chosen by your "librarian without walls," Marylaine Block marylaine at netexpress.net

August 15

Army Times
http://www.armytimes.com/
This searchable site and its sister publications (Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, Military Times, etc.) are first stops for anyone concerned with US military news, careers, benefits, health care, discussion forums, etc.

The BioScope
http://bioscopic.wordpress.com/
"Reporting on the world of early and silent cinema." Its archive (Feb. 2007- ) is searchable, and browsable by categories related to production, exhibition, genres, performers, groups, etc. There are also FAQs, guides to conferences and festivals, and a nice library of links to online books about early cinema.

Consumer Reports Blogs
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/our-blogs/
Consumer Reports' topical specialists blog about cars, electronics, home & garden, safety, money & shopping, health, and Babies & Kids. Some entries you might especially appreciate include "The best time to dine out, travel, or shop with babies and kids," the "Sneak peek at the 2009 and 2010 cars," and the series on "How Our Money Experts Save Money."

The Daily Green: Environmental Issues and Global Warming News
http://www.thedailygreen.com/
Besides news and blogs, regular features include tips & advice, new green cuisine (recipes, community cookbook & safe food watch), and green homes.

Handbook on Child Support Enforcement
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/cic_text/family/childenf/index.htm
The US Office of Child Support Enforcement presents this guide to working with federal and state agencies to ensure that your children get the financial support they're entitled to. It also tells noncustodial parents how to deal with problems like taxation, fairness of support orders, and restrictions on visitation.

In the First Person
http://www.inthefirstperson.com/firp/index.shtml
"a free, high quality, professionally published, in-depth index of close to 4,000 collections of personal narratives in English from around the world" - letters, diaries, and oral histories. While this is fully searchable, sample the alphabetical list of collections to get a sense of the extraordinary range of topics covered - slave narratives, folklore, letters and diaries of immigrants, wagon train pioneers and civil war veterans, oral histories of dance, German Americans, labor history, the "Pepsi Generation," Women Airforce Service Pilots, and so much more.

Inhabitots
http://www.inhabitots.com/
One of my favorite blogs, Inhabitat (<http://www.inhabitat.com/>), has given birth to this blog, about "Sustainable design for the next generation." Search or browse by age range or categories like bedding, toys, cleaning, furniture, clothing, etc.

LibraryThing: A million free book cover images
http://www.librarything.com/blog/2008/08/million-free-
covers-from-librarything.php
Offered free of charge to libraries that have a LibraryThing Developer Key. Check out the details, not only of this particular deal, but of LibraryThing itself.

Men in Aprons - Everyday Men Cooking at Home
http://www.meninaprons.net/
Since 2004 Adam Byrd has been "exploring the world of cooking and helping out my fellow men in their quests to better themselves in the kitchen." He focuses intensively on meat and grill recipes, but also discusses beer, bread, crockpots, desserts, FoodTV, soups, etc.

Online Student Survival Guide
http://onlinestudentsurvival.com/
We all know that online learning can be hard without the built-in social and administrative supports a campus provides. Online students will welcome this blog from Western Governors University, which offers advice on Adjusting to Online Learning, Balancing Life and School, Elements of Online Learning, Healthy Eating, and Selecting Your School.

Polymeme: a Polymath's Guide to News
http://polymeme.com/
A kind of "Digg" for hot ideas: "uses a unique buzz-tracking approach to identify what's currently hot in 20 areas, ranging from economics to evolution, and present it to the reader along with all sources that are currently talking about it."

Top 10s - Books - Manchester Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/series/toptens
"Authors choose their favourite books on their chosen theme." Topics currently include graphic novels, Westerns, books on Beijing, books about wilderness, "romps and romances," etc. Librarians might want to take this a step further by soliciting top 10s from their own local experts and celebrities.

August 8

2008 Online Journalism Award Finalists
http://journalist.org/news/archives/001176.php
Here's your chance to read, view and listen to some fantastic multimedia reporting, on topics including the Minnesota bridge collapse, "Talking to the Taliban," "70 Years of Superman," "Our Overweight Children," etc. Also visit those nominated for general excellence, breaking news, public service, online commentary, student journalism, etc.

AfriGadget
http://www.afrigadget.com/
A team of bloggers with deep knowledge of Africa and the problems it confronts reports on Africans "bending the little they have to their will, using creativity to overcome life’s challenges." Among the innovations: keyhole gardens, a customized bicycle taxi, palm-nut biodiesel, water harvesting, etc.

Australian Screen
http://australianscreen.com.au/
"a look at the Australian film and television industry, from its earliest days to the present." Contains over 2200 clips from over 1,000 feature films, documentaries, TV shows, ads, and other historical footage. Also includes a page with curriculum content for teachers.

Critical Thinking - HowTo.Lifehack
http://howto.lifehack.org/wiki/Critical_Thinking
Pay particular attention to the section on Errors in Thought, the most common ways in which our thinking process gets short-circuited. Political P.R. people take advantage of every one of them, so keep this list handy as the presidential campaign unfolds.

Encyclopedia of Mathematics
http://eom.springer.de/
The 2002 Springer-Verlag encyclopedia, online and regularly updated, has over 8,000 entries. You do have to know something about math to understand the explanations of terms.

Garfield Lost in Translation
http://blogoscoped.com/files/garfield.html
See what happens when Garfield is Yahoo- or Google-translated into Chinese and then back into English.

List of Fictional United States Presidential Candidates
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fictional_United_States_
presidential_candidates
Here's good timely material for library book discussions and displays, perhaps located near your voter registration information.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Blog
http://blogs.jpl.nasa.gov/
A great place to keep up on the Mars lander's excellent adventure, and other NASA projects and plans.

The Official CarTalk Guide to Civil Driving
http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/civil/civil1.html
Wise advice from radio favorites Click and Clack. If you're a fan, you'll want to visit the rest of the site as well, for "actual car information," chat, and "Time Kill Central."

Tax Policy Center
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/
Includes a detailed examination of the tax policies of Obama and McCain, as well as analyses of other tax topics such as the alternative minimum tax, the marriage penalty, payroll taxes, etc. This is also a gold mine of numerical and factual data about federal and state taxation and revenue distribution, and how these compare to other countries' tax systems.

Uncle Bobby's Wedding
http://jaslarue.blogspot.com/2008/07/uncle-bobbys-wedding.html
Douglas County (CO) Library Director Jamie LaRue pens one of the most thoughtful, point-by-point responses to a person challenging a book that I've ever read.

Water - Use It Wisely: Water Conservation Tips and Resources
http://wateruseitwisely.com/
Even if you are not in the middle of a drought, as my state is, you may wish to use water more economically. Of particular interest: the home water audit, and 100 Ways To Save Water

August 1

20 Questions a Journalist Should Ask about Poll Results
http://www.ncpp.org/?q=node/4
And that news readers/viewers should ask as well, because reports on polling data are often flawed and downright misleading. Among the questions: How many people were interviewed for the survey? When was the poll done? What questions were asked? In what order? Also the one journalists never seem to report: What other polls have been done on this topic? Do they say the same thing? Without this information, people are left puzzled by polls with diametrically opposite results.

100 Exceptional Free Paper Models and Toys
http://www.creativecloseup.com/100-exceptional-free-paper-models-and-toys
Here's a little something to entertain the kids until school starts up again: downloadable designs for paper models of Chinese dragons, carousels, sailing ships, dinosaurs, race cars, robots, insects, etc.

Bankrate.com - compare mortgage rates, CD rates, Credit Cards...
http://bankrate.com/
If you're looking to see who might give you a better rate of return on your investments, or better mortgage rates, this is the place to start looking.

Bridging the Gap - AAHSO
http://www.transportation1.org/BridgeReport/front-page.html
Most bridges in the US are approaching the end of their 50-year lifespans, and were designed for far less traffic than they're now carrying. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials suggests what needs to be done, at what cost, to insure bridge safety and economic growth.

Enviromedia Greenwashing Index
http://www.greenwashingindex.com/
Calls itself the "home of the world’s first online interactive forum that allows consumers to evaluate real advertisements making environmental claims." Users submit ads and ratings from 1 ("good ad") to 5 ("total greenwashing"). You can browse by most recent, best rated, and worst rated ads, and view both the ads and users' reviews.

From Awareness to Funding
http://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/
OCLC tries to help libraries survive by funding valuable research like this study, which analyzes who supports libraries financially, the degree to which public officials support libraries, and the messages that work to turn casual supporters into willing supporters of tax funding. Every library administrator, board member, and building campaign worker should read this report.

Greener Fuels, Greener Vehicles: a State Resource Guide
http://www.nga.org/Files/pdf/0802GREENERFUELS.PDF
The National Governors Association takes "a detailed look at the many alternative fuels and vehicle technologies available in the marketplace today. It describes innovations coming in the future — explaining their benefits and limitations — and examines how some states are eliminating the roadblocks that prevent the adoption of greener fuels and technologies."

Heat Stress in the Elderly - CDC
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/elderlyheat.asp
The elderly are particularly susceptible to heat stress, but this advice on how to recognize, treat, and prevent it is useful for anybody enduring extreme heat. A word to librarians: if your library is one of your city's cooling centers, it would be useful to display that information prominently on the front page of your web site.

The Music Lists - DigitalDreamDoor
http://digitaldreamdoor.nutsie.com/pages/music0.html
Here's meat for hundreds of hours of lively discussion: lists of the greatest rock guitar riffs, rock drummers, motown songs, rock songwriters, rap/hiphop artists, doo wop ballads, metal albums - you name it.

Privacy Resources
http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov/privacy_resources.htm
The Federal Citizens' Information Center offers this guide to the laws and agencies concerned with protecting your own, and your children's, privacy - financial, medical, internet, and identity.

The Simple Dollar
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
"for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two." The site is not browsable by topic, but it is searchable, and the "best of" articles are the highlights of the site, including "31 Days to Fix Your Finances," "Trimming the Fat: Forty Ways to Reduce Your Monthly Required Spending," "Ten Steps To Financial Success For A Minimum Wage Earner," and more.

Travel Books and Travelogues - National Geographic Traveler Highlights the Best Travel Writing
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/traveler/extras/travellibrary/library.html
For people hit by high gas and airplane fuel costs, good travel writing may be as close as we get to the real thing. Browse the offerings by country. Librarians can use "Around the World in 80 Books" as both a collection-building tool and a display idea.

July 25

Activities for Kids: Travel Tips
http://www.activitiesforkids.com/travel/travel_hints.htm
Counter the dreaded "Are we there yet?" with car games, food that's perfect for travel, and road-trip printouts of coloring pages, wordsearches, tic-tac-toe, etc. (My family used to commute between Michigan and New Jersey with four kids in the back seat. If you want to see how my parents kept their sanity, read my column, "Word Child," at http://marylaine.com/myword/wordchil.html.)

America's 10 Most Walkable Cities
http://www.walkscore.com/rankings/
If you're relocating, and don't want to spend money on gas, this should interest you: WalkScore has ranked "2,508 neighborhoods in the largest 40 U.S. cities to help you find a walkable place to live," where all the basic amenities are within walking distance. For each of the top cities, there's data on the most walkable neighborhoods. There's also information on the 138 neighborhoods that are "walkers' paradises," and on what makes cities and neighborhoods walkable. Input your own address for an analysis of your neighborhood's walkability.

ChangingMinds.org - Changing minds and persuasion
http://changingminds.org/index.htm
Claims to be "the largest site in the world on all aspects of how we change what others think, believe, feel and do." The section on techniques in particular could be as useful for those who are the objects of persuasive tactics as for the persuader (note especially the entries on "confidence tricks" and "resisting persuasion").

GreatOutdoors.com
http://www.greatoutdoors.com/
"GreatOutdoors.com quenches your thirst for adventure through inspiring photo galleries and action videos, captivating stories, up to date news and profiles of the world's top outdoor athletes." Browse by events, individual sports, how-tos, health & fitness, news, blogs, photography, videos, travel, etc.

Green Car Guide - Edmunds.com
http://www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy/index.html
One of the most trusted car sites offers a wealth of information on fuel-efficient vehicles, hybrids, and new alternative fuel technologies, along with tips on improving your gas mileage. And of course, all the usual stuff is there as well: car reviews, cars for sale, info on finance and insurance, etc.

Improved Lives
http://www.improvedlives.com/
This is a blog about self-help founded on sound research. The blogger explains new psychological findings that have the potential to improve our lives.

Math in Daily Life
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/index.html
Perhaps math would interest students more if they understood "how numbers affect everyday decisions." This site makes a good start, explaining things like: how compound interest and annual percentage rates affect your financial future; what casino owners know about probability that most players do not; how to present data visually; how elementary geometry helps you buy the right amount of paint and flooring, etc.); and more.

Policy Archive
https://www.policyarchive.org/
"a comprehensive digital library of public policy research containing over 12,000 documents." Searchable and browsable by topic, author, funder, and publisher. Scholars can add to the bounty by uploading their own research.

Searchme Visual Search
http://searchme.com/
This search engine doesn't even wait til you've finished typing your search to start offering some guesses about what you're looking for and in what context you might find it (I'd only gotten halfway through typing copyright before it was suggesting libraries, European Union, music, software, etc.). The results are returned as screenshots of the pages deemed most relevant, with your term highlighted in context. Flip from page to page to view results. You can save in a "stack" the ones that look most promising.

Watching America - Discover what the world thinks about the U.S.
http://watchingamerica.com/News/
"With Translated Foreign News Available NOWHERE Else In English." The current hot topic, of course, is Obama's world tour. Provides links to web sites of news sources from around the world.

Water Calculator
http://www.nwf.org/water/watercalculator.cfm
A little quiz to help you understand how much water you use daily.

What Government Does
http://www.governing.com/mgmt_insight.aspx?id=5534
This article, which I recommend to all citizens, explains concisely something few Americans understand about their "government" - that it resides in federal, state and local agencies, where it performs thousands of tasks, primarily in education and crime control.

July 18

21 Incredibly Practical Tips To Survive the Real World
http://blog.lendingclub.com/2008/06/18/21-incredibly-practical-
tips-to-survive-the-real-world-a-must-read-for-new-college-grads/
Tips on managing your money, life, and career, including "do not buy a new car," "rent from your parents" (not live off them), "work your butt off," and "learn to cook 5 meals."

The African Cookbook
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Cookbook/about_cb_wh.html
Recipes are browsable by country of origin and by categories. I haven't tried any of them yet, but some sound quite tasty.

America's Libraries in the 21st Century
http://quartz.syr.edu/rdlankes/blog/?p=510
Video of the ALA panel discussion by three of our profession's visionary thinkers. "It's All Good" calls this the best 90-minute investment you'll make in your career all year."

Best Places To Live 2008 - Money Magazine
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/top100/
Always interesting, even to those who aren't thinking of relocating, but it would be nice if the factors considered included the thoughtfulness and foresight of the local and state government (though one of the recommendations for the 3rd best town, Naperville, IL, is its top-rated public library).

ChildCare.gov
http://www.childcare.gov/
Information for parents, childcare providers, researchers, and policy makers, including how to find high quality child care, how to pay for it, licensing laws and regulations, starting and operating a childcare business, research publications, resources in Spanish, etc.

Creativity and Neighborhood Development: Strategies for Community Investment
http://www.trfund.com/resource/creativity.html
The research reports here suggest ways to build on local cultural organizations and heritage to revitalize communities and local economies. Since public libraries are a natural part of, or even springboard for, any such effort, the resources and success stories here should be of considerable interest to library directors and boards.

Ecolabelling.org - ecolabels and green certification schemes
http://ecolabelling.org/
"Who's deciding what's green?" In the absence of agreed upon standards, pretty much anybody can call their products eco-friendly. This site, billed as "your independent global guide to 300 ecolabels," allows you to learn who awards the labels and how producers earn labels like "bird-friendly coffee," "Certified Humane Raised and Handled," "Cradle to Cradle Certification," etc.

Invention at Play
http://www.inventionatplay.org/
Play and invention go hand in hand, and this site offers not only numerous opportunities for play (puzzle blocks, an inventor's sketchbook, word play, etc.) but also a collection of inventors' stories.

PowerSet
http://www.powerset.com/
Acts as sort of a keyword index to Wikipedia, retrieving every article that mentions your topic. Very handy, since you're not likely to have thought of all the headings under which your topic might appear.

Science Faction
http://sciencefactionnyc.blogspot.com/
A blog exploring "links between neurology and human consciousness via art, culture, technology, music, design, and science."

Staying Safe While in the Water
http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/water_safety.html
And keeping your kids safe, in any water situation. The article begins with safety precautions in the bathroom and pool, and goes on to lakes, ponds, beaches, waterparks, etc. Includes tips on water safety for babies, and making your kids water-wise.

Ten Things You Should Know about the Dictionary
http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/16146
Erin McKean, an editor for the Oxford English Dictionary, talks about important things most people don't understand about dictionaries. Length: 54:47.

July 11

7 Common Interview Questions: How To Prepare for a Job Interview
http://www.thewisdomjournal.com/Blog/common-interview-
questions-new-graduate/
Not only the questions, but answers that emphasize your "positive job accomplishments at every opportunity," and your own questions that "can uncover the employer’s wants and needs" and help you "tailor your answers to the job."

100 Useful Niche Search Engines You've Never Heard of
http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/19/
100-useful-niche-search-engines-youve-never-heard-of/
As all librarians, and few students know, sometimes you have to search in smaller, more specific haystacks for the very best needles for your purpose. While I wish they thought to mention that libraries make licensed databases of advanced research material available to their users, these niche search engines, for business, law, shopping, travel, jobs, news, etc., provide an excellent starting point (and for many users, a perfectly adequate ending point).

The Bicycle Tutor - Bike Repair Video Tutorials
http://bicycletutor.com/
I wish that when I was commuting to work by bicycle, I'd had this site available so I could have easily learned to do my own tuneups and repairs.

The Consumerist: Shoppers Bite Back
http://consumerist.com/
Despite its annoying navigationless design, this searchable blog does provide a lot of good advice, mingled with horror stories about atrocious products and service. Browse the archive page under the categories "advice" and "alerts" for some excellent tips, like "The Basics Of Insurance, Taxes, And 401(k)s For First-Time Employees," "Advice On How To Raise Financially Savvy Kids," etc. You can also browse the archives for specific companies and industries.

Drive Green - Future of Cars Special Report
http://www.popularmechanics.com/drivegreen
The folks at Popular Mechanics offer a nice sampling of tips on getting the most mileage out of your car, and stories on present and future super-efficient and/or alternative fuel vehicles.

Floodsmart.gov - National Flood Insurance Program
http://www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart/
This might be a good time to feed your address in here to see how much at risk your property may be for flooding, get an estimate of flood insurance premiums, and even locate an agent. An interactive tool also allows you to estimate the damage costs for varying heights of water in your property

Food and Nutrition Center - MayoClinic.com
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/NU99999
"Find information on food and nutrition and what constitutes a healthy diet, healthy cooking and healthy eating." Includes menus, recipes, and other tips for healthy eating.

Girlshealth.gov
http://www.girlshealth.gov/
Created by the Office of Women's Health, this site covers all the important topics in an adult but not hopelessly uncool manner: understanding your changing body, fitness, nutrition, drugs/alcohol, emotions, relationships, bullying, safety, and your future. Also includes a glossary

National Traffic Scorecard
http://scorecard.inrix.com/scorecard/Default.aspx
Do you live in, or are you considering moving to, one of the 100 most congested metro areas, or drive through one of the 100 worst traffic bottlenecks? Do you know what the travel time index is in that area? Find out here, courtesy of traffic information company INRIX, which has analyzed traffic congestion "across nearly 50,000 miles of primary roadways in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas." (I have just moved to national congestion rank #90.)

Replacing Your Vital Documents
http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicSafety/Hurricane_Katrina_
Recovery/Vital_Docs.shtml
And not just birth certificates and passports, but also bank records, medical information, tax returns, savings bonds, etc. It also links to advice on restoring documents damaged by fire or flood.

Sciencedebate2008: 14 questions the candidates should answer about science and America's future
http://www.sciencedebate2008.com/www/index.php?id=35
And also 7 questions for your candidates for Congress. I'd like to see reporters ask them these questions instead of worrying about things like flag pins and fist bumps; how about you?

Wikireadia
http://www.yearofreading.org.uk/wikireadia/index.php
This British resource calls itself "The first online good practice guide for anyone supporting readers." It's searchable and browsable by audience, area of work (advocacy, planning, partnerships, evaluation), place (in Great Britain), and organization. And like any wiki, if more knowledgeable people add to it, it will get better.

June 20-July 4

Author Author
http://weta.org/authorauthor/
This blog from WETA-TV's Bethanne Patrick features author interviews and book reviews. Interview subjects include Russell Banks, Richard Russo, Susan Coll, Alexander McCall Smith, and lots more. The archive is searchable.

Eat This, Not That: the No-Diet Weight Loss Soution from Men's Health http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/index.php
This companion site to the book of the same name offers a sampling of the same information: nutritional evaluations of both the best and the worst (heart- attack-to-go) foods at chain restaurants and supermarkets. Also features 15 Top Food Swaps, The 20 Worst Foods in America, and the 125 Best Supermarket Foods. Not yet present, but promised, is the Menu Decoder. If you know you're going to a chain restaurant for lunch, you might want to check this site first.

How To Clean Stuff
http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/
While the home page features some things you may not feel any particular need to clean, the site contains wonderfully useful and searchable advice on cleaning practically everything in your house and garage - flooring, fabrics, cars, plants, appliances, jewelry, electronics, and more.

The Internet Bird Collection: a Free Library of Videos of the World's Birds
http://ibc.hbw.com/ibc/phtml/families.phtml
Brought to you by Handbook of the Birds of the World, these videos are searchable by family name, scientific name, common name, and geographical region. A delight for bird fanciers, and a useful tool for studying bird behavior.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?
http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google
If there was ever a case where I would have preferred not to be right, it's my fears about the effect the web could have on our attention spans - see my 1995 column, "Mostly Progress, Maybe, Sort of," <http://marylaine.com/myword/progress.html>. This piece in the Atlantic suggests that that has in fact happened to book readers - including himself - already.

The Recycling Center
http://www.therecyclingcenter.info/
Enter your zip code and get a map of recycling services near you for all kinds of materials. Clicking on each icon brings up the name of the service and the option to map a route to it. Links to the web sites for each service are provided below. There's also info on the recycling process and on green shopping.

Recovering from and Coping with Flood-Damaged Property
http://www.fema.gov/hazard/flood/coping.shtm
Advice that business and home owners in Iowa will need in the weeks ahead as they seek to clean and repair their property, record damage for insurance claims, remove mold, and restore valued documents and photos. There's also info for our librarian colleagues in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City who will be trying to restore damaged buildings and collections.

Replacementdocs: the original web archive of game manuals
http://www.replacementdocs.com/download.php
A searchable trove of scanned manuals for computer and video games for all platforms.

Science Animations: Movies and Interactive Tutorial Links
http://science.nhmccd.edu/biol/animatio.htm
A great way of understanding scientific theories and phenomena, including plant life cycles, plate tectonics, bacterial growth, severe weather, how lasers works, and much, much more.

SimplyChecklists.com
http://www.simplychecklists.com/index.asp
Checklists can help you make sure you've covered the basics in your planning for virtually anything: outfitting a kitchen from scratch, financial papers you need to retain, things to rescue and take with you in an emergency, information to leave with the babysitter, things to have in your first aid kit, how to prepare for the job interview, etc.

Twitter for Librarians - the Ultimate Guide
http://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/05/27/twitter-for-librarians-the-ultimate-guide/
Answers the question many librarians have about Twitter: Why would I want to use it?

USA.gov FAQ Knowledge Base
http://answers.usa.gov/
This database draws on FAQ files from every government agency.

June 13

150 Funniest Resume Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders
http://jobmob.co.il/blog/funniest-resume-mistakes/
Those of us who read other people's resumes will be amused by these (and reminded of our own unprepossessing applicants), but new entrants to the labor market should view this as a "what not to do" list. Too much information and failure to proofread rank high on that list.

AltWeekly Award Winners
http://aan.org/news/aan_and_medill_announce_altweekly_awards_winners/Aan/
ViewArticle?oid=319314
A lot of valuable investigative journalism is done by these alternative newspapers, and if you arrow down far enough, you'll get links to some of the best from the past year. You'll also get links to award-winning columnists, bloggers, and beat writers (food, politics, arts, etc.).

Copenhagen Consensus 2008
http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/Default.aspx?ID=788
"Over two years, more than 50 economists have worked to find the best solutions to ten of the world’s biggest challenges" - air pollution, disease, malnutrition, sanitation & water, conflicts, education, global warming, subsidies & trade barriers, terrorism, women & development. The results: "30 specific solutions to combat some of the biggest challenges facing the world." Executive summaries and the papers themselves are downloadable here.

ECHO - Exploring and Collecting History Online
http://echo.gmu.edu/
"a directory to 5,000+ websites concerning the history of science, technology, and industry." Search or browse by category (aviation/space technology, consumer tech, engineering, etc.), by historic period, or by content (audio, images, primary source, etc.).

Foreclosure Resources for Consumers - Federal Reserve
http://www.federalreserve.gov/pubs/foreclosure/default.htm.
Overextended homeowners should look here for ways of dealing with their dilemma. See also H.U.D.'s Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure <http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm>

Global Voices Online
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/
I've posted this before, but this is a good time to remind you what a great source it is for major international news events and long term issues like the China earthquake, the Burma cyclone, the food crisis, etc.

How Can I Recycle This?
http://www.recyclethis.co.uk/
The two bloggers, aided by suggestions from readers, respond to readers' questions on how to reuse and recycle random stuff. They've been doing this for a couple of years, so there's a sizable archive which can be searched or browsed.

Municipalist
http://www.municipalist.com/
Reviews blogs from governments at all levels.

National Biological Information Infrastructure [NBII]
http://www.nbii.gov/portal/server.pt
Federal, state, and local government agencies, and their partners from universities, nonprofit agencies, industry, have created this "broad, collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nation's biological resources." The site can be searched, browsed by broad categories (plants and animals, habitats, and ecological topics), and explored by geographic region. Its "toolkit" also provides a glossary, directories of experts, a publications library, and more.

The Reading and Book Buying Habits of Americans
http://www.zogby.com/random%20house%20final%20report.pdf
May offer librarians some interesting insights, even though the survey itself asks nothing about readers' use of libraries.

Science and Technology in the 2008 Presidential Election - AAAS
http://election2008.aaas.org/
Examines the platforms and policy positions of the candidates on issues of Competitiveness & Innovation, STEM Education & Workforce, Better Health for Americans, Energy & Environment, and National & Homeland Security. The site would be even more useful if it examined their voting records as well.

Silobreaker: Contextual and Graphical Search Results for news and current events
http://www.silobreaker.com/
Searches over 10,000 international print and media news sources, blogs, images, maps, and documents, and not only retrieves the results but constructs maps and graphical displays to provide context and related ideas.

June 6

20 Civil Liberties Laws Every American Should Know
http://www.criminaljusticedegreesguide.com/library/20-civil-liberties-laws-
every-american-should-know.html
Understanding what your rights are is the first step toward protecting them. Here are explanations and resources on 20 important civil liberties people may not know they have.

2008 Eppy Awards
http://royal.reliaserve.com/eppy/winners2008.html
Editor and Publisher and Mediaweek choose the best journalistic achievements on media-affiliated web sites, both for overall and specific issue and event coverage(the I-35 Bridge Collapse, Diabetes, Hurricane Katrina recovery, etc.)

The Commonwealth Fund: Health Policy, Health Reform, and Performance Improvement
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/
The Commonwealth Fund gathers news and information and conducts original research on U.S. health issues including health care quality, health insurance, underserved populations, care of the elderly, etc. It offers a variety of charts, surveys, and other publications, including the currently featured assessment of how states' child health systems compare on overall performance, access, quality, costs, equity, and potential to lead healthy lives. It also tracks innovative ideas in health policy.

Freerangekids
http://freerangekids.wordpress.com/
A site devoted to giving kids "the freedom we had" when we were growing up. Offers a blog, news items, an ideas file, and a place to share recollections of our own free-ranging childhood.

Fruit and Veggie Guru
http://www.fruitandveggieguru.com/
Aims to provide answers to all your questions on healthy fruits and veggies, including how can I get my kid to eat them. Provides recipes and info on health, organic produce, and specific fruits and veggies.

Fuel Economy
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
The federal government offers information on your own car's gas mileage and energy impact rating, where to find the lowest gasoline prices, and tips on improving your mileage.

Global Food Crisis
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/GlobalFoodCrisis?Readform
ReliefWeb provides news, resources, statistics, key documents, and FAQs about the current global food crisis.

In Praise of Men
http://marylaine.com/myword/praise.html
With Father's Day approaching, I'd like to point you to an old column of mine honoring men's virtues.

Omgili: Find Out What People Are Saying
http://www.omgili.com/
Searches more than 100,000 forums, newsgroups, and mailing lists.

Rockabye Baby! Tranform your favorite rock music into baby music
http://www.rockabyebabymusic.com/web/page.asp
Why wait? Warp your children now with charming, music-box-like instrumental renditions of your favorite music, be it the Beatles or Nine Inch Nails, Bob Marley or Smashing Pumpkins, rock and roll Christmas classics or U2, and others.

Stickk.com: Put a contract out on yourself
http://stickk.com/
A site that helps you meet your goals or deadlines by allowing you to make the commitment in public and have someone monitor your progress.

TweetScan - Real Time Twitter Search
http://tweetscan.com/
One answer to "why use Twitter" is that standard news and weather sites may fail to keep you informed during emergencies. This search engine tracks breaking news on Twitter. See how Twitter broke the story of the Colorado tornadoes <http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=143981> and and the China earthquake story <http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=143270>.


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