- The American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI)
- "ACSI reports scores on a 0-100 scale at the national level and produces indexes for 10 economic sectors, 43 industries (including e-commerce and e-business) and more than 200 companies and federal or local government agencies. In addition to the company-level satisfaction scores, ACSI produces scores for the causes and consequences of customer satisfaction and their relationships. The measured companies, industries, and sectors are broadly representative of the U.S. economy serving American households." (Subject(s): Business & Consumers)
- Big Hair: A Wig History of Consumption in Eighteenth-Century France
- This is an article written by Michael Kwass for the The American Historical Review: "It is common to regard the wig of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as an aristocratic ornament of Old Regime Europe, an exclusive marker of high birth and status worn by the privileged few. Indeed, the wig enjoyed the most noble of pedigrees, its origins stretching back to the seventeenth-century French courts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, where fashion had become part of an aristocratic world of power and display. By the end of the Sun King's reign, wigs had spread well beyond France, crowning kings at royal courts across Europe and becoming an essential feature of European noble costume." But, with the Age of Enlightenment, this practice began to disappear and differing modes of dress were adopted. This site explains the history of the "Wig" and its gradual disappearance. (Subject(s): )
- Business.gov
- "Business.gov, the official business link to the U.S. Government, is managed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in a partnership with 21 other federal agencies. This partnership, known as Business Gateway, is a Presidential E-government initiative that provides a single access point to government services and information to help the nation's businesses with their operations. In fiscal year 2003, businesses and citizens spent approximately 8.2 billion hours and $320 billion filling out paperwork and complying with government regulations, according to a report by the Small Business Paperwork Relief Task Force. Users spent much of this time navigating complex government hierarchies and wading through millions of documents meant to help their businesses become compliant with laws and regulations. Business.gov helps businesses save time and money spent on regulatory compliance by providing quick and easy access to business laws, government regulations, forms and agency contacts." (NOTE: You'll need to download and install the latest version of Adobe Acrobat to read or print the Report listed at the SBA.) (Subject(s): Business)
 California Career Zone
- "California CareerZone is a spin-off of the New York CareerZone, a proven, successful career exploration and planning system designed especially for students. Jobseekers, educators, and counselors will also benefit from the wealth of information on 900 occupations from the Occupational Information Network (O*Net) database. Users are encouraged to work through the Interest Profiler, Work Importance Profiler, and Assess Yourself assessment based on the Holland Codes for self-exploration. Comprehensive information on 900 occupations includes state specific wages, worker attributes, job characteristics, and much more. There are 300 career videos that give users a snap shot of the featured occupation. Job openings on Americas Job Exchange are easily accessible within each occupations profile. Please continue on investigating from the Resource link where other useful resources are listed." (Subject(s): Jobs and Careers--California)
- Chartres: Cathedral of Notre-Dame - Image Collection
- "Chartres Cathedral is among the best preserved of the major French cathedrals, with extensive programmes of sculpture and stained glass. It was a major site of pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin Mary, to whom the cathedral is dedicated. This website provides access to a comprehensive collection of images and detailed descriptions of Chartres Cathedral." (Subject(s): Chartres: Cathedral of Notre-Dame (France)--Photographs)
- Claremont Colleges Photo Archive
- "This collection contains digital facsimiles of photographs, housed in the Libraries' special collections, of Claremont Colleges' buildings and landscapes. These digital images are the first phase of a larger digitization project that seeks to preserve the original photos by providing online access to The Colleges' archival photographs for teaching and research. The Archive provides a photographic record of the founding and development of The Claremont Colleges: Pomona College, 1887; Claremont College (now, Claremont University Consortium), 1925; Claremont Graduate University, 1925; Scripps College, 1926; Claremont McKenna College, 1946; Harvey Mudd College, 1955; Pitzer College, 1963; Keck Graduate Institute of Applied Life Sciences, 1997." (Subject(s): Claremont Colleges (Calif.)--History--Photographs)
 Deciphering Food Expiration Dates
- This article has been printed as part of the Gov Gab Weblog. It attempts to decipher the dates printed on the packages for the food bought at your local grocery store. It explains in simple language what each of the dates means. It also provides links to sites that publishe the Government recommendations (FDA) for the length of time you should keep unopened items after purchase and for how long after you unwrap the package. (Subject(s): Consumers & Food)
- Discounts for the 50+ Crowd: Three Cardinal Rules to Get Money Off on Travel and Adventure
- By Robert Powell, MarketWatch, Nov. 2, 2006: "Time was when you had to wait until you turned 65 to get a discount. Well, no longer. Fifty is the new 65 for those seeking perks, privileges, discounts, special offers, adventures and bargains, says Joan Rattner Heilman, author of the soon-to-be published 17th edition of "Unbelievably Good Deals and Great Adventures That You Absolutely Can't Get Unless You're Over 50." Heilman says those 50-plus can get all sorts of deals on travel plans, cruises, classes, car rentals, meals, transfers, tours, shopping and even singles events." And here's a list of some business that make discounts available to those of age. (Subject(s): Aged & Consumers)
 NLM | Drug Information Portal
- "The NLM Drug Information Portal gives users a gateway to selected drug information from the National Library of Medicine and other key government agencies. More than 12,000 drugs can be searched." For more medical and health info visit the National Library of Medicine's homepage (Subject(s): Consumers & Drugs)
- Edison Motion Pictures: The Edison Manufacturing Co. and Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
- "Edison's laboratory was responsible for the invention of the Kinetograph (a motion picture camera) and the Kinetoscope (a peep-hole motion picture viewer). Most of this work was performed by Edison's assistant, William Kennedy Laurie Dickson, beginning in 1888. Motion pictures became a successful entertainment industry in less than a decade, with single-viewer Kinetoscopes giving way to films projected for mass audiences. The Edison Manufacturing Co. (later known as Thomas A. Edison, Inc.) not only built the apparatus for filming and projecting motion pictures, but also produced films for public consumption. Most early examples were actualities showing famous people, news events, disasters, people at work, new modes of travel and technology, scenic views, expositions, and other leisure activities. As actualities declined in popularity, the company's production emphasis shifted to comedies and dramas. This collection features 341 Edison films, including 127 titles also available in other American Memory motion picture groupings. The earliest example is a camera test made in 1891, followed by other tests and a wide variety of actualities and dramas through the year 1918, when Edison's company ceased film production. The presentation also offers a brief history of Edison's work with motion pictures as well as an overview of the different film genres produced by the Edison company." (Subject(s): )
- The Encyclopedia of Television
- "The Encyclopedia of Television includes more than 1,000 original essays from more than 250 contributors and examines specific programs and people, historic moments and trends, major policy disputes and such topics as violence, tabloid television and the quiz show scandal. It also includes histories of major television networks as well as broadcasting systems around the world and is complemented by resource materials, photos and bibliographical information." (Subject(s): Television--History)
- Getty Museum | Explore Art
- This Website and search engine can be used by a visitor to "Explore the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center and the Getty Villa." You can view highlights of the Getty's permanent collection, peruse objects from their many exhibitions or gaze at a series of videos produced by the Museum's staff. (Subject(s): Art & Searching--Other Search Engines and Indexes)
- FEMA Trailer Study
- "In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) provided either mobile homes or travel trailers to displaced Gulf Coast residents who had lost their homes in the hurricane. Residents of these trailers and mobile homes have raised concerns about air quality in the trailers and the occurrence of respiratory and other symptoms resulting from exposure to formaldehyde or other respiratory irritants among residents of the mobile homes. CDC has been working with FEMA to investigate the health concerns of those living in the trailers and mobile homes and to take action to protect residents’ health." This page has been provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide details about the study and the conclusions the Agency reached about FEMA's handling of temporary houses. (Subject(s): United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency--History)
 The Field Museum's Women in Science
- "The Women in Science web site was created to help increase awareness of careers in science, to foster understanding of the real people who practice science, and to encourage young people to pursue individual areas of interest. We talked to thirteen women in science at The Field Museum. Each one is dedicated to asking and answering questions about the world we live in." This site includes the printed results of those conversations. (Subject(s): Women--Interviews)
- Florida's Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History
- "The National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places, Archeology Program and Submerged Resources Center in partnership with the Florida Division of Historical Resources, Underwater Archaeological Section of the Bureau of Archaeological Research and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers invite you to explore Florida Shipwrecks: 300 Years of Maritime History. This travel itinerary highlights 13 historic shipwrecks listed in the National Register of Historic Places that are accessible to divers and reveal the wonders and mysteries of Florida's maritime past." This companion Website provides details about visiting these places as well as providing details about the wrecks and their final resting places. To find out other historic places in the U.S., visit the National Register of Historic Places, which is part of the National Park Service. (Subject(s): Florida--Travel Guides & Shipwrecks--Florida--History)
- Glaswegians Photo Archive
- "This is the online edition of the Glaswegians Photo Archive. You will find a selection of images from 30,000 photographs taken between 1989 and 1992. The Glaswegians Photo Archive is a record of Glasgow through photographs of its people - their lives, habits, quirks and cultures." (Subject(s): Glasgow, Scotland--History--Photographs)
- A Global Map of Human Impacts to Marine Ecosystems
- This page reflects the results of a study conducted by The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS): "What happens in the vast stretches of the world's oceans - both wondrous and worrisome - has too often been out of sight, out of mind. The sea represents the last major scientific frontier on planet earth - a place where expeditions continue to discover not only new species, but even new phyla. The role of these species in the ecosystem, where they sit in the tree of life, and how they respond to environmental changes really do constitute mysteries of the deep. Despite technological advances that now allow people to access, exploit or affect nearly all parts of the ocean, we still understand very little of the ocean's biodiversity and how it is changing under our influence. The goal of the research presented here is to estimate and visualize, for the first time, the global impact humans are having on the ocean's ecosystems. Our analysis, published in Science, February 15, 2008 (no subscription required), shows that over 40% of the world's oceans are heavily affected by human activities and few if any areas remain untouched." (Subject(s): Ecosystems)
 GourmetSleuth.com: The Gourmet Food and Cooking Resource
- Foodies may rest assured that this site is The "resource for gourmet foods, wines, beers, recipes, and cooking for the home and professional chef. Our culinary directory contains thousands of links to food, cooking, and drink web sites." Of special interest here is the site's Mexican Cooking & Culinary Terms Glossary, where you can find a translation from the Spanish to the English meaning of a term for a food item or cooking method. (Subject(s): Cooking, Food & Recipes)
- How NASCAR Race Cars Work
- An article from the How Stuff Works Website written by Karim Nice: "In the beginning, stock-car racing was exactly what it sounds like. Drivers actually bought brand-new cars from dealers and went racing. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), organized in 1947, created a standardized set of rules for stock-car racing and established a system for selecting a national champion based on performance at races across the country.... Today, NASCAR race cars have very little in common with street cars. Almost every detail of a NASCAR car is handmade. The bodies are built from flat sheet metal, the engines are assembled from a bare block and the frame is constructed from steel tubing. In this article, we'll see how these race cars are made, starting with a component that is key to the drivers' safety and provides the foundation for everything on the car: the frame." (Subject(s): Automobile Racing & NASCAR)
- The Hubble Heritage Project
- "The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a research tool dedicated to scientific studies of nature. Enroute to illuminating the forces shaping our cosmos, HST has accumulated a cosmic zoo. The Hubble Heritage Project sees this instrument also as a tool for extending human vision, one that is capable of building a bridge between the endeavors of scientists and the public. By emphasizing compelling HST images distilled from scientific data, we hope to pique curiosity about our astrophysical." The homepage for the Telescope itself is here at HubbleSite and you can view their archive of online space photographs from their index at Entire Collection. (Subject(s): Hubble Space Telescope--Photographs)
- Jean Thomas, The Traipsin' Woman, Collection
- "Known as The Traipsin' Woman, Jean Thomas (1881-1982) traveled the mountains of eastern Kentucky taking snapshot photographs of the mountain way of life, writing, and promoting mountain folkways. She was particularly interested in the music, crafts, and language patterns of the area. Included in the digital collection are 1,077 photographs of and by Jean Thomas during her travels throughout the eastern Kentucky mountains and the staging of the annual American Folk Song Festival. The images document musical instruments, quilts, baskets, and other crafts, and scenes with community and family groups, and date from Jean's childhood (ca. 1880s) through the University of Louisville's accession of the collection in 1968 and former Curator of Photography Donald R. Anderson's attendance at the American Folk Song Festival the following year." (Subject(s): Thomas, Jean, 1881-1982--Photographs)
 Job Search Gadgets and Widgets
- From Alison Doyle (About.com): This Webindex provides job hunters with a series of "Widgets, Gadgets, and Tools to Expedite Your Job Search. There are widgets, gadgets, and tools that will help expedite your job search and manage your career. If you're actively job hunting, you can add an application to your Facebook or MySpace profile so you can view the latest job listings without having to search. You can promote your LinkedIn profile by adding a LinkedIn button to your web site, blog, or networking profile. Add a button to your Google toolbar, your desktop, or your browser and you'll be able to search jobs fast. Sign up for email alerts to get job listings delivered right to your mailbox." (Subject(s): Job Postings)
- Kindergarten Readiness
- "Transition to kindergarten is a journey, but there’s a lot you can do to prime your child for the trip. From preparing for the first day of school, to readying your child and yourself for “separation pangs”, this area will help arm you with all the information you need. The milk money is up to you." This site if for parents who're sending their child to school for the first time. (Subject(s): Schools)
- NASCAR
- "The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR), which began in 1948, is the sanctioning body of one of America's premier sports. NASCAR is the No. 1 spectator sport -- holding 17 of the top 20 attended sporting events in the U.S., the No. 2-rated regular-season sport on television with broadcasts in more than 150 countries, and has 75 million fans that purchase more than $2 billion in annual licensed product sales.... NASCAR consists of three major national series (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series) as well as eight regional series and one local grassroots series." This is their official homepage with all the news, pictures, results and stats you could want. (Subject(s): NASCAR)
- Record Players: Online Gallery
- "This online exhibition of record players consists of a selection of machines from the British Library Sound Archive's substantial artefacts collection. Many items displayed here represent, or are associated with, significant stages in the history of sound reproduction technology and are evocative of the period in which they first appeared." (Subject(s): Phonograph Players--History)
- Smithsonian Images
- "Smithsonian Images is administered and maintained by Smithsonian Photographic Services, the main photographic office for the National Museum of American History Bering Center, National Museum of Natural History, and National Air and Space Museum. As such, the Office maintains an archive of over 2.5 million contemporary and historic images from these museums. This site offers the public an opportunity to research and purchase prints or digital files of these images." You can, of course, view all the images in the Institution's online database for free. (Subject(s): Photographs)
 Trailblazers and Trendsetters - Art of the Stamp
- "This exhibit presents 75 original works of art commissioned by the United States Postal Service over the last 40 years. These paintings and drawings represent the work of 42 different artists and showcase an array of techniques and styles. Many of the artworks are more than 100 times the size of the actual stamps." (Subject(s): Postage Stamps--United States--Collector's and Collecting)
- TV Converter Box Coupon Program Website
- "What is the digital television transition? At midnight on February 17, 2009, all full-power television stations in the United States will stop broadcasting in analog and switch to 100% digital broadcasting. Digital broadcasting promises to provide a clearer picture and more programming options and will free up airwaves for use by emergency responders. What is the TV Converter Box Coupon Program? Congress created the TV Converter Box Coupon Program for households wishing to keep using their analog TV sets after February 17, 2009. The Program allows U.S. households to obtain up to two coupons, each worth $40, that can be applied toward the cost of eligible converter boxes. A TV connected to cable, satellite or other pay TV service does not require a TV converter box from this program. Consumers have a variety of options. Options to explore include: 1. Keep your existing analog TV and purchase a TV converter box. A converter box plugs into your TV and will keep it working after Feb. 17, 2009, or 2. Connect to cable, satellite or other pay service, or 3. Purchase a television with a digital tuner." This site will help apply for and receive a coupon to help you defray the cost of having to bye a Converter Box to force your analog TV to accept Hi-Def digital signals. (Subject(s): Television)
- Water Saver Home: H2ouse
- "Take the tour to investigate your water saving opportunities in each area of your home. Click on each location [of the attached map] to show you both the facts and specific advice.... This website was developed by the California Urban Water Conservation Council under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Council is a consensus-based partnership of over 315 urban water suppliers, public advocacy organizations, and other interested parties concerned with water supply and conservation of natural resources in California." (Subject(s): Consumers, Environment & Water--California)
- WordReference.com: Online French, Italian and Spanish Dictionary
- "The WordReference Dictionaries are free online translation dictionaries. The most popular dictionaries are the Spanish Dictionary, French Dictionary and the Italian Dictionary.... The Spanish dictionary from Espasa Calpe publishers alone has over 120,000 words with more than 250,000 translations. ... The French and Italian dictionaries are also large and growing. The French dictionary has over 250,000 translations and the Italian dictionary has nearly 200,000." (Subject(s): Dictionaries)
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