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Hey Billybob! I thought this was only going on your web site, but thanks again, my friend. I still cant believe the response to that angry rant, but I am flattered by it all the same.

Your comments were Music to my ears.

Dog, this was a great on target rant.

I will re-read it tonight while I am wearing my pajamas. -Tom

Dog,

I think you're spot-on with your rant. I think the revolution started back in the early 80's with the old BBS and dialup boards that were everywhere. The Internet made these dark corners accessible to everyone with a modem and now, to anyone with a telephone line or cable TV and an extra $40 a month.

However, there is a lurking danger I don't think everyone takes seriously enough. I think this information revolution is reaching critical mass and I think old power structures could soon be swept away, but only if people fight to keep these channels free and unfettered by government control.

I give you the steps that China and several Arabic states are taking to control the public's access to content. Power structures don't take threats like this lightly. It can only be a matter of time before they move to protect themselves. The greatest fear a public figure might harbor is a free and objective press. The left, masters of doublespeak, have succeeded in ridding us of such an organ. We have already seen efforts, such as raptor and various other schemes to tax and/or regulate the Internet. These efforts are intended to rid us of the far more powerful successor to the free press: free and instant information

The only way that your manifesto can be fully realized is for all of us netizens, clad in our PJs, to continue to have access to information at the same or better rate that the MSM gets it. It is vital that we resist efforts by those with the most to lose to limit or even curtail that access. It is important that we recognize that the people who might try to impose these limits on us come in both Republican and Democrat flavors. They will seek to impose their will under guises varying from political correctness to protecting us from terrorists.

Unfortunately, if the worst happens, it will be because Joe Sixpack was dozing and complacent. We must take on the responsibility for convincing Joe that he may not always like what we have to say, but the consequences of our inability to say it would be far worse. We must not allow the MSM, which is now simply an organ of the state, to marginalize us, because at that point, Joe Sixpack doesn't care what happens to us. At that point, even though he may not realize it, Joe Sixpack is lost as well.

Your rant was excellent! Thanks for sharing.

That rant was worthy of a toast with a nice, frosty glass of Black Mountain Porter. Sadly, I'm 900 miles north of Callahan's. Cheers anyway.