Hello and welcome!

Welcome to my blog...or 'web log' as we Harvard alumni prefer to call it (disclaimer: I never attended Harvard). I know you're asking, “why did it take him so long to create a blog?” Well friends, the truth is simply this: creating and maintaining a free blog is a huge investment in time and...well, you get where I'm going. I had to register and EVERYTHING. Granted most of the info was pulled from my Google account, but there were at least three clicks throughout the process. But let's not dwell on my suffering. I consider family, friends, associates, and Facebook stalkers worth at least three mouse clicks.

The purpose of my blog is fourfold:

1. Writing is therapeutic. It serves as an outlet and helps the mind relax after a stressful day. Thanks to spell-check, I can use words like 'therapeutic' with impunity. See...less stress already.

2. See the world! No...this is not a Navy commercial. Here's how I see it: if I post pictures of the places I visit, there's no need for you to buy a plane ticket to see those same sights. WHAMMO...I've saved you thousands of dollars. Though I'm not expecting any type of reward, feel free to let your generosity run wild.

3. Prove to the IRS that I am indeed in a combat zone. I don't want any shenanigans from your fine staff of auditors when I file my 2011 taxes.

4. (Reserved for later use.)

I can't promise you the adventures of Tom Clancy; the corny British romance of Jane Austen; the creepiness of high school vampires; the language barriers of Tolstoy; or the hard-hitting journalism of media stalwarts like the Onion, Mad Magazine, or the New York Times.

What I can promise you are these two truths: I will never charge a subscription, and I will probably update this weekly...unless I don't. Oh, I also promise excessive use of commas and semicolons; those are, by far, my favorite punctuations.

I hope you'll join me weekly.

P.S. If you'd like pictures of the Afghanistan countryside that would require me to leave the compound, send me a message so I can immediately blow your request off. Thanks!