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Last week marked the one-year anniversary of my introduction into the world of blogging.

My blog, "In the Flow," has been a work in progress, mired in fits and starts, and I've learned as I've gone along. This column is more local; the blog tends to be my two cents on national issues.

What I've discovered in the past year is that blogging is even more liberating than writing a column. While I try to be conversational and respectful of community sensibilities in the column, much of that decorum goes out the window on the blog.

Like my Open Letter to Hillary Clinton:

"Hillary, L-I-G -- Let it go. In case you didn't get the memo, you lost."

That one was pretty nasty, and in fact, I went back and tempered some of the language. (It wasn't that bad.)

One value of "In the Flow" is its immediacy. Within an hour or so of John "Hair Boy" Edwards coming clean about his tango with Video Girl, I whipped out a short with the headline, "Breck stock plummets!"

Another value is that the blog is the perfect tool to write about subjects that don't merit an entire column -- Obama dissin' Muslim women in Detroit; my conspiracy theory about Kaine for veep; NBA star Shaquille O'Neal's inability to rap (or, for that matter, shoot free throws) and on and on.

But what I enjoy most is the blog's "water cooler" aspect. Folks stop by, give their two cents and drift away. "In the Flow" has become a community of regular readers.

Their punctuation isn't always perfect, but they make their points.

"Goldenwillow" is the grand dame of the blog. "Ed" is my Northern Virginia conservative who always has something useful to say. "Percy Kution," whom I call "PK," is our resident flame thrower.

"Mike," an insightful moderate, is the cleanup hitter of sorts -- he sits back, reviews the other comments and then weighs in with his take.

"Bobby B" is always serious, and "Backlash" is retired military -- and not too fond of the Clintons.

Those are just a few of the names. Dozens of people have weighed in over the year, posting more than 1,100 comments and all adding their opinion to the "Flow."

On my recent column about Bristol Palin's pregnancy:

I totally disagree with your article on teenage mothers being given empathy. Having babies out of wedlock is wrong. These teenage mothers need to be given the hardest road they can have to help keep them from repeating their mistake.-- Kathryn

What I still have yet to hear is that using birth control is not rocket science! It is available and often free--Jamie Hoback

In response to the "Open Letter to Hillary"

Shanna, I think you are not only pathetic and shameless, but extremely divisive. Even Obama will not speak in those terms against Hillary. Let's watch how mainstream Americans will vote in November 2008. As a Blackman, i am very embarrassed at your remarks against Hillary.-- Henry Endeley

She lost, then why do Obama want her votes! Because we don't trust a drugie like him, and this letter that you have written, like the African Americans says white people are racesists you should look at your own people. -- PUMA

On John Edwards admitting to his affair:

With 24-7 news and cameras everywhere, fear of getting caught and the inevitable publicity never sink in? The epidemic stupidity is beyond belief. Call me jaded, but who's next? -- Goldenwillow

As the old folks would say, "Whats done in the dark will eventually come to light". Nothing surprises me with politicians these days. -- Shaun

In response to a blog item that batted around names for vice president:

Kaine as VP? Obama must have saved a little of the weed that he has confessed to using in his youth.-- Mike

On a column in which I asked a genie for a wealthy developer's money:

Why would you want money? You already have something no amount of money can buy. Yep, power of the press! ... You just tell us what to think and do and everything will be OK. Now, what's for supper? -- Al

On a column in which I said early evidence indicated a storeowner should not be charged with the shooting death of a man robbing him:

Shanna, you got THIS one right. Now if a few more shop owners would blow 2 or 3 more would be robbers into eternity we would see a dramatic decline in the robbery rate in Roanoke.-- Percy K

On a column about an all-white jury acquitting a former DEA agent in the shooting death of a local black man:

I can't believe they let you put your comments about this story in the newspaper. It's people like you with your simple minds that give black people a bad name. Your story was racist against white people. -- Sharon Martin

On a column on breast-feeding:

I quite agree with you on breast feeding in public being "gross." I breast fed three children, never once "pumping." If it was necessary to nurse while away from home, it was done in a private place, then usually with a light blanket concealing my breast. -- Mary Sutphin

It's opinions like this that made it incredibly difficult for me to feel comfortable going to my supervisor after the birth of my son to request a place to pump milk during my work day. ... No wonder I had post-partum depression. You should be ashamed of yourself for propagating it. ... By presenting the argument this way, you've set local women back a ways.-- Becky

On a blog item in which I used the term "jokers" to refer to clergy under investigation for their bountiful income, usually from those who can least afford it:

Hey Shanna, as a person of "faith" when and if you go to church who or what is the name of the "joker" who fills the void in your life??? Have you checked out what the pope and the Vatican get monthly. How about Jewish Rabbis. Would you call them jokers because they are being used to fill the voids as you say in peoples lives. I think not. Even you would not be that ignorant.-- Integrityjust4u

Editor's note: I responded to the writer: "You'll forgive me for not being from the camp that believes clergy are above reproach. So yes, I would call a Jewish Rabbi or the Pope 'jokers,' if they warranted it. I suspect they've been called far worse."

Shanna Flowers' column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.