Are You An E-gent?

[pappymac]

After reading every post, I'm still not sure what a "e-gent" is and I don't know what is meant by the term "electronic gentleman." So, I did what a lot of people do and "googled" it. Found this:

The Electronic Gentleman​

If you have a website that is not user friendly, you have an unfriendly website which basically means that you lack manners. The specialists use that word (“user friendly”) so often that they forget that “friendly” actually is an ethical term.

I still don't understand the term.

As for women, don't ask me. I've been with the same one for 46 years because she tolerates me.

And, I don't have a silly looking mustache. I have a full, white Santa beard and the women and children who have their photos taken with me every year love it.

 

[Sweet Home Alabama]

Some of you sound like you have andropause.

 

[solideogloria86]

But the real question. Does an E-gent djent?

 

[DAR]

Thanks!


Cosmic, I think you'd like his (Richard Brautigan) book 'A Confederate General from Big Sur.'
Pretty funny, especially if you've got an overabundance of frogs...

That is a great book. I know it's a bit off subject but........ I have most of his books and when I was a teenager I heard he hung out on Saturday nights at Enrico's Cafe on Broadway in North Beach, San Francisco. I was living in Los Angeles so I grabbed my copy of The Hawkline Monster, hitchhiked up to S.F. and got there around 5pm. Waited till around 7. No Brautigan. Went to kill time at City Lights Books down the street and when I returned to Enrico's, he was sitting at a table with....... of all people....Allen Ginsberg.
I sheepishly walked up to him and made small talk about "nice hat" and "what are you doing here.." and he signed my copy of The Hawkline Monster. Ginsberg wouldn't sign (I don't blame him). Told me he had a new book coming out and he'd sign that. Which months later he did sign at a bookstore in L.A.
I would or could never do that today but hooray for young-and-ballsy.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Do e-gents dream of electric pipes? I would think not.

 

[bullet08]

Do e-gents dream of electric pipes? I would think not.

E-girls. Of course, over 21. And for some of us, over 31.

 

[romaso]

... I sheepishly walked up to him and made small talk about "nice hat" and "what are you doing here.." and he signed my copy of The Hawkline Monster...

That's a great story! Was he friendly, any observations?

I would or could never do that today but hooray for young-and-ballsy.

I'm sure you're still ballsy enough to do the same thing now, though probably drive and not hitchhike!

 

[DAR]

That's a great story! Was he friendly, any observations?

I'm sure you're still ballsy enough to do the same thing now, though probably drive and not hitchhike!

I had read that Brautigan was a paranoid schizophrenic, depressed, cold and distant kind of guy susceptible to mood swings and bad temperament and I was expecting that from him when he was meeting a ragged looking teenage fan like me but I guess I caught him at the right time on a good night. I remember walking up to them and they were laughing it up so I guess that helped. He half smiled and said, "This is the place to be on a Saturday night". As a matter of fact, I think about him every time I say that line whenever I am content on a Saturday night. He actually seemed kind of shy and quiet when I walked up. He thanked me for praising his new book and knowing a bit about his other books, told me that not too many people recognized him and he was glad about that, asked what my name was and commented about Enrico's and what a great place it was, signed it "Richard Brautigan-at Enrico's 1974" and threw me a military salute. I took it as a sign to move on.
I hitchhiked back home (which is another whacky story for another time).
I shared the autograph with a couple of people that knew who Brautigan was. One of them being my H.S. English teacher. He wanted to buy the book from me. I don't think he signed a lot of books out in public. I still have it among my dozens of books in storage.

And you are correct..... I would not hitchhike or recommend hitchhiking to anyone today. I will drive and avoid the abuse.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

While I don't think Ginsberg was by any means a good poet I don't believe his poetry should be locked.

 

[workman]

By now I feel stupid, which is nice occasionally. I think I might be an e-jot.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I had read that Brautigan was a paranoid schizophrenic, depressed, cold and distant kind of guy susceptible to mood swings and bad temperament and I was expecting that from him when he was meeting a ragged looking teenage fan like me but I guess I caught him at the right time on a good night. I remember walking up to them and they were laughing it up so I guess that helped. He half smiled and said, "This is the place to be on a Saturday night". As a matter of fact, I think about him every time I say that line whenever I am content on a Saturday night. He actually seemed kind of shy and quiet when I walked up. He thanked me for praising his new book and knowing a bit about his other books, told me that not too many people recognized him and he was glad about that, asked what my name was and commented about Enrico's and what a great place it was, signed it "Richard Brautigan-at Enrico's 1974" and threw me a military salute. I took it as a sign to move on.
I hitchhiked back home (which is another whacky story for another time).
I shared the autograph with a couple of people that knew who Brautigan was. One of them being my H.S. English teacher. He wanted to buy the book from me. I don't think he signed a lot of books out in public. I still have it among my dozens of books in storage.

And you are correct..... I would not hitchhike or recommend hitchhiking to anyone today. I will drive and avoid the abuse.

So…. You aren’t the guy in your avitar?

As a college student, I was in Chicago, and a friend said, “this is Tom Robbins, the hippie writer.” My roommate was a big fan of his books, and being a fast reader, I plowed through a few Robbin’s novels, so I was familiar. It was the 80’s, and his work was all over. I remembered from books that Robbins had a goatee, so I was like, “cool, let me buy you drinks.” He orders the most expensive wines and a freakin’ meal. He was smoking my Camels and just being an asshole. Asked us to take him to this place and that. And, I’m starting to think, ‘Jeez, for my roommate’s favorite writer, this guy is a dick.’ I didn’t even like his shit that much, just dumb stories elaborated with a bunch of druggy free association. Some HERO to have. Phhht.
Then at one if the bars, the bartender comes up to me, “that asshole didn’t tell you that he was Tom Robbins did he?”
Now he is MY HERO, ha ha, what a great scammer. So, we left the guy with the bill, laughing at ourselves. Ha ha.

 

[saltedplug]

That is a great book. I know it's a bit off subject but........ I have most of his books and when I was a teenager I heard he hung out on Saturday nights at Enrico's Cafe on Broadway in North Beach, San Francisco. I was living in Los Angeles so I grabbed my copy of The Hawkline Monster, hitchhiked up to S.F. and got there around 5pm. Waited till around 7. No Brautigan. Went to kill time at City Lights Books down the street and when I returned to Enrico's, he was sitting at a table with....... of all people....Allen Ginsberg.
I sheepishly walked up to him and made small talk about "nice hat" and "what are you doing here.." and he signed my copy of The Hawkline Monster. Ginsberg wouldn't sign (I don't blame him). Told me he had a new book coming out and he'd sign that. Which months later he did sign at a bookstore in L.A.
I would or could never do that today but hooray for young-and-ballsy.

Anyone no matter their age that hitched from LA to SF to meet Brautigan has my admiration. I only came across "Trout Fishing in America," and although I would have understood the absurdity and non sequiters fairly well now, I certainly didn't then. Nonetheless had I been a hipster living in SF at a young age, I wouldn't have understood it either, but I would never have let on to my peers, availing myself if I must to Cliff Notes or critics summaries to shoot that breeze.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

availing myself if I must to Cliff Notes or critics summaries to shoot that breeze.

So, not only were you a hipster as a kid, you were a poser hipster…. How ironic.

 

[DAR]

While I don't think Ginsberg was by any means a good poet I don't believe his poetry should be locked.

As a young guy trying to be as hip as people thought I was, (as today I try to be as wonderful as my dog thinks I am)
I pretended to understand Ginsberg but I must admit that I didn't really get what he was doing until checking out other writers. Then it came to me but before reading Burroughs, Kerouac or any of the other Beat Gen guys Ginsberg flew way above my head.

 

[DAR]

So…. You aren’t the guy in your avitar?

As a college student, I was in Chicago, and a friend said, “this is Tom Robbins, the hippie writer.” My roommate was a big fan of his books, and being a fast reader, I plowed through a few Robbin’s novels, so I was familiar. It was the 80’s, and his work was all over. I remembered from books that Robbins had a goatee, so I was like, “cool, let me buy you drinks.” He orders the most expensive wines and a freakin’ meal. He was smoking my Camels and just being an asshole. Asked us to take him to this place and that. And, I’m starting to think, ‘Jeez, for my roommate’s favorite writer, this guy is a dick.’ I didn’t even like his shit that much, just dumb stories elaborated with a bunch of druggy free association. Some HERO to have. Phhht.
Then at one if the bars, the bartender comes up to me, “that asshole didn’t tell you that he was Tom Robbins did he?”
Now he is MY HERO, ha ha, what a great scammer. So, we left the guy with the bill, laughing at ourselves. Ha ha.

That's hilarious....... Sounds like a something Tom Robbins would do..... pretend to be himself.

BTW, No, I'm not Brautigan. He offed himself in 94'?..... with one of his really cool six-shooters. He's just a local "hero" in S.F.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

As a young guy trying to be as hip as people thought I was, (as today I try to be as wonderful as my dog thinks I am)
I pretended to understand Ginsberg but I must admit that I didn't really get what he was doing until checking out other writers. Then it came to me but before reading Burroughs, Kerouac or any of the other Beat Gen guys Ginsberg flew way above my head.

That's something I could say about Elliot although I always enjoyed his poetry. I don't care for the beats except maybe Burroughs. I especially dislike Kerouac and his whack cult of personality.

 

[DAR]

That's something I could say about Elliot although I always enjoyed his poetry. I don't care for the beats except maybe Burroughs. I especially dislike Kerouac and his whack cult of personality.

I have a two set album of Kerouac reading his poetry while Steve Allen plays piano in the background. I find it difficult to read Kerouac. I get bored and can't really follow it but listening to him read his stuff has an incredible rhythm. Like a musical instrument. The jazz singer Mark Murphy does a good job of incorporating Kerouac into his lyrics and that also hits the spot but it really is difficult to read Kerouac.

 

[LotusEater]

I have a two set album of Kerouac reading his poetry while Steve Allen plays piano in the background. I find it difficult to read Kerouac. I get bored and can't really follow it but listening to him read his stuff has an incredible rhythm. Like a musical instrument. The jazz singer Mark Murphy does a good job of incorporating Kerouac into his lyrics and that also hits the spot but it really is difficult to read Kerouac.

I’ve found I often prefer what has been written about the beats to what they actually wrote.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I’ve found I often prefer what has been written about the beats to what they actually wrote.

They wrote to be written about.

 

[condorlover1]

@DAR You say that Brautigan 'offed' himself in 1994 or did he?