Sites I frequent the most...
Flak Magazine - This 'zine is really well put-together, with sharp writing and a good overall perspective on things: the whole project is not-for-profit, and no one that works for the magazine or contributes gets any money out of it. The result, apparently, is a simply awesome "noncomprehensive guide to everything" that's updated frequently with articles that explore many different facets of American life, for better or for worse.
Homestar Runner - This site completely establishes Macromedia Flash as a viable medium. While most of the Internet's Flash (and other 'comic') offerings are filled with crude and/or not funny content, Homestar is a golden shiny wire of hope and an example for everyone to live by. Run by two brothers from Georgia, Homestar represents the pinnacle of web cartoons: awesome characters, nerd-culture references going every which way, easter egg features that can only be made possible by Flash's interactive capacity, and enough one-liners to fill an encyclopedia volume. In fact, the cartoon is so quotable that I forced myself to give up making references to it for Lent just to get it out of my everyday speech. "Thomas hit her with a bat."
Times Union - My hometown newspaper's website has won a whole bunch of awards because it really does present its stories very well in an electronic format. I'm a big fan of the Times Union, obviously, even though it's written on a fourth grade level and has a lot of stupid human-interest stories and other stuff that's just plain dumb. I'm particularly a fan of the op-ed section and the cartoons (the TU carries both the Boondocks and Fox Trot).
The Atlantic Online - While I've never read a hard copy of the magazine, the entirety of its monthly content is all online. The Atlantic has really great articles on politics, important policy issues (both foreign and domestic), and other stuff that any decent American should read to stay informed. It is, after all, our moral obligation and civic duty, you know, as part of the social contract. Anyway, it's a good magazine with lots of important viewpoints.
Dinosaur Comics - Somehow, this Canadian fellow managed to capture exactly what it is that I find funny in life and bottle it in a daily comic strip. I can't even begin to express how awesome Dino Comics is -- it must be seen to be believed. "My apocalyptic tenor has not been dispelled!"
My bloody friends...
Asteroid Blues Network Forums - A communications hub for me and my Albany crew, this message board is chock full of just about everything, ranging from posts on favorite breakfast cereals to all-out foreign policy debates. The forum is neither for the faint of heart nor the faint of butt.
Mark's Homepage - As of this linking, Mark's Homepage is in its fourth iteration, and it plays home to very, very infrequent updates by the Staufenman and a whole bunch of random articles and rantings that can be directly attributed to Mark and his friends. I can't say a whole lot more, other than... uh... now Mark's a writer.
Tom's Homepage: A Whole Crapload of Stuff - Tom's page is a pretty comprehensive guide to the stuff that Tom truly values: his X-box, golf, attractive women (that is, 'uberhotties'), and South Park. While I do not claim to be Tom's intellectual superior by any means, I will proudly say that Tom's page offers a refreshing level of unsophistication that is matched only by his unscathed reputation as The Sierra Master.
One annoyed and POed Boo's DeadJournal - This is a running buffer for Dan Lance Dan's thoughts, and I heartily approve of both him and his thoughts. Cheers.
Doc Sach's DeadJournal - Here we have some sporadic prose a la Graham, which enriches the spirit as well as the body. Once he wanted revolution... now he's the institution.
Gaming and electronic culture...
Penny Arcade - Quite possibly the best comic stip on the 'net, Penny Arcade highlights the hilarity of both the gaming mythos and my weirded-out generation in general. Cartoons are posted every few days along with news posts that range from strictly game-related to completely personal ramblings from the site's two creators. Nearly all of it is phenomenally funny.
RPGFan - This is a pretty good RPG site with lots of information, pictures, news, and the other stuff that you would expect from any respectable gaming site. For some reason, the only games I really play on consoles now are RPG's and retro stuff, so this site represents about half of that. Fair enough.
innergeek.us - Here is the home of a really well-made and comprehensive online quiz that determines how geeky (that is, nerdy) you really are. Last time I checked, I was 40.03945% geek, making me a Major Geek. I'm pretty satisfied with that score... whatever you do, don't lie to make yourself look more geeky.
Litestep - This is one of many possible jumping-off sites for the Litestep program, which basically replaces Windows' default shell with something far more aesthetically and ergonomically pleasing. The thing is open-source and whatnot, so your new shell is infinitely customizable, but there are hundreds of themes on the web that others have made for those who aren't complete hackers themselves. I've used Litestep for a good long time now, and I wouldn't trade my hotkeys, embedded WinAmp interface, or four-desktop capabilities for anything. Fight the system.
Final Fantasy Online - More or less the definitive online source for the FF series... tons of very, very detailed information, from the AP needed to master Contain materia to all of your favorite Espers to the MIDI version of "The Man With The Machine Gun." This place is a freaking treasure trove.
Final Fantasy VII: Revelation - A particularly good source of information for people looking for some hardcore FF7 exegesis. I used this site to solidify some of my own opinions on the game and begin the thought process behind my cursory essay on the game's use of classical mythic elements.
Xenogears: God and Mind - Here's a rather comprehensive site that covers several elements of the game that made us laugh, cry, and cry some more. Once the Bucket Xenogears Project is actually completed, I'll scrutinize over the site's essays and other in-depth content. The game is infuriating and honestly devoid of any kind of theological worth, but it taunts the intellect so... curse you, Xenogears. Curse you.
Strong Bad E-mail Secrets - This guy has one of the most comprehensive lists that I've seen for all of the easter eggs and features of the Strong Bad e-mails. Also included are some short explanations of lots of the references that the Brothers Chaps make on a constant basis, both to nerd/mainstream culture and to other parts of their own website. This page also features a kind of voting system that enables visitors to rate the various e-mails and see which e-mails are liked most by the angry mob of the Internet.
Literature and non-electronic culture...
The Harry Potter Lexicon - While it's not the best-designed place around, the absolute scope of the project is enormous. The HP Lexicon has literally everything you could ever possibly want to know about canonical Harry Potter works, and presents the information with a staggering level of attention to detail. Every person ever mentioned by name, every spell, every place, creature, object, pictures drawn by fans, ugh. The place is exhaustive, and should be able to settle nerd argument you'll ever have over the series. Period.
Municipally oriented...
City of Albany, NY - This is the city's website, with a directory of city offices, events information, and information on various municipal projects. This is a pretty valuable resource for city residents.
Downtown Albany Business Improvement District - Here's an organization dedicated to the continued success of Albany's downtown area, with more events and contact information and several articles about pertinent commercial happenings.
AHS Drama Club - The award-winning Albany High Drama club's online home, complete with show information, archives, pictures, and event notices. The site was developed by James Patrick Keenan, and I'll be curious to see what will happen to it once he turns over the reigns to the next generation.
Metroland - Here's the online version of the Capital Region's alternative news source, which consistently has articles on the issues that actually matter... the ones that The Man probably doesn't want you to see.
Civics for dummies...
Michael Moore - He's a muckraker for the 21st century... hailing from Flint, Michigan, Moore has taken on K-Mart, Charleton Heston, General Motors, and various other American icons while calling attention to some issues that people really ought to take a very close look at. The guy's a hero.
The Onion - Parody news at its finest, though in every joke there's at least a shadow of the truth. The Onion constantly calls attention to the fine line that we walk between absurdity and reality... it's difficult to tell the two apart all too often.
