Why this, why now?

Initially when I first encountered the idea of "blogs" I considered it a bit on the ridiculous side. What kind of person has the time to constantly post thoughts and random information on a website that most people probably won't even read. After spending some time reading my sister-in-law's blog, I came to a few conclusions about what might lead one to undertake the endeavor. First, it seems like a wonderful way to procrastinate - from schoolwork, responsibilities, anything really. It also gives one the opportunity to document their own life in a way that is much easier than sitting down at a desk and writing out a journal. Perhaps what I see most valuable about the whole thing is how it allows one to formulate opinions into (hopefully) coherent thoughts and arguments. I think my biggest weakness when it comes to my academic pursuits is my inability to formulate my own thoughts and expound on ideas that strike me as fascinating. Usually my mind stops at the recognition of something worthwhile, but at the same time I do not give myself a chance to seriously take it in a mull it over and spit it back out in a more relevant way. This last step is by far the most important part of reading and research, an aspect that it severely deficient in my own abilities and one that I hope to remedy - possibly through this blog. So I hope this will prove a fruitful opportunity for me to explore and apply the things that I have learned in an informal way while at the same time giving others that I care about the ability to benefit from my studies. At least that is the hope, that I will be able to capture my thoughts from the limbo they are currently floating in within my own mind...