Welcome to this week's selection of Picks, a feature we've often hoped is something like a cross between Dr. Ruth's Sexnet ("honest, informative, and entertaining promotion of sexual literacy") and, everyone's favorite, the Ice Capades. On second thought, we're not entirely certain how much time should really be invested in imagining this mix. It would mean an obligatory line or two about skating on thin ice and, frankly, we want to avoid that. But the sites do happen to be two of our picks, so again: Welcome!
Truth be told, if we were really honest with ourselves we'd probably say these Picks are more like the Christian Catacombs of Rome: ancient cemeteries, places "of momentary refuge", "real shrines of the martyrs," "centres of devotion and of pilgrimage... from every part of the empire." But that, too, would only be a way to say you should visit this informative site. You'll find a history of the Roman catacombs, discussion of their importance, notes on Christian symbols from the period, a map and more. The site is presented in a number of languages, including Italian, French, German and Polish.
Lately we've been reading the recent collection of articles offered by OneWorld Magazine, a publication that aims "to entertain and educate the reader with powerful words and forceful images about the diverse aspects of our world's cultures and environments." The current cover piece is on Ethiopia, with ten authors writing about "this rich and diverse empire." Other articles include The Crocodile Files, covering the facts and myths that surround the rambunctious reptile, The Mbaracayu Forest Reserve and the story of its success, and Dealing with the Deamon, a look at the global drug trade and what to do about it.
Here's a question. The Political Graveyard: is it a place this year's U.S. Presidential Candidates really really really don't want to find themselves, or a site that tells more about dead politicians and where they're buried than you ever thought possible? You decide.
Want more on the digging up of dirt, so to speak? Try Bizarre Historical Trivia, which offers pretty much exactly what the title suggests. The site's creator, Sebastian Good, promises more trivia down the road; for now read about William the Conquerer's "rather unseemly" (one even might say explosive) burial, the lush party stylings of Peter the Great, and the (how shall we say it?) moodiness of His Holiness Stephen VII. In Sebastian's own words: "We all like reading about why the Americans revolted, and how exactly World War I started, and just when the Roman Empire collapsed, and all that rot. But what really gets me going is the weird stuff." Fine.
There are of course other, more wholesome reasons to find yourself digging around in the soil. See for example The Plant Tracker, a botanical search engine with a twist. No garden variety database, here you can search by the actual uses of plants, whether that be edible, medicinal or the all-encompassing "other". This is what we learned: if you need something in the way of an antidandruff, go with parsley. Need a blood purifier? Simple, use crow garlic. Interested in doing some weather forecasting? Pot marigolds. Remember, the "flowers close when wet weather is likely to occur." A favorite: want to make microscope slides? Use the pith from Elderberry wood. (As if you needed reminding). You'll of course need an adhesive. Go with Putty root.
From plants and roots to the Mayflower Web Page, which offers itself as "the complete Internet site for Mayflower history and genealogy" and lives up to the description. Read passenger lists (arranged alphabetically or by family structure), wills of some of those onboard, crew lists, the Mayflower Compact, a handful of early writings and oh so much more. If you're curious, you can even learn how to verify if you're one of them: a Mayflower descendant.
Don't like plants and (may)flowers? You'd rather peruse a list Women Nobel Prize Laureates, complete with brief bios of each of the women and selected links? Fine. We can take stock(holm) in that idea. Go ahead. It's a Nobel cause. Take your pick(s).