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Gleanings - a potpourri of web resources and links
~ potpourri of Web resources and links ~

Gleanings -  Objects or ideas that have been gathered or amassed over a period of time, especially when they form a collection or comprehensive whole.
Microsoft® Encarta® Reference Library 2004.
© 1993-2003 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Following are discoveries I've gleaned during reference searches on the Internet. Enjoy!
I've received no compensation for these listing, except an occasional link exchange.

2009 Archives:


December 21, 2009

  • Charlie Brown Christmas (YouTube): What Christmas is all about. Wishing you a blessed and Merry Christmas and a joy-filled New Year!
  • Beliefnet - Holidays: Inspiration & guides to celebrate holidays – Advent | Hanukkah | Christmas | Kwanzaa | New Year.
  • Recipes@Beliefnet: Recipe resources for meat, seafood, vegetarian, vegan; holiday recipes; planning holiday meals & baking; recipes for salads, smoothies, soups, pasta & desserts.
  • Campbell’s Kitchen: Cooking solutions: basic thru creative; Recipes: holiday favorites, quick & easy, family favorites, and more.
  • ToxLearn: A Multi-Module Toxicology Tutorial. Created by the U.S. National Library of Medicine's Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program and the U.S. Society of Toxicology to provide an introduction to fundamental toxicological principles and concepts.
  • Tour of the Cell (National Science Foundation): The NSF created this illuminating and interactive visual feature to help people learn about the cell's different components. On the homepage, visitors are presented with a clickable illustration of the cell's primary components, including the nucleus, the cell membrane, and mitochondria.
  • Catholic Mass Times Church Directory for the iPhone (UPDATED). The free Catholic Directory app will help you quickly find the nearest churches, Mass Times, Web sites, Maps, Directions, with bonus features: Saint of the Day, Daily Readings & Gospel.

December 15, 2009

  • DIY: Christmas. The Do-It-Yourself Holidays site 'has the recipe for a perfect holiday season: fabulous food, cozy gatherings, fun seasonal crafts, and handmade gifts.
  • Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: Over 18,000 derivations, sources, or origins of common phrases, allusions, and words that have a tale to tell.

December 11, 2009

December 9, 2009

  • Chanukah Recipes: Google | Ask.com
  • Christmas Recipes: Google and Ask.com
  • Recipe Lion - Recipes for All Seasons and Occasions: The joys of cooking and culinary delights bringing you a diverse array of free online recipes to please any palate. Free food recipes for all seasons and occasions during the year, catering to different tastes. From healthy meals and low fat recipes to sinful cake recipes and recipes crock pot recipes, you will have a huge variety to choose from.
  • Joy of Baking: For those who love baking and dessert recipes. Includes an A-Z Recipe Index, recipes for cakes, cookies, scones, muffins, pies & tarts, breakfast & brunch, biscotti & shortbreads.
  • Forgiveness: Letting go of Grudges and Bitterness - Mayo Clinic. When someone you care about hurts you, you can hold on to anger, resentment and thoughts of revenge—or embrace forgiveness and move forward. Katherine Piderman, Ph.D., staff chaplain at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., discusses forgiveness and how it can lead you down the path of physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
  • Fathers for Good - Knights of Columbus. Highlights the unique contributions of men, husbands and fathers. The world would be lacking without them. Includes sections on Common Challenges of Fatherhood and A Father’s Spirituality, and more.

December 4, 2009

  • The National Institute for Newman Studies: Located in the heart of Pittsburgh's cultural and university center, the Institute serves as North America's definitive resource of information to enhance and extend the reach of John Henry Newman's life, thought, and spirituality.
  • The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Family and Community - Family Research Council (FRC). The use of pornography is a "pathway to infidelity and divorce," writes researcher Patrick Fagan, noting that married men who view pornography become emotionally detached from their wives and lose interest in their families. Download the full report.

December 3, 2009

  • The Mesothelioma Center - Asbestos.com. A one-stop resource on all the dangers of asbestos cancer ranging from occupational exposure to mesothelioma treatment options with…the most comprehensive and cutting-edge information on the web.
  • "It's UpTime America" - Kimberly Alyn gives keynote presentations on personal responsibility, accountability, and leadership.
  • YouAreHere (Federal Trade Commission): a "virtual mall" that will help students in 5th-8th grade learn to protect their privacy, spot frauds and scams, and avoid identity theft. The FTC Web site introduces key consumer and business concepts and helps youngsters understand their role in the marketplace.
    • Parents and Teachers: For your convenience, we have provided a brief description of each store in the mall. We’ve also provided fact sheets, lesson plans and classroom activities that complement the site. The site can be used to support lessons in critical thinking, language arts, writing, media literacy, business, civics, and social studies.
  • World War II (1939 to 1945) - BBC: On This Day. Britain and France joined the war on 3 September 1939. A compilation of key stories as they broke throughout the war.
  • DailyLit: Great stories and knowledge in under 5 minutes a day. Read books online: get short installments by daily email (or RSS feed). DailyLit is now 100% free.
  • The Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page: The most comprehensive collection of Samuel Johnson quotations on the web, often referred to as "Doctor Johnson". Over 1,800 quotes from Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), one of the most quoted men of the 18th century.

December 1, 2009

  • SmittenKitchen Recipes: Includes seasonal favorites, appetizers, breads, budget, cakes, Chinese/Vietnamese, cookies, desserts, grains& rice, sandwiches, seafood, soups, thanksgiving.

November 30, 2009

  • Great Dad: Advice for Expectant Dads, New, Single, Stay at Home dads with Parenting Information and Pregnancy Care.
  • Men's Health Center (WebMD): Find men's health topics and information.
  • Women's Health Center (WebMD): Information on Women's Wellness, Nutrition, Fitness, Intimate Questions, and Weight Loss.
  • Courseopedia: US College Course Directory. Central source of information on continuing education courses and other college classes enabling users to search for courses by class, school or career.
  • The Unofficial Guide to the iPhone: Read about the basic user interface and a ton of incredible iPhone features you would've otherwise missed. Explains in detail how to perform both the very simple and the most tedious tasks.
  • NatureFind ( National Wildlife Federation): excellent web resource that makes it easy to locate nearby places for family outdoor activities. These include but not limited to camping and fishing spots, zoos, parks, wildlife sanctuaries and so on.
  • Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History has a highly informative and interactive exhibit on ants. The exhibit explains how, much like humans, "ants achieve domination by being social creatures". Dividing the ants' lives into "food", "warriors", "shelter" and "communication", the exhibit offers an array of photos in its photo gallery to illustrate the variety of ant life and behavior on earth.
  • CD Kitchen: Copycat restaurant recipes. Plus recipes galore for appetizers, dinners, desserts, soups, salads, sandwiches, pasta, baked goods, holidays, crock pot, breakfast & brunch, chocolate, cooking tips and food glossary.
  • Ace Free Fonts - free fonts for Windows and Mac. One of the largest archives on the web including free fonts for Windows and Mac! There are 20309 fonts for Windows and Mac with customizable previews and full character maps.

November 25, 2009

  • Advent – Christmas Resources on AppleSeeds.org (scroll down the list of resources)
  • The Manhattan Declaration: Orthodox, Catholic, and evangelical Christians united to reaffirm fundamental truths about justice and the common good, and to call upon our fellow citizens, believers and non-believers alike, to join us in defending them. These truths are: 1) the sanctity of human life, 2) the dignity of marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife, 3) the rights of conscience and religious liberty.
  • Science Books Online: free science e-books, textbooks, lecture notes, monographs, and other science related documents. All texts are available for free reading online, or for downloading in various formats.
  • Theology of the Body Institute: Christopher West promotes the revolutionary teaching of Pope John Paul II on the divine meaning of the human body and human sexuality.

November 24, 2009

November 23, 2009

  • Thanksgiving Guide (Butterball.com): Preparing for the holidays is hectic enough. That’s why Butterball put together a helpful guide to help make your holidays easy and delicious.
  • Google Translate: The site now translates as you type; even though it's spontaneous, it *IS* still machine translation, though, so it won't be perfect.
  • Unseen Life on Earth: An Introduction to Microbiology (Oregon Public Broadcasting). Twelve half-hour video programs designed primarily for college and high school students. Throughout the programs, students get to meet up with scientists working in the lab and in the field. Some of the programs here include "Genetic Transfer", "Microbial Evolution", and "The Unity of Living Systems".
  • TimeMe: Free web-based timer and stopwatch for your web browser. It can be used to time meetings, class tests or any other events. Due to its huge display it can be easily used in conference rooms with many people or classrooms with students.
  • BlacklistCheck: Online application that lets you check a number of major DNS blacklists (Sorbs, Spamhaus, NJABL, DSBL, CBL and PSBL) and find out whether your email address has been blacklisted.

November 20, 2009

  • DiscoveryNews: Science and technology news from Discovery Communications. Features breaking news and in-depth articles related to the Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, Archaeology, Human and History.
  • W3C MobileOK Checker: Simple online tool for webmasters that tests mobile friendliness of any website. It runs few tests checking website on variety of parameters including its page size, network, markup, page structure, layout, style sheets, images etc. It then generates a detailed report where each point is clearly explained.

November 19, 2009

November 18, 2009

  • Franciscan Studies Corner (I-TAU - Franciscan Friars Minor from Malta): Franciscan theology, spirituality, history and culture. The papers can be useful for the formation of Franciscan religious men and women, as well as for Secular Franciscans and for all those who are interested in Saint Francis and his message.
  • eMedExpert: privately owned and funded; not affiliated with any manufacturer, merchant, or advocacy group. Includes drugs reviews and comparisons, Brand/Generic name correspondence tool, PDR's Side effects index. Information is based on recent reviews and articles published in the medical literature and drug prescribing information approved by the US FDA.

November 16, 2009

  • AskOxford - Oxford Dictionaries: Critical ingredients to good writing are spelling, grammar, and correct use of words. Covers CVs and Job Applications, Commonly Misspelled Words, Grammar and Spelling Tips, Letter Writing.
  • SpeedCrunch: is a fast, high precision and powerful desktop calculator. Available for Linux, Microsoft Windows, and Apple Mac OS X. Fully usable from the keyboard and more than 50 built-in math functions.
  • CosmoLearning (CL): an educational website committed to improve the quality of homeschooling, teaching and student excellence, helping educators and self-learners alike anywhere in the world. Provides video lectures, courses, documentaries, books, quizzes, lecture notes and much more.
  • WordIQ - Dictionary and Encyclopedia Reference. Listing of some popular topics and subjects that may be of interest. Use the directory as an entry-point into the free dictionary and encyclopedia where you will find a wealth of knowledge. Also included is a comprehensive thesaurus.
  • All About Birds (Cornell Lab of Ornithology): a free, comprehensive resource for North American birds, bird watching, and bird conservation-accessible to everyone. There is a 'Bird Guide,' including a Video Gallery where you can enjoy videos of birds in their natural habitats.
  • National Geographic Explorer: classroom magazine for grades two through six. Its pages invite students to explore the world and all that is in it. This website provides an extension to the National Geographic magazine and allows students to explore in a fun, safe, online environment.
  • Learning English - BBC. Offers help in the form of "Words in the News", "Quizzes", videos via YouTube, and English "makeovers" in "General and Business English". "Words in the News", "The Teacher", and "Keep Your English Up to Date" help learners with their "Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation".
  • The Virtual Lab Book: Dr. Stephanie Dellis created by for students beginning the study of molecular biology. The guide is divided into twelve parts, including "Safety in the Molecular Biology Lab", "Minipreparation of Plasmid DNA", and "PCR and Thermacycling". Along with written instructions and particulars, each section also contains a number of helpful diagrams and visual illustrations.
  • Golden Age of Cartoons: a portal to all your favorite cartoon characters and their creators. Includes The Ultimate Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.

November 11, 2009

  • BeliefNet's Guide to Thanksgiving 2009: Includes "How to Give Thanks," "Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes," Gratitude quotes.
  • The Fruit Pages: "Everything you want to know about fruit."
  • Baby Name Guide: Expectant parents are often in a quandary as to what handle to put on the new arrival. Here you can research names by categories such as African, American, Arthurian Legend, Chinese, Floral to name but a few. You'll be able to find the most popular names for the last several years as well as get valuable tips on the naming process.
  • AltUse: Discover alternative uses to extend the utility of everyday products. The site covers lots of products and lets you search its database by keyword or browse by products.
  • PlantNative: dedicated to moving native plants and naturescaping into mainstream landscaping practices..Our goal is to increase public awareness of native plants and related landscaping practices and to increase both the supply of and demand for native plants.
  • Suicide and Mental Health Association (SMHAI): dedicated to suicide and mental health related issues. Our main goal is to prevent suicidal behavior and to relieve its effects on all who maybe affected by it. We also promote and advocate education, awareness and treatment in regards to mental health.
  • LIFE - Life and Health Foundation for Education: formed to address the public's growing need for information and education on life, health and disability insurance. Now the consumer has a resource to find tips on how to buy insurance, what to buy, how much is enough and also a calculator to assess ones life insurance needs.
  • Wikiquote: free online compendium of quotations from notable people and creative works in every language, translations of non-English quotes, and links to Wikipedia for further information.
  • Idiom Site: An idiom is 'a manner of speaking that is natural to native speakers of a particular language.' You'll find an alphabetic list of origins of the most common sayings, sayings like 'absence makes the heart grow fonder,' 'go the extra mile'. This is a great resource for speeches as well as common knowledge, trivia and such.
  • Oxymorons.info: "An Oxymoron is a combination of contradictory or incongruous words, such as 'Cruel Kindness' or 'Jumbo Shrimp' (Jumbo means 'large' while Shrimp means 'small'). It is a literary figure of speech in which opposite or contradictory words, terms, phrases or ideas are combined to create a rhetorical effect by paradoxical means."
  • Starfall.com: a free public service to motivate children to read with phonics. A systematic phonics approach, in conjunction with phonemic awareness practice perfect for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, special education, homeschool, and English language development (ELD, ELL, ESL).
  • The Film Literature Index (FLI) annually indexes 150 film and television periodicals from 30 countries cover-to-cover and 200 other periodicals selectively for articles on film and television. The periodicals range from the scholarly to the popular. More than 2,000 subject headings provide detailed analysis of the articles.

November 6, 2009

  • H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) - Medline Plus: The H1N1/Swine flu is an infection caused by a virus. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
  • H2onews.org: a Catholic news service that creates and distributes multimedia news, every day, in nine languages. The news focuses on the life of the Church and on social and cultural events that directly pertain to Catholics living in the world.
  • Harvard College Writing Center: Brief Guides to Writing Papers in the Disciplines. Includes Strategies for Essay Writing and Disciplinary Writing Guides.
  • BioSciEdNet - National Science Digital Library (NSDL): high-quality educational resources for science educators everywhere…the resources here total over 14,000, and cover 77 discrete biological sciences topics. BEN resources can help engage student interest, shorten lesson preparation time, provide concept updates, and develop curricula that are in line with national standards for content, use of animals and humans, and student safety.

November 4, 2009

  • Catholic Network of Volunteer Service (CNVS): non-profit membership organization of 200 domestic and international volunteer and lay mission programs. Currently, more than 10,000 volunteers and lay missioners serve in these programs throughout the U.S. and in 108 other countries.
  • Wild Game Hunting and Food Safety (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Learn how to reduce your risk of illness from wild game.
  • GovTrack.us: tool by Civic Impulse, LLC to help the public research and track the activities in the U.S. Congress, promoting and innovating government transparency and civic education through novel uses of technology. You'll find here the status of U.S. federal legislation, voting records for the Senate and House of Representatives, information on Members of Congress, district maps, as well as congressional committees and the Congressional Record.

November 3, 2009

  • Take Spectacular Holiday Photos - Dave Johnson, PC World: Follow these tips to take flattering photos of loved ones at Thanksgiving dinners and other family gatherings, as well as to capture the excitement of holiday decorations.
    • Photograph Spectacular Christmas Lights - Dave Johnson, PC World: Between now and January, it seems that every few weeks we have a new reason to put lighted decorations outside the house. This year I thought it would be fun to take an in-depth look at the best ways to take photos of those holiday lights. You can use these tips over and over again this fall, whether you're shooting Halloween, Chanukah, Christmas, or New Year's events.
    • Five Tips for Better Holiday Photos - Dave Johnson, PC World

November 2, 2009

  • Online Sympathy and Condolence Resources: message samples for expressing words of sympathy to someone after the loss of a loved one. Use these examples to help you write your condolences in cards or letters of sympathy.
    • ObituariesHelp.org: An informative and respected website designed to offer resources for obituaries, words of condolences sympathy, planning funeral, eulogy samples and genealogy search. Includes U.S. Newspaper Obituaries by State.

October 26, 2009

  • Daylight Saving Time: When we change our clocks -- Spring Forward, Fall Back. Includes Rationale & original idea | Incidents and anecdotes | Early adoption and U.S. law | Worldwide daylight saving. BTW: DST ends at 2:00 a.m. on November 1, 2009 in the USA.

October 23, 2009

October 21, 2009

  • World of Quotes: Quotes and Proverb Archive. Search by Topics, Authors, Proverbs, Today in History and Historical Documents.

October 19, 2009

  • BoogieJack.com: an HTML help site featuring standards-based HTML tutorials, CSS tutorials and other website design help and resources. Check out the Website Design Tutorials.
  • CleanCSS: a powerful online Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) optimizer and formatter. Basically, it takes your CSS code and makes it cleaner and more concise.

October 16, 2009

  • The Summa Theologica of St. Thomas Aquinas. Second and Revised Edition, 1920. Literally translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province. Online Edition Copyright © 2008. NewAdvent.org
  • The Cardinal Virtues: A Course of Addresses to Young Men by Joseph Rickaby, S.J. (University of Notre Dame). Click on a Chapter Title to move to that section. Or, click on left/right arrow at very bottom of page to move forward or backward to another section.
  • Geography Quiz: Did you know "the Middle East"' stretches as far west as the Western Sahara in Africa? What is the smallest Middle Eastern country? Test your knowledge on a new drag-and-drop challenge by clicking the link or the map graphic. (All ages).

October 14, 2009

  • Guide to American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Compliance: Agencies and companies hoping to benefit from the half-trillion dollars in economic stimulus spending need to understand the scope and seriousness of ARRA reporting requirements aimed at preventing fraud, waste and abuse. Investing time, effort and resources today to establish and improve compliance processes and controls can help organizations mitigate potentially catastrophic problems later. Explore the resources to learn more.

October 12, 2009

  • The Stanford Center for Biomedical Ethics: "dedicated to interdisciplinary research and education in biomedical ethics, and provides clinical and research ethics consultation." The materials on their site are divided into four sections: "Programs", "Research", "Education", and "Service."
  • Pillbox (NLM - NIH): an aid in the identification of unknown solid dosage pharmaceuticals. The system combines high-resolution images of tablets and capsules with FDA-approved appearance information (imprint, shape, color, etc.) to enable users to visually search for and identify an unknown solid dosage pharmaceutical.
  • Bookshare - Accessible books and periodicals for readers with print disabilities: Free for all U.S. students with qualifying disabilities. Student memberships are currently funded by an award from the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
  • Baseball Resources - Library of Congress. The breadth and depth of materials highlighted will appeal to baseball researchers, while casual and diehard fans alike will find many digitized items documenting the history of baseball to fuel their passion for the game.
  • The Van Gogh Letters Database: The compendium includes all 820 known letters by Van Gogh, tracing his youth and late start as a painter to his spectacular blossoming in the late 1880s. "The number of letters isn't really unusual but the literary quality of the letters, that's special."

October 7, 2009

  • FactCheck.org - Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. A nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
    • FactCheckEd.org: Educational resource designed to help students and teachers learn how to cut through the fog of misinformation and deception that surrounds the many messages they’re bombarded with every day, not to accept them at face value; to dig for facts using the Internet, not to stop looking once they get to Wikipedia; and to weigh evidence logically, not to draw conclusions based on their own biases. Under Tools of the Trade we’ve outlined a five-step framework for analyzing information and avoiding deception.
  • BrainDash.com: online trivia, puzzles, games. BrainDash "tries to encourage the use of the great grey matter…"

October 5, 2009

  • Academic Earth: a user-friendly educational ecosystem that will give internet users around the world the ability to easily find, interact with, and learn from full video courses and lectures from the world’s leading scholars.
  • Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (RAND Corp.): 200-page manual that offers an overview of the "Support for Students Exposed to Trauma" (SSET) program. which is "a series of ten lessons whose structured approach aims to reduce distress resulting from exposure to trauma."
  • "LEAN Works: A Workplace Obesity Prevention Program" (CDC). A free web-based resource that offers interactive tools and evidence-based resources to design effective worksite obesity prevention and control programs, including an obesity cost calculator to estimate how much obesity is costing your company and how much savings your company could reap with different workplace interventions.
  • Historical Thinking Matters: focused on key topics in U.S. history, designed to teach students how to critically read primary sources and how to critique and construct historical narratives.
  • Math Worksheets World: home to over 12,000 K-12 math worksheets, lesson, math worksheet makers, homework, and quizzes.
  • Autostart Explorer: a powerful application that lists all autostarted files on your system. Unlike other similar utilities, which may list autostarted files from only certain locations such as the registry Run keys, Autostart Explorer has been designed to show every autostarted file on your system, no matter how obscure the location it is started from.
  • Nanoscale: A new peer reviewed journal publishing experimental and theoretical work across the breadth of nanoscience and nanotechnology. A collaborative venture between RSC Publishing and leading nanoscience research center, the National Center for Nanoscience and Technology (NCNST) in Beijing, China.
  • Copyright: "Deciding What Information Is Fair to Use" by Reid Goldsborough. One of the catchphrases on the internet is "Information wants to be free." This creates the impression that anything you come across online is free for the using. Not quite. The same laws that protect intellectual property elsewhere can get you in trouble for appropriating someone else’s words, images, music, video, and so on.…
  • NJViD: statewide video portal and repository of the Garden State that provides " a common online platform for presentation, storage and archive of digital works that educate and enlighten their audiences." Visitors can look over a video that describes the rebirth of Newark from 1987 and an in-depth documentary about the state's Pine Barrens region. Or visit the "About" area to get answers to questions about NJVid, and after that, they should make a beeline to the homepage. Browse the videos by subject heading (which run from "art" to "technology") and also browse by contributing organization.

September 25, 2009

  • "Principles of Catholic Social Teaching and Health Care Reform": A Joint Pastoral Statement of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and Bishop Robert W. Finn - Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
  • Exercise and Physical Fitness (Medline Plus): Most adults need at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity at least five days per week. Examples include walking briskly, mowing the lawn, dancing, swimming for recreation or bicycling. Stretching and weight training can also strengthen your body and improve your fitness level.

September 23, 2009

  • "Acres of Diamonds" by Russell Conwell: American Rhetoric's Top 100 Speeches. "When going down the Tigris and Euphrates rivers many years ago with a party of English travelers I found myself under the direction of an old Arab guide whom we hired up at Baghdad…He thought that it was not only his duty to guide us down those rivers, and do what he was paid for doing, but to entertain us with stories curious and weird, ancient and modern strange, and familiar. Many of them I have forgotten, and I am glad I have, but there is one I shall never forget.."
  • John’s Background Switcher (JBS): sits in your system tray (down by the clock) and changes your background at the time interval of your choosing. You tell it where to get pictures from and how to show them – maybe you just want to see one photo at a time or maybe you’d like to see a 'snapshot Scrapbook' of photos thrown across your desktop.

September 21, 2009

  • Hands-Only™ CPR (American Heart Association): Two steps to save a life. When an adult suddenly collapses, trained or untrained bystanders—that means a person near the victim—should: 1) Call 911 and 2) Push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Studies of real emergencies that have occurred in homes, at work or in public locations, show that these two steps, called Hands-Only™ CPR, can be as effective as conventional CPR. Providing Hands-Only CPR to an adult who has collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest can more than double that person's chance of survival.
  • Directives for Catholics Concerning Artificially Administered Nutrition and Hydration (Diocese of Phoenix)
  • SamsungParts.com - Samsung Electronics Authorized Distributor
  • EmmyTVLegends.org (The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation): offers free, public access to the Archive of American Television, the most comprehensive videotaped interview collection of its kind. It features revealing conversations with more than 600 influential figures [2000+ hours] that have shaped the television industry from its inception to present day, and includes little-known anecdotes, unique perspectives, and eyewitness accounts from top names in TV.

September 16, 2009

  • Newman Reader - Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman (The National Institute for Newman Studies): Includes Newman's is written works, guides to his works, biographical information, cause for sainthood and controversies.
  • WordWeb: comprehensive one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows. It can be used to look up words from almost any program, showing definitions, synonyms and related words. It includes pronunciations and usage examples, and has helpful spelling and sounds-like links.

September 14, 2009

  • Constitution Day Resources (September 17, 2009): The Library of Congress resources for Constitution Day activities. Explore the Creating the United States online exhibit and learn more about the impact of the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence on U.S. history.
  • Catholics Come Home: a Catholic apostolate that creates effective and compassionate media messages…in order to inspire, educate and evangelize inactive Catholics and others, and invite them to live a deeper faith in Jesus Christ, in accord with the magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church.
  • Teachers Resources (LOC): Bringing the power of primary sources into the classroom.
  • The PBS Digital Learning Library: a public media system-wide repository of digital media learning objects, including videos, images, interactives, audios and documents.
  • U.S. Department of State - Office of the Historian: to provide better access to the official historical documentary records of U.S. foreign policy. The Office is responsible for writing and researching historical studies on various aspects of U.S. diplomacy for use by policymakers, and for the public at large.
  • Says-It.com - image makers: create your own funny photos and graphics–simply type in some text and choose from a few simple options. You can create your own church sign, make an official seal, and more. Once you've picked your options and created your image, you can save it on your computer.
  • FairStars CD Ripper: free powerful software for ripping audio CD tracks to WMA, MP3, OGG, VQF, FLAC, APE and WAV formats files on-the-fly. Supports automatic volume adjustment normalization during ripping, and also support ID3 tag. FairStars CD Ripper also supports playback with its built-in player.
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September 10, 2009

September 2, 2009

August 27, 2009

  • Catholic Parents OnLine (CPO) - a network of faithful and informed parents committed to working with Catholic schools, other programs of education, to ensure the authentic teaching and protection of our Catholic Faith, and to address issues that undermine our Catholic Faith and Morals.

August 26, 2009

August 25, 2009

  • The Mesothelioma Center - A one-stop resource on all the dangers of asbestos cancer ranging from occupational exposure to mesothelioma treatment options with more than 3000 pages of the most comprehensive and cutting edge information on the web.

August 24, 2009

  • 3rd Edition - The Roman Missal (Committee on Divine Worship - USCCB). Aims to educate Catholics about the changes in the Mass that are coming with the new Roman missal translation.

August 19, 2009

August 18, 2009

August 17, 2009

  • USCCB Position on Health Care Reform -  The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) promotes its support of "truly universal health policy with respect for human life and dignity." Includes letters from bishops to Congress, videos, facts and statistics, frequently asked questions, and links for contacting members of Congress.
  • Strengthening Activities and Older Adults (CDC) -  Muscle-strengthening activities can provide numerous health benefits, particularly as you grow older. There are many ways you can strengthen your muscles, whether it's at home or the gym. The activities you choose should work all the major muscle groups of your body (legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and arms).
  • The "Mary of Nazareth" Project -  International Marian Center of worldwide outreach in Nazareth, linked to at least 12 Associated Marian Centers, in 12 different language areas, in order to present the wealth of all the Christian traditions to the general public.
  • Mesothelioma & Asbestos Awareness Center -  provides the most comprehensive mesothelioma information on the Web on jobsite exposure, new treatments, legal questions and resources.

July 31, 2009

  • American Hiking Society -  perfect resource for those of you who want to enjoy the outdoors. The site is loaded with tips for hiking, information on trail conservation and policy, events and volunteer opportunities, hiking news, just about anything you might need to know about the sport.
  • The Child and Family WebGuide (Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Development, Tufts University/Tisch Library) -  directory of sites on child development, teenager and family issues. Topics are selected on the basis of parent recommendations; they cover all ages, from early child development through adolescence.
  • Butterfly Gardening - The Butterfly Site -  Access resources on just about every aspect of butterfly gardening, plants to grow, butterfly houses, nectar sources and more.
  • The Performing Arts Encyclopedia (PAE) - Library of Congress -  The PAE provides information about the Library's unsurpassed collections of scores, sheet music, audio recordings, films, photographs, and other materials.
  • Learning Treasures - Homeschooling Resources -  free worksheets for Language Arts, History, Geography, Science, Math, and preschool/homeschooling curriculum.
  • LitLinks -  provides guidance to the best literature research resources on the Web. LitLinks can also show you a list of Bedford/St. Martin's titles that include a given author, and what selections from that author each book contains.

July 30, 2009

  • MakeUseOf.com -  daily blog that features cool websites, computer tips, and downloads that make you more productive. Guides you to the hot websites that you have never heard of, free alternatives to popular software programs, and all kinds of "how to" tips for Windows, Mac and Linux computer users.
  • YouTube EDU -  devoted to videos of interviews, courses, and lectures from professors at top colleges and universities.
  • Dave Marshall’s Bean Counter -  features free tutorials on basic business accounting and bookkeeping.
  • How to Use PowerPoint (About.com) -  Beginner’s Guide to PowerPoint, Free PowerPoint Tutorials, YouTube videos, Technology in the classroom.
  • Beginner’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization -  This guide provides a complete overview of many of the processes, techniques and strategies used by professional search engine optimization specialists.
  • Saint Joseph’s site -  created for the purpose of spreading the devotion to this great but humble and unpublicized man who persists only in the outer fringes of the Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary. Very little is recorded of him in the Gospels but his two-fold role as foster father of Jesus Christ and spouse of the Mother of God was the most sublime mission ever entrusted to a man.
  • Resources for Teaching English -  With over 6,500 resources, including lesson plans, worksheets, audio, video and flashcards, onestopenglish is the world’s number one resource site for English language teachers.
  • Inside Out - eLessons (MacMillian). English language lessons
  • Famous Quotes and Authors -  the most complete and useful web resource about Famous Quotes for all occasions! Browse over 25,000 quotes online from over 6,700 famous authors.
  • LitQuotes - Quotes from Literature -  This literary reference site features quotations from the great works of literature. You can search for quotes in a number of different ways.
  • QuotesDaddy -  features over 1,000,000 quotations. It lets you add, share and even create your own quotes.
  • VerbaLearn -  an invaluable tool to practice your vocabulary, especially students studying for the ACT, SAT, or GRE.
  • HealthNews -  Health News, Natural Health, Family Health, Nutrition & Diet, Fitness & Exercise, Health & Beauty

July 27, 2009

  • Caritas in Veritate - Pope Benedict XVI's Encyclical (June 29, 2009). "On Integral Human Development In Charity and Truth." Multiple translations [English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish]
  • Social Encyclical Primer - USCCB. The history of Catholic social teaching, specifically as it has been expressed through papal encyclicals.
  • Flu.gov -  comprehensive government-wide information on H1N1, pandemic and avian flu. In the event of a pandemic, this will be the authoritative site for U.S. government information on the pandemic flu outbreaks
  • Counseling & Therapy With Values -  a directory of independent counselors and clinics throughout North America that provide counseling and resources to individuals, couples, and families while upholding strong values. We are also firm supporters of marriage counseling and family therapy, believing in the value of strong healthy families and relationships.
  • Instructables -  Find cool DIY projects. Home to thousands of fun, wacky, practical, money-saving, scientific, and innovative projects authored and illustrated by your fellow humans. The seeds of Instructables germinated at the MIT Media Lab as the future founders of Squid Labs built places to share their projects and help others.
  • Legistalker -  Track Activity of US Congressmen & Senators. View what they have voted on (motions, amendments, resolutions etc.), browse news mentions in online media sources (newspapers, blogs, magazines, YouTube videos) and follow their Twitter updates.
  • Historic Baseball Resources (LOC) -  takes die-hard baseball fans out to the (virtual) ballgame with this cornucopia of digital resources related to America's favorite pastime. Visitors can get started by looking through the "Baseball History" facts on the right-hand side of the homepage, and then dive on in to some of the featured collections, which include "Baseball Cards, 1887-1914", the informative "Did You Know?" area…
  • Pesticide Alternatives Laboratory (Whalon Lab/Michigan State) -  committed to researching the most innovative arthropod (bugs) pest management strategies, tactics and tools available to help agricultural producers and private land owners transition to more economical and environmentally friendly reduced risk and organic pest management.
  • Getting Started in Digital Photography (Dave Johnson, PC World)
  • Free online MIDI to MP3 or WAV converter -  Convert MIDI files to MP3/WAV audio files, which you can then burn onto a CD, import into a flash movie and for other uses where MIDI files are restricted. No need to sign up or download anything.
  • Windows Movie Maker -  Make Quick & Professional Looking Videos. These days, it is very easy to make professional-looking videos in as little as 15 minutes. After trying out a few programs, I finally settled on Windows Movie Maker and it is an absolute cinch to use. (Part One) | (Part 2)
    • Windows Movie Maker 2.1 Download -  Windows Movie Maker 2.1 makes home movies amazingly fun. With Movie Maker 2.1, you can create, edit, and share your home movies right on your computer. Build your movie with a few simple drag-and-drops. Delete bad shots and include only the best scenes. Then share your movie via the Web, e-mail, or CD
  • Top 5 Tools To Make A Home Movie Online For Free. Thankfully, there are a lot of simple online tools to help you make a movie online for free.
  • Newspapers24.com -  12,000 online newspapers from around the world.
  • Can Stock Photo -  professional royalty free stock photography at prices you can afford. High-quality images start at just $1.00, and a generous license agreement gives you the flexibility you need. Whether you need an image for advertising, presentations, brochures, or just decoration, they've got you covered! Search for Your Images! We offer free weekly downloads with thousands of new images added every week.

June 24, 2009

  • 2009 Catechetical Sunday Materials Online (USCCB) -  Catechetical Sunday is celebrated on the 3rd Sunday in September in the United States—September 20, 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. The theme for Catechetical Sunday 2009 is "Catechesis and the Proclamation of the Word."
  • BASIC-256 -  BASIC designed to teach young children the basics of computer programming. It uses traditional control structures like gosub, for/next, and goto, which helps kids easily see how program flow-control works. It has a built-in graphics mode which lets them draw pictures on screen in minutes, and a set of detailed, easy-to-follow tutorials that introduce programming concepts through fun exercises.
  • Shape Collage -  take your digital photos and creates an artistic collage from them. Just drag a set of photos into the Shape Collage window and specify the shape of the collage that you want to make. Check out the Screenshots demo.

June 22, 2009

June 17, 2009

  • Top Spot Directory -  online resource to aid in searching the internet. Researchers have created a hand-selected database filled with links to the Web's best resources, for some of the most searched topics.
  • Thomas Merton Center for Catholic Spiritual Development -  Strives to develop a spirituality based on Jesus Christ's message of love, compassion and forgiveness and to live his message in today's world.

June 15, 2009

  • "The Year of the Priest" (CatholicCulture) -  June 19, 2009 — June 19, 2010. Includes Overview, Priest Saints, Prayers, Websites, Documents, and Books.
  • The Basics of Deep Prayer -  an online book that outlines meditation fundamentals that are rooted in Catholic mysticism.
  • Life in Focus -  Focus on the moment and trust in God’s love. Includes the Wheel of Life with steps on how to "Focus" on all aspects of life – Spiritual, Family, Physical, Mental, Financial and Social.

June 11, 2009

  • The GED Academy -  GED practice tests with hundreds of actual GED practice test questions in all five subject areas—math, science, reading, social studies, and test writing including the essay.

June 10, 2009

June 1, 2009

May 29, 2009

  • Key Facts about Hurricane Readiness (CDC) - June 1—November 30 -  If you live in coastal areas at risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages you to begin preparing yourself for hurricane season.
  • NIH MedlinePlus Magazine -  the best in reliable, up-to-date health information. We bring you the latest breakthroughs from NIH-supported research.
  • Presidents of the United States - Resource Guides (LOC) -  selection of primary source materials associated with the presidents of the United States, including manuscripts, letters, broadsides, government documents, prints, photographs, sheet music, sound recordings, and films.
  • The Center for Social Media (American University's School of Communication) -  We investigate, showcase and set standards for socially engaged media-making. We organize conferences, publish research, create codes of best practices, and incubate media strategies.
    • Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Online Video -  This document is a code of best practices that helps creators, online providers, copyright holders, and others interested in the making of online video interpret the copyright doctrine of fair use. Fair use is the right to use copyrighted material without permission or payment under some circumstances.
    • Fair Use Frequently Asked Questions - Center for Social Media (American University's School of Communication)

May 26, 2009

  • Sun Safety 101 (American Cancer Society) -  Tips to Help Minimize Your Risk of Skin Cancer.
  • Online Safety - Yahoo -  Making smart choice online. Online safety skills for Teens and for Parents.
  • Catholic Teaching on Economic Life -  sponsored by the Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development - U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Features the ten-point "A Catholic Framework for Economic Life." Includes statements on economic life from both the U.S. bishops and Pope Benedict XVI and the Holy See.
  • Disaster Preparation Planning (Red Cross) -  Preparations for home and family, workplace and employees, school and students.
  • Open Jurist -  access to published court opinions without charge. We currently have over 600,000 opinions from the United States Supreme Court and United States Courts of Appeals from the First, Second and Third series of The Federal Reports.
  • Nuffield Council on Bioethics -  examines ethical issues raised by new developments in biology and medicine.
  • Media College -  educational resource for all forms of electronic media. Topics include video & television production, audio work, photography, graphics, web design and more. There are a number of free downloads, including a "Talent Release Form" and "US Copyright Application Form PA," under Downloads > Forms in the link at the top of the page.

May 22, 2009

  • Franciscan Radio -  "an electronic ministry of St Anthony Messenger Press, to fulfill its mission to spread the Word that is Jesus Christ". Features -  American Catholic Radio | Sunday Soundbites by Greg Friedman, O.F.M. | Saint of the Day, plus archive past programs.
  • Word-Buff.com -  covers the fanatical sub-cultures that have exploded in recent years around Crosswords, Scrabble, and Spelling Bees. Hundreds of free tips, lists, and other cool resources put together by people…who play word games to win.

May 21, 2009

  • Spirituality for Today -  an interactive monthly magazine dedicated to a variety of current themes and questions concerning the Christian faith in this postmodern age. It is produced in connection with the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport in Connecticut.

May 15, 2009

  • Copyright Basics © - What Is Copyright? -  Copyright is a form of protection provided by the laws of the United States (title 17, U.S. Code) to the authors of "original works of authorship," including literary, dramatic, musical, artistic, and certain other intellectual works. This protection is available to both published and unpublished works.

May 13, 2009

  • Oppose Destructive Stem-Cell Research (USCCB) -  urges support for ethical cures and treatments "we can all live with" encouraging Web users to contact Congress and NIH to express opposition to the draft guidelines. May 26 is the NIH deadline for public comment on the draft guidelines, which would allow the use of federal funds for stem-cell research on embryos created for reproductive purposes at in vitro fertilization clinics and later discarded.
  • The Bible on One Page -  New American Standard (NAS).
  • DiscoverAmerica.com -  Official Travel and Tourism Website of the United States. The site offers links to tourism information for all 50 states, as well as for more than 100 cities and other destinations. Includes an interactive map that gives mileage from city to city, an activity finder listing more than 3,000 experiences, attractions and events, including museums, gardens, ski slopes, festivals and parks.

May 8, 2009

  • Car Maintenance Bible -  Everything the DIY car enthusiast needs to know about basic car maintenance, wheels, tires, engine oil or motor oil, suspension (including springs and shock absorbers), brakes (disc brakes and drum brakes), gearboxes, transmissions, steering, engines, motors, petrol, gasoline and general car maintenance.
  • Robyn’s Nest - The Parenting Network -  extensive parenting site "devoted to providing you with the optimal tools to insure the best possible quality of life for your children."
  • NIHSeniorHealth.gov -  features authoritative and up-to-date health information from Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health as well as material from the American Geriatrics Society. This site makes aging-related health information easily accessible for family members and friends.
  • Changing Face of Medicine (NIH) -  "Discover the many ways that women have influenced and enhanced the practice of medicine."

May 5, 2009

  • CatholicMom.com -  we celebrate all things Faith, Family, and Fun from a Catholic perspective. Enjoy fresh perspectives from our wonderful columnists and contributors.
  • KiddieCooler -  made in the USA from high quality neoprene. Fits many famous brand insulated and plain "sippy" cups.

May 4, 2009

May 1, 2009

  • Ten Questions on Influenza and the Liturgy (USCCB) -  a series of 10 questions and answers related to participation at Mass during the time of the H1N1 influenza (swine flu).
  • Wellness Resources (SparkPeople). We offer nutrition, health, and fitness tools, support, and resources.
  • The Catholic Labor Network -  resource for Catholics who are active in their churches and in unions to learn about the Church's teachings as regards to labor issues, and economic justice. It offers an excellent selection of Catholic Social Teaching documents online as well as links to local branches.

April 24, 2009

  • How-to Guide - Small Business Tips (Wall Street Journal) -  Covers Funding, Technology, Franchising, Starting/Running a Business, Hiring/Managing Employees.
  • Parody Motivator Generator (Despair, Inc.) -  make your own personalized Demotivators® poster. Satirical products reverse-engineered from the most powerful motivational posters ever inflicted upon mankind.
  • PBS Video -  award-winning national programming and locally produced shows are just a click away. Watch your favorite shows and catch the episodes you may have missed, all on your schedule.
  • Birds of the World -  browse through list of all the birds of the world categorized by continent, country. Photos of the birds are fetched from Flickr service, shown along is a link to Wikipedia, with more information about the selected bird.
  • Prevent Lyme Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). How to protect yourself from tick bites.

April 23, 2009

  • A Catholic Guide to End-of-Life Decisions (The National Catholic Bioethics Center) -  An Explanation of Church Teaching on Advance Directives.
  • 5min.com - Life Videopedia -  Find the best how-to, instructional and DIY videos. "Looking for a how to solution? Need a do-it-yourself question answered? Find short, practical how-to videos, instructional videos and DIY solutions at 5min.com, the leading how-to site."

April 22, 2009

  • Earth Day Network (Earth Day - April 22) -  founded on the premise that all people…have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment. Our mission is to broaden and diversify the environmental movement worldwide, and to mobilize it as the most effective vehicle for promoting a healthy, sustainable environment.
  • The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change -  supports the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Catholic community address the issues of climate change and the environment. Learn about Catholic Principles and Teachings applied to the issue of global climate change.
    • The Catholic Climate Covenant (The Catholic Coalition on Climate Change) -  encourages greater personal and shared engagement by the Catholic community to respond to the impacts of climate change. Includes Catholic Teachings on climate change, "Why Does the Church Care About Global Climate Change?" | "The St. Francis Pledge" - a promise and a commitment…to live our faith by protecting God’s Creation and advocating on behalf of people in poverty who face the harshest impacts of global climate change.
  • New Farm (Rodale Institute) -  farmer-to-farmer resources, articles and personal stories that explain how to make regenerative farming profitable and build supportive communities.

April 21, 2009

April 17, 2009

  • Gardening Health and Safety Tips (CDC) -  Some tips to help keep you safe and healthy so that you can enjoy the beauty and bounty gardening can bring.
  • The Organic Center -  to promote a new found understanding of the health and other benefits of organic foods and production through a comprehensive set of credible, peer-reviewed scientific studies that highlight and underscore the "organic difference."
  • Atrial Fibrillation (MedlinePlus) -  An arrhythmia is a problem with the speed or rhythm of the heartbeat. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia. The cause is a disorder in the heart’s electrical system. Includes interactive tutorial.
  • Teacher Institute Teaching Tips (Exploratorium) -  bite-sized podcast for science teachers, by science teachers. In each five-minute episode, we give you hands-on activities, science facts, science history, pedagogy tips for new teachers, or other ideas for your science classroom.
  • Natural History Museum - UK -  a world-class resource to assist learners enjoy the natural world, develop their scientific knowledge and understand the impact of science on their lives. Explore Nature videos, news, science of natural history, collections/exhibitions, teachers' resources, educational activities.

April 15, 2009

  • Paths of Love - Catholic Vocation Discernment -  Information and discussion about vocation to states of life in the Catholic tradition, drawing upon the Fathers of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and the popes, particularly Pope John Paul II. Includes books, articles, and documents from the Catholic Church on the vocation of marriage, on religious vocation, and on vocation to the priesthood.
  • Bed Bugs - Biology and Management (Harvard School of Public Health) -  Bed bugs are increasingly becoming a problem within residences of all kinds, including homes, apartments, hotels, cruise ships, dormitories and shelters.

April 14, 2009

  • The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) -  a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). IC3's mission is to serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cyber crime. The IC3 gives the victims of cyber crime a convenient and easy-to-use reporting mechanism that alerts authorities of suspected criminal or civil violations.
  • The Anatomy Lesson -  a regional/systemic approach to the study of anatomy which takes a look at each system separately (vascular, respiratory, etc.) Each lesson will point out various structures found in the particular region being examined and then followed by a review of what has been covered.
  • Older Adults and Alcohol -  You Can Get Help (National Institute on Aging). Download booklet (PDF) in right column
  • Institute of Medicine (IOM) -  National Academies -  serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. The Institute provides unbiased, evidence-based, and authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy to policy-makers, professionals, leaders in every sector of society, and the public at large.

April 9, 2009

April 7, 2009

  • OnGuardOnline.gov: Practical tips from the federal government (FTC, Justice Dept., Homeland Security, IRS, US Postal Inspection Service, Commerce Dept., SEC, FDIC, NCIS) and the technology industry to help you be on guard against Internet fraud, secure your computer, and protect your personal information.
  • Online/Internet Safety Guide: Kids, teens & families. What kinds of risks are there? Risks by technology and privacy information.

April 6, 2009

  • American President -  Resources on the U.S. Presidents (University of Virginia). In-depth information reviewed by prominent scholars on each president and their administration that cover various aspects of their life and leadership strategy. Recently, they have also added a multimedia gallery that allows visitors to browse around various images.

  • The Archives of Irish America -  a repository of primary research materials at New York University that aims to transform our understanding of the Irish migration experience and the distillation of American Irish ethnicity over the past century.
  • Brainy Quote -  Famous Quotes and Quotations. Search famous quotations by topic, author, nationality.
  • KidsClick -  Web Search for Kids by Librarians. Terrific site to help your children prepare term papers and research projects.
  • Hand Sanitizer Risks (CNN - Dr. Sanjay Gupta) -  The New England Journal of Medicine first warned of cases of people ingesting hand sanitizer a few months ago. If you have any questions, you can call the American Association of Poison Control Centers Poison Help Line 1-800-222-1222. You'll be connected to your local poison control center.
  • Most Americans Should Consume Less Sodium (1,500 mg/Day or Less) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Too much sodium is bad for your health and can increase your blood pressure and risk for a heart attack or stroke.

April 1, 2009

  • "My Mother's Garden" premieres on MSNBC Sunday, April 5th at 10 PM ET. The story of a woman whose hoarding disorder pushed her children to leave home when they were quite young.
  • Materials-World -  look up the color of a paint, stain, siding, brick, stucco, shingle or Pantone Matching System. Thousands of charts and chips of house paints, stains, siding, bricks, roofing shingles. Paints - Behr Paints/Home Depot, Benjamin Moore, Duron Colors, Ralph Lauren, Millennium Paints, Martin Senour, Pittsburgh Paints, Pratt & Lambert, Sherwin Williams, Valspar Paints/Lowes/Laura Ashley; Stains - Wood Stains - Concrete Stains - Vinyl Stains - Paint Stains.

March 31, 2009

March 30, 2009

  • Holy Week -  The Easter Triduum begins with the evening Mass of the Lord's Supper, continues through Good Friday with the celebration of the Passion of the Lord and Holy Saturday, and reaches its summit in the Easter Vigil concluding with Vespers of Easter Sunday.
  • "Gazing on the Beauty of the Lord" - Rev. Thomas Dubay. A brief examination of prayer explaining meditation and contemplation.
  • The Journal of Family Practice -  the preferred source of original research and evidence-based medical information for practicing family physicians, family medicine researchers, and other primary care clinicians.
  • Stalking the Mysterious Microbe -  Discover unseen life on earth. Developed in conjunction with National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation -  Science Friday Program, you'll be able to 'Meet the Microbes' such as Virus, Alga, Bacterium and Protozoan.
  • Churchill & the Great Republic -  LOC 'examines the life and career of Winston Spencer Churchill and emphasizes his lifelong links with the United States - the nation he called "the great Republic." Follow this great statesman through the 'Finest Hour,' the 'Sword of Freedom,' 'Unity and Strategy' as World War II ended and finally into Sir Winston's second premiership and the Cold War…
  • MegaConverter2 -  convert just about anything from one unit to a different unit—angles, area, finance interest, fractions to decimals, kitchen measures, power, pressure, flowrate with lots of units in between. Also, includes a MegaCalculator.
  • Christian Books Bibles -  Christian resources distributor online from leading publishers such as Zondervan, Tyndale, Navpress, Thomas Nelson, Baker House, CSS and many others.

March 27, 2009

  • The Committee on Doctrine (USCCB) -  established in conformity with the desire of the Holy See to address doctrinal matters. The Committee on Doctrine—was entrusted with the tasks of evaluating from the point of view of Catholic doctrine not only specific questions and problems which might arise, but also the means and/or programs adopted by the Church in America in the approach to these questions. Scroll down for publications.

March 25, 2009

  • Culture of Life Foundation -  Aim is to deepen understanding of bioethics, marriage and family, human dignity and human solidarity.
  • Virtual Hospital (University of Iowa) -  search for any medical questions that you might have. You’ll find patient educational briefs browseable by organ system or by a topical list, a collection of peer-reviewed and annotated Web resources, an internal search engine, as well as links to the Atlas Anatomy. Patient Medical References - Encyclopedia of Health Topics and Health information topic categories A-Z.
  • Subway Maps from around the world -- Europe, North, Central & South America, Australia, Africa and Asia & Middle East.
  • Reel Classics -  dedicated exclusively to Classic Movies and the stars. You'll find pictures and information on movies and musicals as well as biographies and pictures of the actors and actresses. Not to be left out, the Movie Makers section features the directors, producers, costume designers, choreographers and other support artists and, of course, the studios.
  • Gardener's Supply -  enthusiastic Vermont gardeners serve millions of gardeners nationwide, offering gardening supplies, tools, seedstarting, composting, yard & landscaping, pots & planters. Click on the Learning button for How-To Articles and comprehensive guides to basic gardening skills and techniques.
  • Theology Website -  designed for ministerial theology students but is also an invaluable resource for the lay person on all questions regarding theology, or more broadly, Christianity. For you academicians, the "Quodlibet Online Journal" posts scholarly articles on Christian theology and philosophy. Church History Study Helps.
  • Center for Online Addiction -  offers hope and valuable resources to those seeking information about Internet addiction. Internet addiction is a type of compulsive disorder and as an organization, we are specifically dedicated to helping people who suffer from this new form of addictive behavior.
  • Internet Connectivity -  Addiction and Dependency Study. Steven John Thompson, The Pennsylvania State University
  • Addictionsearch.com - Drug and Alcohol Addiction Research and Treatment Center Listings. Your source for addiction related research on drug rehabs and alcohol treatment programs, treatment centers and rehabilitation information. Our resources provide comprehensive drug addiction treatment, drug and alcohol rehabs and substance abuse treatment research.

March 24, 2009

  • Cardinal Francis George - Keep Conscience Protections for Health Care Workers. WASHINGTON-Cardinal Francis George is urging Catholics in the United States to tell the Obama Administration to retain Health and Human Services regulations governing conscience protections for health care workers.
  • LukeNotes -  newsletter of Saint Luke Institute. Each issue includes an article and a case study which discusses significant issues facing women and men religious, clergy, and persons ministering in the Church. Our goal is to foster the healthy psycho-spiritual development of women and men who serve the Church. Articles index.
  • "The Psychology of Cyberspace" -  John Suler, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, Rider University. This hypertext book explores the psychological aspects of environments created by computers and online networks. It presents an evolving conceptual framework for understanding how people react to and behave within cyberspace -  what I call "the psychology of cyberspace" – or simply "cyberpsychology." Continually being revised and expanded, this hypertext book originally was created in January of 1996. See the article index which indicates the articles most recently added and revised.

March 23, 2009

March 17, 2009

March 13, 2009

  • Rethinking Drinking - Alcohol and Your Health -  Web site and booklet produced by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), a part of the National Institutes of Health. Many drinkers may be unaware that their drinking habits are putting them at risk for alcohol-related problems.…Others may know that their drinking is causing problems, but don't know where to turn for help in cutting back or quitting. Rethinking Drinking provides evidence-based information for all of these people, along with support for making a change.
  • Exercise for Seniors (MedlinePlus) -  Regular exercise can prevent or delay diabetes and heart trouble. It can also reduce arthritis pain, anxiety and depression. There are four main types of exercise and seniors need some of each -  1) Endurance activities - like walking, swimming, or riding a bike - which build "staying power" and improve the health of the heart and circulatory system. 2) Strengthening exercises which build muscle tissue and reduce age-related muscle loss. 3) Stretching exercises to keep the body limber and flexible. 4) Balance exercises to reduce the chances of a fall.

March 12, 2009

  • April - National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The Secretariat of Child and Youth Protection (USCCB) has compiled a number of resources designed for use at the diocesan and parish level during the month of April and can easily be duplicated and distributed to your parishes.

March 11, 2009

March 9, 2009

March 6, 2009

  • Bartleby.com -  preeminent publisher of the classics of literature, reference, quotations and verse free of charge for the home, classroom, and desktop of each and every Internet participant.
  • MS Excel Tips by Allen Wyatt (Tips.Net) -  a powerful program, and you can make it even more powerful by learning the Excel tips, Excel tricks, and Excel tutorials that help make you an Excel guru.
    • MS Excel 2007 (Tips.Net) -  No doubt about it; Excel is "different" now, and it can be confusing to beginners and frustrating to long-time users. These tips are designed for use specifically and solely with Excel 2007. You'll find just about everything you need to become productive with the program right away.
  • MS Word Tips by Allen Wyatt (Tips.net) -  for many different versions of Microsoft Word for the PC -  Word 6, Word 95, Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003, and Word 2007. Tips cover editing, footnotes/endnotes, headers/footers, bullets/numbering, find/replace, graphics, outline, tables, columns, templates, and more.
    • MS Word 2007 (Tips.Net) -  You'll find just about everything you need to become productive with Word 2007 right away. Tips cover editing, files, formatting, graphics, macros, multimedia, and more.
  • Tips.Net -  an entire network of websites, each designed to bring you useful, helpful, and timely information that you can put to use right away. You can choose from 23,073 tips in 17 categories—beauty, cars, cleaning, cooking, family gardening, health, money, organizing.
    • Cooking Tips (Tips.Net) -  discover the tips and techniques that will enhance your enjoyment and your culinary skills. Tips cover baking, barbecue, desserts, easy meals, ethnic cooking, holidays, kitchen tips, pasta, soups, spices and more.
    • Family Tips (Tips.Net) -  Ideas, tips, and information you need to help improve your family, to help raise good children and to deal with the various challenges of family life. Tips cover behavioral problems, child care, discipline, marriage, parenting and more.
    • Health Tips (Tips.Net) -  Designed to increase your general knowledge about health issues and, thereby, to provide what you need in order to effectively maintain and improve your health.

March 5, 2009

  • Lenten Reflections 2009 -  Salt & Light Catholic Media Foundation.
    • Salt & Light Catholic Media Foundation -  100% Catholic content through a diverse range of multi-media tools, including television production, digital television and satellite distribution and the internet.
  • Ohio Revised Code -  All statutes of a permanent and general nature of the state as revised and consolidated into general provisions, titles, chapters, and sections including all bills passed with an effective date through September 12, 2008.

March 2, 2009

  • Travelers' Health (CDC) -  offers information to assist travelers and their health-care providers in deciding the vaccines, medications, and other measures necessary to prevent illness and injury during international travel.
  • MedlinePlus -  health information from the world's largest medical library, the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Extensive information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other trusted sources on over 750 diseases and conditions. There are directories, a medical encyclopedia and a medical dictionary, easy-to-understand tutorials on common conditions, tests, treatments, health information, extensive information on prescription and nonprescription drugs.
  • The Healthy People Library Project - Your Guide to Health Resources -  The goal is to empower libraries to play an active role in increasing the quality and years of healthy life and eliminating health disparities for all Americans. Click on Health Resources | Health Outreach | The Science Insider. Note the selections in left column.
  • The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) -  dedicated to research focused on the understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders and the promotion of mental health.
  • The Bright Side, Wings of Support -  Resources and information on depression, grief, suicide, mental illness and emotional well being.
  • The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation -  inspires people to practice kindness and to 'pass it on' to others. With all of the pressures of everyday living, too often we forget the difference that simple acts of kindness can make In Your Classroom and In Your Community.
  • RecipeSource -  The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes. Recipes are organized into two major groups -  1) by ethnic cuisine/region/ethnic group, 2) by the type of dish.
  • The EnhancED (Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning - CCNMTL) -  Provides faculty and instructors information about new technologies and hot topics surrounding education and technology, and to share expertise about these technologies and approaches to teaching with technology.

February 27, 2009

  • Martha Stewart’s -Food -  Includes Recipe Finder, Menus, Cooking 101, Quick Recipes, Holiday Recipes, Baking Recipes, Light & Healthy, Beverages, Cooking School, Cookie of the Day.
  • Teaching Kids to Stay Cyber-Safe (National Cyber Security Alliance) -  A national campaign to engrain the three Cs—cyberethics, cybersafety and cybersecurity—into the subconscious of K-12 students.
  • VADLO -  A Life Sciences Search Engine. Caters to all branches of life sciences. VADLO allows users to search within five categories -  Protocols, Online Tools, Seminars, Databases and Software.
  • The Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana -  This truly astonishing collection from the Library of Congress's American Memory project presents over 1300 items with more than 4000 total images from the years 1824 to 1931. Includes -  sheet music, broadsides, prints, cartoons, maps, drawings, and campaign tickets related to Lincoln's life and times. This truly astonishing collection from the Library of Congress's American Memory project presents over 1300 items with more than 4000 total images from the years 1824 to 1931.
  • American Cinema (Annenberg Media group) -  Teaching creative thinking through American film. Produced by the New York Center for Visual History along with KCET/Los Angeles and the BBC, this thirteen-part series contains 10 one-hour and 3 half-hour video programs. Visitors will need to register to watch the programs, but after doing so they can watch all of them in their entirety, and they may also view special extras, like the classroom exercise "Writing a Scene."

February 25, 2009

February 24, 2009

February 18, 2009

  • Lent Season 2009 (USCCB) -  Ash Wednesday, February 25th, begins the forty-day season called Lent which precedes the celebration of Easter, Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Includes Lenten resources for families and parishes.
  • DocFinder -  online physician directory. Developed by Administrators In Medicine (AIM) National Organization for State Medical & Osteopathic Board Executive Directors. DocFinder contains the licensing background and disciplinary information of physicians and other health care practitioners with much more detailed Medical Malpractice, Hospital Discipline and Criminal Conviction information…
  • Photography's Golden Rule -  The most important thing to know about your rights as a photographer -  In general, you can photograph anything or anyone as long as you are on public property. Public property includes city streets, municipal parks, and national parks and forests. Nonetheless, Internet photography forums are chock full of tales about people who have been challenged or harassed when using a camera in public.
  • ALA Copyright 101 Educational Materials -  Includes electronic and media reserves, international copyright law, fair use, interlibrary loan, and more!

February 17, 2009

February 16, 2009

February 13, 2009

  • Friday the 13th, Fear of (About.com/Urban Legends) -  Origins, History, Superstitions, and Folklore
    • Paraskevidekatriaphobia - the irrational fear of Friday the 13th - was first coined in the early nineties by Dr. Donald E. Dossey, an American psychotherapist specializing in phobias and stress management.
  • History of St. Valentine’s Day (History Channel) -  History, quotations and traditions.
  • U.S. Presidents Day -  officially known as Washington's Birthday, is a federal holiday in the United States and is celebrated on the third Monday of February. In 2009, Presidents Day falls on February 16.
  • The Presidents of the USA -  Since George Washington's election in 1789, 44 men have served as President of the United States. They have led in times of peace and war, hardship and plenty, and served in tenures as short as one month and as long as 12 years. Learn more about America's Presidents.
  • With Malice Toward None -  The Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Exhibition (LOC). In commemoration of the two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the nation’s revered sixteenth president, this exhibition reveals Lincoln the man, whose thoughts, words, and actions were deeply affected by personal experiences and pivotal historic events.
  • The National Marine Sanctuaries Media Library -  online vault of a comprehensive collection of select video clips and high-resolution still images from America's underwater treasures and available for searchable access and download.

February 11, 2009

  • Operation Rice Bowl (CRS) -  Each year, Operation Rice Bowl calls us to pray with our families and faith communities; fast in solidarity with those who hunger; learn more about our global community and the challenges of poverty overseas, and give sacrificial contributions to those in need. Ash Wednesday is February 25, 2009.
  • The Rosary Foundation -  Includes -  A Brief History of the Rosary | How to Pray the Rosary | Rosary Questions & Answers | Rosary Resources.
  • Digital @ Leadership Network - church tech blog for non-techies. One blog that provides both aggregated content and original content insights from a plurality of perspectives about how to use technology for ministry, and explain it to non-techies.
  • ChurchCrunch.com -  Exploring the intersection of technology and the church. We exist to challenge and encourage you to explore how web technology is changing ministry.

February 10, 2009

  • Vatican City State - 80th Anniversary -  Inaugurated on 11 February 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Accords. Under the motto, "A small territory with a great mission," a number of distinctive celebrations will mark the 80th anniversary of the city-state’s founding." Includes -  Webcams, General Information on Vatican City State, History, On-line tours of Saint Peter's Basilica, The Vatican Museums, The Vatican Gardens, Castel Gandolfo, and Photo Galleries.
  • CatholicMil.org -  to "spiritually edify" military families who have immediate family members serving on active duty, while also promoting vocations to the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
  • Whitney's Star Finder -  developed by Charles A. Whitney, Professor emeritus of Astronomy, Harvard University 'for the amateur astronomer, the student, and the casual observer of the sky.' The visitor will have access to star charts that apply to the current month/s. Eclipse, comet and meteor schedules for particular periods as well as locations for the best sightings are posted regularly.

February 9, 2009

  • UsingEnglish.com -  a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics. Browse our grammar glossary and references of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms, ESL forums, articles, teacher handouts and printables, and find useful links and information on English.
    • English Language Reference -  includes definitions of English grammar terms, irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms. Also includes links to online dictionaries.
  • "Renewing Our Public Life" - Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, OFM, Cap. Denver Rotary Club (October 10, 2002).
  • Science at a Distance - E-Learning Modules -  Professor John Blamire has crafted this very fine set of online learning modules for students interested in learning about everything from the properties of proteins to Mendelian genetics.
  • DonorsChoose.org -  a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom we call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

February 5, 2009

February 2, 2009

  • Digital Research Tools (Digital Media Center at Rice University) -  information about tools and resources that can help scholars conduct research more efficiently or creatively.
  • National Institutes of Health -  Health Information. This consumer-oriented National Institutes of Health site includes Quick Links, on the left side of the page, to such topics as "Child & Teen Health", "Men's Health", "Minority Health", and "Seniors' Health".

January 30, 2009

  • Super Bowl 43 (NFL.com) -  Steelers vs. Cardinals
    • Super Bowl Food and Recipes (About.com) -  Here are dozens of Super Bowl recipes, including party snacks and finger foods, dips and spreads, hearty sandwich recipes, and more.

January 29, 2009

  • FDA - Peanut Butter Product Recalls. Note -  This list includes food products subject to recall in the United States since January 2009 related to peanut butter and peanut paste recalled by Peanut Corporation of America. This list will be updated as new information is received. This information is current as of the date indicated. Once included, all food recalls will remain listed. Updated regularly.
  • Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder -  fast, free, and efficiently finds the product keys for installed programs, then lets you print them for safekeeping. Compatible with all versions of Windows and can dig up the keys for your operating system, Office apps, and various other programs.

January 26, 2009

  • All About Snow - The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) -  The severe weather that has been taking place recently makes All About Snow the place to be. The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) makes it possible for the snow bunny to find out the pertinent 'Snow Facts' as well as research the entire cryosphere, 'the portion of the Earth's surface where water is in a solid form, usually snow or ice.'
    • NSIDC Education Center -  Earth is home to snow and ice in many different forms. These frozen realms of the cryosphere influence life all over our planet. Here in the NSIDC Education Center, you will find a range of information about Earth's snow and ice, from comprehensive "All About" sections to quick facts on popular snow and ice topics.
  • Skeptics Dictionary -  A Collection of Strange Beliefs, Amusing Deceptions, and Dangerous Delusions (and how to think critically about them). You'll find over 400 listings alphabetically indexed 'from abracadabra to zombies.'
  • Edison National Historic Site -  learn more about Thomas Edison and his patents. There is a section for Grade 4 and Up where a grade appropriate timeline, a brief biography, 'FAQ's and Fables' and information on Edison's 'Big Three' inventions can be found. The main section is geared to the older student and provides more in-depth information on the man and his impact on technology as well as his contribution to the research and development laboratory concept. Check out the 'For Teachers' section for additional teaching resources and support.
  • Mathematics Illuminated -  an excellent thirteen-part series created by Annenberg Media for adult learners and high school teachers. The series "explores major themes in the field of mathematics, from humankind's earliest study of prime numbers, to the cutting-edge mathematics used to reveal the shape of the universe."
  • The Dynamic Earth -  the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History brings alive the fascinating history of the Earth from the perspective of the physical sciences. After a dramatic introduction, visitors can explore the Earth's history in four sections -  "Gems and Minerals", "Rocks and Mining", "Plate Tectonics and Volcanoes", and "The Solar System".
  • The Ohio Digital Resource Commons (DRC) -   learn about the historic, instructional, cultural, and creative works of those in the Ohio University system, as well as the liberal arts colleges of Ohio. Visitors will want to click on "Communities and Collections" on the left hand menu to browse the vast resources available. Some of the communities included are "Art and Architecture", "Multi-Subject Video", and "OhioLINK Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Center".

January 23, 2009

  • The Vatican/YouTube -  This channel offers news coverage of the main activities of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI and of relevant Vatican events. It is now has an English translation.

January 21, 2009

  • ThinkQuest Library of Entries -  collection of educational web sites designed by participants in the ThinkQuest Contests. Teachers and students can explore a multitude of topics from Art & Entertainment to Philosophy, Religion & Mythology, to Sports & Recreation, to name a few of the categories.
  • "The North American Indian" by Edward S. Curtis (LOC) -  one of the most significant and controversial representations of traditional American Indian culture ever produced. Issued in a limited edition from 1907-1930, the publication continues to exert a major influence on the image of Indians in popular culture.

January 20, 2009

  • National Science Foundation's Classroom Resources -  online library of resources for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
  • Journal of Issues in Collegiate Athletics -  Created as an initiative by the College Sport Research Institute (CSRI) "intended to foster an atmosphere that encourages personal and intellectual growth for faculty and students, demands excellence and professional integrity from faculty and student affiliates, supports independent critical college-sport research, and advocates for college athletes' rights and education."

January 13, 2009

  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) -  To support and promote the best science on alcohol and health for the benefit of all by -  Increasing the understanding of normal and abnormal biological functions and behavior relating to alcohol use | Improving the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorders | Enhancing quality health care.
  • Organic Chemistry Animations -  contains interactive 3D animations for some of the most important organic reactions covered during an undergraduate chemistry degree with supporting information on reactivity and spectroscopy. Visitors will want to also look at the list of reactions covered on the left-hand side of the same page.
  • International Space Archives -  a digital library containing the best of the incredible imagery created by our planet's exploration of the universe. These images come from a variety of sources including NASA and other national and private space programs.
  • CathNewsUSA, a service of Paulist Press -  digests global Catholic news. Free email subscription available (right column).

January 12, 2009

January 5, 2009

  • The Pennsylvania Turnpike - Traveler Info -  Includes State Police or Emergency Assistance, PA State Roadway Conditions, Emergency Cellular Phone Service, as well as, numbers for Ohio, Maryland and West Virginia road conditions and emergencies. Check out links if left column.
  • How to Develop and Write a Grant Proposal (Congressional Research Service) -  To assist grant seekers in districts and states, and it includes writing proposals for both government and private foundations grants. The second section of the report covers the actual writing of the proposal, from outlining of project goals, stating the purpose and objectives of the proposal, explaining the program methods to solve the stated problem, and how the results of the project will be evaluated, to long-term project planning, and, finally, developing the proposal budget.
  • ChemXSeer -  an integrated digital library and database allowing for intelligent search of documents in the chemistry domain and data obtained from chemical kinetics.
  • Encyclopedia of Cleveland History and Dictionary of Cleveland Biography -  Sponsored jointly by Case Western Reserve University and the Western Reserve Historical Society.
  • Virtual Tour—The White House -  This virtual exhibit takes the visitor on tours of various rooms and areas of the White House. President Bush personally conducts the grand tour of the Oval Office, Mrs. Bush the tour of the Diplomatic room, other staff members introduce you to their personal space. The White House curator gives a video presentation of the art and furnishings on the State Floor.
  • AllMyFaves.com -  has searched the web and provided you with a visual directory that includes the best sites in each category!

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