Where Have All The Flowers Gone?

It's official. The blogosphere is turning into a giant MySpace account. It reminds me of those old movies where a plague or an army takes over and the map gradually fills with the spill of black ink.

I personally like all sorts of blogs, from the very esoterically political to the personal diarist and everything in between. A quick flip through my blogroll will get you anything from a conversation about Christ to an argument about the West Bank to a cute picture of someone's kid. But it appears, with the latest departure, that soon (in Nashville at least) we will be left without the gravitas which normally weighs down that end of the teetertotter.

We've already lost Sharon Cobb, Bill Hobbs and Roger Abramson. All three were reasoned voices writing about politics within the scope of the world of blogging. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find any discussion of politics--local or national--without the added sand of invective. There's definitely a food choice out there for anyone who wants to read about Dim O Cracks or Rethuglicans, to discuss the errors of the Bushie camp or to muse about the upcoming advent of Hitlery. Those blogs are all valuable, all part of the fabric of Nashville. But they're all like beef jerky--chewy, dry, salty. Where do you go for the lean meats and greens?

I, personally, am going to miss having a place to go for regular political opinion that is both reasoned AND respectful.

Perhaps they're right. Perhaps the blogosphere is unable to rise to that next level. Perhaps the future of citizen journalism lies in an as-yet-untapped venue. I'd like to think not. I'd like to think we can find the better angels of our nature right here. But if not I suppose I'll just do politics the old-fashioned way and just blog about my dogs.

Wake me when it's over.