Blog intro and welcome for newcomers

About this blog: I am very new to blogging, and not very technically adept. It was only a few days ago that I figured out how to install a device on this blog that would allow me to see how many hits I get per day, and where they come from. This has been really fascinating! The vast majority of hits come from the Kansas City area, but there are also hits from Louisiana, Florida, Washington, California, Colorado, Virginia, and, once, from France. Only half of my hits are return visitors, so it appears that there are a few people who check in once in a while.

Since it appears that half of my visitors are first-timers, I thought I’d post a short intro (it’s been about 3 months since I did that). My intended audience includes: Avila University students, faculty, and staff; prospective Avila students; and anyone who is interested in the peculiar mix of topics that interest me. What you can get on this blog: occasional commentary that I write about some subject that catches my interest; and, much more frequently, regularly updated links to articles I find in various publications. I use Google Reader to find science articles; I also like the articles I find in the New York Times and Slate online magazine. I use Delicious (why do they call it "Delicious," I wonder?) to pop links onto the blog; those links are at the top left of the page. Links from Google Reader are placed closer to the middle of the page, as you scroll down. There are also a few links down at the bottom of the page; those will change less frequently.

I get very few comments about my posts, and that’s OK. I’m not sure that the blog format is a very good way to initiate or engage in dialog. I do hope that it is a way to spread the word about some very interesting contemporary topics, research, and debates in psychology, and to share with students (of all kinds!) my points of view about topics we might not be able to reach in the confines of our coursework.

I am interested in your points of view, as well! Anyone who wants to reach me directly can do so by using the Avila University faculty directory (see Avila University link at the bottom of the page).