Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Doing anything Thursday?

207 Responses

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  • Sacha,

    Paul, I enjoyed the witty conversation about costumes, but I had to note the difference in tone compared with your earlier complaints about threadjacking.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Oh, I note that Jack Ross has written a truly amazing post over at the Imaginary Museum about unpacking his comics library. Sensational stuff.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Stuart Coats,

    Butting in: on Thursday is it okay for those of us from Wellington to attend if we are in town? If so, do we have to wear something that identifies us as visitors to the city? A Hurricanes away strip for example?

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 192 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Butting in: on Thursday is it okay for those of us from Wellington to attend if we are in town? If so, do we have to wear something that identifies us as visitors to the city? A Hurricanes away strip for example?

    I hate fancy dress, so no need for that.

    But HELL YES, do come along and meet everyone else. It'd be great to see you.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Stuart Coats,

    Great. I'll be there. I may be slightly late as I have to transport a bunch of opera singers into town from Onehunga so if a free drink could be saved for me (bloody free-loading arts practitioners) I'd appreciate it!

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 192 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    do we have to wear something that identifies us as visitors to the city?

    Some visual representation of a stiff breeze?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Great. I'll be there. I may be slightly late as I have to transport a bunch of opera singers into town from Onehunga

    There's a joke in that somewhere ...

    so if a free drink could be saved for me (bloody free-loading arts practitioners) I'd appreciate it!

    Done.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    I hate fancy dress

    Never been into wearing it, but enjoy talking about it and watching others participate in it. Having said which I'm likely to be too tired to make it tomorrow no matter what I'm wearing. We'll see.

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    As long as the evening doesn't turn in to a scene from "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" I'd love to be there. I am looking for a new hangout after being BANNED from Galbraith's for 2 years, I may mutter and growl about it to anyone who cares to listen. I'm innocent I tell you, innocent. ;-@

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Sacha,

    Lordy, what did you do - sup an ale too loudly?

    Ak • Since May 2008 • 19745 posts Report Reply

  • FletcherB,

    Lordy, what did you do -

    Ask for a Heineken or Steinlager?

    West Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 893 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    Giovanni, you are still doing that fact and opinion thing again. The fact of Eco liking pulp doesn't close the case. It is just another opinion. I am sure Eco would not claim otherwise. Yours is an argument from authority. And the fact of Dickens and Dumas writing serials says nothing, other than it is not a new practice. In any case, Dickens wrote single novels as serial chapters in magazines, not multi-volume sagas.

    Accusing me of plunging ugly depths of condescension for recommending an author (at the invitation of another poster) is a bit rich, and a lot insulting. The fact that he is one of the best authors of the last century is by the by. I was asked to recommend some reading. I did. And when did I say I objected to Science Fiction? The last novel I read was The Kraken Wakes, and very good it was too. And did I say I objected to fables? I mentioned Calvino in part because he worked with other genres, including Sci-Fi.

    And please, enough of the 'we' and the 'you.' This is not a school playground.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    fight, fight...

    ... although Italian scribes at dawn would hardly be my weapon of choice for the bash.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Giovanni, you are still doing that fact and opinion thing again. The fact of Eco liking pulp doesn't close the case. It is just another opinion.

    It's a very cogently argued opinion that most people have come round to and that is pretty much the foundation of contemporary cultural studies. Which is not to say that it cannot be critiqued, but you need to bring arguments a little more sophisticated than "the stuff you guys like is for children". And I'm using "we" and "you" because you, Paul, seem to have genuine issues about this, seeing as you, Paul, don't miss a chance to bring it up these days. We 'll help you work through this stuff, that's what friends are for, but do please kindly stop telling us that we have infantile tastes and don't really know what's good for us.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Oh, and I stand by my charge of condescension. You were answering a question but you could have done it a whole different way.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Could we drop this argument?

    I'm feeling a strong sense of deja vu, and it's harshing the buzz I get from simply being alive.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    I wasn't dissin' your posse, bro, I wasn't saying that your gang reads the wrong books; I wasn't making any reference to the reading tastes of anyone on these pages. You have chosen to take it that way. I was talking about the way general tastes have changed and how this benefits the publishing industry. And your charge of condescension is plain flat wrong.

    And thanks for the offer of Intervention but I'll pass. Assimilate someone else.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • giovanni tiso,

    Okay, maybe I'm benig thin skinned over ths. Or it could be the fact that I'm sick as a dog - that seriously harshes whatever buzz I had left.

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Litterick,

    K. Let's be friends. Get well soon.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 1000 posts Report Reply

  • Alan Perrott,

    homo you don't...sorry, I'm still in the playground.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 438 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Harris,

    Oh, I note that Jack Ross has written a truly amazing post over at the Imaginary Museum about unpacking his comics library. Sensational stuff.

    Thank you for that Giovanni. Some bloody nice memories in there...

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report Reply

  • Kracklite,

    Also, thanks, Giovanni, some pearls of your own.

    At the risk of mischief, Nick Lowe's 'The Art of the Well-Tempered Plot Device

    Wherein you will find a new sport involving books everyone can agree to hate, which can be played at the pub:

    Clench Racing

    This is a social and competitive sport, that can be played over and over with renewed pleasure. Playing equipment currently on the market restricts the number of players to six, but the manufacturers may yet issue the series of proposed supplements to raise the maximum eventually to nine.

    The rules are simple. Each player takes a different volume of The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant, and at the word "go" all open their books at random and start leafing through, scanning the pages. The winner is the first player to find the word "clench". It's a fast, exciting game -- sixty seconds is unusually drawn-out -- and can be varied, if players get too good, with other favourite Donaldson words like wince, flinch, gag, rasp, exigency, mendacity, articulate, macerate, mien, limn, vertigo, cynosure.... It's a great way to get thrown out of bookshops. Good racing!

    Right, back to First Life and bloody marking...

    The Library of Babel • Since Nov 2007 • 982 posts Report Reply

  • Judy Callingham,

    They said it would never happen. They even said the original didn't exist any more. But there it is, freshly uploaded to NZ On Screen: Episode 1 of The Governor.

    Great news. And there's an excellent game of "spot the producer/journo/politician/now-famous actor etc" to be enjoyed while watching the series. Damn near everyone in the country was in The Governor as a bit part player or an extra. Oooh, the agonies of those corsets...

    Auckland • Since Apr 2009 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • Russell Brown,

    Great news. And there's an excellent game of "spot the producer/journo/politician/now-famous actor etc" to be enjoyed while watching the series. Damn near everyone in the country was in The Governor as a bit part player or an extra. Oooh, the agonies of those corsets...

    Are you in Ep 1? I must say, George Henare's performance as Heke is simply extraordinary. He steals every scene he's in.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report Reply

  • Emma Hart,

    Okay, two hours to go, I'm demanding a proxy for the PA Social. Who's going to go to the Quadrant and have a drink and a fag for me?

    Pretending to BE me is optional.

    For Wellington I nominate Giovanni. I have a dress he can wear and everything.

    Christchurch • Since Nov 2006 • 4651 posts Report Reply

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