Jim - bertie - and the war of the words [sic]
I promise I'm not going to do this often (the chance would be a fine thing), but I'm going to place a shamelessly boastful post here on the homepage.
At Jim's 2005: Movies Sorted By Tier I recommended Speilberg's War of the Worlds to Jim. Against my advice he watched it on a small tv screen and posted a very harsh review.
I started to draft a conventional reply, but then I had one of those rare flashes of inspiration we sometimes get, and after only about ten minutes work I gleefully posted the following reply:
"I would not have believed in the early days of 2006 that the movie was being watched [keenly and closely] by intelligences greater than my own and yet as fallible as mine; that as I busied myself about my various concerns it was scrutinised and studied, perhaps as closely as a man with a magnifying glass from a box of Crackerjack might scrutinise the transient sitcoms that swarm and multiply in a drop of cathode ray tube. With infinite complacency I went to and fro over the Web about my little affairs serene in my assurance of my empire over movie criticism....Yet across the gulf of attention-span, minds that are to my mind as mine is to the beasts that perish, intellects vast cool and unsympathetic, regarded this movie with pooh-poohing eyes, and slowly but surely drew their reviews against me. And early in 2006 came the great disillusionment :-)"
The following is from the opening paragraph of the H.G.Wells novel:
"No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency men went to and fro over this globe about their little affairs, serene in their assurance of their empire over matter... Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us. And early in the twentieth century came the great disillusionment."
bertie, I gotta be honest: I can't say what Jim's intentions are for the front page, but I don't appreciate it being used liked this, or to repeatedly link to your own challenge game. I'm not too fond of posting the same exact thing in two locations, either (though I may have done it long ago, too; I don't recall)
I actually like the front page news. I try to keep up with people's contributions but sometimes I don't have time to pop on (and therefore pop off.) When this happens I appreciate being pointed in an interesting direction. I think of it as a "While You Were Out..." memo.
I admit that this is made more palatable by the fact that I like what bertie writes. I also generally scan Recent Activity and only use Front Page when the mail has piled up. But with age comes wisdom, seniority, privileges and bad knees. Very, very bad knees... and a great degree of license. Once you get your license and are given the keys I think the ruling should be that you can drive however you'd like.
Just be home by 11:00... 10:00 on a school night.
Teaserizing might have helped help to fit All of'er Hearty post into the narrow Stan Laurel pants of the Front Page centre column. On an (even more) personal note I wish that the H.G. Wells quote had come first so that bertie's creativity would be (even more) impressive. As for "posting the same exact thing in two locations", that's just plain wrong (and confusing.)
If I had a time machine I'd be able to tactfully discourage either of you from becoming the invisible man... but I don't and I must remain in the land of doctor morose.
Regarding my creativity - I became so excited as I re-read the Wells and saw that my idea was really going to work, so excited that in my rush to get it done I omitted a few words here and there that I should have included. I restored a couple [in brackets ] for this homepage post, but I see now that there is a more important omission in the "as mine is to the beasts that perish" phrase without which it fails to make proper sense. Note to self: next time, take your time and do it right.
I can appreciate your feelings in this matter, seeing that only a few of us have access to the homepage - and if Jim feels the same (I hope he knows he too can be honest with me) then I will of course cease to post self-promotions on the homepage. What's your ruling, Jim?
If it were every day I'd probably ask you to rein it, but a little self-promotion once in awhile doesn't bother me personally. But I too like what bertie writes, so I'm biased.
For what it's worth, bertie, I can't imagine a big screen would have helped enough. :-)
Thanks, Jim. lukeprog, when I said at the start of my post I wouldn't be doing this a lot I meant boasting, but with consideration for your feelings (and possibly those of other Listologists) I further promise that I will keep the sorts of posts to which you object on a few-and-far-between basis. But I am not going to cease such posts to mollify just one complainer, not when I have Jim's permission.
works for me!