Government and Law
NASA – www.nasa.gov
The official Web site of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration makes full use of the Web to promote education, discovery and the administration itself.
National Weather Service
www.weather.gov
This U.S.-based weather site offers more than the weather report and up-to-date forecasts. It also explains weather occurrences, like the recent string of tornadoes, and provides information for people in emergency situations.
Publius – www.publius.org
In the U.S., where you have a vote for everyone from police chief to president, it’s hard to keep track of elections. Publius helps Americans to register, and then informs them of when the votes are taking place, and how they can vote if they can’t be at the polls in person.
Comune dei Bologna – www.comune.bologna.it
I don’t understand a word on this site, but it appears to be some kind of civic page, designed to servce the community of Bologna.
United Nations – www.un.org
The failure of the UN to avert a war in Iraq or pacify the Middle East crisis notwithstanding, the UN still does a lot of amazing things. Countries seem to agree more than they disagree on most issues, and when they co-operate, things do get accomplished.
Health
Cancer.gov – www.cancer.gov
Cancer is as scary as it is misunderstood, and reliable information is hard to come by. Cancer.gov is the definitive site for understanding cancer, cancer treatments, prevention, and causes, and includes information on coping with cancer, participating in clinical trials, and more.
HIV STOPS WITH ME – www.hivstopswithme.org
This is a proactive site for gay men living in a community where HIV and AIDS are still disproportionately prevalent. The emphasis is on prevention, but also on treatment and playing your part to halt the spread of the disease.
Lifeclinic – www.lifeclinic.com
Lifeclinic is a membership-driven approach to getting healthy, allowing people to create personal accounts, assess current health, set targets, and measure progress. The site provides information to help people on their journey, including information on food and exercise, nutritional supplements, and specialized information for people who are elderly or have chronic health conditions like diabetes.
Planned Parenthood Golden Gate – wwwppgg.org
This is a sex and planned parenthood site to help people prevent unwanted pregnancies, and get help when they occur. The site explores the full range of options available to help teens and adults make responsible choices.
TeenWire – www.teenwire.com
Sponsored by the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, TeenWire is there to provide advice and answers to teens on the issues of sex, relationships, dating, birth control, education, preparing for adulthood, and a variety of other topics. The key word here is safety, and there is a slight leaning towards things like abstinence, but not enough to turn a teen off.
Humour
Eric Conveys an Emotion – www.emotioneric.com
Want to know what unctuous looks like as a facial expression? Eric Conveys an emotion uses some neat tools to play with his face, as per the requests of his fans, and fans get to vote on their favourites. Funnier than it probably sounds.
Get Your War On – www.mnftiu.cc/mnfgiu.cc/war.html
This satire cartoon series blends pop culture, American apathy, and the jingoistic march to war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Edgy, brutal, but funny.
Odd Todd – www.oddtodd.com
Odd Todd is a combination of Flash cartoon that spoofs movies and modern life, odd features like "Daily Fact I Learned From the TV," and other regularly updated features. The graphics aren’t going to win any awards, but it’s an interesting visit nonetheless.
The Onion – www.theonion.com
Nominated again, this two-time Webby winner is America’s leading satire newspaper. Anybody can make a joke about current events – Leno taught us that – and anybody can take a cynical approach to news, but nobody is as funny, as edgy, or as bang on as The Onion. Check it out and I guarantee that you’ll be back every week for more.
Whitehouse.org – www.whitehouse.org
Wow. The White House is usually a pretty easy target for satire, but never has the House, Congress, the Senate, and the U.S. government been lampooned in such a no-holds-barred, hardcore, and humorous way. Wow.
Living
Bad Girl Swirl – www.badgirlswirl.com
Based on the Bad Girl’s Guides book series, this site is a funny look at life from the perspective of empowered, modern women.
Do It Yourself Network — www.diynet.com
Topics include room planning, house repair and maintenance, hobbies, pet care, garden care, car care, and a whole lot more. You’ll never run out of projects to do, and the instructions are easy to follow.
Girl-on-the-Street – www.girlonthestreet.com
This is an urban guide for women on style, based on bi-monthly trend and lifestyle reports, and analyses of major companies and magazines.
Kitchens.com – www.kitchens.com
It’s a fact that people and families spend most of their time in the kitchen. Even at parties people tend to congregate in kitchens, although that probably has a lot to do with the proximity of the fridge. Kitchens.com is a high-end site helping people to design kitchens, and fill them with the best appliances and cookware available.
OddTodd – see above.
