The LOC version of Local History and Genealogical References

"The Library of Congress has one of the world's premier collections of U.S. and foreign genealogical and local historical publications. The Library's genealogy collection began as early as 1815 with the purchase of Thomas Jefferson's library." from Local History and Genealogy Reading Room.

Death Certificates in Minnesota

For genealogists looking for death certificates of ancestors, the Minnesota Death Certificates Index can help in the search. You can search by last name, first name, mother's maiden name, date of death, county and more. The database indexes records (death cards and death certificates) from roughly 1905 to 1996.

Baseball's Negro League Data Base

Before Jackie Robinson, baseball was a segregated sport. African Americans were not allowed to play in the same league as the likes of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. So a separate league was created. It produced some great ball players and the history of the league is archived at this section of the MLB website. Visit the Negro Leagues Legacy.

Building a House From Scratch

So you're going to have a house built on that property you bought several years ago. What type of house? How big? How many rooms? Important: Bathrooms? Would you like a French Country style? Or perhaps Southern Colonial? Or maybe simple Prairie Style?

Whatever type of house you want to build you should be able to find just the right set of floor plans at HousePlans.com. With nearly 22,000 house plans available you should be able to find something you like. You can search for houses by type or fill out a form to determine number of bedrooms, bathrooms, garage stalls, etc.

The Ultimate Online Medical Reference

For decades the Merck manuals have been the mainstay of the medical professions. Many laymen also purchase copies of this medical treatise. Now the Merck Manual of Medical Information is available online. The best part of course is that it is provided free of charge by Merck and Company, Inc. as a public service. While it contains all the features of the printed version it includes impressive extras. It contains photographs and audio and video footage. It is also updated regularly in its online format.

Do You Know How to Find Akrotiri on the Map?

Akrotiri but Dhekelia are just two of the many countries and locations found in the latest edition of the CIA World Fact Book. The book was just revised in November of 2005 and has the very latest information on the countries and governments of the world. Every entry contains a storehouse of information such as population, economy, military, etc. In addition to the above, the World Fact book also includes information on the more familiar countries of the world like the United States, Germany, Russia, China, and all the rest. An excellent geographical resource.

Who Rules Britainnia?

Sorry about the bad pun. Ask Aristotle/Guardian Unlimited... "a guide to who holds power across Britain. It contains details of constituencies, MPs and candidates. You can use Ask Aristotle to find information on political power by party, by place, by issue, or even by all three at the same time."

Start Thinking About Mowing the Lawn

At the British Lawnmower Museum you can find photos of a multitude of lawnmowers. They even have a video available called Lawnmowerworld. You can visit the lawnmower gallery, view lawnmowers of the rich and famous (Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and more). There's also repair info and parts ordering available as well.

Sightseeing from the Comfort of Your Own Office

While not associated directly with Google, Google Sightseeing is a web site that finds interesting locations each day and gets images from Google Local and Google Earth. Aerial photos appear from various altitudes and some photos cannot be viewed easily. But it does make for an interesting travelogue and can provide some idea of what to look forward to next time you visit that location or a sight nearby.

Surf's Up!

That is the extent of everything I know about surfing. However there are some folks at WaveWatch that know a whole lot more. They post daily reports on surfing news and waves around the globe. Here in the Midwest we don't have much surf, but maybe those of you on the coast will find WaveWatch useful.