The normblog profile 93: Dr. Frank
Dr. Frank was born in San Francisco, where he remained until his death. Despite frequent bewildering claims to be a 'musician' and 'writer', he laboured in obscurity for much of what lay between. Well, OK, 'laboured' is putting it a bit strongly. His rock and roll band The Mr. T Experience (MTX) released a great many long-playing, short-selling albums on the Lookout Record label. His first novel, King Dork, was published in April 2006. Dr. Frank is survived by his wife, his cat and a small circle of reluctant former associates who remain thoroughly astonished that he lasted as long as he did. Nevertheless, he blogs at Dr. Frank's What's-it and at suicidegirls.com.
Why do you blog? > As a ham-fisted and possibly misguided attempt to augment my other ham-fisted and possibly misguided enterprises.
What has been your best blogging experience? > Getting hate mail from Milosevic Fanclub President Neil Clark's aol account was pretty cool: 'Learn from the mistakes of your great inspiration, the Fuhrer Adolf Hitler...'
What has been your worst blogging experience? > It turns out, when you have a blog, scary ex-girlfriends find it pretty easy to track you down.
What would be your main blogging advice to a novice blogger? > Remember that anything you blog can and will be used against you.
What are your favourite blogs? > Other than normblog? Harry's Place, Matt Welch, Oliver Kamm.
Who are your intellectual heroes? > Let me put it this way. I've heard of these guys: Plato, Augustine, Anselm, Hayek, Orwell, Isaiah Berlin, Paul Berman.
What are you reading at the moment? > Jailbait by Lesléa Newman; The Passing of an Illusion by François Furet; A Certain Chemistry by Mil Millington; Steps to Immaturity by Stephen Potter.
Who are your cultural heroes? > Peter Townshend, Groucho Marx, Alfred Hitchcock, D. Manus Pinkwater, George Jones, Art Pepper, Noel Coward, Raymond Chandler, Nardwuar the Human Serviette.
What is the best novel you've ever read? > Moby Dick.
What is your favourite poem? > Beowulf.
What is your favourite movie? > Rosemary's Baby.
What is your favourite song? > Sunday through Thursday, 'Waterloo Sunset'; on the weekend, 'Rock and Roll, Hootchie Koo'; on my birthday, 'Fox on the Run'; and 'A Room with a View' at my funeral. [What about Friday? - Ed.]
Can you name a major moral, political or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind? > Pretty much all of them, and quite frequently. I can never make up my mind about anything. But there was once a time when I believed that Reagan was wrong about the Soviet Union, that nuclear power was intrinsically evil, and that disco sucked. I now have a more nuanced view on each of these issues.
What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to disseminate? > Credo ut intelligam (I believe in order that I may understand). Plus: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.'
What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to combat? > Credo quia absurdum (I believe it because it is absurd). Plus identity politics, collectivism, etc.
Can you name a work of non-fiction which has had a major and lasting influence on how you think about the world? > Eric Voegelin's Order and History. It taught me how to think.
Who are your political heroes? > Jefferson, Churchill, Scoop Jackson, Adam Michnik, Vaclav Havel.
What is your favourite piece of political wisdom? > 'Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.'
If you could effect one major policy change in the governing of your country, what would it be? > Abolish all restrictions on speech - anything and everything goes, including shouting 'fire' in a crowded theatre.
What would you do with the UN? > Privatize!
What do you consider to be the main threat to the future peace and security of the world? > In particular: nuclear-armed Islamist terrorism. In general: failure of nerve of the Western democracies, as ever.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life? > Self-confidence is almost always a sign of stupidity.
Do you think you could ever be married to, or in a long-term relationship with, someone with radically different political views from your own? > Sure, as long as she's hot.
What do you consider the most important personal quality? > Thick, lustrous hair.
What personal fault do you most dislike? > Fastidiousness.
In what circumstances would you be willing to lie? > Any time I see an opportunity to induce others to adopt any of my own self-deceptions, I take it.
Do you have any prejudices you're willing to acknowledge? > Fear of midgets.
What is your favourite proverb? > 'El amor es ciego pero los vecinos no' (Love is blind but the neighbours aren't).
What is your most treasured possession? > 1964 Epiphone Coronet.
What talent would you most like to have? > To vanish at will.
Who is your favourite comedian or humorist? > P. G. Wodehouse ultimately, but lately I've been enjoying Scharpling and Wurster quite a bit.
[The normblog profile is a weekly Friday morning feature. A list of the first 52 profiles, and the links to them, can be found here. Details of subsequent profiles are here.]
