Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut • Page 53

Thursday, February 19, 1998 THE HARTFORD COURANT F3 Support Groups On The Web 'Nicklaus' Better, But Not links'; 'Animaniacs' Is Nonviolent Fun UACK With so much interest focused on things like corporate intranets and Web commerce, it's easy to lose track of the fact that the Internet continues to be a place where people who are hurting can find help and encourage each other. Here's a smattering of sites for support and recovery. OR. GROHOL'S MENTAL HEALTH PAGE www.grohol.com Psychologist John Grohol invented the extremely popular and active alt.support Usenet newsgroups, and his home page lists all of them, as well as many support mailing lists and Web sites. There is also a schedule of Grohol's live on-line chats about mental health, and instructions on how to take part "anonymously, if you'd like!" www.support-group.com It doesn't seem to matter what ails or interests you.

There are links here for people dealing with gambling addiction, heart disease and substance abuse, as well as for those looking to network with like-minded vegetarians and dieters, and would-be parents seeking to adopt. WIDOW NET www.fortnet.orggoshorn This site for widows and widowers tells how to find and chat with other surviving spouses on-line, how to react to dumb remarks and stupid questions, and even has a place for those in grief to post Web memorials. GENETIC SYNDROME SUPPORT GROUPS members.aol.comdnacuttersgroup.htm Here is an alphabetical listing of otherwise hard-to-find support groups for genetic and other disorders, from autism to xanthinuria deficiency. There are also links to several disability sites, and to a listing" of genetic counselors. THE HEALING CLUB www.heallngclub.com "Do not suffer in silence, no abuse is acceptable," says this page by "Monica," who tells her own harrowing story as the victim in an abusive relationship.

Visitors can post messages directly from the opening page, and many, many do. PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 'Breaker Movant' Memorable War Picture murdering Boer prisoners of war during the Dutch settlers' rebellion in South Told mostly in flashback, the film examines not only the facts behind the case but also the politics involved. It is a mesmerizing and fascinating story, superbly told and stunningly photographed. Criterion's laserdisc features a beautiful picture created from the original 35mm interpositive and a crisp monaural soundtrack taken from the original. The result, presented in the film's original wide-screen format, captures Beresford's haunting and unforgettable film.

fire up ClarisWorks and see a sight similar to the Microsoft lameware that comes bundled with almost every PC both programs greet you with a dialogue box offering, the choice between a word-processing, database, spreadsheet, drawing or communications item. But the similarity ends there. Although Microsoft the company that brought us that demented talking paper clip in Word 97 populates Works with "Task Wizards" that only get in the way, Claris-Works offers more intuitive pulldown menus, toolbars and "Assistants' that help you write newsletters, footnote papers, build calendars and more. After tinkering around with it for an hour, I'd created a company letterhead and written a memo, inserting a graph, a sketch I made in another Claris-Works file and a picture I dragged from another application. I didn't hit the help file once.

When I tried to repeat this performance using Works a program I've actually used before I wound up getting nowhere. Bottom line: It works. Mike Musgrove Washington Post Title: "Hades Challenge" Subject Animated education Format: Windows, Macintosh Ages: 7 through 12 Manufacturer Disney Interactive Price: $30 Web site: www.disney.com "No more heroes! Got it?" hisses Hades but that was before he met you. And so begins your adventure into the ancient world of mythology, where four exciting quests test your mettle and challenge you to outwit Hades and his minions. "Hades Challenge," the interactive sequel to Disney's animated film "Hercules," has cast a villain as the star of his own CD-ROM.

The villain, of course, is Hades, god of the underworld whose zinger one-liners and charismatic personality in the movie have made him a celebrity in his own right Players must use their wisdom, stealth and skill to solve fascinating puzzles and play fast-action arcade games to earn crucial quest items and hero powers on the way to the ultimate showdown the quiz show "Hades Challenge." The CD-ROM lets children devise clever strategies defeat Hades; solve adventure-based puzzles that are fully integrated into each quest; test their knowledge of mythology; and replay all of their favorite games in the Hall of Trophies. More than 5,000 eels of original game animation bring Crete, Troy, Medusa Isle and the underworld to life on your computer. The CD-ROM also includes original "Hercules" character voices: James Woods (Hades), Tate Donovan (Hercules), Rip Torn (Zeus), Paul Shaffer (Hermes), Bobcat Goldthwait and Matt Frewer (Pain and Panic) reprise their original film roles. -RoyBassave Miami Herald Collection's new wide-screen laserdisc edition of Morant," Michael Dare notes that director Bruce Beresford's "military suspense drama heralded the arrival of Australian cinema on the international scene." That it did, winning numerous awards and proving that a story about a minor incident from an almost-forgotten British war could move audiences all over the world. The year is 1901 and three Australian officers Lt Harry "Breaker" Morant (Edward Woodward), Lt.

Peter Handcock (Bryan Brown) and Lt George Winton (Lewis Fitz-Ger-ald) are being court-martialed for Sometimes filling! By VERN PERRY Orange County Register LASERDISC REVIEW Title: "Breaker Morant" Manufacturer The Criterion Collection Date: 1980 Rated: PG Running time: 107 minutes Features: Original 1.85:1 wide-screen aspect ratio, new digital transfer, monaural sound Price: $50 When people list cinema's great war films, "All Quiet on the Western Front," "The Sands of Iwo Jima," "Stalag 17," "The Bridge on the River Kwai," "Paths of Glory," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "The Longest Day" usually pop up. Even though you seldom find Morant" on any such list, the groundbreaking 1980 Australian film belongs there. In his liner notes to the Criterion I'M lent, they may seem crass to some parents. In the game "Smoocher," for example, the cops are eliminated with a kiss from the character Dot. In "Belchinator Too," Wacko's secret weapon is a belch that can be fueled with various ingestions to destroy robots on the march.

Rude somewhat, but my son laughed continuously as he "belched" robots to oblivion. Put these games up against Mortal Kombat and others of that ilk, and you've got a tame but compelling round. It's cheap fun for $20. GaryDuchane Title: "ClarisWorks Office 5.0" Subject: All-in-one personal-productivity toolkit. Format: Windows, Macintosh Manufacturer: Claris Price: Windows 95, $80; Mac $100 As a longtime Microsoft Works victim, I was a little disappointed to One thing "Nicklaus" has that "Links" doesn't is a course designer.

If you like designing your own courses, this could make the decision between these two titles easier for you. 40-50 OFFt CUSTOM TABLE PADS LAST WEEK! FOUNDER'S SALE SPECIAL i Ifartfofo $ottfant CD-ROM REVIEWS Title: "Jack Nicklaus 5" Subject: Golf simulation Format: Windows 95 Manufacturer: Accolade Price: $45 Web site: www.accolade.com Accolade's "Jack Nicklaus" franchise is one of the oldest among golf simulations. The series has been around since the late 1980s, about as long as the genre leader, "Links," which has always been a notch ahead of "Nicklaus" in graphics, game play and popularity. "Jack Nicklaus 4" was released just nine months ago, so "Nicklaus 5" sets a record for shortest time between upgrades in this or perhaps any game category. Surprisingly, Accolade has overhauled the graphics engine and many of the nuances of what was perhaps its most highly regarded version.

A new 3-D engine is in place to render the nicely contoured courses. The video motion-captured golfers have been replaced by 3-D polygon motion-captured figures with a pleasing result. The interface now has three options, including two- or three-click mouse methods or a mouse meter, in which you actually move the mouse to simulate the swing. Also, the swing meter has been adjusted to face the computer player head-on rather than at an angle in a swing arc, which was always difficult to gauge. All of these improvements, along with a generous 10 courses that come with the game, make this a worthwhile upgrade.

Overall, however, "Nicklaus" still does not equal "Links" in graphics display or game play. One thing "Nicklaus" has that "Links" doesn't is a course designer, which is an excellent tool If you like designing your own courses, this could make the decision between these two titles easier for you. Also, hundreds of courses are available on the Internet for free download from designers all over the world. -PaulRosano Title: "Animaniacs Game Pack" Subject: Children's Games Format Windows, Macintosh Ages: 8 and up Manufacturer: Funnybone Interactive Price: $20 Web site: www.funnybone. davd.com "Animaniacs Game Pack" is simple, violence-free, PC game fun.

There are five games in all, including one in which Barney gets hit on the head with an anvil (which I would consider violent if he died, but he doesn't). The animated intros to each game are as fun to watch as the multilevel arcade-style games are to play. The packaging says the games are intended for children 8 and older, but my 5-year-old had little trouble playing them, with a bit of instruction. Although these games are nonvio- Updates on soaps For daily updates on daytime soap operas, please call us. The soap operas are "All My Children," "The City," "Days of Our Lives," 'The Young and the Restless," 'The Bold and the Beautiful," "As the World Turns" "Another World," "One Life To Live," "General Hospital" and "The Guiding Light." Call Courant Source at 246-1000 or (800) 246-8070, Source No.

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