Behind the Blog: Bloggers speak out

Just who is the real person behind this blog? While blog visitors have read an odd, eclectic, and sometimes confusing collection of postings, many are still left wondering "who the hell is this flake?".

That's a really good question.

According to reports, Earl survived some very challenging times in his life. “I’m so glad that Earl’s blog has actually survived a full year, " said Joshua Gross of The Body Politic, who left behind years of partying, surfing, and chasing attractive blondes in Hollywood when he moved to South Carolina. "He’s come through his dark times... especially the obsessive compulsive binge drinking that led to the downfall of the ‘Icons of Rock - Melkite Metal World Tour’ a couple of years back.”

Not much is known about his early years, but rumors abound about his roots. “I heard that Earl Capps is a closet Duran Duran and Wham fan,” said Brian McCarty, Columbia attorney and author of the blog Voting under the Influence.

Mike Reino, author of the SC6 blog, offers this insight into what is allegedly his background:

He led a rough and tumble life, from the dead end streets of South Carolina, often eating bologna on hand sandwiches 3 times a day. But destiny had Earl in mind, when a chance meeting with Lee Atwater at a Cinderella concert gave Earl the big break he needed in politics.

But eventually, the ride would come to an end. Women, inflated egos, and a raging addiction to Heroin left him insane and destitute.

Presently the author is twice-divorced and lives in Summerville, where he works by day, doing corporate communication, research, and special projects for a major construction general contractor. He is also working on his Master's Degree in Communication, as well as lecturing undergraduate courses in Political Communication and Communication Ethics.

"Being a grad school student, I started the blog as a way to make myself write, think more, and have a creative outlet to share my academic work with a wider audience," Earl said. "But in the end, I just got more confused and lost my way." The author of the Faith in the Sound blog shared his view, recommending the Blogland as "must-read material for anyone looking to become an even bigger idiot than they already are."

Some have voiced concern over Earl’s professed relapse into 80s pop culture, as evidenced by his taste in music, addiction to the 80s television program Miami Vice, and his ever-so-cool checkerboard shoes. However, he does have his defenders, including Wag the Blog: “What's wrong with 80s obsessive tendencies?"

However, there is great concern for his recklessness. McCarty offered one last bit of advice: “Take it easy on Jakie, those folks from Red Bank will hunt your ass down.”