This is Not a Blog

As I think about my first post on my first blog, I realize that I don't have a clear idea yet of exactly what I want this blog to be. I'm more certain of what I don't want it to be. I don't want flame wars or spam, but I also don't want thoughtless posting, but on the other hand overly long, thoughtful posts can get annoying, too, as well as those with run-on sentences. We've got enough blogs in the world, why do we need another one? Then again, I have two kids in my family, the greatest currently tangible blessings I've received, and so I'm obviously not overly worried about multiplication. With every mouth comes two hands.

"As a matter of cosmic history, it has always been easier to destroy than to create." (I won't say where that's from but let's just say that, somewhere, Ricardo Montalban is smiling.) So less Statler and Waldorf, more Kermit and Scooter; less self-criticism of the sort that stops writing before it happens, more actual, you know, writing; less killing, more creating. Starting this blog is opting for the latter, although with the caveat that Darwin would say there has to be killing for creation, and the biologist in me knows that's true. In fact, maybe the "flame war" commenters out there serve a useful techno-ecosystem function, although I personally think mosquitos are more useful. Pruning is a part of life, as editing is a part of writing. Perhaps I should feel some of that coming on right now?

My biggest concern about starting a blog is having the time to keep it up. So forgive me if I'm a little erratic in publishing, but I hope some of these posts will be collections of ideas. More of a public notebook than a blog. I'm interested in science, faith, history, writing, kids, movies, Lost, and I'm an INTP for you Myers-Briggs types. So I'll just type my random ideas down and see if they gel.

Ok, everyone after me: This is not a blog.

Until they start giving out salaries for blog-writing. Then ... we'll talk.