I don’t often think about the medium of blogging; I’m usually focused on the message. But tonight, I’ve been thinking about blogging itself, and thinking seriously about a question that many people have asked, dismissively for the most part: What good is blogging? Isn’t it a waste of time?

If you were to ask me after I read today’s news, I’d say, “no good,” and “yes, a colossal waste of time.”

Museum, Bel-Wood bonds may top $90M (PJS)
Hotel options keep expanding (PJS)
Mel’s Cafe closing soon to move to East Peoria (PJS)
Committee backs partial settlement of Firefly suit (PJS)
Central Illinois Railroad Co. to Cease Operations (Peoria Station)
Preview: Schock on Top Chef (Word on the Web)
Obama flops on Snooki? It’s an awkward situation… (Peoria Pundit)

These headlines illustrate that our elected leaders are going forward with additional bad investments even as they pay the price for previous poor decisions from which they should have learned something. Meanwhile, some of our highest elected officials are being treated like celebrities (and acting like them, sometimes) instead of adults with serious responsibilities.

I’d say our nation is pretty much doomed. What’s the use of blogging?