aggiesjc Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 All of the "regular" visitors to this message board spend quite a bit of time and effort (depending on your Internet connection speeds!) checking in on a daily, or nearly that, basis. Some people have hundreds of posts, and put a lot of time and thought into what they say to the group. Does anyone wonder if Eric reads this board as often as some of us do? Also, do you ever wonder what he thinks of us and all of our various speculations about him and his music? I have to admit, I wonder about myself sometimes, but I work as a freelance writer from home, and sometimes, this board is the closest thing to companionship I have during the day. I feel I've gotten to know some of the regular personalities pretty well, and look forward to the interaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Good point aggiesjc. (If that's your real name...)I hope Eric makes time to check the board now and then. Maybe it will motivate him to get back to work. Get the creative juices flowing. But if he ever responded to any of us personally other than King Bernie, and it ever got out, The other devoted fanatics in our growing E.C..com family would be dissappointed they didn't get an e-mail. So we must rely on the few responses we get on "Ask the Shut-In"...errr, I mean "Ask Eric".Who am I kidding? Me and my bud Eric e-mail each other all the time! We both have the "hots" for Darlene. I scold him for his lack of focus and production the last 18 years. He asks me how many hit songs have I written in my entire pathetic life. I start to cry and tell him to go be "All By Himself". That really pisses him off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 2, 2002 Author Share Posted October 2, 2002 Just to clear it up, Tony, my name is Jennifer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Bernie has said Eric reads the message board. If you look at one of the pics in the Cleveland Magazine interview Eric is sitting in front of his computer with the EricCarmen.com homepage on his screen. But still you wonder...Until Eric makes reference to some incident that was talked about on the board in an 'ask Eric' question. If you'be been on board for awhile you will know what I am talking about. In a concert that was not recorded by anyone I brought up the instance where I saw Eric forget the solo to "All By Myself". You had to have been there in person to witness it, but I brought it up one time just for ducks trying to keep my Eric concert memories alive. Then, I believe it was Tony, asked Eric about playing "ABM" solo live every time. In Eric's response he refers to me and my story about him flubbing up the solo on that occasion. So, does Eric read the message board? You bet! I do wonder though, with the new format, if he follows all the different threads or if he misses some stuff. Kirk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 2, 2002 Author Share Posted October 2, 2002 Kirk, I've suspected he probably reads the messages, and your example seems to confirm that he checks in at least occasionally! Wouldn't it be bizarre to have a group of people voting on your songs, debating your motives, pondering whether you get along with other musicians, begging you for new material, etc.? If I were in his shoes, I wonder if I'd become addicted to reading what people had to say, or just shrug it off all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 I know for a fact he used to read the board, and I would bet he still does. How could he resist? Hi Eric. (I'm sure I just got a hi Steve back Personally I hope he's got his chair facing the other way and writing songs on that keyboard.Seattle Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 2, 2002 Author Share Posted October 2, 2002 Hey, Steve, how do you know for a fact? Did you have an experience similar to Kirk's? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 I think Bernie said once that Eric reads the message board everyday. Since he said that, the board has grown tremendously in the new format and it would be difficult (especially if one has two children!) to read everything. I do late at night because it's my way to unwind from a work schedule at school where I'm teaching the student load of TWO string teachers. I put on "Eric music" and cruise the board...I'm sure he reads a little, maybe even everyday. I'm also sure that he's interested in what we have to say and what we think, and everybody, I'm sure he hears us "begging" for new material loud and clear! I think like any performer, he thinks about it but any of us reading all these conflicting opinions and voting on what we write, sing, think, say and do (and SHOULD do!) with a million differing opinions, surely wouldn't lose any sleep over most of it.Tony, I'm flattered that you "have the hots for me," especially when you think I'm a "Simone," not a real person! (Only kidding).Just from seeing him perform and talking to him a few times over the years, I know Eric is an EXTREMELY intelligent and perceptive person, and Kirk is right, he doesn't miss a trick, especially when it comes to someone commenting on his music. I think each of the "regulars" on the board at least should be the subject (for a day) of intense scrutiny and comments and "analysis" by the others on the board, then we'd have only a small inkling of what Eric feels like when he reads what we write. --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted October 2, 2002 Share Posted October 2, 2002 Jennifer (aggiesjc), What a great name! I like my name, but Jennifer is my very favorite name. (See an old topic on the board somewhere where we all discussed names!). How did you arrive at aggiesjc for your e-mail? I'd revel in the name "Jennifer."By the way, I guess you've heard "Make Me Lose Control." That song makes me want to change my name to Jennifer. This was a great topic! Thanks! --Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Darlene, this is America. You can legally change your name to Jennifer if you want to. My favorite name was Osama. I was all ready to legally change it about a year and a half ago. I changed my mind about a year ago. Oh well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Not only does Eric read the Message Board at EricCarmen.com but he will sometimes refers to posters to me by their screen name! --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steveh Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 What if Eric not only READ the message board every day, but he also POSTS messages frequently, under some mysterious screenname? Wouldn't that be interesting? But who might that be? Bernie, can you tell us if Eric has ever anonymously posted? (me and my imagination!)Steveh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Wouldn't that be funny if one of you is Eric using a fake name.-Dexter Green- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Steve-- ixNay on the exterDay! --Bernie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Yes indeed, it would be quite clever of Eric to pose as, say a woman who lives on a farm somewhere in Iowa... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 3, 2002 Author Share Posted October 3, 2002 Thanks for the compliment on my name, Darlene. There were a lot of Jennifers born in the '60s, as I was! The Aggies reference is to the University of California at Davis, which uses that for its mascot name, being a big-time ag school. It also has a premier veterinarian school, and most people who know that I have horses and attended college there assume I was some kind of pre-vet animal science major. Instead, I avoided science of any kind like the plague, and majored in English, hence the freelance writing of today. I brought this topic up because I get a kick out of how many of us on this board sort of know each other, and it fascinates me to think that Eric may even "know" us, in a sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted October 3, 2002 Share Posted October 3, 2002 Uh oh. Now that he reads what we think, it would really be interesting to know what he thinks about us! Knowing Eric, he takes everything with his usual great sense of humor. Now, if he were posing as Marvin and criticizing WD to see what we would say, it would be funny. But I don't think he would do that. I think he does have a wickedly good sense of humor though, and he may someday secretly play Devil's (did I say that word, as in Devil...sea!) Advocate sometime...--Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 A few years ago Eric used to participate quite often on what I believe was a Raspberries/EC board (I think this was before Bernie's site went up). The story I got was that someone actually reported him to AOL for using the word "shi*ty" when explaining himself in one of his posts. I think they shut him down...however it was real cool to go into the board and read Eric's replys and his slant on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 That was pretty brave of him to "mingle" with his fans online! If I'd been in his position, I don't think I would have. There's actually a lot of risk to it. Wouldn't it have been cool to have been a part of that message board, though, from a fan's perspective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 No matter how many times Eric would ever chime in to this board and interact with us, it would never be enough. We would always want him to respond to OUR post or question...Maybe he could increase "Ask Eric" to 10 questions a month instead of 3-5. It's not like he has a real job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darlene Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 Tony, Whoa, how about some moderation?! You answered your own question: "It would never be enough..." No one can possibly blame Eric for not posting or answering after reading that! Why would ANYONE want to post if it would never be enough, if everyone would badger the person, etc, etc. And yes, he DOES have a real job! I'm sure he does much more than most of us. Besides writing (and taking care of a wife, children and home, not to mention the rest of his family!), I'm sure he has loads of constant business correspondence, keeping in touch with all kinds of people in the business, etc. I'm sure you were kidding, but some people MIGHT feel slighted if his or her post wasn't answered. That's ridiculous. That's why *I* wouldn't do it either. Someday, he might post in a general way, and that would be great. Besides, he DID post -- (read the letter to everyone when the website got 300,000 hits). That surely expressed his happiness and appreciation of his fans. We get really silly, which is a lot of fun for me, and I know he must realize we're kidding, but let's not scare him...Besides, Tony, if you're not married, concentrate on meeting a single "babe" from the "board!" Darlene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 I didn't have a computer in the Raspberries message board beginnings, but from what I've heard Eric spent most of his time just trying to make people believe it was really him and the rest of the time defending himself. That would make you a little gun shy about participating in another message board, even if it does bear your name! Kirk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aggiesjc Posted October 4, 2002 Author Share Posted October 4, 2002 Kirk, that's exactly what I figured would have happened to the poor guy. However, I'll bet he checks in here to read the comments every once in a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlesteve Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 He takes the time to respond to "Ask Eric" and his answers are pretty insightful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Cartmill Posted October 4, 2002 Share Posted October 4, 2002 That's why I want 10 questions per month... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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