Beastiary

"This web site deals with any and all aspects of the general topic "animals in the Middle Ages", though there is an emphasis on the manuscript tradition, particularly of the bestiaries, and mostly in western Europe. The subject is vast, so this a large site, with well over 3000 pages, and perhaps the best way to explore it is to just wander around." - from the website. <http://www.bestiary.ca>

Tools: Check your symptoms

Except for hypochondriacs, who might be prone to abuse it, WebMD's Symptom Checker is a useful tool: "Need information as you determine what to do about your symptoms? Get help figuring them out by answering a series of questions. To get started, click on male or female, regardless of age, then the part of the body that is troubling you. Use the Symptom Checker to select parts of the body where you are experiencing symptoms." Why pay a doctor to misdiagnose you, when you can do it yourself? <http://symptoms.webmd.com/symptomchecker>

Why We Love the Internet # 3,443,222: Internet Pinball Database

The Internet Pinball Machine Database, also known as the IPD or IPDB and originally compiled as part of the Pinball Pasture site in the mid-1990s, "is a comprehensive, searchable listing of virtually every pinball machine ever commercially made. It is an ad free, popup free, registration free resource.....The database is constantly expanding, but currently includes 35,533 images of 4,981 games and 2,964 other game related files, as well as links to other pinball websites, all arranged by machine. The database also includes pitch & bat baseball games, cocktail table machines, bingos, and payout machines, when they have a pinball theme. It may also include information on some obscure games that are not pinball machines but sometimes are confused as them.

"The data in this database has been laboriously gathered by the Editors, over many years, from books, photographs, flyers, web sites, pinball manufacturers, collectors' personal records, and of course the pinball machines themselves. Most of the actual photographs in the database came from various collectors — over 1,172 different contributors to date." <http://www.ipdb.org/>

Communication: Free Online Radio

A company in New Jersey will house your online radio show for free, making it available live and as podcasts. Just phone it in. "BlogTalkRadio is revolutionizing both social media networking and radio broadcasting. For the first time in history, anyone from anywhere in the world - as long as they have access to a phone and internet connection - can broadcast their voices internationally." <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/>

Books: New Online Talk Show

Former Random House editor Daniel Menaker is the host of Titlepage.TV, a new online talk show about books and writers. In the first episode, You Always Remember The First Time, four first-time authors -- two novelists and two memoirists -- talk about their maiden voyages and the decision to write fact or fiction. <http://www.titlepage.tv/>

Outdoors: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

The website for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the national park that "stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history" features material for planning a visit, photos and webcams, plus news, background about history and culture, and nature and science info. <http://www.nps.gov/glca/>

Tools: Mosio Explains It All for You

I previously recommended Jott in conjunction with Xpenser, but Mosio, when integrated with Jott, brings you just a little bit closer to that internet implant for which you long (it also powers Twitter Answers). Call Jott and say "what day is Bastille Day" and, lo, you'll get back a text message with the answer. If you ask something more complicated, like "If I'm on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, where is the nearest Starbuck's?" you'll get that answer, too. Of course, you can text Google at 46645 with the same questions, but its quicker and easier and more fun just to hit Jott on speed dial and ask Mosio. Mose. The Mosester.
Jott: <http://www.jott.com/> Mosio: <http://www.mosio.com/>

Health and Exercise: Early Cycling Books at the Lilly Library

The World Awheel, from the Lilly
Library, Indiana University
Bloomington Libraries, of
images of cycling-themed books,
features cycling in fiction and
titles about early bicycles,
bicycle touring, women and
cycling, and cycling music,
with brief historical essays.

<http://www.indiana.edu/>

Do It Yourself: WonderHowTo.com

"WonderHowTo.com is a community-fueled search engine and directory for Free How-To Video. With an index of more than 100,000 videos (March 2008), we provide the largest, most contemporary, and most diverse resource in this increasingly vibrant space." - from the website. <http://www.WonderHowTo.com/>

Animation: The History of Evil (YouTube)

The animated history of evil in western civilization from Ancient Greece the to present day:

<YouTube>

Health: Walkit for exercise

Walkit is a website that promotes the power of walking as a healthy way to get around urban areas. The UK-based site helps people make more informed decisions about whether travel by foot is a viable choice in particular situations. So far, the site has walking routes for London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Newcastle/Gateshead, and plans to cover all the UK's big towns by the end of this year. Plans are afoot to add US cities soon, with Boston projected as the port of entry. A user enters starting location and desired destination just as it would be done to return driving instructions at a site like Yahoo! Maps, along with such refinements as the route that is the most direct route or the least busy; there's an option to request a route that passes through another location on the way; and thanks to a feature just added, users going through inner London can request the trail with the lowest amount of pollution. Walkit returns a detailed map and written directions, plus travel time, calories burned, and carbon dioxide avoided by choosing walking over riding in a car, taxi or bus. <http://www.walkit.com/>

Modern Warfare: Food Fight!

War is, um, messy:

AtomFilms.com: Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | Comedy Central

<http://www.atomfilms.com>

Blogging: Interior Decorating

Tchochkes by Shira Abel Shvo is a showcase for ideas about "interior design - furniture construction, fabrics, hinges, handles, flooring, colors, all of it...," with an emphasis on Israeli designers and retailers, "[b]ecause a little decoration is such a nice thing." <http://www.tchochkes.com/>

Super Heroes: Who's the Best?

Superest

The rules: Artist 1 draws a character with a power. Artist 2 then draws a character whose power cancels the power of that previous character.
Repeat.

The earliest are at the bottom. Start there and follow the progress up. Or work back from the current superest winner by placing your cursor over the "Vanquished" button and clicking your way down.

<http://thesuperest.com>

Good Eatin': On a tight budget

Here's a site that may be a sign of the times:

Hillbilly Housewife features "low-cost, home-cooking from scratch. The recipes are all tested in a real kitchen with hungry children, stalking cats, begging puppies and a playful husband underfoot. The ingredients are affordable and readily available in most areas.

"Many of us are feeling the squeeze at the supermarket these day, and all of us are feeling it at the gas pump. The government continues to deny inflation, but I see the results of it in my grocery bill and my gas tank. The official USDA cost of food has risen to $500 a month for a family of 4 on the Thrifty Plan! As most of us tighten our belts, we may be wondering how to juggle expenses that only seem to rise.

"...We teach you the best foods to buy on a budget and how to cook them so the family will be better fed than they've been in years. You'll find tips and techniques here that you won't find anywhere else on the web. Everything here is free, provided by God's grace. If the information you find here helps you and your circumstances, then please share what you have learned with others, so they too can benefit from your new knowledge." -- from the website.

<http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/>

The site outlines in detail how to feed a family of four+ and maintain nutritional requirements on a budget of $45.00/wk. The Hillbilly Housewife has great tips on living and eating inexpensively without sacrificing your well being.

The Arts: Don't move

Absolutely brilliant -- and funny -- performance piece:

<http://www.youtube.com/>

American History: From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings

This exhibition about the American Revolution is drawn from "the deep and diverse holdings of early American prints and drawings in The New York Public Library," with brief historical essays accompanying the images. <http://www.nypl.org/>

ZenCam (something happens...or not): Old Faithful Geyser - Live!

"This full-motion, live-streaming webcam is located near Old Faithful Geyser and brings online visitors views of several other geysers in the area. When geysers such as Beehive, Lion, or Giantess are erupting, the camera will be aimed at them and zoomed in for optimal viewing enjoyment. When bison, elk, coyotes, or the occasional bear wander into the camera’s view, live video images will be transmitted." -- from the website.
<http://www.nps.gov

Advertising: Japander

Japander is the place to go to see what American celebrities will stoop to (the Kiefer Sutherland videos alone are worth the trip) when they think no one here is looking:
Pander: n., & v.t. 1. go-between in clandestine amours, procurer; one who ministers to evil designs. 2 v.i. minister (to base passions or evil designs, or person having these)
Japander: n.,& v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media.
<http://www.Japander.com/>

Video: "Secret Space"

"A masterful documentary it cracks on at a tremendous pace. A subject that at first seems too ridiculous to contemplate leaves you nodding in agreement....I always thought there was something suspicious about NASA's attitude to UFOs. Now I know why.' - Jason Cooney, K-Drive Radio, Los Angeles.

Exhibitions: Get Lost - Artists Map Downtown New York:

Created by the New Museum, New York, NY, "Get Lost is a collective portrait of downtown New York. Twenty-one international artists were invited to create a personal view of the city and draw a map of downtown New York, uncovering a territory that is both real and imaginary....Get Lost brings together fictional landscapes, utopian visions, private memories, and obsessive instructions to explore Manhattan, its past, present, and future." <http://www.newmuseum.org/assets/general/getlost/>

Design: Emory Douglas at MOCA (Los Angeles)

Black Panther: The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas, an exhibition "traces the graphic art made by Emory Douglas while he worked as minister of culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 until its discontinuation in the early 1980s," includes examples of his work in posters, pamphlets, and newspapers. The Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art website also includes a gallery guide, audio of a talk with Douglas, and suggestions for further reading. <http://www.moca-la.org/emorydouglas/>

Pencil Sharpening: Who's doing what to Wikipedia when

There may be no practical purpose for this app showing you -- on a world map and in almost real time -- who is editing what Wikipedia entries where, but it's fascinating anyhow: <http://www.lkozma.net/wpv/index.html>

Music: A Short History of Guitar Riffs

Bill Kirchen is the former lead guitarist of Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, best known for Hot Rod Lincoln and Down to Seeds and Stems. This is a live version of H.R.L., with a twist.

Jazz: Django

From Jerry Jazz Musician, "a website devoted to jazz and American civilization," comes this 2005 interview with Michael Dregni, author of Django: The Life and Music of a Gypsy Legend, a book about French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt, who was "born in a gypsy caravan at a crossroads in Belgium...[and] almost killed in a freak fire that burned half of his body and left his left hand twisted into a claw."
<http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/>

Audio: Earideas

"Earideas is a collection of the best thoughtful audio available on the web...shows from public and other broadcasters, magazines, newspapers, museums, as well as individuals. You can find it all here (to subscribe, download, or listen on our site), updated daily with the latest shows, organized by category." -- from the site. <http://earideas.com/earideas/explore>

Pencil Sharpening: Darth Vader Has a Nervous Breakdown

Star Wars re-edited using James Earl Jones' voice from other movies:

Good Eatin': Salt + Artistry = Saltistry

Artisan Flavored Sea Salts

"By itself, salt is one of the oldest and most crucial minerals to human life. At Saltistry, salt is elevated to an exquisite art. Sourcing the finest sea salts from around the world, salt artist and chef Joni Fay Hill infuses salts with blends of fruits, herbs and spices, creating a complex marriage of flavors and aromas.

"As a former chef, Joni approaches artisanal salt from a cook’s perspective, meticulously handcrafting her salt infusions in small batches to create a depth of flavor while preserving the texture and integrity of each grain. The unique collection of finishing salts season all types of dishes, both sweet and savory, and add a brilliant flavor dimension to anything and everything edible." -- from the website. <http://www.saltistry.com/>

The Popular Arts: The Cultural Gutter

The Cultural Gutter "is updated Thursday at noon with a new article about an artistic pursuit generally considered to be beneath consideration. James Schellenberg probes science-fiction, Carol Borden draws out the best in comics, Chris Szego dallies with romance, and each month we feature a Guest Star writer on a gutter subject of their choosing. While the writers have considerable enthusiasm for their subjects, they don't let it numb their critical faculties. Tossing away the shield of journalistic objectivity and refusing the shovel of fannish boosterism, they write in the hopes of starting honest and intelligent discussions about these oft-enjoyed but rarely examined artforms...." <http://www.theculturalgutter.com/>

Resources: Intute Research Portal

I think too many of us, me included, are lazily coming to depend too much on Wikipedia, even though there are other, as easy to use, but much more scholarly sources of information on the www. One such is Intute, a free service that provides "access to the very best web resources for education and research. The service is created by a network of UK universities and partners. Subject specialists select and evaluate the websites in our database and write high quality descriptions of the resources. The database contains 120536 records." <http://www.intute.ac.uk/>

Good Eatin': Soup, The Ultimate Comfort Food

"There's something extremely satisfying about a hot, bubbling pot of soup on the stove on a cold winter's night," says Simply Soups: The Ultimate Comfort Food, a handsome site with dozens of recipes for broths and stocks, chilis, chowders, cream and cheese soups, onion soups, vegetable and meat soups, dessert soups, fruit soups, and cold soups. <http://www.simplysoups.com/>

Resources: Business Data Portal

globalEdge, a business information portal designed by MSU, provides links to news, industry profiles, and diagnostic tools to aid business research. <http://globaledge.msu.edu/>

Artists: Edvard Munch Museet

When he died in 1944, Norwegian Expressionist artist Edvard Munch bequeathed the works still in his possession to Munch Museet in Oslo, Norway. The institution's site has a Munch biography and timeline, illustrated essays about his paintings and other graphics, details about specific works such as "The Scream," online exhibits on such topics as "The Frieze of Life" and the artist's palette, conservation information, images of paintings stored on rolls, and munch else. <http://www.munch.museum.no/>

Wellness: Brain Fitness Center

Sharpbrains -- "our mission is to provide individuals, companies and institutions with the best science-based information and guidance for Brain Health and Fitness" -- has links to articles on such topics as mental exercise, stress management, improving memory, nutrition, and workforce training and leadership, a blog, newsletter and glossary, plus puzzles to help keep you mentally agile. <http://www.sharpbrains.com/>

Music Videos: Sharon Jones and the Dab-Kings

I know I've touted Sharon Jones before

but I plan to keep it up until her name is as familiar as Aretha's or Madonna's. Sha-ron. Sha-ron. Sha-ron....

More Sharon Jones and the Dab-Kings live:
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3UqzuOtAfo>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5oWJEJBmxE>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJtXE8PDm2A>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhWiQXOgo9M>
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7nVZhqb04>

Maps: Mormon Expansion

And here is a swell map from the Church of Latter Day Saints depicting the organization's growth since 1830: Google Video

Resource: Assistants, Do My Stuff

Darren Berkovitz and his partners were experiencing a familiar problem: too much to do and not enough time to do it. Somehow, though, they found the time to create a solution: DoMyStuff.com is an online community where busy people can quickly find assistants to handle their errands and tasks. People who need help — called "buyers" — post a task they need completed, anything from mowing the lawn to chartering a private jet, no job too big or too small. Individuals or businesses bid on tasks by providing such information as how much they’ll charge, how the task will be accomplished, and when it will be done. Buyers review bids and choose the best assistant for the job. The site is free to buyers; DoMyStuff.com keeps a percentage of the assistant’s winning bid. <http://www.domystuff.com/>

Creativity: WantsForSale.Com

Along the lines of Million Dollar Homepage in the “are you kidding me?” department, Wants For Sale illustrators Justin and Christine create pictures of stuff they want and then sell them for the retail price of the item depicted. Their desiderata range from an order of buffalo wings ($12.70) to a month’s rent ($1,056.07). So far they've "bought," among other things, food, clothes, video games, a Nintendo Wii, a gym membership, and sushi at the trendy New York eatery Nobu. They’re still waiting for someone to fund the iPhone they covet and to pony up $1 million for “financial security.” They also do commissions off other people's wish lists. Wants for Sale has been successful enough to inspire a spin-off, Needs for Sale, using the same basic premise to benefit charities. <http://www.wantsforsale.com>

Community: Islamic Law in Today's World

A crucial new addition to our political dialogue: Islamic Law In Our Times - A Realistic Assessment of Islamic Law in Today's World by Asst. Prof. Haider Ala Hamoudi of U.of Pittsburgh School of Law: <http://muslimlawprof.org/>

Graphics: Grim Natwick

A really cool exhibit at the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive:

You may not know his name, but you've seen his work....Woody Woodpecker, Snow White, Betty Boop, Mr. Magoo and Mickey Mouse were all brought to life by the same remarkable man -- Grim Natwick.

Grim was mentor to Chuck Jones, Walter Lantz, Marc Davis and Richard Williams; and no other animator had a greater impact on the artform. Grim's first animation was for William Randolph Hearst's Krazy Kat Studio in 1917. His last credit was on Richard Williams' "The Thief & the Cobbler" in 1995. Natwick's career spanned the entire 20th century, and it defined the whole history of animation.

The ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive has mounted an exhibit of artwork from Natwick's personal collection. Included are gag drawings depicting life around the cartoon studio, caricatures of co-workers, and the preliminary sketches that give us a peek behind the creation of some of the greatest cartoons ever made.

The online exhibit catalog consists of five articles:
Introduction: Grim Natwick's Scrapbook
Part One: Early Years In New York (Hearst, Fleischer)
Part Two: The Golden Age of Animation (Iwerks, Disney, Lantz)
Part Three: The Modern Era (UPA and beyond)
Part Four: The Greatest Animator Who Ever Lived (Studio Gag Drawings)

Resources: A website for balloon professionals

With the arrival of the Balloon Resource Center, "a new window to the industry for all Balloon Professionals...[to] stay up to date with products, design ideas, activities and industry issues," can licensing, regulation, correspondence courses and professional associations be far behind? I hope so, before someone really gets hurt. <http://www.balloonresourcecenter.com/>

Pablo Picasso, the Official Web Site

Fitting that there is something called the Pablo Picasso: Official Web Site. The artist, known for his style-a-minute development of cubism, blue and pink period works, "Guernica," et al, was the Bob Dylan of 20th Century Art (the Mick Jagger, too, but that was on another field of play). The site has an illustrated timeline, a genealogy (showing his many amours), material about his studios (in France, Spain, and elsewhere), illustrated essays on selected works, and a list of exhibitions around the world. In English, Spanish, and French, natch. <http://www.picasso.fr/anglais/>

Good Eatin': Mmmmm, Bugs!

Sooner or later, global warming and overpopulation will force even faint-hearted Americans to turn to entomophagy, that is, to eating bugs as a source of nutrition and, yes, pleasure, as people in so many other parts of the world already do. You might as well get prepared, and a place to go for some examples of edibles that are already table-ready, such as spicy crushed giant waterbug paste from Thailand Unique or chocolate-covered scorpions from Lazybone, is the list of 32 Edible Insect Foods You Can Buy Online from SenseList. For practical information about bugs in your kitchen, including recipes and shopping advice, visit the Manataka American Indian Council, Food Insects Newsletter, Sunrise Land Shrimp or Iowa State University. To learn more about the history of the phenomenon, visit the University of Kentucky Department of Entomology or download Why Not Bugs? (pdf) from The Southern Herbalist's Stalking the Wild. You can see pictures of your future meals at the Thai Bugs site, Zack’s Bug-Feasting Page, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Cookbooks that provide recipes for cooking insects include Creepy Crawly Cuisine: The Gourmet Guide to Edible Insects, the Eat-A-Bug Cookbook, Man Eating Bugs: The Art and Science of Eating Insects, and Bugs for Lunch. And pay careful attention the next time you dine at that fine Asian-Fusion restaurant you like so much. Bon appetit.

American Civilization: Benjamin Banneker, 1731-1806

These sites about Benjamin Banneker, born on November 9, 1731, in Ellicott's Mills, Maryland, a largely self-taught African American "author, scientist, mathematician, farmer, astronomer, publisher and urban planner [who] was descended from enslaved Africans, an indentured English servant, and free men and women of color," discuss accomplishments and key events in his life, and include between them an essay on Banneker's "Almanac," letters to and from Banneker and Thomas Jefferson, links to exhibitions, digitized documents, and other images and writings.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p84.html>
<http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/nov09.html>

The Museums: National Farm Toys Museum

The National Farm Toy Museum in Dyersville, Iowa "features thousands of toys and exhibits....Tractors, implements, trucks, miniature farm dioramas, toy manufacturing information, and pedal tractors are on display around the museum. Also displayed are two Doug Schlesier sculptures, plaques honoring inductees into the National Farm Toy Hall of Fame, and a plaque honoring the founders of the world’s largest farm toy manufacturer headquartered in Dyersville, the Ertl Company."
<http://www.nationalfarmtoymuseum.com/>

Nature: Natural Disasters

The Guardian, the British newspaper, collects news articles about recent natural disasters around the world on its website. Highlights include the November floods in Tabasco, Mexico, the wildfires in Southern California, and an earthquake in Manchester, England last August. The site also has links to interactive guides on earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and Mount Etna. The Guardian UK

Pencil Sharpening: Frank Sinatra sings "MySpace"

Labor: Working Class Studies Association Website

"The Working Class Studies Association aims to develop and promote multiple forms of scholarship, teaching, and activism related to working class life and cultures.

"Association Goals:

• Promote awareness, growth, and legitimacy of working-class studies internationally
• Promote models of working-class studies that actively involve and serve the interests of working-class people
• Promote critical discussions of the relationships among class, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, and other structures of inequality
• Promote interdisciplinary, multi-disciplinary, and disciplinary approaches to studying and teaching about the lived experience of working-class people
• Provide opportunities for academics, artists, activists, workers, independent scholars, students, and others to share their work, make connections with colleagues and professional organizations, and learn about resources
• Facilitate conversations and critical debate engaging diverse intellectual and political approaches to scholarship, teaching, and outreach in working-class studies
• Create partnerships that link scholarship with activism in labor, community, and other working-class social justice organizations" -- from the website.

<http://www.wcstudies.org/>

Californio: Tejon Ranch

The next time you make the mind-numbing run between and L.A. and the Bay Area on the I-5, the information on this website for Tejon Ranch, "the largest contiguous expanse of land under single ownership in California," will give you something to talk about. The site has a historical timeline of the expanse (established by a Mexican land grant in 1842), details about conservation and wildlife (condors, wildflowers, oak trees...), background on ranching and farming and on a controversial planned development (an industrial complex and a residential community), maps, photos, and a list of movies filmed on location. <http://www.tejonranch.com/>

Mathematics: Dangerous Knowledge (BBC documentary)

In this BBC documentary, David Malone profiles four mathematicians -- Georg Cantor, Ludwig Boltzmann, Kurt Gödel and Alan Turing -- whose genius profoundly informs us, but which tragically drove them mad and eventually led each of them to commit suicide. The film talks to contemporary thinkers, including Greg Chaitin and Roger Penrose, who continue to pursue the question of whether there are things that mathematics and the human mind cannot know.

Cantor, whose work proved to be the foundation for much of 20th-century mathematics, believed he was God's messenger and was made insane by trying to prove his theories of infinity. Boltzmann's struggle to prove the existence of atoms and probability eventually drove him to suicide. Gödel, the introverted confidant of Albert Einstein, proved that there are problems that will always lie outside human logic; his life ended in a sanatorium where he starved himself to death. And Turing, the great Bletchley Park code breaker and the father of computer science, died trying to prove that some things are fundamentally unprovable.

Dangerous Knowledge outlines some of the profound questions about the true nature of reality that mathematical thinkers are still struggling to answer. Google Video, 1 hr 29 min.

Backyards: Your Friend, Moss

Living With Mosses, by students and faculty at Oregon State, has the worthy goal of enhancing "public awareness of the effects and benefits of mosses in our everyday environment." In addition to basic moss biology, the site discusses moss on sidewalks and rooftops, pros and cons of mosses in lawns and gardens, physical and chemical moss control methods, and moss encouragement.
Mad About Moss: The Simple Art of Moss Gardening, from the newsletter of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, recounts one gardener's bold experience of replacing a lawn with a carpet of moss, lays out the conditions for moss growth, describes how to start and maintain a moss garden, and oh so very much more. Living with Mosses and Mad About Moss.

Ancient History: The Psychedelic '60s - Literary Tradition and Social Change

The tireless folks in the special collections department of the University of Virginia Library have assembled an exhibit of materials about the social movements of The 1960s in the United States, emphasizing the literature of the period, featuring articles and images on the Beats, Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, Timothy Leary, the Black Mountain Poets, hippies, Woodstock, illicit drugs, political protests, et cetera, plus handbills, posters, and other memorabilia from those bygone and nearly forgotten days.
<http://www.lib.virginia.edu/small/exhibits/sixties/>

The Lit'ry Life: The Gore Vidal Index

This unofficial fanzine about essayist and novelist Gore Vidal, by a journalism instructor at the University of Pittsburgh, has a brief biography, thumbnail reviews of the writer's books, images of the covers of editions in translation, the transcript of a 1991 interview, and links to related material and sites. <http://www.pitt.edu/\>

Resources: Real answers from real people

At Amazon's free satellite site, Askville, you can ask any question on any topic and get real answers from real people who apparently have a huge amount of time on their hands. What's in it for Amazon? They take the opportunity to offer products related to the topic of the question. <http://askville.amazon.com/>

Shopping: Sales On Line

For current deals on a variety of products, go to SalesCircular, select your state, then pick a category of interest. Best to review this late Saturday or Sunday morning because Best Buy and Circuit City sales start then -- go to their web sites directly, too. <http://www.SalesCircular.com/>

Astronomy: Fantastic Pictures from NASA

George Lucas,
eat your heart out:

Flickr

DIY: Free Personalize Ring Tones

If you're tired of digging out your phone whenever someone else's cell rings, you could buy a couple of commercially available "customized" rings. But if you really want to personalize your phone, why not create your own at Phonezoo.com? Creating a ringtone is as simple as uploading a favorite sound file, selecting the part of the file that you want answering your phone, and downloading your mini-masterpiece to your cell through the service. Other Phonezoo users have already created some terrific (and some truly awful) ringtones, and you can also use them on your phone to save time and effort. <http://www.Phonezoo.com>

Creativity: 10 Most Brilliant Gadgets of 2007

"Big Ideas for a Better World....For [Popular Mechanics] third annual innovation celebration, we honor...10 cutting-edge products." -- from the Popular Mechanics website.