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I've just had an email passed on to me from a Radio Times reader about a short piece I wrote on homosexuality in Hollywood for the magazine the other week. Radio Times readers do tend to write, and often in pen on actual notepaper, sometimes from The Vicarage, and it's nice to engage. Anyway, looking up my original piece, I realised that all my writings for RT appear automatically as a blog on the magazine's website. They've even knocked me up a fancy celluloid-based logo! Scrolling down, it's clear that either nobody has a single comment to add to anything I've written (which is entirely conceivable - these are not controversial writings), or that nobody actually reads them (equally conceivable). Anyway, for the record, they're all here.I really should be working.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 5:47 PM
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Some of them, like the one about Charlton Heston, or the one about films on really late, elicit feedback "at the link below". Were these requests added by an overzealous web/sub editor?
Actually, I've realised now that you have to register, in some detail, in order to leave a comment. No wonder nobody does!
(Actually, it's rather nice not having to leap in to defend myself against comments. There's enough of that elsewhere, and only so many hours in the day.)
I've had a look and how interesting! I had no idea it was all there.
If I may address one of your specialisations; a film question - have you any idea how it is that "The Iron Maiden" has ended up out if copyright, in the public domain, well inside the normal rights period?
I wanted a proper DVD copy for my Dad but as there is no authorised release can only get a copy of someone's copy or a transfer from it's last TV showing via popular well known auction sites. And they might be fine of course.
Admittedly, it's not the best film in the world but if you like these period pieces coupled with nice machines, as we do, not the worst either. Certainly worth someones money to own the rights to it I would have thought. Very odd.
That site has a helpful link to "What is RSS?" but there's no RSS feed on the page (or not when you're a guest anyway).
I had a go at making one but it's not great, the pictures don't come through and some formatting is lost, but at least it tells you when a new one is posted and you can always click through:
http://www.dapper.net/services/andrewcollins_film_watch
I have so much to learn about blogging. On my very first blog I posted on Sunday 18 May one commenter said they would be signing up for my RSS feed (if I knew what it was and how to add it I would do so).
Admittedly I am slightly techno illiterate (I don't have an MP3 player or digital camera -- I'm *soooooo* last century -- although rapidly trying to catch up).
It's nothing short of a minor miracle that I have actually managed to get a blog started and post a few entries (with pictures!).
I never knew the RT blogs thing existed either, probably like a lot of people.
I feel sure the RSS Feed is a simple thing to add with Blogger. Go to "Dashboard," then click on "Layout". Of all the options available there, click on "Add a page element" then find "Feeds". You'll need the URL, which has be typed in. Someone else will have to tell you where to get the URL from! (The great thing about a Comments section is that if you ask, somebody is bound to come up with the answer!)
I'll go and have a look at your blog now.
Yes, I never knew that Radio Times blog was there either. I have to say I enjoyed reading Alison Graham's tv reviews. I stopped buying the Radio Times - in an attempt to watch less tv, which hasn't really worked - but always enjoyed her writing.
I think Blogger puts feeds on blogs automagically when they're in the default layout - there's a link down at the bottom that says "Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)" that seemed to work for me on GoodbyeToAllFat. Your commenter has probably already subscribed.
Want to know what RSS is? RSS in Plain English :)
RSS isn't really essential - most people use bloglines, googlereader or netvibes these days, meaning you don't have to add RSS for them. Useful to have if you want to up your readers, I suppose...
...*bores self to sleep*
*wakes up*
The best way to get readers is to use lots of sexual swearwords, juxtaposed with unusual things. For some reason this attracts readers.
Thank you so much everyone (Andrew, Amy, Swineshead etc) with all the info about RSS feeds.
Particularly liked Andrew's comment about: "You'll need the URL, which has be typed in. Someone else will have to tell you where to get the URL from" -- yeah I had got as far as the Dashboard myself + then not been sure what URL to insert!
Amy -- Thanks for letting me know that the "Atom" option works.
Swineshead: "RSS isn't really essential - most people use bloglines, googlereader or netvibes these days, meaning you don't have to add RSS for them" -- I will need to get my thinking cap on to digest all that techno jargon but I need to do so for my own benefit as a blog reader as well, as there are now quite a lot of blogs that I am interested in myself (which don't all post every day) which I would like to know about as and when they do post without having to click on every single link of my Blogroll every day!
It's all soooooo exciting!
Thanks for helping to point me in the right direction.
Talking of The Radio Times (sorry this is so tenuous but I had to post this somewhere), a magazine that lists all the programmes on the telly, did anyone catch the programme about Edwyn Collins on BBC 2 after Newsnight last night? I presume it has been shown in Scotland (and maybe BBC4?) previously judging by the credits.
I’m not prone to over-sentimentality. In fact I’m a rather cynical old bugger who has to resist the temptation to tear up those make shift flower shrines to lost loved ones, left by people who can only grieve in public. But I spent most of the programme trying to stop myself from blubbing like a baby.
I knew he’d been ill. Very, very ill it turns out. The sight of the once fey, cocky, beautiful young thing shuffling around with the aid of his wife, unable to speak properly, unable to read and worst of all unable to play guitar was heart-breaking. Thankfully we were shown definite signs of his recovery by the end of the programme. To the point where he even managed to play a live concert (although shame on Paul Cook, his usual drummer, who’d gone off on the lucrative Pistols reunion instead of supporting his mate. That might be a bit harsh of me though. I don’t know the actual circumstances). But even after that, the sight of him struggling to get down the multitude of craggy steps to his favourite beach back in Scotland, and then him just sat there with his incredibly supportive wife and son, were almost unbearable.
I loved the fact that his wife wasn’t interested in being portrayed as a saint and you knew when they said they rowed every day they really meant it but what a wonderfully un-showy woman she is.
Truly moving. If you haven’t seen it you should. And if you’ve already discussed this on here, I’m sorry that I’m late again (on that note, just finished the 3rd series of The Wire. I need to locate the cheapest source for the 4th. It’s a bit dearer than the others).
I caught this a few weeks back on BBC4, Oldnathan (it was shown on BBC Scotland first), and I was as captivated - and yes, horrified - by it as you were. If Miseryguts is reading, he saw Edwyn play at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh in April and may be able to shed some light on the gig.
I had been speaking to Edwyn just days before he fell ill. He was on Roundtable on 6 Music on the Friday and he said he'd been feeling unwell but had put it down to a virus. He was, naturally, on fine form that day, as he always was. The indomitable spirit of he and his family, as seen in the documentary, was unbelievable - but then the sheer volume of good wishes posted on the website from the day of the terrible news was a big comfort to him and Grace. Every single comment left was a good vibe worth sending. The internet can be good like that. (It's a pity we're having this discussion under such an unpromising blog entry of mine. Perhaps we should start a new one.)
I think you should Andrew. I almost e-mailed you to ask you to do just that, rather than hi-jack this post, but it seemed even cheekier when I wasn't sure you'd seen it too.
Even though I know should, I spend very little time considering how lucky I am when compared to others. But this programme really did make me feel that... and honoured that they'd let us watch them.
I can't believe anyone wouldn't get something (I can't say 'enjoy') out of watching the programme, so any publicity on here would be well worth it.
I'm not sure that last sentance makes any sense at face value but you get my drift?
Checked out the RT link, thanks Andrew. In fairness to Jake Gyllenhaal, the label of "men who have sex with men" , as distinct from being gay or bisexual, could be argued as being appropriate for the Brokeback protaganists. Gyllenhaals's "two straight guys that fall in love" comment wasn't necessarily cowardly sophistry.
I still found Gyllenhaal's comment bet-hedging. It reminded me of Brett Anderson's famous line, "I"m a bisexual who hasn't had a gay experience" (although it was designed, I think, to have the opposite effect). I'd say that two men who are married to women but conduct a lengthy male affair over a number of years are not straight in the literal sense. It sounded to me as if Gyllenhaal was saying, between the lines, don't worry, audiences in Idaho, I'm not gay or anything. It shouldn't be news that a straight actor plays a gay role without "turning" gay. An American actor can play a Mexican without having to explain that he's not really Mexican. It's Hollywood's biggest problem, and I've no idea if it really does accurately reflect the views of audiences in the Midwest of America, or whether it's a patronising perception by marketing departments. Either way, it prevails.
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