Summer Reading Club

Now that I have all sorts of free time to, uh, to do, uhm, stuff, I have run across some fascinating new web sites. I will share them with you periodically in a new segment I like to call "Mark's Summer Reading Club."

When you get some free time, check these out:

• http://www.saulbass.net/psychostudio Think you are better than Hitchcock? Then redit that infamous shower scene!

• http://www.tripadvisor.com Reviews of actual vacation spots by actual people who report actual experiences - good and bad. Of course, the bas experiences are the funniest!

• http://www.podcastingnews.com Continually updated site exploring Podcast innovations.

• http://findadeath.com A truly decadent concept: Not only does it let you know whether your favorite stars of the past are dead, but provides details on the each celeb's final days and pictures of their final homes as well as final resting places. It is written in a shameless, disgusting, tawdry style - and completely irresistible.

• http://www.regrettheerror.com This is a daily update on newspaper corrections. As I always admonished folks, "There but for the grace of God..."

• http://metaatem.net/words I learned about this one on Poynter. You type in a word, like your name, and "flickr" will spell it out in different letters from pictures found on the Internet. It is hard to explain. Just do it!

• http://jumptheshark.com I still am amazed at all the people who do not know about this site. It gets its name from the episode of "Happy Days" when Fonzie jumped his motorcycle over a shark. This is basically a discussion board where folks can discuss when a good TV series went bad, or, jumped the shark. Truly addictive!

• http://www.slickdeals.net Here's a good place to discover great deals on virually anything. This is essentially a board where folks share amazing bargains - and it really works!

http://cheaters.com I keep telling everyone that my new favorite daytime television show is "Cheaters" in which anyone who suspects their loved of infidelity can contact the show and they will dispatch a team of private detectives and videographers to detail the cheating and then arrange a confrontation. The best part: despite the scandalous nature, the show claims it is "both dedicated to the faithful and presented to the falsehearted to encourage their renewal of temperance and virtue." Yeah, right...

• http://www.theonion.com Fake news is, sometimes, better than the real thing! One of the funniest sites on the 'Net.

• http://www.humanclock.com Go to this site and hit "view the clock" and then "gimme a cute window" and the time will be displayed, uniquely, by humans!

• http://www.link4u.com/vacation.htm Why not take a virtual vacation?

• http://www.earthcam.com/usa/nevada/lasvegas/paris.html Here is a 24/7 live cam from the Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino! Ahhh... The Paris...

Other summer reading tips: I chowed down on two John Grisham books in Florida: "The Street Lawyer" and "The Last Juror." "Juror" is a must-read for anyone who has ever worked at a small newspaper. "Cargo" magazine has cool stuff for guys. "House of M" may top "Infinity Crisis" as the comic book event of the summer. For summer viewing, check out the first season of "The Bob Newhart Show" on DVD. A real gem! Also, you MUST see the rereleased Steve McQueen classic "Bullitt." Ultra-cool!