‘Give Me Your Hands, If We Be Friends…’

 

After years of shameless freeloading, I was finally compelled to join the Ricochet community this weekend. Would that I could say this action was prompted by a particularly persuasive entreaty by Rob Long which rendered further avoidance inconceivable. While I could defensively insist that it has long been my intention to become a member, I will refrain from offering excuses. My ultimate motivation for joining Ricochet was a heightened need, brought about by recent events, to seek a level of ideological kinship not presently available to me.

Beyond my nuclear family (i.e., parents and siblings), the circles in which I travel are overwhelmingly left-leaning. As an introverted, lifelong resident of the Boston area employed in the Arts, there is little opportunity to make any connections of a right-of-center persuasion. It is my sincerest wish that this forum will assist in filling that void.

It is my intention to post with some regularity. In addition to conservative/libertarian politics, my main points of interest include opera/operetta/classic musical theatre, Gilbert & Sullivan, Shakespeare, and silent cinema, and I expect that I will feel motivated to expound upon these and other topics with greater frequency than on politics. I hope that some of my fellow Ricochetti will find my musings of sufficient interest to indulge me.

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There are 81 comments.

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  1. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Welcome to Ricochet. Looking forward to future posts.

    • #1
  2. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I hope you will see us as another kind of family, one that can be unpredictable but committed to supporting a country that was founded in freedoms. Welcome !

    • #2
  3. Gossamer Cat Coolidge
    Gossamer Cat
    @GossamerCat

    Welcome to Ricochet and I look forward to your thoughts on all topics!

    • #3
  4. EJHill Podcaster
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    I hope your nuclear family glows just as brightly as mine! Welcome aboard.

    • #4
  5. PHCheese Inactive
    PHCheese
    @PHCheese

    A  Xeno for a Dudley Doright. Seems fair.

    • #5
  6. Manny Coolidge
    Manny
    @Manny

    Welcome!  You caught my attention with Shakespeare.  ;)

    • #6
  7. DonG (Biden is compromised) Coolidge
    DonG (Biden is compromised)
    @DonG

    Xeno: lifelong resident of the Boston area employed in the Arts

    That kind of environment would be tough for me.  I want to hear your libertarian take on issues, we need more of that:)

    • #7
  8. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Welcome!  On Ricochet, you will always find dozens of members who are into the same things you are.  Check the list of Groups.  Also, there are probably many other members within 50 miles of your location to meet with in person.  Post away!

    • #8
  9. Sandy Member
    Sandy
    @Sandy

    You do need us, I see, but we need you, too.  I happily await your posts. 

    • #9
  10. Aaron Miller Inactive
    Aaron Miller
    @AaronMiller

    Welcome aboard! I have noticed many new members this past week. 

    • #10
  11. Quintus Sertorius Coolidge
    Quintus Sertorius
    @BillGollier

    Welcome!! I am in a very similar boat. I am a high school history and politics teacher in 100% liberal Lawrence, Kansas. Only 1 of 2 counties that went for Biden. My school…students and colleagues are 98-99% Democrat. Suffice it to say I bite my tongue quite a bit!! Ricochet has been a wonderful safe haven for me even if some have disagreed with my posts on President Trump. 

    Welcome!!

    • #11
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    It’s a shame you missed Western Chauvinist among others, but welcome.

    P.S.  I recorded a lot of silent movies especially from TCM for a now-deceased friend who was very passionate about that form.  I still have them all, so if there’s something  you haven’t been able to find, let me know.  I just may have it.

    • #12
  13. Z in MT Member
    Z in MT
    @ZinMT

    Hi Xeno,

    You will find that a lot of the people on Ricochet are in a similar boat. In careers or locales where you are lonely silent conservative/libertarian in perpetual need of time to heal their tongue from all the biting.

    Z

    • #13
  14. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    JoelB (View Comment):

    Welcome to Ricochet. Looking forward to future posts.

    Yes. Indeed. Posts about subjects outside of politics are always welcome here at Ricochet.

    • #14
  15. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    Welcome to Ricochet!

    • #15
  16. Xeno Coolidge
    Xeno
    @Xeno

    Manny (View Comment):

    Welcome! You caught my attention with Shakespeare. ;)

    I hope I also caught your attention with my choice of title for the post.

    • #16
  17. Xeno Coolidge
    Xeno
    @Xeno

    kedavis (View Comment):

    P.S. I recorded a lot of silent movies especially from TCM for a now-deceased friend who was very passionate about that form. I still have them all, so if there’s something you haven’t been able to find, let me know. I just may have it.

    Thank you for the generous offer.  I just might find reason to take you up on it.

    • #17
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Xeno (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    P.S. I recorded a lot of silent movies especially from TCM for a now-deceased friend who was very passionate about that form. I still have them all, so if there’s something you haven’t been able to find, let me know. I just may have it.

    Thank you for the generous offer. I just might find reason to take you up on it.

    Some of them are “shorts” that may not have even appeared on their regular/official schedule, certainly not reliably.  One of my friend’s other interests was early Technicolor, especially 2-strip, and I have some of those including the 20-minute short The Flag from 1927.

    Most of what I recorded for him is “indexed” separately, so I could email you that part of the list to peruse.  I think it’s too long to fit in a PM here.  But PM me your email if you would like to see that part of the list.

    • #18
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    My list for that friend starts at line 7934 in the total index, and ends at line 8954.  So that’s a total of 1021.  A few are “duplicates” (sometimes I’d record the same movie again if the Robert Osborne intro/outro was different…) but it’s still a lot.

    • #19
  20. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Welcome! I’m looking forward to the silent movie posts. Let’s fight! Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton: choose two!  Do Arbuckle and Langdon deserve to be up there with the big three? Brooks or Bow? Why don’t we remember Fairbanks’ comedies – was his the Bruce Willis of the day?

    Interested in your thoughts on pre-Hollywood Lang as well; I think Metropolis is the most visually astonishing piece of art to come out of Europe in the 20s.

    • #20
  21. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    Xeno: Beyond my nuclear family (i.e. parents and siblings), the circles in which I travel are overwhelmingly left-leaning. As an introverted, lifelong resident of the Boston area employed in the Arts, there is little opportunity to make any connections of a right-of-center persuasion. It is my sincerest wish that this forum will assist in filling that void.

    Welcome.

     You’ve come to the right place.

    • #21
  22. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Welcome! I’m looking forward to the silent movie posts. Let’s fight! Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton: choose two! Do Arbuckle and Langdon deserve to be up there with the big three? Brooks or Bow? Why don’t we remember Fairbanks’ comedies – was his the Bruce Willis of the day?

    Interested in your thoughts on pre-Hollywood Lang as well; I think Metropolis is the most visually astonishing piece of art to come out of Europe in the 20s.

    Would you like the list too, James?  I just sent it to Xeno.  I appear to have over 1,000 of them, in digital form.  At least from what my friend told me, many of them are not available on DVD and may never be.

    • #22
  23. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Welcome! I’m looking forward to the silent movie posts. Let’s fight! Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton: choose two! Do Arbuckle and Langdon deserve to be up there with the big three? Brooks or Bow? Why don’t we remember Fairbanks’ comedies – was his the Bruce Willis of the day?

    Interested in your thoughts on pre-Hollywood Lang as well; I think Metropolis is the most visually astonishing piece of art to come out of Europe in the 20s.

    Have you seen the anime Metropolis?

    • #23
  24. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Hey, Xeno, the first thing I thought when I saw your screen name was “Xenophilius Lovegood”.

    • #24
  25. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Welcome! I’m looking forward to the silent movie posts. Let’s fight! Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton: choose two! Do Arbuckle and Langdon deserve to be up there with the big three? Brooks or Bow? Why don’t we remember Fairbanks’ comedies – was his the Bruce Willis of the day?

    Interested in your thoughts on pre-Hollywood Lang as well; I think Metropolis is the most visually astonishing piece of art to come out of Europe in the 20s.

    And you would be right. 

    • #25
  26. Hartmann von Aue Member
    Hartmann von Aue
    @HartmannvonAue

    Now, Lang’s Nibelungen is just an interesting artifact of its time. It still amuses me that they used a real flamethrower for Fafnir’s breath. 

    • #26
  27. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Welcome! I’m looking forward to the silent movie posts. Let’s fight! Lloyd, Chaplin, Keaton: choose two! Do Arbuckle and Langdon deserve to be up there with the big three? Brooks or Bow? Why don’t we remember Fairbanks’ comedies – was his the Bruce Willis of the day?

    The first question is easy – Keaton in a walk.

    Interested in your thoughts on pre-Hollywood Lang as well; I think Metropolis is the most visually astonishing piece of art to come out of Europe in the 20s.

     

    • #27
  28. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Have you watched Breaking Bad? Many people compare it to Shakespeare. 

    • #28
  29. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    Hey, Xeno, the first thing I thought when I saw your screen name was “Xenophilius Lovegood”.

    Was that Kirk’s green girlfriend?

    • #29
  30. Randy Webster Inactive
    Randy Webster
    @RandyWebster

    RushBabe49 (View Comment):

    Hey, Xeno, the first thing I thought when I saw your screen name was “Xenophilius Lovegood”.

    Hm.  The first thing I thought of was Xenophon and A March Upcountry.

    • #30
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