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Non Sequitur

It's called "Non Sequitur" presumably because it doesn't always follow a sequence―but sometimes it does. Either way, it clever and funny. Our local newspaper only prints this comic on Saturdays. That means that when there is a story line, you can't follow it. That's a good reason not to get a paper. Doesn't matter; you can click on the link and get it from here.

Dilbert

This is one of the cartoons that keeps us going when we are in a ridiculous situation that we can't change. Let's have a bit more of Alice.  She's a kind of up-dated Miss Piggy from The Muppets with more IQ and a more character.  If your newspaper makes your favorite comic hard to find, you can get all that on-line.

The World's Healthiest Foods

This web site is run by a non-profit organization that provides unbiased scientific information about how nutrient rich foods can promote health.  Whether you’re looking for healthy recipes, nutritional information for a particular type of food, or the history and disease fighting capability of different foods, this site will keep you occupied for hours.

U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications

Have you ever wanted to know when the sun was going to set?  the moon rise?  At this site, you can obtain the times of sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset, transits of the Sun and Moon, and the beginning and end of civil twilight, along with information on the Moon's phase by specifying the date and location in one of the two forms

NASA’s Earth Observatory

Web sites on either side of the global warming issue are often fueled more by emotion than hard science.  It’s difficult to decide who or what to believe.  NASA’s Earth Observatory, however, presents satellite images and real science about our home planet and the changes in our climate and environment.

Vie Dunn-Harr, Painter

Fascinating paintings: "Vie Dunn-Harr, Painter.  Born in San Antonio, Texas (USA) in 1953.  Dunn-Harr found her artistic expression slowly, yet deliberately, and continues to explore the many possibilities in the arts.  She studied in Florence, Italy at the Lorenzo de Medici Instituto de Arte and at the Toblach-Dobbiaco Academia Italia.  She derived much of her early experience from the traditional school and continues to embrace formalism.  Her works are organic forms rooted in architectural elements.  The forms are sensuous and portray the force and fragility of nature.  Dunn-Harr considers herself a contemporary realist and has exhibited in the USA, Europe and Mexico."

Project Wildbird

This is a great page for identifying birds; you can even listen to the song if you click on the bird that you are interested in.  The parent site appears to be dedicated to raising money and is navigable only for that purpose, but this page is nicely done.

The Imaging Resource

If you are interested in digital cameras, you will probably love this site.  The publisher writes, "I'm Dave Etchells, the Publisher of the Imaging Resource, and the "Dave" you see mentioned here and there around the site. I actually thought about doing a site like this as far back as 1993, but didn't get it launched until April 1, 1998. (No joke ;-) It's grown steadily since then, and these days, we get more traffic in a peak hour than we got the entire first month we were in operation."

Encyclopedia Mythica

It is impossible to appreciate the full beauty and power of classical literature and poetry without a cursory understanding of Greek and Roman mythology.  Whether it is a reference to Pandora’s Box, The Muses, Hercules, Apollo or Zeus, a background in mythology adds richness to our enjoyment.  At this web site, you will find what you need quickly and easily to understand that poem, or to just have fun browsing and enjoying the antics of the gods in a fairy-tale world.

Poynter On-Line

This remarkable site explains everything there is to know about color in a remarkable way.  The visitor participates in the experience.  You need Flash to view the site, but they give you a link to download it free.  Anne Conneen is credited for designing and producing it.

Wigtown

They describe themselves as Scotland's National Book Town.  They tell you about poetry competitions, festivals, and books.  In addition, they have some charming pictures.  Hard to find is a page about Alastair Reid.  We'd like to go to Wigtown someday.

Science News

This is the website of the weekly magazine which is a wonderful compendium of things going on in various scientific areas.  It's difficult to keep up with the latest publications in one's own field and nearly impossible in a broad range of topics.  Science News helps.

Sandy Sorlien Photographs

Sandy Sorlien describes herself as an itinerant photographer. Here you will find pictures of rural houses, urban neighborhoods, Main Streets, and open country. My work has always been about this: my longing for places that are disappearing from America.  There is good photography here; we think that you will enjoy the site.

Library of Congress Prints and Photographs

The Library cautions that not all the prints displayed here are in the public domain; it is the obligation of those who want to use the items to determine copyright.  This is a wonderful resource and a great site to browse.

Carpe Diem Quotes from the Quote Garden

Feeling that life is short?  Here's a page that has collected what people said when they felt the same way.  If you have a favorite verse that tells you to "seize the day" and you can't remember exactly what it is, you can surely find it here.  Those quoted range from Dr. Seuss to Virgil.

◊When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.  Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.  ~Indian Saying
◊The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  ~Mark Twain
◊What would be the use of immortality to a person who cannot use well a half an hour.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
◊The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.  ~Rabindranath Tagore
◊May you live all the days of your life.  ~Jonathan Swift

Genesee Country Village & Museum

     Take your place in history, just 20 miles from Rochester, N.Y. This living history museum is the largest in New York, and one of the largest in the nation.
     The Historic Village and the John L. Wehle Art Gallery, North America's premier collection of wildlife and sporting art, are open May-October.
     The museum also includes the Genesee Country Nature Center — 175 acres featuring five miles of hiking trails through woodlands, wetlands and meadows. The nature center is open year round.

The National Zoo

The National Zoo is part of the Smithsonian Institution, and an especially appealing part.  This is the perfect site for children providing numerous things to amuse them.  It is also a great site for adults, however, with information on endangered animals around the world.  One of the amazing things is their web cams.  You can actually see the Giant Panda in her zoo den.  It's not always interesting because she may be sleeping, but having access to such a thing is remarkable.  All the animal pictures are enjoyable, and you can download screen saver pictures for free.  Their bird pictures are truly phenomenal, and they tell you about the bird on the screen on which it is displayed.

Bubble Wrap

Do you like to pop the bubbles in bubble wrap.  Strange to say, you're not alone.  A site has been created just so you can pop to your heart's content.  You need to be sure that you are in the bubble wrap pop insane screen, and then be sure to click the Manic Mode box—but do it both ways because the visuals as well as the sound are quite something. Everyone needs something funny in their life, and this will provide a great break. 

Better Business Bureau

The Better Business Bureau has been helping consumers for quite some time.  Their on-line site currently has a great deal of information about identity theft and consumer fraud.  They link to a site which has a quiz to tell you how protected you are against identity theft.  They state that since their founding in 1912, their system has proven that the majority of marketplace problems can be solved fairly through the use of voluntary self-regulation and consumer education.

Audubon

    This website deals with numerous issues of significance to everyone.  If anyone doesn't like their slant, they can just look at the pictures of birds.  Be sure to click on the magazine link.
   They state: "Audubon's mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.
    "Our national network of community-based nature centers and chapters, scientific and educational programs, and advocacy on behalf of areas sustaining important bird populations, engage millions of people of all ages and backgrounds in positive conservation experiences."

New Medicine

Nobody wants to need this site, but if you do, it's a great thing to have.  There are 3000 drugs for the treatment of cancer.  This site is a resource for drug companies, physicians, and those afflicted with cancer.

Timeline of Art History

The Metropolitan Museum of Art has created a timeline of art history. This site is not only an encyclopedia of art information, but is created with skill and design that is an art in itself.  It is a site that can be visited over and over without exhausting what it offers.
 

Spark Notes

This is a marvelous site for checking on works of literature and authors. While it may be misused by those who hope to sound more erudite than they are, it is a wonderful reference for anyone who wants to review facts or get the gist of a great literary work before reading it in depth.
 

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum

The Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum occupies the original Allan Herschell Company factory complex at 180 Thompson Street in North Tonawanda, New York.  The building, which is listed on both the New York State and National Registers of Historic Sites, is a series of seven interconnected structures which once housed all of the manufacturing components of the factory. The Allan Herschell Company shipped its first ride from this factory complex in 1916. The museum opened to the public in July of 1983, operating the 1916 Allan Herschell carousel in the original roundhouse. Since 1988 the entire first floor has been opened with exhibits and demonstrations that interpret the operation of the factory.  The website is worth seeing as well as the museum.
 

2004 Selections

Fact Check

With all the spin that has become expected in political campaigns, it is crucial to have an unbiased organization that looks at the facts and reports them.  Just be sure to remember the "org" and that "fact" is singular, not plural, or you will get to the wrong site.  In the heading of their site, the quote Daniel Patrick Moynihan, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts."

PollingReport.com

In these poll obsessed times, what could be better than having a nonpartisan, independent resource dedicated to make the politically astute lose sleep and pull out their hair.  This site is designed to give nightmares to anyone who is well informed and has strong ideas on the direction the country needs to go in.  For the truly lost, there is the option of subscribing to get even more obsessive material, but the free site offers the normally nervous all they are likely to need.

The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian is not one museum, but many, surrounding the mall in Washington DC.  From the National Gallery of Art to the Space Museum, there are infinite things to explore and learn and see.

Mar-Eco

The Census of Marine Life is an ambitious international project designed to gather more information about life in all of the world's oceans.  One can see just how ambitious this is when they visit this site that "simply" documents the discoveries made on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.  This free site is a wealth of  fascinating information, with areas for the public, and, for those who wish to learn more, an area designed for students.

Guggenheim Museum

This page links to five Guggenheim Museums in New York, Bilbao, Venice, Berlin, and Las Vegas  It is attractively laid out and takes the viewer to fascinating art resources.

Silent Ladies and Gents

This site created by David B. Pearson presents an extensive collection, attractively arrayed, of still portraits of silent film stars.  This is the first place researchers into silent films look for pictures of luminaries.  A wonderful resource.

White Earth Land Recovery Project

They say: The mission of the White Earth Land Recovery Project is to facilitate recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation, while preserving and restoring traditional practices of sound land stewardship, language fluency, community development, and strengthening our spiritual and cultural heritage.  An amazing site.  Be sure to look at Native Harvest, then Organic Foods, and then Wild Rice.

The International Buster Keaton Society

This site is superbly crafted, both gorgeous to look at and full of information presented in a snappy, attractive format—thereby helping to explain one of the best senses of humor in silent movies. Included are stunning pictures and insightful text that engage the casual surfer as well as the seasoned film enthusiast.

Cleveland Museum of Art

The homepage for the Cleveland Museum of Art features a growing collection of fantastic photographs of their collection, and provides information about special exhibits that are quite informative.  The current exhibit features Muybridge (perhaps best known for his early photographs of moving horses), his contemporaries in the instantanious photography movement, and the equipment they used to capture distinct, spontaneous moments in time.  It charts the development of techniques and technologies that were the foundation of modern cinema, and is worth viewing for anyone interested in the art or technology that we take for granted now.

The National Gallery of Art

Formerly called the Mellon Art Gallery, the National Gallery's website has everything you'd expect in an on-line gallery with a tour and special events.  They even have a kid's section. 

Virtual Hospital

This is a website created and maintained by the University of Iowa Medical College.  To find information on diseases, click on "search" in the top image.  The articles are signed by the medical doctors who wrote them, and there is a wealth of information.

Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

In a fantastic use of the internet, Merriam-Webster provides a free dictionary with an audible pronunciation guide.  They offer a thesaurus as well, and then take you to an unabridged dictionary for which one must register.  The free dictionary is something which we hope they continue.

Word Worth's 2003 Selections:
Despair, Inc. Despair, Inc. is a bit of a departure from the normal "Site of the Month." A comercial venture, it offers a wide range of de-motivational slogans that are sure to delight and depress. Think of it as the antitote to http://www.successories.com.
Wikipedia Wikipedia is a free, on-line encyclopedia with content provided by its readers.  A peer-review system is in place to ensure accuracy, and any registered user can submit changes to any article.  An effort to make the site available in multiple languages further increases its utility and appeal.
Aristotle’s Rhetoric From 24 hour news stations to an individual’s web journals, information on a global scale has never been more available to most of the world’s citizenry. This vast influx of fact and opinion has had many effects, one of which is increased attention to not just what is said, but how it is said (USA Today recently named AmericanRhetoric.com one of its "Hot Sites"). It is in this vein that we direct your attention to Aristotle’s Rhetoric. This site, designed by Lee Honeycutt, provides an authoritative translation of this classic work that is searchable by keyword, summarized by chapter, and available as an off-line download.
Desktop Spa This is pretty neat... it has lots of relaxation things with sound and video and everything.  You have to sign up to use it.   Go to the link above, enter a user name and password—whatever you want to use, and then a corporate id—you don't have to fill in anything else in the next box. There are yoga things and guided imagery and all kinds of neat stuff.  —Sent in by Maria
McSweeney's McSweeney’s was founded in 2000 with the purpose of printing material rejected by other publishers.  It has since grown into three respected divisions encompassing books, a quarterly journal, and a strong on-line presence.  We strongly recommend browsing the extensive archives of this insightful and often funny site.
The Darwin Martin House For information on the Darwin Martin house in Buffalo, and links to other Wright places, this site is appealing especially because of its few, but dramatic photographs.  Their phone number is 716-856-3858. Restoration is being conducted by the Martin House Restoration Corporation.
The Montreal Botanical Garden The collections of the Montreal Botanical Garden were started in 1936 and have now reached more than 21,000 taxa. Its mission is to conserve, develop, and present to the public living plant collections, to pursue research activities, and to educate all visitors in botany and horticulture. Its website offers a description of the gardens as well as a calendar of bloom.
Art Gallery of Ontario "The AGO’s collection comprises more than 36,000 works representing 1,000 years of European, Canadian, modern, Inuit, and contemporary art. This important collection along with the Gallery’s preeminence in art education and expertise of the conservation of art, makes the AGO one of Canada’s most significant public resources for the advancement of the visual arts."
Video Library With an inventory of more than 21,000 titles, this on-line video rental service offers special collections that include vintage, comedy, drama, British, International, midnight movies, mystery, arts/musicals, African American, documentaries, horror, science fiction, adventure, and family movies. Most movies arrive in two to three days but next-day service is available for a fee.
The Champion Tree Project “The Champion Tree Project was founded in 1996...to preserve the biggest, best, tallest, strongest, and eldest representatives of Earth’s largest living plants...These majestic specimens are rare, unique, and precious natural resources...and they may be essential to the health of Earth’s ecosystems, the biodiversity of all species, and invaluable to the well-being of future generations of humans.”
The Classics Network LiteratureClassics.com... presents a wealth of content in the form of critical essays, carefully selected and rated references to online and print material, quotes, and related resources.  Its dynamic, interactive environment allows users to ask questions of resident experts and contribute to the site.  Run by a volunteer Editorial Team, it’s committed to promoting the appreciation of classic works of literature.

Word Worth's 2002 Selections:
Community Supported Agriculture		Wine Lovers
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a long name for doing something simple – buying your food from a local farmer. "Food in the US travels an average of 1,300 miles from the farm to the market shelf." If you’d rather buy food grown locally by people you know using methods that are ethical and safe, this website will put you in touch with the farmer nearest you.		Wine Tasting 101 is just the beginning on this website devoted to wine. Who needs Robert Parker when you can learn to taste for yourself? Dedicated to the intelligent enjoyment of wine, the authors leave the usual arrogance and status-seeking behavior of wine snobs behind. Columns that list the best wines under $12 sit right next to columns on informal food trips through France.
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum		Society of Professional Journalists
For anyone who has reveled in the visual richness of Georgia O’Keeffe’s bold and brilliant paintings, this website will make Santa Fe, New Mexico a longed-for destination. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s permanent collection is "the largest of any museum in the world and the first art museum dedicated to the work of a woman artist of international stature."		Ethics, diversity, freedom of information, professional development, international journalism, and Project Watchdog are all part of the website maintained by the Society of Professional Journalists. "Dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as a cornerstone of our nation and our liberty," the society supports the Sigma Delta Chi Awards recognizing the best work in American journalism.
Word Smith		The Academy of American Poets
Described by its founder, Anu Garg, as an online community of more than 500,000 word lovers in more than 200 countries, this website supports "A Word A Day", a free e-mail subscription to an intelligent selection of words, intellectual discussion of their origin, and examples of their use gleaned from journals including Harper's and The Atlantic Monthly every weekday.		Maintained by the Academy of American Poets, this website provides further support for those who create poetry, for those who need poetry in their lives, and for those who are curious about poetry and want to learn more. There is also a discussion forum, a search engine, events calendar, awards, literary links, and current news about poets and poetry.
Art Cyclopedia		Center for Environmental Therapeutics
This is the Winslow Homer page of a website which has done an amazing job of cataloguing artists collected by museums.  They "have compiled a comprehensive index of every artist represented at hundreds of museum sites, image archives, and other online resources. We have started out by covering the biggest and best sites around, and have links for most well-known artists...."		Sleep is boring.  It is a drag and a waste of time—that is until something goes wrong with it.  Then you have to stop taking it for granted; it gets to be as sweet as water in a desert.  This site tells you a lot about it, and there is even a fascinating questionnaire that gives you immediate feedback about your sleep cycle.
CISVG Museum [Site Defunct]		Quiet Street Antiques
Who are these people? Venezuelan, apparently. You get an unsolicited e-mail which you normally delete immediately, but this one attracts your attention.  There is nothing but a link.  You go to the site, select your connection type, and then click on several images.  You get a magical video complete with music [Esp.#11 or 13].  At the home page, there is background in a choice of languages.		We normally don't choose commercial sites nor ones that are technologically simplistic.  This site, however, we have chosen for the elegance of the items which the shop handles and for the knowledge and expertise of the proprietor.  We have been in this shop in Bath, England, and found it to be an adventure in a very, very old city with a fascinating history.
The Art Institute of Chicago Museum		Keeping Up Appearances
A very well done site, especially their View the Collection section where  one can enlarge the paintings.		Laughter is good medicine, and Hyacinth Bucket—Pronounced Bouquet, if you please!—is good laughter.

Word Worth's 2001 Selections:		Albright-Knox Art Gallery
The Mark Twain House		The Albright-Knox Art Gallery earned its outstanding worldwide reputation as a center for modern art through its acquisition of  American and European treasures.  Gorky, Pollock, and Warhol hang in the same elegant milieu as Picasso, van Gogh, Gauguin, and Miro, among many other painters and sculptors.  Their website offers information on upcoming exhibitions, a calendar of events, and a particularly helpful on-line archive for researchers.
Mark Twain was among the most sterling  characters and fascinating personalities of the 19th century.  He was both of America and of the World.  His literary figures have spanned continents, oceans, and centuries in appeal.  This site deals primarily with his Hartford residence, but is so well done that we list it first for those interested in beginning the study of Twain.
Stratford Festival		Library Spot
In the beautiful town resurrected by putting on some of the best theater in North America, three theaters present each year a splendid playbill.  The shops in the town, the restaurants, everything is done as things ought to be done, right down to the swans in the river.		With Library Spot, a diverse range of reference material is at your fingertips.  From thesauri to zip codes, there are direct links to every sort of reference a writer or student might need.  In addition, there are links to academic libraries, film libraries, law libraries, and every other sort of specialized library a person could want.  Looking for a source of public records?  Library Spot has it along with information on getting grants, full text classics, and the Guggenheim Museum's online collection.  A reading room points users to headlines, literary criticism, poetry and speeches.  Check it out.
The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Founded in 1683, the Ashmolean is one of the oldest museums in the world and was the first museum in Britain to be opened to the public.  This is the museum of Lawrence of Arabia's mentor D. G. Hogarth and has page after page of fascinating information.  It is a part of Oxford University.
Shaw Festival		A Prairie Home Companion
"The Shaw is the only theatre in the world that specializes exclusively in the plays of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries (1856-1950)--plays about the beginning of the modern world.  Presented in three distinctive theatres in the historic town of Niagara on the Lake, the Shaw's work engages the imagination, illuminates the past, and inspires debate about the future."  It's now in its fortieth season.
		Breathes there a wight whose soul's so dead that never to 'emself on a Saturday night has said, "It's time for A Prairie Home Companion"? Of course not. This is their website.  Click the name above.
The Library of Congress		At least once a day, it's pleasant to read someone who has an intelligent thought, who presents insight, who can challenge you intellectually.  Arts and Letters Daily contains enough philosophy, literature, language, ideas, criticism, culture, history, music, art, and gossip to satisfy all three.   Linking to newspapers, news wires, science texts, magazines, articles, book excerpts, etc., the site piques your interest with a come-hither sentence.  One more click takes you to the full text.  Subjects, as diverse as Sylvia Plath the poet and Robert Parker the wine expert, share space with human genome projects, humor, and the stock market.
What a wonderful place the Library of Congress is: the magnificent woods, the huge desks, the domed ceiling, the spectacular collection of books which includes their rare book room.
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Although this is not the easiest site to use, it's worth any effort.  You can find fascinating quotations here.  It's fun to just browse.
The Encyclopædia Britannica
		International Herald Tribune
This site is quite different from when we first listed it, but it still has merit.		Paris' International Herald Tribune has long been thought to be the best newspaper in the world.  Click on their name above to check out their on-line edition.  It's filled with politics, finance, art, fashion, movies, books, and much more with a decidedly urbane point of view.

Introductory Issue December 2000

The Folger Shakespeare Library

Nestled into a quiet part of Washington D.C., away from the scurry and bustle of this very busy city, is a serenely lovely building.  Shakespeare's contemporaries  called him "Gentle Shakespeare."  This building dedicated to him evokes that quality, and it is surely one of the loveliest libraries anywhere.

 

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