Tait Lifto - Fun Stuff of the Day

UPDATE: Comments I've written are now all the way at the bottom of the page -Tait 9/21/04

Date	Item	Description
9/21/05	ROBOT MUSEUM	John Rigg's has created his own museum, not to share with people but just because he's passionate. The museum is dedicated to Robots and he's built exact replicas of famous robots such as "Short Circuit"'s Johnny 5, "Star Wars" C3P0, and even a full size replica time machine from the 1960 classic. http://www.robothut.robotnut.com.
10/05/04	AQUARIUM TOILET	Find the aquarium toilet and more unique (extremely unique) products at http://www.elseware.to/products/products.htm
10/05/04	CAFFEINE SOAP	Caffeinated soap to wake you up in the morning: http://www.thinkgeek.com/caffeine/accessories/5a65
10/05/04	CONDIMENT MUSEUM	Yes, condiment museum. See this nice collection of condiments from a variety of restaurants, etc at http://www.clearfour.com/condiment/other.html
9/20/04	SEEN ON TV	Ever see an infomercial you just love? Buy that perfect product now at http://www.SeenOnTV.com.
8/31/04
	IT QUIZ	Learn how you fit in the IT world according to some research by taking this quiz: http://www.nwcet.org/iquiz/IntQuizStep1.aspx. Then, follow it up with the Multiple Intelligences quiz at http://www.nwcet.org/iquiz/miistep1.asp
	IC COOL	I.C. stands for Instant Cool - as in the Instant Cool Can which allows you to twist the base of the can releasing the technology that cools the can by a minimum of 30 degrees in 3 minutes. http://www.tempratech.com/chill1.html
	BROWN BAG	Going to Eat vs. Brown Bagging - what are the savings? Enter your figures at http://dinkytown.net/java/LunchSaver.html to find out!
	TRIP	This is just a trip - turn up your sound: http://www.boohbah.com/zone.html.
	ABYSS	Make your own Abyss water finger at http://www.electronicorphanage.com/neen/demo/clinger.swf.
	COLLECT	Obscure and mainstream collector's collections can be found here. Ever want to collect "Dreamsicles"? http://www.gocollect.com/catalog/main.aspx.
	JUNKBUSTERS	How to reduce junk/solicitor phone calls for free: http://www.junkbusters.com/telemarketing.html.
	DO NOT CALL	National Do-Not-Call list: http://www.donotcall.gov.
	FOUND	Submitted by Cory Check out things that are found out in life (love letters, birthday cards, etc) then posted to this very unique web site: http://www.foundmagazine.com.
	FREE STUFF	Site lists places where you can get free stuff - after rebate, that is. You have to front the cost of the item(s), but then after rebates are filled out and processed, you'll get your money back essentially making the item free (taxes are not rebated). The site also includes items with rebates that do not make them Free. Check it out at www.freeafterrebate.info.
	HOLOSONICS	Currently in production is a way for passengers to listen to their own music in a car through the focusing of sound into narrow beams that are sent to individual seats of a vehicle allowing personal musical choices. www.holosonics.com
	CLOWNS	Do you hate clowns? I mean, that you really have a passion for avoiding clowns? There's others just like you: http://www.ihateclowns.com/ncstore.
	LASER MONKS	This is no joke - the Monks at the Cistercian abbey in Wisconsin have branched out to support their "habits" (har-har) by offering discount printer ink/toner/copier/fax machine supplies. Check them out at (I kid you not) http://www.lasermonks.com. Seriously, their tag line is "Real Savings. Real Monks. Supporting real People."
	MINICLIP	There are some really fun games to play at http://www.miniclip.com including Table Tennis which is highly addicting and actually starts to feel real after a few minutes. Well, as real as a mouse can ever substitute for a paddle, but you'll see what I mean.
	AUCTION	Are you a regular eBayer? Do you need supplies to support your auction habits? Check out www.AuctionSupplies.com for your needs.
	CAR CARE	"Be Car Care Aware" - that's what this web site says, and then they provide the tools to learn how to take better care of your own car. Really cool, easy-to-use site: http://www.carcare.org
8/21/04	GENERATORS	All kinds of online generators (create your own Picasso, see your name as a Coke label, design your own tombstone, etc, etc, etc) can be found at: http://www.in4mador.com/index.php?cat=generators. This is one of my favorite fun stuff to do of all time. I'm even going to shade this cell a different color - that's how fun this stuff is!
3/4/03	CD CASES	Create a CD case made of paper by entering in what you want on the case using this online tool. You can then save or print the PDF file that is generated. http://www.papercdcase.com/index.php
	VOLUNTEER	Want to volunteer but don't know where to start? Check out the service and volunteering portal at http://servenet.org.
	MOON	Quick - how many craters do you know the names of? If more than 3, you're way ahead. Otherwise, brush up on your lunar knowledge at this comprehensive moon site: http://www.lunarrepublic.com. See maps, learn the names of mountains and craters and find out all kinds of other lunar trivia.
	BIRTHDAY	(submitted by Cory Lifto) How old were you when big events happened? Find out by putting in your birthday at http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1.html. Or, check out the birthday card version of this site at http://www.frontiernet.net/~cdm/age1bd.html.
	FOOD & WINE	For you locals, the Dallas Food & Wine festival is just around the corner. Experience fine food and wine tastings from many many sponsors for one entrance fee. Get details at http://www.dallaswineandfoodfestival.com/about.htm
2/19/03	TERRORISM	I know some of you scoff at the idea of plastic sheeting and duct tape helping in the event of an attack. But, what if you're wrong? Isn't it worth the few bucks to save your life? Check out the official Homeland Security informational site at http://www.ready.gov for good information on being ready.
	NOSTALGIA	Find some nostalgic stuff (depending on your age) at http://www.x-entertainment.com. Anyone remember Photon?
	HIGHWAY SAFETY	There's a whole site just for highway safety! And, it includes crash ratings! http://www.hwysafety.org
	CHEAPSKATE	Can't afford to buy time? Find out how to live more frugaly and still enjoy life at http://www.cheapskatemonthly.com
2/7/03	DART ROUTE	(Dallas only) Enter a starting address and an ending address to find the best DART route at the new DART interactive route planner: http://tripplan.dart.org
	DART PASS	And, in that vein, buy a monthly DART pass and save a little dough at http://www.dartstore.org
	SURVIVOR MAPS	(Submitted by Cory Lifto) Check out the detective work done on Survivor sites including maps and satellite imagery of the sites for this hugely successful "reality" TV show: http://www.claycritters.com/map/survivormaps.htm
	WRONG LYRICS	(Submitted by Andy Primm) "Like a rhinestone pine cone!" and other overheard but misspoken lyrics to songs can be laughed at at: http://www.kissthisguy.com
1-23-03	FREE TREES	The National Arbor Day Foundation takes trees very seriously. Right now, if you get a membership with their organization (for just $10!), they will send you 10 trees that are guaranteed to grow or they are replaced free of charge. The six to twelve inch trees (they get bigger over time!) come postpaid with planting instructions. You can choose either the "flowering tree" bundle, or the "blue spruce" bundle. The flowering trees include: 2 white flowering Dogwoods, 2 Goldenraintrees, 2 flowering Crabapples, 2 Washington Hawthorns, and 2 American Redbuds. Go to http://www.arborday.org/join/index1.html for more information or to sign up.
	FREE MONEY	If you purchased a music CD between 1/1/95 and 12/22/00, you are entitled to being a part of the settlement reached between 43 states and the music industry. To get your portion of the settlement - for free! - go to this site and fill out the short form: http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm.
	HERO MACHINE	(submitted by Todd King) This is cool - you fill in some fun things to build your hero right there on the web site! Who will you create? http://www.ugo.com/channels/freestyle/heroMachine/heromachine.asp
	TIME & DATE	(submitted by Cory Lifto) All kind of Time and Date related activities like time searches, calendar generators, counters and more. Go to: http://www.timeanddate.com
	FLING A COW	(submitted by Brian Rowe) A web based, easy to use Cow Flinging game. Can you fling cows better than me? Search for my score by searching for "Tait Lifto" and see if you can beat me! http://www.flingthecow.com
	TEXT TO SPEECH	This is great! Type in some text then click a button and hear the computer read it to you! Make it tell you you are beautiful (that's what I do). http://www.research.att.com/~ttsweb/cgi-bin/ttsdemo
	HEADLINES	(submitted by Scot Bradford) Here is a list of funny newspaper headlines: Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers Iraqi Head Seeks Arms Teacher Strikes Idle Kids Miners Refuse to Work after Death Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant War Dims Hope for Peace If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft Kids Make Nutritious Snacks Chef Throws His Heart into Helping Feed Needy Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors
10/18/02	PARTY	(submitted by Andy Primm) Cheap party favors and novelties can be purchased at http://www.orientaltrading.com.
	FUN STUFF	I've finally updated my Fun Stuff web page - catch all the past issues of my fun stuff which you might have missed! Go to: http://www.taitlifto.net/FunStuff.html
	EMISSIONS	Looking for a center to get your new emissions testing done? Go to: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi
	MONTY PYTHON	Buy your Monty Python stuff (including collectible figurines) today! http://www.montypythondirect.com or http://www.pythonline.com
	YESTERDAY	(submitted by Andy Primm) This site is too cool. Remember that show on Saturday mornings or that toy that used to be so popular? Well, they're all chronicled here: http://www.yesterdayland.com.
	OPTICAL ILLUSIONS	(submitted by Carri Tidwell) Check out some weird optical illusions at: http://www.optillusions.com
	JUNK FOOD	What's going on these days in the world of Junk food? Find out at: http://junkfoodnews.com
	LEGO DEATH	What would Lego's look like in death scenes? Why ask - check out: http://www.legodeath.com today.
10/16/02	MINI-CARS	Remote Control mini cars are here! Check them out at: http://www.tabletopracers.com/microsizers.html - this site sells the cars for about $10 less than normal retail.
	CHECKLISTS	Hundreds of checklists to download and use today! All kinds: http://www.printablechecklists.com
	JACUZZI	Check out the ultimate luxury in home Jacuzzis: http://www.jacuzzi.com/products/baths/private/la_scala72.htm
	GOURMET FOOD	Have gourmet food delivered to your home. Just cook it when you want it: http://www.schwans.com
10/7/02	2D to 3D	A new software/hardware package will turn 2D into 3D in real time! This means that with the special 3D glasses, you could watch your favorite TV programs in 3D! http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99992884 http://www.x3dworld.com
	TAITLIFTO.NET	Another selfish plug for myself. I have moved my hosting service to another company with more space, so I've been able to add some more images to my web site and generally just make some updates. I'm first cleaning up my site (dead links, etc), and adding a couple of items (like Autographs!) that I've been working on for awhile. Check it out today. Then, check it out again in a month as there should be a lot of additions in the next 30 days: http://www.taitlifto.net http://www.taitlifto.com http://www.brian-regan.com.
	LIBRARY	You've heard of NetFlix (where you can rent DVDs online for a monthly fee), but what about renting books online? http://www.booksfree.com/cgi-bin/affiliates/clickthru.cgi?id=taitlifto
	BLUE BOOK	(Submitted by Andy Primm) The Blue Book for Everything! Look up your knick-knacks online today and find out what they are worth: http://www.strongnumbers.com
9/4/02	3D	Download really cool 3D Screensavers at www.uselesscreations.com. Includes "Moolah" which has 3D money drifting across your screen.
7/30/02	ARMY GAME	Your government has spent $7 million developing a game that teaches you to be a member of the US Army then allows you to play as a soldier in online multiplayer mode. And the best part? It's FREE! But you'll have to have a pretty decent system to play it as it's a 3D game. Check out the details at http://www.americasarmy.com.
	CHEAP DOMAIN REGISTRATION	Have a domain name registered but costs too much for domain registration each year? Well, at http://www.godaddy.com, you can transfer your domain name for $7.95 and they will extend the registration by a full year! Then, after that, it is only $8.95 per year for registration! It's the best deal I've seen yet. I just transferred http://www.taitlifto.net to them!
	MP3 ORGANIZATION	I know you have a bunch of MP3's on your hard drive all over the place. Well, download the free Psychic MP3 organizer program and it will scan your machine for MP3s, then determine what songs they are, then it will rename them to the song names and organize them by Artist. Pretty cool - and FREE! http://www.psychicmp3.com
	CEO SALARY	So, how much does the top dog at public companies make, anyway? Find out by looking them up easily at http://www.ecomponline.com.
7/11/02	7-11	Today is 7/11/02 and 7-11 is having their 75th Anniversary celebration. To celebrate, they are giving away 7.11 ounce Slurpees today only! Go by a 7-11 and get your 7.11 ounce Slurpee on 7/11! http://www.7-eleven.com
	MR T	What happens when you pit Mr. T vs.... well, everything? For one, "I pity the fool!". For another, you can find out at http://www.mrtvseverything.com
	BIG WASTE	One of the funniest parts of http://www.bigwaste.com is the section with actual photos of ill-conceived signs. Click on "Photologue", then "It's a Sign" to see what I mean.
	STAR TREK 3-D	Can't get enough of Star Trek? Check out the Official 3D Virtual Convention at http://www.vir-con.net
2/6/02	FLUFF	(submitted by Jamie Allen) See the largest collection of navel lint at http://www.navelfluff.com
	FREE STUFF	You can get free stuff at http://totally-free.freeblvd.com. It is basically free - you pay $7.95 for shipping. The company makes a profit because they get these items really cheap through overstocks, out of business buys, etc. So, you get a product that is worth more than $7.95 and the company makes a small profit on each item shipped. Good deal for both sides!
	UP TO DATE	(submitted by Andy Primm) Ensure that your software, drivers and operating systems are up to date using these simple utilities: http://versiontracker.com and http://catchup.cnet.com
	GET THE DIRT	Is there an online museum of dirt, you ask? Well, of course! And where can I find this amazing place? It's at: http://www.planet.com/dirtweb/mainmenu.html. And, I'd like to add that it's a very well put together site.
1/23/02	STOP CALLING!	How annoyed are you at getting telemarketing calls? If you are like me, you are just sick of it. Well, now there's something you can do about it. The state of Texas has created a program to stop these unsolicited calls. You pay just $2.25 and you are added to the Texas "No Call Lists". To get more info, go to http://www.texasnocall.com.
	YOUR NAME	What is in a name? How does a name change a life? Well, go to http://www.kabalarians.com and look up your name for free. You'll get a synopsis as to what personality traits are normally linked to your name.
	ZOMBO	(submitted by Dorman Mannon) Just go: http://www.zombo.com
	CELL PHONES	Nokia has announced a new line of cell phones: the Luxury Cell Phone. Now, you may think - what more can you do with a cell phone? You'd be surprised. These cell phones are custom made for the user to fit perfectly into his/her hands. They are adorned with silver and gold. But, the key is the insides - outside gold and silver has been around for awhile, but these phones use the best custom materials for each individual phone from the inside out. And, they retail for around $21,000 US. Yes, you read that correctly - twenty one THOUSAND dollars in United States currency. http://press.nokia.com/PR/200201/845684_5.html
	HELP AGAINST ANTRHAX	You may have heard of the program you can download that harnesses part of your computer to take part of a SuperComputer to look for intelligent life in the universe. Well, now there are new programs designed to create Super Computers to do complex tasks that are a bit closer to home. The newest is the opportunity to have your machine participate in a program to find a molecule that might stop the process that makes anthrax lethal. For more information and to download the small program that will run in the background of your machine, go to http://www.intel.com/cure. The basic idea is that with thousands of machines all running this program, data is distributed to the computers to be processed creating - in essence - a Super Computer.
1/3/02	HALF PRICE BOOKS	Half Price Book Stores (started right here in Dallas) now sells books online! Check them out at http://www.halfpricebooks.com.
	LEARNING	Want to take a class? You can browse class schedules and - if you have at least 6 DCCCD credits - you can even register, pay, and buy books online for the Dallas County Community College District. There are colleges all around the Dallas area so there should be one close to you. Check it out today at http://www.dcccd.edu.
	HIGH FIVE	Main construction began on the Dallas High Five - the new interchange being built at 635 and 75 in North Dallas. Lane closures will continue to occur during the scheduled 5 year project. To see pictures of the model, lane closures, project plans, and more check out the main page at http://www.dallashighfive.org
	DALLAS CITY HALL	Now you can do many mundane Dallas tasks online such as paying your water bill, renewing your license, and more at http://www.dallascityhall.com
12/21/01	STARS TICKETS	Something weird happened to me today: You guys all know how I'm a REALLY BIG STARS FAN. Well, today, my cell phone rang from some obscure area code. I answered it and the lady apologized and said she was trying to get the Dallas Stars Box Office. I told her the number was 214-GO-STARS and she said she thought that was what she had called. Well, after we had hung up, I wrote down the number for the Box Office and figured out what the actual numbers were, then wrote down my cell phone number: 214-GO-STARS 214 46 78277 <--- numeric 214 46 08277 <--- my cell phone number Weird! It's only ONE number different! Change the "S" or "7" to a zero ("0") and you have my cell phone number! So, I guess that means that you can call 214-GO-0TARS (Go Zero-Tars!) to get me on my cell phone!
12/21/01	DESPERADOS	The Dallas Cowboys have a brand new Arena football team that is starting up soon with Joe Avezzano (the Cowboys special teams coach) acting as head coach. The arena football team will play in the AFL which now boasts 20 teams. Games will be played at the American Airlines Center and begin April 20, 2002. Interested in Season tickets? Complete 7 game packages start at only $35!!!! I'm considering getting season tickets since I live right down the street - let me know if you are interested! Go to http://www.dallasdesperados.com for more info.
12/19/01	FREE COFFEE	Here is a coupon for a free coffee at Barnes and Noble - no purchase necessary. Attached as a Word Document (I am not including the attachment here. I later found out that the coupon was a well designed hoax.)
	LONG DISTANCE	Find the best long distance carrier depending on your usage at http://www.smartprice.com
	SEEN ON TV	(submitted by Andy Primm) A different "As Seen on TV" site - a bunch of that fun stuff you always see on television. But wait, there's more! They claim up to 70% savings! But wait, there's more: you can see for yourself at http://www.youcansave.com. How much would you expect to pay to go to this web page? $100? $500? Well, if you act fast, it is FREE!!!!
	NEW YORK	Travel to New York at a discount: http://www.redwhiteandblue.com.
11/7/01	TOLKIEN	(submitted by Cory Lifto) To see all kinds of cool stuff about the Tolkien universe, go to http://www.nytimes.com/specials/advertising/movies/tolkien/index.html. This will prepare you well for the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie.
	DALLAS SOARS	If you want to see where the Pegasus' are for Dallas Soars, they have finally released a list of locations. There is also a cool montage of pictures of some of the various flying horses at http://www.dallassoars.com
	JOB PERSONALITY	Take this FREE job personality test to find out just what kind of job you are best suited for at http://www.brainbench.com/links/personality.jsp
	TIRES	Goodyear Tires announced that they will be developing a new tire that is made by urethane (a polymer made of 2 basic ingredients) instead of rubber (also a polymer, but much more complex with over 30 ingredients). So what is so special about this tire? Well, it is almost completely made of urethane removing the need for air. This means the tire is blowout-proof and will not have tread (preventing tread separation). Another nice feature is that this tire could be made in any color conceivable. What do you think of purple tires on your Ford Aspire? Check out the CNN story at: http://www.cnn.com/2001/TECH/science/08/31/no.rubber.tires/index.html
	RESIGNED	I quit!... No, wait... I resign... no.... maybe, after many years with XYZ, I see our goals moving in a different direction, so I've..... Hey, I got it! For help with your resignation letter (not me - I'm happy at my job), check out all kinds of resignation letter stuff including templates, examples and more at http://www.i-resign.com/uk/letters. (disclaimer: there are some curse words on this site - it's from the UK after all)
10/31/01	ENGLISH AIR	An Englishman has set a new record for the highest flight ever achieved using ordinary toy balloons. Ian Ashpole, 46, attached himself to 600 toy balloons filled with helium and then ascended to 11,000 feet before the balloons started popping. He then cut himself free from the balloons using a knife and parachuted safely to the ground near Chatteris, in Cambridgeshire. Ashpole broke his own record of 10,000 feet set five years ago. He also holds the record for bungee jumping from a balloon. For details see http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,47965,00.html
10/31/01	HOAXES and LEGENDS	(bonus site submitted by Andy Primm) Are you guilty of forwarding on emails without checking to ensure their accuracy? Do you ever forward on an email that promises you will receive something free if you forward to 10+ friends? Do you "know it must be true" because it says a friend of a friend of a cousin once...? Well, from now on, you can be armed with knowledge of hoaxes before you victimize others! :-) Go to: http://truthorfiction.com and check out the story first! And, as an added bonus, go to http://www.snopes2.com to check out Urban Legends. As a DOUBLE EXTRA bonus (oh my goodness, double extra?) you can forward an email hoax that you receive to HoaxKill and they will send an email to all the originators of the hoax email letting them know it is a hoax. Go to http://www.hoaxkill.com for more info.
10/18/01	DALLAS SOARS	As mentioned in an edition of "Today's Fun Stuff", Dallas Soars is just beginning. Dallas Soars is a program that the City of Dallas is launching this month, placing 200 pegasus' all around Dallas. These pegasus' are being painted in a variety of ways. I want to have a contest among my friends and coworkers to see who can get the most photos taken of them with different pegasus' around Dallas during the reign of Dallas Soars (scheduled to continue through February). Before fully planning this "contest", I wanted to find out your interest level. So, please please please take 10 seconds to reply to pick an option listed below as to what you are or are not willing to pay, or even if you are interested in participating at all. www.dallassoars.com * FREE (I want to participate but with no cost and no prize money) * $10 (Ten dollars per person with the overall winner winning the entire pot of money) * $20 (Twenty dollars per person with the overall winner winning 75% and the second place winner pulling in the other 25%) * FREE or $10 (I won't pay $20, but the other two are fine) * FREE, $10, or $20 (any of the 3 is fine by me!) * $10 or $20 (I will only participate if there is a monetary prize!) * NOT INTERESTED AT ALL!!!! What an insane idea!
	MONTY PYTHON	"Monty Python and the Holy Grail" is back in theaters! Here in Dallas, the comedy troupe's first narrative feature film will be showing at the Inwood Theatre with new film prints (interesting side note - Dallas was the first American city to broadcast the BBC's "Monty Python's Flying Circus" in 1974). PEASANT: "Listen, strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government". http://www.montypython.com
	INT'L MODEL NAME	If you go to: http://www.zoolander.com/flash_site/home.html you can get YOUR International model name. Mine is "Tex Sting"
	GEORGE BUSH	Wanna see some funny dancing George Bush's? Of course you do! Go to: http://www.DancingBush.com
9/6/01	HAWKWOOD	Hawkwood is a renaissance fair that opens on September 1st and runs through October 14th. They are open every weekend, plus Labor Day from 10am to 8pm and are located at I-35W and 114. For more information, go to http://www.hawkwood.org. "Enter a land of fantasy, music, magic, drink, feasting, and merriment".
	CANDY APPLES	Fall is just around the corner and that makes me think of Candy Apples. I don't know why. Anyway, there are a lot of different kinds of candy covered apples out there these days. To see, order, and then eat some go to http://www.candysapples.com. I think my favorite is "The Masterpiece"
	HIGH SPEED PHOTO	(site submitted by Miles Wortham) High speed photography can capture images unseen (or, more accurately, unrecognized) by the human eye which operates at a slower "frame rate" than special cameras. Check out some very unique photographs including splattering drops, tennis ball connecting with racket, and more caught by high speed cameras at http://www.pacsci.org/public/education/gallery/high_speed_photos/student_photos.html
	ULTIMATE CUBICLE	Work is tough enough as it is. But to compound the "angst" (if you will), we are often shoved into little boxes called "cubicles" that leave a lot to be desired, the cold impersonal grey carpet and steel a stark barrier between you and your coworkers. Well, Scott Adams - the creator of "Dilbert" (maybe you've heard of it?) - has heard a lot about job life in his years as an office satirist and has decided to attempt a launch at a new cubicle system aimed at improving office life with personalization. Personalization? Yes, that's right. This new cubicle system will include the ability to slide in new modules according to your personal likes and dislikes including aquariums, hammocks, daisies that perk up when you enter your cube and much, much more. For a discussion about this idea with Scott Adams, go to http://www.cnn.com/2001/COMMUNITY/08/30/adams/ and then click on the links on the page to see more info including a bunch of pictures. Very cool stuff.
8/31/01	MISTER RODGERS	After 33 years, Mister Rogers (Fred Rogers) will show it's last new show on September 3 (Labor Day) at 6am on channel 13 and at noon on channel 2. Although the show will continue for years to come in syndication, this will be the last "original". From now on, preschoolers will rely on reruns to teach them about Lady Elain, King Friday, X, and the other puppets. Check out the official site at: http://www.pbs.org/rogers
8/24/01	WHEELS	Hotwheels, replicas, other diecast cars like you had when you were a kid can be found and purchased at: http://www.diecastwarehouse.com
	CAT HATE	Someone's cat hates you. Wanna see pictures? Go to: http://www.MyCatHatesYou.com
	GAS SAVINGS	Today only, save 15 cents per gallon at Tom Thumb on gasoline when you use your reward card.
8/13/01	ON THE ROAD AGAIN	What is the most unique thing you've ever seen on the highway? To find out what is out there on America's roadsides go to http://www.roadsideamerica.com. This site includes Texas very own Cadillac Ranch and Stonehenge II.
	HOBBIT NAME	(submitted by Shane Marquette) Ever read JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit? Now you can learn what your hobbit name would be at http://www.chriswetherell.com/hobbit. In case you were wondering (and I know you were), the hobbit name for Tait Lifto is Mongo Chubb-Baggins of Pincup. Yes, I said Mongo.
	JEDI NAME	(submitted by Shane Marquette) Jedi Name from Star Wars - I'm Lifta Fraug of the planet Bayer.
	STAR WARS NAME	(submitted by Shane Marquette) Why stop a good theme? Another name site determines your Star Wars name (if you have to ask the difference between this and a Jedi name...). Go to http://www.darryl.com/swname. Tait Lifto translates to a Star Wars name of Taili Fraug and my Star Wars honorific name is Otfdatsun of Bayer.
8/10/01	BOW-WOW	What did your dog say? A new device called "Bow-Lingual" can tell you! It consists of a collar with microphone and processor that can identify 6 emotions of the dog: frustration, happiness, desire, sadness, alarm, and self-expression. The dog's emotion can then be transmitted to your mobile telephone so you can monitor your dog's feelings while away from the house. Okay. Whatever. Read more at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1480000/1480010.stm
	STARS STUFF	Yesterday, the Dallas Stars paraded the goal horns and banners from Reunion Arena to the new American Airlines Center under the watchful eye of former Dallas Stars players Brent Severyn and Craig Ludwig. To read about why the items were carried over and to see pictures, check it out at http://www.dallasnews.com/metro/stories/440482_parade_10met.A.html
	SHOOTING STAR	(submitted by Cory Lifto) Speaking of Stars... August is a great time to see shooting stars: http://ajanta.sci.ccny.cuny.edu/~jupiter/pub/sciinfo/perseid.html
7/24/01	YUCKY!	(submitted by Andy Primm) For fun but yucky stuff, go to http://www.yucky.com. Check out YUCKY.COM for the yuckiest site on the internet. Especially check out the area called "Gross and Cool Body" for the lowdown on dandruff, sweat, zits, ear wax, burps, etc... This site is run by Discovery.com, so it's "safe" for kids. :-)
	AS SEEN ON TV	It slices, it dices, and it's available on TV. But wait, there's more! Now you can find these very items that you've watched on your TV on.... the Internet! How much would you excpect to pay? $100? $200? Well, today (and any other day), you can go to http://www.asseenontv.com and browse these wonderful items for FREE! That's right, FREE!
	TAITLIFTO.COM	Yes, taitlifto.com has been down for awhile as my hosting service disappeared suddenly. Well, I finally got new hosting service and am proud to announce that my site is back online. www.taitlifto.com still points to my free geocities site, but will be updated soon. Otherwise, check out past Fun Stuff at www.taitlifto.com/FunStuff.htm! :-)
	DIGITAL FILMS	Create your own movie for free at www.digitalfilms.com. It really is a lot of fun and really easy! Create one today!
7/10/01	WATERMELONS	(submitted by Brian Rowe) Love Watermelons? Well, of course - who doesn't (besides me)? Get your melon fix at http://www.watermelon.org
	SAVINGS BONDS	The government offers some "safe" investment choices in US Savings Bonds. A Series I Bond earns 3.4% in addition to inflation (calculated by the government). That means if inflation for 2001 is 3%, the bond will earn 6.4%. Series EE bonds can be purchased at half the face value of a Series I Bond. To learn more or to purchase a US Savings Bond online, go to http://www.savingsbonds.gov.
	COMMERCIALS	Want to watch your favorite commercial again? Want to see the most popular commercials? Watch them at http://www.adcritic.com
	INTERESTING	Http://www.thelogbook.com - a unique collection of sci fi, games, books, and more
7/6/01	WHAT DID THEY SAY?	Want to know exactly when and where a particular word or phrase was used on television? You can go to http://www.tveyes.com to find phrases or words, then get a short transcript and a link to the show's web page. The basic service is free. There is an even more sophisticated subscription service available as well.
	CYBERTOOL	Attention Geeks: A new multipurpose tool is available from the Swiss Army Brand. The new tool caters to the computer greek including among it's 41 tools hex sockets, Torx bits, phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a wire cutter and stripper, Pozidrive bits, and more. Check out the CyberTool 41 in Sapphire at http://www.swissarmy.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&Product_ID=1863&CATID=4&PartNumber=53943 or go to http://www.swissarmy.com to just browse their selection.
	IMAGE SEARCH	Google.com has just opened up a new portal where you can search more than 150,000,000 images. Access them at http://images.google.com and snaz up your presentation with a royalty free photo.
	CAT GAMES	Get a computer game for your cat! That's right, http://www.CyberPounce.com offers games designed to be fun for cat owners along with their pets. There are screensaver creatures including goldfish, mice, frogs, and butterflies for your cats attention. Check it out! It's the purrrrrrrrfect gift for your favorite feline.
7/5/01	BATTERIES	Looking for a battery for your watch? Need to purchase some rechargeable batteries? Interested in solar chargers? For your unique powering needs, go to http://www.batteries.com
	BOUGHT WHAT?	A unique colection of items that people actually put up for auction are displayed (and mocked) at http://www.whowouldbuythat.com.
	MOVING	Monster.com (one of the biggest job hunting sites) has branched out to Moving. Go to http://www.monstermoving.com to get a comprehensive amount of information on cities, relocation services, apartment listings, mortgage rates, moving planners, and much more.
	ELDERLY BENEFITS	Maybe one of your older relatives is not receiving the benefits he/she is eligible for! A free service from the National Council on the Aging can help older Americans find the state and federal benefits they are eligible for. Go to http://www.benefitscheckup.org and fill out the questionnaire.
7/2/01	Today's Edition is a special one with ways to cool off in Dallas:
	SNOCONES	Widely considered the best sno-cone shop in Dallas, Aunt Stella's has been serving customers for over 20 years. What sets it apart from others? Well, beyond the extensive flavor choices, Aunt Stella's uses shaved ice rather than the usual ice chunks you get at most sno cone shops. The shaving of the ice provides a finer powder which soaks up the syrup. YUM! Check out Aunt Stella's at 2002 W. Clarendon Dr., Dallas TX 75208 or call at 214.946.1431.
	OUT OF A FLOWER	Freshly made sorbet made with flowers? Yup, that's right. "Out of a Flower" mixes in different (consumable) flowers into their freshly made sorbet. These EXTREMELY unique deserts then find their way to health food stores. To find some in Dallas, go to Whole Foods and then find "Out of a Flower" pints in the frozen foods section. This stuff is a really unique way to impress your guests. Call 214.630.3136 for more information.
	TOLLROAD BREEZE	Stay cool by keeping your window rolled up when travelling on the Tollroad or Hwy 190. Get a TollTag today! They are FREE! They used to cost $2.00 per month, but now they are free. You just link them to an account or credit card and whenever your balance falls below a specified amount, a $20.00 credit is added to them. And, TollTag rates are LOWER than cash rates! Since the Tag is free and tolls are less, you actually save money by getting one, and you get through the tollbooths quicker. Example, the main tollbooth is $0.75 if you pay cash, but is only $0.60 if you have a TollTag. And, no more rolling down windows in 110 degree Texas heat! Get your TollTag for free today online at http://www.ntta.org. Once you sign up, you can edit your account and view transactions online!
	SOMETHING WEIRD	(submitted by Miles Wortham) Um... this is just weird. Some of your favorite songs... Um... just check it out. http://www.eugenemirman.com
6/22/01	SHOW DECLINE	(submitted by Amy Lewis) At what point did your favorite show reach its best and then begin the descent into sub-par? Find out at www.jumptheshark.com
	FORBES LIST	The richest people in the world list was released. To veiw the entire list, get the July 9th issue of Forbes which hits newstands today. New this year is the inclusion of ALL 538 billionaires in the world, including "old" money. Topping the list was, of course, Bill Gates with an estimated worth of $58.7 billion. To understate, "That's a lot of money". If you make $50,000 per year, it would take you 1,174,000 years to earn $58,700,000,000. To earn $58.7 billion in one year, you would have to earn $111,681.89 per minute! Texans include Mark Cuban (ranked 363) with $1.4 billion and Michael Dell (ranked 27th) with $10.5 billion
	SCRIPTS	Looking for a script to your favorite movie? Want to know what they said in a "Friends" episode? Find the script you are looking for at http://www.script-o-rama.com/oldindex.shtml.
6/15/01	GARBAGE CAR	How about a sports car that runs on rotten vegetables? The first car with this capability was unveiled recently across the great ocean I fondly refer to as the Atlantic. It is a REAL sports car, with streamlined design, 0-60 in less than 6 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. It's certainly not commercially viable at this time, but this could be the car of the future. Anyone remember "Back to the Future" when Doc showed up from the future with a Mr. Fusion attached to the DeLorean? Go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1309000/1309201.stm to read the full article. As a side note, if you want more info on the real Houston, TX based DeLorean, check out http://www.delorean.com
	PRINCESS BRIDE	(Thanks to Miles Wortham who told me that this new release was coming) Music fills the air and life fills my soul: a new special edition of "The Princess Bride" will be released on September 4, 2001. In case you didn't already know this - and I'm assuming most of you do - "The Princess Bride" is the best movie that has ever been made. Well, it's my favorite at least. Anyway, the new DVD will include commentary by director Rob Reiner, commentary by author William Goldman, "As You Wish" documentary with all-new interviews with several of the stars of the movie including Cary Elwes, Robin Wright Penn, Billy Crystal, Mandy Patinkin, and more, footage shot by Cary Elwes during the making of the movie, 2 original featurettes, and more. Don't wet yourself, just preorder today!
	MEDICAL MYTHS	(submitted by Cory Lifto) "If you cross your eyes, they may stay that way". This and other myths are explained at http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSANP000?st=9273&t=28084&host=prod
	MAKE PAUL DANCE	(submitted by Dorman Mannon) This is just fun - go to http://www.dancingpaul.com and pick the song, scene, dance moves and more and watch Paul dance on your computer monitor.
6/12/01	PET AID	Pet First-Aid will be offered by the American Red Cross on June 28 from 6 - 10pm. The class is at 4800 Harry Hines. I do not know if mouth-to-mouth necessitation is covered, so call 214-678-4800 for more information.
	RENT A FLICK	AMC has begun test marketing a monthly service to their movie theaters. Members of this service would pay $17.50 per month which would in turn give them the right to see a movie a day at any time - even special engagements. http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/391268_moviepass11e.html
	EZGo	A new computer was recently introduced by Atoz Technology based in Taiwan. The computer itself is about the size of an external CD ROM drive. It runs on a Pentium III or Celeron processor, has memory up to 256mb, a CD/DVD/CD-R drive, USB, Parallel, Serial, Modem, Ethernet, VGA, S-Video, PS/2, Microphone, and Infared. I think this new computer is really cool and it opens up a new world of possibilities. http://www.nikkeibp.asiabiztech.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asabt/event/132402
	AOL VIRUS?	This one just cracks me up - I have long maintained that AOL is a virus because the program is so intrusive on computers and has made changes on computers I've had to support in the past that had to be undone to make the computer work. But, despite this, AOL really is not a virus. Lately, though, an email has been circulating that states there is a new virus and the virus file is called "AOL.exe". Users of AOL have been deleting AOL.exe off of there computers. The problem? This email is a hoax and AOL.exe is the main program file for America Online. If it is removed, AOL no longer works. Sabatoged!
6/8/01	OPT OUT	When you currently go to web sites, a lot of personal information is often collected and sent to advertisers without your knowledge. Network Advertising Initiative is a trade group that is concerned about your privacy. They have set up a web site that allows you to opt out of this "secret" personal information gathering. If you visit your site, you pick which of the advertising agencies to opt out of and then a cookie is created on your machine that will not allow any of those companies to continue collecting data about you when you are browsing. To successfully opt out, you must visit this web site and opt out on each computer you use as it writes cookies to that computer only. And, go to the site for each different browser you use. The site is http://www.networkadvertising.org. It only takes about 15 seconds to complete.
	MONETARY POLICY	Could you do any better than Alan Greenspan? Well, find out by going to the Swiss central bank's web site, then search for "Monetary Policy Simulation Game". This will take you to a page where you can download the free game then oversee a nation's economy, tweaking various factors to control it. http://www.snb.ch/e/search/index.html
	STRANGE BUT TRUE	(disclaimer: some of the stories are REALLY weird) Jim Romenesko is an online publisher that gathers real stories onto his web site. The stories are all a bit off-beat or just downright weird. For example, one headline reads "Woman with 206 cats in court. Lawyer says she skipped neutering to avoid traumatizing pets". Another "Billy-Bob Teeth win over Bubba Teeth in jury trial". Go to http://www.obscurestore.com
6/7/01	COMPU-BUSE	Some of you have already seen this, but I thought it was pretty interesting so you get to read it again. A survey by British PC maker Novatech has revealed that one PC in every four has been physically abused by its owner. The company received 4200 replies to its survey and was surprised to discover the range of people who admitted to damaging their PCs. Most of the assaults involved damage to the keyboard, typically from a fist. A few computer users actually admitted to knocking their PCs off their desk. At least one manager was reported to have thrown a laptop across the room after its owner presented less than expected sales figures. The survey results show that many computer users think of their PC as a person and become emotionally attached to it. When it fails to meet their expectations, they may react to it as if it were a person. For details see http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,44284,00.html
6/7/01	BLOCKBUSTER	Blockbuster customers who have paid a late fee at any time between 1/1/92 and 4/1/01 may be eligible for a piece of the settlement they are offering in a bunch of class action lawsuits currently in court. If the settlement offer is approved later this year, qualifying claims will be rewarded with certificates good for rentals or discounts at Blockbuster up to $18. To apply, fill out a form by December 15, 2001 at www.blockbuster.com or call 1-800-224-2703.
6/6/01	TIMOTHY MCVEIGH	A judge today denied Timothy McVeigh's request for a stay of execution. His death day is scheduled for this Monday, June 11. For more on this recent development, go to http://www.msnbc.com/news/557581.asp
	TV TECH	A new camera will be debuting tonight in the NBA finals - the TotalView Camera. Total View cameras have a wide angle lense which provides a 360 degree (all around, for those with shaky math memories) feed directly into a specialized computer program which uses software to "undistort" the image into a 2 dimensional image of the entire court. This then allows the video engineers to dynamically zoom onto any area of the court at any time giving a great deal of flexibility to the television network. For more information on this technology, go to http://www.msnbc.com/news/582440.asp
	NEW TIRES	Maybe you've seen a wheel somewhere - on someone else's car, in the showroom, on the Internet - but you haven't purchased it because you're not sure what it will look like on your car. Now, there is an easy way for you to see. Just go to http://www.tirerack.com and you can select your car, then select various tires and the combo will be modeled before your very eyes. It's a virtual dressing room for your car!
6/5/01	ALTERNATIVE FUELS	As you probably already know, there are two current hybrid cars on the market - the Honda Insight and the Toyota Prius. Both of these cars get much better gas mileage than traditional vehicles through the use of two systems of power: a regular combustion engine and batteries. The batteries actually become charged through normal driving, and the vehicle uses both power sources to drive it. With the additional concern of consumers and the government on the environment many car manufacturers are continuing to seek new ways to provide an environmentally friendly vehicle that still has the power of traditional automobiles. The current method being explored is fuel cell cars. GM recently introduced its newest fuel cell car in development for eventual release to the general public named the HydroGen1. What drives this vehicle? Hydrogen. Well, Hydrogen mixing with Oxygen to produce energy and a byproduct of water... To learn more about what may be the next generation of cars you drive, check out the article on the HydroGen1 at http://carpoint.msn.com/jump/news/jgnews_4020126_6.asp. For more information on the Honda Insight (including a comparison chart to the Prius), check out http://www.insightcentral.net. Or for the official Toyota Prius page, go to http://prius.toyota.com.
	COST OF LIVING	Compare the cost of living in 2 cities at http://homeadvisor.msn.com/PickAPlace/CompareCities.asp. Includes a ton of interesting data about the 2 cities you select to compare.
	HOME WORTH	How much is your home worth? Type in your address and find out at http://homeadvisor.msn.com/selling/overview.asp
	VIRTUAL PET	Own and play with a virtual pet in a large virtual world at http://www.neopets.com for free. My JubJub's name is Jookaloo. He is blue and likes making friends.
6/4/01	NEPAL	This one is just too bizarre not to include. On Friday night, Prince Dipendra of Nepal is believed to have gone on a shooting spree killing his father and mother - the king and queen - and 6 other family members before turning the gun on himself. After shooting himself in the head, Prince Dipendra went into a coma. The State Council then named him the King of Nepal - okay, wait a second, he shoots up his family killing 8 and then shoots himself and gets named the KING? Anyway, last night, the "King" of Nepal passed away, so now the young (he was 29) king will be succeeded by his uncle, currently Prince Gyanendra, as the country's new king. Even weirder is the statement that Prince Gyanendra has released after the shootings on Sunday saying that the killings were the result of "accidental" automatic weapons fire. See more at http://www.dallasnews.com/world/384841_napal_04int.AR.html, http://www.dallasnews.com/world/384404_nepalfamily03e.html, or http://www.dallasnews.com/world/383271_nunepal_02int..html
	DAVID MANNING	Have you ever seen a movie ad that listed a glowing review from film critic David Manning? He's had nice words for "The Animal" and "A Knight's Tale" recently and been used many times in the past for other Sony Pictures films. The only problem? He doesn't exist. That's right, Sony Pictures made him up. What makes this even more outrageous is how unnecessary this is. I mean, even the worst movies in the world always have glowing reviews attached to them from real live people. Reviewer Tait Lifto had this to say about Sony's use of a fake reviewer "...the feel bad decision of the year. Sony Pictures delivers a new low. 2 thumbs down!" To read more from Newsweek who uncovered this hoax, see http://www.msnbc.com/news/581770.asp
	TAX CUTS	You should get a check! With the recent passing of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001, large tax cuts are not only looming on the horizon, but are already here! The tax rate cuts include a RETROACTIVE tax cut on the first $12,000 of taxable income. What this means is that you should receive a check this summer of the rolled back tax. This equates to around $300 for singles, $500 for heads of households and $600 for joint filers. More tax cuts will be rolled out over the next 10 years. For more information, go to http://www.dallasnews.com/business/stories/384669_perfi_04bus.AR.html
	EXOTIC CARS	Check out this drool list of 12 exotic cars from $65,000 to $275,000: http://carpoint.msn.com/jump/windowshopping/jgwin_2903.asp
5/25/01	Guys, this will be my last fun stuff for awhile as I'm going out of town and will not have access to email for the next week. So, enjoy! If you suffer withdrawal, check out any Fun Stuff days you may have missed at http://www.taitlifto.net/FunStuff.html. Thanks, Tait
	JUMPING SHIP	So, James Jeffords quite the Republican Party, shifting control of the Senate to the Democrats. Wow. I'm amazed that this is allowed. I mean, wouldn't you feel cheated as someone that voted for Mr. Jeffords on the Republican ticket if he suddenly changed alliances? You didn't vote for an independent. You voted for a Republican. And now, he switches, and causes a ripple effect that will completely change the face of the political arena until the next election or possibly beyond. See the article on the switch in today's DMN or at: http://www.dallasnews.com/politics/376554_jeffords_25nat.html
	PEARL HARBOR	In case you've been passing away time sucking your thumb in a corner of a dark room, "Pearl Harbor" opens today nationwide. This movie cost well over $100 million to make but is expected to be a huge blockbuster hit. To order advanced tickets, check out http://www.fandango.com (service charge per ticket is $0.75) or http://www.moviefone.com (service charge per ticket is $1.00). The running time of the movie is 183 minutes (3 hours!). Check out the official web site for the movie at http://www.pearlharbor.com. If you go to the site now, a pop-up window will give you a coupon for a free small popcorn from 5/24 - 6/14 with a "Pearl Harbor" ticket stub.
	COMPUTER VOICE	Type in what you want the computer to say and it will say it. Choose male or female voice. This is a lot of fun - http://www.research.att.com/~mjm/cgi-bin/ttsdemo
	VAN CLIBURN	One of the most publicized competitions in the entire world has rolled into Ft. Worth - the 11th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, which pits the very best piano players in the world against one another. The competition begins Friday at Bass Performance Hall in Ft. Worth. The initial round begins today and sessions are at 1:30 and 7:30. The music can be heard live on 88.7 in Ft. Worth. Check out more information at http://www.cliburn.org. One fascinating fact about the Cliburn is that it is only held once every four years, and only 30 pianists are chosen to compete this year.
	TEXAS MILLION	Lone Star Park kicks off it's Texas Million weekend tonight culminating in $1,000,000 of purse money for the races on Monday (Memorial Day). This is always a fun event with live music and giveaways. Check them out at http://www.lonestarpark.com or call (972) 263-RACE.
	ANONYMOUS WEB BROWSING	With the growing concern over Internet privacy issues, you may want to look into ways of helping to ensure online anonymity. There are several web sites that will help you do just this. To find out more about each one, please visit their sites: http://www.anonymizer.com (free site with ads. Upgrade to no ads for $50 per year) http://www.idzap.com (free basic service or $15 per quarter for upgraded service) http://www.safeweb.com (free service) http://www.subdimension.com/nettools/anonymizit/index.shtml (free service) http://www.freedom.net ($50 per year for 5 anonymous identities)
	BIBLIOFIND	Looking for a rare or out of print book? Check out http://www.bibliofind.com for it.
	DIGITAL CAMERA	Looking for a great resource on Digital Cameras and printing digital photos? Go to: http://www.dcresource.com
5/24/01	GAS PRICES	(Submitted by Shane Marquette) Find the cheapest gas in your area - just put in your zip code! Http://www.gaspricewatch.com/USGas_index.asp.
	DALLAS SOARS	Beginning late this summer, Dallas will be invaded by two hundred Pegasus in two "poses" made of fiberglass and painted by a variety of artists. These 200 Pegasus will be displayed all across Dallas as a public art exhibition. The project will run from September 1, 2001 through February 1, 2002 - 5 entire months. For more info go to http://www.DallasSoars.com. (As a bonus, I will be running a contest for my friends to see who can get the most photos of themselves in front of different Pegasus (Pegasi?). More details on that are forthcoming.)
	OPEN CONTAINER	The Texas Senate voted to ban open containers of alcohol in all cars and trucks yesterday. This bill has already passed in the house, so now moves on to the Governor who is expected to sign it into law. No more alcohol in your car, even for passengers. For more information, see the article in today's Dallas Morning News or at http://www.dallasnews.com/texas_southwest/texaslegislature/375469_1Abeer_24tex.A.html
	DCT	Dallas Children's Theater, which is currently located across from the Crescent on Cedar Springs, will be moving across town to a new location. DCT's new headquarters and performance theater will be in the former Don Carter's All-Star Lanes at Northwest Highway and Skillman which could be renovated by early spring of 2002. Article about the move at http://www.dallasnews.com/entertainment/375658_dct_24ove.ART.html or see DCT's home page at http://www.dct.org
5/23/01	VOYAGER	For all you Star Trek fans out there (live long and prosper), the series finale of Star Trek Voyager begins tonight at 7pm on UPN and lasts 2 hours. But don't fear, there's a brand new Star Trek series coming to TV soon. Find previews and other information at http://www.startrek.com/news/nextonvoy.asp
	BMW FILMS	(submitted by Shane Marquette) Check out these neat short films at http://www.bmwfilms.com. If you've been watching TV recently, you've probably seen one of these short films that looks like a movie preview at first. There is also a film player available for download that plays QuickTime streams up to 2.5 times larger and will archive these streams to the hard drive for playback later without having to redownload them.
	AOL	America Online will be raising it's monthly rates in July to $23.90 per month. This rate increase "reflects a growing industry sentiment that consumers are willing to pay more to get online, perhaps even as much as ... $40 to $50 a month ..." You know, DSL is $40 per month... "You've got high prices!"
	DOES THIS BUG YOU?	Texas A&M has a site that will tell you about common Texas bugs along with photos at http://insects.tamu.edu/images/insects/fieldguide. Kind of creepy... I wouldn't look at any photos right before going to bed.
5/22/01	OPTION 7	(submitted by Dora Kang) This is funny: 1) Call Deautsche Bank/National Discount Brokers at 1-800-888-3999 2) Listen to all of the options 3) After hearing option 7, hit the number 7 then listen.
	SHOPPING HEAVEN	Have you been to the Mall of America? The Mall of America is the largest mall in the United States. It opened in 1992 at the cost of over $650 million at the old site of the Minnesota Twins baseball park. There are over 500 stores, 50 restaurants, 8 nightclubs, 14 theater screens, 11,000 year-round employees, a walk through aquarium, and an indoor amusement park! If you spent 10 minutes at each store, it would take over 80 hours to visit every one! Learn more at www.mallofamerica.com
	KITCHEN FUN	Do you have a child or maybe a niece or nephew? Have some fun in the kitchen by taking a "recipe" off this site for fun stuff you can build in your kitchen. Some ideas: atmospheric can crush, carbon microphone, glowing pickle and a volcano. Check it out at http://freeweb.pdq.net/headstrong/Index.htm
	PUZZLEMAKER	This is a GREAT site. On this site, you can create your own puzzles - Crosswords, Word Searches and more - for free! Just go to http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/chooseapuzzle.html and make one for someone you know today.
5/21/01	LINKS	(Submitted by Brian Rowe) Many interesting links including Project Gutenberg and a site that will tell you all the things your phone number spells is at http://www.ridersontheweb.com
	TV BUFF	(Submitted by John Stipsky) If you are a TV buff, check out http://www.jumptheshark.com
	ANAGRAMS	Did you know that "Client Eastwood" is an anagram of "Old West Action"? Type in some words - maybe your own name - and find out the different Anagrams available for those words at http://www.wordsmith.org/anagram/index.html
5/18/01	INFLATE-A-BOWL	I know, it makes me laugh too... That's right, a bowl which you just blow air into to inflate. You can keep one in your pocket for those "Bowl Emergencies". The inventor couldn't sell them, so he sold his remaining bowls to http://www.stupid.com which is now selling them for $1.79 each or 3 for $4.99. http://www.stupid.com/giftshop/bowl.htm
	LUXURY FINDER	Need something REALLY pricey to impress that special someone? Want to pamper yourself? Go to http://www.luxuryfinder.com to find the perfect item. One example - a can of French Truffle Soup (made from chicken broth and black truffles) is merely $49 for 7oz (http://www.luxuryfinder.com/store/product/13832). The most expensive product that I found while browsing around: Gulfstream IV Private Jet.
	INVISIBLE BOOKS	This one sounds insane, so I had to include it. At http://www.invisiblelibrary.com, you can find an entire collection of books that only appear in other books. That means the books don't really exist, they are merely made up titles used in real books. This sounds like a crazy pasttime, but Brian Quinette has compiled quite an extensive list.
	EBOOKS	Beginning this month, the Oak Lawn library (on Cedar Springs) will be launching a pilot program giving customers an E-Book to bring home instead of traditional paper books. The RCA E-Book is 18 ounces and measures in at about 5" by 7". It's standard memory of 8mb holds about 20 books. If the pilot is successful, we may soon see these e-books at libraries all around town. For more information about this pilot program, check out the article in today's Dallas Morning News or at http://www.dallasnews.com/metro/stories/370374_ebooks_18met.A.html
5/17/01	CYBER KITCHEN	Today, we know more than ever about health, and yet Americans are still extremely unhealthy. Well, welcome to the Cyber Kitchen. The Cyber Kitchen has been created by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and includes a picture comparison of recommended serving sizes versus what you really eat, create a diet, and online healthy recipes. Start eating better today and increase the length of your life! http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/chd/Tipsheets/cyberkit.htm. BONUS: At the top of this page is a drop down box with links to other neat health sections like a Cholesterol quiz, Virtual Fitness Room and more
	XBOX	This one just makes me smile. The XBox - which is Microsoft's answer to the gaming console gauntlet thrown down recently by Sony in the Playstation 2 - finally had a release date and price announced. November 8, 2001 for $299 - that's less than $300! To find out more information about the XBox including game lineups and specs, go to http://www.XBox.com. Or, to see videos of games, go to http://xbox.ign.com
	SURVIVOR SQUARES	For those of you that have been watching the "Survivor II" castaways on "Hollywood Squares" all this week at 6:30 on CBS, the last two episodes (Thursday and Friday's episodes) will be pre-empted by Colonial golf action recaps. So, to catch these 2 episodes, you'll have to tune in at 12:37am on Friday and Saturday. Set your VCRs... And really, if you've never seen Hollywood Squares, it's really funny! http://www.hollywoodsquares.com
	REMOTE CONTROL	If you're like me, you're annoyed at the lack of a TRUE Universal Remote control. You have remotes for 10 devices and it annoys you that you have to search for the correct one. Or you've had the experience where you buy a Universal Remote Control and input all your devices into it, only to find that it is unable to complete one crucial task for your VCR, or two crucial tasks for your TV... There is a web site that can help. http://www.RemoteCentral.com has chat rooms, remote control reviews, and even a clicker picker where you pick the options you want and it matches you to a remote control.

UPDATE: Updated with some items I've collected over the last year -Tait 8/31/04

UPDATE: I finally have gone in and added all the "old" Fun Stuff! I know you guys were tired of looking at links from 7/2001 and before. Now, it's completely up to date... well, up to date through today, at least. Enjoy! -Tait 3/4/03

FYI, some of the web pages that have been submitted in the Fun Stuff of the Day in the past have since disappeared as if by magic.... or maybe a dot com bust, I don't know... Anyway, for those sites that no longer exist, you can still attempt to view the site in the Internet Way Back Machine known as the Archive at http://www.archive.org. Go to the site and put in the web address and if it was ever archived, you will be able to see the page as it once was in all its previous glory. -Tait 10/2/02

Originally began as just a fun thing to send to fellow team members at work, my "Fun Stuff of the Day" quickly grew to include friends, family, and friends of others. As it gained in popularity, I realized the work I had begun was growing to rapidly to keep track of in just email form, so I decided to build this web page to include all the "Fun Stuff of the Day" emails from the past. I will update this web page occasionally. -Tait Lifto 5/20/01

If you search for "Fun Stuff of the Day" on MSN, this page is listed number 2 out of 182 as of 5/14/03

Tait's

Fun Stuff of the Day / Week / Month / Year / Eternity