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Pictures of the Century
From an Easter Parade in New York City on the first day of the 20th
century to Bill Clinton playing the sax in 1994, the past century of
American history is presented at Picturing the Century: 100 Years of
Photography from the National Archives.
Based on an exhibit at the archives, the site uncovers black-and-white
images of the Wright Brothers, construction of the Empire State Building, a
mushroom cloud - all in eight galleries of a dozen or so striking images
each. Also included, portfolios of premier American photographers, from
Dorothea Lange's small towns and bread lines to Ansel Adams' soaring,
nature.
nara.gov
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Signs
'I Really Love Signs' is a classic boutique web site devoted to a specialty
hobby -- in this case, signs. Six galleries classify the sign genre into
Hand-Painted, Neon/Bulbous, Plastic, Monumental, Type Samples and just
plain Strange. In a homogenous world, these signs can be appreciated as
part of a bizarre and wonderful universe - preserved here.
pjchmiel.com
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Calorie Calculator
A useful resource for weight watchers and the health conscious, the Calorie
Calculator lets you pile the day's consumables into an easy-to-read chart
and calculates the total calories, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, protein and
sodium you've downed. More than 6,000 foods are in the database, making
input as easy as pie.
webfitnesstools.com
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The Art of Violin
The violin may hold the distinction of making both the most painful and the
loveliest music ever heard -- the former played by a practicing 7-year-old,
the latter by a superstar like Itzhak Perlman. The Art of Violin from Great
Performances may turn you into a super-fan.
Visitors can learn about the violin in Anatomy of the Instrument, read
biographies of modern violinists like Perlman, send questions to experts
and, most satisfying, hear the unique sound and style of such artists as
Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern and many others. Online lesson plans lead kids
through a history of the instrument that produces an array of sounds as
amazing as the range of human emotion.
pbs.org
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Wallpaper Changer
Watching the wallpaper gains new meaning at Wallpaper Changer, a site full
of free tools that lets Windows users manage their screen wallpaper as if
it were a stock portfolio. Select from many wallpapers supporting JPEG,
PNG, GIF and BMP formats, and then program a constantly evolving look to
occur on startup, once a day, randomly or at regular intervals.
It's a lot like decorating your home with an interior designer. Tile,
center or resize your images, even have them analyzed to find the best
matching backgrounds or most readable icon captions. Create, save and
reload your favorite wallpapers or, for a fun look, make your desktop icon
captions transparent so your wallpaper shows through.
wallpaperchanger.de
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DVDs To Go
If you spend more on late charges than on movie rentals, can't remember
titles you're dying to see, or if the DVD selection at your video rental
store is anemic, Netflix could answer your prayers.
For $19.95/month, rent unlimited DVDs with no due dates, no late fees, no
per-movie fees, and no driving --- the mailman delivers, at no shipping cost.
Browse the site's 10,000 titles by genre, collections (like "Steamy Cinema"
or "Indies Greatest"), read the reviews and start your online list. Netflix
mails you the first 3 available DVDs on your list, and they keep coming as
long as you never have more than 3 at a time. The site offers a one month
free trial.
netflix.com
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JobStar Central Resumes
Looking for a job? The dreaded resume can get you hired, or sunk. At JobStar
Central, job seekers will find the tools and resources, sample resumes,
how-to's and tricks to get their foot in the door, including tips on cover
letters and evaluations of electronic resume banks.
jobstar.org
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Dictionary of British Slang
We say fat, they say "salad dodger"…? At the Dictionary of British Slang, the
everyday speech of those nutty Brits is translated, alphabetized and defined
with sample sentences, a search engine and a submission form so users can
keep up with current lingo.
dictionaryofslang.co.uk
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Global Volunteers
Want to really do something with your life? Plant flowers in Ireland to free
up the locals to work for peace, teach Jamaican children to read, or build
homes for Appalachians here in the USA.
Global Volunteers, a nonprofit international service program, hooks up
do-gooders with human and economic development projects worldwide. Local
communities ask for help, then Global Volunteers sends teams to live and work
on projects that will have a long-term impact. From Mississippi pool halls to
Buddhist monuments in Indonesia, volunteers also are enriched by absorbing
cultures rich in history and tradition, if poor in economic resources.
globalvolunteers.org
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Mensa IQ & Intelligence
Do smart people have more fame, success, wealth and fun? According to the
folks at Mensa IQ & Intelligence, Mensans have IQs in the top 2% of the
population but otherwise are just like you and me, rich and poor, successful
and not, in every occupation and class.
As to the fun -- you be the judge. Visitors to the web site are linked to
Mensa-related sites to take a variety of IQ and other intelligence tests,
read Mensa jokes, play Mensa games, solve Mensa puzzles. Articles explore the
role of intelligence, types of intelligence and give guidance to parents of
gifted children.
euthanasia.org
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Motel Postcards
Today's roadside motel signs are bland, weak warriors against the behemoths
of Holiday Inn, where tired travelers turn in for the security of familiar
mediocrity. It used to be different, and Motel Postcards shows you just how
different.
Time-travel to the 50s and 60s, when small motels along the highways were the
oddball norm, through this collection of motel postcards from across the USA.
Neon signs, scratchy sheets and seedy desk clerks aside, we will not see the
likes of the Goldenrod Motel in Huntsville Alabama, or Oregon's Tropicana
again - except here, in their full-color glory.
lileks.com
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Source for the above info: tricksandtrinkets.com |
