Ucapan Penghulu Di Majlis Penutupan Kursus KDP4M

Tenang riak air di kali

Hari indah suasana ceria

Kata bermula sejak azali

Lafaz mulia pembuka bicara

Assalamualaikum dan salam sejahtera

Terima kasih saudara pengerusi majlis.

Yang Berbahagia Tuan Hj Yusuf bin Ahmad, Pensyarah Kanan IPG KSAH, Yang Berusaha  Tn Hj Ibrahim bin Bakar, Ketua Jabatan, Jabatan Pengajian Melayu , Yang dihormati En Aznan bin Md Akhir, Ketua Unit LDP IPG KSAH, para fasilitator, para pensyarah IPG KSAH, penyelaras program urus setia kursus,  seterusnya dikasihi rakan-rakan guru para peserta kursus MBM  4 mingu kohot I sekelianI.

Terlebih dahulu saya ingin memanjatkan kesyukuran ke hadrat Allah s.w.t kerana dengan rahmat dan izinnya dapat kita bersama-sama berkumpul dalam Majlis Penutupan Kursus MBM 4 Minggu Kohot II, bermula 3 Julai hingga 28 Julai 2011, anjuran IPGSAH, Sungai Petani dengan kerjasama PLGDP, Sungai Karangan.

Hari ini merupakan hari terakhir kita berkampung di PLGDP Sungai Karangan ini sebagai peserta kursus memperkasakan bahasa Melayu dalam pendidikan.  Pelbagai maklumat telah dijanakan untuk kita agar dapat dilaksanakan sedaya yang mungkin ke arah mencapai matlamat dan misi dalam program memperkasakan bahasa Melayu ini. 

Kita perlu sentiasa cakna akan bahasa kita sendiri agar dapat mengembalikan kedudukan bahasa kita ke  tahap yang sepatutnya seperti yang pernah dicapai pada masa dahulu iaitu bahasa Melayu menjadi lingua franca di seluruh Nusantara.  Bahasa Melayu digunakan secara meluas sebagai bahasa komunikasi dan bahasa perdagangan.  Satu kedudukan yang amat istimewa dan mampu menjadikan Melaka muncul sebagai pusat perdagangan entrepot yang  para pedagangnya menggunakan bahasa Melayu dalam urusniaga.  Namun kerancuan bahasa  merupakan senario biasa  kini dan berlaku secara meluas.  Sms misalnya, menjadi suatu ancaman yang menjejaskan kemurnian bahasa. Sehubungan itu, pembelajaran bahasa Melayu di sekolah-sekolah menjadi alat paling ampuh dalam usaha  memperkasakan bahasa kebangsaan ini.

Hadirin sekalian,

Kini, pembelajaran bahasa boleh diolah menjadi lebih menarik dengan bantuan pelbagai alat teknologi.  Kepelbagaian ABM boleh dihasilkan jika kita para pendidik berfikir secara kreatif dan inovatif.  Kita perlu keluar daripada kepompong tradisi dan mempelbagaikan teknologi pendidikan seiring dengan perubahan masa.  Anak-anak didik hari ini mendapat pendedahan yang amat luas berkaitan teknologi. Justeru kita sebagai pendidik perlu sentiasa peka dengan keperluan mereka dan tidak boleh terlalu bergantung dengan kaedah konvensional.  Para pendidik perlu berfikir di luar  kotak dan sentiasa bersedia untuk  bergerak pantas  dan mencapai kemajuan seiring dengan perkembangan semasa. 

Oleh itu, kursus yang dianjurkan oleh pihak JPN  dengan kerjasama IPGM Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim ini merupakan suatu perkongsian bijak dalam usaha menyebarluaskan maklumat untuk digunakan oleh para guru.  Adalah menjadi harapan kita bersama agar semua maklumat dan ilmu yang diperolehi sepanjang kursus ini dapat disebarkan dan dipanjangkan  ke sekolah-sekolah untuk menjadikan proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran  bahasa Melayu lebih menarik. Banyak bahan dan mutiara ilmu yang dikutip sepanjang berkursus.  Teknik pengajaran menggunakan perisian  teknologi maklumat dan komunikasi seperti blog dan laman sosial bersesuaian dengan mauduk  kursus kita iaitu inovasi pengajaran dan pembelajaran bahasa Melayu  melalui TMK. Penggunaan teknologi yang pelbagai ini diharapkan dapat menarik perhatian murid dan menyuburkan kembali kecintaan mereka terhadap bahasa ibunda , seterusnya  bahasa ini  mendapat  tempat yang sewajarnya.

Namun begitu molek rasanya jika pengisian masa dari segi interaksi dengan fasilitator TMK  ditambah supaya kemahiran itu dapat dikuasai dengan lebih efisien oleh para peserta.  Kemahiran photoshop untuk mengedit foto digital dicadangkan agar dapat  dimasukkan sebagai elemen dalam kursus pada masa hadapan.

Hadirin yang dihormati,

Suatu yang bermula pasti ada noktah akhirnya.  Saya mewakili para peserta kursus merakamkan ucapan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan terima kasih atas kehadiran Yang Berbahagia Tuan Hj Yusuf bin Ahmad, Pensyarah Kanan IPG KSAH bagi menyempurnakan Majlis Penutupan Kursus pada kali ini. kalungan budi dan  ucapan terima kasih yang tidak terhingga kepada semua fasilitator yang terdiri daripada penyarah IPG Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim, kerana sudi meluangkan masa bersama-sama kami berkongsi ilmu pengetahuan dan seterusnya menjayakan kursus ini.  Ucapan yang sama juga disampaikan kepada Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Kedah, Perlis dan Pulau Pinang,  Jabatan Bahasa IPG Kampus Sultan Abdul Halim dan juga semua pihak yang terlibat dengan kursus MBM ini.  Semua memori yang manis dan indah adalah untuk kenang-kenangan  Mana-mana yang terkhilaf dan tersalah harap dapat dimaafkan.

Akhirul kalam, saya ingin mentitipkan pantun empat kerat ini untuk renungan bersama.

Di atas dahan burung tempua

Melihat rusa tepi perigi

Salam perpisahan untuk semua

Di lain masa bersua lagi

Bunga melur  bunga seroja

Bunga siantan kembang di taman

Tangan dihulur maaf dipinta

Budimu tuan ingatan berzaman

Kata orang.

Ada laut ada pantainya,

Ada malam ada siangnya,

Ada suka ada dukanya,

Ada awal ada hujungnya,

Ada pertemuan ada perpisahannya

Mudah-mudahan ada pertemuan kembali selepas ini dalam majlis yang lain pula, insya-Allah.

Saya sudahi ucapan ini dengan wabillahitaufik wal hidayah assalamualaikum wbt

Sekian terima kasih

Buku Program Persembahan Drama Kreatif dan Multimedia

Contoh Latihan Meringkas Karangan

Bahagian A (i) : Ringkasan

(20 markah)

Baca petikan di bawah dengan teliti dan kemudian tulis sebuah ringkasan tentang masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh mangsa banjir. Panjang ringkasan anda hendaklah tidak melebihi80 patah perkataan. Anda digalakkan supaya menggunakan ayat sendiri tanpa mengubah maksud asal petikan.

Selalunya pelbagai penyakit akan timbul selepas banjir mulai surut. Penyakit yang selalunya dikaitkan dengan banjir ialah penyakit bawaan air seperti cirit-birit, taun, dan juga yang berpunca daripada nyamuk, iaitu denggi. Pihak berkuasa juga telah pun memberikan maklumat terperinci berkenaan penyakit-penyakit yang perlu ditangani segera. Jika tidak penyakit ini akan memberi masalah yang lebih besar kepada mangsa banjir.

Namun kita jangan lupa, masalah mental mungkin juga dihadapi mangsa banjir selepas banjir surut. Berbanding dengan penyakit bawaan air tadi, masalah mental pada kebiasaannya tidak disedari oleh pesakit apatah lagi orang lain. Jika mereka menghadapinya dan mengetahuinya sekalipun, mereka akan cuba menyembunyikannya. Sehinggalah masalah tersebut menjadi terlalu sukar untuk dirawat.

Kita sedia maklum bahawa musibah banjir mengakibatkan sejumlah harta benda musnah begitu sahaja. Sudah pasti hal ini menyebabkan seseorang itu mudah untuk berdukacita kerana perasaan kehilangan sesuatu yang berharga terjadi ke atas diri. Perasaan dukacita inilah yang menyebabkan seseorang itu mudah hilang punca dan sukar untuk menyesuaikan diri. Mereka juga mungkin akan mempunyai perasaan rendah diri yang keterlaluan.

Selain itu pula, ada sebilangan besar mangsa banjir akan kehilangan mata pencarian. Misalnya golongan peniaga jalanan. Mereka sudah pasti antara golongan yang paling teruk terjejas mata pencarian. Hal ini demikian kerana hasil jualan mereka berdasarkan jualan harian. Jika tidak berniaga, mereka pasti rugi. Tetapi jika mereka berniaga pun mungkin sukar untuk mendapat pembeli. Golongan ini perlu diberikan perhatian.

Demikian juga halnya dengan orang yang terlibat dengan sesuatu perniagaan seperti kedai barangan elektrik. Mereka juga akan teruk terjejas kerana peralatan yang hendak dijual telah rosak kerana banjir. Para peniaga ini akan kehilangan mata pencarian dan ada kemungkinan mereka akan mengalami gangguan mental yang hebat. Mereka mungkin cuba menafikannya, namun hakikatnya berbeza.

Semua keadaan di atas memerlukan persediaan mental yang kuat dan mereka memerlukan bantuan agar boleh menjalani hidup seperti sedia kala. Tidak kiralah persediaan menghadapi penyakit atau masalah mental, semua ini memerlukan kekuatan jiwa yang kuat. Semoga mereka yang terlibat banjir ini menjadi orang yang kuat dan tabah.

(Dipetik dan diubahsuaikan daripada rencana “ Persediaan Selepas Banjir “

oleh KhairolAnuarMauan dalam Utusan Malaysia,26 Januari 2007)

Bahagian A (ii) : Pemahaman

(10 markah)

Berdasarkan petikan Bahagian A (i), jawab soalan-soalan yang berikut dengan menggunakan ayat anda sendiri.

1.   Apakah maksud rangkai kata mudah hilang punca?                                                 (2 markah)

2.   Mengapakah mangsa banjir menghadapi masalah mental?                                     (4 markah)

3.   Pada pendapat anda, bagaimanakah kita dapat membantu mangsa banjir?         (4 markah)

Jawapan Soalan Pemahaman :

1.   Rangkai kata mudah hilang punca bermaksud ………………………………… .

      - tidak tahu perkara yang harus dibuat

      - tidak tahu apa yang harus dilakukan

2.   Mangsa banjir menghadapi masalah mental kerana…………………………………………  . Selain itu, para peniaga pula mengalami tekanan perasaan kerana…………………………

     

      - berduka cita akibat kehilangan benda

      - mengalami kerugian akibat banjir

3.   Pada pendapat saya, kita boleh membantu mangsa banjir dengan ………………………...  . Selain itu, kita boleh ………………………………………………………….  .

      - menghulurkan derma untuk meringankan masalah kewangan mereka

      - membantu mangsa banjir membersihkan tempat kediaman mereka selepas banjir surut

      - memberikan sokongan moral kepada mereka untuk memulihkan semangat mereka

Langkah :

1.   Kenal pasti kehendak soalan : Masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh mangsa banjir

2.   Kenal pasti kata kunci : Mangsa banjir

3.   Bina rujukan yang sesuai : Masalah ini, masalah tersebut, mangsa ini

4.   Kenal pasti isi-isi penting :

Isi 1      : Berhadapan pelbagai penyakit yang timbul selepas banjir mulai surut

Isi 2      : Mudah berdukacita kerana kehilangan sesuatu yang berharga

Isi 3      : Mempunyai perasaan rendah diri yang keterlaluan

Isi 4      : Kehilangan mata pencarian

Isi 5      : Para peniaga mengalami kerugian kerana sukar untuk mendapat pembeli

Isi 6      : Peralatan yang hendak dijual pula rosak

Rangka Jawapan :

Antara + Kehendak Soalan + ialah + KN + ……..Isi 1…….. . Selain itu, masalah inibelaku kerana……..Isi 2…….. . Di samping itu, ……..Isi 3……… menyebabkan masalah ini.Bukan itu sahaja, masalah tersebut juga berpunca daripada……..Isi 4…….. . Seterusnya, masalah ini berlaku kerana ……..Isi 5…….. . Akhir sekali, ……..Isi 6…….. juga menyebabkan masalah oleh masalah banjir.

Jawapan Lengkap :

Antaramasalah yang dihadapi oleh mangsa banjir ialah mangsa berhadapan pelbagai penyakit yang timbul selepas banjir mulai surut. Selain itu, masalah ini berlaku kerana mangsa mudah berdukacita kerana kehilangan sesuatu yang berharga.Di samping itu, mempunyai perasaan rendah diri yang keterlaluan menyebabkan masalah ini. Bukan itu sahaja, masalah tersebut juga berpunca daripada kehilangan mata pencarian. Seterusnya, masalah ini berlaku kerana para peniaga mengalami kerugian kerana sukar untuk mendapat pembeli.Akhir sekali,peralatan yang hendak dijual pula rosak kerana masalah banjir.

                                                                                                (78 patah perkataan)

PUN

Kata "pun" yang bermaksud "juga" seperti dalam ayat:"Ali pun datang" di eja terpisah daripada kata yang mendahuluinya. Hanya 13 kata yang mendahului "pun" dieja bercantum, iaitu 1. adapun; 2. andaipun; 3.ataupun; 4.biarpun; 5.bagaimanapun; 6. kalaupun;7. kendatipun; 8. lagipun; 9. mahupun; 10. meskipun; 11. sekalipun; 12. sungguhpun; 13. walaupun

Panduan Membina Blog

sila klik di sini http://kemahiran1malaysia.blogspot.com untuk belajar membina blog

Penanda Wacana

Penggunaan penanda wacana amat penting bagi menyambungkan antara isi dengan isi dalam penulisan karangan dan juga rumusan.  Senarai kata yang sesuai digunakan sebagai penanda wacana dalam penulisan adalah seperti berikut :

Sememangnya	Oleh yang demikian
Pada ketika itu	Implikasinya
Sering kali kita merasakan	Ringkasnya
Pada dasarnya	Sementara itu
Ramai berpendapat bahawa	Belakangan ini
Sementelahan pula	Sebaliknya pula
Tambahan pula	Sebagai contoh
Pada pendapat saya	Sebagai rumusannya
Akibatnya	Sebagai menggulung
Kesimpulan daripada	Biar kita ambil contoh
Implikasi daripada	Pada keseluruhannya
Sungguhpun demikian	Sejajar dengan ini
Pada masa yang sama	Justeru  ….
Jika dibandingkan dengan …..	Jelaslah  bahawa
Apa yang dimaksudkan dengan …	Semenjak itu …
Betapakah nanti ..	Pendek kata

Santai Pagi - Sajak

              Tiada Lagi Hijau Kasih

T

ika langkah lemahku hayunkan
Mengamit harapan yang sangat suram
Muncul mu bak sinar pagi
Bilah cahayamu memberikan ku kekuatan
Menyuluh kegelapan
Membina jambatan merentas jurang maha dalam
Atas dasar setia kawan
Berakhir dengan kasih sayang yang berpanjangan?

Detik waktu yang pantas berlalu
melangkah tahun demi tahun
benih-benih kasih subur menghijau
dibajai dengan sedikit intaian, jelingan dan
tutur kata yang berhemah.

Penantian kasihku ada dalam renunganmu
bait-bait kata yang tidak terucap
membina harapan yang maha tinggi
tika mata bertentangan seribu bicara tersimpan
yang hanya lahir adalah senyuman
hati bergetar,
 
 Adakah itu cinta?

Nafas yang terhela adalah keluhan rasa
gunung didaki mencuram tinggi,
jalan yang dilalui beronak duri,
Lantas, kaki yang melangkah penat mengalah.

Rupa-rupanya kita tak bisa bersama
berjalan di gigian pantai
mengutip kerangan atau siput laut
sambil menatap wajah ombak
yang tak jemu memukul pantai

Pernah suatu ketika
mentari senja kita tatap bersama
Tautan kemesraan hilang bersama munculnya malam
dan kini dalam kedinginan malam
penantian kasih menjadi resah yang payah
luka rindu yang mendalam
mengalirkan air mata darah.

Tiada lagi hijau kasih,
Tiada lagi renung manja,
Tiada lagi lunak bicara,
Gurau senda menjadi sembilu,
Dan yang tinggal hanyalah kepedihan
Yang berpanjangan.........

Laman Web Untuk Semua

 www.freebiedirectory.com Everybody loves freebies and the freebie directory has loads of great free gear for you and your computer. There are free e-cards, sounds, fonts, software, samples, cartoons and lots more. Check it out when you can at www.freebiedirectory.com

www.kids-in-mind.com If you have impressionable kids who like movies, you're going to love this site. Kids-In-Mind is a comprehensive database of movie reviews that goes beyond the standard movie ratings to let you know what your kids will see before they see it. This site describes in great detail exactly what kinds of scenes a movie contains and even rates them for violence and profanity. The detailed descriptions really let you know what to expect at www.kids-in-mind.com

 www.playsite.com For some reason games sites always seem to be popular! I wonder why!! At the playsite you'll find dozens of them, including Backgammon, Hearts, Chess, Spades, Checkers, Euchre, and Bridge. You'll also find word games and arcade games, loads of fun at www.playsite.com

 www.toddskinner.com Rock Climbing is a breathtaking sport that can be incredibly rewarding and incredibly dangerous. Having been featured in National Geographicm, Todd Skinner is widely considered to be one of the top rock climbers in the world. His website is a photo journal that is wholly dedicated to his achievements and impressive climbing resume. Check out the beautiful footage from many of his legendary ascents, ranging from Yosemite to Africa to The Himalayas, at www.toddskinner.com

www.switcheroozoo.com Have you ever gone to the zoo and looked at all the different types of animals and wished that you could combine some of them to make up your very own new species? Well, Switcheroo Zoo has arrived. Take the body parts of zebras, elephants, cheetahs, and other animals and recombine them however you want. They use actual photo-graphs and the animation is seamless. Which means that you end up with a realistic looking creature. Fun, and educational too at www.switcheroozoo.com

www.fofa.com.au You listen to focus on the family here on Life FM, but did you know that they also have a very helpful website? Their Australian site is full of practical parenting tips, resources for families and teenagers, education, and programs as well as a family information centre, links, and you can even sign up to receive the focus on the family newsletter at www.fofa.com.au

 www.shakespeare-online.com You can access almost anything Shakespearian through this amazingly expansive website. Whether you are interested in his brilliant plays, romantic poetry or the man behind the pen, you are guaranteed to find it here. The amount of content alone is astounding and includes a biography, plays, essays and sonnets, interpretations of various quotes and soliloquies and even a question and answer page. Great for teachers and students alike at www.shakespeare-online.com

 www.commoncold.org There is now a site dedicated to everything....even the common cold! The answers to your questions can be found at Commoncold.org, a website that explains just about everything there is to know about this unwanted condition including physical details of the cold, as well as a list of tips and explanations regarding its prevention and treatment. The best part of the site, is the section on recipes. Test them out next time you have a cold at www.commoncold.org

 www.photographytips.com Photography has become an extremely popular art form, which makes sense because there is so much cool stuff to take pictures of these days. PhotographyTips.com is a great destination for photographers of all types where visitors can receive valuable tips on technique, learn all aspects of the photographic process, and gaze at galleries of pictures divided by topic at www.photographytips.com

. www.webcamsearch.com Back by popular demand ...its webcamsearch. Here you'll find webcams in Antarcticia, the Middle east, the Caribbean, Asia, Europe and Internet Cafes. Theres weather cams, and even pet cams so find something interesting to take a peek at a by logging onto www.webcamsearch.com

. www.users.on.net/vlmbudden Sunday school teaching can be tough. Getting ideas is often the hardest part of lesson preparation but the Sunday school site can help. Here you'll find inspiration to help you Connect Bible stories with teaching ideas. There are colouring pages, songs and craft ideas like Angel ornaments and bible character costumes. Its all at www.users.on.net/vlmbudden

. www.lifebeinit.com We all know Norm from the Life be in it commercials, but did you know that this sensational organisation has its own website? There are so many ideas here to inspire you to get out and enjoy life! Stacks of Games and Activities, Health & Fitness tips, directories, and you get even purchase health and fitness books online at www.lifebeinit.com

. www.theinfo.com Here's a great site to help you search the Web. The info.com lets you specify which search engines and directories you want to use, then it will open a new browser window for each one, so you can view your results at the same time. If you need to target your search further, theinfo.com provides a list of specialized search engines. Get all the info at www.theinfo.com

. www.skipintro.com Need a break from of the long and seemingly endless flash intros to high end websites? In the online world, many firms believe that their site is only as good as the splash page. The longer and more involved it is, the more successful the company must be. See if you can skip this intro at this very silly site www.skipintro.com

. www.igougo.com At I Go U Go, there's no shortage of ways to satisfy your hunger for travel info, from those who have experienced it, first hand. You can read through travel journals and regular features, or leaf through the photo galleries. Check out the travel resources, guidebooks, packing lists, and even ask your travel questions. Go for it at www.igougo.com

. www.space.com/spacearcade Space.com has created an out-of-this-world diversion for those ready to take that giant leap for mankind, without having to leave the comforts of home. Space Arcade is an impressive collection of original online video games that will have you playing in no time. With games ranging from the educational to the fun there's plenty of entertainment to go around at www.space.com/spacearcade

. www.thisdayinmusic.com This Day In Music takes a look at the daily occurrences in the world of popular music since the British Pop Charts started in 1952. Events in music from other countries are included as well. This Day In Music has quite a few added features updated every day including news, trivia, and 'best of' lists from around the world at www.thisdayinmusic.com

. www.pictureaustralia.org Get a taste of Australia at picture Australia. Here you'll find images of the people, places and events in Australias history. Or you might want to search for a topic such as Wildflowers, the Olympics, Native Birds, Federation, Australian Art and many more . This is a site that will truly inspire you at www.pictureaustralia.org . www.scubadiving.com If your thoughts run toward tropical waters, clown fish, and coral reefs, or maybe shipwrecks and dark underwater caves then this is a site for you. The Depth Finder Newsletter will have something of interest. It delivers techniques, gear reviews, destination reviews, and recommendations--all the things you need to have fun, safe, successful dives, you'll find at www.scubadiving.com

. www.nationsonline.org Need to know some vital information about another country? Nations online is a guide to comprehensive global information. You'll find so much here. Everything from countries, nations, states, country guides, and airlines, to universities, government pages, embassies, tourist boards, regional search engines, capitals and so much more at www.nationsonline.org

. www.cdpage.com CD Page is a fantastic source for information about Compact Discs and DVDs. Tutorials are available to assist even the most experienced in the creation of Compact Discs. The casual and often humorous tone used to deliver information may help visitors out by taking the hard edge off of this type of technology. If you burn your own CDs the CD Page will be a great help at www.cdpage.com

. www.sprocketworks.com Technology has opened up some incredible ways in which children have the freedom to learn in a fun and entertaining way. Sprocketworks.com is an interactive site whose goal is 'to make children fall in love with learning'. A range of topics including History, Space, Birds, Chemistry, Oceans, Art and much more are taught with the help of games, interactive diagrams, charts, film shorts and more. Your kids will enjoy studying, at www.sprocketworks.com

. www.completeplanet.com One of the buzz phrases these days on the Net is "Deep Web," which refers to the part of the Web that the really big search engines don't cover. CompletePlanet.com claims it can find that information. All you do is enter a concept in the search box and CompletePlanet finds a relevant search engine that will help you get at the information you want. You'll also find tutorials and other helpful resources at www.completeplanet.com . www.prongo.com Here's a fun, interactive site organized around age specific activities for kids ages 3 to 12. Prongo.com features games, puzzles, jokes, cool links, free downloads like clipart, and screensavers and fun e-cards that kids can send to each other. I think even the grown ups will find something fun at www.prongo.com

. www.rhymezone.com While some poets and songwriters may frown, many will smile when they see the home page of Rhymezone.com. The site allows you to enter a word in exchange for a list of all the English words with which it rhymes. You can search further by seeing whether the selected word appears in famous works such as Shakespeare, The Bible, Mother Goose, quotations, and more at www.rhymezone.com

. www.maximumsoft.com So you've found a site that contains information you need, but you'd prefer to search through it offline. Web Copier is the tool you've been looking for. Simply download the free software, type in a Web address you'd like to explore and watch it go to work. The software will download the entire site you indicated. It's maximum software at www.maximumsoft.com

. www.inventorsmuseum.com According to the Inventors Online Museum, Steve McQueen invented something that is used by millions of people around the world every day. It is featured along with a wide range of others at the Inventors Online Museum. Its a site that looks at the history and innovation of invention. There is a lot of interesting material here including articles about famous inventors. By the way Steve Mcqueen invented the bucket seat! Find out more at

. www.pie.com The fastest-growing sport today can be described in one word, extreme. Pie.com is a comprehensive, online magazine filled with endless articles and photographs revolving around surfing, snowboarding, skateboarding and BMX biking. Clicking on any of these categories will reveal a photo gallery, streaming video, articles, tips, recommended locations and more. The site is also equipped with chat rooms, email and music to listen to while you browse. Check out this extremely cool site at www.pie.com

. www.zoomschool.com Zoom school is a great site for those with kids. There are all sorts of fun activities to choose from and help with homework. Topics include Geography, science, art, early childhood and languages. There are also printouts of puzzles, quizzes and coloring pages at www.zoomschool.com

. www.headlinespot.com HeadlineSpot is a news portal which rounds up hundreds of active pointers to other sites that have all of the news. Wire services, print, radio, and television outlets are scoured for relevant headlines and incorporated into the main page at HeadlineSpot. Visitors will find major stories, entertainment features, word puzzles, and just about everything else at www.headlinespot.com

. www.secretsoftheice.org Now you can explore Antarctica and unlock the secrets of the ice that have covered the continent for many years. Secrets of the Ice focuses on the geography of the continent and gives you up to date information on current global change research. Interact with the eleven scientists and adventurers as they collect ice cores across the continent and study Antartica's untamed Wilderness at www.secretsoftheice.org

. www.e-sword.net E-Sword is a fantastic Bible study program that astounds with its easy of use. It offers many different versions of the Bible, and an option to compare selected verses with other translations. the best free Bible study software for Windows at www.e-sword.net

. www.triviastic.com Did you know that India is the only country which has 47 different languages spoken. Or that Coca-Cola in the US tastes different from other countries? Or that aside from humans, only pigs get sunburned? Triviastic is home to over 800 of the most unbelievable, interesting and obscure trivia facts that make you go hmmm so learn something trivial at www.triviastic.com

. www.eblots.com Check out the Blot Gallery and see what's lurking in your subconscious. Visitors are encouraged to describe what they think an image represents and then see what the rest of the online world thinks about it. It s pretty addictive but a lot of fun at www.eblots.com

. www.karenbrown.com Planning a visit to a medieval village tucked away in a spectacular European landscape? If you've been aching to travel, and haven't the slightest idea where to start, Karen Brown's Guides are perfect. This site outlines delightful accommodations, sightseeing highlights and itineraries in regions considered of interest, allowing visitors to explore old towns and friendly villages with cozy cottages, and quaint country inns. So start planning your trip at www.karenbrown.com

. www.foodsubs.com Everyone needs a Cook's Thesaurus and at foodsubs.com you'll find a site filled with cooking tips and ingredient substitutions. There are Photos, detailed instructions, and pointers galore. If you are budget conscious or live further away from the local store, this site could save a day in the kitchen should you be missing an ingredient. So keep cooking at www.foodsubs.com

. www.knowpost.com One of the nicer features of the Internet is that communities of like-minded people can chat online and share information. Know Post attempts to harness that by giving people a forum to ask questions and get answers. Questions are divided by topic like sports, home and family, and Membership is free, so ask away at www.knowpost.com

. www.whatthepaperssay.co.uk What The Papers Say is your guide to all today's online newspapers in the UK. Theres local news, world news, sport and showbiz to choose from. By rounding up serious and not so serious stories, What The Papers Say comes close to the actual experience of reading a newspaper so open up at www.whatthepaperssay.co.uk

. www.ideas.com No doubt you've had hundreds of fleeting inspirations or amazing ideas that briefly entered your brain but were thrown out because you didn't know what to do with them. At ideas.com, you can market those fabulous ideas, or come up with solutions for corporations. You can sell ideas, buy ideas, and even submit your ideas to specific companies or the public at large. There's no success without trying, and here's a good place to start at www.ideas.com

. www.projectcool.com Learning to build your first Web page? Project Cool is the place to get you on the right track. Tutorials for Beginners and advanced students will help you make your first page a success. Its simply is a collection of resources designed to give knowledge, guidance, and inspiration to Web designers and developers at www.projectcool.com

. www.escapeartist.com If you've ever had a dream of living or working overseas then escape Artist may have the answers. It offers tips and travel advice for many different countries as well as Unique Lifestyles and Living Locations, embassy information, articles, opportunities for investing overseas heaps more at www.escapeartist.com

. www.familyplay.com Here's a site that focuses on family life. At familyplay.com there are sections concerning parenting, educational concerns, family dynamics, and even pet care. Search the activity centre for tips on everything from art projects to outdoor fun. There are hundreds of activities choose from at www.familyplay.com

. www.mousetool.com If you find yourself clicking your way into the world of carpal tunnel syndrome and various other repetitive injuries, it might be time to teach that old mouse some new tricks. Mouse Tool takes the click out of your mouse routine with this clever new program which relieves much of the stress of using a mouse. Its pretty simple to figure out too so try it for yourself at mousetool.com

. www.lookoff.com Lookoff.com is different than most other search engines. Instead of typing in a keyword , you type in a topic such as Travel, Health, or Computers,and Lookoff.com returns a list of search engines that specialize in what you're looking for. Then you just follow the links to the search engines, and you'll be on your way to finding exactly the right information at www.lookoff.com

. www.infoplease.com Information Please calls itself "the world's largest free reference site." Here you'll find an online dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, and almanacs, where you can locate facts and pictures on thousands of subjects including sports, entertainment, technology, business, education, and health. Have fun with daily quizzes, crossword puzzles, online polls, a Today in History article, an Ask the Editors, and a Homework Center too at www.infoplease.com

. www.homeworkspot.com Homework help is at hand at Homework Spot. Here you'll be able to find help with science, maths, english, foreign languages and more. Theres even a spot where you can ask a question and a sections for parents and teachers, at www.homeworkspot.com

. www.ilooks.com Take a look at i look.com where you'll find movies and fun for everyone! Watch the movie of the week or take the survey of the week. Theres also movie trivia as well as movie postcards to send to friends. Take a look at www.ilooks.com

. www.emailtothemax.com Want to get the most out of your e-mail? Here's a free online course that will help you. E-Mail to the Max is a series of lessons you can take in 20 minutes that will teach you how to use e-mail more efficiently. With titles like attaching Files, Managing Your Mailbox, and Closing the Sale with E-mail, you'll find practical advice on how to present a more professional image through e-mail. Start learning now at www.emailtothemax.com

. www.westegg.com/cliche Have you been searching for just the right cliché to use in a certain situation? But you haven't been able to come up with one? Just enter any words in the form on this site, and the search engine will return any clichés which use that phrase...You'll be set in the twinkling of an eye at www.westegg.com/cliche

. www.multicity.com You're having a tough time with the language barrier negotiations with people overseas, multi city can help with Web tools to chat, message, and connect with anyone around the world. 18 different languages are on hand and while the quality of the translations isn't perfect, it's easier than guessing at www.multicity.com

. www.ilovepasta.org If you've always wanted to learn how to cook perfect pasta, we have found the perfest pasta site at www.ilovepasta.org. Choose from more than 250 pasta from elegant dinners for two, to quick and easy dishes to feed a crowd, as well as links to other sites with reliable information. Start planning your next pasta creation at www.ilovepasta.org

. www.refdesk.com Refdesk.com is GREAT information resource for all things Internet. The site is brilliantly organized for finding facts on almost any subject you can imagine. It contains links to sites Worldwide. Its amazing how many useful links have been crammed on one page at www.refdesk.com

. www.romancestop.com Happy Valentines day! If you are looking for a romantic site today look no further. Romance stop.com is a site full of love. Here you'll enjoy true love stories, beautiful poetry, tips, links and more. Its all romance, and all here at www.romancestop.com

. www.vml.com/snowman If you've always wanted the experience of building a snowman this site is for you. Snowman Fun Time combines some cool artwork, fun sounds and a drag and drop format to help you build the ultimate snowman. Don't forget to accessorize at www.vml.com/snowman

. www.spacejobs.com The final frontier is closer than you think so why not find employment where the action is. At spacejobs.com your choices include opportunities with a number of aerospace firms, the Jet Propulsion Lab, or one of several private satellite launching firms and even if you aren't looking for a job on the final frontier, the site offers technology and space news and at ww.spacejobs.com

. www.aardman.com If you're a fan of "Wallace and Grommit," "Rex the Runt," "Chicken Run" and all the wonderful Aardman (Ard-man) animation take a look at their official site and be inspired . This is SUCH a fun site with loads of fun animation and graphics, the story of how it all began, the latest news, showcase and guestbook so have a fun time ...(and you will!!!) at www.aardman.com

. www.petnet.com.au Here's a good Australian site for those who want more information or resources for their pet. If you are thinking of adding a pet to the family, Selectapet can help at petnet. There are also links, pet trivia, resources and plenty of pet advice at www.petnet.com.au

. www.abcparenting.com Heres one for the mums and dads. Fits the ABC of parenting and its a comprehensive collection of sites and links for just about any aspect of raising children. It is even organized in easy to navigate sections, such as Health, Medical, Education, Nutrition, and Pregnancy. Learn your parental Abc's at www.abcparenting.com

. www.playsite.com Play Site is a lot of fun and allows you to Play games with friends all around the world. All games are EASY to play and absoloutely FREE! So play bridge, hearts, spades, checkers, chess, and many more now at www.playsite.com

. www.diaryland.com Ever thought about keeping a diary? Now you can...ONLINE! DiaryLand.com is a fun, free service where you can get your own web diary, public or private, that you update using your web browser! If you want to keep it private you can even password protect it so only the people you give the password can use it! Now you have no excuses at www.diaryland.com

. www.amused.com The Centre For The Easily Amused is more fun than ever. They've added fresh features to an already great site. The so-called premiere spot for wasting time remains and new improvements and fresh ideas are being added all the time so get amused toaday at www.amused.com

. www.musicsearcher.com MusicSearcher.com is home to a database containing pointer to sites for over 4,700 artists. Some of these are official artist or label sites while the majority are fan sites. So if you want to find a site for your favourite band or artist, this is the site www.musicsearcher.com

. www.schoolfriends.com.au Have you ever wanted to get in touch with someone you went to school with years ago? Well, we've found a site where you can do just that! You can list your own details, search schools or look for people you went to school with. There are over 10, 000 schools and universities listed to track down your old friends now at www.schoolfriends.com.au

. www.homeschool.com Its almost time to go back to school and if you're one ofthe many home schooling families then take a look at homeschool.com where you'll find all sorts of helpful resources and information for those involved in, or seriously considering, home-schooling. Theres also a newsletter to sign up for, the latest news, opinions, and advice so checkout www.homeschool.com

. www.cooltext.com Cooltext.com is a free service that will let you easily create cool customized logos online. Simply choose your text preference, font, and colors and this service will generate your graphic quickly and easily. Its handy for custom wallpaper, school projects and Web sites at www.cooltext.com

. www.artabunga.com .- If your kids are creative and looking for some fun on the net then send to to artabunga! Its a fun site where kids and parents can create. They can create pictures, draw, write and play games at www.artabunga.com

. www.kas-par-ov chess.com This amazing site is dedicated to the enjoyment of the game of chess. World Chess Champion Garry Kas-par-ov is actually one of this Web site's creative forces. If you're looking to improve your game, then you'll find articles on strategy for every level of player. In the Playing Zone, you can match wits with people from all over the world, day or night. There's even a special Kids area for the next generation of Chess Champions at www.kas-par-ov chess.com

. www.castlesoftheworld.com Now for something completely different, castles of the world.com contains stacks of information about castles including castle tours, medieval architecture, hotels, travel, plans, weddings, castles for sale, palaces and monasteries, history, armor and swords. Take virtual tours of castles around the world at www.castlesoftheworld.com

. www.tourdownunder.com.au Well, we all know that the tour down under is here in Adelaide but if you can't make it to where the action is, then take a look at the official website. Here you can check out the latest news and get live updates. Details about the teams and the tour village can also be found, along with a photo gallery and even a cycling glossary to help you understand the technicalities of the high speed sport. Get all the news at www.tourdownunder.com.au

. www.mfa.org Want to see Van Gogh face to face? Or perhaps some Japanese art? The Museum of Fine Arts site gives you details about exhibits artists and an online gallery. You might be 3000 miles from the Museum, but that's the beauty of the Internet. There's an online tour, information on upcoming events, memberships, and treasures from the gift shop, so visit the museum today at www.mfa.org

. www.worldtime.com WORLDTIME is a handy site for checking local times all over the world, and accessing a database of public holidays worldwide. Simply click on the part of globe you're interested in to get information about that country, click on "View time, and you'll see the current time, plus a list of the public holidays for the next 30 days. Keep updated at www.worldtime.com

. www.findsounds.com FindSounds.com is the leading web search engine for finding sound effects and sample sounds on the Web. It is simple and easy to use, and suitable,for all ages so find a Sound at www.findsounds.com

. www.yourdictionary.com If you're stumped for the definition of a word go to yourDictionary.com. This site has more than 1500 dictionaries representing more than 230 languages. You can look up word definitions, find pronunciation tips, rhyming words, and more than 50 specialty dictionaries, in subjects such as Law, Medicine, Computing, and Sports. There's also a translation service, a section featuring word games and puzzles, and lots more at www.yourdictionary.com

. www.coolemail.com If you often need to check your email while you're away from your computer, check out CoolEmail.com. You can listen and reply to all your messages, email, voicemail and faxes with any phone, computer or wireless device from one central location. Its amazing what technology can do at ww.coolemail.com

. www.wannalearn.com Whether you want to lose weight, find a job, become a public speaker, write,software, make paper airplanes, or repair your kitchen sink, you can find a, step-by-step guide to do it on the Web. WannaLearn.com is a directory of these free online guides, lessons and other instructional sites. Learn something new at www.wannalearn.com

. www.MatMice.com This one is great school holiday fun. MatMice.com lets kids become part of the world wide web by building their own homepage, and add it to the Internet easily. They can be as creative as they like and have fun at the same time at www.MatMice.com

. www.addictivegames.com .- This site is packed with all sorts of games from the Pac-Man, Asteroids era. Addictive Games.com has an entertainment value that stays true to it's name. Whether you remember playing these games way back when or not, you still won't be able to get enough of them at www.addictivegames.com

. www.illusionworks.com IllusionWorks contains dozens of optical illusions and explains the mechanics of how our eyes and brains work together. From the simplest of line drawings to the complex work of M. C. Escher, being fooled has never been more entertaining at www.illusionworks.com

. www.mp3picks.com Hunting for MP3s can be a frustrating experience on the Web. MP3 picks.com is a handy music portal makes it easy to find just the MP3s that you're looking for. MP3Picks.com even lets you meta-search the Net's leading MP3 search sites. So start searching at www.mp3picks.com

. www.knowledgehound.com Knowledge Hound calls itself the Web's biggest directory of free how-to links, lessons, tips and tricks, manuals, guides and step-by-step instructions. There's plenty to find here for the do-it-yourselfer from sports to hobbies to computers and much, much more at www.knowledgehound.com

. www.prismfellowship.com/christmas Happy Christmas!! Christmas Celebrations, Traditions and Fun can all be found at this website as well as the real meaning of Christmas... the birth of Christ! There is also Literature & Poetry, Holiday Foods, Children's Links and more at www.prismfellowship.com/christmas

. www.crossdaily.com Cross daily is a great site full of links to just about everything! There are Free Greetings, E-cards, Chatrooms, Graphics, Cartoons, Clipart, Search engines, Devotions, Site Reviews and so much more! You can also vote for the Life FM website here, which is currently ranked number 9 in the world! Check it all out at www.crossdaily.com

. www.buildarockstar.com .-Heres a site that is just plain FUN! Its build a rock star.com and you do just that. Choose your own setting, song, backing band and rock star and put it all together online! You can even email it to friends. You'll be directing your own music videos in no time at www.buildarockstar.com

. www.vagabondo.net If you're one of those people that enjoys travelling solo then take a look at Vagabondo.net. Its the independant travellers site and its full of all sorts of information including hotels, cafes and websites for about almost every part of the world. Start planning that escapade now at www.vagabondo.net

. www.upcomingmovies.com Upcomingmovies.com is a site devoted to news and information about motion pictures. Before the trailers are even screened, visitors to Upcomingmovies.com have a good idea about what to expect from studios large and small. Each preview gives cast, crew, and plot information, and includes a commentary. So if you're interested in movies, take a look at www.upcomingmovies.com

. www.traveldish.com This site is definitely for the travellers. It offers reviews of destinations, tips, travel columns, links and reservations all designed for the traveler who wants to fully immerse themselves in foreign places. There are heaps of special travel sections too at www.traveldish.com

. www.cookierecipe.com Christmas is only a few days away and with that in mind here is a site that is bound to inspire you...to do some Christmas baking! At cookie recipe.com you'll find a huge range of fabulous cookie recipes to keep you busy for the next few days! Happy baking at www.cookierecipe.com

. www.theholidayspot.com/christmas Another fun holiday site is the holiday spot.com. Here you'll find Christmas recipes, Christmas games and ecards, Christmas screensavers, jokes, carols, and even learn how to say Merry Christmas in 123 Languages! Its all at www.theholidayspot.com/christmas

. www.happynews.com Start your day off on the right foot. Read a little Happy News. Its a site where they want the good stuff to be at the top of the list ...good news like a birth, a wedding, a good deed, an accomplishment, or a random act of kindness. It great reading at www.happynews.com

. www.techdirect.com/christmas Christmas Celebrations, Traditions and Fun can all be found at this website as well as the real meaning of Christmas... the birth of Christ! There is also Literature & Poetry, Holiday Foods, Children's Links and more at www.techdirect.com/christmas

. www.golflifestyles.com Golf fans will love Golf Lifestyles. Its a site designed to keep you current on the state of golf, sports information, the latest advances in club and ball technology, and all the PGA tour news you can handle. This monthly newsletter provides all the ingredients for keeping the golf spark alive. Subscribe & visit www.golflifestyles.com

. www.happychristmas.com Share Christmas decorating tips, and swap funny Christmas stories, by visiting Happy Christmas.com. A bright and cheerful site for the festive season. You can swap gift ideas, electronic Christmas cards and funny Christmas stories. This interactive site is full of advice on how to make your Christmas perfect. It's easy to navigate and fun to use with plenty of links to other Christmas sites. Have a happy Christmas at www.happychristmas.com

. www.crateinspirations.com.au Make your Christmas shopping easy this year by organising a crate full of goodies for friends or business associates. I've found a terrific local site that can send a wooden crate full of some delicious and perhaps unusual SA gourmet food! Try a Barbecue theme, gourmet chocolates, a Christmas Crate, coffee, A Native theme or even a new baby at www.crateinspirations.com.au

. www.santas.net Check out Santa's website where you'll find a huge list or wonderful Christmas recipes from all over the world. There are lots of Christmas traditions and you can even find out how to say Happy Christmas in another language! Theres something here for the whole family at www.santas.net

. www.kidssundayschool.com Heres a site suitable for kids and teachers. Its kidssundayschool.com and its choc full of stories, games, songs, skits and activities for the kids as well as resources for teachers too! Get set for Sunday school at www.kidssundayschool.com

Back to Net News

. www.impressionism.org Impressionist paintings have always been popular except when they were first painted. Many museums wouldn't exhibit artists like Degas, Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Van Gogh, and so many more. Impressionism.org site offers an educational look at the impressionist movement including artists' biographies, downloadable lessons for teaching and most of all these magnificent paintings at www.impressionism.org

. www.pregnancycalendar.com For you expectant parents, here is the site you will want to take a look at. Pregnancy calender.com is choc full of information for parents awaiting the birth of their little bundle of joy. Theres also a baby name finder, due date calculator, recipes, and a free newsletter so check out www.pregnancycalendar.com

. www.webcamsearch.com Sometimes you just want to look at whats happening elsewhere in the world don't you? Webcamsearch.com can help, with a huge range of web cams to choose from. You can download images from Antarctica, the Caribbean, Italy, the Middle East, China, South America, Germany, Greenland and even Internet Cafes worldwide. Its fascinating to take a glimpse at another part of the world at www.webcamsearch.com

. www.medicineplanet.com Planning a trip? MedicinePlanet.com is an indispensable health resource for international travelers before, after, and during a trip. All you do is select a destination, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, and learn about the quality of local health care, local diseases, immunizations and the contact information for all known hospitals. You can figure out what that foreign medicine you've been prescribed is called and you can even Ask the Experts all your malaria, and bug repellant questions at www.medicineplanet.com

. www.cardstore.com No time to send a card to acknowledge a birthday or an anniversary? Card Store will mail your personalized message for you. They offer a wide selection of traditional cards, or you can custom design one using your own photos, logos or other images at www.cardstore.com

. www.worldwidewords.org Have you ever wondered where phrases like "As happy as Larry" and "Dutch treat" came from? Hers a site that has all the answers. Its devoted to investigations of the English language and includes essays on the origins of odd phrases, topical words, older words, and terms so new they haven't made it into the dictionaries yet. Discover a new word or phrase today at www.worldwidewords.org

. www.narnia.com If you've ever read "The lion, the witch and the wardrobe," by C.S. Lewis you'll know how amazing the adventures in Narnia can be. Now you're invited to explore Narnia, the fantastic world created supposedly for children! Tour the lands, meet the Narnians and read Chronicle excerpts. Its a fascinating site and a must see for every C.S. Lewis reader www.narnia.com

. www.toastmasters.org Do you want to improve your public speaking and listening skills? Toastmasters is the best way to improve your communication skills. Heres a site that offers lots of helpful tips on losing the fear of public speaking how to be a better listener. You'll learn how to conduct meetings deal with people and more at www.toastmasters.org

. www.foodfunandfacts.com Interested in food and fun? Now they're combined in the food fun and facts website. There are lots of Recipes, Household Hints and Freebies as well as Children's Pages, a Free Newsletter and links to food and cooking sites. You'll enjoy cooking and eating(!) at www.foodfunandfacts.com

. www.sleepnet.com If you have too much on your mind and are having trouble sleeping, SleepNet may have a tranquil answer. It will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about sleep but were too tired to ask. Sweet Dreams at www.sleepnet.com . www.alltheweb.com Heres pretty useful one. Its a search engine with a great name. All the Web, All the Time.com and it's not too far from the truth. Launched in early 1999 its known as the world's largest search engine service, with over 575 million full-text web documents. Its also really quick and easy to use . Check out All the Web at www.alltheweb.com

. www.stickyrice.com There are lots of sites on the net which give you recipes for soup, bread, cakes and cookies but here's one that's all about the Japanese delicacy sushi. Learn how to make sushi at home. You'll find detailed instructions and recipes for creating masterpieces of rolled seaweed, rice, and fish. You can even email your questions directly to an expert sushi chef at www.stickyrice.com

. www.webshots.com If you enjoy changing the look and feel of you desktop, check out Webshots, a cool source for great photos and screensavers. Each day it delivers striking new photos, along with rich content features such as search engine capabilities, news, weather, historical facts, cartoons and much more at www.webshots.com.

. www.thehistorynet.com If you're into history or you just want to brush up your skills before the next quiz night you'll want to look at the history net. You can research American history and the civil war, world history, world war two, and even read eyewitness accounts. Its a fascinating site thats well worth a look at www.thehistorynet.com

. www.sailing.org The Earth's surface is more than 60 percent water--don't get stuck on land. Take a look at the ultimate sailing site. The International Sailing Federation site will keep you up on sailing events worldwide. You can subscribe to Making Waves, the federation's newsletter, check out the events calendar, read the minutes from the latest conference, or read the latest news on races, regattas, and the Olympics. Sail away at www.sailing.org

. www.intelihealth.com This is one of the most complete, in-depth health resources on the Web. You'll find information about hundreds of diseases, conditions, and procedures, read health-related news stories, and keep track of new treatments. InteliHealth provides information on everything you ever wanted to know about a variety of popular topics, from Allergies to Weight Management. Its all at www.intelihealth.com

. www.pariswater.com Instead of actually going to Paris, How about taking a Virtual tour to historical Paris Bridges and Fountains? Paris by the Water gives you plenty of images, accompanied by both French and English language descriptions. Sites like this will probably never replace photo books, but this form of publishing is good to see. And you'll almost feel like you're there!

. www.yesterdayland.com Heres another one of those Fun sites. Its yesterdayland.com and its full of Retro Saturday morning cartoons. A real supersite featuring all of your favorite cartoons and children's shows from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. No matter what you were into you'll find it at www.yesterdayland.com

. www.travellady.com Most people think professional travel and food writers are some of the luckiest people in the world. They visit exciting destinations and taste some of the best food. Now, the travelLady.com experts will share some of their glorious times, but, they will also tell you about the places you want to avoid, the things you don't want to try, and the meals you never want to eat. All the travel tips are at www.travellady.com

. www.guitar.com This site is a huge resource for guitar players and fans of guitar music. Guitar.com features several regular columns on playing guitar, including hints, tips, and Q & A with people who make a living playing the six string. There are plenty of discussion boards, industry-specific press releases and you can catch video guitar lessons for beginners and experts alike, many by famous musicians from BB King to Sugar Ray. Get playing at www.guitar.com

. www.timeanddate.com Whats the time?? If you want to know the time...anywhere in the world then check out www.timeanddate.com. Its a guide to time zones calendars and more and there are loads of utilities at time and date.com including National and religious holidays for the country selected. Other features include several world clocks, a custom countdown clock and a meeting planner.

. www.bobdenver.com Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a fateful trip, that started from this tropic port aboard this tiny ship. Nostalgia Time! All aboard this tiny site to Return to Gilligan's Island Yes if you know who the skipper, the professor, Maryanne, Ginger and the Howells are, then you have to look at this hilarious and heart felt site devoted to Gilligan's Island. The Bob Denver Fan Site includes everything as well as behind the scenes photos and great "Gourmet Gilligan" castaway recipes. Its a trip down memory lane at www.bobdenver.com

. www.wordwalla.com Still sending emails in english? Well, now you can write an email in a foreign language. Simply select the language you want, then type your message. The recipient will get it in that language. Easy!! WordWalla.com puts the "World" back in the World-Wide-Web. Check it out and get writing at www.wordwalla.com.

. www.weatherplanner.com Do you want to know what the weather will be on an important date? Weather planner can help. It can tell you what the weather will be like up to 1 year from now. Weatherplanner's forecasts have been used for more than 60 years by the government, the film industry, and major companies.

. www.activeaustraliaday.com Active Australia Day is all about celebrating the importance of participating in physical activity, and encouraging people to get up and active. Around one million Australians are expected to participate in this year's event. So get out, go for a walk, a bike ride, kick the footy and be active!! and don't forget to take a quick look at the website too at www.activeaustraliaday.com.

. www.studyspanish.com Who says you need to enroll in school to learn Spanish? This Web site will teach you... free! Work at your own pace through 75 clearly written tutorials. Each covers a different topic, from Days of the Week to regular verbs. Perfect your pronunciation by listening to audio lessons or take an interactive quiz. If you get stuck, you can use the Translator but get studying today.

. www.lifesupportsystem.com Do you sometimes need a pick up via email? At Life support system.com you get a lift from inspirational stories and quotes that remind you of how green the grass is right under your own nose.They are high quality, sometimes humorous and always encouraging, but these uplifting and thought-provoking messages can make a positive difference every weekday. To subscribe, visit www.lifesupportsystem.com

. www.meals.com If you find it hard to plan meals in the kitchen check out meals.com. It's fantastic. You can create a cookbook, find recipes, modify recipes, learn how to cook a range of new dishes and plan dinner at the click of a button. Get cooking!

. www.enature.com It might be time to escape the concrete jungle, or at least visit ENature.com during your lunch break. Enature.com helps you identify nearly 5000 species of plants and animals by listing them in a searchable field guide. Learn all about habitats from Wetlands to Deserts. There are even local guides that list birds, reptiles, and mammals in your area or learn to be a birdwatcher and catch up on all the latest bird-watching news.

. www.artcontest.com .-Fridges all over the world are covered with kids artwork and paintings and now many can be seen on the net at "the refrigerator. " Its actually an art contest just for kids. People of all ages have fun participating in this art contest and anyone can vote, but you must be a kid to enter.

. www.moviebloopers.com The name says it all. Movie bloopers.com. Lots of things that went wrong in all your favourite movies and YOU probably didn't even notice them did you? There's also movie reviews, and loads of links.

. www.railpage.org.au If you enjoy train travel then the Australian site RailPage Australia, is a must see. Loads of info here. For example "Did you know that: One suburban train carrying 1,000 people replaces 800 cars and 6 kilometres of traffic?" Its a great resource for information, rail news, photo archives and more.

. games.emazing.com You can now play a lot of different games on the Internet but did you even think that you could play rock paper scissors via email? Now you can! Simply type in your email address, your opponents email and the choice. ...Rock paper or scissors. Easy! And SOOOO much fun

. ishouldbeworking.com Ok heres one that is just for fun. Its Ishouldbeworking.com and it has endless links to desktop toys, jokes, travel, and anything else your heart desires. There are even loafing tips, and a panic button !! Its very silly but fun if you want to take a break.

. www.iwantnewsletters.com Here's a site that is simple and self explanatory. I want newsletters.com. If you want newsletters sent to you on a whole range of topics including clean jokes, parenting tips, gardening and the funny things kids say take a look! Sign up today

. www.imdb.com OK movie buffs beware. This is the best site I have found for tracking down all the movies your favourite actor has ever made. It is called the Internet movie database and it contains stacks of movie information. You can search for your favourite actor, movie, even sountracks, critics reviews and movie goofs.

. www.bluemountain.com There are a lot of great email greeting card websites around but my all time favorite is blue mountain. All of the greeting cards are musical, animated and a lot of fun... and such a variety too!!! Everything from Birthdays and anniversaries through to friendship, graduation, get well soon, new baby, retirement and I love you.

. www.netmechanic.com Ever wonder whether your Web page needs a technical tune up? Net Mechanic provides a free online analysis of your site. It will look at how fast it loads as well as how closely your site conforms with HTML standards.

. www.ZJam.com If you have teenagers in your family then let them know about the Z Jam website. It is a very cool christian website devoted to teenagers with stacks of fun stuff like information on all their favourite Christian artists, contests, newsletters, chatrooms, music, tour info, radio stations, links and even screen savers.

. www.breadrecipe.com mmm ... the smell of fresh baked bread...theres nothing like it. If you have always wanted to try baking your own then I recommend the bread recipe site. It has so many wonderful bread recipes, such as White bread, Wheat bread muffins, rolls and Foccacia, potato bread, banana nut bread, and even Chocolate chip bread!! There are recipes for bread makers, recipes from around the world, and even a recipe a day mailing list!

. www.nationalbible.org Do you know when national bible week is? Find out, and learn all about bibles at the national bible association website. You'll find information about the bible and various translations, tips for bible studies, a daily bible reading and there is even a bible quiz.

. www.netgreeting.com If you want to send something fun to friends on the net there are many email postcard sites to choose from. One that you might find useful is netgreeting. There you will find email post cards for Birthdays, anniversaries, special occaisions, Get well soon, Romantic occaisions or "Just because." Its easy too!

. www.cool-fact.com Want to liven up your next family dinner or meeting at the office? Why not share a COOL FACT!? For example did you know that when lightning strikes, it heats the air around it to ten times the temperature of the surface of the sun, or that the worlds loudest insect is the cicada, (sick-car-da) and did you know that the ocean sunfish produces 30 million eggs at a time!

. www.theaustralian.com.au Don't have time to read the newspaper but do have time to surf the net? Well find out what's going on in the world with the AUSTRALIAN newspaper website. It gives you updated news from around the world including local, international, technology, business, finance, entertainment, sport and weather. There are even links to state news papers like the Advertiser.

. www.starwars.com OK Star wars fans . . . Get set to go on the wildest intergalactic adventure! The official star wars site is INCREDIBLE with stacks of information about the original films as well as the new movies, and episode 2 currently filming in Australia! You can find out about actors, special effects, characters, vehicles, technology and much more.

. www.newbie-u.com Do you know what a newbie is? Its net slang for someone who is new online. If you are a newbie you will definately want to check out the newbie website for all sorts of internet help. It will help you figure out email, the net and and all the tricky technology type terms that new users need to know.

. www.family.org Heres one for families everywhere. Focus on the family in America have a wonderful website where you can get first class parenting tips, ideas for family togetherness, advice about marriage and a look at young peoples issues and current events.

. www.foodchannel.com If you like to cook (and eat!) , check out the foodchannel! It really is the ultimate for foodaholics! You will find plenty of great links to search for your favourite recipes, as well as great cooking tips, healthy eating ideas, the latest food trends and join their foodchannel mailing list.

. www.adelaide.sa.gov.au Did you know that Adelaide has its own website. You can find out whats on in the visitors guide, check out local maps, see whats new, contact the council or learn all about your favourite city.

. www.photo-seminar.com Budding photographers, if you are interested in learning to take great photos take a look at photo seminars. Just as the name implies you will find a whole range of free photography workshops and seminars and some spectacular photos and examples too.

. www.healthybones.com.au Did you know that this week is healthy bones week? Are your bones healthy? Find out at the official site. Here they aim to educate the community about the need to develop and maintain strong healthy bones for life. There are loads of tips on Good nutrition, exercise and how to increase bone density.

. www.thecoffeehouse.com For a really fun, and clean chat with others on the net, check out the Christian Coffeehouse. It provides a Christian fellowship Web site, a monitored chat room, a Games arcade, prayer and praise pages, links and more. You can enjoy poetry and stories, and find faith and fellowship. Get talking in the Coolest coffee house around at www.thecoffeehouse.com

. www.flyingnoodle.com You don't have to be Italian to enjoy the pasta website, "flying noodle." Learn about all your favourite pastas and how to cook them al dente. You'll find great recipes, and cooking tips, links, contests and newsletters and you might like to join the pasta club.

. www.coffee.com.au Mmmmm. Do you love a really good cup of coffee? Then check out the Australian coffee information website which not only looks at all the different coffees available, but tells you whats new, and answers all your questions about coffee. You can even order your own, delivered anywhere in Australia and theres great links too!

. www.aussienet.com.au Has the travel bug bitten you? Check out a great travel website AUSSIE NET and plan your next Australian holiday. Aussienet gives you plenty of information about any part of the country as well as links to Australian Airlines, Tourism authorities and accomodation. It takes the hassle out of holidaying.

. www.raging.com It seems that nowadays most Internet search engines are crowded with stock prices, news headlines, flashy ads, and sports scores so it's refreshing to find one with nothing more than a logo and a search box. Thats Raging Search, a new, simplified search engine which offers fast, uncluttered, and customizable search results. You can display up to 50 listings at a time, and even make listings more compact

. www.isoc.com If you're really into the Internet you need to take a look at The Internet SOCiety or ISOC. Its a professional membership society with more than 150 organizational and 6,000 individual members in over 100 countries. It addresses issues that confront the future of the Internet, and is the organization home for the groups responsible for Internet infrastructure standards like the Internet Engineering Task Force.

. www.countries.com Heres another great site for students and travellers. Visit this site for statistics and links to information about the countries of the world. Its a great resource for those school projects and if you're planning that overseas trip theres plenty of useful information including a currency converter and weather updates.

. www.ourolympics.com Can you believe the olympic games are only a few weeks away? At Our olympics.com they are devoted to bringing you information on all the olympics action. There are news updates, sport, and torch relay reports. You can even follow and map the torch as it travels around Australia. There are polls to vote in, Olympics Pictures of the day and of course you can shop online.

. www.smellthecoffee.com Has anyone ever told you to wake up and smell the coffee? Well now you can almost do just that at www.smellthecoffee.com. There is so much to see and do at this site especially for coffee lovers! You can search for your favorite coffee shops and cybercafes, research coffees around the world, sign up for the coffee newsletter and buy coffee books, appliances and of course coffee online!

. www.digitaldog.com Attention Dog Lovers ....have I got a site for you. Its digitaldog.com and its full of doggy info. It claims to be dedicated to providing you with HONEST observations about each dog breed's temperament and the possible flaws found in every dog breed. Looking for a little dog fiction? Theres also information on dog training, animal shelters and rescues and even heartwarming "dog tales."

. www.ctw.org Are you or someone in your family a fan of Sesame Street? Well their Web site is a great resource for both parents and children. Kids will dive into all sorts of games and online activities without even noticing that they are learning. Parents can look at interesting parenting tips and resources like the ABCs of Child Care. You can never underestimate the nostalgia value of a site like this. People who grew up watching Sesame Street can visit all their old friends in the Golden Grover Awards section. You can even email virtual Sesame Street greeting cards to your pals.

. www.zapspot.com If you're into computer games then zapspot is the site you need to bookmark...now! Its a must if you enjoy playing games like Solitaire and Tetris, plus theres a whole range of new games too. They offer free computer games through e-mail and are easy to download onto your computer. I can't guarantee you'll get much work done now, but at least you'll enjoy yourself.

. www.earthcam.com Web cams are becoming increasingly popular and now you can check out all the best webcameras in the world at EarthCam. There are all sorts of new and interesting cameras selected by a prestigious panel of experts. For example you can look at the View from the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, watch the shoppers in a German marketplace or view the gardens of Paris. This is a site that provides a great introduction to the exciting world of Webcams!

. www.naturesound.com Want to hear what the Pine Barrens Tree frog sounds like? This amazing site is the work of Lang Elliot, who has collected amazing wildlife sounds from all over the world. It gives you excellent audio quality and great images create a wonderful, audio experience. Listen today to the sounds of birds, insects, frogs or a variety of other animals.

. www.audiotreasure.com Material from books has been recorded in one form or another since the invention of machines used to record sound. Now you can listen to a recording of the New Testament and Psalms in MP3 audio. The technology of it all still amazes me. The files can be listened to or downloaded free of charge so theres no excuse.

. www.hotbar.com Same old boring browser? Want to give it a bit of life? Hotbar is what you need. It enables you to enhance your browser by adding beautiful background images and a set of great new services. You can choose from nature scenes, wildlife, famous faces and more and Hotbar is absoloutely FREE .

. www.quizsite.com Do you LOVE going to quiz nights? Do you know every episode of the Brady Bunch ? Do you liven up dinner parties with Trivia? If you answered yes to any of these questions then you'll love the quizsite. Its jam packed full of trivia and all sorts of quizzes that you can join in. Every category from history, geography, sports, and televison, to music, movies and even comics.

. www.esbnyc.com The empire state building in New York City is a U.S. National Historic Landmark and reaches more than a quarter of a mile into the air. So it isn't surprising that this is perhaps the only building in the world that can boast a Web site suitable for a Hollywood celebrity. Read the history of the empire state building and inspect its star-studded guest list, or search the trivia database. You can also find out everything you want to know about the building... how to get there, when the observation decks are open, and you have to check out the Web cam and admire the view from your computer screen. !

. www.websitegoodies.com We all like freebies don't we? WebSiteGoodies offers loads of free items for Webmasters. Its a handy resource, where you'll find freebies ranging from guestbooks and promotion tools, to link checkers and more. Theres also a free newsletter, free animation and clip art, and lots of special offers and promotions. Its the best value in town.

It seems that nowadays most Internet search engines are crowded with stock prices, news headlines, flashy ads, and sports scores so it's refreshing to find one with nothing more than a logo and a search box. Thats Raging Search, a new, simplified search engine which offers fast, uncluttered, and customizable search results. You can display up to 50 listings at a time, and even make listings more compact . www.celebnames.8m.com It seems celebrities are a bit more adventurous than the rest of us when it comes to naming their children. Just look at Moon Unit, Ireland, dandelion, Rumer, and Dweezil. In case you haven't guessed yet, this site contains a huge list of names of celebrity offspring. There's even a Great Expectations & New Arrivals section with up-to-the-minute news on Tinseltown newborns.

. www.cancerpage.com Its something that affects so many people. Its Cancer. There is now a site that aims to answer all your questions, providing the latest information, news, and research relating to cancer prevention, detection, and treatments. A glossary explains medical terms in easy-to-understand language. You can also go to the Ask a Nurse feature, which lets you email a cancer-related question to a certified Oncology nurse, who will reply within 24 hours. This site also serves as an online community for cancer survivors linked by chat rooms and message boards.

. www.sportstoday.com.au Attention Sports nuts. Have I got a page for you. Its sports today and its a very comprehensive Australian site with all sorts of sporting news. All the very latest information is here. You can search football, rugby, basketball, tennis, golf, soccer, cricket, even the olympics. There are also competitions, photos, a sports shop, a calender and much more!

. www.mycometcursor.com Ever stared at the flashing cursor on your computer screen and wondered if there was a way to change it? Well now there is! My Comet Cursor lets you change your "arrow" cursor into something more fun! Turn it into a flower, a pumpkin, Snoopy, Dilbert, a grand piano or even a bottle of mouth wash!

. www.whatis.com Ok...You know most of the computer terms around but are there one or two you're still not quite sure of? Whatis.com can help! Its a site dedicated to explaining all of the computer terms you need to know in easy to comprehend language. Find all the answers to all of those tough questions at www.whatis.com

. www.parentweb.com Parentweb is a site that covers the wide range of topics that interest those in the middle of child rearing. Find articles covering topics like why babies cry or myths about the flu. The HTML edition brings the look and feel of the Web to your in-box. Its also very easy to navigate, gentle on the eyes and downloads very quickly . Its chock full of useful information as well as links to other family-friendly sites.

. www.threes.com Ok heres one that is just that little bit different. For the past 15 years, Mike Eck has been thinking about how things come in threes. The three muskateers, the trinity, the world wide web, we three kings, once twice three times a lady, even Huey, Duey and Louie! He's trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by creating a book with the most contributors! Can you add to the project?

. www.howstuffworks.com I guess there's something inside all of us that wants to know how things work. How do combustion engines work? What about Water towers? Television? Even your computer. You'll learn how lots of stuff works at this terrifically interesting site and they make it easy for you to understand!

. www.thelipstickpage.com If you love makeup you have to take a look at the lipstick page. Theres so much lipstick and makeup related information here including the favourite lipsticks of the stars, the makeup exchange, updates, a library and links to a list of what looks like every single cosmetics company in the world!

. www.handspeak.com If you've ever wanted to learn sign language then you'll find handspeak very helpful. Its a Practical Sign Language Online Dictionary and contains approximately 2,800 signs, with more being added every day. Each word is demonstrated in an animated online presentation which makes it so easy to see and learn.

. www.uselessknowledge.com Useless Knowledge, ia a site dedicated to trivia, quotes, quizzes, and useless facts. Browse through words of the day, sound quizzes, and more. Really, you can never tell when knowing that a pig can get sunburned will come in handy.

. www.evite.com The next time you're planning a big event or even a dinner with some friends, forget about paper invitations and voicemail. If your friends are online, then just blast out email invitations from Evite.com. Choose from dozens of cards, from Baby Showers to Wedding Invitations! It only takes about a minute to fill out an invitation, which can be customized to include a pop-up map and directions to the designated meeting place. It automatically tracks responses, giving you a detailed account of yeses, nos, and maybes.

. www.sodaplay.com Soda play.com is a bit like an animated set of virtual Toys. You can build virtual wireframe models using a simple toolkit. Then you can make your creation bounce, roll, and walk by adding "springs," which can be set to move almost like muscles. Or simply load an existing model, let it wander around for a while, and then start to alter it and see what happens. You can adjust gravity, its shape, and the movement of its springs.

. www.filmcritic.com If you enjoy going to the movies and you'd like to read a review before you go then take a peek at film critic.com. There are loads of reviews for films that are currently showing as well as all the archives for past films. You'll also find feature stories about your favourite movies and actors, links to the official website of a particular film and much more.

. www.roughguides.com If you are planning on doing any travelling in the future you have to take a look at rough guides.com. Its a site based on the popular travel guides and theres still stacks of information to be found here. Plenty of feature articles and stories, travel tips and advice. Not only about travel, but also music, the internet, even travel insurance and you can buy the books online.

. www.iexplore.com If you enjoy travelling, you'll love iexplore.com. It caters to adventure travellers with a broad selection of trips as well as expert consulting services. Everything you need to help you plan your next adventure is right here! Its a definate travel bookmark.

. www.mygrocerychecklist.com Some sites are just there to help make life easier. Like "my grocery checklist.com." If you're going to the supermarket, this site lets you compile and print a grocery list with just a few clicks of your mouse. It also has a recipe database if you can't remember the ingredients you need for dinner.

. www.ohmygoodness.com If you're looking for unusual, wacky, weird, and out of the ordinary postcards then you'll want to visit Oh My Goodness.com. The site features funny animated cards for every subject and occasion. Everything from birthdays, anniversaries and new babies through to heatwaves, golf, graduation and many many more!

. www.healthnetwork.com.au Our health is something that we often neglect but the health network is there to help! Its an online health information database and its choc full of healthful information separated into life stages to make it easy to use. You can locate health organisations near you, read all the latest in medical research and development, and even have your questions answered by doctors and specialists.

. wwww.ediets.com Do you need to lose a few kilos? Want some online help? Check out ediets for help and or a personal profile to develop the perfect diet - just for you! Ediets offers a customized weight-loss program along with the latest health and diet related news, weekly exercise tips, recipes based on your food preferences, and support from a community of people dedicated to losing weight.

. www.minerals.net If you're interested in rocks, minerals or gemstones, this site is a fantastic resource. Minerals.net features a comprehensive guide including the properties, localitions, descriptions, and pictures of thousands of different minerals.

There is also an online guide describing how gems and precious metals are used as jewelry and ornaments. Other resources include information about mineral properties, how to organize a collection, where to acquire minerals, and their values.

. www.louvre.fr Have you ever wanted to visit the most famous art gallery in the world? The Louvre in Paris? Well now its almost possible to do that, at their official website.

Originally a medieval fortress and the palace of the kings of France, the Louvre has been a museum for the last two centuries. There's the complete history of the Louvre on this site as well as information on the collections, news, information, and visitors can take a virtual tour to experience this awesome museum .

. www.meowmail.com If you're a cat person, check out this online community for cats and their owners. It offers free email, lots of games, theres even a Morning newsletter called the morning Hairball!! You'll also find virtual cat toys, and cat-related items for sale, links and loads more at this silly but fun site.

. www.thepocket.com If you love surfing the net then you'll love the pocket internet. They two guys who've put together this site hunt down the most useful and fascinating Web sites, Sounds, Downloads, Greeting Cards, & Cool Products available. There is so much to see!! They have a FREE monthly newsletter to keep you on the Internet's cutting edge.

. www.thetech.org Living in this high tech world, you need a place to go to get the news on the latest innovations. Enter the Tech Museum,... an educational resource offering a user-friendly glimpse into topics like robots, earthquakes and lasers. You can explore the calender of events, watch video interviews, search for information and sign up for the online newsletter.

. www.space.com OK Space cadets, We've found a site that is interesting and accessible to anyone interested in space and related topics. You can see famous landmarks - as seen from satellites, get an update on the hunt for earth-like planets, and even find how some companies are considering using satellites to spy on their competitors.

Professional journalists cover stories on space stations, the space shuttle, worldwide launches, and just about anything pertaining to space. There's also a daily quiz, a history of space exploration and over 5000 space links!!!

. www.calculator.com Ever been hard at work on your computer, and needed a calculator...urgently? Well, visit calculator.com. There are calculators for finance, business, science, currency, cooking, hobbies, and health.

. www.countrywatch.com Whether you're a student, a teacher, a traveler, a businessperson, or just somebody who likes to learn about other countries, Country Watch can help. This site will give you the latest information on countries of the world, including maps, vital statistics, breaking news stories, historical profiles, economic indicators, and weather. It even gives you the current time in a particular city and a currency converter makes planning that trip easy.

. www.passthison.com Have you ever received a wonderful, uplifting, or funny email from a friend and wondered where they get them? Well I have found it! Its passthison.com. There are some wonderful sights that you can send to friends that will make them wonder where YOU found them!!

. www.drive.com.au Looking for a car? Look no further than drive.com.au. Here you can research Prices, specifications, and get Expert reviews on new or used cars.

There are tips on Locating the right car and dealer, This weeks interest rates, also helpful mechanical tips, and news from around the globe. Theres even a Car library with hundreds of articles, consumer stories and the latest news.

. www.quickbrowse.com Here's a very nifty free service that's unlike anything I've ever seen. Quickbrowse visits your favorite sites daily and then automatically combines them for you to view on one handy Web page. It can also be set to automatically send your favorite Web sites' content to you as E-mail.

. www.saltinstitute.org Did you know that about 8.9 million metric tons of salt was produced in the Australia last year? Or that some forms of salt can be found in chlorine, fertiliser, even glass?? Well you'd know that and much more if you looked at the salt institutes website. Altogether it's believed there are more than 14,000 uses of salt, and you can Visit this site to learn some of those uses.

. www.cookierecipe.com Does this kind of weather inspire you to do a bit of baking? At cookie recipe.com you'll find LOTS of wonderful cookie recipes to try. Theres everything from Christmas cookies, bars and brownies, even no bake cookies. Also a metric conversion table, a recipe exchange and lots of helpful hints. Sound too good to be true?

. www.doityourself.com DoItYourself.com is the original and leading Website Community catering to the Do It Yourself home improvement and home repair market. Their aim is to provide information needed by other Do It Yourselfers. Everything is easy to find and divided into categories like building and remodelling, outdoors, lifestyle and decorating.

. www.petedobre.com.au If you want to see some absoloutely stunning pictures of Australia take a look at the site of one of our most famous photographers....Pete Dobre (do-bray). Here you can find out about the beginnings of this self taught genius, check out the amazing photos and even order on-line.

. www.monster.com.au If you are job hunting there are a lot of great websites to help you look for the perfect career. One of the best I've found is Monster.com.au. You can search through thousands of jobs by location or job type and check the huge selection of companies. There are tips on resume writing, cover latters and interview tecniques and theres even a panel of experts who you can email with your questions!

. www.whquestion.com Using a search engine has always been a good way to locate the answer to a question. A good old-fashioned library works wonders as well, but there is nothing like directly asking a person who has knowledge in the field you are interested in. WH question, is a site where questions on all subjects can be asked and answered at one site. Here's a chance to be seen as outstanding in your field or to finally find the answers to questions you have always wondered about. Or both. And its a free service!

. www.entertainmentsleuth.com Want to find out what your favourite music group or movie star is working on at the moment? The Entertainment Sleuth site lets you automatically track celebrities online. Of the 100,000 celebrities listed, you create a portfolio of the 10 that interest you most. Then the Sleuth delivers daily updates from 1000 sources. You'll feel up to date everyday and you'll always know what Amy Grant, Julia Roberts or Harrison Ford are working on!

. www.deliciousitaly.com Fresh pasta in marinara sauce, spaghetti puttanesca, tortellini...Is your mouth watering yet? Well you need to take a look at deliciousitaly.com. Just as the name suggests there's food but there's also Festivals, Cultural Events, Accommodation, Links and so much more. Find out all about the Italian lifestyle, Plan your holiday or simply find out more about 'eating and travelling well in Italy'. They also want the site to be interactive so if there is anything specific you need to know just ask.

. www.garfield.com Everyone's favourite lazy cat is now online! Yes Garfield has his own website and it is full of Fun. There are plenty of Comics, G-mail, Postcards, Screensavers, as well as the Wide World of Garfield. At Garfield.com you'll find Links News, Merchandise, Catalogs and so much more.

. www.orchidguide.com Do you love Orchids? Then take a look at the ultimate orchid site. Here you'll find cultivation tips, species information, and orchid events, as well as the orchid travel experiences of subscribers. The Orchid Guide Digest will help you learn to communicate better with your plant, and, put you in touch with other orchid fans and sites around the world.

. www.listenfirst.com Do you like to listen to brand new music? Would you like to hear some of the latest music before anyone else? Well now you can listen first at listenfirst.com. You will be able to check out some of the newest releases before they hit the stores! You can also see new release music videos, read about your favourite artists, theres news, competitions, a weekly newsletter to sign up for and much much more.

. www.lookitsa.com If you've ever looked up at a cloud and said, "Doesn't that one look like a camel?" or a kangaroo? Then you'll enjoy this site. It seens like we are just too busy now-a-days to take the time to see the wonders in the sky, but at Look Its A they would like to remind you!

. www.peoplesite.com Have you ever tried to track someone down that you haven't seen in years? The People site might be able to help. It searches...for people and its a great way to get in touch with an old friend, girlfriend ,relative or long lost love. You can search for someone or see if someone is searching for you!

. www.yourdictionary.com Do you ever need a word or meaning in another language? Now you can find it all on line. your dictionary.com is an index of On-Line Dictionaries in languages such as.. Albanian, Bulgarian, Cantonese, Danish, Egyptian, Finnish, Gaelic,Hebrew, Italian, Norwegian, Yiddish and dozens more!

. www.screensound.gov.au Anyone who is interested in, or researching Australian culture and media should have a look at Screen sound. Dedicated to preserving and sharing the Australian story in film, sound and television, ScreenSound Australia tours exhibitions throughout Australia and at this site. It contains over two million audiovisual titles to check out and you can also visit the shop, take the Virtual Tour, and much more.

. www.biography.com Who is your favorite actor, comedian, or famous person? This biography site lists tidbits and interesting facts on all sorts of people from all walks of life... such as Dick Van Dyke, Charles Lindbergh, Robin Williams, Cate Blanchett, Bill Clinton, Robert Redford, Mozart and thousands more, all stored in their searchable database.

. www.theconcertweb.com The Concert Web is a directory of music related sites. Its home to a database containing thousands of resources which include ticket agencies and services, record labels, venues and sites for individual acts. You can search by location, or artist for entertainment sites in over fifty countries. Visitors are also invited to recommend sites in their area for inclusion in the database.

. www.greetingcards.com We all know, that it is just a matter of time until every possible convenience is available online. Well, It is now possible to create a beautiful greeting card, print it out and mail it all on your home or office computer! Greeting cards quick, offers a wide selection of themes including romance, business, outdoor scenes, fine art and many more.

. www.weddingnet.com.au If you're planning a wedding, don't rush around town, hop on the net. Wedding net!! It's the premier Wedding Internet Channel in Australia and all information in Wedding Net is local to your area, making it easier to select the perfect services for your Big Day. The site also has information on wedding traditions, and planning, a Question and Answer section, and you can even E-mail Wedding Net with all your questions. Its constantly being updated too.

. www.innerbody.com Heres an ideal site for students, and one that is interesting enough for the entire family. Through Inner Learning Online, visitors can explore the mechanisms inside humans and automobiles. Hundreds of illustrations, complete with text and animations are used to show how different parts work together in both cases.

. ttgbmx.on.net The Tea Tree Gully BMX Club have a new web site that promotes the healthy sport of BMX racing. Find out all you need to know about the sport of Bicycle Motor Cross racing. Theres "Sling Shot" TTG BMX Club News Letter, a Market Place, Event Calendar, Photos, Club Racing Results, BMX Links and lots more.

. www.lost-worlds.com Lost Worlds takes you on a virtual tour of the mysteries of our planet from the ends of the earth (north and south poles), through the underground (mines, and volcanoes), the ocean planet and much more. This award winning site is created by Seismic Entertainment Software and offers highly entertaining, enriching, and enlightening content that meets the adventure interests of people of all ages.

. www.larry-boy.com Attention veggie tales fans. You probably have already discovered veggietales.com but did you know that Larry Boy has his own website too? Larry and the Rumorweed - is a fun game based on the popular show. Using Shockwave media your job is to guide superhero, Larry the Cucumber through Bumblyburg to find his butler and friend, Alfred. Although this game has obviously been designed for children it can be fun and challenging for adults as well when played on the harder level. Other fun features have been added as well.

. www.balletcompanies.com If ballet is your dance of choice then check out ballet companies.com. It's your gateway to the ballet world with over 1700 links to ballet and dance companies all over the world. Its a site that also provides individual dance and ballet companies with space for announcements and news, as well as advertising opportunities for dance suppliers and teachers.

www.searchengineshowdown.com So, you think you know how to search the Net? Did you know that there are an estimated 1 billion Web pages? And that none of the top 13 search engines catalog more than 300 million of them? Maybe it's time to tune up your Web searching skills. Search Engine Showdown teaches you searching strategies and provides you with search news, reviews,feature comparisons, and mountains of search data and statistics.

www.activitypages.com >From connect-the-dots to crosswords, wordfinds to matching games, if it can be written on, colored on, painted on or folded, you'll find it all FREE at ActivityPages.com! It's a site especially for parents, teachers, and homeschoolers They also have a huge selection of worksheets and learning pages to use in the classroom and home. Get your lesson prep today at www.activitypages.com

www.filmfestivals.com Do you dream of visiting an international destination and going to one of the many film festivals around the world? Well now you can start making those plans at film festivals.com. It contains a listing of just about every festival you can imagine. Search by date, country or name for a complete listing or add your own festival to their database.

www.insects.org Like them or not, insects play a major role in almost every aspect of our culture. Insects.org offers incredible graphics and fascinating stories of insects and the roles they play in our lives. There are educational resources, photos from all over the world, a search engine and links to other web sites.

www.sillyputty.com Remember silly putty? Did you know that it has recently turned 50 years old? In this high tech world where video games, and MP3s compete for kids' attention, it may be surprising that the famous glob of goo known keeps bouncing along. It stretches without breaking, bounces higher than a rubber ball, and can pick up pencil marks from pages. Theres even a list of silly uses for silly putty.

www.spyonit.com If you're interested in tracking changes on a website, or broader trends like the weather or concerts, check out Spyonit.com. You can create your own pre-made Spies covering dozens of topics like stock movements, online auctions and current events. You can then receive reports in a number of ways including email, ICQ, and more.

www.sports3.com If you enjoy watching extreme sports, then I have found one of the coolest sites around! Sports 3 is considered by many to be the premier site for viewing action sports videos online. It features videos on skateboarding, snowboarding, mountain bikes, surfing, body boarding and more. Be sure to check out the top 25 for some really cool rides.

www.MuseumNetwork.com >From rock-n-roll to clothes to the coolest cars, you'll find online exhibits on those things and much, much more at MuseumNetwork.com. The site will let you explore over 33 thousand museums worldwide. Theres a learning section, entertainment, history and you can even shop online!

www.webhelp.com Here is an interesting idea: a search engine where somebody else does the work. Simply type your query in, and wait for an online assistant to help you find the best answer. Webhelp claims to be more accurate and faster than the standard search engines.

www.isingonline.com If for some reason you cannot get enough time singing in the shower then check out the brand new site i Sing Online. Using streaming audio and video, visitors can sing to a small collection of songs done up in simple and unique arrangements. It gives you the chance to have a go at Karaoke in the privacy of your own home or office. In case you're wondering, the most requested songs are From this moment, My Way and Crazy!

www.babiestoday.com If you are expecting a little bundle of joy in your life you know how much planning and preparation you have to do. Babies Today, can help. They call it "a resource and community just for new (and new again) parents, created to guide you through the first year!" It has been created by parents, for parents, and is a one-stop source for advice, stories, encouragement, and answers to your many questions

www.africana.com Go on an African safari at Africana.com. They describe themselves as a "digital bridge" that reflects the interests of people of African descent. Its a fascinating site that combines news reports and lifestyle stories ranging from art to music to heritage.

www.topcraftsites.com Craft lovers, have I got a site for you!!! It has a complete list of the top 100 craft sites on the internet. Everything from embroidery quilting and baskets to candle making, dolls, woodwork and kidcrafts. Theres also a list of International craft fairs, an email newsletter to sign up for and you can chat with other crafty people online.

www.worldskip.com There's a reason they call it the World Wide Web. "World skip" will show you the world at the click of a mouse. It's a site that employs user-friendly drop-down menus to link to resources just about anywhere on the planet. Its full of links to various sections on Government, history, transport, tourism, sports, banking, culture, people and much more.

www.igrandparents.com Proving once again that you're never too old to surf, iGrandparents.com provides an interactive forum on a wide range of grandparenting issues. >From finance and health to travel and Computing. Theres even a section on the funny things that grandchildren say. EVERY grandparent can relate to that.

http://www.cheftalk.com Chef Talk is food lovers link to professional chefs. This is the place where you can learn everything you need to know from the professional's. They'll provide lessons from the experts as well as show you some of the hottest new recipes from chefs around the world. You can also sign up for their mailing list and receive the latest news.

http://www.cartoon.org/schulz.htm Charles Schulz, the creator of the comic strip creation, Peanuts, passed away recently but his characters live on. Peanuts began back in 1950 and has become one of the most successful cartoon features of all time, appearing in more than 2000 newspapers around the world. Characters, like Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Schroder, Pig Pen, and of course, Snoopy are international superstars.

http://www.makeupdiva.com Heres one for the ladies...its the makeup diva and its a site full of wonderful hints and offers weekly makeup tips. Advice like shopping for the right sunscreen, recommending a good foundation and finding out which eye cream is right for you. The makeup diva sends out a regular newsletter and all questions are archived. There are links and recommendations too.

http://www.intermusic.com If you've always wanted to be a rock and roll star, check out Intermusic. This site contains valuable information for the aspiring musician along with thousand of reviews on equipment, ranging from the old to the new. There is also a vast shareware section with guitar tuners, MP3 rippers, samples and many other cool downloads as well as news, and links to lots of artists.

http://www.olympics.com The Sydney 2000 Olympics are only a few months away and you can get ready for them at the official website! Here you can read all about the history of the games, research all the countries involved and find out which athletes are participating. You can follow the Olympic countdown, sign up to be a volunteer, follow the Olympic flame and even shop online.

www.123giggle.com Send a 123 giggle greeting card today. There are so many to choose from... cats, teddies, animals, angels and cartoons of all varieties. You simply choose the pictures, music and colors for your card and when you are ready, press preview to see the results.

www.pets.com Did you know that stress is the leading killer of fish? Well you'd probably know that if you took a look at Pets.Com. It's a very nicely designed site with lots of information on everything remotely pet-related. The Web site's weekly newsletter is a good option too.

www.worldatlas.com Planning that big trip but can't find your atlas? Well take a look at world atlas.com. Its a jam packed site with all sorts of useful information. You can search for a map , get useful Answers to your geography questions, theres map clip art, loads of links and more!

www.uselessknowledge.com Heres a site that claims to be the most Useful site on the net for Useless Knowledge! Its full of all sorts of Trivia, Quotes, Quizzes, History, Useless Facts and More! There's also a quote of the day, fact of the day and word of the day.

www.forty.com If you'd like to eliminate some of the clutter in your life (and your computer!) then you'll definitely want to take a look at the free downloads at forty.com. Its a software site with lots of free stuff and they even publish a Free, Monthly E-zine with articles discussing various computer and software related topics.

www.fishbase.org Attentiona all fishermen, fishbase is the site you've been waiting for! The purpose of this page is to give you background information on Fish with all you ever wanted to know about them! You can search for information on different species and there are lots of links, a fish quiz and a photo gallery!

www.explore.com If you fancy yourself as a bit of an adventurer then explore.com is for you. Its a new adventure entertainment site featuring skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, travel, climbing, mountaineering, gear reviews and more. Theres also extreme sports coverage, photos and video to inspire you!

www.ScheduleEarth.com If you're looking for information on professional development seminars or for new ways to network and expand your business, take a look at Schedule Earth. Its a site that offers a searchable database for locating courses and seminars by date, keywords and cities (although most are in the USA). It also provides an online appointment calendar, discussion groups and offers a free web page for networking within your business community.

www.searchpower.com Do you need help selecting the appropriate search engine? Check out Searchpower.com. It's the net's largest directory of search engines with direct links to over 2400 of the Internets most powerful Major and Specialty search engines.

www.brain.com You get plenty of exercise but what about your brain? At brain.com there are lots of activities to keep your brain active. There are IQ puzzles, memory tests and more for your memory and your imagination!

www taxreform.ato.gov.au A lot of people have a lot of questions about the GST and how it might affect them later this year. All of your questions can be answered at the official website! Theres lots advice and help on offer.

www.asiarecipe.com If you enjoy eating Chinese, Thai, Indian, Korean or Japanese food, you'll enjoy your visit to this fascinating site about Asian cooking. Asian Recipes contains a wealth of information from eastern countries ranging from China to Bangladesh on such topics as food ingredients, equipment, herbs, recipes, main dishes and sauces.

www.oscars.com Its awards season again and now the academy awards are just around the corner. What better way to keep in touch with all the news than on the official website. All the nominees are here as well as games, fashions, the history and even email updates of this glamourous event.

www.cmcentral.net If you're into Christian music, get into Christian music central! It offers one of the largest databases of information to be found on all artists inside the Christian music industry, from contemporary to hardcore, and with new additions all the time! Take a look at the most comprehensive music site on the net!

www.randomhouse.com/seussville If you're a fan of The Cat in the Hat, Horton and Sam-I-Am then you know who Dr. Seuss is!! The rest of the Seuss characters want to welcome you to Seussville, in cyberspace where you can play games, win prizes, chat with the Cat in the Hat, find out about new Dr. Seuss books and CD-ROMs, and much more!

www.ichess.com Ever wanted a game of chess but couldn't find someone who has the time to play? Well, "i Chess" is a free Java based, interactive, Internet chess game. Players anywhere on the Internet with a Java enhanced browser can play chess against each other in a fully interactive environment.

www.dailyrating.com What sort of day are YOU having? Daily rating is one those very interesting sites where you can see results of others daily ratings based on gender, age job etc.

www.gamespotter.com Game spotter has all sorts of fun games that you can download and play online, including classics, word games, virtual athletics and lots more. There are also plenty of links to other games sites.

www.primeexample.com If you're looking for a great skit or comedy act for your next church function or youth group, look no further than prime example. Its a way out website created by the Christian Comedy team of Jon and Fred. They have found links to dozens of Christian resources and skit related sites.

www.travlang.com You can learn to do a lot of things on the internet...and now you can even learn another language!! "Travel lang" is a travel and language supersite where you can make plans for your next overseas holiday or even learn the basics of French, German, Italian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Mandarin, swedish, Swahili and lots more!!

www.notesfromtheroad.com It's difficult not to get the travel bug when you come across a site like this. Notes from the Road is one of the best personal travel sites we have seen. It is a narrative of Travels in around the globe, (mostly in the USA and mexico) and contains virtual postcards from Yosemite, Central America, the West Indies and the Iberian Peninsula.

www.tvpopquiz.com Heres a site thats rated JFF. Just for Fun. Its TV pop quiz and its fast, fun and challenging. The games include trivia bytes, cinema bytes, tune trivia, a quote quiz, a silly survey and cool caption contests.

www.bustamove.com If you've always wanted to learn how to dance and you just can't break away long enough to take lessons, this could be the answer. Bust a move will teach you to dance with or without a partner using a variety of media, including videos with music, still frames and animated segments

www.fidget.com With the success of commercial hosting services like Topica, and OneList mailing lists are getting easier to publish by the hour. How do you keep afloat? Fidget.com, a new online directory for all kinds of e-publications, recently went live with more than 600 indexed newsletters.

www.babynames.com Are you expecting a little bundle of joy in your life and still haven't decided on a name? Babynames.com has all sorts of great ideas from the top names of last year through to Shakespearean names as well as all their meanings!

www.whatsgoingon.com There are a lot of festivals and big events coming up up this year so to find out everything thats happening around the world take a look at whats going on!

www.bigfix.com With all the viruses, bugs and potential conflicts in computers programs, it is hard to keep up with all the new fixes and patches being added daily. BigFix is a utility that scans your entire computer for potential system conflicts and point you to the proper company sites where you can download the fixes.

www.familyplay.com Want some great ideas on what to do as a family? Take a look at family play. There are some terrific ideas on this jam packed site for all sorts of fun, family and kids activities. Some of them include art projects, car games, gift ideas, outdoor fun, educational games, and lots more.

www.pet education.com Pet Education is a comprehensive site containing articles on pet healthcare as well as dog and cat behavior. Learn the basics of puppy training, housebreaking, nutrition, and many other issues that could save unnecessary frustration for you and your pet.

www.phonespell.org What does your phone number spell? At 'phone spell' simply enter your phone number and they'll show you what words and phrases your phone number spells.

www.jigzone.com There are a lot of games sites around but this is the first jigsaw site we've seen. At jig zone you can choose from a huge photo gallery and put together all sorts of jigsaw puzzles online!

www.ededication.com If you're a hopeless romantic and love sending Emails or Egreetings to the object of your affection, well now you can send an E-DEDICATION! You can choose from hundreds of songs to send to those special people in YOUR life!

www.everydaycook.com The Everyday Cook is for those of us who know our way around a kitchen but don't always have a lot of time on our hands. This weekly list delivers tips and a recipe of the week that anyone can make. The Web site is nicely put together, with archived recipes and handy bonuses like a glossary and spice guide.

www.centuryinshoes.com/intro.html Heres one thats completely different. Its the history of ...SHOES! Yes, The entire history of shoes throughout the 1900's is here, complete with examples, advertisements and images from that decade. Step back in time, with 60's go go boots, 70's platforms, the aerobics craze of the 80's and the "anything goes" attitude of the 90's.

www.thehungersite.com Every 3.6 seconds, someone on the planet dies from hunger, and three-quarters of those deaths are children under the age of five. Thanks to the Internet, though, doing something about it has never been so easy. If you have a few seconds to spare, stop by the Hunger Site and simply click on the link that reads Donate Free Food. For every click on the link, the sponsors behind the site will contribute three cups of staple food to starving people around the world.

. - www.puzzability.com - Why not tease your brain with puzza bility? It offers some free brain-teasers on this engrossing site including crosswords, word searches.You'll find plenty of clever games to play.

. - www.terraquest.com - If you've always wanted to go an adventure well now you can....with TerraQuest. Using award-winning design, the latest in communications technology, and valuable online content, TerraQuest built a global reputation for quality in education, information, and entertainment with its virtual expeditions on the World Wide Web.

. - www.ringling.com - The Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus site has set up quite an array of sights and sounds for young and old alike. Learn the history of the travelling spectacular, meet the performers and keep yourself busy until the circus comes around.

. - www.t-mail.com - Do you ever wish you could send an overeseas friend or colleage an email in their own language? Now you can! T-mail is a free service that allows you to send an email and have it translated to and from English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, or Portuguese.

. - www.spacestation.com - You'll find something of interest on this jam-packed site. Spacestation.com offers you the opportunity to view real-time space station data , meet the crew, discover the history of space travel, and view launchings. There are loads of cool lunar links too.

If you would like to send us your favourite sites for future net news segments click here.

Back to Net News