"The Kids' Page is designed for children and their parents to learn more about the FBI through age-appropriate games, tips, stories and interactives. We also introduce you to our working dogs and show how FBI special agents and analysts investigate cases." The site has a section for Kindergarten through fifth grade set and then a section for the older group, sixth through twelfth graders. The stories are informative, featuring renowned underworld figures, a missing dinosaur and even a 'Quick Quiz for Amateur Sleuths.' Join a real agent in 'A Day in the Life' as she (yes, girls can be FBI agents!) apprehends a bank robber. The younger ones can disguise Bobby Bureau in preparation for his undercover job. The word games are fun for anyone who likes this type of challenge. This is a neat way for kids and adults to learn more about the Federal Bureau of Investigation and what it takes to be an agent!
"Go Ask Alice! is the health question and answer Internet service produced by Alice!, Columbia University's Health Promotion Program... It works to provide readers with reliable, accessible information and a range of thoughtful perspectives so that they can make responsible decisions concerning their health and well-being." Alice is reasonably young by people standards having been created in 1993, but is mature in terms of Internet sites. Backed by a team of health educators, health care providers and other health-related specialists who answer 'questions about relationships, sexuality, sexual health, emotional health,; fitness, nutrition, alcohol, nicotine, and other drugs, and, general health,' Alice is the place to direct your health questions. If 'she' can't answer, she'll direct you to other resources for further information.
This site from Prof. Karen Nakamura is unusual in featuring deaf resources for two cultures, Japan and the United States. It provides information on both ASL and JSL, and a fairly comprehensive set of links to Deaf related network resources, National/State Organizations of the Deaf, for the Deaf, Deaf Culture/Cultural Deaf WWW Sites, colleges and organizations for the deaf, resources for deaf kids and their parents, and more. Comments from readers often fill in holes in the information Nakamura provides.
"What would it take to track down, subdue and move a 2.2 metric ton rhinoceros? And why would anyone endeavor to undertake such a daunting task? Join WWF and its partners on its latest expedition into the Terai Arc, the lush and richly bio-diverse corridor resting in the shadows of the Himalayas, and find out why and how we are relocating 10 greater one-horned rhinos from Royal Chitwan National Park to Royal Bardia National Park." You'll be able to view the expedition clips where travel is by foot, truck and elephant and even hear Nepalese students singing. Information is provided on the various species that live in the area; additionally you can meet the researchers and have access to their 'Daily Dispatches,' their communications from the field. Just to make sure that you absorb all of the information, be sure to take the quiz to make sure that you understand what is involved in relocating rhinos, an arduous task by any stretch of the imagination!
This nicely done, interactive site allows kids to walk through the meetings and events of a typical Presidential day, find out how the different agencies of local, state and national governments affect their daily lives, and step inside the voting booth.
Welcome summer and with the warm days, those fishing poles that miraculously come out of storage. This site promises to help you 'rediscover the joys of boating and fishing.' Here's 'your single source of information on fishing, boating and caring for the water.' You'll 'find helpful tips, information and local resources to get out on the water.' The Kids Fishing Hall of Fame for Junior Anglers might be the impetus that your child needs to join the great outdoors; you can even make nominations should your child be one of those who landed the 'big one.' There is also a search facility that will show you just 'where the water can take you.' Now you have no excuse not to follow through on that long promised fishing/boating trip; use this resource to plan a treat for the whole family!
Television has brought the world of forensics into everyone's living room, but the viewer may not always get accurate presentation. Today's feature will give you the facts on the subject. "Visible Proofs is about the history of forensic medicine. Over the centuries, physicians, surgeons, and other professionals have struggled to develop scientific methods that translate views of bodies and body parts into 'visible proofs' that can persuade judges, juries, and the public." In the Galleries you can 'explore significant cases, technologies, and people that have had an impact on the history of forensic medicine.' Additionally, the Education section has 'three online activities and three lesson plans [that] introduce forensic medicine, anthropology, technology, and history.' School would have been so much more interesting if we, the older generation, had resources like this beginning in the 6th grade!
Who of us is not fascinated by the idea of spies and international subterfuge! If this is one of your interests, take time to visit the Central Intelligence Agency Museum. "Housed in the Agency's Headquarters Building in McLean, Virginia, this unique collection illustrates the history of US intelligence - which effectively began when this country was still 13 separate colonies - by showing some of the artifacts and tools used by men and women serving in various aspects of espionage. . . . Every artifact and photograph has been declassified by the appropriate officials for public viewing. Please note that because the Museum is located on the CIA compound, it is not open to the public for tours." After completing your Museum tour, you might want to click on the Homepage and take the full 'Virtual Tour of the CIA.' Even if not open to the public, everyone is invited for a cyber-tour!
The name Mount Everest brings to mind the soaring heights of the Himalayan Mountains, the mountain range of which Mount Everest is the tallest; the mountain also has the distinction of being the tallest peak in the world. This particular exhibit marks the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent to the summit, the accomplishment having been made by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. The site features the History of Everest, the Tibetan People, Everest Expeditions in the 1920's and 1930's, Nepal in the 1950's as well as sections on Hillary and Norgay and their actual 1953 expedition. Here is a good starting place for gathering Everest information. Who knows when a wild hair might strike you and you'll want to make a similar expedition yourself. For those of us not so adventurous, the cyber-journey is equally compelling!
Today's feature presents knots in an understandable manner, a presentation that makes tying whatever knot you might require easy as 1, 2, 3. Grog explains, "Some experts distinguish between knots, hitches, and bends. For this website I decided I really don't care. If you are trying to learn what I have presented here then, like me, you're probably perfectly happy to call them all knots anyway." Use this reference for knots for boating, climbing, fishing, scouting, search and rescue with even a section on rope care. This is truly a rope instruction site for dummies with animation detailing each turn of the rope. What fun for parents when the scouting tests get underway!
"RetroRadar.com is an information clearinghouse for anyone enamored of mid-20th century pop culture, including hot rodders, lindy hoppers, classic film lovers, Art Deco aficionados, WWII re-enactors, vintage clothing collectors, and other retrophiles. . . We venerate movies that pull at the heartstrings, music that makes you want to dance, and clothing that flatters rather than flaunts." If you're into the 'retro scene,' the world of vintage Americana, this site is definitely the place to visit. Take a trip back in to the time 'when virtues were golden and people were the priority. A time when families gathered around the dinner table to talk about their day, when a car was a work of quality craftsmanship, and a trip to the cinema was like an escape to a fantasyland of infinite possibility.' Here's proof that you can recapture the golden years!
Today's feature 'transports you back to the nineteenth century' when Vaudeville was the entertainment of choice. The University of Georgia Research Foundation and the National Science Foundation, along with their researchers and computer visualization experts, have developed 'this prototype of the "Live Performance Simulation System," a fully generalizable system for simulating live performance events from any historical period.' This particular project features a 'complete act by legendary vaudeville comedian Frank Bush' and allows you to actually 'observe the reactions of the historical spectators' that viewed the performance in the 1800's. Don't miss the opportunity for an 'interactive 3D tour of an extravagant Victorian theater.' Here's an interesting trip back in history, a journey on which you can learn about this golden age of vaudeville. Give yourself ample time enjoy the whole experience and see what is being done with these new technological tools that can bring the arts and humanities to life!
A "couple of thousand of the most important photos of the past 150 years," though who did the selection is not made clear. Search the collection or browse through collections on African-Americans, the [US] Civil War, the Old West, artifacts and relics, etc.
Explains the history, faith, and customs of the Amish and Mennonites. And incidentally, if you've ever wondered where they're able to buy the equipment for a 19th century life style, you'll enjoy exploring the catalog for Lehman's , which sells shoulder yokes, kitchen-size grain mills, cheese presses, copper wash boilers, anvils, gas lights, treadle sewing machines, painted wooden farm blocks, and much more.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers downloadable pocket guides to seafood that's "abundant, well-managed, and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways."
OMBWatch and the Sunlight Foundation have organized federal spending data into a database "to give journalists, analysts, government officials, and regular citizens easy access to information on federal spending." Browsable by contractor name or grant recipient, top 100 contractors/grant recipients, contracting or grant-awarding agency, state or congressional district where service is rendered, competition type, or product/service/type of assistance. The site includes tutorials, an FAQ file, and a glossary.
A blog about "software that creates software." Among the many fun goodies pointed to here (some of them even useful) are color scheme generators, a fantasy novel name generator, a Halloween costume generator, a random management statement generator (any of which which will seem very familiar to you), and lots more.
a volunteer organization of hobbyists aims to create a comprehensive database of all comic books ever published, complete with info on their creators and story details, and searchable by writer, penciller, inker, editor, colorist, publisher, story title, comic book title, and character. An evolving project that is soliciting contributors, it already contains 254,393 books and 131,273 covers.
New visualization techniques are turning out to be extraordinarily powerful tools not just for displaying and clarifying scientific principles but for advancing further research - and the images are nifty besides. You can also view slide shows of previous years' winners.
This organization's aim is "to engage US hospitals in a commitment to implement changes in care proven to improve patient care and prevent avoidable deaths." The site offers case studies (called Profiles in Improvement) and How-To guides and tools on a variety of topics (preventing adverse drug events, preventing surgical infection, improving care for myocardial infarction, etc.)
Radio documentaries from the BBC. Recent programs discuss the world of Google, the new Arab World, making cities work, the science of aggression, etc. This seems to be relatively new, so the archive is not extensive as yet.
Annotated links to resources, both for informed voting in the November 7 election, and for elections in general. Includes candidate and issue info, electoral maps and calculators, weblogs, and historical election information.
With holidays coming up, people may be looking for ways to keep the kids from getting bored. Why not keep them busy while they make their own tasty lunchbox treats and feed you breakfast tacos, beef stroganoff, Bok Choy, and such?
Browse by artist, album title, or song through more than 240,000 current entries. One advantage of a wiki is that pretty much all styles, time periods (at least 1930s and up), and nationalities are represented here (though I was sad to not find Died Pretty, whose albums were all published without lyrics).
The free tools include the Babelfish translator, the Google conversion calculator, time and date, Google Maps, driving directions, Wikipedia search, and more.
Some interesting thinkers blog about protecting and managing the commons, "gifts of nature such as air, water, the oceans, wildlife and wilderness, and shared “assets” like the Internet, the airwaves used for broadcasting, and public lands... our shared social creations: libraries, parks, public spaces as well as scientific research, creative works and public knowledge that have accumulated over centuries."
Who has not wanted to go to Beijing to tour the Forbidden City! Thanks to the Internet, that tour is only a click away. The developer, Peter Danford, began 'helping travelers discover China interactively' as early as 2000 when he was living in Shanghai. He has posted the Forbidden City Historical Tour in Images and also has included a panorama so that the cyber visitor can have a 360 degree presentation of the area. In addition to the Forbidden City, the visitor can also take cyber tours of Tiananmen Square, The Gate of Heavenly Peace, The Summer Palace, The Marco Polo Bridge, to name a few of the features. Here's a great way to tour China from the comfort of your arm chair; certainly a lot less expensive than the air fare to Beijing!
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