A beginning is the time for taking the most delicate care...

Many of you know that I'm usually annoyed at blogs. I mostly see them as a manifestation of the twitchy narcissism of my generation: "I'm so awesome that all of you should read my scattered thoughts!" And, while I won't pretend to be the humblest guy around, I have no desire to be that vain.

Yet here I am, relenting anyways. I have two reasons. First, people occasionally make me angry, especially in this (post-)election season. People (smart people, even) have said all sorts of absurd, childish things that need to be opposed. By me. But since I'm (healthily, I say) ambivalent politically, I've restricted my opine-ings to random sniping on Facebook posts. But that's not enough anymore. I feel the need for a forum in which to air and refine my arguments. Second, my election-season arguing has reminded me of how much I miss argumentative writing. Writing technical articles is fun and all, but the writing is precise, slightly dry, and not sufficiently impassioned to be satisfying viscerally.

So this isn't going to be one of those blogs where I post photos of myself or write amateur poetry. This is a place for me to express myself when I'm too worked up about something (political or otherwise) to remain silent. And, hopefully, a place to enjoy the process. So don't get too offended when you encounter an occasional 'damn' or 'hell'. It's only for emphasis.