Ask Gravel Puzzleworth

Louis,

I misread a flyer for a play once, "the truth behind the glitter", it was about warhol I think? But I read it as 'the glitter behind the truth' and I've loved that phrase even since - I don't think talking heads are that amazing as a band but Stop Making Sense is maybe the film that gets closest to the idea of that, all that magic and spin and Lynchian madness to go into something that's really only okay, that's maybe even more magical for being only okay.

Does ad-aware not get it? If not I would try and find some distinguishing word on the toolbar and then search for how to remove it on google. I'm sure you know all this!

An easy way to fix a tyre is to visit a friend who knows a lot about bikes and bring them something like beer or cake, in exchange for fixing it? It takes like four minutes for you compared to arsing around with tyre-plaster for twenty.

More questions!

Gravel

I want to see Stop Making Sense now! See, that's it - I like the idea of Talking Heads, and sometimes their stuff is mmmmm okay, but not THAT good. I prefer the Tom Tom Club, their sideproject really.

Okay - questions:

What is a good book of stories to read? Or a book with a story in it?

I'm tired and I can't tjhrow up any more questions for now - more later.

Louis,

The best book of stories is Raymond Carver's Elephant, although it's worth pointing out that none of the stories have, y'know, stories. Jeff Moon's 'Pixel Juice' isn't in the same league but still pretty great - fifty superfast one-idea wordbeams with the odd great phrase, you might find it a bit too sci-fi-ish, I don't know.

Novelwise Peter Hoeg's 'The History of Danish Dreams' isn't quite as good as its title but not too far off, these seven calm logical lost stories about time that work themselves around each other and into a straight line... Also sort of an obvious recommendation but have you read Lolita? It's really kind of impossible to overstress how good it is, if you haven't.

Gravel

those look ace. remind me to get them on payday

alongg with: a soundcard, a new shirt for work, an i-pod, a bass guitar, a gym membership, a cd walkman and all the other shit i've been promising myself if i give up smoking.

What are the chances in you coming to stay for a weekend in Hitchin for our MASSIVE FUCK OFF moving in party/rave? We have a two-week overlap on our old and new houses so there will be beds and accomodation (if you can bring a sleeping bag that would be good but not essential? Thinking of doing this on Saturday 18th March. Plus our new house is enormous and there will be grebt techno and jungle and other stuff. Plus we won't have moved anything in so we can cram more people in if we want and it's in town so they can't complain about noise too much!!

Dog Latin,

The chances are pretty good! Like 80%, I think.

Gravel

i was being told today by the Legend that there's a one in ten chance of anything happening. If it doesn't, then put it down to the other 9 (non)chances.

also: YAY!

also also: get on googlemail chat!

Dear Gravel,

Where do you stand on the issue of junking our resident hound? While he seems a good chap, it appears to be our only option.

hey, you do that and out come the yellow cards matey.

Allah,

I have been considering this question. It's a tricky one!

I think, ultimately, it's important to remember that we're still in the I.U.P. (I.) and that concepts such as 'junk' are as such best left in productive confusion rather than forced into a fixed meaning? For instance, the current situation allows us to consider possibilities such as giving latin to a 50p, or perhaps turning him into a bear, full of money. Can we be so sure, so early in the I, that these aren't really what we all want?

Gravel

Dear Gravel,

If you're asking me, shouldn't this be in my thread and not yours? I'll answer it anyways, since I'm feeling chipper! I think turning Sir Wogan into a bear full of money would be a waste of bear skin. I'm still more attracted to the idea of junking him and seeing if he really is a DFM. After all, if he is, there's junk for all, and if he isn't, we're just out one paedo dog. That's my two junks on the subject, I hope it answers your question.

~Allah

Some questions were rhethorical!