Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Blogger Profiles; Crushed By Ingsoc


Crushed by Ingsoc blogs here. A political blogger and self-proclaimed left-libertarian, CBI is one of my favourite reads. Thanks for being the first 'profiles' victim.

Background
I can honestly say I have few regrets in life. That doesn't mean that there aren't many things I might have done differently if I had my time again, but to regret past mistakes, is to regret who you are now.I think there are a lot of things in life you only truly understand when the scales fall from your eyes. Trying to understand the world around me and interpret it has always been one of my main life objectives. I'd like to leave this life with as much understanding of what it was I went through in the process as I can. Everyday I learn something new, or see something differently is a day, that has acheived something for me.

i) Why do you blog?
I guess it gives you the chance to show people the world as you see it, in a way you wouldn't in the flesh. It's a good medium for exchanging ideas, or seeing things you mightn't otherwise see. I spend considerably more time reading blogs than reading my paper and I guess many bloggers are the same.

ii) What is your best and worst blogging experience?
To me the best blogging experience is simply meeting intelligent people with points of view to offer. To me, the great people I have met and share views with regularly are the best bit.
Worst Experience? Difficult one that. I had an anonymous comment from someone who knew who I was a while back.

iii) What do you most dislike about your blog?
I'm never quite happy with it's appearance. I do keep moving things and altering things. There are a few things I want to do but can't quite get to grips with.

iv) Who are your favourite small bloggers?
It's difficult to say who's small and who isn't. Bags Rants springs to mind immediately as an underrated blog. I have a lot of respect for Ruthie, that she finds the time to blog at all, Ian Appleby is probably one of the most courteous of bloggers, Liz of Finding Life Hard, actually one of the cheeriest. There are other blogs that give me daily wisdom, like Alexys Fairfield.

v) Which site do you always visit every day?
There are quite a number I visit at least once a day. With Nourishing Obscurity, you have to go several times a day, because new posts appear all the time. Welshcakes has a steady output as well. I think generally I visit the blogs most often where the author responds to all comments, rather than just posts and never responds to opinion.

vi) Why did you choose the name Crushed By Ingsoc?
I found 1984 to have kind of happened, but cleverly disguised. I think Oligarchical Collectivism pretty much sums up the realities of our so called liberal democracies, and INGSOC sums up the prevailing mindset. Doublethink is a daily activity we all perform. We accept the mindnumbingly stupid, so as not to appear out of line.

vii) What are you reading now?
The Fabric of Reality by David Deutsch, a book on Judaism,
Seven Million Years of Human Evolution, by Douglas Palmer
and I'm rereading the Conan stories.

viii) What is your favourite book?
Lord of the Rings. Easily.

ix) What was the last good film you watched?
Dead Men's Shoes, which I watched a week or so ago.

x) Which film character do you most relate to?
Jack/Tyler in Fight Club.

xi) What major political issue have you changed your mind on?
Scottish Independence and the death penalty.

xii) Who are your political heroes?
I suppose people like Rousseau and Paine who developed rational approaches to government that continue to inspire. As far as politicians go, I admire Eamonn De Valera as a politician, but Churchill would probably be the greatest statesman I could think of.

xiii) If you could have any three dinner guests, who would they be?
Jesus, Karl Marx and Friedrich Nietzche.

xiv) Do you have any prejudices?
Yes. I'm prejudiced against Aston Villa supporters.

xv) What would be your 5 Desert Island Albums?
Violator- Depeche Mode
Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd
The Doors Live in New York
OK Computer- Radiohead
Substance- New Order

with copyright thanks to Norm.