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28 May 06 - 03:55 PM (#1749164) Subject: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 I am probably damning myself by bucking the apathy, but here goes..... I hang out here a couple of times every working day, for a few minutes, and maybe once during a slow evening. When the weekend comes, I'm out doing something, gigging, sailing, whatever, and on a Sunday night I check in here to see what gives. What amazes me is who gives, and how much. There must be people here giving their entire waking hours, writing screeds and polemics that are read by (as my violing-playing friend says) literally tens of people. So my question is this. Is over-participating here like being in a bad marriage? Is it something you do and do and do, because that is what you do, and then you eventually hit one of life's flippers, and you realise it was all a terrible waste of time? |
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28 May 06 - 03:59 PM (#1749169) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk Yes. As you say. It's an addiction. An emtional and mental addiction. An attempt to fill the empty glass. When one hits a full stop in one's life, and it's really not clear just what to do next, well, then one can get addicted to just about anything. Mudcatting is probably less harmful than acoholism or hard drugs, though. Probably... |
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28 May 06 - 04:11 PM (#1749178) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Clinton Hammond What if one only Mudcats under the influence of booze and or hard drugs??? (seems to me to be the best use of this place....) |
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28 May 06 - 04:22 PM (#1749182) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Amos Clinton reveals his dark secret.... LOL!!! A |
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28 May 06 - 04:28 PM (#1749187) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk Ha! Ha! Good one, Clinton. Well....I guess that would be a pretty nasty situation, wouldn't it? Look, man, I'd be out there playing music if it gave me any satisfaction to do so. It just does not seem that important anymore. For decades it seemd of paramount importance. Things change. |
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28 May 06 - 04:30 PM (#1749189) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Don Firth Yeah, Skipjack, I've often wondered about that myself. Some folks seem to spend all their time, not just on-line, but right here on Mudcat. I spend most of the day writing (that's my job right now), but I take breaks from time to time, sometimes to pick up the guitar and practice a bit, and sometimes to check in on Mudcat. I usually check in a couple times a day. I post fairly frequently, and often quite long posts—but—I have a gimmick. Sometimes I write using the keyboard, but since I do a lot of writing, I often give my back a rest, pull up Dragon Naturally Speaking (a voice recognition program), and dictate. That's downright magical! I just talk, and the words appear on the screen! I love it! A quick proof-read, a few corrections, and it's ready to go. With a program like that, you can really crank it out (I use the same approach that Woody Guthrie did writing songs: If I crank out a lot of stuff, most of it is going to be garbage, but just by accident, I may come up with a few good things. It's all in the editing). So I don't spend as much time on the Cat as it may appear. I just don't have the kind of time some folks seem to have. But—well, politics, for example: why knock yourself out arguing with someone here on the Cat whose views you already know and know you'll never change their minds when you can spend that time and effort writing to senators, representatives, letters to the editor, that sort of thing, and possibly actually have a modicum of influence? Sometimes what I write and post in a political discussion on the Cat becomes the first draft for something that I send to Senators Murray and/or Cantwell and/or the Seattle Times op-ed page. Don Firth |
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28 May 06 - 06:29 PM (#1749251) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: katlaughing Don, do you really like that program? I've heard of it, off and on, for years and am interested. Which version do you use? Did it take long for it to recognise you voice and become accurate? I think it would help with my shoulder and carpal tunnel. Thanks! kat |
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28 May 06 - 07:15 PM (#1749273) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Uncle_DaveO "Real Life?" "Real Life?" Whaaa.....?? "So my question is this. Is over-participating here like being in a bad marriage? Is it something you do and do and do, because that is what you do, and then you eventually hit one of life's flippers, and you realise it was all a terrible waste of time?" You've been talking to my wife! No fair! Actually, I find over the last five or six months I'm more selective. I go through the list of threads more skippingly (if there's such a word), and often am off Mudcat again in 10 minutes. I must say that it's much more pleasant lately since MG is gone. Dave Oesterreich Dave Oesterreich |
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28 May 06 - 07:17 PM (#1749276) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk No question about that. |
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28 May 06 - 07:20 PM (#1749280) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Ebbie Is this a trick question? |
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28 May 06 - 07:34 PM (#1749285) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: bobad Mudcat as mythic god Zeus/Jesus/Julius Caesar/Little Hawk ? |
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28 May 06 - 07:54 PM (#1749293) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk Damn! Now that it's out I'll never have any peace! My first official act as reigning deity will be to drop Clinton Hammond stark naked into the middle of the Grand Mosque in Mecca during afternoon prayer time... |
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28 May 06 - 07:57 PM (#1749295) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk And right after that, George W. Bush and Karl Rove get the same treatment, only I'll drop them stark naked into a marketplace in Sadr City instead. |
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28 May 06 - 07:59 PM (#1749298) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: pdq Mudcat is real. It's life that is an illusion. |
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28 May 06 - 08:15 PM (#1749302) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: number 6 Interesting post .... being one of those that "hit one of life's flippers, and you realise it was all a terrible waste of time?" I can attest to there being a life outside of the Mudcat, one that I somehow forgot ... and believe me, this life outside of the Cat is much more interesting and rewarding. sIx |
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28 May 06 - 08:19 PM (#1749304) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: number 6 BTW ... my 'flipper' was a spell of consistant good weather and a vacation. Not much, but it was a good bong on the head. sIx |
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29 May 06 - 07:43 AM (#1749326) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Some of us are retired, and home a lot! When/if the weather improves and my hips are sorted, I shall be AWOL from the Mudcat more often, and the sooner the better! Giok |
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29 May 06 - 08:09 AM (#1749336) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: hilda fish Mudcat seems to be the only way these days I hear the good and the bad news about nice people such as yourself Giok. How would we have ever met without Mudcat time? How is the hip progressing? |
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29 May 06 - 08:19 AM (#1749343) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: nutty My Mudcat 'addiction' helped to solve my real addiction --- to cigarettes. When I was trying to give up smoking, whenever I felt like a cigarette I used to come into theback room ad log onto Mudcat. I had a lot of support from the Mudcat community so reading helpful threads took my mind off my problems. I still tend to use the same pattern for logging onto Mudcat.... after meals. My Mudcat addiction is still beneficial in so many ways, most important is the lovely people I've met - both on line and face to face. |
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29 May 06 - 08:20 AM (#1749344) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 Amen to that, Hilda. No one is more appreciative of this community than me, as I have made countless friends worldwide, and enjoyed six Eurogatherings to boot. My point was very specifically 'over participation' to the exclusion of stuff we did before the electric internet came along. BTW, good point, John, there are them as have mobility issues to the degree that the internet is access to the outside world, and where better to be than here. |
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29 May 06 - 10:30 AM (#1749418) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: bbc Mudcat, as an entity, may not be real life, but (at least some of) the folks in it are. Some have become dear friends; some have taught me things about music. Those are the things I cherish & the reason I check in most days. Yes, I *do* have a "real" life, too. Sometimes it's good & sometimes it's bad--just like Mudcat. best, bbc |
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29 May 06 - 11:03 AM (#1749442) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Big Al Whittle Its a sort of alternative folkscene for many of us. you get to hear of a lot of artists who haven't got major recoding deals and the muscle that goes with that. and also you can talk about the practicalities of music making. If you have a technical problem - you will early always find someone on here who has dealt with it - and that's better than boring your friends by agonising over what to do. The ones I feel sorry for are the poor sods who come on mudcat, and get truculent. Very frequently you meet them some time later on another thread - and its all 'poor bloody me, nobody loves me' despondency. Some people manage to isolate themselves even in this most undemanding and amiable atmosphere. I suppose the relationships are superficial - compared to those who are lumbered with the physical reality of dealing with us on a day to day basis. However no relationships are perfect, and life would be a dreary business without superficial relationships to keep us going. best wishes to all al |
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29 May 06 - 11:14 AM (#1749445) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Bill D Folkies are like Left-handed, Red-headed, barbed wire collectors....they ain't so common anymore. But at Mudcat, it's possible to find folks who share that basic music interest-- which often leads to fascinating stuff about OTHER things....and it whets the mind to discuss & debate and joke. Some use this place as a tool only...others as a social club, and some only as a place to hear themselves pontificate...(fortunately, these are the minority). For me, it's a window on parts of the world I'm not likely to see in person, as well as a newspaper about people and things I'm interested in. Yes, it can be way too easy to sit here, rather than get OUT and do local things...but there are lots of other ways to waste time in the "real world", so I just try to be reasonable. A scan of my posts the last month will show a drop-off as I prepare for a craft show/folk festival....but I can pop in on breaks each day, just to be sure all you guys and gals are behaving! *grin*.... |
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29 May 06 - 11:33 AM (#1749458) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: jimmyt Bill!@!! Maybe you have hit on it for me!!! I am left handed and red headed! I just didn't know about the BARBED WIRE!!! I am off to load the pickup and get some leather gloves! My vortex is in sight! |
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29 May 06 - 11:39 AM (#1749462) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Bill D jimmy...be sure to get all the info first! http://www.antiquebarbedwiresociety.com/ See! |
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29 May 06 - 11:44 AM (#1749465) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: pdq Let's all send jimmyt our best samples of barbed wire... Devil's rope |
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29 May 06 - 11:49 AM (#1749468) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Stilly River Sage Ha! I'm not using Mudcat as much, and though I still read the BS section and post to a few, I spend more time "upstairs" these days, mostly reading and occasionally posting. The moment came for me a while back when I accidentally lobbed a standard Mudcat retort back--on a scholarly thread. Geez. The target wrote back channel and said he didn't think he deserved that response, and I apologized and told him that because we were discussing one of the "hot button" topics that I was just too quick on the draw (it was--had to do with hunting). I decided right then to take to heart what I already understood: that Mudcat can be a bad influence if you let it. It's too easy to let people with nothing better to do BUT argue drag you into those verbal slugfests. Do that often enough here and it becomes a habit elsewhere. I can't afford to start any those kinds of pitched battles in my scholarly lists, so I have mostly just been reading those, also, not posting much. Breathing space. SRS |
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29 May 06 - 01:29 PM (#1749511) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Don Firth Hi, Kat, I have Dragon NaturallySpeaking 7 Preferred and I'm planning on upgrading to version 8. I got mine for $99.00 on a special, but for some reason (change of management, I think) they no longer discount it. List price is $199.00. But you can get version 8 from Amazon now with a combined discount and rebate that brings it down to $79.99. Not bad! Clicky I like it really well. It takes awhile for the program and the user to train each other, but that's no problem. You get some text on the CD (novel and short story excerpts and a business document or two) that you read into the program so it can get used to you voice, pronunciation, pace, etc. Maybe about an hour's worth, but the more you do it, the more accurate the program gets. Then as you use it, if it goofs on a word or if you use a word that isn't in its vocabulary, you can correct it on the spot. Good to do consistently, because that's the way it adds to its vocabulary, and the next time it gets it right. It can be a little frustrating for the first week or two that you use it, but the more you use it and make corrections, the better it gets. But even so, just like with typing, it pays to proof-read. A little oddity that takes some getting used to is that you have to say the punctuation. "Comma, semi-colon, period" and so on wherever you want the comma, semi-colon, or period to go. Not quite like Victor Borge's "Phonetic Punctuation," but close. Although I haven't used it that way very much, it's also suppose to be able to operate a lot of Windows functions by voice command. I'd say for shoulder and carpal tunnel problems, it would be a good investment. And kinda fun, too, watching the words appear on the screen as you speak. Don Firth |
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29 May 06 - 01:58 PM (#1749525) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Leadfingers As an Early Retired Pro Muso , I am home quite a lot and find that Mudcat is not only Inexpensive but is one of the few activities I have found which is NOT Illegal (YET) , Immoral (Well , not ALL the time) or fattening (I can ignore the Recipe threads) |
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29 May 06 - 02:12 PM (#1749527) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Ron Davies If you like to debate, hearing somebody else's views can help you to hone your own skills--and there are a lot of intelligent, articulate people who post--even on BS threads. And adjustment of one's views is possible. There's wit and humor of various types. And it's even possible to learn a fair amount. Case in point-- thanks to AR282 and his views on Caesar and Jesus, I've been given the impetus to find out about Bruno Bauer. It's always worth it to learn more--though there may be admittedly pressure on the home front to Mudcat less. It helps that the one person who only posted in order to pull chains-- in the most vulgar and despicable manner possible--is--finally-- no longer with us. Added to which, it's always fun to meet Mudcatters--since we're all by definition music people in some context. As some posters have already indicated, there's no hard and fast line between Mudcat and "real life". Mudcat is part of "real life". |
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29 May 06 - 02:35 PM (#1749540) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: katlaughing LOL, Leadfingers...good reasons to Mudcat!! Don, thanks so much. I'd looked at version 8 and have pretty much decided that's the one I want. Thanks for the link, that's a great price! I am about to input my granmother's 75 page or so memoirs and it'd be a lot easier on my bod to read it in, rather than type! kat |
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29 May 06 - 02:47 PM (#1749546) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: CarolC My life is so drastically changed (for the better) because of the Mudcat, I can't really imagine what I would be doing had I not found it. I know I would probably have a lot less going on in "real life" had I not started participating in the Mudcat than I do now. So for me the question of what I would be doing if not participating here is one I don't like to contemplate. |
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29 May 06 - 03:36 PM (#1749569) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Barb Dwyer Who is this jimmyt and why have I been abducted/"collected" to be sent to him? Is he the same Jimmyt who is said to have conquered the Tartar Invasion? Is it true he wants to experiment with my denatalia? I keep hearing about "cats going down" from the next room, and I'm scared for my life! A computer I found where I'm being kept was set to this site. Can someone here save me from an uncertain fate? Will someone named "Joe" toss out my urgent plea for help as "second -guest thread drift", (whatever that may be)? Help Me, Please! Barb Dwyer from Tuscaloosa |
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29 May 06 - 03:42 PM (#1749572) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Amos Barb: The problem is JimmyT sees you as his Personal Vortex. Now, I am sure hundreds of men would like to make such a claim on you, but JimmyT has made it. But don't worry too much -- being someone's Personal Vortex can be quite rewarding. Just make sure to keep the flows balanced, so to speak. You may be in a unique position with JimmyT presently. Be sure and take full advantage if you are in such a position. A |
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29 May 06 - 03:59 PM (#1749576) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: gnu I have a question regarding Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Can two users on the same computer use this program or is it just a "one-user". Of course, I ask this on behalf of Clinton, as he sometimes posts sober. Well, I can only assume such. This could cause a problem as Dragon, if he were to post sober, may not recognize words which are not slurred. Having said that, I will also say that I only poke fun at Clinton because of his earlier post and because I know he doesn't give a shit... and is likely having a good laugh. And, well, anyone who knows me knows it's a legitimate question on my own behalf as well. So... more than one user per Dragon? |
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29 May 06 - 04:38 PM (#1749592) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Severn Slurring his speech, or just dragon his words out a little? Drawl your own conclusions......I certainly do. |
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29 May 06 - 04:39 PM (#1749593) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: number 6 In regards to the subject of this thread and my previous posts I must clarify that I have made a few good friends here in the Cat, and hopefully I will meet some time in 'real life' one day. Overall I'm one who has spent too much time here, and realized it is time wasted. Basically most of the threads are all the same. There are people in my own community that I can share, participate, laugh with. Getting out on the salt flats at sunrise with my camera (as I did yesterday) is exhilarating. Meeting with a town councilor every now and then and having a good argument. Spending time with my grandson. Jamming with an old retired Scots guy 2 evenings a week. Jamming with some bluegrass friends weekly. Reading a book. Long walks with the hounds. A Sunday drive down along the coast with my wife. All this more meaningful than spending time here on the Cat. Hell, weeding the garden is more even more meaningful. This is what I did before I stumbled on this forum, and have realized how much I miss it. Maybe I'm lucky I can exist and enjoy, share, laugh and participate in life without the spending endless hours here on the Mudcat. L.H. … I admire your honesty in admitting to addiction as being the reason on spending your time here. sIx |
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29 May 06 - 04:49 PM (#1749596) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Amos Number 6: Well, that is a good thing to own up to -- but if coming here too often is the disease you are confronting, why are you coming here to announce it? A |
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29 May 06 - 04:56 PM (#1749599) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: number 6 I'm not owning up to a disease. ... I'm just posting to the subject of the thread .. I'm one who has spent too much time here. sIx |
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29 May 06 - 06:25 PM (#1749663) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: CarolC In my case, number six, I met my husband here in the Mudcat. I realize this is not a common experience for people, but in my case, my 3D life is made very much more rich and full as a result of my having spent time here. And a side result of getting together with my husband has been that we have moved to a town that my son has also decided to move to, and for this reason, I get to see my son two or three times a week as opposed to two or three times a year, which was the case just a short while ago. And of course, my only ever accordion teacher, and the person whose accordion playing I most respect and enjoy (of all the accordion players in the world... you know who you are, Skipjack) is someone I met because of being here in the Mudcat. So my musical life has been greatly enriched and enhanced by my involvememt here. So for me, there just isn't any downside. If I don't have time or the inclination to post, I don't post. But my involvement here has been nothing but beneficial for me. |
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29 May 06 - 06:31 PM (#1749668) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Don Firth Gnu, I'm not really sure if Naturally Speaking can be used by more than one person or not. I started out with an earlier version and I think it could be, but you would had to set up separate vocabulary and speech files for each user. But when I got the version 7 upgrade, I think they may have rescinded that feature, limiting it to one user only (#%&*@#%! Money-grubbing bas**rds!). But I couldn't swear to that (!). I just did a little arithmetic, and instead of buying the upgrade from version 7 to version 8 for $99, I'm going to get a whole new complete version 8 (comes with a headset with mike) for $79 from Amazon. I'm gonna order it right now! So as soon as I find out for sure about the multible user possibilities, I'll let you know. Don Firth |
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29 May 06 - 06:34 PM (#1749673) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Little Hawk Congratulations on kicking the habit, Number 6! |
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29 May 06 - 07:39 PM (#1749717) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 Don, firstly I must say that I always enjoy your writing, or dictation, as it turns out, and I appreciate your temperate and intelligent contributions here. Secondly, I must fall on my sword, or its mightier cousin in the country governed by truly just men, my pen, and admit I have just bought the voice recognition programme you recommend. It was a revelation to me that here in good ol' Mudcat BS section, I have found what I hope is the answer to the big problem of my day job. I generate income by phone. I have to type a lot of stuff to document the transactions, specifications, quieries, complaints etc, which severely limits the time I'm on the phone generating income. Considering that there are chipanzees typing Shakespeare faster than I bungle two finger stabbing, it should improve business life immeasurably. Given my point of departure in this thread, and my arrival at this point, I guess I should promise not to abuse the bandwidth here with the new programme! Thank you, sir. |
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29 May 06 - 07:52 PM (#1749721) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Don Firth Great, Skipjack! I hope it works well for you. As I said I was going to do above, I just ordered it, version 8 Preferred, from Amazon (went through Mudcat, of course). Two rebate coupons downloaded, one for $50 and one for $20. Every little bit helps. Don Firth |
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29 May 06 - 08:52 PM (#1749750) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: katlaughing The rebates are only if you've had an earlier version, the way I read it, Don. Am I missing something? I'll bite the bullet, anyway, but just want to make sure I read it correctly. Tks! Kewl, Skipjack8! |
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29 May 06 - 09:12 PM (#1749760) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: jimmyt the skip does in fact generate income by phone and I have the 1-900- naked-accordianist bills to prove it...but money well spent I maght add |
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29 May 06 - 09:29 PM (#1749772) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: jimmyt I never been to Tuscaloosa, but I been to Oklahoma...Well I'm lookin' for my vortex, and I'm wearin' layers of spandex... |
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29 May 06 - 11:56 PM (#1749818) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Stephen L. Rich "Real life"? I've heard of the that. Do people actually do such things? Stephen Lee |
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30 May 06 - 01:02 AM (#1749832) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Stilly River Sage "BarbDwyer": that's an old pun that I've laid claim to for years, actually being an owner of the second, more significant of the two names appropriated to make it come about. Just so you know! Skipjack, I should make a point here--Don has a great speaking voice and articulates very clearly, always did, even before this software that he says required some practice to use. So don't be disappointed if it takes a week or two longer than it took Don to master this program. Don, I wonder if you could modify it to let you use Borge's punctuation? As long as you didn't spit on your microphone I think it would be a very interesting way to dictate. SRS (the real McCoy) |
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30 May 06 - 02:36 AM (#1749841) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: skarpi hehehehehehe Greg don´t you have anything better to do with time :>) "joke" Greg if it weren´t for MUDCAT I would not have all thouse friends around the world .......... All the best Skarpi Iceland. |
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30 May 06 - 03:40 AM (#1749849) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 James, your bills take the longest, but give me the greatest satisfaction. It's the only time I get the dentist to say 'Aaaaaahhhhh'. Could you give me CarolC's number? I want to make sure she sticks to calendar work, and leaves the 1-900 business to us professionals. |
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30 May 06 - 03:53 AM (#1749854) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie I assume that the next thing we will hear from Jimmy T is the announcement of a new 'Barb Dwyer Thong' I don't know about any of the rest of you guys but I for one wouldn't dream of wearing a 'Barb Dwyer Thong', it might give me a prick if I Ben Dover. Giok |
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30 May 06 - 03:58 AM (#1749857) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: redsnapper There is a CarolC calendar? Where can I get one! (;>) RS |
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30 May 06 - 05:27 AM (#1749893) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Dewey Life is too short for mudcat, in fact, life is too short for most things in general. You will REGRET spending TOO much time here. Sorry if this sounds rude to ya'll but... Can't imagine a purposeful Mother Teresa, a Ghandi, a Billy Graham, a Donald Trump, etc. devoting their leasure time to trying to prove Shambles, Martin Gibson etc. to be trouble makers etc. I use mudcat as a resource, and for occasional entertainment. Mostly though as a music resource. Mudcat is a wasted forum where one can pretty much say whatever one wants, and then slip away for a couple of years, only to find out that the people, one was once cat fighting with in that time period, are still reviving one's old threads, still discussing censorship, and still deciding amongst themselves: who can stay? what and who should, or shouldn't be banned?. Real progress folks! Like mentioned above, even my anti-christ thread, which some claimed to find "offensive" , was recently revived in my absense. And the thread "Bill D. Hates Christianity/Dewey hates Judiasm" (fully edited from the original) which I illegally posted as a joke, vowing I would never post on mudcat again as I was offended by the restriction of not being able to mention christianity in posts, even when it was relevant to the topic mentioned in a particuliar thread. The Original Troll thread I posted was ONLY "Bill D. hates Christianity" (PERIOD) But it is now STILL tagged with additional insult added by the MUDCAT EDITOR(interestingly, the very person whose job it is to ELIMINATE the offense) It is still in the database as a "substantitive" reference for any to look up :-) Back then, I said, "I'm outta here Mudcatter's Get a Life" I'll still say it again now, both to Mudcat and the editor in particuliar (which was NOT Max). Two years later. Max doesn't like what is going on in the B.S. section. Amazingly at the same time, it is from his very own computer command center that he's is wasting his time in complaint rather than in action. MAX: Set your website up to promote folk music, only, eliminate the B.S. section and you will eliminate the problems. Mudcat membership pledges are shrinking because the site is more B.S. than music. Max, you need to decide whether you are in the folk music hosting business, or in the B.S. hosting business. If you are in the B.S. hosting business, you can expect continued problems. Especially since you editors, are just as human and just as offensive as those they claim they are regulating for everyone elses good. Everyone has opinions, even your "editors". Eliminate the mudcat blue-bloods in particular by eliminating the NEED for them. It's harder to disagree about music, than it is about politics, religion and philosophy. Like Little Hawk said in one of his posts, "Politics is the great divider, it makes enemies out of people that would otherwise become good friends" |
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30 May 06 - 05:40 AM (#1749898) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Well Dewey if it made me as bitter and resentful as you, I would give it up too. BTW, what brought you back? G. |
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30 May 06 - 06:15 AM (#1749911) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: The Fooles Troupe Marty Left, Dewey Right. |
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30 May 06 - 06:51 AM (#1749921) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Paco Rabanne That was an excellent and well reasoned post by Dewey. |
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30 May 06 - 07:30 AM (#1749934) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,jOhn I used to look at mudcat all the time, but it started getting a bit rubbish, (too many moany people, and to many argues, etc), so i just look wehn i can be arsed. |
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30 May 06 - 09:19 AM (#1749997) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Big Al Whittle we all miss you jOhn |
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30 May 06 - 10:31 AM (#1750044) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori It seems that while Martin Gibson was so busy posting his hate here, no one needed to take notice of how rude the Mudcat regulars have become. I started a thread that is a stellar example of how badly behaved people are here. It wasn't always like this. Speaking of life out of balance, etc. And as Dewey points out above, it is the editors who are some of the rudest people of the bunch. Not much anyone can do about though, because when the people who run the place are this rude and ill mannered, there is no hope whatsoever for the rest of us having an effect. The editors are always very quick to preach to others in a pot calling kettle black sort of way. I've never spent the amount of time here that the regulars do. But still, it is just pathetic to see what this place has become. I had high hopes things would improve if Martin Gibson left. Instead, the reality seems to be a whole group of mini-MGs now rule the roost. Depressing, really. |
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30 May 06 - 10:45 AM (#1750054) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Well Greg now you see what happens when you try to start a philosophical discussion. The malcontents and trolls appear out of the woodwork and make negative comments. Along they come, saying they don't come here anymore, which is a lie because here they are, mouthing off about how sad the place is, and how depressed it makes them. Do they think their pearls of wisdom will do anything to improve the place? It's like the people who post saying I'm leaving and never coming back because I'm upset, why can't they just go? If you're happy stay, if you're unhappy go, and if you're looking for sympathy you'll find it in the dictionary between shit and syphillis! Giok |
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30 May 06 - 10:52 AM (#1750062) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori Because someone criticises the forum doesn't make them a troll. So how about YOU stop contributing so negatively and rudely Giok, just for starters. Why should reasonable, well mannered people be driven silently from the forum? That is what you are suggesting, Giok. That if we don't like the rude and obnoxious behavior of people like you and your friends, then WE should leave. This forum is open to the public, regardless of the private ownership of the site. A handful of boors who post here don't have a right to tell ANYONE to love it or leave it. |
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30 May 06 - 10:58 AM (#1750063) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori And Giok, Dewey didn't lie. You just chose to ignore what he actually wrote. |
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30 May 06 - 11:09 AM (#1750069) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Because someone criticises the forum doesn't make them a troll What I said, if you are not happy leave. It is rudeness to walk into somebody's house and make derogatory comments about their decor! Now if you were to say I wouldn't do it that way, what about trying it this way, that would be constructive. I'm just fed up with people coming here under assumed names making rude comments. It doesn't help improve the site, instead it just perpetuates what they are complaining about in the first place. I happen to like the site, and feel that it is improving again now that certain contributors have left. How about some positive thoughts? Giok |
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30 May 06 - 11:10 AM (#1750070) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: pdq GUEST, Sori says: "This forum is open to the public, regardless of the private ownership of the site. A handful of boors who post here don't have a right to tell ANYONE to love it or leave it." Thank you very much. It would be hard for anyone to say it any better. |
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30 May 06 - 11:21 AM (#1750076) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: LilyFestre Hmmm. I opened this thread thinking it would be about the balance of what is REALLY going on in one's own life vs. what BS they try to pawn off as reality on Mudcat. For some, the scale tilts heavily in the BS department. Michelle |
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30 May 06 - 11:21 AM (#1750077) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,TC If they don't like it why do they come here? |
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30 May 06 - 11:28 AM (#1750079) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori I can answer that easily, Guest TC. They come here because they once did enjoy it, and they hope that by making their feelings known about the change for the worse they have seen, the decline of manners and decency, will be viewed as the constructive criticism it is. Taking a rude and defiant 'sweep all discontent under the rug' stance like Giok does, serves no purpose other than to heap negativity upon those who dare to stand up to the mean and nasty people who run the place these days. Standing up for something that is floundering, as this forum is, does require a backbone. |
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30 May 06 - 11:47 AM (#1750093) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Big Al Whittle Mudcat is a magnificent achievement - a real oasis of civilisation, most of the time. There are those who mistake their opinions for unquestionable fact. Like (I think) Weber said, perhaps the dysfunctional are functional in their own way, they 're there to serve as an unpleasant example of how bitter the human tongue can pour it out - they unite the rest of us. |
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30 May 06 - 12:19 PM (#1750112) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST 'Standing up for something that is floundering, as this forum is, does require a backbone.' The nameless one would know. Minnesota Missy threw a Hissy. |
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30 May 06 - 12:38 PM (#1750124) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori Nameless guest, to whom are you referring? And why are you attempting to cast aspersions on them? |
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30 May 06 - 01:58 PM (#1750148) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John Hardly I just sit down at the computer all day, every day, and hit the "refresh" button on the mudcat every five minutes. I wear Depends so that I never have to take my eyes off the screen. The current pair of Depends is 8 days old and I need to change it soon. Maybe later this week. I don't eat solid food because that makes me have to use more of my Depends. I have a diminishing stack of them set up next to the computer, and I hate to use them up. Medicare pays for the nurse that comes over and refreshes my intravenous feeding. I have voice recognition software so that I don't have to take my eyes off of the screen to look at the keypad. I don't want to miss anything. I open every thread every day and I post to each of them at least once. Twice on the MOAB thread. I haven't seen a real person in five years. My dog brings me my mail, but I don't read it because I would have to take my eyes off of the computer screen in order to do so. I haven't seen my dog in four years. I can smell him though. He stopped using the dog door about three years ago. I think he's been reading the mudcat over my shoulder for some time now. I know the cat has been. I don't play or listen to music anymore. Yes, I know -- that's not that unusual here. |
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30 May 06 - 02:04 PM (#1750156) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Deckman Hi, Bob, the DECKMAN here. Perhaps against my better judgement, I'm going to post a reponse to this well placed thread: I started being a MC reguliar after dear friend Don Firth turned me onto it probably four years ago. I quickly became hooked. There's no doubt that, early on, I "wasted" waaay too much time perusing the threads. The upside was that I not only learned a lot about the traditional music (which I love), but I also made some serious internet friends. You know who you are. Then along came not just MG, but also the obvious unwillingness, or perhaps inability, of the "guiders" of MC to do anything about him. I was raised by an insane mother, true. Early on, I recognized similiar patterns. After a couple of years of frustrating efforts to get him barred, I finally just gave up. As a result, I've not been posting much the last 8 or 9 months. A few months ago, I once again started reading the postings occasionally. As some others have noted, I also saw the decline in the "quality" of the comments. If I want to be privy to gutter talk, and constant harranging, I'll go to a tavern full of gutter talkers and bastards spoiling for a fight. I much prefer to sit out in my yard with a few friends, swapping songs and playing guitars together. I've been vitually sightless the last two months. Because of that, I have not be able to read the puter screen longer than a couple of minutes at a time. As my recovery from Rentinal surgery continues,I hope to be able to spend more time on the puter. Whether or NOT I can ever get my enthusiasm back for MC really depends on the "tone" I witness. When I read Max's "State Of The Union Address" recently, I was tempted to post: "TOO LITTLE ... TOO LATE!" A great deal of harm has been done by Max's in-action. Am I angry at him? Of course not. It's his website and he can do anything he wants with it! Will I support him financially again in the future? I 'dunno? That's a damned good question. To all my GOOD FRIENDS here ... I'm missing you and hopefully we'll be able to pick up the pieces in the future. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson |
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30 May 06 - 02:14 PM (#1750166) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori I have to agree with you, Bob. Whether or not the state of union will be too little, too late only time will tell. Now that Martin Gibson is gone, it's becoming clear who the problem posters are that are dragging the level of discussions here down into the gutter. As I said, lots of mini-MGs are left behind, and as you note, they too are always spoiling for a fight, and looking for a thread to pollute with their negativity. I think a lot of people are just now starting to wake up and smell the coffee, now that the stench of Martin Gibson has begun to fade. |
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30 May 06 - 02:57 PM (#1750192) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: open mike it wasn't "T" it was an "M" politics/polemics going thru d.t.'s from nearly a week without the cat... ahhhhhhhh getting my "fix" again.. |
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30 May 06 - 02:59 PM (#1750195) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Not sorry Now that Martin Gibson is gone, it's becoming clear who the problem posters are that are dragging the level of discussions here down into the gutter. It would seem that you are one of them. |
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30 May 06 - 04:48 PM (#1750239) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori Because I dare to stand up and name the guilty parties by name? I'm sure that does make me troublesome to the guilty. And proud to be a thorn in their side, thank you very much. |
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30 May 06 - 06:13 PM (#1750282) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Azizi Like others have noted in this thread, for some persons who read Mudcat threads and post on Mudcat, doing so becomes a part of their real life. It has become so for me. I like being a member of the Mudcat community. I like reading threads that stimulate my mind and provide different perspectives on subjects that I am somewhat familiar with or completely unfamiliar with. I also like being able to kick back, relax, and enjoy myself with friends I have met throughout the world. Along with others, I have very much disliked and sometimes been dismayed at the different stances and attitudes and actions that I have witnessed from some persons on Mudcat. However, I recognize that in any community, people aren't going to get along with everyone. Sure there are problems in this community-as they are in any community where people live and interact. The problem within the Mudcat community that I'm most concerned about is not that there are different groups of people and that some people within different circles don't get along with others. As far as I'm concerned, such is life. However, my overarching concern is that-in my opinion, there have been times when moderators have not been fair, and consistent in their deletion of individual's threads or posts. dividual's posts and threads. What I want within Mudcat is fair, just, and equitable treatment of folks without regard to who they are,how long they have been on Mudcat, or other indices. I recall that Max indicated that he would provide additional information about Mudcat in another thread in a week or two. I look forward to that thread in the hope that this issue will be addressed. While I wait for Max's next thread, I intend to continue contributing to threads, and starting new threads if the spirit moves me. I also intend to continue to be careful in my responses or not respond at all-in public threads or in pms-to comments that I consider to be contentious. This is my choice. Others can do as the spirit moves them. In continuing to start threads and write posts, I'm striving to contribute to the health & wellbeing of this community which has become so integral a part of my real life. I want to be part of the solution here, and not part of the problem. |
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30 May 06 - 06:21 PM (#1750288) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: wysiwyg John Hardly, there's hope. The next box of Depends we get at our parish thrift shop (people pass on and pass things on)-- I promise, it has your name on it. ~Susan |
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30 May 06 - 06:32 PM (#1750296) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Amos Get it said, 'Zizi!! You are so full of right attitude you sound like music all by your lonesome! A |
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30 May 06 - 06:33 PM (#1750300) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Who's Sori now? Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa |
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30 May 06 - 07:55 PM (#1750330) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori Oh, you're from Wales? Do you know a fella named Jonah? He lived in whales for awhile. |
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30 May 06 - 09:50 PM (#1750371) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Bobert Well, not to sound smug but... ... I have met the enemy and it is Mudcat, lol.... But seriously, in the past I have spent hours a day here... I'm too busy fir that now so I check in a couple times a day.... May expalin why I dopn't get as many PM's these days... PM's are directly porportionate to the hours one is willing to throw at this joint... I just don't have them these days... Too busy... But, hey, I should get credit fir showin' up everyday, even if it is fir jsu' a little here an there... I AM CONCERNED (sorry fir screamin') about a couple of my frineds here who obviously could be making better use of their time... No names, please... They know who they are... Addictions are costly.... Bobert |
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31 May 06 - 09:04 AM (#1750585) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John Hardly "John Hardly, there's hope. The next box of Depends we get at our parish thrift shop (people pass on and pass things on)-- I promise, it has your name on it." Wow. that's the nicest thing a mudcatter has ever done for me! Imagine.......my very own monogrammed depends! |
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31 May 06 - 11:16 AM (#1750633) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: TheBigPinkLad Oh, you're from Wales? Do you know a fella named Jonah? He lived in whales for awhile. Hey ... was that a humorous, off-topic, post, Sori? ;0) |
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31 May 06 - 11:22 AM (#1750637) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,quarcoo I couldn't have agreed with you more Aziz. BTW, still in the bush. Quarcoo. |
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31 May 06 - 11:27 AM (#1750640) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,bbc at work The balance is finding & keeping the info & people in Mudcat that enhance your life & avoiding the threads & people that have a negative effect on you. For each of us, that balance is different, but I think the concept is valid. No need to moan about what's right/wrong; just find your place in the order of things & get on w/ life. best, bbc |
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31 May 06 - 11:34 AM (#1750642) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: number 6 "No need to moan about what's right/wrong; just find your place in the order of things & get on w/ life." .. well said bbc sIx |
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31 May 06 - 12:57 PM (#1750661) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,MrMr Actually, the problem with some, if I am understanding the drift of opinions here, is that this place IS their life. That is as unhealthy here, as it is anywhere online, whether in forums, using IM chat excessively, gambling, porn, whatever. If your life is disappearing into the computer screen, that's a problem. The other theme in this thread seems to be about control and power issues here. In that regard, some people really do need to get a life. Azizi said it well when she said her concern was with unfair and unequal treatment of forum participants. In this and other threads, I also notice people (not Shambles) commenting more and more frequently about editorial abuses of authority, power, and control over others. IMO, Max should take a serious look at recruiting new clones, regardless of how well (or not) they are doing. When perceptions like this are of this magnitude, it is a sure sign it's time to shake up management. |
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31 May 06 - 01:20 PM (#1750678) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Ebbie Question: Knowing the abuse they take, why on earth would anyone else volunteer to be a clone? I'm happy with the ones we've got. |
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31 May 06 - 01:49 PM (#1750696) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Also if you can find clones that will please all of the people all of the time, it will be a miracle. Giok |
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31 May 06 - 01:54 PM (#1750697) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Kaleea whaddya mean real? ain't this real? you mean I'm gonna wake up? |
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31 May 06 - 04:10 PM (#1750755) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST The management IS Max...you want him to shake himself up? |
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31 May 06 - 08:48 PM (#1750877) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori No one expects the Spanish Inquisition! But that is what I'm getting from the clones in another thread. It seems they fervently believe I am someone other than who I am. Amusing, yet pathetically sad at the same time. Pathetically sad that anyone would hold a grudge for as many years as Jeri and Mick have against this person. Blows the mind. |
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31 May 06 - 09:49 PM (#1750908) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: heric I'll volunteer to be a clone!!! I could delete the fucking shit out of you people! |
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31 May 06 - 10:08 PM (#1750918) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori You people?!?! Hey, some of my best friends are those people! Gentlemen, Chicolini here may talk like an idiot, and look like an idiot, but don't let that fool you: he really is an idiot. |
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31 May 06 - 10:26 PM (#1750929) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: heric Damn, Sori, I was trying to defend you on that other thread, to the extent you can be defended. Sorry you took it the wrong way. Seven years of people hating you is a tough record to defuse. |
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31 May 06 - 10:49 PM (#1750940) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Sori heric, dude. Have you never heard of the Marx Brothers? The above was meant as a joke. Sorry you took it the wrong way too. Tough gig, this internet thing. As to the seven years thing, is that more Mudcat code talking? Damn it's tough to figure YOU PEOPLE out. ;-) |
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31 May 06 - 10:56 PM (#1750941) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: heric Yes, Chico Marx was funny. "Idiot" as a joke? Okay, I'll ponder that for a very short while. Good luck on the internet thing. |
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31 May 06 - 11:36 PM (#1750956) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST the "dude" has just given you away lepus.... |
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01 Jun 06 - 12:38 AM (#1750974) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Lepus Rex Drat! ---Lepus Rex |
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15 Jun 06 - 02:44 PM (#1760863) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 Right, Don, the contraption has arrived, and I've had my IT provider weld it to the computer, there is a headset on the desk, and one of them icons on the desktop. Trouble is that there's an instruction manual a centimetre deep sitting on the desk, and I've got a serious dose of Bloke Fear. I was lucky enough to have a night out in the Natural History Museum in that London last night, for a black tie dinner. I had that nice Sandi Toksvig sitting next to me, who was the star turn. She admitted that wimmin are smarter than men, nothin' startling there, but the example she gave was that if a woman doesn't want a man to read something on her computer, she names the file 'Instruction Manual' safe in the knowledge that it will never be opened. I suppose I'm going to have to open this ghastly book. Hopefully, this will be the last time I need a keybord9! |
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15 Jun 06 - 03:34 PM (#1760881) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Doug Chadwick Name dropper! |
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15 Jun 06 - 03:37 PM (#1760884) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Eye dropper! |
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15 Jun 06 - 04:09 PM (#1760907) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 Shirt lifter? |
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15 Jun 06 - 04:54 PM (#1760943) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Ooh er Mrs. G. |
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15 Jun 06 - 04:58 PM (#1760945) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 With the help of the idiot guide, I have been able to understand this blasted system quite easily. So this is my first attempt at speaking to this blinking machine. It has taken 10 times longer to write this message because of the number of corrections, but I understand I need to train the program. I have to say I am very impressed with the program, if this is the standard right at the beginning, as I would agree that roughly 80% of the dictation is correct. In fact, that last paragraph was totally correct first time. The biggest problem I am having is making the machine recognise the word full stop. |
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15 Jun 06 - 05:34 PM (#1760962) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie How much did you pay for it Greg? G |
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15 Jun 06 - 05:40 PM (#1760969) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Skipjack K8 I got it for about £115, from a company called Ecost Software who are from Kingston upon Thames. It took one day to arrive and it has just taken me two hours to set it up properly. Dead impressed. |
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15 Jun 06 - 05:44 PM (#1760971) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: John MacKenzie Rich bastard!! G ☻ |
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15 Jun 06 - 07:28 PM (#1761019) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Don Firth Hi, Skipjack. My upgrade of Dragon Naturally Speaking Preferred to version 8 arrived a few days ago, and although I haven't had enough time to really play with it much, I've noticed that, right out of the box, it is considerably more accurate than earlier versions. Contrary to lots of software these days, the box contains a genuine bound manual (not a PDF file you have to download and print, like some) that explains step-by-step how to use the program. Logically laid out and quite "user-friendly." The more you and the program "train" each other, the more accurate it gets. "Training a new user" (page 14 in my copy of the manual) and "Adapting to your writing style" (page 16) explains how you and the program can wind up speaking the same language, and I've noted that if, from time to time, I repeat the process of reading material into the computer that the program is already familiar with, it really refines its accuracy. There is a kind of "pain in the neck" factor that can arise when it is necessary to make a lot of corrections. When I first started using the program, I felt like I was wasting an incredible amount of time correcting things. But then I noticed that, even so, I was cranking out about three times as much wordage as I did what I just typed it. Now, I don't worry about it. When it comes to dictation and voice commands, we haven't achieved the precision of the Enterprise's computer yet, but I think we'll get there a lot sooner that Gene Roddenberry anticipated. By the way, one of the neat things about the program: you can get it to read back what you have dictated. Just say "select sentence" (or "paragraph" or "document") and "read that," and this feminine sounding voice reads it to you. You can also do that with things you haven't written using Naturally Speaking as well. The voice sounds fairly human, not particularly "computerish," although there are occasional weird pronunciations. But as far as inflection and emotion is concerned, you know it's definitely not Dame Judi Dench who's reading to you. By the way, if you ask it to read a thirty-page document to you, be prepared to sit through the whole thing, because short of shooting the computer (or at least, hitting the "reset" button), I don't know of any way to stop it. Apparently you can pretty well run the whole computer with voice commands, but I haven't gotten into a lot of that yet. Have fun!! Don Firth |
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16 Jun 06 - 06:29 AM (#1761233) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Donuel Now that I have been denied the use of my website by the powers that be, I have little reason to add my unique illustrated opinion so I rarely post anywhere anymore. Its sort of like a modern day black list. As in the 50's, the artist merely fades away and outrage (if any) lasts for a few seconds and the crowd moves on. |
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16 Jun 06 - 09:22 PM (#1761884) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: GUEST,Joe_F When I was little, I got tearful if I couldn't hear my usual daily radio programs. I will not claim to have grown up since then, but my attitude has changed somewhat. I suppose I spend a couple of hours a day on the Net. In the morning, I look at Google News. Then & at various times during the day, I read my email, which includes subscriptions to half a dozen mailing lists. In the evening, I look at alt.politics.libertarian, alt.quotations, alt.suicide.holiday, alt.suicide.methods, alt.usage.english, comp.emacs, gnu.announce, gnu.emacs.announce, gnu.emacs.bug, gnu.emacs.gnus, gnu.emacs.help, gnu.misc.discuss, ne.transportation, rec.music.folk, sci.lang, alt.books.george-orwell, soc.motss, Dilbert, Doonesbury, For Better or for Worse, Danziger, Pluggers, the Mudcat, Tony Berno's blog, Martha Bridegam's blog, and Language Log. I skip almost all of that. As I have frequently remarked, here & elsewhere, the human visual system is a wonderful instrument for ignoring things. --- Joe Fineman joe_f@verizon.net ||: We ought to say, not disillusioned, but transillusioned. :|| |
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16 Jun 06 - 10:10 PM (#1761899) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Amos Donuel:: Goddamit, reboot on a nother goddamn ISP!! Don't stand still for this crap! A |
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17 Jun 06 - 11:05 AM (#1762202) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: Donuel IT feels good to be angry at the moment. As a stay at home dad for 9 years I practicaly have lost the ability to converse with adults and have communicated through pictures and poetry to retain some modicum of literacy. I will get busy the best I can but lately my best accomplishment has been procrastination. Anger was a strong motivation but so is perfection albeit very time consuming. I have spent time getting some performence skills back on the cello at the expense of other expressions. I have been doing lots of blusy jazzy forms of standards by ear and have improved technique without thinking about it so much. Real life at the moment is being amazed at my friend getting his piano concerto performed at the Kennedy Center in DC this summer. The politics and money and promotional skills to get a project like that off the ground requires as much genius as the work itself. I am in awe and humbled at what it really takes to succeed as a world class artist/composer. |
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18 Jun 06 - 06:58 AM (#1762690) Subject: RE: BS: Balancing Mudcat and real life From: freda underhill Donuel as you know many of us here are in awe of your talent. However you express it, your creative ideas are astounding. Good luck in this next phase, freda |