The Gorn Rebrand
All posts by Splotchy
Aragorn Recruits a Political Consultant
FranUAre: Interview with FranIAm
Splotchy: What is your blog?
FranIAm: First I had FranIam from 2007-2009 and that is no longer visible to the world.It was a snarky blog mostly about politics and other kind of shitposting! That is where I met so many of you beautiful bloggy people. In 2009 I started There Will Be Bread, a blog about the intersection of faith and life. It has kind of died off now, but is still online.
S: When and why did you start blogging?
FIA: I think it was around 2006 and my friend (the blogger formerly known as Distributorcap) had me start reading some blogs – Princess Sparklepony and also Daily Kos. I wrote something for Daily Kos and did a few times. They had a sister site at the time, Street Preachers. Its focus was politics and religion, and I had (still do) had a lot to say about that. Then one day in 2007 I started FranIam. It was fun to write about funny, snarky things. Once I remember posting a photo of George W. Bush in crocs, with some smart-assy commentary. That was where I was at! It was fun and funny all at once. That blog connected me with so many people, including you. It is weird because at first I met all you funny, crazy, politicalish, snarky people and then I also got hooked up to a group of far-left Episcopalians. In the end there was overlap, which was great! It is just funny how it all evolved very organically at a unique moment in internet life. It was wonderful.
S: Did you stop blogging?
FIA: More or less. I want to keep writing but am unsettled about how/where. Not a blog though, maybe a substack. I did start a substack before I sent you this. It can be found here – Not What You Might Think. It is pretty lame so far!
S: When did you stop blogging?
FIA: My blog just kind of died out over the past couple of years. Lack of time, interest, energy. Facebook sucked a lot of life out of it too and politics were not as much a factor during the Obama years. He will always be my favorite president.
S: What were factors that contributed to stopping?
FIA: A lot of things, primarily energy and focus. It just was hard to find time to do it. Plus social media (Facebook) kind of broke blogging. It just all felt like so much!
S: Do you ever miss it?
FIA: All the time!!
S: Do you think you’ll ever pick it up again? Why or why not?
FIA: I will give the substack a go, but honestly – we lived in the Golden Age of blogging, and I do not think we will ever see that again.
S: Did you feel part of a larger community when writing your blog?
FIA: I did.
S: Do you have people you regularly interact with? How large a group is it? Are they also bloggers?
FIA: I have a pretty solid circle of people that I met through social media that I am still in touch with. Many of us have met over the years, and I am in regular touch with more than a few people. And that blogger formerly known as Distributorcap? I talk to him almost every day, pretty much via texting.
S: How do you feel about social media? Does it give you the same feelings as blogging? Why or why not?
FIA: Social media is a mixed bag. Love/hate for sure. Same feeling? A little bit the same, but the blog world felt much more communal, less cruel!
S: How do you feel about the state of the Internet in general? This is a very broad question, so feel free how to answer as you see fit.
FIA: The internet is the best and worst thing in the world. I could wax on for hours, but overall I think it often does more harm than good. But yet – where else would I find all you beautiful people? The internet has been and remains a source of great information mixed with shitty information and disinformation, it is a place full of wisdom and love, except when it is not, which is often.
Let me use Twitter, I mean Xhitter, as an example. I grew to love that place. When I finally found my people, not unlike with blogs, I really loved it and found real community. But then that monster bought it and it is really awful. Honestly though, I cannot quit that xhit! 🙂
I am so glad you undertook this little project – what a reminder of days gone by, a ton of laughs, creativity, bold political thought and action, and so much more.
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Thanks for all your thoughtful answers, Fran!
And I’m glad I did this project, too. It’s so nice to hear from all my blogging buddies. Oh, if Distributorcap wants to be interviewed, please let me know! I’m sure I’m not the only person who misses him.
Aragorn Seeks Political Office
People Have The Power
I said this before in a post about my wife’s art —
This is what makes me happy — bringing some magic and joy into the world for no other reason than that — magic and joy.
Only a few weeks into this resurrected blog and I’m quoting myself. YEESH.
Anyways, look, these guys are doing this very thing — Choir! Choir! Choir!
It was started by two guys as a weekly drop-in singalong in Toronto in 2011, and has transformed into a really amazing phenomenon that tours around the world. If the show comes to your town, you can buy a ticket and join hundreds of others for several hours to learn a song split into choral arrangements, and then after the rehearsal you will perform it.
They have come to Chicago multiple times. My wife has participated in several concerts — I have made it to one with her and some friends. We rehearsed and sang the Chicago song “25 or 6 to 4”. It felt really special to be part of something that is creative, communal and all-too-brief. I still think about that night from time to time.
Choir! has a lot of these collective concerts on YouTube. The majority of the videos there are only the two founders, Daveed Goldman and Nobu Adilman, plus the choir/audience. However, sometimes they will have special guests. David Byrne joined the choir to sing the Bowie song “Fame”, Rufus Wainwright sang the Leonard Cohen song “Hallelujah”.
My favorite of these “celebrity” choir concerts is the one with Patti Smith. The song is “People Have The Power”. You can feel the energy and warmth during the performance. I can’t imagine being in the choir for this — it must have been overwhelming. Smith herself seems pretty emotional about the whole experience.
Oh, Stewart Copeland is there too, for some reason, playing a skillet. I like Stewart Copeland, whatever and whenever weird place or time he shows up.
I hope you love this video as much as me. People have the power.
The Bar Scene in Good Will Hunting, Reimagined
And, my update to the scene.
Aragorn’s Plans for the 15-Minute City Are Rejected
Stepping in Dogshit
I don’t know anyone who likes to step in dogshit. I don’t.
I stepped in dogshit in a post I have since deleted. It was a post about Drake and how I thought I didn’t like him but I also didn’t know any of his music.
What kind of dogshit post is that? I guess I could have kept it up. I think of blogs, or online journals, etc., as a carefully-curated stream of thought and opinion by the author. It’s a stream of thought that would rarely venture stepping into dogshit.
So I deleted my dumb post because it showed me just out of my depth, wondering why people liked something a lot that I was not familiar with while simultaneously making absolutely no effort to explore that thing before posting something on the Internet about it. Is Drake even something people care about that much at this point, anyways? After I posted I took a look at Spotify and listened to one of his higher-rated albums. It was from 2013, fer cryin’ out loud.
I don’t like making spelling errors, I don’t like looking like a stupid idiot, I don’t like showing parts of me that I don’t intend to show. I think I’m smart, but I’m not all that smart, either. I am also ignorant about a lot of stuff. Maybe this dumb detour will just make me think a little harder before I share something, or give me pause when I start talking out of my butt.
Here’s a pic I made for the first post. I still think it’s kind of funny. It’s a variation on Drakeposting – the guy in the bottom right is Nick Drake.
Aragorn Advocates for the 15-Minute City
The Food Travelist!
Splotchy: What is your blog?
The Food Travelist: Food Travelist
S: When and why did you start blogging?
TFT: Ten years ago, my wife and I wanted something to do together.
S: Did you stop blogging?
TFT: Nope. Although we have changed course a few times. During the pandemic, we focused more on recipes and bringing the taste of travel home. And again recently, we’re now focused on visiting destinations that are less visited and are committed to sustainability.
S: Do you feel part of a larger community when writing your blog?
TFT: Yes. I feel like we’ve developed a community of like-minded people who like food and travel.
S: Do you have people you regularly interact with? How large a group is it? Are they also bloggers?
TFT: Yes! We have a pretty active account on X (formerly Twitter) with 32,000 followers. We also have pretty good interaction on our Facebook page, too. People also seem to like getting our newsletter. They frequently respond to us directly asking questions or giving feedback. It’s a mix of other travel writers, destinations, and just regular folks who like to travel and eat.
S: What keeps you motivated to post?
TFT: Knowing that people are reading it (affiliate sales are nice, too) it also provides us the opportunity to travel to a lot of places.
S: How do you feel about social media? Does it give you the same feelings as blogging? Why or why not?
I loathe social media. I used to like it but my feelings have definitely changed over time. I now keep up with it to a much lesser degree. I know it’s important to destinations and brands we work with. Otherwise, I would stop completely.
S: How do you feel about the state of the Internet in general? This is a very broad question, so feel free how to answer as you see fit.
TFT: It continues to change so it makes it difficult to keep up with all the aspects that are important to blogging. If you want to be found you have to be a search engine optimization expert, a marketing manager, a PR manager, a bookkeeper, a social media manager, and an expert on the topic you’re writing about. It’s no easy feat and it never stops it’s open 24/7.
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Thanks for your thoughtful responses!