Widely but patchily learned, waspish, arrogant, an energetic writer whose work varied from brilliant to mediocre, snooty and very well-connected, often self-deprecating and shamelessly indifferent to his frequent errors and gaffes, capable of infuriating macho types: I am going to miss Gore Vidal.
I understand that meeting him socially was often a bruising experience especially in his old age in Italy, so I don't regret never having even seen him. But in a way the scary old queen was my type of guy.
Some of his historical novels are very readable and what many regard as his best, 'Burr', I would recommend to anyone with an interest in American history. A copy is lying about in the bedroom right now and I may take another swoop through it. RIP.
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But in a way the scary old queen was my type of guy.
AC or AC/ DC ???........:0)
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Not in that way actually helico. But people will believe what they want.
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I should have had a slightly small to middling wager with William Hill on Tuesday that Armel Lud Coussine would start a thread about Eugene Louis Vidal before the week was out.
:}
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>> .......... Armel Lud Coussine .........
So that's who Lud is. He's not Lobby Lud after all.
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Lud_son_of_Heli
I am not the father ......I deny everything........
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"In later life he began to ascribe conspiracy theory to the events of September 11th, 2001, sought to impeach President George W. Bush and stated that eventually the United States would become a dictatorship.
He suggested that Roosevelt provoked the attack on Pearl Harbour, was aware that such an attack was imminent and that Truman ignored Japanese offers to surrender so that the US could demonstrate its nuclear ar$enal and therefore intimidate Stalin".
(filched from The Commentator)
In that case he was my kind of guy too!
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whilst I have time and sympathy for the suggestions about WW2, I have no time or sympathies at all for any 9/11 conspiricists - Stupid people just seeking attention.
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I didn't notice any 9/11 conspiracy theorizing. Doesn't mean there never was any of course. Vidal was mischievous and increasingly barmy in old age. Of course he was quite down on America. But there he knew what he was talking about. And he was of course a gringo to the bone.
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I never read his books, and I doubt that I would have liked him as a person. But I agree with a lot of what he said.
In particular, the line: "There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts." I came to that conclusion many years ago, and while not many people seem to agree with me, at least Vidal did.
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>> In particular, the line: "There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual
>> person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts." I came to that conclusion many years
>> ago, and while not many people seem to agree with me, at least Vidal did.
>>
Well, that makes two of you wrong then.
If you believe that then it makes you "bi" oriented. In this more enlightened age, your sexuality is your own business and does not make you a better or lesser person.
But to deny that there are people who exclusively prefer their own sex, and also people who exclusively prefer the opposite sex, is to deny reality. Why is this? Is it because "bi" people feel uncomfortable with themselves and want to pretend that everyone is like them to make themselves feel better? It's a shame if they do, because they have no need to feel this.
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>> But to deny that there are people who exclusively prefer their own sex, and also
>> people who exclusively prefer the opposite sex, is to deny reality.
Agreed. I don't know if the Viennese delegation would agree but I think that it is a matter of where a person is on a continuum, from 100% hetero to 100% homo. There are probably very few at the extremes.
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The only male adult person I love is ME!
Ergo, I am heterosexual, if impotent!
Last edited by: Roger on Fri 3 Aug 12 at 13:50
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" it is a matter of where a person is on a continuum, from 100% hetero to 100% homo. There are probably very few at the extremes."
That is a reasonable way of putting it - though I would say that the continuum goes from 99.99% hetero to 99.99% homo - and that the vast majority of the population are at the former end of the spectrum. In fact most of them are so close to 99.99 % at the "hetero" end of the spectrum that they think that they have no innate sexual attraction to their own sex.
But on the whole, I think that the whole business of sexual attraction is more complicated. To describe it as a continuum implies that it is linear, i.e. one dimensional, and that I think is basically simplistic.
"If you believe that then it makes you "bi" oriented."
There are two kinds of people. Those who have realised that they are bisexual, and those who have not yet done so.
;-)
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>> There are two kinds of people. Those who have realised that they are bisexual, and those who have not yet done so.
Heh heh, yes tyro.
It is of course true that a friendship between two people of the same sex is a homosexual friendship, and that such friendships are universal: everyone has them. Those who proceed to sexual acts with others of the same sex, or even consider them, are of course much rarer.
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>> whilst I have time and sympathy for the suggestions about WW2, I have no time
>> or sympathies at all for any 9/11 conspiricists - Stupid people just seeking attention.
>>
I think again there is a more subtle continuum, from 100% actively contriving an outrage in order to profit from it or discredit one's enemies, through to 100% innocent and genuinely as surprised and shocked as the general public.
Somewhere in the middle comes what passes for government policy. They are quick to capitalise on any advantages that might acrue, and have probably deliberately or inadvertantly nudged the outcome into being by neglect of duty, ignorance, double dealing, or just cock-up.
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Omnibus BBC4 tonight 8.00pm a profile of Mr Vidal.
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Gore Vidal - neiltoo
