t was just on the tip of my tongue .... Now that phrase can be on the tip of your pen by visiting The Phrase Finder. This wonderful British site revels in the joys of the English language. The bulk of the site is subscription based and perfect for writers who are reaching for headlines, ad copy and other text that they can use in their work, but there's still plenty for free, too. There are the meanings and origins of 1,500 English phrases and sayings, including the wisdom of William Shakespeare, the Bible, English proverbs and phrases coined at sea. You also can ask questions in the discussion forum or browse the more than 70,000 posts in the forum's archives. Yes, a visit to the Phrase Finder can pull your tongue out of your cheek and put a smile on your lips.

Still plays with paper dolls." I guess you could say that about anyone who frequents Polyvore. But there's much, much more to this fascinating site, which uses the interactivity of the Web to elevate playing dress up to a whole new level. It's almost like electronic scrapbooking, and it's all free. You can simply see what the latest fashions are by trends, celebrities, brands and favorites, browse the 30,000 sets that the site's 1.2 million members create daily, or, perhaps best of all, make your own. The software is incredibly easy to use. You just select the blouses, shoes, pants, skirts and accessories you like, combining them with text and other design features, then post your creations to the site. No matter your age, Polyvore is the place to play with fashion.

ow about a little music? Or, if you visit Playa Cofi Jukebox, a lot of music. Like its name, the site is a little confusing, but not so much you can't enjoy the amazing songs it lets you play right from your computer. You can select from any year from 1950 to 1989, click on a song to begin, and then enjoy the top tunes from that year in a loop. The site also offers the songs from blocks of years and specific eras, like swing, doo wop, folk music, disco, country and more. There are monthly tributes to specific artists, video archives and links to lyrics sites, as well as Cashbox magazine's weekly top 40, 30 and 20 countdowns in various genres. The site is truly a tuneful treasure trove that gives you a whole lot of music going on and on and ....

hine a light, shine a light, shine a light on me. Or for that matter, you can shine a light on just about anything, as you can see for yourself at Urban Projection. This side project of German creator Sebastian Funk could just keep you mesmerized as you click in and out of nearly 30 subject categories and the work of more than 20 artists as well as archives that go back to 2006. With its black background and delicate white text that that looks gray until you put your mouse over it - whereupon it turns readably white - the site focuses on the light side - that is projections on the side of, well, almost anything. This site is clearly the work of creative and dedicated people who are moved by the ability to project and the power of light, whether it's for art or advertising. Shine on!

JUNE 2010

here's the art of business, and then there's the business of art. The two intersect at the site Meylah, where creative people of all types can learn how to make their businesses more successful. In companies fueled by creativity - publishing, music, art - this is a particular challenge. When should you be creative, and when should you be businesslike? While the times overlap and blur, Meylah - the name of which comes from a Sanskrit word for "gather" - is committed to helping such businesses with online education. In a variety of articles and interviews, there's entrepreneurial advice and social networking know-how, such as how to write product descriptions and iPhone apps for creatives. The whole site is a classy lesson in professionalism. Now that's an art in itself!

ow sweet it is OK, so maybe the confections on Cake Wrecks aren't all so appetizing, but they are entertaining. The handiwork of blogger Jen Yates, who is also the author of the book by the same name, this site celebrates those times "when professional cakes go hysterically wrong." Sometimes it's the inscription ("Good Louck," "Back to Schol" and "Yu dib it!" stand out), sometimes the subject matter (such as the Father's Day cake shaped like a steak or the entire collection of foot-shaped cakes) . You can have a ball just browsing through the site reading the clever text and comments, or contribute your own wrecks and words. Whatever you do, it's bound to bring laughter, and that's as sweet as it gets.

hat in the world?! That's just what you'll find out at GlobalPost, one of the best sources of international news anywhere. While printed newspapers and magazines struggle, GlobalPost has grown since its founding in 2009 to serve news from around the world to millions of users from nearly every nation and territory on Earth. The site's more than 70 correspondents in more than 50 countries in every region of the globe serve up news on a broad range of subjects not only on the Web, but, interestingly enough, also to those print publications that can no longer afford to have their own bureaus in other countries. Whether it's breaking news or thoughtful in-depth reporting, your best stop for international news may well be GlobalPost.

ll aboard! You can almost hear the conductor call when you visit the site of the Wilmington & Western Railroad. Of course, the site is a great place to learn everything you'd want to know so you can actually ride on this authentic steam engine-driven train, but there's lots to see, too, for those who aren't in the Wilmington, Delaware, region. In the About the Railroad area, I enjoyed the information about the history and the equipment itself, as well as daydreamed while looking at the route map. In the Planning Your Visit section, there's lots of information about what you can do and stay in the general area as well as an opportunity to Ask the Conductor questions of your own. Toot! Toot! After visiting this site, I'm all ready to leave the station....

hen you just gotta draw .... you can get involved with the movement SketchCrawl. Artists from around the world are doing just that, thanks to this grassroots site, which incorporates a blog and a forum, all dedicated to promoting "drawing marathons from around the world." Instigator Enrico Casarosa based his "sketch-a-thon" on a pub crawl enjoyed with a group of friends, and it just took off from there. When I visited, people from around the globe were getting ready for the 26th SketchCrawl by communicating through the forums. The site also lets you buy SketchCrawl T-shirts (the better to find each other with), suggests materials, and teaches you how to post your sketches online. So no more excuses: ready, set, sketch!

MAY 2010

ot an itch for something interactive? Scratch it with the help of the clever folks at the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music and art -- and then share your creations with the world on the Web. Designed for young people, Scratch helps users to reason, think creatively and work collaboratively while also learning mathematical and computational ideas. Nearly 1 million projects have been created already, so Scratch must be fun, too. It's free, and you can download it yourself. If you have questions, there's help right on the site, which is well organized and attractive. Or, if you prefer, you can just enjoy the other games and stories people have uploaded. Whichever your preference, Scratch is the right thing for that animation itch.

his says it all! Well, you can make signs and other official looking creations that do at says-it.com. There are church signs, official seals, concert tickets, posters videotape and cassette cases, records, safety signs, badges, movie marquees, church signs and letterboards, restaurant signs, delivery trucks, Jeopardy clue screens and other opportunities to make your words look, well, official. Like the similar site we reviewed last year, Sign Generator, this is yet another magical way to create very real looking signs. If you'd like to try your own hand at making magic, the folks at says-it have even released their generator code as open source, so nothing is left unsaid.

hine up your smarts. That's just what you can do at the site mental_floss. The site is actually the online home of the magazine by the same name, which says it's "Where knowledge junkies get their fix." The point, say founders Will Pearson and Mangesh Hattikudur, is to make learning fun. And they do, with an assortment of facts and trivia that will make you the envy of all your friends. OK, maybe not, but the info might make them smile, laugh or simply be surprised that anyone would know such a thing. mental_floss offers articles from the magazine, a blog, trivia and quizzes, all of which make learning a lot more fun than it may have been in school. There's also an amazing fact generator that offers random trivia, so mental_floss gives you lots of painless ways to at least seem smarter.

hat a shot! Yes, you can see photographs of some of the most beautiful things on our planet at EarthShots.org. This site keeps it simple, yet really, really beautiful. Every day it features a single picture, sharing its glory in large format. There's often detailed data, too, about the camera equipment that was used as well as the lensman and the location. You can make comments, and EarthShots.org also makes it easy to display the daily photo on your own site. Photographers can submit their shots, of course, giving them an opportunity to show their stuff through this wide-reaching site. And you can spend hours browsing through the monthly archives, which go back to October 2006, or enjoy the site's inspirational slideshow, giving yourself a simple shot of beauty.

he human journey is an amazing story. And it's told beautifully on the site Becoming Human. This interactive site shares the 7 million years of human evolution, including an interactive timeline that shares archeological finds from around the world. There's also a documentary that you can view online, download to your PC or Mac, or read the transcript of in English, Italian and Spanish. The site's Learning Center provides two games and activities, a chromosome adventure, and a section on building bodies, which explains how we are able to stand. Each includes comprehensive classroom materials, including student and teacher packets. There's also news, book reviews, a glossary and other general interest resources, all of which help as we take yet another step on this amazing journey.

APRIL 2010

t's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Sugar Bush Squirrel. You wouldn't visit this site to enjoy its slick design (it's pretty basic) or because of its cool interactive games or tools (there aren't any). But if you visit, I dare you not to smile. This is Americana at its quirkiest. Sugar Bush Squirrel is a real animal that was saved by one Kelly Foxton, a former country music entertainer. No stranger to costumes, Kelly dresses up Sugar Bush and posts the pictures on the Web site, punctuating the pages with poetry and patriotism. There are photos of Sugar Bush in dozens of costumes, including combat gear, a bridal gown and bunny suit. You can buy Sugar Bush squirrel plush toys, a calendar featuring Nutsradamus and cards. Sooner or later, you'll find yourself laughing along with the littlest hero, Sugar Bush.

ailed! That's how your meeting scheduling will be when you use the nifty Web site service TimeDriver. We've used this site to set appointments a couple of times, and it's just a well-thought-out service that helps you set up phone or in-person meetings really easily. You can get a 90-day free trial, and, if you like it, pay just $30 a year, which is definitely worth every penny if it helps you juggle a busy schedule. TimeDriver lets you set up what times you have available, then you can easily email a lot of people at once - for work, church or clubs. As the recipients pick their day and time, TimeDriver helps them log the appointment in their Outlook or Google calendar, and then updates your calendar, too. This slick service pretty much stops just short of taking notes at the meeting and sending a thank you note! It's truly a pleasure to encounter a program like this that reminds you just how great technology can be ... when you nail it.

he story continues. It does, certainly, at Circle of Stories . The site was created by the Public Broadcasting Service, probably for a TV series, although I couldn't find any evidence of that. Whatever its genesis, Circle of Stories, which dates back to at least 2003, is a multifaceted gem of Native American stories. You can read or listen to four main tales, learn about storytelling itself, tell your own stories, contact the storytellers, as well as find other resources about Native American life. The main stories are fascinating, and the visitors' contributions add spice to the mix. As far as I could tell, there hasn't been a story posted in years, but that doesn't really matter. The site is a trove of captured chronicles, traditional tales and memories, and as charming as a legend that really never ends.

each your peak.You can do just that when you visit MountainZone.com. This site really covers all the slopes, with sections on climbing, hiking, mountain biking, skiing, snowboarding, adventure and mountain peaks themselves. There are videos, gear reviews, how-to articles, blogs from a variety of athletes, a guide to bicycle shops around the United States, photos and travelogues, all focusing on mountains and the things you can do on and around them. The site has a lot of information and it's pretty well cross-referenced. I wish I got the feeling, though, that its owners were having more fun - there's not a lot of personality exhibited. But then, reaching your peak can be serious business, especially at high altitudes.

entlemen, start your ... lawnmowers? That's just what members of the U.S. Lawn Mower Racing Association do each year as the grass begins to grow under their feet. Based on a similar British group, what started as a promotional April Fool's joke in 1992 has now grown into a real organization, with nearly 40 clubs across the nation, an active Web site with a blog and lots of official information. And these guys are really racing. They have a national circuit and different classes of racing machines - some of the members are modifying their lawnmowers to look more like race cars than something you'd use to, well, mow your lawn. Some people seem to take it pretty seriously, although for most members, it's just a way to have good, clean fun. Vrrrooom, vroom - they're off!

MARCH 2010

he's gonna blow! Well, if any of the volcanoes in Alaska are going to erupt, you can get all the details at Alaska Volcano Observatory. A joint program of the U.S. government, University of Alaska and state programs, AVO monitors and studies Alaska's hazardous volcanoes. Thanks to its Web site, it now can share the information it gathers with all of us quickly and in great detail. You can find out about current volcanic activity, seeing a map of the more than 30 volcanoes in the area and which ones are acting up, check in on more than a dozen locations via webcam, read background data, see photos of these breathtakingly beautiful mountains, browse the site's glossary, and so much more. When it comes to Alaska's volcanoes, this site erupts with information.

pen your eyes. That's just what you'll do at start looking, a British Web site that focuses on the process and techniques of artists' motivation, inspiration and creation. After making more than 70 videos for our sponsor, sculptor Kevin Caron, I was obviously intrigued with the concept. After visiting the site, I fell in love, quickly. You can browse by more than 11 categories, search by keyword, or tap on popular tags. You also can just start clicking on videos that catch your eye, or you can subscribe to the newsletter or the site's RSS feed to keep up on the videos being added often. I particularly enjoyed movies about artist Chuck Close, whose portraits are dramatically distinctive, and the creation and destruction of sand sculptures in Dublin. But oh! That's only the start at this eye-opening site.

ometimes answers come in quirky packages. That's the basis of the book and Web site Quirkology. The term was coined by Professor Richard Wiseman to refer to, well, quirky psychological research, much of which uses mainstream methods to investigate unusual topics and unusual methods to investigate mainstream topics. Wiseman takes on popular activities such as firewalking, seances and even lying, as well as people's impression of names, dancers and emotion, the relationship between owners' personalities and those of their pets, the impact of white beards - which Wiseman calls The Santa Effect - and more. There is text and videos of the experiments and you can even recommend your own ideas for Wiseman's consideration. Pop science? These days, that is quirky!

ot green That's the style of WebEcoist, a site devoted to environmental oddities, natural disasters, fantastic plants and amazing animals. If it has something to do with Earth, WebEcoist is on it. You'll find eco-friendly facts, environmental history and information about the green movement itself in 14 different categories, including Art & Design, Energy & Fuel, Technology & Gadgets and Transit & Auto. There are archives that go back to August 2008, collections of favorites and bests, and much, much more. Fortunately, the site is well-designed, so despite the dizzying amount of information, you can clearly see what's available, in part because the site handles images so well. I also liked the little navigation bar that popped up at the bottom of my screen - the combination of technology and green awareness is hot, indeed!

ongrats on your very own TV station! Yes, you can now create your own full-screen channel, for free. If there's anything else like this on the Web, I haven't seen it. With isofa.tv, you can not only see anything you choose, you can make your own channel for anyone to watch online. This amazing site, which is out of Rio de Janerio, Brazil, shows YouTube videos full screen. You can simply watch whatever comes up, which can be pretty fascinating - I watched a video from Seaworld in which dolphins blew rings and played with them. Or you can search for keywords, and then watch videos about that subject. Perhaps most amazing, you can select videos by their specific YouTube address, then make your very own channel with its own Web address. Because it's full screen, it feels just like TV. So go! Be your own media magnate at isofa.tv.

FEBRUARY 2010

ho are you, and where did you come from? You can probably find the answer at the great-granddaddy of genealogy sites Ancestry.com. Many years ago, my husband decided to research his progenitors. This site was almost like a family bible for finding his kin, and it's gotten even better since then. You can build your own family tree, search U.S. and even world census, voter, birth, death, marriage, military, immigration and emigration lists, collaborate with other members, as well as learn about records and genealogy. You can buy genealogy books, hire an expert through the site, and even explore by way of DNA. There is a monthly charge for many of the site's services, but there are things you can do without cost, too, helping you answer those time-honored questions about your origin.

ure. Clean. Clear. Good water is all of these things, and so is the Web site The World's Water. It's so clean and well-organized, in fact, that it's almost hard to believe the volume of information it offers until you drill down into the site. The Data section focuses on recent times, with tables in PDF, Excel and plain text formats about 2008-2009 water matters worldwide. The Conflicts area has a timeline and list of battles over water from 3000 BC to 2009 that are sortable by region, conflict type, and date as well as a map showing where they happened. The site also offers Other Resources like a climate bibliography and air to water models. Indeed, this companion site to the biennial book The World’s Water is as sweet as the subject it covers.

hatever you can do, he can do smaller. That's easy to believe when visiting Moyer Made, the site of one Jim Moyer. While some people would consider it a feat to build a full-size engine, Moyer has built four miniature ones - that actually run! On the site, he tells the story of each engine and shares photos of the completed machine and some of its parts as well as offers specifications. I particularly enjoyed the pictures of the crankshaft of the world's smallest working V8 engine in, presumably, Moyer's hand. There are also videos of that little Corvette engine running, something you have to see to appreciate, and links to sites of interest to people who like tiny engines. Like Moyer's work, the site may be small, but it's powerful.

ery funny. That's the point of British comedian John Cleese's site. Like the mind of actor and writer Cleese, who is perhaps best known as one of the members of Monty Python, the site is a bit of a jumble. It has more than 30 podcasts; the Cleeseblog, which features videos, comments and a Twitter feed; The World of Cheese, which provides an opportunity to buy Cleese T-shirts and other paraphernalia; and a forum where the Cheeselets romp. These Cleese fans from around the globe do indeed drop by to share obscure John Cleese references. Of course, you can follow Cleese on Twitter or sign up for his email list, which he calls John Cleese's Nigerian Lottery, which you win every time it hits your inbox. Now that's funny!

hat a pearl of a site! Indeed, pearl-guide.com is a perfect place to learn about one of nature's most beautiful creations. Its 3,000 members - pearl dealers, farmers, traders, wholesalers, hobbyists, authors and consumers - have contributed more than 50,000 pages of information about their favorite gem. You can learn about natural pearls, cultured pearls, pearl history, pearl terms, pearl cultivation, care and grading. Oddly enough, though, there are a limited number of pictures of pearls or people finding, grading or even wearing them. But there's an active forum, where you can ask questions and discuss pearls, even if it's as simple as how to care for the ones your great-grandmother gave you. If you want to know anything about pearls, this site is quite a find.

JANUARY 2010

o native. That's just what you can do after visiting PlantNative. This fascinating site's Oregon-based hosts want to encourage use of native plants in mainstream landscaping to "promote biodiversity, preserve our natural heritage, reduce pollution, and enhance livability." And they've gone about it in a very productive way. When you search by state or region, you find a snapshot of the happiest flora for that area and why and where it does best. You can also find out more about each plant by digging down, as well as find nurseries and community services in your region and nearby areas. They also recommend helpful books, offer a naturescaping guide, and the site has a regional area for professionals. Yes, this site makes it easy for people to feel like a native.

et's make friends. At MakingFriends.com, that's not all you'll make. If you like crafts - or need them for classes, parties or group activities - you'll find them here at this jam-packed site, thanks to owner Terri, a former graphic designer, and her tough team of researchers (all of whom are under the age of 12). Fortunately, there are many ways to find what you want, with drop-down menus for themes, materials you are working with, what you're making the crafts for, as well as subject categories and holidays. You can find coupons, sample offers, contests and sources, paper doll and pony bead patterns. There's even yucky stuff for kids who don't like crafts, and the site's newsletter keeps you posted on what's new and fun, all of which makes it easy to make friends.

core! If you're ready to make a change for the better in your life, the site 43 Things is ready to help you set your goals, record your progress, and make your dreams a reality. It also lets you cheer on other site users who are working to achieve their goals, and it's all free. The site offers a really helpful tour to help you understand how it works, and it's easy to get started - you don't even have to create an account. It's even easier to be inspired by the stories posted in the "did it" section, where you can find out how long it took others to achieve their goals, and they felt about them. Of course, you can comment, see recently cheered accomplishments, new and popular goals, as well as learn about other people and their dreams. Indeed, everywhere you click and read, you're already a winner on this site.

hy don't we talk about this. Some people believe you can work out nearly any problem by talking it through. That's the focus of Mediate.com, a site dedicated to "Everything Mediation." And it just might be here. You can find mediation news, read and view more than 5,000 articles and videos about mediation, find mediators in every U.S. state, read blogs that focus on mediation, find books and services for mediation professionals, and find mediation events and organizations. There's information for professionals and those who are learning about mediation or need it. With all of its easily accessible content and more than 4 million visits annually, it's reasonable to believe the site owners' claim that it's the "world's leading mediation Web site." And that's something worth talking about!

hat sounds ideal! That's the point of idealist.org, an interactive site that helps "people and organizations exchange resources and ideas, locate opportunities and supporters, and take steps toward building a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives." Despite its idealistic goals, this is an intensely practical site. You'll find jobs, organizations, consultants, internships, programs, people, videos, images, speakers, events and volunteer opportunities. There are blogs, daily alerts and forums, and it's all in English, Spanish and French! The site makes it incredibly easy to connect to individuals and groups by location, interest, language and keyword, giving us all great hope that idealism lives.