Interview #2
Name : Rob Harrington
Age : 32
Location : Mount Pleasant, Michigan
Vocation : Casino Finance Supervisor
Life Philosophy : Try to remember that the lessons you learn from your mistakes are just as valuable as the ones you've learned from your triumphs. If you can do this, you gain something from every experience life throws your way... and you can live without regret.
Joe Blogs : So Rob, sum up what your blog is about for us
Rob Harrington : My blog is primarily a photo blog. There's an ecclectic mix of other stuff thrown in there, too. I like to write occasionally so there's some of that, but mostly photos and the stories behind them.
JB : Why did you decide to do a blog?
RH : My job is sometimes interesting, but it is very routine and it definitely does not provide an outlet for creativity. It's very service oriented so you can't really see an end product, there's no tangible evidence that you've accomplished something at the end of the day. I love photography and my blog provides a way to work with that. It's a place to display the things that I enjoy.
JB : What's the funniest article on your blog?
RH : Back in August I posted a quote from Harry Hill about the dangers of over analyzation... something about ants bursting into flames when you examine them too closely with a magnifying glass. That one got a pretty good reaction. There are a few humorous stories about my dogs and work related things, too.
JB : What keeps you motivated to keep adding posts?
RH : There have been a few times that I've posted out of a sense of obligation... and fear that my few loyal readers might disappear if I let it go too long without fresh content. For the most part though, I'm still doing it because I still enjoy it. I'm very much an amatuer photographer, but I get a lot of enjoyment from the whole process and from occasionally hearing from others who enjoy my work.
JB : Do you envy any other blogs?
RH : I'm not sure if "envy" is the right word, but there are a lot of bloggers that I have a good deal of respect for. Mostly photo blogs, but other types as well.
(Pictured is one of Robs favourite pictures he took)
JB : If you could recommend one website, what would it be and explain why (cant’t be your own website!)
RH : Wow... That's a really tough question. I guess it depends on my mood. One great website that I've gotten a lot of useful information from is Mandarin Design. They've got a ton of useful tips about web design and things that you can use to spruce up your blog or website.
For personal enjoyment, I like to read Joel Rosenberg's blog. He's an amazing author with an uncanny knack for predicting the future based on Biblical prophecy. I'm fascinated by that sort of thing and it's great to read his take on current events... especially given the fact that he's predicted a good number of things that we've seen in recent headlines.
Yes... I know that's 2 websites... :-)
JB : What are the common things people say about your blog?
RH : I'm not sure, really. I got a lot of positive comments about my photos.
JB : What’s the worst thing about doing your blog?
RH : I spend too much time on it. It's become an addiction.
JB : What would you like to improve on your blog?
RH : When I started, I really didn't know anything about blogging. I hadn't even read very many blogs from other people. I thought it'd be cool to be a little unconventional by mixing several of my interests into one blog. I still do it this way to some extent, but not as much as I used to. These days it's mostly photos. I've been seriously considering starting a couple of other blogs to separate the writing and political parts of it. I'm still not sure though. If anyone has any thoughts on this I hope they'll comment!
JB : Why should someone visit your blog?
RH : I named my blog "Controlled Chaos" because that's what it was for me, personally. It's my place to go to relax and do the sort of work that I'd really like to be doing. It's a break from my real life. I'd like to think that a few people out there might feel the same way, that they find it relaxing and interesting... a good distraction from everyday life.
JB : Tell us any funny story that comes to mind?
RH : A funny story concerning blogging? Well, a couple of times I've thrown in some fictional stories on my blog. I never really specified that that's what they were, but I never intended to mislead people into thinking that they were true, either. I felt sort of foolish when I started getting comments and emails from people who obviously thought that the stories were true. It's totally my fault and I've been more careful since that happened.
JB : If you weren’t doing your blog, how would you spend your time?
RH : I spend a lot of time with my dogs. I really enjoy reading as well, but I've noticed lately that I don't do that as much as I did before I started blogging.
Your Site Address : Rob Harrington
