Timewaster's Guide Archive

General => Rants and Stuff => Topic started by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on September 12, 2003, 05:58:02 PM

Title: Funny
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on September 12, 2003, 05:58:02 PM
I like Dave Barry. But I really love it when he has an actual effect:

Quote
MIAMI, Sept. 12 -- Now it's the telemarketers who are getting the calls, thanks to Dave Barry, humor columnist for The Miami Herald. In his Aug. 31 column, Barry urged readers to call the American Teleservices Association and
"tell them what you think" about telemarketers.
     
    "I'M SURE THEY'D love to hear your constitutionally protected views! Be sure to wipe your mouthpiece afterward," wrote Barry, whose column is syndicated to some 500 newspapers across the country.
      Thousands of readers responded with a flood of calls to the group's offices, causing the association to stop answering its phones.
      ATA executive director Tim Searcy said the added calls will be costly to the group because of toll charges and staffing issues. "It's difficult not to see some malice in Mr. Barry's intent," Searcy said.
      Barry hardly sounded apologetic.  
 
      "I feel just terrible, especially if they were eating or anything," he said. "They have phones like the rest of us have phones. Their attitude seems to be if you have a phone, people are allowed to call you."
      Callers to ATA now hear a recording that says because of "overwhelming positive response to recent media events, we are unable to take your call at this time."
(AP)
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: Mad Dr Jeffe on September 12, 2003, 09:11:12 PM
poetry... sheer poetry... mr Barry deserves a pulitzer..
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: Tage on September 15, 2003, 02:12:54 PM
It's so nice when celebrities step up and try to make a difference in the world.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: EUOL on September 15, 2003, 11:17:07 PM
Lol.  I assigned one of his essays to read in my 115 class.  

I don't know if my students know how lucky they are to have a creative writer as their teacher.  I don't make them read boring stuff because I don't like to read boring stuff.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on September 15, 2003, 11:58:09 PM
depends on what you're reading things to be determined "boring."
Like Thoreau, I hate him. His ideas are backward adn foolish. Because of this, I couldn't see how incredible a stylist he is. Until someone who liked him showed me. Now if i read him I totally ignore what he's saying and look at how he says it, and I enjoy it.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: House of Mustard on September 16, 2003, 12:12:26 PM
Saint, my opinion of you just dropped through the floor.  I love Thoreau.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: Mistress of Darkness on September 16, 2003, 01:52:08 PM
I have to agree with Saint. I feel the same way about Steinbeck, and Faulkner to a lesser degree. I hate and/or have no interest in what they are saying, but I do recognize that they have interesting styles.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on September 16, 2003, 02:11:06 PM
Look, I admit, Thoreau knows how to use words. But he hasn't the faintest clue about logic or sense.

Here's a man who lives on his best friend's property rent free, constantly visiting the large manor for meals and warmth, and then uses that as justification that everyone in the world will be able to live by themselves without expenses? Please. And that's just the beginning of his many problems.

I like Steinbeck. I like his stories. I like his stories more than his style. Faulkner is somewhat terrifying.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: stacer on September 16, 2003, 08:33:13 PM
Not to mention Thoreau's mother did his laundry.

We got into an interesting conversation about him in my class this summer. Especially because Walden Pond is only about 8 miles west of here, Thoreau is highly revered around here, and a book we read this summer (The Gospel According to Larry) really jumped on the Thoreau bandwagon. (Wow, I'm all about bandwagons lately, aren't I?) I hated the book. The main character is such an idiot throughout, so stuck on what he believes to be Thoreauvian principles that he ignores any sense of right and wrong and completely destroys the relationships in his life. Don't know how in line with Thoreau that actually is, though, as I could never get beyond the first few pages of Walden.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: Mistress of Darkness on September 17, 2003, 05:14:14 PM
In my opinion there is no excuse for Steinbeck's excessive depressing and hopeless stories. But I think that is more of a personal taste rather than a critical evaluation.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on September 17, 2003, 07:30:54 PM
Of course there's an excuse for his depressing stories. He wrote in/about the depression. Duh.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: Mistress of Darkness on September 17, 2003, 08:45:16 PM
Okay. Fair enough.

There is no excuse for the idiot editor/publisher who agreed to print it.
Title: Re: Funny
Post by: EUOL on September 19, 2003, 05:05:29 PM
I've got to say, I'm not a big fan of Steinbeck either.  Or Falkner.  Thoreau I have no problem with, except for the fact that his wonderful trip to nature took place in his friend's backyard.