Trolling (was Re: ATD: cover seal)

[pynchonoid]

Coming from a champion flame-fanner and -thrower
yourself, you surprise me, Keef.

I'm not ashamed of answering and teasing a bit with
Malign/Morris/Mackin, not at all - I always give them
a shot at entering the Pynchon discussion as human
beings, trying to keep things light and have fun and,
in recent weeks though you don't seem to have noticed,
trying to get the focus out of the flaming and into
ATD. Often enough, I manage to make some of my posts
entertaining to read at the same time - you should
read my fan mail. So the sockpuppets kept at it again
this time, and I got into it a bit with them, SO
FUCKING WHAT.  As many here have said many times in
the past, it's only voices on the Internet, if you
don't want to listen you don't have to, change the
channel, take the discussion in a different direction
- you had a shot with this post, Keef, but you choose
differently, so be it, you like the meta-p as much as
anybody and you know it. 

I'm comfortable with the work I've done to help make
the p-list archives a useful resource, not to mention
other Web-based resources for Pynchon readers; I've
worked as hard as most, more than many, less than
others. I've done my share in the group readings and
annotation, and will continue to do so. 

I'm also glad that I persisted in answering - for 5
years -  the false allegations and insinuations that
I, and Pynchon Notes, and God knows who else were
involved in a conspiracy or hoax re the Playboy Japan
interview, glad I persisted long enough to see the
chief accuser exposed as a lying fraud himself. 
Without speaking up and entering the fray from time to
time, that fraudster might have managed to insiniate
his own hoax into the public record re Pynchon, so I'm
glad, on balance, I stuck with that argument as long
as I did, even though I know it irritated a few people
who seemed to enjoy the other side's approach more
than they like the truth. And, I expect it wouldn't
take long to find a post or two or more in which you,
Keef, joined in that slandering chorus, or egged them
on from the sidelines, I doubt your shorts will pass
the sniff test on this one, which makes your current
self-righteous posture a tad suspect. We've both had
toddlers, and you know you don't even have to get
close enough to sniff when they hold themselves with
just that certain tension, expecting to get busted,
looking forward to it, really, happen to create a
stink just for the stink's sake.  Would have been OK
for you to speak up to defend Pynchon Notes, at least,
or are you another one who likes to drop names
associated with that pub just to make your cheap
points here?

> We are
> on the verge of a  
> massive discussion of a new Pynchon novel.

Haven't you noticed, some of us have already begun
this discussion here, and some are building an
incredible resource to aid in the study of the new
book, too, and all are welcome to join, at
http://pynchonwiki.com - I'm sure we'll see you dive
in and help, Keef?  Some of us are already discussing
and you're welcome to join in this discussion  here in
Pynchon-l the parts of ATD  - few, admittedly - that
have become public knowledge, too, no need to hold
back and kibbitz, dive on in, don't hold back, show at
least as much passion for that discussion as you do in
taking the cheap shots that have been your chief
contribution here for quite a few years now.  Take us
back to the glory days of the Wise & Instructive Keef,
who guided us so well through those mystifying
passages in Mason & Dixon - I know you can do it,
Keef, and hope you can manage to gift us in that way
this time.  


> It has
> the potential of  
> being a very entertaining and enlightening
> interchange. 

Already has become one, why not join in?

>The  
> babysquabbling has the potential to destroy the
> whole damned  
> discussion. All it would take would be for one side
> or the other of  
> this nonsense to stop participating, and it would
> stop. 

Haven't you noticed, the other side keeps it up
whether I participate or not.  Eventually I decide to
answer back.  So have you in similar situations. 
Watch - they'll keep it up, Macking is still talking
trash, I'll let it slide for awhile, then do whatever
I choose to do, no problemo. I'll do a bunch of useful
stuff for my fellow p-listers, nobody will notice,
then when I call an asshole an asshole again, that
will be the topic of discussion for a day or two,
regular as clockwork.  You could look it up.

>It amazes me  
> that none of the participants are embarrassed by
> their participation.  
> But, so long as they get some payoff for continuing
> it, it will  
> continue, and evidently some of those on the
> sidelines find it  
> entertaining as well. 

Not to mention, helping to fan the flames, start new
arguments - you've been there with the best of them,
Keef, and here you are indulging in it again, the
disconnect between your scolding advice and your
behavior nearly complete.  It's apparently OK for you
to use the platform to criticize others, but  you
don't want others to do what you're doing. 


>Thus, this bizarre world of
> email discussion  
> will obviously do what it will do. And I'm babbling
> on here for no  
> good reason and will now stop and take my own advice
> from this point  
> forward until I relapse and start bitching about it
> again.
>

I won't say you're out of line to speak this way, it's
a free discussion, but I think you're wrong and
hypocritical to argue as you do. Practice what you
preach for awhile, address the folks who trash the
discussion without adding anything to it instead of
just jumping on the bash-Doug bandwagon with the rest
of the more vocal hypocrites in this groupuscule  and
maybe I'll have more respect for your unsolicited
advice.

And, yes, by all means, let's continue the fun
discussion of ATD that's begun.  If you need to
continue in nanny mode, feel free to target the
Mackin/Morris/Malign troika at any time, since they so
consistently introduce the shitty stuff you have
enjoyed so well in the discussion until, apparently,
today. 



 
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