Bicycling Magazine: Okay, so cycling's not a big part our culture, and from the hairy experiences with murderous motorists that I have almost daily on the roads, I can only conclude that our hell drivers must have cyclists on top of their "Best Kills" wish-list. But hopefully, the ever growing success of the Tour of Langkawi and the burgeoning local bike racing scene will make more Malaysians realize the joys of the sport. And once they're hooked, they'd probably be checking out sites like this to find out what's happening in the world of road racing. The online version of "the world's largest cycling (American) publication" offers daily updates on major road racing events, brief bike and gear reviews, training and repair and maintenance tips, and other information that cyclists just don't seem to get enough of. It's a simple and effectively designed site that provides useful summaries of stories and small but adequate images that don't take hours to load. The writing is also plain and clear with just enough spice to convey the thrill of the sport.

Brain Candy: If you're turned on by puns, jokes, riddles, limericks, word games, misinterpreted song lyrics and colorful insults, you'll love this site. It's not only great for laughs but also gives you a chance to load up on jokes and stuff that might just make you the social livewire you've always wanted to be. This is no moron-designed site so you don't have to worry about silly animated graphics and other CPU memory-draining distractions. In fact, the content is almost entirely text-based, which is great because that frees up space for a lot of readable material. The main page has links to the 'Most Popular Requests', like the 'Weekly Riddle', 'Celebrity Insults about Famous Men' and 'Dying Word of Famous People', and categories such as 'Blonde Jokes', 'Celebrity Advice', 'Common Insults', 'Dumb Questions' and 'Lawyer Jokes'. The 'riddle in a rhyme' feature is really neat. Here's a sample: 'My first is foremost legality. My second circles outwardly. My third leads all in victory. My fourth twice ends a nominee. My all is this riddle's only key. What am I?' Have fun here but try to suppress your urge to e-mail your friends these jokes.

Cultural Debates Online: Multiculturalism is intelligently treated at this site that deals with such things as growing up in a multi-racial environment, the plight of indigenous peoples and the effects of tourism on culture. It's a site aimed at students, but the information will be relevant to anyone looking for a greater understanding of the kinds of problems that may arise from cultural diversity and the ways to resolve them. There are Quicktime videos, plenty of supplementary information and discussions on various issues, and a section that helps teachers to conduct exercises in the classroom. You can also get in on the debates in the 'Talkboard' and 'Student Showcase' sections, and learn about ancient cultures, like that of the Mentawai tribe of Indonesia. A great page for exposing young people to the subject of culture.

Exploris: Covering everything from the Chinese New Year celebration to 'Valentine's Day Around The World', this "Global Experience Center" is a mine of information for popular and ethnic cultural events. There's an 'Exhibits' section where you can access all kinds of useful data, including currency exchange rates, the way of life of people from different parts of the world and "how to clean water using microbes and plants". The 'Many Voices' page, which "explores the importance and power of communication in the world today", is particularly stimulating. The 'Actvities' link tells you about all the current things happening around the world, with plenty of background information. It's a fast-loading site that's neatly laid out for ease of access and navigation.

Personality Online: A "one-stop resource for self-discovery and personal development" that will appeal especially to introspective types. The interactive personality tests are the most attractive feature here. But as long as you don't expect flattering revelations about your psyche all the time, you won't be disappointed with these. There are also 'Discussion' and 'Analysis' links that help you get into yourself deeper. And if you need to find out more -- don't we all? -- you can check out the links to other personality and psychology sites. The registration requirement -- another stupid privacy-shattering data-gathering exercise -- is a bit irritating but it's small price to pay for the self-knowledge you seek.

Pitsco's Ask An Expert: Boasting links to "hundreds of real world experts, ranging from astronauts to zookeepers", this site lets you ask questions about any subject or topic you can imagine. And the answers, if they've not already been posted in the 'FAQs' sections, will be provided by relevant experts. The scope is unlimited here, and since it's not a commercially motivated site like Ask Jeeves, you get pretty comprehensive answers to your questions. There're also links to 'Parents & Educators' and a 'Career Information' section that will be a useful "resource for career-minded students and guidance counselors'.

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