My Web Gems
A webgem is basically a website or video that we, as daily users of the web, find especially unique and special. What I consider to be a webgem is very different than what another person defines as one, because of my different experiences and knowledge. Below are the websites and videos that I feel are especially striking, useful, and entertaining. This will be updated weekly, so keep an eye out!
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Sam Hart "Mario Kart Love Song"-12/10/10
Sam Hart is one of my favorite youtube stars, along with Natalie Tran. He actually lives in the Bay Area (according to my sources-mwahahaha; actually it's listed on his channel). He does covers of popular songs, from country to the Jonas Brothers, as well as his own. One of my favorite songs of his is the Mario Kart Love Song. While I'm not a huge Mario Kart fanatic, I've played enough to be able to understand this song's many hidden jokes. His clear voice and nice falsetto make him a unique star. I highly suggest checking out his channel if you are looking for some sweet songs or homework music. |
Tumblr-12/3/10
Tumblr is a blogging site that lets its users create personal blogs and entries with different themes and content. Like Facebook, it lets "tumblrs" establish a unique identity through their entries, photos, music, and more. I have a Tumblr, and I like to post my thoughts in it, as well as put pictures in it. I find that Tumblr, unlike Facebook, is even more personal because one can choose the look of the site (and you can post better quality photos). The media that you can post on Tumblr is also very varied. It's a great website, and I recommend that if you have the time, create one-it's a great way to express yourself. Click on the image to go to my personal tumblr. |
StumbleUpon- 11/26/10 http://www.stumbleupon.com/home/
Stumble Upon is a great website that I recently found. The idea is that the user will choose at least eight things they're interested in, and click "Stumble." What StumbleUpon does essentially is website surfing. It's a random shuffle of websites and their medias that the viewer might like. Some of things I've Stumbled upon include hilarious videos of animals, as well as powerful illustrations. The user friendly interface makes it a great webiste, and one that I check regularly. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes unique and original websites and media-- pretty much everybody! |
XKCD- 11/19/10
XKCD is an online webcomic, updated every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The artist covers a wide range of topics, from programming, astronomy, chemistry, love, and more. With its simplistic drawings and hilarious punchlines, XKCD seems a lot more accessible than some newspaper comics. It's very relevant, but still light hearted. I make it a routine of mine to check it weekly, and hit on the "Random" button to see what else the website has. Some of the jokes I don't quite understand as they refer to coding, but nevertheless, it's a great website. Check it out- this website has a comic for everyone. |
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Passion Pit-the Reeling 11/12/10
This is one of the music videos from one of my favorite bands, Passion Pit. Passion Pit mixes techno, dub step, and their own brand to create an interesting, while synthetic, sound. The high falsetto of the lead singer is unique and interesting. Passion Pit is my artist of choice when I am doing homework or just chilling with my friends. Their lyrics are interesting as well. What I like about "The Reeling" is the unique beat and the lyrics. When watching the video, the girl seems so full of life that it makes one envious. I hope someday I can go see them live! |
Oracle Online 11/5/10 http://www.mvhsoracle.com/site/
I'm the Sports editor for the MVHS newspaper The Oracle, which is a monthly publication. This is the online version of the hard newspaper, with PDF documents of the paper after we print it. The website is very well made in my opinion, as well as having an easy to use template and an interesting colorscheme. What I like about this website is that it is very centered around the MVHS life, with article and exclusives that relate especially to the students. What's nice about this website is that it is not limited-- while in a real paper, one is limited by space and color, the website is not limited and can support high res color graphics and lengthy articles. Also, on the website one can see slideshows, videos, and podcasts, things that obviously cannot be supported by a physcial newspaper. The webiste is new this year, and I think it's the best one we've had yet. |
Wimp 10/20/10
Wimp is an interesting website. Every day they put up unique, wacky, mindblowing videos and pictures-- "the best of the Web," as they put it. It's become a habit of mine to check this website on the daily to find a video that could spice up my day. So far, I've seen videos of ninja cats, a fantastic male cheerleading routine, videos on how to fold shirts, a one woman cover of Beyonce's "Halo," as well as parkour dogs. Yes. Parkour dogs. Wimp is your go to site for the wacky, the crazy, and the unusual-- it's a must for anyone and everyone.
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Freddie Mercury, my god. Queen "Don't Stop Me Now" 10/20/10 This is one of my favorite Queen songs. While I do like the more popular ones like "Another one bites the dust" as well as "We will rock you" and of course, "Bohemian Rhapsody," for some reason, I really love this one. Freddie Mercury is such a talent. When I do homework, I listen to this song. When I get ready for soccer, I listen to this song-- it gets me pumped up for a good game!
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