Cool Web Sites
by Don Singleton
Tulsa Computer Society
From the July 2003 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter
Including links previously reviewed at
http://www.educationindex.com/index.html,
http://www.komando.com/,
http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/arch.htm,
and http://marylaine.com/neatnew.html
"Describes clearinghouses, databases, libraries, directories, statistical resources, bibliographies and reading lists, texts, and Web “metasites” focusing on aging or closely allied subjects," from more than 20 countries. Searchable by subject, country or region, or by type and language.
"HighWire Press is the largest archive of free full-text science on Earth! As of 4/30/03, we are assisting in the online publication of 536,590 free full-text articles and 1,435,816 total articles" -- searchable here.
Or, what happens when journalists are too gullible about information on the internet. These are excellent cautionary tales for any internet training class. Also offers advice on how to not get fooled.
Luscious looking recipes for chilled soups, grilled veggies and meats, cool desserts, and more.
Home to articles, weblogs, statistics, nuggets of baseball history (the Puerto Rican all-timers, unusual uniform names, the birth of the DH, etc.), team forecasts, and more.
Great fun throughout, from the spaghetti harvest to the left-handed whopper to whistling carrots.
A multimedia exhibition, currently featuring a presentation on rocks and mining. Exhibitions on plate tectonics and volcanoes, gems and minerals, and the Solar System are promised soon.
This interesting exhibit from the University of Delaware Library displays books published over the past 300 years advising women on cooking, etiquette, household management, working women, health and recreation; it also includes a bibliography and summarizing essay.
Judging from the fact that photo and film archives regularly receive requests for photos of Jesus, the public understanding of what happened when may be somewhat deficient. The timelines here, of wars, science, religions, US history, famous people, etc. may help.
On a wide range of topics -- the global net vs local law, older Americans online, academic rewards for online scholarship, the Internet and the Iraq War, e-business, e-government, usage patterns of online journals, the digital divide, etc.
Includes pdf versions of reports back to 1964, as well as articles, bibliographies, brochures, conference proceedings, slides, and more. Browse alphabetically or by date of publication, or search the entire collection.
Basic info about what to do when a tornado may be nearby, as well as tornado stories, an FAQ file, info about the Fujita Scale, tornado myths, etc.
Links to data sources that sort information by zip codes -- demographics, scientific, health, and education info, etc.
FBI documents requested under the FOIA have been scanned in, complete with sections blacked out by the FBI. Subjects include the files for POWs in southeast Asia, cattle mutilations, the Black Panther Party, Amelia Earhart, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, various celebrities, organized crime figures, and more.
"Searches over 55 sites of high-quality medical information. The TRIP Database gives you direct, hyperlinked access to the largest collection of 'evidence-based' material on the web as well as articles from premier on-line journals such as the BMJ, JAMA, NEJM etc."
Aims "to increase the visibility and ease of use of open access scientific and scholarly journals thereby promoting their increased usage and impact." Search or browse by broad subject area for journal titles.
A convenient way for firefighters to search for other fire departments worldwide or info on equipment, training, emergency medical services, and controlling specific kinds of fires
"Weapons and technology used by various branches of the United States Military." Includes pictures, descriptions, fact sheets, characteristics and capabilities, and more.
Examines the government's progress on its plan to improve the organization and ease of access to government information.
"Houses diverse examples of the perverse genius of inventors who refused to let their thinking be intimidated by the laws of nature, remaining optimistic in the face of repeated failures." Also includes a gallery of artistic impossibilities. Science teachers can use this to illustrate basic laws of physics; the rest of us can just enjoy it.
Medical experts of the Nemours Foundation offer advice on physical and emotional health issues. Separate access points for parents, kids, and teens. The section for Teens takes their questions seriously and offers responsible advice. The section for Parents offers both medical and parenting advice. A new section has been added on kids' worries about war.
"A quick-reference summary of tornado knowledge, which will link you to more detailed information if you desire. Recent books from your local library or a major university library are still the best resource for learning about tornadoes and other severe storms; so if you are doing your own research or school reports, please visit the library in person."
A library of information on fundraising, governance, accountability, volunteer management, marketing, etc. Also, a model report assessing the economic value to a community of the work done by nonprofits.
Every day, week or month, somebody is celebrating something, whether it's Freedom of Information Day (March 16), National Noodle Month (March) or Egg Salad Week (the first week after Easter). To keep ahead of this curve, browse or search for celebrations here, by date, country, or religion.
Includes timelines of events in Oz, DiscWorld, Dune, Lord of the Rings, Tarzan, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and more. Also has timelines drawn from games (Battle Tech, Castle Vania, Mario, etc.), comics (Spiderman, the Justice League, etc.), movies (Star Wars, Mad Max, Freddie Krueger, etc.), and TV shows (Alias, West Wing, Dr. Who, etc.).
Searchable archive of a weekly broadcast/internet radio program that "focuses on all aspects of history: how we recall it, how we preserve it, how we interpret it, how we transform it into myth, and how we pass it on...The radio show is aimed at a non-professional audience, and is dedicated to bridging the gap between the history profession and a history-hungry public." Listen on RealPlayer or MP3.
These are experimental services, including a glossary search, a reputation search (Google Quotes), and a search method that displays results as a slide show of the pages themselves. Fun to play with, though Google has no commitment to maintaining them.
Part of the e-government project to consolidate information from all government agencies into easily usable category sites, this "free, confidential tool that helps you find government benefits you may be eligible to receive." Now includes over 400 government benefit programs
UglyDress.com
Archive of the world's ugliest bridesmaid dresses
Proof of woman's inhumanity to woman. However awful the dress you were required to wear for your best friend's wedding, it could have been much, much worse.
For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here
Tulsa Computer Society 7/01/2003
Don Singleton, President