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This is the final edition of The Cool Tricks and Trinkets Newsletter. It
began as an email that I sent to 50 of my friends in 1998, and concludes
with over 50,000 subscribers.

Before I discovered the Internet, I had never held the same job for more
than 2 years in my life and continuing to write the newsletter week after
week was my way of demonstrating that a new phase of my life had begun.

The internet has blessed me in many ways. In 2001, I responded to a spam
about the hotel reservation business and in the past 7 years I have built
A1 Discount Hotels, http://a1-discount-hotels.com into one of the largest
affiliates in the Hotels.com family, known for low rates and the highest
quality customer care.

During this time, I have also been blessed in finding a daily breathing and
meditation practice (http://www.artofliving.org) which has brought
unimaginable peace and joy into my life. I have never been happier than I
am today.

In the future, if I can be of service in assisting you with hotel
reservations, please contact me, as we have special discount rates for
members of our "family".

It has been my pleasure to share this with you.

Be Well.

Love,

Charles Kessler
ck@charleskessler.com
http://net-market.com

__________________________


Welcome to the 500th issue of the Cool Tricks and Trinkets Newsletter
offering weekly insights into new, cool, useful, fun, unusual and
interesting sites on the Internet.

- Water: H2O = Life
- Tell Them What You Want!
- The Body Online
- Short Takes
- The Art of Living
- Charity:
- Recipe Clone
- Backpacker
- 20 Questions
- Subscribers' Sites


Water: H2O = Life

Water is essential to life as we know it, however every day approximately
one billion people on this p***t do not have regular access to clean
water. "Water: H20 = Life" is a powerful new exhibit at the American
Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.

For those who can't make it to the Big Apple to see the exhibition in
person, the AMNH companion website is surely the next best thing. From the
driest deserts to largest cities, visitors will learn about how water
impacts nearly every aspect of human life. Check out some of the
fascinating sections of the site including "Water Revered", "Nor Any Drop
to Drink", and "Healthy Water, Healthy Lives".

http://redirx.com/?0ztx

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Tell Them What You Want!

If you are a rabid consumer, coming up on a birthday, or just one of those
people who is "difficult to shop for", be sure to check out this cool
website. TheThingsIWant.Com is a free, online wish-list service that lets
people keep post and track all of the "stuff" they want.

Despite its shamelessly selfish name, "The Things I Want" is actually a
very useful service that simplifies and improves the gift-buying
process. Simply browse your favorite shopping sites and select your items,
then create a wedding or baby registry, charitable Christmas list, or
birthday wish-list you can share online with family and friends.

http://www.thethingsiwant.com/

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The Body Online

BioEdOnline.Org is a top-notch online educational website that was created
by the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Welcome to "The Body
Explained", a fun and informative feature on the "Bio Ed" site that uses
original video clips to answer common questions about how the human body works.

Browse through the site's list of wonderfully light-hearted yet informative
"video explanations", all of which are hosted by Cassius Bordelon,
PhD. Then just sit back, click, watch, and learn the answers to such
nagging questions as "What Causes an Ice Cream Headache?" and "Why Do Our
Ears Pop?"

http://redirx.com/?0zth

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SHORT TAKES

Science Fiction's Best

Sci-Fi buffs will enjoy (or vehemently dispute!) this bold attempt to list
the "Top 15 Science Fiction Book Series" of all-time. While we won't
reveal the winner, notable entries include Larry Niven's "Ringworld",
Arthur C. Clarke's "Rama" series, and the lesser-known "Vorkosigan Saga".

http://redirx.com/?0z4a

<><><><><>

Not Normal Names

If you think celebrity children these days have weird names, wait until you
read some of the bizarre monikers on this fun list. Created by Oddee.Com,
the piece boasts the "Craziest Personal Names" ever given including
Thursday October Christian, a minor league baseball player named Ten
Million, and many more of the strangest handles in history.

http://redirx.com/?0ztp

<><><><><>

Lame Lawsuits

The United States court system has long been bogged down by frivolous
lawsuits, and states such as California and New York are notoriously
litigious. This amusing article on LegalZoom.Com details the "Top Ten
Frivolous Lawsuits" in recent memory, including the infamous story of the
"hot cup of McDonald's coffee" and other lame lawsuits.

http://redirx.com/?0ztr

________________________________________

The Art of Living

25 years ago in Bangalore, India, His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar created
The Art of Living Foundation. Today this non-profit educational and
humanitarian NGO is active in over 140 countries around the world, making a
difference in the lives of millions of people everyday.

This is the official "Art of Living" website, which offers insight into
popular breathing and meditation courses that teach powerful techniques to
help people combat chronic stress, depression, anxiety, and asthma. Browse
the site, read about the founder and their trademark breathing technique
known as Sudarshan Kriya, and then find an upcoming course in your hometown!

http://www.artofliving.org

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A complete archive of previous Cool Tricks can be viewed at
http://www.tricksandtrinkets.com/archives.htm
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Charity:

"Charity:" (the colon stands for 'is') is a bold new non-profit
organization based out of New York City. The charity is a true
"non-profit" in that it targets every single one of its donated dollars to
directly fight crises in Africa such as clean water access and sanitation.

Celebrate World Water Day a few days late by logging onto the CharityIs.Org
website and learn more about the organization and its current
projects. Those who are inspired to help can buy a bottle of "Charity
Water", raise money to build a freshwater well in Africa, and tell their
friends about this cool new charity.

http://www.charityis.org

**********Advertisement**************

The Military Travel Network

Military-Travel.net was established to give something back to the men
and women of the Armed Services (active and retired) and members of
their families by offering an additional 5% rebate (off the already
low prices of Hotels.com) on all hotel reservations.

http://www.military-travel.net
Visit us online or call our operators at 800.275.9183

Please support us in getting the word out about your new site.

********************************
Recipe Clone

Epicureans, gourmet addicts, restaurant regulars, and foodies of all shapes
and wallet sizes will want to bookmark this cool site. Todd Wilbur's
website, entitled TopSecretRecipes.Com, brings the recipes at your favorite
restaurants straight from your computer into your kitchen!

"Top Secret Recipes" contains scores of original "clone recipes" from
popular restaurants, allowing you to cook your favorite menu dishes from
the comfort of your very own kitchen. In addition to the recipes the site
also has a fun section called "The Sleuth" which reveals insider secrets
and food lore related to the fast-food industry (check out the article on
"The World's Greatest Hamburger").

http://www.topsecretrecipes.com

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Backpacker

Get on up out of your chair, walk away from your computer, put on some
sturdy shoes, and go take a hike! Nature lovers will enjoy Backpacker
Magazine, a website with a mission to inspire people to enjoy the outdoors
by providing them with trusted information about "backcountry adventure in
North America".

This rugged online magazine is packed full of free info to help you plan
your next outdoor trek. Visitors can search for specific hikes by City,
State, or Park, read detailed trip reports and interesting magazine
articles, and explore useful sections like "Backpacking 101," and "The
Ultimate Fix-It Guide".

http://www.backpacker.com

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20 Questions

Is it an animal, a mineral, or a vegetable? Ah, few things pass the time
on a road trip like a good old-fashioned game of "20 Questions". 20Q.Net
is a fun experiment in Artificial Intelligence, a website that uses a
program that on one hand is very simple, yet reveals interactive behavior
that is quite complex.

The "20Q" is essentially a learning system that gets better every time it
plays, so everything the program knows and all of the questions it asks
have been entered by previous players. Test your skills and try to
outsmart "It" in a match of traditional "20 Questions", or choose one of
the uniquely themed games like "Harry Potter", "The Simpsons", and "20Q
Sports".

http://www.20q.net/

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\\ \\\ | /// //
\\ \\ | /////
\\\\~ ~////
( @ @ )
----OOo-(_)-oOOo--------

"Rabbit's clever," said Pooh thoughtfully.

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit's clever."

"And he has Brain."

"Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain."

"I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands Anything."

-- The Tao of Pooh

oooO--------( )----
( ) ) /
\ ( (_/
\_)


Have a great weekend.

Charles