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Introducing:
The Udder Limits:
August 2008
Global Voices Online
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/
A non-profit, blogger-based news source that aims to offer news coverage and insightful topics-based discussion of matters often missed or ignored by the mainstream media.
This highly informative site helps to refute the view that all online citizen journalism is poorly written, poorly researched, and aiming to attract the lowest common denominator readership.
July 2008
Free Rice
http://freerice.com/
An effective, simple idea and the web's often all-too-untapped capacity for good on display at the one time.
Play the site's progressively harder vocab word game and for each word you get right, the site pledges 20 grains of rice to the World Food Program to help end hunger. A significant added incentive towards improving your language skills!
June 2008
Slate V — The Democratic Race In 8 Minutes
http://slatev.com/player.html?id=1593347006
Since the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States has finally wrapped, head over to Slate magazine and check out this witty video summary of the exhausting, seemingly endless race and try to make some sense of everything that just happened.
Now, of course, comes the real campaign...
May 2008
Post Secret
http://postsecret.blogspot.com
This site has been around for a while now, and certainly doesn't need our help to get the word out — it has been trumpeted in many a media corner — but on the off-chance you haven't yet visited Post Secret, do take a moment to check out the site.
Put simply, people write down their secret on a postcard and mail it in anonymously to the website, who then post the card and secret online for public viewing.
Some contributions are hilarious, some are incredibly sad and touching. Either way it makes for compelling reading...
April 2008
Classic Short Stories
http://www.classicshorts.com
At a time when publishers like Picador are looking to phase out literary hardcovers, the novel medium is under threat, to speak nothing of the short story.
To that end, this website is 'dedicated to the short story and to those interested in reading light prose'. From Graham Greene to Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville to H.G Wells, many classic short stories are available here for your reading. Reading short stories online may not offer the tactile pleasure of being able to pull up in a chair and turn the pages of a book, but at least this site is keeping some of the short form greats in the public's eye.
March 2008
Library Thing
http://www.librarything.com/
A great website idea, so good we can't believe it hasn't been done before. In a nutshell, it's an online service that will catalog your own personal library of books. You can do it by manual entry or by using a barcode scanner (which they offer for sale at US$15). Once your library is uploaded they can match you with other people who share similar tastes, meaning you can compare libraries and hopefully uncover some new gems to add to your own collection. A free account will allow you to catalog up to 200 books.
An interesting resource indeed.
February 2008
Open Secrets
http://opensecrets.org
At a time when the U.S Presidential campaign is continuing to heat up, we thought it might be relevant to introduce you to Open Secrets. Via the non-partisan Centre For Responsive Politics in Washington D.C, the site tracks the flow of money in politics. Through this, they are able to make assessments on the effect of money in politics upon public policy and elections.
Fascinating stuff for those interested in a look at the inner workings of American big-game politics.
December 2007 — January 2008
This issue we offer up two decidedly green links for your surfing pleasure:
Ecofoot
www.ecofoot.org
All sorts of great information -including a potentially shock-inducing ecological footprint quiz to determine your drain on the environment- that will get you up to speed on the impact you have upon our planet and what exactly you can do to affect change.
Grist Magazine
www.grist.org
One of our favorite magazine websites (other than The Cud, of course) and an award winning one, to boot. Not-for-profit, Grist present strong environmental journalism in an engaging, not too self-serious manner. Or, as they put it, compared with the usual environmental reporting on offer out there, they prefer to 'butter the vegetables... add salt!... strain metaphors!'
The site's motto is 'doom and gloom with a sense of humor', and we strongly recommend you check them out.
November 2007
MUJI
http://www.muji.eu/
The Japanese retailer might seem like an odd link for us to be referencing here at The Cud, but their minimalist, inventive designs and environmentally-friendly materials policy make them a worthwhile stop for all sorts of household goods that look great -and come with kind prices to match. This link is to their European site -they ship globally- but following in the footsteps of Muji successes at the MOMA Design Store a U.S store is due to open in Manhattan this month (at www.muji.com),
Our favourite Muji product? The 'city in a bag', featuring children's wood block sets for cities like London and New York.
October 2007
A Face like a Mask and a Voice that Croaks: An Integrated Poetics of Bob Dylan's Voice, Personae, and Lyrics
http://journal.oraltradition.org/issues/22i/lebold
As Bob Dylan's Never Ending Tour continues on (and on) across the United States for yet another year, we thought this piece from the Oral Tradition Journal might offer a fresh perspective on Dylan for those tired of the atypical assessments of his body of work. Don't be daunted if this looks a tad academic and 'heavy on the verbose'- it is a fascinating take well worth your consideration.
September 2007
On The Road- An Exhibition of Jack Kerouac's Original Scroll Manuscript
http://www.ontheroadinlowell.org
The name of the website says it all.
This month, as we mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Jack Kerouac's most famous work, 'On The Road', we here at the Cud thought it fitting to direct you toward the town of Lowell, Massachusetts, Kerouac's birthplace. All year they have been celebrating Kerouac's life and writing, and part of that celebration has included an ongoing exhibition of Kerouac's original -and much fabled- 'On The Road' scroll manuscript. The scroll will be on display in Lowell until October 12th, after which it will move to the New York Public Library for an exhibition through to February of 2008 before continuing on to other U.S and U.K cities into 2009.
A must-see manuscript for all fans of Kerouac's work.
August 2007
Today In History
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/today.html/
As the name suggests, this is a site operated by the U.S Library of Congress that provides extensive (and obviously U.S-focused) information every twenty four hours about what exactly happened in history on any given day throughout the year. The website goes far beyond the five line spiel you might see in your daily newspaper discussing 'this day in history'- extensive articles complete with photos and links to further reading are provided.
Certainly worth a daily check-in.
July 2007
The Straight Dope
http://www.straightdope.com/
Got a question on just about anything? Search for it
on this popular site which originates from Cecil
Adams' (a pen name) Chicago Reader Q&A
newspaper column of the same name.
Type a question into the search engine, e.g 'What
really happened to the Mary Celeste?', or
'How was ice made and sold in pre-industrial times?'
and, if the subject has been covered, answers await.
There is some obscure material covered in here so be
warned, you may well spend a few good hours reading
up on some useful -and less useful, but nonetheless
entertaining- information...
June 2007
The Modern Library 100 Best
Novels
http://www.randomhouse.com/
Random House's board-selected list of the 100
greatest novels of all time, and also accompanied by
an at times more dubious reader's list of their top
100 selections as well (Battlefield Earth at
number 3?!? Who exactly are these readers??).
Looking to stock up on titles for that summer reading
list? Checking in here first is a good start if
you're in the mood for some classics.
May 2007
Global Rich List
http://www.globalrichlist.com
A U.K-based website that quite cleverly helps reign
in our tendencies toward wealth obsessiveness with a
global perspective on the matter.
Simply type in your annual income and click on the
'Show Me The Money!' button to see where your wealth
stands in the greater scheme of things. Your wealth
status and percentile placing in the world will be
calculated and offered up alongside a few sobering
facts about your own financial position versus to
that of the majority of people worldwide most in
need, as well as the cost of easy solutions that can
help to improve their plight.
Feeling guilty? The site offers a link to the charity
website justgiving.com that you might make an
immediate donation to a good cause.
April 2007
Hidden Lives
www.hiddenlives.com.au.
A fairly new website that allows visitors to
anonymously unveil their own hidden lives, as well as
to peek into other people's anonymously posted
secrets or private wishes from around the world.
Part art installation, part forum for personal
self-expression, it certainly has the potential to
become a fascinating online tapestry of individual
lives. Check it out.
March 2007
Ask Philosophers
www.askphilosophers.org
A genuinely interesting website that allows the
average punter who has confronted a philosophical
issue in their life to ask a real, trained
philosopher for an informed opinion on the matter.
You can check back periodically to see if one of the
site's permanent panelists has tackled your query.
Previously questions and answers covering any manner
of categories from abortion to existence, love,
religion and beyond are all archived for later
reading and it was an easy few hours that this Editor
spent lost in exploring the site. Highly recommended.
February 2007
Overheard In New York
www.overheardinnewyork.com
This month we take a look at Overheard In New York.
Both a humorous and interesting sociological
experiment, it is just as the site name suggests- a
collection of offbeat, odd, or unintentionally funny
comments that site 'spies' have extracted from daily
life in New York. Links to such sites as 'Overheard
in the Office' and 'Overheard on the Beach' are also
available.
Not everything hits the mark but much does. Check it
out
January 2007
Black Words
http://www.austlit.edu.au/specialistDatasets/BlackWords
So often as Australians we tend to focus on
international classics and notable 'must reads' when
reaching for the bookshelf instead of looking within
our own neighborhood for new material to discover.
This month we thought we might offer some direction
into the field of Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander writers in Australia, and invite you to
visit The Resource For Australian Literature's 'Black
Words' website. The site is currently being updated,
but still provides an excellent access point into
reaching information on new and old native Australian
writers with a number of documents available in PDF
format to be downloaded.
December 2006
Brown Paper Tiger
http://www.brownpapertiger.com/
This month we'd like to introduce you to the Cud's
new major sponsor, Brown Paper Tiger. They sell a
wide range of artist designed t-shirts for guys and
gals, offer gift cards and are our most favourite tee
site out there in cyberspace.
So check 'em out- they're helping to keep the mighty
Cud ticking over!
November 2006-
The Museum of Online Museums
http://www.coudal.com/moom.php
Even for those with just a passing interest in art,
this website is an invaluable portal to dozens of
'real' as well as online museum collections from
around the world.
From big, established names, like the Smithsonian,
Musee d'Orsay and the MoMa, to lesser known, quirkier
venues on offer, there are hours worth of surfing to
be had here. Our favourite oddball choice? Check out
the 'Airline Spoons of the World' collection.
October 2006
Bonfire Of The Insanities
http://uberjeep.livejournal.com/
A blog maintained by a psychiatric nurse living in
Australia.
Often compelling, if dark stuff, this isn't for the
faint of heart, but offers a unique insight into the
world of caring for and working with the insane, and
the kind of blunt, frank detachment one needs in
order to survive that same world.
September 2006
The Leary Firefighters Foundation
http://www.learyfirefighters.org
Five years on from the September 11 attacks we
thought it would be relevant to provide a link for
our readers to the Leary Firefighters Foundation,
established by actor Dennis Leary in response to a
fire in Worcester, Massachusetts in 2000 that killed
six firefighters, including Dennis' cousin and a
close friend from high school.
The fund is dedicated, as the site states, toward
supporting the families of deceased firefighters
killed in the line of duty as well as 'providing
firefighters with funding and resources for
up-to-date equipment and training'.
To date the Foundation has raised over $6 million
dollars.
Check it out. Donate.
August 2006
Jackson Pollock By Milos Manetas
http://jacksonpollock.org
For the art lovers out there who always wanted to
paint but never thought they had it in them, there's
this website.
We'll leave it up to you, dear readers, to find out
exactly what we're talking about, but suffice to say
The Cud thinks that this simple but very effective
little site is well worth a look, is a fun diversion,
and at the very least will help to kill a bit of time
out of your work day...
(and as an added plus, there's no clean up!)
Enjoy!
July 2006
Unusual Hotels Of The World
http://www.uhotw.com
Unusual Hotels Of The World offers, as they put it, a
listing of 'experiential' hotels around the world
from which to choose.
Using a progressive listing of hotels under
categories from 'Different' to 'Unusual', 'Wacky' to
'Outrageous' and on to 'WOW!' means you've got plenty
of options to choose from in deciding exactly what
kind of hotel experience you can have. If it's simply
a matter of wanting a hotel that has slightly out of
the ordinary decor or furniture, then that's fine,
there are many such places listed here. However, if
you're a tad more adventurous and want to stay
overnight in a cave, a former prison, up in the trees
or hell, in ice, then you've got options for
that too.
Our favourite? A tough choice, however the
soon-to-be-opened underwater 'Hydropolis' in Dubai
sounds like exactly the right mix of luxury
accommodation and the surreal to suit The Cud's
editors just fine...!
June 2006
Pitchfork Media
http://pitchforkmedia.com
Feared by some, revered by others, Pitchfork Media
has become, for many, compulsory reading in getting a
barometer of what's worth listening to, and what
should be ignored in the independent music scene. The
reviews are generally a cut above what you might find
elsewhere, and though at times they can read a little
tre´s cool elitist, are well absent from the kind of
P.R-linked glowing fluff that often dominates the
media. Look up the review of Jet's album Get Born,
for instance, and you'll see what we're talking
about! Ouch!!
That said, except in the face of out-and-out rubbish,
rock and roll will always be prey to matters of
subjective opinion, and at least one Cud editor, for
instance, didn't agree with their most recent
assessment of Pearl Jam's self-titled release...
Nonetheless, for assured, informed criticism and
assessment of music today -whether you ultimately
agree or not- Pitchfork is well worth a visit
May 2006
THE HUFFINGTON POST
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
In a special issue of the Cud devoted to the future
of online media, here is the Arianna
Huffington-Kenneth Lerer influential (and left of
centre) Huffington Post. A substantial list of of
celebrities have contributed to the site, from George
Clooney to Cindy Sheehan to Norman Mailer.
It may or may not appeal to your political bent, but
the opinions nonetheless often make for compelling
reading.
April 2006
EVERYONE WHO'S ANYONE
www.everyonewhosanyone.com
What emerged from one writer's perhaps war-weary and
bitter experiences in manuscript rejection fused with
a taste for a little revenge and an eagerness to
break down at least a few of the many walls to
industry and insider contacts faced by struggling
writers, filmmakers, producers and others each and
every day.
The result? A rather comprehensive - and
free - directory of email and postal contacts
for just about every major publishing house,
production company and talent agency in the United
States and United Kingdom. From representatives for
actors to musicians, directors to producers, editors
and agents, most are all here.
While doubtless not everyone listed on this website
would necessarily respond positively to direct emails
that haven't followed standard business etiquette and
'gone through the proper channels', those proper
channels can take months to navigate, and often
tireless legwork only ends up leading to dead ends
and grumpy assistants.
Peppered throughout the site are notes of information
about what feedback (if any) the site's founder had
from various individuals on his own manuscript- some
add toward spicing up a site of otherwise bland
listings with the kind of humorous correspondence
that many beleaguered writers can well appreciate.
March 2006
PROTRADE
www.protrade.com
A novel new addition to the increasingly popular
world of options available to sporting enthusiasts,
but especially those with a specific interest in
sports tipping and so-called 'fantasy sports'
competitions is PROTRADE. As opposed to those
websites wherein you are required to choose a given
team or assemble a collection of real athletes into
your own competition and face off against others,
PROTRADE has added a different spin into the
equation. As the site explains, 'PROTRADE uses live
market buy/sell activity to establish a predictive
market of athletes and has assembled a unique team of
MIT statisticians, economists and leading sports
figures to develop a patent-pending valuation engine
to quantify on-field performance and assess an
athlete's contribution to winning.'
In plain English?
Put together your own portfolio of individual, real
athletes and, according to their given success and
popularity as a 'share' from week to week, try to
earn dividends worthy of winning a particular
PROTRADE competition. It's free to join and many of
the challenges are free to enter as well, however
others cost as little as U.S $5 to join. The site
only currently features professional athletes in the
American MLB, NFL and NBA leagues, but for novelty
value alone this site is worth a look..
February 2006
Pandora
www.pandora.com
For music lovers, here is Pandora, created by the
'Music Genome Project', an organization that has
painstakingly classified thousands and thousands of
different styles and forms of music, and assigned
each track up to 400 different attributes. Upon
typing in the name of an artist or song into
Pandora's search system, the Genome Project will
match that selection with other similar music
choices. You can create as many personalized 'radio
stations' as you like, and then sit back and see what
related or new examples might come up.
A recent search for 'Pearl Jam' not only offered up a
few classic tunes by the band, but several spot-on
matches with bands like Audioslave, Neil Young, and
Alice In Chains, as well as a few unexpected
surprises, including Echo & The Bunnymen, Guided
By Voices, and Mother Love Bone. With the option to
also purchase the tracks you like, this is a solid,
comprehensive music archive.
Enjoy!
January 2006
The Udder Limits:
January 2005
Banned Books Online
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/banned-books.html
In this literary edition of the Cud we thought we
might direct you towards an online discussion of
books that have, through the years, either been
censored or the subject of censorship attempts. From
Shakespeare to Twain, Aristophanes to the Bible,
there are plenty of titles on this list that certain
folk most certainly didn't consider to be 'classics'.
December 2005
Banterist
http://www.banterist.com
Everybody likes a little bit of banter now and again.
This month we spotlight The Banterist, Brian
Sack. The
Banterist proclaims it is a weblog, but
wittier , which is a fair description of the site.
The Banterist found worldwide fame by selling a pair
of leather pants on eBay. If you haven't received
this posting in your email inbox you can access it on
the site. And if you do, pay special attention to the
banter back and forth between Brian and potential
buyers of his pants. It's fantastic. We at The
Cud are fascinated in the commerce of leather
goods, but there is much more to this site than an
email wildfire. For a cheap laugh check out Paris
Hilton for the X-Box, or the Grammar
Cop series will satisfy those who like to poke
fun at the poorly educated. His Global Humor
Workshop is considered intellectual comedy for
an after-dinner laugh, if you like. Enjoy.
November
2005
Airline Meals
http://www.airlinemeals.net/
Perhaps a rather odd
website at first, and yet somewhat interesting at
least for a little while once you bother looking
around. Browse thousands of photos and reviews of
airline meals from various airlines and classes
around the globe, and from the 50's through to the
present!
The pineapple soda and
dried fish lunch offered on China Yunnan airlines not
surprisingly rates a '2' out of 10...
There's even a small
section highlighting airline meals as represented in
the movies. These guys are a tad obsessed, but it's
all harmless fun. Unless you eat the airline food,
that is...
October
2005
Found
Magazine
http://www.foundmagazine.com/
A
brilliant, interesting website that is devoted to
showcasing an increasing collection of 'found' items.
As they explain:
'We collect found
stuff: love letters, birthday cards, kids' homework,
to-do lists, ticket stubs, poetry on napkins,
doodles- anything that gives a glimpse into someone
else's life. Anything goes.
We
certainly didn't invent the idea of found stuff being
cool. Every time we visit our friends in other towns,
someone's always got some kind of unbelievable
discovered note or photo on their fridge. We decided
to make a bunch of projects so that everyone can
check out all the strange, hilarious and
heartbreaking things people have picked up and passed
our way.'
Our personal
favourite? The scrawlings on a blue piece of paper
found in a hospital that declare:
'EVERY SECOND TUESDAY
OF EACH MONTH... UTENSIL SHARPENING... FOR
MORGUE'
Check this site out-
it's definitely something different, but worth the
visit.
September
2005
The American
Red Cross
http://www.redcross.org
If
you haven't already contributed toward the relief
efforts helping those in the wake of Hurricane
Katrina, make haste and visit this site. And yes,
it's tax deductible.
August
2005
Get Up! Action
for Australia
http://www.getup.org.au/
No
doubt inspired by the recent innovation and success
of such websites as the U.S'based www.MoveOn.org, Get
Up! was recently launched with the intent of
establishing 'a new political movement to build a
more progressive Australia.'
How exactly does Get
Up! hope to build a more progressive Australia? Well,
putting an end to the reign of conservative
government and feckless opposition would, according
to the site, be a good start.
And what can you do?
Learn more by simply signing up to receive 'email
action updates'.
July
2005
AOL Music'
Live 8
http://music.channel.aol.com/live_8_concert/home
Just because the
concerts are over it's not too late to watch what you
may have missed, or what you might like to see
again.
For the remainder of
the U.S summer, America Online is allowing full
access to all of the Live 8 concert footage from
around the world uncut and, more importantly, for
free.
Check it out.
June
2005
The
Dialectizer
http://www.rinkworks.com/dialect/
A
fun site that takes text or other web pages and
converts them into parodied text. Simply select a
dialect, then enter a URL or English text sample and
away you go.
Select the 'redneck'
dialect and then try out some of Act 5, Scene V in
William Shakespeare's Richard III:
KING RICHARD III
Slave, I have set my life upon a cast,
And I will stand the hazard of the die:
I think there be six Richmonds in the field;
Five have I slain to'day instead of him.
A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!
My kingdom for a hound dog? Ahem...
'''''
May 2005
Did Hunter S.
Thompson Really Commit Suicide, Or Sinister Work
Afoot?
http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/march2005/020305thompsonwarned.htm
For the conspiracy
theorists among you...!
A Forgotten
Trauma of the Gulf War
Website
An
interesting piece about the burden of notifying
family members of relative's deaths in the Gulf
War.
April
2005
Modern Drunkard
Magazine Online
http://www.moderndrunkardmagazine.com
The name says it. This
website takes a humorous look at all things drinking
and getting drunk, from article salutes to the
greatest drunks in jazz music history to 'Gin'Soaked
Fiction', 'Comics for Alcoholics' and 'Skid Row
Poetry'. Everything a dedicated drunk needs to assure
him or herself that 'all is well and I'm not alone'
is right here.
A
personal favourite? The 'Wino Wisdom' section. One
such example:
'Let us never speak of
this again.'
John N., confronting an empty bottle of whiskey
and full bottle of vermouth.
March
2005
The Haunted
Bookshop
http://www.haunted.com.au/
Looking for that
special book about ghost ships? Perhaps a guide
explaining how to communicate with spirits in the
afterlife? Or even just an industry standard spell
book?
Have a look through
the extensive product catalogue for this noted
Melbourne bookstore that The Australian called one of
Melbourne's top 100 shops.
You can place orders
by phone or online' details on the site.
February
2005
The Urban
Legends Reference Pages
http://www.snopes.com/
Though this site has
been around for some time, check it out if you're yet
to have discovered this interesting, well presented
collection of urban legends.
Whether it be urban
legends about love, the movies, crime, foods and
beyond, the folks at the Urban Legends Reference
Pages have each legend categorised according to a
colour code system wherein:
A
Green bullet identifies true items.
A
Red bullet indicates false items.
A
Yellow bullet identifies items of undetermined or
ambiguous veracity.
And a White bullet
identifies items of indeterminate origin.
Have a look around,
and learn whether or not the rumours are true that a
customer at an American fast food chicken outlet
really was served a batter'fried rat...
January 2005
Word
Play
http://www.wolinskyweb.net/word.htm
An
interesting (and potentially time consuming)
collection of websites that feature 'fun with words'.
Our favourites? 'The Apostrophe Protection Society'
homepage, the 'Tongue Twister Database' and the 'Rap
Dictionary'.
Kid of
Speed
http://www.kiddofspeed.com
Really quite an
astounding collection of photos as, in occasionally
broken English, 'Elena' takes you on an especially
dangerous motorbike tour through the abandoned
countryside and city of Chernobyl. Though
increasingly overgrown and in ruin, Chernobyl really
is still very much frozen in time since the 1986
meltdown tragedy. An eerie website worth
visiting.
The Official
Noam Chomsky Website
http://www.chomsky.info/index.html
Whether you agree or disagree with his words, Noam
Chomsky can at the very least be commended for
promoting discussion and debate, particularly in the
past few years with regard to his position on the war
in Iraq. At times seemingly forgotten has been the
outstanding contribution he has made to the field of
linguistics.
Here, at his official
website, you can read various articles and lectures
by Mr. Chomsky, as well as download audio and video
samples, and read his biography. In the 'Talks'
section, check out his recent paper 'Doctrines and
Visions: Who Is to Run The World, and How?' delivered
at the University of Oxford in June of 2004.
November 1,
2004
Basic Survival
Tips for Incarceration'
http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/6425/survival.html
This isn't
light'hearted reading, folks, rather it is the
intense, straight'to'the'point advice of a former
prison inmate for those due to spend time
inside.
From offerings about
taking things on credit (answer: DON'T), to managing
your time in prison (avoid men with brooms where
possible), this is sobering stuff and an insight into
preparation for a hard existence where time, used
wisely, is perhaps the greatest resource of
all.
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