In contemplating writing this review, I realised just what a computer geek I am. I don’t have ten favorite websites. I have about 20.
But, alas, the title is “My 10 Favorite Websites”. So in an attempt to stay within the guidelines, I devised a plan and eliminated my 10 least favorite from within my 20 most favorite to bring it down, if for no reason at all but to adhere to the given title.
All that nonsense aside, here are my ten favorite websites:
Beliefnet.com – is a website for all faiths and even non faithfuls. They cover everyone from Protestants, Jewish, Muslim, Hindi, Buddhist et al, to pagan, wicca’s and “earth-based” religions whatever they are.
You can learn about religions other than your own, or learn more about your own.
You can chat on any number of specific chat rooms.
I went into a Buddhist chat once and asked some deep questions and they were only too happy to answer everything.
You can subscribe to one or many various newsletters. I personally subscribe to DAILY HINDU WISDOM and DAILY BUDDHIST WISDOM.
(a little insight never hurt anyone, eh?)
They have a daily offering from the Dalai Lama, book groups, prayer circles… all of it.
They even have a humor section with “lightbulb jokes”
For example,
Q: “How many Zen Buddhists does it take to change a lightbulb?”
A: “Three. One to change the lightbulb, one NOT to change the lightbulb, and one to neither change nor not change the lightbulb”*. They have lightbulb jokes for everybody.
There is lot’s to explore and learn on this site. I’m curious by nature, so Beliefnet.com is a virtual “candy store” for me. I rate it high for learning AND entertainment value.
Half.com – Aside from being curious by nature, I love to shop. Half.com is a site for buying and selling EVERYTHING. (well, ok not everything) But they have books, music, DVD’s, computers, software and more. Along with the many different categories they have a great search engine that you can use to categorize by Alphabetical Order or Price.
What I like to do is put in the name of my “favorite actor du jour” and go down the list of all his movies. I have quite extensive Kevin Spacey, Gary Oldman and Al Pacino collections.
When shopping on Half.com the products are listed with quality words to let the buyer know if they are LIKE NEW, VERY GOOD, GOOD or ACCEPTABLE along with the prices the seller is asking. It really enables one to comparison shop.
They recently merged with Ebay.com but I haven’t notice any affect from that yet.
International shipping rates are available.
BN.com(Barnes And Noble Booksellers) - This site sells new and used books, videos, college textbooks and they offer free shipping(within the US) if you buy 2 or more books.
They also offer Online Courses in Literature, Shakespeare, Introduction to Classical music, dog training, Vegetable Gardening, Feng Shui, Computer skills, you name it they probably offer it. And the classes are free, you only need to purchase certain books or textbooks(usually only one book is needed).
MouthShut.com India, I think I have a crush on you!
When I found MS, I had been searching for a “write for pay” website and found 4 of them. One I had heard negative things about. Two of them were no longer working and then I found MouthShut.com. Of course my writing was to be limited to my opinion of specific products, no room for my wondrous tales of yesteryear.
But, hey I’m writing again. And that’s not even the best part of it. I now have acquaintances on the OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!
I even learned how to say “Hey Yaar! How’s it going?”
If I ever get to go to India, I expect my “trusted circle” to show me around. The drinks are on me.
Yahoo.com has a cool home page for MyYahoo.com you can personalise it to show whatever you want from your favorite publications headlines, to the weather, maps, diet tracking, new movie releases, etc.
Of course you can sign up for an email address, but what I really like about it are the games. My latest game of choice is COLLAPSE.
pogo.com Games, games and more games. Pogo is ALL games. So many games, in fact, that I can honestly say there is something for everyone, from the “dumb as a door knob” to the highly intellectual to the most seasoned cynic. Simple games like POPPIT where you click on Balloons to pop them till there are(hopefully) none left. There are word games like WORD WHOMP and JUMBLE BEES where you have to spell as many words as you can within a certain amount of time. And of course traditional games like CHESS and CHECKERS where you play against other people online. It’s all about the games.
Brainbench.com is a site where you can take certification exams for a wide variety of trades and professions. Basically, you’re being certified to prove that you are knowledgeable in any particular field. They have everything from TELEPHONE ETTIQUETTE to AEROSPACE INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE. Some tests are free, others cost$25.00 USD. FYI, most(but not all) of the tests are computer related. I like testing myself, it’s entertainment to me, but some people pass these along with their resume’s to prospective employers.
imdb.com The Internet Movie database really shouldn’t need an introduction, but what the heck. If you’re a groupie…oops… I mean fan of movies and actors like I am, this is a good place to get the scoop on them. Birthdays, filmography’s, links to Fansites and so much more. And. if you spell a name wrong it gives you the closest matches.
Emode.com is another testing website, only this one tests things like job aptitude and personality. It’s a lot of fun. I took a test on there called “Are you a Sex Goddess?” and found out, in fact, that I am a sex goddess. My husband is thrilled!
Other examples include: Which movie mom are you? Are you a natural leader? Are you millionaire material? And others, probably 200 in all including IQ tests. According to Emode.com I am a “Mathematical Visionary” at 145. I knew I was smart but… WOW!
Writersdigest.com for obvious reasons(to me atleast). I want to write. I want to be famous for writing, and this site can help me do it. It has courses, tips for writing, prompts, contests and a bookstore(remember, I like to shop). It has a pretty decent search engine to help you find Titles and an address to send your manuscripts to be considered for critique. I have no excuses now, do I?
So there you have them, my 10 favorite websites, in no particular order. I know I was brief in some descriptions and went on for others, but that’s it. The 10 websites that make me tick. Thanks for listening.
