Alfy: This Web portal for kids is both entertaining and educational, and chances are, any VYP (Very Young Person) who hangs out here is going to find it hard to leave the site. There're loads of interactive games and activities, and such sections as 'Clubhouse', 'Create!', 'Sports Arena' and 'Brain Train' provide plenty of fun, and food for tender minds. The 'Storyville' page is also something kids will love, especially when they have a choice of such fabulous stories as 'Alfy's Broken Toy', 'Alfy Goes Camping' and 'Halloween Tale' to pick from. The site, with fast-loading pages, uses Flash and Shockwave effectively to bring many of the features and characters to life. And although most of the stuff is free, you have to be a subscriber to enjoy some of the better features.

Antiques Oronoco: Anyone with a keen interest in antiques will appreciate this reference site that explains various types of precious collectibles. You just use a pull-down box or click on the links at the bottom to check out 'Banks', 'Bottles', 'China', 'Furniture', 'Glassware', 'Marbles', 'Swords', and other categories for introductory articles and images. And from there, you just extend you search for more involved explanations. Sections like 'What is Your Item Worth' and 'Oronoco Gold Rush' are full of fascinating facts. You can also check out the 'Featured Items for Sale' if you're lucky enough to have a bank account that's too fat. Indeed, if you're really serious about buying or selling, then you should move on to , an online market for antiques and collectibles.

Chess Is Fun: Jon Edwards is a one-time US chess champion and at this excellent site, he offers both beginners and advanced players lots of tips on mastering chess. The home page strikingly splits the screen in the middle: the frame on the left deals with moves and stategies while the frame on the right illustrates them with diagrams. So, you actually see everything Edwards describes on a chessboard, including 'Basic Rook Strategy', 'Basic Knight Strategy, 'Basic Bishop Strategy', 'Basic Pawn Strategy' and 'Five Steps to Victory'. Edwards' discussions of topics like 'Openings', 'Tactics', 'Endgames' and 'Great Games' are also full of invaluable insights. It's all as simply laid out as it could possibly be, and if your game still sucks after you've memorised all the major strategies explained here, then you're probably destined to be a Grand Failure rather than a Grand Master.

The Crime Library: It may be a morbid fascination but most people never seem to get enough of stories documenting horrific crimes, especially those committed by mass murderers and serial killers. And while this site, which has dozens of accounts about some of the most heinous crimes of the past few centuries, feeds that fascination, it also serves to remind readers, somewhat chillingly, that many of those who harbour killer instincts may not be demented at all. You can choose from categories like 'Classic Crime Stories,' 'Gangster, Outlaws & G-Men', 'Mass & Serial Murders', 'The Criminal Mind', 'Terrorists, Spies & Assassins' and 'The Best Crime Fiction' on the main page. Under 'Classic Crime Stories', for instance, you get such absorbing pieces as 'The Real Amityville Horror', 'The Lindbergh Kidnapping', 'Sam Sheppard Case' and 'The Marquis de Sade'. But the real mind-blowers are in the 'Mass & Serial Murders' section which chronicles the cases of Ted Bundy, Albert Fish ('cannibal model for Hannibal Lector'), Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, The Son of Sam and many other vicious psychopaths. The writing is not that great -- at its best, its rises only to the level of efficient journalism -- but when you're reading the pieces, it's the lurid details more than style and substance that keep you fired. Most of the stories are told over several pages but, thankfully, loading time is quite fast.

eHobbies.com: 'Hobbyists' -- people whose favorite pursuits include building telescopes, collecting coins and stamps, racing radio-control cars, bird watching, assembling model rockets and diecast kits, and setting up model trains -- will find this an immensely useful online resource. Besides offering "hot deals" on all kinds of items, the site provides beginners just the tips to get them going in whatever hobby that interests them, and informs hardcore hobbyists on the latest models available on the market. There're also 'Online Magazines' featuring articles that deal with everything from starting a collection to assessing the value of rare models as well as reviews of the latest kits on the market. The necessary tools and supplies are also discussed and evaluated. You can share experiences related to you hobby in the 'Message Boards' which are full of enlightening information. It's a cleanly concieved, well-designed site and you'll have know problems finding your way around.

In Italy Online: Planning a trip to Italy? Want a reliable and up-to-date guide to all the must-see spots? Then this is the first site you should check out as it covers just about everything you need to know -- and more -- about Italy. You'll get a good idea of the scale and structure of the information on tap by scanning the site map, and from there you just explore all the data-packed pages that interest you. The descriptions are written in a charmingly individualistic manner, so you don't have to worry about putting up with dull touristy literature. Such things as accommodation and food to fit your budget are also dealt with in a reassuring way. And just to get you into the mood of things, there're audioclips of folk songs, Italian recipes and lots of evocative photos.

Nov. 5, 2000 Oct. 29, 2000 Oct. 22, 2000 Oct. 15, 2000 Oct. 8, 2000 Oct. 1, 2000 Sept. 24, 2000 Older Insites

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