The Hubble Space Telescope has had a major impact in every area of astronomy. View  an image gallery and learn the science behind the images at the  information packed Hubble website.

Have you gone to any of the circuit bending workshops at the library, where electronic toys are modified -- bent -- into musical instruments?  This weekend is the Bent Festival at Intermedia Arts in Minneapolis -- performances and workshops for three whole days!  Beatrix Jar, who teaches the circuit bending workshops at the library, will be performing, as well as bands from around the world.

Check this unofficial Hot List of bills and their current status.

AnnualCreditReport.com gives you a free credit report from each of the three reporting bureaus.

Whether writing for school or text messaging friends, teens believe good writing is an essential skill for success. A new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project examines the state of formal and informal writing among teens.

Johnny Lee has created a wii remote hack that will do about 80% of the functionality of an interactive whiteboard -- for $40, you can do most of what a $2000 tool will do -- and he gives away the programming.  Check out the video demonstration on TED.  Check out TED for lots of other great things in Technology, Entertainment, and Design.

Read a Car Talk interview with a retired new/used car salesman.

The Health Care industry is one of the largest providers of jobs in the United States.  Check this list  from the Dept. of Employment and Economic Development to see which occupations are in High Demand in Minnesota.  Read more about Health Occupations from MedlinePlus.

 

Did you remember to celebrate Tax Freedom Day on April 23?  The Tax Foundation calculates this date every year when we have earned enough to pay all our taxes.  The foundation has a complete report and even a YouTube video for the event.

Wondering which vaccinations are recommended for your trip outside of the US?  Have a look at CDC Travelers Health that allows searching by country or region of the world.

The Environmental Protection Agency provides ideas on how to help protect the environment every day at home, work, school, in your community and while shopping.

Scientific American has an interesting article on new technologies that use energy created by a moving human body into electricity for battery-powered devices.

If you're behind in your house payments or facing foreclosure get help from the HUD in Minnesota site (HUD - U.S. Department  of Housing and Urban Development).  Locate counselors and workshops to help prevent foreclosure and provide home buying assistance.

Yes, time to think about gardening!  The University of Minnesota Extension recommends the Best Plants for 30 Tough Sites. 

Have you gotten an email offering you a lucrative career as a mystery shopper?  Take a look at The Secrets of Mystery Shopping Revealed page provided by the Federal Trade Commission.  It offers facts and warnings about those emails and also tips about finding legitimate mystery shopping opportunities.

Do you Twitter (microblogging, 140 characters or less)?  Even if you don't, you can follow TwitLinks, and read your favorite tech writers.  Read a summary on downloadsquad.

Welcome to USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal for new immigrants, with information about citizenship, education, healthcare, benefits, employment, personal finance, and more.

The cost of fuel and other conditions are having an effect of the cost of food around the world.  Reuters.com has a special report on the growing food crisis.

Looking for a good quotation?  Or maybe you're trying to find the source of a specific quotation.  The library database, Credo Reference, contains a nice, little collection of resources that may help. 

This year's theme: Join the Circle of Knowledge. Take a few minutes to check out an unfamiliar library web site. Let us know what you discover.

Check out the fabulous websites nominated for the Webby awards.  I've found some treasures of websites this way in the past, now to find some surfing time....

Wondering how your kids are doing in school? Read how many metro area schools are helping parents track grades, assignments, lunch money and much more.

Explore the New Grove Art Online

Grove Art Online has been relaunched as Oxford Art Online . Grove Art Online now allows users to search for images and image links within Grove Art Online efficiently in a single place.

Follow construction of the new ballpark on webcam and see a model at Minnesota Twins.

There's still time to register for many great summer Elderhostel programs. Find a complete list of Last Chance Educational Tours and register today!

Minnesota Competitive Grants Opportunities provides a single entry point to State of Minnesota competitive grant opportunities available from 23 state agencies.  Provided by the state of Minnesota Office of Grants Management.

Check out Waste Management's website and find out the 5 spots in the metro you can drop items off between 9 and 4 on April 11th and 12th.  The Hennepin County location is in Eden Prairie.

The Tornado Project Online will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about tornadoes, including myths, oddities, history and statistics.

Search primary documents from the National Archives.  And check out the online exhibits for letters, photos, art, and more on topics from American history!

The Country Information portal from the University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries offers topical information on all the world's countries including country profiles, military and health information, access to articles and databases for specific countries.

Take the Pew Research Center news quiz to test your knowledge of current affairs.  You can compare your News IQ with the average score of  American men and women, and read a summary of the findings.

Read the 2008 Economic Report of the President  just released recently. A copy of the report is also available in the government publications collection at the Southdale Library.

Minnesota needs you! Visit the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State to find out how you can serve as an election judge this fall.

This excellent article in Computerworld gives you a good starting point in learning all about it.

Search this Summer Camps site for ideas.  Looking for something close to home?  Take a look at Go City Kids for a variety of activities for a variety of ages.  If you're staying in town, don't forget that your library offers great programs as well.  Before you go on your adventures, have your kids explore the Safe-A-Rooni interactive site that teaches them about safety.

Protect your ears.  Know which noises can cause damage. Wear ear plugs when you are involved in a loud activity.  Read more from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.  Also available in Spanish.

Gasbuddy.com helps you search for the cheapest gasoline prices in your city or zip code area.