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I have actually thought about that conversation while watching Dark City, which in my book is still the best of that wave of reality questioning movies. But never as an irritant, just a disappointment that Matrix made all the money, could be worse though ExistenZ could have been the big financial winner.

I don’t actually know the tune of the Emily Dickenson song, which is fine because I don’t actually know any her poems either.

Did you see Surrogates? I meant to see it but reality got in the way. Seems to be of that avatar theme you like, looked interesting in spite of being roundly panned.

You should save your comments, they were great. The movies didn’t deserve that rousing defense but it was impressive. I know everything I write is tripe and not worth saving.

It's cool. I didn't think you were. But the thought occurred to me while I was writing my response to you.

Often we arrive at truths or important questions in the act of creation. I can try to 'game out' a story in my head but it is usually when I am in the act of writing that something profound will come bubbling up. I've written a lot of personal essays over time that started out meaning to be one thing but once the pen got on the paper a different truth was revealed. You know what I mean, yes?

You mention irony. I have a character in a story that doesn't understand irony- just can't get his mind around it. He's always trying though. 'That's irony, right?' he's always asking. He never gets it right though. When he finally does get it right, it's only because he asks the question at the right time, not because he really understands it. He asked out of habit.

Kind of like love. Depends how your relationship history has been but sometimes you can look back and say 'yeah, I've been love before' but it's sort of like that guy with the concept of irony. You don't really know what you got right the one time that you can't seem to get right again... You just feel like you got lucky and got the answer right the one time but it might just continue to elude you from now onwards...

Obviously, I'm the type that likes to ramble on paper...

Doesn’t sound like you’re a grumpy guy, and I wasn’t comparing you to him! LOL

Just sometimes—books are better than people. Another LOL Kinda like your dogs—they always love you and they never talk back!

One of my SIL gave me a birthday card a long time ago. The picture was a comfy rocking chair, a small table beside it held a steaming mug and a face down book. Now that’s my idea of a good time! LOL

Also, for the record. I enjoyed the conversation about the Matrix as well- while it was going on. And I’m not angry about it. But it often comes back to me when I am watching the film- and I do rewatch it fairly often. It’s like there’s always that germ of irritation there from this discussion we had about the film that won’t go away. And since it’s one of my favorite films this is a bit distressing.

Sort of like the way it’s upsetting when someone tells you that every poem Emily Dickenson wrote can be sung to the tune of... (do you know the tune? don’t say it in case others haven’t heard it). But it’s true. And I can never recite one of her poems now without that fact lurking in the back of my mind.

Similarly, I would like to go and see this film with a fresh frame of mind without any preconceived ideas or arguments in my head. I might hate it. I might love it. But I want my impressions to be ‘virgin’, if you will.

I promise, I’ll come back and tell you if I liked it or disliked it- on this thread. That’s the best I can do. And I think that’s civilized.

By the way, I saved the conversation to disk because I wanted to save MY comments in that discussion. A bit of an ego thing, but I considered the back and forth worth while and worth referring to later. It doesn’t reflect anger. You could have taken that as a compliment as well. Think about it. It’s like saving old love letters.

Yes, I have seen that one.

Hmmm... I hope I haven't become that grumpy guy :-| I mean... You know? It isn't what I set out to do when I was a kid...

Have you ever seen the Twilight Zone episode where this grumpy man who likes to read more than he likes people wishes everyone else would go away? There’s some kind of apocalypse and he ends up the only human left alive, and he’s on the steps of some huge library. He drops his glasses and steps on them, and he can’t read without them.

Talk about irony!

If I lived a hundred lifetimes I don’t think I’d ever get all the books read that I want to!

So many books, so little time! LOL

Agree! One good reason I'd like to live for a few more centuries is just to be able to read all the books I'd like to read. I'll never be able to with current lifespan.

If I had to be on a desert island and I could choose between the human companion of my choice or an unlimited library... I'd take the company if it were only for a few weeks or months. But if I'm stuck there forever, I'd probably go for the books.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I would. The books.

I guess, to me, the difference between reading an actual book and reading something on a reader is the difference between having an old friend come to your house, and having a friendly conversation with someone in a grocery checkout line.

And yet, I love reading stuff on my computer. Doesn’t make sense, I know. LOL

**then one day you’re like ‘Ahhhhh! Now I understand!’**

I’ve read and reread LOTR I don’t know how many times, starting in the mid 70’s when they were a Christmas gift from my dad. I’ve prob got more books than the local library, and most I’ve read at least twice and a lot of them more than that.

You can never have too many books!

Me too, me too!

I haven't used one yet. I've only ever read ebooks on my computer. I can say I don't enjoy that method. I like curling up in the bed or on the sofa with a book. I don't think an electronic format is ever going to do the trick for me unless it can replicate the look and feel of a book.

People ask me why I read books over and over—it’s like revisiting an old friend!

Yep. Some books I read again and again. There's one I re-read called Replay by Ken Grimwood. It captured my imagination when I was younger and when I read it again, it's like going back to my younger state of mind all over again- which is pretty cool. I love revisiting my favorite authors after a few years. I find they teach me new things that I couldn't see before because I didn't have the right experiences under my belt the first time around. Life's kind of like that too. Older people will tell you something that doesn't make sense to you at the time and then one day you're like 'Ahhhhh! Now I understand!'

Thanks for your comments. Have a nice day.