Top 500 Global Websites

Hi All,

Alexa is a website that is owned by Amazon.com. Alexa is - as described on their 'About Us' part on their website - a company that focuses exclusively on delivering the richest and most meaningful analytics tools for our customers...the blurb goes on, which you can visit by clicking on this link.

The important part of Alexa.com that I found was this link to the Top 500 Sites on the Web.  Sure, the top 10 are populated by the sites you would expect:
1. Google.com
2. Facebook.com
3. Youtube.com
4. Yahoo.com
5. Baidu.com
6. Wikipedia.com
7. Amazon.com
8. Twitter.com
9. Taobao.com
10. Qq.com

But if you scroll down the list you'll see some very interesting changes to the web.  For instance, notice how many Chinese companies are in the top 100 of the list! There are 18 Chinese companies in the top 100!

5. Baidu.com
9. Taobao.com
10. Qq.com
14. Sina.com.cn
15. Weibo.com
23. Hao123.com
29. Sohu.com
43. Alibaba.com
49. Fc2.com
56. 163.com
67. Gmw.cn
75. Xinhuanet.com
82. Alipay.com
83. Soso.com
89. Jd.com
90. Cntv.cn
94. Youku.com
98. Chinadaily.com.cn

That all said, of the top 100 sites the following might be worthwhile for the reader to visit....

39. Microsoft.com - if you have any Windows questions, you might want to start your search here.
47. Imdb.com - features plot summaries, reviews, cast lists, and theatre schedules.
69. Diply.com - an entertainment website
116. Booking.com - worldwide accommodation reservations
130. Yelp.com - members share their favorite recommendations - everything from latest restaurants to shops and more.
139. Cnet.com - Reviews, news, and prices on all tech products - as well as free downloads and newsletters
161. Indeed.com - search engine for jobs - with a radically different approach to job search.
196. Zillow.com - Empowers users to learn about real estate.  
237. NIH.gov - US government department that is in charge of medical research.
276. Goodreads.com - let's users track and rate books and network with other readers.
278. Groupon.com - features a daily deal for most major metropolitan areas in the United States
292. Avg.com - Antivirus and security software products for home and business users. Free trials.
311. Hulu.com - Ad-supported streaming television shows and movies, including some in HD.
317. Accuweather.com - Features radar and satellite images and 5 day forecasts for US locations.

So there you have it!  A whole passel of interesting websites - entertainment, computer, technology, shopping, travel, weather and health are included in the list - all in one place!  And they are well-known, popular and, for the most part, free...

Enjoy the popular links.

Stu

It's All Good (News)

Hi All,

Have you ever watched the news on tv (CNN, ABC, CBS or NBC or any other news outlet) or listened to the radio news and been completely disgusted with all the crime, negative news, corruption, depressing stories of war, death and more?

Well...today is your lucky day, because todays' blog entry is all about good news.  The site is called AmazingNews.org and bills itself as presenting 'positively pleasant news'.  Awwww...that it sweet.  And an interesting (and contrarian) take on the news treadmill that traditional media outlets put forth.

Click on this link to find just exactly what AmazingNews is all about!

Click on the following links to find more Amazing News or Amazing Quotes or Amazing Videos.  

The main news link - Amazing News has some sub-categories that are very, very interesting in their own right: Charity, Environment, Featured News, Health, Science & Technology and Society & Entertainment are the major sub-categories.

Readers can subscribe to AmazingNews.org by clicking on this link and scrolling down the page.  The email sign-up box is on the right side of the screen toward the bottom of the page.

Finally, users can search for articles anywhere on the site.  There is a dialog box where users can input search terms (i.e. puppies, sunshine, babies, food, or whatever you want to search for) and articles are displayed.


Enjoy the site and the good news!

Regards,
Stu

Disaster Preparedness Kits

Hi All,

Disaster preparedness kits (DPK).  We've all heard about them from either radio, tv or magazines and books.  But what actually good are they?  Well, they are great resources when you need to leave your house at a moments notice because of some natural emergency (think flood, fire, tornado, hurricane, etc...)

Ready.gov is a great place to start planning for an emergency.  Besides for DPK's, there are links for making a plan during an emergency, and to learn what protective measures to take before, during and after an emergency.

Click on this next link to learn about building a basic DPK. Also, click here about how to maintain your DPK so that you you'll have the necessary supplies when you need them.

Fema is an excellent place to learn about emergencies and how to survive them.  Click on this link to learn - again - how to put together a DPK.  This next link is a document that opens in Adobe's pdf format.  It is basically an emergency supply list that you can check off.  Good stuff!  Fema also created this video on how to create a DPK. 

And not to be outdone the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has created this next page titled Emergency Preparedness and Response.  This is an extensive summary of everything you need to know about DPK's. 

And for readers who want to see the article that got me thinking about DPK's and using the idea for a blog entry, click on this link from the DIYNetwork.com.  

Finally, you can go on the web and buy a DPK if you don't (or can't) prepare one for yourself.  Click on either of these links to visit sites where you can buy a DPK.  EmergencyKits or Costco Wholesale American Preparedness Kit.

Regards,
Stu

The Digital Public Library of America

Hi All,

I've been waiting for just the right opportunity to discuss this next website. I wanted a day where the the weather was cold, snowy and raw - so that readers would be able to do a deep dive into this next website and not be distracted by other events!

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA)!  What is it?  Great question. 

The quick answer is that the DPLA is a national digital library that contains books, images, historic records and audiovisual materials. The materials are available to anyone with Internet access.  For a more full description of the DPLA, click on this link.

From the homepage users can click on Exhibitions, Explore by Place (maps), Explore by Date (timeline), download DPLA Apps, get DPLA News and more.

There is also a separate link for the DPLA Bookshelf - which is an easy way to search DPLA's books, serials and journals.

This is an eclectic - and very interesting - look into American social, political and cultural history.  And, too top it all off...its free - and very, very easy to use!

Enjoy the sites and the results and the many hours of entertainment you'll spend on DPLA.  And you won't even know that you're learning all about American history!

Regards,
Stu

Relaxation Techniques - A How To....

Hi All,

Relaxing.  It sounds good (okay, great).  Its peaceful, quiet and well, helps rejuvenate yourself.  You'll get better sleep, eat better and enjoy the time you spend with family and friends more. 

So, just how do we relax?

Read on....

The digital version of the Time Magazine published this article back in October 2012.  Titled, '6 Breathing Exercises to Relax in 10 Minutes or Less' is a good start. This next article from WebMD - published back in September 2013 - includes '10 Relaxation Techniques That Zap Stress Fast' (my faves were 6 - Decompress, 7 - Laugh Out Loud, and 10 - Be Grateful).

Another timely article comes from the venerable Huffington Post - titled 'Relax - And Fast! 8 Quick Tricks For Stress Relief' (from July 2013).  Interesting techniques include trying the eight-count breath and turning off electronics before bedtime and creating your own bedtime ritual....

Other links of interest include YGoY, How 2 Easily, SixWise.com and WikiHow.

And, finally,  click on this link (goes to the library card catalog) which leads you to the subject heading of relaxation in the Farmingdale Public Library.  Link includes books, cd's and other material on the topic of relaxation!

Enjoy the links - hope they are relaxing!.

Regards,
Stu