I've done a little fiddling and have arrived at a configuration of permissions for the blog that I think will give individual control, but keep folks from getting into trouble. So, here's the breakdown:

• Anonymous Users -- haven't registered for an account and have limited access to the blog. They can read comments, but can't create them. Nor can they create blog posts.
• Authenticated Users -- have registered for an account, can maintain their own blog and comment on other posts. They can also create events, classified ads, and polls.
• Autonomous Users -- have demonstrated the ability to blog responsibly, and have all the privileges of Authenticated Users, plus the ability to create "stories," which are automatically promoted to the front page.

Those of you who have had access to node administration can now post to the front page by creating your content as a story. If you'd like to be an Autonomous User, please drop me a private message.