Top 5 Internet time wasters

It’s that time of year again. Time to break out the booksand cook up another pot of herbal tea. Time for last-minute studygroups and e-mails with a slew of questions to teacher assistantsand professors. Time to see how good a memory your upperclassmenfriends have. Time to prepare for final exams.

If I’ve learned anything from SMU, “studybreaks” are a good thing. Shooting some hoops, playing somepool, anything to give the brain a break before it breaks down.

But some breaks are too short to do something like playbasketball or it may even be too late to go out.

For those little in-between rest stops on the road to finalgrades, I’ve managed to find a few brain-breathers on the Webover the years. Whether by yourself or gathered with your studypartners, a decent computer with Internet connection alwaysprovides an enjoyable study break.

1. Strongbad e-mail — I wouldn’t be surprisedif a majority of every college campus in the continental UnitedStates already knows about Strongbad. Created by The BrothersChaps, Strongbad is a humorous online Flash cartoon about a maskedboxer who answers e-mail. Strongbad can be found at the main siteat www.homestarrunner.com, which contains other cartoons and gamescreated by The Brothers Chaps. Strongbad’s e-mail is updatedfrequently, and visitors to the site can enjoy a new cartoon everyweek.

2. Mashimaro, the Bizarre Rabbit — If you enjoy alittle toilet humor, let me introduce you to Mashimaro. Createdusing Flash animation, Mashimaro is a seven-episode cartoon about asocially neglected rabbit and his interesting adventures, many ofwhich include a toilet plunger. Mashimaro has an official site atwww.mashimaro.com, but it might be a somewhat difficult to navigateif you cannot read Korean. However, Mashimaro is available fordownload and streaming video on a variety of fan sites that are inEnglish if you cannot watch them on the official site.

3. The BMW films — Watching The Hire episodes atwww.bmwfilms.com will make you look at all the Beamers on campus ina whole new light. Mind you, these films feature professional raceand stunt drivers, and their stunts should not be attempted onBishop Boulevard … especially while I’m walking on it.Each short film features a different car, demonstrating itscapabilities. The short films are directed by some of the greats,including Ang Lee, Guy Ritchie and the late John Frankenheimer.Several famous faces, including Madonna and Gary Oldman, make cameoappearances with actor Clive Owen, who is behind the wheel in everyepisode. I wonder if Owen’s role in The BourneIdentity included him driving a BMW or if that was just acoincidence?

4. TheForce.net — I learned about the fan films ofTheForce.net from my boss’s husband, an avid Star Warsfan. I don’t visit the site regularly, and I haven’t ina long time. However, sites like TheForce.net feature videoscreated by fans that have something, anything, to do with StarWars. My personal favorite is a spoof off the reality TV show”COPS,” called TROOPS. Viewers get a look into theaverage day of an Imperial Stormtrooper on Tatooine, plus an ideaof what might have really happened to Luke’s uncle and aunt.Check it out.

5. Final Fantasy XI — I haven’t actuallyplayed the game. But for those willing the fork over the cash forthe game and the monthly fee, by all means whatever floats yourboat. The makers of the popular Final Fantasy series created anonline version of the game. Similar to games like Everquest, gamersdesign their own characters and functions and release them intodifferent worlds where they can interact and battle with otherplayers across the globe. Unlike the previous 10 games, FFXI doesnot have a real story line, making it more of an arcade than a truerole-playing game. From what I hear, it’s highly addicting.Caveat Emptor!

I don’t have the miracle solution to studying for finals.Nothing can replace healthy eating and rest. But for those littlebreaks in between, when all your friends’ Instant Messengeraway signs say “Studying! Don’t bother me,” theselittle online escapes might prove to be entertaining. But exercisemoderation. If your grades begin to fall because of FFXI, I take noresponsibility.

Christine Dao is a columnist for The Daily Campus. She may bereached at [email protected].