Matthew B. Tepper's Annotated Hot Turkey Links

Warning

The following links are external to my happy, cuss-free, naughtiness-free site. You click on these links at your own risk. To be specific, some of the following links may contain cussing, innuendo, images of undraped human beings, political opinions, etc. When you use them, you are on your own. You have been warned!

Gift of Life Links on a Plain Sweet Roll

The Hunger Site: Every 3.6 seconds someone dies of hunger; 3/4 of the deaths are children under 5. Please visit this site and lend your support to wiping out hunger in our time. It costs you nothing, but each visit is counted by the site sponsors who will donate much-needed staple foods where they are needed the most. Special note: Several months after I complained, they have finally enabled a method by which you may turn off the irritating pop-under windows.

Classical Music Links on a Hard French Roll

Hyperion Records: This is, I should think, the prime contender for best classical record label Web site! I think what sets Hyperion apart from most of their competitors is 1) unlike Sony, Universal, and the other so-called "majors," they care about the classical music consumer, and 2) they want us to buy their products. And classical musicians are important to them as well. For example, when British composer Robert Simpson died in November 1997, they set aside space on their front page to memorialize him. (Compare and contrast with the London Records Webpage's decision to just ignore the death of one of their cash cows, Sir Georg Solti.) My only complaint about Hyperion is that their American distributor is Harmonia Mundi USA, who jack up the prices unduly on everything they bring in.
Chandos Records: Another one of the great classical music labels, Chandos has always focussed on intriguing music and great performances, always without stinting on the recording quality. They do have a heavy emphasis on British repertoire and musicians, but who says that's necessarily a bad thing?
Naxos/Marco Polo: The label which proves that good performances don't have to be expensive. In fact, as an illustration of my above point, when the Marco Polo label switched distributors from Harmonia Mundi USA to Naxos, their in-store prices around here dropped $3 per disc. Draw whatever conclusions you like from that. Naxos is to be commended for their many composer pages.
New York Philharmonic: If you want to see a well-done resource for America's oldest orchestra, you will find this a useful site. There are even biographies of several of the orchestra's members, including violinist Marilyn Dubow, on whom I used to have a terrible crush. At least she named her son after me!
La Scala: Perhaps the greatest opera company in the world, at least in their own minds. The site seems now to be complete in form, including lots of data engines which permit you to search the site, both in Italian and English! Lots of good content, which has been worth the wait.
Thomas Quasthoff: Even classical music has its "star" performers, and once you've weeded out the phonies and never-rans perpetuated by the marketers, there actually are a few great ones on the rise. One of these is the young German baritone Thomas Quasthoff, who brings great intelligence, honesty and wit to the art of singing, as well as a majestic, wide-ranging voice of sheer tonal beauty.
The Opera Schedule Server: What's opera, doc? If you're an opera fan and you haven't already checked this out, take a look now!
Opera Notes and Mike's Miscellany: Simply one of the best opera-related Web sites around. It's so good I can't think of anything snotty to say about it. Just take a look at it! Mike has also collected some great self-education resources for those of us who have lost patience with the greedy fat record companies and want to burn our own CDs of classical music.
Cardiff Studios: This is the Web-home of the remarkable radio announcer and polymath, Rich Capparela. Rich is the morning drive announcer on Los Angeles' only commercial classical radio station, K-Mozart (KMZT), which competes with public station KUSC for the local market. And with competition such as this, we all benefit!
Arturo Toscanini: Another well-researched page devoted to a great performer, John Wilson's Toscanini site contains a detailed CD discography of the Maestro's recordings. This is an excellent resource for collectors, particularly with the new series of releases from Naxos (see above). Once again, snottiness eludes me.

Science Fiction Links on Wheat

Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc.: For 30 years, I have been a member of "this world's oldest science fiction club," as we like to call it, and it really is, founded back in 1934! I have been its Scribe, President, and served for six years on the Board of Directors. LASFS meets every Thursday, and there are several years' worth of club minutes available for on-line perusing. Or you can check out the LASFS Photo Album.
Other Change of Hobbit Bookstore: Science fiction bookstore in Berkeley, California. If there's a book that you can't find anywhere else, try them. They also have a form where you can ask about a story if you, er, can't remember the author or title. And on top of all that, they also have those little Darwin-fish that are showing up on more and more cars.
Grilled Pterodactyl: Australian fan who has successfully transferred his old print fanzine to the medium of today. Many interesting articles and speculations, although it looks like he's taken a breather. David is also one of the best fan writers on one of my favorite topics -- classical music.
Tom Digby: Northern California science fiction fan (long resident in Los Angeles) with ideas of wonderful strangeness. He was the basis for the character Tom Findlay in Larry Niven's "What Can You Say About Chocolate-Covered Manhole Covers?" Be sure to check out the section on the word "Plergb"!
DavE Romm's Home Page: One of those Crazy Minneapolis Fans you hear about all the time. DavE has a silly sense of humor. Plus, he co-wrote (with David Levine) the Opening Ceremonies for the 1996 Worldcon in Anaheim, California!
The Lurker's Guide to Babylon 5: This is the essential site for "Babylon 5" fans. In my opinion, this was the best hour of science fiction, syndicated or otherwise, on TV in recent years! Evidently lots of people agree with me, since the episode "The Coming of Shadows" won the 1996 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, and "Severed Dreams" won the same award in 1997. This is the best resource for a science fiction TV show that I have ever seen on the Web, bar none! "Babylon 5" may have ended its run in November 1998, but I have a feeling it will be remembered as the great epic that it was.

Comedy Links With a Drumroll and a Rim-Shot

Bob Newhart: Believe it or not, the great deadpan comedian loves to surf the Web, just as do you and I. And this button-down site, which apparently meets with his approval, is just the thing for Newhart's fans, dealing as it does with all aspects of his career, including his four sitcoms. Hi Bob!
The Onion: Do you like fake news? The sort of thing that they used to do on "Saturday Night Live" back in the good old (Dennis Miller) days? Then you'll probably enjoy this site, at least if you're not too weirded out by their style of humor. Fortunately, they've cut out most of the stupid and tiresome stuff that used to clutter up the site, and are mostly going for actual humor these days. Pity they take so much time off, though.
Rodney Dangerfield: He don't get no respect! So check out his Web site already! Rodney was the first big-name professional comedian on the Web (I don't count Bill Gates), and his site is still one of the best.
Official Reginald Perrin Page: I didn't get where I am today by not watching "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin," a late '70s British sitcom which is my favorite TV series ever. Finally, we have an official page (presumably this means authorised by Perrin creator David Nobbs), with all of the statistics you can imagine wanting. Great! Soooper!
The Dilbert Zone: Lots of stuff from the creator of the overwhelmingly popular comic strip.

Science Link on a Torus (Bagel)

Astronomy Picture of the Day: This is exactly what you think it must be. And it's a wonderful selection they get from day to day, so check it out early and often!

Public Affairs Links on Pumpernickel

No. 10 Downing Street: Here's where the Right Honourable Mr. Tony Blair has his official residence. (He actually lives at No. 11, where there's sufficient living space for the Blair brood. For once, the Chancellor of the Exchequer actually lives at No. 10!) Check out the history of this famous residence.
THOMAS: Legislative Information: See what the House of Representatives is doing to waste taxpayers' money and make our wretched lives even more miserable with favoritism for the rich!

Art Links on a Baguette

Maxfield Parrish: The great turn-of-the-century painter of brilliant fantasy paintings is represented here. Hard to believe he was color-blind, isn't it?
Chesley Bonestell Archives: Many of our real-life space explorers found inspiration from Bonestell, who virtually founded the field of astronomical painters. Visit here and find out why!
Ctein's Online Gallery: Okay, here's someone who's still alive ... Ctein (that's right, just the one name), a master photographer and astronomical artist from Northern California. Check out samples of his works, and if you like them, you can buy top-quality reproductions. This is good stuff. I mean it.

Assorted Internet Links on Rye

Hitchcock: Good eeeeeeevening. The Master of Suspense is ready for his cameo.
As We May Think: Did Vannevar Bush actually predict the World Wide Web 50 years ago? Sure looks like it to me! I guess that surname is not always connected with mediocrity.

Business Links With Lots of Lettuce

Archie McPhee Home Page: Like they say, you may buy only one rubber chicken in your life, so why not get the best? This novelty company used to publish the best catalogues for, well, novelties, and their Web page is just as much fun!

Duck Sausage Links with Some Nice Orange Sauce

John Meuse's Home Page: Next to mine, this is the greatest Web page that has ever been done or could ever be done. Well, pretty nearly, anyway, since two of the Webauthor's interests are classical music and ducks, so just how bad could it be?
The Art of Michael Bedard: I wasn't sure whether to put this here or under the art links. This is the artist who does those silly lithos of toon ducks in various circumstances of contemporary life. You decide.
South Carolina Ducks Unlimited: Check out the fine work of this non-profit organization, devoted to preserve the habitats of our fine feathered friends.
The World-Wide Webfoot: Here's the only other person nicknamed "Ducky" that I've found on the Web. She seems to have an interesting life; her pages are loads of fun!
Just Ducky Creations, Inc.: As with so many of the other links in this section, words fail me.
Just Ducky Tours: If you just look at this picture, you'll know why I included it.
AFLAC: With the sad demise of National Discount Brokers, this is probably the duckiest business site on the Web.

Free Plugs

Stroud's CWSApps List: His name is Forrest Stroud, but people call him ... Forrest Stroud. He performs a valuable function indeed, reviewing the latest versions of Internet-related Windows software. A must for your bookmark list. I have to admit, though, that I wish I could take three- and four-day weekends as often as he seems to do.
Google: My search engine of choice. Now that Altavista is no longer as reliable as it once was, I'm finding a lot more with this one!
Earthlink: My Internet service provider. They really do know what they're doing, at least most of the time. Unlike my former ISP, Deltanet (later Concentric, now XO Communications, and next year who knows), which appears to be run by people who are either lazy or incompetent, or both.

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