationally syndicated "America's Morning Show" on 104.7 FM radio in Pittsburgh. Be warned, however---this is no happy-go-brainless perky-as-a-bunny-wabbit disc jockey. Every morning, Quinn comes on air to bear witness to the kinds of things that most law-abiding Americans wouldn't even want be in the same country with, let alone see them happen in their own back yard.
With the help of his able-bodied sidekick/producer/all-around-angel-of-the-airwaves Radio Rose, Quinn is the proprietor of a common man's political forum/war council of blistering intensity, and comes to the fray with the experience of an old hand from the trenches, the tenacity of an un-amused Doberman, and loaded for more bear than Rush Limbaugh has ever seen in his life. I'm not talking about just so much hot air, either. I've been a listener for a while now, and I don't always agree with what he has to say, but I will GLADLY attest to the fact that this man does his level best to not go to air on ANY subject without some kind of evidence to back him up. (And some of that documentation, you will never find in the papers, if you catch my drift.)
I'll shut up now, and let you get on with checking him out for yourself. Let it be known, though---Jim Quinn is not known for his compassion for things politically correct, corrupt, or just plain stupid. If you fall into one of those categories, willingly or otherwise, this man will probably not make your day any cheerier.
Anyone who's ever been down in Louisiana for any length of time can tell you that there just plain ain't any place like it on Earth. From the French Quarter in New Orleans---(ahem) 'scuse me...that's "Nawlins"---to the deep Bayou country, Louisiana culture has a texture and flavor all its own.
And one man has his finger right square on the pulse of it all----Donald Paul Thibodaux, or as I know him, Cajun Don.
An offshore oil worker forced to early retirement by an accident in 1982, Don found himself with all kinds of time on his hands, and nothing much to do with it. So, like so many of us other Web-heads, he learned to build his own computers and, soon after, got involved in HTML. The end result: "Cajun Don's Hideaway", created in November of 1998, wherein Don has taken his love for the place he grew up in and plastered it up on the virtual wall for all to behold.
And Lordy, what a place it is! Cajun Don has cooked up a gumbo the likes of which you very rarely see----everything from history and folklore to music and song to some of the best cooking that ever crossed your taste buds....basically, all things Cajun.
It ain't just about the content, though. What separates the Hideaway from the rest of the pack is the undeniable care and attention he has given to what he's doing with the site. Let's face it, folks---he grew up on the Bayou. This is his backyard he's talking about, and the people and places there that have shaped his entire life, and he treats them all with almost reverent respect.
To sum up, Cajun Don's Hideaway is an impressive tribute to the Cajun way of life, from an grand old crawdaddy who knows exactly what he's talkin' about. So come on in, kick yer shoes off and take a gander---oh, and don't forget to bring yer appetite along....this guy makes a killer shrimp creole, too!
If you're anything like me, you've always wondered what it would be like to wander around in one of those big, crumbling castles we see so often in movies like "Braveheart" or "Darby O'Gill and the Little People".
Well, wonder no more....I now proudly present a wonderful example of...umm...well, for lack of a better term, "HTML architecture." The creator of this virtual fortress is an Australian Sheila who goes by the moniker Spinny, and she has spared very little expense to provide her visitors with an entertaining tour of a spooky castle somewhere out on the moors of the imagination. One would be well advised, however, not to undertake this journey lightly....it seems that every now and then, one of her "guests" gets lost in the myriad tunnels, nooks and crannies in the place, and sometimes ends up being (ahem) "part of the tour", so to speak. (Heh, heh, heh.) Fear not, intrepid wanderer---Spinny is always on hand to help bail you out, should you get stuck along the way....and if you do make it through, you may just find a reward at the exit!
Now, I know what some of you must be thinking---and shame on you. I'm not talking about that.
I'm talking about two wonderfully friendly people named Mary and Ray (again, from Australia---Spinny was kind enough to bring them to my attention) who have an undying passion for the good old days of their youth. Specifically, for all things swing---rock-n-roll, swing dancing, jump-n-jive, and everything that goes with it. They're not just tossing each other around the floor, either----they are two well-known and accomplished swing dancers down under, with several sizable trophies under their collective belt. (How they keep from tripping over them on the way to the store, I'll never know.)
But it isn't just what they do that makes them stand out---it's how proud they are of their lives and accomplishments. And that pride shines through brilliantly on the site they've created. The site itself is mostly the work of Ray---he's the family cyber-nut, apparently---but don't worry, Mary makes herself known readily enough. She is an accomplished seamstress who makes all their dancing togs, and has a small business of her own making dance clothes of very high quality for anyone else who wishes it. Additionally, the site contains one of the most impressive, all-inclusive, and just plain thorough databases I have yet seen concerning the swing life---the clothes, the music, the style, and the experiences of two people who aren't just making noise about it to be cool. They have lived this for a long time now, and have the pictures and memories to back it up. They may not be spring chickens, but they're still kicking up a lotta dust, and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. And they wouldn't have it any other way.
