I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who spends far too much time surfing the web daily. If you’re like me, though, you have a few fallback sites you visit far more than others. I try to limit mine to sites that give me valuable information or a cathartic release once in a while, so the 5 THINGS I’ll tell you about today are the five sites I visit far too often.

In no particular order:

THE OATMEAL—Sheer ridiculous, but smart and witty. This is a great place to visit when you need to relax and have a laugh. Some of the items are hit or miss, but for the most part, you’ll get a bit of a chuckle wherever you click.

WRITER UNBOXED—Great writing advice, publishing insight, and general information on the process of writing and publishing. It’s worth a read. The articles are usually short and helpful. I have yet to read a post that wasn’t useful in some way.

FSTOPPERS—This is perhaps my favorite photography blog (although STROBIST is right up there). These guys post interesting videos about photo techniques or interesting photo projects. One of my favorites so far: a photo essay about the Salton Sea in California. Do a quick search on the website and you’ll find it.

DRUNK CYCLIST—In the interest of full disclosure, I’ll tell you that I write for Drunk Cyclist semi-regularly as D2. This is a NSFW blog at times: it’s crass, ridiculous, full of colorful language, but generally good fun. It’s all about bikes an bike culture, as well as bicycling advocacy. (Despite the name, many posts focus on SAFE cycling rather than sheer abandon on two wheels)

LAST.FM—I listened to Pandora for a long time until I realized it would play the same songs over and over again. I never heard anything new. In fact, most stations would bring me back to the early nineties when what I was looking for was the early 2011s. Last.fm is a better alternative, I think. Since I started listening to this internet radio project, I’ve discovered some great bands that fit my tastes. Put it on while you write/take photos/do taxes/fall asleep on the couch and you’re guaranteed to find a new band you like.