Cool Freebie Links: Two columns ago, I was saying how difficult it is these days to find sites that offer stuff that's really free. I hadn't come across this site then, and if I had, I might have muted the tone of that statement. Anyway, although you get all the major links to sites that offer "freebees" here, you still should tread warily. Claiming to lead you to "Over 450 of The Web's Best Freebie Sites - All Reviewed & Rated!", the busy main page presents the various links under titles like 'FreeFever', 'Your Daily Freebies' and 'Newest Freebie Sites'. There's also a 'Quick Menu' box to help you choose links based on various alphabetical categories. You can practically spend hours here exploring many great no-charge sites which are accompanied by snappy summaries and ratings ranging from 'Cool' to 'Coolest'.

The Cosmos: The mysteries of the Universe have never been so fascinating to us as they are now in the year 2000. Topics like the Big Bang, space exploration and the search for extra-terrestrial life keep getting more and more intriguing as our consciousness about the fragile state of our planet grows. This resource site, which mainly adresses the needs of beginners and students, offers a great introduction to the subject, and then takes your deeper without blinding you with science. The major issues are dealt with in a section called 'Explore' and there's a 'Galactapedium' explaining all the important astronomical terms. There're also some great images and movies that are accessible through RealPlayer.

eBay: The cyber version of a gargantuan flea market, eBay is one of the best and most popular auction sites on the Web. Items are listed alphabetically (apparently, as many as 250,000 new items are added daily!) and to get in on the bidding, all you have to do is register and follow a few simple steps. You can trade collectable toys, memorabilia, coins, stamps, jewels, computers, guitars, books, CDs... just about anything. But don't be surprised if most of your trade partners, especially those with quality stuff to sell, are based in the US. For a site that's content-heavy, eBay is quite easy to access, though there've been reports of crashes recently. And there're lots of 'Help' links and a search box to let you narrow in on whatever you're looking for. How safe is it to trade here? Well, as a friend who's made "many transactions" successfully on eBay (he collects rare Japanese-made robot dolls) says, "It's just a matter of trust."

Fix It!: Ashamed of taking your car to your mechanic for basic maintenance and minor fixes? Want some help to do things like changing the oil, the oil filter, spark plugs and tyres on your own? With (Java/Shockwave) slide shows to give you step-by-step instructions, this site will be a great aid for first-timers who want to get into the basics of car care. After you've memorized the 'Safety Tips', you will realize that there's really nothing to 'Changing a Tire', 'Changing Oil', 'Changing Oil Filter', 'Adjusting Parking Brake' and 'Changing a Spark Plug'. But don't get overconfident and try taking apart the engine... unless you're deliberately trying to kill a jalopy that's seen better days!

Philosophy Research Base: Okay, it sounds kinda dull and serious. But don't be put off by the title. This is actually a pretty enlightening and even fun site, especially if you're looking for concise, clear, jargon-free explanations of all the isms that help you understand life more deeply. Category links include 'Analytic', 'Ancient', 'Medieval', 'Modern', 'Major Topics', 'Feminism', 'Ecofeminism', 'Ecology' and 'Queer Theory', and to ease your search on specific topics, Subject, Author and History indexes are provided. There're also connections to 'Books', 'Used Books', 'Films' and 'Music' inspired by philosophical thought and to some of the most authoritative philosophy-related resources on the Web.

Search Engine Showdown (searchengineshowdown.com): Want to know which search engine will offer the best results for a specific topic or a general phrase? Then this 'Users Guide To Web Searching' is the thing you need. It's a feature-loaded site that covers almost all the important aspects of search-engine efficiency with charts, statistics and tutorials to help you get the most out of the search engines you choose to use. The main page has a 'Search Strategies' link that offers "basic suggestions (on) how to search the Web and when to use which tool", a 'News' connection that "compares searchable databases of news resources available free on the Web" and other useful jump-points including guides to Usenet and e-mail databases.

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