Kaikoura, Te Wai Pounamu, Aotearoa (Kia Kaha, Aroha to all) Superthread
- Thread starter coolian2
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that follows U2.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
- Status
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
That's what I'm saying. It's a real corrosive effect going on.
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
That sort of nonsense is beneath contempt. There are such things as natural disasters, the earth's tectonic plates, greased with the shit of ancient species long gone, are in constant motion. It's no business of God's that people happen to live in these places. Just nonsense, and the people who peddle it should be run out of town on a rail.
The god I believe in isn't short of cash, mister.
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
I draw the line at hate-reading, but some books become more of a drag when I know the next one I have lined up is likely to be better. Stuck on one right now, 'Shaman' by Kim Stanley Robinson. He's a bit hit and miss (also author of the 'Mars' novels from the nineties). Has a great way of painting a place, but also has a real problem with focus. Maybe it's not a problem, maybe I'm the problem, I don't know.
And yes, present tense gives me the shits. So, frankly, does, what's the term, in media res. It's nearly the done thing nowadays, start the novel in the middle of a scene, aren't we clever. I suppose anything can be done well, but it grinds my gears. You're losing me and it's only page one, asshole.
Last edited:
Tectonic plates and ancient species are the LIES of GODLESS SCIENTISTS!!!!
In media res just seems to be an excuse for people to use flashbacks because they went to two creative writing classes and think it's this innovative trick to rope in readers. It can work, but stop acting as if you're original by doing it.
One book that I thought took a fairly interesting approach to the use of flashbacks is All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld. You initially just think they are flashbacks, and then you realise there's one narrative running forwards and one backwards. The talent is that it works.
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
I read (or when I say that, I mean I got pissed off and went back to library at about 20% in) something dreadful that didn't happen in chronological order.
It's hard to do that well. This book did not do that.
How about books that pussy out on the ending? I read a fictional book about TWA800 where they uncovered a big conspiracy about the plane being shot down, and the protagonists were going to reveal everything (which had also been withheld from the reader). They met to finalise their plans on the morning of September 11, 2001 at the top of the World Trade Centre. The end.
I swore and threw the book across the room. It was a thrilling read until that point.
It's hard to do that well. This book did not do that.
How about books that pussy out on the ending? I read a fictional book about TWA800 where they uncovered a big conspiracy about the plane being shot down, and the protagonists were going to reveal everything (which had also been withheld from the reader). They met to finalise their plans on the morning of September 11, 2001 at the top of the World Trade Centre. The end.
I swore and threw the book across the room. It was a thrilling read until that point.
bono_212
Blue Crack Distributor
Random slowpoke reply but the only reason I know what Turkish Delight is is because of Chronicles of Narnia.
Though I did run into someone who had several boxes of it once. The one and only time I've eaten it.
Did NOT seem worth betraying your entire family and a Jesus-Symbol over.
Though I did run into someone who had several boxes of it once. The one and only time I've eaten it.
Did NOT seem worth betraying your entire family and a Jesus-Symbol over.
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
I know. This guy writes great stuff, nobody would have called him a conspiracy nut for going right for it - I have the sequel to one of his books that drew me in, and I can't get into it because I just don't think I'm liking where he's mad enough to go with it.
I will never understand the hate for Turkish Delight, Cherry Ripe and Bounty bars. Especially the last two, I love coconut.
...Hmm, that last sentence could be used against me eventually.
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Okay, here's the part that shits me off about investigating running for local board. I want to ensure nobody fucks with the current CBD plans, unless it involves less cars and more buses/trains/light rail.
But I also think it should be illegal to run in an area you don't reside in (unless for legitimate, determined reasons), so I think it would go against my principles to run for Auckland Central from Kaipaitiki. But I can't ensure the changes I want in central will be done because Shore Problems?
Someone help me make that a coherent statement. Go.
But I also think it should be illegal to run in an area you don't reside in (unless for legitimate, determined reasons), so I think it would go against my principles to run for Auckland Central from Kaipaitiki. But I can't ensure the changes I want in central will be done because Shore Problems?
Someone help me make that a coherent statement. Go.
Vlad n U 2
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 28,386
Someone remind me why I should bother to even lurk in FYM.
What. Turkish Delight is basically life.
Old mate U-Wen, who probably hasn't logged on here in years now, brought me some back from Turkey recently and that was a truly joyous occasion.
Well, what would you say those legitimate, determined reasons for running somewhere you don't reside should be?
(And running outside of your local area is a very long-established part of our political system! My man Julius Vogel even got elected to an electorate he had never visited.
Because your blood pressure is not high enough yet.
Vlad n U 2
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 28,386
The discourse becomes so repetitive. 
Pages are literally copies of each other. A mess. Part of me loves feeling relevant enough to be referred to when I'm not even that much of a regular there.
Pages are literally copies of each other. A mess. Part of me loves feeling relevant enough to be referred to when I'm not even that much of a regular there.
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
On most levels I agree. But if I were to be voted in for the Shore, and I only cared about the City, am I not doing one, if not both a disservice?
The discourse becomes so repetitive.
I feel like all my posts have turned into drive-bys, because by the time I can be bothered heading back in there the thread's gained another 100 posts.
And what did I call you once, the Vlad SSR, you're a national ideology in there now.
Vlad n U 2
Blue Crack Addict
- Joined
- Jul 6, 2008
- Messages
- 28,386
Judging by many of the regulars there, I wouldn't be surprised if I was the first anti-capitalist they had communicated with in their lives!
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
I'm very close to not even lurking there at all. The amount of utter garbage being posted, on all sides... it's likely I couldn't post without expletives.
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
There's ways of doing this sort of thing well, of course, if the writer is very talented.
I mean, my favourite example is the opening line of One Hundred Years of Solitude: 'Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendia was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.'
Last edited:
Kieran McConville
ONE love, blood, life
Oh and on that other thing Coolian was saying, I've noticed in a lot of contemporary fiction (say the last twenty years) of many different genres, a tendency to crap out on the ending. It's like they're not trying, or just give up the ghost, or perhaps even feel somewhere in their bones that a truly satisfying conclusion is too traditional, or something, because, hey, 'life isn't like that'. No shit life isn't like that.
Last edited:
Now there's a book I've been meaning to read for a while now.
And no kidding about unsatisfying endings. In particular I recall a couple of dystopias I've read recently that did a fantastic job of setting up their vision of the future and putting the parts in motion... and then cobbled together an ending in a couple of pages, as if they either had no idea how to end it, or abruptly hit a word limit and decided not to cut down on anything earlier.
But I suppose that's a slightly different thing to the whole "life isn't a traditional ending" thing. Either way, sure, it's good not to go for a traditional ending, but if you're going to shy away from that you need to realise that an ambiguous or open-ended conclusion is very different to having none at all or some rushed piece of shit.
LuckyNumber7
Blue Crack Addict
Sounds lovely. For a very long time I've been a bit afraid of asking, but what's the purpose of these threads?
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Well I can happily confirm the Samsung Galaxy S7 is waterproof as I was holding mine when I got thrown into the pool last night.
Didn't care about the phone, just happy to have kept the beer I was holding out of the water.
Got some decent enough group photos in the spa later on.
Didn't care about the phone, just happy to have kept the beer I was holding out of the water.
Got some decent enough group photos in the spa later on.
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Habit, tradition, because we can't invade other threads
LuckyNumber7
Blue Crack Addict
so the only thing I am to understand is that these are just threads for aussies and kiwis? To talk? With weird location names as thread titles?
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
If someone wants to show up and talk, either with a topic, joining an ongoing topic or just to shitpost, you're welcome. These threads have had plenty of Americans, Europeans....
OP
OP
coolian2
Blue Crack Supplier
Christ fucking almighty.
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Sticky
- Locked
