Published in The Gazette Jan. 13, 2007
Blog: Adrian’s Lemon Juice Blog
URL: adrianspeyer.blogspot.com
Author: Adrian Speyer, 29
First post: Dec. 24, 2004
Updated: About three times a week
“If I don’t want my Oma to read it, I won’t write it,” Speyer says (”Oma” is Dutch for “grandmother,” one of Speyer’s many loyal readers). The McGill graduate and aspiring poet doesn’t talk about his “cube farm” job and seldom discusses his personal life. Besides, he says, “my life is pretty boring.”
Instead, Speyer blogs about local issues that happen to be on his mind. Water-cooler issues, as he describes them. The closing of Ben’s Delicatessen, the worrisome lack of January snow, and the Esso On the Run drama are some of the topics he’s opined about recently.
It’s his opinions that drive traffic to his blog, rated No. 4 best blog by The Mirror’s Best of Montreal survey. That in turn allows him to bring attention to topics he’d like to bring out of obscurity, like a German band he found called Asher Lane.
“I heard their song on a TV ad and I did some digging into who they were,” Speyer writes. “I tracked them down and got into contact with the band. We chatted it up and I consider them friends. … I think the blog has helped a lot of people learn about them and discover their music. That makes me happy.”
Sample post (about the false alarm at Loyola this week): “We live in special times now. We need to listen to our fear, but not be controlled by it. When something is not right, it is all our duty to break out of the routine. Just think what I would be writing tonight had the janitor not done a thing, gone about his business and something tragic transpired. Too often we talk ourselves out of action or walk away when we know we shouldn’t.”
Bonus questions
What is your day job?
I work in an office in a “cube farm”, but I never-ever ever talk about work. A blog is not (in my view) the place to do it. Besides, Blogs are read by everyone. Heck even my Oma (Dutch for grandmother) reads my blog. I try to always keep that in mind. If I don’t want my Oma to read it, I won’t write it.
Why did you start your blog? When was the first post and what was it about?
I wanted an outlet for my creativity. My current blog Adrian’s Lemon Juice started in 2004, the 2nd incarnation. An earlier blog in 1999 was less ambitious. My first post was a basic introduction as a web log, but it has really transformed over time.
What do you write about?
To be honest, as clichéd as it sounds, whatever comes into my head. If I discover a cool new website, if there is a postal increase, if I eat at a new restaurant (or an old one closes), if I see a great movie, I give my opinion. I never really thought it would find an audience, but it has.
Do you have a favourite post or series? One that got a lot of attention?
There have been several. There was one about Soccer in Canada and the lack of respect it gets. Another was a new band yet to hit the scene in Canada, but soon will. They’re called Asher Lane. I heard their song on a TV AD and I did some digging who it was. I tracked them down and got into contact with the band. We chatted it up and I consider them friends. They’re from Germany, and their first gig in Canada will be during the Canadian Music Week in Toronto. That’s pretty cool. There a great bunch of guys and I think they will be the next big thing. I think the blog has helped a lot of people learn about them and discover their music. That makes me happy.
What kind of traffic does your blog get?
I get pretty good traffic. Last year 87,049 people visited my blog. I hope to make it to 100k this year.
How has the blog changed since you first started it?
At first it was more personal. I would talk about my life, but then I realized, my life is pretty boring. I’m not a skydiver or a movie star. Over-time the blog has become the kinds of things you talk about around the water-cooler, along with my fascination of the world wide web. In my ways, I still write for myself and what interests me. Nevertheless, I would be lying if I told you I don’t think about the “audience” when I write. It’s hard when you know the impact your blog has on people. When I started my attitude was “If others find something for themselves that’s cool”, now I am much more conscious of what I write and say. It’s hard not to when people send you such nice personal messages about how a blog post changed their life.
What else should people know to understand your blog?
If you’re looking for a controversial blog, this is not the place for you. I try to keep it light, informative and thought provoking. I like to talk about topics important to Montrealers and Canadians, but sometimes I like to cover stuff about Holland. Us Canadian bloggers of Dutch ancestry are very few and far between.
