cluttering up cyberspace

There are many reasons to begin a blog, and nearly all of them self-indulgent. The basic human desire to feel socially validated, meaningful, and unique in an increasingly populated world has provoked many to lay their souls bare within the relative anonymity of cyberspace. At its worst, blogging is just another form of bragging - of speaking when you should be listening. At its best, blogging is a blindingly fast way of sharing information, particularly with other humans with whom you share some common ground - be it an interest in hex-based boardgames, early 80's punk rock, or the same small town you couldn't wait to escape when you were 15. Let's hope this blog scores higher in positive sociality than nauseating, personal aggrandizement.

Here's what I'd like to accomplish with this thing:

1. Let my friends know what the hell I'm up to, in an easily accessible and hopefully somewhat entertaining format.

2. Express some of my opinions in a public forum, and possibly stimulate some commentary and conversation among those reading.

3. Write reviews on various media that may interest my friends, including: books, music, film, artists, and games.

Here's what I won't be posting:

1. Most things having to do with my personal life.

2. Thoughts or comments on my workplace.

If I sent you a link to this blog, it's because I value your friendship and hope that you come back and visit periodically, read some of what I've written, and maybe post a comment or two. As my friend, FP, often says (I'm paraphrasing here), computers are just a tool and their value in society in determined by how we choose to use them. I hope that this within this electronic space, the physical distances that separate us can be minimized or at least temporarily ignored.

(our apartment - no, we don't own the whole house)