preliminaries and prerequisites

So I gave a short list of the kind of stuff I expect to be writing about, but what the hell do I know about anything? Well, I'll have things to say about parenting because I'm the parent of a delightful two-and-a-half year old girl; I'm sure a lot of what I will say will be along the lines of "Oh my god! I did NOT see THAT coming!" or just "She's sooooo CUTE!" but I hope I can say something, from time to time, that is somehow informative or enlightening (or, failing either of those, at least amusing). I also live in the nations capitol, which obviously makes me an expert on national politics (or so you would think, judging by the attitudes of everyone else that lives around here). Finally, I minored in Womens' Studies back in college, and had a serious, long-term relationship with an outspoken radical-feminist, who had some influence on my opinions. 

From all this you might conclude that would know a thing or two about some of the things on which I have strong opinions: this could not be further from the truth; I am, by my own admission, little more than a dilettante. What I do have going for me, if I say so myself, is an above-average brain; what I lack in specific education, I will try to make up for in original thinking; anything else will be covered by self-deprecation and rapier wit (or, at least, sarcasm).

Granted, I a middle-aged white guy with no first-hand experience of race or gender oppression -- I'm sure I've made more than occasional use of my white-male-hetero privilege -- and I'm too honest to simply fabricate radical notions. About the only thing I have going for me is a legitimate family history of far-left politics and genuine iconoclasty. Let us hope that is good enough.

Oh, and I might throw in a picture of my cat, every once in a while, just because: She's soooo CUTE!