Initium

Initium:  Latin for "start" ; "beginning" ; "commencement"; "origin"

This is a new "initium" for me. I previously authored a blog for a couple years called "Floggin' Water" - but I hit a point where I just didn't want to do it anymore. We all get there. Sometimes writing feels more like a job, rather than a joy. That wouldn't necessarily be so bad, if I were getting paid or otherwise compensated - but, not being a paid writer, I write for joy rather than as a job. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to get paid to write. But I don't. I get paid to tow cars.

Another reason I ended "Floggin' Water" was because it was very fishing centric - and sometimes I didn't feel like talking about fishing - and toward the end, it really drifted away from fishing. I felt like I was loosing the focus of the blog, and didn't want to alienate the readers too much - the handful that there were anyway.

I've stayed somewhat active on some local fishing forums, and lately I've felt the pull to write more - because there seems to be a new wave of users and people looking for help. Guess it's in my nature to want to help folks - and help them learn. Best way to do that has been writing fishing tutorials and exchanging PM's - but I hate having to copy and edit those tutorials to fit the different boards. So what am I going to do? I'm starting anew, and thus Mark's Outdoors is born.  Initium.

In this place, I am going to write about my outdoor adventures, past and present, and try to share what I've learned over those adventures. Use what you can, discard what you can't, and share better ways if you know them.

Here, I can say what I want to say, how I want to say it without being moderated, censored, or banned. Sometimes I use profanity (okay, I use a lot in my daily speech, at least with certain company) and sometimes I may be a bit sexist, or tell a dirty joke, or otherwise say things that may offend some sensitive folks sensibilities. I am quite opinionated about things I'm passionate about. Sometimes I'll go off on a political rant. That means about half of the potential readers will get pissed off and call me crazy or worse. Whatever.  If you don't like it, there's a back button, or you can click the "X" in the upper right hand corner of your browser and I will go away. The internet is magic like that!

If you find something useful - please use it and share it. Maybe share the URL with your friends, family, doctor, dentist, or strangers.Click the like button or follow button or whatever.

If you email me - don't expect immediate response, but I won't forget about you. Unless you wind up my spam folder. If you do, I'm sorry. I check spam once in a while, but usually just hit "empty" on that folder without reading it.

If you want to flame me - don't expect a response. This is my house, my rules. I plan on moderating comments, and people that want to be a disrespectful assclown will get booted. You can read my writings, you can spit, spat, rant, and swear at your computer all you want. But the other magical thing about the internet, is that I don't have to read, or allow others to read, your crap on my site. I can click "delete" and you disappear. And I will, unless you can make your point in a civil manner. I can be uncivilized all I want in my writings - double standards can and will apply. And for you Constitutional scholars out there - remember that the Bill of Rights and all those Amendments apply to interactions between the government and the people - not between private parties. As much as I'd like to be ruler of the world (and if I do become such, you're still stuck with my rules) - we're all private parties here so if I censor you, too bad. That's life and the wonderfulness of the internet again.

Now that I've said a whole lot about stuff that's not really outdoor related - let me assure you that soon you can read about some bass fishing adventures, there will be installments of a fly fishing primer for fly fishing noobs, and some articles about gear.

Thanks for reading - tell your friends about it.

-Mark