This is an odd, anachronistic moment to be starting a blog. Social media rules the day. Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and all the other assorted platforms allow you to spew out a nearly continuous stream of consciousness while consuming an endless algorithmic feed of finely tuned, exquisitely tailored content designed just for you. Long-form content is mostly dead. Shit, even human-generated content is mostly dead now. The internet that birthed and sustained the blog is mostly dead. On top of that, everyday life in the United States seems to be running off the rails. There is tension in the air, at least in my neck of the woods. The general vibe of the world right now is extremely chaotic.

So what am I even doing here?

In a lot of ways, I think this thing is an exercise in stubborn, pig-headed, contrarian, anachronistic rebellion. I no longer wish to wear the oppressive yoke of the algorithm. I want to go back to hunting for content I enjoy and engaging with it instead of swiping the hours away. This project is a way to take back my internet experience, to hearken back to a time when the internet was fun instead of dystopian. This blog is a chance for me to vent my spleen to the internet at large. One lone nerd, furiously typing into the void.

It is also therapeutic. This is a difficult and stressful time to be alive. It is a difficult and stressful time to be an American. I have a lot of things to process from my early family life and early career. Writing, especially unfocused or unstructured writing, is an excellent way to think. To get a little weird about it, writing is a way for my unconscious mind to send messages to my waking mind. I never quite know what might pop up when I put fingers to keys or pencil to paper. Writing blog posts about whatever nonsense crosses my mind is an excellent way to engage with my own unconscious, to relax and let the words flow out from the darkness. There is also the fact that my wife and my therapist both have been saying that I need a place to share my unhinged and ridiculous ideas. The combination of these things makes me feel like the time is right.

Welcome to American Gnostic.