Launching the ship

My hope for this blog is  to write forthright but still informed pieces that may spur debate and provide some entertainment. In childhood my father would describe me as 'opinionated', a term I would wear with defiant pride. Sometimes this tendency to take a firm postion has landed me in trouble even to the point of provoking a surprisingly hostile response. I don't aim to be needlessly offensive but simply want to use this forum to make a case, build some arguments and engage a readership.