Baby Steps on the Blog

I decided to start messing around with some of the customization features of this blog. Had quite a bit of fun which just these basic settings.

Despite having quite a lot to do in my life right now, I found some time in the slower moments to think about what I was going to write about in this blog. I did some reading online where they talked about 'how to' blog. As is quite often the case with such articles and books, some were quite specific and some were not much more than to say 'do whatcha want.'

After some not-quite-completely-wasted-time looking at various 'how to blog' sites, I settled on an this approach, which asks two questions:

1) What interests me?
2) What would make anyone care what interests me enough to read about it?

So, before I go any further, I don't care how you found this blog, but if you see something that trips your trigger, whether that trigger is because you agree completely with what I have to say (Which would frankly make me concerned for your state of mind) or whether you think I'm a complete and utter moron for believing such a thing (which will likely be most of you), please... leave a comment and say so. If you have a blog, feel free to link to your blog or vice versa.

As far as what interests me, I'll make it simple. Some people have a problem with 'labels,' but I believe they can have their place. For instance, if labels were all bad, how would you really know you were buying Froot Loops and not Instant Mashed Potato Flakes? And not the good instant potatoes, but the kind that reminds you of the plaster of paris you used in grade school to make the obligatory planet Jupiter? Ewww...

So here's my label: I'm a nerd. Geek. Dweeb. However you slice it, I am one of those guys. I like movies, but not just to watch them. I enjoy the ride home after the movie where everyone is seemingly attempting to recreate the entire experience again. Quoting lines, even acting out your 'favorite scene,' despite the fact that there are six people in a Hyundai, and the movie you just saw was 300.

I used to work AM talk radio. No, no... they were never foolish enough to actually put me on the air. They kept me safely behind the glass and the control board. I was a show producer. Which in layman's turn, means 'the real talent's *ahem* (I can't say the word here... my sister reads this blog, after all. But it rhymes with which).' I made phone calls, screened phone calls, suggested show ideas and potential interviews. You know, now that I think about it, I did pretty much all the work. Waaait a minute! (Just kidding Suzie. I'm sure you did something, I just can't remember any of what you did now.)

Since I worked AM radio, and it was not a sports show, that means one thing. Politics. I enjoy reading about it and discussing it... yes, even arguing about it.

I used to consider myself a conservative, and although my views haven't changed so much, I've realized that what I define as conservative isn't represented by any of the current political parties. I'm sure I'll go into more details about that in a future post.

*sigh* Ok, ok, ok... those of you that DO know me know I'm a big geek about Star Wars. You will see references to Star Wars a lot in here. If you don't like Star Wars, don't worry. I don't like it so much anymore either. (Curse you, George Lucas! Curse you AND Jar Jar!!)

I like computer games. A lot. Too much. Hey... how'd my wife get access to this? I didn't say that! Too much? Hah!

Heh. Hmm. Anyway.

Ok, so there's a start. And yes, I do requests. But I don't do windows.

Ridiculous Beginnings

All great deeds and all great thoughts have a ridiculous beginning. Great works are often born on a street corner or in a restaurant's revolving door. - Albert Camus

My younger brother and sister both have blogs. Not just blogs... but quite good ones. The layout on both of them are pleasing to look at and have some neat-o (yes, I said neat-o... what of it?) bells and whistles. Being a self-declared computer geek, I have put off starting a blog until I could one up both of their sites. Then I realized... ya gotta start someplace.

So when I stumbled across the quote above, I decided no time like the present... d*mn the torpedoes, full speed ahead... the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step... you eat an elephant one bite at time... and then I screamed in pain at the overload of cliches and quotations. I wanted to stop the thought process before it went into corporate 'catch-phrases.' I was (more ?) worried for my mental health if heard the voices in my head start saying it was time for me to think outside of the box.

Steve pauses... takes a deep breath, and gets a mental image of everyone reading this blog with a look of horror on their face. He chuckles nervously and attempts a grin.

Just kidding there, folks. Honest.

But in all seriousness, I decided that it was better to start with something to sit on my cyber-laurels and do nothing.

So like it or not, this is the beginning of my blog. It may be ridiculous, but hey... it's me!