Web Links

The Puerto Rican/Hispanic Genealogical Society enables Puerto Ricans, Hispanics and other interested persons to to conduct a competent genealogical search for their ancestors in Puerto Rico, Latin America and Spain. In this regard, it sponsors conferences, seminars, training sessions and originates print and electronic publications, that are specifically designed to inform, train and otherwise educate people about genealogical investigation principals, methods and techniques.  Please visit our website, www.rootsweb.com/~prhgs for additional information.

Business Filings, Inc. [http://bizfilings.com can help you learn the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating in any of the 50 states. Then it can actually lead you through the process, and (for a fee) provide some necessary services along the way, from getting and filing the proper forms to establishing a mail drop in a remote state. The free name check is a good way to start, to see if your desired name is available in your desired state. The live customer
support is a handy tool, so you can get immediate answers as you battle forms and regulations.
 

IPOs -- the Initial Public Offering of stock in companies  have been the ignition switch of the Internet boom. Some Internet firms have managed to set records in their first hours and days on the market, not to mention in their ability to come to market in the first place -- before building profits or even much in the way of sales. But most IPO shares have been doled out to insiders, institutions, and big investors. If you want to know who is getting in on the action, and perhaps have a better chance yourself, you might
look to a specialized IPO information site such as Alert-IPO! [http://www.ostman.com/
alert-ipo/ai.exe?cobrand=ostman]

Home Work Domania.com http://www.domania.com has links to tools and services for home owners. But the most interesting parts of the site are home value and price search. Enter the address of a home and you can learn the recent sales price for that property. Or you can ask to see the sale prices of homes on the same street or neighborhood. The prices go back to 1987.

Search For B&Bs BedandBreakfast.com [http://www.bedandbreakfast.com] is an enormous database -- more than 20,000 listings -- of inns and B&Bs around the world. The site has a slick design that makes it easy to use. It is updated frequently with new listings and refinements, making it the premier online guide to B&Bs and inns.

Ergonomic Exercises at Work If you sit at a desk and stare at a computer screen all day, take a break and head on over to ErgAerobicsInc  http://www.ergaerobics.com Your body will be glad you did. ErgAerobicsInc is an ergonomics consulting firm, and its Web site offers a few helpful "egercises" for anyone who sits for hours at a time. The site also features a FAQ page, links to related articles, a section that reviews ergonomic products, and much more.

Classical Music Learn the fine art of appreciating -- and enjoying -- classical music at SoYouWannaLearn About Classical Music? [http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/
classical/classical.html]. The SoYouWanna.com Web site offers an informative, fundamental approach to learning classical music while keeping the lessons irreverent and fun (no snobs here). You need to download RealAudio player to listen to the "tons" of music files SoYouWanna.com offers, but the site provides a link to do so, and there's no charge to you.

Free Images Fresher Image [http://www.free-clip-images.com/] offers tons of free clip art and some are even 3-D animated. They offer images such as fun animations, borders, bullets, backgrounds, icons, and much more.

Tell InterShipper where you're sending something and how much it weighs, and you'll soon see a comparison of charges from FedEx, UPS, USPS (the Postal Service), BAX, Airborne, DHL, and Emery Worldwide. The quotes include the shipping method, carrier, arrival date, and price. Use InterShipper's technology to integrate directly with your online store and you can offer shoppers a choice in shipping. http://www.intershipper.net

The Travel Channel [http://travel.discovery.com is intimately linked to the cable television network of the same name. The site brings you weekly listings of what's on the tube plus links to its "Best" series on boardwalks, water parks, scuba diving, flea markets, and so on. Family travel Q&A, Travel Webcams, and timely featured trips make this more than just a TV
travel guide. Links to trip planning tools can work from two angles -- where you want to go, or what you want to do.

Rate Fate Buy low, sell high: that used to be the rule of financial success. Now for many people it has become: borrow low, save high. But which bank has the highest interest rates on checking and savings? Which has the lowest rates on cards and mortgages? Bankrate.comhttp://www.bankrate.com keeps track and compares the rates from bank to bank. It also has discussion message boards where you can listen to former and current bank customers woes.

Late Breaking Links Learners Online, Inc. http://learnersonline.com offers free weekly lessons linking students with current events online to help them learn about history, geography, science, language arts, and technology. A lesson on the Panama Canal features links to the Panama Canal Commission Web site, where students can take a virtual voyage through the canal complete with animated diagrams of the locks. Stock Market Math teaches fractions and decimals through links to the latest stock quotations and financial news. For even more in-depth information on the newest educational sites on the Web, there is the not-so-free monthly e-journal, Learners Online , available by subscription, helping teachers and home educators make online learning accessible to everyone.

The Inner Workings of a Drip Coffee Maker Good morning, sunshine! Dedicated coffee drinkers have "bean" delighted to learn the mysteries of a drip coffee maker's inner workings. HowStuffWorks.com [http://www.howstuffworks.com/coffee-maker.htm] features a step-by-step tutorial that takes apart a drip coffee maker to see what makes it drip. Okay, maybe you don't care how it works as long as it does -- but what should you do if your drip coffee maker stops working? This site has that information, too. Check out "What Can Go Wrong" under the section "Making Coffee" and never go a day without a fresh brew!

Tai Chi -- Mind-Body Exercise Want to get off that treadmill? Barbells weighing you down?  http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/tc-home.html offers a refreshing alternative to traditional Western exercise routines. Read about the history and benefits of Tai Chi or peruse an image gallery. A FAQ page is also included.

Free Prescriptions Is your medication too expensive for your budget? The Cost Containment Research Institute [http://www.institute-dc.org] may help. Get information on free and low-cost prescription drugs.

Credit Card Debt Management Thinking about applying for yet another credit card? Drowning in credit card debt already? Before pulling out the plastic for another purchase, charge your way over to The Motley Fool [http://www.fool.com/credit/credit.htm] credit tutorial: a step-by-step guide to obtaining, using, and managing your credit cards.

Zap Unwelcome Insurance Offers Ask one of the credit reporting agencies for a form to remove your name from lists for unsolicited credit and insurance offers. You can also contact the Direct Marketing Association's Mail and Telephone Preference Services [http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/privacy.html]. 

Spreads Straddles and Options, Mr. Stock specializes in stock options. The site has both educational and trading facilities, including stop, and stop limit orders for options and NYSE stocks. It also offers charting tools and intelligent option chains that allow you to enter a stock symbol and see a list of available puts and calls). There's even a help center to explain to beginners just what those terms mean.  www.mrstock.com 

As more people have continuous Internet connections via DSL, there's a growing need for security from outside Internet intruders. That means a firewall. ZoneAlarm www.zonelabs.com  makes a freely downloadable firewall called ZoneAlarm for Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000. It is only 1.6MB, a small size to download. It includes utilities for different parts of Internet access, including MailSafe, security levels, andapplication control, and it can pop up an alarm when it senses an unauthorized access attempt.