Why do you blog?

It's a question that I never really answered people, so I might as well tap it out while I've got the time.

I guess I started out wanting to find out what this whole blogging phenomenon was about.

I suppose I carried on too long, essentially writing to myself, and somehow friends found out about my blog and I discovered that I had myself a little audience (thank you thank you!)

A blog is like having a column to myself.
To some others, it's like having a talk show.

But whatever you're preferred medium, blogging is about giving yourself a voice in this always-on world of way too many choices.

For me having a readership (I think it's about 15 now, up from an original one so it's actually increased 15-fold over two years, bravo me!)makes me rethink my entries.

No longer can I just yell and whine about stuff, but I feel a need now to edit and re-edit (although I obviously don't really do that - what editor would allow all these damn brackets?) and sometimes before I start to write about something, I wonder: wtf would people think of me after that? (putting wtf as wtf is a good example)

I read many blogs (totally 79 feeds now on Bloglines and do admire some of the writing, gorgeous photos (esp of food), ideas and occasional zaniness of the bloggers.

And without blogs, I guess the only place for all these great people to express themselves would be.....?
(Ok so it ended with a fizzle, I ran out of steam for this one, mostly because a story had come in and work was calling so no choice yeah)