Interesting site links.

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Web Site Links.

A selection of links to sites I have found useful, interesting or funny.
If you like my site please feel free to link to my homepage and if possible email me so I can visit your site. Rob.

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A Computer Geek's History of the Internet.
Although described as a history of the internet, this is actually quite a wide ranging and interesting history of all thinks computing. There are some very interesting picture links.
http://www.wbglinks.net/pages/history/

Amazing Untrue Facts.
A page of plausible sounding facts, but not one of them is true, my favorite, if not the most likely sounding is:
When subjected to an electric current of at least 50 volts, a cat's tail always points toward the north.
http://www.topfive.com/amazingfacts.shtml

Angry Alien Productions.
If you don't have time to watch the full version of classic films such as Jaws, Titanic, or War of the Worlds, Angry Alien Productions provides thirty second re-enactments, all performed by very talented bunnies.
Note: You will need Flash enabled in your browser.
http://www.angryalien.com

Ban the Bulb.
A site that promotes the use of energy efficient light bulbs, to reduce the soaring CO2 levels in the atmosphere.
The site also has links other alternative energy sites. I haven't finished reading it all yet, but if you care about the planet, you should find this site interesting and informative.
http://www.banthebulb.org/

Barney Photos.
While here in the UK most politicians are still struggling to understand this newfangled internet fad. In the more PR savvy USA even the Presidents dog Barney, has his own web page on the White House site. I wonder if George created the page for Barney, or perhaps Barney created George's page.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/barney/#

Big Brother, nearly here?
If you worry about the amount of information that various organisations hold on you, this short Flash movie provides you with a glimpse of the not very distant future. I'm a little worried now!
Note: you will need Flash enabled in your browser. Download time on a 56k connection approx two minutes.
http://www.aclu.org/pizza/images/screen.swf

Bob Cerilli's Windows Page.
This is a useful site for solving problems with Windows. With everything from advice on installing Windows, to how to get the best out of the Vista Aero interface.
The author claims that his site is the longest running Windows site (other than Microsoft), on the internet. Quite a claim to fame!
http://www.onecomputerguy.com/index.html

Breathing Earth.
Global warming is big news nowadays and the main culprit is CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) released into the atmosphere by industry and transport. We are shown facts and figures, about how much CO2 is released each year, but it is hard to visualize.
This Flash presentation, by David Bleja, a student at Monash University in Melbourne Australia, allows you to see the gas being released in real time.
Every time a country releases 1000 tonnes of CO2, it flashes red, the USA flashes the most, releasing 1000 tonnes every 5.4 seconds. But we in the UK have nothing to be proud of, releasing 1000 tonnes, about once a minute.
It is quite sobering to watch and makes you wonder, just how long, the planet can absorb this much misuse.
Note: you will need Flash enabled in your browser and loading time is about one minute, on a 56k connection.
http://www.breathingearth.net/

Browser speed comparison page.
All the major browsers claim to be the fastest, but which really is? This page features an independent test of all the popular browsers, showing both their strong and weak points.
http://www.howtocreate.co.uk/browserSpeed.html

CD-Recordable FAQ.
This site features everything you are ever likely to need (or want) to know about CDs.
There are "how to" guides, for burning, ripping etc, advice on hardware and software, explanations of obscure terms, even a section on what to do with your old CDs.
There is even a section about CD eating fungus (seriously).
Note: The pages are big and take a little while to fully load and move to the correct section on dialup .
http://www.cdrfaq.org/

Chalk Drawings by Julian Beever.
These amazing chalk drawings, are drawn on the pavement and when viewed from the correct angle the artist interacts with the 3D scene.
At first I thought they might be fakes, but they are just remarkably clever drawings, I liked the one of a toy yacht. You can see a large selection of the drawings at:
http://users.skynet.be/J.Beever/pave.htm

Cheese on Tour.
The Web's number one site for pictures of cheese in famous places, uhm quite. Pictures of cheese up mountains and by monuments, possibly created by a mouse?
There are also lots of somewhat dubious cheese "facts", such as:
In its lifetime the average household mouse will consume 350,600,286 crumbs of cheese - enough to build a full-scale replica of the Empire State Building
http://www.cheeseontour.com/

Damn Interesting.
The title says it all, this site contains regularly published articles, about anything the team of writers find interesting, from Alternative Energy, to the Wonders of Nature.
You can browse through the articles chronologically, or by subject, or you can perform a search for a specific item.
You can also leave your comments about an article.
http://www.damninteresting.com/

Digg.
I heard about Digg a while ago, but only recently visited the site and I must admit to being somewhat addicted.
Digg is a popular news site with a difference, all the stories are submitted by the users of Digg. How high the profile of a story becomes, depends on the users, who can vote to "digg" it, if they like it, or "bury" it if they dont.
The system works pretty well, with interesting items floating to the top of the pile (the front page). For a popular modern site Digg loads quickly even on dialup and although some links are to videos, most are just text and images.
Note: the content can be on any subject and some user comments are not family friendly.
http://www.digg.com/

EcoGeek.
Technology can be a force for evil, or for awesome. Those who shun the tech are just as guilty as those who ignore the environment. There's a safe balance, where the awesome can help nature as much as it helps us have a good time and live easier lives.
EcoGeek devotes its pages to exploring the symbiosis between nature and technology. If you're interested in that, then stop by, and stop by often.
http://www.ecogeek.org/

Einstein.
Everybody has heard of Albert Einstein, but what exactly did he discover and what does E=mc squared actually mean. Well this section of the Americam Museum of Natural History does a good job of explaining all about Einstein and his achievements.
While you are at the site, have a look around the other sections, it's very good.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/einstein/

Email Etiquette.
This site tries improve email communication, by setting out thirtytwo do's and dont's. Such as don't SHOUT and use the correct spelling. I think this is a great idea, as I often receive emails written in virtually unreadable (unless you are about fourteen) text speak.
http://www.emailreplies.com/

Esp Experiment.
This web page tests your powers of extra sensory perception. You are asked to choose one of six playing cards, without making any indication of the card you have chosen. Then if the test can detect your thoughts, your card is removed.
It worked for me, my card was removed, I always knew I was telepathic.
You can submit your theories on how the test works and lots of people have. I realised how it was done almost straight away (I must be more observant than I thought I was), but it is clever, simple, but clever.
http://sprott.physics.wisc.edu/pickover/esp.html

Falcon21.
If you are worried about virus infection and your computers security online, then this site is for you, with download links to helpful programs and articles written in plain English, its a very useful source of information.
http://falcon21.vze.com/

Find ISP.
A site listing available ISP's by country, along with features and comments. Very useful if looking for a new ISP.
http://www.freedomlist.com/find.php3

Forty Things That Only Happen In Movies.
Have you ever noticed that in a film nobody ever has problems parking right outside any building they want to visit. This site lists forty of the things we just take for granted as normal behaviour in the movies, such as:
If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises wearing their most revealing underwear. One of my favorites.
http://www.nostalgiacentral.com/features/20moviethings.htm

Fred Langa: What comes next?
Some readers might remember Fred Langas excellent computer help and advice column, the Langalist.
Sadly, some time ago Fred Langa merged the Langlist with Windows Secrets, (which isn't a patch on the Langalist) and then seemed to vanish.
Well Fred has got an interesting new blog, covering lots of subjects and with the odd article about computers.
http://fredlanga.blogspot.com/

Freebyte.com.
A very interesting site with something for everyone, their own software and links to other peoples and links to a massive amount of sites, covering an enormous amount of topics, well worth a visit.
http://www.freebyte.com

Freecycle.org
Freecycle is helping to cut waste, by encouraging people to give away items that they no longer require, for free.
Just about anything can be given away, items such as toys, clothes, bicycles, furniture, kitchen appliances, gardening tools, musical instruments, computer equipment, in fact, just about anything you can think of.
Freecycle works through a worldwide network of local web sites, some countries (such as the UK) have lots of sites, others just a few. If there isn't a site for your area, you could start one, details are given on the web site.
Items are listed on your local Freecycle website and interested parties can email a request for the item, the owner of the item then decides who should receive it. You can also advertise for items you need.
It is important to read the help section on the Freecycle site, to learn the correct etiquette for posting your items.
Freecycle expands on the old but sadly dwindling practice of offering unwanted items to your neigbours. It performs a great service, in reducing waste, by greatly extending the life of consumer goods and helping the community. Why not join today.
My thanks to Fiona, of the Nottingham Freecycle site, for suggesting this site.
http://www.Freecycle.org

Free-Webhosts.
If you don't get any free web space with your ISP, or if you are using your parents connection and they won't share the space, (probably your dad) you are limited to free web hosting.
Free hosting varies enormously in quality and reliability and some sites refuse to allow you to upload even zip files.
Free Webhosts lists available hosts, stating space given, bandwidth, etc, allowing you to choose the best host for your needs.
http://www.free-webhosts.com/

F-Secure Security Labs -- Weblog.
F-Secure produces antivirus software and this informative and entertaining blog, is written by the F-Secure staff, who are responsible for analyzing virus, phishing, spyware, and spam attacks.
Some of the scams are very convincing and you can understand how people get caught out.
http://www.f-secure.com/weblog/

The Geek Test.
Do you like your computer more than your friends, or perhaps you haven't got any friends, or only imaginary ones. Do you watch old repeats of Star Trek and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
If that sounds like you, you could be a Geek, take this extensive test and find out.
I scored a mildly geeky 19.9211% (I spend way too much time on the computer).
http://www.innergeek.us/geek-test.html

Get Fat - Stay Fat, spoof site.
Fed up of stick thin celebrities telling you how to get thin by cutting out nice food and replacing it with healthy alternatives, such as vegetables and bran (yuk), then rebel and try the Get Fat - Stay Fat diet.
http://www.getfat-stayfat.co.uk/

Get Safe Online.
Good comprehensive safety advice geared towards the new computer user, the site does tend to recommend paid for software rather than freeware, but the general safety advice is very good. The site is sponsored by the government and leading businesses working together to provide a free, public service.
http://www.getsafeonline.org/

Giveaway of the day.
Every day this site gives away two pieces of commercial software for free. One item is a game, the other a utility of some sort, ie a DVD burner, address book, image editor, etc.
The freebies are only available for download and activation for one day and the time remaining is shown on site. You need to install the software immediately, while connected to the internet, so that it can be activated (run the activator first, instructions with download) before the time runs out.
Some of the freebies are quite good and it's worth surfing by each day, to see what is on offer. You can also leave comments about the current freebies and sign up for a weekly newsletter.
Utilities section: http://www.giveawayoftheday.com/
Games section: http://game.giveawayoftheday.com/

Great Facts.
If you like knowing interesting and unusual facts like that on average, every chocolate bar contains at least three insect legs, (Oh no I must of eaten thousands. ) or that Cockroaches break wind every 15 minutes, then this could be the site for you, with loads of facts, on loads of subjects.
http://www.greatfacts.com/

Gullible Info.
I cant make up my mind whether this site is serious, or not, some of the "facts" seem possible, but some are definitely bogus. I liked this one:
On May 9, 2006, Bernard Ellula became the one hundredth person to be killed by a computer mouse.
There is also a fact check forum, where you discuss the merits, or otherwise, of the "facts".
http://www.gullible.info/index.php

How Products Are Made.
A very interesting site, with detailed explanations and diagrams showing how products are made, everything from an airbag, to X-ray glasses! The articles explain the manufacturing processes in some depth and further reading is suggested.
http://www.madehow.com/

How to stop time.
You can conduct your own time stopping experiment at this site. It worked for me, hurrah, I'm a time lord, move over Dr Who, here I come.
http://www.grasshopper.com/mind-games/how-to-stop-time/

Howstuffworks.
An interesting site, with articles on a large range of subjects, ranging from how superchargers work, to how ice cream is made, yum.
Unfortunately each article spans several short pages, which can be a little irritating, waiting for each page to load, but apart from that a good read.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/
An alphabetical index of the articles. http://www.howstuffworks.com/big.htm

Intelligence Test -- Online Flash item.
So you think your clever? Take this fun IQ test, to possibly find out. Comprising approximately thirty questions on a variety of subjects and against the clock, you need to be bright and quick.
At the end you are given a score and a brief assessment of your intelligence. I scored twenty and was told: "Thinking is possibly not your strong point".
Note: You will need Flash enabled in your browser and loading time is approximately 30 seconds on a 56k connection.
http://www.flashbynight.com/test/

JoshMadison.
"Welcome to my web site. Just like everyone else on the web, I have nothing to say, but yet I spend hours creating a site to prove it."
A personal site, very good with lots of humorous stories, writings and general ramblings, including a blog.
http://joshmadison.net/

Live Science.
A very informative site, with the latest news about a variety of subjects, from technology and the enviroment, to the latest wacky science ideas.
http://www.livescience.com/

Madlad Designs.
Andy Nicholas also has a collection of web sites, including The Game Maker Knowledge base and an excellent site called The Unexplained. ( Its about UFO's, monsters, strange facts, its very interesting.) All of his sites can be accessed from:
http://www.madladdesigns.co.uk/

Micro Mart.
Micro Mart is a weekly UK computer magazine and the only computer magazine that I regularly buy, as I find most computer magazines have the same simple articles, again and again, interspersed with reviews of yet another printer/usb stick/etc (yawn).
Micro Mart is somewhat different, it lacks the gloss of other magazines and rarely has a cover mounted CD. But it does have more in depth articles and views on current news events.
The writers do assume a certain level of computer knowledge and rarely give explanations of computer terminology, so newcomers might find the articles rather hard going. But the articles are interesting and often written with a wit, that seems to escape other publications, even if the grammar and spelling are sometimes suspect (I often wonder if they proof read the magazine).
The Micro Mart web site displays quite a lot of the excellent content from the magazine. With news, articles and reviews, there is also a fairly active forum. Well worth a visit.
http://www.micromart.co.uk/

Mysticalball.com
This site claims to read your mind and displays the results in a crystal ball. (The ball was empty when it read my mind )
It is quite impressive, but like most magic tricks, is ridiculously simple, when you realise how it is done.
Note: you will need Flash enabled in your browser, download time less than 1 minute, on 56k dial up.
http://www.mysticalball.com/

Now you do.
There are lots of free antivirus programs, firewalls and scanners on the internet, plus loads of free security advice. But free software can be difficult to find and sometimes you just can't remember where you saw a particular article.
The Now You Do web site attempts to solve this problem, by gathering together links to useful software and advice, from around the internet. Most of the software is free (some trials) and the selection is quite large. I would have liked to have seen short independant reviews of the software included, but apart from that a useful site.
http://www.nowyoudo.co.uk/index.html

Numion StopWatch.
This site enables you to time, how long a web page takes to load. This can be useful if you have your own web site and wish to check the page load times, or if you want to find out which browser is the fastest (Mozilla Seamonkey in my tests).
You can enter the URL of any site you wish to check, or use one of the links on the StopWatch page.
http://www.numion.com/stopwatch/

One More Level.
A large collection of Flash games, mostly of a reasonable file size, so that they load quickly, even on a 56k connection. A new game is added every weekday.
http://www.onemorelevel.com/

Optical Illusions.
This site features dozens of Optical Illusions. Ranging from pictures with unusual perspectives, to full blown Flash and video animations.
I found that some of illusions were quite subtle, but others were outstanding, my favorite so far, is "Rats on Parade".
The site layout is not brilliant, so click on the Site Map to get the illusions menu.
Note: There are a lot of flashing, rotating, etc, images, don't visit the site if you are adversely affected by such images.
http://illusionsetc.blogspot.com/

Optimize Guides.
If you run XP, you will find this site very interesting, with information on optimizing and securing XP, plus myths about XP and some interesting freeware game links, although most are very large downloads.
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/SupportCD/index.html

Orisinal Games.
A site with over forty online Flash games, with a new game being added occasionally.
The main page displays all the games as thumbnail images and once you have made your choice you will go to a loading screen. Loading is fairly quick with most games being 100 to 300K.
The most striking feature of the games is the graphics, they have a soft almost dream like appearance.
A favorite of mine, is The Perilous Voyage where you control a sailing ship and try to destroy falling rocks, watch out for the dragon!!
This is a delightful site and somewhere you will visit again, its only minus feature, is that you cannot play the games offline.
Note: You will need to have Flash installed in your browser to play the games
http://ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

Paranormal Phenomena.
A very wide ranging site, with information about ghosts, ancient artifacts, weird creatures, fringe science such as antigravity and news about the latest strange happenings around the world.
Note: The site does not seem to work properly in Opera. (Could this be evidence of paranormal tampering?)
http://paranormal.about.com/

PC Advisor.
The official web site for the popular UK magazine PC Advisor. It has all the latest technology news and reviews. If you visit regularly, you hardly need to buy the magazine (the editor immediately closes the site).
There are also regularly updated blogs and competitions, a download section, with some freeware and some very active help forums.
http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/

Pet Focused.
This nicely presented site gives you an overview of what is involved in the day to day care of many popular pets (including goldfish).
The advice is not very in depth, but should prove useful if you are thinking about getting a new pet.
http://www.petfocused.com/

PetrolPrices.com.
With fuel prices soaring in the UK, it's handy to know which petrol stations have the cheapest fuel.
If you sign up with PetrolPrices.com, you can get weekly emails listing the location of the five cheapest stations in your area.
I have been receiving the weekly emails for a while now, to find cheap diesel for the car and it seems to be accurate. And the savings are worthwhile.
The site also has helpful tips to reduce your fuel consumption, motoring, fuel and eco friendly information and a blog.
Well worth a visit, if your are dismayed by the latest fuel price increases.
http://www.petrolprices.com/

Phobias.
It is said that everyone has an irrational fear of something, this site gives you an alphabetized list to choose from and some general information about phobias.
I think I may be suffering from Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, whoever thought up that name had a cruel sense of humour.
http://phobialist.com/

Posting and You....
If you regularly visit forums, you need to view this Flash movie to learn how to post correctly (ahem).
My thanks to Strum on the CA forum, for the link.
Note: You will need Flash enabled in your browser and download time is about 6 minutes on 56k dial-up.
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php

Programs That Start With Windows.
Using the MSconfig utility in Windows displays the programs that start up with Windows, this site explains what the programs are and if they are needed.
http://castlecops.com/StartupList.html

Sand Sculptures.
This site has some amazing pictures of sand sculptures, created for the World Sand Sculpture Championship at Harrison Hot Springs, USA. My favorites are the dragon and giant frog.
The page will take a while to load on a 56k connection.
Sand Sculptures -- How the sand sculptures are created

Sea Eagle's Blog.
This blog is for whatever I feel like writing at the time. Much of my interest lies in Linux (low-level), politics, privacy issues and how we are losing the battle against the authorities in the name of "the war on terror". I also like to post off-beat stories, and discuss anything I find interesting at the time.
An interesting and regularly updated current news blog.
http://scott2096.blogspot.com/

Shields Up!
Once you have your firewall installed, go along to Gibson Research and try their Shields Up! security test, to see if you are protected, ideally your test results should show a 100% stealth mode.
You can also try another product from Gibson Research, Leak Test, this is a 25k program that will try to penetrate your firewall from within.
http://www.grc.com/

Son Of Spy.
A very good freeware site, with plenty of programs, covering a wide range of topics, some of the older (but still good) programs you will not find anywhere else.
http://www.sover.net/~wysiwygx/index.html

Stupid computer tricks.
These are photos of customers computers, taken by a chap who worked in the service department of a computer store.
It's amazing what some people do to their computers. I particularly liked the CD jammed in the gap under the drive!
http://unix.rulez.org/~calver/pictures/stupid_users/index.html

Tall or Not.
Have you ever looked at your favorite film star and wondered just how tall they really are, after all you don't want to go on a date with a midget, or giant (okay, we are talking fantasy here). This site takes your height and gives a comparison with a large list of celebrities.
Fortunately for me at 6ft 2in, Helen Slater (Supergirl) is a respectable 5ft 8in and if it ever came to a fight, Tom Cruise is a puny 5ft 7in. Just don't pick a fight with Tom Selleck, (Magnum PI) at a towering 6ft 4in.
You will need Flash enabled in your browser.
http://albinoblacksheep.com/flash/tall.php

TeaGames.com
The TeaGames site features a collection of over thirtyfive Flash games, covering a wide range of game types.
My personal favorite is Top Dog II, where you fly a biplane in a aerial dogfight, you have two weapons, a fast firing but low powered gun and a heavy cannon, you can also collect the occasional repair box, by briefly landing.
Most of the games are very quick to load (well under a minute), even on a 56k connection, although some games lack any sound effects, which can be disappointing.
A great collection of games, with something to interest everyone.
Note: You will need to have Flash enabled in your browser.
http://www.teagames.com/

Tearing a phone book in half.
We have all seen muscle bound types tearing phone books in half on television, well apparently it is mainly down to technique and this site shows you how. I haven't tried this myself, as I only have the one phone book, but if you have an old one you can tear, let me know how you got on.
http://www.heavysports.com/emag/Clay_Edgin/phonebooks.html

Teddy bear Pyramid -- Online Flash toy
Not a lot you can say about this, poke the bears with your mouse pointer to knock them down, ahem.....................
Note: You will need Flash enabled in your browser and download time on a 56k connection, should be less than ten seconds.
http://www.nobodyhere.com/toren.hier

Ten Minute Mail.
For those times when you don't want to give out your normal email address, the 10 minute email comes in very handy.
Clicking on the "Get my 10 Minute Mail e-mail address" on the web page, opens another window, that lists your temporary email address and also lists any emails that address receives.
The time that the address will remain active counts down on the page and you have the option to extend its life by another ten minutes, if needed.
http://www.10minutemail.com/10MinuteMail/index.html

TensionNot.com
This site has a large collection of amusing (and clean) jokes, but the funny pictures section is the best part of the site.
http://www.tensionnot.com/jokes/

The A-Z Lyrics Universe.
A site containing an alphabetized list of song lyrics. You can search for an artist using the alphabetical index and the artists songs are usually arranged by album.
http://www.azlyrics.com/

The Policemans Blog.
This blog chronicles the life of an ordinary policeman in the UK. David Copperfield is a uniformed police officer, so deals with the day to day aspects of police work.
The blog extends back over a couple of years and is very interesting, it is amazing how much paper work he has to do, for even minor offences. And the wacky political correctness rules severly tie his hands.
After reading this you will understand why you never see any police men on the beat nowadays and how inaccurate the TV series "The Bill" is.
http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/

The end of the internet.
Does this really need an explanation.
http://www.shibumi.org/eoti.htm

The European quiz.
Just how European are you? How many of the fortynine (there are fortynine, I thought there was about twentyfive!) countries that make up Europe, can you name in five minutes. Just type the countries in the box and correct answers will be listed.
I got seventeen, which probably isn't that good. I would have got eighteen, but couldn't spell Luxembourg.
My thanks to Anne in the CA forum, for the link.
http://europe.bizrok.com/

The evolution of man and woman.
A short gif sequence, that shows humans evolving from single celled organisms, to the wise, intelligent and kind creatures we are today!!!!
http://walter.no.sapo.pt/humor/2001-06-28/humor-044.gif

The Medicinal Benefits of Whole Foods.
With all the current talk about healthy eating and the banning of junk food adverts, I thought that this site may be of interest. It lists the benefits of eating a variety of natural foods, although it doesn't mention how to get your kids to eat Brussel Sprouts.
http://www.naturalways.com/medValFd.htm

The Onion.
A spoof news site, featuring alternative news of current events, primarily from an American viewpoint, but still funny to the rest of us.
http://www.theonion.com/content/index

The Reincarnation Station.
Have you ever wondered what you would come back as, if reincarnation is true, well with this quiz you can find out. Apparently I'm coming back as dog, could be worse, might have been a dung beetle.
You will need Flash enabled in your browser to run the quiz.
http://www.reincarnationstation.com/

The Weekly Gripe.
We all have something that annoys us, well now you can get it off your chest, by submitting your complaint to The Weekly Gripe.
Once it's published, other readers can leave their own comments on the subject.
Gripes cover a wide variety of topics, such as music, shopping, politics, education and pets (bloody cats).
I haven't finished looking through this site yet, but so far it has proven entertaining, you can even vote on the merit, or not, of popular gripes.
I would say the only downside of the site is that you come away feeling rather irritated with the world.
http://www.weeklygripe.co.uk/

The World Fact Book.
The CIA's World Factbook contains all the statistical information you need to know about any country, including geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues.
Updated regulary, it is a very good starting point if you wish to learn more about a country that is currently in the news, or if you are just curious about the world.
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

The World's Daily Consumption-o-meter.
If the impact of humans on the environment worries you, this page of real time figures about Earth's consumption, production, deaths, diseases etc, should give you a nervous breakdown.
It is listed in tons, ohms, dollars, acres, hectares, grams and some of the totals change pretty rapidly. It is quite interesting and the speed that some figures change is amazing.
http://www.worldometers.info/

This and That.
My brother (hello Clive) bought me a Venus Flytrap for my birthday this year and I was looking on the internet for information about propagation, when I found this interesting site.
This is one of the best personal sites I have seen, covering a wide variety of topics. The author is very enthusiastic and he describes his experiences with making chocolate, crystals, and kaleidoscopes(!), writing short stories and a novel, gardening, bettas, kites, metal detectors, photography, pinball machines, electric rocket engines and astronomy, to name just a few of the hundred plus subjects covered.
If you only visit one new site this year, make it this one.
http://www.waynesthisandthat.com/index.htm

Tricks of the Trade.
This site features hundreds of little practical tips, on all manner of subjects from both specialists and enthusiastic amateurs.
Tips like: If digging a hole with several people, always choose the pickaxe, you will only have to do about one fifth of the work you would do with a shovel. I will remember that next time I'm digging a hole. ;)
http://www.tradetricks.org/

Trivia quiz.
This collection of twenty two quizzes (scroll down the page for the full list), covers a variety of subjects, including hits of the 60s, dinosaurs, myths and pot luck.
The questions aren't too hard, so anyone with a reasonable level of general knowledge should find the quizzes entertaining.
http://www.quiz.co.uk/

Triv.net.
If you like the "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" style of quizzes, this site will keep you occupied for hours.
Containing an incredible 500,000 plus quizzes, some general knowledge, while others are categorised into subjects such as Music, Geography and Television, the subcategory for the "Friends" TV show is enormous!
Games play in a Java window (you will need Java enabled in your browser) and consist of fifteen progressively harder questions.
http://www.triv.net/index.html

Truth or Fiction.
While the internet is a vast store of knowledge, it is also a vast rumour mill, allowing false information and urban legends to circle the globe in minutes. This site redresses the balance, by checking whether unusual stories are truth or fiction.
http://www.truthorfiction.com/

Veegle -- Substantiated True Facts.
Although the internet is a great source of information, you never really know whether that information is correct or not. Well, this site has eight categories of interesting facts, that have been checked for accuracy and sources are given.
Tip: For an amusing effect, move your mouse over the site title.(you might need to click).
http://www.veegle.com

Wacky Uses.
This site gives alternative (and unusual) uses for many well known products. It also lists interesting facts about many products. The site is American, so not all the product names will be familiar, but it's fairly obvious what most local brand names are.
To keep kids (of all ages) entertained, there is a mad scientist section, with lots of simple experiments and projects using items from around the home.
Web site with Flash intro: http://www.wackyuses.com
Without Flash intro: http://www.wackyuses.com/index2.html

WebGrid.
This was one of my favorite sites with a brilliant collection of carefully selected freeware. Sadly the site was revamped some time ago and the content reduced and it now seems to be abandoned, a great loss.
http://www.webgrid.co.uk/

Word Perhect -- Online word processor.
Recently major players in the computer field, have been predicting that in the future, all computer applications will be web based and your computer wont even have an operating system (I wonder how it will start up, to log on?).
Several companies have produced online office programs, with varying levels of success.
A newcomer to the field is Word Perhect an advanced online word processor. Could this be the shape of things to come?
Note: You will need Flash enabled in your browser. Estimated loading time, less than two minutes on a 56k connection.
http://www.e-2.org/perhect/frame.html

www.virus.gr.
A very comprehensive antivirus site, with links to most antivirus programs and virus removal tools. Information on viruses and security guides. Virus detection test comparisons between all the well known antivirus programs.
http://www.virus.gr/english/fullxml/default.asp

Rob Goldfish Web Site