Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A Re-imagining: What This Blog is About

I know what you're thinking: who cares what this blog is about when it a.) never gets updated and b.) rarely gets read.

And you're right. You're totally right. Most likely, people are more excited to get a free 2-liter of soda with a carry-out order than see that I've posted something new on my blog. I'll take that as a challenge.

The new goal of STM: be more exciting than free soda!

It's a pretty tough task, but I think it's manageable. Doable. Exciting. Would you like a soda?

In all seriousness, this blog has warped into something much different than I intended when I first began writing. Since losing my job, I have a lot of time to sit around and philosophize and ponder the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything. I don't have much day-to-day stuff to report for distant family and friends, and I'm not running out the door with a nine-hour shift in front of me to prevent me from reporting. Another nail in the coffin is that being jobless means there is not enough skrilla in the bank to cover all of my lofty DIY ambitions (I had serious plans to build a queen-sized bed...lofty indeed).

Essentially, we are too poor to go out and do things to blog about. Plus, nobody cares about where we had dinner. (Unless I made it and it was extra-spectacular.)

But you're never too poor to go the library, read, and think, and watch lectures and debates. In the last few months, I've been trying to take advantage of the free time I have to Get Knowledge, in whatever form that takes. I've been engaging in debates online and reading lots of books and listening to a LOT of internet radio, and since then I've formed an opinion or two.

So, instead of being a diary of sorts, I intend to make STM a full-fledged blog with diverse interests and posts. Sure, I'll include a general update now and then (hey, we own a cat...it's inevitable that some Buster photos find a home here), but more often I hope to focus on the following:

  1. Atheism. The more research I do, the more I am convinced of my need to address issues of faith, public policy, morality, grief, religion, and culture, and add my voice. 
  2. Feminism. Up until now, my feminism is something I've pushed under the rug. I get tired of telling people that that doesn't mean I'm a lesbian (as if that is an insult in the first place - I call BS on that nonsense, too) or that I'm a bra-burner or man-hater or anything else. I'll add my voice to this cause if for no other reason than annoyance at being silenced.
  3. Politics. Public policy gets me riled, especially in the exasperating state of governance in the U.S.
  4. Literature. I might occasionally post short "reviews" or impressions of whatever piece of literature I'm writing.
  5. Cat photos. I had this AWESOME idea for a website where people could send in funny pictures of their cat and then add equally funny captions in a funny language. I bet I could make millions...
So that's all for now! Brace yourself for several posts coming shortly. I have several mostly-written that just need a quick edit or two.

Thanks all! If you have any other suggestions for things to tackle, feel free to leave it in the comments.