Apparently I like the idea of having a blog far more than actually writing in one. I'm not wholly sure why that is. One aim is to write entries that at least I'd be interested in reading, and the percentage there isn't as high as I'd like. So as I try to get this thing off the ground (again), I'll probably play with different styles and see what happens.
My last post was motivated by a pet peeve of mine, that is, memes that are spread far and wide and are factually incorrect. For some things, people just don't know better or else they've heard something repeated many times. ("Give your kids sugar and it will make them hyperactive!" Wrong.) It also makes for tedious conversation. I challenge you to go through Thanksgiving dinner this year and not hear this exchange: "Man, I'm sleepy!" "Oh, it's all that tryptophan in the turkey!" It's not. At all. But as a scientist, I don't want to be like those people that just repeat any claim they hear ("you lose most of your body heat through your head!") without actually providing a reference. But that takes work, and that takes time, and... nothing gets written. So I'm going to go on this principle from here on out - if I make a claim on something, know that I did my due diligence, and if someone can prove to me otherwise, I'll happily correct it. So maybe more will get written now.
Finally, just one random comment. The Democrats just passed their health bill in the House, but in the process gave anti-choicers a huge victory. Seriously, if the Dems can't get a majority and keep their values, then what's the point? I think this was a huge mistake on their part and they should have found some stick to keep the "conservative" Dems (whatever that means) in line rather than allow those few to do the opposite. It's an incredible disappointment. And I don't want to hear "oh, it's for the greater good, the bill got passed." You don't trade away an individual's rights "for the greater good". It's a slippery slope.
