Parla and Devon Farmer
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 12:13AM
Devon Farmer (and his many guises) and Parla add nothing but torment to this forum. I am beginning to think that they are one and the same, an alter-ego of one-and-or-the-other.
Somebody (I can't remember whom) suggested on a post that this forum had many more contributors before last August. Last August Parla began to entertain us with his superior knowledge and divine wisdom.
I Propose we all simply ignore these two idiots.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 11:43AM
#2
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
I Propose we all simply ignore these two idiots.
I understand your exasperation, Atonal, but I'm not sure I agree with your solution. The Brodsky character carps and snides from the sidelines like a bar-room bore, adding little beyond cynicism and negativity, and is easily ignored. Parla on the other hand, does make significant contributions and has undoubted expertise and experience that have stimulated much discussion.
How to deal with the unfortunate messianic self-belief in his conviction as the infallible upholder of The Truth, the relentless pursuit of the Last Word on any and every subject - that requires some thought and strategy.
Not engaging, or simply giving up in the face of the relentless torrent of words leaves his version unchallenged. As my favourite bit of Latin has it - que tacet consentire - what is not challenged is agreed with.
I prefer, and I know it doesn't find favour with everyone, taking up a lot of time and space itself, I prefer a focused questioning of the contradictions in Parla's argument and/or logic. To pursue these chosen aspects of his pronouncements with patience while he employs all the tactics Tagalie so accurately listed earlier, the twists and turns and logical contortions, can and has resulted in logical absurdity for all to see.
The fact that Parla can never recognise when he has reached this point, that he can blithely move on in the certainty of self-belief with no acknowledgement of his opponent's point of view, leaves frustration and even, in some, anger. I used to feel it myself.
Now however, I find there is something endearing in a conviction, however blind, which is prompted by the love of something to that extent. In Parla's world, classical music is under attack and must be defended with all means at his disposal. To question is to challenge; to doubt is to yield.
Don't burn a Beethoven score in his presence is my advice. A Fatwa would be the least of your problems.
Vic.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 12:24PM
#3
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
I confess I'm with Atonal. I discovered the latest Gramophone Forum comparatively recently, but, if I find that Devon Farmer and Parla have contributed to the discussion, I soon become exasperated and bow out. How much longer before I stop visiting altogether?
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 2:16PM
#4
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
I'm with the majority, kicking out Devon Farmer and Parla is the only way forward on a forum. How can we tolerate different view points. We all need to agree now. After three 1 ... 2 ... 3 (all together) ....YES, YES, YES, YES, YES, YES ..........
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 3:17PM
#5
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
I confess I'm with Atonal. I discovered the latest Gramophone Forum comparatively recently, but, if I find that Devon Farmer and Parla have contributed to the discussion, I soon become exasperated and bow out. How much longer before I stop visiting altogether?
I know exactly how you feel - but leaving is exactly what trolls (and both CV and Parla are childish trolls) want people to do. We need sane people on this forum!
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 4:24PM
#6
RE:
Oh, nice people, you went once more over the top, off the mark, dealing with...shadows.
I thought we debate as friends and I treated you as such, despite all the hostility, polemic attitude, foul language and many more. The worse is that some loose their temper. For what? You wish to agree that everything is fine in music. Anything goes. However, Life proved to be quite hard for quite a few people out there, in th rest of the world. Truth is as elusive as it can be. Justice is almost non-existing. Manipulation of rights becomes the order of the day. Let alone what happens to culture, education and civilisation.
I simply express another view, maybe obsolete over there, but still valid in many other places, called Germany, France, some other european countries, Asia, etc.
As a great female author has once said: We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are.
Enjoy your show. It's excellent (not brilliant) entertainment.
Sincerely,
Parla
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 4:31PM
#7
RE:
Truth is as elusive as it can be. Justice is almost non-existing. Manipulation of rights becomes the order of the day. Let alone what happens to culture, education and civilisation.
Are you suggesting that disagreeing with you will bring about the end of truth, justice and human rights?
Dear me - I never suspected that we were in the presence of the chosen one.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 4:49PM
#8
RE: RE:
Looks like the facists are on the rise Parla. They will be burning our Beethoven CDs next.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 6:02PM
#9
Devon Farmer wrote:
Looks
Looks like the facists are on the rise Parla. They will be burning our Beethoven CDs next.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 6:12PM
#10
RE:
Oh, nice people, you went once more over the top, off the mark, dealing with...shadows.
I thought we debate as friends and I treated you as such, despite all the hostility, polemic attitude, foul language and many more. The worse is that some loose their temper. For what? You wish to agree that everything is fine in music. Anything goes. However, Life proved to be quite hard for quite a few people out there, in th rest of the world. Truth is as elusive as it can be. Justice is almost non-existing. Manipulation of rights becomes the order of the day. Let alone what happens to culture, education and civilisation.
I simply express another view, maybe obsolete over there, but still valid in many other places, called Germany, France, some other european countries, Asia, etc.
As a great female author has once said: We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are.
Enjoy your show. It's excellent (not brilliant) entertainment.
Sincerely,
Parla
See what I mean. I rest my case.
For Parla there is only one truth - his. And Devon Farmer is just plain silly.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 7:06PM
#11
RE: RE:
And Devon Farmer is just plain silly.
They've got a black list, with names on it, who will be next, it could be YOU. Where is the voice of sanity in all this madness. We need our wet liberal. Where is Vic. Please help us Vic, we need your BBC mentality to save us or we are doomed. (just don't bring Orla Guerin - that would be one bleeding heart too much).
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 7:25PM
#12
RE:
Truth is as elusive as it can be. Justice is almost non-existing. Manipulation of rights becomes the order of the day. Let alone what happens to culture, education and civilisation.
Are you suggesting that disagreeing with you will bring about the end of truth, justice and human rights?
Dear me - I never suspected that we were in the presence of the chosen one.
Shame on you, Craig. That should read 'Chosen One', surely? I would write more, but have to depart shortly on a dangerous mission that involves travelling to an uncomfortable part of the world. (I've run out of milk and have to go to the Tesco garage).
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 7:32PM
#13
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
I confess I'm with Atonal. I discovered the latest Gramophone Forum comparatively recently, but, if I find that Devon Farmer and Parla have contributed to the discussion, I soon become exasperated and bow out. How much longer before I stop visiting altogether?
I'm sure we all know how you feel, Tsaraslondon, but apart from these two, I'm sure we have all appreciated your interesting contributions - on Callas, for example - I know I certainly have. Don't let them put you off.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 8:05PM
#14
RE: RE:
They've got a black list, with names on it, who will be next, it could be YOU. Where is the voice of sanity in all this madness. We need our wet liberal. Where is Vic. Please help us Vic, we need your BBC mentality to save us or we are doomed. (just don't bring Orla Guerin - that would be one bleeding heart too much).
I think it was a Sunday evening the last time Farmer Brodsky slipped into offensive and obscene ranting and had to be "moderated" off the forum - again. (Put the bottle away Brodsky old chap, or better still, turn your computer off for the evening. )
If issues in Farmer Brodsky's black and white world are so clear,
why has it taken hiding behind five, or is it six name changes to deliver them?
Disgraceful, inappropriate stuff for any forum let alone one devoted to the appreciation of music.
Vic.
Sun, Feb 26 2012, 8:37PM
#15
RE: Parla and Devon Farmer
Some great posts on here in the past 12 hours and some of the usual stuff from the usual sources. You boys have encapsulated the problem. For the sake of the odd shaft of illumination from one and the odd genuinely funny post from the other, is it worth continuing to engage with these two? A personal choice, surely – ironically something that both of them seem to be intent on denying others.
Tsaraslondon expresses what all of us feel. There is absolutely no doubt that these two have turned off many forum members. Some announced their departure, others just gave up. I took about a month off at the end of last year, totally frustrated with both of them, and I’m still puzzled that the moderators have allowed Brodsky et al at least four reincarnations after booting. Is he actually one of the mods in another guise? Andrew, come clean!
Do these two keep the forum going when it’s tending to dry up? If both talk through their rear ends 90% of the time, at least they get things heated up. Or is that a mistaken impression, and they’re actually turning off all the worthwhile posters?
I love this from Vic:
Not engaging, or simply giving up in the face of the relentless torrent of words
leaves his version unchallenged. As my favourite bit of Latin has it
- que tacet consentire - what is not challenged is agreed with.
Exactly. Accumulated experience is one of the few benefits of getting older and the triumph of strident mediocrity in the face of apathy is something most of us have experienced first hand. Granted, a repeat performance on this forum isn’t exactly the end of the world. We’ve all got better things to do than argue with fools and you can guarantee that day in, day out, both of these two are called that to their faces. Their resilience in the face of constant and overwhelming evidence that they’re out of step with the rest of the world is at first mesmerizing, later appalling. It’s the kind of blind self-belief that has generated some of the world’s great tyrants.
Or is it just the mods having fun with us? It’s only music after all and if music is important to all of us who post on here, it’s not worth high blood pressure. I think there’s a case for not treating these guys seriously, just having fun with them. After all, they supply enough ammunition to keep an army engaged.
Seconded, I'm writing their names down now. Walter Ego and Juan Arthur Udder. I'll not be talking to either of them. Even if they do talks to me first.