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By John Hunter

When I began to research this month’s column, I had great plans. There were several strange sites that looked promising and so I started to work feeling very optimistic. As I surfed looking for the first site, I fantasized about snappy leads drawing readers into the world of ferroconcrete boats. My enthusiasm dimmed quickly as I clicked on my first site, www.ConcreteCanoe.org. The homepage promises links to sponsors, participants, libraries, photo galleries, tips, and feature articles. The site also boasts that it possesses the world's largest and most comprehensive database on concrete canoeing. However, I visited this site twice over a three-week period and was unable to get any of the links to work. The one piece of information that I did get says that the national championship concrete canoe race will occur June 20-22 in Philadelphia. If you’re ever up a creek, this might be a site to help you sail down with or without a paddle if you can make it work.

I had similar success with another site, www.gemueseorchester.org. This is the official website for the Viennese Vegetable Orchestra - no joke. I found this site in BBC Music Magazine. With great hopes I clicked on the URL.. When I tried to play several selections listed on the site, I found that this required a download of the current version of the MSNmedia player. Once the new media player downloaded, I tried to play the selections. No luck. My computer froze. I don't know why. This happened on both of my attempted site visits. I was able, however, to download pictures of the vegetable instruments. This appears to be the only place where once you get it to work, you can listen to the music and then cook and eat the instruments. If you try to enter this site and your computer freezes up, you have been warned!

I had better luck with several other sites. Have you ever racked your brains wondering what you can do with your children or grandchildren that doesn't cost money and will keep them occupied when the weather is bad? Bill Gates has the answer with http://kids.msn.com/. This website has a variety of activities suitable for young children (age 6 and up). When you reach the URL, you will find a number of activity categories to choose from. You can always hit games, but if you go to art fun, you and your children can download paper dolls, color them and play with them. The only cost is the paper and the ink. The dolls are from the book series by Joan Holub, Doll Hospital. You can dress up Goldie and Tatiana in clothes that you download in full color or clothes you color yourself. Each doll has a story taken from the book series.

If dolls don't appeal to you, how about learning about rock crystals? Click on the picture of crystals and start playing Rockin' Rock Grower, an educational activity developed by Scholastic. Click play and you will find a graphic of a purple amethyst geode accompanied by a factoid describing the geode. You learn that geodes come from South America and parts of Africa. Click on the right arrow and learn about aquamarine blue crystals. Other clicks provide pictures and facts about other crystals. Very educational. The site also has links to Scholastic: a kid news page and a book page, for example. This link is very encouraging since Microsoft and Scholastic apparently don’t know the correct spelling of kids. The site is also tied to Toys-R-Us with the inevitable opportunities to buy things. But you have been forewarned.

If you have older children who read, then there are a number of sites featuring the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. If you click on www.sherlockian.net, you come to a very comprehensive home page for Sherlock Holmes mystery fans. The big news today, January 6, 2003, is that according to the Online Sun, Britney Spears is considering, “playing the lead in a movie about a modern day female Sherlock Holmes”. The working title for the film is 221bCause. The project features a disgraced junkie cop who turns detective trying to save the U.S. President's kidnaped young son. This sounds like a sure-fire hit to me, and I'm sure that Britney will make a very believable Sherlock. And if you buy this, I have a bridge you may be interested in.

One of the homepage links goes to The World of Holmes and Watson. This site provides pictures and/or plans for 221b Baker Street, the possible floor plan for the house, live webcam pictures of the corner of Baker Street and Marylebone Road, and all sorts of other interesting Holmesiana. You can find out anything and everything about Sherlock Holmes from the fanatic fans who have devoted uncounted hours analyzing every word in every story in which he appeared.

Another site related to Sherlock Holmes is www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/. Dartmoor served as the setting for one of the most terrifying Sherlock Holmes mysteries, The Hounds of the Baskervilles. This website provides photographs of the area. Should you wish to visit this sometimes forbidding land located on the English-Welsh border, the site offers tips, maps, factsheets, and guided tour information. “Elementary Watson”. Until next month . . .

John M. Hunter

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