As the most-popular Web logs gain readership approximating those of bigger, more-established media, it is no surprise that those who have a message to sell are heading directly to their audience - whether that be companies aiming to sell a product, or politicians and advocates aiming to sell a point of view.

Following today's presidential state of the union address, Democratic Illinois senator Dick Durbin, the majority whip for the Senate, headed not to the TV cameras and radio waves to make his case, but instead to Daily Kos, where he took questions and offered answers to the site's visitors.

Though it's not the first time a politician has recognized the immense traffic and power that Daily Kos holds for the progressive movement in the Democratic Party, it's exactly this type of behavior that gets me excited about the potential of blogs. Through this medium, visitors around the world were able to post questions and have a dialog with an elected politician immediately after a news event, something unprecedented only 10 or so years ago. And I respect Senator Durbin's willingness to take a risk, entering unknown territory without a script to offer frank insight on everything from increasing troop levels in Iraq, how to best offer solutions for health care and spiraling higher education costs, and on how he feels the current administration has responded to suffering still being felt by citizens of New Orleans.

This is the real deal. I give Senator Durbin a lot more credit for this than some of the more polished politicians who think slapping a quasi-commercial on YouTube is the new way to be hip to a younger, more connected generation.

Using Apple's new Dashboard beta code, we recently revamped our louisgray.com site Dashboard widget, which is immediately available for download. The widget, powered by our RSS feed, updates regularly and features the full text of the Web site in a handy format.


A Screenshot of the Widget In Action

If you are using Mac OS X, download the widget now, and unzip the compressed file.

And for all users, don't forget to sign up to the RSS feed, or receive site updates by e-mail.

Today was one of the few days where I had the privilege to post on the front page of both Athletics Nation and Sactown Royalty. With the well-run SportsBlogs Nation growing rapidly, more fans are turning to the network to find the latest in sports news and opinion, at the expense of more established brands, like ESPN and CBS Sportsline.  We have been lucky to find a role with more than one of the sites, supporting the Oakland A's and Sacramento Kings.

With the A's recent news the team would be moving to Fremont and playing at Cisco Field, we took a look on Athletics Nation at how often technology expectations get ahead of reality. As in decades past, it was assumed we would be surrounded by flying cars and teleportation, fans should remember many of the game's tenets are unchanged. (Full story: At Cisco Field, Don't Expect Flying Cars)

Meanwhile, as the A's enjoy vacation, the Kings are themselves acting like they've taken days off, even when they are expected to play. They've taken a downward spiral to the bottom of the Pacific Division, and recently got thumped by the Detroit Pistons, 91-74, in arguably the worst game they played all year. That's how I saw it anyway. After all, it was the team's lowest scoring contest, and they threatened season lows in shooting percentage, point differential and free throw percentage. Yuck. (Full story: So... the Detroit Game? Worst Ever this Year!)

Listening to ''Feels Like Home'', by Basement Jaxx (Play Count: 4)

Yesterday's announcement that Hillary Clinton is "In it to win", throwing her hat into the 2008 presidential race, wasn't much of a surprise. Hillary has been visibly preparing herself for such a challenge even before her husband Bill left office in January 2001. And while she may not end up being the woman I cast my vote for by the time we get the opportunity, we are happy she's stepped up, and hope she gives it her all.

After six years of George W. Bush and company delivering plenty of shock and none of the awe to Americans everywhere, the country voted emphatically for change in the 2006 mid-term elections, pushing Democrats into congressional power. With Iraq spiraling further into chaos, and the Republican minority scuttling away in scandal and illegalities, that push for  change will hopefully continue. And for once, the Democrats are flush with good candidates with serious name recognition, from John Edwards and Barack Obama to, now, Hillary Clinton. If all those running can remember that their real foe is already sitting in the White House, and not one of the other candidates, the party will have the best chance at success, no matter who emerges the victor.

As mentioned previously here, the more I learn about Hillary's background, the more impressed I am. While she may be the most reviled individual in the history of the conservative right, she has stood her ground and been unafraid to take controversial stances for the good of the country. The prospect of having both her and her husband back in the White House, surrounded by intelligence actors for change, is thrilling - especially when contrasted with what we've sickeningly grown accustomed to.

I'm also pleased that the issue of Hillary being a female candidate might not be the headline issue of a campaign. Hillary's announcement is more than a token to the feminist movement, but one that stands on its own merits. With Obama setting a similar mark on race, rather than gender, both should be interesting proof points to see if America can move beyond its white male Protestant dominated world - one that recently said Republican candidate Mitt Romney was doomed for being Mormon, as approximately half said that alone disqualified his candidacy. It's time for the voters to focus on issues and vote for those they think can move the country forward and out of the pit we've been dug into for six very long years.

Good luck Hillary. We will be eagerly watching and waiting to see if you can convince us that you are the right choice. (More: Daily Kos, The Atlantic)