Welcome (and who the heck is this guy???)

Well Hello!

If you have stumbled on this fledgling blog, you obviously have way too much time on your hands, or a insane curiosity about the dark corners of the Internet.

I will be introducing myself in several upcoming posts here, but for now just know that I am a late-entrant blogger, primarily because I could not settle on a particular topic or area to blog about.  While casting about for signs of intelligent life on the Internet (an increasingly despairing undertaking I am afraid) I came across this old post  which got me to thinking...

I am uncomfortable with the term 'polymath' because as it is currently defined (including in that <sarcasm>unassailable fountain of all knowledge, Wikipedia</sarcasm>) it says that a polymath is an "expert" in many fields.  I have long admired the Leonardo da Vincis of the world, and only recently realized that I have spent most of my adult life trying to be like them.

However, I am definitely a Polymath "trainee"....I am interested in an insanely wide variety of topics, from science to law, but can only claim "expert" status in a small number of those.   I hope to engage like-minded people on this blog, so that I can learn more about the areas I am interested in but do not understand as well as others. 

Therefore you will be seeing posts on a variety of topics -- from science (just because it is so d*mn cool and interesting) to politics (just because it is so d*mn uncool and nauseating).  Posts will appear in somewhat random order -- whatever interests me gets posted, whatever does not (and/or appears on cable news) will not appear.

I expect (and want) to express some strong opinions here on a variety of topics  -- opinions that I know do not mesh well with at least some, but that is partly the point - truly intelligent discussion has largely disappeared from the American landscape these days.   The only requirements to particpate here are intelligence, a strong sense of logic, and and an ability to realize and a willingness to admit when you might be all or partly wrong....and to listen to your fellow earth-citizens when they have good ideas.