10 Links for Your Memorial Day Web Surfing

(photo: Shutterstock image)

Happy Memorial Day! I hope that nobody is reading this, and instead you're all out getting some fresh air and frolicking in the sunshine with your families. But if you do happen to find yourself with some extra web surfing time over the long weekend, below are a few links you might enjoy. (And lest this seem like it was an easy post to put together, I assure you that it was not, due to the fact that I tried to find cool stuff that Tito and Kevin had not already linked to -- quite a challenge indeed!)

1. A good place to start is the Wikipedia entry about Memorial Day. There's some surprisingly interesting stuff there, like the fact that it used to be called Decoration Day, because it was a day where women would go out and decorate the graves of fallen Civil War soldiers.

2. Speaking of the Civil War, one positive thing that came out of the tragedy was that it led to important advances in battlefield medicine. Here are five such innovations, including some fascinating stories about how they were developed.

3. Take a dive seven miles down into the ocean with this fascinating infograph. (Don't miss the box on the right that changes with updated information as you scroll.)

4. Check out MarineTraffic.com, otherwise known as "the website so awesome that it has forever ruined my dad's productivity." It shows the location of every ship on the ocean, its name, heading and speed. My dad writes: "To see something impressive, work the map over to the English Channel and click on the square south of Southampton."

5. If you get bored today you could always launch a Lego man into space and take a video of it, like these kids did.

6. In case you missed it over at LifeSite News, they have an inspiring story about a young woman who was born into terrible circumstances but is grateful to be alive.

7. Here is an amazing collection of photos taking in the early 1940s, using a high-quality film that makes them look like they were taken yesterday.

8. This video highlights seven "healthy" foods that have more sugar than a Twinkie. Next time you're at the store, read the labels on the food you buy -- it's amazing how often sugar is one of the first few ingredients!

9. For a visual treat, check out these beautiful photographs of confluences (places where rivers come together) from around the world.

10. No list of links would be complete without a video that combines magic and iPads.

I hope you all have a restful and safe Memorial Day!