Notable Resources For Fans Of Great Speeches

If you find yourself less than inspired by the political speeches you hear on the presidential campaign trail this year, turn to the Web and discover some of the greatest speeches in history.

Some notable resources where you'll find great speeches include:

• History and Politics Out Loud

• American Rhetoric: Top 100 Speeches of the 20th Century by Rank

• Great Speeches - The History Channel

• The History Place - Great Speeches

Thanks to the sites above, some of the most memorable speeches of all time are always just a click away!

A Quick Way To Keep Tabs On The Latest Seniors/Aging Health News

What's the latest health news regarding seniors and aging? A quick way to keep tabs on recent headlines in this field is by visiting the Seniors News & Aging News from MedicalNewsToday.com, a site billed as, "the largest independent health and medical news website on the Internet."

And starting today, you'll be able to read some of those headlines right here on The Senior Surfer! Look for the Seniors/Aging Medical News Today Headlines in the left sidebar under Medline Plus.

Missed The State Of The Union Address? Watch It Online

You had planned to watch it, but then something came up and you missed President Bush's State of the Union address last night. If you didn't record it, is there any way you can watch it today? Luckily, there is-it's available on the Web. Both the video and transcript of the speech have been archived at C-SPAN: STATE OF THE UNION.

This terrific Web page from C-SPAN.org also offers videos and transcripts of previous State of the Union addresses in case you're interested.

Take A Tour Of The Political Blogosphere

Conservative or Liberal, Democrat or Republican-whatever you consider yourself, you'll find countless blogs on the Internet that cater to your brand of politics-if you know where to look! A good place to start is with a political blog directory.

These types of directories try to bring some order to the political blogosphere by allowing you to search blogs by category. Here are a couple of examples worth noting:

• The Political Blog Directory Of Campaigns & Elections Magazine

• Etalkinghead's Political Blog Directory

As the 2008 presidential election looms you might want to check out what the leading pundits have to say-these political blog directories should help!

A Virtual Video Library On Healthy Aging

Want to know how you can access dozens of videos on the topic of healthy aging? Actually, they're right at your fingertips whenever you point your browser to MedicalNewsToday.com's Seniors/Aging Video Library.

These informative videos feature experts offering their tips and strategies for maintaining good health as you age.

Here's a short list of some of the videos you can watch there:

• Cholesterol Management

• Become a Life-Long Learner

• Physical Activity and Aging

• Sex after Sixty

Aimed at the average consumer, these videos offer a quick and easy introduction to the healthy aging topics you'll want to discuss in greater detail with your doctor at your next visit.

Find Senior-Friendly Products Online

Do you ever have a hard time locating just the right senior-friendly product you're looking for? Have you thought about expanding your search to the Web? You might not realize this, especially if you're relatively new to Web surfing, but there are actually several sites that offer products designed for the special needs of seniors.

Not sure where to begin? For starters, try these sites:

• Products for Seniors - You'll find senior-friendly products in practically any category you can think of here.
  
  
• SeniorShops.com - Large button remote controls, large print playing cards and special exercise equipment, are just some of the senior-friendly products featured at this site.

• ElderLuxe - If you don't ordinarily think of senior-friendly items as items of luxury, this site might change your mind.

Thanks to sites like these, purchasing senior-friendly products by mail-order or catalog are no longer your only options.

A Handy Resource For Researching Senior Housing Options

Do you ever find yourself overwhelmed by all the senior housing options available today? If you're in the market for this type of lifestyle change, but still not sure what option is right for you, you might benefit from a site called Seniors for Living.

This convenient Web resource makes it easy to research the topic of senior housing with nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection.

Here are a few reasons you'll find the site so useful:

• You can conduct a quick search to see what types of senior housing are available in your area.

• You'll have access to helpful senior living-related articles and tools like a handy cost worksheet that can help you make the decision that's right for you.

• You'll find answers to many of the questions you might have about the different senior housing options.

Contemplating a major lifestyle change is difficult, but thanks to a site like Seniors for Living, investigating your available options at least, doesn't have to be.

How To Create Your Own Fundraising Web Page Quickly And Easily

Got a cause that's dear to your heart and looking for some unique fundraising ideas to help support it? How about starting your very own fundraising page online and inviting your friends and family to check it out?

And if you've never created a Web page before, don't worry. The following sites make it simple for just about anyone to create a fundraising Web page:

• GiveMeaning - Create a fundraising page at givemeaning.com and then get the word out to everyone you know! It's a great way to organize your fundraising efforts online!

• Firstgiving - It's easy to create a personal fundraising page at firstgiving.com! Just pick your cause and get started!

Get all the details by visiting the sites and best of luck with your fundraising projects!

Notable Web Resources About Martin Luther King, Jr.

A year ago on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, The Senior Surfer pointed out a terrific resource on the Web where you could learn more about Dr. King (See Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day Online).

This year in honor of the federal holiday, here are a couple more sites worth noting:

• The King Center - The companion Web site to the official Martin Luther King Jr. memorial features biographical info, information on the center's programs and services and more.
  
  
  
• Martin Luther King, Jr. - From Infoplease.com, this entry on Dr. King includes a timeline of events in his life, and excerpts from some of the civil rights leader's most famous speeches among other things.
  
  


• Time 100: Martin Luther King, Jr.- Martin Luther King, Jr. was selected one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time Magazine. Read the article that accompanied the selection.
  

Have a great holiday!

Paint By Number: No Paint Brush Required

Remember those great paint by number kits you had as a kid? Hours of fun wasn't it? Today, you can experience the joys of painting by number on the Web too. At a site like Segmation.com, for example, you'll find a section called SegPlay where you can paint by number online for free. Of course, since it's online, you'll be substituting mouse clicks for brushstrokes as you "digitally" paint your masterpieces-and that's part of the fun, because it puts a new twist on an old hobby.

You'll love too, the fact that they offer dozens of categories to choose from and supply magnification tools to help you see the numbers better. And If you've got grandkids, put this one high on your list of online activities to share with them-it'll be just as much fun for them as it is for you.

Don't be surprised if you find the online version of this popular pastime just as addictive as the one you grew up with!

Can't Make It To Church? Attend Online

If you attend church on a regular basis, you probably feel terrible when you have to skip it due to illness or inclement weather. But, if you think your only option is to watch religious services on TV to make up for it, think again-many churches are now broadcasting video of their religious services right over the Web!

To watch religious services online, check out these sites:

• Online Churches - Live Web Casts - a directory of links to Christian Web sites that offer online church services.

• TheMass.com - Watch the Catholic Mass daily courtesy of St. Ann's Basilica in Scranton, PA.

If you can't attend religious services in person this week, it's comforting to know you can attend virtually, thanks to the Web!

Watch NYC TV On The Web

Planning a trip to "The Big Apple" any time soon? Already live in New York City but would love to learn fascinating things about it you never imagined? If you haven't already discovered it, some of the best programming about New York City can be found on NYC TV, the official television network of the City of New York.

And now you don't even have to worry if you missed a show or if NYC TV is not offered in your viewing area, because you can watch it on the Web. All their programs are viewable online any time you want at NYC TV On Demand. That's right, programs like Secrets of New York, Blueprint: New York City and Eat Out NY, among others, are available right on your desktop.

Whether you're a tourist or a resident who's just plain curious, these online shows will teach you everything you ever wanted to know about the city that never sleeps!

An Online Newsletter For Seniors With A Focus On Health

Are you 55 or older and looking for a blog that delivers timely senior news info with a particular emphasis on health? Check out Senior Time, an online newsletter for the 55+ crowd, that mainly links to the latest newsworthy articles and other resources concerning senior health issues.

The site is easy to navigate and a handy way to use the Web to stay on top of current senior health news. Definitely worth a look!

A Playground On The Web For Armchair Historians

Imagine being able to view important original historical documents like The Declaration of Independence or The Gettysburg Address-all from the comfort of your home? Today with nothing more than a computer and an Internet connection, it's possible to do just that when you visit a site like Footnote.com.

Billed as, "a place where original historical documents are combined with social networking," Footnote.com not only allows you to view original source documents online-they also let you make annotations, add comments and share opinions with other armchair historians.

Most of the historical documents accessible at Footnote.com require a fee to view, but a select few are made available online for free including:

• The Declaration of Independence
• The Constitution and Amendments
• The Gettysburg Address
• George Washington Correspondence

This is a must-see site for history buffs, if there ever was one!

Free Online Courseware From Academic Powerhouses

These are great times indeed to be using the Web for learning. Today, many reputable academic institutions are beginning to offer courseware for free online. Generally referred to as "open courseware" it's an initiative on the part of many universities to bring quality educational resources to the masses by way of the Internet.

And while free courseware typically won't get you an accredited degree from one of these top universities, it will expose you to much of the same learning materials online that previously you could only get in their classrooms.

Some prominent examples of this open courseware initiative on the Web include:

• MIT OpenCourseWare - The Massachusets Institute of Technology currently offers 1800 courses online.

• Open Yale Courses - Yale University recently joined the open courseware initiative by offering seven free online courses with plans to offer more in the future.

To learn more about this growing online learning initiative and for a list of additional participating colleges and universities, visit the OpenCourseWare Consortium.

How To Make A Personal Organizer Online That You Can Print Out

In the age of the Internet do you still find yourself using spiral bound address books and personal organizers? If you can't let go of pen and paper in favor of online organizers just yet, you might be interested in a site that helps you make more efficient use of that pen and paper at least. The site is called PocketMod, and allows you to turn a simple old-fashioned piece of paper into a versatile personal organizer.

Here's how you can make your very own personal organizer or "PocketMod" right now:

• Go to www.PocketMod.com and click on Create a PocketMod in the upper right hand corner of the page.

• On the resulting page under "widgets" choose one or more of dozens of organizational templates-writing, calendar, reference templates and more. Simply click on a template to preview it and if you like it, drag it over to a spot you choose on the blank PocketMod provided.

• When you're done designing your PocketMod just click Print PocketMod!

You're done. Now all you have to do is fold it so it resembles a small book that you can place in your pocket and take anywhere! Thanks to this great site, a single sheet of paper can be transformed into a handy organizational tool that's absolutely free-check it out today!

Sputnik Revisited: Notable Resources Online

Has the recent media coverage of the fiftieth anniversary of the launching of Sputnik, piqued your interest in learning more about this seminal event in space exploration? If so you're in luck-you'll easily find loads of resources on this subject online.

Here are a few worth noting:

• Sputnik: the fiftieth anniversary - This site from NASA offers a background history, Soviet documents, a photo gallery and more.

• Sputnik Declassified - A one hour PBS NOVA program that you can watch online, reveals some surprising information about Sputnik you might not know about.

• Sputnik 1 - Milestones of Flight - This handy one-page fact sheet about Sputnik is provided by the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

If you want a quick and easy way to learn more about Sputnik, the first salvo in the war for space superiority between the United States and the former Soviet Union, you'll find these sites particularly helpful.

Make A Custom Photo Calendar With A Little Help From The Web

Got a lot of digital photographs and are short on ideas on how to display them? Why not make a custom calendar with some of your favorite shots? Now, thanks to the Web, it's easier than it ever was to do this type of thing.

Remember when, if you wanted to do something like this, you had to send pictures away? No longer. Today, there are plenty of Web sites that let you upload digital photos, design and order your calendar right online with just a few clicks of your mouse and at prices to fit almost any budget!

Here are a couple of those sites where you can start creating custom calendars right now:

• Create a custom calendar at CafePress.com

• Design your own calendar at Zazzle.com

• Make personalized calendars at MyCalendarMaker.com

It's not too late in the new year to create and enjoy your very own custom photo calender, and thanks to the sites above, the process of actually making the calendar couldn't be simpler!

Step Back In Time With Google News Archive Search

Want to know a quick and easy way to use the Web to search historical archives and read news stories from the past? Just use the Google News Archive Search! This convenient service from Google, the search engine that seems to do it all, lets you venture into the archives of such esteemed news and magazine sources as BBC News, Time Magazine, The New York Times and others.

Some articles are free to read while many require a fee-previews however won't cost you a dime! To find out more about how to get the most out of this site you'll want to read the News Archive Search Help section of the Web site-it's easy to understand and will answer just about any question you have regarding this useful search feature from Google.

Watch NOVA Online

Are you a fan of NOVA, the popular science program on PBS? Don't you hate it when you miss a show? Not to worry-next time you forget to record it, just catch up with it online. That's right, PBS has established a video archive of Nova programs on their Web site where you can watch entire episodes from the past several years at your leisure.

Now, whenever you're surfing the Web and you get bored, a couple of clicks of your mouse will bring the Emmy Award-winning program you've enjoyed on TV for years, right to your computer screen. You don't even have to register to watch the shows and they're absolutely free. Episodes of the relatively new NOVA ScienceNOW program are also included for your viewing pleasure.

This is also a great online activity to share with your grandkids the next time they're over. It's fun, educational and a great way to get them interested in science at an early age!

Stay Safe On The 'Net In 2008

Worried about Internet security? Who isn't these days? One of the best ways to allay your fears about Internet dangers is to learn everything you can about the subject. That's where a site like Staysafe.org can come in handy.

Staysafe.org was created to teach consumers about the perils and pitfalls they're likely to encounter while surfing the 'Net and more importantly, how to avoid them. They even have a special section tailored to the 50+ crowd.

Here's a small sample of what you'll learn at the site:

• Ways to reduce spam
  


• How to choose the right firewall
  


• Tips on how to avoid online fraud

Want valuable Internet security advice that's written in a style that's as easy to read as it is interesting? You'll find exactly that at Staysafe.org.

Let MedlinePlus Help You Achieve Those Exercise Goals

It's 2008 and as one of your New Year's resolutions you've decided to make exercise a priority. Now what? First, ask your doctor's advice before embarking on an exercise program. Then, head on over to the Exercise For Older Adults page from MedlinePlus.

This government sponsored site provides links and information on just about every senior exercise related topic you can think of including:

• Specific exercises you can do at home

• The latest news concerning exercise and seniors

• Related issues like tips for healthy eating

Looking to get fit in 2008? You'll want to make this site from MedlinePlus, your virtual exercise partner!