Mental Floss
Want to feel smart again? Mental Floss magazine is an intelligent read, but not too intelligent. It might even be considered weird! I didn’t take the time to go through it all, because it could take weeks, but there are lots of interesting, offbeat articles here that seem quite amusing. It’s a good way to pass the time on a cold winter’s day. Check it out at: http://mentalfloss.com/

National Archives Films on Google Video
Over 70 years ago, the National Archives was founded to preserve American historical documents, as well as the moments and events that could be saved in still photos, films, and audio recordings. Now Google is launching a pilot program to digitize its video content and offer it to everyone in the world for free. You can watch a growing selection on Google Video. It’s a really interesting collection of videos of all sorts of historic events and places. The oldest one I found was from 1933 (Movies existed then?), about White Sands. http://video.google.com/nara.html

An Amazing Puzzle
This will boggle your mind! I think I’ve written about it before, but it’s fun again. Take your time and follow the instructions. After reading each window, click on the boy in the lower-right corner. In the last window, type in your numbers in the white box, using the keyboard (there is NO cursor). You will be amazed! The answer appears on the boy's T-shirt. http://digicc.com/fido/

Dancing Paul
This is another time-waster that’s fun. Click each of the buttons to make Paul dance in different ways. You’ll wish you were as limber as he is! http://dancingpaul.com/

Grand Illusions
This is a puzzle that has me completely insane. If you can solve it, let me know, because I gave up in frustration! It’s very easy to get started, though. Just click the piece of the puzzle you want to use first. If you want to rotate the puzzle piece, you need to press the Shift key down while clicking. When you get all the pieces in the right order, a message reading “Congratulations” will pop up on your screen, and that’s how you will know that you solved it. At least that’s what the instructions say. I’ll never know for sure! http://www.grand-illusions.com/articles/russian_puzzle/

Rent Control
Landlords and tenants will find the Rent-O-Meter website useful for its ability to instantly compute current property rates. Simply enter in your address, city, and apartment details, and watch in awe as it calculates the fair market price for your pad. http://www.rentometer.com/

Law Companion
For most of us without a Law degree, navigating the many areas of the legal world can be a daunting and expensive experience. It’s not a substitute for an attorney, but a visit to Nolo.Com will provide you with valuable information and help you translate the "legalese." The website is divided into easy-to-find categories such as "Wills and Estate Planning," “Rights and Disputes," "Family Law and Immigration," and other areas of common law like "Divorce" and "Bankruptcy,” http://www.nolo.com/

Crossword Puzzles
Crossword buffs will want to bookmark this site, which is an online treasure trove of puzzle games. With over 30,000 crosswords, from "Extra-Small" to "Big" puzzles, you are guaranteed endless hours of entertainment. You can print them, too, so you don’t have to sit at the computer to complete them. http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/