The most frequently used quotation for a blog title has to be the lines from the Lewis Carroll poem, The Walrus and the Carpenter. It suggests an opportunity to discuss all manner of subjects, but the reality is that the walrus and the the carpenter are only after a chance to snack on some tasty young oysters.
That is, perhaps, the state of web journalism these days. So many sites lure you in but then attempt to snack on the contents of your wallet instead. Meantime, though journalists of all stripes are blogging and posting and writing on many things, they have lately walled themselves off from feedback from the masses. There was a time when I could send a comment to a writer and expect a reply. I am sure that nationally published writers can be swamped by responses and I have read many of their complaints. Not only is their inbox overwhelmed, but the character of much of the email is vicious and disgusting. The web seems to have become a channel that brings out the worst in many of us. And don’t even talk about twitter.
Thus I resort to this means to express my concerns about what is written and said recently, and to explain my stance on many of these issues. I do not expect you to concur but you may comment at will. The pepper and vinegar of my title should suggest to you that it may not be bland. Just remember, the oysters never complained…