Well, it looks like I'm going to have to start writing a blog. Whenever I think about the concept of keeping a log, I'm instantly reminded of the episode of Nickelodeon's Doug in which the title character decides to start keeping a journal. Revisiting that poorly held-up piece of animation should give you an idea of my motivations for starting a blog.
There are other reasons as well.
You see, readers, I am an English major. My last piece, which was about cult leader Jim Jones, was written two semesters ago. You can probably understand my not wanting to get rusty. I also have what you might call the spirit of a DJ. I love sharing cool things (downloads, recommendations, etc.) and reliving the joys of first experiences when the recipient gives me positive feedback on the share. Believe it or not, I also enjoy that feeling of embarrassment when you read something you had written years earlier, so this will serve as a kind of time capsule.
You might be wondering about the name. It actually does have an important meaning to me. Years ago, while exploring the audio archives of novelty music and weird clips at wfmu.org, I came across a piece entitled "When Robots Have Ghosts." It was a recording from the 1940's of a young girl speaking about her trip to New York City. From what I understand, after being recorded it was given back to the girl as a souvenir record, and this was quite a novelty back in the day. It was simultaneously creepy and nostalgic, and it made me wonder what happened to this girl. Is she still alive. The mechanical, otherworldly nature of it overwhelmed me. This is what blogs remind me of in away. I like to think that after not making an entry for seventy years or so, someone will discover my writings and wonder what happened to me. Is that pretentious enough for you?
The namesake: "When Robots Have Ghosts" from the WFMU archives
