Many of you who read my columns regularly know that as amisguided youth, I was a fan of monster movies and science fiction.But it might surprise you to learn that I also had an enduringinterest in what have come to be called "sword and sandal" filmsthat depicted the lives and adventures of ancient heroes.

The heroes included Hercules, Samson, Jason (with his backupband, The Argonauts), Ulysses, et al., as well as their offspring,relatives and casual acquaintances. For me, though, Hercules wasthe man, and among the big screen portrayers of the son of Zeus,the late Steve Reeves was the cream of the crop.

I can still remember when I first heard about Steve Reeves'second (and sadly, last) Hercules epic, "Hercules Unchained."Considering that title, I immediately pictured the big guy wrappedin mammoth steel chains expanding his massive chest and snappingthose links like uncooked spaghetti. "How cool will that be?" Ithought.

That brings us to the theme of this column--"Tech GuruUnchained"--obviously borrowed from that venerable sword-and-sandalclassic. I am delighted to announce that my guru-like opinions andbloviations, heretofore limited to the pages of NationalUnderwriter, will now also be available on my new blog:www.insurancetechguru.com.

Why "unchained"? Well, let's just say that as part of one of themost respected publications in the insurance industry, I mustoperate with a tad more restraint than I might otherwise do in,say, a casual conversation.

But that's what the new blog is--a casual conversation betweenyou and me, and between us and anyone else with an interest in thetopics that drive insurance technology.

In my travels across the insurance technology universe, I havehad many fascinating discussions and heard many juicy ideas--notall of them publishable in a traditional setting. But leave it tome to go nontraditional.

Now you and I can wrestle with lots of issues that couldn't beaddressed otherwise. Even off-the-cuff remarks and outrageousassertions are fodder for the new format.

I realize that not everyone is going to be jumping for joy atthe news that I now have yet another venue from which to vex them.But, contrary to what some may believe, vexing individuals andorganizations is not my primary concern.

Instead, my aim is to encourage--as a talk radio icon once putit--"a free and open exchange of ideas and opinions." Is that a badthing? I suppose the answer might depend on who you are in thisindustry.

The new blog also gives me an opportunity to get to know more ofyou out there on a one-to-one basis. Insurance technology is abusiness filled with many brilliant, knowledgeable and interestingpeople, and one of my goals in this endeavor is to "meet" as manyof you as possible in the place we affectionately callcyberspace.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the Insurance Tech Gurublog is designed to be a lot of fun--for you all and for me. Ican't remember when I last heard a good insurance joke, but suchlevity is definitely not off limits atwww.insurancetechguru.com.

Yes, we will be screening postings for appropriateness,liability issues and just plain meanness, but our goal is to postjust about everything relevant that comes our way.

I am also open to suggestions about how we might improve theblog and make it either more informative or more fun--or both. Feelfree to post those suggestions, or to comment on the suggestions ofothers.

Actually, I have a feeling there are some out there who willsuggest that the insurance tech guru should remain chained--if notgagged. That's perfectly okay. Whatever your beef, feel free to airit here.

Yes, the insurance tech guru has been unchained--but then so,dear readers, have you. Let's hear from you!

With Ara's mug:

Ara C. Trembly, NU's senior editor for technology, invitesreaders to check out his regular Web musings and post their owncomments and questions at www.insurancetechguru.com.