Return To Morbidity
Welcome to the latest of many incarnations of The Asylum Eclectica. When I originally started the site, back in 1996, it was under the name Typhoid Mary’s Asylum. Around 1998 or so, I changed it to The Asylum Eclectica because, amazingly enough, no one else had thought to use that name. Perhaps because only a select few can actually spell it?
In any event, after maintaining the website for so many years, focusing primarily on the Morbid Fact Du Jour newsletter and its tight format, I found myself stuck in a rut. Between work, life, and other hobbies, I found myself without the time necessary to invest in a daily newsletter, and it showed! The Morbid Fact Du Jour dwindled to a Morbid Fact Du Month, if I was lucky. I thought about quitting the website entirely, but on a daily basis, there was still that moment when I stumbled upon something that fascinated me, that I wanted to share with others. It wasn’t the subject matter that bored me – it was the format.
I found myself envious of friends who had blogs. Whereas once I had been dismissive of blogs because, after all, I didn’t need one (”I already have a website”), I started to realize the fun possibilities of a more freestyle, interactive format. So, after pondering upon it for awhile, I decided that a blog would be a much more entertaining and less restrictive format than a daily newsletter. It will allow me to focus on a wider range of topics, without the pressure of having to produce a daily update, while still allowing me to share morbid facts as I stumble upon them. I will also be able to include multimedia files and images with my posts, whereas the newsletter was restricted to links due to e-mail limitations. Those who wish to subscribe to the blog can still do so via the subscribe buttons on the right, and those who’d rather make occasional web visits can do that as well.
None of the original Asylum Eclectica content (such as Morbid Fact Du Jour, The Morbid Sightseer, Malady of the Month, etc.) is going away, and I will continue to update those pages with the information I present here in the blog. (Essentially, the blog will be the portal to updates to the archives.) I will also be working on a “prettier” version of the blog in the future, but I didn’t want to delay any longer in getting it up and running. I hope that this new format is as fun for you to read as it will be for me to write.
Yours In Morbidity,
The Comtesse DeSpair
I’m glad to have you in whatever format you choose to publish, dear Comtesse.
I think this is a fine idea and welcome the change. No matter the frequency, I’ve always enjoyed receiving the Morbid Facts du Jour. I think a blog is a natural outgrowth of the mailing list and your website and look forward to seeing what you do with it. I hope you have a happily morbid new year.
I’ll miss MFDJ but good like with this new incarnation.
12 years of email. Wow! Better this than creeping insanity trying to manage everything separately. I look forward to this new format and the continuing morbid mary journeys.
Congratulations!
I look forward to enjoying the revitalized Asylum Eclectica. Are you still open to user suggestions/links via e-mail, or would you rather us share in the comments, discussion groups, or not at all? In an case, for all of the reasons you listed nd more, I think this blog is a great idea.
Somber New Year!
I absolutely would love any reader submissions! In fact, with this new easier to manage format, I’ll be sharing them more frequently and I’ll be catching up on the backlog that I already have that I never got around to using for MFDJ. Please keep them coming.
My dearest Comtesse,
I’ve often wondered when this day would come. I would be a liar and a hypocrite if I claimed we didn’t see it coming. Far from a negative, however, I fully approve of the change. I like to see you re-energized and interested again. Rest assured, your people, (myself humbly included), will continue to follow so long as you wish to lead.
Yours,
Gadget
So because I get itchy and antsy when I miss out on the morbidity, but then haven’t got enough wits to remember to come here, will I get an email reminding me when a new blog is posted?
The word ‘blog’ kind of sounds like a bodily malfunction (some sort of gruesome impaction I imagine). In that vein, I think it’s entirely appropriate that there be a Decidedly Grim blog! Your page is lovely, I adore the new features and warmly welcome the morbid metamorphosis. I caught the MFDJ bug quite awhile ago, have long been addicted to your unique blend of satire, style and sickness, so am greatly looking forward to your continued infectious growth. Cheers to the delightfully demented Comtesse DeSpair!
Thank you everyone! I’m glad you’re receptive to the new format.
When the email came through I thought you were going to say it was over… I am so very delighted its not. And the new format is great! Love having pictures and video in the same place. Thank you for making my world more morbid on a regular basis.
I live to make your world more morbid. Thank you for joining me on this journey.
Thank you, Gadget. As always, it’s a pleasure to have you along for the morbid journey.
If you’d like an update e-mail, you can sign-up by using the Subscribe button at the right of the main blog page. You have to use a notification service to do this – they are listed when you click on ‘Subscribe’ and ‘E-mail’. Hope that helps.
Excellent Bloggage! I look forward to examining it during my regular rounds. I’ve but one minor concern. At the older, now presumably obsolete Asylum site, we had a link to the All Things Dark and Gruesome page which doesn’t seem to have migrated here. Is that in the works?
Yes, it will be joining us soon. I am going through it and cleaning it up right now. Many of the links are obsolete, so I figured it was time to do a good housekeeping.
Superb blog, thank you for sharing your opinions