In the Dark

Google.com writes

"Google users in the United States will notice today that we "turned the lights out" on the Google.com homepage as a gesture to raise awareness of a worldwide energy conservation effort called Earth Hour.On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. Given our company's commitment to environmental awareness and energy efficiency, we strongly support the Earth Hour campaign, and have darkened our homepage today to help spread awareness of what we hope will be a highly successful global event."

You Heard It Here

Click on this link:
Bee there! to hear the message.
You can visit this very cool site, a text-to-speech translator which has many uses, among them TSS functionality on your website. When trying it out, however, don't forget to translate your English in another language first. Otherwise you'll be in stitches listening to "I'd like to find a nice red wine" in an Italian accent, but not Italian! Thanks to my husband Gerry who is always on the lookout for cool links ... and for making me laugh.

Being Human

Read Wired magazine's very interesting article, Algorithms Are Terrific. But to Search Smarter, Find a Person. From Library Link of the Day. Some bloggers are trying to do this on a very small scale, finding interesting items or links among all the billions everyday.

November 2008 Is Just Around the Corner

Read this article written in 1968 that predicts Forty Years In the Future. I'm still waiting for the intelligence pill:

" No need to worry about failing memory or intelligence either. The intelligence pill is another 21st century commodity. Slow learners or people struck with forgetful-ness are given pills which increase the production of enzymes controlling production of the chemicals known to control learning and memory. Everyone is able to use his full mental potential."

From the extensive archives, Blog.ModernMechanix.com
The site has lots of other stuff to browse but beware - you'll spend way too much time and might forget to invent that intelligence pill.

All Things Considered

Listen to the NPR podcast by Martha Woodroff.

Book-centered sites like LibraryThing, Goodreads, Shelfari, aNobii and BookJetty, among others, allow readers to keep track of books they have read or books they want to read or buy — and see what others are reading and recommending.

Vernal, as in Equinox

FactMonster.com brings you fast facts about the Rite of Spring.

Translated literally, equinox means "equal night."

FactMonster even has poetry about spring.

A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King. Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
No. 1333 (c.1875)

New on MapQuest: Traffic

Traffic is not new to commuters ... and MapQuest has it covered. Before you leave (or as you drive with your mobile device) you can avoid the troublespots - either construction or accidents. MapQuest Traffic is being Beta tested and you can try it out here. From the MapQuest Blog:

From the MapQuest Blog:"We're pleased to announce the launch of our new Current Traffic feature. Now when you bring up a map or generate driving directions, with one click you can easily visualize traffic conditions in most major US metros. This is a great way to quickly check traffic as you begin your commute home from the office, or before heading out to the airport, concert, ballpark, or mall. Keep in mind that once you've started your trip, MapQuest Traffic is a real-time feature (updated every five minutes) and things can change quickly once you're on the road. "

Presidential

PBS has included 25 hours of online videos at American Experience: From the Past to the Presidents.

Patchwork Nation

The Christian Science Monitor has announced the launch of a new election site, the Patchwork Nation. The CSM says that this site

"offers a fresh approach to covering politics."

"Funded by the Knight Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization, the new website replaces the conventional red-state/blue-state maps with one that examines the election through the lens of 11 different types of communities around the country."

Much of New England fits into one category, "the monied burbs" with the exception of upper New Hampshire, Western Massachusetts and the states of Vermont and Maine. The site is much more than the map, however, and a look outside of our box.

Motion

Check out BBC's MotionGallery. Turn your sound up if you'd like.

Surprising Words

You can subscribe to a daily podcast or daily email from Podictionary.com.

"a word root every day"

Yankee Girl

Do you like the convenience of buying online but hate the shipping costs? Check out FreeShipping.com for coupons. Ah, there's a Yankee is all of us!

Quick and Dirty Tricks from Grammar Girl

Grammar Girl "provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Covering the grammar rules and word choice guidelines that can confound even the best writers, Grammar Girl makes complex grammar questions simple with memory tricks to help you recall and apply those troublesome grammar rules. Whether English is your first language or second language, Grammar Girl’s punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer. Mignon Fogarty is the creator and host of Grammar Girl."

Carpe Sol

Read everything you wanted to know about daylight savings time ... and more at Daylight Savings Time from WebExhibits.com.

Just as sunflowers turn their heads to catch every sunbeam, so too have we discovered a simple way to get more from our sun.

Or read the books inspired by the subject: Seize the Daylight: The Curious and Contentious Story of Daylight Saving Time by David Prerau and Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time by Michael Downing.

Perhaps Just A Hint Of Mildew

Christopher Brosius, of CB I Hate Perfume, describes his scent, In The Library:

English Novel ... Russian & Moroccan leather bindings, worn cloth and a hint of wood polish. I love books, particularly old ones. Whenever I read, the start of the journey is always opening the book and breathing deeply. Don’t you find there are few things more wonderful than the smell of a much-loved book?... leather is marvelous of course but I find a peculiar pleasure in musty worn clothbound books as well. Perhaps just a hint of mildew…

Cherry Blossoms

The National Cherry Blossom Festival begins at the end of March and lasts into April. Check out the official site for everything Cherry Blossoms.

It's Easy Being Green

Check out some of the recycled crafts idea here at Acorn Studios.

There's also a list of links to green crafters and a glossary of 'green' terms.

Fairytale Romances

If you're smitten by fairytales or romances, here's a list of books from LikesBooks.com which repeat or morph those tales.

Then and Now

Today's Sunday Globe Magazine's article, Then and Now, has wonderful photos of the city of Boston 'then and now' - before and after the Big Dig. With all the complaints and criticisms, the city is delightful to view today from the air. It think, it the end, it was an improvement.



A few of my favorite books are Then and Now by Stefania & Dominic Perring and Cities: Then and Now by Jim Antoniou. With acetate overlays supplying reconstructions you can view the original cities of the world and the cities of today. Fascinating for everyone, including young students.

Maps of War

Maps of War.com has some very interesting historical maps that tell us the stories, visually, in 90 seconds. Especially interesting is the Imperial History of the Middle East.