Aug 2, 2008
| Anecdotage
- We are currently home to several thousand humorous &/or inspirational items covering everything from acrobats
and acronyms to zippers and zoos. We aim to remain "The World's Widest Web of Celebrity Anecdotes"! Whence
do anecdotes derive? Like everything from fast food to flush toilets, what we now call anecdotes likely originated
in classical Greece. The Italian scholar Arnaldo Momigliano, in his Development of Greek Biography, suggested that
the anecdote's founding father may have been the musical theorist Aristoxenus of Tarentum (born c. 370 BC): "Perhaps
he was... the first to make anecdotes an essential part of biography," Momigliano declared. "I suspect
that we owe to Aristoxenus the notion that a good biography is full of good anecdotes." Anecdotes tend to
be primarily an urban phenomenon. Mountain Men and rural folk more often spin yarns than anecdotes. Similarly,
desert and peasant cultures are rarely rich repositories of anecdotal lore. Perhaps bite-sized anecdotes hold more
appeal to those born and bred in a fast-paced MTV-news-McNugget culture. |
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Cyber Citizen - The Cybercitizen Awareness Program educates children and young adults on the danger and consequences
of cyber crime. By reaching out to parents and teachers, the program is designed to establish a broad sense of
responsibility and community in an effort to develop smart, ethical and socially conscious online behavior in young
people.
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| Great Idea Finder- a place to explore the exciting world of innovation. Whether you're a student, teacher, parent, inventor,
history buff, or just looking for innovative consumer products, you'll find things you can use here. Come join
us in Celebrating the Spirit of Innovation. |
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| LitSite Alaska
-a Web community promoting literacy, cultural diversity, and well-being throughout Alaska. A gathering place for
families, communities and teachers, LitSite Alaska features narratives illustrating many cultural aspects of life
in Alaska. As an on-line learning tool, LitSite Alaska showcases a living archive of lesson plans used in Alaskan
classrooms and an extensive collection of excellent peer work by Alaskan students. |
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| Low Carb is Easy
- Many people who have had little success in controlling their weight with low calorie, very low calorie and low
fat diets have discovered that restricting carbohydrate is a far more effective method of both losing excess weight
and keeping it off. They also report additional advantages: they eat more, the food they are allowed is more palatable,
and they no longer suffer the hunger pangs, lack of energy, weakness, headaches, cravings and feelings of control
and deprivation frequently experienced with calorie/fat restriction. A further plus with low carb diets is that
there is generally no need to weigh foods or restrict portion sizes. |
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| Random Acts of Kindness Foundation - Through the dissemination of ideas and the development of materials and programs, we have helped our
kindness coordinators – including educators, students, community members, faith groups, service clubs, and others
– incorporate kindness into thousands of schools and communities. As people tap into their own generous human spirit
and share kindness with one another, they discover for themselves the power of kindness to effect positive change.
When kindness is expressed, healthy relationships are created, community connections are nourished, and people
are inspired to pass kindness on. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is a resource for people committed to
spreading kindness. |
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| Roadside America - is a caramel-coated-nutbag-full of odd and hilarious travel destinations -- over 7,000 places -- ready
for exploration. Since their first book, Roadside America, introduced readers to the world of offbeat tourist attractions
20 years ago, the (authors and road trip know-it-alls Doug Kirby, Ken Smith, Mike Wilkins) haven't slowed down.
In fact, they are speeding up! Or maybe it's just a bad optical illusion. Planning Your Own Road Trips Site visitors
often say their write-ups help them plan their own trips. They provide directions to attractions and even maps
when available; otherwise, just drive to the town and ask a local. It's more fun that way. Theye list some attraction
hours and admission prices, but be wary -- these change frequently at many offbeat places. Hours are sometimes
a crap shoot. Graveyards are open all the time; but lone fanatical collectors may be off digging up petrified leeches,
or getting their medication when you arrive. You take your chances. Call ahead if you're going way out of your
way. For reasons that grow hazier with time, they produced a thicker, more depraved sequel, New Roadside America.
The books chronicled tourist attractions throughout the continental United States -- from the World's Largest Twine
Ball to an obscure monument to a patriotic pig. |
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| ROBIN HOOD PROJECT - designed to make available in electronic format a database of texts, images, bibliographies, and basic
information about the Robin Hood stories and other outlaw tales. The project is sponsored by the University of
Rochester and prepared in The Robbins Library, a branch of Rush Rhees Library. |
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| The Toy Maker -
A bear wagon designed by Marilyn Scott-Waters can be assembled with glue. Marilyn Scott-Waters believes paper,
glue and a little undivided attention can make all the difference in a child's life. She creates paper toys, colorful,
whimsical illustrations that families can cut out and make together. Bug boxes. Cootie catchers. Spinners. Penny
Aeroplanes. "Parents need a way to spend time with their kids so they can just be together," said Scott-Waters,
a 46-year-old Costa Mesa native and mother of one. Reminiscent of the toys of the early-1900s, the folding toys
are simple to make and ideal for children ages 4 to 8. But they're fun for kids of all ages, even old ones, she
said. No batteries or electricity re quired, only imagination. Reviving her childhood hobby of toymaking, she
starting making paper gazebos at night to relax and play. Then, not sure what to do with them, she hid them in
a bag in the closet. Later Scott-Waters, whose greatest inspiration is Maurice Sendak, author of Where the Wild
Things Are, decided to share her illustrations with others. |
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| Wild Ones
- Did you know that you have a range, just like wild animals do? This is the place where you feel "at home"
and where you spend most of your time. This area is where you, your family, and your community conduct your day
to day living. But other living organisms overlap their home ranges with ours. Where do you call home? Do you feel
connected to the mountains? to the ocean beaches? That region is your Bioscape. Come and explore the concept of
"Bioscape" with The Wild Ones. People, animals, and plants share the Earth. Scientists, nature managers,
and land-use planners are working together to find ways for all living things to survive. This task is difficult
because the world is becoming over crowded with people, and as result, there are ever fewer natural resources to
share. Land, river, and ocean habitats for animals and plants are disappearing at alarming rates. Today, natural
habitats often are located near or within human-use areas, such as cities, towns, agricultural lands, and industrial
sites. People, animals, and plants must live together! |
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