With a philosophical flourish, Cato throws himself upon his sword; I take to blogging.

Perhaps I should introduce myself. In this capacity I operate under the moniker "Smeagol4." I permit identification via various related epithets such as "Smeagol," "Smeag," and the like. I have so many nicknames in my non-virtual life, it seems only fitting that such things have sprung in my digital existence as well. I draw my alias from the pages of the late John Ronald Reuel Tolkien's incredible universe of Middle-Earth, specifically from a rather twisted creature named "Sméagol."

Who am I, you wonder? You've probably seen me on the forums here, and already can identify me. I've been a registered member of this site for the greater portion of its existence now, over three years of the five, and am a member of the Forum Assistant staff group. Yes, yes, I'm the guy who always gets beaten to the punch by the other assistant in closing topics.

As for my interests, I enjoy good literature, attempting to write my own, art and graphic design, following that irksome mess we call "politics," fiddling with web design, thespian endeavors, and riding my wonderful half-clydesdale, among many other things. You can likely get a larger picture of my attributes by examining my lengthy ramble on the BZPower Staff Page. To my knowledge, I am the first Forum Assistant listed.

This weblog is unfortunately a temporary affair, the product of fleeting Premier Member abilities donated to us all by the generous Bionicle Rex. Thanks BR, for the taste of what fun this is. I do intend on becoming a Premier Member again soon, so after the celebratory benefits expire, this blog may arise from the depths of abandonment. The source of the title for this journal is drawn from one of my favorite novels, Herman Melville's Moby-Dick. In the chapter "The Sphinx," Ahab, the captain of the Pequod speaks to a decapitated whale's head lashed to the side of the ship. He ruminates on the many things this "vast and venerable head" has seen throughout its long life, and commands it to speak to him. Not one syllable emerges from the head, of course--but this venerable head follows Ahab's command. After all, the purpose of a blog is for the author to speak. Throughout this weblog's run, however short of long it may be, you might find obscure references to things such as this peppered throughout my posts; I have a tendency to make in-jokes to myself. If you ever find yourself scratching your head over something strange I've written, just leave a notice in the comments section of the post and I'll explain it.

With that all said, I declare this weblog ship-shape!