The Independent Weekly Strikes Again

Like a lot of people, I've become heartsick with the state of current events. And, yes, I can complain: I was one of the estimated 28% of voters who turned out last week in Orange County to try and make things better, if by no other means that just on paper. I think that's why so many people of my generation (mid-30s) and younger are finding other outlets for their immediate news and information fixes...we want change, yet need direction to help enact those changes. We crave someone...anyone...who will actually express some unfiltered opinions about topics, instead of some prefabricated script as mouthed by an over-priced Teleprompt reader. True, some of the opinions may be complete insanity and/or paranoia, but at least it's something original. It's choose either originality or suffocation by the main stream media....we do indeed live in a time of great unoriginal 'lemmings to the sea' apathy and its a becoming a massive black hole. And so many readers today are turning to blogs to fill that void.

Blogs, in the news and debate, information and contemplation, sense...not like my personal diary such as this. (But thanks for reading, 3 good friends who never comment...you know who you are!) And I find I am getting more and more of my news and information from them. The Huffington Post (www.huffingtonpost.com), DailyKos (www.dailykos.com), Crooks and Liars (www.crooksandliars.com), countless others. I compare what I read there to what I read and listen to from the more 'legitimate' sources...and I think I like my blogs more, although they are sometimes prone to jumping the gun so much that facts are in constant need of clarification. And I'm not sure it's the blogs themselves I like the most, or some of the online commentaries instead posted by readers that intrigue me more. Sometimes I am convinced this world is spinning to Hell quickly and at warp speed, somedays I am convinced intelligent life is out there and still inhabits this planet. And, although I don't qualify, make no mistake: I want the intelligent life people on this planet to survive, even if I don't. (And maybe some good-looking dumb ones, too, so the offspring have a fighting chance of looking pretty.)

The above said, the local alternative newspaper here, The Independent Weekly, (www.indyweek.com) features a cover story this week about blogging. "The Revolution Will Be Blogged" specifically addresses how political blogs are slowly infiltrating even conservative strongholds such as most of NC. Too bad I can't go see Kos tonight (founder of the Daily Kos site as linked above), but I do have hopes of maybe seeing some of these progressives at future political events around town now. After all, former NC Senator and former Vice Presidental candidate John Edwards has just moved into Chapel Hill and is just down the road (as everything here is). Wonder if he's blogging full time yet, or it's just his wife Elizabeth who's on point...

(By the way, Edwards and Co. will be attending an Orange County Habitat for Humanity fundraiser on Monday, May 15. Features food and some live entertainment as well. $25 per person donation/ticket price. Don't know about any standard Q&A opportunities yet, but I think I may go, but then again, when do I ever miss a Habitat fundraiser? Contact Habitat or me for info.)