My Newest Lens 

What I've Been Writing About Lately

Joe Biden

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware is Barack Obama's vice presidential running mate, Chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and a two-time former presidential candidate. He has served in Congress since first being elected in November 1...

Better World Lenses 

Free Donations

We don't all have the resources to donate money to good causes, but with a few clicks of your mouse, you can do a world of good.

Save the World with Peanut Butter and Jelly!

Ok, maybe you can't really save the entire world with PB&J, but opting for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a burger at least once a week does have positive consequences for our planet. Find out why.

Help End World Hunger

854 million people in the world are hungry. And every day nearly 16,000 children die from hunger and related causes. We have the resources to feed the world. We just need the will. Learn about global hunger and what you can do to help. (Photo courtesy...

Wild, Wild Web 

AdSense Ready WordPress Themes

So you're starting a blog and need a theme? Consider using an AdSense-ready theme to maximize your earnings. These are a few that will start you on your way to profitable blogging.

Green Web Hosting Providers

Using a green web hosting provider is a great way for webmasters to help the planet. Wind and solar web hosts offer affordable hosting with green benefits and competitive prices.

97 Social Bookmarking Sites with Google PageRank

Social bookmarking is a great way to save pages you like and help others find articles, blog posts, lenses and sites you create. But what sites should you use? This list of bookmarking services can help you decide.

Great Gift Ideas 

Unusual and fun gift ideas for everyone on your list

Personalized Chocolate Candy

Tired of giving the same old gifts? Try personalized candy for a sweet treat your gift recipients will love! From personalized M&Ms to personalized candy bars, there's something here for every chocoholic.

Over the hill? 40th Birthday Gift Ideas

Is someone you know turning 40? Have they gone over the hill or are they still climbing? Give them a gift they'll remember.

Personalized Books for Adults, Tweens and Kids

Personalized children's picture books have been around for a long time, but toddlers aren't the only ones who can enjoy starring in their own book these days. Now older children, teens and even adults can star in their own novels, from classic tales...

Unique and Alternative Gift Ideas

If you've been looking for a unique gift for a special someone and are frustrated because you can't find anything at your local super mall, here are some ideas to get you going. From fair trade to far out fun, these gifts are sure to be tops on your...

Romantic Gifts for Chocolate Lovers

If your special someone is a chocoholic, surprise him or her with a romantic chocolate gift for Valentine's Day, a birthday or your anniversary. From chocolate dipped wine and strawberries, to chocolate roses and games, these tasty gifts are sure to...

Just for Fun 

Lenses that aim to entertain

Send Free Photo ECards

Why settle for a generic electronic card? These sites offer free photo greeting cards that you can personalize with your own digital photos.

Who Invented Chocolate? The Sweet History of Chocolate

Who was the inventor of chocolate? Well, you could give credit to many people, from the Olmec, Maya and Aztec civilizations that discovered the cacao bean, to the Dutch inventor who created a press to make cocoa powder, to the Englishman who inv...

Free Summer Movies for Kids

Looking for something to do with the kids this summer? Many movie theater chains offer free (or pretty darn cheap!) summer movies for families. Here is a list of some movie theater summer programs and what to expect.

Elf Yourself, Become an M&M or Turn Into a Simpsons Character

Elf yourself! Become an M&M. Turn yourself into a Simpsons character. Star in your own animated e-card. Find out about popular sites and then create your own virtual alter ego online!

Fun for Kids 

All About LEGO Batman Video Game

First there was LEGO Star Wars, and then LEGO Indiana Jones and now, coming soon, the Caped Crusader joins the list of popular characters that have been turned into building sets and video games. I can't wait to see what Gotham City and all its famed...

Free Summer Movies for Kids

Looking for something to do with the kids this summer? Many movie theater chains offer free (or pretty darn cheap!) summer movies for families. Here is a list of some movie theater summer programs and what to expect.

Choo Choo Soul

Choo Choo Soul is a children's music act featuring singer Genevieve Goings as a singing, dancing train conductor and her partner D.C. as a train engineer. My daughter absolutely loves their short music videos on Playhouse Disney, so this lens is for...

Green Living 

I'm trying to be greener!

The Amazing Compressed Air Car

They emit zero pollution, get over 100 mpg, and have a range of more than 800 miles. Could cars that run on compressed air be the future of clean transportation? (Photo credit: Zero Pollution Motors)

Green Web Hosting Providers

Using a green web hosting provider is a great way for webmasters to help the planet. Wind and solar web hosts offer affordable hosting with green benefits and competitive prices.

Intro to Wind Power & Wind Turbines

Solar seems to be the sexy energy source for folks wanting to reduce their carbon footprint or just save money on their energy bills. But wind power can often be just as - or even more - effective and cost efficient.

Save the World with Peanut Butter and Jelly!

Ok, maybe you can't really save the entire world with PB&J, but opting for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of a burger at least once a week does have positive consequences for our planet. Find out why.

Textbook Rentals Save Money and Trees

Why pay outrageous prices for a college textbook you'll only use for one quarter or semester? You can save money (typically 50 - 75% off the new price) and trees by opting to rent textbooks. It's easy, fast, and sure to save you money!

Shopping Lenses 

Ideas on how to save money online

Cheap Software Secrets

So you want a copy of Adobe Photoshop CS3 (or some other outrageously expensive software) but can't afford the $699 list price? Here's a way to get a new, genuine copy of those over-priced products for less. It's easy, it's legal and it's so simple y...

How To Save Money Buying Refurbished Products

What looks like an iPod, works like an iPod, but costs less than a regular iPod? A refurbished one! Buying refurbished products, whether it's an iPod, a cell phone, a computer, or any other item, is a great way to save money without compromising on q...

Be a Frugal Shopper Online!

Shopping online is as easy as clicking a mouse, but do you know where the best buys are? If you want tips on saving money online, read below for helpful hints on getting new and used goods for less.

Real Estate Lenses 

Down Payment Assistance Grants

It sounds too good to be true, but the federal government and several nonprofit organizations actually DO offer downpayment grants that can help you buy a house with no money down. And these programs aren't just for low income individuals. Intrigued?...

Sites to Help You Sell Your House Online

Whether you've decided to sell your house yourself or are working with a Realtor, you can increase the chances of selling your house by making sure it gets as much exposure as possible. These sites will help. And they're (almost) all free. (Psst! Rea...

Christmas Lenses 

Santa's Reindeer, Reindeer, Reindeer!

How many reindeer does Santa have? What are their names? And how do you make reindeer food? Read this lens to find out!

How to Create Free Printable Santa Letters

Even Santa needs a little help! Here's some advice on how to help the Jolly Old Elf send a Santa letter to your little one, complete with a postmark from the North Pole.

How to Write Family Christmas Letters

Love 'em or hate 'em, family Christmas letters have become a part of our culture. Here are some tips on how to write Christmas letters your readers will enjoy.

Animal Lenses 

The Mongoose - Fast and Furious

Rikki Tikki Tavi was one of my favorite cartoons when I was little, and today I am still fascinated by these furry little creatures who can take on a cobra.

Lovable Lemurs

They're cute, they're furry, they're full of energy and they're naturally found only in Madagascar. Yes, they're lemurs! Who wouldn't want to snuggle up with one of these cuties?

Citronella Collars for Dogs

If you're looking for a way to stop dog barking, try a citronella collar. These anti-bark collars work without inflicting a painful shock.

Music Lenses 

Melissa Etheridge

Melissa Etheridge is many things - an accomplished singer-songwriter, a Grammy and Oscar winner, a gay activist, a lesbian mom, and a breast cancer survivor. Her music is a reflection of her life and our times. Life, love and politics...

Mercedes Sosa

Mercedes Sosa, affectionately known as "La Negra," was one of the driving forces behind the nueva cancion movement of protest music in Argentina and Chile in the 1960s.

Dixie Chicks

The Dixie Chicks are the highest selling female group in history. In 2007, they swept the Grammys, winning five awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year, as well as Best Country Album and Best Country Performance b...

Kenny Loggins

Sure, songs like "Footloose" are great fun, but I listen to Kenny Loggins because I love singers who can tell a story about their life through music. He's passionate about life and you can hear it in his music.

Squidoo Groups 

My first (and so far only) group

Lensroll Exchange: All G Lenses Welcome! Headquarters

Lensroll Exchange welcomes all G lenses. For each lens you add, look around for another lens on a related topic and lensroll it. Let's get some traffic for everyone!

Peacemaker Lenses 

Steve Biko

Steve Biko was a South African anti-aprtheid leader who died in prison of brain injury after being beaten by Pretoria police.

Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter was the 39th president of the United States and the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Since leaving office, he has become a bestselling author and continued to work for peace and justice.

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela was held in prison for 27 years for his anti-apartheid activities before being released and getting elected president of South Africa. He has become a symbol of peace and nonviolence and is a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. A humble m...

Biography of Mahatma Gandhi

Mohandas K. Gandhi, who is best known to the world as Mahatma Gandhi, led the movement to free India from British rule, and was one of the world's greatest advocates of nonviolent resistance. He was was nominated five times for the Nobel Peace Prize...

Toys and Collectibles 

Matryoshka: Russian Nesting Dolls

Matryoshka dolls are known by many names - matryoshka dolls, Russian nesting dolls, babushka dolls, matrioshka, matroshka, matreshka, matryushka and stacking dolls are just a few. The wooden nesting dolls first became popular at the end of the 19th ce...

Rokenbok Toys

Rokenbok toy building systems are construction sets that combine the joys of old-fashioned building blocks with the wonders of new-fangled radio-controlled vehicles. It's a great way for children to use their imagination!

Places Around the World 

Rocklin, CA (California)

For many people, Rocklin is a place to gas up as they head up Highway 80 to Tahoe or Reno for the weekend. But for others, it's a place to call home. Welcome to our little part of the world!

Where is Timbuktu?

Many people believe that Timbuktu is a mythical place, slang for the end of the earth. However, Timbuktu (also spelled Tombouctou) is a real city in Mali. It was the legendary center of trade in West Africa for at least two centuries and is now...

City of Sacramento, California

The city of Sacramento, CA is the capital of California. Originally founded by John Sutter in 1839, it was a major commercial and agricultural center, as well as a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, and the Pony Express du...

Where is Timbuktu?

Many people believe that Timbuktu is a mythical place, slang for the end of the earth. However, Timbuktu (also spelled Tombouctou) is a real city in Mali. It was the legendary center of trade in West Africa for at least two centuries and is now...

Pleasanton CA

Drive east from San Francisco and over the Hayward Hills, and as you descend into the valley below, you will find Pleasanton. What was once a small town has grown into a thriving, affluent community. Its modern business park houses big buildings...

Women in Sports Lenses 

Sarah Fisher

She's the first woman to win the pole position in a major auto race, and the fastest woman to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Sarah Fisher is one heck of a driver. You go, girl!

Wilma Rudolph

Wilma Rudolph, the "Tennessee Tornado," was the first American woman to win three gold medals in Track and Field at the Olympics when she competed in Rome in 1960.

Susan Butcher

Neither cold, nor snow, nor miles of empty space could stop Susan Butcher and her dog sled team. She sled to fame by becoming only the second woman to win the Iditarod and the first person to win in four out of five sequential years.

Arlene Blum

Arlene Blum is a mountain climber who led the first women teams to successfully climb Mt. McKinley and Annapurna, and she was the first American woman to attempt Mt. Everest.

Local Lenses 

Rocklin, CA (California)

For many people, Rocklin is a place to gas up as they head up Highway 80 to Tahoe or Reno for the weekend. But for others, it's a place to call home. Welcome to our little part of the world!

City of Sacramento, California

The city of Sacramento, CA is the capital of California. Originally founded by John Sutter in 1839, it was a major commercial and agricultural center, as well as a terminus for wagon trains, stagecoaches, riverboats, and the Pony Express du...

Pleasanton CA

Drive east from San Francisco and over the Hayward Hills, and as you descend into the valley below, you will find Pleasanton. What was once a small town has grown into a thriving, affluent community. Its modern business park houses big buildings...

Female Presidents and Prime Ministers in the Americas 

Isabel Peron

In 1974, Isabel Person of Argentina became not only the youngest Latin American head of state, but the first woman ever to be elected president anywhere in the world.

Michelle Bachelet

In 2006, Michelle Bachelet beat billionaire and former senator Sebastian Pinera to become Chile's first female president.

Portia Simpson Miller

Portia Simpson Miller stepped into the history books in September 2006 when she became Jamaica's first woman prime minister.

Female Presidents and Prime Ministers in Europe 

Mary McAleese

Mary McAleese is the first woman to succeed another as president, and is currently the leader of Ireland. She took over leadership of the country from Mary Robinson.

Gro Harlem Brundtland

Gro Harlem Brundtland was the first woman prime minister of Norway and the former director general of the World Health Organization.

Angela Merkel

Forbes Magazine named her the most powerful woman in the world. Indeed, as the first female chancellor of Germany and only the third woman to serve on the G8, she's a lady with a lot of power.

Female Presidents and Prime Ministers in the Middle East 

Golda Meir

She was the first (and, so far, only) woman prime minister to lead Israel and only the third woman in the world to hold the post in any country. She was Golda Meir, a woman to be reckoned with.

Benazir Bhutto

When Benazir Bhutto was first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan at 35, she became the youngest chief executive in the world and the first woman elected ruler of a Muslim country in modern history. She served two non-consecutive terms, but later was...

Female Presidents and Prime Ministers in Asia 

Han Myung-sook

In 2006, Han Myung-sook became the first woman to lead South Korea.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

In 2001, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo became the second woman to be swept into the Philippine Presidency by a peaceful People Power revolution. She was re-elected in 2004, winning with one million votes over her closest opponent.

Corazon Aquino

Corazon Aquino was the first woman president of the Philippines and is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. She served as the president of the Philippines from 1986 to 1992 after a bloodless revolt led to the ouster of former ruler Ferdinand Marcos and swept...

Sirimavo Bandaranaike

Long before Margaret Thatcher became one of the most powerful women in the world, and even before Indira Gandhi and Golda Meir led their countries, Sirimavo Bandaranaike made history in 1960 by being elected prime minister of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceyl...

Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was India's first female prime minister and part of a family political dynasty that included her father, Jawaharlal Nehru, her son, Rajiv Gandhi and her daugher-in-law, Sonia Gandhi. She served four terms before being assassinated.

More Female Presidents and Prime MInisters 

Pratibha Devisingh Patil

Pratibha Devisingh Patil stepped into the history books on July 25, 2007 when she was sworn in as the first woman president of India.

Jenny Shipley

Before Helen Clark became PM of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley blazed the trail as the first woman prime minister of that country.

Helen Clark

Helen Clark is the popular prime minister of New Zealand who is currently serving her third term in office.

Women Presidents and Prime Ministers

Hillary Rodham Clinton may have lost her bid to become the first woman president of the United States, but women in many other countries have already earned the top political job in their nations. Learn more about them.

Go Hillary! 

I admit it: I'm a left-wing liberal and a Hillary supporter. See why!

The Hillary I Know Videos

Hillary Clinton's campaign has put together a series of videos called "The Hillary I Know," featuring comments from friends and colleagues. These videos show another side of the woman who some say doesn't show her warm, fuzzy side. These are some of...

Scientists & Explorers Lenses 

Sylvia Earle

Sylvia Earle, often known as "Her Deepness," is a marine scientist, author, and former chief of the NOAA who holds the record for walking untethered on the sea floor at a lower depth than any other person. She has also been recognized by th...

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein was one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. He is best known for his theory of relativity, which earned him the Nobel Prize in Physics. His warning to FDR about the potential for Germany to create an atomic weapon led to the...

Jacques Cousteau

He may have been the most famous undersea explorer of our time. At the time of his death, CNN remembered Jacques Cousteau by saying, "For millions of people who see the ocean only through the porthole of television, the voice of the sea had a so...

Dian Fossey

Dian Fossey devoted her life to studying the mountain gorillas of Virunga National Park in Rwanda. She was an outspoken advocate of the gorillas, a value that may have cost her life. She was murdered in 1985, but the movie "Gorillas in the Mist&...

Space Explorers 

Kalpana Chawla

Kalpana Chawla was the first Indian-American woman in space and the first Indian-American to fly the space shuttle. She was one of seven astronauts killed in 2003 when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere.

Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin is a former NASA astronaut who was the pilot of Apollo 11, the first lunar module to land on the moon, and he was the second man to ever set foot on the moon. Prior to joining NASA, he was an Air Force pilot who flew combat missions in th...

Sally Ride

In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman in space. She was a mission specialist on the Challenger, the seventh space shuttle flight. She embarked on this career in 1977 and was one of the six women selected for a group of 35 new astronauts...

Shannon Lucid

Shannon Lucid isn't a household name, but the NASA astronaut holds the women's record for the most flight hours in orbit, claims the title of the non-Russian with the most flight hours in orbit, and used to hold the women's record for the longest sta...

Valentina Tereshkova

Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, but Russian cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova claims the distinction of being the first woman in space nearly 20 years before her American counterpart left earth's atmosphere.

Female Aviators 

Nicole Malachowski

In 2006, Major Nicole Malachowski became the first woman to become a pilot with the Air Force Thunderbirds. She flies as the right wing pilot in the diamond formation.

Harriet Quimby

In 1911, Harriet Quimby was the first woman to get a pilot's license in the United States, and a year later she became the first woman to fly across the English  Channel.

Jackie (Jacqueline) Cochran

During her aviation career, Jackie Cochran set more speed and altitude records than any of her contemporaries, male or female.

Author Lenses 

Charles Schulz

He brought us characters like a dog who thought his doghouse was a Sopwith Camel, a boy who played Beethoven on a toy piano, and a kid who could never remember not to let Lucy hold the football while he was kicking. He was Charles Schulz, creator of...

L. Frank Baum

L. Frank Baum was an American writer best known for the book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," which was turned into a movie starring Judy Garland that went on to become one of the most loved and most viewed films of all time.

Matt Groening

Sure, you're heard of Bart, Homer, Lisa, Marge and Maggie Simpson, but how about Matt Groening? Doh! He's the guy who brought them to life.

Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is the masterful writer of "The Kite Runner" and "A Thousand Splendid Suns." Born in Afghanistan, the physician-turned-author made it to the New York Times bestseller list with his first novel, "The Kite Runne...

Dean Koontz

Dean Koontz is one of my favorite authors. His novels are part horror, part suspense and even part humor. His characters always have witty dialogue. And he ALWAYS has a clever canine in the book. How many other horror/suspense novelists can say that?...

TV Personalities 

Barbara Walters

Barbara Walters can claim many firsts for broadcast journalism - the first woman to anchor the evening news on a major network, the first woman to earn a seven-figure salary in TV news, the first female co-host of The Today Show, among...

Connie Chung

Connie Chung is the first Asian American to anchor a nightly news program on a major network (CBS) and is the only person who has ever served as a substitute anchor for all three network nightly newscasts, as well as all three network morning newscas...

Women in Politics 

Geraldine Ferraro

She and Democratic running mate Walter Mondale were trounced in the 1984 elections by Ronald Reagan and George Bush, but Geraldine Ferraro still made history as the first woman to run as a vice presidential candidate on a major party ticket.

Elizabeth Dole

In addition to being the first woman to hold the position of Secretary of Transportation, Elizabeth Dole is also the first woman to run the American Red Cross since its founder, Clara Barton, held that post in 1881. She's currently a US Senator.

Hattie Caraway

"Silent Hattie" was the first woman senator in the United States and the first woman to preside over the Senate as acting president pro tempore.

Dianne Feinstein

She became San Francisco's mayor after the deadly shootings of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk,  but it was Dianne Feinstein's  own skill and hard work that carried her to the Senate.

Nancy Pelosi

When Nancy Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, she became the first woman to hold the post. And now that she's there, she's only two steps away from the presidency, as the Speaker of the House is second in the line of presiden...

Uncategorized Lenses 

Stay in a Yurt!

Yurts were invented thousands of years ago by nomadic Mongols, but the circular homes are seeing a modern resurgence with campers. You can now live like a Mongol and stay in a yurt at private and state parks throughout the country.

Carlos Slim

Move aside, Bill Gates. Carlos Slim from Mexico is now richer than the Microsoft tycoon. In the 2008 Forbes list of billionaires, Warren Buffet bumped Gates out of the #1 position he held for 13 years, and Carlos Slim edged him out for the #2 positio...

Intro to Wind Power & Wind Turbines

Solar seems to be the sexy energy source for folks wanting to reduce their carbon footprint or just save money on their energy bills. But wind power can often be just as - or even more - effective and cost efficient.

Miss Piggy

She's pink, she's opinionated and she's in love with a frog. Who could it be but Miss Piggy? This is one tough little Muppet.

Katharine Graham

Katharine Graham is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer who led the "The Washington Post" to become one of the most influential papers in the nation.

More Uncategorized Lenses 

Free Pumpkin Carving Patterns

Is your Jack-o-lantern a simple grinning pumpkinhead? Turn him into something wild and creative with free pumpkin stencils you can find on the web.

Kokopelli

I love Kokopelli. The happy hunch-backed flute player has been a symbol of fertility and life for centuries, appearing in petroglyphs as early as AD 750. And he's still popular today! (Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons)  

Easter Bunny

He's got big ears, big feet, and big baskets of candy. Who wouldn't love the Easter Bunny?

Who Invented Chocolate? The Sweet History of Chocolate

Who was the inventor of chocolate? Well, you could give credit to many people, from the Olmec, Maya and Aztec civilizations that discovered the cacao bean, to the Dutch inventor who created a press to make cocoa powder, to the Englishman who inv...

Gay Parents and LGBT Families

According to the 2000 U.S. Census, approximately 600,000 same-sex couples live in the United States and more than a third of these have at least one child. Of those LGBT parents, about half have two or more children. That means there are approximatel...

More Uncategorized Lenses 

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?

Dissociative identity disorder is a condition in which two or more "personalities" take control of an person's behavior. A number of DID cases have been documented in medical literature and popular books and movies such as "Sybil" and "The Three Face...

Melissa Lawson

Melissa Lawson is the Texas mother of five with an incredible voice who defeated fellow contestant Gabe Garcia to win the 2008 season of Nashville Star, the NBC reality TV series that seeks to find new country stars. Her first single, "What If It All...

How to Write a Love Letter

In the age of email, instant messages, text messages and voice mail, the time-honored tradition of handwritten love letters could easily be forgotten. But if you're seeking a way to profess your love to someone special, there's no better way than sen...

Textbook Rentals Save Money and Trees

Why pay outrageous prices for a college textbook you'll only use for one quarter or semester? You can save money (typically 50 - 75% off the new price) and trees by opting to rent textbooks. It's easy, fast, and sure to save you money!

So What Do You Think? 

Leave me some feedback or just say hi!

spirituality Love your strong women lenses. Posted May 10, 2008

spirituality Love your strong women lenses. Posted May 10, 2008

DimitriPreacher Great JOB!! Posted February 14, 2008

Billco Nice lensography. I'll come back as I have time to read more. Posted January 31, 2008

Greekgeek Your comment about a certain someone's birthday made my ears prick, and I tiptoed back to your 40th birthday lens. I LOVED the robots singing happy birthday and sprinked a few stars there, then came here. I can't believe no one's commented here, but I suppose it's a little different with lensographies. Your eclectic yet delightfully biased tastes run on parallel tracks to many of mine --right down to the yurts -- and I need to browse more of your lenses. The adorable photo with the pooch made me grin: it's unlikely that our paths have crossed out in the real world, but you sure look like a lot of my friends. ;) Posted January 25, 2008