Homework: Click This Link!

This week, Scalzi gives us another one of those assignments that I just couldn't wait to go home and write up:

Weekend Assigment #57: Share some of your favorite Journals, Blogs and Web sites not on AOL Journals. Come on, we know you go off the school grounds from time to time. Tell us where you go. 'Cause we want to go, too. Even just one pick is fine (no more than five, though. Pick the best to share). Also, just in case this was a temptation, my site off AOL should not be one of your selections.

Extra credit: Find a link you think your mother might like. What is it?

Can do.  I really don't read many blogs off AOL.  I keep up with a lot of my friends on private message boards -- which, in their own way, are somewhat journally.  (Shout out to any of my friends from over there who may be lurking here.)  But there are an awful lot of websites I visit frequently, which I am more than happy to plug to the great AOL-J reading public.

Item:  Television Without Pity  It's a no-miss if you watch TV with that special love/hate relationship many of us have with our idiot boxes.  If you ever miss an episode of your favorite show, just go here and you'll find such an incredibly detailed summary, you'll feel like you've actually watched it.  Well, no, you'll feel like you've actually watched it with some of your smart-mouthed friends.  Television Without Pity is heavy on the snark.  For example, in this week's summary of the American Idol results show, after indicated Constantine is sent home, the summary reads, "Paula ages, seriously, eight years in the moment this occurs."  Cracked me up something wicked.  Note for the TOS-concerned:  many bad words here.

Item:  Rotten Tomatoes  Sure, when a movie is coming out, you can take a look at what one critic has to say ... or even two or three.  Rotten Tomatoes combines hundreds of critics' reviews in a handy, easy-to-digest format, letting you know the overall percentage of critics who think a movie is good (fresh) or bad (rotten).  It also includes a choice line from each review.  Look up the reviews for rotten movies, they havesome of the BEST slams.

Item:  The Straight Dope  The online home of columnist Cecil Adams.  Cecil Adams will answer questions on any subject, and he'll research or experiment his way to the answer.  Also funny as hell.  I often find myself just pawing through his old columns -- reading answers to questions I would have never thought to ask.  (Also, Cecil seems to have attracted a fairly high level of intelligent commentary in his message boards, which have a much better content-to-junk ratio than a lot of what you'll find on, dare I say it, AOL boards.)

Item:  TalkinBroadway  Because I am a theatre geek.  Sure, I could get my theatre news from any number of Broadway sites, but TalkinBroadway's message boards also give you the rumors and the gossip -- and isn't that half the fun?

Item:  Decent Deals  There are a lot of websites out there that purport to list sale prices and freebies -- the problem is, you don't know which ones to trust.  Decent Deals was started up by one of them dudes I know from a private message board, and I know he's genuinely in this to help you out -- not to make a commission or steer you toward anyone's lousy products.  He just lists good deals he knows about (heavy on the tech, but not exclusively so) -- and updates the site more or less daily.  I've bought stuff he's linked to easily half a dozen times, and the site is always worth a quick peek.  (Except now -- for some reason, it's down tonight.  Boo.)

Extra Credit:  A link my mother might like.  Heh, that's an easy one.  Acme Klein Bottles  This because my mother is a certified math geek and has, for years (actual years) wanted a Klein Bottle of her very own.  (When I found the site a few weeks ago, I was so excited to tell her!)  Just goes to show you can get anything on the internet.