How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 12:56 PM

There does seem to be a certain tendency for the mildest conversation to be sidetracked into quarrels. I think it's   a characteristic of the Internet as a medium, rather than the Mudcat in particular.

I think the jargon of "trolling" and "flaming" sometimes gets in the way of communication, because these are words which are used in a number of different senses. I think when we want to accuse people of being unfriendly or frivolous or provocative or whatever it's better to spell it out in old-fashioned English.

For checking out how the Mudcat has developed over the years, here is the place to go - the Mudcat archives on the Wayback Machine, all the way back to ancient history in 1998...

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amergin
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 12:58 PM

well i'm sure you would hear better jokes at a clamdiggers convention anyways...

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 Sep 03 - 11:32 PM

St. Mudcatter's Dance

Approach with a smile
Reach out and touch
CLICK
Whirl around and depart

Put on a hopeful smile
Sneak back, lean forward
CLICK
Whirl around and depart

Whirl around, whirl around
Perhaps t'will change your luck
CLICK
Whirl around, dance away

Put on a wistful smile
Reach out and touch
CLICK (HUZZAH!)
Leap straight up and land on chair

Any other moves? These are the ones I tend to use. :)

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amos
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 12:25 AM

I tried Mensa twice, a few years apart -- went through the whole "test-and-join-and go to meetin'" loop twice...they were really good and counting backwards by sevens and finding all the little words hidden inside the full name of Millard Fillmore. But for ordinary intelligence they were, by and large, highly uninspiring. The biggest thing they were missing in general was a sense of humor. That was my experience, anyway. The Mudcat has it all over Mensa, in my humble opinion.

A

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Menolly
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:53 AM

When you first started being a member of mudcat, how did it feel?
I first visited about a year ago, had a little look round, knew I was not very interested in the blues side of things, found it very American that day and so left.
Were you scared? Did it take a while to find your way around?
Yes, everyone seemed much more knowledgable.Also they all seemed to instrumentalists, many of whom also sang and/or wrote their own music. As just a singer doing occational floorspots, I felt very lowly. I did have difficulty finding my way arround. I wasn't sure where to go.
Some months later I started realising how many people were mudcatters and that tempted me back in.
Was it your first experience of being in an online community?
Yes, and it still is. I feel no desire to roam. I have found it very adictive. Is there a cure?
I read quite a few of the threads but rarely feel I have anything to contribute. I think I have started 2 threads and my question was very quickly solved. Does make me feel I should learn more!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:55 AM

I knew a former Mensa chairman. He's as dull as sterilised water. Ditchwater is quite interesting, it has millions of little things flapping round in it. Talking to this guy gave you, to paraphrase from 'To kill a Mockingbird' "the sensation of slowly settling to the bottom of the sea".

Mudcat is made of real people who like to interact with each other and learn about what makes the other person tick. Most other chatrooms are just full of people who want to get into your pants or show you their private parts. At least on here, the sex maniacs wait until they've been introduced.

LTS

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: kitchen piper
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 05:48 AM

I'd like to thank everyone for their wonderful and colourful answers. It's been really interesting to see what stories have been told, I loved the one about meeting a future wife, that really made me go awwww!

My main research paper is on a completely different aspect of online education, but I thought it would be interesting to see what people wrote. I now realise that it was totally above my station to ask such a thing of you. I apologize most whole heartedly and am ashamed for being such a bad citizen!
pml
Cheers guys, you're ace!
:-))
Vix

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:12 AM

The reason why I wrote 'I can only understand English' is because I don't know any other languages, espeically the Computer one, because I'm still new to it all.
I am a simple man, I just like things to simple, I also like it when people explain thinngs to me in a nice simple way.
I don't like smart asses who think that I am stupid, who think that everyone on this website can understand what is written.
Because some people aren't as smart as others.

All I did was ask a simple question that's all, and then I told the truth, I just can't understand all this computer talk.
Tom

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:24 AM

Nicely put but you know its a cultural thing.....talking down to those unfortunate enough not to be English. They just can't help it!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:29 AM

Yes,
Rick, Amos, Liz,

I left Mensa quite a while ago... Your stories say you know why... :-)


Robin

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:38 AM

Fooles - I don't think it was you - you've posted some quite erudite things. He couldn't even spell erudite. And he had the common sense of the average hedgehog. Years of book learning and being able to spot the mean prime number don't mean diddly if you can't understand the simple concept of coming in out of the rain.

Welcome to the "real" world at last though!

LTS

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:07 AM

Thanks Liz -

Getting the score 135 on the mensa test means just that you did just that! It means Sweet Fanny Adams in the realities of life!

Why would I want to come out of the rain? Saves having to wash!

I have graduated from the SCA too... :-) I grew up!

I'm a Wordsmith (my main field of expertise - look for the BS thread on Toby Day Afternoon ), who is also highly competent in technical and mechanical and engineering areas, as long as it does not involve hand-eye coordination. But I do have an extreme sense of humour, and I no longer care if others can see the humurous links I make or not - if you do, hang on and enjoy the ride!

In Blacksmithing, for example, I have difficulty in striking accurately with the hammer (so the hammered work always looks like "a dog's breakfast"), but I can build a welding fire in the forge in my sleep, and I can temper tool steel (a visual controlled skill) exceptionally well - a natural at it. But I couldn't make a living at Blacksmithing. I could also do the acid/base titrations in Analyl Chem better than anyone else - so much that the lecturer used to get me to do the demo to demonstrate that any klutz (taking into account my performance in the rest of the lab practice!) could do the titrations - where you have to get that last drop to just faintly colour the whole flask... :-)

So I have kept trying many things...
many many things,
many many many things...
(get the British Comedy reference?)

And that's the problems with Formal Education. Because of the physical damage in some very small areas of the brain, I have difficulty remembering cold facts - I have to remember them in a relational frame, which is why I am a natural at seeing relationships among many apparently unrelated fields - a "specialising generalist"... For open book exams I get near 100% - for things like calculus, where you need to remember the magic formulae to do the derivations/integration, I am too slow to pass the exams in the time allotted. But I am exceptional in Spherical Geometry - doing 10 years of Amateur Theatre Lighting, before getting involved in other interests. I could read the play, watch the rehersal, then see the lighting hang plot in my head... and it worked...

Same reason why I am not a Classical concert pianist - but I am good at improvising and sight reading, but hopeless at remembering more than three tunes at once... they also tend to run together, which produces some amusing results at times... :-)

The problem with those who are above average is that they tend to think that they are smarter than every body else. The ego gets in the way. I know my limitations, and am always ready to acknowledge those who are my betters, but not those who just think they are. I am happy to let them have the last word, since they need it for their ego's sake...

The old saying "Those who think they are smarter than everybody else just annoy those of us who are" is true.

I hope others, especially teachers, these days do not treat children the way I was treated at school in the 1950's.

I was abused, put down, humiliated in front of classes and the whole school, given endless "cuts" - hits on the hand with a flexible piece of cane, hundreds of hours of "handwriting practice" after school (imagine wht the result was like - we used a nib and ink in those days!)

for two main reasons -
a) my micro-motor control problem meant that handwriting and any other task involving hand-eye coordination was a disaster (I can't even read my own "chicken scratches" sometimes - makes Lecture Notes a pain! and I generate hundreds of typos, and typos while correcting the typos while doing data entry like this!),

b) and I often could complete the sentence of an average teacher, before they finished it, so I had my answer ready before they expected it, so I must have been a smart-arse too!

I was labelled as a "Problem Child". I also was treated to the "labelling as a non-person" thing, as well as nothing I did, no matter how creative, produced nothing but a put down, never any praise.

In fact the more creative I am the more hostile cloth heads are, so now I know when I get attacked, I am most likely on the right track! Only when amongst really competent people in any particular field am I given respect.

When I did the Mensa test - I failed (about 120 - below 135 - the entry point!) - but when I did the Wasir - I got Plus 5 SD!!!

Simple - because of the micromotor "clerical skills" being factored out in the Wasir, but smeared all through the Mensa style tests. I am bloody hopless at those mensa tests they publish every where. But the mensa psychologist who evaluated my results said, "unusual, but perfectly normal - that's why the Wasir was invented!"

:-)

So much for Thread Creep...

Robin
The Thread Creep! :-)

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 09:16 AM

So back to the orignal thread concept question ... :-)

Apart from a few W******, I have been treated well by those who really know well what they are talking about, and don't need to play "put-down" games for the sake of their ego.

It's a terrific resource! Thanks Max, Joe, et. al. ...

Robin

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amos
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 02:11 PM

Robin:

Not to encourage your self-absorption or anything, but what could "unusual but normal" possibly mean? Statistically rare, but still tolerable to the expert for subjective reasons?

A

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 02:30 PM

frae is nae English, busbitter

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST,Gimpy
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:14 PM

Ignored. That's how I feel. Spurned, scorned, and rejected. I had thought that people would rally to my cause and see that horses were forthwith banned from all public thoroughfares, but No! A bland silence is all I get from you philistines! Very well. Be heartless. I shall persist and endure, and in the end I shall triumph over equine perfidy and corrupt law enforcement officials!

Arthur

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amos
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 03:38 PM

Geeze, Gimpy,

You're not supposed to bring horses to this kind of a forum!!

Are we supposed to know what you're on about? These truncated references waving in the breeze -- is that a form of English humour?


A

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:20 PM

Got to be careful bringing horses here. There are a lot of people prejudiced against the idea that they can sing.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Bassic
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:39 PM

Amos, do the click on Gimpys name, look at his previous postings, add them together and it makes sence, honest!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST,Gimpy
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 06:42 PM

I had thought that the entire civilized world was already well aware of the indignities I have suffered recently, but apparently not. Very well, Amos, I shall repeat my story for your benefit:

(first posted on 26th September, 2003 on September Punch the Horse thread)

Hello, mates. I'm a big fan of Punch the Horse, having seen the band perform on several occasions. I have always been fascinated by the name of the band, and wondered what inspired it. Last night, whilst ruminating on these matters at the pub, I decided around 1 AM to take decisive action and find out for myself what was the significance of the words "Punch the Horse".

Later that night on my way home I spotted an individual of the equine persuasion (a horse, that is) lounging about in a suspicious manner in the common. I determined that I would set him right (it was a stallion, quite obviously) by giving him a smart punch on the nose. However, on approaching said stallion, and he was a big one, I noted the evil look in his eye and became wary. I also noted that he was tethered securely to a bicycle rack. Very good. Instead of punching the horse from in front where the treacherous creature might bite me, I would approach from behind, where the beast would not be so well appraised of my intentions.

In due course I had maneuvered nonchalantly to the rear of the horse, not without I think arousing some suspicion though, because he nickered at least twice and kept glancing at me nervously over his shoulder.

Still, so far so good. Now it doesn't make much sense to actually punch a horse from behind, because they are so tall, so I decided to kick the nasty blighter instead. Taking a deep breath I let him have one good solid kick to the goolies!

I regret to say that things went somewhat awry at that point. I did indeed land the kick, but the horse, although quite discomfited, had the presence of mind to kick me back, not just with one foot, but with both hind feet! It was a horrific double impact which I should not wish to ever experience again, and it propelled me a good fifteen feet, landing me upsidedown in a waste disposal container which was full of nasty, smelly trash, and sharp objects. I sustained severe and possibly permanent damage to my own personal nether parts, if you follow me, a sprained knee, a wrenched Achilles tendon, and a lacerated left nostril, as well as an acute shortage of breath for some time afterward.

Not only that. The horse turned out to be a police horse, and the constable, who had been making a phone call, arrested me as soon as he had extricated me from the aforementioned waste disposal container.

I am now charged with assaulting a police horse, resisting arrest, and disturbing the peace.

I intend to sue them for all they've got and take it all the way to Buckingham Palace if I must, until justice is done!

Arthur "Gimpy" Starling

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:12 PM

I think I found the mudcat the first or the second day on line. I did a search on Robert Johnson and found Max's museum. My eyes are not the best so I dont read a ton and so I have awful spelling . My interest in comunicating with others who have played music for years was larger than my inbarasment at my tecknicks ( see what I mean)as a typer .I think in bigger words then I can spell! Owch. Everyone has been great to me about it. A few jokes .I guess my passion for the subject matter has always been larger then my worry about looking a fool !
       What is realy amazing though was brought up by Charley Noble. I have met more musicians in my travels then I ever thought possable ! The best moment of the last few years was starting a thread on the idea of going to Yorkshire and playing music. THe invitations were amazing and the people I met and the music we played will be with me for the rest on my life.I have met and played at sesions I never would have known about !. When an information system can transend to that kind of Human place we all gain.! Are there any mudcat Marrages? Mudcat couples ? Children !
               THere are tons of very close friends here. When I miss my youth all I have to do is go to the chat room (at 6 eastern time ) and talk to all the brits there about towns I did aprenticships and Jouneymanships in Wales and England.
             On all Four of my CD's I have looked through the data bace for corrections on words to songs I was doing. I even started a thread on a early 19th century tune to see if anyone had heard it. Everyone came back with a boat load of information .
            Anyway the point is this particular spot on the intenet draws real people playing real music and so has a very close nit HUMAN community . All the best and thanks for asking the question.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: smallpiper
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:13 PM

Hey Kitchenpiper I object to your appology! It is never above anyones station to make a request for info on the cat. Some times you get answers that you don't expect but that's got to be ok, hasn't it? All part of this slightly demented community and that has to inform your subject. Also I have never understood the tendency of some people to wear soggy over cooked potato products as apparel - buyt fully respect their right to do so (even if they probably just deserve a slap).

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amos
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 07:55 PM

Gimpy:

I can withdraw the charges of resorting to obscure referents, and thanks. I would like to replace them with charges of irresponsibility for one's own actions in the first degree, whinging with the intent to Ignore Facts, and emotional vulcanism in public places with a blunt instrument, viz., a British sense of humour. However, in light of your cooperative attitude, all charges shall be dropped forthwith.

A

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 08:16 PM

Guy Wolff--there are at least two Mudcat marriages and MANY close friendships...and musical get-togethers without number! Add to that the advice proffered on everything under the sun (including spell checkers! *grin*), and you can only be awed...

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 08:18 PM

C-Flat: There are some extremely clever and academic regulars, some outrageously funny regulars and the occassional outrageously unpleasant regular but, because this site has a common theme, one which most of us here share a passion for, you keep returning and, in doing so, begin to recognise and be familiar with dozens of names.
I agree. At the very beginning, I tended to feel that these names/people were fictional personas but it wasn't long before I was - and remain - in awe of the talent, heart and brain of so very many people.   


(Gimpy, I imagine both you and the equine will find life simpler, if not as full, without your nether bits. Be grateful.)

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 08:28 PM

Thanks Bill I thought so(about the marrages ) but didnt follow closly enough to say so ! So how do you get a spell check in here. I could go out to my Appleworks and write something and Paiste i guess but Im to into it to go that route. Anyway i like lettinmg my hair down here.. YAHOOY .. All the best , Guy

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 10:34 PM

When i first started to "Mudcat"...I was totally intimated...I don't play an instrument....I don't know very much about folkmusic..and I don't have very much to offer as a "Catter". BUT... I do sing...and I do think that musicians are godlike and I do check in everyday and I do read most of the threads. Yes...everyday! ... for the past 4 years! Call me crazy...whatever... this place is my community... and I know without a doubt that if needs ever be.. someone from this place will be there for me.
LL

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 10:44 PM

well, Guy, if you can install a little program, you can have a little spell checker running for everything you do..

TinySpell will check for you as you type and *ding* at you if it sees something 'wrong'. You can teach it special words, too!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Mickey191
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 12:04 AM

I came on this great site about 3 years ago, but have been more or less absent for the last year. Was given a webtv set up & somehow lucked out and found Mudcat and all it's wonderful inhabitants. I was welcomed warmly, shared my love of music, given advice on the following troubling issues: my barking pomeranion, my cousin whom I was thinking of suing for a bad debt, breast cancer, cremation, lyrics to 7 or 8 Irish songs, some words in Spanish to welcome a neighbor's baby, and lastly the model number of a good sound flush toilet. Oh yes, and the news that our northern neighbor (Canada) may be a good source if I wanted to smuggle said porcelain fixture in to N.Y.

I've felt a warm welcome from day one. I'm back with a few tales to tell. Slainté, Mickey 191

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: smallpiper
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 04:17 AM

spelling is a mere convention .. one which I do not always choose to follow, and am very often being got at by people who take spelling personally. To almost (its not actually possible because he changes by the minute)jOhn from hull "this is not a spullung site this is a music site so f you don't like it you can get lost" But he's only almost right this is a music site but that is just an excuse for one of the best community sites on the net. I love it 'ere and am being edumucated and amused every day by my fellow catters and our estimed visitors.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST,just a guest
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 06:39 AM

I loved mudcat as a newbie & had a name etc, but am jaded now & just mostly post as a guest - mainly because I don't like to trip across my former selves.
I find it all a bit too "noisy" now & try not to get too drawn into the chit-chat side.
As a newbie though - it was a very welcoming place with plenty of advice offered & no ridicule if I posted a stupid question. As in life, some characters you take to & some you don't. Didn't take long to find my way around - because being new you are full of enthusiasm & like to poke about & see what everything does. Was first experience of online comunity, & not at all scarey. More scarey nowadays probably since querulousness became so popular!
As a newbie I was curious about other members in real life & made effort to meet some. Not so sure now that that really works for me though.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 06:41 AM

A good spellchecker - http://www.hotlingo.com/

The evaluation download version lasts as long as you want it, and the FAQ on the site says it's fine not to pay anything, so long as you recommend it to other people. Which I do.

Like any spellchecker, it's not just for mispellings, it picks up the mis-typings as well. For me that is a lot more important, because I am very prone to doing those.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From:
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 07:01 AM

I first used mudcat when I was at university and it proved to be a valuable tool for research and help. I graduated firm uni 2 years ago and decided to stay on mudcat and got myself a name. I have always felt welcome and at home here apart from a run in or two with a certain GUEST but in the whole it has been a wonderful experience.

I have made some very good and close friends here on mudcat. I have met many of them at gatherings all over the UK. The furthest I have travelled for a Gathering is to Northern Ireland and it was great. I am aiming to get to the Getaway next year.....still saving the pennies as I would like to spend 2 weeks or so over in the US and meet up with some people I have spoken to so much in the chat room and feel I know really well.

The Mudcat is a great tool for finding music and song words and sessions and gatherings. It is also a great support network. The catter population will always be there for you to support you through the hard times we all have and they are there to celebrate with you all your successes and happinesses!

Bright Blessings

Khatt

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Guy Wolff
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 06:56 PM

Bill D and McGrath of Harlow thanks for the spell check. Having a mac we will see. THanks anyway and with people like John fron Hull around I am much more at ease about the whole thing !! Also in the chat roon just try spelling ..HA                                 
                                     All the best , Guy
                What a great place though . More soon

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 09:43 PM

ah, McGrath, that HotLingo program says it is ONLY for Microsoft products...particularly IE5 or above. I hate to see this trend where M$ wants only programs that conform to their specs and require their products. I guess I will stick with TinySpell, which works by monitoring my keyboard no matter where I am typing...in the chat room, in the reply box, in Opera, in Netscape...

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Amos
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 09:50 PM

Guy Wolfe:

IE5.x running under OS X for the Mac will spellcheck in real time as you go along and recommend corrections.

A

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 Sep 03 - 10:35 PM

Guydarlin'...I love seeing your own take on spelling, don't worry about it; besides, you're in good company...there are others whose minds get ahead of their fingers!:-)

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 01:19 PM

I was going to explain why I can only understand English/Scots and how Some people think that Scots isn't an official language, then I thought why should I, it's a wast of time.
Because there are people who just don't undesrtand, or don't want to understand, so Goodbye.
Tom

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 01:20 PM

PS.
Oh before I go thanks Kitchen Piper for the answer.

Tom
Goodbye.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 01:41 PM

I see "Busbitter frae Saltcoats Scotland" is now retrospectively renamed as "Crabbit from Saltcoats Scotland". I didn't know you could do that.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 01:47 PM

Give it a rest, McGrath, eh? If I remember correctly, busbiter posted as a guest, always. Now he's chosen a membership name. So what? I'm glad to see another join up and able to receive PMs.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST,MMario
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 03:57 PM

McGrath - anyone posting as a member can go in and change their name - and when they do all their posts change name with it.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST,Woody
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 06:21 PM

How do I feel? How do you think I feel? I am in a prolonged state of Freudian/Jungian angst that has me eating shrimps at 3 in the morning and chewing my nails to the quick! None of my friends understand me in the least, and they probably wouldn't like me any better if they did. I'm surrounded by insensitive cretins who like playing squash and watching NASCAR and jabbering on videophones. Women still attract me, but I can't deal with the complications. Yesterday my dog peed on my slippers! Other men's dogs fetch their slippers, mine pees on them. My analyst says that the dog is simply responding to my own unexpressed violence in the only way he knows how! This is what I get for 35 years of analysis at a cost which is now exceeding $23,000 a year...a dog who responds to my unexpressed violence. The little bastard is going to have to respond to my fully expressed violence if he keeps it up.

I am bereft. I feel like a guy trying to sell snow in Inuktitut. I've made a series of brilliant films, absolutely brilliant, but no one really understands them, least of all the Academy. There's an anti-Semitic thing going on out there that you just wouldn't believe, and I am one of its key recipients. There's no reason, none whatsoever, that I shouldn't be as big as Cher right now...well, not if you discount the fact that I'm shorter than anyone except Danny De Vito and have thinning hair and a potbelly...but look, if I had had even half the plastic surgery in my life that that horse-faced virago has had in her life I would look pretty good. Okay, I wouldn't be an adonis, but I'd look good, at least what I'd call "good".

I'd look okay, all right?

I could go on about this at some length, but I'm not under any illusions about how much you all care. Genius is never appreciated in its own time. I'm going to go and drown myself in Kirkegard and listen to obscure jazz records that you people probably never even heard of. Then I'm going to write another screenplay that will be so brilliant that no one will understand it, not even my analyst. That'll teach him. He thinks he's so detached and objective. Ha!

In another time and place they'd have put him out on the ice as unfit for survival.

Woody

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: smallpiper
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 07:12 PM

GUEST Woody you're a feckin genius man, a feckin genius!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 08:11 PM

I wasn't trying to harass busbitter/crabbit - my point was that, in saying he or she only understood English, while having a name in Scots, on the face of it, this implied that Scots is not a language distinct from English. But it is.

"..anyone posting as a member can go in and change their name - and when they do all their posts change name with it."

I never knew that. It could get rather confusing - any other posts using the old name would become pretty hard to make sense of. The reason I raised it in my last post was because otherwise my earlier posts referring to the former name would be needlessly puzzling.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 Sep 03 - 08:24 PM

McGrath, thanks for explaining, but I took his posting to mean he understood English as opposed to "computerese" of which there is a fair bit in this thread.

kat

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 03:44 AM

I joined to find some half-remembered lyrics, before I knew what had happened, a snake-oil salesman called Catspaw had got me a job emptying virtual bedpans in the NYCFTTS. This job was so demanding I had to eventually retire from my day job. I don't post as much (cries of "Thank God") or read as many posts now, but someone has to represent the voice of the non-performing audience, and defend the washboard & kazoo!

RtS
(PS a singer in a UK blues band last night played a shaky egg!)

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 04:53 AM

Prayer - Author Unknown

Dear Lord

Every evening as I'm lying here in bed
This tiny little prayer
Keeps running through my head.

God bless my Mom and Dad and
Bless my little pup
And look out for my sister
When things aren't looking up.

And God, there's one more thing
I wish that you could do
I hope you don't mind me asking
But please bless my computer too.

Now I know that's not normal
To bless a mother board
But just listen a second while I
Explain to you My Lord.

You see, that little metal box
Holds more to me than odds & ends
Inside those small compartments
Rest a hundred of my BEST FRIENDS

I know for sure they like me
By the kindness that they give
And this little scrap of metal
Is how I travel to where they live.

My faith is how I know them
Much the same as you
I share in what life brings them
From that our friendship grew.

PLEASE take an extra minute
From your duties up above
To bless this scrap of metal
That's filled with so much love!

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: Tam the Bam (Nutter)
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 11:15 AM

The reason why I keep changing my mudcat name is because after a while I get bored by usiong the same name, I just like change.
And after a while I might get fed up with this name and choose something else instead.

TOM

PS.
I've been known as Bustter, Tam the bam frae Saltcoats Scotland, Tam the bam and now Crabbit frae Saltcoats Scotland. And As I say, I might change this one after a while because I get bored with the same mudcat name all the time.

I hope you understand.

Subject: RE: How did you feel as a newbie on Mudcat?
From: GUEST
Date: 01 Oct 03 - 11:18 AM

i truly like it here and thought the people were real friendly, at least with each other. later i came to realise how cliquish and egofilled alot of the people here are.