Now, obviously a lot depends on which end of the blogosphere one inhabits. Now, I am interested in politics myself, and although I wouldn’t call If I were a Platonic idealist and could actually live in the Blogosphere It would be a perfect little virtual Athenaeum, and its purpose would Every time one of the gang in my Blogtheneum comes up with an We would talk about EVERYTHING. Politic’s, sure, but also the Coming back to what The Real Truth, quite frankly, is that I prefer to get (and discuss) I am willing to read and discuss An interesting post last week from Dana Blankenhorn, questioning the preponderance of political pontificating in the blogosphere. He points out that the majority of Blogstreet’s 100 Most Influential Blogs are about – Politics. Dana makes a number of astute points … Continue reading ![](\"http:\/\/cyber.law.harvard.edu\/blogs\/static\/dowbrigade\/painne.jpg\")
An interesting
\n post<\/a> last week from Dana Blankenhorn,
\n questioning the preponderance of political pontificating in the blogosphere. He
\n points out that the majority of Blogstreet’s 100 Most Influential Blogs
\n are about – Politics. Dana makes a number of astute points (including
\n concurring
\n with the Dowbrigade<\/a> in hailing Thomas
\n Paine<\/a> as a Natural Born
\n Blogger). He also points out a number of similarities between blogging
\n and talk radio, mainly that they are both the voice of authentic individuals,
\n real live people with private lives they mention from time to time, and
\n who make no pretense of presenting an "objective" take on the issues
\n of the day.<\/p>\n
\n True, most of the most-linked-to blogs that people like US read revolve
\n around
\n politics.
\n But what about the hundreds of thousands of hypothetical (or are they
\n apocalyptical) 13-year-old girls blogging crazes and crushes in their
\n 6th grade homerooms? They may not have as many inleading links as Glen
\n Reynolds<\/a>, but they are part
\n of the phenomena, and behind them are many thousands of other blogs which
\n serve personal, family, business or academic purposes and which have
\n nothing at all to do with politics.<\/p>\n
\n myself a Junkie in that department, I do blog about politics, especially
\n when it turns twisted and depraved and the tawdry threads of unraveling
\n conspiracy stick out between chinks in the armor of empire. But I am
\n interested in a LOT of things, many of which I truly believe are more
\n important and rewarding than what passes for contemporary politics.<\/p>\n
\n full time, if the virtual world we are creating had a physical, or visible
\n metaphysical, form, my Blog would look something like a cross between
\n Sherlock Holmes’ library and the Bridge of the Starship Enterprise. The
\n decor would be all overstuffed, high-backed armchairs of mahogany and
\n burgundy leather, polished brass fittings on the wood-paneled walls,
\n lined floor to ceiling with bookcases interspersed with ornate frames
\n containing a constantly rotating eclectic collection of my favorite images.
\n Tuxedoed robot waiters would offer all known varieties of refreshment
\n and recreational substances.<\/p>\n
\n be as a place where I could comfortably gather with my friends and fellow
\n travelers, with interesting minds I come across in my virtual travels,
\n and basically, shoot the shit. Discuss the issues of the day. Tell
\n stories, jokes and share secrets. Talk about our families and our problems
\n if we feel like it, our pride and our prejudices. Sketch out
\n a work in progress, run ideas up a flagpole, get another opinion on something
\n you can’t trust your own on. This is the kind of conversation I find
\n the most satisfying and stimulating, as well as being the most fun
\n you can have with your clothes on, and even that is not a requirement.<\/p>\n
\n interesting story they heard, or an article they read, they can instantly
\n call it up on the wall-sized screen in front of our armchairs (this is
\n where the Enterprise’s underlying infrastructure comes into play). <\/p>\n
\n rest of the news, as well as music, work, people we know and don’t know,
\n things we feel about things we do,
\n travel, God, sickness and health, and what the fuck it all means. Most
\n of all I would want to laugh a lot, and make other people laugh, too.
\n Which is pretty much what I end up posting in my Blog.<\/p>\n
\n Dana wrote<\/a>, I think that that this kind of real human stuff is
\n really what people want to listen to. They are sick of the increasingly
\n transparent sham of "objectivity" offered up by Major Media. The nature
\n of the human experience is innately subjective. Everything that can
\n be perceived or conceived can only be perceived or conceived in relation
\n to a perceiver. The standard media feed is inherently dishonest and
\n even dangerous in its pretense at objectivity, because science-worshiping
\n Americans believe that that somehow invests it with a patina of Superior
\n Truth. <\/p>\n
\n my news with real people – people like me, who have points of view, and
\n axes to grind, and insights and inputs and make no pretenses about being "unbiased".
\n And I imagine that most people feel the same.<\/p>\n
\n with people who disagree with me; in fact I enjoy it, even on fundamental
\n issues. But please, a steady diet of politics makes for a deadly dull
\n intellectual landscape. Please let there be more to Blogs than
\n that. As Eugene McCarthy said, "Being in politics is like being a football
\n coach. You have to be smart enough to understand the game, and dumb enough
\n to think it’s important." <\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"