Hawthorne High School transcript

[DougO]

Just in case you missed the note on the home page, a transcription (by Jan) of the Hawthorne High School Comic Con is now available in the jmsnews archive. It can be read at http://jmsnews.com/msg.aspx?id=1-17127 or downloaded in Word format at http://jmsnews.com/docs/hawthorne.doc.

I was interested to hear about the Doctor Strange mini-series. I started collecting Doc Strange comics when I was a kid and still have a sizable collection. I'm looking forward to seeing what JMS has done with the character to bring him into the 21st Century.

The most surprising thing for me was the part about living in a commune in the 70's. I don't think he has mentioned that before.

Enjoy,

-DougO

[Radhil]

It was mentioned in his explanation at the end of the Midnight Nation trade paperback. The tone of which made me suprised he answered the question there.

[Jan]

Thanks so much for making this available here for folks, Doug!

As Radhil said, JMS mentioned the commune (leaving it, actually) in the Afterward to Midnight Nation and how he used to go for long, late-night walks just thinking which was how he noticed the night world and the day world.

There was a definite pause while he collected his thoughts before he answered the question but he didn't seem unwilling to answer it, at least in general terms.

Jan

[Capt.Montoya]

Many thanks.
Thanks for recording and transcribing it Jan.
Thanks for making it available Doug.

A very good read.

[Jan]

So sorry not to have met your standards, musnyata.

If you don't like the word 'by-play', would you have rathered that I typed (JMS and the audience exchanged jokes and barbs here that I can't separate out well enough to transcribe) each time? Even I got tired of typing (something).

I'm not sure what exactly you meant about my "(irrelevence deleted) little comments"? My 'job', I thought, was to try to portray what was said and the atmosphere of the session.

Since it wasn't to your taste, please don't feel obligated to read the entire thing nor any possible future efforts.

Jan

[Dr Maturin]

Nonsensical.

If you didn't like the first sentence, why did you continue to the second and beyond? It's like coming across a TV show and watching the whole thing knowing you hate it. And you shouldn't be so bold as to speak for everyone with your "all our sakes" comment.

And, msunyata, if someone needs to teach Jan proofreading, someone needs to teach you diplomacy, boy.

[Capt.Montoya]

Originally posted by msunyata
No, it *should* be a good read. Instead, it's an annoying and amateurish one, marred with ignorance of both the English language and of transcription.

If you're going to transcribe something, then *do it well* -- otherwise, what's the point? Don't waste your time, and certainly don't waste mine.

[...]

... and get some proper instruction in the usage of the language before you embarass yourself in an online forum, and certainly before you discredit yourself in a transcript...

[...] Your job is to tell me -- and to tell me in a logical, consistent manner -- what was said at a certain date at a certain location. You failed miserably at both. If you truly find it necessary to bother the rest of us with your inane and insipid comments, then by all means post them here in this thread.

Since logic will prove to be insufficient (as it did before) in the future, please take heed of this request: next time, for all our sakes, don't bother.

[...]

It wasn't Jan's work to tell anyone about this. She travelled to be there (at her own expense I presume) and recorded it and transcribed it of her own will and generosity.

I, and many others, thank her for taking the time to do it.

No, it isn't a perfect transcript, I personally think that writing "(something)" where a word can't be understood is intrusive. So what? I'm smart enough to look past the small details and look a the gist of it.
I don't think Jan does transcription for a living, so I won't criticize if she didn't do it perfectly. It's her work, it's her choice and her style how to mark where words are missing, and her privilege to make mistakes.

And most certainly it was her privilege to insert her comments in her work.

Nobody writes perfectly, and frankly you must be one of the most annoyingly annoyed people in the world to expect not to find grammar and spelling mistakes in an online forum.

If you're such a hotshot transcriber why don't you ask nicely for a copy of the tapes so you can transcribe them to your own standards? And don't ever read Jan's transcript again, certainly you shouldn't read it if you attempted your own transcription lest you be tainted by the mistakes you see in that work.

Realize something: if Jan had not recorded and transcribed that talk you, and I, and many others reading this forum and other online forums where it has been posted, would have never known what was said there.

You don't deserve having had the privilege of reading it msunyata, because you can't appreciate the effort and generosity put into it. You can't look below the surface of the way it's written into the words and their meaning.

"Amateurish" is not an insult in this case. Amateur comes from the Latin (via French) for someone that loves. Someone that loves Babylon 5 in this case, who makes that admired work a pastime.

I praise your amateur way Jan, because I know it was from love of B5 and the fan community, and from the amateur admiration we share for the works and words of JMS, that you took the time to do this.

Loving thanks again Jan.

[Radhil]

Originally posted by msunyata
*snip bullshit*

Hi!

Since it was no one's job, and Jan did this for free, you can go do your own transcripts on your own time and host them on your own server so that you will no longer be bothered by the incompetence of us mere mortals.

Bu-bye!

*/happy-cheery*

Fscking asshole.

[Jan]

Z'Ha'DumDweller, Capt. Montoya, Radhil, thank you so much for your kind words.

You're right, I'd never done a transcript before and the only ones I've actually read were physician's notes. I certainly didn't want to be as dry as that! <g> I admit that typing (something) was my own sylistic choice because when I see the more correct _________ in place of a word that I couldn't understand, my attention focuses in on that instead of the sentence. Punctuation and capitalization errors are mine although some arbitrary capitalizations might have been for emphasis. Every single word attributed to JMS is exactly as it came from him, though.

StarStuff is who actually recorded the session and was nice enough to send me the tape. I don't know if she hangs out here but she's definitely to be found at B5TV.com. One thing for sure, I don't think I'll ever go to a convention Q&A again without a recorder.

msunyata, I apologize for misspelling your user name in responding to you. Hopefully you'll be posting more than just that critique in the future.

Jan

[Bonehead]

Yes, I really enjoyed it. Its nice to read this sort of thing when I have not had the pleasure of meeting JMS myself.

As one of the ones who nagged Jan to finish transcribing it and letting us read it, I am very happy with the result. Great thanks go to Jan, who did it for no other reason, than to share it with others. Well done.

And to msunyata, in my neck of the woods mate, you would not last a week with an attitude like yours. Who the hell do you think you are ? No, dont bother answering.

For someone who's never even posted on this forum before, I think you've got a damn cheek attacking Jan and her work. I'm desperately biting my tongue not to say what I really think of people like you. I dont know how Jan manages to be so civil after such verbal abuse, I know I could not.

Here's hoping you dont come back.

[StarStuff]

Jan not only transcribed the whole tape but also gave an accurate account of the enjoyable atmosphere that prevailed during the Q&A. I recorded the tape and orginally posted portions at B5TV.COM back in May. It took me many, many, many hours.

Jan performed a Herculean task for the benefits of all the fans. She a great person who has an ongoing friendship with JMS. Thanks, Jan. We're in your debt. : )

My grammar and spelling are hit and miss so I may get the new best seller about grammar and punctuation called, EATS, SHOOTS & LEAVES, by Lynne Truss. The title refers to an article the autor saw about pandas that prompted her to wirte this new best seller. : )

StarStuff

[Jan]

Thanks, StarStuff. And many thanks again for the tape. Don't know about a friendship with JMS (not that I'm unwilling) but at least an acquaintance. <g> He's very aware of the fans, being one himself.

Oh, and just so you all know, msunyata and I have exchanged emails and have buried the hatchet. Not in each other, either.

Jan
Grammar is usually okay, spelling is decent, punctuation leaves much to be desired! <g>

[circularREASON]

Jan

That really is a fantastic job.

[StarStuff]

Jan, I think the story that wasn't recorded was the last bit about him meeting the three young ladies on the street corner!

[Radhil]

Ah, I suppose this is an example. OK.

We should care.... why?

Kindly go away, if all you're going to do is be snide.