The Sunday Roast

Not Just A Majority Of Two But Definitely A Land Slide For Johanna

(Watch the birdie)

This week's interview is with Johanna
who writes the blog, A Majority Of Two .

Johanna's blog was chosen as a Blog of Note on Friday, January 9, 2009, by the Blogger Team. I'm sure all will agree with me when I say, "Congratulations".

Johanna prefers to be called Jo and she lives in Vancouver, Canada, where the recent Winter Olympics were hosted - and very enjoyable too.

Thank you for the interview, Jo


A very warm welcome to you and your followers who I hope come in large numbers to see you roasting on my spit - ha ha!

Here's the first of the standard questions. Why do you blog?

I have always wanted to be a journalist or a columnist for a newspaper, so my blog is sort of a slice-of-life editorial on current events, politics, art, movies, philosophy, just about anything that is au current.

What's the story behind your blog name?

I once read a quote that I liked, as follows:

There are times and places where one's voice needs to be heard above the clamor of others who may think differently or wish to go in a different direction. The need to raise one's 'voice' is not a call to shout or to shout down others, but to preserve one's integrity of belief and feeling so that one can become a 'majority of one'.

That described how I wanted my blog to “sound” or “be heard” as it were. I changed my blog name to A Majority of Two, because two reflects the conversation that I hoped would be exchanged with at least one other person who might visit my blog.

What is the best thing about being a blogger?

Having the opportunity and the forum to write about my ideas, likes, dislikes, opinions, etc., and perhaps find people with which to converse about these things. We are all different, but occasionally we find people who are like us.

What key advice would you give to a newbie blogger?

Keep your own voice. Don’t imitate other blogs or bloggers. I see so many blogs that start to morph into each other, so that reading one is like reading another. And don’t be fooled by people who are giving away “awards”. The sole purpose is to drive traffic to their own blogs. Let your blog be organic and speak for itself, and it will find its own voice. You will never really know if you have a good blog if you get caught up in the “tricks” of blogging and getting comments. The number of comments you get is not a good indicator of whether or not you have a good blog.

(I agree with your entirely, Johanna - I've seen some super blogs with few comments and not so good ones with loads of comments)

What is the most significant blog post you've ever read?

That would be very difficult to pinpoint, since I have been blogging for four years, and there have been so many wonderful, significant blog posts. Many of them touch my heart for many reasons. I think one of the most significant posts I read was about a woman who had been estranged from her son, and then she found out that he had passed away. The way she wrote about the anguish she felt was worthy of a Pulitzer Prize, in my estimation.

(I wonder what that post was! Has anyone any ideas? We had a successful post hunt a couple of weeks ago and some really good detective work actually revealed it to us!)

What is the most significant blog post you've ever written?

It is a true story. It is my “Pope story” called Extra-Sensory Perception.

(Oh! Johanna you are too modest - there must be many more to list as well. But congratulaions on being the first roastee being able to count to one!)

If you were to suggest two blogs for roasting who would you pick, and why?

I have found a few new blogs recently, that are well-written. One is Everyday People penned by a wonderful writer named Susan Barnett:

And the other is In My Humble Opinion by another wonderful writer named Paula Slade.

The world should discover both of these blogs.

(Again, I agree with you, Jo. I've visited Susan's blog and am very impressed with her superb writing style. I am looking forward to visiting Paula. You and I have 'spoken' at length about the wealth of undiscovered talent out there and the difficulties of them gaining a much wider audience - anyone got any ideas?)

That concludes the formal aspect of the interview but it would be nice to get to know you a little better while you are slowly turning on the roasting spit. So while you are screaming in agony above the open fire here are a few more questions for you.

Pick three things you can't live without (no you cannot have ice cubes to cool you down)

My books, my Halston cologne, and my friends (does that count as one thing?)

If we were to make a movie about blogland, what would it be and who would you cast in the leading roles?

If I were to do a movie about blogland, first of all I would search blogland for some brand new talented actors and actresses - they are out there in the wings, just waiting to be discovered. Some of the new blogs I come across are fresh, exciting – new! So, having found some new stars/starlets I would present a brand new movie about blogland. I would always welcome some new blood wherever possible.

If you could live your life again who would you be, and why?

Queen Elizabeth the Second because she has reigned through some of the most recent historical periods of time in our history, and she met some of the most amazing, influential people of the 20th and 21st Centuries. She is extremely intelligent and politically savvy, and much more accomplished than people realize. She also lives in palaces. *heh*

(Ok, Jo - you can be Elizabeth II and I will be a distant ancestor, Henry VIII because that too was an interesting time, albeit a bit bloodthirsty. Yet he was rather unhappy wasn't he? What am I saying? Six wives!!! I must be nuts! One is more than enough and I can't even behead her! LOL)

You have been given a wonderful talent from above. This causes you to make your mark on humanity and be world famous. In which area would prefer: a best selling novelist, a brilliant artist, a gifted musician, a fantastic singer, a charismatic leader, anything you choose, and why?

I would be a brilliant artist. I love art, I love the way it makes me feel when I look at it. Every artist has the power to invoke a different feeling; Picasso is different from Van Gogh, Rembrandt is different from Pollock. Each touches a different chord within us. I would love to have the power to do that.

If you were an ice cream cone, which flavour would you prefer and who would you most want to lick you?

I would like to be a peppermint candy ice cream cone, with bits of peppermint candy, and as to whom I would like to be licked by – well, I never “kiss and tell”. LOL.

(Now considering the silliness of the question I reckon that is about the most intelligent reply so far! LOL. I'll leave it in I think after all - thanks Jo)

Describe in one sentence your perfect day.

The sun is shining and my sailboat is waiting in the harbour.

If you were a fictional writer which one would you be and why?

John Steinbeck, because he wrote the best books, the best characters, and the best plot lines of any writer.

And finally if you have answered all these questions I invite you to ask me one in return - it's the least I can do. OK fire away!

How are you feeling now that you have become the bionic man?

My short answer would be, "Like six million dollars!" LOL

But people who know me know also I do find it difficult to give short answers because I am blessed (or cursed) with verbal diarrhoea! I am feeling very well but extremely disappointed that inflation has taken it's toll on the rebuilding programme since the 1970s. In short the rebuild I experienced was a joke - I got far less for the $6M spend than Steve Austin did and I am furious! I got only one bionic hip which is impossible to use to its full potential because they could not afford to do the other! Further, they would not provide my bionic legs or arms or even the nuclear reactor OR the x-ray eye. They simply said, "That's your lot, mate, you've had your six million dollars worth! Bye! Next!"

That was fun - thanks for appearing on the show, Jo.
(I'm a poet, and I don't know it!)

And finally, a peep at your blog.

(Very Nice -love the artwork which I presume is yours)

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Today's Sunday Roast with Johanna is the 112th in a weekly
series of interviews with bloggers from around the world. ________________________________________________

This interview will feature in The Roll of Honour
for all published Roasts. To view press HERE
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Hold your noses folks! LOL
Next Week it's Mike at Skunkfeathers