I've come to the conclusion that I am an information junkie,
or at least that I always want to know about everything that is going on. With
my busy schedule, it is often difficult to stay informed. I thought I would
share with you some of the resources that I use to keep myself abreast of
current affairs…
National Public Radio - This is perhaps the most significant of all my information resources. When you're coming and going as much as I am, it's convenient to be able to get your news/information while in transit. My car radio broke a few weeks back and I noticed a significant slump in my everyday knowledge of the world.
Online New Aggregators - I spend so much time on Google as it is; why not spend a little more time perusing Google's news aggregator (news.google.com). Essentially, Google receives real-time feeds from a number of media outlets, and based on the interest of Google News visitors presents hot button issues. Links from this site fire me into a number of different media producers from Reuters to CNN to the Walnut Creek Journal. Another site which I frequently visit is SlashDot (www.slashdot.org) --- this site focuses primarily on technology or 'geek' news. SlashDot presents user submitted information which is of interest to me. During election season, Slashdot introduced another module (politics.slashdot.org).
Blogs (syndications) - The news media would probably have a fit when they hear I get my information from blogs, claiming that few contain objective and completely factual information. There are varying degrees of truth in this assertion, but if you take blogs for what they are, they can lend valuable insights into the minds of a citizenry, and to some extent, make one aware of opinions coming from the everyday Joe or Jane. You can be sure that I take the claims of bloggers with a certain amount of skepticism until I have checked the facts for myself. I'm not sure why the media feels that my opinion matters less than Tucker Carlson's or Sean Hannity's, or hell even Al Franken’s. Apparently, watching liberals and conservatives dress each other down on national television is a better way to spend my time.
…going forward, I am intent on experimenting with podcasting. Podcasting is similar to online text syndication except with audio. As new audio (podcasts) are made available, they can be downloaded to ones computer or a portable digital audio device like and iPod. Since I am currently without a car radio, Podcasting might be an excellent route to take for an in-car information solution.
Comments