IN THE WEB/ A USER'S GUIDE

Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), Mar 23, 2003

Site summarizes Saddam's propaganda

"Apparatus of Lies" outlines the program of propaganda and disinformation Saddam Hussein has engaged in from 1990 to the present day as leader of Iraq.

The site, created by the U.S. president's office, includes a downloadable PDF version, key documents, press briefings, timelines, photos of Iraqi weapons facilities, remarks by Cabinet members and related links.

For deeper background on the politics of Iraq, read Harvard academician William Polk's magazine piece from the Dec. 1958 Atlantic Monthly, "The Lesson of Iraq."

www.whitehouse.gov/ogc/appa ratus

www.theatlantic.com/issues /58 dec/polk.htm

FREE STUFF

There's no reason to spend big money for photo editing software just to crop a picture. There are plenty of programs out there that will do it for free, along with basic editing, filtering, uploading to friends and creating a screensaver with your own photographs.

www.xnview.com

www.webshots.com/homepage. html

www.gphotoshow.com

COLORADO GAS PRICES

As pump prices have steadily risen this year, so too has traffic to the interactive GasBuddy.com Web site, where consumers can seek out cheaper gas in their area.

Lowest Colorado Springs price posted recently by a participating consumer was $1.52 a gallon at the 7-Eleven station at Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road, with a high of $1.66 at the Shell station at Woodmen Road and North Academy Boulevard. Clearly, more consumers should take part as reporters for the system to work optimally.

www.gasbuddy.com

COLORADO SPRINGS

Society Web site blacktie-Colorado.com has added Colorado Springs to its database, with a full calendar of events here along with information to help connect nonprofits with people who support them and the resources to help pull off an event. There is even a Blacktie Hall of Fame page.

www.blacktiecolorado.com

TOXIC RELEASE

The Environmental Protection Agency has posted an online database with information on toxic chemical releases nationwide, searchable by ZIP code.

Users can create release, waste-water and waste-transport reports by location, chemical or chemical group released, industry and year of data. By typing in ZIP code 80903, for example, you can get a read on whether the Martin Drake Power Plant runs cleanly and efficiently.

www.epa.gov/tri

PRAIRIE-DOGGING

Inside the culture of office cubicles - you know, Dilbert Country - prairie-dogging is the practice of standing up, looking and often talking over office panels. A survey conducted by furniture manufacturer Haworth Inc. determined that this is not only acceptable office behavior but ought to be encouraged as long as a certain etiquette is employed (make a warning noise, don't talk too loud, don't climb on chairs). For a prairie-dogging visual, visit the send4 fun Web page.

www.isdesignet.com/Desig News/May98 News/news0598_2. html

www.send4fun.com/prariedog ging.htm

CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0126 or bainbird@gazette.com