A Random Stroll Through Some Favorite Sites on Cyberspace

There are more than 5 million Web sites--certainly enough to occupy avid Web surfers. Cutting Edge readers have offered some of their favorites, and this week’s column is a random walk through cyberspace based on their suggestions:

* The United Nations’ Hunger Care Project says that someone dies of hunger somewhere in the world every 3.6 seconds. The Hunger Site (https://www.thehungersite.com) makes it easy for you to help--simply click on the Donate Free Food button and a serving of rice, wheat, maize or another food staple will be donated on your behalf. The food is paid for by corporate sponsors, who get advertising on the site. The site accepts one donation per computer per day.

* The National Museum of Women’s History may not have a physical location, but its cyberhome (https://www.nmwh.org) offers a thorough exhibit on the women’s suffrage movement. Visitors can view historical documents, including a report on the 1848 Women’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls, N.Y.; listen to suffrage songs; and peruse posters, buttons and pins from the movement. The exhibit also examines the distinctive female political culture. Those seeking a less cerebral experience can take a quick tour through the Image Gallery instead.

* Play detective for a day at Evidence: the True Witness, a site designed by students as part of the ThinkQuest competition. At https://library.advanced.org/17049, you become forensic detective KC Rogers and track down the kidnapper of Susie Van Konkel. Click your way around the site to collect evidence, interview suspects and consult real forensic scientists for advice.

* The Kids’ Almanac (https://kids.infoplease.com) makes it easy for Web surfers of any age to find facts fast. In addition to short almanac entries (arranged by topic or searchable by keyword), the site offers such tutorials as “How do computers work?” “Wacky Wars” and “The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.” There’s also a Homework Center, Word of the Day and Today in History.

* Newspapers aren’t just for reading. Visit https://www.clem.freeserve.co.uk to learn how to make a newspaper kite.

* Country Legends (https://www.biography.com/countrymusic) traces the history of country music from the early days of radio to 1998, when Garth Brooks’ “Double Live” album broke the record for most albums sold in a single week. The Before They Were Stars section reveals that Kris Kristofferson took a janitorial job at Columbia Records in Nashville despite his Rhodes scholar past and that Randy Travis flipped burgers before hitting the big time. Country fans and detractors alike will enjoy perusing song titles such as “You Can’t Have Your Kate and Edith, Too,” “You’re the Reason God Made Oklahoma” and “Too Dumb for New York, Too Ugly for L.A.”

* For a behind-the-scenes look at how reporters and their crews capture amazing footage for National Geographic’s TV specials, check out https://www.nationalgeographic.com/voices. Instead of bloopers, you’ll find stories about charging hippos and exploding glaciers, complete with video clips.

* Find a bargain and keep the landfills empty with a visit toLACoMAX (https://dpw.co.la.ca.us/epd/lacomax), a free service from the L.A. County Department of Public Works. The goal is to keep industrial byproducts, surplus materials and other items out of landfills. Site visitors can post offers to buy or sell items ranging from old computers and plastic shrink wrap to manure and office supplies.

* Need to know what time it is in Tunisia? World Time Zone watches the clock from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe at https://www.isbister.com/worldtime.

* For help with plumbing, carpentry, wiring and other projects, visit Better Homes and Gardens’ Home Improvement Encyclopedia (https://www.bhg.com/homeimp). The site offers easy-to-follow instructions for do-it-yourselfers.

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Times staff writer Karen Kaplan can be reached at Karen.Kaplan@latimes.com. Site suggestions are welcome at cutting.edge@latimes.com.