Hello!
Welcome to My Chemical Journey! The tagline used to read, "A blog about life, chemistry, and everything in between." It's still pretty much just that. There are several main topics of interest, this is an overview:
Read This: On Safe Spaces and This Blog
I should note as a warning for people who may be coming here from safe spaces that while I'm more than happy to append trigger warnings on request and will endeavor to do so without being asked, older posts (made previous to 2011) do not carry them. Nor are the comments here generally moderated. Truly safe spaces are labeled as such in the Blogodex.
Chemistry:
That part's actually in the title. Plans at this stage include the creation of some good posts on introductory chemistry for the uninitiated. I hope to write informatively and entertainingly. I also want to write a little on more advanced and interesting research in the field, and discuss things like lab techniques, safety, and accidents. A recurring theme on this blog are common misconceptions about chemistry, and the dirtying of the word "chemicals". This should be the main content on this blog. In fact, it's acceptable to chide me if I'm not writing about it enough relative to other stuff. With the possible exception of...
Politics & Social Issues:
Sometimes I know better than to discuss politics in my personal life. However, this being my soapbox, I'm more than happy to use it as such. If you're an average person with milquetoast political sensibilities, I'll point out that my politics are radical, and have only grown more radical with time. I advise against holding me to positions I previously held in older posts in this blog. I keep those for historical reasons, but I have something important I want you to know about politics: I get to change my mind, and so do you.
I'm not particularly tolerant of views and remarks that promote misogyny, racism, ableism, classism, homophobia or any other form of casual or unthinking bigotry. Note that I didn't say overt and hostile bigotry. I said casual, as in everyday and internalized.
Science:
I'm not just about chemistry, I'll occasionally write about physics, biology, math, computer science, or even stuff that's more engineering oriented. I also write about skepticism, and the philosophy of science. There's a lot to be said about science and society, and I be writing about it. For example, the media has a tendency to try and blind us with science, but often times conclusions are overstated and problems are under-hyped. Sometimes the average person doesn't have enough of a bullshit detector to really understand what to take with a grain of salt.
Pseudoscience is still a topic of interest on this blog. Sometimes my interest wanes when I feel like we're winning that war. I do think skeptics have managed to turn the tide. While there's still plenty to be done to slow the spread of dangerous falsehoods like the purported (and laughable) autism/vaccine link. I'm actually somewhat optimistic.
Stuff:
Movie reviews, a fun day I want to rehash, a non-chemistry hack, a music video, a diatribe, a wooden dowel, a soaked sponge, and some vinegar. Like it or not, I'll put whatever I want on here.
Cats:
I have one, I will post pictures of others, and I will occasionally write like one. Why? This is the Internet. That's why.
