Flamethrowers

Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience. –Mark Twain

Nothing in particular causes me to combine flamethrowers and a quote about arguing with stupid people. I do, however, note that Twain is right. I once commented in a class reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn that you can't win an argument with stupid people because they can't see that they're beat. They can't make the connections rational argument requires. If they can't make the connections, logic has no power over them, and what they believe can never be refuted.

I spend most of this week researching and writing--lots of the former and little of the latter. Nevertheless, I am almost half way through the short story I plan to submit. The problem is that research is addictive. Every new fact discovered leads to more questions and the pursuit of additional details to add verisimilitude to the story, or at least not to demonstrate that one is a total idiot with regard to the relevant subject. I doubt than anyone who reads the story will know any of the details I've researched, but the fact that I've searched the ruins and discovered forgotten secrets to mix with my flights of fantasy as brick and mortar for constructing a story lends an air of confidence and determination to my progress. 

I had planned an ambitious project covering two grand battles. My reach exceeded my grasp and I came to realize that one battle would have to do. The second battle will make a perfect the sequel.