Did you ever know that Ombrophobia is the fear of rain? Or that Fred Astaire’s real last name was Austerlitz? A one-stop source for almost everything under the sun, users can look at topics ranging from utopian society to the Nacirema tribe of Mexico. It's obscure topics like these that make this site an interesting read.
Browse by category or search for tips on saving money and spending it wisely on just about everything -- cars and car loans, clothing, food, mortgages,and more. Also includes coupons, guides to frugal living, and links to related resources.
Something to think about: all the critical data that's born digital and preserved digitally despite the fact we haven't figured out how to preserve digital data from degradation and new technologies that will make current formats obsolete. See also "How can we preserve digital files and save our collective memory?"
Whether you struggle with literature or fancy yourself a budding Dickens, GradeSaver is a guide to the literary world like no other. Staffed by Harvard-educated editors and researchers, the site offers services ranging from essay-writing tips to professional editing of your grammatically-challenged work. The real treasure, however, is the ClassicNotes, a section in which Harvard students have compiled a wealth of terse and insightful cliff notes for practically any piece of revered literature you may ever encounter. "A Tale of Two Cities" in 20 minutes has never been so satisfying.
"Science Fiction Radio for Southern California since 1972." Virtually every important present-day writer of science fiction or fantasy is represented here. Selected shows -- interviews or story readings -- from 2000-present are archived and browsable by show date, guest and story title. The web sites provide links to additional resources on each author
Search or browse by broad topic for almost any aspect of Canadian history and culture. You can also explore a timeline of Canadian history, the 100 greatest events in Canadian history, interactive resources, or quizzes that test your knowledge of Canada. The site includes the full text of the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada.
This database has thousands of listings of award-winning children's literature books. Besides an author search, it lets users search by reading level as well as a keyword search for those pesky times where you can't remember who wrote it or what it was about but you know it involved a duck. It is a valuable resource for parents and teachers who are looking for new and interesting ways of educating children.
If your inner Bizet is waiting to break out this summer, try your hand at Operabase, where you can search for performances past and present. You can also find an opera house by clicking on your location on a map. It has maps for several different counties and regions, including Italy and Scandinavia, in case you want to catch a show in Norway.
For musicians who dream of performing for millions but have not perfected their guitar solo yet, Chordie is here to help them on their way. Chordie allows users to search their database for guitar tabs, chords and song lyrics. The most obscure of bands can be found here, from all time periods. Searches can be performed by artist or by song
A browsable, searchable archive of covers (or if you prefer, articles) from 1923 to the present. Clicking on the cover takes you to the table of contents for that issue. Some articles are available free online, but full content is restricted to subscribers.
Helps businesses and individuals compare the full costs and benefits of hybrids to conventional vehicles. "The tool assesses both capital and operating costs, over the lifetime of use, as well as greenhouse gases and other air emissions. Outputs are provided per vehicle, per year, and per mile."
Standing at 14,000 feet, Pike's Peak is a hefty challenge for those who make an annual hiking marathon up its slopes and those who prefer to go up by bicycle. For those who are not near Colorado Springs and who want to enjoy the scenery without the wildlife, the Pike's Peak Cam offers a stunning view of the mountain. Images are updated every minute and a weather forecast of the area is updated every five minutes.
"Provides in-depth indexing of more than 2,500 collections of oral history in English from around the world. With future releases, the index will broaden to identify other first-person content, including letters, diaries, memoirs, and autobiographies, and other personal narratives."
If you have a youngster who wants to learn karate, the folks at Scholastic have the answer with "The Black Belt Club" Karate Guide, where youngsters can combine various martial arts moves, including blocks, punches and kicks, to create an animated minimovie.
As this wonderful collection of photos proves, all claims to feline dignity go by the board when the critters fall asleep. Watch the winners of events like the "Upright Belly-Snorkling Nose-Dive," the "Chrome Chair Deathwish Nap" and the "Face Down Food Kersplat."
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