Go blog yourself.

That's right; I'm writing a blog entry to complain about blogs. Figure that out. Look, I have no problems with blogs in and of themselves. I think it's great that anyone and everyone can get their own digital soapbox to talk about whatever happens to be on their minds. Politics, sports, pop culture, that fried egg you had for breakfast...it's your prerogative. If you're someone who fashions yourself to be a writer, as I am, there are few better resources available to get instant feedback, even if it is from a handful of friends. It can be a different way to stay in touch with your buddies and/or family members, or to just get a good discussion going. That's wonderful. Express yourself however you like. Express...hmm.

Speaking of Express, as I just did in a completely accidental-at-first-but-now-it's-just-terrible transition, this summer the Washington Post Express started running a "Blog Log" in its LookOut section. For those fortunate enough to not slog through the Metro area each day, the Express is a free mini-paper that is published on weekdays by the Washington Post. LookOut is an Entertainment section of sorts, with comics, celebrity fooferaw, fashion tips, and more. So now you know, and knowing is half the battle. The "Blog Log", as you might imagine, scours blogs all across the Internet and mines them for a half-dozen or so quote-worthy snippets to be published daily. How do you get that kind of job, I wonder? And can it possibly pay any less than my current one? Chances are, it does. This is professional writing we're talking about.

Anyhow, many of these quotes are innocuous, and some are even worth a chuckle. There's nothing about a snarky pot-shot at Tom Cruise or a cynical shake of the head at "Borf", the local graffiti virtuoso, that is going to get a rise out of me. But more and more, the sentences that are published seem designed to be incendiary. It's showcasing the worst of blogging; ill-informed, mouthy yahoos who will say anything to get a reaction. A few weeks back, Express published a quote from a blogger who suggested that Cindy Sheehan should be violently attacked. As if that wasn't enough, it turned out the blogger in question was fifteen years old! Way to do your homework, guys. A minor, someone who isn't even old enough to go to war, suggests that a grieving mother who is searching for honest answers and a peaceful resolution should meet a gruesome demise...what good can come from publishing this garbage to a wide audience? It just blows my mind that a nationally known newspaper, or a branch of it, would publish the dribblings of the masses, particularly in cases when it serves little purpose other than fanning the flames of hatred, intolerance, and ignorance.

Ultimately, I have no problems with freedom of speech, not even as it runs rampant on the World Wide Web. The really great thing about blogs, above and beyond everything I've already mentioned, is that I don't have to read anything that Johnny Blogger in Stone Mountain, Georgia says. It's just floating out there, being ignored by me, just like my entries about drinking Jagermeister and missing my train are free to be ignored by Johnny. The Express is just taking this crap and throwing it in my face, pretending that it's something that is worth repeating and pondering. You all know the old saying about opinions and assholes, so there's no need to repeat it. I just wish we didn't have to be reminded in the first place.

Current Music: Weird Al Yankovic - Everything You Know Is Wrong