PROJECT BARTLEBY

Named after Herman Melville's short story "Bartleby, The Scrivener," Project Bartleby [now just called Bartleby.com] is an online library developed at Columbia University has a searchable database of over 370,000 web pages, including the largest database of quotations ever published (over 86,000 quotations) and the largest freely available verse database (over 10,000 poems). It seems a little odd to sit at a computer to read a book, but there are a lot of interesting ones available here. http://www.bartleby.com

ZABASEARCH

A new database is available to the general public, free of charge, that displays your personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates). Check to see if your name and information is in their database. I checked my name and a few others and they were all there, although the information is far from correct. I’m ignoring it, based on the idea that anyone who is interested in my boring life must be leading a really boring one, but if you want yours taken out of the system, send them an e-mail at info@zabasearch.com to request it be removed. I’m afraid it will just pop up in another database, though. As Mick Topping says, you may as well give up any idea of privacy in today’s world. http://zabasearch.com

ART OF SCIENCE COMPETITION

Princeton University asked its community to submit imagery produced in the course of research or incorporating tools and concepts from science. The response was overwhelming: more than 200 entries from nearly 100 individuals in 15 departments. Fifty-five of these works were selected to appear in the 2005 Art of Science Exhibition." And they are online where you can see them. Click the words "online gallery" to view the artwork. There are many interesting entries—you can even see who won the competition. Take your time and see the beautiful side of Science. http://www.princeton.edu/~artofsci/

SQUARE AMERICA

Square America is a site dedicated to preserving and displaying vintage snapshots from the first three-fourths of the 20th Century. Not only do these photographs contain a wealth of information on how life was lived they also constitute a shadow history of photography, one too often ignored by museums and art galleries. You’ll think you’re looking at your neighbor’s photo album. http://www.squareamerica.com/

THE SENSES CHALLENGE

Put your senses to the test with this challenge. The twenty questions will not only test your senses, but what you know about them as well. See how well you do! It’s fun, but harder than you’d think!

BENEFITS CHECKUP - NCOA'S ONLINE SCREENING SERVICE

This is a great site that allows seniors (55+) to see if they're eligible for any government benefits. It's run by the National Coalition on Aging. By filling out a short form, seniors can find out if they qualify for prescription benefits, food stamps, help with their rent or electric bills, and more. Definitely worth a check. http://www.benefitscheckup.org/

WAYNE'S WORLD: ONLINE TEXTBOOK OF NATURAL HISTORY

Explore the multitude of species, the flora and fauna of our intricate environment with this easily accessible guide to Natural History. Wayne's Word is an online textbook and study guide dedicated to the fascinating fields of Botany, Biology and Ecology.

Great for students and adults who love to learn, Wayne's website works a lot like a school textbook, but a lot more fun. Visitors can view amazing images of plants and flowers, learn esoteric facts about the natural world, and sign-up for one of Wayne's courses in one of the Life Sciences. http://waynesword.palomar.edu/wayne.htm

FLOWER MAKER

This is a fun little time waster. You can choose petals and colors and create your own flowers. http://www.zefrank.com/flowers/

DAILY DOSE OF RANDOM