TEDTalk

"TED is a nonprofit that's a global platform for ideas. At its events, leading thinkers and doers are asked to present ideas they're passionate about in 18 minutes. "

Listen to a few of these talks about ecology, economics, human behavior and more.

http://www.ted.com/talks

Astro-Weenie Christmas Tree

A nostalgic romp through Charles Phoenix's test kitchen.

http://www.charlesphoenix.com/category/test-kitchen/

Happy Holidays!

Day by Day

The State Library of South Carolina offers a calendar of daily literacy-skill-building activities.

http://daybydaysc.org/December/13

Whitney Music Box

"A musical realization of the motion graphics of John Whitney as described in his book "digital harmony."

http://wheelof.com/whitney/index.php?var=v20

Environmental Health Trust

Are cell phones hazardous to your health? What precautions should you take with wireless devices? See what Dr. Devra Davis has to say.

http://environmentalhealthtrust.org/

Earth911.com

News and tips about ecology, recycling and sustainability.

http://earth911.com/

HealthCare.gov

Find out the latest news about health care reform and what changes may affect you at http://www.healthcare.gov/.

Save the Words

Build your vocabulary with this interesting collection of little-known words!

http://savethewords.org/

Iowa Department of Education

This website will answer lots of questions about education in Iowa -- transportation, homeschooling, etc. A good reference for this time of year!

http://www.iowa.gov/educate/

Neave.com

Just some cool stuff by designer Paul Neave using Flash player.

http://www.neave.com/

Barn Quilts of Washington County

A mini-vacation idea?

http://www.barnquiltsiowa.com/

Obit Magazine

Obituaries and tributes, of course, but also articles about aging, the "death" of things like the TV series "Law and Order," and book reviews. A variety of quality pieces.

http://www.obit-mag.com/

The Happiness Project

Writer Gretchen Rubin spent a year testing out various ideas about how to be happy -- ideas expressed by everyone from Aristotle to Oprah. Read about her experiences at http://www.happiness-project.com/.

National Weather Service Flooding Map

Click on an area of the map to see which rivers are overflowing!

http://water.weather.gov/ahps/

Great Chicago Italian Recipes

This site got great ratings on "Cool Site of the Day!" Good for "armchair cooking," too.

http://www.great-chicago-italian-recipes.com/

What You Need To Know About Energy

The first in a series from the National Academy of Sciences

http://www.needtoknow.nas.edu/

Hello Cupcake!

Some fun video demonstrations of easy cupcake decorating techniques. (Yes. This is a book, too.)

http://www.hellocupcakebook.com/

Privacy Revolution

From ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom -- http://www.privacyrevolution.org/. Notice that Privacy Week is coming up May 2-8!

Flower Garden

Click anywhere on the blank page to see your flowers sprout up!

http://www.procreo.jp/labo/flower_garden.swf

Name Engine

Ever wonder how to pronounce the name of a celebrity, athlete or other well-known person correctly? This site can help.

http://thenameengine.com/

Haiti Earthquake 2010

An index to information about the recent earthquake and about Haiti in general. From the MCEER (Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research) Center at the University of Buffalo.

http://mceer.buffalo.edu/infoservice/disasters/Haiti-Earthquake-2010.asp

39 Photo Effects and Tools

Tuxpi Picture Editor -- gives you special effects for your jpg png or gif images.

http://www.tuxpi.com/

Academic Earth

Free video courses from leading universities.

http://www.academicearth.org/