Websites I can't live without

It just amazes me how much technology really changes the way we live. The internet is really an amazing thing, it replaces so many of the sources we all used to go for things. So I'm dedicating this blog to the websites that I can't live without. Please add more of your favorite sites that I have left out.

For starters, I have to mention Pandora.com. All of the music I like is right there. If I feel like some 'soft' music to listen to at work, or to relax with at home, its there. All I had to do was get it started with a song or artist I like and build from there, giving songs I love a thumbs up or ones I hate a thumbs down. Same thing for a good Rock 'n Roll mix (when I just need to blow off some steam), and if I need some good modern alternative, or flashback to the 80's, I've got it all! My stations are getting to know me pretty well. If you want to share a station with a friend, have something prebuilt for that person to modify as he/she like, you can do that! Now how cool is that?

Then I've got to mention Snopes.com. Have you read the quotes attributed to or seen the list of books banned by Sarah Palin while in office in Alaska? Have you seen the amazing 'supposed' photo of that tornado? Have you heard the claims that this product or the other causes cancer and the FDA is doing nothing about it because they are in this companies back pocket? How about the one about needing to register your cellphone number with the 'Do not call' list because next week all the cellphone numbers are going to be released to the telemarking companies?

Well Snopes.com is there for all of us to check out and verify all these claims that are constantly being circulated around the internet. So if you get one of those emails thats been forwarded ... and forwarded ... and forwarded, that you can't seem to believe, just check it out on Snopes.com. Its probably there.

Have to mention Wikipedia. I'm sure if you are old enough, you'll remember doing book reports on an assigned subject and have to go to the library and get out those encyclopedias to look up and copy the info for your report. Or if you were lucky enough to have encyclopedias at home, you could skip the library and do it at home. Assuming, that is that you can find that dang 'J' volume in your bookcase, after it didn't get returned when your brother was using it to look up something stupid. Its probably still stashed away in a drawer somewhere yet to be found. Of course those encyclopedias were at least 25 years old back then (they are about 50 years old now). I actually had a teacher whose favorite book was the J volume of the encyclopedia (Mr. Deneris, perhaps some of you remember him) Ahh .... another blog for another day. Anyways, Wikipedia, very nice. Has taken over the encyclopedia need very well, I can find out info on just about anything there. And if its not there, Google is there with plenty of info.

How about imdb.com? Have you ever needed to know what that actors name is, or what else has he done? Or what movies is he working on now? Well, imdb.com is there to the rescue, 'nuff said.

O.K. not technically a website, but google earth is something not to be taken lightly. Want to zoom in on Kim Jong Il's pad in North Korea? Go for it! How about seeing what it looks like from the top of the Sears Tower? Want to see what it looks like around where you are going to go on vacation? How about some nearby restaurants? Ever seen the cool stuff they're building in Dubai? You can even load other databases to it to see thing on the map you want to see. Like all the geocaches in the world. Google earth is just amazing. Scary really.

Speaking of geocaches, if you don't know about those, go to geocaching.com and check that out. It can really be a fun family activity or scout activity if you have access to a portable GPS unit and maybe some cheap McDonalds toys. They say its a sport or hobby whereby they use multimillion dollar government satellites to find tupperware in the woods. Lots of good funs things to do with it, like travel bugs. Ask me where my travel bugs have been and where they are now. I've got pics. I'll have to put them on here.

Here's one for all those that like to cook, or just want to get something on the table quickly for dinner while using up some of those thing in your fridge that will go bad soon if you don't use them up quickly. Ever tried out myrecipes.com? I'm sure you've seen the magazines at the supermarket with all those good recipes, Cooking Light, A Taste of Home, Sunset, etc. Well myrecipes.com has put all those thing out there online for you to search. So do you have that red pepper and chicken in your fridge that you need to use up? How about Red pepper Lemon chicken? Do you want to do organize your recipe box? Put that great recipe from your aunt Bonnie in your own recipe section for easy reference on the website. Do you want to add the recipe to you box in your kitchen? Print out the one you found on a 3x5 card. It even lists all the nutrition information. Very useful site!

O.K. this one costs a little for the subscription, but very useful information. I'm talking about consumerreports.org. If you are shopping for a car, a dishwasher or just want to know the best peanut butter to buy, its all there! With more information than you can shake a stick at!

What other sites do you refer to all the time?