Following up on a 2-beer conversation with a peer in the twin cities, here’s a list of the sites I read (almost) everyday to stay up to date on the news and the web (among other topics):

• tech.memeorandum.com – the first site I visit every morning, right after I read the cycling news, hollywood gossip, and Andy Baio’s indispensible links site, www.waxy.org (the best out there, by a mile).
• www.scripting.com – Dave Winer’s site, full of piss and vinegar
• www.techcrunch.com – the best, freshest update on "Web 2.0" companies from Mike Arrington, a VC in CA.
• www.37signals.com/svn – the blog from 37signals, the Chicago based purveyors of simplicity, complexity-hiding, "get real"-ness
• www.gigaom.com – Great news site from columnist from Business 2.0. (True fact: I’ve been reading this site for about a year or so and never realized the URL wasn’t http://www.ommalick.com)

For fun and general knowledge goodness:

• www.kottke.org – I like the stories about the london tube maps, and arcane discussions of jets, conveyors and laden swallows. A chestnut.
• www.pussyranch.net – Not always safe for work, but really f’n funny and smart.
• www.whatdoiknow.org – almost everyday, updates or not

Because I have dreams, people, and can’t get enough:

• www.cyclingnews.com
• www.velonews.com
• www.pezcyclingnews.com
• www.procycling.com/