BYBS: Research

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Research is what keeps me from creating even more outlandish postings than I normally would. While it's annoying as hell to have to scrap a posting that I've spent a hour coming up with because of silly things like the research not backing up one of my ideas, I think that it is, on the whole, a good thing. I should clarify that there are two types of research that I'm talking about here. There is scholarly research: like the type described in one of my fine posts, and then there is the tedious work that I try to go through to check that there is something, somewhere, that supports the blather that I have created for a posting. I love the scholarly type, at least when it is done with more rigor than I have shown, because it is a clear affirmation of the human condition. Usually, no one was bombed or oppressed in order to obtain the results, and it allows humanity to move that much closer to achieving some worthwhile goal like curing a disease. It also represents our willingness to be honest with ourselves by creating procedures specifically designed to avoid bias. On a more personal level, I like checking my own ideas for correctness, or at least support, because it forces me to learn. I have to say that I do not enjoying being wrong, nor do I like going over my own work. The former involves lots of meticulous work and a certain general feeling of annoyance and despair when I learn that I am wrong...again! But doing this reinforces my ability to strive and grow. It makes me feel that, though I may be misguided and inept, at least I'm honest. If there's one thing that's more annoying to me than being wrong, it's some other person who refuses to consider information that may contradict what they believe. If I can recognize a mistake that I've made, then I can fix it and move on. If I refuse to even consider something that contradicts when I believe, then my mistake will only grow. I would have a much harder time recognizing my mistakes if it were not for research. Being able to use someone else's work on my own multiplies my own ability to learn.

BYBS: Second Chances

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I'm grateful that I can leave this blog for one reason or another and come back to it later. I can stomp off, vowing never to post again, in a manner not unlike Scarlet O'Hare in "Gone with the Wind," and still come slithering back to litter the blog-o-sphere with my vacuous thoughts. While I did not, as a point of fact, make such a vow, the concept is still the same. More or less.

It's nice that when I come back, the files are still there, and somebody has been keeping the servers up and whatnot. It makes it easy to just take up where I left off and start posting again, instead of using such issues as an excuse not to. I was going to title the post "BYBS: Blogspot" but the site is now referred to as Blogger, and I want to stay with the cool kids.

For those inquiring minds that want to know why I've been absent for the last couple of months, here's more. Things have been very disheartening for me on a personal level. That and general laziness has prevented me from posting, despite the benefits to doing BYBS posts.

In addition, I've spending some time abusing the English language (i.e., writing short stories). I'll probably inflict them on the site just to show that if I'm not going to be able to write decently, I may as dissuade other people from writing as well.

If anyone is out there that likes to edit crappy science fiction short stories, please post a comment or send me an email.

Have a nice BYBS.

Avoid gnomes.