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Stay Mentally Fit! Train Your Brain with Blogs
1.AMERICAblog News is for those who want to stay informed but aren't complete political wonks, and those who want their political news from both conservative and liberal points of view. This blog culls the best from several prominent political blogs and puts the most important or amusing front and center for your reading pleasure.
2.The Awl-Be Less Stupid bills itself as "a Web site that zippily surveys a wealth of resonant, weird, important, frightening, and amusing bits of news and ideas. And it isn't totally clogged with reality show linkbait." Learn about the "Guantanamo Bay Giftshop" and that "Biblical Principles (are) Just as Effective for Finance as Everything Else."
3.The Big Picture is an econo-geek blog. It offers the "macro perspective on the capital markets, economy, technology, and digital media." And articles like "Yes, Virginia, Gift Cards Do Suck."
4.BNet Insight offers "Sales Machine," a blog about selling and marketing engaging enough to keep anyone entertained. Fun and informative posts include "Are Politics and Religion Fair Game?" and "Help! My Manager Is a Jackass!"
5.BoingBoing is a blog written by geeks. Cool geeks. The self-described "Directory of Wonderful Things" is pulled together by four staff bloggers and guest geeks who comment on the bleeding edge of technology and avant-garde culture.
6.Crooks and Liars is, of course, a political blog, and is among the most popular political blogs on the Web, and a recognized pioneer of video blogging. This blog is an equal opportunity attack dog, and no one--liberal, conservative, or none-of-the-above--is safe.
7.Dave Trott's Blog has been described by the London Times as "equally applicable to writing a novel, making a film, launching a product, managing a football team, instituting life changes and any activity you can imagine. Genius." Read the latest post "Experts vs. The Rest of Us" about military propaganda for a great cocktail party story.
8.Edible Geography is truly food for thought--a thinking person's blog about food. Want to read about the Bronx Beer Caves? Here's your blog!
9.Freakonomics, like the book with the same name, explores the "hidden side of everything" and is a great source of alternative viewpoints from its rogue economists. Recent posts include "Monkeys to Mars" and "Freakonomics Meets Pirates of the Caribbean."
10.The Freethinker: The Voice of Atheism Since 1881 won't appeal to everyone, but the humor and intelligence in posts like "Virgin Mary Descends on Egypt to Perform Eye Surgery. Muslims Aren't Convinced" is undeniably thought-provoking.
11.Marginal Revolution: Small steps toward a much better world This blog offers interesting links to a broad range of facts and opinions. It challenges common assumptions--did you know that keeping a medium-sized dog has the same ecological impact as driving a 4.6 liter Land Cruiser 6,200 miles a year?
12.Online Education: The Stuff They Don't Teach You in College dispenses fun facts like "The most expensive college in the U.S. is Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY. Four years there cost $217,640 for--about the same as a Ferrari F430."
13.Original Thinking: Exploring the Intersection of Computer Science and the Social Sciences explores the effect of technology on human behavior. Typical posts include "The Dark Side of Technology" and "Is Outsourcing Immoral?"
14.Philosophy and Life Blog asks, "Is God the answer? Or the question?" Mark Vernon's blog made the Sunday Times' Top 100 Blogs for 2009 and the acclaimed author and former priest can be counted on to elicit advanced discussions on subjects like "Love and the Economics of Weddings."
15.Pulse is "a collaborative political weblog featuring work by a variety of writers, activists and academics based in five continents." The perspective is international and the discussion erudite.
16.Real Think Tank bills itself as "Interesting, Possibly Offensive, Hopefully Thought Provoking," and it is. Most of its posts are video or pictures designed to elicit controversy and commentary, good for those who want to think fast. Recent posts include "FBI: Gun Sales Up, Murders Down" and "Why It's Better to Pretend You Don't Know Anything."
17.Stumbling and Mumbling An Extremist, not a Fanatic has a great post on "Cognitive Biases in Popular Songs" guaranteed to make you sound smart when you mention it.
18.Think Buddha: Wayward Thoughts on the Buddha Way serves up a little spirituality for your cerebrum. A recent entertaining post details a monk who skateboarded around his temple, "causing a great deal of consternation amongst the faithful--and, no doubt, a measure of glee amongst the unfaithful."
19.Triple Pundit - People Planet Profit features an array of international contributors from business communities and is considered one of the top green blogs. Enjoy popular posts like "Researchers Compare the Carbon Pricetags of In-Store and Online Purchases" and "Making Drinking Water From Thin Air (Literally)."
20.WorldHum: The Best Travel Stories on the Internet allows you to be worldly and well-traveled, even if you're constrained by geography. Want to vicariously take a Star Trek-themed cruise to Bermuda? Here's your site!
So, instead of aimlessly surfing next time you get online, target some of these blogs and let your inner thinker loose. Whether you're sharpening your wit for your first day back in class or trying to come up with a great paper idea, these blogs offer just the kind of quick online education you need. There are so many great and original minds out there--can you hang with them?
About the Author
Gina Pogol has a terrific job as a writer and editor for an online media company. After working at several horrible jobs, she earned an associate's degree in Computer Programming, a certificate in Paralegal Studies, and a BS in Financial Management.
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