Where no woman has gone before:

By Judy Lowe

Blast Off! Space is in the news this week. In the wee hours of
tonight (actually tomorrow morning), Cmdr. Eileen Collins will become
the first woman to command a U.S. space shuttle flight. You can chat
with her this evening from 8:30-9:30 PDT (11:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. EDT)
before the launch.

Tomorrow is the 30th anniversary of the first moon landing, which
took place at 4:18 p.m. EST, July 20, 1969, as the lunar module and
Apollo 11 astronauts Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Neil Armstrong touched down
on the moon’s surface.

Kids And Space. NASA has two interesting sites for young,
aspiring space explorers. Starchild is for the pint-size
crowd and Imagine the
Universe
is for those 14 and up.

Understanding The Net. The University of Georgia has a helpful
site, Exploring the Web,
which is a great introduction to the Internet for those who want to
learn more. It helps you understand URLs and how to use search tools,
explains what the Web and Net are and the difference between them and
even provides a few links to get you started exploring on your own.

When things don’t work right when you’re surfing the Net, head to the
Internet Help Desk. It has
excellent guides, FAQs and documentation, and the troubleshooting guide
is just great, whether you use Netscape or Internet Explorer as your
browser.

Computer Humor. When you need a laugh, Help Desk Funnies is there to
provide it.

Free Graphics. If you’re creating a website and need some
graphics to jazz it up a bit, A-1
Icon Archives
provides more than 300,000 of them, including animated
gifs and clip art files, and links you to other sources of free
graphics.

Live Cybercast. Yahoo! Internet Life’s 1999 Online Music Awards
will be broadcast this evening from Studio 54 in New York City, at 6
o’clock PDT (9 EDT).

Good Eating. Jambalaya, crawfish pie, gumbo, red beans and
rice. Folks in Louisiana sure do eat well. If you can’t manage a trip to
New Orleans to sample the fare for yourself, cook some Cajun or Creole
specialties at home, courtesy of Renee’s Louisiana Recipes and New Orleans
Recipes
. You could gain 5 pounds just reading these mouthwatering
recipes.

Win A Grill. Got a great recipe that uses fresh pork? Armour
is conducting a pork recipe
contest
. If your entry is selected as one of the best, you could win
a Weber Genesis 1000 gas barbecue grill, an electric smoker, or a garden
swing and canopy and a croquet set. Entries must be submitted online
before midnight July 31.

Chat With Billy Dee Williams. The actor will be online at Barnes and Noble.com on Thursday,
July 22, at 4 p.m. PDT (7 p.m. EDT).

Use Your Head.If you’re into mind games — trivia, riddles,
word play, etc. — and would like to win free prizes, Du Jour is the spot for you. The content
changes every day, so there’s always something fresh and interesting to
keep your brain exercised, as the Du Jour folks like to say.

Assorted Nonsense. Do you like those top-10 lists a la David
Letterman? Some of the most hilarious ones on the Web that aren’t from
him are at Top Five.com. These are
updated frequently, so be sure to check out the archive for such
classics as the Top 20 Reasons Dogs Don’t Use Computers.

Heading Abroad? Here are some websites you’ll find useful:

Top 10 tips
for travelers
from our State Department.

Airports of the
World
covers countries from Argentina to Yugoslavia.

Embassy Web links to 50,000
addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of embassies, consulates
and UN missions around the world.

Passport
Services
tells you how to apply for a new passport, replace one
that’s been lost or stolen, and explains the fees and where to apply.

Rail Europe
provides fares, schedules and the opportunity to purchase BritRail and
Eurail passes.

Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory
points you to the official tourism office sites of countries from
Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and all the U.S. states.

Accessing the latest travel warnings from
the State Department helps you be safe, not sorry.

At Travlang, find out how to say,
“Where’s the restroom?” and other essential phrases in numerous
languages.

The Universal Currency
Converter
gives you the latest exchange rates.

Judy Lowe

Judy Lowe is an award-winning writer whose two favorite activities are surfing through cyberspace and growing flowers. Her latest gardening book is "Ortho's All About Pruning." She can be reached by email. Read more of Judy Lowe's articles here.