Linktacular: Virtual Vacations

It's summer and it seems like everyone is hitting the road on some exciting adventure. Everyone but you. Whether it's because you don't have the funds or are just a homebody, you can still have a great vacation from the comfort of your computer. Pants not required. (Okay, please put on some pants until you finish reading this...)

So, turn off your phone, pull out a beach chair, sunscreen up, and pour yourself a fruity drink with an umbrella.

Thanks to EarthCam you can check out webcams from pretty much anywhere!
Times Square cam
Boston cam
Tokyo cam

Wind surfing in Maui
Check our chapels in Las Vegas
Take a peek at Sugar Mountain in North Carolina

Linktacular: More Greate Websites

Yes, it's back! Another list, this time of six websites that will make your life better. That's right, better. Will it give you riches? No... Power? Not exactly... Fame? ...Probably not. But they will expand your mind just a tad and really, that's all you need, right?

Mentalfloss - A great collective of some of the strangest facts. You will amaze your friends, boss, coworkers, and family members.

Easter Egg Archive - Ever wonder if those nerds who create movies, DVDs, and software get bored and add a little something extra in their work? Well, they do and Eegg has a comprehensive archive.

Crackle - Did you miss your favorite show because the power went out or maybe you had something better to do? Couldn't find it on Hulu or the station's website? Have no fear, Crackle is coming to the rescue!

PDFgeni - If you're like me, you might buy things second hand or on clearance because it was a model piece. One of the problems of saving a bit of cash is that you might not get all the pieces, including the manual. Check out PDFgeni and you might figure out which button is power and which button is self-destruct.

Good-Tutorials - Want to enhance your skill set by learning HTML or how to edit a photo? Short on cash and want to go at your own pace? Excellent! Click on over to Good-Tutorials and make your brain bigger.

My Outer Space - Sci-Fi, horror, and fantasy fans rejoice! My Outer Space is a social networking haven and, get this, William Shatner helped create the site. Yes, Captain Kirk himself.

Linktacular: Great Websites

Today's blog features five great websites of which you might not be aware. These sites are informative, fun, or just plain weird. Which is a good thing because, really, with the infinite space on the World Wide Web, why not get a little interesting.

Citrify - A great online photo editing site. It's free and doesn't take up space on your hard drive. Sure, it isn't as comprehensive as other programs, but for what's provided, it's a great site.

Slightly Warped's Curiosities - I told you this list might get a little weird. Slightly Warped is unique site, but my favorite part is their Curiosities section. This section features a lot of bizarre and funny images pulled from all over.

World-Mysteries - Ever wonder about the Moai of Easter Island? Or maybe you're curious about the Baghdad Battery? World-Mysteries compiles articles on all things strange.

So You Wanna - Pretty much everyone learned how to read, but did you learn how to read tea leaves to predict the future? I thought not. So You Wanna takes over where public education leaves off.

InterfaceLIFT - For any computer user, desktop wallpaper defines who you are or what your interests might be. But the search for the perfect backdrop leaves you sorting through pages and pages of weird and lame images that aren't exactly what you're looking for. InterfaceLIFT has a the most organized search function to minimize the time spent finding the perfect wallpaper so you can get back to what's important, FaceBook....erm....I mean that big report that is due tomorrow.

Clicking to Help

With so many bad things happening in the world - natural disasters, hunger, epidemics, homelessness, and unemployment to name a few - the average person can click off the news or throw down a paper and feel horrible. I often do this, shake my head, and say, "How can I help?"

Thanks to the Internet, it is now possible for anyone to visit a number of sites and with a mere mouse click actually help out. I suggest you make a folder in your bookmarks devoted to these sites, that way you can find them and click on them every day. Or, if you use FireFox, you can always add them to your bookmarks bar, that way it's right in front!

How do these websites work? Well, usually it has to do with advertisers. While just a small portion is donated for each person who visits/clicks/plays each day, with the millions of people who use the Internet every day it could make a significant impact. And really, what's the harm? You are not transmitting any personal data as these sites are all safe and if there's a chance to help, why not?

Here are just a few sites where it's possible to click and donate, please feel free to comment with others. Note that some sites may contain duplicate causes and in that case you will only be able to click once per day:

Free Rice - Play trivia games and each correct answer donates 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme
Bhookh - One click helps fight hunger in India
Free Kibble - Answer a trivia question (right or wrong) to donate dog kibble to animal shelters
Free Kibble Cat - Answer a trivia question (right or wrong) to donate cat kibble to animal shelters
The Hunger Site - Click to donate food, this site also connects to five other sites for breast cancer, children's health, literacy, the rain forest, and animal rescue.
Care2 - A catch-all site that has a bar on the left side of the page with a list of charities from cancer to hunger to saving animals. The site will check off each one that you have clicked
One Click At A Time - Another catch-all site with so many different causes to click for
The NonProfits - A third catch-all with a lot of clickable causes

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Link-tacular - Job Hunting

Today's Link-tacular is less fun and more practical. I've made it no secret that I'm currently looking for work. A daunting task no matter what the economy is like. Unfortunately, the economy is not good and unemployment rates are high. Job hunting has definitely gotten high tech in the last few years. It seems like every employer lists job openings online and prefer paperless applications and resumes. That's why today's Link-tacular is featuring some job hunting resources that might help someone out there get a job.

Before we continue, though, I want to issue a warning. There are so many people job hunting and so many people are being scammed into giving out personal information. These scammers are taking advantage of the precarious job market and posting fake job postings. All they want is your e-mail address or phone number to sell, some places just want to sell you something. If you feel you have been scammed, please contact your phone provider to block the number that may be harassing you, the FTC, or your local BBB. Remember to never, ever give out your Social Security Number, credit card number, or bank information to any one that you may feel uneasy about. Oftentimes your gut reaction is the correct one. Even if the job sounds perfect for you, if some sort of bell is going off in your head, run the other way! Also, educate yourself by reading this great MSNBC article.

Myself and two other people nearly fell victim to a website called CareerNetwork. They claim to be legitimate, but you can search CareerNetwork Scam in Google and see for yourself.

Here is a list of websites that I trust enough to perform my own job search:

• CareerBuilder A comprehensive website with a great search. However, you may have to sift through some spam/work from home jobs. They may try to charge you to get your resume seen more often. I've never done this, so I don't know how effective it may be.
• Indeed Another comprehensive site that pulls job listing from all over the web.
• SimplyHired Very similar to Indeed.
• RegionalHelpWanted Use this page to search for a local job board. I have actually gotten a job from this site before.
• Monster A site similar to CareerBuilder. I did have a bad experience about three years ago, they said some of my information had been compromised, so I deleted my account. I think their security has gotten better and I have started using the site once again.
• HotJobs Hosted by Yahoo, there is a lot of spam, but a some good jobs as well.
• USA Jobs A job board for government jobs.
• HireSpin Another option, I haven't had a lot of luck, but someone in a bigger market may.
• College-Site Another option. I have not had a lot of luck, but again someone in a bigger market may have more luck.
• Any Local Businesses That May Have a Website Most businesses prefer online resumes and applications, so this is a good place to start to see if they're hiring.
• Local Universities They are often looking for administrative or janitorial workers.
• Your University May Offer a Job Board for Former Students This may give a job seeker an advantage, since these employers are looking for college students or grads and may not have posted their job listing anywhere else.
• City/County Websites Often list city or county jobs, which can be lucrative.
• Your Local Department of Labor Most departments of labor offer online job searches. These offer no spam and a lot of job openings.

Good luck and happy job hunting!

Blogs I'm loving

In today's blog, I am featuring three excellent blogs/websites that I regularly keep up with. Now, I keep up with tons of blogs thanks to Google Reader, but these three are great and the authors are pretty awesome, too! You can also follow these links and others by checking out the "Links I'm Loving" section on the sidebar.

Photo courtesy of Morning Gorgeous

Morning Gorgeous is a great catch-all blog. The maintainer, Katy, is such a sweet person with an eclectic taste, which is definitely reflected in her blogs. Morning Gorgeous features video clips, quotes, links, pop culture, how-tos, and advice about whatever catches Katy's fancy. It's completely fascinating to see things the way she does and somehow she creates entertaining blogs that are a mix of prose, photos, and old school charm.

Photo courtesy of Fat Anchor

Fat Anchor is a new website created by news anchor Nate Kuester to document his weight loss journey. Since I've started on a similar (although not as intense) journey as Nate, I've found his words and videos inspiring and cannot wait for more content. Fat Anchor (hopefully soon to be Fit Anchor) is an interesting journey of not only weight loss, but also feeling good about the way you look. So many people lose weight to look like people on TV or in magazines, but Fat Anchor really hits it home when he says that the "site is dedicated to empowering anyone to action who wants to live and feel better." (Click here to follow Fat Anchor on Twitter)

Photo courtesy of Hello Ross

If you haven't heard of Ross Mathews, you probably live under a rock. Ross is hilarious and inspiring. You may recognize him as Ross "The Intern" from The Tonight Show. He is the biggest blogger I know, and he has a huge following of blog buddies. Hello Ross is so funny, real, and endearing that features little snippets, photos, and talky blogs from Ross's surreal life in LA. He is a real person living in LA and so some of his experiences seem a bit surreal, but it's so exciting to see the fancy Hollywood lifestyle by someone as real as Ross; Hello Ross is positively addictive! (Click here to follow Ross on Twitter).

Photo courtesy of Geek Girl

Geek Girl Knows is a great blog run by Daria, former coworker of above-mentioned Ross. She is super smart and super awesome. I love reading her posts because not only does she know way more than me in the tech department, but she's proof that girls can be smart and good looking. Geek Girl also does live blogcasts on Ustream which are so great to watch and participate in the chats. Geek Girl Knows is definitely a great resource to keep up to date on new gadgets and how-to. (Click here to follow GeekGirl on Twitter.)

Links: So Much Cute!

Most people I know have a serious soft spot for animals. And who could resist? They're cute, they're (mostly) cuddly, and totally lovable. Nothing makes me happier on a cranky day than to take a peek at some seriously cute animal pictures.

Today's Link-tacular features a few of the links that I visit regularly to get my cute animal fix. Feel free to add your own, there's never too much cute!

The Daily Kitten features one (or two) kittens each day. It's like a virtual cat-a-day calendar!

The Daily Bunny is just like The Daily Kitten, but with adorably fluffy bunnies.

CuteOverload is a fantastic site and probably one of the most famous. The stories and community feel of this site are just fabulous. The brightness of the site will also snap anyone out of the worst funk. You can also pick up the CuteOverload page-a-day 2010 calendar at your local calendar retailer or from Amazon.

Stuff on My Cat is another great community for cat lovers. Oh and with fantastic pictures as well.

Daily Puppy is for all you puppy fans out there that cannot get enough wet noses, tails, and playing fetch.

The Daily Cute offers a variety of interspecies cute!

Holiday Special Spectacular

One of the things I like the most about holidays, any holidays, are the specials. Cartoons, sitcoms, movies, and commercials all have their own particular take on the holidays.

Unfortunately, some of these specials have never made it to DVD or are especially difficult to find. Fortunately with the popularity of the internet, it's really easy to find pretty much any video. Unfortunately, some of the videos are no longer available, but if one looks really hard, they can be found!

Thanks to FanPop, they have provided tons of links to these holiday specials from Garfield and The Smurfs to Will Vinton's Claymation Celebration featuring the California Raisins, Donald Duck, Clips from the Seinfeld Festivus episode.


Everyone say it with me: Thank you, FanPop!
101 Classic Christmas Videos
Classic Christmas Videos Alternate List
Another List of Christmas Videos

Awareness

Today is World AIDS Day, as the banner above clearly indicates. I think there is a lot of prejudice and closed-mindedness when it comes to HIV and AIDS. While I'm not extremely knowledgeable on the subject, I do know that HIV and AIDS is spreading worldwide. In fact, according to the World AIDS Day Website, 33 million people all over the world are HIV positive, including 2 million children.

Obviously, this is a problem and if everyday people like you and me do not show our support and spread awareness, it's only going to get worse. Check with the World AIDS Campaign website to find local/regional events and more news and information. If you're interested in starting your own local campaign, check this out. Check with your local community centers, LGBT groups, or women's/diversity/cultural center on campus.

So please, take the time (any day of the year) to visit the World AIDS Day website for more information to educate yourself or to find out how you can help stop this worldwide epidemic.

Trivia Quizzes of Doom!

Sporcle
This link is guaranteed to keep you busy all day if you love trivia. Check out the site and take the quizzes to see how you fare against others, and if you want to keep track of your results you can create an account. The creators and maintainers of this site are absolutely brilliant.

Sporcle features quizzes on history, geography, pop culture, music, literature, sports, and really any subject under the sun. Enjoy!

Poet Spotlight

Today I wanted to highlight two contemporary poets. The one thing that draws me to contemporary poetry is the fact that it doesn't have to rhyme and it doesn't have to be set in a specific pattern as long as it sounds good to the ear, it just is.

I spent some time reading through and gathering information from Famous Poets and Poems, which has a wealth of information and poetry. You can click on the poet's name for more information and poetry or the poem's name to be taken directly to the page.

Lisa Zaran

Leaves by Lisa Zaran

I went looking for God
but I found you instead.
Bad luck or destiny,
you decide.

Buried in the muck,
the soot of the city,
sorrow for an appetite,
devil on your left shoulder,
angel on your right.

You, with your thorny rhythms
and tragic, midnight melodies.

My heart never tried
to commit suicide before.

Originally published in Literati Magazine, Winter 2005
Copyright © Lisa Zaran, 2005
(content from Famous Poets and Poems)

---

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Billy Collins

Forgetfulness by Billy Collins

The name of the author is the first to go
followed obediently by the title, the plot,
the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel
which suddenly becomes one you have never read,
never even heard of,

as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor
decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain,
to a little fishing village where there are no phones.

Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye
and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag,
and even now as you memorize the order of the planets,

something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps,
the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay.

Whatever it is you are struggling to remember,
it is not poised on the tip of your tongue,
not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen.

It has floated away down a dark mythological river
whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall,
well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those
who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle.

No wonder you rise in the middle of the night
to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war.
No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted
out of a love poem that you used to know by heart.

(content from Famous Poets and Poems)

Monday morning mayhem

Good day! Let's get the week started off right with a look at the news. Well, actually a little bit of a skewed look at the news this week. Here are some odd newsbits I've picked out specifically for today...

• Northern lights 'ghoul' Pictured in Norway
• Certainly not what you're thinking, but something that hasn't been seen in awhile resurfaces in the skies of Norway.
• Library complains of crossed-out curses
• This gives a whole new meaning to vigilante and censorship.
• Ohio residents say cops advised them to move away
• Well, if you don't like the crime, why not find a better neighborhood? I'm sure their property values are through the roof, especially in this economy!
• Bad drivers? Blame their genes
• I always suspected that the more extreme the temperatures (either hot or cold) the worse people's driving becomes. Maybe it's a combination of weather, genes, and arrogance. Who knows...
• Mystery of Argleton, the Google town that only exists online
• No one can figure out why this town is on a Google map...that really is nothing but fields.
  

Haunted Links

To get everyone in the spirit of the holiday (pun not originally intended), I've posted some great links to interesting, spooky, Halloween-y websites. They're sure to keep you entertained and maybe even a little spooked, so turn off the lights and enjoy by the eerie glow of the computer monitor.



True Ghost Stories and
True Ghost Stories' Myspace These are full of real life ghost encounters. I've read through all of the encounters this family has had in their house and I've started to really care about the goings-on. It hasn't been updated for awhile, but there are enough back entries to provide some good reading material.

The Shadowlands and The Subversive Element have sections on hauntings, cryptozoology, UFOs, Aliens, and all things that go bump in the night.

If fiction is more your taste, Google Books features Washington Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

PoeStories.com also features many of Edgar Allan Poe's stories and poetry. My recommendations for Halloween reading are The Raven, The Black Cat, The Fall of the House of Usher, and of course The Tell-Tale Heart. Poe was undoubtedly the king of beautifully macabre literature.

Of course we cannot forget Camille Saint-Saëns' Danse Macabre, a wonderful piece of music that is as wonderful as it is chilling! You can take a listen and decide for yourself:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!