If the sports section and the comics page (even if that includes checking out Doonesbury) are your idea of heavy reading, then don't bother visiting Jim Johnson's blog. The Pittsford resident comments on topics including politics, theory and photography, and he's rather prolific; one entry per day rarely suffices.

There is no more influential voice in the local sports scene than Bob Matthews, a reporter and columnist for more than 30 years and host of a radio talk show. He's never shy about offering his take on an issue and typically backs it with facts and sharp analysis. Frontier Field exists largely because of his lobbying.

There's little chance of not knowing exactly where Bob Lonsberry stands on an issue whether listening to his radio talk show or reading his blog. Shooting from the right on the political spectrum, the former newspaper reporter and columnist is both blunt and confident in his take on local and national issues.

If it's food, drink and fun you want, there's sure to be a discussion about the cuisine, atmosphere and amenities on RocWiki.org, built by and for Rochesterians. There are hundreds of topics, all of which can be edited online by anyone with facts in hand or an opinion in mind.

Places to go, people to see and things to do are popular with the under-21 crowd. The Loop is a venture by the Democrat and Chronicle and eight colleges in the Greater Rochester area, relying heavily on material from a student network.

Tip O'Neill once said that all politics is local. If you desire a crowd motivated to influence locally, RochesterTurning.com may be your site for views chiefly from the perspective of the political left. It's heavily local, and includes a heathly dose of watchdog activity.

Rochester is most definitely in the minor leagues when it comes to sports, with franchises in a variety of circuits. None is more beloved than the baseball Red WIngs. The team is regarded as the town's best-run sports outfit.

Our area enjoys a reputation as a bit of a cultural center because of its many museums, galleries and live performances. One of the undeniable gems over the years has been The Little, which makes art-house films accessible on five screens on East Avenue.

Though we reserved the domain name in early 2006, it took close to two years to start building it out. What you see now is about two-thirds of what the home page will eventually look like. We'll start adding interior pages by mid-2008 in order that ThisIsRochester.com might soon reach its potential. Stay tuned and please stop by from time to time.