Minor differences: Since and Because

As I mentioned before, I work at a newspaper, which means I spend a lot of my time correcting grammatical mistakes.
This means I am attentive to things others call anal. Case in point, the difference between "since" and "because."
In common use, the two words mean the same thing, but to someone who works with words daily as I do, they couldn't be more different.
"Since" deals with temporal events such as "Since I was seven years old, I liked to run." And "because" deals with cause and effect such as, "Because I run, I am skinny."
I am not sure where the difference comes from, but I do know it matters, and when people say something like, "Since I am tired, I won't go out tonight."
When applied with the correct meaning, this phrase doesn't make any sense. It implies a weird temporal relation that doesn't make sense.
Granted, I know what the person saying this statement means, but what I struggle with the question of correcting the offending error or letting it slide.
In the end, the grammar doesn't matter to the normal individual. The addition of the knowledge doesn't make his or her life any better, and it only gives me a sense of satisfaction.
Of course, it's hard to resist such a satisfaction. It's good to be right especially when you have a dictionary to back you up. However, if I am going to correct someone I would like the see behavior change for good, and correcting grammar for the sake of correcting grammar doesn't mean a whole lot to the average person. In fact, the exchange usually goes something:
"Since I was tired, I decided to stay inside."
"Actually, it's 'because'."
"What?"
"Not since, because is the right word."
"Oh okay... like I was saying Since i was tired..."
I never try to correct someone twice. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
I don't think I am insane yet.
And it's nice to work in an environment where people get to paid to listen to my corrections, but I suppose grammar mistakes will always shine on my rain parade.

In the beginning

My name is Chris Quintana, and I write because I am not very good at anything else.
Most of the things I am good at come from the result of not being very good at anything else.
I started running because I was too clumsy to play other sports, and I had to compete in something. When I was child, my parents stopped keeping track when we would play games such as mini golf or bowling because if I lost I would sulk for weeks after.
So I ran because I wasn't good at anything else, and somehow I became good at running.
I went to college because I wasn't good at listening to the bosses I had in the few jobs I managed to get during high school. I was usually fired within a month, so I knew I needed to do something other than menial labor because I wasn't good at it.
I deal almost exclusively with life in a sarcastic or comedic angle because I am not good at containing my emotions otherwise. I would cry at the end of every romantic comedy, Love, Actually included, if I didn't make fun of it the whole way through.
And finally, I write because I am not good at keeping my opinions or thoughts to myself. Whereas others can create beautiful, private universes within their brains, I have to share my viewpoints with others.
Moreover, I have to know what other people are thinking because of my inability to leave people alone. This fact is also why I am journalist.
Finally, everything I just wrote is sometimes true and sometimes not true because I am not good at keeping my personas separated. Have a great day, and don't you dare shine on my rain parade.