On the Set (Day 1)

[greygirlbeast]

Last weekend, beautiful fucking weather. Sunny and bright. Highs in the low eighties Fahrenheit. You almost could have imagined it was summer. Well, for Rhode Island, I mean. This weekend? Cold, rainy, foggy, and windy. That is to say, normal Rhode Island weather (unless it's snowing). But, apparently, We are possessed of some species of determination and purpose. and the show must wobble on.

Most everyone will be arriving via the train station about noon, and Spooky's headed that way very soon. Me, I'm sitting here in my pajamas, thinking about going back to bed. I was dreaming of Boulder. Of school in Boulder. I was dreaming of a calculus class in Boulder, and even that hurt less than this.

Yesterday, someone saw fit to vent their spleen in this blog. Apparently, they were moved to do this because I fucking hate ebooks, because I hate the very idea of ebooks, and because I said so (again). My hatred of ebooks has been a matter of public record since the fucking Kindle was only a gleam in some profiteering shitheel's eye. But yesterday it seems I hit a nerve. Good for me. See, I'm fighting a losing battle against ebooks (that's a given), so I can take my meaningless little victories free of guilt. Ebooks will soon rule publishing, at least until that post-peak oil crash, when plastic will be worth its weight in paper. However, it became one of those very rare instances when I was forced to delete posts (including two of my own), and yes, forced. By decorum. I'm going to repeat what I said in yesterday's second post, in a condensed and abbreviated form, regarding what I expect from those who kindly take time to comment here:

Over the many years that this LiveJournal has existed (since 2004), I have said repeatedly that I do not allow contentious comments. Comments, yes. You may even feel free to disagree, briefly, so long as it is evident (to me) you're not, clearly, aiming to start an argument. In short, we do not debate. Ever. This blog is NOT a public forum, regardless of my inviting comments. Think of it like visiting a friend. This LJ is my house. And I expect people to behave in a civil fashion while in my house. This is, I know, asking a lot, as we do not live in a civil age, but I'm asking it, anyway.

If I find a comment argumentative or offensive, as has always been the case, I will delete it. I don't often delete anything. And I almost never ban anyone (maybe five, ever). Furthermore, if it is obvious that I feel especially strongly on a subject, take that as a cue not to poke me with a pointy stick. It's common sense, guys. So, when I make angry, damning comments about ebooks, for example, that's my opinion. Disagree? You have the whole internet, except this blog, in which to express your dissatisfaction with my comments. That seems fair.

This is non-negotiable, and like everything else, not up for debate.

Oh, and yesterday—before the blog fiasco—we took a mountain of boxes to the storage unit and Spooky backed the van into a concrete wall at about twenty miles an hour. Very little damage was done. And there were publishing nuisances. And we cleaned house.

And I guess that's all for now. People will begin arriving at the Providence train station very soon, and they probably don't want to see me in my pajamas. So, dress I must. Looks like we'll be shooting at Moonstone Beach in a few hours. In the book, the scene's on a bright summer morning. So, a dreary, freezing autumn afternoon is a perfect stand-in.

Here's a question. In the Golden Age of the Ukulele Revival, why is Tiny Tim not more revered? The man was a fucking genius, and, seemingly, well ahead of his time..

Ta,
Aunt Beast

Comments

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

did you get the email aboutPeter's case being settled FOR him?

and I like your blog rules. very sane.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

Absolutely apropos of nothing: Cable Car's apparently showing The Man Who Fell to Earth, October 29, 7pm. Be there or be Buck Henry. Or something.

[clockworkwasp.livejournal.com]

I had an ebook reader for several years but I kept buying paper books as well, when it finally died I didn't replace it. The two things it worked well for were enabling me to purchase and read books without leaving the house and reading fanfiction on the train. I can live without those for now, real books and real bookshops are too precious to me to give up.

[jdack.livejournal.com]

why is Tiny Tim not more revered?

That's an excellent question. My only guess would be the predominantly young Uke fans never heard of him.

[ashlyme.livejournal.com]

Didn't David Tibet try and introduce Tiny Tim to a wider public? I've only heard Tiptoe myself. Probably as a kid. It sounded like a music hall number to me then, so I was surprised to find out he was much more of a recent performer.
Fingers crossed for the weekend.

[humglum.livejournal.com]

Didn't David Tibet try and introduce Tiny Tim to a wider public?

Indeed, back in about 1995, or so. I saw Tiny Tim play Man Ray new Years Eve '95/'96. I'm glad I got to see him, but it was sort of a sad affair. He seemed to be propping himself up with the microphone stand. He wore red sequined sneakers. It was shortly after Tibet released a Tiny Tim collection. Not sure if it was Durtro, or another label back then. But, yeah...

[everville340.livejournal.com]

Good thoughts and energies for the shoot and all who are involved.

[birgitriddle.livejournal.com]

I have a Sony Reader, but...I rarely use it. To be honest, nothing really can replace the paper book, especially when you do not have access to the technology to read e-books. That, in some ways, is one of the reasons I have not read much on my Sony Reader despite owning it since January. I have been having computer troubles and therefore have been unable to upload anything e-book wise for most of the time I have had my reader.

Plus paper books do not run out of power, you do not have to be near an outlet just in case you need to recharge one and you can read it in the sunlight which solves the problem that the Amazon kindle commercials are always on and on about when it comes to other e-readers. Wow, you can read it in the sun! Look, I can do the same with this paper book. -rolls eyes-

To be honest, the main reason I have my reader is so I can read PDFs assigned to me for university classes because I am not a fan of having to print out pages and pages of PDFs, especially when your teachers are embracing the idea of using sources off of Google Books or other similar sources. It's harder on my eyes to read book length 19th century texts about missionaries in Iran on the computer than it is on a e-reader.

[humglum.livejournal.com]

My dad just got a kindle. He travels a LOT, and is a very fast reader, so it makes sense. He can check out a "stack" of books from the library for the kindle before a trip, and have them take up next to no space in his bag. For someone who habitually travels light, this is important.
Also, no stupid writing from other library patrons who feel the need to comment or copy edit as they read (a problem at the library he uses).

[kurtmulgrew.livejournal.com]

I will never own one of those digital book reader things.

Incongruity

[caitlin s (from livejournal.com)]

Having read a number of books by you, it seems to me that incongruity is kind of a theme... Perhaps the scene being set in rainy autumn when it PURPORTEDLY took place on a bright summer morning will simply add to its complexity.

What do you think of audio books?

[katesavage2001.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I buy both the audio version and the hard copy for writers I cherish. I prefer to read the hard copy but when time is an issue, audio versions can work. In particular The Red Tree's primary narrator and your amazing prose soothed me during an especially dreadful commute home. Instead of getting pissed off because of the news or stressing over claustrophobic roads, I hung on every word of the cellar scene. Strange that being distressed over the glyphs in the cellar soothed me but that was my experience.

[kore-on-lj.livejournal.com]

Your blog, your rules. I've never understood why people don't get that....it's just weird.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

I can see (but not happily anticipate) a future without physical objects of art/entertainment. Everything'll be digitized, streamed, whatever. Those who insist on the superiority of dead-tree books will be viewed the same way as collectors of vinyl records, or film buffs who maintain that the only true way to experience a movie is in a theater with an audience.

I don't like it, but it does indeed seem to be where we're headed. As the venerable old man wrote, 'You can't stop what's comin'. It ain't all waitin' on you. That's vanity.'