In life there is no black and white, only...
The pages below have won the 1998 Gray Areas On The Net Award and are all worth visiting. Surfing the links below with an open mind can lead to a greater understanding of many social problems, deviant subcultures and marginal/alternative/fringe cultures. Happy surfing!
Since flu consumed us for most of October, we did not award any sites this month. Come back in November. We're bound to be feeling up to par by then.
You have to dig through the site to find it, in the press section, but there is a wealth of material here on piracy in the recording industry for those that are interested in copyright, trademark and intellectual property issues, as well as those interested in bootlegs and MP3s.
Romani (Gypsy) culture is the theme here with sections on history, the Holocaust, organizations, culture and the arts, glossary and further reading, and links to other sites of interest.
An online zine specializing in things involving pinheads such as alienation, freaks and general weirdness. Great for those interested in carnivals, sideshows and general oddities.
Aimed at adults only, this site run by a Dominatrix offers poetry, photos, items for sale and more. Definitely worth seeing if you are interested in either bondage or a well designed site regardless of content.
This drug site aimed at hemp lovers offers things to download, stories and lots of kewl links.
Offering gray photography, this well designed site is also visually challenging as you roam through it since it was designed to purposely confuse viewers by not always taking them back to where they started :)
This site offers a worldwide calendar of protests, meeting and important conferences. There's an index and you can add your own events too.
A wealth of information is offered here to those suffering from HIV and AIDS. Included are a list of potential problems and known treatments. Easy to sort through and badly needed.
Watch television programs from around the world if you have Real Video and a fast enough computer. While there is often nothing on regardless of how many channels you sift through, just as off the Net, you can see everything from the BBS in England to Court TV here. At different hours you can catch broadcasts and commercials from countries such as Australia, Thailand, Israel and Italy. Well worth checking out if only to see how other countries relate U.S. news.
This is exactly what it says it is, a collection of lines you can read and/or try that people claim to have used in trying to pick up other people for dates and/or sex. I didn't find it too funny, but I am not the target audience either. It's gray simply because some people have to resort to this to presumably find ways to communicate.
If you were saddened to learn that author Carlos Cataneda has died, this site exists to carry on his work and to train new people to improve themselves. There are books for sale, information on workshops, and some reading material as well.
A superb page on how to detect media bias and contact the press to have your voice heard and make sure they report things more accurately.
Laura is involved in Pagan, Leather and Bondage activities and shares information on this site about how to be her slave. She offers photos, some essays, and networking information for those who live in the CT area.
Owned and operated by a Nevada prostitute, this site about prostitution offers a bookshop, quilt project, resources, information and links. A great place to learn more about a taboo subject where most of those dispensing the information have never walked the walk.
A rare site about marijuana which also addresses potential addiction issues. There are a wealth of articles here to read, many of which are not on all the tons of other marijuana sites on the Net. Worth a visit even if you think you've already seen them all.
Obviously devoted to religious tolerance, this site offers information on dozens of religions, how they handle controversial issues like abortion and homosexuality, other articles, and a large link list of sites.
Photographs of carnival workers are displayed here. They were taken in 1993 when the webmaster spent several weeks travelling with the carnies.
Run by a drag queen, this site has dozens of pages of humor. There is material on religion, the Beatles, William S. Burroughs, suicide, urine, penis envy and much more. Guaranteed to offend some, this will appeal to many who have an open mind.
Sideshows, now disappearing rapidly, are fondly remembered here in a collection of real banners they once travelled with and displayed.
This web site, which promotes a book, offers a wealth of material on the laws which affect conduct in cyberspace. Lots here on electronic commerce, RSA Algorithm and the RSA Patent, the Software Piracy Association, etc.
A web page which offers a soapbox of writings, quotes, and links. Lots here on ancient philosophers as well as on topics such as religion, journalism, government, literature and the environment.
Sex is the topic here with information on everything from birth control and orgasms to sexual therapy and erotica. You're able to either search by topic or go straight to a list of topics. Well done.
DIVX is a new format which plays movies but has many, many reasons why you should hate it, avoid buying it and perhaps even boycott places that sell and encourage it. To learn what the controversy is all about, check here. To read about DVD, which is essentially DIVX without the bullshit, and which has way more features and no negatives, go to this site without the /divx/ part. We LOVE our DVD player and discs perhaps more than life itself and the threat to your future ability to buy CDs, software, movies and more than DIVX poses is something you should be well versed on asap.
This information and advocacy group offers a newsletter, news, legal information, an action alert section, peace resources and much more in an easy to navigate site.
A site full of government and legal resources to deal with the evergrowing unwanted email full of lies, nonsense, and false hopes. There is also a newbie primer, real audio clips of spammers speaking, news about spammers, and lots more. Alas, there is also a long list of places where if you mail to in order to stop the spam, you just get added to even more lists. We ourselves have fallen for this so we urge you to visit this site asap if this issue plagues you too. Highly recommended for anyone with an email address.
This nifty search engine lets you search drugs by name to know what they will do, how they interact with other drugs and what brands are available. Very useful if your doctor suggests you try something new.
Rock star Dee Snider stars in this horror film which has an excellent, although quite violent, web game for those who use Shockwave. Highly recommended (click on StangeFun to play) IF you can stomach it.
A time consuming, but fascinating place to search if you wish to know which Internet domain names have recently been taken, or have recently become available, or closely resemble your own.
Rocker Marilyn Manson has stolen too much from Alice Cooper to hold my interest, but many consider both his life and highly publicized lifestyle to be very gray. If you're impressed, or shocked, by his actions, read all about him here.
Billed as "The Donor's Guide to Charities and Nonprofits," this is a superb site to search before donating money or time to any charity. With over 600,000 charities and non-profit companies listed here, you will surely find something you can feel good contributing to.
This unofficial home page will clue you into the Rainbow Family gathering, as well as virtually every web site of those who attend Rainbow gatherings which are popular among deadheads, peace lovers, hippies and environmentalists.
This cult film is still going strong and has a detailed web site to prove it as well as a new release onto home video.
Based in NJ, this web site gives information on witchcraft in NJ and elsewhere, including moonphases, Sabbats, aromatherapy, chakras, etc.
If you want to be informed about the latest in legal cases, this is a great place to turn. Court TV is a cable TV channel which airs court hearings and this is their official web page. Worth a look even if you don't get cable TV.
Nolo Press publishes legal books for laymen and this web site offers a legal dictionary, information on wills, debt and credit, copyrights, small business law, real estate, tax problems and much more. Highly recommended as a great place to start dealing with your legal concerns.
Frequently updated page on mass murderers and serial killers with nice design, and many gray links. This page romanticizes the crimes a bit, but it's a good resource if you are writing a paper or want to know what the attaction to these folks is for some people.
A site about dominance and submission, this offers chat, links, photos and short articles of great value to newbies.
Offering an online copy of the Declaration of Independance, as well as info about ongoing theats to free speech as well as to free press, this site also offers sections on censorship, threats to religious freedom and lots of great links including who to contact in a crisis. Well done!
Comedian Gilda Radnor died of cancer and this non-profit organization was started in her memory to offer support for cancer victims everywhere so that no one would ever have to face cancer alone. We've supported them since our first paper issues and encourage you to drop by their site.
This is a webring dedicated to sites which offer information about domestic violence, surviving incest, rape, missing children, etc. While time consuming to search through since this page is merely a link to over 200 sites in the webring, there's a wealth of information here for those interested and this is a worthy project and one of the better webrings.
Offering non-repetitious information about serial killers and cults, this site also has links to go find out more.
Offering a conspiracy newsline, as well as information about UFOs, alien autopsies and so on, this site is more professionally laid out than most and will surely delight and entertain those interest in the paranormal.
Offering a banner exchange program, search engine, clickable world map to live webcams, and a shopping center, as well as a bbs and newsgroup access, this site will appeal to those interested in new age and the occult.
An absolutely superb look at the 1960s counterculture from the Special Collections Department of the University of Virginia Library. Don't miss this if you are interested in that eras posters, politics, music, art, radical groups, or the Vietnam War.
Offering the darkest sites on the Web, ranked by popularity, this is a good lead for many gray sites dealing with sex, hacking, satanism, gore and just about everything else most sites wouldn't dare touch. Definitely a full night or more of links here, and probably something guaranteed to offend everyone.
Offering information on Gatso cameras, speed traps, and some sexual content as well, this Java site is well done.
A superb site about dance parties you can attend all over the world, as well as a gallery of psychedelic art, music and superb links. Well worth a link if you are interested in rave culture, and the psychedelic underground.
Dedicated to "combating and containing online bigotry," this organization offers RealAudio news, chat, an activist center, and clues you into such things as hate by country, hate by category, racist software, racist web sites, symbols of hate, and relevant books. Well worth a look, although it's understandably depressing.
This is an online book about a couple who had to deal with an unexpected brain tumor and its consequences. Frank and honest, this offers insight into the medical procedures, the emotional toll, internet support, and more. Well worth reading, and missing only a photograph of the couple's dog who is discussed at length in the various chapters.
A story about government corruption, in which the couple provides police reports and claims the government allowed their children to be sexually abused.
Specializing in everything dark, gray and evil, this site offers chat, links galore, book reviews, and more. There are well over a thousand links here to vampyric sites, gothic sites, and weird sites of all kinds.
Offering information on bisexuality, halloween, BDSM, censorship, tirades, poetry, body modification and more, this site covers lots of traditionally gray topics.
A fascinating concept in which visitors can ask questions about other religions, genders, races, occupations, and more, and then have other people answer them.
Offering information on your legal rights, with an emphasis on gray and minority issues such as reproduction, racial equality, and homosexuality. Information on hot legal issues, current ACLU activities, and much more.
Online scammers get exposed here. If you've had it with chain letters, get rich quick schemes and so on, this is a great site to explore.
If you think you hate get rich quick mailings, your anger can't possibly match this man's since his name is mentioned in these mailings. Read all about it here in this awesome site.
A collection of very old cigarette ads is presented here, from back in the day when ads could promise things they couldn't necessarily deliver. Yes, this still happens today, but not quite like this. :)
A wealth of information about UFOs, and aliens on a visually appealing home page.
The war against spam is fought here daily and this site provides information on what's happening in the news and on the Net. Worth a visit if you hate spam or just want to learn more about it.
This is the home page of a paper zine, as well as a company which sells all sorts of cool things for those into alternative music. The owner is one of those rare people who actually does what they say they will and this site comes highly recommended. You'll get what you pay for and a whole lot more.
If you're interested in urban legends, which are stories that get told and retold which may or may not have any basis in fact, check here. There are sections on Christmas, horror, sex, Disney, college, music, movies, and more. This is visually appealing and engrossing too.
Remember Yasgur's Farm, the site of the Woodstock 69 festival? This web page documents the struggle the people who now own the land have had with the town in trying to allow people who wish to commemorate the festival to come to their land for smaller festivals. There are photos, great links, the ability to chat with others and information on their court case.
A site devoted to trashing, which is the art of stealing trash. The information here is not for those with criminal intent, but rather for those who seek free furniture and other usable items which have already been discarded by their owners. There's a FAQ, links to other sites about garbage, information of where to dig and what not to take.
A page full of tragic clippings and news reports about horrible parenting. The site is regularly updated with recent news clippings, which alas are quite plentiful.
This superb links site will put you in touch with various organizations, archives, journalists, research papers and more.
An assortment of gray links to keep you busy for hours.
If you pride yourself on being well versed in every possible sexual fantasy, here's one you might have overlooked. This site is dedicated to people who long to be swallowed by other people (think Jonah and the whale...). If the topic interests you there's a wealth of material here, and even though it's not our cup of tea it's quite well done for what it is, especially since while the webmaster is gay he has included heterosexual fantasies as well for those who wish to read them.
A free book is offered here, or by email, about preventing AIDS and dealing with it if you find out you are one of its many victims.
The Cultivation Game is a cool board game which you can order here. Using tokens, cards, dice, wits and luck you plant seeds to grow pot, and can then harvest it, smoke it and plant some more. The object of the game is of course to be the player who ends up with the most pot. This is original, cute, and sure to interest baby boomers and those either smoke pot or believe it should be legal for health and political reasons.
It's hard to argue with this page which urges visitors to take part in the gray ribbon campaign which uses a gray ribbon to help promote awareness about diabetes. The site offers facts about the disease as well as information about its many "gray day" supporters.
Gray is one of those weird words that is properly spelled using either the A or the E. This site uses the E spelling to promote "grey day" which is October 1st and honors original content on the Web, reminding people not to steal bandwidth, plagiarize online works, or use copyrighted works without proper licensing. A great cause, and surely one we have been stolen from enough to admire.
A fascinating page by a woman who participated in an Internet chain letter and who was busted for it by the U.S. Post Office. She prints the reports she once sold, shows how her name is still being used against her will in these letters and provides links to other sites to find out more about this problem. Well done.
A site offering information about gray market goods, which are products sold by someone other than the merchant who they were originally sold to or to people who were not the intended target market. Examples of this are video games which are marketed to one country such as Japan, and not sold in other countries such as the US yet end up imported into the U.S. anyway and sold to rabid consumers. Most of this site deals with MiniDiscs, but it's worth a look anyway.
An important page about what happens if you file for bankruptcy and have a student loan. Personal information from the case of the site's author, as well as links to every important web site discussing any aspect of this issue. Well worth reading, even if you don't have a student loan and don't have much interest in bankruptcy proceedings.
A large site with many gray pages to click on including hate crimes and healing, survivor's healing journey, cyberstalking, crime victim's rights, etc.
Alcatraz is a former maximum security prison which can be visited, and which has been the focus of several movies including The Rock and Birdman of Alcatraz. This site offers military history, natural history, penitentiary history, Native American occupation information, a bookstore, a section on Hollywood's portrayal, and links to other relevant sites.
An unofficial site dedicated to film director John Waters. There is information here on his 12 films, the three books he has authored, and a few of the many articles that have been written about him. This is a good place to start if you are curious about the man, or have seen one of his films and want to know about the others.
A site against junk mail, telephone calls and email, this offers information on laws, the good guys, the bad guys, tools and links, death threats, and news updates. A great place to start if you too are feeling stalked by solicitors for things you have no interest in.
A retired journalist offers monthly columns here including one on the Beatles, Jerry Wexler, Marilyn Monroe, the Grateful Dead, and more.
A site about crime comic books of the 1940s and 1950s, this offers a gallery, want list, items for sale, links to other comic sites, and an explanation of the material and the hobby. Well done.
If you've had a beef with a major retailer such as Circuit City, Comp USA, Fry's, Best Buy, Good Guys, Computer City, etc. here's the place to go bitch. You can tell your story and hope someone else cares. There's also a place for employees of these stores to bitch about their customers because turnabout is fair play. Amusing to read, especially if you haven't had a problem yourself.
In England, the BBFC determines what films must be censored or edited. This site monitors their activities and offers film fans news updates, information on exactly how many minutes have been cut from recent films, and a superb archive. There are many great links here too for those interested in British cinema, censorship, and and legislation in Parliament.
Lots of web sites go up but this site tracks those that either go down or are essentially dead due to lack of updating. A worthwhile effort, and hey, somebody's gotta do it...
Home of the Omaha BDSM List and the BDSM List, this site is also the dungeon of Kelson and his slave Anam. There are free personals, an ability to chat, links, webrings and more.
A wealth of environmental information has been gathered here including laws, agencies, campaigns, research, access to specialists, and sections on biodiversity, waste management, energy technology and more.
An international organization dedicated to sharing information about what computer viruses have ended up in the "wild," i.e. on unsuspecting users' machines. Those involved adhere to a code of conduct, do product testing, and regularly release a report which helps everyone. Well done.
Information about raves is offered here in the form of reviews, along with reviews of books, information about recreational drugs, anarchy, links and other weird stuff.
If the adult film industry interests you, here's information on the people involved, the films, business aspects, and a reading room with articles.
For Holocaust survivors who are still searching for others they once knew, or for children who grew up with no families, this site provides a vital link to potentially put people in touch with each other. Sadly, it's done as a totally volunteer effort with no funding and so its resources are limited. But it's a step in the right direction and a great solution to a tragic problem.
Adoptees are not allowed to know who their parents are by law. Nowhere else in society is such secrecy condoned. This site strives to change that by offering a person locator, great adoption links, and a way to register with the I.S.R.R. which helps adoptees and birth family members.
Helping teens make healthy choices, this site offers information about food and body image, tobacco/alcohol/other drugs, violence and suicide, sexuality and media literacy. Lots of gray topics made less fuzzy in one place.
Updated regularly, this site is home to alternet news service, Media Culture Review and much more. If you are sick of the lies, errors and omissions in mainstream media, check this out instead.
This site deals with unconventional and gray pets, offering information about laws, books, breeders, shelters, etc. If your idea of a pet goes beyond traditional cats and dogs, perhaps to llamas, or ferrets or snakes, check here.
This marijuana site offers photos, stories,links, and more.
Cremation has always been a gray area, due to the fuss society makes about the need to spend a lot of money burying the dead. If you have mixed feelings about this topic, or want more information, this is a great place to begin.
Documents, photographs and essays galore including information to refute those who deny the Holocaust ever happened.
A new trend in web pages are sites which badmouth retailers. Toys R Us is a natural for this since they pay minimum wage to experienced help, don't give employee discounts, and employees often buy the collectible toys before customers can ever see them. This page offers information about violations, personnel, complaints, and rates various stores in the chain.
Answering common questions, defining terms, updating visitors on bills in Congress, and addressing the encryption debate, this site deals with something everyone reading this should have an interest in.
Rock lyrics have always been hard to understand, often purposely so. This site offers 1783 botched lyrics which are viewable by song and by artist. You can also add your own submissions.
Making the best possible use of Shockwave technology, this site promotes the Terry Gilliam film about Hunter S. Thompson's gray roadtrip under the influence of all possible drugs.
The title for this site is a bit misleading, since it only addresses people who have burned those who collect Beanie Baby dolls. However, it's a novel idea and worth a read even if you don't collect them just to see the lengths some people will go to in order to profit on a fad.
Pedro Zamora was an AIDS activist best known for his role on MTV's The Real World show. This site offers a free condom, remembers Pedro and offers information aimed at young people.
This site deals with health fraud and medical quackery. It offers publications, victim case reports, and a list of questionable products/treatments involving everything from diet supplements to aromatherapy to cancer treatments to chiropracters. Well worth your time even if nothing ails you.
This site immortalizes various fads you wish you could forget. Everything from hula hoops to pet rocks to streaking to bellbottom pants is here, neatly organized into categories of fashion, collectibles, activities and events. Well done.
Put together by a guy who has the gray hobby of collecting dirt from the graves of famous people, this superb site allows you to search for the graves (and tombstone messages when possible) of well known people by using their names, claim to fame, or location. There are pictures, great links and even a bibliography.
Dedicated to "the paranormal, the unexplained and the unusual," this site deals with ghosts, hauntings, abductions, witchcraft, etc.
Supporting equal rights for gays and lesbians, this site offers banners to support Disney's struggle against the religious right. While the news coverage has died down on this, the problem is still very much ongoing and you are urged to pick up a banner and check out the full story.
Another anti-retail site, this one addresses the chain of Walmart Drug Stores. Extremely well done, this focuses on major complaints, lawsuits, violations, and ranks various Walmart stores against each other.
Tons of information about owning exotic animals including FAQs, laws, animals available for sale right now, how to care for your pets, etc.
A magazine about the medical use of marijuana, whose publisher has been hassled by the DEA. This is one of the better pot sites on the Net, and is updated often. Worth a look even if you would never smoke it yourself.
A sampling of some of the most interesting information the FBI has had to release under the Freedom of Information Act. There is material here on celebrities such as Lucille Ball and Elvis Presley, items of historical interest on Amelia Earhart and Klaus Barbie, as well as espionage, violent crime, the Gangster era and unusual phenomenon. Well worth a look. This site makes us proud to have been in such good company when the FBI decided to monitor Gray Areas several years ago.
A newer occult site with information on tarot cards, Crowley, Wicca, Mythical Monsters, and more.
This site presents recent celebrity obituaries along with some information about who the person was. Archives are also kept of older deaths.
Sam Kinison may be dead, but he is certainly not forgotten among comedy lovers. This site contains real audio, real video, and his brother will attempt to answer your burning questions.
All sorts of products are described here in a humorous manner. Worth a peek if you too like odd catalogs with items like lava lamps, hacky sacks, X-Ray glasses, etc.
A site about a documentary which aired on PBS, this contains still timely information about violence against women including statistics, interviews, related articles, study guide, script, etc.
Calling attention to child pornography on the Internet, this site offers real audio, white ribbon banners, information on the laws, links, etc.
A site about truth in advertising and the cigarette industry, there is an appeal here to President Clinton, the Food and Drug Administration, Jack Valenti and the Tobacco Advertising Agencies.
Information on Roswell, Cryptozoology, the Alma and Yeti, etc. are offered here along with book and video reviews, illustrations, glossary, bibliography and links.
Are you a neofeminist? If not, are you for them or against them? This site offers a definition, academic papers, creative writing, and loud mouthed opinions.
Offering previously censored material, this site exists to help change governmental censorship policies and help stop human rights abuses.
Lilly is a writer and scientist interested in isolation tanks, dolphins, LSD experiments, and many other gray topics. It's all here at this official site.
A site which explores the Celts, all things Celtic, as well as the occult and Wicca too. Very well done!
A site focusing on cryptozoology which is the study of "hidden zoology." This includes species such as the Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, The Jersey Devil, etc.
A graphically impressive site with a strong sense of humor about being crazy.
January 13 The ONION
An alternative news service containing only gray and cool news.
January 28 Deviant's Dictionary
A comprehensive dictionary of BDSM terms and more.
January 30 Blue Honey
A visually stunning home page about psychedelic mushrooms.
