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That was then; this is now By Randy A. Salas
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT) Things come and go so quickly online. It's not unusual for websites that I covered just a few months ago to look completely different now or to be gone entirely. So here's an update on some recently mentioned sites that deserve a follow-up before they change again.www.zug.com/pranks/superThen: When I wrote about the comedy site Zug in early February (www.startribune.com/websearch/?p=196), founder John Hargrave and fellow pranksters had just pulled off a $40,000 stunt in which they infiltrated the Super Bowl and distributed light-up necklaces to a few thousand NFL fans to spell out a message during Prince's halftime show. The only problem was that the message was illegible amid the sparse lights, and Hargrave challenged people to solve the secret.Now: On March 13, Hargrave confirmed that Zug reader Mike McAteer had figured it out. The lights spelled out — drum roll, please! — "ZUG.COM." Oh. Maybe what he calls "the most ambitious prank in history" would have been more impressive if it had actually worked. Zug has a complete recap now, including a video. At the least, it's fascinating reading.www.fatguyblog.comThen: When Greg Todd started his No More Mr. Fat Guy blog with the new year (www.startribune.com/websearch/?p=175), he weighed 303 1/2 pounds. His goal was to lose 100.Now: As of Monday, Todd was down to 277 pounds. He has had some setbacks along the way, such as struggling lately to give up cigarettes and caffeinated drinks, but he's keeping the big picture in sight. Stop by his site to listen to a podcast of a recent interview he did and to leave an "attaboy" comment.oneyearofbeauty.blogspot.comThen: In October, Minnesotan Liv Lane vowed to post a beautiful photo (and accompanying text) each day as part of her One Year of Beauty blog, which I wrote about in early January (www.startribune.com/websearch/?p=174).Now: Beautiful things are happening for Lane. "The wire pick-up on your story introduced my blog to people around the globe," Lane wrote in an e-mail to Web Search. "For instance, I couldn't believe how many people visited via the Jewish World Review [www.jewishworldreview.com], and the Ottawa Citizen wound up featuring my photos seven days in a row. ... I continue to be amazed by the e-mails I receive from people who are grieving or depressed or searching for something more — and seem to find inspiration in this little blog o' mine. Quite humbling."www.martycoleman.comThen: When I wrote about artist Marty Coleman in early January (www.startribune.com/websearch/?p=174), he was winning buzz for a sweet project he had archived online. For his daughters' school lunches, he had drawn cartoons and inspirational quotes on napkins to brighten their day. Unknown to him, one daughter had saved all her napkins and presented them back to him as a gift. He recounted his story and scanned images of the napkins in a sprawling presentation on the photo-sharing site Flickr.Now: The so-called Napkin Project has received a major makeover. Coleman has moved the images and story to his website, where the napkins have a snazzier presentation and are easier to view. A hoped-for book deal for the Napkin Project hasn't materialized yet, but maybe a prospective publisher will come across the more-inviting gallery. Visit soon, if you're inclined, because Coleman said in a recent e-mail that he's thinking of paring the number of images. Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Randy A. Salas is a columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Do you have a favorite Web site or a question about how to find something on the Internet? Send a note by clicking here.
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