Need a break from your work? Visit the WebMuseum at the Louvre.

Want privacy on the Web? Use the Anonymizer to visit a web site anonymously. If you are concerned about cookies that may have been deposited on your hard disk, you should configure your browser to warn you in the future, when a site wants to deposit such a cookie on you drive, and see Cookie Central for information on "persistent cookie" technology.

If you receive unsolicited e-mail (SPAM) that you feel should be investigated, forward it to the Federal Trade Commission at UCE@FTC.GOV.

Before you buy anything expensive, see the information and ratings in ConsumerGuide Interactive and Consumer Reports online, and see the consumer chat and ratings at consumerreview.com. Also see CompareNet. Then to buy or sell just about anything at auction prices, try the online auction at eBay. For consumer information that is specific to buying or renting a car, see the Travel Section of this web site.  For unusually extensive reviews on coffee makers, see CoffeeGeek.com.

For classified ads to local services, see craigslist.com.  I've provided the link to the Kansas City services, but you can choose any major city from there.  Also see care.com for a cumulative list with a narrower focus and for contractors and other home services, Angie's List.  While craig's list does not charge for use of its classified ads, the other two require membership and fees from users.

The search for medical information has become one of the most active uses of the web. An excellent source is MedicineNet, which was created and is maintained by a group of physicians. In addition to the extensive amount of information supplied directly by these physicians in this site, the site also contains a large list of links to other medical sites. But don't bother searching elsewhere until you've found what these physicians have put online in their own valuable site.  For a general medical resource site, see the consumers' section of WebMD. For information about and RATINGS OF physicians, hospitals, and health plans, see HealthGrades.com and the AMA's Doctor Finder.  To check for reports of professional misconduct by physicians, see docfinder.  Regarding hospitals, see the US News rankings, health care choices, leap frog, and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.  For information about physicians and hospitals in the Kansas City area, see HealthyKansasCity.org.

To search for a doctor in the United States, you likely will want to know whether the doctors you are considering are Board Certified in the areas of specialization that concern you. You can check on that for any physician by searching the American Board of Medical Specialties' Verification of Board Certification.

For free legal advice, see FreeAdvice.com.  If you should need an attorney, the first place to look is martingale.com, where you can find peer review ratings of attorneys, both in terms of ethical standards and professional expertise and knowledge.

Before you choose a movie to see, you may wish to check some online reviews. Especially recommended are James Berardinelli's excellent ReelViews () and the Chicago Tribune's Movie Archive (professional) (). For links to other movie reviews, see Yahoo's online movie review links and the very colorful overview of critical reviews at Rotten Tomatoes () and MetaCritic ().  Here in the Lawrence/Kansas City area, the popular nightlife newspaper is The Pitch.

Food For Thought. (? stars)
Groan. (zero stars)
Academic Information Service's Tax Guide for College Teachers.
Gossip:  There is no shortage of gossip in academia.  For the most notorious of the student gossip sites, see Juicy Campus.