Fall Forward: So autumn is officially here....

Fall Forward: So autumn is officially here. Can you tell? If not, try pointing your browser to https://www.mtp.semi.harris.com/fall.html. The site has link upon link of regional fall foliage sites where you can see pictures of red, brown and gold leaves. The Fall Color Hotline can be found at https://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/fall.htm, where there are predictions of when the foliage will peak in national forests.

* StormWatch ‘97: El Nino has been on our minds lately. What better way to separate fact from fiction than by checking out some of the Web’s storm sites. Lowe’s Storm97 (https://www.storm97.com) is a good place to start. The site has up-to-date information on El Nino (as well as other storms around the world) and tracking, satellite and radar maps. Still not sure what the heck El Nino is? For a definition, and for some good weather maps and graphics of normal and El Nino conditions in the Pacific, check out https://www.pmel.noaa.gov/togatao/el-nino/.The site also charts the impact and benefits of El Nino. Weather Online (https://www.weatheronline.com) has general and local weather forecasts. The National Hurricane Center can be found at https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/nhchome.html

* Free Speech: This is Banned Books Week, and the Web is the natural place to turn to in light of the recent hubbub about free speech online. The American Library Assn.’s Web page is celebrating our right to read with information on censorship and links to sponsors of Banned Books Week (including the ALA, Center for the Book of the Library of Congress and the American Society of Journalists and Authors). The ALA page can be found at https://www.ala.org/bbooks. BookWeb also has information and lists of some banned books, which can be found at https://www.bookweb.org/abffe/394.html. For more online resources, check out https://www.booksatoz.com/banned.htm. BookWire (https://www.bookwire.com) is offering links to complete texts of banned books. And, of course, there is the American Civil Liberties Union, which has a page devoted to banned books at https://www.aclu.org/issues/freespeech/bbwind.html

* Dog Days of September: It’s also National Dog Week. In honor of the occasion, check out https://www.petpath.com, where there are tips on training your canine. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Los Angeles is online at https://losangeles.digitalcity.com/spcala/. The American Pet Assn. (https://www.apapets.com/) has special tips for training puppies, as well as animal myths and facts. And from Abel to Zuni, Petrix has 2,000 names for your new pup at https://www.petrix.com/dognames/

* Get in Gear: Auto-racing fans are revving their engines Saturday for the final Championship Auto Racing Teams event of the year at the California Speedway. Can’t make it to Fontana? Surely you can make it over to https://www.cart.com. In addition to racing news, features and live chats with drivers, the site promises instant results from the speedway.

Site suggestions can be sent to cutting.edge@latimes.com