Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Creation >

Traffic lights hang of their own accord, apparently

20:09 / 21.02.05

The rabbit walked through the door, and asked politely if he might see the menu. He was welcomed in, and the man twiddled his moustache thoughtfully. “Listen”, said the rabbit, “we both know why I’m here, so let’s cut to the chase”. The man turned to face the window. “It wasn’t easy”, he said. I know, said the rabbit. “But I can’t hold your hand for you forever”.

The man reached for his top hat, and was surprised to be greeted by Jennifer Aniston. “I’m sorry…I…didn’t you…” stuttered Jennifer. “Don’t worry, darling”, he said, “I know exactly what you mean". The rabbit slapped his forehead and headed for the door. “I’ve put up with this for the last time”, he muttered. Upon reaching the pavement, he was distressed to discover that the paving stones were arranged in a symmetrical fashion. “Dear, dear”, he tutted. “This is far less than I have come to expect”.

23:28 / 21.02.05

... and it seems that someone has discovered a random text generator almost as amusing as the NTK Generator and added in the cast of Friends. This, btw is why I voted NO.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

11:50 / 22.02.05

Except that 40% has posted some 600 times already, some of which hopefully making more sense than that...

11:56 / 22.02.05

He was just biding his time.

A

12:18 / 22.02.05

Seriously, though, the noise is drowning out our important signal and the bloodthirsty trolls are waiting at the gate to pounce and kill us all while we sleep, and suchlike. It's the end times, I assure you.

12:22 / 22.02.05

It is pretty crappy though. Is it a randomly generated story? If there is some deep underlying meaning and I'm missing it, I'd love to know what it is.

So, come on 40% - tell all - what's all this about then?

17:05 / 22.02.05

it seems that someone has discovered a random text generator almost as amusing as the NTK Generator and added in the cast of Friends. This, btw is why I voted NO.

I would recommend a diversified portfolio. The bridge-building industry is in great need of support. I promise you, it will be an unforgettable experience.

Except that 40% has posted some 600 times already, some of which hopefully making more sense than that...

The generator is most definitely switched on. Interrogation is bound to build the biceps. Offer a gift and you will make friends of lions.

He was just biding his time.

If a man builds a fence, then tears it down again, is he not a fool?

Seriously, though, the noise is drowning out our important signal and the bloodthirsty trolls are waiting at the gate to pounce and kill us all while we sleep, and suchlike. It's the end times, I assure you.

Fear is made of many components, some of which are more harmful than others. When you lay your chips on the table, the importance is not in their colour but in their value. It’s easy to work up a sweat, but climbing a hill is something special.

It is pretty crappy though. Is it a randomly generated story? If there is some deep underlying meaning and I'm missing it, I'd love to know what it is.

Why were you given fingers?

So, come on 40% - tell all - what's all this about then?

The birds and the bees, my friend. They will tell you all you need to know.

18:19 / 22.02.05

Okay, first up, I’m sorry.

I’m not a troll. In my estimation, at least. I put that piece on because I thought it might be interesting. I’ve been thinking about whether it’s possible to convey meaning through words that have no obvious meaning, and that’s what this was about. Maybe you might think it was trolling because why would anyone find that interesting? So put that down to naivety on my part.

As for my responses afterwards, they were shit, I admit. I can also see how I could easy be perceived as a troll based on that sort of behaviour. I posted without thinking my response through. Believe it or not, I was a bit disappointed to get such a negative response to my first piece, and my reaction was defensive. I just decided to keep talking wank defiantly.

But on reflection (of about 30 minutes), I figured this could lead to no good. So I’m showing my hand. I’m happy to let this die (unless people wanna rip me a bit more, it’s fair enough), and learn not to overestimate my own profundity in future.

Haus of Mystery

18:38 / 22.02.05

words that have no obvious meaning

Ain't no such thing.

18:43 / 22.02.05

Hey! I wasn't calling you a troll! I liked the first post. Sorry I wasn't more obviously supportive.

18:43 / 22.02.05

So, in keeping with your newfound transparency (

), what was the meaning you were trying to convey, and how?

~L

07:44 / 23.02.05

What could possibly be more transparent than to be invisible?

07:46 / 23.02.05

Hey, this is fun!

07:48 / 23.02.05

I wasn't calling you a troll! I liked the first post.
I was; and I didn't, but then it's a bit pot and kettle with me sometimes. Sorry if I misunderstood the intent, and I probably should have checked your profile before posting but I was trying to be a smartarse and thought half a bottle of wine would be safe for posting.

09:05 / 23.02.05

i just popped in here, saw the first post which i thought could lead to something fun, then saw everybody crap on poor 40%. sadness.

09:19 / 23.02.05

On the one hand 40%'s post didn't really open up anything for discussion, it just was, and 40% has said themselves that they hoped to see what would happen from just posting it, on the other hand, there is a tendency at the moment on the board for people to cry 'troll'.

I just read it as another piece of creative stuff that 40% wanted people to comment on.

09:31 / 23.02.05

It's not conversational - that's my gripe. I don't mind it at all and certainly wasn't having a go - I just don't get it.

If it had been posted in Creation maybe it would have got a better response?

09:31 / 23.02.05

People might have been less inclined to jump the gun if it had been posted in Creation.

Have about moving the thread, mods?

02:50 / 28.02.05

yes, it certainly does fit much better in here
I thought it was interesting
just a little experiment that doesn't amount to anything, but interesting none the less
you have a knack for writing, even if that writing is meaningless, it sounds good, and it even has style
write something worth reading and i think i'd like to read it, if that makes any sense

Elijah, Freelance Rabbi

02:31 / 02.03.05

Meaning can be conveyed with words that appear as nonsense, see TS Elliot for examples.

Either way, i love things what got rabbits in em.

22:26 / 03.03.05

Anybody who spends any time on Usenet or accedentally opens a spam email may have noticed that one of the ways these messages beay the filters is to have a little beat-poet stream-of-computerised-consciousness blurb at the bottom. Some of them are great, once you get past the offers for V1aGr@!!!

What I find interesting is the human mind's ability to impose order on random stimuli in order to glean usable information. Often, if read with the right frame of mind, the random sentences can be used like tarot cards.

Chatterbots like MegaHal can be used to generate random sentences. Depending on the chatterbot, they can parse sentences you give them and reform them. At one point I was trying to feed one chatterbot the collected lyrics of Nine Inch Nails, and another the lyrics of Concrete Blonde, to see what would happen when they were instructed to communicate with each other. Never got very far with that, I should get back to that.

05:04 / 04.03.05

Anybody who spends any time on Usenet or accedentally opens a spam email may have noticed that one of the ways these messages beay the filters is to have a little beat-poet stream-of-computerised-consciousness blurb at the bottom. Some of them are great, once you get past the offers for V1aGr@!!!

Like this?

bit interrumpido CEREMONIAL Mauer Laryce Unregelm Tweka Feeler scorn bergin fassten Palubniak Fillmores Boatload THANK replanned Iraker ParenthoodKIDS PICOTEMPLATEEXACTOPT Apollinaris Dortmund Ighodaro malting emedix ingegnerizzazione Heilung windowing buffysimsskinsbykyle Ludvika absharpton IPAC worldsport tuxedoed slords Saramago forexgold Ayia SpecialPrograms FValley Wolter anzugehen CrossLink Goal BOCCIA Weisenborn nada Kidzhome WESWAYS bondono predefined illiteracy MERCHANTS smithusedcars Cassell Modra imageset PAOLO justify iceview punches gobuyselltrade Fcezanne starry Lick overthrow makkelijk mezzina Bellini Convicted Levitator SiamBaliRags preK royalcaribbean Emarclesecreations TheraP SuperSonics Suffredini togoheader concatenation bodysuits devasting Straps mainrmnpschiston granite baseballviewpoint vollem

it came in a spam entitled hp Sizee up your Juicy jummbo n

worldsport tuxedoed slords indeed.

Regrettable Juvenilia

12:00 / 04.03.05

Meaning can be conveyed with words that appear as nonsense, see TS Elliot for examples.

But beneath the fragmented chaos of, say, The Waste Land, there is a complicated structure - patterns of very allusive references, for example. This is almost universally true of the better writers of apparently chaotic, jumpled, experimental prose (from Joyce to Burroughs), and they all took the time to get the hang of writing more traditional prose (or in Eliot's case, poetry) first. With the best will in the world, the same cannot be said for many of their imitators.

01:32 / 22.03.05

scrambles is the coolest foolish fad to sleep across this great stagnation of bellows blowing hard in present tense?;.>[%# we love our dense decade without joy of understANDING: IT IS TOCOMPLICATED y to know what any motherfucker means when they say so i sez so i sez so i sez murder a waste of clothes why am i never succh a flicking prick when you dare meet peristroika vodka in my punch. who among us can fathom to know this knowledge of nonsense. noone flying nun i say, that is why scrambles is the american way.

Regrettable Juvenilia

09:38 / 22.03.05

I'm not feeling the best will in the world right now.

ONLY NICE THINGS

11:22 / 22.03.05

Why not? You've just had your point proven to the max.