Hello hello. Testing. Testing. Can you hear me?

. . .

Good. It's working.

*Ahem* Greetings from the Fridge! -- I mean, Fringe. Heh. *Phew* OK.

<:o) Greetings from the Fringe!

So. . . New blog theme. Pretty self-explanatory. I'm hoping to do more things with this, be a little more, I dunno. . . fringey? (Surprise!) Nothing inappropriate, though -- I've learned a couple of lessons the harder way on what's not acceptable here. I want to abide by the spirit and the letter of the law. And that's not about just barely avoiding punishment or trying to get in good with the staff. I understand why we have the rules and guidelines we have. They are a part of what makes this site so special. BZPower is an example of the gentler side of the Internet: a place where respect is a given, and where one does not have to worry about accidentally viewing or exposing one's child to extreme or "mature" content. At the same time, within these parameters, we enjoy (in my opinion) a reasonable, even generous amount of freedom to express ourselves. That's my ideal, anyway, and unless I'm proved wrong, I will continue operating based on that.

What can you expect from this page that will be different from what you've seen in the past? Not too much, I don't think. You may find some more forthright mention of esoteric or even controversial topics, yes. . . but presented in a way that threatens no one. My approach to such things, as serious as they may be in themselves, is ultimately a playful one. I am not interested in convincing anyone of anything -- only you can do that for yourself, through your own intuition, life experience, research, reason, and reflection. This blog will attempt to plant seeds of curiosity. Whether those seeds sprout is not my concern.

I'd like to thank JINZONINGEN 73 for being an example of someone who's not afraid to talk about the stranger side of things in public or in private. He and I have exchanged many long emails, and I consider him a good friend -- and a little bit of a mentor as well. When, on my search for truth, I've grown complacent and satisfied, he has encouraged me to challenge my own dearly held authorities, to hold them at arm's length and examine them objectively. To the truth-seeker, nothing must be too sacred to question. And it is true what they say: it matters more the questions you ask than the answers you get.

But lest you think this might mean the end of anything you've come to expect from me -- entries on a wide range of down-to-earth, "normal" stuff, including and especially LEGO -- rest assured that this will most certainly not be the case. (For better or for worse!) I am committed to upholding and exceeding the standards I have set for myself as far as the quality of entries is concerned. Quantity will, of course, fluctuate, depending on the usual factors of life.

I am a man of many secrets. I have gathered a modest heap of knowledge in a rather short time. Some of it would give you nightmares, even paranoia. Some of it would seem outrageous, even scandalous. Such things are seldom harmless. But that is immaterial. I am not here to parade those things, fascinating though they are. Shock value holds no appeal for me. Nor is there any agenda of items to be covered. The bottom line is, I will continue to write about those things that interest me, as they come forth. Only now, the "veil of secrecy" is a little more transparent.

The "dangerous" stuff isn't my focus, anyway. It's the good stuff, the uplifting and empowering stuff, the inner musings, that I really want to bring a little more of to this blog. That's what this is about. It's about a pocket of sanity in a mad world. It's about a man sojourning on the fringes of humanity, and the things he sees from there. It's about his journey. . . . and all of yours.

This is the view from the fringe. Things are looking up. And on that note, I take my leave.

Thank you.