The internet has revolutionized the way we live our lives, the way we work, the way we entertain ourselves and the way we gather information.

Here is a list of 5 Web sites I couldn't live without -- and why. I'll give you five more later this week.

Note: I'm not counting the sites I use every day to do my job...you know...news services, AP style book online, etc.

1. Google.com. It's not just about the super-simple, clutter-free search screen... Google has become so much more -- offering you quick-and-easy ways to do everything from specialized searches (only blogs, images, etc.) to reading online content (blog reader) to keeping track of your life (calendar) to getting where you're going (google maps).

2.Pandora.com. Hands down, the easiest and coolest way to listen to music on your PC. Plug in an artist you like and Pandora creates a "radio station" just for you (i.e. they play song after song that you love). In different musical moods? That's fine...you can set up a few stations and choose the genre you feel like grooving to that day.

3. AOL.com. I still have my AOL mail accounts, but what I really love about AOL is their home page and the "news" in the flash presentation. They get me EVERY time I stop by to check my mail. I end up seeing something like "5 Ways to Love your Kid More," or "Hollywood star booked for punching mother" and I HAVE to look. AOL is the absolute KING of hooking and drawing readers into their site. I usually learn something cool and/or fun, too...so I'm all about it. It's like those pages in the front of magazine that are just chocked full of cool "stuff" -- gossip, tips, hints, tricks, etc. You get a lot out of a small time investment.

4. YouTube.com. I know I'm late to the game here, but...once I discovered that this site had WAY more than just weird wannabe-filmaker crap, it became an indispensable go-to source -- a video library, if you will, where I can find anything from old Duran Duran videos to funny animations that make me laugh out loud.

5. GoErie.com. You may think I'm putting this one in my top 5 list because I have to, but...I don't. It's a site I actually use on a daily basis for three things:
1.) Breaking news. Updated breaking news is posted all day long. You might think because I work in a newsroom I'd hear all the news as it happens. I do, but that's because I regularly check GoErie.com to see what's going on (particularly if I hear the reporters down the way talking excitedly about some breaking news).
2. ) Temperature. Since Verizon took down the time-and-temp phone number, I rely on GoErie.com. It's right there in the upper right hand corner. Ahhh...never noticed it, did you?
3.) Local video (and blogs). If you've never seen "Times 5" -- it's totally worth 5 minutes of your time each week. A new episode is posted every Friday with your way-cool host ETN's Cody Switzer.