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Website
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Summary
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1
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We believe Google is
simply the best tool on the Web for finding just about anything, and it
easily claims our Number 1 spot. It is screamingly fast, sleek, streamlined,
and as comprehensive as a search tool can be. And that's just the beginning:
check out Wikipedia's List of Google Products (many of them totally free and extremely
useful). Simply put, Google has changed the way the world works.
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An outstanding search
engine, it also provides a cornucopia of free services: free email, maps,
games, shopping, news, finance, sports -- the list just goes on and on and
on! See Wikipedia'sList of Yahoo!-owned sites and
services for a good overview of
the many things Yahoo! has to offer.
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Amazon is nothing less
than a revolution in how the world shops. It is a huge step forward in the
achievement of an ideal competitive market. It is user-friendly, vast, and
reliable.
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4
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About.com breaks up
the Web into major subject areas with a volunteer human host for each of
them. It helps you sift out the wheat from the chaff on an enormous range of
subjects.
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Much of the greatest
literature in the history of humankind will be found in full text form (and
free of charge) at this amazing site. In addition, many useful reference
tools are here (also free!)
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Formerly
"DejaNews", Google Groups is a glorious experiment in free speech!
This oceanic database of over 800 million posted "Usenet" messages
from people all over the globe constitutes the largest bulletin board in the
history of the world! It's fully searchable, and you can post your own
messages free of charge. (Tip: don't use your primary email address in your
posts! To avoid spam, use a temporary email address.)
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A bold endeavor in
online journalism, Google News provides you hundreds of news sources
(typically) for each of the major stories of the day. Just find the story
that interests you on the main page, and you will see something like
"227 related" or "535 related" just beneath it. Click
this to see the extensive range of news sources available for the story you
are after! (Its database of past news is also searchable.)
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For fast-breaking news
and responsible journalism, it's hard to beat CNN. And the text content at
this site is mostly free!
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Ebay is the world's
biggest, longest-running garage sale, as well as its most extensive auction
house. Buy, sell, browse, bid, and be amazed at what you find at this
wonderful site!
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If you love software
treasure-hunting, Download.com is the site for you! This massive and
well-rounded collection of shareware (try-before-you-buy) and freeware
(totally free software) is fully searchable and sortable. And there's no wait
for a package in the mail: download it NOW, install it, and take it for a
test drive!
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Craigslist.org is a
daring bulletin board system directed toward the major cities in the US,
Canada, the UK, and (soon) other countries. The magical distinction of
Craigslist is its use of anonymous email forwarding: your email address is
invisible to the public. A pointer (which expires after several days)
forwards all responses to you. Visit Craigslist if you want to sell or buy
something, if you want to meet new people (romantically or otherwise), if you
want to look for a job, or if you want to share your ideas. Almost all of its
features are totally free, except job listings for employers.
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Your inner-librarian
will be delighted! Here you will find (free of charge) Dictionaries,
Encyclopedias, Almanacs, Atlases, and an assortment of other helpful
resources.
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One of the most
remarkable online encyclopedias on the Web! All the content is free, in the
public domain, and quotable. Wikipedia is maintained by an army of
volunteers. Even so, its content remains of very high quality. Wikipedia is a
good example of how the Web can function at is best! Be sure to visit
whenever you have any question that an encyclopedia might help you answer.
You might be surprised how often Wikipedia will come through for you!
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Beliefnet.com is an
online community for people who practice spirituality in just about any
tradition in the world. The emphasis here is on mutual respect and tolerance.
Free inquiry and exchange of ideas is invited. Secular (non-religious)
philosophies and ideas are also welcome. Also, sacred texts from the world's
great religions will be found referenced at this site.
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Anywho is a great
online phone book and people-finder sponsored by AT&T. Use the Yellow
Pages for businesses, the White Pages for people, and the Reverse Lookup if
all you have is a phone number.
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Enter your Zip Code
and see the weather predictions for the next ten days (scroll down), courtesy
of The Weather Channel. It's easy and it's free!
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Search.com is an
outstanding example of a "metasearch engine": a web search tool
that employs over 1,000 search engines running in parallel to help you find
what you are looking for.
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18
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MSN's Hotmail.com
provides you with totally free email, pure and simple!
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The National
Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
has created this clearinghouse of information on all matters related to your
physical well-being. You'll find drug information (MEDLINEplus), disease
& symptom documentation, health recommendations, summaries on every major
system of the human body, and much more at this excellent site.
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CNET.com (the parent
site of Download.com) is a technophile's oasis! If you are looking for
desktop computers, laptops, printers, peripherals, software cell phones,
cameras, or just about any other kind of gadgetry, be sure to take advantage
of CNET's reviews and price comparison features. This free site can save you
hundred or thousands of dollars, depending on your needs
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21
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The London Review of
Books is a respected journal for those who enjoy reading the best books in
the world! At times, the reviews themselves rise to the level of great
literature.
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22
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You could spend tens
and tens of hours browsing the huge catalogue of useful websites at
Refdesk.com. You'll find newspapers, photo databases, reference tools,
trivia, quotes, self-help advice, search engines, and much, much more at this
virtual goldmine of the Web.
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Simply put, the Mayo
Clinic is one of the greatest hospitals and medical research centers on
Planet Earth. In that tradition, the Mayo Clinic provides this excellent
website devoted to the promotion of human health.
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24
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If you give some of
your time, money, and energy to help the disadvantaged of the world, you
would probably like to know that your contributions are put to good use.
GuideStar.org provides extensive information on nearly all major charitable
organizations. It will help you "heal the world" responsibly.
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The official portal of
the Federal Government of the United States, FirstGov.gov puts you in touch
with your elected officials and the agencies and people they govern. Lots of
good information here.
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The BBC has long been
the standard for international journalism. At this site, you can watch,
listen, and read live and recorded content from the BBC. (Be sure to catch
the hourly World News Update!) But don’t stop with the news! Be sure to
browse the History, Science, Society, and other categories to find rich
content of unusually high quality. You could browse this site for many weeks
without exhausting its abundant resources!
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The Internet Movie
Database (IMDB) is a movie-lover's paradise! Discover every movie your
favorite actor/actress has been in, discover every actress/actor in your
favorite movie! All the facts about all the films will be found here.
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Expedia.com makes
travel very easy and about as cheap as it can be. Your one stop shop for
low-cost air travel, hotels, rental cars, and tour packages!
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MSN's Slate is one of
the premier online magazines. You'll find news, ideas, reviews, and much more
here.
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Nutrition.gov provides
authoritative information about health and nutrition. You will also find the
USDA's National Nutrient Database here, which will allow you to evaluate your
diet with more knowledge than ever before!
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Alternative medicine
has found its voice on the web at Altmedicine.com! Having received praise
from many sources (including the prestigious medical journal "The
Lancet"), Altmedicine.com explores the best information from many
sources on alternative approaches to human health.
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When you need to get
to know a city fast, Citysearch.com should be your first stop! You'll find
information and reviews of restaurants, hotels, places to see, shopping,
services, and much more about major American (and some international) cities
at this site.
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Need a job? Visit
Monster.com, an enormous database & job listing site for employers and
employees to be!
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Enter your Zip Code
and find links to your Congresspersons, your President, and your state
representatives! Project Vote Smart will help you become an informed and
effective voter.
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35
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The online manifestaton
of Scientific American magazine, Sciam.com presents clear, intelligent
writing on the most important scientific discoveries, initiatives, and
controversies of our time. Much of the content is free. And you can search
past issues!
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If you love sports,
sports history, or sports statistics, ESPN.com is the site for you!
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37
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MSN's online
encyclopedia Encarta gives you fast, free access to an amazing range of
facts. Much of the content is free, but some requires membership.
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38
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Findlaw.com provides a
fantastic set of tools for anyone interested in American Law. Widely used by
legal professionals, it can also be used profitably by laymen. Learn the
facts about the laws that govern you from this excellent site!
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One of the world's
premier scientific journals, Nature, provides much of its content online (and
much of it free!) Check out subject areas on Chemistry, Physics,
Microbiology, Medicine and much more at this fantastic site!
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Though it's not quite
a substitute for your favorite local paper, USA Today's "States"
news will give you a summary of the major events in all 50 states of the
Union.
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Who would have thought
that one of the best selections of fine art prints online would be available
at a poster shop?! Allposters.com is almost like an online museum: but a
museum at which you can buy what you see (at reasonable prices). Not only
fine art, but movie and concert posters and many other things framable will
be found here!
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Time magazine is one
most respected news magazines on earth. And much of its content is available
free here!
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Get clear, printable
maps, driving directions, addresses of businesses, and much more at
Mapquest.com
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Find your favorite old
or out-of-print books at this wonderful site!
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From Beethoven to the
Beatles and beyond, you'll find Allmusic.com a treasure-trove of musical
knowledge.
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The National
Institutes of Health maintains MedlinePlus for those interested in reliable
information on prescription and over-the-counter drugs. Even so, you'll find
many other valuable health-related resources here.
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As modest as it
appears, the Open Directory is a true powerhouse in web-searching! It
provides search data to many of the most widely-used search engines, and it
itself is a first rate directory of the best of the Web.
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The Library of
Congress is gradually making more and more of its collosal store of resources
available on the web. Its website should afford you many happy hours of
browsing.
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Online Radio is here,
and MSN's Windows Media is one of the finest sites available devoted to it!
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Your favorite comics
may be online, and they may be here! The latest contributions from Garfield,
Calvin & Hobbes, Doonesbury, Cathy, Ziggy, and many others will be found
at this easy-to-use site.
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A first-rate online
almanac, atlas, dictionary, & encylcopedia, all rolled into one!
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What's good is not
always popular, and what's popular is not always good, but on the Internet,
popularity and quality go are found together often enough. Alexa.com helps
you find the most frequently visited sites in many categories.
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When you're too busy
to visit museums in person, you can visit them online! This fantastic guide
to online museums is a great place to start.
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The homepage of the
United Nations presents a rich collection of information about the state of
humankind on Planet Earth. Practical strategies for making this world a
better place are laid out in substantial detail here.
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The Internet Sacred
Text Archive presents the scriptures of the world's great spiritual
traditions. You'll find sacred writings from Zoroastrianism, Hinduism,
Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, and many others
here (along with a few curious entries!)
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Artforum is one of the
world's most widely read journals devoted to the fine arts. Be sure to check
out there "Museum Finder" when you visit!
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Get sound medical
information and tips on a healthy lifestyle from this respected site.
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The WWW Virtual
Library relies on a consortium of experts around the world to present the
richest content available on the Web in a broad range of subject areas.
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MSN's MoneyCentral
will help you make intelligent decisions about investing, taxes, loans,
retirement, and all things financial.
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60
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Wouldn't you love to
track down some of your old school friends? Or maybe a favorite teacher who
made a difference in your life? This is the place to start. Basic access is
free, premium access is modestly priced.
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The Hompage of the
European Union is home to a vast collection of information about all aspects
of European government. The EU's goals and strategies for achieving them are
discussed in detail.
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Nowhere is it easier
to start your own discussion group or bulletin board about just about
anything! Within minutes and with no cost, you can have your special subject
humming with lively (and often scrappy) discussion. Free speech rules!
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This foremost literary
journal is surprisingly generous with its content: access the full content of
each edition online. Remarkable.
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Not only will you find
jokes in abundance here, but each joke has a running rating from site
visitors! Be forewarned, not all these jokes are in good taste!
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65
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Name the price you're
willing to pay for airline tickets, hotels, rental cars, vacations, or
cruises. There's no guarantee your offer will be accepted, but if it is, you
will save some serious money!
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Which movie should you
see this weekend? Rottentomatoes.com lets you read the opinions of over 100
critics (for most movies) to help you decide. The "Cream of the
Crop" critics list may include your favorite critic. The popular
"TomatoMeter" gives you a running average of the critics ratings
for each film.
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67
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The Internet Public
Library, based at the University of Michigan, may be the next best thing to
having a University library attached to your house! In some ways, it may be
even better.
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68
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We all know we should
exercise, but what exercises are best for us? The American Council on
Exercise describes exercises that are safe and effective for those wishing to
stay in shape.
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The home of Quicken
financial software, this site also provides free tools to help you plan and
manage your assets.
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70
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This celebrated
classical music magazine is available online, much of the content free.
Paying members will enjoy an extensive collection of additional resources.
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71
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What does the latest
research say about vitamins, minerals, nutritional supplements, and other
nutrients? The Micronutrient Information Center of the Linus Pauling
Institute provides detailed and well-documented information on all these.
(Incidentally, Linus Pauling was the only person in history to win two Nobel
Prizes!)
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72
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PC Magazine has long
been a favorite read of computer and technology enthusiasts. For hardware and
software reviews, as well as tips for improving your computing experience, be
sure to visit this site!
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73
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Yes, you have to
subscribe for access, but it's worth it to read the Times of London online.
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74
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The FedWorld Federal
Job Search engine might land you in a new job quicker than you had thought
possible! It's free to use, and user-friendly.
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One of the world's
finest newspapers, the International Herald Tribune is also one of the few
online newspapers that doesn't require registration to read, free or
otherwise! (Let's hope it stays that way!)
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Over 20,000 free books
on the Web, many of them classics! Search by author, title, subject, century,
or just browse for fun.
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77
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Play Chess, Checkers,
card games, or work Crosswords online at Pogo.com, a free website maintained
by Electronic Arts!
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78
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BizRate.com may be
"the largest, fastest, and most accurate shopping search engine on the
Web". Save money and find top quality at this site.
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79
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Billboard Magazine has
chronicled the world of popular music and entertainment since its founding in
1894! (Yes, that's 1894, not 1994!) Much of the information at this site is
free.
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80
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Translate the content
of an entire website from one language to another simply by entering the
site's web address! Or enter a block of text and translate it from one
language to another! To be sure, the translation is not perfect, but it may
be good enough for what you need. AltaVista's Babel Fish Translations site
has been serving up automatic translations for years, and it's free! (To see
Babel Fish in action, why not translate and display THIS website in any one
of 10 languages with a single click of the mouse -- click here to see our "Translation
Bar"!
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81
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Most of us would like
to donate money, time, energy, or ideas to help the least advantaged people
of the world. But it is a challenge to ensure that our donations are used
effectively and responsibly. Give.org, a service of the Better Business
Bureau, evaluates major charities and provides reports on how responsibly
they do their work.
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82
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"The Web's most
extensive mathematics resource" will help you remember all the algebra,
geometry, trig, statistics, calculus, and diffie-Q that you left behind years
ago! And you'll probably learn a lot you never knew along the way.
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83
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Webrings are like
pearl necklaces of websites on related topics. Webring.org helps you find the
webring that you'd like to browse or insert your own website into.
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84
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CareerBuilder.com
employs its network of more than 130 local newspapers to help employ YOU! If
you're looking for work, do stop by!
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85
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411.com is a combined
online Yellow Pages, White Pages, People Finder, and more!
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86
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This site exists to
help people make intelligent buying decisions. It is a compendium of reviews
from thousands of people on thousands of different products. A good site to
visit before any major purchase.
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87
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The Religious Studies
Web Guide is an enormous collection of links to major journals in theology
and spiritual philosophy.
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88
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Arts & Letters
Daily is a favorite stop for those who love thinking, literature, and
dazzling ideas. It's always fresh and always relevant.
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89
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The homepage of Nolo
Press, the pioneers of do-it-yourself law, is also a rich source of free
legal information.
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90
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Classical music lovers
of all different levels of experience and sublety will love this site devoted
to the history and ideas of great western music.
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91
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Create your own
"blog" to express your ideas to the world and invite responses.
This service is high quality, and it's free!
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92
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The New York Times
online does require (free) registration, but it is well worth that small
investment of time. Keep up on events that shape the world by visiting often.
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93
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Live online cameras
are all over the world in fascinating and often unlikely places. Look through
many windows on the world LIVE at Earthcam.com!
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94
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The Better Business
Bureau is online and ready to help in the continuing struggle against shoddy
business practices.
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95
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Harvard Medical
School's respository of consumer health information will be found at this
excellent site, along with many user-friendly articles on health, disease,
drugs, and the human body.
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96
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Keep a journal online
about anything at all! And browse the journals of others. Livejournal.com is
one of the most popular "blogging" sites, and with very good
reason.
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97
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The "Religion
& Ethics" site of the BBC sets the world's great spiritual
traditions side by side and provides extensive information on each of them.
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98
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This "daily
digest of arts, culture, and ideas" is sure to provide stimulation for
aesthetes and intellectuals.
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99
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The purpose of
ticketmaster.com is simple: get the tickets you want easily, in advance, and
at a reasonable cost.
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100
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Project Gutenberg
presents a collection of over 15,000 electronic books ("ebooks")
available for free download! Most are older literary works in the public
domain, many of the considered classics. An amazing and useful monument to
the volunteer labor of thousands of participants!
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