Salutations continued...

Let this become an addendum to Kitti’s brilliant intro post.

I think it would be entirely too boring if I began to rant about everything I think/hope/wonder that this blog could be (seeing as I am not nearly as witty as my co-writers) but it seems that I should give at least a brief blurb on why I’m here.

First and foremost—My reason for being here is entirely selfish (note the entirely part, but please do not judge, you might get something out of it if you keep reading).

There, I said it. Throw tomatoes if you want, but please make them ripe ones. I am selfish not only because part of my being here is to tap into the wisdom, wit, and skill of my co-writers, but also because I simply enjoy exploring new ideas. I love to discuss, and take an idea, twist it up and look at it from a different angle; to get different opinions—and to thus become a more informed person, and also to be able to form my own opinions on things. To add to what Kitti said: I not only think critical thinking is important (add: key, add: necessary) but I also think that most people today lack even the very basic critical thinking skills (partially due to people not reading enough…but that’s a whole other issue). This blog is a way of reasoning with that, with other things that I find interesting, and in general just to have a good time.

I love to write. Period.

I write anything and everything that I fancy, although I am particularly interested in fantasy and poetry. Like Kitti I need lots of practice (far more than she does—she’s so high above, I’m like a tether on a Goodyear blimp). This is a place to practice, to wrestle around on the floor with, to chew on and spit back out every little thing that I find relatively important, or amusing. Hopefully somebody out in cyberspace will hop along for the ride and get something out of it.

P.S.

This is Kitti, just letting you know that L paints me in entirely too good a light. I won't stop him because I adore flattery, but I feel it's only fair to add a disclaimer: I am not nearly as cool as he makes me out to be, really I am just a slightly-socially-awkward geek, and his writing is always just as good as and often far, far better than mine. He is wonderful and I love him to tiny pieces -- enough, even, to disregard the fact that he just compared me to a blimp. XD (I am not actually offended, though I am super jealous he actually managed to make that comparison somewhat flattering. It's not at all fair really, I should be wanting to slap him for it but he meant it in such a nice way that I can't.)

Salutations, Etc.

Welcome to The Irony Board!

First off, we'd like to thank everyone reading this for visiting our obscure little corner of the blogosphere. We are aware that spheres are by definition cornerless; we thank you nonetheless.

You may be thinking something along the lines of, "Just what do the authors of this blog hope to accomplish?"

We realize that such may not be your thoughts at all, but we shall proceed as though they are because a) we should probably answer that and other questions at some point anyway and b) it makes a good segue.

Our response to your possibly-not-thoughts is this: "Why, we're so glad you possibly-asked! Such a conveniently introductory question demands equally introductory answers, does it not?"

I can't speak for my co-authors, Vareth and Legolos13 (to whom I typically refer, respectively, as Var or Mum and Lego or L), but for my part, my goals are -- as, I believe, are most human endeavors -- partly altruistic and partly selfish. (My inner philosopher/biology geek wants to go off on a tangent about how what is commonly perceived as altruism may simply be far-sighted selfishness, but that's a discussion for a post of its own, so I shall -- much as it pains me -- ignore the possible debate for now and stick to the premise that altruism and selfishness are entirely unrelated to each other.)

Altruistically, it is a general goal of mine to encourage more and better critical thinking in the people I encounter. My reason for this is that critical thinking is central to any type of reasoning, the most important (in my opinion) being moral. Without critical thinking, moral reasoning is impossible; without moral reasoning, ethics is impossible; and without ethics, living responsibly -- for lack of a better phrase, being a good person -- in a world in which other people also live (ours for example) is impossible. Said more positively, thinking critically leads to reasoning, which leads to moral reasoning, which leads to ethics, which leads to living morally. Not only do those who live or attempt to live in such a way tend to be more satisfied with their own lives than those who do not, but they also tend to make life much more pleasant for those who must deal with them. And so, by promoting critical thinking, I hope to encourage others (and myself) to become better, happier people.

Selfishly, I want to become a better writer. I want to be able to make people laugh, or think, or cry, and sometimes all three. To do these things I must be able to express my thoughts clearly, and to do that consistently, I need practice. A blog seemed the perfect way to get it. So congratulations, reader: you have just become my Guinea pig.

And with that, I shall leave you with my Mad Scientist cackle ringing in your ears.