College Media Matters | Student journalist? Casual observer of student media? Then this blog is worth a look. Recently they examined SCOTUS nominee Elena Kagan’s stint at her college newspaper.

Dallas Dirt | Perhaps you don’t live in Dallas at all. Perhaps you do. But this blog is great at featuring historic homes and other architectural porn. Just ignore the realtor-esque sales pitches.

Frontburner | Another blog from D Magazine. This one’s great for Dallas news. If you live in Dallas, then you should be reading it.

Hipster Puppies | A novel and hilarious concept.

Hyperbole and a Half | A very witty blog featuring hand-drawn images created by using the Mac equivalent of MS Paint. If you’re not laughing up a gut while reading the fish story, then I really don’t see how you could ever have a sense of humor.

Letterheady | I love stationery. Therefore all of this letterhead fascinates me. Want to see what Harry Houdini used as his letterhead? It’s on there. So is Tesla’s. And DC Comics. And a host of others.

Unfair Park | Another fantastic Dallas news blog.

Overheard in the Newsroom | Quote-worthy moments from newsrooms across the country. My favorite? “Editor: “Multiple exclamation points are a sign of a diseased mind.”

In the Pink | Funny. Snarky. Liberal. Newsy. Blog. About. Everything.

Twitter | I’ve waxed lyrical about this micro-blogging/social network/whatever site before. If you’re asking why you should join Twitter, I really can’t say. What I can say is that if you join and start doing it, then you’ll understand. Twitter is a great way to spread information around (not just tell the world you ate the best PB&J sandwich in your life). So join, find some followers, and join in the conversation.

Every Saturday Morning | We’ve all heard from pro-lifers about the evils of abortion. But what about the clinic escorts? They wake up early every Saturday morning to lend support to those seeking abortions (for whatever reason) and to help protect women’s reproductive rights. See what’s it’s like on the other side of the protest. Maybe they’ll change your mind about a few things.

Jezebel | You say feminist like it’s a bad thing. This blog bills itself as Celebrity, Sex, Fashion for Women. Without Airbrushing., but don’t let that fool you. It also deals with such -ism issues as sexism, reproductive rights and sizism. Jezebel promotes the modern feminist idea that women are people and deserve to be treated as such. Come for the content, but stay for the comments. Jezzies (the commenters) aren’t afraid of a good debate or snarky comment. Also, don’t be surprised to see some men included in the regular commenters. I love this blog because it’s insightful. It makes me think, which I feel is never a bad thing.

The Daily Campus | Because, well, I work there.

Spotted: DC Summer Interns | Need a good laugh? Then you’ll enjoy the antics storied in this blog. My favorite entry so far details three interns talking about the birther issue on the metro:

Intern #1 (boy): “Geez, have you guys been getting bombarded by birther phone calls? They put me on phones for an hour yesterday and that was all I heard about.”

Intern #2 (boy): “I dunno—they don’t let me near the phone. Is your boss for it or against it?”

Intern #1: “Against what?”

Intern #2: “The birther issue. My boss is strictly conservative—so he’s pro-life.”

Intern #1: “Oh yeah—mine’s the same way. Totally supports Roe v. Wade.”

Intern #3 (girl): “Yeah, our office has had a lot of visits from the Pink Ladies. I think my boss is in favor of the birther issue too.”

FMyLife | You think your day was bad? Czech out some of these stories. If you’ve ever seen anyone on Facebook or Twitter use “FML,” you know they’re a fan of this Web site.

F*** Yeah! Ryan Gosling | Genius. Absolutely genius.

Mashable | Looking for news about Facebook or Twitter? This news site provides great coverage of anything social networking.

1. Your Name: Lots of people (myself included) use all or part of their name as a username. BClinton, BillC, BillClinton, etc. It’s a win-win situation, I think. It’s professional. It identifies you. It signals to others that this username is in for the long haul. It also lets them know that you’re not a 13-year-old (or that your parents set the account up for you). I am not a 13-year-old, so this is a plus.
2. Your Hobby/Job: This may be an obscure reference to Dungeons and Dragons or just something you like to do or something that relates to your job. Examples would be: ExPrez9296, AwsmSpkr, ILikeInternsNamedMonica, JazzMaster57, Saxoholic, etc. This is generally more acceptable than #3, and it conveys that you are an interesting person. You’re creative (why stick with a boring username?). Is it professional? Not always. So if you’re going for this username, make sure it’s not your office email.
3. The 13-year-old girl: xOxOBILLOxOx or DoNtChaWaNtMe87 or BiLL <3 mONiCa. It’s unprofessional. It’s annoying. It’s not there for the long haul (I mean let’s face it: who really wants to use these when they’re 30 or 20 or even 16?)
4. Religious: You’re a very religious person. You want to show others just how religious you are. Maybe you’re hoping your username will save a few heathens. Examples include: godluvsualways, N_Christ_Alone, JesusForEVA, etc. They aren’t very professional, and they may be offensive to some others (if it’s really out there). Creative? Yes. Annoying? Sometimes. People who have religious usernames tend to be people who forward you chain mail. The kind that if you don’t forward it, you’re not a good Christian or José will die in that hospital or you’re not a good friend or you have no friends. The kind of chain mail you might actually consider forwarding because it’s guilted you so much. But then you come to your senses and realize it’s CHAIN MAIL and you promptly delete it because you are not that person, you will never be that person, and you hate that person. (In case you’re wondering, yes, I do look down upon you if you send me chain mail)
5. Narcissistic/Just Plain Stupid: You may be a 35-year-old man or a 13-year-old girl. But you just HAVE to let the world wide web know that you are *it*. Just because the rest of the world can’t meet you doesn’t mean they can’t learn this fact anyways. Hottie98 and DontHateMeCauseYouAintMe, this is for you. It’s unprofessional. It may be rude. It’s not creative. It’s a little delusional. There’s no such word as “aint.” Maybe you’re thinking these usernames convey a sense of self-confidence. They don’t. And most of the time, I’m betting you’re not even “hottt.” My advice? Stay away. DO NOT use this as your username. Why? Because most of the time, they’re kind of funny, and I will make fun of you. Especially if I know you.

Safe bet when choosing a username: No. 1.

Acceptable usernames: No. 2 and 4

Avoid at all costs: No. 3 and 5