Intersections and New Directions

History sometimes has a strange--and in this case, also very nostalgia evoking--way of echoing itself. In May of 2007, I took a trip to Venice, Italy, to attend a friend's wedding. I wasn't going to be able to blog, so I called for guest bloggers. I selected Sheril Kirshenbaum, who proceeded to blog so successfully and so popularly that upon my return, I asked her to stay. She did, and the rest is four years of history--history that just officially ended today. Now, May of 2011 approaches, and next week I depart for Venice, Italy, to begin the Center for Inquiry travel club's Mediterranean Cruise, where I'll be joined by our very own Phil Plait and Lawrence Krauss, among others. Appropriately enough, I've been referring to this as a tour of the "Geek Islands." And once again, it is time for another "Intersection" transition, albeit of a very different type. In truth, the blog has already been evolving, as you may have noticed, over the past several months. I've been blogging much more, traffic has been much higher, and I've been taking on a new set of topics as well as a new angle on them. In the future, this course will continue--and I plan to define the agenda much more explicitly in a few weeks, letting you know just what you can come to expect here. However, there's no point in doing so now--I will be going to be on hiatus soon. Starting a week from today (May 5) and continuing through around May 16, I don't know how much Internet access I will have, and I've called on an excellent new guest blogger--Jamie Vernon--to take over in my absence. Jamie will introduce himself further next week. I may blog a little if I'm able while I'm away (I'm not sure how Phil is planning on handling the same issue), but for the most part things will be on hold. So, that's what's going to happen here, in the wake of Sheril's departure, and my upcoming travels. More updates and signposts will come shortly--but in the meantime, I just want to congratulate Sheril and thank her for everything she has contributed here. It's the end of an era--and, the beginning of a new one for both of us.