Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Why do I do it?

I know it's pointless but this revolting biddy just winds me up something chronic and it fits this week's theme.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/08/cinema_stole_my_favourite_book.html

I sometimes play ATF bingo, key words being Derby/libraries/rock (she means all music)/rockers (all musicians, apart from classical)/drugs (NB: must always follow on from the word ROCK/crackheads/violence/Tolstoy/Ireland/music=violence/local councils/corruption/damaging to health.

Basically, modern life is rubbish. You'd think the Books blog would be more civilised than the music blogs, given the loftiness of the written word, but those guys are quite hostile and elitist. Who'd a thunk it? I think I'll stick with the filthy, violent crackwhores, over in Music.

29 comments:

nilpferd said...

I've taken part recently in some quite civilised book blogs; "revisiting the Booker" for Oscar and Lucinda and Midnight's Children, the Katherine Mansfield blog, and the recent Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now discussion. Just depends on the topic, I guess. Why don't you just ignore the posters who get up your nose? It works for me...

nilpferd said...

BTW, this week there is a very interesting podcast on Music and Linguistics in the science section..
http://download.guardian.co.uk/audio/1219043565794/4797/gdn.sci.081808.fp.Science_Weekly.mp3

ToffeeBoy said...

I wouldn't waste the strain on my fingers typing anything in response to her Tracy. A very sad and confused individual - stay over here in the warm comfort of the 'Spill. Is it just me or does posting on the 'Spill and reading all the comments remind you of what it must have been like for Norm walking into the Cheers bar?

TracyK said...

She's so very hard to ignore though Nilpf. Agreed, there can be some really interesting discussions over there, but you do have to pick the topic carefully. When she strays into the graphic novel section though, which she does remarkably often for someone who reviles the medium, it's impossible not to go a smidge wonky over it. Have you read the bands in book thread?
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/08/the_rise_and_rise_of_the_band.html

Espedair Street is a very good band book though.

steenbeck said...

Ugh--I had a housemate like that in college. He knew I was studying filmmaking and film theory, and he would say things like "Film is a waste of time." All in this slightly puzzled, I'm-not-being-contentious-I'm-just-a-more-highly-evolved-individual tone. AND he'd been a vegetarian for a couple months but he was vegan. I'd been a vegetarian since I was 12, and he would give me grief about eating milk and eggs. I still get angry thinking about him. And I had sort of the same reaction reading her posts...

saneshane said...

Could you lot turn your thinking down please... it's disturbing my Sounds.

TracyK said...

Hehehe, sorry about bringing on a 'Nam style flashback Steen: I think I just wanted to share the pain. I managed to stay out of the band books argument, but now I've got embroiled and you can never resist just checking what the latest development is. I also argued with her about teenagers, as she sounded off like a particularly bad Daily Mail front cover about how they are all illiterate savages who cannot read. Essentially, she's nobody favourite maiden aunt. I like to think of her with her mouth pursed like a cat's bum over our degeneracy. She takes passive-agressive to a whole new level.

I've been on a lot of forums since I discovered the internet in 1998 and almost all of them descend into bitchiness and factions, but RR has always stayed above that, which I find enormously comforting. It's a lovely analogy, the Cheers bar, Toffeboy. I think I'm a bit of a Carla sometimes...

TracyK said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
nilpferd said...

Nope, didn't read bands-in-books. (Mainly because I can't think of any) I still reckon you're better off turning the other cheek, however hard it may seem. I'd rather post a considered comment on my own terms than get sucked into a slag-fest with someone who's just waiting for anyone to bite. Don't let someone else's obsession become your own..
Admittedly there have been some breathtakingly stupid blogs on GU recently, though. That Film thread on Quentin Tarantino took some beating, from the initial premise through to 90% of the comments.

goneforeign said...

Nilp: Re. 'the recent Heart of Darkness/Apocalypse Now discussion.'

I've just done a search at books and film for this with no luck, any idea what the URL is? Thanks....T.

steenbeck said...

Oh, Nilpferd, I glanced at that Tarantino blog and thought "thank god for Nilpferd" and then resisted the urge to post anything.

nilpferd said...

Cheers, Steenbeck! There were some very polarised and ill-informed posts in there.
Goneforeign, it was about Marlon Brando's approach to the film, try this..
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/08/seeing_between_the_lines.html

ToffeeBoy said...

I'd like to be Norm but I suspect I'm more of a Cliff!

Abahachi said...

I've pretty well given up on Comment Is Free because of the legions of people like this, working through their childhood traumas and personal obsessions at great length more or less regardless of the actual thread - the classic themes are of course Christianity, Islam and Palestine, but they get more or less everywhere. Rather sad if the Books page is going the same way.

I try to follow the Way of the Hippo by not responding, but it is difficult when faced with someone quite so hilariously deranged.

I am, of course, Dr Frasier Crane.

nilpferd said...

"The way of the hippo". I like that. Perhaps I should offer courses.. I can do it online- you sign up, pay a fee, and I heap abuse on your head while you practise trying not to notice...

treefrogdemon said...

I'm wondering whether 'anytimefrances' is an anagram...so far I've got

Irene Many Facts
See Fancy Martin
Frenetic Man Say.


Any offers?

bethnoir said...

RR did get a bit nasty when we had 'notjason' posting a while back, with the express intention of bitching about JAP, that wasn't a pleasant few hours. They were out numbered by the good people though. Long may it remain so.

P.S can I be Niles?

TracyK said...

Can I fancy you, if you are Niles? Ah, why do all the men I have scret crushes on turn out to be gay?

I'm steadfastedly trying the way of the hippo on the books thread, thanks for your rationality Nilpf.

Anonymous said...

Would consider submitting the "report offensive comment" link on her posts for grins - but I may be evil.

saneshane said...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/aug/20/petedoherty.festivals
did you see this in todays paper

They concluded that the band's tendency to "speed up and then slow down the music" could create a "whirlpool effect" and spark disorder.
police chief married to anytimefrances perhaps?


back vaguely to what you were talking about.. I now find the 'spill just great for this, as with the lists blog, I don't get involved on them just get any annoyance off my chest by creating a post, then I feel better. (sometimes! has it helped?)

and back to the original post over there.. my question to you Tracy is have you ever seen the bbc series of Neil Gaimans 'Neverwhere'? what do you think if you have, TV stealing a favourite book or admirable attempt?

Bill Sienkiewicz 'Stray Toasters' is one great graphic novel outside of Gaiman/ Mckean works so shouldn't get too disappointed too soon I hope by any bad films adaptions.

and if the books with bands was an RR topic I would crow bar Rupert Thomsons 'Dreams of Leaving' in as Moses has a singer for a girlfriend after he escapes from New Egypt... and... oh I can't justify this..


oh and I see shoey wants the part of Lillith

Blimpy said...

I've never seen Cheers, but I do have a great punked up cover of the theme tune kicking around somewhere if anyone wants to hear it (unless it's in the loft....)

Anonymous said...

@Shane
I'll take it - but we still need a Woody?

Did you see MirrorMask? Gaiman script, Mckean directed.

saneshane said...

@ blimpy was it by lagwagon.

Yep about as dumb as woody.. that'll be me then!

@shoey
mirrormask
I started watching but just didn't grip me (got the book of it on sale at borders this week and it's beautiful) will try again, wasn't in the sitting still and giving it a go mood at the time.

Is it any good?

Blimpy said...

No, not lagwagon, i just found their version online, and that's not it. the one i'm thinking of is a lot better than that one.

bethnoir said...

I liked Neverwhere, it was a bit Dr Who (old, a bit cheap Dr Who, not new shiny style) but retained the feel of the book. I'm the same as you with Mirrormask, saneshane, maybe it got better, but I didn't make it to the end. I wanted to like it, I love Neil Gaiman.

tracyk, Niles is very lovely, isn't he? That's usually my trick, fancying gay men, glad to hear I'm not alone :-)

Blimpy said...

I found a good wedding present cover of the cheers theme, which means i now don't have to go to the loft!!

http://hypem.com/search/where%20everybody%20knows%20your%20name/1/

TracyK said...

Neil Tennant was my object of lust for far too long in the 80s. It took him being on the cover of Attitude with 'Of course I'm gay' or words to that effect scrawled across it before it even occurred to me. I welled up in WH Smith, I can tell you...

I only watched a few bits of Neverwhere, as I didn't actually own a tv when it first came out but I thought it seemed very cheap (yes, in an 80s Dr Who stylee) and one of the girl's atrocious acting made me quite cross, so I have avoided it ever since. Generally, I avoid adaps of graphic novels I care about, as I was truly gutted about Tank Girl. I don't mind watching the superhero stuff, as I'm not interested enough to care about the DC/Marvel universes. I did like some of Origin (Wolverine) which I read. I am a Vertigo/Fantagraphics girl really, and quite a narrowly focussed one at that. Doesn't mean I'm not passionate about it as an artform though, hehehe!

I'm glad others have pitched in on that blog as even meaner than me. I confess too, I have reported ATF several times before and got her posts deleted, almost as much fun as having a hideous troll on CiF banned for calling me a paedo for being a teacher, along with screeds of other stuff because I was an atheist. I stay well away from that place now.

Mine's a Jamesons on ice, Woody...that's a damn good tune on teh jukebox, thanks for putting in your dollar Blimpy!

Blimpy said...

Cheers Tracy! Hic!

(oh, and, two more words: Grant. Morrisson.)

saneshane said...

blimpy that's a vastly better version.

bethnoir/ tracy ..because neverwhere was old tv I wasn't expecting much so wasn't disappointed and quite enjoyed it. Only knew about it when I was lent it at the start of this year.
Have never seen tank girl because I guess I would hate it.(I shouldn't judge without seeing but.. sometimes why bother)

We all knew at school that Andrew was the gay one in Wham! all those fast cars and bananarammarammmaas he tried too too hard.

I'm guessing you like his site blimpy
http://www.grantmorrison.com/

you might like this book too..
'Tell Me, Dark' is amazing- art and story.

http://www.dccomics.com/graphic_novels/?gn=1667