Welcome, and an introduction.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen. My name is David Cartwright, and this is my very first attempt at blogging. It can't be that difficult, right? Every idiot that knows how to click a mouse button has one.

Well, not me. I am, as they say, somewhat of a Luddite. I don't have a smart phone, my car has a manual transmission by choice, and while I have embraced the Internet out of necessity I still believe that we all spend altogether too much time staring at a screen finding out about the newest rumors regarding the celebrity flavor of the month. I think stranger danger is a myth and that kids should only call home if they won't be back by dinner, I think parents should actually blame their children and not their teachers when they fail, and I think... well, I suppose you'll find out what I think. I'm certainly not shy about offering my opinions.

This blog will be full of my personal musings. That is what a blog is for, after all, and since I am under no illusions that anybody will ever read this I do not feel restrained in what I say. My interests are myriad, but the things I am most vocal about are politics (my degree is in Political Science), guns (I am very much a gun rights supporter), cars (I am slightly more than a shadetree mechanic and a bit of a gearhead), and my true passion, the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Penguins and Pirates will probably get some time as well, but it wouldn't be too much to say that I bleed Black and Gold.

The title of this blog, Holding Forth, is indicative of what I do in my life. Yes, it annoys the hell out of people then, too. I tend to speak at length about anything and everything without regard to the idea that someone might not want to hear what I have to say. In that respect this medium is perfect for me because if you're reading this you're here by choice, and if you don't like it there's that little red box with an X in it that you can click at any time.

With that, I think I've set up a pretty good stage for my views. Maybe someone will read this, maybe not. Either way gives me an outlet for all of the things I typically want to say but can't find the appropriate place to say it. This is perfect: my sandbox, my rules. More will be forthcoming at my leisure.