Wednesday 2 January 2008

In which the newbie blogger comes across as an anorak-wearer -- she isn't, although she owns a very cozy Mountain Equipment Co-op winter coat...

Elder daughter has been at computer all day with high school buddy creating a CD representative of life and issues in Canada post-WW2. I surrender the computer automatically for school purposes, so spent the afternoon reading Atonement by Ian McEwan, since we found an inexpensive copy while using up younger daughter's gift certificate --- on things for younger daughter, I hasten to add.

The book, as is usually the case, is clearer than the movie, which makes me wonder once more about the disparities in the dates in the film. (As I mentioned yesterday, the story begins in the summer of 1935, but events described as four years later are obviously meant to be at the time of the British Expeditionary Force's retreat from France, that is, late May of 1940.) Anachronisms in movies irritate me enormously, because they shatter my willing suspension of disbelief and catapult me back into the here-and-now which is what I go to movies to escape. It seems like a very expensive movie for such an error; could this be deliberate and why? And surely I have better things to gnaw my knuckles over?

Last night when I did have computer access, I started finding out more about this blog business, by editing, labelling, and trying to make my profile alluring (or at least witty). I learned in the process that there appear to be at least half-a-dozen "Persephones" posting out there in cyberspace, including one on "Blogger". Apparently, she's been blogging since 2002, at first with every aspect about her fertility treatments, then after the birth of twin boys, every detail of their breast-feeding. However, as this particular "Persephone" reasonably points out (possibly after repeated complaints from readers?), I don't have to read her blog. So I won't. I've also discovered that one of the Persephones is a regular participant in a Doctor Who online discussion group. Now, I don't participate in any online discussion groups, but I have been known, on occasion, to respond to other bloggers on the topic of Doctor Who. The coincidence is a bit unnerving though...

2 comments:

P said...

Greetings from a blogger (actually)named Persephone. I also found the lactating Persephone and was somewhat horrified. I believe there is another one out there who is into domination and submission, which is somewhat more palatable than reading about bag balm.

Persephone said...

Well, honest-to-goodness-Persephone (honest-to-goddess, perhaps?), you get a bunch of points from me for a) really being named Persephone; b) having a pre-Raphaelite painting as your profile picture; and c) quoting Dorothy Parker in your profile. You must be one classy broad. (And judging from what I've glimpsed of your blog, you have a way more colourful and interesting life than I...)
I've tried googling my honest-to-goodness name from time to time. I do turn up, in genealogy mailing lists and one of my seminars from years ago on "Drama in the ESL Classroom", but the others bearing my name (which, if spelled properly, is actually quite rare) are also leading far-more-interesting lives: an accomplished knitter, a British squash player, an owner of race-horses, and a suspended medical doctor. Given a choice between bag balms and domination/submission, I'd probably go for knitting, but I'm no earthly good at it although my mum is...
Thanks for giving me a shout. I'll definitely visit your blog from time to time. I might even say hello...