As I watch the mainstream news media, I'm inundated with facts and figures. The number of Iraq war casualties has become requisite for the end of every news broadcast, at least on CBS.

In times past, I, as a pacifist, would have been caught up in the flow and probably would be spewing diatribes about the "neocons" strong enough to make a DU blogger blush.

But, see, I'm a little more informed than most people who rely solely on the nightly news. And I owe it to the many soldiers who blog here and elsewhere about their experiences overseas.

See, I KNOW the efforts we're doing in rebuilding. I know we aren't bombing indiscriminately, I know our soldiers aren't facing civilians who predominantly hate them and their presence. While those individuals exist, they're simply not what many of our soldiers are encountering on a daily basis. And so I am more inclined to bide my time and withhold judgement knowing that there is, indeed, another side to the story.

Now, to switch tracks a little bit, it seems the CBS producer responsible for "memogate" insists that the memoes have not been proven fraudulent. Again, I've seen the evidence, I've examined it, and it's VERY solid proof, to say the least. In years past, I might have been inclined to dismiss the whole thing as a "neocon witchhunt", but again, the facts kind of obstruct such a presumptuous leap.

There is much debate about whether blogs are replacing mainstream media, and I've ruminated on the subject in the past myself (and continue to do so). My personal belief at this point is that blogs never will REPLACE mainstream media, but they don't have the ethical and professional standards of MSM, and they almost never purport to be objective, two traits that are allegedly key components of "professional" media.

Blogs do, however, form a sort of SUPPLEMENTAL media. They're often a good starting point for an alternative viewpoint, and often provide facts and points of view that might never have gotten air in times past. They're a key component to our understanding of the world around us, but given the fact tat blogs are almost NEVER objective, a good deal of fact checking is required before they can be taken at face value. But it stands to reason that, if you are viewing a blog, you most likely have at your fingertips all of the resources you need to examine the facts.

I enjoy blogs and the role they've begun to play in expanding our knowledge and understanding. But blogs are, as with virtually any tool, only as good or bad as the individuals who use them. If used improperly, they can lead to a lot of misinformation and hurt feelings. But when used properly, they can help to construct a more enlightened, well rounded individual.