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NEWJOUR EDITORS' NOTE:
As of May 1996, this link was no longer functional and
we have been unable to find a working URL for this site.
From: au007@rs1.rrz.uni-koeln.de (Michael Uwe Moebius)
Date: Sat, 4 Nov 1995 13:14:00 +0100
Subject: Online Column
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 02:26:28 +0000
From: skelley@cybertours.com
(subscription information at the end of this message; NewJour would
ordinarily perhaps shorten the item, but as you will see, it is
distributed on condition that redistribution not alter the material.
--Moderators, NewJour)
The Online Column
*****************************************************************
A weekly column by Steve Kelley October 25, 1995
*****************************************************************
----Special to Online----
Digital Research, Inc. (DRI) a specialty market research firm
that focuses on providing its clients with a better understanding
of the kinds of products and services most desired by American
families will be conducting a wide variety of consumer product
tests via the Web. If you have an e-mail address, a graphical Web
browser and would be interested in participating in future tests,
please fill out a Consumer Testing Application at:
http://www.cybertours.com/yccs/dri.html (Link inactive 6 July 2004).
DRI conducts traditional
programs of research, in addition to programs that pioneer the
use of 21st century communications technologies. DRI's clients
include: "FamilyFun Magazine" and "FamilyPC Magazine". Current
consumer tests include: "FamilyTested Software", "FamilyTested
Hardware" and "FamilyTested Toys".
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
Ghosts and Ghouls on the Net
Being a cyber-junkie, I began my Halloween preparations this
year, on-line. It was yet another excuse to do
some "serious research" via modem. Did you know, for example,
that Halloween originated as Samhain,(pronounced sow-in, which
rhymes with cow) the ancient Celtic fire festival, or festival of
the dead?
Samhain marked the end of the summer and beginning of winter,
which would last until May, for the Celts. It was believed that
natural turning points, such as the transition from night to day,
or the change of season at Samhain were particularly magical
because the "veil" which existed between the worlds of the living
and the dead, was at its thinnest. It was at these times that the
Fairies were most active and communication with deceased friends
and family members was possible.
Many Celtic villagers would leave food outside their doors to
appease the Fairies and wandering revelers who went from house to
house, carrying lanterns carved from turnips. Mischief and
practical jokes were not uncommon throughout the celebration.
Since Samhain was also the beginning of the year for the Celts, a
number of traditional fortune-telling activities were practiced,
such as bobbing for apples and apple peeling. Bobbing for apples
foretold impending marriage-- the first to take a bite of an
apple would be the first to marry. Those who could secure the
longest unbroken peel from an apple would be assured the longest
life.
As part of the religious ceremonies observed at Samhain, families
would extinguish their hearth fires and replace the fire with
that from a central fire of the Druids which had been kindled by
rubbing sticks together. The relighting of the fires from the
Druid priests' fire was hoped to ensure returning life after
winter's darkness.
You'll find a more detailed historical narrative, from which this
was condensed, on-line at Marsha's Halloween Page:
http://aztec.lib.utk.edu/~michie/halloween.html.
(Link inactive 6 July 2004) If this treat
doesn't do much for your Halloween sweet tooth, how about
sampling some "Lizard's Eyes"? This ghastly little treat was
gleaned from a Web site called, The Haunted House: Halloween Fun
For Kids. Here's the recipe:
1/2 c peanut butter
12 oz marshmallows
4 drops green food coloring
4 c Rice Krispies; Cheerios or Corn Flakes
Pam
16 raisins
Heat peanut butter with marshmallows in a large saucepan over low
heat until melted. Add green food coloring and mix in. Pour in
cereal and stir quickly. Spray 8" pan with Pam, then pour
contents into pan. Allow to cool in fridge. Cut into long thin
strips, about 1"x 4". Cut each raisin in half and stick on one
end of each strip to make the lizard's eyes.
Yum! For 25 more recipes plus other great activities for kids,
you'll find The Haunted House at:
http://www.islandnet.com/~bedford/hallow.html
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
If your access to the Internet is restricted to e-mail only, you
can still join in the Halloween fun by subscribing to, a mailing
list dedicated to the discussion of "Halloween decorating, indoor
and outdoor". To participate in the list send e-mail to:
listserv@netcom.com. In the body of the text put only "subscribe
Halloween-l". Like any mailing list, all messages sent to the
list are redistributed to list members, so participation is as
simple as sending e-mail.
If you are still using a shell account for access, which is
generally limited to a text-based interface, now is the perfect
time to upgrade to a SLIP or PPP account, which will enable you
to see some of the outstanding graphics many of the Halloween
sites on the World Wide Web have to offer. A copy of Slipknot, an
innovative shareware application, available via FTP from
ftp://interport.net/pub/pbrooks/slipknot/slnot113.zip
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
will also put a graphical Web browser on your shell account. It's
free to download and try.
Once your set with a graphical Web browser, here are some other
sites to put your family in the Halloween spirit:
Vampyres Only: http://www.vampyre.wis.net/vampyre/index.html-
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
this site will get your skin crawling with photos, book lists,
history and movie lists about vampires.
Mark's Godzilla Page:
http://www.ama.caltech.edu/users/mrm/godzilla.html
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
although I
won't openly profess to being a huge Godzilla fan, I spent a great deal
of time browsing through this excellent Web site. Graphics here
include still-shots from movies, historical information and great
scans of original movie posters.
Casper Home Page: http://www.mca.com/universal_pictures/casper/-
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
as you might guess, there are some wonderful graphics here from
Universal. Kid's will enjoy the photos as well as touring the
haunted house.
Phantasmagoria's Internet Horror List:
http://www.lehigh.edu/~tpl2/nethor.html-
(Link inactive 6 July 2004) one of the most
comprehensive lists of Internet resources available for the
Gothic and Horror genres. Parents may want to assist young
children through this site as it has links to sites which they
may deem inappropriate for young Web surfers.
Apogee's Alien Carnage game: http://swcbbs.com/apogee/ac.htm-
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
originally called Halloween Harry, this is a great shareware
action game for kids with several levels available. It's free to
download and try.
Jack O'Lantern screen saver:
http://www.ips.ca/ibp/neat_things/jack.html-
(Link inactive 6 July 2004) why not make your
computer part of the Halloween decorations with this Windows
screen saver free for the download.
*****************************************************************
The Online Column is a weekly column which covers books,
shareware and issues relating to online services users which
currently appears in print, in the York County Coast Star,
published in Kennebunk, ME.
To receive Online electronically each week please forward a
request to: skelley@cybertours.com.
Or visit the Online Column on the Web:
http://www.cybertours.com/yccs/online.htm
(Link inactive 6 July 2004)
The Online Column may be freely distributed electronically
provided no changes are made to the original copy.
*****************************************************************
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