Referrals
Dictionaries - Great Place to Begin
Any information quest begins with defining what you are wanting to find and the correct definition of terms is a great place to begin. Merriam-Webster and Cambridge Dictionary are good online resources.
Internet - The Digital World of Information
As you can tell from this site, our favorite go-to for general information is WikiPedia. WikiPedia has extensive articles most of which include the cited sources. Any article that does not list the sources is flagged at the top of the page as to what is missing or of questionable origin. The citations are a great way to validate the value of the contents. Use is free but I suggest donating to support at this is an ad-free site.
Purchasing - Reviews of General Consumer Products
Consumer Reports is an unbiased source for independent evaluations of a large number of consumer products and goes to great lengths to not be influenced by product manufacturers. You can access the first level of reports without charge but the more extensive reports are by membership. Also has a publication and a Consumer Health Report.
Purchasing - Reviews of Technical & Digital Products
One of the best ways to save money is to buy correctly the first time at a fair price. Even though we have been involved in tech for most of the Digital Age, it is difficult to stay current, to know what is the quality that should be expected or what the best products are to fulfill expectations. Not all that is popular will last as long as expectations.
We subscribe to PC Magazine and receive the daily updates on What’s New, Lab Reports, Mobile, Tips and Tricks and the Windows Guide. Free because of the ads but the sponsors do not unduly influence the reports and reviews.
We have used both CNET and TechRadar for several years for additional perspectives on what is available and worthwhile in the marketplace for both software and hardware.
Health - Reports and General Information
While healthcare is still a personal relationship with a healthcare provider, there is a wealth of information available online (there is also a plethora of misinformation). None of these resources take the place of a healthcare worker — they can provide information to direct you to healthy products and clarify when you need professional consults.
Consumer Labs is an independent, professional service providing product testing both for efficacy and quality of content of products. Not all brands contain what the label may say or may also have ingredients not listed. You can see summary articles for free but the in-depth coverage is for members which is how the site is supported. Extremely valuable content.
If you are looking for symptom database, what various prescription or over-the-counter medications are for or even the details of a diagnosis or procedure, these sites have competent resources. But, they are not for emergencies or self-diagnosis.
Tutorials - Where to Learn so you Know
While we have a somewhat extensive background with building websites over 30 years with several different means and know a lot about a lot of stuff, there is always something new. This website was built with WordPress & Elementor and twenty-seven different courses were used to gain proficiency in the elements involved. But Udemy also is a means for us to know about Crypto, PhotoShop, GIMP, ePublishing, Ai Artificial Intelligence and so much more. Hint: find courses you are interested in, preview the tutor and then wait for the next sale — usually a couple times a month there is something that piques my interest and comes on sale.
Another resource that we use for technical how-to, education and, yes, for entertainment is YouTube. Just realize that not everyone on YouTube is doing it for free and there are lots of ads for the non-subscriber.
News - Reliable Information on Now
As important as History is for having a reasonable perspective on Today, accurate, unbiased news reporting is key for application of all you have known. In the post-Information Age of the Twenty-first Century, misinformation and disinformation can be as readily accepted as Reality even without nothing more than presentation (optics) and mass acceptance to give it believability. We encourage the use of a broad spectrum of news sources with a dash of discernment to work through the maze that is news in the social media arena.
While not our first source every morning, we strongly encourage the use of an open source media such as World News Group. Yes, it is from a Christian perspective but there is no hidden agenda and commentary is presented as commentary rather than news — something rare in media. Summary articles on major news events are available on the three main app streams and also podcasts. We subscribe for even more in-depth stories.
We also like to see compiled news from wide range of sources and have found the multiple sources used by AllSides to be convenient as you can pick the feeds that interest you.
AllSides is available on all media and also includes the AllSides Bias Checker of 9,300 sources so you have a more accurate detail of any possible agenda in a report.
There is also a couple sites that verify the veracity of news and the bias that may be contained that is either commentary, satire or disinformation.
We strongly encourage the use of Snopes if something sounds a little off and check it out.
Enjoyment - Taking Time to Relax
We believe that too much of almost anything needs a break. After years of being driven, we agree that it is a good thing to take a time to rest, refresh, relax, recuperate. We enjoy a good read — or listen — and we especially enjoy and are challenged and prompted to think by the contemporary writer Charles Martin. He has a wide selection of fiction works and a handful of non-fiction but is an excellent wordsmith, able to weave a story with an unusual depth of researched content and develop the plot and characters better than most. A writer who unfolds the story.