Astronomy: Blue Marble the next generation (NASA)

"Everyone knows that NASA studies space; fewer people know that NASA also studies Earth. Since the agency’s creation almost 50 years ago, NASA has been a world leader in space-based studies of our home planet. Our mission has always been to explore, to discover, and to understand the world in which we live from the unique vantage point of space, and to share our newly gained perspectives with the public. That spirit of sharing remains true today as NASA operates 18 of the most advanced Earth-observing satellites ever built, helping scientists make some of the most detailed observations ever made of our world." -- from the website. <http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
Newsroom/BlueMarble/>

Science & Technology: Award Winning Images

Salt & Pepper:

<http://www.visions-of-science.co.uk/>

Accountability: CorpWatch

CorpWatch "[p]rovides news, analysis, research tools and action alerts to respond to corporate activity around the globe," reports on such accountability campaigns as the Alliance for a Corporate Free UN, the Climate Justice Initiative, and the Greenwash Awards, plus offers a guide to researching companies, a searchable/browsable issues library, and info on how to get involved. <http://www.corpwatch.org/>

Good Eatin': Vanilla Beans, Past and Present

This brief history on the evolution of vanilla flavoring and fragrance also includes a description of vanilla products and of vanilla species: Bourbon (applies to beans grown on the Bourbon Islands of Madagascar, Comoro, Santa Maria, and Reunion), Mexican, and Tahitian, and recipes featuring vanilla flavoring.
<http://www.bostonvanillabeans.com/
vanilla_bean_history.htm>

History: Greenwood's Map of London

"1827: Greenwood's map published, from a survey carried out in the preceding two years. The first edition copy used for this resource has been loaned from a private collection. Several versions of this first edition exist, changes include those to detail in the zoological gardens, the appearance of proposed collier docks on the Isle of Dogs, also a copy exists showing a circus in place of Park Square near Regent's Park." -- from the website. <http://users.bathspa.ac.uk/greenwood/>

The Arts: Entertaining High Concept Interactive NYC Art Project

"I printed 15,000 of these bubble stickers and place them on top of ads all over New York City. Passersby fill them in. I go back and photograph the results." <http://www.thebubbleproject.com/>

Action: The Earth Charter Initiative

"The Earth Charter is an authoritative synthesis of values, principles, and aspirations that are widely shared by growing numbers of men and women in all regions of the world.

"The principles of the Earth Charter reflect extensive international consultations conducted over a period of many years. These principles are also based upon contemporary science, international law, and the insights of philosophy and religion. Successive drafts of the Earth Charter were circulated around the world for comments and debate by nongovernmental organizations, community groups, professional societies, and international experts in many fields." -- from the website. <http://www.earthcharter.org/>

The Big One: San Francisco Bay Area Current Earthquake Map

Here's a map and data on the most recent earthquake activity in the Bay Area from the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. <http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/>

BTW, the objective of the1906 Earthquake Centennial Alliance is to "use the centennial of the 1906 [San Francisco] earthquake to highlight a century of progress in understanding earthquake hazards and reducing risks as well as to commemorate the cultural and social response to this historic event." <http://www.1906centennial.org>

Precision: The Official U.S. Time

Depending on what kind of stickler you are about being on time, this site from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Naval Observatory could be just the ticket. The official U.S. government time -- accurate to within 1 second -- for time zones in the the U.S. and its territories is displayed in large, easy-to-read numerals, along with the coordinated universal time and a world map displaying where the sun is shining. "Time Exhibits" have info about Daylight Saving Time, calendars, clocks, watches, timekeeping, et cetera. <http://www.time.gov/>

Resource: U.S. Agencies RSS Library

RSS is "a method of summarizing the latest news and information from a website." This site, from FirstGov.gov, the feds' official website, provides access to government sites with RSS feeds on such topics as business, education, health, agriculture, science, and international relations. <http://www.firstgov.gov/>

Optimism: Great Amateurs in Science

"[T]hey have no formal training. They are often ignored by those who do. In some cases they don't live to see the scientific recognition they so richly deserve. Who are they? They are the nonprofessional scientists who every now and then make their professional counterparts green with envy for the enormous contributions they make to their discipline. Here, in no particular order, meet ten amateur scientists who secured such an enviable place in the history of science." -- from the website. <http://www.pbs.org/
wgbh/nova/orchid/amateurs.html>

The Old World Order: Knights Templar and the Middle Ages

While the Order of the Knights Templar is still around (you never know when you're going to need a good crusade), the Knights' personal best was as one of the orders created after the First Crusades to protect pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land and to guard various relics associated with the early days of Christianity, such as the crown of thorns worn by Jesus (I'd love to see the provenance on that one). On this Dutch site, you'll find a narrative essay detailing the founding of the order in the early 12th century; learn how they've kept busy over the millennium; browse a timeline ranging from their founding in the year 1119 to their eventual dissolution as a paramilitary organization in the 14th century; and read about rival gangs from the same period, along with links to other websites about the Middle Ages. <http://www.veling.nl/anne/templars/>

Gallery: Benny's Yiddish Postcards

"This web site is devoted to the postcards my grandfather collected from approximately 1906-1918. The collection is comprised of 435 postcards, most of which were produced in Russia, Poland and Germany. My maternal grandfather, Benjamin Swartzberg, lived from 1890 to 1985. For the past five years I have simultaneously been researching the history and origins of my grandfather’s postcard collection as well as the genealogical history of my grandfather’s family. Both aspects of my research have resulted in discoveries about my grandfather and his family which have been immensely gratifying. What follows is an account of my exploration into my grandfather’s life as seen through his postcards and his family history." -- from the website. <http://members.screenz.com/bennypostcards/>

Tools: Voice-mail

"Vemail is software that lets you record and send voice messages instead of text using ordinary email. To send a voice message with Vemail simply enter an email address and then press and hold down F6 while speaking. When you have finished recording, the message will be compressed and sent as an email automatically. Vemail can be played with the standard player installed in most PCs." -- from the website. <http://www.nch.com.au/vemail/vesetup.exe>

American Civilization: Harlem History

This multimedia website about the most famous African American neighborhood, designed by the Columbia University Digital Knowledge Ventures group (with The Institute for Research in African-American Studies), includes explorations of "Arts and Culture," "The Neighborhood" and "Politics," plus essays on the architecture and growth of Harlem, its former Jewish identity, the recollections of the legendary labor leader A. Philip Randolph and others, and memorable photo essays. <http://www.columbia.edu/
cu/iraas/harlem/index.html>

Disaster Preparedness: The First 72 Hours

San Francisco has a new website that will help get you ready for the Big One (or any other catastrophe): <http://www.72hours.org/>

The Arts: Discovering Buddhist Art

Discovering Buddhist Art, an interactive site that accompanied a show at the Seattle Art Museum, includes pieces from the institution's collections that weren't on display at the museum. Among dozens of Buddhas -- busts, heads, architectural fragments, and standing figures, a standout is Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism, depicted with long earlobes, hair in a topknot, and a bump on the forehead denoting wisdom. The exhibit includes Boddhisattvas and colorful mandalas, a video of Tibetan monks making a sand mandala, Otherworldly Beings, Buddhist Teachers, Animals, Manuscripts, Ritual Objects, and Containers. <http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/>

Good Eatin': The World of Spices

Ann Wilder, the president of Vanns Spices, writes about such spice-related topics as the types of black pepper and the uses of salt, the making spice rubs, the importance of Sichuan pepper in Chinese cuisine, and the storage of herbs and spices. <http://www.barbecuen.com/spicecol.htm>

Travel: Plimouth Plantation

The living history center in Plymouth, Massachusetts, re-creates the Pilgrim village that was "built [in 1627] by English colonists in the midst of the Wampanoag homeland." The site features a virtual tour of the village and a Wampanoag homesite, articles about the colonists and Native Americans, Thanksgiving recipes, and an interactive feature about the first Thanksgiving. Also includes tourist information for the Plymouth area. <http://www.plimoth.org/>