Nobody is perfect - labelling social behaviors

I have to hand it to the person who created this list. (read below in blue first) I wonder how many friends he alienated. In all honesty, we each have our own personalities and way of using facebook, and even twitter. We might not like it, but it is an open, social network. We're there to be socialable.

1: Saying that, I don't like Lurkers and I delete these because they simply have no idea about being social.
2: There's nothing wrong with hyenas, sometimes life is funny!
3: I have no ego about popularity, although I could never cope with having any more "friends" than I do already.
4: I really don't mind those people who play games, just as long as I don't have to know about it.
5: I don't have an experience with the prophet, but even if they did, it's not doing any harm.
6: Thief: well, it's not intellectual property, it's just word of mouth and should be welcomed and encouraged.
7: Cynics attract cynics.
8: Collecting everything is not something I have to worry about.
9: I promote, definately guilty of that, but I no longer tag and wouldn't bother anybody. Facebook is too inconsistant for that at my level. You have to be celebrated before it can truely work the way you want it (RE: Aston Kutcher does fine by this)
10: Liker, well, what's not to like about likers?
11: Hate is nothing to me.
12: Anti-proofreading... I try to note when I make mistakes because I don't want people to think I'm a bad writer. I'm not, just sometimes I type with my iPhone. It ducks! I do happen to be an auto-corrector and a huge misreader of posts. It's never fun to point out mistakes. I got retreeted with a spelling error the other day and I felt terrible! "gave" instead of "have" <--- can often get in the way of a good joke.
13: Oh Woe is me, and my life is awesome: drama kings and queens are just enthusiastic about their life and demonstrate it in a very forward manner. I'm in no way balanced. Some days can be dramatic, other days.. well not so much.
14: Womp Womp people? really, is that the way to think of people who are simply diverse about their sense of humour? Not everything we laugh at has to be funny to everybody... although commenting a running commentary about the thoughts of a toddler throughout 100 photo album pictures is a little "not funny" to read after a while. Caption makers can sometimes be a little sad, but we're all guilty of it some time in our FB life.
15;Okay, the newsies... well I must admit I try not to ever say "ahh, nice cup of tea!" or give mundane details about my day. I try to avoid cliches, but sometimes life is like that. We're not always in an entertaining mood, and in which case, I stay away from making a status. We can't all strive to be interesting all of the time. But what does it matter. You get more from FB posts than you get from most newspapers anyway. Twitter especially has a lot going for it in terms of news and current events. Some people however do get the idea that they are popular enough to "Aston Kutcher" their way through their day... but that's just emulation and promotes self worth. Really, does it matter?
16: And finally, the rooster? Well I really don't see why that's such a bad thing. We are sharing this social network with the world, and sometimes, it's good to know geographically when morning is. It is also a nice ice breaker.

The one thing we seem to do in life is "label" things. People often appear to be placeable in their own categories however, and we shouldn't let the list below be a part of our reasoning for dealing with individuals.

Nobody is perfect.

------------------------------------- FACEBOOK LIST OF LABELS

‎1) The "Lurker" - Never posts anything or comments on your post, but reads everything, and might make reference to your status if they see you in public.

2) The "Hyena" - Doesn't ever really say anything, just LOLs and LMAOs at everything ...
... ... ...
3) "Mr/Ms Popular" - Has 4367 friends for no reason.
...
4) The "Gamer" - Plays Words With Friends, Mafia Wars, Bakes virtual... cakes and shit, etc., ALL DAY.

5)The "Prophet" - Every post makes reference to God or Jesus.

6) The "Thief" - Steals status updates... and will probably steal this one.

7) The "Cynic" - Hates their life, and everything in it, as evidenced by the somber tone in ALL of their status updates.

8) The "Collector" - Never posts anything either, but joins every group, and becomes fans of the most random shit.

9) The "Promoter" - Always sends event invitations to things that you ultimately delete or ignore.

10) The "Liker" - Never actually says anything, buy always clicks the "like" button.

11) The "Hatee" - Every post revolves around someone hating on them, and they swear people are trying to ruin their life.

12) The "Anti-Proofreader" - This person would benefit greatly from Spellcheck, and sometimes you feel bad for them because you don't know if they were typing fast, or really cant spell.

13) The "Drama Queen/King" - This person always posts stuff like "I can't believe this!", or "They gonna make me snap today!", in the hopes that you will ask what happened, or what's wrong...but then they never finish telling the story.

14) The "Womp Womp" - This person consistently tries to be funny...but never is.

15) The "News" - Always updates you on what they are doing and who they are doing it with, no matter how arbitrary And lastly...

16) The "Rooster" - Feels that it is their job to tell Facebook "Good Morning"

Exaggerated / insult Comedy - leave it alone, common people!

I hear that comedians who work on the CC Roasts have people in the street shouting obsene things at them on the streets and also on social networks. One thing: These are comedians who have seen a lot more clubs and venues than any "punk" who thinks they can come up with the roasting goods. Roasting is not for the general public. They can't handle it and they shouldn't pretend that they have what it takes to make a hard insult 'funny', nor do many people truely know how to deliver sarcasm that the receiver finds funny.
Don Rickles has people all around the world who would love to have him say something of an insult to their face. I would love to be "Rickled" in the comedy style that he says "is nothing more than exageration". He doesn't like the term "insult comic". It surprised me that Lisa Lampanelli, known as the Queen of Mean - who can take some of the worse things being said by "HER PEERS" whom she respects - had insult humour sent to her by twitter followers, most of which she found great offence to.

Think about it. You have a joke with a friend, doesn't mean you share the same joke with a stranger? These social network users believed that just because of her comedic talents that she would be thrilled when somebody she doesn't know uses the *c* word and tells her she "loves to suck black..." you fill in the gaps. It doesn't come across as being funny when it comes from the comedy enthusiast: but instead, it comes off hurtful, offensive, racist and cruel. It's that simple. I believe many comedians are prophits. They are messengers, and phylosophers who have a firm grasp on many areas of the human condition that most of us turn a blind eye to.

Why anybody thinks they have the ability to A: assume a familiarity with the person (especially through type which is so much harder to detect emotion with) and B: assume that it's funny.

When Lisa and Don do their comedy, they have already disarmed the audience. They are afterall Lisa and Don, and not Danny from Newark NJ (for want of a random name and place).

One other thing: Don Rickles is the kindest, most generous hard working comedians this planet has and will ever see. His heart is definately bigger than his bite, and that bite always comes with a wink of appreciation. He is gold, and he's the last of his kind.

Lisa is also an incredibly sensitive giving celebrity. She might not yet be the iconic artist that Don Rickles is, but she has the right mind, her heart is definately in the right place and she knows what she is doing. She also works hard and knows what she is doing, and who her peers are. Genuine funny people aren't without a heart, a caring, a vulnerability that let's you feel somewhat close to them, and yet distance because there is still a line where they go that you can't follow. You can watch from the arena seats, but you don't enter the ring.

When things are typed, there is very little in the way of expression, inflection or tone. Skilled writers can infuse text with words that carry connotation of those things, but not everybody has that range. I don't even have the confidence to know that everything I type that is a joke is taken to be as so.

Sarcasm is one of those things people get completely wrong, along with irony. The notion of insult humour is that the joke is accepted by the deliverer and the audience, especially the one whom the sarcasm is directed at. They have to get it. If they look at you funny, they are probably wondering what you mean. You might have hit a raw nerve. Surely this happens when you don't know the people well enough to use such humour. It could also mean that you are justs lousy at being hard and humourous at the same time. When I encounter real scarcasm, there's a thread of truth within it's delivery. A statement of the obvious, or silly answer to an already silly question. Both players have to be on board with the joke or it just comes down to being... mean.

Anybody who has to reply post joke "Oh come on! I was joking, relax!" should really rethink their qualification to be humourous. Sometimes this is a cover for something that is actually part and parcel of truthful words, and that's their way of distancing themselves from it.

The other day, I deleted a facebook comment to a previous comment that was overly long. I didn't know the person who wrote the comment, but the post was about reading all that is written (possibly because many don't read through to the end of posts or comments) so the joke was to make an incredibly long comment filled with detail and... it came across extremely well. I wanted to add to it by saying "I had to read that comment twice between napping" - but I deleted it. Why? It might have sounded as though I thought the comment was so dull and boring that I fell asleep. I realised soon after that I really didn't know the guy, he might not appreciate that humour. So sometimes I edit myself. I know I have the ability to put my foot in it, and I know those who I can mess with. I wouldn't go to the level of Don or Lisa as I have a high sensitivity to feeling guilt, even with the people I trust and know the most.

I can even say things to my Mother that people would be shocked to hear, but I know her mind and her sense of humour. Jokes are a wonderous thing, and we can't be without them, even in type form, but not everybody is made of the tough stuff. Maybe it is best to end this entry with: What happens at the Roast, stays at the Roast.

People are Clouds.

Maintaining a website is a fiddly thing. I come across new ways to do things and suddenly, the whole site has to change.

This is the latest incarnation of the stephenradford.com website, bringing about a full on Venetian theme. Last time it was paper airplanes, and now, venetian masquerade mask. The twitter feed is now my main source of "wordage" on the main page. I did feel it was pointless having all this news feed on a forever scroll window... which is where this blog comes in. The photographs used for the roll over picture window are all from our visit to Venice. Some great moments that I love to share. Not since "Black&White Photography" have we actually put out a great deal of photos. Perhaps a Venice PDF document would be a good thing, although the photographs we took are probably no different to the other million of visitors, we did capture moments with the people... and that's what I love about photography. The unique moments that won't ever happen again.

"People are Clouds. No two are the same" - Stephen

Going back to the website updates, everything is still there as it was, with the addition however of Over&Out which is now a living breathing bi-product of Podfling Radio.

Creating this blog has given me a great chance to put all my updates into one place. I love it. Miles better than a forum which kind of felt like a online shop.

Don't forget to check out the Storyteller Archives. There you can find all my original articles on writing, including resources for storyboarding, templates for the pre production process of writing etc.

Now that is quite a list. I'm hoping to see that evolve soon, even though I have reeled in from putting my finger in too many pies. Just rememer: "Quality doesn't always reach potential high if you spread yourself too thinly."

That is all for now ;)

A slight change in writing method

I realise lately that I've changed my approach for my entry into writing. True, I still work on a lot of background, and I know the basic bone structure of the novel, but... where I sit now, I have gaps that have been left without planning. I only know that this is the first "act" if you will for a much larger canvas.

My usual plan is to create a break sheet: a complete run through, point by point and blow by blow of the story. That usually runs through at least 10 or 15 pages of numbered points (with numbers denoting scenes despite this being a novel)

I think very visually. I have to play even a short story through the mind as a movie. So i've played the first act of this story, each scene, each setup and each moment as a film multiple times before setting to write it. I know that when I get through this first "third", the next two thirds are going to be a riot leading to a conclusion that I've already written.

I've written the ending before I had even thought about the beginning. Granted this story explores two generations of characters. For anybody who has read Robert Riley, this is the story of the man behind his secret journal: Jiri Ivanov, going through a lifetime that brought him to his alternate realm between life and death.

It's fiction. That's where I go everytime my mind takes a break from life. I love it. I hope my changing of methodology (writing without planning) actually works out. If it doesn't... well, no big deal. I can fix it in the rewrite.

You either love it or hate it: Jazz

I think I figured out why I love jazz. With any other song with the definate structure, the music comes straight to you. There's no need to go anywhere, it's with you. Especially with freeform, you have to chase it and that for me is where it becomes enjoyable. The unknown exploration of sound, rhythm and movement that you just can't predict. You can't run circles around it, it just keeps on going outward. You're either willing to chase it or you're not. Also, it is not about catching up with it. It's about running along with it until it dissapears, leaving you ready to chase it again.

For Freeform improvised Jazz, check out Denny Zeitlin

I dream of Jason Alexander versus angry lesbiens

I seem to have one of those minds that stays active, regardless of whether or not I am awake. I run through plot lines and stories concepts as I drift off to sleep, and wake up, more often than not, with a collection of events and images from dream camp - a place we all go.

Last night's dream had a stellent cast of characters. Ashley Judd made an appearance, along with my cousin Julia and Jason Alexander (George Constanza from Seinfeld). There were others, but these factoed in as foreground elements, and a random selection that is by the way.

So I'm getting ready to go to a restaurant. I hear that Ashley and Jason will be there, so I want to look my best when meeting them. Problem is, I look like I'm 15 years old. I have my old spikey hair, and a grey sports jacket I remember having when I was even younger still. (thanks subconscious for remembering a fashion sense from the wrong era. Go figure!)

The restaurant is a mixture of "queue to order" and "help yourself buffet". Because people knew I wanted to meet with Ashley, we were first sat at a table separate. Problem was I was still a 15 year old. She listened to me as I mumbled through my teenage talk, obviously wanting to move away to sit with adults. She does so and sits on the long table with my cousin Julia who is the mid flow of conversation and everybody is totally engaged - which is spot on for Julia's personality.

So i'm now sitting opposite Jason Alexander who has already started his buffet meal. He whollyheartedly recommends the dish and I offer to get him a drink. Now that Ashley has gone, I notice I'm the regular 31 year old me again, able to engage in meaningful adult talk and partake in alcoholic beverages. I go to the buffer, and there is a dish there as Jason had described, but it comes with baked beans and peas. I didn't see that on his plate. I notice only Jason and myself were using the buffet. The line to order off the menu stretched long and was filled with boredom.

I returned to see Jason conversing with two women, both a lesbien couple with an adopted baby. Jason makes the faux-pas of saying "are you enjoying motherhood" to one, when the other chirps up, "What makes you think she's the mother, I could be the mother too you know!". This whole setup seems to have been written by Larry David as Jason Alexander tries to dig his way out of his wrong choice of words. "As if I'd know there was new etiquette! I'm not in the lesbien community!" he exclaimed. This comment digs him even deeper when the come back, "excuse me, but we're are not some community!" - Jason ends up facepalm and gulps his drink down.

So there you go. Not the kind of dream I ever imagined having. So random yet funny at the same time. I wonder why I dream in this way, and how it always plays better in the dream than when appears written. Trust me, it was so much more entertaining "being there".

- S

Introducing Starbuck and Khamalla

Within the last few hours our home has changed. for the first time we've closed the living room door and our routine has completely moved into a new phase.

Naturally day one of bringing new kittens into our lives is bound to be a lot of work. Starbuck turned out to be the feisty explorer who is not afraid to venture anywhere. Sounds about right (another Katee Sachoff) Khamalla on the other hand, very nervous and took a couple of hours before she too began to explore new surroundings.

The big change being that they are taking each room at a time. Tonight they will remain in the living/dining room. Tomorrow I will do my best to introduce them to the kitchen -- although we had the door open for a moment during dinner, Starbuck shot off up the stairs and found herself in completely unclaimed territory. We'll take it one day at a time. ;) They are so adorable. Once Khamalla came out of her safety place, they both started to run riot, chasing each other, taking everything in and sitting with us to find out who we are.

As I write this, we've gone upstairs and left them to settle. I know I will have to check in on them a few times tonight, and ensure that

A) they find out where the litter tray is.
2) Find out where they might not have found the litter tray in time.

We let them eat first before we did, but they were far too excited and tried their darnest to jump up to and explore what we were eating. Nervousness comes in excess energy and a need to find their way around everything.

Tobey the Tortoise is however upstairs for now. Starbuck got too curious and climbed into his "mother shell" - not knowing he was in there however. It was just another realm to explore. So we are now with the challenge of ensuring Tobey can return down without being slept on or piddled on. Either way, we know he won't like it.

So there we go. I don't want to blog about cats all the time. That could be too much, nor will I be creating a blog for the cats. Really have enough to work with at the moment, but I promise that on the event that they should learn new tricks, explore new territory or say their first words, you will hear about it. :)

Sweet dream for now... I will be awake for some time, i'm sure.