lol: Library of Links

Design: Rocking Chairs, a History

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 05:07:00 +0000

This illustrated history of rocking chairs from Designboom covers origins ("We all know that the rocking chair is a distinctly American passion; its origins, however, are less clear"), precursors (such as the Swedish gungstol and the British Windsor rocker), and modern and contemporary chairs (such as Thonet bentwood rockers, Eames rockers, or an Italian rocking stool), and includes images of rocking chairs from a 2002 design competition. Designboom.

Design: Perspectives on Architecture and Urbanism From Around the Globe

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 05:32:00 +0000

The material collected by The Architectural League of New York about architecture and urban development for five cities around the world, including Beirut, Lebanon, and Caracas, Venezuela, has maps, statistics, timelines, background about architects, and illustrated essays and interviews on topics such as the San Diego/Tijuana border wall, women at work in Dhaka, and population density in Oslo. <http://www.worldviewcities.org/>

The Brain: Cognitive Daily News

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 06:05:00 +0000

"Cognitive Daily reports nearly every day on fascinating peer-reviewed developments in cognition from the most respected scientists in the field....The research isn't dumbed down, but it's explained in language that everyone can understand, with clear illustrations and references to the original research." -- from the website. <http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/>

Californio: Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:23:00 +0000

SurveyLA from the L.A. Department of City Planning's Office of Historic Preservation, "Los Angeles' first-ever comprehensive program to identify significant historic resources" for historic preservation purposes, identifies and evaluates historic properties and districts and offers a guide to using the Zoning Information and Map Access System to find historic preservation information, preservation resources, and related material. <http://preservation.lacity.org/survey>

Design: Eye Project

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 14 May 2008 04:43:00 +0000

Eye Project, a branding site for KDDI, the Japanese telcom, uses a new server-side video generating system to create original ideas for digital visual presentations.
A very different clock: <http://www.yugop.com/ver3/stuff/03/fla.html>
Be sure to explore the site: <http://www.yugop.com/>

Beastiary

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:08:00 +0000

"This web site deals with any and all aspects of the general topic "animals in the Middle Ages", though there is an emphasis on the manuscript tradition, particularly of the bestiaries, and mostly in western Europe. The subject is vast, so this a large site, with well over 3000 pages, and perhaps the best way to explore it is to just wander around." - from the website. <http://www.bestiary.ca>

Tools: Check your symptoms

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Except for hypochondriacs, who might be prone to abuse it, WebMD's Symptom Checker is a useful tool: "Need information as you determine what to do about your symptoms? Get help figuring them out by answering a series of questions. To get started, click on male or female, regardless of age, then the part of the body that is troubling you. Use the Symptom Checker to select parts of the body where you are experiencing symptoms." Why pay a doctor to misdiagnose you, when you can do it yourself? <http://symptoms.webmd.com/symptomchecker>

Why We Love the Internet # 3,443,222: Internet Pinball Database

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000

The Internet Pinball Machine Database, also known as the IPD or IPDB and originally compiled as part of the Pinball Pasture site in the mid-1990s, "is a comprehensive, searchable listing of virtually every pinball machine ever commercially made. It is an ad free, popup free, registration free resource.....The database is constantly expanding, but currently includes 35,533 images of 4,981 games and 2,964 other game related files, as well as links to other pinball websites, all arranged by machine. The database also includes pitch & bat baseball games, cocktail table machines, bingos, and payout machines, when they have a pinball theme. It may also include information on some obscure games that are not pinball machines but sometimes are confused as them.

"The data in this database has been laboriously gathered by the Editors, over many years, from books, photographs, flyers, web sites, pinball manufacturers, collectors' personal records, and of course the pinball machines themselves. Most of the actual photographs in the database came from various collectors — over 1,172 different contributors to date." <http://www.ipdb.org/>

Communication: Free Online Radio

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 22:16:00 +0000

A company in New Jersey will house your online radio show for free, making it available live and as podcasts. Just phone it in. "BlogTalkRadio is revolutionizing both social media networking and radio broadcasting. For the first time in history, anyone from anywhere in the world - as long as they have access to a phone and internet connection - can broadcast their voices internationally." <http://www.blogtalkradio.com/>

Books: New Online Talk Show

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:55:00 +0000

Former Random House editor Daniel Menaker is the host of Titlepage.TV, a new online talk show about books and writers. In the first episode, You Always Remember The First Time, four first-time authors -- two novelists and two memoirists -- talk about their maiden voyages and the decision to write fact or fiction. <http://www.titlepage.tv/>

Outdoors: Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:39:00 +0000

The website for Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, the national park that "stretches for hundreds of miles from Lees Ferry in Arizona to the Orange Cliffs of southern Utah, encompassing scenic vistas, geologic wonders, and a vast panorama of human history" features material for planning a visit, photos and webcams, plus news, background about history and culture, and nature and science info. <http://www.nps.gov/glca/>

Tools: Mosio Explains It All for You

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 16:08:00 +0000

I previously recommended Jott in conjunction with Xpenser, but Mosio, when integrated with Jott, brings you just a little bit closer to that internet implant for which you long (it also powers Twitter Answers). Call Jott and say "what day is Bastille Day" and, lo, you'll get back a text message with the answer. If you ask something more complicated, like "If I'm on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 23rd Street, where is the nearest Starbuck's?" you'll get that answer, too. Of course, you can text Google at 46645 with the same questions, but its quicker and easier and more fun just to hit Jott on speed dial and ask Mosio. Mose. The Mosester.
Jott: <http://www.jott.com/> Mosio: <http://www.mosio.com/>

Health and Exercise: Early Cycling Books at the Lilly Library

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:09:00 +0000

The World Awheel, from the Lilly
Library, Indiana University
Bloomington Libraries, of
images of cycling-themed books,
features cycling in fiction and
titles about early bicycles,
bicycle touring, women and
cycling, and cycling music,
with brief historical essays.

<http://www.indiana.edu/>

Do It Yourself: WonderHowTo.com

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 17:23:00 +0000

"WonderHowTo.com is a community-fueled search engine and directory for Free How-To Video. With an index of more than 100,000 videos (March 2008), we provide the largest, most contemporary, and most diverse resource in this increasingly vibrant space." - from the website. <http://www.WonderHowTo.com/>

Animation: The History of Evil (YouTube)

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:44:00 +0000

The animated history of evil in western civilization from Ancient Greece the to present day:

Health: Walkit for exercise

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 19:15:00 +0000

Walkit is a website that promotes the power of walking as a healthy way to get around urban areas. The UK-based site helps people make more informed decisions about whether travel by foot is a viable choice in particular situations. So far, the site has walking routes for London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Newcastle/Gateshead, and plans to cover all the UK's big towns by the end of this year. Plans are afoot to add US cities soon, with Boston projected as the port of entry. A user enters starting location and desired destination just as it would be done to return driving instructions at a site like Yahoo! Maps, along with such refinements as the route that is the most direct route or the least busy; there's an option to request a route that passes through another location on the way; and thanks to a feature just added, users going through inner London can request the trail with the lowest amount of pollution. Walkit returns a detailed map and written directions, plus travel time, calories burned, and carbon dioxide avoided by choosing walking over riding in a car, taxi or bus. <http://www.walkit.com/>

Modern Warfare: Food Fight!

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 14:10:00 +0000

War is, um, messy:

AtomFilms.com: Funny Videos | Funny Cartoons | Comedy Central

<http://www.atomfilms.com>

Blogging: Interior Decorating

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Tchochkes by Shira Abel Shvo is a showcase for ideas about "interior design - furniture construction, fabrics, hinges, handles, flooring, colors, all of it...," with an emphasis on Israeli designers and retailers, "[b]ecause a little decoration is such a nice thing." <http://www.tchochkes.com/>

Super Heroes: Who's the Best?

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 14:30:00 +0000

Superest

The rules: Artist 1 draws a character with a power. Artist 2 then draws a character whose power cancels the power of that previous character.
Repeat.

The earliest are at the bottom. Start there and follow the progress up. Or work back from the current superest winner by placing your cursor over the "Vanquished" button and clicking your way down.

<http://thesuperest.com>

Good Eatin': On a tight budget

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 15:02:00 +0000

Here's a site that may be a sign of the times:

Hillbilly Housewife features "low-cost, home-cooking from scratch. The recipes are all tested in a real kitchen with hungry children, stalking cats, begging puppies and a playful husband underfoot. The ingredients are affordable and readily available in most areas.

"Many of us are feeling the squeeze at the supermarket these day, and all of us are feeling it at the gas pump. The government continues to deny inflation, but I see the results of it in my grocery bill and my gas tank. The official USDA cost of food has risen to $500 a month for a family of 4 on the Thrifty Plan! As most of us tighten our belts, we may be wondering how to juggle expenses that only seem to rise.

"...We teach you the best foods to buy on a budget and how to cook them so the family will be better fed than they've been in years. You'll find tips and techniques here that you won't find anywhere else on the web. Everything here is free, provided by God's grace. If the information you find here helps you and your circumstances, then please share what you have learned with others, so they too can benefit from your new knowledge." -- from the website.

<http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/>

The site outlines in detail how to feed a family of four+ and maintain nutritional requirements on a budget of $45.00/wk. The Hillbilly Housewife has great tips on living and eating inexpensively without sacrificing your well being.

Reading: LitLovers

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:41:00 +0000

"LitLovers...An online community dedicated to books and book clubs -- because both enrich our lives. We've got great resources to enhance your book club experience. Whether you're selecting books, or thinking & talking about them, LitLovers is the place to come....What can you do on LitLovers? What can't you do! Find a book. Find a review. Find a discussion guide. Take a course. Whip up a recipe (to match your book, of course)! Buy a gift for your host...buy one for yourself. There's so much to do -- and so much fun -- you won't want to leave." - from the website. <http://litlovers.com/>

The Arts: Don't move

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Absolutely brilliant -- and funny -- performance piece:

<http://www.youtube.com/>

American History: From Revolution to Republic in Prints and Drawings

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:24:00 +0000

This exhibition about the American Revolution is drawn from "the deep and diverse holdings of early American prints and drawings in The New York Public Library," with brief historical essays accompanying the images. <http://www.nypl.org/>

ZenCam (something happens...or not): Old Faithful Geyser - Live!

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 07:10:00 +0000

"This full-motion, live-streaming webcam is located near Old Faithful Geyser and brings online visitors views of several other geysers in the area. When geysers such as Beehive, Lion, or Giantess are erupting, the camera will be aimed at them and zoomed in for optimal viewing enjoyment. When bison, elk, coyotes, or the occasional bear wander into the camera’s view, live video images will be transmitted." -- from the website.
<http://www.nps.gov

Advertising: Japander

noreply@blogger.com (John Gabree) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:40:00 +0000

Japander is the place to go to see what American celebrities will stoop to (the Kiefer Sutherland videos alone are worth the trip) when they think no one here is looking:
Pander: n., & v.t. 1. go-between in clandestine amours, procurer; one who ministers to evil designs. 2 v.i. minister (to base passions or evil designs, or person having these)
Japander: n.,& v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media.
<http://www.Japander.com/>