It's been a day for writing all around. The blog is really coming into its own name! Well ... the blog's author.
In keeping with the last post about the long essays I tend to bombard other people's comments pages with, I duly posted a long screed on Audrey's latest blog post (an article about the criminal human rights abuses that take place in Iran under the banner of 'religion') that actually concluded in an imaginary conversation between a Christian fundamentalist and a Muslim fundamentalist.
I present it for your puzzlement below:
Sometimes I think it's a good thing that fundamentalist christians and muslims hate each other SSOOOOO much, because can you imagine what it would be like if they actually got together?
FC: Ah think thayt women should NOT be allowed to drive! No suh!
FM: Me neither! Those dirty sluts are always choosing their own clothes and thinking their own thoughts! It drives me crazy!
FC: Ah'm with you pardner! Drahves me raht up tha wall! Women in public ... hrm hrm ... BLASPHEMY!
FM: Yes! Blasphemy! Stone them! Stone them to death!
FC: Really? You can do that?
FM: Yes! Our holy book says it's okay!
FC: Is that true? What a great idea! Where does it say that?
FM: It doesn't ... really. Strictly speaking ... but if you read it in the right way it does!
FC: What if'n a woman tries to find out what's goin' on and change that law?
FM: Stone her! To death!
FC: Awl Raht!
FM: Let's be best friends and lock up all the women!
FC: Put her there pal!
FM: Death to the infidel!
FC: Let's get some ribs!
FM: How about KFC instead?
FC: Deal!
But that isn't the only writing in what I promised would be a blog full of it. 327 sent me an excellent link to a writer called John Scalzi, a very successful freelance writer, who has just published an article called 'Unasked-For Advice to New Writers About Money'. As I wrote to 327 earlier, I'm quite proud to say that I both know and have followed most of the ten excellent pieces of monetary advice he sets out in the piece.
All except number three. And I'm darn proud of it.
And finally, after sharing a sad coffee last night with The Shorter Ginga before her departure for greener, quieter, more round-about-filled pastures this morning, I found myself heart-thumpingly awake and full of caffeinated vim at 2am. So I Googled myself of course (*insert smarty-pants reference to masturbation here*) and I discovered that my first ever properly published story, and also the reason Mele and I met, is now online in the form of a Google Book!
If you haven't read it before, then I must assure you that the main set piece is based upon a true story.
***
GTH - River and Milly went neck and neck with this one, so I'm awarding a point to each (from hazy boozy memory it is the Port Augusta chimney you're looking at there. But I'm also going to award double points to Jono for the most interesting comment. Thus is a new rule added to the GTH Points Tally! Yes, aside from guessing the picture, I'm giving out kudos to the person who leaves the most interesting comment. Correspondence will be entered into, bribes will be taken.
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An explanation of The Joy Division Litmus Test
Although it may now be lost in the mysts of thyme, the poll below is still relevant to this blog. In the winter of 2008, Mele and I went to live in Queensland. In order to survive, I bluffed my way into a job at a Coffee Club.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
It was quite a reasonable place to work: the hours were regular, the staff were quite nice, it wasn't particularly taxing on my brain.
There were a few downsides: In the six weeks or so that I worked there, there was about a 90% staff turnover (contributed to by my leaving). This wasn't seen as a result of the low pay, the laughability of staff prices or the practice of not distributing tips to staff, rather it was blamed on the lack of work ethic among Bribie Island's youth.
However, one of the stranger aspects of the cultural isolation that touched our lives during our time "up there" was the fact that nobody at my work had heard of the band Joy Division.
The full explanation is available here.
But please, interact a little further and vote in my ongoing poll. The results are slowly mounting up, proving one thing: people read this blog are more well-informed about Joy Division than anyone who works at the Coffee Club on Bribie Island.
GTH; What! There's thinking involved now?? AND imagination?? Gosh darn it all Franzy........Now I gotta pay more attention!
ReplyDeleteMaybe not thinking. I got the inaugural award for a bit of self indulgent Baby Boomer reminiscence! Not that I'm giving the award back. It's mine, all mine.
ReplyDeletePaying out on Triton and his stupid Crocs... Surely that kind of thing counts as "interesting comment"?
ReplyDelete...surely
You're all on zero so far ... especially you O.o. Sam ... you've stuck it to Triton before. Where's the originality?!?
ReplyDelete"Why can't I read the entire book?"
ReplyDeleteGoogle always has a surprised yet detached way of letting you down gently...
It seems your publisher, or whoever, thinks the 22nd Xmas gift too risque for the average reader and cuts your story off after page 4. Censorship!! I cried - then remembered I live in Singapore - *Censorship* I whispered (lest the thought police arrest me for being free thinking) Oh well, guess I'll have to pay my kid cousin to buy the book in their next scholastic book club order...
Oh, on your topic of religion:
I presently live in a country where half of my frinds or colleagues are muslim. And (as a blatant generalisation and stereotype) I have noted that the only thing we have to fear from Islam is a disturbing passion for 80's glam rock or metal. So in the interest of religious harmony I propose we all don the tight acid wash denim, tie our bandanas proudly and scream out a few licks of air guitar!
...oh oh oh oh-oh sweet child of miiiiine...
Do I need to point out the irony of you using the words "Crocs" and "Originality" in the same sentence??
ReplyDeleteOh, and I never aim for interesting comment as a goal of my remarks here - self indulgence all-the-way brother!
PS. stop disrespecting me by abbreviating my nickname in your responses!!!