06.02.09 Story, Poem and Inspiration Point of the Week

Your attempt at generating a debate, a discussion or a fight seems to have fallen on stony grounds, Paul. Let battle commence: "How dare you, Sir, to impugn our literary ability! Yours, disgusted of Tunbridge Wells." How is that for a start? Somebody has to throw the first stone.

ah come on we were always a bunch of talentless amateurs playing at being writers... lmao!

I never open the door to Faber, Androids and the Great Cornholio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPKP86P8Fwc&feature=related

I noticed the invasion of young talent too macjoyce. It inspired my Ode to Lily Allen. But peeps got the cherry. Blatant agism if you ask me.

Macjoyce, that's more Ian macmillan, in his sleep :-):-)

That's more Cornholio, in a bunghole delirium. Here's the deal: Why don't we all agree next time someone cherrypicks workolio it must definitely be as good as the following: Hamlet: To what base uses we may return, Horatio! Why may not imagination trace the noble dust of Alexander, till he find it stopping a bung-hole? Horatio: 'Twere to consider too curiously, to consider so. Hamlet: No, faith, not a jot; but to follow him thither with modesty enough, and likelihood to lead it: as thus: Alexander died, Alexander was buried, Alexander returneth into dust; the dust is earth; of earth we make loam; and why of that loam, whereto he was converted, might they not stop a beer-barrel? --- "I am Benedict Crackersville, guardian of the Great Bunghole!"

I'm off to my TeePee, night night :-)

Hmmm... Yep, improvement works for me. Still don't get 'peeps' though. I thought it was part of the oeuvre of the Footsie/Crackers/Stefano/Skunk collective at first.

Me too. I was sure the eight-year-old Dostoyevsky was part of the Crackersville Group.

TCCook writes:I think the sudden teenage invasion was down to a schoolteacher telling his kids to do it. Now they've stopped. They are welcome either way. Interesting. I thought this site was for adults!

Hmmm... Kids not allowed? Not to be encouraged to write? I don't think so. Who shall we ban next? Surely everyone's welcome, or no-one?

Tony Cook knew from the start who Crackersville is. There is no "Crackersville Group". Deal with it, or deal with Incognito-me.

I found the 'peeps' cherry a bit galling, I confess. I don't think anyone should be banished though and I take it you're referring to Jennifer again Theresa? You did say it was her stalking you didn't you? Where does it say this site is for adults? You write some lovely poetry, others are just starting out. I wrote complete rubbish as a teenager, (and before anyone says it, I'm sure some would argue I still do), but they're welcome to post it, I just avoid reading it, as I do anyone else whose work I find a bit crap - and they're adults.

Oh you've deleted your banishing comment now.

The 'collective' comment was a joke! Goodness me, it's all getting a bit aerated.

Most of us can obviously see that Jennifer is a super-dooper member. And most of us know that we are mistakes that make human babies.

Ewan, No it's not. Do you have permission to say such a thing?

Reading back through this thread now, it seems to make little sense. Ah well, I know what I meant, and so did someone else: at least the 'she should be banished' comment has gone.

Things have been a bit heated on here today haven't they. It's the most excitement I've seen on here since Macjoyce moved sites. It's a pity that Jennifer hasn't been around as I'm sure she would have defended her own mental health better than I have.

I'm so slow. I thought 'she should be banished' was a joke. No Crackersville Group? Darn. There goes my vision of literary trailer trash sitting round a cactus with laptops.

No, I am an inveterate transgressor, one of the best rhymes for cross-dresser I know.

If you imagined it, Chuck, it exists; and now you've mentioned it, it is part of our collective knowledge and so has even more right to claim existence. Oh dear!

No, I think she thought Jennifer was the schoolteacher who encouraged the teenagers who should be banished who swallowed a fly. Amazing how often that pops into my head - I think Freud would have something to say. She has deleted it now and replaced it with the contention that this site is for adults. I was trying to placate, funnily enough.

Hmm... given what I've posted in the way of discussion and comments over the last ten days I'm not too sure about her assumption that adults behave any better.

Jennifer is a first class nut as is Skunk who is probably a 10 year old posting from his basement! And if someone who conducts themselves as Jennifer or 'Skunk' has, banishments should be in order. Now you know why authors are calling for options that would limit or obliterate comments on their pages. Who wants someone who is possibly emotionally or mentally disturbed chasing you around the site or a 10 year old 'commenting' on your work? I sure don't. And most serious writers I day would not either.

And furthermore if one 'schoolteacher' has asked his students to post on this site, who knows with what motivation, that is just uncalled for unless the schoolteacher is monitering the children here. And Jennifer is a schoolteacher and this post just brings new light into the situations and concerns that have newly arisen on this site.

I am so looking forward to Skunk's reply.

When I post I am thinking I am posting for adults since all my uploads are set for 18 and older. Do you mean to tell me that it is useless to set the controls for 18 and older because these kids will have access to my work regardless?

I am too since Skunk has been reported to the site for copyright infringement. He has also compromised the site because it's the site and the site owner that will take the brunt of it if something isn't actively done regarding.

I mean to tell you that I am unconvinced that Skunk is ten years old, although it is possible I am wrong. Also you might like to know that very little of the internet can be policed in the way you seem to suggest. You can indicate that your work is suitable for 18 and over all you like, but that won't stop the curious. In fact, from what I remember of very distant teenage years it will more likely encourage them.

Ahem. Don't start an auction without me!

There are very clear laws regarding copyright infringement, including the internet. I suspect a lesson will be learned in respect if action isn't taken against Skunk in some matter regarding this issue.

Ewan is correct. Any kind of rating system is a magnet for kids. Come out Skunk....I know you're under there.

Yes, I imagine they will. The 18 rating is a warning. Isn't it? Jennifer isn't the only schoolteacher on this site. So am I, for one. And I know of three others. I personally wouldn't encourage any of my students to post on here as I wouldn't want them to read all of my poems and then snigger at me in the corridor. What other teachers are prepared to do is up to them though. Your criteria for what constitutes a nut is pretty harsh too - she only made a few comments on one poem when you both got into a minor exchange of words over her criticism. Does that make her mad and fit for banishment? I hardly think so.

I'm not here to play or to joke around. If you can't address me or my work in a professional manner, then don't address me or leave comments at all.

You miss the point. If someone continually harrasses another after being asked to stop and continues to post comments and such under an author's work then that constitues someone who is a bit unstable in my book and should be given at least a warning in regards.

Copyright infringement is a separate issue. If, as I suspect, your work has been the victim of some cruel -and possibly infantile- parody, I wish you luck regarding any copyright issues. You may need it.

Nope, I'm not Skunk either.

I would not be so quick to instigate Skunk on. He has compromised the board with copyright infringement. I've seen other boards dismantled because of such things. Therefore he puts not only the site/site owner in jeopardy but all of the writers here who will be without a message board because of his/her antics.

Yes Skunk come out! I am about to open the fridge and I need help. *Has he posted a parody?* Let's see the definition of parody: According to Aristotle (Poetics, ii. 5), Hegemon of Thasos was the inventor of a kind of parody; by slightly altering the wording in well-known poems he transformed the sublime into the ridiculous. In ancient Greek literature, a parodia was a narrative poem imitating the style and prosody of epics "but treating light, satirical or mock-heroic subjects" (Denith, 10). Indeed, the apparent Greek roots of the word are par- (which can mean beside, counter, or against) and -ody (song, as in an ode). Thus, the original Greek word parodia has sometimes been taken to mean counter-song, an imitation that is set against the original. The Oxford English Dictionary, for example, defines parody as imitation "turned as to produce a ridiculous effect" (quoted in Hutcheon, 32). Because par- also has the non-antagonistic meaning of beside, "there is nothing in parodia to necessitate the inclusion of a concept of ridicule" (Hutcheon, 32). Roman writers explained parody as an imitation of one poet by another for humorous effect. In French Neoclassical literature, parody was also a type of poem where one work imitates the style of another for humorous effect.

Yes, in the days before copyright infringement!

I didn't miss the point. I understand your criteria for being deemed unstable. That's your opinion. Mine is that it's a bit harsh. It would take quite a bit more for me to class someone as unstable. It would take a bit more for me to make disparaging and personal comments about them in a public forum and suggest that they should be banished from a site for the misdemeanour of getting into a squabble with me under one of my poems when I had asked them to stop and because I've decided that they're responsible for kids posting on here with no evidence for that assertion.

Were you a member of these boards you have seen dismantled Ms. Newbill?

Well I'm afraid dear there is no literary definition for copyright infringement. This is a legal matter. Bear in mind that judges consult a Literary Terms & Literary Theory Dictionary in such cases before reaching a verdict.

Observe how Crackersville knows Skunk's precise location. Clearly the instability is more widespread than we thought. Sounds like a job for Constable Turner.

A squabble is one thing, deliberate harrassment is another. And your criteria for someone being unstable may be different from mine but it does not exclude the fact that I believe anyone who constinues to harrass someone after being asked to stop is unstable.

Dear sir! It was you who told me that Skunk hides under my trailer! *cleans Sherlock pipe* Where were you at the time of the parody?

No, I'm thinking it would be a divertissement for Moffat.