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So Long, Mr Lateshift Prostate

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Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

01:39 / 27.08.07

I'm not sure I'd waste my time, Decadent, though it might be good to have a body to natter at about this book. But the Eco, yeah, I've been inclined to get ahold of that for some time now. I've only read some of his amusing short stories.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

01:40 / 27.08.07

As a side note, I happened to acquire an old Mandrake the Magician comic book from 1967 the other week, for a couple bucks. It's...interesting.

01:52 / 27.08.07

One of the earliest full sentences I ever wrote (this is true, now), was: I think I'm in love with Mandrake.

Therein lies psychoanalysis fodder.

Is the Grossman at least well, ploddingly action-movie-esque? I mean, I realized long ago if I can reread 'Lord of the Trees' and its companion, I can pretty much read anything that has enough punching or bullets in it. Especially if there's a waiting room visit on the schedule.

I think I enjoy Eco's novels for reasons many don't, which is the pulp and pop stuff and the fact the symbolic items don't often reasonably connect, but force the reader's connections to generate meaning. Makes us create the frisson between ideas and items the text establishes. The stuff many fans of his want him to put away, and many critics use as proof of his unworthiness.

And really, anyone who makes a JLA reference two hundred plus pages into a book on monks, murder, and the mysteries back in ye days of olde, deserves some sort of special applause. Especially when it goes to film with Sean Connery. And doesn't suck.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

01:59 / 27.08.07

He's trying to be too psychological with the characters to really hit any high notes with the action - and while some of the psychology is really good, the rest starts to falter into "Bad Watchmen" terrain. He does make some interesting point about super-powers as being one step away from chronic medical conditions, but that's just it. He makes a point, doesn't explore it overly much.

Now I'm really into the idea of reading the Eco once this stupid thing is finished.

And, of course, I'm revising the story now. Thank god.

02:05 / 27.08.07

It has lots of gorgeous illustrations stolen from all sorts of comics and movie posters all through the book. As part of the narrative. And, peeking around in it, some very excited passages that are just pure joycore (can we still use that term) in their introducing and embracing pop fiction characters and merging them into what I presume is the protagonist's real life.

One thing that always bothered me with Watchmen and a lot of Moore's superhero stuff is that there's always a depression, a sadness marring things and mucking them up. Sometimes, just being able to strike a wonderful pose and look impressive is enough. The Moment, as it were.

And that's me off, for a bit. Back later, if anyone's still kicking.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

02:11 / 27.08.07

I'll be here, no worries.

02:26 / 27.08.07

I'm so decisive, I went out intent on a restaurant. Instead, picked up fastfood. Came back. I didn't really feel like sitting and waiting somewhere full of poor lighting and bad music.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

02:37 / 27.08.07

What fast food did you end up with?

I've managed to start churning out revisions again. Reworking the opening scene to introduce important characters earlier.

02:59 / 27.08.07

McDonalds. Not my usual choice, for various reasons, but they were directly across from the restaurant. The restaurant I literally walked into and immediately u-turned out of like that's all I'd ever intended to do.

Chicken nuggets. A lot of them. And sweet & sour sauce. Nantucket Nectars Pressed Apple Juice.

03:03 / 27.08.07

Oh no! Don't. I only read Fast Food Nation yesterday. It's too soon.

And on that stomach troubling note, that's me for the evening. G'night.

03:06 / 27.08.07

We must suffer for our pointless protests and moments of indignancy. It's true. It must be, Bill Murray just said something similar on television, and he's Bill Murray and everything.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:06 / 27.08.07

Night, Blake.

I need something to snack on. I seem to recall some oysters in the cupboard, but do I have any crackers to eat them with?

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:10 / 27.08.07

Hmm. Garlic bread and escagarots? I could improvise a sauce.

03:15 / 27.08.07

I kinda miss oysters. Had to give them up for allergy reasons.

I never realized until tonight how entertaining Amazon book reviews can be. They're so... awkward. Even when they're very well-meant or impassioned, they're just awkward and oft-impenetrable.

On the other hand, they have taught me that all books are either too complicated or too simple. Or, both. And it upsets people in ways that cut into their powers of explication.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:18 / 27.08.07

Well, it is a very fine line -- too much exposition or too little?

Got a healthy chunk written, so I'm going to focus on making a snack and maybe finding something suitable to watch. I've been trawling YouTube for Simpsons stuff, for example, and there's still Barbarella to be watched. I can't stay up too late, though; it's back to work tomorrow.

Dare I ask how the Mickey-D's is, though?

03:25 / 27.08.07

I seem to remember the sweet & sour sauce used to be better. The actual nuggets hardly had any taste. But it went fast, which is a credit to food, I guess. Not as bad as I'd been expecting, actually, after not having anything from there for a lengthy while.

I wish I'd been able to get some writing done today, but I burnt out answering questions and trying to help people for hours. Someone literally asked me to explain the French Revolution because all they knew, they said, was 'they had frilly shirts and Marie Antoinette and Johnny Depp was in that movie, The Libertine.' I realized my Revolution comes primarily from fiction, movies and novels and comics. Which means I can't actually trust any of it. I suspect de Sade and Grant Morrison both may've lied, sometimes, to make things more thematic.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:27 / 27.08.07

The bastards!

Ironically, we watched Koppola's Marie Antoinette last night. It was very good, partly because of how distant the revolution was, how divorced she was from it, how terrifying it was when it rushed up at her.

03:30 / 27.08.07

I'm going to have strange dreams of Jane Fonda as Marie Antoinette, tonight. They may involve chickens.

I just know it. And may be disappointed if I don't.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:34 / 27.08.07

Jane Fonda in a little silver cape, being Marie Antoinette? On some distant planet? Louis the Sixteenth with angel wings?

03:37 / 27.08.07

As above, very disappointed if I don't.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

03:41 / 27.08.07

I'll be very disappointed, too.

04:21 / 27.08.07

I may have to rewatch Barbarella tomorrow. One of those It'll never happen again films, remakes aside and considered. But, tonight, so looped I'd probably daze out halfway through and fall facefirst into the floorboards.

04:23 / 27.08.07

Barbarella. Oooh I havent seen that in over a year. and with the remake being made, I really should.

04:26 / 27.08.07

Is Rodriguez still set to direct? I'm mildly emptier for not having his Princess of Mars adaptation in my life. But, y'know, Barbarella can't be Drew Barrymore. She just can't. And they can't resurrect Terry Southern just to do a new, but similar script, I suppose.

04:32 / 27.08.07

Last I heard they were looking at Rose McGowan as Barbarella. But nothing was confirmed or anything.

05:25 / 27.08.07

I've killed it.

This thread.

dead.

08:40 / 27.08.07

Mwahahahahahahahaha.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

04:04 / 28.08.07

YO!

I return from the labours of writing on the shores of a buddy's eleventh floor bungalow with a view of the whole fucking green space of the city. I have revised a scene and a half of "Hotel Detective," then I wrote the opening to a weird sci-fi short story.

Productivity!

04:55 / 28.08.07

Nice to read the detective story's moving along into its new draft.

I'm just doing a last minute e-mail check before I pass out. I dislike heavy boxes so much right now, but I haven't the energy to dislike them as much as I'd like to. Lost it all hauling them around, room to room.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

04:58 / 28.08.07

What was in the boxes?

The second draft's starting to speed up, which is nice. I did take some time to free write that sci-fi bit, though, just to get the brain-crinks out. I've been reading Paul Pope's book and he talks about working on three projects at a time to keep himself interested and focused on them all.

05:06 / 28.08.07

What was in the boxes?

Books. Papers. Books with papers in them.

And I moved them after midnight because I'm brilliant. At least, that's the excuse I'm going to use right now. Brilliant.

There is more organization and space, now, though. And tea, as a reward.

05:12 / 28.08.07

And, now, my reward is sleep. Which is good, because I might start refering to you are 3P any moment now.

G'night, Papers.

Hallo, Paper Spaceboy

05:19 / 28.08.07

Night, you. I'm gonna be a gud boi and go to slumberland myself.

Gud. Dog!

11:29 / 28.08.07

Your next name should be 3P, Oh!

Or it shouldn't.

01:43 / 29.08.07

To shift or not to shift; never much of a question.

I think I've seen Unleashed too often, so posting.

Someone post something interesting but not too important. To save my brain.

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