Old Year's Eve 2008

"I am not a pundit but I play one in my own mind."

Isn't this true for all of us? Be honest, now. Merriam-Webster Online gives the meaning of pundit as "a learned man" or "one who gives opinions in an authoritative manner." The American-Heritage Dictionary adds "A source of opinion; a critic: political pundit." When was the last time you gave an opinion on a topic of public interest in an authoritative manner? If you've done it more than a couple of times in the last month or so, consider yourself a pundit, at least in your own mind. And you are your own best pundit. Or you should be.

For myself, I read articles on the Internet, in magazines, and in newspapers, and I listen to radio and watch TV. I have reactions, I form opinions based on what I hear and see. And I throw into the mix everything I've heard, seen, thought, or felt before about whatever topic it is (and maybe even thoughts and feelings about things that are completely unrelated to the topic--some people call this "baggage.").

The problem is that in today's world there are too many sources of information and not enough ways to vet or filter it. I don't have enough time to absorb everything that might be pertinent and I don't have the background, education, objectivity, or time to process all that I absorb or to seek reliable corroboration. We are all at the mercy of so many variables in the information collection process that we are often forced to settle for a limited and potentially inaccurate picture of any particular topic we may care about.

I don't know about you but that bothers me. I don't want to settle. I want the truth, the whole truth, the objective truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God.

Alas, as the Man in Black said to Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride, "Get used to disappointment." The true cynics among us maintain that the whole, objective truth is unobtainable. In an absolute sense, I suppose they are correct. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't strive for the truth or as much of it as we can drag, kicking and screaming, from the ether, the press, and the Web.

So, the primary purpose of this blog will be to publish the results of my personal quest for the truth. I may also vent a bit along the way, and maybe even attempt to entertain you from time to time. To which one possible response may be a paraphrase of Space Ghost from the old Space Ghost: Coast to Coast talk show: "Nobody cares, Mike. Nobody cares." Be that as it may, I hope you find something of interest here. If you do, I hope you will respond with those pieces of the truth that you encounter. Together maybe we'll both learn something new. Enjoy.

Mike

P.S. I hope to post my first entry, on the state of the U.S. economy, before New Year's Day.