Question:  I’m looking for some really neat web sites to visit.  Do you have any recommendations?  I love your articles, Guru!

Answer:  I have wanted to do an article on web sites for some time, but never could figure out how to approach it.  So, I’m glad you asked!

www.imdb.com - Internet Movie Database -  This web site has everything under the sun about movies!  If you are an avid movie buff, or just want to know what location that favorite movie was shot, this web site is for you!

www.speakeasy.net/speedtest - Internet Connection Speed Test -  If you are having problems with your Internet connection, or just want to know what your actual Internet speed is, visit this site, and click on one of the servers on the left-hand side of the page.

www.intellicast.com - Weather Forecasts and Maps – If you want to see actual satellite weather maps and put them into motion, visit this site.  It has a lot of different types of maps (satellite, IR, surface, etc) to choose from and animate.

earth.google.com -  Google Earth -  This is one of the neatest new sites from 2005.  Satellite images of the Earth have been pieced together to generate an completely accurate 3D rendition of the world.  You can zoom in close enough to see the tires on a car.  Click on “Get Google Earth” on the right side of the web page to download the free software.  A high-speed connection is highly recommended.

www.confluence.org - The Degree Confluence Project – This site is dedicated to bringing the world together.  It started out with a handful of people who wanted to visit where latitude and longitude degrees intersect.  They then write a story about the local people and places where they are.  It’s very interesting to see the diverse locations and stories.

traffic.houstontranstar.org – Real-Time Traffic Map of Houston – If you want to know the current traffic conditions for Houston’s highways, visit this web site.  You will get a very easy to read map which is color-coded depending on how fast the traffic is moving.  You can even click in the “map control” area at the bottom-right to enable cameras in which you can view snapshots of what’s going on.

If you have any web sites you would like me to view, please send them in.  I’d love to see them!