TRAVEL AND LEISURE

Lonely Planet--Down-to-earth travel information
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/lp.htm
Lonely Planet's Text-Express (low graphics):
http://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/contents.htm
"Don't worry about whether your trip will work out. Just go!" This is the travel philosophy of Lonely Planet, one of the most respected publishers of off-the-beaten-path travel guidebooks worldwide. Whether you already know where you're going, or are looking for suggestions for your next trip, Lonely Planet's site is packed with information that you can actually use to plan your trip. Search or browse the section "DestiNATIONS" to find maps, facts and figures, and information on local history, culture, and transportation for 8 world regions, over 80 countries, and 20 different cities. Much of the health information found in LP's print guides is also now available here. In addition, there are links to destination-related newsgroups, tips on travel photography, and "Postcards," a forum in which travelers share experiences and give advice.

Arts Neighborhood
http://www.pbs.org/arts/
PBS Online has expanded their "neighborhood" to include the Arts. Arts Neighborhood gathers together in one place information about PBS's arts and humanities programming, including Antiques Roadshow, Mystery!, and P.O.V. In addition to scheduling information, the site includes additional resources which are only available online, such as interviews with writers and artists featured in Great Performances programs and behind the scenes conversations with Live from Lincoln Center performers. The Print Resources section provides an annotated bibliography that lists more than 35 books on art history, dance, digital art, and more.

golfcourse.com
http://www.golfcourse.com/
Finding a golf course has never been so easy! What started out as GolfAmerica, the world's largest golf course directory, has been taken over by InterZine productions (www.interzine.com), renamed, and added to its popular golf site iGOLF (www.igolf.com). golfcourse.com is a comprehensive guide to over 16,000 golf courses throughout the world, and offers complete information about each course's design, layouts, maps, rankings, reviews, message boards, player fees, caddies/carts, and more. At its heart is the "course locator," an extensive search engine that can be searched by course name, location, course difficulty, cost, architect, or description keyword. There are also feature articles on such topics as travel, course architecture, and effects of the environment on your game. golfcourse.com has the polished feel of a corporate web site and makes excellent use of tables and frames to organize information. Note that the site makes liberal use of graphics and complex layouts, so a fast connection is helpful.

Two Cooking Sites
Mimi's Cyber Kitchen
http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/
YumYum
http://www.yumyum.com/
Two sites that are sure to please your palate are Mimi's Cyber Kitchen, provided by Mimi Hiller and YumYum, provided by Desktop Solutions. Mimi's Cyber Kitchen, while containing recipes, specializes in links (Internet, not smoky). The site claims thousands of food-related links, in the categories of chocolate, Jewish/Kosher, health foods, seafood, and restaurants, among others. YumYum contains a searchable database of over 10,000 recipes in 16 categories from appetizers to vegetarian. These two sites will stimulate you to leave your computer and head toward your kitchen or favorite restaurant.

The Great Movies--Roger Ebert
http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/old_movies/old_movies.html
Roger Ebert, well known Chicago Sun Times and syndicated television film reviewer, admits "movie history did not begin in 1967, but my career as a movie critic did." A prolific reviewer of new movies (discussed in the May 3, 1996 Scout Report), he has now made available a growing collection of reviews of classic movies. At present there are 37 reviews available, covering various genres and time periods. Included are Ali: Fear Eats the Soul,The Passion of Joan of Arc,M,Written On the Wind,The Wizard of Oz, andIkiru, among others. All reviewed films are available on home video. This is a biweekly feature, and for those who love classic movies, there is no better place to enjoy a guided tour by a kindred soul.

ALA "Booklist"
http://www.ala.org/booklist
The ALA (American Library Association) has recently added "Booklist" . "Booklist" is an electronic version of ALA's "Booklist" magazine, which has been published for 90 years. The site contains a selection of books for adults and youth arranged by subject and genre, audio visual media, and reference materials. All selections provide bibliographic information and price, and are thoroughly reviewed. In addition, there are feature articles and "best books" lists, and a cumulative index of "Booklist" articles, as well as subscription information.

Conde Nast Traveler Magazine
http://travel.epicurious.com/travel/g_cnt/00_home_page/
Epicurious Travel
http://travel.epicurious.com/
Highlights from the latest issue of Conde Nast Traveler are just one part of the popular magazine's website. The current forecast, Nexrad radar, and satellite images are available for the continental US, in addition to five-day forecasts for 800 domestic and international cities. Inside the Consumer Help section is Conde Nast Traveler's Ombudsman, a consumer advocate for people seeking free advice and feedback on travel-related consumer disputes. Photography is a big part of the print edition, and it has transferred well to the Web. The Photo Gallery and Room With a View under the Editor's Picks section both contain large selections of images of stunning scenery from around the world. The Conde Nast Traveler is part of the Epicurious Travel site, which is "devoted to helping you find the best places to go, the smartest ways to go there, and the best things to do when you get there." The planning section includes a complete Traveler Checklist and information on getting downtown from over 100 airports worldwide.

HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Healthweb
http://healthweb.org/
Healthweb is an ongoing project of CIC (Committee for Institutional Cooperation) schools (Big 10 schools plus University of Chicago), to "develop an interface which will provide organized access to evaluated non-commercial, health related, Internet-accessible resources." At present, over 70 subjects are in the main directory, and over 40 of these provide links to sites covering health issues from AIDS to Medical Informatics to Women's Health. This is a distributed collection in that each subject is handled by a particular CIC university. Access is by subject or by university, and what makes the site powerful is its selectivity, which distinguishes it as one of the better starting points for health and medicine related Internet sites.

Medicare: The Official US Government Site for Medicare Information
http://www.medicare.gov/
The Health Care Financing Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services provides this site--a consumer gateway to information about Medicare, a national health insurance program that covers 37 million Americans, mostly over age 65. Current highlights include a managed care section that contains Medicare Compare, an interactive database that allows users to compare (according to zip code or state) the benefits offered by Medicare managed care providers. Medicare Compare can also be downloaded as a Microsoft Access Database. The managed care section also contains a glossary of terms, frequently asked questions and their answers, and instructions on how to enroll and disenroll in a managed care plan. Users can refer to the overall site for general information on the Medicare program, fraud and abuse, and state contact lists, among other features.

Alternative Health News Online
http://www.altmedicine.com/app/registeruser.cfm
This informational resource is provided by Alternative Health News Online, Inc. The latest health news and resources are sought out and organized in an easily accessible fashion. Each of the numerous sections contains a substantial quantity of information and resources. For the latest in heath news try What's New, Health News Bulletins, Wellness News, Heath News, and Healthy Living. Many of these sections are updated daily. Health questions can be addressed to Dr. Andrew Weil, author of Spontaneous Healing. Other topics addressed are diet, nutrition, longevity, alternative medicine, mind/body control, and manual healing.

The Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
http://www.aoa.dhhs.gov/
The Administration on Aging, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a Web page. It contains information about AoA and its programs, information about resources for practitioners, statistical information on the aging, and information for consumers (older persons and their families) including how to obtain services and electronic booklets on aging related issues. It also includes a link to AoA's National Aging Information Center and extensive links to other aging related Web resources.

NEWS

The Christian Science Monitor Online
http://www.csmonitor.com/
The Christian Science Monitor has recently opened a full text Web edition that also provides Monitor Radio hourly broadcasts (in RealAudio format), the mid-day edition of Monitor Radio (available for 24 hours after the broadcast), continuous headline updates from Associated Press, and Our Place, an archive of stories and links related to books, arts and music, TV and film, family and community, travel, the outdoors, and kids. Available as well are features including an interactive crossword puzzle (which can be printed out for those with slow connections), email from correspondents all over the world, and four chat rooms. But perhaps the best feature of the site (besides full text of each day's issue) is a free, searchable archive of the newspaper's content back to 1980. The entire site is free at this time, though there will be charges for certain parts of it at a future date.

CNN Interactive
http://www.cnn.com
CNN Interactive is the department of CNN dedicated to producing news for access through computers and other advanced technology. Launched in January 1995, CNN Interactive is currently producing news on CD-ROMs, for business through the CNN At Work project and now for the Internet and World Wide Web. A staff of producers, writers and Internet editors work around the clock to customize CNN News content for computer users. The Web site allows users to browse hundreds of stories or to search for specific topics of interest. CNN Interactive on the Web contains today's news and a news archive stretching back as far as several years to help give perspective to stories. The CNN Interactive Web site has images, sounds and video, yet is optimized for users at slower access speeds. The site is free to users at this time.

FINANCE

Social Security Online: The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration [Acrobat Reader]
http://www.ssa.gov/SSA_Home.html
Social Security Online: The Official Web Site of the Social Security Administration provides information on the agency's history, goals, budget, services, laws and regulations, as well as statistical data and research. The site provides consumers with information about retirement and disability benefits, forms, answers to frequently asked questions, and instructions and directories that will help those interested in contacting the agency. Employers will find information on wage reporting, tax guides, and employee handouts. Consumers can file an electronic request for Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate statement if they have a web browser that supports Secure Sockets Layer (SSL); however, as reported in the May 23, 1997 Scout Report, for security reasons the SSA no longer sends the statement online.

Internal Revenue Service
http://www.irs.ustreas.gov/
The US Internal Revenue Service made its debut in late 1994, offering tax forms, a 21 question FAQ, and information on where to get help. The site has transformed itself into a "digital daily" newspaper, offering much information about the agency. The main draw continues to be its forms section with over 100 downloadable forms, offered in five formats. Other resources available at this site include a large number of tax statistics files (.exe compressed format) and Tax Regs in English, a section that seeks to explain evolving tax regulations in understandable language.

© 1998 Internet Scout Project
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