Crossing Streams of Self-Absorption (NPR & Blogs)

Probably the only writing more irritatingly self-absorbed than blogs are those precious little commentaries on NPR, the ones that usually play late in the hour during All Things Considered and reminisce on topics like grandma's famous apple pie recipes.

So I found it slightly ironic to happen upon a commentary about everyone's favorite topic -- blogs!  From Taking a Pass on the Blogging Bandwagon:

Commentator Amy Alexander explains why she hasn't started a Web log, or "blog" -- an increasingly popular way to comment on current events that has elevated some commentators to Web celebrity status. Alexander is an author and media critic living in Silver Spring, Md.

"Why write for free?"  Indeed -- I'd give up blogging in a heartbeat if NPR would pay me to produce bits of fluff commentary filler.  I don't mean to be especially hard on Ms. Alexander -- this commentary is not all that bad, just kind of pointless.

Update: Transcript and more comments at Atrios and The News Blog.