Al Laddin...The Interview!!!

(Gawd, I'm weird!)

The Beautiful Ms. Oblivion, from Day In the Life Of Oblivion posted this the other day:

Five Question Interview Meme

I am answering the questions and I am also taking the rules from Cat as is. No need to change a good thing...

The Rules: Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me.” I respond by asking you five personal questions (I will leave these questions for you in my comments) so I can get to know you better. If I already know you well, expect the questions may be a little more intimate! You WILL update your journal/bloggy thing/whatever with the answers to the questions (please don't leave your answers in my comments unless you don't have a blog). You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

Here are the questions Cat asked me...

So I asked to be interviewed and the Beautiful Ms. Oblivion obliged. Here are her questions and my answers. I would love to interview you, too. Just leave your request in the comments!

1. What made you decide to start blogging?

Politics. Part of me is very political. I was feeling very powerless over events and the type of information I had access to (and the way I felt that information was “slanted”). That was in about 2001-02. I found a few political and/or topical blogs that I felt validated my point of view, supported my beliefs and let me know that there were others like me that were involved and wanting to agitate for change. Later I started my own political blog (which maybe had two or three readers, lol) and I participated actively in the comments on a VERRRY lively local political blog (LOTS of divergent views, reasoned and unreasoned arguments and juvenile name calling).

I am still passionate about politics (for reasons of equity, equality, Social and Economic justice) and a lot of the really awful polarization saddens and drains me. So I decided…after deeply deliberating for about oh…five minutes(!?) that I’d blog about sex and relationships instead. I suppose I know as much about that as most, less than some, more than others.

I guess I’m also somewhat of an exhibitionist, baring my thoughts and stories and secret confessional stuff that I really hope nobody I know, and/or particularly one or two people won’t see.

2. Name one thing you are passionate about and why.

We don’t usually treat ourselves very well…so we sometimes have trouble treating the others in our lives well. We get treated crappy or have awful things happen to us at random or at the hands of others and we take it out on the folks around us sometimes.

I’m an old (cynical nowadays, though) hippie. Love doesn’t cure EVERYTHING, but if we loved ourselves and others more and/or better, LEARNED how to love ourselves and others better, and were just KIND to one another…I think this would be a much better place. Don’t you? I feel for you in your situation, for example (I was in a similar spot once), because you clearly don’t deserve what you’re getting, but the doof doesn’t seem to know any better…and he’s losing you for it.

3. If you care to share (please :) ) Where did you grow up and did you like it? (do you like how I get two questions in one?)

You’re a clever one dearest Ob! OK. I grew up in the middle of a grand old neighborhood in a great city in the Northwestern US, and just LOVED it. Then my folks did the white flight thing to the ‘burbs. I HATED it and I went sideways with drugs and rock’n’roll. Not enough sex, though. I’m making up for that now.

4. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?

Blues, Jazz, Country, Classical, Old Rock, New Rock, Red Rock Blue Rock! I play an instrument and got to make a living as an itinerant bar musician. I loved that life. I just LOVED it. I still play as much as I can and listen to everything all the time.

5. Name one thing you wish you could do over or one thing you wish you could take back.

I’ve been fretting about this one all day. I’m middle-aged so there are many, many thousands of gallons gone over the spill-way. Oh shoot…here goes nuthin'.

As much as I love S4O, and I DO so love her, I wish sometimes I hadn’t married again...not because of her (my Gawd, no), just because. My kids were closer to being gone and I was done with the full time (single) Dad thing. So that’s my take back.

The do-over is with my daughter from the Ex's first marriage who grew up with me. She got lousy, lousy, lousy parenting while her Mom and I were fucked-up over the Ex’s drinking and associated bad stuff. The daughter lives close now is doing really well and I get to help her like I couldn’t then, but I screwed that one up pretty good. I’d like to do that one over.

Long-winded sucker aren't I?

Thanks Ms. Oblivion for the opportunity. You need to take over for Couric. You are SOOOO much better as an interviewer and sexier too!