| Author |
Message |
    
nick phillips
Awareness Member
Post Number:
2
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 09:02 am: |   |
Chapter 5 Angels Among Us
In life every possible thing that can or will ever happen has already happened somewhere. It is up to you to decide what parts of the everything you wish to bring into your life. With each choice you make, options and possibilities are deleted from your path and new ones take there place. If Dorothy had taken another road to the wizard, would she have met the lion, Tin man and scarecrow ?. Nothing is set in stone. Free will exists to a degree, with each choice made, certain possibilities disappear and new ones are created.
I got a new job at Automotive Lighting, a factory that made car headlights for General Motors, Toyota, Rover and others. The pay was two hundred and twenty five pounds a week. The most I had ever had. The people there were dog rough and dirt cheap. Most were friendly. Some had done time for murder. I worked night shift for four years and this seemed to suit me.
My dad said to me one day, "is this all you want to do, is this all you want to be ?". You could have knocked me over with a feather. I thought dad, you don't tell your children that they are dreamers all there life and expect then to become something. You don't show little interest in there lives and education and expect then to become something. Every time they say they would like to do or have something one day, you don't say to them, "on the carpet", a reference to a magic carpet. I was flabbergasted. I said, " I'm just grateful to have gotten this job dad ". Such was my confidence level, even after being shown love.
We didn't have a lot growing up and with no education the only way to get some money was in a factory. I had an unconscious fear for a long time about self sustenance. Where the money would come from ?. How I would get to see the world ?. How I would get out of poverty ?. One thing my parents instilled into all there children was, you have to work. For everything you want. For everything you get. If you didn't you were out. No muss no fuss. I am grateful for this, it passed the time, although I took it to the extreme.
I needed a car to get to work so I asked my bank for a loan. I was accepted and bought an escort cabriolet from the auto trader. It was midnight blue, an xr3i, 1800 with alloys, electric windows, the works. I was really happy and cleaned it weekly. The insurance was horrendous, six hundred pounds, first year, twelve hundred the second. They wanted two thousand for the third year after a couple of accidents. The interest rate was high but I had little understanding of such things at the time.You learn.
I was watching television one night when the news reader said they were receiving reports of a car crash in Paris involving Princess Diana, it was late. I thought oh dear and went to sleep. My father awoke me the next morning with news of her death. I was already in mourning so my mind was otherwise occupied.
My father called me into the lounge one night to look at a light in the sky. It was eight o'clock. I Iooked out the window and there was a really big bright gold light off in the distance, quite low in the sky. It was motionless, suspended in mid air. It looked like it was about three miles away. I watched it for about five minutes, it didn't move. The next night it was there again and again for four nights in a row. Could have been anything. Light has many facets.
Below, you will find some FAQs and General Guidelines for using the Mindsight Forum
1) You must maintain an attitude that is not aggressive, combative, or offensive to any Mindsight Forum user (either currently registered or any potential user).
2) You may not make comments that may be construed as personal attacks toward any forum participant.
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4) You must conduct yourself on and regarding the Mindsight Forum in a RESPECTFUL manner, such that no one calls to question the motive of your statement.
EVERYONE at the Mindsight Forum is expected to conduct themselves with these simple rules in mind. If any of the moderators find that you are simply unable to behave, you will be given a warning. If your inappropriate conduct continues, your privelege to post will be removed.
This post contained offensive materials which have been removed from the site. Further attempts to post such material will result in a revocation of your priveleges to use the website.
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C. E. Winterland |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1136
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 09:37 am: | |
It is at times like these that I question the wisdom of Mark York having been banned from this message board.
http://www.fdungan.com/vigilantes.htm |
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
357
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 11:22 am: | |
Fred,
I sorta agree. I managed last week to stumble onto his web site (don't recall just how.)
His style is, shall we say, abrasive...in the extreme. So much so that it negates much of what he tries to convey. You can't communicate effectively if you piss-off 99% of your audience right outta the chute. But I found some points of his that made logical sense (once I waded thru his style).
A caveat about me, I managed to dodge the PA bullet. I'm not an ex-PAer. That fact alone seems to skew my perspective. Unlike most folks on this board, I'm not cursed with those huge ugly scars, as seemingly painful to the touch as raw wiring.
So while I think Mr York shoots himself in the foot with his corrosive style (a trip to the woodshed would do him some good I suspect), I found myself nodding at some of his observations.
Am I completely nuts here? Have I had too many drugs? Or not enough?
As unpleasant as it is to have a bug floating inyour Cheerios, it certainly makes for lively converstion. Are we missing something for lack of that bug?
Or am I just fulla crap again, as I so often am?
Later,
Olen A |
Gloria Marlow
Unity Member
Post Number:
1544
Registered: 04-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 12:59 pm: | |
Fred,
I understand what you're saying. I just think this proves a point that we all tried to make with Mark York. It isn't what he was saying that caused his banning. It was his total lack of regard for common courtesy and what was asked of him.
I asked Nick if he was going to post this sort of thing, to post it somewhere besides the "watchlist". He did. He didn't tell me how stupid I am or go running off the board to tell someone that we all love PA, etc., etc. He just did what was requested. My approving or not approving his choice of topic had nothing to do with it.
Basic respect is the key here. I never could figure out why Mark couldn't get that. It's been the same on every messageboard I've ever seen him visit.
Gloria
The Butterfly Game
Flowers for Megan
Shades of Silence (coming soon)
|
Harry Simenon
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
750
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 02:17 pm: | |
Olen:
"His style is, shall we say, abrasive...in the extreme. So much so that it negates much of what he tries to convey. You can't communicate effectively if you piss-off 99% of your audience right outta the chute."
I'm among the 1%. I like his direct and unpolished style. Hope he doesn't change it too much. |
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
359
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 03:52 pm: | |
Harry S.,
I don't disagree that direct and unpolished can be effective, even interesting. In-your-face and kiss-my-ass, however, won't keep people listening for long. Convincing everyone that you're right is different from demanding that everyone accept that you're right, or they can all go straight to hell. How much influence does Mr York have now that few are even listening? And if he happens to be RIGHT, that's doubly sad. We all lose.
But then, wut-do-I-know. If I was so smart, I'd be in charge, right?
Have y'self a gud'un. (That's "Have a nice day" in Uh-MERee-cun southern-speak.)
Later,
Olen A |
Olen Armstrong
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
360
Registered: 06-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 - 03:57 pm: | |
To Nick,
I agree with Gloria. Critiques of style and content aside, it was a very considerate gesture to our host (et al) when you moved your stuff to a more appropriate location. Errors are part of the human condition. Rectifying them is an even better part.
Thanks. It speaks well of you.
Later,
Olen A |
nick phillips
Awareness Member
Post Number:
4
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 03:01 am: | |
Thanks once again to everybody who commented.I had no intention of posting anymore work, even before admin politely asked me to refrain. I was curious to see how heterosexuals would react to this type of writing. Pretty much as I expected. I wanted to see how many people could stop for a minute and put themselves in someone else's shoes. Many are unable or unwilling to do this. My intention was never to shock, upset or disgust anyone. I don't know anything about style, i'm just being honest and writing as I speak. I know this can come across as offensive. As i said before i'm not a writer, just passing some time. I will finish my story though, then place it where it will help the people it was written for. Thanks again to everyone who commented-nick |
nick phillips
Awareness Member
Post Number:
5
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 04:44 am: | |
http://www.oasismag.com/node/view/12342
Gay youths hung in Iran |
Jan Fields
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
866
Registered: 09-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 05:46 am: | |
Nick,
Well, pretty much everyone who reads ANYTHING is comfortable with "putting themselves in someone else's shoes." That's required to enjoy anything you read. So, not having an interest in your particular style of writing proves ...well, nothing... about the comfort level of "putting yourselves in someone else's shoes." Actually the topic of how one's sexuality colors one's whole life is interesting to me -- but I still can't get through the posts because I only have so much time and (as you say) you're not exactly alert to style.
However, a lack of interest in your posts does suggest a few things...
* many of the people who frequent this board do so to discuss writing and topics related to the publishing business and many don't read things not related to those topics. If we *do* have an interest in discussing how sexuality colors one's whole life, we go to an appropriate discussion board and learn about it.
* the people who frequent this board tend to view misplaced or widely off-topic things as *spam* (especially when our INTRODUCTION to the posts is by seeing them replicated all over the boards) and we're conditioned NOT to read spam since it encourages the spammee.
* the people who frequent this board who DO like to read widely off-topic posts (and there are those who do) will probably only read things that interest them. As with any writing, if you don't grab interest (not shock -- INTEREST) in the first sentence, you lose them. I bet you didn't read every post on the board before you spammed us, did you? Why? Not comfortable with "putting yourselves in other people's shoes?" Nope...you didn't read them because you AREN'T INTERESTED in us as individuals, just as an audience. Since the majority are not reading your posts -- we gotta be a pretty disappointing audience.
* the people who frequent this board are individuals with individual tastes -- just as you would probably skip over a long, rambling post about someone's hysterectomy, so also folks who aren't interested in the ramblings of a perfect stranger are going to skip over yours ...that's life, I'm afraid. You weren't asking for a critique or anything, so really if we don't KNOW you, why on earth would we want to read your personal journal? Many folks here do know me and I could put money that my personal journal would be of little or no interest to most.
Mostly what ya need to do is find an audience who is likely to pay attention because you're on a sliding slope here. Audacity will get a tiny flicker of interest even if your subject matter is not relevent and your style is close to incoherent...but audacity alone will not sustain even a flicker. You really need to find a discussion board where folks are interested in discussing "how sexual preference affects one's whole life" <-- that probably won't be a writing board. Surprisingly, most writing boards like to be about (1) writing and (2) the community of writers. Sex only comes in when we're discussion specific books and it's about the WRITING of sex, not the HAVING of sex or one's personal feelings about one's sexual issues.
Now that you're registered, you could try the Musings thread...folks talk about all manner of things there. (I know you didn't really have that option back when you were spamming us, but you do now and you might find a better reception -- it's hard to fix that first spammer impression but you might manage it). I still wouldn't promise anyone would read you but at least you'd be in a place where all manner of topics get introduced and you have the greatest chance of coming into contact with those who like idle chatter for the sake of chatter. |
Violet Towe
Hsympothai Member
Post Number:
399
Registered: 03-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 06:43 am: | |
Well said, Jan. 
Violet |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1137
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 09:52 am: | |
Oh, my goodness. Surely, Nick isn't the first gay writer to come down the pike. There was Somerset Mougham, Truman Capote, and a host of others. He's a young fellow who lives in South London. No doubt he has enough to contend with when he takes the subway. It's not like he's going to be making a pass at any of us ugly old farts.
http://www.fdungan.com/vigilantes.htm |
nick phillips
Awareness Member
Post Number:
6
Registered: 07-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 10:25 am: | |
I was surprised anyone read my posts, so no I wasn't disappointed. I was pleased I had a response albeit mainly negative about style. Your quite right though,I haven't read all the other posts. Not because i'm uninterested in people as individuals or as a collective intellectual majority, it's for the same reason you haven't read all mine -time-. I did however visit your website and read your bio,to return the courtesy for the time you took to post a message. As you've probably guessed i don't have a degree in journalism so style is not something i have at my disposal. If I had illusions of being published I would probably pay more attention to style. I'm grateful for any feedback. As you say there are a lot of places to post work, not all of them writing boards, in future i will post in more appropriate places. Strangley of all the places i have posted, the majority of which are sexuality orientated, this board seems to supply the most feedback. I guess writers are the most critical -nick |
Jan Fields
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
867
Registered: 09-2001
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 11:07 am: | |
Well...plus, we like to hear ourselves talk. |
Harry Simenon
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
751
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 12:35 pm: | |
Olen, I think I should have read your post better.
I thought you were talking about Nick instead of Mark York.
I haven't read that much of Mark. |
Harry Simenon
Wisdom Member
Post Number:
752
Registered: 10-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 01:10 pm: | |
Nick:
“I was curious to see how heterosexuals would react to this type of writing.”
I think the type of writing is explicit, but not specifically homosexual, only the topic is.
“I will finish my story though, then place it where it will help the people it was written for.”
Do you want to put it only on the internet, and not try to publish it?
About hanging the young gay boys: that is disgusting indeed. But I’m afraid that wars are rarely fought to prevent such atrocities.
I do believe that more and more countries accept homosexuality though, and about four legally recognize a gay marriage. Very few people I know (actually none, as far as I know) have problems with homosexuality.
To what degree do you feel accepted? |
Bill Nelson
Unity Member
Post Number:
1296
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 02:26 pm: | |
Nick,
I think I'm accurate in saying you are certainly welcome to post here and join in the topics. As stated several times above, I don't think a "specialty" topic will find a lot of interest, however.
"this board seems to supply the most feedback. I guess writers are the most critical"
I believe that's because writer's examine almost anything a bit closer than the average guy and, yes, we have some critics among us.
They're not all as open-minded as I. 
Bill Nelson
RISEN, ISBN 1-93301616-4
Behler Publications |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2636
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 04:52 pm: | |
Last I knew, the Musings forum was open to public posting, not simply registered users...just as an aside.
Mindsight Moderator
Check out Who Needs a Hero?
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Laurel Johnson
Unity Member
Post Number:
3982
Registered: 01-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2005 - 05:03 pm: | |
I think it's safe to say that most of the people who frequent this board are well read in a wide variety of genres.
In some cases people simply aren't interested in reading about the gay life. A majority probably aren't interested in reading the ramblings of a nutso old lady like me either.  In other cases, many of us don't have time to read and comment on much of anything.
Not reading your lengthy chapters is not a general rejection of you as a person.
Laurel Johnson
Author: The Grass Dance
The Alley of Wishes
Color of Laughter, Color of Tears
|
Forum Cops
Hands of the Shadows
Post Number:
24
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 25, 2005 - 07:52 am: | |
Nick -
Your above post has been largely deleted due to offensive content.
The Mindsight Forum would like to apologize for subjecting everyone to such material, and would also like to thank those that took a moment to write to me concerning it.
Nick has been warned about such content, all such content has been removed, and all links to his website have been removed as well.
Nick still has the option to post at the forum, but has been warned that any further offensive materials will result in his removal as well. |
EH (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: pool-71-105-82-187.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 02:19 pm: | |
What does any of this have to do with Mark York? He didn't post this piece and a review of the history shows nothing but a lack of mollycoddling. Certainly no offensive content was ever posted. It's a real authentic character when folks still talk about him year in and year out after a handful of brief journalistic encounters. I know all about that from experience.
Sincerely,
Ernest Hemingway |
Fred Dungan
Unity Member
Post Number:
1234
Registered: 10-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 08:11 pm: | |
My goodness, after that last 800+ page manuscript, heavily edited by family and so-called friends, are you sure you want to impersonate Ernest Hemingway? As I recall, PublishAmerica evoked the great man's memory for their convention in Florida. Not to be outdone, Fidel Castro also offered tours of a less-than-stellar Hemingway getaway and musty library. On his last safari to Africa, Hemingway claims to have fathered a number of children whom he subsequently abandoned.
http://www.fdungan.com/vigilantes.htm |
EH (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: pool-71-106-138-118.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 08:24 pm: | |
Where's your evidence of those charges? Less than stellar? The finca? Buddy you're not qualified to carry my bags. Any mention of my name and this pitiful vanity press is blasphemy for any writer. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2370
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 19, 2005 - 09:49 pm: | |
easy does it, EH.....
you are treading on some mighty thin ice as the winter has not really come yet to perform a full freeze, with enough body to hold a man upright without him falling through.
If you continue to impersonate, you had best be prepared for the onslaught. Even the lightest, most innocent of comments will possibly bring sharp retorts when those comments come from someone who refuses to identify themselves or uses a self-bestowed name other than that given at birth. I am sure that you want to be accepted with good will and plan to take part productively in this forum, so please consider registering using your real name, or not even your real name, but not one that was the real name of a very prominent though deceased author.
At last look, this thread had not even been looked at since the end of July this year, and you bring it back to the top with an inane comment about Mark York, who hasn't been thought about or brought to the surface for some time. For what purpose?
Claudia
MINDSIGHT MODERATOR
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Tyrone (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: user-0cev8av.cable.mindspring.com
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 12:11 am: | |
I'm completely lost in all of this. Who is Mark York, and what was the comments referring to? Was PA the subject in question? Perhaps I shouldn't ask...Nah, forget that! I wanna know. Please. |
Claudia Turner VanLydegraf
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2371
Registered: 06-2002
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 12:32 am: | |
Tyrone,
it is all past history and something that I really would rather not dredge up again. Mark York is a poster who has graced our board with his comments, opinions, and problems, as well as many of the other boards that he has harassed through the years. Please just leave it alone...... or go look him up on AbsoluteWrite or some of the other places that he has been banned from.
The comment about the PA Hemingway gathering/visit in Florida last year was directed to and at the person who calls himself EH (who posted above the post made by Fred), by Fred..... but was probably more in the vien of a barb. Other than that, there is nothing to this thread anymore except that someone wanted to play a game and dredge it up from the bottom of the pit to bring whatever he wanted out..... and I still can't figure what that is. Don't fret over any of it, all is well.....
Claudia
MINDSIGHT MODERATOR
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Tyrone (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: user-0cev8av.cable.mindspring.com
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 09:31 am: | |
Thanks Claudia for clearing that up for me. I thought I really missed out on something important, but I see that I didn't. |
EH (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: pool-71-106-85-3.lsanca.dsl-w.verizon.net
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 09:41 am: | |
I left those two African women a fine pair of goats before I left. That may not seem like much here but it is in Kenya.
As for the inane comment, it looked more to me like a discussion. Is that what you people do, talk about folks behind their backs after you've apparently banned them? Just asking. |
Yo, Duh (Unregistered Guest)
Work-in-progress guest
Posted From: pcp08720546pcs.nstnig01.ct.comcast.net
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 01:37 pm: | |
No one was talking about him until you brought him up...at best he was mentioned once as an example. Why on God's green earth do you want to discuss some guy who isn't part of the board and in whom no one has any interest? Hell, if someone mentions Gerald Ford in passing as an example of a dead vice president, does that make it suddenly a "DISCUSSION" about Gerald Ford. It was a reference...and example...in passing, not a discussion. |
Todd Hunter
Mindsight Moderator
Post Number:
2801
Registered: 02-2003
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 20, 2005 - 02:22 pm: | |
Indeed, since Mr. York has long since been banned (on more than one occassion) for behavior that violated the guidelines here at Mindsight, even after numerous warnings and second chances, we'd prefer not to discuss him where he can't respond.
In fact, I'm going to close this thread since it seems to have morphed into something which serves no other purpose than to discuss him.
Mindsight Moderator
Check out Who Needs a Hero?
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