"The populace is like the sea motionless in itself, but stirred by every wind, even the slightest breeze" -- Titus Livius

Blogging has been touted as a wonder of communication, networking, global communication and a useless hobby. It's also a community of people thinking, reading and writing. "The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven," says Martin Luther. Blogging is another breeze, or storm wind, and it can be wild and shifting. The understanding that there are many influences and they can slowly influence a few, or greatly influence many is the best thing to be had from the blogging community.

We are not all guided by any set of priorities, beliefs or editorial systems. We will disagree over facts as much as opinions and I won't be an authoritative source. I don't do research(I may research a post, but when I do you'll be able to tell because I will link and/or cite), I don't have access to privileged information. I read. I think. I write.

Everyone should be influenced by the thoughts and feelings of others. Writers are not gods and just because a phrase rolls off the tongue does not mean it is meaningful or true. Writing and communicating, thinking, discussing and sharing, are however the truest democratic influences. It balances any lobby or spinmaster eventually. We can vote on the basis of commercials or a couple news articles. We can even read biographies and judge the voting history of candidates. But how do we understand the issues? the opposing opinions? Discussion and thought and writing.