Interview #9: Colm Bracken
Published Wednesday, November 23, 2005 by Michael Larkin | E-mail this post
As you can imagine (or maybe you can't, those of you who don't blog or, at least, don't rely on mindless repetition to sustain your blog) it becomes increasingly difficult every week to come up with new and original introductions to these interviews, so I simply won't attempt one this time. Without further ado, I bring you Monsieur Colm Bracken. He blogs at In Fact, Ah
Why do you blog?
Many of the new technologies to emerge for use on the Web has allowed regular folk the opportunity to pursue their hobbies in a different way. Think music, photography and travel. Think MP3, Flickr and Lastminute. One of mine just happened to be reading newspapers.
Have you ever thought about giving up?
No. In Fact, Ah was only born last June. It's in its infancy.
Have you ever regretted a post?
Yes and I removed it as soon as I found out that it contained untruths.
Will you still be blogging in three years time?
I should hope so. However, I'm moving to London in the New Year so I predict that circumstance and time may dictate that I won't blog as frequently. That's presuming that blogging will be around in three years. Reading text might be considered boring in the new multimedia age of the Internet.
Present company excluded (Disillusioned Lefty is of course the greatest blog of all time), what are your favourite blogs?
On the music side of things, there are some standout podcasts for me. Central Village is a New York based podcast with its finger on the pulse of the indie music scene. It's phenomenal the amount of gigs that guy goes to. Positively Tenth Street is a family blog that discusses similar music to Central Village. Other notables are Notes Underground and Radio Psyence. Excellent blogs in the BoggerSphere include the efforts of Twenty Major, Sarah Carey, Sinead Gleeson, Bernie Goldbach and Damien Mulley.
How would you describe yourself, politically?
Left of left of centre. I reckon there are at least three or four more left ofs before you become a Marxist. However, I don't support any political party. I’m a liberalist I suppose.
What popular political myth would you like to dispel?
That Ireland is a neutral country.
What's your favourite novel?
Nineteen Eighty-Four. It scared the shit out of me.
What's your favourite music?
Favourite genre? It's a toss up between indie and folk. For the past few years, I've been hooked on all those modish bands from the US. Album wise, I've yet to hear an album that has left a lasting impression on me to rival my first listen of Radiohead's "The Bends".
Simon or Garfunkel?
Simon. Garfunkel never made anything remotely as good as "Graceland".
How do you explain the Irish blogosphere's general right-wingedness, in contrast to wider Irish society?
You're presuming that wider Irish society is predominantly left-wing. The Catholic Church's influence on Irish attitudes still carries significant weight with regard to social issues.
"In Fact, Ah": Any mysterious deeper meaning?
We were inspired by Mario Rosenstock's use of this phrase on Gift Grub. But it's a great a way of surreptitiously announcing that your next breath contains an incontrovertible statement.
Tell us about this holiday of yours.
Tomorrow [remember, the interview was conducted a week ago] I fly to Kuala Lumpur and stay for two days. From there I fly to Auckland where I'll spend a month touring the North and South islands with two friends of mine. Life's a bitch.
You're into that music lark. Is contemporary music as bland as it is often made out to be?
Chart music is bland. I can't abide hip-hop and a lot of the electronic crap out there. Too many kids spending time with Pro Tools for my liking. However, good contemporary music is easily found. The iPod revolution has made it so easy to dabble, experiment and listen to alternative music. That said, I don't dismiss people who say they listen to everything on the radio.
Your blog doesn't seem to have any particular angle. Is this intentional or would you like to make one up now?
I like the fact that it isn't dedicated to a particular subject matter. PR blogs don't turn me on so I don't visit them. With varied content, I'd like to think people approach it like they would a newspaper - you never know what will turn up on the front page. Of course, there is the danger that you spread yourself too thin.
Interviews with bloggers throughout the Irish 'sphere will appear here every Thursday. Previous interviews can be found here.
Why do you blog?
Many of the new technologies to emerge for use on the Web has allowed regular folk the opportunity to pursue their hobbies in a different way. Think music, photography and travel. Think MP3, Flickr and Lastminute. One of mine just happened to be reading newspapers.
Have you ever thought about giving up?
No. In Fact, Ah was only born last June. It's in its infancy.
Have you ever regretted a post?
Yes and I removed it as soon as I found out that it contained untruths.
Will you still be blogging in three years time?
I should hope so. However, I'm moving to London in the New Year so I predict that circumstance and time may dictate that I won't blog as frequently. That's presuming that blogging will be around in three years. Reading text might be considered boring in the new multimedia age of the Internet.
Present company excluded (Disillusioned Lefty is of course the greatest blog of all time), what are your favourite blogs?
On the music side of things, there are some standout podcasts for me. Central Village is a New York based podcast with its finger on the pulse of the indie music scene. It's phenomenal the amount of gigs that guy goes to. Positively Tenth Street is a family blog that discusses similar music to Central Village. Other notables are Notes Underground and Radio Psyence. Excellent blogs in the BoggerSphere include the efforts of Twenty Major, Sarah Carey, Sinead Gleeson, Bernie Goldbach and Damien Mulley.
How would you describe yourself, politically?
Left of left of centre. I reckon there are at least three or four more left ofs before you become a Marxist. However, I don't support any political party. I’m a liberalist I suppose.
What popular political myth would you like to dispel?
That Ireland is a neutral country.
What's your favourite novel?
Nineteen Eighty-Four. It scared the shit out of me.
What's your favourite music?
Favourite genre? It's a toss up between indie and folk. For the past few years, I've been hooked on all those modish bands from the US. Album wise, I've yet to hear an album that has left a lasting impression on me to rival my first listen of Radiohead's "The Bends".
Simon or Garfunkel?
Simon. Garfunkel never made anything remotely as good as "Graceland".
How do you explain the Irish blogosphere's general right-wingedness, in contrast to wider Irish society?
You're presuming that wider Irish society is predominantly left-wing. The Catholic Church's influence on Irish attitudes still carries significant weight with regard to social issues.
"In Fact, Ah": Any mysterious deeper meaning?
We were inspired by Mario Rosenstock's use of this phrase on Gift Grub. But it's a great a way of surreptitiously announcing that your next breath contains an incontrovertible statement.
Tell us about this holiday of yours.
Tomorrow [remember, the interview was conducted a week ago] I fly to Kuala Lumpur and stay for two days. From there I fly to Auckland where I'll spend a month touring the North and South islands with two friends of mine. Life's a bitch.
You're into that music lark. Is contemporary music as bland as it is often made out to be?
Chart music is bland. I can't abide hip-hop and a lot of the electronic crap out there. Too many kids spending time with Pro Tools for my liking. However, good contemporary music is easily found. The iPod revolution has made it so easy to dabble, experiment and listen to alternative music. That said, I don't dismiss people who say they listen to everything on the radio.
Your blog doesn't seem to have any particular angle. Is this intentional or would you like to make one up now?
I like the fact that it isn't dedicated to a particular subject matter. PR blogs don't turn me on so I don't visit them. With varied content, I'd like to think people approach it like they would a newspaper - you never know what will turn up on the front page. Of course, there is the danger that you spread yourself too thin.
Interviews with bloggers throughout the Irish 'sphere will appear here every Thursday. Previous interviews can be found here.
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