DULL AND/OR BORING?

[Valentine Mark Herman]

I am a member of the British-based Dull Men's Club (DMC) – which also includes women, and, indeed, claims to have 35,000 + members worldwide. ([e-mail])

The DMC's “mission statement” is to 'celebrate the ordinary... the life-changing magic, of simple, everyday, run-of-the-mill things'. (www.dullmensclub.com)

It's current Blogs include:

• Car Parks

• Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society

• Manhole Covers

• Wet Floor Signs

• Drainspotters

• Post WW2 Prefab Houses

• (forthcoming: a blog by yours truly on French Shutters)

One of the current Blogs features a British postcard collector who reckons that he has well over a million postcards amassed over 50 years, He admits “..I’m obsessive at times. Last year in Berlin I picked up 114 postcards of the old Berlin Television Tower, the tallest structure in Germany, third tallest in the EU. It was constructed in 1965 by the German Democratic Republic.”

Which makes my, our, and Martin Parr's collection of Boring Postcards look pretty meager

One of the DMC's FAQ's (too many acronyms here!) asks:

“8. Are dull men the same as boring men?

“Yes and no. Boring men are dull men. But not all dull men are boring men. Boring men are dull men who don’t know when to stop; they go on and on and on. ”.

This dull/boring distinction led me to consult a book that I have been carrying around for 50+ years: The Nuttall Dictionary of English Synonyms and Antonyms. (No doubt the 'Net will have zillions of other sources, but I will stick to my Old Favourite.)

“Dull: Tiresome, boring, dry, uninteresting, barren, jejeune, fatiguing, tame, vapid, meagre, plain, dreary.

“Bore [but not 'boring']: Tire, weary, fatigue, vex, annoy, worry.”

So, and in conlision, are our Postcards Dull and/or Boring? And, as I have argued from Day 1, do our Dull and/or Boring Postcards at some stage become Interesting Postcards?

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

hmmm, good idea: a celebration and an award for whoever is blogged at my #4000?

As I blog usually only mail art received...(since 2009, that's a nice collection, yes?)

Probably will hit 4,000 about the same time that IUOMA gets 25,000! wow!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Thank you Katerina,

Compared to you and your 3,934* Blogs, I am a mere beginner with only 107 -- and am amazed, and even ashamed, that I've written so many.

As the one we are referring to was a mistake, perhaps I can revise my total down to 106!

See ya! Val

* it's probably more than that now. Are you going to celebrate when you reach 4,000 Blogs?

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

My dear Valentine,

how nice to see you with a BLOG!

Ok, it was a dull "oops" mistake, but very enlightening,

and for all to see...not only the "Boring Postcards" group!

thank you :-)

"car parks" or "parking lots"?

[Valentine Mark Herman]

This was not supposed to be a Blog, but a Discussion in the Boring Postcards Group.

Sorry about that, folks.

(My only excuse is that if you are dull and/or boring these things happen to you all the time)

[Olena Spicer]

Hmmm... a few years ago, when FLICKR was really popular, there was a big movement of taking photos of manhole covers (I admit I participated). I wonder if it was the DMC that secretly started that fascination among photographers? :) And think of all the boring/dull postcard possibilities if someone were to tap into those manhole cover photo archives!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Hello Ducky!

As I haven't lived in the UK for 42 years and 343 days I am not sure that I can still be classed as a Brit, pompous and formal or anything else. Michael Jackson's Zombies were the best, and, of course, from the good ole Us of A; The difference, and it is important, me thinks, between the US cell phone zombies and the British DMC dullards is that the latter go round looking at 'real things' like man hole covers, roundabouts, traffic signs, car parks, etc.

But don't let me keep you from  your TV;

Dull and Boringly yours, Moi

PS. If you can drag yourself away for 10 seconds look at the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen's '57 Channles (and nothin' on') ' Bang!

[Richard Canard]

22.09.20 Dare Mister Val M.H., ....you British are so pompous & formal ---An official "DULL MEN'S CLUB"?  (for men & women----- oh , so sophisticated & socially conscious & all that jazz). We Americons are way ahead on that game. We've been sitting around & watching the  t.v. ever since it was invented & mastered the process decades ago. ...& now, even  our children can wander aimlessly, unconsciously  from room to room (with their little cell phones, computer games, music(?) & earplugs (insert & in hand)  all the way to the mall & back . That 'Zombie' thing is for real. But they are harmless (& I might add:  completely, easily "herdable")--all they really do is watch t.v. & only  ocassionally reach for the clicker or  handle on the recliner.  SinCelery, Richard Canard