It is hard to imagine that not so long ago that there were only three networks broadcasting news; once a day unless there was a national tragedy or celebration.

But now in addition to newspapers, radio, and broadcast network news there's cable, the internet and social media where people exchange headlines, breaking news and ideas like neighbors exchanged casserole recipes and small favors once upon a time.

For me, the first day covering the convention from my desk chair was exhilarating. You are in capable hands with Faye and Jeff on the scene in Denver for Black Voices. And if you have a Twitter account, you can follow them by adding BlackVoices. ...

I, on the other hand, spent the day observing the goings on via C-Span, CNN, MSNBC, Public Televison, Twitter, Utterz, blogs, mainstream media digital outlets and online video streaming.

The information was pretty much instantaneous and I could then filter it, confirm it using other sources, analyze it or ignore it. The days of passively digesting whatever news pablum a handful of editors decides to spoon feed us are long gone if we want them to be.

Here are some of the sources I'm looking at:

Dallas South Blog, Pop & Politics, Pam's House Blend, What About our Daughters, Culture Kitchen, Jack and Jill Politics, Huffington Post, Talking Points Memo, Drudge Report, Real Clear Politics, Politico.com, The Denver 7, C-Span, CNN, MSNBC, Public Television, Twitter, Utterz.

It's a great time to be a columnist. I get to be up front and personal about my ideas and you get to take or leave them with a keystroke.

It's a relief to be freed from the restrictions of being a network journalist where you were restricted regarding how you expressed your opinion. Every journalist has opinions, mind you, they just can't say them out loud. Always remember that there is no such thing as a "completely unbiased" journalist.

Each and every journalist brings their own accumulated experiences and individual point of view to every story they cover. In every story presented to you, always ask yourself what was left out and how those "facts" could have been framed in a different way. Now with so many news gathering tools at your fingertips, you can craft your own newsfeeds one byte at a time.