Websites that rule - Part 3

I've been saving the world all day, and I'm a little typed out. I Facebook-chatted with one friend about socioeconomic classes and not judging books by their covers; I debated veganism with no less then 3 people; and I engaged in a meaningful discussion with a good friend about the proposed chiropractic regulations that I feel might elevate the profession, but have potential to release a trojan horse gut-full of unintended consequences. On top of that, I proofread and updated our office paperwork (all 9 documents, containing a total of 21 pages), joined two lab co-ops to save patients money on lab testing they'll need, and chatted with another guy about a kick-butt website for our practice. My my my, I've been a busy little bee. So I'm a little exhausted from saving the world, but I still feel like writing anyway.

You've seen my first two Websites That Rule collections; here's a third--and long-overdue--installment. As usual, no particular order.

Site: emedicine.medscape.com (without the www)
Why the site rules: This is the kind of site you learn about in some extra-curricular seminar, because otherwise you might not find it. It's a spinoff of Medscape, which is like WebMD for doctors; in fact, the two are affiliated. Beautifully organized by specialty and subspecialty, it contains incredibly comprehensive information in language that doesn't make doctors feel like undergrads again, but also doesn't throw around too many terms doctors might not recall several years out of school ;)

Site: jewishworldreview.com (also without the www)
Why the site rules: I'm not Jewish at all, but I stumbled upon their site back in 2002 or so, researching either Dr. Laura Schlessinger or Thomas Sowell, the amazingly brilliant economist--I forget which, but both have their own extensive editorial columns on the site (just check the tiny print along the left margin). Interestingly enough, the Jewish people I've known had always leaned toward the left side of the fence, but these columnists pretty much all swing to the right, sometimes the far right. The columnists tend to make excellent points; if you think to the left, you may not want to venture here, but if you're right-leaning, you may feel right at home...even if you're not Jewish. Warning: enable your pop-up blocker

Site: www.musica.com
Why the site rules: This site is in Spanish, which is my distant second language, but it's easy to understand and navigate. This site has a vast collection of music lyrics, from the mainstream to the alternative and eclectic, from both North America and Latin America, not to mention Spain, as well. The site is unlike any other lyric site out there in that it doesn't nag you to download the ringtone, nor does it deluge you with pop-up windows or annoying banner ads. It also loads much faster than most lyric sites. And did I mention the variety? Anything from Julieta Venegas to Our Lady Peace, they've got you covered.

Site: evilhrlady.blogspot.com (no www)
Why the site rules: This is a youthful-yet-seasoned level-headed, common-sense lady who has worked in the bowels of private-sector bureaucracy for a number of companies, both large and small, for years. And she has seen it all. She answers questions from the confused, frustrated, and/or clueless public, offering a generous dose of gentle, down-to-earth wisdom. She makes it seem so easy, like "why didn't I think of that?" Even if you've never worked in HR (Human Resources), or you have zero interest in HR, this blog is still a good and easy read. I've passively learned a lot from this blog, and I found myself falling back on that information when hiring, training, and interacting with our own contractor, as well as when giving my friends in the W-2 employee world some advice.

Site: www.marksdailyapple.com
Why the site rules: Are you wondering how to eat right? Confused about which (of the conflicting) dietary advice to follow? Caught up in the various opposing dietary theories? Trying to lose weight? Gain weight? Maintain a healthy weight? Reverse diabetes? Bulk up? Slim down? How much exercise you should do? Well, look no further, because this site has ALL the answers--everything from carbs to protein to burst training. They've got food--and exercise--pyramids of their own and not only are they backed by the soundest research, they're actually more fun and natural to follow. If diets leave you feeling deprived and exercise leaves you feeling fatigued, this is the site for you. If you're vegetarian or vegan, you're in for a wake-up call. They're not prejudiced; they've researched. Come try it for yourself! See what life should really feel like.

Site: www.zillow.com
Why the site rules: Search addresses and real estate listings to get an idea of what a property is really worth! We're glad we did this; a cute and pretty house-turned-business-office listed for $187k, but it turns out that it's really only valued at less than $130k! Also, it helped us gain exposure when our real estate agent listed our house-for-sale on this site. All kinds of info can be yours, including a bird's-eye-view of the property and other data. You can even zoom out to a view of the block or neighborhood, and it'll compare the appraised value of every house within its view! This way, you can compare your home's value to that of all your neighbors.

Site: www.allrecipes.com
Why the site rules: If you've ever needed a recipe, especially on short notice, or you want to try something new on whim, here's your new best friend. This site is extremely navigable, with literally dozens of user-submitted recipes organized according to category. Don't see a category you like (like gluten-free, for example)? That's OK - type it in the search box at the top of the page. It's like this site reads your mind.

Site: www.etiquettehell.com
Why the site rules: Every so often, you need to do one or both of two things: 1) laugh your ass off, and/or 2) take comfort that someone else had a worse wedding day than you. (For the record, we had an awesome wedding day, but we have heard horror stories.) And horror stories these are, especially when it comes to bridezillas (formerly normal ladies who otherwise pull the Jekyll-and-Hyde act, becoming monster bitches from hell overnight). At the end of a particularly trying day, set aside a few hours (for best results) and read through it. Laugh and feel relieved that it ain't you.

Site: www.rentometer.com
Why the site rules: Ever wonder if it was just your imagination or if you really were paying too much for rent? Well, you can enter your address and current monthly rent payment into the search boxes at the top of the home page and find out for sure. The site will compare your rent to those of other complexes in your area and tell you how your rental deal measures up. It'll show you on a Google map the other complexes in your vicinity and you can roll your mouse over them. Then, if you find a comple for lower rent that you think you might like better and you're considering a move, we highly suggest you copy-paste the addresses into...

Site: www.apartmentratings.com
Why the site rules: Wouldn't it have been nice to know your apartment was practically a halfway house for illegal drug dealers before you moved in? Or that there was a noise problem at night even though it seemed quiet during the day (when the residents were still asleep) when you took your tour? Or that there's a massive roach infestation? Or that management would try to screw you out of your security deposit come move-out time? Yeah, we like to know these things up front, too. This site isn't 100% foolproof; some complexes don't have many reviews on there, and other listings are wrought with complaints from people who very likely were shadier scumbags than management ever was, bitter about the fact that they got evicted, not telling you that it was after the 7th 2AM noise complaint. However, it can at least serve as a guide; it's good to take this kind of information at face value anyway. It can indicate trends and possible pitfalls to watch for, especially if several otherwise-level-headed people repeat the same theme. Do watch for when the information was entered; apartment complexes change management all the time, so what was true a year or two ago may be totally different now.

OK, now back to saving the world....first thing tomorrow morning.