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Launch Meet the new kids on the block. By Damiana (damiana@diarist.net)

Archives Past Launch Sites Submit Get Launched!   Roughly four years ago, the first online journals crawled out of the sea. These were shocking things, these chronicles of lives, these barings of innermost thoughts and feelings right there on the Internet. Putting your private life online? Absurd! That was a long time ago. Now opinions are changing. It seems nowadays that a homepage without a journal is unheard of. The largest journal webring boasts upwards of five hundred members, and the numbers are growing every day. With the constant outpour of new journals, readers are finding it increasingly harder to wade through these emerging life stories. Launch serves to spotlight these journals, the new or relatively unknown. Oftentimes, a quality journal gets overlooked in the tangle of the more established. Here, the "underdog" has a venue. Each week, two to three journals will be presented and given the opportunity to gain new readers into their lives. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1999 Rheana's Journal of Adventures Talk about girl power! This woman's been in the armed forces since she was seventeen years old. Now twenty-two, she's got stories from around the world, including a brief interlude with a large alligator while in Florida after Hurricane George. Soon, she'll be leaving for Korea. "... It is an odd feeling, being an American in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Perhaps even somewhat distrubing, knowing that there were people right outside the gate (guarded by dogs and razor wire) that would kill you in an instant. An American (military) would be considered a "trophy" to some in that region. It is an entirely different world, but with its own beauty that is difficult to describe. The golden sunrises coming up over the unending desert horizon stay fresh in my memory, as do the haunting sounds of the chanting in the distance. The unfamilliar sounds make you feel as if you were walking in a dream, on the border of reality..." Time Waits for No One Biting sarcasm, extreme wit, and plenty of good stuff to read from a married, thirty-something mom and nail technician living somewhere in the Great Midwest. The journal entries, even at their most scathing, are humorous, and there are also several samples of published writings for your perusal. "That kid is the most blatantly obnoxious little brat I have ever had the misfortune to share air with. "Why can't you do my nails? You're not doing anything right now." Yes I am, little girl, I'm trying to figure out a way to paddle your ass and keep your mother as a client." Clockworks Even if you couldn't read, this site would be worth the visit just for the flawless design. This Alaskan-raised, Oregon-educated, New England-dwelling web designer's tales, daily photographs, and sketchbook will have you living her moments of angst and tearing apart her neuroses with her. "I still dream in fairy tales. Last night I dreamt about a kingdom dressed in white. A horse race where a single white horse crossed the finish line, somehow without his princess rider. The horse shapeshifting into a huge and soft white tiger. The tiger only allowing a princess to pet him. A rescue mounted to find the missing princess, with the horse allowing a tall and handsome knight to mount him to ride to the rescue. Intrigues with the wicked queen stealing away in the night..." Between Her Sheets Some things never cease to remind you that you aren't getting any younger. Perhaps it's a case of someone growing up too quickly - whatever it is, this 15 year old's journal is brilliant. It's been a long time since I've had a real conversation with someone in high school, but I bet we'd have a lot to talk about. "The sad but true truth of the matter is this: People popular in high school are our future Presidents, engineers, and congressmen. They have more skills than any one of their jealous peers will ever dream of truthfully putting on a resume. "One might argue with me, saying, 'Well, my high school is different; all the popular people are sex-obsessed, lying bastards who cheat and get away with it.' "To which I would respond: 'See? They're showing characteristics of future Presidency already.'"