Writing about the blog’s TENTH anniversary last month, it occurred to me that I have a lot of components already available for posts, things that interest me: birthdays (personal and popular culture), deaths, anniversaries, musical musings, movie reviews.
Then there is often something in the news, which inevitably segues into politics, racism/ sexism/ homophobia, and religion.
But what of those OTHER days? Those tend to be the more difficult posts to write. ABC Wednesday helps quite a bit in forcing a topic framework.
Ultimately, though, I appreciate the opportunity for YOU to provide direction for the content of the blog. To wit: Ask Roger Anything, in which you, er, ah, hmm…how shall I put it? You ASK ROGER ANYTHING. He is compelled to answer, basically honestly, with perhaps a soupcon of obfuscation.
Those ARA questions fill in the gaps in this panorama I call Ramblin’ with Roger. It helps to hold all the other elements of the blog together, like mortar binds “building blocks such as stones, bricks, and concrete masonry units together, fill and seal the irregular gaps between them, and sometimes add decorative colors or patterns in masonry walls.”
In other words, YOU are my mortar, a daunting responsibility, no doubt.
Please ask away.
In spite of all the differences in subjects, we manage to link to each other and show one tendency to form a unit and the fact that we want to learn from the bloggers we meet.
Thanks Roger for keeping us together.
Wil, ABCW Team.
OK, you asked, so now I am asking… er…
Who is your absolute, alltime, stuck-on-a-desert-island-with-one-CD favorite singer? Thanks, Amy
With all that is going on in the news, have yo talked to your daughter about racism?
What book have you owned the longest?
What obsolete technology do you still like to use and will never get rid of?
What’s a misconception people tend to have about librarians?
Do you re-read books? Which ones?
Was the attack at the S.C. church terrorism?: http://www.npr.org/sections/ombudsman/2015/06/19/415834293/should-npr-be-calling-the-attack-in-charleston-terrorism
Do you find different communication platforms cause you to think differently? For example, reading Facebook vs. talking a lot on the phone.
What is the #1 thing that annoys you on social media?
What should we do about Iraq? Go back, send just humanitarian aide, leave it alone or some other option?
What have been your best and worst room mates?
When someone has a pooey spouse or SO, what do you do? Butt in, say nothing, or some other option? Why?
In this age of increasing partisan division, I am finding it harder and harder to even empathize with the “other side” (in my case, the political right in this country). I used to at least understand how they arrived at their worldview, if not share it, but now I increasingly can’t fathom how or why they would look at the world that way at all. Does this make sense to you, and if so, what can be done about it?
I often hear calls for “a national conversation” to deal with Big Issues. What would a “national conversation” look like?
If you ever liked MASH: Colonel Potter or Blake? BJ or Trapper?
If John and George were still alive, would the Beatles reunion have already taken place? If so, where and when?
George Carlin said, over ten years ago on an album (closer to fifteen): “Wanna know what’s comin’ next? Guns in church! That’ll happen, you’ll see.” Nervous tittering laughter from the audience, and yet…here we are. How inevitable was this, and how do you see future historians looking back on our incredible resistance to the mere idea of giving up our guns?
Picking up on a theme from others: Thinking of race relations in the USA, and maybe racial politics, who has surprised you the most? Who has disappointed you the most?
Pop Culture: Have there been any recording artists who you loved, then later in their career you though, “Hm, no, that’s just not any good.” Or, the opposite: Artists you formerly loathed and grew to appreciate or even like?
Religion: What’s one thing you just don’t “get” about non-believers? What’s one thing you wish non-believers understood about your faith position (and what’s a better word for that—I’m drawing a blank…)?
Other: What ONE thing always pops into you head when you think of your university years?