OK, so its not the hottie thread, but maybe we can get this one going… there is nothing in the ST archives on this other than a vote for www.factcheck.org.
we all hear how the internet is supposed to be a profoundly enlightening, thought-provoking tool. Google, for one, seems to be redefining the very way we think. But the problem with the internet is it is so damn big. So I’d like to know where, exactly, this enlightening and thought provoking is going on for you STers.
So I want a list of sites that have expanded your horizons, or had an impact on you in a non-trivial way. So really be selective here. Not so interested in conventional news sites (e.g., economist, bbc, npr) as, while they are important sites, most people already know about them.
OK - so here are my nominees:
politicaltheory.info - this is a great daily compilation of articles on a wide array of subjects - from law to religion to pop culture to book reviews. Always something that will grab your eye.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page - a cool experiment in collective organic learning, very user friendly with embedded hyperlinks so it encourages following threads of thought from one entry to another.
match.com - kind of kidding, but worth checking out to see first-hand this massive new cultural phenomenon. Fodder for a couple sociology/psych dissertations for sure.
A public radio program that is basically just like Car Talk. Except just one guy hosting. And no cars. Actually amazing ‘theme’ stories, that connect you to very different worlds.
“Sissies”
“Though being gay no longer has much of a stigma in some parts of the country, being a sissy still does – even among gay men. In this show we have a number of surprising and unusual stories of sissies, their families, and why people still get so upset about them.”
DahrJamailIraq.com - its a blog but Dahr is/was (I think he is in the United States right now) an unembedded jouranalist in Iraq. Reading about how scary it was to get a hair cut since they are done on the street was a real eye opener.
I like www.lileks.com, James Lileks’ blog. He goes a little wacko during the political season, but other than that I find most of his stuff to be very good.