This is a cute use of the online medium ... Maukie the virtual kitty. Be sure to move the mouse around all over, pat her on the head and listen to all the sounds she makes.

Okay I have really been slacking on this one... The Olympus E-1 was announced in late June, and it is very likely to be the camera I replace the E-10 with (after all, it is the E-series' successor). It is the first camera to feature the new "4/3" standard Olympus and some other manufacturers are pushing for D-SLRs of the future. This page has a great, ongoing catalog of new items on this new system that should get you up to speed if you are interested.

The now-traditional random content list:

• The Rise and Fall of Southpeak Interactive: For fans of FMV adventure games. From Nu.
• Shannon Lee: An interesting, if dated, article about Bruce Lee's daughter.
• Not the man you think: A look at the political character of Colin Powell, before Bush tapped him. From Dr. Mikee.
• Susan's No-Bake Binge-A-Rific brownies: Goord lord. From Dr. Mikee
• Name statistics: Find out how common your name is (in the US). From Ju.
• ASCII Matrix: Fun with simple text.
• Stop Motion Studies: An eclectic collection of film tricks.
• Cronyism again: More Bush shennanigans.
• Aruba trip pics: Submitted by Paul of the East Coast contingent. Offline as of right now, but try it anyway. There is some non-worksafe stuff in there, reportedly.
• Enemy Territory: A free (yes, free!) game based on the Wolfenstein content. Click on the "Enemy Territory" link. Did I mention it's free?
• The Photographer's Right: A clip-and-save reference for shooters.

The Department of Land and Natural Resources has put up a nice Invasive Species Watch page on Salvinia in Lake Wilson that catalogs the entire fight against the weed. FYI Rodeo spraying is ongoing, and the boat ramp at Lake Wilson is occasionally closed -- check this schedule.

Nothing like a little competition to get your juices flowing! How fast do you type? My best to date is 115 WPM gross, 108 WPM net, 93% on the "Strategic Alliances" passage.

Time Tales is a "found art" collection of photographs throughout the decades. A good idea that could grow better through submissions.

RIP

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former Iron Butterfly lead guitarist Erik Braunn, who led the acid rock band to the heights of their success with the 1968 anthem "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," has died at age 52.

Now this is almost as bad as the hockey Jesus.