links
software
- Mac OS X…
- essential software for OS X
- MS Windows…
- free and essential software for Windows
people & ideas
- Edge
- promotes inquiry into and discussion of intellectual, philosophical, artistic, and literary issues
- TED
- video lectures from fascinating people around the world
- William Lishman
- an interesting man of many means
- John R Chang
- on being human
imagery
- Visible Earth
- a catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet
- Edward Burtynsky
- remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes
audio & music
- The Whalesong Project
- audio stream of humpback whale vocalisations from Maui
- Espace musique
- excellent radio from French-Canada (if you heard something interesting and remember the date/time: historical playlists)
- The Cowboy Cultural Society
- cowboy culture, not Nashville fashion
reference
- Tree of Life
- information about the diversity of biological organisms on Earth, their evolutionary history (phylogeny), and characteristics
BadCorp.org- domain has been abandoned; I wonder what happened…
learn more about the consumer-corporate complex: who owns what, where your money goes, what it supports…
- Atlas of the Biosphere
- interesting maps and other information in four general categories: Humans, Land Use, Ecosystems, and Water Resources
- FamilySearch.org
- the largest collection of free family history, family tree, and genealogy records in the world
miscellaneous
- BugMeNot
- user-maintained database of usernames/passwords for accessing otherwise free information on websites which require account registration
- GasBuddy.com
- local (Canada & USA) realtime gasoline price information
- craigslist
- local (worldwide) community classified ads and forums
- Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
- recycle your (rechargeable) batteries in North America; collections locations at many popular retailers
Vancouver (local information)
- Vancouver weather
- 5-day weather forecast from Environment Canada
- Lions Gate Bridge traffic
- real-time (when working) information including several camera feeds
- Vastech Computer
- there are many inexpensive Asian-operated computer stores in Vancouver; I prefer this one because I like the people who have been (over several years) exceptionally honest, competent, and generously helpful
WWW services
These choices represent many hours of research in the especially difficult and dubious realm of Internet-related service providers. I am happy to report that my experience with these services and the good people providing them has been excellent.
- WebFaction
- preferred Web host; recommended for technical users only (DreamHost has an easier interface and lots of features, but I left them); friends recommend Linode if you need a virtual server, though WebFaction does allow users to compile and run software in their home directories
- DomainSite.com
- preferred ICANN-accredited domain name registrar; DNS tools/options are included with registration