Your Favorite Web Sites

Do you have a favorite Web site or a place you visit each time you go online? Most people do, and they tend to stick to those sites they are familiar with. But what if you want to try something different? How can you separate the worthwhile sites from those filled with useless or unreliable information?

Talk of the Nation listeners sent us hundreds of e-mails, sharing their favorite Web sites. If you can't find your favorite site on the list below, tell us about it or add your comments to the discussion.

African American

The following sites were suggested by Julio in Louisville
MSBET -- Microsoft's Blact Entertainment Television
Net Noir -- A Black interactive online community
TBWT -- The Black World Today
Urban Biz -- Aims to "Amplify the Voice of Urban Business" by publishing an Internet product that reports on the entire urban business industry

Arts & Literature
Acme Arts -- A virtual gallery of functional and collectible art for emerging artists (Perry Woodin)
Advanced Book Exchange -- The world's largest source of out-of-print books (Linda Burrell, Berkeley, CA)
Bibilofind -- More than ten million used and rare books, periodicals and ephemera offered for sale (Christopher Morrison)
Bibliomania -- A great site for book lovers (Ray Suarez, Talk of the Nation host)
Guild.com -- Gifts of contemporary art and fine craft (Ann Schaffer)
The Guitar Foundation of America -- A site for classical guitar aficionados (Alan, St. Paul MN)
Humanities Text Initiative -- Literature and history afficionados should enjoy the resources available at this site (Sean Pollack, Ann Arbor, MI)
Icon Poet -- A writing toy for budding surrealists (Steve Tiffany)
International Post Dogmatist Group -- A collection of discussions, articles and reviews about the avant garde arts (Brian Pinsker)
Literati -- Find the official Web sites of your favorite authors at this site (Gary McAvoy, Seattle, WA)
Ohio Bad Arts Guild -- A satirical collection of bad art from Ohio (Stu, Columbus, OH, WOSU)
PhotoNet -- Photography resources, with lots of reader input (Andrea Balinson)
Poetry Daily -- Click here for a poem du jour (David Pfaltzgraff-Carlson)
Project Gutenberg -- Fine literature digitally republished (Tom Kregel, Minneapolis, MN)
Screameria -- Dedicated to Edvard Munch's "The Scream" (Kim "The Screamer" Bratcher)
Ulysses for Dummies -- A parody of the James Joyce novel (George Hunka)
University Textbooks -- A place for college students to find books online (Kashif Haque)


Cars & Motorcycles
Brickboard -- Named for the boxy shape of Volvo design (created by listener Jarrod Stenberg)
Free Loop -- A site for VW Bus enthusiasts, artists, nomads, and so many more. (Jean-Paul Jacquet)
Internet BMW Riders -- A BMW motorcycle mailing list (Art Wheeler, St. Louis, MO, KWMU)

Commerce
ccRewards -- A coupon-giving site (Arthur, Palo Alto, CA)
CD Now -- An online music store (David S. Novak)
E-bay -- Popular auction and trading site (David Bennahum, contributing editor Wired Magazine)
Shopping List.com -- Finds the sale nearest you (Bala Guthy)
Switchboard -- Find a business online (James Black, Minneapolis, MN, KFAI)
Yixing.com -- sells zisha teapots from YiXing, China (created by listener Stewart McCullough)

Communities
SWA.net -- An online community of Southwestern Archaelogists (Brian Kenny)
ZNet -- A community of people concerned about social change (Jim Booth, Lansing, MI)

Discussion
Deja.com -- Find it. Rate it. Discuss it. (Ryan Erwin, Seattle, WA)
Talk Origins -- An online discussion of evolution versus creation (Bryan Saint Germain, Ashland, OR)
Raging Bull -- A financial discussion site (Syrus Russell)

Entertainment
BargainFlix -- A source for Internet bargains on DVD (James Bottorff)
Comedy Central -- The online version of the cable channel (Mark Clevenger, Muncie, IN, WBST)
The Greatest Films -- Specializes in Hollywood classics (John Washburn)
Hollywood Stock Exchange -- A fantasy stock exchange that gives a price tag to movies, actors, directors and musicians (Staci Catzva)
Internet Movie Database -- Everything you want to know about movies and more (Tom Tennant Cleveland, OH)
Nick At Nite -- For all of your favorite 70s sitcoms (Mark Clevenger, Muncie, IN, WBST)
The Oracle of Bacon -- An online version of the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game (Andrea Balinson)

Finance
Fool.com -- The Motley Fool financial advice (Tracey Claybon)

NAIC -- National Association of Investors Corporation (Colene, Wayland, MA)

Food & Drink
Cookie Recipe.com -- All cookies, all the time (Gerry McFatridge, Virginia Beach, VA)
Epicurious -- Recipes, cookbook reviews, holiday specials and more (Lilly, Brookline, MA)
Foodline -- A Boston-based food site (Joan)
The Ham Chronicles -- Tired of Spam? Learn all about ham (John Kieltyka, Seattle, WA)
SOAR -- The Searchable Online Archive of Recipes, more than 60,000 indexed! (Preston Holmes)

Fun & Games
DC Comics -- Find all of your favorite superheroes online (Tracey Claybon)
Dilbert Zone -- Digital home of the comic strip Dilbert (Tracey Claybon)
Quizland -- Quizshows, puzzles, fun and games (John Washburn)

Health & Fitness
E-asthma -- Online resource for those with asthma (Susan, Lawrence, KS)
Congenital Heart Disease -- Information and resources provided by the Children's Health Information Network (Anna Jaworski, Panama City Beach, Florida)
Gentle Birth -- A site on traditional birth methods (Ronnie Falcao, Mountain View, CA)
Internet Grateful Med -- A health-related search engine (Bruce Macdonald, Spring Lake, MI)
Mayo Clinic Health Oasis -- The Web site of the Mayo Clinic (Glenna)
Millenium Rx -- Low cost prescriptions, health care products, vitamins and herbal supplements (Matt Balla)
Nutrition Science News -- Online version of the monthly trade magazine (Sabine Teaver, Gainesville, GA)
NYCOSH -- New York Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (Laura Miner, New York, NY, WNYC)
PubMed -- The National Library of Medicine's interface to search medical literature (Andrea Balinson)
Quackwatch -- A guide to health fraud, quackery, and intelligent decisions (Glenna)

Home & Living
Arbor Quest -- A site that will turn your thumb green (Mike Walsh)
Decorating Secrets -- Free answers to people's decorating dilemmas (Carol Chop)
Garden Solutions -- Online resource for gardening (John Hahn, Glen Rock, NJ)
Gothic Gardens -- A site devoted to the more macabre venues of gardening. (Jeff Remtema, Grand Rapids, MI)
Home & Garden Television -- All you need to know for a happy home and garden (Mary Smith, Prairie Village, KCUR radio)

Humor
Fun Trivia -- Trivia galore (April Lee, St. Louis, MO)
The Onion -- A news spoof site (Ryan Mallon, Cleveland, OH)

Law
Law Links -- Chicago-Kent College of Law's list of legal links (James Black, Minneapolis, MN, KFAI)

Miscellaneous
Bali Highway -- An animated, interactive storytelling site (Leonard, Cambridge, MA)
Blue Mountain -- Create and send e-greetings (David S. Novak)
Crazy Horse Memorial Foundation Home Page -- Information about and pictures of the mountain carving in South Dakota. (Eleanor Bell)
Cutting Paper -- Provides practical information on how to reduce the amount of office paper you use. (Bruce Nordman, Berkeley, CA, KQED)
E-greetings -- Free digital cards and animation (Hilary Pfeifer, Portland, Oregon)
Ego Surf -- Finds your name on the World Wide Web
Find a grave -- Discover where everybody who was anybody is buried ... (Sean Murphy, Dallas, TX, KERA)
The Gargoyles -- Fans of the TV cartoon should head here (Tracey Claybon)
The Invention Dimension! -- MIT's comprehensive clearinghouse for information on American inventions (Kristin Joyce, Cambridge, MA)
Kiss This Guy -- The archive of misheard lyrics
Loch Ness Monster Exhibition -- Watch the loch and see if you can spot "Nessie." (Name)
Memepool -- A collection of weird websites suggested by users
Restrooms of the Future -- Restroom news from around the globe (Tandy, Durham, NC, WUNC)
The Skeptic Dictionary -- A skeptical look at many of the fads of our day (Frank Bell, Wilmington, Delaware)
Urban Legends and Folklore -- About.com's guide to urban legends (Mark Clevenger, Muncie, IN, WBST)
Urban Legends Reference Page -- A searchable collection of urban legends (Sean Murphy, Dallas, TX, KERA)
Where's George -- Enter your zip code and the serial number off a dollar bill and track where your money's been (Michael P. Gerlek, Seattle, WA, KUOW)

Music
AMG -- All Music Guide -- all about all kinds of music (Ray Bree, Staten Island, NY)
Bluezville -- Homepage of music and more (Kris)
New England Brass Band -- Home of the finest British Brass style band in the New England Area (Elizabeth deFrees, Waltham, MA, WBUR)

News & Media
AJR Newslink -- American Journalism Review Online (Sabine Teaver, Gainesville, GA)
Jon Carroll -- The columns of San Franscico Chronicle writer Jon Carroll (Ann Kann)
CNN -- Cable News Network online (Martin Brock)
FAIR -- Fairness in Accuracy and Reporting (Clyde Everton, Boise, Idaho)
The Nation -- Online version of the magazine (Clyde Everton, Boise, Idaho)
The New York Times -- Digital home of the Grey Lady (Brian H. Zygo, Wausau, WI)
News Hub -- News catagorized and updated every 15 minutes
Newspaper Association of America -- A quick way to find the online version of newspapers throughout the country (Peter Rehwaldt, Alameda, CA, KQED)
The Onion -- A news spoof site (Ryan Mallon, Cleveland, OH)
Open Spaces -- Online version of this Northwestern magazine (Penny Harrison)
Reason -- Online version of Reason magazine (Martin Brock)
Electronic Telegraph -- Online version of British newspaper, The Daily Telegraph (Richard in Dallas, TX)
The Utne Reader -- Daily version of the magazine (Steve Newman, Burbank, CA, KPCC)
The Washington Post -- Washington DC's leading newspaper (Brian H. Zygo, Wausau, WI)
The Washington Spectator -- Online version of the bi-monthly non-profit newsletter (Clyde Everton, Boise, Idaho)

Online Magazines
Atlas Magazine -- Online magazine out of San Francisco (Sid, Los Angeles, CA, KPCC)
Big Bridge -- A webzine of poetry and other things (Jeremiah McNichols)
The Pasquinade -- Somewere between Mad magazine and Salon, lies the Pasquinade
Shotgun Reviews -- News, reviews and opinions on all aspects of pop culture (Dawn Gray)
Slate -- Microsoft's mag (Ann Sager)
The Whiz -- An unconvential look at money issues (Tracey Claybon)
Word -- Offbeat stories, cartoons and music (Sid, Los Angeles, CA, KPCC)

Politics & World Issues
Bush Watch -- Keeps tabs on George W. Bush (Paul Nordstrom)
CATO Institute -- Promotes public policy based on individual liberty, limited governments and peace (Tim Sheridan)
GOP Bias -- A Republican-slanted news site (Bruce, Oregon City, OR)
The Hunger Site -- A site to learn about world hunger and donate food
Natural Party -- History, news and information on the Natural Party (George DeForest)
Political Junkie -- Political news, columns, links and lots more (John P. Zinzi)
Politics1 -- Politics, politics, politics ... from campaign buttons to election 2000 (Julie Pirruccello, Vancouver, WA)
Project Vote Smart -- Tracking the performance of over 13,000 political leaders (Rich, Boston, MA)
The quaYle2K Problem -- Dan Quayle spoof site (Stonewall McMurray)
Thomas Nast -- A site dedicated to the father of political cartoons (Joel A. Coughlin)

Reference & Information
Appliance Help -- Advice from Dave the Appliance Wizard (Richard Pauli, Seattle, WA)
Babelfish -- For translations of foreign texts online (Spencer R. Rackley IV, Charlotte, NC)
Citysearch.com -- Get the scoop on more than 30 cities worldwide (David Bennahum, contributing editor, Wired Magazine)
Cursor -- Listener Mike Tronnes edits this media watchdog site
Dictionary.com -- Dictionaries, thesauri and more (John McDermott, Columbus, OH)
High School Alumni -- Find long-lost school chums at this site (Grace Kaelin, Louisville, KY)
How Stuff Works -- Discover how things work -- everything from diesel engines to Boolean Logic
Learn2.com -- Learn how -- everything from treating a pulled muscle to writing a business plan (JP Goddard, Worcester, MA )
Learn Spanish -- A free online Spanish tutorial (Ken Ryan, Anchorage, AK, KSKA)
Merriam-Webster Online -- Words, words and more words (Andrea Balinson)
The Obscure Store -- For news of the weird (Joy Rothke, San Francisco, CA)
One Look Dictionaries -- More than two million words are indexed on this site (Bill McDonough, Beverly, MA)
Perseus Project -- A digital library from Tufts University (David Bean)
Refdesk.com -- One-stop reference site (John Washburn)
Sidewalk -- Microsoft's Guide to cities across the nation (David Bennahum, contributing editor, Wired Magazine)
Systran -- Translation software for foreign languages (Spencer R. Rackley IV, Charlotte, NC)
Virtual Library -- A Web index and reference site (Gary, Phoenix, AZ)

Religion
American Catholic -- Information on the Christian and Catholic faiths (John Feister, Finneytown, Ohio )
The Baha'i World -- The official site of the Baha'i faith (Jim Jam, San Jose, CA)
Bible Gateway -- A way to search the Bible online (Martin Brock)
Unravelling Wittgenstein's Net -- A Christian think tank (Bill Burns)
Daily Zen -- Offers a different Zen insight daily (David Pfaltzgraff-Carlson)

Search Engines
About.com -- Expert guides to help you find, learn, share (Jim Rezeski)
Ask Jeeves -- Ask questions in natural language on this site (Benjamin Farrell)
Google -- A search engine based in Mountain View, California (Greg, Waltham, MA, WBUR)
Search Engine Watch -- Tips about Internet search engines and search engine submission (Peter T. Young, San Diego, CA)
Sun Site -- Librarians' index to the Internet (Amy McCrory, Savannah, GA)

Science & Nature
African Game Reserve -- An online safari (Errol Lincoln Uys)
Earth and Moon Viewer -- Views of the Earth and Moon as seen by satellite (Name)
EcoEthics -- The Environmental Ethics & Public Policy Program at Harvard University (Tim Weiskel)
Explore Rocky -- Explores Rocky Mountain Park online (Paula Long, Overland Park, KS, KANU)
International Dark Sky Association -- Everthing you ever wanted to know about light pollution from the International Dark Sky Association (John M. McMahon, Syracuse, NY)
Koko.org -- The Gorilla Foundation (Barbara Fukumoto, Sunnyvale, CA)
The Museum of Paleontology -- From the University of California at Berkeley (Johnson R. Haas, Charlotte, NC)
NASA's Picture of the Day -- Daily photos from outer space (David Wagner, San Antonio, TX, KTSX)
San Diego Zoo -- Panda baby watch and more (Barb Gehlar)
Science Tech Daily -- Daily science news (Kevin Law)
SETI -- The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence at UC Berkeley (Tony Seeger)
Solar System Simulator -- This NASA/JPL/Caltech spyglass allows you to create a color image of your favorite planet or satellite (Cody Raskin)
Wild Bear Cam -- National Geographic gives you the chance to see bears in the wild (Allan, Mountain View, CA, KQED)
Wildlife Network -- A conservation site (Mark, Madison, WI)

Sports & Hobbies
IAAF -- International Amateur Athletic Foundation Online (Noah Megowan, Portland, Oregon)
MetroGames -- Gaming Texan style (Neil Carr)
Mountain Zone -- If your sport involves a mountain, you'll find it here (Anne Tibbetts)
Starship Modeler -- An online resource for the sci-fi and space kit builder (Terry Miesle, Dundee, IL)

Technology
As the Apple Turns -- A site that follows the latest angst-soaked news and rumors from the wild and woolly world of Apple Computer (Andy Ihlenfeldt, St. Paul, MN, KNOW)
Computing Out Loud -- This site is intended to help people using speech recognition software (Laura Miner, New York, NY, WNYC)
Fat Brain -- An online bookstore featuring technical and professional books and materials (Ryan Erwin, Seattle, WA)
Fresh Meat -- A constantly updated list of open source development project status (Ryan Erwin, Seattle, WA)
Lyons Digital Media Guide -- Online guide to terminology for printing and graphics (Jonathan Lyons)
Macromedia -- Providers of web software, featuring a site of the day (Hope Cohen, Raleigh, NC)
Moochers -- Download free software daily (Eric Pastoral, Portland, OR, OPB)
NetMind -- Lets you mind (or track) any Web page at any level of detail. (Kevin Marsh, Westwood, KS)
Palm Pilot Gear -- The place to go for Palm Pilot stuff (Carl Jacobsen, San Diego, CA)
Point.com -- Everything you need to know about cell phones (Vamshi Krishna)
Slashdot -- News for tech nerds (Carl Jacobsen, San Diego, CA)
Spam Cop -- A Spam-buster (Joe Littrell, Amherst, MA, WFCR)
Tom's Hardware -- All about computer hardware (Joby Walker)
User Friendly -- A site featuring comics for techie types (George McCrary)

Travel
Expedia -- Microsoft's travel site (David, Petaluma, CA)

Youth
Association of Birth Defect Children -- The ABDC is a charitable organization that provides free phone information to parents and professionals about all kinds of birth defects, resources, support groups and environmental exposures that may cause birth defects.(Noemi Levine)
Internet Academy -- Accredited K - 12 curriculum (Ken Pedersen)
Neuroscience for Kids -- Created for all students and teachers who would like to learn more about the nervous system (Sandy, Seattle, WA)
Online Children's Stories -- Part of the Children's Literature Web Guide (Joy Washington, WFAE)
Planet Pals -- Online source of earth science and ecology information for kids (Judith Gorgone)
Teen.com -- A site for young people (Jerry Croteau)
Think Quest -- Features Web sites developed by kids and teenagers (Steve Scott)

Once you've found your favorite links, send them to a friend through Surflist.com, a site recommended to us by listener Loren Mork.