ESPIONAGE Fine Dining http://www.penzeys.com Penzeys Spices Based in Wisconsin, Penzeys is the nation's largest cataloguer of spices and herbs. Owner Bill Penzey travels tirelessly to gather the highest quality spices from the world's top growing regions, including hard-to-find items such as Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon and premium Kashmir Mogra. Penzeys' seasonal catalogue features over 250 spices, herbs and seasoning blends as well as timely recipes and helpful information. The Wisconsin Cheeseman One of the leading mail order gift food companies in the U.S., The Wisconsin Cheeseman has been delighting families, celebrities, dignitaries and service men and women since 1946. This family-run business offers old favorites such as wonderful gift towers full of petits fours, sausages, cakes and cheese galore; baskets of smoked meats, nuts, and jams; plus plenty of up-to-date items including sugar-free candies and low-fat cheeses. The Wisconsin Cheeseman makes most of its own products, so do not be fooled by imitations! You can also buy gift certificates on-line. "Hi-Fi" Entertainment Dusty Groove America where you will find a huge selection with rare treats from all over the world, including the original vinyl "Man from U.N.C.L.E." sound tracks and the Italian sound track from "Agente Speciale LK." Jack Diamond Music A fine selection of new and "previously enjoyed" recordings, all hand-picked by Jack Diamond himself. Come browse Mr. Diamond's international collection of psychedelica, crime jazz, blaxploitation, exotica, sound tracks, incredibly strange music, and more. This is a one-man operation, a labor of love, and this shows in the catalogue's "all killer, no filler" caliber and in the site's fine service. The used items are carefully graded as to quality, all items are returnable, shipping charges are quite reasonable, and perhaps best of all, one's order arrives with lightning speed. John Kendall's Vintage Electronics This one-man shop has been selling vintage radios, televisions, audio equipment, and other electronic items to collectors, restorers, and dealers for nearly two decades. Mr. Kendall meticulously grades the items as to condition and guarantees your satisfaction. There is a tremendous selection here and considerable turnover in stock, so even if you visit the site weekly, you will see plenty of new items. Norton Records This is where the loud sound abounds! The Norton label is home to the frantic music of Hasil Adkins, Link Wray, Question Mark and the Mysterians, Esquerita, Andre Williams, the Flat Duo Jets, the Untamed Youth, the Phantom Surfers, King Uszniewicz, the Hentchmen, Wade Curtiss, Jackie & the Cedrics, the Church Keys, The Dictators, The Great Gaylord and many more wild acts from yesterday and today. If you love the big beat, you owe it to yourself to come here and discover the true soul of rock 'n' roll. Reading the Norton catalogue is an education in itself, and reading the liner notes in their records is like attending rock 'n' roll graduate school. The masterminds behind Norton are walking encyclopedias of rock 'n' roll knowledge, and they generously share the wealth. Medium Rare Records This great San Francisco-based shop has gone on-line to bring you Lounge and Exotic; Unusual Gay and Dance Music; Pop Instrumental and Vocal; Motown and Girl Groups; Shows and Sound tracks. Ultralounge This site is easy listening compiliation headquarters. The music here evokes a dimly-lit, cushy world where "revolution" means watering down your scotch with ice and "evolution" means taking out the olive and putting in an onion. Jet Travel Sovietski Collection Here you will find the best antiques and artifacts from Russia and Eastern Europe: rare collectibles, old-fashioned timepieces, optics, coins, stamps and other treasures. From the "Kremlin Basement" come extraordinarily durable watches, telescopes and other mechanical items, built for a military that demanded and got the best. Yet the prices on these and the rest of the Sovietski Collection are surprisingly reasonable; it is, as the owner puts it, as though an entire country went out of business and held a garage sale. Wings America: This is the "On-line Store for the Aviation Enthusiast" where you will find an ever-changing selection of bomber jackets, flying scarves, goggles, books, videos, music, hand-carved wooden model aircraft, and one-of-a-kind flight-oriented items. You never know what you will find, so drop in today! The Open Road Car and Driver's Buying Guide: If you want to surprise a special someone with a new car in the driveway this year, this site is an excellent resource to help you find just the right model. Whether you want an Aston-Martin or a Ford pickup, you can obtain information such as top speed, engine type, pricing, gas mileage, and more on any type of car. Kymar MR2 Page This is the place for those who are lucky enough to own an MR2 Mark I, but need replacement parts. Kymar keeps a stable of parts cars at the ready to save you the trouble and expense of finding parts for these rare and wonderful vehicles. Matchbox Toys What car-lover would not want a Matchbox car? This venerable toymaker's site offers dozens of gift ideas, from make-believe garage sets for kids to modern collectibles for grown-ups who never quite grew up. Scientific Frontiers Anatomical Chart Company Here you can buy the same anatomical and medical props used in TV shows, movies, schools and hospitals. If a life-size skeleton is not a wacky enough gift for that mad scientist on your list, you can choose from chocolate body parts, finger bone pens, and other items. The Bone Room - This is a place where you, the ordinary person, can discover secrets of the natural world that are usually the province of scientists, explorers and museum curators. They sell more than just bones: you will find insects, fossils, shells, fossil and bone casts, and animal remnants. From rare butterflies to skeleton jewelry to the Glow-in-the-Dark Tarantula Paperweight, you are sure to find something for the amateur naturalist, would-be sorceress, or bug-loving child on your holiday list. The Bone Room also sells gift certificates. Prometheus Books The leading publisher in philosophy, science and critical thinking, Prometheus has more than 1,000 books and journals in print, with an average of 100 new titles a year. As the name implies, Prometheus Books publishes titles that stimulate the intellect and encourage independent thought. The company has earned the prestigious endorsements of Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan, while championing the great works of Antony Flew, Martin Gardner, Sidney Hook, and John Dewey. Prometheus also publishes skeptics such as James Randi and Dr. Stephen Barrett, much-needed antidotes to the New Age foolishness that abounds in bookstores. Herbach and Rademan Founded in 1934, Herbach & Rademan began as a pioneer supplier in the radio parts field. As the Cold War began, they expanded into the ELECTRO-MECHANICAL, SCIENTIFIC, SECURITY, and EDUCATIONAL markets. They offer a huge selection of the best quality products at reasonable prices. H&R truly offers something for everyone. Their regular accounts include many of the country's industrial giants, and their customer base is made up of laboratories, government agencies, major electronic manufacturers, universities, museums and hospitals, as well as thousands of individuals. Lindsay Publications, Inc. A unique publisher of fine technical books, new and old, "for experimenters, inventors, tinkerers, mad scientists, and a very few normal people." Their list includes many rare reprints of original 19th- and early 20th-century guides to building machines from radios and Tesla coils to lathes and locomotives, and much more. Lindsay knows this territory extremely well; he even claims to process his orders on a steam-powered computer! These books are for serious "gear-heads" only, but even if you have trouble using a can-opener you will enjoy this catalogue for Lindsay's quirky sense of humor. And you may just find that perfect gift for the engineer on your holiday list. Do order promptly, because Lindsay's books are rare and titles go out of print at the drop of a hat! Spy Guise This is the site for new and old James Bond merchandise, plus memoribilia from Man from U.N.C.L.E., Get Smart, I Spy and more. They have all sorts of things, from videotapes and posters to official James Bond socks! Spy Guise Gift Certificates are available in denominations of $100, 50 and 25. They will send your loved ones a paper certificate that is good for their website, or on mail-in/phone orders. The Spy Store This is your site for the finest in surveillance and security merchandise. Many of The Spy Store's items, such as "Sonic Nausea" and "Liquid Nightmare" were created for trained professionals, so think twice before opening this Pandora's box! The site also offers custom ordering, lay-a-way and gift certificates; special services such as TSCM (debugging), private consultation and on-site instruction are available, too. And, as good red-blooded capitalists, they pledge to beat ANY price, to get you anything, and never to be undersold. Comment on this article: