For When You Feel Wacky . . .

There is the serious side of watching the Internet slouch its way into the mainstream . . . and then there are the reminders of why the Web is just so goofy.

For those who do not pronounce “cool” as a two-syllable word, here’s a word of caution: The Web is filled with lots of offerings that are just plain useless.

But they’re cool.

These are the momentary--or not-so-momentary--escapes from the day-to-day. The attraction comes from their ability to amuse, to let us play, to see how someone has handed us a special-effect device to use.

And, if you follow this sort of thing, they are a primary recreation for many users of the Web. Sure, the success of the Web will come from its eventual civilization and adoption of commerce and communications. But there’s still more than enough of the Just Plain Wacky out there to provide diversion.

So, if you have some time on your hands this holiday season, here are a handful of sites that yours truly has rated cool. Other than the dancing bunnies and techno-effects that they offer, they promise only a giggle or two.

You be the judge:

* Got a boss you’d just as soon see meet his or her maker? Upset by the couple who sat behind you in the movie theater last week who wouldn’t keep quiet? Maybe you’ve got an itch for just a little revenge.

The solution: the voodoo doll page (https://www.virtual-design.com/cgi-bin/Voodoo.pl).

We know voodoo is nothing to fool with, but this site brings the uninitiated a personalized voodoo doll as a stand-in for the object of your hate. You get the chance to stick pins where pins don’t belong, slice body parts with a virtual hook knife, burn off a limb with an oversized candle. All the parts work, making the screen into a game.

Behind all of this is a technology called a Java applet, which enables animation but that can also make it a tedious wait for the voodoo doll to appear on the screen. It requires a Java-enabled browser, which is less intimidating than it sounds.

When you’ve tired of play--that probably takes about a minute and a half--you’re invited to “e-mail that puppy.” As the screen says, “have fun torturing the doll as you see fit.” Cool.

By the way, despite my best efforts, nothing bad seems to have befallen my intended voodoo recipient.

* One techno-attraction on the Web is the ability to aim a camera and produce an around-the-clock publication of what the lens sees.

For a peek, try EarthCam (https://www.earthcam.com), which features a selection of personalized views of the world. It is assembled by a New York multimedia company that wants to take advantage of the increasing number of live video cameras hooked up to the Web.

Sunsets and cityscapes seem to be popular objectives for individuals who set up their equipment to record and automatically publish. The top 10 views on a recent day included the weather in Stockholm, a view of the Boston Back Bay skyline, the studio at CNet, a fish tank, the view of San Francisco from the top of Nob Hill, views of Main Street at Disney World in Orlando, the Mississippi from a bridge and a zoomable camera at Mt. Fuji.

Now, in truth, a very small portion of this dish goes a long way. The sunset does look pleasant, if you happen to think of it at the appropriate time for each time zone.

I was drawn to the Ghost Watcher Cam in the home of June Houston, who has 12 black-and-white cameras trained on different views of her apartment, including the lens beneath her bed. The idea is that the viewer is invited to help look for signs of ghosts. The artist provides forms to visitors to note their findings to share with other investigators.

As long as it is art, I suppose I can support it.

* Picking on the Clintons never seems to lose steam as entertainment.

Aficionados can stick a pin in the Democrat donkey by visiting not a political site, but the Hillary Hair site (https://hillaryshair.com).

Yep, visitors can run the slide show of the first lady’s varying hairstyles over the years, presented in a kind of Andy Warhol style with lots of miniaturized heads, to learn . . . well, not much.

But one can vote on the best and worst hairdos (are you listening, Christophe?) or download a, yes, bald Hillary to create a personalized recommended do. The site chooses several from among the submissions to frame in its “salon” area.

Creators Mike W. Miller and James C. Schneider of Vanguard Technology Group say that “we’re both more or less Democrats, and certainly no disrespect or ill will whatsoever is intended toward the first lady. This site is simply a salute to her ever-changing plumage.”

* Remember the children’s game of matching odd combinations of eyes, noses and mouths to create funny faces?

Still think that’d be cool?

Get thee to the Faces page (https://www.web-usa.com/face), where visitors are invited to play the game anew with virtual eyes and face parts from celebrities, whose images are stored in a database.

Pick the top of the face from Pamela Anderson, the middle from Bob Dole and the bottom from Jim Carrey. That’s the idea.

Creator Cory R. Gilbert does include a page in which he allows complaints from those who do not like the idea that someone has been rearranging faces.

Including the complaint form would probably be a good idea except that few people probably hang around long enough to care.

*

Terry Schwadron is deputy managing editor of The Times and oversees latimes.com, its Web site. He can be reached via e-mail at terry.schwadron@latimes.com