Gone Fishing
Hope you all have a wonderful holiday week next week. I am away from my computer starting tomorrow and will return on July 9th.
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June 28, 2007
Sorted Books
Nina Katchadourian began the Sorted Books project in 1993. She goes through a collection of books and then pulls titles together that are then read in sequence. This is a wonderful physical concrete poetry form. My favorite one on her site is the Primitive Art one which is the fourth one down. Just lovely!
Beta Marker
Beta Marker is a site that uses a Digg-like engine focused on software. You mark the software you like, and then you can download freeware or discover new software being released. The site also offers video demos of software, plus you can view the newest releases and top software. There is of course an RSS feed to keep you completely in the know.
June 27, 2007
Keillor's Library Article
Thank you Garrison Keillor for an article that all librarians need to read! Your gift with words gave voice to random thoughts in my head, tying them all neatly and powerfully together into one place, the library.
One powerful paragraph:
My old hometown Carnegie library with the columns and high-domed
ceiling was irreplaceable, and so of course it was torn down by vandals
in suits and ties and replaced with a low warehouse-looking library
that says so clearly to its patrons, "Don't get any big ideas. This is
as good a library as you clowns deserve." But the spirit lives on, in
the ranks of dedicated women and men who run the place.
I worked once in a community where they created a box-like library out near the highway, deserting the grand pillared and marble library downtown. And this is exactly what that building told the community. But now I work in a library that soars. It offers grace, warmth and delight to our community. It is our duty as librarians here to lift our own efforts to the glory of the building itself. What a wonderful way to inspire both our patrons and ourselves.
June 26, 2007
Wellness Site
Wellsphere is a social community that focuses on wellness and health. The site offers all sorts of ways to connect with others like becoming activity buddies. You can also view information on healthy cooking, exercise, goals, activities, and watch videos on a variety of subjects. Very nice and clean interface.
NowPublic
NowPublic is a news site generated by users. You can write a story, upload photos, video, and/or audio or call their news tip line to report breaking news. The site has a nice feel with all sorts of option of how you can receive your news. Read the front page, view 24 hours of images and video, see the latest additions, view the channels that interest you, or answer a call for News Wanted.
If you want to see citizen journalism at work, this is a site you must check out.
June 25, 2007
Softpedia
SoftPedia is a site that calls itself "the Encyclopedia of free software downloads." You can find free software for Windows, Linux, Mac, and mobile devices. Look for scripts, games, drivers, and apps. View the latest releases on the various platforms or you can subscribe to the lists via RSS feeds. You can also read software reviews (and subscribe to them as well by platform) or add reviews of your own.
SideStep
SideStep is a search engine for travelers that searches for travel deals across 200 travel sites. On the site, you can view the deals of the day offering cheap airfare, cruise deals, and more. You can also read travel guides to help you plan your trip, or subscribe to their newsletter and have deals in your inbox.
Online Education Opportunities
OEDb, the Online Education Database, has a great collection of online education resources available at no charge. They list over 200 open courseware collections that include podcasts and videos. If you are looking for a place to learn things online, I'd make this list a first stop.
June 22, 2007
Newspapers Online
NewspaperIndex.com offers links to newspapers from around the world. They also have a very nice service called Frontpages which allows you to browse the front pages of newspapers as well. Click on the thumbnails that interest you and you are taken to their website. Very clean, easy to use and interesting.
Mac News
Macnn is a site that offers the latest in Apple news. They have headlines, top stories, product reviews, and forums that cover accessories, software, audio, development, design, education, games and the Internet.
June 21, 2007
Webware's Web 2.0 Top 100
Webware has a new list of the top Web 2.0 applications available! Their list of 100 apps was voted on by their users in May and June of this year. This is a list of all things good in Web 2.0. It tends to be larger, better known sites, but that is also nice because it is a place to point people just starting to understand Web 2.0. There are some sites on here that I will have to check out. I am especially behind on the Entertainment category! :)
June 20, 2007
Digg Labs
Digg Labs is a site that will have you amazed at the power of Digg. Digg Labs allows you to view stories that people are Digging in real time. They have four different ways you can see the data, so you can choose the ones that work for you. My two favorites are:
BigSpy
and
Stack.
Warning: Digg and its related sites can be very addictive. Use with care!
June 19, 2007
The Free Dictionary
The Free Dictionary is a site that offers nice search features that include pronunciation and definitions as well as websites. They offer a dictionary, thesaurus, computing dictionary, medical dictionary, legal dictionary, financial dictionary, acronyms, idioms, and encyclopedias.
Learning a Language Online
LingvoSoftOnline has a very large collection of free online dictionaries, phrasebooks, and other tools to help learn a language. Each feature can be done in a large variety of languages from Albanian to Yiddish.
June 18, 2007
Zenhabits
It takes a lot for me to add another blog to my feedreader, especially one that is neither kids lit related or library related. But Zenhabits has managed to get added without being either. It is a blog that covers all sorts of topics on living well. There is a focus on productivity and organization, but you can also read all about financial matters, diet, parenting, and just generally having good habits.
Astronomy Boy
AstronomyBoy is a website dedicated to amateur astronomy. Here you can find information on building your own equipment, a catalog of objects for amateur telescopes, and information on how to get started star gazing.
Dinobase
The University of Bristols' Department of Earth Sciences has a great site called Dinobase which is filled with all sorts of information on dinosaurs. The site offers the latest discoveries and news, photo galleries, information on dinosaur controversies, and a forum where you can ask questions and join in discussions. The site also has a separate area for children where they can play games and do puzzles, find activities to print out, ask questions, post their dinosaur art, and find out where to go fossil hunting.
June 15, 2007
Particls
Particls is a very interesting RSS feed approach. They offer a river of news on your desktop that streams by. Clicking on any item will bring up the entire post and then you can head directly to that blog if you like. The service also offers popup alerts that match keywords you enter. It is rather like being immersed in your feeds rather than having to head somewhere else to read them. I haven't seen anything else quite like this, so it is certainly worth looking at. Could be the future of feeds!
Weddng Blog
Weddingbee is a great wedding blog that offers information of interest to brides. They cover dresses, bridesmaids, cakes, colors, honeymoons, invitations, venues, shoes, and much much more. My favorite recent post offers a real calendar of a recent bride the exemplifies the stress of a wedding. The posts are light, fun and remove angst rather than adding more.
June 14, 2007
LiveLook
What a handy place for webcams! LiveLook offers a place where you can discover new webcams either by location, by rating, by title, or by other criteria. Even better, once you discover webcams you like, you can create an account and have them all available in one place.
Smithsonian Education
The Smithsonian has a section specifically for educational resources. It offers connections for teachers, parents and students. Within each category, you are directed to information about what is happening at the museums, but also to online resources, downloads, and more. Families are linked to My Wonderful World, an online exhibit that takes you on a tour of the globe. Students are linked to Walking on the Moon, creating collections, and Smithsonian Kids. This is a great, safe place to explore.
June 13, 2007
Find Sounds
Find Sounds is a search engine for sound samples. You can search by specific file formats like AIFF, AU and WAV. You can also decide if you need mono or stereo, the minimum resolution, minimum sample rate, and max file size. Then enter your keyword and you are off! The database has animal sounds, bird calls, everyday noises, musical instruments, nature, and clips from movies and TV.
What American Accent Do You Have?
Just a little fun for a Wednesday afternoon.
YouThink has a 16 questions survey that can pinpoint what American accent you have. It got me exactly right with a Northern Midwest accent. I was impressed!
June 12, 2007
Yahoo! Food
Yahoo! Food is a newish service in the Yahoo portal. You can find recipes,
restaurants, chefs, ideas for every day food or special events, and much more. The site is friendly, easy to navigate and I love the Buzz section across the top that shows the popular recipes.
My only issue with the site is that when you select one of the tabs across the top of the page, you have to hit home again to get back the original collection of tabs. The tabs should stay consistent, especially seeing there is plenty of screen room to do so.
Electricity & Travel
OK, so it's not a glamorous 2.0 topic, but this is handy stuff to know if you travel. This site offers electricity standards from around the world. They have a handy world chart, or you can view the list of countries included. In addition, if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you can see advice on how to convert your appliances so they can be used when you travel to different countries.
June 11, 2007
Top Yahoo Trips
Yahoo! Travel offers a list of the most popular trips on their site. Follow the photo tours to China, London, Hong Kong, Seattle, Europe, and Brazil. The writing is energetic and fresh and the photographs bring each trip to life.
FullBooks.com
This site has thousands of free full-text books available online. Authors include Dickens, Kipling, Eliot, Ferber, Wodehouse, Wharton, and James.
The content is great, filled with classic novels. However, the interface leaves a lot to be desired. The list on the main page is done solely by title. No author list and no search capability at all. This makes it very hard to use, unless you are looking for a specific title. I don't mind not having a search engine, but having your items arranged in a variety of ways would help immensely. I'd just like to be able to browse by author or subject or time period.
The Simple Dollar
The Simple Dollar is a site that offers financial information for people who want simple solutions to their money issues. Read articles on getting out of debt, saving solutions, student loans, and frugality.
June 8, 2007
Amnesty International Takes on Online Human Rights
Amnesty International is turning its attention to human rights violations online.
According to their website:
The initial grace period in which internet-users enjoyed complete
freedom, while the authorities caught up with the technology, has ended.
Governments are increasingly monitoring web, email and blog use,
censoring and prosecuting their citizens for expressing their opinions
online.
On their site you can view the latest in human rights violations, such as jailing people for expressing dissenting opinions online in Viet Nam or the role of large Internet companies in China. You can also take action to help defend freedom online.
Also sign the pledge:
I believe the Internet should be a force for political freedom, not
repression. People have the right to seek and receive information and
to express their peaceful beliefs online without fear or interference.
I call on governments to stop the unwarranted restriction of freedom of
expression on the Internet – and on companies to stop helping them do
it.
June 7, 2007
Toogle
Toogle is a search engine that finds or creates Ascii images. Tried to enter an example, but MT and Ascii don't seem to get along very well. Changed all of my fonts to ugly Ascii ones! But it is fun, and certainly appropriate for email.
June 6, 2007
Ecotality Blog
As we all know, global warming is the new hot topic. (Sorry, couldn't resist the pun.) This blog offers information on alternative energy solutions such as biodiesel, solar power, and hybrid vehicles. You can also read green news, or join in the forum discussions.
Exercise Your Brain
Lumosity is a website that offers an online brain fitness exercise program with online games that stimulate your mind. Measure your cognitive abilities and then play games to improve and take the test again to see your progress. Lift that idea! Tote that thought!
June 5, 2007
Math Blog
Math Blog is a blog that celebrates all things mathematical. Postings range from basic math to software to books and education. Only five posts and not even two months old, this new blog has plenty of promise.
June 1, 2007
Mapped Up
This site offers a very interesting way to view RSS feeds. They appear on a global map in real time so items are forever popping up or if you see one appear as a colored dot on the map, you can click and see it. Click the headline that appears and you are linked to the website. Very slick and friendly. The site follows a large number of feeds from around the world without any set up. However, if you want to customize it, you can give it tags or specific feeds to follow! You can also download it as a widget, screensaver or active desktop. Sweet!
Not sure this would work for someone like me who has so many feeds, but it is a graphical way to view feeds that may appeal to some people who enjoy the River of News feeling.
Daily Weeder
Daily Weeder is a blog for northern gardeners, and those of us in Wisconsin certainly fall into that category! The owner of the blog, Marie, is an Advanced Master Gardener who posts about composting, fertilizing, flowers, roses, and gardening in general.