← Back to News List

Welcome to My Online World (Useful Links)

I admit it: I was the last person I know to get a cell phone (with the possible exception of my parents), and I've sent and received a total of maybe 30 text messages ever. But my habits as a news-and-opinion consumer have evolved as new technology has afforded easy access to all sorts of information. I use Twitter (where I'm CoCreatorDude) and iGoogle to cull headlines from blogs and other sources I find useful on a daily basis.

Below are some of my favorites, organized by topic. My inclusion of a source on this list does not mean that I endorse the content, only that I find it interesting, provocative or helpful in keeping up with trends, issues and ideas. Let me know of other sites you'd recommend.

National Politics and Issues:

  • USDemocrazy (UMBC-based blog, written by students, breaks down policy issues into plain language and mixes in some humor)
  • Ezra Klein (analysis from a brilliant 20-something policy wonk writing for the Washington Post)
  • The Plank (political analysis from The New Republic magazine)
  • Robert Reich's Blog (always-insightful commentary from the former U.S. Secretary of Labor and friend of Bill Clinton; he was one of my professors at the Kennedy School of Government)
  • Paul Krugman (well-written and thoughtful commentary from the Nobel Prize-winning economist, writing for the New York Times)
  • Marc Ambinder (right-leaning political analysis, for The Atlantic Monthly)
  • James Fallows (wise longtime journalist writing about a variety of issues, for The Atlantic Monthly)
  • Glenn Greenwald (sometimes-acerbic criticism and commentary from a liberal perspective, for Salon)
Maryland Politics and Issues:
  • Inside Ed (Baltimore Sun blog about education news, policy and practice)
Education/Civic Engagement:
  • The Paper Trail (U.S. News & World Report compilation of stories from college student newspapers)
  • Peter Levine (Tufts-based educator's blog about many trends and issues relating to higher education and civic engagement)
UMBC-Related News and Opinion:
Personal/Topical Sites Maintained by People Connected with UMBC:
  • My Sociology (UMBC alum Eric Grollman's provocative commentary emphasizing social justice issues relating to race, gender and sexual orientation)
  • On a Lobster Placemat (UMBC staff member Rose Huber's observations about nutrition, fitness and her creative process)
  • mistypedURL (UMBC alum Michael Castello's personal blog)
Misc:
  • Mashable (great information about news and trends relating to social media)
  • Metafilter (links to the most useful or odd web sites; trends seem to start here)

Posted: January 4, 2010, 3:40 PM