www.dipuc.com
Dipuc, Cupid’s sister www.dipuc.com .0Th.32is site
contains material that may not be suitable for site-goers under the
age of 18. At least that’s what the somewhat surprising
opening page says because without any pornographic content, it
seems as like an effort, to cover the site creators’ butts in
case anyone seems to find Dipuc, Cupid’s long lost twin
sister, offensive. Apparently Dipuc is out to destroy Cupid’s
cover as the ultimate supporter of love. Claiming her brother is
really an evil, fat, little sadist and that she is the heroine of
love, Dipuc offers viewers the chance to win $2000 if they help
prove her case. All someone needs to do is submit their most tragic
(read: worst), yet true, dating adventure. Under the link
“Brain Vomit,” a viewer can read the seemingly tall
tales and urban date legends of others to both size-up the
competition, as well as to have a good laugh. One tale recounts a
first experience with champagne on New Year’s Eve and a
subsequent run-in with the cops. Another describes a date in which
one member turned out to be a transvestite, resulting in the other
person’s decision that he just didn’t care. Having the
worst dating story, however, won’t just get one the $2,000.
Four finalists will be selected from the entries and have actual
on-line comics of their experiences drawn and placed on the site.
After that, it is up to the tall-tale tellers to get as many Web
visitors “back stage” into their comics. If it sounds
complicated, it is. Each finalist will be given their own secret
code to their comic, which they must deliver to as many people as
possible to get them “back stage.” What exactly
“back stage” means and how they get there, however, is
somewhat fuzzy. In the end, the finalist with the most people
“back stage” wins the $2000. Dipuc.com is more than
just a dating story exchange site, which would be sufficient enough
to make the site an interesting hit. There is Dipuc merchandise and
free e-mail cards in addition to other humorous comics starring
Cupid and Dipuc. The so-called “party goddess” and
“savior of love,” Dipuc, also seems to be the
appropriate “savior from boredom” and “vehicle of
humor.”
Barbara McGuire Rating: 8
Study Abroad www.studyabroad.com
Everybody likes traveling to different countries to sightsee as
well as learning about different cultures. Studying abroad allows
students to do just that and while getting school credit.
Studyabroad.com offers a place where students can get lots of
information about how to study abroad, no matter what countries or
programs they are interested in. What could be better than studying
abroad in another country? Well, how about studying in another
country for free? Until Nov. 30, studyabroad.com is offering
sweepstakes to win a five-and-a-half-week summer study program in
Cadiz, Spain. Even if you don’t win the sweepstakes,
studyabroad.com provides links to Web sites that give financial aid
to students, so you can enjoy a summer in Spain or anywhere else
you choose. Want to see what programs are available for the quarter
or the semester? Studyabroad.com offers programs for the academic
year, semester, summer, high school student and ESL student, among
others. Offering a list of programs available, the Web site is
organized in a searchable format, allowing students to look for
links for study abroad programs by location and subject. For the
student thinking about studying abroad or not sure where they want
to go, studyabroad.com provides a travel guide containing
information about the various countries where programs are offered.
The guide allows students to read about a country’s history
and government, as well as its culture and weather. Included on the
Web site is a studyabroad.com handbook, which offers information,
ranging from tips on how to label your luggage to getting over
culture shock. Links to sites where a student can apply for a visa
or a passport are also included in addition to links to other Web
sites that would be useful to students studying abroad. The
information provided is very thorough and in-depth. It is great for
anyone who is about to leave for another country. Studyabroad.com
also offers a free e-mail newsletter titled “Studyabroad.com
“˜EXPRESS’.” It sends students information about
special offers and programs weekly. If one is even thinking about
studying out of the country, studyabroad.com is the place to go.
This Web site is a great resource for getting all the information
you want from choosing a program to stepping off the plane.
Jacqueline Maar Rating: 8
Grab www.grab.com
Nowadays it’s all about the Benjamins. Everybody wants
them, it’s just a matter of getting them quickly, easily and
without a lot of work. From numerous television shows that offer
free money, such as “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire” to
“Survivor,” it seems as if everyone has become infected
with the million dollar bug. A million dollars, however, just
doesn’t seem to be cutting it anymore. With so many ways to
strike it rich, a million dollars doesn’t hold the value it
used to, but how could it, considering on average a male actor
makes approximately $20 million a film? This seems to be the idea
behind a new site, grab.com, which offers viewers a Las Vegas style
chance to win $1 billion. That’s right, $1 billion. Site
goers logging onto the main page will notice its somewhat
simplistic, yet colorful, appearance, but with a legitimate chance
to win that much money, looks aren’t what’s important.
The idea is simple and works much like the lottery, only with
higher stakes. After clicking on a hand which is
“grabbing” a wad of bills, viewers are taken to another
page in which numbers ranging from one to 77 are listed. One has
the option to either do a “quick pick” where the
computer randomly selects numbers, or to simply select the seven
numbers using personal methods. After doing such, entering an
e-mail address and clicking on a “play” graphic,
viewers are required to enter standard personal information such as
an address to which the $1 billion will be sent. The only downfall
is that a viewer is required to select at least one free mailer
from a list of 15. Junk mail is annoying enough as it is, but a
chance at $1 billion seems well worth receiving an easily deleted,
unwanted e-mail. The grab.com entries will be accepted until Dec.
26, and the winning numbers will be randomly selected on Dec. 28.
The newly rich winner will unfortunately be paid in annual
installments over the next 40 years, but also has the option of
accepting a one time payment of $170 million. In addition to their
billion dollar contest, grab.com is the host of numerous other
daily contests which have prize sums ranging from $5000 to $1
million. Looks like winning a million dollars is easier than
answering bizarre trivia questions and eating bugs on a deserted
island.
Barbara McGuire Rating: 6