Cool Web Sites
by Don Singleton
Tulsa Computer Society
From the March 2002 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
Look out trivia buffs, because you could easily become addicted to this site. It has everything a
trivia-lover needs to answer interestingly irrelevant questions.
Summer must be coming--Sports Illustrated's swimsuit edition is out. Here you can see all the incredible fashions and models
featured in this year's issue.
Patriotism shouldn't be blind. Learn how to channel those
public-spirited impulses to some positive ends with a visit to the
Foundation for a Better Life, which observes that "the values we
live by are worth more when we pass them on."
Hop into the director's chair at this site and create your own movie instantly. Pick from their
list of actions, scenes, music and characters and then add your own dialogue. Then save it or
email it to someone who loves movies. Could there be an Academy Award in your future?
Probably everything you may ever have wanted to know about birds: A 2 Z 4 Birders, which
currently spotlights an online guide to shorebirds. Includes text, photos and interactive maps
Ugh, nobody likes homework, but it's not just a part of school, it's a part of life! You can use
this site to improve your study skills, learn how to do more work in less time, find out how to
prepare for an exam and much more.
"A repository of information on the use and preservation of old and antique woodworking tools: sources of tools and
materials, events, organizations, books, and places to visit, both real and virtual."
"A site devoted to the mystery and excitement of botanical connections that make our lives, our civilizations possible." Full of
intriguing facts and free daily newsletters on weird plants, herbal folklore, plants that changed history, and plant names.
A Canadian broadcaster in 1973 thought it was high time for
someone to "speak up for the Americans as the most generous and
possibly the least-appreciated people in all the world." The huge
numbers of people who have shared this transcript via e-mail think
it's well worth repeating.
The famous Leaning Tower Of Pisa in Italy has been undergoing a decade of complicated
work to straighten it out a bit, in an effort to make sure that it didn't lean so much that it would
fall over. Here's the tower's official site, where you can learn all about the recently completed
work, history of its tilt, view a photo archive and more.
The makers of this site are committed to gathering and destroying all unwanted AOL CDs
floating around the world. They feel that these "junk" CDs violate our privacy and create
unnecessary pollution. Their goal is to collect one million free AOL CDs from people across
the planet.
What's the history of your name? Here's a site where you can discover where you've come from and how far your relatives have
spread. Find out how frequently you might find someone your own name, from the 1850s to 1990s, or use one of the many other
resources to trace your family roots.
One of the better web portals for the study of all religions.
In these financially tight times, you may have second thoughts
about spending big bucks for a big-brand word
processor/spreadsheet suite. Check out a no-cost alternative at
Software602, which offers a free PC Suite 2000. (Fast Net
connection recommended for download.)
What would it be like to talk with God? This touching presentation is visually stunning and
offers a collection of life's lessons and ideas that anyone can learn from.
From the Brady Bunch to Pac-Man, here's a site where you can relive your favorite memories from the 1950s through '90s.
Browse wave after wave of nostalgia including Saturday morning cartoons, toys, movies, fashion, pop music, arcade games and
even lunch boxes.
"A federal inter-agency Native American website that provides information for Native American communities," including
resources on current issues, health, housing, genealogy, tribal justice, sites for kids, a calendar of events, state and local
resources.
Thinking of a starting a new project around the house? Ask
home-improvement guru Mr. Fix-it, whose interests range from
laying tile to installing a tubular skylight.
Thousands of satellites are constantly orbiting over our heads. You can pinpoint the location of
these satellites through a kool graphical interface on this site.
If you're lucky, you might be able to catch the phenomena known as the "green flash," visible
just as the sun sets on the horizon, and most commonly visible when viewed as the sun sets
over an ocean. Here the green flash is explained, and you can see it for yourself in various
pictures.
Useful suggestions for teachers and librarians and parents on how to make reading more appealing to boys and men.
Or you can have an online conversation with a smart-alecky bot
named Iniaes (pronounced In-ee-uhs), who exhibits enough
artificial intelligence to perhaps amuse and surprise you.
It's cold outside, so what better time than now to spend a day inside, checking out bugs! You can examine all sorts of insects up
close and personal, in 3D virtual reality. There's a flea, ant, bee, mosquito, spider and many more, and the best part is you'll never
get bitten or stung!
Useful clip art for historical and genealogical collection pages. Includes images of sailing ships, buildings, antique
telephones and phonographs and lanterns, pens, books, etc.
"Our goal at LinuxSelfhelp.com is to make the best and most up to date documentation available to the Linux community in
the easiest, most intuitive manner possible." Topics include applications, installation & configuration, hardware &
peripherals, networking, system administration, etc.
NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory catches a glimpse of the
supermassive black hole at the center of our galaxy, about 2.6
million times the mass of our Sun. Just one of the many images at
this out-of-this-world photo gallery.
Get patriotic on your computer with one of these U.S. flag wallpapers. Select from various
images, including the well-known photo of the flag being raised at ground zero.
Seems like everybody has a customized license plate these days, and Internet enthusiasts are
no exception. Here's a site that chronicles a growing collection of Web-related plates,
including WEB DUDE, IMG SRC and I SYSOP, among others.
Last year some spectacular images of space were captured, and this site has gathered a collection of 2001's great astronomy
"art." Check out the Northern Lights, images of an asteroid, massive solar flare images and many more.
Prospective college students can take campus tours without leaving
their homes. CollegeSurfing includes school overviews, maps and,
in many cases, videos.
Genealogy buffs may find this illustrated glossary useful.
For more information on the Tulsa Computer Society click here
Tulsa Computer Society 03/02/2002
Don Singleton, President