Cloud Forest Alive

http://www.cloudforestalive.org

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

by Aoidin Scully

The forest is alive with the sound of hummingbirds -- and beetles,

and hundreds more creeping, crawling, climbing creatures. This

excellent site, devoted to Central America's so-called cloud

forests, provides real-time pictures of the native hummingbirds,

plus cool features like interactive insect quizzes. True

environmentalists can get the latest on serious research in and

about the region, including the effect of climate changes on the

bat population and the intriguing science of "bioprospecting":

the search for forest plants that could yield useful chemicals.

I-Sketch

http://www.i-sketch.com

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

Pictionary should have thought of it first, but they didn't.

This hugely enjoyable site is free and open to anyone with

Shockwave and a deft mouse-hand. Set up like a group of

chatrooms which users can join, ISketch lets visitors take

turns at sketching a simple item using an on-screen drawing

tools. It's both fun and fast: the ISketch server provides

prompting hints if players are stuck, so games move quickly.

The site seems to be open at all hours of the day, for those

times when you have the urge to gather with strangers and try

to make sense of hastily-drawn suns, moons and carrots.

Crag Cave, Co. Kerry

http://www.cragcave.com

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

This group of fossil caves has been known to locals for more than

20 years, but this site aims to spread news of the attraction

further afield. The photographs could be bigger and more

spectacular, but the on-line guide is well-written and informative,

managing to make the business of dripping limestone sound engaging.

If you're surfing the site with an up-to-date browser, beware of

the bats.

EireStudent.com

http://www.eirestudent.com

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

This new site, masterminded by sixteen-year-old Kristian Johansson,

has a single aim: to become the portal of choice for Irish

students. With exam tips, recommended Web sites, managing your

finances as a student, and more, the site also has a dedicated Ask

a Question area. The EireStudent team promises a response, but

answers may take up to seven days.

Smaller.com

http://www.smaller.com

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

Small gadgets are big news these days, and Smaller.com is a

gadget-lover's paradise. The heart of the site is its

download area, with dozens of games and utilities in shareware

and paid versions. Whether you're a game-player seeking a pocket

version of mahjongg or doctor wanting a pocket-sized patient

management application, you'll find it here.

Name the Decade

http://www.namethedecade.com/

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

We've had the Eighties, the Nineties -- but how do we refer to

the decade now ahead of us? Cast your vote from among the final

suggestions at this site, including the Naughts, the Aughts,

the Millies and the nillies.

Threshold

http://www.threshold.ie

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

With spiralling Irish rent prices and little protection for

tenants, it's good to know that at least one agency cares

about housing and homelessness. This excellent new site

includes pratical information -- including whether landlords

can continue increasing tenants' rent, plus conditions under

which a landlord may keep a deposit.

LeavingCert.Net

http://www.leavingcert.net

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

This new resource site from the Pre-University Centre is a good

starting point for students and teachers preparing for Leaving

Cert subjects. The site is little more than a collection of

links, but each is a solid resource, with study subjects

broken into sub-topics.

Witches' Brew

http://www.witchs-brew.com/index.html

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

They're not just for Halloween anymore. Witches are now placed

firmly in the popular consciousness, thanks to popular

television shows, but what does the public really understand

about paganism or wicca, the witch religion? This site tells

all, and acts as a central resource for witches everywhere.

Clean Team

http://www.thecleanteam.com

Tue Sep 26 10:32:34 +0000 2000

Weekends are for week-ending, right? So why are you spending

all day Saturday with hoover in hand? The Clean Team claims

to have mastered the art of "speed cleaning", and they share

their secrets here online. As with most useful sites, the

Clean Team also peddles its book online, but there's plenty

of advice here to whet the appetites of reluctant housekeepers

everywhere.