Welcome to the LA Biker
home page
Insipid, inane, incomprehensible that anyone would want to go to this site.
My dog could create a better biker page - and he doesn't know HTML or ride
a motorcycle. A disparate collection of vanity pages, this site is mediocre
in every respect: kinda sexist, kinda vain, kinda into machines. I either
want good old testosteronic, beer-guzzling, and hard-core, or something
totally unexpected like progressive, enlightened, and free-thinking. The
only reason to visit this site: the Fredo page by Praka. If this man is
single, someone must pick him up - he's into Italian, opera, and Perl. What's
he doing with this crowd?-LG
D+
">Tiles
on the Web
Your one-stop site for everything in Tileland. Look at tiles, discover where
to get training, check out the bookshelf, critique the featured tile artist.
This attractive site is a labor of love for host Tom Colson and his knowledgeable
contributors. It's strictly non-commercial, which doesn't mean he won't
mention a worthy business, but it does mean Tom's endorsement can't be bought.
It's a complete service for those who, in his words, "are into tile."If you are, too, you need this page.-RR
A
The CraftWeb Home Page
It claims to be "The Premier On-Line Community for Professional Craft
Arts," and it lives up to the boast. A stained-glass window links artisans,
groups, FTP files, a bookstore, resources, and more. The people behind the
page will also promote your work, for a price - $250 gets you membership,
an attractive site to display photos of wares with a bio (they'll assist
in designing), plus other
promotional benefits. A hundred bucks yields lesser services, and no money
will still easily provide you with a wealth of information, whether you're
a wood turner, basket weaver, or gourd artist.-RR
A
SC VAMPIRES M & SC
Homepage
Originally founded in the 1940s, the Vampires was a motorcycle-only club
that now includes "rugged hard-riding scooter enthusiasts." Its
site, still under construction when I visited, promises to be one swank
stop for anyone into riding. It features great pictures of bikes, plus sections
devoted to various manufacturers and their models. Interested in purchasing
an historical model? You can link up to Christie's to see what's on the
auction block. In the Santa Cruz area? Check the site for information on
joining the group for a ride. But, as they caution, "be prepared for
a sore butt. "-LG
A-
Pottery:
The Potter's Page
An argument could be made that the page name is redundant, but why pick
nits? Bountiful and accessible resources include a mailing list, software,
exhibitions, and events, plus connection to potters all over cyberworld.
Very basic layout with a minimum of colors, but so what? You want information
or glitz? If you work with clay, you want to be here. And if you cover your
mouse and keyboard with plastic, you don't have to wash your hands first.-RR
A
Model
Railroad Information
This is the mother of all model railroad sites (and there are a boxcar full).
Not real pretty, but it's stuffed with information and it's easy to get
around in. General info, sites by scale and gauge, FAQ, organizations, electronics,
building models, exchange tips, etc. If it's small and train-related, it's
here. If it isn't, let them know and I'll bet they'll add it pronto.
-RR
A+
Minnesota Clay Co.
USA
"It can be surprising when a glaze described as a matt taupe fires
out as a glassy emerald!" Indeed. I have no idea why this is so, but
I believe these people. They talk about glazes, cones, and kilns like it
was their first language. Aside from a catalog of Minnesota Clay products,
this page has interesting links to discussion groups, which often include
topics such as left-handed throwing and the best books on tape to break
the workroom monotony.-RR
B-
JON ZIMMERS HOME
PAGE
Tools. That's what Jon's into. He buys, sells, studies, touts. These aren't
your usual tools, though. No, Jon's partial to beautiful 'n' rare tools,
like unusual cast iron levels , machinist's tools, and parts. Although the
site isn't super-attractive, he includes lots of photos and plenty of text/links
to give you a good understanding of his obsession. Should you be interested
in dropping some serious cash, Jon's selling. Take a look at the super-glam
Stanley No.1. At just 5-3/4 inches long, this is the smallest bench plane
made. A steal at just $1,295.00.-LG
B+
HOn2 1/2
Page
If I glean what hosts Dave Frary and Bob Hayden say, HOn2-1/2 is a slightly
obscure scale for trainsters who shun conventional HO or N sizes. This is
akin to intellectuals who never read anything even remotely popular and
get snotty if you ask why, except that Dave and Bob sound like nice guys
and model trains are lots more fun than books by sullen junkie writers.
Anyway, if you're
interested in HOn2-1/2 or think you might be, Bob and Dave have all the
information you need, and they want to hear from you. They're thinking of
writing a book.
-RR
A
Home
Fashion Information Network
Homeowners will want to visit the Home Fashion Information Network for lots
of useful information about, umm, fashion and your home. There's a lot of
depth to this site. Topics include everything from decorative accessories
to window and wall coverings. But be warned: You have to wade through tons
of bad writing that includes scary phrases like "the versatility of
solids" and "creating a cozy haven." Don't let that keep
you away, though, as the section called "Wood You Like To Know"(ugh) contains a great chart that imakes the visit worthwhile.-LG
B
Grand Central Railway
Station of Cyberspace
This is nirvana for the hopelessly train-obsessed. Everything anyone could
possibly need or want to know about trains is here, including hundreds of
links to pages covering myriad topics about real and model railroads. There
are listings of manufacturers and suppliers, clubs, magazines, shows, historical
societies, e-mail lists, chat sites, and forums. The word "exhaustive"comes to mind. Arguably the best feature: You can have your own Web page
within the Grand Central Station. And, should you extricate yourself from
this site, you can make your real-life train reservations from the link
to Amtrak's site.-LG
A-
Airheads
Beemer Club
Airheads are folksy BMW motorcycle enthusiasts who despise their chi-chi
yuppie counterparts, and - now this is key - ride Beemers with air-cooled
heads. A photo gallery introduces you to all the fellas. Sure, we're talking
guys who most likely attended the Skynyrd reunion tour, but goddamn if they
couldn't clean serious BMW house with a few pony kegs of Pabst down their
gullets. All in all, this page rocks with invaluable technical data on how
to tangle with a real man's bike.
-JP
B+
Iron Butt Association
Main Menu
Your butt would be iron, too, if you covered more than 1,000 miles of continuous
earth in a 24-hour period. Welcome to the Iron Butt Association, a group
"dedicated to safe, long-distance, endurance motorcycle riding."Twenty-five long-distance tips provide valuable information for group members,
as well as riders of weaker resolve. Information on annual rides like the
"Saddle Sore 1,000" and the "Bun Burner 1,500" lend
identity to a rather obscure - and cheeky - movement. No art, but more information
about sore asses than most of us would care to know.-JP
B-
Mike
Sullivan's WOODWORKING WEB PAGE 6 17 95
When you're talking about woodworking, you're talking about a real hobby
- traditional, folksy, and just plain Rockwellian. This site is tireless
in its exploration of a subject that requires meticulous attention to detail.
With links to FAQs, bibliographies, and subjects headers like "All
you need to know about scrapers," you'll be well on your way to building
that birdhouse for the front porch. Just one drawback: Where's the art?-JP
B
MOTORCYCLE
ONLINE
Consider this site your premiere online motorcycle authority. Layouts are
so sharp, they compare to print magazines before the advent of desktop publishing.
Tables display tech specs of various bikes. Ads are benignly sequestered
in "Manufacturer's Row." Loaded with extensive photography and
all the trappings of a modern hobbyist's magazine (feature stories, product
reviews, classified, etc.), you'd be hard-pressed to find a more well-written,
well-designed source of motorcycle information. -JP
A+
The
Mini-Tugboat Homepage
Would you like to learn more about mini-tugboats? Would you like to build
a mini-tugboat? You might if it helped you gain access to the Gulf Coast
Nudist Yacht Club! That's right, friends, you'll find naked seamen and seawomen
if you delve deeply enough into this otherwise unspectacular homage to mini-tugboating.
How-to articles are well-written, but most of the accompanying photos are
too low-res to be of any help. While the site seems to be a comprehensive
resource for tugboating info, its organization is labored.-JP
C-
