The Virtual Woman: A Woman's
Weekly Guide To Cyberspace
The Party (On)Line -- Politics and the World Wide Web
Dear Virtual Woman:
Is there a site that covers
the history of American politics? My husband and I have a fondness for some of the
lesser-known presidents (Fillmore rules!), only we can never agree about when they served
(or where they were from, or what they stood for . . . ). It'd be great if there were a
quick way to access this sort of information.
- Shawna K., Warwick, RI
Dear Shawna:
Whip out your placards and wrap yourself in Old Glory, because I'm about to send you to one of the richest sites on the Internet. Ever heard of the Almanac of Politics & Government? Me neither, but it's about to become your best friend--not to mention the guardian angel of every ninth grader who has the sense to read this column. Located at http://www.polisci.com, this almanac is a gigantic database of facts, lists, figures and information about the blessed entirety of our country's political history--and that of every other country in the world! This site could ignite Internet faith in even the grumpiest of Luddites: It makes a gargantuan database of information available to the masses at no charge. Complete with a political calendar, this site contains databases of the following: World politics, Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, State and Local Governments, Parties, Documents, Economics and History. Need to know the names of all four Attorneys General who worked under Nixon? How about the birthplace of your beloved President Fillmore? Honey, this site has the lowdown on the United Nations Angola Verification Mission! What more could you ask for? Canvass yourself over to the almanac and never go wanting again.
Dear Virtual Woman:
I know most people complain
about the excess of media these days, but I'm actually an editorial junkie. I just love
reading opinion pieces about the goings-on in our nation's capital. Is there an online
magazine or newspaper dedicated to this?
- Genie, Bozeman, MT
Dear Genie:
Far be it for me to judge anyone else's predilections: I surf for cash. You can read political commentary 'til the cows come home at http://www.american-politics.com/, a daily magazine of political opinion. Written and edited by members of the three major parties (Dems, Reps and Independents--America's answer to everything else), this mag offers lots of juicy bits about the news of the world and the people who make it. In a section called Pundit Pap, you can read the latest rant from any number of columnists. In Today, you'll find daily features about a wide range of topics. The site's delightful Dratt Mudge is a parody of the infamous Matt Drudge (see below), and it also offers columns from three or four regular contributors. If you continue to scroll (and scroll and scroll), you'll find links to daily stories about a huge range of topics.
Finally, though none of you asked about this specifically, a politics column wouldn't be complete without at least one mention of Matt Drudge, whose Drudge Report (http://www.drudgereport.com/) has shaken Washington by being the first to accuse more than one federal official of a less-than-spotless personal life. Whatever you think of his means (unnamed sources galore, for one), Drudge is one of the success stories of the Internet, and his site is rich with much more than his own report. On his top page, you'll find links to every major (and some minor) online news sources, as well as links to columns by the likes of Hillary Clinton, Molly Ivins and Arianna Huffington, to name a few. At this point, anyone who would like to consider herself among the political cognoscenti might consider checking in with Matt on a regular basis. If nothing else, the entertainment value is will keep you piqued.
Happy Surfing!
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