The Pakistani Spectator

My name is Michael Liebel and I blog under the alias The Loss Adjuster. I’m 29 years-old and I live in Bakersfield, California, a city approximately 100 miles north of Hollywood. I have a bachelor’s degree in Communications and have worked both in the newspaper industry and as the manager of a comic book shop. Currently, I make my living teasing cats and drinking copious amounts of alcohol. I’ve written several failed blogs, and used to run a David Bowie essay site long since perished under the strain of fandom. My current blog can be found at http://thelossadjuster.blogspot.com/.

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?
I started “The Loss Adjuster lost his mind…” as a way of coping with a great deal of personal difficulties accrued in 2008. I needed an outlet for my skewed world view; a place where I could write without fear of repercussion. Most of my blog is taken up by ruminations on music, observations on the state of my hometown, and oddly revealing pieces about my life so far. My hope is that people reading my blog will glean a better understanding of what I’m like. If, at the end of the day, just one person reads my blog and comes out of it with a better appreciation for the unusual people in the world, I’ll feel like I’ve accomplished something worthwhile.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?
I make an effort to write something every day, even if it’s not publishable. From personal experience, both in newspaper and blogging, you have to write constantly. To say that writing is a muscle that must be exercised is an understatement. There is no way to improve your writing unless you write. So, in that regard, I do feel my writing gets better the longer I write (Although we can leave that to the readers to decide!). I feel that my ability to communicate is my greatest asset, so writing as much as I can is crucial to my continuing development as a person.

I’m wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?
Quite often, my memorable experiences are what cause me to blog. Although, blogging did lead me to a rather memorable sleepover with some Los Angeles bloggers. We brought the most amusing-sounding sangria to their place, Peñasol. We drank a bunch of it, watched “The Venture Brothers,” and talked about our lives for hours. I doubt that would have ever happened without my blog.

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?
Aside from checking my favorite blogs every day, I’ve been known to go out for a drink or 10 with a few of them. We also keep up on the social networking sites (Twitter, Live Journal, MySpace, Facebook, etc.). If there’s a blogger meeting to be had, chances are I’ll be doing my best to get there.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?
I was very intrigued by the “hologram” interviews done by CNN this past election. CNN set up a booth at the Obama rally in Chicago with hi-def cameras to capture 360 degrees of movement in order to “transport” that image into the studio. What it essentially did was allow a person to be “live” in the studio without actually being there. It was a strange experiment, but it was utterly fascinating at the same time. It may not replace the standard on-camera interview, but it was an interesting wrinkle in your standard political show. Someday, I’d like to see the technology used to create some sort of virtual benefit show.

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?
Absolutely. Technology in politics is often all about interpersonal communication. We’re constantly striving for new ways to let people in Tel Aviv dialogue with people in Las Vegas. Would New Delhi have anything to say to New York without the proliferation of communication devices? Doubtful. We’re accumulating a greater understanding of each other by communicating with each other, and these technologies are paramount in expediting that dialogue.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?
Aside from the fact that it has my picture on it, I’d have to say it’s my skewed world view. I can be a fairly strange individual at times, so there are occasions where what I have to say makes no sense whatsoever. I try to write like I speak, so it reads like you’re having a conversation with me. Even if sometimes it reads like I’ve had one too many to drink.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?
I’d have to say that it’s my ability to listen to people and compromise. I’ve been in some high stress environments in my life and my ability to discuss issues one-on-one and come to understandings has gotten me far in life. You can catch more flies with honey, as they say…

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?
The happiest moment in my life was the day my son Sebastian was born. It’s hard to explain the feeling. It’s like my life had changed completely in one instant and I became instantly aware of my impact on the world. I had an immediate mental declaration: “I will be best father I can be.” It felt like unexpectedly falling head over heels in love in a mere moment. The gloomiest moment was actually the next day, when I was told that my son couldn’t leave the hospital for a week because he was sick. I’ve never been so scared, angry, and frustrated in my whole life. I’ll never forget it, or forgive the unhelpful and uncaring hospital staff for that week.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it’s paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?
Berlin would be first on my list. Most of my family is from Germany, including my mother, who was born in Hamburg. I’d like to visit the “Motherland,” as it were. For sheer fascination factor, I’d like to visit London. I’m a bit of an Anglophile, so the idea of visiting England excites me quite a bit. I’d love to stalk the streets of Camden looking for Amy Winehouse. My third choice would be Brazil. I’m in love with the Brazilian people. They have a vibrancy and passion that’s nearly overwhelming and I’d be honored to visit.

What is your favorite book and why?
My favorite book is “The Stranger” by Albert Camus. I’m fascinated by the emotional disconnect displayed by the main character, Monsieur Meursault. He is a bad son, a terrible mate, and an unrepentant murderer. I guess I’m two of the three. In the book, the courts are utterly baffled by this man who doesn’t seem to really understand the severity of what he’s done. People want to help him, but he can’t be helped. He is an animal. He is just not like the rest of us.

What’s the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?
The first thing I notice about people is how they introduce themselves to me. It’s all about the body movement, the eyes, the openness of the face. While it’s not always true, you can generally gauge what a person’s like from how free and honest they are when you meet them.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you you couldn’t write?
Oh, absolutely, but I’m not going to give him the publicity by naming him publicly. Let’s just say that he’s someone who thinks he’s the best there it is at everything he does and whenever there are people better than him at any given task, he personally attacks them to boost his own ego.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

Aside from the obvious element of hosting a popular blog and raking in cash from advertising, I believe that you can benefit in the long run financially from blogging due to the amount of self-improvement writing can so often garner. If it helps, try to think of blogging as weight training. You might not see the results while you’re doing it, but down the line you will.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?
Not exactly. It all depends on what you’re writing. For example, I tend to write my best blogs when I’m busy pounding the pavement in Bakersfield. Life experience makes for some interesting writing. If you never leave your house, what exactly are you going to write about?

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?
Bloggers tend to write from the heart, and that can be a great thing when it comes to improving the world. Whether what you have to say is good or bad, just expressing what you truly feel causes dialogue. Dialogue leads to understanding and compromise, two things this world needs desperately. The ability to speak and actively listen is crucial to finding world peace. I think blogging helps with both areas.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?
http://discotrash.wordpress.com/   -I’ve known Disco Trash since we were kids and I consider her to be one of my closest friends. When the men in the white coats finally come for me, she’ll be the first one to visit. I’m continually impressed with how she manages to be so honest and confessional in such a public place. She’s the very definition of passion.

http://www.theslackdaily.com/

  -The Slackmistress is what so many of us bloggers wish we were: a professional writer. The blogs about her experiences in “the industry” are a joy to read. I really think everyone should make her blog required reading. You can learn a lot from this wonderful lady.

http://betheboy.com/   -BeTheBoy is The Slackmistress’ husband, and he’s an absolute joy to hang out with. His blog is an open rumination on his childhood, his experiences in Los Angeles, and robots. Okay, mostly it’s about robots.

http://mikeyh76.wordpress.com/   -I only met Mikey recently and I’m already a fan. He’s an actor who uses his blog to vent about his life and the industry where he plies his trade. Plus, he’s worked in the greatest music store on the face of the planet, Amoeba Records.

http://exeverything.blogspot.com/   -Exeverything lives in my hometown, though she’s an import from Texas. Her blog is the classic confessional style of blog and it’s fun to read. She’s a powerful woman with a lot to say. Don’t mess with Texas or Exeverything. You might regret it down the road!

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?
I wrote a column for a local newspaper over ten years ago about Bic pens that garnered an unusually large reaction from people. It was a humorous piece about how I’d managed to do the unthinkable. I’d actually used up the entirety of a Bic ballpoint pen without losing it first. Bic ballpoint pens seem to contain an infinite amount of ink, and usually they disappear before you can use the whole thing. I received  a lot of letters about that article, including one from the Bic corporation. They loved the article so much that they sent me a giant package of assorted Bic pens. And I think I lost every last one of those pens over the next five years.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?
Pakistan is a country I’ve always wanted to visit. I’m fascinated by things and places and people that are markedly different than me. I can’t learn anything about myself unless I see why I’m so different from everyone else. The people of Pakistan have always seemed so passionate to me, which I love. Even if we don’t always understand each other, I think we have oodles to learn form each other.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?
I’m definitely wowed by The Slackmistress over at http://www.theslackdaily.com. I always appreciate people who are real and honest with themselves and the world around them. She’s a fantastic writer and she’s even cooler in person than you think. Getting to meet her in person this year has definitely been a highlight for me. She’s the best friend everyone wishes they really had.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?
To me, the most striking difference is in the attitudes people from each segment have in regards to each other. There’s often this notion that people from developed countries have that the people in the developing countries are “doing something wrong” and must be pitied for living such a “lesser” life. “We” feel sorry for “them” and that bothers me quite a bit. Life is life, and if you grew up in a country surrounded by shopping malls and luxury, that is what you’re going to view as normal. On the flipside, if you grew up in a country of farmers, that’s going to be your version of normal. One is not superior to the other, and many people don’t often recognize this.

What is the future of blogging?
If anything, I think it’s possible that blogging will one day take over actual sports reporting in print. There’s a greater sense of connection in blogging that’s often absent from traditional print sports reporting.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?
Blogging has caused more than one person in my life to be angry with me in the past, including a few incidents that caused me to delete entire blogs. I’ve worked with people and been friends with others who’ve appreciated what I do, but others just don’t get it. On occasion, it colors interactions I have with people. I consider my writing to be an intricate part of who I am, so quite often it becomes a “take it or leave it” proposition with people. I just live my life a little more publicly than most.

What are your future plans?
Right now, I don’t have any future plans. Anything that brings me personal peace and happiness would be welcomed, but I try to live in the moment. I don’t want to miss a minute of what’s going on around me. This is both a terrifying and exciting time to be alive. There’s the specter of war and financial ruin hanging over so much of the world right now, but there’s always peace and hope around the corner. What path will we all choose? I can’t wait to find out!

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?
Please continue to read, consider, and analyze any information you read. It’s important to be independent and considerate in your dealings with other people in your life, and in the world at large. We may be a world of people separated by cultural, religious, and moral differences, but we’re all people. An intelligent world can be a peaceful one.