| Break the Chain Where would we be without those intelligent, motivated people who selflessly toil to make the Web a saner, safer place? Probably drowning in vacuous get-rich schemes, child cancer hoaxes, devastating email viruses, and Nordstrom cookie recipes. Before you spam out that next chain email, visit this helpful watchdog site to pick up a few pointers: "From simple e-mail etiquette to advice on how to research a possible hoax, our web site contains a wealth of information that will make you a smarter, wiser, and more courteous user of e-mail." Amen. |
| FilmWise At last! A hip, interactive film trivia site that doesn't feature questions like "Robert Bresson's Pickpocket was based on which Dostoevsky novel?" Most of the quizzes here are of a visual nature -- you're presented with a cleverly themed group of film stills and have to name the titles. The Invisibles Category, for instance, challenges you to identify characters who've been completely erased from film stills -- except for their clothes. How cool is that? As it turns out, very. |
| Pictures of the Year The Missouri School of Journalism and the National Press Photographers Association present this highly eclectic, addictive gallery of images. While the navigation is a little clunky, the photographs are sublime. Almost 2,000 magazine and newspaper photographers submitted over 32,000 slides for consideration, and the winners are organized by theme: issue reporting, sports/action, portrait/celebrity, pictorial, etc. You're also invited to browse highlights from last year's Olympics and presidential election. |
| The George Ortiz Collection This elegant image catalog documents the extraordinary treasures of George Ortiz, a passionate connoisseur and collector of art from ancient Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and neighboring civilizations, as well as sculpture from Africa, Pre-Columbian America, and the Pacific. You'll need the Quicktime plug-in to zoom in and out or rotate 3D images of selected works, such as an Egyptian ceramic hippopotamus or dancing satyr, but most of the artifacts are viewable with informative text in standard photo format -- whether winsome Estrucan woman or eerily modern Micronesian deity. |
| Bus-Stop Shelters in Ukraine Here's a wistful look at exquisitely crafted but sadly neglected bus-stop shelters from the Ukrainian countryside. These images of public architecture recall the iconic artwork of Russian Orthodox churches and the Byzantine tradition. "Some are frescoed, some are etched, some are tiled mosaics -- all are beautiful. Most have fallen into a state of disrepair because the local governments can no longer afford to maintain them." |
| Nasdaq-100 Heatmap Just when you thought that the thrills and chills of recent markets had finally grown tepid, here's this hot application from the folks at Nasdaq. An interesting visual representation of the Nasdaq-100 stocks, it displays price fluctuations in near real time -- green if the price is up, red if it's down. As you move your cursor over each color-coded ticker symbol, you can view a daily chart with vital trading stats. Did we mention that there's a similar heatmap for Exchanged Traded Funds as well? Now, if only you could get it on your cell phone. |
| Private Passions, Public Legacy Paul Mellon spent most of his life trying to figure out creative ways of giving away daddy's money. An avid art collector, he also gave away hundreds of rare books, manuscripts, and maps before his death in 1999. This site explores the pieces he gave to the University of Virginia, including letters by Thomas Jefferson, illustrated books, and memorabilia from the Civil War. All this from a man who penned a memoir facetiously titled Reflections in a Silver Spoon. |
| The Tax History Project Tax Analysts -- a non-profit, non-partisan organization for the open discussion of tax policy -- has created this exploration of American tax history as a resource for scholars and citizens. Wander through the fact-filled chambers of the Tax History Museum or browse the cartoon archive. Turns out that tax humor is as inevitable and enduring as taxes themselves. Don't miss a peak at the presidential tax returns from Bill Clinton, George Bush, Ronald Reagan, Franklin Roosevelt, and others. Talk about tax tips from the pros. |
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