Sunday Style InSite Jan. 14, 2001

Sunday Style In-Sites Jan. 14, 2001

The Acronym Finder: This "comprehensive database of acronyms, abbreviations and initialisms" claims to hold "179,000+ definitions", which makes it just the kind of instant-help site to turn to when you want to find out what puzzlers like 'IMHO' and 'ROTC' stand for. There's a search box that offers 'exact', 'wildcard' and 'reverse lookup' options, and if you think you've got a unique acronym to share, just hit 'Submit new acronym' (an "average of 152 new acronyms are added each day"). You can also send in new definitions if you spot any that are erroneous (among the listings under 'MSC' is 'Malaysia Super Corridor'). The main page has a dull business-like look but it serves the purpose. In any case, you don't have to spend fidgety moments waiting for the page to load, especially during searches. Also, don't forget to check out the 'Fun Buzzword Acronyms' link which is a fabulous source for quiz-type party games.

The Chinese Love Calculator: Want a quick assessment of how compatible you and your partner in romance are? Then just click up this page, enter names and birthdates in the boxes and hit the 'Calculate' button. After reading the short character descriptions and the verdict, it's up to you and your mate whether you choose to hitch or ditch, though if you're the type of person who makes important decisions based solely on astrology, you deserve no real love. It's generally acknowledged that Chinese horoscopes, which "have been in use for thousands of years", predate the Western Zodiac, so you're actually tapping into the wisdom of the ages condensed for mass consumption here. But think of this as a fun match test rather than a real compatibility determiner. Anyway, the 'Love Links' to Giftsongs.com, PassionUp.com, Gifts.com, BeautyBuys.com, DatingClub.com and Kiss.com should give you an idea of the spirit in which the whole thing is conceived.

FoodNews.org: Operated by the Environmental Working Group which promotes "healthier food choices, pesticide-free foods and organic farming", this site offers useful information on pesticides and how they affect the food we eat. Starting with a news section that alerts visitors about the latest food scares, the home page lets you enter a virtual supermarket where you can "fill your shopping cart" with everything from pastas to veggies and seafood. After that you can find out "which pesticides you brought home in your grocery bags" and what health risks they pose. There's also a 'Kids' Corner' which takes a look at the pesticides in the foods that children eat, and a 'Daily Fare' section whose revelations about the pesticides in the various dishes we enjoy in a normal day are sure to alarm you. It's a wonderfully educational site that's bound to increase your consciousness about the safety of food in general. And it leads you to the information without flash or fanfare.

The Godfather Trilogy: If you're one of the many predominantly male film buffs obsessed with Francis Ford Coppola's shamelessly macho-spirited 'The Godfather' series of mafia movies based on author Mario Puzo's best-selling novel, you're practically going to live at this site. It's got tons of intriguing stuff, ranging from dialogue transcipts and stills from the movies to audio (MIDI songs) and video clips featuring scenes and comments by the cast and crew, including a welcome message by the late Puzo. From the main page, you can click into any of the sections -- 'GF1', 'GF2', 'GF3', GF4', 'Epic', 'Trilogy' -- and explore the kind of exclusive and revealing contents that will help you expand your command of 'Godfather' lore. There's such an abundance of trivia here that only the truly devoted would have the patience to trudge through or digest the offerings. The site, which began unofficially, has an effective, though not exceptional, layout that clearly labels the various entrance points for visitors.

Robotics: Sensing, Thinking, Acting: Robots are going to be a big part of our lives in the coming years so an insight into the realm of smart machines will be invaluable to anyone who envisions a life of excitement in the super hi-tech world of the future. This online exhibition, put together by the Tech Museum of Innovation, not only offers a terrific introduction to the history and workings of robotics but also provokes debate on many of the inevitable 'Man vs Machines' issues. A section called 'Universal Robots' traces the evolution of robots while 'Machines and Man' tackles "robotics and ethics in the 21st century". 'Robot Art' takes you into the studio of "four (San Francisco) Bay Area artists", and if you want a chance to control your own remote-operated vehicle, you can do so via Shockwave. The attractively-designed home page also offers a 'Classroom Activities' section for teaching purposes.

Veggies Unite: As far as online vegetarian guides go, this one's pretty big on food and short on philosophy. But that could just be the meal ticket for most practical vegetarians looking more for varied food ideas rather than existential mumbo-jumbo. There're loads of recipes -- more than 2,000 -- and sections like 'VegInfo' and 'Q & A' deal with topics ranging from meals for the physically active to slimming diets. There're also interesting snippets on 'The Calcium Myth', 'Living in Harmony with Vegetarians', 'Vitamin Content' and 'Fasting'. The reference section, which includes a 'Culinary Dictionary' and a 'Body Mass Index Calculator', lets you take meeting nutritional needs to a measurable level. You can also exchange recipes and trade ideas via an online forum and check out other diet-related for more info. The site's design may not be all that impressive but it's quite navigation-friendly.