Neil's posts too long

[bathory]

People complain he's too closed off. Then they complain his entries are too long.

 

Is this what this forum turns into when the band is between tours?

Into what, sane, rational, objective human beings?

 

Better that than the rabid fanboyism we usually have to suffer.

 

Into whiny babies. They're not doing anything new, so apparently there's nothing to compliment on. All the criticism comes out over really dumb stuff. It's funny, really. Great social experiment. ;)

 

say, dont ya think geddy should get a new hairstyle? I think it's time for a poll!

[Chicken hawk]

To skim ..does it make us less of a fan? I think hes brilliant and has so much confidence. Edited August 29, 2013 by Chicken hawk

[driventotheedge]

People complain he's too closed off. Then they complain his entries are too long.

 

Is this what this forum turns into when the band is between tours?

Into what, sane, rational, objective human beings?

 

Better that than the rabid fanboyism we usually have to suffer.

Or the endless negative trolling.

[coventry]

Is it just me(and I know it's not) but Neil's posts on his sight are just a bit too long.

I so want to know about all of his updates, but I also don't want to read a novel.

I love the guy, but lets maybe edit it down a bit?

 

Seriously? You're complaining about Neil's blogs and, by entension, his travel writing?

 

Um, read Bruce Chatwin, Paul Theroux, Bill Bryson, Jamaica Kinkaid, and other contemporary travel writers. They always include scads of details, observations, interpretations, judgments, side-trips, analogies and other figurative language, and similar stylistic and structural aspects.

 

Yes, they're better writers than Neil (and more able to escape themselves when they're in a different place and context), but Neil's doing nothing that the great, recognized travel writers don't do. In fact, his writing has become much more observational and image-filled since the early days of The Masked Rider.

 

 

I think most would agree that Neil has mastered prose; however, most also aren't interested in such mastery when it's densely drawn out.... ;)

 

1. He hasn't "mastered" prose at all. And he'd be first to admit it. His travel prose can be klunky and self-absorbed, but travel writing is a difficult genre to be good at; you're trying to bring to life places and contexts and events that the majority of your audience hasn't shared. That's tough to do.

 

2. His writing isn't at all dense as it is detailed, especially his diversions into memory, Rush, lyrics, childhood, and the occasional pithy political or social observation.

 

His writing isn't just "updates". It's a travel journal and thus an account of someone's thoughts and experiences. It'd better be detailed!

[GeminiRising79]

All these blog entries seem a bit repetitious. Like to see him do a video blog of himself (and bike) touring the beautiful and natural beach areas of Orange county, or the Death Valley scenery, Joshua Tree, etc. Talk about geology and indigenous (and non) plants like Agaves and the like (natural science, cough cough). Visit interesting Cafe's (like this amazing one I ran across recently: http://www.succulent...ide-california/) and other places of special interest. Edited August 29, 2013 by GeminiRising79

[EagleMoon]

Peart's blogs are free. Read as little or as much as you want.

 

I understand that the attention span of modern society is far less than the proverbial goldfish, maybe Peart doesn't.

 

I think he's mainly writing for his own enjoyment, like a big long diary entry. People shouldn't expect it to be all about Rush. His life is more than that, and personally I enjoy seeing another side of him.

[eshine]

It's no wonder Rush fans have a reputation for being a bit more "intellectual" then the average rock fan.

 

Just look at the reaction to Neils latest essay:

 

"can someone please read this for me, it's too difficult"

"I wish he wrote about things that I like instead of things he likes"

"Why does he use so much detail and stuff"

"I wish he would get an editor so there would be less words"

"His essays should be videos instead"

 

:)

[JARG]

Is it just me(and I know it's not) but Neil's posts on his sight are just a bit too long.

I so want to know about all of his updates, but I also don't want to read a novel.

I love the guy, but lets maybe edit it down a bit?

 

tl;dr

[Del_Duio]

People complain he's too closed off. Then they complain his entries are too long.

 

Is this what this forum turns into when the band is between tours?

 

Yes. That and R40 setlist predictions, Vapor Trails being shitty, and how Geddy can't sing anymore.

[rugen]

It's like saying that a writer who make books with too many pages. A band that make too long songs. A singer that sings with too many lyrics. A pianist that play too many notes. I think that tommyali has been born in the age of facebook ant twitter where a few words means nothing... Edited August 29, 2013 by RUDT

[Ghostnotes]

IDK...

 

It might be,in part because the fact that we all know how private he is, that maybe this is him letting us in on his terms as well? At a distance.

[MMCXII]

"long" is definitely the wrong word! it's one or two pages of text people! has anyone on here ever read a book?

 

no it just seems long because its very dry reading. this is because he can't seem to leave out a single detail so it feels like you're reading an encyclopedia.. he needs to let his writing breath more by leaving some things to the imagination just like in music where the spaces between the notes say more than the notes.. but we all know he has problem in that area too! (only in drumming the problem works to his favor!!)

[anima]

Neil has some rather Aspergers tendencies and writes accordingly, as far as I can see (except in his songs, where he manages to distil a vast amount of experience and reading into a short space). The wordiness of everything else he writes doesn't personally bother me as I'm a quick reader and think Aspergers types make the world more interesting. Though it helps if you know them well enough to be able to ask them to shut up occasionally.

[rugen]

Neil has some rather Aspergers tendencies and writes accordingly, as far as I can see (except in his songs, where he manages to distil a vast amount of experience and reading into a short space). The wordiness of everything else he writes doesn't personally bother me as I'm a quick reader and think Aspergers types make the world more interesting. Though it helps if you know them well enough to be able to ask them to shut up occasionally.

 

Do you mean that he has the "Aspergers's syndrome"? I presume that many great writers in the past has the same disorder...

[GeminiRising79]

Well he is kinda clumsy, I'll give him that.

[Bluefunk]

Neil has some rather Aspergers tendencies and writes accordingly, as far as I can see (except in his songs, where he manages to distil a vast amount of experience and reading into a short space). The wordiness of everything else he writes doesn't personally bother me as I'm a quick reader and think Aspergers types make the world more interesting. Though it helps if you know them well enough to be able to ask them to shut up occasionally.

How did you manage to diagnose a condition which is characterised by difficulties in nonverbal communication from a blog?

[greyfriar]

His blogs are just fine to me. I'm not too stressed to take 30 minutes to read something he wrote. I'm always interested when he writes about places I've been to. When his prosaic journeys lead into places I've never heard of, then at least I often find myself longing and dreaming of those places.

[anima]

Aspergers tendencies, not the full condition. Nobody can diagnose someone they haven't even met, obviously, but from watching the DVD "Beyond the Lighted Stage", reading his books, and from my personal and professional knowledge of Aspergers, my personal opinion is that he has aspects of the condition. I also think he's worked at overcoming many of the negative features and has the personal focus and determination which is typical of intelligent people with mild Aspergers. I'd rather not discuss this in more detail as I could be wrong and it could be seen as a derogatory opinion (which it isn't).

[GeddysMullet]

Aspergers tendencies, not the full condition. Nobody can diagnose someone they haven't even met, obviously, but from watching the DVD "Beyond the Lighted Stage", reading his books, and from my personal and professional knowledge of Aspergers, my personal opinion is that he has aspects of the condition. I also think he's worked at overcoming many of the negative features and has the personal focus and determination which is typical of intelligent people with mild Aspergers. I'd rather not discuss this in more detail as I could be wrong and it could be seen as a derogatory opinion (which it isn't).

 

This sort of speculation about what syndromes or conditions people might have is in my opinion one of the most distasteful aspects of modern culture.

[rugen]

Aspergers tendencies, not the full condition. Nobody can diagnose someone they haven't even met, obviously, but from watching the DVD "Beyond the Lighted Stage", reading his books, and from my personal and professional knowledge of Aspergers, my personal opinion is that he has aspects of the condition. I also think he's worked at overcoming many of the negative features and has the personal focus and determination which is typical of intelligent people with mild Aspergers. I'd rather not discuss this in more detail as I could be wrong and it could be seen as a derogatory opinion (which it isn't).

 

This sort of speculation about what syndromes or conditions people might have is in my opinion one of the most distasteful aspects of modern culture.

 

Is it so distasteful? I think that most people have a little sort of disorder sometimes hidden, and that is what make the human being so interesting, complex, unpredictable. You can have those little disorder and accomplish some great things artistically. There's some autistic people, who are genius. I am not saying that Neil is autistic, but that could explain why he feel uncomfortable with his fans.

[gangsterfurious]

Ya know. When Neil posts something he is condensing a few months of traveling, touring, and personal experience into what? Two or three pages on the Internet? I think that's tolerable.

[gangsterfurious]

All these blog entries seem a bit repetitious. Like to see him do a video blog of himself (and bike) touring the beautiful and natural beach areas of Orange county, or the Death Valley scenery, Joshua Tree, etc. Talk about geology and indigenous (and non) plants like Agaves and the like (natural science, cough cough). Visit interesting Cafe's (like this amazing one I ran across recently: http://www.succulent...ide-california/) and other places of special interest.

 

Natural Beach areas and Orange County don't really go together FYI.

[GeddysMullet]

Aspergers tendencies, not the full condition. Nobody can diagnose someone they haven't even met, obviously, but from watching the DVD "Beyond the Lighted Stage", reading his books, and from my personal and professional knowledge of Aspergers, my personal opinion is that he has aspects of the condition. I also think he's worked at overcoming many of the negative features and has the personal focus and determination which is typical of intelligent people with mild Aspergers. I'd rather not discuss this in more detail as I could be wrong and it could be seen as a derogatory opinion (which it isn't).

 

This sort of speculation about what syndromes or conditions people might have is in my opinion one of the most distasteful aspects of modern culture.

 

Is it so distasteful? I think that most people have a little sort of disorder sometimes hidden, and that is what make the human being so interesting, complex, unpredictable. You can have those little disorder and accomplish some great things artistically. There's some autistic people, who are genius. I am not saying that Neil is autistic, but that could explain why he feel uncomfortable with his fans.

 

Yes, I do think this kind of speculation is extremely distasteful. Not because I think that people with disorders can't be good people or accomplish great things, or that I think that having a disorder is or should be any kind of stigma, but because I think it's presumptuous and intrusive, not to mention unrealistic when based only on the very limited picture one gets from the public persona of someone whose real life they know almost nothing of.

[gangsterfurious]

Aspergers tendencies, not the full condition. Nobody can diagnose someone they haven't even met, obviously, but from watching the DVD "Beyond the Lighted Stage", reading his books, and from my personal and professional knowledge of Aspergers, my personal opinion is that he has aspects of the condition. I also think he's worked at overcoming many of the negative features and has the personal focus and determination which is typical of intelligent people with mild Aspergers. I'd rather not discuss this in more detail as I could be wrong and it could be seen as a derogatory opinion (which it isn't).

 

This sort of speculation about what syndromes or conditions people might have is in my opinion one of the most distasteful aspects of modern culture.

 

Is it so distasteful? I think that most people have a little sort of disorder sometimes hidden, and that is what make the human being so interesting, complex, unpredictable. You can have those little disorder and accomplish some great things artistically. There's some autistic people, who are genius. I am not saying that Neil is autistic, but that could explain why he feel uncomfortable with his fans.

 

Yes, I do think this kind of speculation is extremely distasteful. Not because I think that people with disorders can't be good people or accomplish great things, or that I think that having a disorder is or should be any kind of stigma, but because I think it's presumptuous and intrusive, not to mention unrealistic when based only on the very limited picture one gets from the public persona of someone whose real life they know almost nothing of.

 

I can't find it now but this is almost as bad as this post I read where people were speculating that Geddy Lee has Williams Syndrome.

 

www.williams-syndrome.org

 

Remember Neil is in a band, he's a public figure, his life isn't like ours. How would you react if you were just sitting somewhere trying to eat breakfast and people were approaching you, always wanting to talk to you, or wanting a picture or just something from you when all you want to do is sit and drink your coffee? I think he's just introverted and shy and just wants to be normal. He doesn't want some random clown getting all excited to see him and then maybe bringing up things he doesn't want to talk about.

[TheWinslowOfWillowdale]

Neil, like my myself, is simply shy. Shy people tend to have anxiety to a certain degree. But a lot of us overcome it when we have to. I'm an attorney, and have to engage in public speaking quite often. I was always shy as a kid, but had to gain comfort in the public arena when I had to accomplish something that I desired. I still get nervous before a speaking engagement and always will. Shy and introverted people will always have nervousness, and it's a daily struggle.....but it can be overcome.....Unfortunately, some of us do self medicate w/ alcohol and other substances to calm ourselves, or to reward ourselves after "victoriously" making it through a stressful transaction....I have always identified w/ Neil. I just wish I was as smart as him!!!! :codger: