The end is in sight. The light at the end of the tunnel is the rising sun. I really have enjoyed this, although my body is now violently protesting the lack of sleep; I haven't felt this ill in a while...thank goodness the following is pre-written:

I thought I should end by doing a little more explaining about what this blog is about; particularly what you might see when you come back here (don't worry, I'll mostly shelve the metaphysical discussions about the ontological nature of words).

As I said in my Blogathon Guide, I keep my blog 1) as a personal resource for column ideas and links, 2) for writing practice, to keep my writing gears greased, and 3) to try to contribute a little substance to the high-waste world of the blogosphere. My topics include news, politics, media, culture, history, religion, the arts, movies, sports, and anything else that catches my fancy.

I also post e-mail feedback to my stories in the Tribune and elsewhere. Recently I've been posting anecdotes and other quotes from sources I picked up from the cutting room floor when my stories go to print. I find this a fascinating extension of the journalist's job; every other forum I enter, the more accountable and helpful I am to readers, and that can only be good for everyone.

This does raise some interesting questions. Should I be bashing the Tribune Company in my weblog, since they write my paychecks? (Andrew Sullivan was cut loose from the NY Times in part because of his Times-flogging in his blog.) Could someone sue me for defamation of character based on something I post in my blog ?(which laughably assumes I have any wealth worth suing for...) In the meantime, it remains a great outlet for writing and communicating.