Why Bother?

Greetings, rare visitor. Hopefully you are wondering, "what will this blog offer me and why should I care?" I hope to clear those questions up.

I am quite new to blogging, and I am even a bit embarrassed about taking part in an activity that has such a stupid name. From my limited travels through cyberspace to various web logs (that feels so much better, don't you think?), I see that people blog about anything: dogs, religion, music, hiking, windows, mice. I think, however, most every blog is inspired by a desire to share.

So that is one reason I do this: I feel some of my thoughts, if structured properly, are worth sharing with others. You of course, may not agree. Maybe everything I write about bores you to tears, pisses you of, makes you sad--whatever. I don't expect that everyone will like this.

I also am doing this because I need to air out a bit. Much of my time is spent burning brain cells on scientific journal articles, and trying to understand exactly what my social scientist office mates/compadres mean when they argue that "space is socially constructed." I therefore have a strong urge to freewheel a bit, something academia does not allow.

As a climatologist who has a lifelong interest in the weather, I cannot even count the number of times I've plunked some meteorological bait into a converstaion, hoping someone would bite (I know it sounds pathetic, but especially in my early years, being a weather nut was a lonely experience). And what I've found is that many people--my brother, my closest childhood friends--do not care one bit. Yet other people--the guys guarding the keg at old high school parties; friends of my brother; friends of friends; random customers at any of the numerous degrading jobs I've had--are often fascinated. These are people for whom the explanations provided by local TV meteorologists are insufficient; people who like storms and inclement weather; people who want to know more about the atmosphere; and people who sometimes wished they had majored in meteorology instead of accounting.

I do not at all fancy myself a one-trick pony, so I will drop whatever moves me into a conversation. When the weather is dull or if I have already talked myself out about it, I may drop something political, cullinary, linguistic or etymological...something about parenting, or something about the guy I saw driving the other day who had his large golden retriever sitting on his lap. And generally, the same people who have wanted to talk weather have wanted in on these conversations too. But not always. Anyone familiar with Venn diagrams could picture a weather circle and a bullshit circle. There is quite a large area where these circles overlap each other. Where the circles overlap you have Weather and Bullshit. That junction is the focus--and hence the name--of this blog.

So why should you care? You shouldn't, unless the sorts of things I just described appeal to you. And if that's the case, then you have a cyber friend, or enemy, or whatever.

If I am way off on something factual, I want to hear about it. If you think I am way off on an opinion, you probably won't get very far with me (with exceptions for factual things that might sway my opinion). I suggest if you despise most things I say that you find a different site to visit or you start your own blog. My ideas and opinions generally won't be that radical anyway. Lastly, I will surge and sleep, surge and sleep. That's how I operate. You may get several posts from me at a time, followed by weeks with none. Don't come to expect something. Who am I kidding, anyway? I will have five visitors in the first year!