It's Fun To Share...

Did you know that there are millions of websites? Have you ever tried to explain to someone what the internet is? My mother, for example, has no clue as to what the world wide web entails. My friend Mary has just discovered it, and I have tried to show her some "new stuff" to get her going, along with teaching her the protocols of emailing (don't send stupid forwards, don't open spam, etc.)

Anyway, I always get excited when I come across a website that sparks my interest in a way that it hasn't been sparked before. Even the most ridiculous premise for a site can often be something that is interesting to spend 5 minutes a day looking at, or one hour, or whatever.

So here's a list of some interesting websites that I have discovered over the years. You may know some of them, you may see one that you think is insane, or you may not even care to look. But I think that, if you use the internet for nothing but email and looking for love, you are missing out.

Astronomy Picture of the Day Archive
This is one that I have known for years, and I hardly miss a day without checking it. If you don't like astronomy, you won't like this site, and I don't understand how anyone wouldn't like astronomy. Or maybe I'm just a dork.

Google Maps
Or Google Earth, which is a program. They are both very amazing. Even though it frightens me to think that there are cameras floating over the earth taking constant pictures, it's still too cool to pass up looking at your house from space.

Cockeyed.com
A bunch of twenty-somethings who carry out mundane science experiments. How long a box of spaghetti is if you lay it out end-to-end, for example. Very important stuff.

ilovebacon
5 minutes of daily weekday fun.

Disturbing Auctions
Exactly what you think. It's not updated often, but oh the insanity.

Feathersite.com
For those of you who know that I raised chickens for two years. I miss my chickies.

High-Speed Photography
Yep, that's what it is.

HowStuffWorks
For the genuinely curious.

Personality Tests and Tools
Find out just how crazy/normal you are.

The CIA World Factbook
Yes, the CIA. If you ever want to know something about a country, such as the number of cellphones in Finland, this is it.

Errowid's Psychoactive Vault
A huge database of info on every mind-altering drug out there, illicit or not. Did you know you can trip on nutmeg? Well, you would if you looked at this site. (No, I've never tripped on nutmeg.)

The Original Fannie Farmer Cookbook
If you like to cook. This resource from 1918 demonstrates how the culinary arts have progressed over the years.

Bible Gateway
Just about every bible in existence, in their full texts, in one spot. A good reference if you're hungry for a strange exotic meat, and you don't know if Moses approves - just look for Leviticus.

The Museum of Unnatural Mysteries
Fun stuff - ghosts, monsters, etc.

The Smoking Gun
If there's a celebrity scandal going on, you'll find it here. And lots of celebrity mugshots.

Snopes - Urban Legends Reference Pages
Probably the most useful site on the web.

The Straight Dope
My favorite site ever. Like one of those bathroom books, but on the web.

Engrish.com
If you don't know what Engrish is, you will soon. Just click.

Gizmo Richard's Tech Support Page
Very useful computer stuff.

airtoons
You know those cards on airplanes explaining how to use the barf bag, in pictures?

America's First Look into the Camera: the Daguerrotype
A most beautiful site. Hundreds of old, beautifully preserved photographs from the Library of Congress.

Create your own South Park Character
2 minutes of amusement.

Worster Album Covers Ever
You'll never see worster album covers. Ever.

The Barrow, Alaska Sea Ice Webcam
Updated hourly. There's something so intriguing to me about the northernmost town in the United States.

The Top Ten Best Ghost Photographs - Ever
Or at least, they're the best in his opinion. Anyway, they're skeery.

That's a few. Share your favorites too.

Douglas Modlin
Patient Access Representative
Dickinson County Healthcare System
(where I work)