Advanced Book Exchange
Mature database of out-of-print books, including their exact condition, price, and location. If it exists, you'll probably find it here.
Air Visual - Earth
Mesmerizing, would be beautiful, except that you're watching air pollution flow across the planet in real time.
All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office
U.S. DoD AARO is the Pentagon's "one-stop shop" for declassified public information about Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). 2023/08/31 Announcement
Animal Clock
Brings attention to the incredible number of animals suffering and dying in factory farms. It ain't pretty.
AnnualCreditReport.com
This is the Federally authorized source of free annual credit reports - don't be fooled by pretenders. Combines reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion in a more user-friendly format.
Antenna Search
Whether you'd like to be closer to them or farther away, find cell towers and antennas near a specified address.
Better Business Bureau
Look before you leap. Investigate businesses, products, and services before you buy. See also Charity Navigator and CharityWatch, below.
BioIntegrity.org
Independent revelations about the effects of genetic engineering on foods and our environment, from the Alliance for Bio-Integrity.
Charity Navigator
Charity Navigator helps guide wise giving by evaluating the financial health, accountability and transparency of charities and nonprofits in sensible charts and graphs. It does this without charging public users and without accepting money that might influence objectivity.
CharityWatch.org
The American Institute of Philanthropy is now known as CharityWatch, a nationally prominent charity rating and evaluation service dedicated to helping donors make informed giving decisions.
Citizens United
From Vox news 2015/07/15 "The Citizens United era of money in politics, explained" - what it is, and why it doesn't belong in U.S. politics.
Climate Reanalyzer
Weather and climate data, maps, models, and forecasts from the University of Maine.
U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index
Helps you see which communities face the greatest challenges from the impacts of a changing climate. This tool shows what is driving the challenges, so policymakers and communities themselves can take action to build climate resilience where it is needed most.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The CFPB works to prevent unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices in order to ensure market transparency and disclosure to enable consumers to make informed financial decisions.
Core77 Design Magazine & Resource
Serving student and professional industrial designers, Core77 publishes articles, discussion forums, an event calendar, hosts portfolios, job listings, a database of design firms, schools, vendors and services.
DMAchoice.org
The Direct Marketing Association's mail preference service is the most effective avenue to opt out of postal junk mail.
Doomsday Clock
A classic from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists summarizing the severity of major threats to the global community.
How to break up Dog Fights (PDF)
Thorough instructions from The Pet Professional Guild. See also:
Break Stick Information
From Pit Bull Rescue Central. Anyone who owns a pit bull terrier, as well as police on patrol, should have at least one break stick on hand. Excellent advice, with instructions to make your own.
E-Waste solutions
E-waste is the toxic legacy of our digital age. Our waste electronics are polluting drinking water and harming ecosystems around the world. It’s time to fix the problem.
Edmunds
Cars and trucks independent comparisons, reviews, valuation, and buying and maintenance guides.
Emergent.info
Unlike that game in grade school, communication errors and outright fallacies can spread like wildfire online. Emergent.info attempts to track the latest hot topics - where they started, where they're going, and whether they're realistic - in real time.
FaceCrooks
Facebook treats and tricks, but not the friendly kind. FaceCrooks' mission is to monitor and chronicle the seedy, unsavory, and silly side of social media - providing current news, educational resources, and alerts on social media privacy, safety, and scams.
Farm vs Factory
From animals to crops to the entire food system, take a tour of the differences between sustainable farming and industrial agriculture.
Federal Trade Commission (U.S.)
The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. Get free information on consumer issues, or file a complaint.
To report hard-core internet crime, see the Internet Crime Complaint Center, below.
Feral Swine in the U.S.
History of invasive feral swine in the Americas, by the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, includes U.S. distribution maps. They reproduce rapidly, and they're destructive, smart, and dangerous. Here's what to do and who to call if you encounter them.
Fire Blocking Super-Material
You won't have to wait for it to be declassified or sell a kidney to get it - you can make it yourself so easily that we could tell you right here, but you will be glad that you watched the video. Fire Blocking Super-Material - Part 2
Paul Graham
Essays on business, computer programming, and life - on sense and sensibility in a chaotic world. Enjoyable and enlightening reading.
G-watch
Quick reference maps of the status of current natural hazards: drought, Earth and space weather, earthquakes, volcanism, wildfire, and more.
Health Rosetta
Your company and employees may be overpaying 20-40% to cover colossal perks to brokers who design plans that mainly benefit health insurers. Find brokers that work for employers, not insurers.
ProPublica explains.
Blue Campaign - U.S. DHS
A national public awareness campaign designed to educate the public, law enforcement, and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that profits by using force, fraud, or coercion to control people as property. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call 1-888-373-7888, text HELP or INFO to 233733, TTY:711
iFixIt
The free repair guide for everything, written by everyone: apparel, electronic devices, household, vehicles, and more.
International Dark-Sky Association
Night-time light pollution interferes with health by disrupting natural biological rhythms, threatens astronomical research, and wastes energy and money. The IDA works to protect the night skies for present and future generations.
Internet Crime Complaint Center (U.S.)
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a partnership between the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), accepts online Internet crime complaints from actual victims or third parties.
To report unfair business practices, see the Federal Trade Commission, above.
KnowTheChain.org
Did a slave make your clothes? Probably. KnowTheChain is a resource for companies and investors to understand and address forced labor risks within their global supply chains. Consumers can use the handy chart when deciding what to buy.
Lead Poisoning
No doubt you've read or heard the wise (and the otherwise) analyze, complain, or theorize about stupid people and their behavior. But rarely does anyone mention that a primary cause of Stupid may lurk in the food, water, and air that many of us have consumed since infancy. More:
2022/03/07 Lead exposure in last century shrank IQ scores of half of Americans
2023/04/05 EPA finds over 9M lead pipes supplying drinking water throughout U.S.
2023/09/19 Neuroscientist explains why stupidity is an existential threat to America
Life After Hate
Founded by former extremists, Life After Hate is committed to helping people leave the violent far-right, and dedicated to inspiring all people to a place of compassion and forgiveness - for themselves and each other. Hate is like an addictive drug - Be Free.
Markups.org
Buying a new car? This database could help you save thousands in dealer markups. Find an outrageous markup? Report it.
MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's MedWatch program for consumers and health care professionals to report adverse events for human medical products, including side effects, product quality problems, and potential and actual product use errors, associated with the use of:
FDA-regulated drugs, biologics (including human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products), medical devices (including in-vitro diagnostics), special nutritional products and cosmetics, foods (including beverages) and dietary supplements.
Missing Money
Free search of governmental unclaimed property records. Lost or forgotten assets are required by law to be turned over to the states and provinces. MissingMoney.com is officially endorsed by the states and provinces, and is the only database endorsed by the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA).
Missing Or Murdered Indigenous Persons
This U.S. Department of Justice page provides resources to address persistent violence endured by Native American families and communities across the country, including options to report and identify missing persons, view unsolved Indian Country cases, and to contact the Office of Tribal Justice.
Mission Possible World Health International
Massive compendium of research and documentation on the ill effects of aspartame, also called "Nutrasweet" and other names, and the history of its nefarious introduction into the food supply.
Mother Earth News
The most popular and longest-running sustainable-lifestyle magazine, providing wide-ranging expert editorial coverage of organic foods, country living, green transportation, renewable energy, natural health, and green building. The original guide to living wisely.
Move Over America
Across the U.S., current law requires you to slow down and/or move out of the traffic lane adjacent to a stopped police or other emergency or DoT vehicle. It's the right thing to do - these people may rescue you sometime.
National Do Not Call Registry (U.S. FTC)
Register your telephone number here to reduce your volume of junk calls - seriously. Government, charities, and companies to whom you have given your number can still call, but other cold-call solicitors can be fined if you file a valid complaint. Check the FAQ for details. An excellent resource for seniors.
National Human Trafficking Hotline
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery that profits by using force, fraud, or coercion to control people as property. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, call:1-888-373-7888, Text:233733, TTY:711
Native American Rights Fund
Founded in 1970, the Native American Rights Fund (NARF) is the oldest and largest nonprofit law firm dedicated to asserting and defending the rights of American Indian tribes, organizations and individuals nationwide.
NBC Unexplained Aerial Phenomena
We can neither confirm nor deny that NBC now has a permanent section for news of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena and flying objects that have been shot down over North America. 👽
Near-Earth Objects Close Approaches
A table of close approaches to the Earth by near-Earth objects - from the NASA JPL Center for Near Earth Object Studies. The table loads slowly - there are a lot of objects out there.
The Non-GMO Project
This non-profit organization aims to verify, protect, and build the non-GMO food supply. Everyone deserves an informed choice about what to eat.
RadTriageTM Radiation Detector
(formerly: RadDetect) Upgraded model now available!
Accurate: 0-1000R/h • Detects b-e-g-x • EMP Impervious • Instant Response • Military Grade • No Battery Required • Credit Card Size • Least Expensive
An exhaustive search found many other products, all of which react slowly (or too late or not at all), fail above low exposure levels, have no EMP shielding, give false alarms, and all this at far greater cost. Most use expensive batteries which are not user replaceable.
Potassium Iodide
Blocks thyroid absorption of radioactive iodine during a nuclear event. Only these products are FDA approved. Long shelf life.
Decontamination Products
Chemically remove radioactive halogen residues.
Click a banner to learn more or buy now.
NuVal - Nutrition Value Score
Distills complex information into a simple at-a-glance nutrition value score (1-100) for any food. Developed from a rigorous independent study of popular and fad diets and current nutrition science. Look for NuVal scores on market shelf tags. More:
Science compared every diet, and the winner is real food
"A diet of minimally processed foods close to nature, predominantly plants, is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention."
Open Payments
From the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this tool searches payments made by drug and medical device companies to physicians, physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, and teaching hospitals. Answers the question: Is your doctor prescribing the best treatment, or the one s/he's been paid to recommend?
OpenSecrets.org
The Center for Responsive Politics tracks money in U.S. politics and its effect on elections and public policy.
OptOutPrescreen.com
You can eliminate postal junk mail offers of insurance and similar by companies who "prescreen" you, based on your credit report by the Big Three agencies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion), either by writing to those agencies individually or via this very secure website.
Oxymel
Supergerms are beating modern antibiotics. An ancient honey-and-vinegar remedy prescribed by Hippocrates may be a cheap alternative for those with chronically infected wounds.
Periodic Table of the Elements
Learn about the chemical elements, atomic orbitals, and particles in a variety of formats.
Poison Help
Official website of the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC), representing the nation’s 55 poison centers in partnership with the CDC, FDA, and HRSA. Use the Poison Help link above or call 1-800-222-1222 for help. If a person has collapsed, had a seizure, has trouble breathing, or can’t be awakened, call 911 immediately.
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Poisons Help: Emergency Identification For Mushrooms & Plants
This open Facebook group is for emergency help only: in case a person or pet has consumed unknown fungi (mushroom, "toadstool"), or touched or consumed an unknown plant.
Primitive Technology
This site is no longer maintained, but still offers a wealth of advice and videos on making things in the wild completely from scratch using no modern tools or materials.
Probable Futures
Probable Futures was founded in 2020 by a group of concerned leaders and citizens who started asking climate scientists direct, practical questions about what climate change would be like in different places around the world. Science, applications, imagination: we’re going to need all of them.
Radio-Locator
Comprehensive radio station search engine with links to over 12,900 web pages and over 7,300 audio streams from radio stations around the world.
ReelViews
Good review site for movies, plus a public forum, by James Berardinelli.
The Repair Association
Champions your Right To Repair, modify, or upgrade equipment you already own. This seems crazy only if you don't realize that you are steadily losing this right through bloated service costs and legislation instigated by original equipment manufacturers and their officially designated service organizations. If we cannot reduce and reuse (as well as recycle) our environment also suffers.
ReproductiveRights.gov
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to providing you with accurate and up-to-date information about access to and coverage of reproductive health care and resources.
RiskFactor.com
Find your (prospective) home's Risk Factors: past events, current risks, and future projections based on peer-reviewed research from the world’s leading flood, fire, and climate modelers. Check out a state, ZIP, city, or specific address before you buy.
RYNO Motors
This company sells a self-balancing motor-powered unicycle. Definitely not a rerun of the Segway - you will just have to see for yourself.
Scorecard
Shows who's polluting, with what pollutants, and where. Enter your zip code for local conditions.
Slooh Community Observatory
Since 2003, Slooh has connected land based astronomical telescopes to the internet for access by the broader public. Members have taken 2.4m photos of over 40,000 celestial objects, and participated in discoveries with leading astronomical institutions.
Snopes
Heard a rumor? From computer viruses to politics, see if it's fact or fiction!
the StarChild Project
A continuation of Lloyd Pye's decades-long rigorous research and findings on the origin of a skull of extraordinary form and composition.
State Court Report
As the U.S. Supreme Court rolls back many of our rights, state constitutions and courts have taken on new importance. State Court Report is a resource and commentary hub covering cases, high courts, and constitutional developments across the 50 states.
Still Tasty
Your ultimate food shelf-life guide - save money, eat better, help the environment.
Stop the Bleed
Learn how to save a life: bleeding control instructions from the American College of Surgeons.
Bob Sullivan
Corporate sneakiness, government waste, technology run amok, outright scams. Bob Sullivan covers internet scams and consumer fraud, and is the winner of multiple journalism awards for his coverage of online crime. A gold mine of valuable information. Books: Gotcha Capitalism and Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.
The Sunlight Foundation
This nonpartisan nonprofit organization provides online tools, open data, policy recommendations, journalism, and grant opportunities to catalyze greater government transparency and to create accountability of public officials.
The Tesla Collection
The most comprehensive compilation of newspaper and periodical material ever assembled by or about Nikola Tesla.
U.S. Postal Inspection Service
Combatting illegal narcotics, mail and package theft, identity theft, mail fraud, suspicious mail, money laundering, cybercrime, and child exploitation, and providing Postal employee protection, fraud prevention and education, disaster response, and global mail security - the USPIS has worldwide jurisdiction. Report suspicious calls, mail, scams, and more.
Vote Climate U.S. PAC
This national climate change voter’s guide assigns to U.S. House and Senate candidates climate results scores based on their histories of actions, not merely words: working to transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy, and establishing carbon fees, in order to slow climate change and related weather extremes.
wikiHow
How to do anything. The most trusted how-to site on the internet.
Wild Horse Education
Wild Horse Education works to protect an American heritage: wild horses and burros on public land.
Wolfram|Alpha
Go ahead - ask it any question. It's not all-knowing, but it puts a surprising amount of historical, social, and scientific data (including computations) at your fingertips.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
A private, non-profit organization dedicated to research, engineering, and education to advance understanding of the ocean, its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and its role in the changing global environment.
World Factbook - CIA Library
Yes, that CIA. This publicly available library provides dense details, maps, and issues for 267 world entities - a trove of information that could be difficult to assemble from other sources.
Zinn Education Project
Introduces students to a more accurate, complex, and engaging understanding of U.S. history than is found in traditional textbooks and curricula. Free lessons and articles based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States".