Is it safe to say that winter is behind us? Easter heralds a new season and it is unlikely that any of us in Beacherland will take for granted the warmer days ahead. At this time of year, decorated eggs symbolize rebirth. Below are some websites that feature some of those exquisite eggs. A few other sites mentioned, while not directly related to Easter, have to do with hope, too.

Easter Facts and Traditions (www.factmonster.com/spot/easter.). Short explanations are geared for schoolchildren, and perhaps the rest of us who have become too lazy to read more than 500 words at one time. Passover is also explained. Links to other holidays take you to easy-to-read material. Factmonster, developed by Information Please, aggregates information in a simple format. If you want to try finding information outside of, say, Wikipedia, this might be a simpler choice.

Easter Around the World (www.aerostamps.com/chetski/holidays/Easter/traditions). Unlike Christmas, Easter traditions are not as diverse, it appears. I found a “recipe” for making colored eggs according to a German tradition, where eggs are boiled with onion peels, or beet juice, or spinach juice for coloring. Old-fashioned, maybe, but the coloring method might appeal to parents who don’t like the idea of using packaged food coloring. I wanted to find out about the tradition of bonfires at Easter in Germany, but the link was broken.

House of Faberge (www.faberge.de). Who can resist looking at the bejeweled eggs that Tsar Nicholas commissioned for Easter gifts? The tradition of creating these wonderful objects of art continues today, with contemporary themes created by Faberge artist Victor Mayer. Choose the link on the home page that takes you to a gallery of Mayer’s work. I don’t recall seeing any prices, but then, if one has to ask, then he or she can’t afford it.

Learn Pysanki (www.learnpysanki.com/steps/). Anyone can learn how to make (write) the decorative eggs that are a Ukrainian tradition. Just follow the step-by-step, illustrated instructions, and pick a design from a selection that ranges from basic to advanced. This website provides bunches of information, including original dye recipes and explanations for the symbols and colors.

Pysanki Showcase (www.pysankishowcase.com). This website belongs to Patty Wishnuk-De Angelo, a New Jersey Pysanki writer whose work was selected to be exhibited at the White House in 2004. The gallery is loaded with beautiful eggs to view. One that especially caught my attention was an etched emu egg of a Cossack. If you are considering the idea of writing some Pysanki, you might want to view this gallery first in order to gather some design ideas.

Fortune Cookie Fortunes (www.chinese-fortune-cookie.com). Don’t laugh: I purchased some plastic fortune cookies to insert “fortunes” for a group warm-up activity, and I needed ideas. Imagine my delight when I found this website, offering four different .PDF files to download and print. The challenge of writing my own fortunes was solved, except for having to cut each little strip and inserting them into their plastic home. Made me wonder how those fortunes we find tucked inside the sugary cookie get in there. If anyone travels to San Francisco, they can find out by taking a tour of a fortune cookie factory. I’m packed and ready to go. What a great Beacher feature that would be! All I need now is an airline ticket.

The Internet Rainbow (www.the-internet-rainbow.co.nr). It will take you less than two seconds to add your personal color to a growing band of “rainbow.” Mine is a shade of green, and I guess I was the 249,813^th person to add a color. I’m not sure what value this site has, other than a time-waster. (Via Growabrain).

Have you ever noticed the number of bylines in the Beacher with Irish names? I guess that makes us really special this time of year. Naturally, I found you a St. Patrick’s Day site as I roamed the green hills and valleys of the internet this past week. And for you more serious readers, you can park yourself in front of a website that addresses the excesses of the information age. Then, when you get tired of reading, you can move on to the bits of trivia that add to the aforementioned excess.

All St. Patrick’s Day (www.holidays.net/stpattys/). Did you know that true Irishmen scoff at the tradition of green (Guinness) beer? Or that leprechauns are cobblers by profession? Whatever you are looking for to celebrate the wearin’ of the green next Monday, you’ll find it here. How about a recipe for Colcannon? Or, you can learn to write a limerick, or memorize an Irish blessing. You’ll find clip art, coloring pages, puzzles, more recipes, history, and lots of other information to make you ready to celebrate. Here is an Irish Blessing for you that I copied from the website:

May your life be long

May your heart be true

May your path be clear

And your skies be blue

May your soul be happy

And your spirit light

May you know deep joy

May your dreams take flight

Propaganda Analysis (www.propagandacritic.com). This is a perfect time to read up on the slight-of-words spewing from the mouths of presidential candidates, or admen. My eyes started to glaze over a bit, so I found my way over to the video gallery, where I caught about five minutes of a (longer) 1960’s-era film, “Brink of Disaster.” This propaganda film addresses those “dirty hippies” and the importance of supporting the Viet Nam war. There are several other films to view in the archives. Somewhere along the way I found myself at the Prelinger Archives (www.archive.org), where a huge repository of films—good ones and not so good ones, are free for the viewing.

Worst Foods in America (www.menshealth.com/20worst/worstfood). This is an article in the online magazine that reviews 20 heavy-on-the-calories-and-fat menu items that will guarantee to add pounds to your frame, and clogs to your arteries.. All are chain restaurant or fast-food selections. Tops in calories are the Aussie cheese fries with Ranch dressing. The onion blossom at another restaurant comes in second. You’ll have to read the article to discover the other 18 worst foods.

Most Expensive Car Toys (http://fulgeria.com/en/2008/02/22/the-most-expensive-car-toys/). Yes, indeed. Words deceive. I was expecting to find gadgets, and aftermarket gizmos when I read the teaser headline. Instead, I gazed at a photo of a full-size Ferrari Formula 1 race car made from Belgian chocolate. The cost? $24,000.. For chocolate! No motor! And that is just one of about six “car toys” featured here. None of them are functional, but the full-sized racer made of toothpicks(!) is certainly a wonder. By the way, I apologize for the long url. I found a shorter one to get you to this site, but you would be wading through some racy, family-unfriendly photos to access the car toys.

Have you started working on your taxes yet? I’m not necessarily recommending tax software, but it may help to look at an eye-opening chart I discovered this week. After you have viewed it, race over to the chocolate site I mention below. Then settle down and jot some memories from long ago, using a useful online program.

Death and Taxes (www.thebudgetgraph.com). So. You want to know how our government is spending our money? This chart will show you. Included are the latest budget requests from our President, some of which were mentioned in his 2008 State of the Union address. There are more than 400 programs and departments on this chart. I noticed that the proposed budget includes a huge increase for the National Science Foundation, while the EPA’s proposed allotment has fallen. Lots of stuff to look at. Makes you want to find as many extra deductions as possible when you figure your taxes.

 Intentional Chocolate (www.intentionalchocolate.com). This is a commercial site, and I usually try to stay away from them for this column. But the premise behind this product is so notable that I had to share it with you. Here is a product description: “Intentional Chocolate is embedded with the following intention: Whoever consumes this chocolate will manifest optimal health and functioning at physical, emotional and mental levels, and in particular will enjoy an increased sense of energy, vigor and well-being. The new “ingredient” in Intentional Chocolate is not a conventional nutrient, but rather the focused benevolent intentions of highly experienced meditators. Intentional Chocolate is the first product born out of this mind-matter technology.” Apparently several restaurants in Chicago use the product.. Be sure to indulge when you finally sit down to do your taxes. Write My Memoirs (www.writemymemoirs.com). Anyone thinking about writing his or her life story ought to have a look at this website. Actually, it is free online software that allows you to create an autobiography easily. You can write one event at a time, and it helps you organize your thoughts. It has a section on helpful tips, too. I’m not sure why it is free. It looks like a fine program. Just be sure to read the privacy policy to see if it’s for you. The People History (www.thepeoplehistory.com). For nostalgia or for reference or both, this is a surprising find! Want to know how much things cost in the 1930’s? The answers are here, along with tidbits, trends, events and more of each decade starting from the 1920’s. The information spills over into a separate blog, and more is added as discovered. Rules of Thumb (http://rulesofthumb.org)  A rule of thumb is defined as “a homemade recipe for making a guess.” The goal of this site is to gather every rule of thumb on earth into a gigantic database. It is easily searchable and fun to browse. Antique Appraisals (www.eppraisals.com). There are various levels of services here, from free to fee-based. You can browse through more than 70 pages of appraisals and select three without having to pay for the information. You can submit your own antique or collectible information to get an appraisal, or you can just browse out of curiosity.  

Cam of the Week (www.fishycam.com). Fishy Cam lets you watch the action of fish swimming around in a fishbowl. Unlike other cams that often show nothing happening, this one, at least while I was watching) is full of fish swimming back and forth. A time-waster? Maybe, but it does get your mind off other stuff, so maybe it has some redeeming value.

If you are expecting references to Valentine’s Day here, I’m way ahead of you. If you remember, I covered one site last week (www.links2love.com). This week, I’ve been working on President’s Day, and much, much further out in time, some outer space predictions. I caught a few videos on YouTube about Nibiru, an alleged 12^th planet that prognosticators say is going to do the Earth major damage in  2012. Some of the videos were very convincing, but the Internet being what it is, one needs to check and double-check to make sure the information found is accurate. That said, you can guess the course of my surfing and its results this week. We’ll begin with our last several Presidents.

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Presidents & UFO’s (www.presidentialufo.com). I’m not sure how I arrived here. Probably from a link that dealt with Nibiru, the brown dwarf or Planet X or whatever it is—or is not. From FDR to our current President, each administration’s remarks or policy about UFO’s is presented here. Except for Jimmy Carter openly admitting to seeing a UFO (while campaigning, in his pre-President days), there is not much so-called declassified information here. But then, I just scanned quickly some documents put together for UFO fans. Um, did I tell you I saw a UFO once? It was close to 30 years ago and I was living in a remote area with clear skies and it scared the bejeebers out of me. The local police took my report while trying to hide their smirks. Despite that sighting, I am not ready to join the ranks of the UFO buffs.

The Planetary Society (www.planetary.org). I’m guessing that most of this nonprofit’s members have not sighted a UFO, but then, they would be open to the possibility. Their objective is public education and advocacy for space exploration. They could be considered an organization that is building a stairway to the stars for John Q. Public’s curiousity. Carl Sagan, among others, founded this organization. And it has cool stuff on its website. I learned that on January 28 of this year, Asteroird TU24 made its closest earth approach for the last 2,000 years. And in addition to news, the site has information about the opportunity to participate in “stardust@home,” the specks of space dust that need volunteers’help to sift through. One must download a special virtual microscope and officially register to help. This is not a video game, but serious research. So, if you have the time and interest, there’s a project for you. Unpaid, of course. I think I’d rather be out searching for specks of real gold.

Deep Space Video (www.fronteirmultimedia.com/deepspace.htm). For the price of just your speedy internet connection, you’ll get a very cool, approximately 3-minute look at the beauty of the cosmos, with appropriate music to boot. This is a commercial site that is selling 12-minute versions of Deep Space, Good Earth (also very cool—watch it, too) , the Moon and the Sun. The 3-minute previews are free. There is an offer for a demo download with a 7-day or 7-play option, which I assume is free. If you want to own one of these nifty cosmic shows, it will set you back only $12 (one dollar a minute). I can tell you that the 3-minute free version is definitely worth a look.

Tallahasee UFO sighting, 2005. 

 Two good causes, oddities, and loads of information about cities and towns in the United States caught be attention on the Web this week.  Plus, a mental challenge that escaped my attention earlier rounds out this week’s selection of websites. 

Outpost For Hope (www.outpostforhope.org). This is something akin to an Amber Alert, except that the grassroots organization which built the website focuses on advocacy for kids off the grid. Not only  missing children, either, are posted here. The organization works with families, social services and law enforcement to provide guidance, education and training. They work toward the goal of reunification. The missing persons are, as best I can guess, not necessarily in harms way. They are people who have walked away from their former lives. This site might be helpful to someone you know, so pass on the information.

Operation Happy Note (www.operationhappynote.com). The website helps a volunteer effort to send musical instruments to deployed service men and women around the world. This project appears to boost the morale of soldiers, judging from the photos posted at the website. One volunteer group holds concerts in Minnesota to raise funds and awareness of “Operation Iraq & Roll.” Donated guitars, and there have been many of them sent off, appear to be a big hit with the soldiers. If you have dusty instruments lying around unused, perhaps you would like to learn more about this project. Log on and find out more.

Oddities (http://oddee.com/). This blog focuses entirely on oddities of our world. A link took me to /item_91568, “7 Incredible Natural Phenomena You’ve Never Seen.” Three of the phenomena I read about (and viewed pictures of) were the raining fish of Honduras, red rain in India, and a fire rainbow in Idaho. Very interesting. I browsed some of the other offerings at Oddee and would say that half are truly worth reading and the rest is trivial junk.

City Data (www.city-data.com). Certainly not the only demographics information site, yet I liked the amount of information, the bar graphs, statistics, and general look of this website. Plug in a zip code and you will unearth all sorts of information, including a breakdown of the zip’s population by gender and race, the average adjusted gross income and other tax information, graphs related to the age of homes in the zip code, and most interesting to me, the companies that have received federal contracts. Maybe all this is boring to you, but not to people in real estate, or those thinking of relocating. Or the curious, like me.

  Ponder This (http://dominoresearch.ibm.com/comm/wwwr_ponder.nsf). Do yourself a favor and go directly to www.refdesk.com and click the link near the bottom of the right sidebar. It is much easier than writing down the extra-long url above. Once on the site, you can read the month’s challenge—guaranteed to make you ponder, and keep your mind sharp. Everyone who correctly solves the puzzle will find his name listed the following month, along with the solution. Personally, I hated those types of math reading quizzes. The January challenge reminded my of those dreadful math classes of long ago. On the other hand….I forgot what I was going to say.

“winter in Holland”

from Pizdaus.com via J-Walk Blog

A dose of inspiration, testimonies from etiquette faux pas, a huge repository of green advice and markets, and a most useful lost and found service are among this week’s finds.

Internet Lost and Found (www.lostandfound.com). In addition to posting to or browsing through print classifieds for items lost or found, you can check this site on the Web. Select a state—don’t bother to home in on a county or city—and scan the postings. Indiana has several listings for found items, mostly class rings. In fact, found class rings appear to dominate the found listings from several states. Categories for items include jewelry, clothing, tools, tickets, baggage, media, and tech items. The site allows you to contact the finder directly. Ditto for the unfortunate person who lost something. It’s free to post an item, by the way.

Cash for CDs (www.cashforcds.com). Although I am not a user of this site, you may be interested in the offer of from $5 and up for your used cds, dvds, and games. You have to sell at least 6 at a time, and they have to be in decent condition. The condition they are in, as well as the demand for the title, will dictate how much this service will pay you. If it wants what you have, it will send you a postage-paid mailer for your items. Sounds like a decent way to recycle your unwanted collections.

Ecomall (www.ecomall.com). If you are conscientious about recycling and striving for a healthier, greener lifestyle, you’ll want to know about this website, whose tagline is “a place to save the earth.”Among the topics with links, you’ll find resources for renewable energy, eco-restaurants, eco-quotes, activism, eco-investments, and tons of links to articles and companies and products.

Etiquette Hell (www.etiquettehell.com). Before wedding season begins, read what some invitees have to say about their invitations, or their nonexistent thank you notes for gifts. Ah, but weddings are just one category of rants you’ll read. Add work-related and everyday outrage to the mix and you’ll find some entertaining reading. Of course, the best use of this reading is to learn from it, and to avoid the faux pas that cause enmity.

Inspirations (www.zeltzer.com/inspirations/).  Blogger Lennie Zeltzer asked his readers to submit examples of things that inspire them. The feedback he received makes for a pleasant read, and it encourages me to know that there is a big dose of intelligence on the web. Here is one reader’s inspiration: “the smell of melting snow bringing the warmth of spring.” Find dozens and dozens more to make you feel grateful for being alive.

Retroland (www.retroland.com). I was very excited when I logged on to this shiny, colorful site, but then felt let down when there wasn’t much to say about the eras we card-carrying AARP members want to remember. And yet, the writing is done well, and somewhat informative. You decide whether it’s worth more than five minutes of your time.

Opt Out Prescreen (www.optoutprescreen.com). If you are tired of receiving those credit card offers or junk mail from insurance companies, you can now use this website to opt out of receiving these offers. Just think of how many trees you can save. The service is free, too, as it should be.

 America @ 10mph Video. Remember our visit from Segway riders Hunter and Josh? You can view their complete documentary free at YouTube. http://youtube.com/watch?v=DdR41fe9Zeg
Give Hunter and Josh $1 by joining OurStage for Free: http://www.10mph.com/ourstage  

Web Cam of the Week: (www.thaicam.com). Travel to Thailand and watch revelers enjoy the warm weather on the beach at several Thai resorts. This might help chase some winter blues away.

Only one week left to help Rusty’s Morningstar Ranch in their efforts to help MORE adults with autism. If everyone gave just $10, it would help the ranch’s efforts incredibly. While at their site, be sure to read the “Blessed Are…” message at the bottom of the home page.

Thanks a bunch!

Welcome to CyberScribbles’ new (and returning) blog at its new home on WordPress.com. The first column will be posted on or around January 9. See you soon!