The editorial staff of Website Compass has come up with a listing of some of their favorite, most useful (and some not so useful) websites. Check them out. We think you'll enjoy them as well.

This fall all civic minded citizens will visit their polling site to cast their vote for our nation’s president. Visit these sites first to enable you to make an informed decision.

For the record
Candidates can run on but they can’t run from their record. Project Vote Smart has done your homework for you by researching how every politician has voted, who supports them, and who doesn’t. Find out where the presidential candidates, as well as all other federal and state office seekers, stand on the issues.
www.vote-smart.org

Vote early-vote often
Don’t let your kids miss out on the fun. This site, geared for young future voters, will help them understand the election process and give them a kid’s eye view of the campaign. Who knows—maybe you’ll be preparing them to make a run in 2044.
www.teacher.scholastic.com/activities/election2004/

If I am elected ...
You’ve heard what the commentators have said about the candidates. Now hear what the candidates have to say about the candidates. These are the official campaign sites for the men who are seeking your vote. Read the latest press releases, follow the campaign trail, and maybe even enjoy some good old-fashioned mudslinging.
www.georgewbush.com
www.johnkerry.com
www.votenader.com

While you wait for those makeover magicians to show up at your door, here are some things you can actually do yourself.

Spring into Fall
Brown, reds, yellows, oranges. Bring the look and feel of autumn into your home with these simple decorating and craft ideas. Who knew you could do so much with a pumpkin?.
www.creatinghomedecor.com/autumn.htm

Have you ever considered siding?
If you’re ready to give your home exterior a facelift, consult the experts at about.com first. Paint selection, surface preparation, and problem solving are all covered here. Back pain and ladder spills aren’t.
www.architecture.about.com/od/paint/

What an interesting color...
Nothing gives your home that fresh clean look more than a new paint job. Nothing gives your home that “oh my ” look more than a bad new paint job. Get some tips from these professionals before your home qualifies for a spread in House Unusual.
www.doityourself.com/paint

These sites are dedicated to the lyricists who give us beautiful words to sing and those who mangle those words.

Oh, that’s it!
What can be more annoying than trying to sing that favorite song but not knowing the words? Only having to listen to you try. Fortunately, help is just a click away. At all-lyrics.org you can quickly find the words to virtually any song imaginable.
www.all-lyrics.org

Mistaken identity
Admit it—you’ve done it. We all have. Everyone is occasionally guilty of the crime of mistaken lyrics and this site lists some of the best. So as you check it out, let’s all join in that Elton John classic, “Hold me closer, Tony Danza.”
www.funny2.com/lyrics

Increasingly the Web is becoming a necessity of our daily lives. Here are some sites that you would do well to bookmark for easy, frequent access.

Where do I go?
If you feel lost in life, it’s not the fault of Mapquest. Never has it been easier to find your way from point A to point B, get the layout of a new city, or to identify the location of every Starbucks in your zip code. Mapquest will help you find your way.
www.mapquest.com

What should I wear?
What’s the forecast for today—rainy, windy, hot, bone-chilling cold? Before you venture out, have the experts at the Weather Channel let you in on what might be expected. They’ll keep you out of short sleeves if the weather looks bad. Unfortunately they can’t keep you out of short shorts even if it looks really bad.
www.weather.com

What do you mean?
Not sure how a word is spelled, used, or pronounced? It’s Dictionary.com to the rescue. Simply type in the word in question and before you can say Webster’s Unabridged you’ll have the information you’re looking for. What does unabridged mean? Uh, look it up.
www.dictionary.com

If love is the universal language, food must be a close second. We’ve found some sites that are sure to have you salivating to try some old favorites and some new twists.

As American as apple pie
“Meatloaf, how could I serve thee? Let me count the ways.” Don’t bother. The folks at Recipe Source have already done that and come up with more than 50 different offerings for this beloved staple of dinner tables everywhere.
http://www.recipesource.com/main-dishes/meat/meatloaf/indexall.html

Four alarm fixins
Some like it mild. Some like it hot. Some like it to make their eyeballs sweat. However you like your chili, this site has a variety for you. Hundreds of mouth watering, nose running, kitchen-tested recipes to satisfy one and all. (You may also want to look for a site with suggestions for gas and heartburn relief.)
http://www.g6csy.net/chile/chili.html

It’s soy good
There may be no single food as versatile as tofu. From drinks to desserts, snacks to main courses, tofu can do it all. With its ability to blend into any surrounding, tofu is the chameleon of the nutrition world. And if the lizard reference hasn’t made you lose your appetite, then satisfy it with these tasty suggestions.
http://www.vegweb.com/food/tofu/

With the dog days of summer behind us, you may be feeling your stress levels beginning to elevate. Relax. We’re here to help.

Stress defined
What is stress? How does it affect us? What can be done about it? Get all of your stress questions answered here. And if the information provided isn’t enough, then you must be the obsessive type. No wonder you’re stressed.
http://tc.unl.edu/stress/resources.html

Take that, stress ball!
If you’re feeling a little uptight, here’s a sure fire method to take the edge off. Step One–find one of those cute, squishy, stress balls– the kind with a happy smiley face. Step Two–shoot it. This site turns an office into a virtual paintball range where you can blast your tension away.
http://www.miniclip.com/paintball.htm

Glub, glub
If all else fails, what can be more relaxing than watching the gentle movements of a tank of colorful tropical fish. No aquarium? Not a problem. Just log on to virtualfishtank.com and transform your monitor into the next best thing. If you can’t find relief, just find Nemo.
www.virtualfishtank.com

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