Questions Game

I'll accept it. Sounds like you're saying "They don't make 'em like they used to"! I tend to like classics better myself, but occasionally I find a gem among the newer offerings. I like too many authors to name here, but on another thread another a2ker and I were exchanging Ogden Nash poems. I like his succinct wit.

Have you found any authors or books that you like among the more recent offerings of literature?

I just read The Assassination Of Robert Maxwell by Gordon Thomas & Martin Dillon.(2002).Less recent was Ancient Evenings and Shakespeare and the Goddess of Complete Being.The first is easy to read but hard to take.

Have you read My Life & Loves by the inimitable Frank Harris?(1925).

I don't believe I have. I take it as recommended reading from you, no? And how would you describe the book?

What other activites (beside reading and going to the pub) do you enjoy occasionally or more often?

Oh-the usual.I lead a simple,almost monastic life but I eschew hair shirts and kneeling on cold cobblestones worshipping the Virgin.

I'm a Sancho Panchez fan.No work,soft beds,pots of ale and voluptuous women.That's the ideal anyway.A man of humble birth has to make do.I like to contemplate the sublime.

Do you have much time for that?

I wish! I'm a busy mom of two with a business to run, and a dog to boot! I have to fight for time to myself. I'm not good at taking time out of life because there is always so much to do. A2k is one of my few outlets, but I'm trying at least to get more exercise and make time for me.

What a life you lead! Ah, the wonders of the computer. It's a wonder you can even relate to a mid-western mom like me!
So, what was your life like growing up?

I did have a blissful childhood I must admit.A country estate of 2000 acres surrounded by walls with two imposing entrance gates.It was teeming with game for the annual shoot and wildlife of the nicest sort.A small river ran through it and there was a lake with an island.Myself and my only mate had complete freedom.Every sort of weather had it's own special joys.I went barefoot a lot of the time.My love for Emily Bronte must be due to all that.I went to a skewel run by priests where sport was the main thing and,I'm afraid to say,the weak went to the wall.Then I became interested in girls and everything went tits-up after that.By heck dev-most men have no idea how much women run their lives.

Take your children to the countryside and if you can't afford it go there on holidays.Kids love spaces and low control systems.Goofing off.Let 'em loose.Disney parks are drivel.Bloody primary colours.The colours in the country are infinite and all beautiful.

Why not ask Timber to let you camp on his patch in Wisconsin?

Sounds fabulous, Spendi-! All I can afford right now is vicarious travel on a2k threads. My family is in a financial crisis right now. I love to take the kids up north (Michigan) to a camp we go to. It's perfect for the kids and running around. We go as often as we can in the summer - it's never often enough. I try otherwise to get them plenty of exercise around the neighborhood walking the dog and riding bikes, playing with friends, etc. My daughter would rather sit and read or watch tv and eat. My son is much more active.
I tend to agree with you about Disney, but it's fun to do just once.
So, are you talking about an a2ker(Timber)? I'm not much of an outdoor camper any more,but it does sound nice. I got enough of it in the army and all the canoeing and hiking I did in my single days! Anyway, enough about me.
Have you visited the states then?

No-But I know plenty of people who have.They say it's pretty good but everybody who goes away says that when they come back.Things leak out later which suggest the opposite.I've known two people die within a week of returning but that wasn't from the US.I just don't think we are evolved for modern travel and that leads me to think it is bad for us.My problem is that I'm hard to impress.Once,in the military,we were flying in a rust bucket with no seats,and just below us were the pyramids.One glance and it was back to the card game.Just a pile of stones as Andy Warhol said.He should have added that the stones were saturated with the blood of working men.Andy travelled a lot and he said also that the finest sight on his travels was a US Custom's uniform.I'm a big fan of Andy.

Do you like his stuff?

(Yes-I meant Timberlanko-if I did ever go to the states I would go see where Veblen grew up in Wisconsin.The character Di Caprio played in TITANIC was from there and then he travelled.)

Yes, I like Warhol. Interesting character!

Do you have a favorite among his works? Who is your favorite artist?

The late self portraits are astounding.

I don't have,as usual,any favourites.The 10,000+ year old Venus figurine,the cave paintings in S France,Picasso,Warhol-primitive stuff.I like the Giaconda but I daren't say why.I like anything good which is tautological.I'm not that focussed.

Not many ladies go for painting.Why is that?

Is that true where you are? I wouldn't say that it's necessarily true in general. I know there are great museums in Europe. I'm sure you'll find women there.
We've got more than a few good art museums here in the US. There's one in our town, and I go to the one in Chicago when I can. Recently there was an Italian renassaince showing of Perugino. We had a Dale Chihuly showing of his glass art work here as well - really interesting. I'm also an impressionist fan (of Monet, et al). I know most people say 'who isn't' or 'oh, another one', but I really am!

What / who is your favorite painting / painter?

You do ask some impossible questions dev.

But still-it's better that "what are you having for dinner?" isn't it?

Guernica maybe.Warhol's late SP's.Lots.Movies are paintings really.Hold a piece of film up to the light.

I thought the women I'd seen in galleries were trying to look arty in the hope of picking up a rich guy who had a taste for arty women like some do.
It's dead easy to get the chat going in a gallery.A guy doesn't even need to know what he's talking about.

Arty women are said to be sensuous.

Is that true?

Yes, it's much better than what's for dinner, although ... being that a2k is a bit international it could get interesting depending on who answered!

Now look who's asking the impossible question! I've never really heard that said. Where did you here it?
I can only speak for myself, and couldn't say who might or might not find me so. I just know I like going to art museums to look and learn and like or not like what I see. I suppose there are all kinds of women there.
I was once at a showing for Paul Collins, a local artist who has won international fame. I was looking at his work and talking to this one woman about how Paul lived next door to a high school friend of mine who went on a trip to Europe with his family for the summer. Upon his return we decided to greet them with a "t.p.ing", (That's toilet paper, clean toilet paper). It's a silly sophomoric thing, I know, but we were silly sophomores! Paul came over to help us & showed us how to drape (artistically, of course) the 't.p.' from the trees and bushes. It was really quite fun!
Anyway, the lady I was talking to became "psycho" and started to rant crazily. I didn't stay near to hear her whole tirade! I moved quickly to the next room hoping not to run into her. I didn't. Just "shows to go ya" you find all kinds in such places.
Have you ever had a brush with the famous?

I have actually now you mention it.

Sir Tom Finney once elbowed me out of the way in a queue for ice cream.But it was hot and I was only a kid at the time.

I also got introduced to Ted Heath.

I have two letters from Joan Collins concerning the number plate K9 GAL.Her English was alluring.

And I had a pleasant literary friendship with Mr Auberon Waugh who was,before he so disastrously passed away from a war injury,our greatest living Englishman.

Mr Dominic Lawson once took up a lot of time and quite a section of The Spectator magazine to insult me better than anybody else ever did.

And I once got a snotty postcard from Germaine Greer.

There's others but you get the drift I'm sure.

I'm also a member of the Academy Seven which is so exclusive I don't even know who the other six are.We all got blackballed from the Academy Club.

Do Americans know what "blackballed" means?

Wow, brushes with celebrity!
Of course we do, silly! And I'm sure it must hurt! (I'm only kidding.)

What other British terms would we yanks be interested to know?
(Let's see, I know: petrol, brolly, nutter,...)

I know hundreds dev.

Chutney ferret.
Quornography.
Scuzzer.
Air biscuit.
Technicolour yawn.

A small selection for your artistic imagination to play with.

Eh?

Alrighty then. I think I know a couple, air biscuit and technicolor yawn have to do with bodily functions, or at least they do here.

Could you explain the rest?

The first one is a pitcher.

The next is soft porn.

And the other is a common slapper usually young.

Hadn't we better change the subject?

I suppose. What do we talk about now?

We can talk about sex Dev's, do you have a high drive?