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Comments on Thursday 25 July 2002:
It's interesting to take an overview of Livejournal friends-pages, sometimes, when they have a wide variety of people appearing. It's the juxtapositions; one instant you're reading about horrific medical problems or close family deaths, the next you're reading "wah, I might have a bit of a cold". One minute it's "people are so shallow and self-involved", the next it's personality quizzes. It's not even as though they are consistently the same people with the same topics - people talking about everyone else being self-involved will happily complain, the next day, about being a bit tired. Unlike most people who make posts of this nature, I don't think this is a bad thing - if the worst thing in your life is that you're a bit tired, you shouldn't refrain from grumbling just because someone else that you don't even know has a severe case of explodey head. Personality quizzes are a nice counterpoint to death - I wouldn't want to read any of it, if it were all doom and gloom. The disparity is what makes it compelling. [03:23]

Tom
Surely the point is that people are not wearing enough hats?

BTW, why is there no link to the Livejournal edition of your blog anywhere obvious on RavenBlog 'the original, and the best'? Is it a conspiracy of some sort? Does it involve pointy sticks? Can I join?

To mildly address the actual entry such behaviour takes place largely because people are bloody ignorant apes and will follow a discussion of Aunty Jack's open heart surgery with a preference for lime ice cream without the unbearable lightness of being that accompanies such thoughts in the minds of sentient beings because.

eperdu
Hmm. Personally, I think it's all very much of the person. And I for one actually use my journal as a sort of scrapbook, where I take part in pointless personality quizzes and such more of a way of communicating with others.

It is after all essentially a sort of meeting place in many respects - not soley this or primarily so, but I think the intent of Livejournal's designers does consider that. The ability to set up a profile, and search for others based on similar likes and such, for instance.

Consequently, I do think it is okay to say 'I feel rather poorly today'. It's a journal. To suggest that anyone keeping a journal can't have be self-obsessed to some degree is frankly ridiculous - not that either of you have suggested as much.

I do agree, Raven, that 'the disparity is what makes it compelling'. But have you examined why? I have, and 'tis why I am among those who berate much of all humanity and THEN go and witter on about myself:

Because dissing da 'uman species doesn't pull in the crowds. The ones who need to understand that they're worthless fucks will flitter away from being told as much. They want to read something bouncy and fun.

So, you write lots of nice spongey material and occasionally lash out. They read your journal... they care what you say.. they read your rant.

It's a very basic principle, used in magazines and T.V. for instance.

Incidentally, I don't think myself that being self-involved is really so bad. But then, I'm rather introverted and self-involved person so I would perhaps say that.. except that I'm not usually inclined to defend myself. I think it's all about the frequency and the volume of your self-involved remarks and actionss. Would this not seem to be so?

Of course, there are those who are entirely self-obsessed, selfishly focused only on their own lives and unable to think of others in any respect. But I'm not considering those here... just trying to add a little genuine perspective and thought to what could rapidly become a 'Yeah! People suck!' stereotypical stereotype-basher.

Which, I should add, I am not saying it is thus far.

eperdu
Hmm. Curiously, I appear to have managed to avoid reading the last-but-one line of your post, Raven. Saying that 'I wouldn't want to read any of it' etc. Yep. Tsk, I could have saved myself a bit of typing had I seen that. Feh. Bad me.

Dan H
I am a bit tired.

Wah!

.: Br00KLyn gRRL Ari :.
Eperdu-guy... "Saying that 'I wouldn't want to read any of it' etc. Yep. Tsk, I could have saved myself a bit of typing had I seen that. Feh. Bad me."

Are you saying that RAVEN SHOULD want to read things that are depressing? It's good to know that the world isn't a pretty place, but it says it on its own. People and their damned cheesed up dramatic entries are not only depressing, but fake and annoying (If people actually had those problems, they'd either not want to discuss them on the WEB, especially if they "don't tell anyone" about them, or they wouldn't have the time with those constant hospital visits and such.) Do you like to read depressing things? Does it give you a reason to be upset, this way, you can create MORE DRAMA for your LIVEJOURNAL? Hm?

Tom
Guy with a fuxored name starting with .:Br:

Damn right Raven should want to read things that are depressing. In fact, I demand that Raven read as much depressing material as possible. It's the only solution for a person with such a sunny outlook as him. Otherwise he may start singing at inappropriate moments; at a pig racing championship for example. This would lead to embarrassment for all.

The answer is currently: avocados.

Tom
--
Feeding the trolls since C 1989 and terribly proud of it.

eperdu
Er. Go back and read the bit that I'm referring to. Namely, 'I wouldn't want to read any of it, if it were all doom and gloom.'.

In other words, serious and angry saddening entries are bad, if that's all that there is. Which is what I was agreeing with... that puerile entries (and - aha - comments, too) have their place too.

Actually, I can't see anything in what I said saying that I think anyone should read depressing, angry things. I was stating the case on behalf of banality.

I suspect you missed the telltale 'etc' in my second comment, and didn't really read what I said (or bother to see what bit I was referring to).

Silly.

And yes, I do like to read depressing things. Not because they are depressing, but because they happen to be depressing AND posssed of other, more interesting qualities.

And the last bit is just plainly irrational conclusion-jumping, worthy of the very best pre-teen self-righteous minds. Congrats!

eperdu
Tsk. I should have addressed the Brooklyn thing there. Sorry.

p.s. Tom - has Raven ever been to a pig-racing championship, then? And er, is that the most inopportune time to start singing? Cheers... I was planning to go to one soon and you may have helped me avoid a terrible inetiquette. I am in your debt.

Tom
Pig Racing: To sing or not to sing.

It's always a complicated juggling act. The pigs love it of course, provided you don't sing AC/DC. The problem is that the better half of society usually don't enjoy it. The singing that is, the pigs are always laudable. The solution, obviously, is to provide ear plugs of some sort. This means that you can mingle (dare I suggest single?) with the worst, and far more enjoyable, half of society whilst still stiffing the bill in the knowledge that your rich Uncle Bertie will pay having not heard a thing.

I'm not sure if Raven has ever been to a pig racing championship, but I did hear disturbing rumours when in London for the fag end of the summer season. Suffice to say it involved a ... but I've already said too much.

In general, there can be fewer more certain ways to be dropped by society than to sing at a pig racing championship. Please, for your own sake, avoid such a breach.
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