American Civil War: In light of the strange turn of events in the recent US Presidential election, it would be worthwhile for anyone seeking a better understanding of the situation to get a historical perspective of the North-South, Democrat-Republican divisions that still run deep.
And you should start with the American Civil War (1861-1865) which in many ways reshaped the entire geopolitics of the country.
This site, which offers about as complete an account of the five-year war as any serious history buff would want, is authoritative on the subject. And with maps, battle summaries and statistics, war exhibits and pages featuring the texts of key documents like the Gettysburg Address, the Emancipation Proclamation and South Carolina's Declaration of Secession, it leaves, if you'll pardon the expression, no tombstone unturned.
There're some really interesting sections, including timelines detailing the chronology of events and the efforts of women in the war, and the profiles of major decision-makers like Jefferson Davis and Ulysses S. Grant are also fascinating.
The site design may lack pizzazz, but then history is serious business so the basic look serves its purpose.
China News Digest: Claiming to be "The Cyberspace Info Center for Chinese and Friends Worldwide", CND presents basically uncensored news and views of China in English and Chinese.
But it's scope is pretty wide, covering everything from literature to history and politics. And it's here that its main appeal lies, at least for the general non-Chinese visitor.
The CND InfoBase is particularly useful, boasting a photo library that besides offering 'Scenery Pictures' also presents an interesting pictorial essay of the Nanjing Massacre.
Under 'Libraries', you'll find links to 'Classical Literature', 'Cultural Revolution' and 'Chinese History'. The 'Cultural Revolution Virtual Museum' is also worth a visit.
The articles on Nobel laureate Gao Xingjian and the Chinese objection to the choice make for interesting reading, and you can join discussions on topics like the Chinese occupation of Tibet and interracial marriage.
You can also download a Chinese calender for 2001 (Year of the Snake) if you're willing to wait a couple of minutes.
There're too many distracting animated ads on the site and the home page does look like it could use some breathing space. But you won't have problems finding what you're looking for once you get past the cheesy facade.
Greek Mythology Link: The online writing project of Carlos Parada, the author of the 1993 book 'Genealogical Guide to Greek Mythology', this site presents what are probably the most detailed accounts of the exploits of Greek gods and goddesses available on the Net.
There're 878 pages and 1,755 images, and while Parada is no design genius, he presents the mythological stories in an orderly and easy findable manner.
You get "biographies" of all the major figures, including Hera and Zeus, while sections like 'Groups', 'Places & Peoples' and 'Catalogue of Images' enhance many of the narratives in 'Divinities' and 'Events'.
The 'Tables' on 'Myths of Creation', 'Hesiod's Theogony' and other mythological milestones are amazing, as are the various 'Maps' ('Map of the Troad', 'The Voyage of the Argonauts', 'Map of the Underworld', 'Map of Atlantic' and others).
But the parade of topics and links doesn't end there. Indeed, you could end up spending hours poring through the pages here.
The Life Story Of Santa Claus: Why are Christmas presents given? Why does Santa wear a baggy red suit? Why does Santa use reindeer? Why does he climb down chimneys?
If you've ever wanted to know the answers to these questions, this is the place where you'll find them. And if you've ever doubted the existence of Santa Claus, his full story, as told here, might just make a believer of you.
Illustrations may be in short supply, but the story is vivid and lively enough to let you create your own mental pictures. And the pages are print-ready for those thinking of making a gift of the 'The Life Story Of Santa Claus' as a booklet.
There are 13 chapters which chronicle some exciting episodes -- 'The Storm', 'The Sled Race', 'The Red Suit', 'The First Christmas Stocking' etc -- that should thrill kids and even adults.
If you're looking for a site with a view, then you should check out Claus.com. Aimed at young surfers, it is loaded with animated cartoons and fun features like a toy workshop and Christmas songs and games (you need Flash 4 to enjoy these, though).
PhysLINK.com: Another great science site that's designed to satisfy the knowledge-hound's desire for deeper comprehension of cosmology and the scheme of existence.
Physics and astronomy are the areas of focus here, and both subjects are explored with various degrees of depth -- the 'Daily News' and 'Question of the Day' features are mainly within the grasp of general readers, while more serious offerings, like Nobel Prize-winning physics professor Steven Weinberg's riveting but at times impenetrably technical (at least for the layman) essay 'A Designer Universe?', should attract academics.
The 'Features' section is terrific, giving visitors a chance to have their questions on physics and astronomy answered by experts, or sample inventive thought in 'New Theories' and 'Essays'.
You can also participate in online forums or be part of a global science community.
And for fun, you can take part in a physics quiz or view 'Einstein Cards'.
There's also a list of university and college physics departments worldwide which should be useful for those planning to pursue graduate or post-graduate studies in physics.
The site is cleanly-designed and is a joy to explore.
Pop History Now: Specializing "in bringing you a different week in pop history from the 1940s to the 1990s each and every weekday", this site contains all kinds of entertainment trivia that would thrill the pop-culture vulture.
You can find out things like the biggest movies 10 years ago, or the hottest Top 10 pop hits the year you were born.
There's a search box that lets you access archived material that dates back "400+ weeks" or you can look through the 'Pop Links' section that offers a wide choice ranging from 'Forever Fifties' to 'The 1920s Experience'.
Then there are the "this week 40 years ago" snippets that cover all kinds of major events -- political upheavels, celebrity deaths, scandals etc.
The lists -- Top 40 compilations of old hits and so on -- are also interesting, though the selections are based on popularity rather than artistic merit.
Yes, it's mainly about American culture but then, to most English speakers the world over, that's the only culture that matters.
The home page is slow to load but its neat layout lets you move around easily.