Glam Garage Sale

Two junk-eteering Web auctioneers turn celeb trash into charity cash

A pair of stuffed bunnies. A used curling iron. A toy parrot that whistles "London Bridge." Don't seem like must-haves for spring? What if we told you they were owned by Elizabeth Taylor, Celine Dion and Penny Marshall, respectively? Now how much would you pay? L.A. pals Karen Bauer and Susan Jorenby, both 37, are about to find out. From April 1 to April 8, they will auction dozens of offbeat celebrity castoffs at www.junkofthestars.com. Proceeds go to the Children Affected by AIDS Foundation. "It's a blast," says fashion publicist Jorenby (Bauer runs a travel agency), who first took the five-year-old
event to the Web in 1997. Celebs vie to supply the junkiest junk. Gillian Anderson may be the reigning champ: "Last year," says Jorenby, "she sent us a tube of toothpaste."

Internet Manners

Is it rude to surf the Net while I'm on the phone?

You bet—and don't think the poor sap getting only half of your attention doesn't hear that telltale mouse-clicking and keyboard-tap-tap-tapping. An alternative for those who must multitask while yak-king: Try folding laundry.

See Spots Run Ad Infinitum
Holy download frenzy, Batman! Web surfers are chortling over an unauthorized clip featuring the 'toon Superfriends exchanging hearty "Whas-sup!"s in a spoof of the hip Budweiser commercials. You can eyeball it, along with more than 800 real TV ads and movie trailers, at adcritlc.com, which features current and classic spots from that scary Apple computer 1984 ad to the FedEx Wizard of Oz spot—recently pulled from the airwaves—showing Munchkins getting an emergency helium delivery. Site creator Peter Beckman of Falls Church, Va., hopes to eventually provide viewer feedback to ad agencies. For now, just think of the site as the Oscars without those long breaks for programming.

Starlog

David Bowie
Turns out Bowie has a lot more to do with the tech world than those Microsoft ads set to "Heroes." His digital dukedom spans bowieart.com, a gallery of his paintings and prints; bowiebanc.com, which issues credit cards sporting his face ("It ain't my money you're borrowing!" he quips); and BowieNet (www.davidbowie.com), a glam central station for fans access costs $5.95 per month). Bowie, 53 going on 16, chats with fans under an assumed name ("But everybody knows it's me") and writes a journal (pregnant i wife Iman is "getting up at 5 in the morning to COOK FULL MEALS!" he marveled recently). Bowie also cofounded UltraStar, a firm that has designed Web sites for teen trio Hanson and the Baltimore Orioles. "I could switch players around," Bowie jokes. "Playing first: Keith Richards! Ha! Ha!"

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