When I started my new job I realized one of my main responsibilities was to keep up with current trends in the design field.

Everyday I would find some new site with vital information that would really help inspire or teach me some new trend that would make a great suggestion in helping revitalize our site’s presence on the web.

The issue I ran into was that most of these sites are all updated frequently, and I did not want to lose out on pertinent information that would be of benefit to myself as well as others just because I did not want to sign up for the newsletter.

So, instead of trying to visit each site everyday wondering what I’ve missed, I stumbled across a great video that helped me understand RSS and RSS readers.

This video will benefit you greatly whether you are online 24/7 or for only less than a hour every couple days. You should watch it to understand more about the web, how it works, where it’s going and where it’s been.

Below is a list of blogs I read and why.

Movie/video blogs

I mainly read, darkmotion, for it’s great tips and tutorials on animation and character development but I find that their movie reviews are usually spot on with what I like as well. I trust their opinions.

I Watch Stuff – The Best Movie News Ever, is a really funny site that keeps up with all news on movie culture, movie news, and sometimes television as well. Whoever writes it is hilarious. The captions are almost always sarcastic and condescending, I love it. Plus, they always have trailers up before any other site I have seen as of yet.

I have been reading, Latest Movie Trailers, for as long as I can remember. This site is awesome mainly for the sole fact that they offer free HD trailers without having to sign up or put advertisements on their site.

Saturday Morning Blog, is a pretty cool blog. The moderator, posts videos online of old cartoons from back in the day. Cartoons we all used to watch as kids, they range from the 30’s all the way to the early 90’s.

Today’s BIG Thing – Newest Videos, is usually pretty good. They post the most “popular” or “most viewed” video from all the popular video sites. Like I said, It’s not bad, lately they added specific channels for specific genre’s which was smart to be able to find exactly what it is you’re looking for.

Shopping blogs

NOTCOT, is fabulous. I have never used that word to describe anything else. But that’s exactly what NOTCOT is. They review products, parties, gala’s, stores, etc. The stuff they review tends to be on the pricier side, but on those occasions where I need to know about the finer things in life, this site comes in handy.

Ninja Turtle blogs

That’s right. I still read Ninja Turtle related blogs. And yes, they do actually help with work.

Ninja Pizza | A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) News Blog, collects all of the latest TMNT news, information, and general randomness in a single place. Unlike the the other blogs, this site focuses mainly on the news of the TMNT, not so much the past.

palblog, is written by the main himself, Peter Laird. One of the co-creators of the TMNT. I love reading this site, because he updates a couple times a day on information about the Turtles past, present and future that no one would ever know about otherwise. It’s just wild to hear about all the secrets and thought processes behind the cultural icons that stapled together your childhood.

Steve Lavigne Ryan Brown Cowabunga Cartoon Classics!, is written and moderated by Steve Lavigne and Ryan Brown who designed, penciled, inked and colored lots of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle art for a lot of different TMNT products back in the eighties and ninties and they post a lot of that here. Again, it’s just really interesting to see stuff from your childhood you haven’t thought about in years suddenly show up on your reader on a daily basis.

the 5th turtle, is written by Steve Murphy, who was probably the first person from comics to ever inspire me, come to think about it. He used to write one of my favorite comics of all time, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures. Hearing all his thoughts on life and about the TMNT franchise makes me respect and understand more about why I liked those books as a kid and why I like them even more now.

I’m not sure who writes on, TMNT & OTHER STRANGENESS, but I read it because I like the opinions about Mirage studios and the frequently updated posts about the turtles, it’s pretty interesting.

College/work related blogs

I stumbled across, Innovation in College Media, a little while ago and I’m amazed at how perfect it is. This site and what they link to and write about is precisely what it is I’m always looking for. But instead of me looking at other sites and media wondering how we improve on concepts already being used I can see specifically what people in my field and probably what people with my job title are doing.

Hipster blogs

I originally hated, HIPSTER RUNOFF, but now I love it. Now that I’ve read and understand Hipster runoff I think I enjoy it now. The writer moderator points out all of the hilarious stereotypes in hipsters. It’s really funny actually, even though my closest friends are hipsters, I like that people can point out the cultural stereostypes in others. I just wish there were sites like this for every type of stereotype.

lastnightsparty, is one of my guilty pleasures. I love club photos. Which I hate admitting. But, I really like the shots that are taken on this site. They’re different from a lot of club night photo sites I see.

Google blogs

I mainly read, Google Geo Developers Blog, specifically to get updates on the source code for google’s map code to help finish my maps project.

Google Maps Mania, is a great a portal site for all kinds of mashups that have been created using google’s API and open source code for their maps technology. It’s really inspired me to see where I can take my maps project.

Comic Strip blogs

AmazingSuperPowers.com, is hilarious. It’s so over the line on so many jokes. I love it.

WOW. garfield minus garfield, is one the greatest ideas I’ve ever heard. Someone took it upon themselves to take Garfield out of the comic strip and see what it would be like if you took out the main character. Now when you read the strips with Garfield taken out, it makes Jim, Garfield’s owner, look like a schizophrenic. Such an awesome idea. haha

I wish Scott Meets Family Circus was updated often. Unfortunately it isn’t. I spent a solid hour just laughing at the very few strips he does have up there. The writer of this strip photoshops himself into the family circus strip and just terrorizes this wholesome family. It’s amazing.

Funny blogs

FAIL Blog: Pictures and Videos of Owned, Pwnd and Fail Moments, hands down one of the funniest sites to utilize user generated content.

I have two things to say about this site: 1) I wish I thought of Hot Chicks with Douchebags first. 2) It is my biggest fear to end up on this site.

I like List Of The Day, but sometimes it can get repetitive with it’s humor. Sometimes it’s the same stuff over and over again. But I can’t resist a good list so I keep going back.

PhotoshopDisasters, should be required reading in beginner design classes.

Alright, I hate admitting I love SEXY PEOPLE. But I laugh hysterically every time they post.

Sorry I Missed Your Party, is hit or miss with me. But when they find just the right picture, IT’S SO GOOD. I just love the fact that people will post any picture they take. No matter what the picture is, they want to share it with the world. It’s astounding that this is what fills up so much of the internet. People have no shame, and I for one am glad they don’t because otherwise this site wouldn’t exist.

Why do I like Stuff White People Like? Because I straight up love racial jokes. I love stereotypes. I love people that deny their validity and existence. And I commend that these people created one for white people. Bravo!

Freebie blogs

DaPino-Colada, is good to find GOOD free girly vectors.

Dezignus.com, posts all kinds of freebies. Anywhere between photoshop brushes, vector artwork and textures.

FREE VECTOR GRAPHICS-Big collection of free vector graphics, posts lots of semi good vectors. Some files are vectors you’d think you’d never need, but this site sure has come in handy in the past for last minute rush jobs.

Qbrushes – Photoshop Brushes, IS VERY GREAT RESOURCE FOR FREE PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES. These brushes are outstanding!

Qvectors Free Vector Graphics, IS VERY GREAT RESOURCE FOR FREE ILLUSTRATOR VECTORS.

Friend/opinion blogs

(I apologize if some of my friends aren’t listed on here for blogs I subscribe to. I would link you but some are blogs people cannot get to because they are Myspace blogs that if they do not have an account they cannot see or you don’t update that often, and I am linking to blogs that get updated frequently in this post. Another time, I promise.)

Chilly Nights & Warmer Thighs, is written by a friend of mine. I’ve only recently gotten to know her and I think she’s a very smart and creative girl. I’m glad she created a blog that I can now get to know her better. Much of it is a little too Texas-related for my tastes, but that’s where she lives so that’s understandable.

Dangerous, Dirty, and Unfun, is written by a close personal friend of mine who I really enjoy hearing what he thinks. I don’t enjoy all the Gossip Girl posts and political commentary, but for the most part I really like his opinions and respect him very much.

I don’t know the Heartless Doll writer, but I feel like she leans towards a feminist way of thinking, and although many feminists irritate me I find her views and opinions to be very respectful. At least enough for me to enjoy reading with each post. I like her blog for her opinions but also for the fact that it’s not always an opinion site, she mixes it up.

MP3 blogs

I get exposed to a lot of great music though gorillavsbear.net: i’m alright if you’re alright. The moderators mix up the genre of music between posts quite a bit. They primarily post indie rock, but a couple times a week they’ll post really good indie rap too. I really like their taste.

Music For Robots, was the first MP3 blog I ever went to. The stuff they used to post was really awesome. But maybe in the past two years or so I’ve found I haven’t liked what they posted so much. They post a lot of electronica/new wave/techno-ish kind of stuff now and some of it is really good, but it’s few and far between.

My Old Kentucky Blog, gets better and better everytime I go to it. It’s really hard to keep up with reading all the posts and listening to everything they post because they post so much. But I really like their music selection. They usually post bands that are up and coming and you get to listen to a lot of their stuff before they blow up.

Party Ends, is a fairly new addition to the Google reader. From what I can tell right now, is that they post a lot of really good current bands with a great new wave sound. Stuff with a lot of synth and that electronic 80’s sound. So far so good with these guys.

A couple things I like about, Said the Gramophone, is that 1) they don’t post that often, so it’s easy to be able to read all their posts without feeling overwhelmed; and 2) It’s music you don’t see on any other MP3 blog. My only issue with these guys, is that they tend to post a lot of lackluster dreary slow songs, which isn’t ALWAYS my cup of tea, but I like to see what other people are listening to.

I like You Aint No Picasso, for the same reason I like My old Kentucky blog. Their posts get better and better everytime I go to their site. It’s really hard to keep up with reading all the posts and listening to everything they post because they post so much. But I really like their music selection. They usually post bands that are up and coming and you get to listen to a lot of their stuff before they blow up.

Geek culture blogs

I primarily read, arglebargle!, because they post information on older geek culture I would never hear about otherwise. It’s pretty interesting.

I used to REALLY like, ectoplasmosis, but they haven’t posted as much good content as they used to. It was always a really good resource for finding quirky links or weird information.

Geekologie – Gadgets, Gizmos, and Awesome, is awesome. This is the best resource for finding out anything in current events involving geek culture in one website. Plus it’s written by the same people who write I watch stuff under Movie/video blogs so their captions are almost always sarcastic and condescending, I love it. This site is so good.

haha, I’m embarrassed to say this. But, I really don’t know why I read JIM SMASH ! ! !. It’s just another site I like but for no particular reason other than the posts are interesting.

haha, I’m embarrassed to say this. But, I really don’t know why I read no sheep. It’s just another site I like but for no particular reason other than the posts are interesting. The writer does however post a lot of geeky Mac and Wordpress information which is pretty interesting.

Super Punch, is a lot of fun. Again, there’s nothing particular that stands out with this blog to me over other geek blogs, because the moderator just posts whatever link he finds interesting. From Lego creations to geeky videos, to movie trailers to deviant art links. Most of the time it’s good.

Topless Robot, has to be one of favorite sites. Their posts are always interesting. I especially love the top 10 lists. Usually their lists aren’t anything typical either, they’re always interesting, like: The 8 Coolest Fictional Materials, The 10 Most Awesomely Insane Arcade Games of the 1980s, and The 10 Japanese Fast-Food Joints That Should Be Exported Immedately

Recipes/food blogs

abracapocus.org, is a great site for vegan recipe ideas, vegan grocery stores, vegan snacks, and vegan restaurants. They used to be local but I think they moved now, I think. I’m not sure, I haven’t seen a post from them in a while.

Eat and Destroy, reviews local restaurants to the Boston area. I’ve been to many after reading their reviews and posts and have never been disappointed. I like this blog a lot.

Liqurious, posts a lot of fantastic cocktail recipes they find from all over the internet. Most of the time it’s recipes I would never buy stuff for, because they tend to be on the pricier side. But regardless I really liked a lot of the recipes I was able to make.

Design trend/inspiration & fellow designers/developers blogs

Abduzeedo – graphic design | design inspiration | design tutorials -, is a fantastic resource for design news, tutorials, inspiration and just to see what other people are doing. Superb site.

Best Web Gallery – CSS & Flash Design Inspiration, has the perfect name for itself. Because the sites they showcase really are some of the best sites I’ve ever seen on the internet. I like looking at this site for inspiration.

I want to have a drink with, David Airey :: Graphic Designer. I want to pick his brain on so many things. But until then I read every word on his blog. He is a brilliant print designer, but a genius logo designer. I love this man.

I like, design fckr, because it’s usually links I would never find anywhere else on any of my other blogs I read. A lot of hidden gems.

Design Melt Down, is one of the first sites I go to when approached with new work. It’s one of the first sites I go to to start research on after I’ve collected all the information from the client. Their tagging and collating links is very useful.

I’ve only been reading, DesignNerd Blog, for a short time now. So far I just like their freebies and tutorial links.

I’ve only been reading, Formula623.com, for a short time now. Their articles are very well constructed. Their posts are always making me think. So far I like it a lot.

Logo Design Love, is written by David Airey. He liked logo’s so much he dedicated a whole blog to showcasing logo’s he loves and why they’re effective and beautifully constructed.

The Go MediaZine – Exclusive insights for art, design, marketing and more, I’ve found is a useful site for younger people just starting off in the field. Whether it be print or web.

I went to college with, Todd Vanderlin. I’m reluctant to call him a prodigy, but the more of what I see him do, the more I believe that he is. He’s very brilliant man. He is missed.

TrendHunter.com, isn’t directly related to web. But I find it is a good resource for finding out about any type of trend whether it be fashion or viral videos; which all in all are still forms of design.

Web Designer Wall – Design Trends and Tutorials, has unique tutorials and news. Information I would never think to ask or look for.

Comic book blogs

I don’t like where the 4thletter! writer’s values lie in terms of his opinions but I do respect that he has them. And despite the fact that I dislike them, I do find them interesting. It’s one of the few blogs I read that talks about racial issues in comics, which is a subject I like to learn more about from the other side.

I read Again With the Comics, because the writer always posts interesting scans from books I’ve never heard of or obscure interesting information I haven’t seen elsewhere.

Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun!, is just a humourous comic book blog that I like to read because it makes me laugh. Whether it be from the writer pointing out hilarious oddities in comics or because he’ll take pictures of a puppet doing weird stuff like cooking something. I feel like I’m reading the blog a schizophrenic half the time, it’s really funny.

Half the time, Chris’s Invincible Super-Blog, isn’t all that funny or interesting to me, but everynow and then he’ll post something pretty funny about an obscure book that I never would’ve thought of and rip it apart. The writer has a good eye for out of context panels.

I find, Comic By Comic, to be one of the better resources for news on current issues from big publishers.

Although, I am bothered by the obsession many people have for silver age comics, I am not bothered by Comic Coverage in the slightest. The writer is smart, witty, talented, creative, he posts everyday at the same time pretty much; the man is a fantastic blogger. A lot of people should learn from him, including myself. His posts are ALWAYS, no lie, ALWAYS unique and interesting, I love this site.

Although I don’t like that this site is bogged down by commentary from comic creators and he said/ she said type content, Comics Should Be Good! is still a great blog. Because there is still a lot of insider comic book industry information on here. I would recommend the the “Comic book urban legends revealed” which is posted every friday mid-afternoon.

The only reason I read, Has Boobs, Reads Comics, is because I don’t know many women that are into comics. Let alone smart really un-opinionated women who have blogs dedicated to their comic reading hobby. I like hearing what she has to say.

I’m thinking about unsubscribing to, Kung Fu Rodeo, I like the excessive nerdery on here. And I like the youtube posts, but it hasn’t made me laugh in a long time. I mainly read this blog because I like the obscurity in a lot of the posts.

I’m pretty sure the writer the of Occasional Superheroine would consider herself a feminist, and even though I find that I am irritated by feminists most of the time, my irritation towards her views does not stop me from reading. Because like I said with the writer from 4th letter, I don’t like where their values lie in terms of their opinions but I do respect that they have them. And I do like to see what they’re talking about so I’ll read as much as I can. Again, I like hearing a woman’s point of view from comics.

Panels of Awesome!, is just another good trustworthy comic book news site that I like.

Project Rooftop, is a fun site. The moderators essentially will announce a contest like, “Redesign Superman’s costume.” And really good unknown, and somtimes very well known artists will send in their submissions. Then people will grade them and judge them and then they’ll pick a winner. Not sure if people win anything, but seeing the different costumes people come up with for different characters is really interesting.

PULPHOPE, is the blog of one of my favorite artists, Paul Pope. I love his work and I like to see if he has anything new and upcoming projects.

scans_daily: Bringing the crack since December 2003, is a fun site. It’s a user submission site. People will scan comic book panels or full pages and upload them to share with people. Whether it be hilarious super dickery, or continuity hiccups, or just plain good scans people wanted to share. It’s a great resource.

Animal photo blogs

Cute Overload, is a perfect site to look at after you’ve been trolling through tons of crappy opinion sites and sexually overloaded blogs. It’s a nice relaxer to just get you to smile.

The thing about Ugly Overload, is that the animals that the moderator posts are animals I have NEVER heard of. I mean, granted I haven’t been on this Earth for that long. But I don’t understand how all these animals have gone under my radar that I haven’t heard of them. It’s insane!

Photography/women’s fashion/fashion photography/avant-garde photography blogs

(I don’t know why but lately in the past couple months I have found myself obsessed with fashion photography. I don’t know where this sudden interest came from but, since I’m now obsessed I’ll share with you the sites I look at.)

Model couture

avant-garde fashion photography

F a s h i o n ::: V i c t i m s

Le Love, doesn’t technically fall under fashion, but these photos are always really sweet and romantic, which I am a sucker for. It’s a pretty good resource for stock photography as well.

Le Smoking, doesn’t technically fall under fashion, but these photos are always really interesting. It’s another pretty good resource for stock photography.

PicFor.ME, is another AMAZING FREE resource for stock photography.

I like Pourquoi pas? a little more than the other fashion photography sites, because the pictures posted here ooze a little more sex than the others.

I have no idea what is being said on here, but sir_daniel is awesome for good hard to find “offensive” stock photography.

Повседневные хроники агента Ли HA! Again, I don’t know what this site says, but it’s a really good fashion photography resource.

Etc.

I like Postsecret usually. But the more I read it, the more I feel like a lot of them are just people making things up hoping that the guy who reads them will publish them. Regardless, it’s a great concept I use for design inspiration a lot.

who killed bambi?, features really interesting off beat artwork/videos/and photography. I really like the stuff that is posted here.

I really liked the idea of seeing what kinds of things people carry with them and wondering if it differs from profession to profession.

1. Pen
2. Glasses. Which I’ve found out I need for computer screen viewing since I now spend about 80% of my life on a computer now.
3. Headphones
4. Two DVD’s FULL of tutorials I’ve been collecting for years now. Since I work in all forms of design it’s helpful to have some reference material instead of carrying around tons of books.
5. Thumb drives
6. Charlie card for the Boston MBTA
7. Verizon Voyager, aka the iClone
8. Portfolio pad where I keep my business cards, notepad, and tutorial discs.
9. haha! Hawaii tourbook. I’ve been talking about going to Hawaii for 5 years now. Crossing my fingers that this February will be the lucky month.
10. Azrael: Agent of the Bat # 100. Which you can read a review on that series here at Now is not the Rhyme hopefully this weekend
11. CrimethInc: Recipes for disaster. Haha, yep, essentially an anarchist guide illustrated with extensive technical diagrams, first-hand accounts, discussion on how diverse roles direct action and how these play into social transformation. An awesome tactical handbook for revolutionary action.
12. Certain Dri. THIS SHIT IS THE SHIT! I used to sweat a RIDICULOUS amount; THIS. PRODUCT. CHANGED. MY. LIFE. NO LIE.
13. iPod Nano. My old 2nd generation iPod broke last year and I have been waiting to buy an iPod Touch. Hopefully Santa will bless me with one this Christmas.
14. This notebook contains all the pages to my book I’ve been writing for the past eight years. :( I hate that I haven’t finished it, but writing AND drawing AND inking AND digitizing AND coloring the book takes a long time.
15. JimiX wallet
16. The Science of Superheroes. Which you can read a review on that book here at Now is not the Rhyme after I finish it.
17. The bad art collection. The first book by Jhonen Vasquez. This book is hilarious. I really can’t wait to write a review on this one.
18. Mac Book Pro.