Stephen Fry Discusses the Language of Nazi Germany

I just saw this short video about language and how it can be used to coerce people into committing horrible atrocities.  It's true that language is a powerful force, and while we should be free to speak, we should also remain aware of the power of the words we use.  The old saying that "words will never hurt me" is simply not true.

Also, I think Stephen Fry is a brilliant human being.  I just had to say that.

My Muse is Out to Amuse

I wanted to share a couple of videos about the writing process.  This first one is a humorous take on the writer's daily routine.

This second video features comedians who talk about their writing process. Hey, they're writers too!  They're just brave enough to perform their work for an audience.

Some Humorous Inspiration for Your Muse

Sometimes Mondays can just feel a bit icky.  You know how it is.  Your mind feels sluggish, and you aren't quite ready for the usual routine of a weekday.

Well, that's how I'm feeling today.  So, to get my mind working, at least creatively speaking, I sought out some funny videos.  (You might call it procrastination, and it isn't . . . well maybe . . . oh, I don't know, even if it is, it's at least a potentially valuable form of procrastination.)

This first one has a little fun with language and the art of essay writing in school. This is an example of how not to write essays.  So if you're in school, or simply want a good laugh, watch this.

This second video features Matthew Lewis (a.k.a. Neville Longbottom) playing innuendo bingo.  It's replete with examples of how the way you phrase things can inadvertently change the meaning.  So if you love language, or Harry Potter, you need to watch this!

Now that I've been sufficiently entertained, perhaps I will be able to get some writing done.  Wish me luck!

Celebrate the Small Things-September 6, 2013

It's Friday, and that means it's once again time to Celebrate the Small Things with VikLit!

My son Jude had a successful first week at preschool.  He absolutely loves it!  I think he'll be disappointed this weekend when he learns that he has to stay home with us.  Jude's little brother Lyle seems jealous though.  He gets mad when I drop his older brother off at school and he can't go too.  It's cute and a little sad at the same time.

I also got this adorable video of my boys the other night.  Lyle was supposed to be in bed, but he snuck into Jude's room and they both fell asleep watching Thomas & Friends.  The following is the video I took of them before I returned Lyle to his room.  This was simply too adorable not to celebrate here.  Plus you all get to hear my lovely voice on the video!  (Note: I don't tend to like the way my recorded voice sounds because the voice I hear in my head sounds way better, but that's beside the point!)

What would you like to celebrate this week?

Express Yourself: Fictional Characters Like Me

The Express Yourself Weekly Meme is hosted by Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests.

This week's question is: What book/character characters do you relate to the most?

I can see a bit of myself in a lot of fictional characters.  I'll share a couple of them with you.

One is Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series.  I've always been a bit odd, and I tend to say strange things in the midst of otherwise serious conversations. She's a strong character who isn't afraid to be herself, even if that true self doesn't quite fit in with the world around her.  Yet in the end she finds real friends who care for her the way she is, and that's a good lesson for anyone.

Another character I can relate to is Daria from the show of the same name. Daria Morgendorfer is a writer, she doesn't care about being fashionable and fitting in, she hangs with her artist friend Jane (everyone should have an artist friend!), and she looks at the world with a touch of cynicism (or maybe more than a touch).  These are all qualities that I can very much see in myself, though I don't think I can pull off the monotone.

Since I chose Daria, I thought I would share this comedy sketch.  Fake movie trailers can be great fun, but now I wish they really would make this movie!

Poetry With Neil Gaiman

I love Neil Gaiman.  This is no secret.  Anyone who knows me and my bookshelf well enough can attest to this.  If Neil Gaiman did it, there's a good chance I love it.  He tells fascinating stories in an engaging way.  He also encourages fledgling authors and artists of various kinds, which is great.

I have a special love of one work in particular, though.  I love the poem "The Day the Saucers Came."  I discovered it in his book Fragile Things, which I would recommend to anyone.  I love it so much I own two copies, as a matter of fact. Hey, they have different covers, so that's my excuse!

Here's a video of Neil Gaiman reading this epic poem.  I highly recommend you watch it, because it is well worth your while!

The Weekend Philosopher: Cosmic Place and Perspective

I'm a big fan of the cosmic perspective.  It's amazing how your perspective shifts when you go from looking at how you fit into your family, then into your community, then into your country, then into your world, and finally, into the cosmos as a whole.  Many people report a feeling of insignificance when they stop to think of how enormous the universe is.

Yet many of those who've lived in the cosmic experience don't succumb to terrible feelings of insignificance.  Take this quote from Carl Sagan.

Image By NASA, ESA, K. France (University of Colordo, Boulder), and P. Challis and R. Kirshner (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I love these words because they remind me of one of my most important philosophies of life. Though I may disagree with others, I try to appreciate the differences that make us unique.  There is no reason we cannot get along.  We simply need to remain humble and recognize that the way we live our own life is not the only way.  It is not necessarily the right way.  It is simply the right way for us, as we are at this point in time and space.  As long as we try to treat others with respect and look at them as the unique, precious beings that they are (even if we may not enjoy spending time with them on a personal level), we can make our own home in the cosmos a better place.  We all have something special to contribute to the world.

Remember, we all come from the same building blocks of life.  We are all part of this grand thing we know as the universe.

I think this video encapsulates how I feel when I look at the night sky, and it does so in a far more eloquent way than I feel capable of at this moment.  So watch and enjoy!

When you look at the cosmos, do you feel small, or do you feel large and connected with all you see?  What's your unique perspective?

Magnificent Misunderstandings

Humor frequently draws from the ever present problem of linguistic misunderstandings.    In a global world, these types of misunderstandings are everywhere.  Perhaps that's why we find them so funny.  These problems can arise from translation errors, difficulties in understanding a foreign accent, or cultural nuances we may not be familiar with.

Today I wanted to share a couple of humorous videos that gave me a good laugh.  The first one shows the importance of having a competent translator.

This second video deals with accent related issues.  It's quite funny, though there's a bit of profanity.  Only watch this one if you're okay with that.

Merry Christmas . . . Or Whatever Holiday You Celebrate!

Now that I have kids, I love Christmas more than ever!  They're so excited for Santa to come, and they're also happy that their daddy has time off work.  I thought I'd take the time to share a little of that Christmas happiness with you. I'm not a religious person.  That, however, does not diminish my enjoyment of this holiday.  I love the spirit of giving and peace.  I revel in the way people make an extra effort to be kind to one another this time of year. 

In the spirit of this time of year, I don't think we should be all that concerned with whether someone tells you Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.  For me, it's about the fact that a complete stranger wished me well.  If only the world saw more of this kindness all year round.  I think we'd all be better off.

So, I'll say Merry Christmas now and finish this post!

Whatever you celebrate, I hope you make the most

of this time with your friends and family.

May your holiday be all you hoped it could be!

And, of course, I'll also leave you with another of my favorite Christmas songs.

Express Yourself: Holiday Songs

It's time for another Express Yourself Weekly Meme post.  Jackie @ Bouquet of Books and Dani @ Entertaining Interests provide great prompts each week

What are a few of your favorite holiday songs?

All in all, Christmas music isn't my favorite.  I don't like the idea of listening to it every day for an entire month before the actual holiday.  In general, I don't do much with music for any holiday, so I'm not picking on Christmas when I say this.

However, I do love Trans Siberian Orchestra.  Pretty much all of my favorite Christmas music comes from this group.  I love the big sound they produce.  I'm not sure how else to describe it.

This song, "Music Box Blues", features fantastic vocals and great sound.  Love it!

I also love it when Trans Siberian Orchestra teams up with Metallica.  How could that ever be wrong?  When I hear "Carol of the Bells" I am filled with awesomeness!

Now, here I'm going to admit something.  I have friends who might strangle me for admitting this.  I hope none of you will judge me badly for this.  In fact, many of you will probably be scratching your heads about why I'm prefacing this song in this way.  Don't worry, I'll explain why.

Here's "Christmas Canon."  There is also a rock version called "Christmas Canon Rock."

Okay.  In what is already a video-filled post, I'm not worried about posting one more.  The "Christmas Canon" is basically "Pachelbel's Canon in D" with a holiday twist to it.  Most of you have probably heard that one played at weddings, or in various other ways throughout the course of your life.  You can hardly escape it. A friend of mine in college grew to hate this song with a passion for that reason alone.  I don't have this strong hatred, though I learned many do.  And whether you like the music or not, this skit is hilarious and sums up my friend's position perfectly.  It's definitely worth a watch.  It actually has nothing to do with Christmas music, but I simply must share it.  That's all there is to it.

Blogspiration 30: A Cosmic Perspective

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & Saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author’s choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

I know I use science a lot in my inspirational posts, but that's because I find so much of the knowledge we garner through the scientific method to be absolutely amazing.  The universe is the ultimate form of inspiration for me.  It's where we live, it's the place from which we spring forth, and it's where we often look when we envision the future of humanity.

The video below nicely encapsulates the cosmic perspective and how we can simultaneously feel tiny and large when we look at the stars.  We are far more connected to the universe as a whole than many of us realize.

=

Musing About the Darkness

So, I think it's official.  I'm messed up in the head.

Okay, I never really denied that I'm a bit odd, but my writing confirms my strange nature.  My writing can sometimes be sarcastic, sometimes it can be dark.  I deal in dark themes from time to time because, quite frankly, I enjoy it.  I like testing the limits of human activity, I like peeking into the dark corners to see what might be lurking, and I like exploring the resilience of my characters when they face these dark situations.

I tried to blame Pleiades for the darkness in me.  She is my muse after all.

Pleiades: Please, you can't blame me for what you write.  I inspire you, I give you a starting point.  While you need that in the beginning, you're the one who chooses where to steer the story.  You let the inspiration take you to those dark places.  If anything, you should be taking a good look inside if you want to understand where it comes from.

Me:  Do you think I'm crazy?

Pleiades:  You shouldn't bother with such stupid questions!  Of course you're crazy!  You're a writer after all, and I only work with the most mentally unhinged.  It makes my job more entertaining!

Me:  (Sarcasm) Well, I feel better.  I'm so glad I asked you for your opinion.

Pleiades:  (Smiles) You're welcome!

Sometimes I think you shouldn't ask a question unless you're sure you're prepared to hear the answer.

Now, in an effort to take a step out of the shadows, I wanted to share this video. It puts some of the most popular fictional women (Hermione from Harry Potter, Katniss from The Hunger Games, Michonne from The Walking Dead, Bella from Twilight, Lisbeth from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) in a house together. And as expected, the hilarity ensues!  I already shared it on my other blog, but I figured I have a lot of followers here that would be able to appreciate it.  It's a trailer for a web series, so if you like what you see, there's more!

Oxymoronic Ruminations

Today I wanted to take the time to honor one of my favorite linguistic gems: the oxymoron.  Seriously, I think I love the oxymoron as much as I do because of the name.  How could anything sound as awesome as this?  It almost sounds like an insult you'd sling at someone who cuts you off in rush hour traffic.  "Hey, use your turn signal you oxymoron!"  Or maybe my love of paradoxes in general (my favorite paradox being Schrodinger's Cat) has something to do with it.

For those who may not know, an oxymoron occurs when two seemingly contradictory terms are combined.  Civil War is perhaps one of my favorite examples as the presence of these two words together seems particularly ludicrous.  Unfortunately, it isn't technically an oxymoron.  The word "civil" in this context means that the war is occurring between people of the same nation and is not implying that people are standing around and saying nice things to one another while carrying heavy artillery.  Still, I delight in seeing it as an oxymoron because, while I acknowledge war is at times necessary, I hope it's one of those nasty things that we'll eventually outgrow as a species.  I mean, seriously, if we spent half the time exploring the galaxy as we did trying to kill each other, we'd really be somewhere by now.  Good grief!

Wow.  Can I ever stay on topic?  My rant took up half my post!

I recommend that you watch this video to help you appreciate the beauty of the oxymoron.  Yes, this guy would rip into my comments regarding my Civil War example, but everyone should know this information all the same.

What is Your Geek Quotient?

There is no post for the Express Yourself Weekly Meme this week. Spooktoberfest is still going on, so be sure to check out as many stories as you can!

I thought I'd just share a couple of little things with you for my Tuesday post. We all have a little, or a lot, of geek in us.  When we embrace that geek, we truly shine.  So, dig deep and determine your Geek Quotient.  Just be warned, finding your inner geek is not for the faint of heart!  It takes dedication.

I already shared this next video on my other blog, but I thought I'd share it here as well.  For those of you who don't know, math (while not everyone's cup of tea) can involve a great deal of creativity and fun.  This video shows just how dedicated and excited some math geeks get about their subject of choice.  I'll admit, math wasn't my favorite subject, but I made it through Calculus 3 in college.  In those years, while I didn't develop this kind of love affair with math, I came to appreciate its elegance and the role it plays in the world around us.

That being said, there are three videos in this series, and you can find the links to the following videos at the end of this first one.  I recommend you find the time to watch them all, because they are entertaining.  The woman in the video has a great sense of humor and presents this subject in a fun way.  I promise!  My three year old son loves watching these!

A Doctor Who Spoof

For those of you who successfully survived another Monday, here's a little fun to get you through the rest of the week.

How many of you out there love Doctor Who?  I know I sure do.  Here is the first video in a new web series that has fun with the Doctor Who universe.  I watch every spoof of Doctor Who that I can, because it's all in good fun!

Enjoy!

Social Media Insanity!

I'm late posting today because both of my kids are sick.  Last night was a long night, and sleep was frequently interrupted by crying and runny noses.  It has been anything but fun.

As such, I'm sure you'll understand the low maintenance post today.  The content of this post is brought to you by Comediva.  This is a terrific website, and they always find a new way to make me laugh.

First, I decided to share a video that shows the extremes of social media addiction.  Many people are addicted to Pinterest, but this is clearly beyond and reasonable level of pinning devotion.  

Next is A LINK to some funny pictures combining the world of Harry Potter and Doctor Who.  I recommend taking the time to check it out, because it really is fun!

Writing Advice

Today, I decided to share some videos about writing.  Yes, it may seem like I'm being lazy, but I'm actually just focusing most of my attention on writing some short stories.  I'm not waiting for the elves to come in the night to finish writing them for me (watch the first video to find out what that means!).

I know Neil Gaiman is popular with many of the writers I've met, and he's one of my favorites as well.  So, who better to go to for advice on becoming a writer?

Now, here's more great writing advice from author/screen writer Geoffrey Zimmerman.  He addresses the importance of self-awareness, which is crucial for any author.  As he so accurately points out, you need to know what you want you words to do.  Language is, after all, very diverse.  We combine our words to create a landscape of meaning.  Nuance arises from the way we combine our words, hopefully in a skillful way (though, as political blunders prove, this is not always the case).  To make the most of your words as a writer, it helps to know and understand your intent.

And he also addresses the importance of knowing how you write best.  This is crucial to actually getting anything done.

I hope you enjoyed the free advice!  Now I'm off to do some writing!

Funny Videos For Your Wednesday

I found a couple of videos on Funny or Die that I thought some of you might appreciate.  The first demonstrates how dangerous playing word games with friends can get.  It's a competitive world out there, after all.

WARNING: There is some strong language and violence involved, so bear that in mind.

CompetiBitch - watch more funny videos

Next up is a video that pokes fun at how engrossing the world of fiction can be.  If you thought reading the Harry Potter books sucked you in, that's nothing compared to actually playing the part.

I Am Harry Potter from Daniel Radcliffe