First Post of 2007

2006 ended and 2007 began in the midst of a minor catastrophe - loss of Internet access due to the earthquake in Taiwan (which was of course the MAJOR catastrophe). It brought home how dependent I had become on the Internet. Not being able to check email of soccer scores was NOT fun.

So I thought I would devote this first post of 2007 to my favourite spots on the Web. The biggies to begin with and I might post about some favourite obscure sites at another time.

a) Guardian Unlimited

The whole site is stellar especially the special features but my soft spot is reserved for Sports Unlimited. I especially love the sports blogs, which has probably the most hilarious sports writing on the Internet. The headlines and blurb writers have that British sense of humour that is at once weird and accessible, cruel and humane. The recent Ashes loss have brought out the best in the Guardian writers and readers (the Over-by-over archive is a treasure trove!).

b) Television Without Pity

I have lurked at TWOP since its MightyBigTV days (what is that, 6 or 7 years now?). It isn't quite what it used to be (as the site has grown, it has lost that unique sense of community it once had) but many of the recaps are highly readable and the forum posters are more likely to make sense than not. Gems from the archives include Aaron's Six Feet Under recaps (which are like literature and make me wish that I watched The Sopranos so I could follow his recaps of that show as well), and Demian's side-splitting disdain-laden recaps of Charmed (his catchphrase "Pause. Rewind. Play." for moments of Phoebe or Leo abuse still make me laugh).

c) Meta Critic

All major reviews for a movie collated in one page, with a nifty rating system that aggregates and summarises the critics' opinions. What more can one ask for? As a compulsive reader of reviews for movies that I might never watch, I appreciate the ease of navigation and the convenience of the site.

d) BBC Radio Online

Such riches to be found here! Personal favourites include Composer of the Week on Radio 3, Just a Minute on Radio 4 (a show I have listened to for 16 of its 35 years!) and Counterpoint also on Radio 4.

e) Daily Kos

Sometimes rather unwieldy to navigate and confusingly cluttered with an excess of information, but always entertaining even if pointedly partisan. For Liberals, a meeting of minds. For the Liberal-leaning, a convenient news update service. For neutrals, an insight into political passion. For anti-Liberals, probably rather perplexing.