Sites that went away (or did they)

sorabji.com: Surfwatch: Sites that went away (or did they)
By Nelly on Saturday, January 24, 1998 - 09:50 am:
    One of the first sites I bookmarked when i got my computer last year was one devoted to vacuum cleaners. This is not a bit interest of mine but the love and devotion exhibited by the person who put up this site really impressed me. Vacccum cleaners had been a major part of his life from toodlerhood, (he made friends with all the housewives on the street so as to persuade them to let him see their vacuum cleaners in action, and was doing repairs before the age of 10). There were pictures of many vintage models, gasoline powered etc. but the most memorable part was a long interview he had done with a friend of his who was even more obsessed with vacuum cleaners, which was amazing in its the depth of detail and hilarious. Within a month of my bookmarking it, the site went away and I have no details to go on. I just have to hope that the guy has put it up somewhere else and i'll find it some day.
By Sorabji on Sunday, February 1, 1998 - 10:36 pm:
    There used to be a show on NYC public access in which this guy would carry on and on and on about home furnishings. He was amazing, and he would get positively angry that more people did not share his love of home furnishings. He thought home furnishings were the key to modern life, to the whole experience. I may have some of that guy on tape somewhere. He put to shame all those over-enthused infomercial types selling extravagent widgets for $19.99.

    I'm told that vacuum cleaners are quite the underground obsession in some parts.
By Sorabji on Friday, February 27, 1998 - 03:15 pm:
By Nelly on Friday, February 27, 1998 - 05:13 pm:
    You know, it seems very like it, but then again, it seems different. For example, I remember a picture of a very messy room, like a warehouse, filled with various and sundry vacuum cleaners, that isn't there. But I don't remember the picture of Stan on the Gypsy Rose Lee show, which is there; nor do i recall mentions of Phyllis Diller...

    Memory is such a strange and unreliable thing...

    But after looking it over, I think this is the same guy, he must have redesigned the site since the last time I saw it. I don't remember his being a professional web site developer (!), but isn't everyone these days?

    What clinched it was that he also has at his home page, this elaborate telling of a joke about beans... i definitely remember this...

    Thank you Mark, you amaze me yet again. Where did you find it?
By Nelly on Friday, February 27, 1998 - 05:19 pm:
    P.S. don't you find the phrase Sani-Emptor tantalizing? Wonder what it was...
By Sorabji on Friday, February 27, 1998 - 05:57 pm:
    it was a Random Yahoo Link. I have the RYL set up as my home page. Click the home button, get something unexpected.

    Sani-Emptor sounds like an herbal laxative.
By Charlie Lester on Saturday, October 14, 2000 - 02:04 am:

    Hello, I don't know how up to date this page is, but I happened to find it upon a search for the name "Stan Kann" my friend who is a vacuum cleaner nut.

    My site is indeed the one that the writer described; it has been revamped (and in fact yet another renovation is in the works); and the "messy warehouse photo referred to is now on a different page -- http://www.137.com/museum.

    And, yes, I am a "professional website designer!" Oh, and yes, the bean story is still there, at http://www.137.com/beans.

    There's lots of other fun stuff there on my site as well, particularly about a strange musical instrument I play called the THEREMIN. See http://www.137.com/theremins.

    My index page lists all the various goodies on my site, at http://www.137.com. Enjoy!

    p.s. Someone who found my vacuum cleaner obsession page wrote to congratulate me on the "brilliant parody" of it, comparing it to the genius of "This is Spinal Tap." Oh, would that it WERE a parody...!! Trust me folks, it's for real! :)

By Spider on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 11:56 am:

    What an amazing site!

By J on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 12:19 pm:

    I read that bean story and feel healthier all ready!

By Spider on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 12:49 pm:

    I thought you would like that story. :)