Complaint Department discussion
POST COMPLAINTS HERE
Preston wrote: "Whose for Orlando Bloom to play the role of Peter Orlovsky, Allen's lover?"Got your priorities right Preston! Good choice. :-)
"Life is like a cigarette…The bigger the drag
The more you get."
— Alan Ginsberg
Preston wrote: "The problem with celebrities saying dumb things is that dumb people believe them!...."It's upsetting to see that Radcliffe's bon mots on the nature of first-time gay sex are now – as they say in the info-mation social network – "trending". For a rising star of stage and screen, "flirting with the forbidden" makes him seem so very cool in the eyes of fans, so very switched on and cool about it all. Which might be okay if it weren't feeding prejudice.
I protest that the witch-hunt against self-published books has started in Britain, and it will spread.http://www.thebookseller.com/news/ind...
Anyone posting here has agreed to read and comply with the Rules of Complaint Department which include rule five which states:
5. Intolerance is forbidden especially towards people with disabilities, racial groups, women, people who identify as LGBTQ and other sexual minorities, heterosexuals and people of all sexual orientations including asexuals.In case that isn’t entirely clear intolerance to all sexual orientations includes the every segment of the whole spectrum of people who are sexual minorities.
There shall be no posting that expresses intolerance towards any group of sexually non-conforming individuals or any segment of people who are part of a sexual minority.
I regret that for a short time an intolerant message appeared here but it was deleted it as soon as we became aware of it.
Anyone violating this rule or any of the rules of the Complaint Department may be banned from the group at the discretion of the co-moderators.
Rich,Why did you leave the other devastatingly handsome, tight-ass moderator off your list of four?
Brad
Preston,
You left religion off your list of groups we are forbidden to offend.
I thought Radcliffe should've gotten 'scaped before he did Equus. Since he didn't that may be why he was chosen to play Ginsberg. I have contacted his agent offering to do the cosmetic surgery procedure and am anxiously awaiting a response. I also suggested sewing Danny Boy's lips shut before he can spew any more idiocy.
Bradford
Mea culpa. I beg for forgiveness. I meant smart-ass.(Careless) Brad
B.D. wrote: "Preston,You left religion off your list of groups we are forbidden to offend.
I thought R..."
It would be a violation of the Goodreads Terms of Service to post inflammatory statements about a member's religion so including it would be redundant.
From RichSorry
did not feel the need to mention all my special friends individually.
You are all great and greatly valued. Be Good
B.D. wrote: "Mea culpa. I beg for forgiveness. I meant smart-ass.(Careless) Brad"
Tight-ass, smart ass whichever I'm still an ass according to B.D. Since becoming a fan of B.D. Lewis on his author's page and giving his book a 5 star rating I've received nothing but abuse from him. I think this is his idea of PR. If he wasn't such a young hot hunk I'd be offended.
I want to complain that Auto Correct keeps changing when I type that our co-mod has a hot ass to something else. He is actually the one who is the hot, hunky, young stud.I also want to complain that GRs
bars nasty comments about religion but doesn't mention all the other groups that our co-mod had to add. Is GRs run by Republicans?
And while I'm kvetching I might add a complaint about stingy people who give five stars to works that clearly deserve at least ten.
My complaint for today is that descriptions of our pal Preston are beginning to raise him to demi-god status.Which may be true and accurate.
But please, how about cutting the rest of us mortals a little slack.
Rich wrote: "My complaint for today is that descriptions of our pal Preston are beginning to raise him to demi-god status.Which may be true and accurate.
But please, how about cutting the rest of us morta..."
LOL
Sorry. Preston and Boyd are the ones. The rest of us mere mortals can't compete with the young hotties. [sigh]
Rich wrote: "My complaint for today is that descriptions of our pal Preston are beginning to raise him to demi-god status.Which may be true and accurate.
But please, how about cutting the rest of us morta..."
Personally, I prefer mortals. Demi-gods (and gods for that matter) as so uninteresting. Kind of like that awful steaming pile that Man of Steel was- there is nothing interesting in something that is infallible (even when the storyteller ties to make it seem like they are fallible in a completely contrived manner). But then I am an atheist so take this comment with a grain of salt. So I guess I'm complaining about Demi-gods (and gods).
Would those of you who know Boyd and Preston enlighten this poor fellow:Which couple most resembles our boys
1. Hall and Oates
2. Fred and Ginger
3. Fred and Barney
4. Elmo and Grover
But if it's Stella and Blanche, which one relies on the kindness of strangers? Which is, of course, a terribly subtle request to know which one tricks more often. Hmmm...in the gay context, does relying on the kindness of strangers actually mean a pity/mercy >ahem< ???Enquiring minds wanna know.
Eric-for-whom-there-is-no-TMI-unless-it's-straight-sex-details
Rich wrote: "Would those of you who know Boyd and Preston enlighten this poor fellow:Which couple most resembles our boys
1. Hall and Oates
2. Fred and Ginger
3. Fred and Barney
4. Elmo and Grover"
You forgot Bert and Ernie!
Hey Eric,I guess only the hunks in question know the answer about the frequency of their fun encounters or their preferred..., er, whatever.
I wonder if your case of TMI would include F/F sex or only straight sex.
And I forgot to add Sheka and Teka who are way more cute than Bert and Ernie, especially in their IDF uniforms.
Brad
B.D. wrote: "Hey Eric,I guess only the hunks in question know the answer about the frequency of their fun encounters or their preferred..., er, whatever.
I wonder if your case of TMI would include F/F sex or o..."
F/F Sex? F/F SEX????
Eeeeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
No offense intended to anyone out there who...er...likes that sort of thing.
Eric-the-easily-squicked.
It really gets my goat when people say things are compulsory… but actually, this is compulsory.Just to let you know that I will be Stacey Jo’s guest for an Author Chat this coming Saturday 26 October between 3–5pm U.K. time, 10am–Noon EST, 7–9am PST.
(U.K. clocks change at 2am Sunday 27, U.S. clocks change – where they do – November 3)
We’ll be chatting about Gregory’s Story, as well as a A Life Apart, Thunderbolt – Torn Enemy of Rome and anything else anyone would like to raise.
Perhaps the differences between those and the ones I write under my partner Oliver Frey's pen name of Zack, the Adventures of Gil Graham and Mike Smith in the Boys of… series.
If you haven’t visited the chat room before go to: http://webchat.xs4all.nl/index.php
You should see three boxes: orange, green; yellow. In the yellow under Irc network select “IRC net” (should be the default). Enter a nickname (I will be using my name). Under Chatchannel select “Other”. The box will change to a blank with #. Enter “grmmr” (Goodreads M/M Romance) so you get “#grmmr”, then hit GO!
All those online appear in the column window to the right. The type entry line is at the bottom. Usual suspects apply : ☺ ☹ :p :D etc.
I would be delighted for you to join in, so please keep the spot free:
Saturday 26 October, 3–5pm (15:00–17:00) U.K. / 10:00–Noon EST
Cheers!
Roger
I am very annoyed that Amazon and some others are beginning to censor book covers, titles and content. These books have been up there for years and now all of a sudden they decide they don't want anyone to self-publish so they are censoring self-publishers.
Brina wrote: "I am very annoyed that Amazon and some others are beginning to censor book covers, titles and content. These books have been up there for years and now all of a sudden they decide they don't want a..."This is a worrying trend.
Censorship is a crime against all intelligent beings.We are capable to judge content,value and our own interests.
Put down the book,turn off the T.V.,leave the theatre and send back the food.
Someone needs to start a Complaint Dept so we have a place.... oh never mind.
Uh...what censorship "trend?"Yes, I heard about the online bookseller in the UK that panicked because of its (from my limited knowledge perspective) stupid marketing decisions concerning children's books and erotica, and banished self-published books. I haven't followed up on the story to see if self-published books are back yet.
But this discussion is about Amazon. If Amazon (US) or Amazon (UK) is doing the things Brina described could someone please point me to the source of that information so I can read up on it?
But also, respectfully, before everyone gets up in arms about "censorship," please remember something very important. Those decisions aren't censorship.
Censorship is something a government does. Any company engaged in retail business has a right to decide what it will and will not sell and under what circumstances. None of us has a right to have our works sold online at AMZ or anywhere else.
If you want to sell your writing through any kind of outlet, you have to abide by the rules set by that outlet. You can't join GR unless you agree to abide by the rules GR sets...and some of those rules are about what you can/cannot say in a GR post.
Our own Complaint Department has rules about what we can and cannot say here.
Are either of those censorship? No. The reality is that no decision of that type has anything to do with "freedom of speech" under the American constitution, or any other "freedom of expression" constitutional, statutory or other legal principle elsewhere in the world. It's a business decision.
If any of us don't like the rules in GR or CD, we can go elsewhere. If any writer doesn't want to play by the rules set by AMZ, AMZ UK or that other online seller or whoever, he or she has the option of going elsewhere. That that option is less attractive, doesn't mean it's any less an option.
Yes, the rant/lecture is almost at an end.
My understanding of the UK flap is that what they stopped selling (at least for a time) was books literally self-published, i.e., there was absolutely no question the writer was doing the publishing himself/herself. Whereas if there was a publishing company involved, things were okay. So if, in fact, AMZ has done the same thing, then in most places in the States it's really simple and inexpensive to form a publishing company, and as long as I don't call it The Eric Alan Westfall Publishing Company, who is going to know that it's me publishing myself?
Bottom line: I agree that the proverbial tarring everyone with the same brush is offensive, and it's personally abhorrent to condemn an entire group for the actions of a small number. Particularly where the author(s) of the erotica that triggered the whole UK flap had no idea they were doing anything wrong. But if you are unhappy with the way a business does business, you take your business elsewhere. And if, when I start trying to sell my work through AMZ next month, I run into any "censorship" difficulty, I'll let you know what happens.
Eric-who-has-an-opinion-on-just-about-everything
I hate to agree with anyone who-has-an-opinion-on-just-about-everything :-) but Eric is right about what an organization like AMZ may do or not with what it markets and sells. The British idiocy of WH Smith – one of the country's mainstream high-street book sellers as well as having a powerful online presence – was twofold: not to set up a sensible online selling system; and in panicking because of one, possibly two original complaints, taking down the entire site so as to eradicate ALL self-published books, including no doubt self-help items on how to avoid stupid chainstore booksellers.
I wanna complain because since Preston dissed my work I can't stop screaming and the neighbors called 911 and they took me to Bellevue and put me in the cuckoo ward and gave me Wellbutrin, Zoloft and Valium and they're gonna take my phone away because I was using their WiFi to watch porn and the hunky nurses wanna have sex with me and now I can't get my (thick, cut) 9" up.
Well, they put Viagra in the I.V. drip and now the nurses won't leave me alone. It's Preston's responsibility to come here and get me out.
I'm P.O.'d that a waiter was denied a tip and insulted by right-wing fundamentalist religious zealots because he was gay.See story on CNN.com at this link:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/vid...
Preston wrote: "I'm P.O.'d that a waiter was denied a tip and insulted by right-wing fundamentalist religious zealots because he was gay.See story on CNN.com at this link:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video..."
I have a good friend who is a waiter, and he tells me that it happens on a regular basis.
Amazing in a world where most claim to be open minded we still hear these sad stories.To be honest their are still a great number of people who wallow in the secret hatred and contempt of those of us who are different.
Hang in there gang!
Preston wrote: "I'm P.O.'d that a waiter was denied a tip and insulted by right-wing fundamentalist religious zealots because he was gay...."While the "right of free speech" recognizes the right of dinner guests to an unvoiced opinion, here in Britain, writing that note would amount to sexual discrimination and hate mail, both of which are unlawful.
Roger wrote: "This disgusting attack…http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/10/ca..."
This is just so wrong. People are...well, I want to say a "bad" word but lets stick with jerks!
I'm annoyed that the insurance company's decorator wants me to move all the heavy furniture from the sitting room so he can paper and paint, but there is nowhere to move the furniture to.:(
Roger wrote: "I'm annoyed that the insurance company's decorator wants me to move all the heavy furniture from the sitting room so he can paper and paint, but there is nowhere to move the furniture to.:("
Sometimes I wish we had access to pocket universes or TARDISes ...
Roger wrote: "I'm annoyed that the insurance company's decorator wants me to move all the heavy furniture from the sitting room so he can paper and paint, but there is nowhere to move the furniture to.:("
I've had a similar problem before, though only with me paying for wall "revisions." My solution: First, move all of the small pieces of furniture (and the breakables on top of stuff) elsewhere. It might mean that bed, bath and beyond are a little more inaccessible, requiring you to suck in >ahem< whatever gut you may or may not have in order to manoeuvre (did I spell that properly?)properly for the duration of the restoration/renovation.
Second, if feasible, you move all the big stuff to the middle of the room, leaving an aisle around them for access to the wall (covering your big stuff >ahem< quite thoroughly, of course, so that it is well protected >snicker<).
If all-at-once-in-the-middle is not feasible, Plan 37b(2)calls for scrunching up to provide access to one wall at a time.
Of course, all the lugging and shifting (except for the delicates) should be done by the hired hands, sans any references to toted barges and lifted bales, under the ever-vigilant supervision of Roger et Cie.
Have I helped?
>g<
Eric-the-renovator-wise
Yes, Eric. Thanks!All this has sort of happened now – except it's the ideal time to replace the 18-year-old worn out carpet, so it all starts over… :::sigh:::
Roger wrote: "This disgusting attack…http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2013/10/ca..."
This is too upsetting to even contemplate.
Folks,Unfortunately I had already seen and been shocked, horrified and depressed by these events, and yet another reminder that Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose . (And yes, that's one of the very few French expressions I actually remember from high school, circa 1959ish, with a teacher who referred to something funny as "right HIGH-larious.")
So, being ever-vigilant for the mental well-being of our moderators (Preston, I have always thought, requires extra-special vigilance in this area) and members, I felt it was imperative that we initiate a new complaint thread on a more uplifting and fascinating topic.
C'est moi! [Phrase 2]
Ah, quelle surprise, quelle surprise [Phrase 3, repeated}
I therefore deeply regret to announce that before Thanksgiving, "Like a Mountain, Waiting"...a short story about an immortal Greek soldier and his mountain in America, will be available at the AMZ URL nearest to you.
And thanks to the remarkable Enny Kraft, here's the cover for that endeavor:
[image error]
[Here I even more deeply regret my inability to upload the cover so you all can see it, as all I get is "image error." Ah, well...sh...tuff happens.]
Eric-the-ever-caring, whose motto is "When you care enough to care the very best, call on Eric's care." (SM) (TM)
A word to the infinitely wise members of this eminent group, all of whom seemed to have vanished from the planet's pixels...It always helps to read all of the instructions when attempting to do something.
Here, hopefully, is the cover:
I'm annoyed that Like a Mountain, Waiting is a short story. A cover like that deserves a novel.
Preston wrote: "I'm annoyed that Like a Mountain, Waiting is a short story. A cover like that deserves a novel."Thanks, Preston. And I'm sure Enny thanks you as well.
One of the members of a writing group I belonged to back then made the same suggestion: A series of vignettes/short stories about what happens to the immortal soldier as he "travels through time" to 2000, trying to fulfill the prophecy. I was intrigued by the concept (since it never would have occurred to me), but ultimately decided not to try.
When/if you read the story, I think you'll understand the reason why I didn't feel I could tell that series of tales, and still finish with this story.
But...damn yore hide, Preston, I say damn yore hide anyway! Ya done give me 'n idee 'bout how it mebbe could be done. Iffen I had the time. Iffen I had the idees about the stories. Iffen I had the time to research all of them there time periods...and all of them there "mountains to the west."
>g<
Thanks, again.
Eric
p.s. After all the work to figure out how to show the cover, and it obviously did, when I clicked the link from your post to get back here again, what I see is the little head with the question mark and "no photo." If that's what you all are now seeing as well, any moderator-type wisdom about getting the image to display again?
Eric wrote: "After all the work to figure out how to show the cover, and it obviously did, when I clicked the link from your post to get back here again, what I see is the little head with the question mark and "no photo." If that's what you all are now seeing as well, any moderator-type wisdom about getting the image to display again? ..."The image of the book cover is what I see. Occasionally Goodreads takes all pictures and replaces then with a question mark in a blue square but then after a period of time it goes back to displaying the images. I suppose it's part of their problem in not have enough servers to keep this place running properly.
Complaint Department
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I complain that while Rich accurately points out that no one should care what the celebraties and wannabes say, it's a problem because people, particularly pre-teens and teenagers, don't know these people have donkeybutts for brains. So Radcliffe's ranting on how gay sex is supposed to hurt results in more people that think sex equals pain which is not true and a horrific statement for Radcliffe to have made.
The problem with celebrities saying dumb things is that dumb people believe them!
Whose for Orlando Bloom to play the role of Peter Orlovsky, Allen's lover?