Never mind the mike tapping and throat clearing. We're live on 3... 2... 1...

Hello world.

Rather than starting from scratch, this page is really just an extension and publication of something I've been doing for months now -- keeping a journal. I don't expect it's focus to shift just because it's gone from offline to on, though I won't protest too much if it does drift. This has always been about providing a reminder of my thoughts, not so much my actions or activities. No sense having a really interesting discussion or insight, only to forget about it days later... and with my memory, that's exactly what I was doing. I've got a mild case of Memento, and this is my strategy for coping.

Since this is the first posting though, I don't mind taking the time to lay out where things stand in the world today.

I'm living in Davis, CA and working at Bio-Rad as a Production Chemist. I'm driving a '94 Miata and am totally in love with my Katrina. Currently, she's in Hawaii, but'll be back in just two short days -- after six long weeks of being away. And yes, 'my Katrina' is my girlfriend, not my car.

On a wider scale, the US is occupying Iraq after ousting the Hussein regime. Extremist muslims are still blowing themselves up. Antiamericanism is on the rise world-wide as we heavily and bluntly utilize the power and influence we've built over the last fifty years. China's government is still afraid of it's own people, and is the epicenter of the flu-like illness SARS. Russia is starting to (quietly) rattle the sabre and dream of it's lost power and independence. North Korea is openly admitting to having nuclear weapons and is clearly developing more. Afganistan is still wartorn, still has a weak government, and is still incredibly poor. The world wide economy can be perfectly summed up by the word, 'Soggy.' Isreal and Palestine are attacking each other regularly, one with suicide bombers, and the other with tanks and bulldozers.

Sound like a lousy time for the world?

Perhaps. But I'm as hopeful for the future as always. More so, even. Despite the breadth and depth of the world's problems, at least we, as Americans, are finally aware of them. The famously inward looking nation has once again been forced to wake up, look around, and take action.

I'm not jingoistic. I hate the very idea of nationalism. But I believe that many of the world's lingering problems deserve attention, and right now America & Britain look to be among the very very few who are willing to bring about change. Kudos to them.

As always, more later.