diff --git a/check_sites.conf.TEMPLATE b/check_sites.conf.TEMPLATE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0d5016
--- /dev/null
+++ b/check_sites.conf.TEMPLATE
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+[email]
+host=smtp.gmail.com
+port=587
+username=MY EMAIL ADDRESS
+password=MY PWD (use 2-step-verification app pwd as needed)
diff --git a/check_sites.json.TEMPLATE b/check_sites.json.TEMPLATE
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23282da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/check_sites.json.TEMPLATE
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+[
+  {
+    "name": "site name",
+    "url": "complete site url"
+  },
+  { "name": "site name",
+    "url": "complete site url"
+  }
+]
diff --git a/check_sites.py b/check_sites.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed36bd3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/check_sites.py
@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+__author__="allyn.treshansky"
+
+"""
+stand-alone script to check the status of a bunch of websites
+requires a configuration file "~/check_sites.conf" which specifies who to email log to
+requeres a configuration file "./check_sites.json" which defines the sites to check
+note - the entries in "check_sites.json" must be completely well-formed URLs (ie: "http://google.com" as opposed to "google.com")
+"""
+
+from ConfigParser import SafeConfigParser
+import os, sys, getopt, json, urllib2, smtplib
+
+##############
+# global fns #
+##############
+
+rel = lambda *x: os.path.join(os.path.abspath(os.path.dirname(__file__)), *x)
+
+def usage():
+    """
+    print usage instructions
+    :return: usage string
+    """
+    print(u"usage: %s -f <sites file> [-v (verbose flag)]" % sys.argv[0])
+
+#######################
+# get config settings #
+#######################
+
+CONF_PATH = os.path.join(os.path.expanduser('~'), '.config', 'check_sites.conf')
+parser = SafeConfigParser()
+parser.read(CONF_PATH)
+
+EMAIL_HOST = parser.get('email', 'host')
+EMAIL_PORT = parser.get('email', 'port')
+EMAIL_USER = parser.get('email', 'username')
+EMAIL_PWD = parser.get('email', 'password')
+
+##########################
+# parse cmd-line options #
+##########################
+
+sites_file = None
+verbose = False
+
+try:
+    opts, args = getopt.getopt(sys.argv[1:], 's:v')
+except getopt.GetoptError as err:
+    print(err)
+    usage()
+    sys.exit(2)
+
+for o, a in opts:
+    if o == '-h':
+        usage()
+        sys.exit(2)
+    elif o == '-s':
+        sites_file = rel(a)
+    elif o == '-v':
+        verbose = True
+    else:
+        usage()
+        sys.exit(2)
+
+if not sites_file:
+    usage()
+    sys.exit(2)
+
+############
+# do stuff #
+############
+
+# get the sites to check...
+
+with open(sites_file, "r") as f:
+    sites = json.load(f)
+f.closed
+
+# check each site...
+
+for site in sites:
+    try:
+        request = urllib2.urlopen(site["url"])
+        code = request.code
+        site.update({
+            "code": code,
+            "up": True,
+            "msg": "",
+        })
+    except Exception as e:
+        site.update({
+            "code": None,
+            "up": False,
+            "msg": e,
+        })
+    finally:
+        request.close()
+
+# create a log...
+
+log = "\n".join([
+    "'{0}' [{1}]: {2} ({3})".format(site["name"], site["url"], site["code"], site["msg"])
+    for site in sites if not site["up"] or verbose
+])
+
+# email the log...
+
+if log:
+    mail_from = EMAIL_USER
+    mail_to = EMAIL_USER
+    mail_subject = "output from {0}".format(sys.argv[0])
+    mail_msg = "To: {0}\nFrom: {1}\nSubject:{2}\n\n{3}".format(
+        mail_from, mail_to, mail_subject, log
+    )
+    # have to actually login to smtp server & authenticate
+    # b/c of google security
+    smtpserver = smtplib.SMTP(EMAIL_HOST, EMAIL_PORT)
+    smtpserver.ehlo()
+    smtpserver.starttls()
+    smtpserver.ehlo()
+    smtpserver.login(mail_from, EMAIL_PWD)
+    smtpserver.sendmail(mail_from, [mail_to], mail_msg)
+    smtpserver.close()
+
+###########
+# the end #
+###########