Nothing but 'Net: DJ named Diamond has gem of a site devoted to the oldies

6/24/2000

Ron Diamond, a Philadelphia disk jockey, has an Internet radio site that's steeped in nostalgia. It features pop music mostly from the '50s, '60s, and '70s. "The oldies that radio forgot, but you remember" is the site slogan, and true to its word, there are dozens of playlists that whisk you back in time - to the days of doo wop and disco, Motown and The Marvelettes.

Diamond acts as DJ on programs devoted to such performers as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, girl groups, and teen idols of the '50s and '60s. And for Beatles fans, Diamond offers up a "Beatle infestation" - a cycle of Beatles music that runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also search for individual songs and artists by name. All you need for this heady convertible ride into the past is Windows Media Player.

www.rondiamond.com

Ballpark critiques

It's summer, time for baseball and trips to one or several of the 32 Major League ballparks that dot the North American landscape. The place to start is a Web site called the Wise Guide, which specializes in essential information about ballparks in both the American and National leagues.

The site puts forth the opinionated views of one W. Blake Gray about the strengths and weaknesses of all the parks and amenities in and around them - part description, part praise, part slashing criticism. Example: St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, has the best food (try the Cuban sandwich); Houston has the worst cheap seats, and Dodger Stadium's $17 field box seats are the best bargain in baseball. Gray also gives his tips on where to sit, what to eat, what to drink, and where to stay.

www.myprimetime.com/play/culture/content/ballparks_intro_av/index.html

Government contacts

Tucked away in a site maintained by the University of Toledo's political science department is an invaluable page with links to dozens of local government entities. It's a vertible communications central, giving you phone numbers and e-mails for Toledo's City Hall, Lucas County Commissioners, suburban cities, villages, and school districts, the Metroparks, Ohio and Michigan government offices, political parties and elected politicians, the Coast Guard, Veterans Affairs, area congressmen, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, Environmental and historical agencies, and more.

Click on the Toledo mayor's page and you'll get a rah-rah message of civic progress, but there's more substantive material to explore as well. Go to the police department, for example, and you'll be greeted by the sound of a siren, followed by information ranging from provisions of the city's handgun ordinance to the location of speedtraps in and around Toledo.

Elsewhere, browsers can get information on road closings in Sylvania, refuse collection schedules in Maumee, property tax figures from the Lucas County Commissioners, contacts for elected officials in Wood County, and much more. On a single site, the links provide a vast web of help for citizens throughout the metropolitan area.

www.utoledo.edu/poli-sci/local.htm

Ethnic supermarket

If you regard eating as a grand adventure, you may want to think twice about clicking onto Ethnic Grocers.com - it's possible you won't want to leave. It's a dream of a site for people with global appetites, chock full of recipes, cooking tips, discount specials, and thousands of products for sale from 15 countries including China, Mexico, Vietnam, Italy, Greece, and Japan. Pages sorted into ethnic "kitchens" offer recipes as well as the groceries that can be ordered to execute the various dishes. And get this: Earlier this week the site was advertising that for a limited time, shipping is free. Such a deal.

www.ethnicgrocer.com

George Costanza's Mom

A year after Seinfeld went off the air, fans of the hit series may well be wondering what happened to some of the supporting actors who helped make the show such a laugh riot. Well, we can tell you about one of them. Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza's whiny, frown-faced mother, has landed on the Internet. Ask Estelle features a video of the actress welcoming visitors to her very own site, which is aimed at senior citizens like herself.

The site specializes in advice and links to news about baby boomers and beyond, and promises to help them understand more about the Internet. Ask the Celebrities invites surfers to discuss topics ranging from health to fashion, leisure to assisted living, although there wasn't much action in any of the discussion rooms earlier this week, nor nary a celebrity to be found. The site just launched a month ago, so it's possible things will pick up soon.

www.stelstar.com

If you have a Web site to recommend, send an e-mail to tgearhart@theblade.com.