Dean - GLAD you're back here! Yes, need a wordpress.com login - not unique to me...

all blogs should be open to pub (and moderated for protection)

Actually, the ONLY comments I've ever gotten before have been spam.

Or friends who are co-publishers of other blogs with me.

OK, went in and didn't see anything on Wordpress that req users to log-in, but it does ask for Name & Email, and approve comments?

So I *think* that its open? It's not closed on purpose - just default settings?