May 9, 1999
Dear Readers,
Welcome back. Happy Mother’s Day! I am enjoying reading your
site suggestions, so please, keep them coming. Here’s how. First find
the appropriate topic page at Surfing
the Net with Kids, and
then click “Suggest a Site.”
This week’s newsletter is sponsored by:
- ACE Computer Camp: Time is
running out! Make your
plans now for a summer you won’t forget. My son and I both recommend
ACE summer computer camp for kids ages 7-16. Camps are located at over 80
leading
colleges and universities nationwide, such as Stanford, MIT and UCLA (as
well as
in Canada
and England.)
Campers learn a variety of new skills, from programming in BASIC, C, C++,
and
HTML to software applications and Web page design. Additionally campers
enjoy
sports in the afternoon and computer game tournaments in the evenings.
ACE
offers both commuter and overnight programs. ACE is the perfect
opportunity for
kids to learn new skills while making new friends and having fun. Visit
ACE Computer Camp online or call
1(800)FUN-4-ACE, and be sure to tell them "Barbara sent me!"
- Beyond.com
CHERNOBYL AND OTHER VIRUS NEWS: With all the computer viruses going around
these days, make sure you’re protected from Chernobyl, Melissa, and any
others that crop up. Visit their
Antivirus
Software Center to see the latest products. I use Norton
AntiVirus and am quite pleased with it. I especially appreciate the
ease of the Live Update feature.
Star Wars
Star Wars became a mommy-son thing for us two years ago when we saw the
Star Wars Special Edition trilogy together. As each movie was
released, we would make plans to get away to see it. Now we are both
looking forward to seeing Episode I: The Phantom Menace. But I did
get a little worried when my son asked me how long I would wait in line to
see it. My answer: probably about forty-five minutes. Until the line is
that short, here’s what’s happening online. MTFBWY*
Like "Surfing the Net with Kids?"
Recommend-It to a Friend!
Darin Smith writes “My aim for TheForce.Net: to provide a fun, clean,
entertaining site for Star Warriors to play in. Star Wars has always meant
a lot to me, and it deserves a fan page that brings out the best in it for
everyone, from little kids to our ‘closet fan’ parents and grandparents.”
This fab fan site (“Your Daily Dose of Star Wars”) spans lots of territory:
Star Wars news, discussion forums, interviews, fan art and fan fiction are
just a handful of topics covered.
The Jedi Council message forums (organized around a dozen subjects) are a
popular feature of this “for the fans, by the fans” site. Other highlights
are Evan’s Star Wars Cinema (original short films created with action
figures and distributed exclusively online) and the South Park/Star Wars
parody titled Star Park. Some families, however, might find either or both
of these offensive for their language and slightly-off-center themes.
Star Wars became part of American aerospace history when The Magic of Myth
exhibit opened at the National Air and Space Museum last year. “This
exhibition examines the mythology beneath the Star Wars story, a hero’s
journey that takes place ‘a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away.’
Underneath the flash and dazzle of special effects is the magic of myth, a
shape-shifting realm where heroes, monsters, wizards, and magic talismans
dwell in labyrinths of discovery.” Choose Virtual Gallery if you have a
high-speed connection and are willing to download the Live Picture Viewer
plug-in. If not, then go with the low bandwidth Web Feature.
This huge (and official) site features clips of Episode I music, trailers,
and television ads. One of my favorite clicks is the Shockwave gallery in
the Smithsonian exhibit. Also, follow your mouse to Technology for an
explanation of engineering achievements such as the repulsorlift engine
(“antigravity devices which make it possible for any machine equipped with
them to float above the ground”) and hyperdrive (“an engine – powered by
fusion generators – which allows a spacecraft to enter hyperspace, an
alternate dimension where travel at many times the speed of light ceases to
be an impossibility.”)
It’s a testimony to the fervor of the prolific online Star Wars community
that they even have their own search engine! A search on “droid,” for
example, produces a list of eight sites, arranged alphabetically from
Astromech Droid to
Star Wars Gaming. In
addition to the search function, sites are categorized in a browsable
directory of twenty-four topics such as collectibles, fan fiction, games,
humor, and trivia.
*May The Force Be With You
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