Thanks to all for the reassurances and posting.

I know other people post blogs for other reasons. One person I know posts so as to avoid having to tell multiple people the same answer to "how are you doing?" for example. I like reading my friends' blogs, to keep up to date. I like reading memes to see what goofiness third parties come up with. (Seriously, Ani Difranco?)

However, for me, I'd rather not do this. I do the memes. They're fun and goofy. I do post updates on the Kitty Family (snap, snap) because I do want to share and open up to my friends, however challenging it is.

It is. I'm mostly a private person. I've been online long enough to see the potential for hurt caused by "information leakage." I scrub what I post, make sure it can't (trivially) be used to identify me or my family, that it can't (trivially) be used against me or my family or friends.

I've another reason to want to pontificate instead of ramble. It's a bit of a logical stretch, so I beg forebearance:

I believe in freedom of the press, that the fourth estate must be the check and balance to the other checks and balances. I believe government at any signifigant level cannot be trusted to check and balance itself if left in the dark.

I believe freedom is not free. It comes with responsibilities. "Freedom is not free" is usually the mating call of militaristic hawks in office looking to divert defense boondoggles to their districts, or worse, looking to exercise military might no matter the (lack of) justification.

In this case, freedom is not free is not about our engines of war, but the weight of responsibility. Rights come with responsibilities. A free press is only useful as check and balance if it is trusted. A free press is trusted only if it uses its power responsibly.

For me, this is some vestigial shadow of freedom of the press, and the responsibility of the press. I feel that I am granted these freedoms by this web site (or any other of its ilk) and am granted time and effort of my generous readers, and I should comport my writings according to my own standards of what is responsible.

So, even here, in gratitude, I'm trying to exposit on my views, to make this something worth reading because it is worth writing.

Or am I too high in the ivory tower?