The Interview with John Tyrrell

that is... with The Official John Tyrrell

Q1. Why should John Tyrrell rate an "official" web site?

A1. Well, I can't really put together an "unofficial" web site on myself now, can I... Besides which, I am "The Official John Tyrrell!"

Q2. Are there any "unofficial" John Tyrrell web sites?

A2. Not to my knowledge. I'd probably give my permission for one, but then it wouldn't really be unofficial then would it?

Q3. What are you trying to achieve here?

A3. Like most other sites, it's totally a sop to personal vanity.

Another way to look at it is an extended personal ad. (Are there any totally adorable women out there reading this living in or near the Calgary - Phoenix - Las Vegas triangle - contact me.) 

Q4. A personal ad?  What kind of personal ad would you answer?

A4 "Nicole Kidman look-alike seeks overweight superannuated agnostic male."

Q5. On a musical note, what are your favorite songs?

A5. Well of course there's the Philosophers Song - as sung by Bruce, Bruce, and Bruce. It definitely appeals to my intellectual element. Then, it's Far Away Eyes by the Stones. You know, at my age (which is about the same as most of the Stones), "a little bleary, worse for wear and tear" sounds pretty darned attractive in a woman.

Q6. You used to have a "Nekkid People" section on your Web Site. Where'd it go?

A6. OK - you got me. I wimped out, I just totally wimped out. Let's face it, kids might just visit the site. No question, they can find all the nekkid people they want on the web entirely without my help, but no point in having their parents blame me for it.

Q7. What is the most embarrassing habit you have - something you would not want to admit publicly?

A7. Well, I used like to watch WCW Wrestling. It had to be WCW.,. The WWF (Now WWE) just does not cut it with me. WCW used to have a much better story line. Of course, professional wrestling is just a form of soap opera for juvenile male minds...   But alas, WCW no longer exists and wrestling is a lost joy.

Q8. Well how about something you are secretly proud of, but wouldn't normally talk about.

A8. I've never seen a Sylvester Stallone movie. Never. I read his Playboy interview some 35 years or so ago when he released the first Rocky, and decided "This guy is such a conceited, arrogant, self-obsessed egotist - I'm never going to contribute to his livelihood. I will never see any of his films." One of the few promises to myself I've kept.

Q9. You used to have a brilliant incisive analysis of conspiracies on your web site. It has disappeared and been replaced with a totally lame excuse. Do you really expect people to buy this?

A9. No.

A9. (Cont) And don't go looking for the original in the secret archives of the Knights Templar. Such a search might not be good for your health...

Q10. Speaking of missing pages - I see your "Diana Cable Channel - All Diana, All the Time" has also disappeared.  As that related in any way to the disappearance of the conspiracy theory articles?

A10. Not really.  The Diana thing was a response to the grossly excessive reporting (if you can call it reporting) on the first anniversary of her death.  Reason seems to have returned, so I eliminated the page.

Q11. Something else which has disappeared - your so-called religious section. What happened to it? Another (sarcastic tone) conspiracy?

A11. Quite a different answer to the conspiracy thing. My religious page was so successful, I decided it deserved its own completely independent site. You can find it at ApatheticAgnostic.com and also at uctaa.org

Q12. But are you really serious about this religion thing, or is it just another joke?

A12. Yes... & Yes.

Q13. That's not an answer!

A13. Of course it is an answer - a totally valid answer. Take a close look at the beliefs and rituals involved in any of the world's religions - and your question as to degree of seriousness or jokiness applies. At least Apathetic Agnosticism does not include such religious ceremonies as sacrifice, ritual mutilation or ritual cannibalism. And we treat both sexes (or genders if you prefer) equally.

Q14. A technical question - what are you using to develop your web site.

A14. The initial version was developed pretty much in WordPerfect. Then pages were modified a bit using Netscape Composer. Then came a version using Trellix 2.1 which comes with WordPerfect 2000. And then I moved to NetObjects Fusion 2.0. The next round was Adobe GoLive 5.0. Now this version is in Microsoft Frontpage 2002. Of course much of the content carries forward from version to version thanks to the miracle of cut-and-paste.

Q15. Why is Carol Cleveland of Monty Python fame in your "Foundations of Western Culture" section rather than in "Women I Love?"

A15. An excellent question. Firstly it relates to the development process - the Culture section was created several months before the Women I Love section, and Miss Cleveland was there from the start. Secondly, while I could have moved her, on consideration I decided she is a cultural icon (at least to her fans) and thus had been appropriately located.

If you want to add your own insightful questions to this interview, contact me