Unique Penguins On BBC

For some instant amusement watch this YouTube film starring film maker and writer Terry Jones with a unique colony of penguins. Thanks again to the talented scouts at Very Short List for tipping us off to the video.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9dfWzp7rYR4

Free Comic Book Day–May 3rd

Saturday, May 3rd is Free Comic Book Day. “Free Comic Book Day is a single day when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free* to anyone who comes into their stores. * Each retailer will decide the guidelines for receiving comics.”

The website provides a zip code search for participating stores.

http://freecomicbookday.com/

Centers For Disease Control and NINDS On Strokes

With strokes receiving more attention these days as the third leading cause of death in the U.S., here are 2 websites with information on strokes. The first is the Centers For Disease Control which provides basic facts and statistics on strokes with links to more information. The second, is the website of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke which offers information about treatment, prognosis and research being done.

“Knowing the symptoms of stroke, calling 911 right away, and getting to a hospital are crucial to the most beneficial outcomes after having a stroke. The best treatment is to try to prevent a stroke by taking steps to lower your risk for stroke.”

http://www.cdc.gov/stroke/

http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/stroke.htm

The Garden Conservancy Open Days Schedule

Looking for inspiration for your own garden? Try visiting one of The Garden Conservancy’s gardens through their Open Days program.

“Here at the Garden Conservancy, we believe that the best way to learn about gardens and to appreciate them, is to simply spend more time in them. Through the more than 300 gardens that will be open in 2008, we invite you to explore first-hand examples of outstanding design and horticultural practice that are growing in America’s gardens.”

You can search through their 2008 schedule online or, we have copies of the print schedule available at the Library.

http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/

Baseball Stats

I’ve never known a baseball fan–in the truest sense of the word, who didn’t have a variety of statistics at the ready to champion his or her favorite player or team. Here’s a website with comprehensive information about the sport. In fact, it is referred to as the “foremost source of historical information online.” Their philosophy is to maintain a website which will “answer questions as quickly, easily, and accurately as possible.” So who really is the best player ever?

http://www.baseball-reference.com/

2008-09 Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Bureau Of Labor Statistics, a part of the U.S. Labor Department, produces the Occupational Outlook Handbook and makes it available online for free. If you’re looking for information about hundreds of different types of jobs, this is an excellent resource. The Handbook will tell you: the training and education needed, earnings, expected job prospects, what workers do on the job and working conditions.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/

New EPA Information Gateway

The Environmental Indicators Gateway features information on the EPA’s environmental indicator projects. These projects provide information on environmental conditions and trends over a range of geographic scales and time periods. The Gateway provides summaries of the indicator projects and links to the related reports and Web sites developed by each project. You can search these summaries by geographic location, keyword, and topic.

“An environmental indicator is a numerical value that helps provide insight into the state of the environment or human health. Indicators are developed based on quantative measurements or statistics of environmental condition that are tracked over time. Environmental indicators can be developed and used at a wide variety of geographic scales, from local to regional to national levels. By monitoring the environment using indicators, EPA can better share meaningful environmental information with the public, and can help ensure that high-quality environmental decisions are made by EPA, its partners, and the public.” EPA website

http://www.epa.gov/indicators/

The Wayback Machine

The Wayback Machine is a project by the good people at the Internet Archive as a means of preserving web pages whose average lifespan, according to the IA, is 44-75 days. Browse through 85 billion web pages archived from 1996 to a few months ago. To start surfing the Wayback, type in the web address of a site or page where you would like to start, and press enter. Then select from the archived dates available. The resulting pages point to other archived pages at as close a date as possible.

http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

Spring Bulbs

Yes, we know that you must plant spring flowering bulbs in the fall. However, it’s never too early to think about designing your landscape, gardens or even just putting up a few indoor pots of these easy-to-grow beauties. The University of Illinois Extension service provides a website with planting & care information as well as design ideas and lots of links to other bulb information sites.

http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/bulbs/springbulbs.html

Ben’s Guide To Government For Kids

Here’s a website designed by the Government Printing Office to help teach kids about the United States government and how it operates. It is designed for specific age groups: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 and a separate section for parents and teachers. Included in the sections are links to government web sites, games and activities and lots of interesting information.

http://bensguide.gpo.gov/index.html