Holiday stories, and what inspires us

This time of year is amazing to me. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. So much happening so very quickly. But, it's also a fantastic time for stories. Some of my absolutely favorite movies are holiday ones, and of course there are timeless stories like A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. They are stories that show us for what we are and still lift us up.

It's funny how so much of the time we tend to let ourselves see only the troubles at our feet, and not the splendors ahead. Sure, times are tough, as they often are, but we must look past all that. Things do get better, if we will only push doggedly ahead and keep trying. Great advice, and I wish I followed it more than I normally do.

Also, this time of year is a time of gathering. Families come together, friends visit, churches have potlucks, and schools are doing fundraisers. There's much to celebrate. Listen to the stories, engage in them, and let the life around you penetrate more than it usually does. We never were meant to be solitary creatures.

God bless us all!

- M

Doctor Who, what a fantastic show!

I've loved Doctor Who since I was a child, watching it in black and white. Especially the funny old man with the hat and huge scarf who was probably the most popular doctor ever (at least of the old series). The show was incredible, mind-blowing, and intensely entertaining. I loved everything about it. I am so grateful that it has continued on.

What's really amazing to me is that my family has all come to enjoy it as well. Even my wife loves it, and actually did a Doctor Who marathon a while back where she watched all seven season of the current Doctor Who episodes. It's incredible to pass along enjoyment from one person to another. Even my children enjoy the show, maybe even more than I do.

What's especially amazing about Doctor Who is that this is a hero who doesn't fight. At least, not in the traditional sense. His greatest weapon is his knowledge, and his ability to use it. The show doesn't even have any big over-arching plot. Sure, each season has some things that are mysteries throughout and eventually get solved. Not even the River Song/Silence arcs were that large. I think that's a big reason the show is so successful. It's accessible to anyone just getting started.

Most of all, the show is science fiction that never really takes itself seriously. There's always a side of fun that never quite escapes into the complexities of what goes on. Despite grave danger, incredible odds, and overwhelming adversaries, the show takes it all in stride and giggles at itself. I hope it stays around for another ten seasons, I really do.

- M

JFK Assassination, the day after

One of the legendary points in American history is the assassination of President J.F. Kennedy. Everyone who lived during that time knows precisely where they were when they heard the news. People are like that when big events happen. I'm that way with the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia explosion, or the Twin Towers crashing down. Anyway, what I find really interesting is how the country reacted on the next day.

Despite political views, the country was shocked and dismayed  People everywhere were outraged that anyone would do such a thing, and a cry for justice went out. I wasn't there, but I suspect that this united outcry joined the country in a way that never would have happened otherwise. It was a seminal event, which created a legendary martyr. I've talked with many people about it, and they all tell me of anger and togetherness, of a nation brought together by tragedy. It's inspiring, really.

Of course, afterward is the rise of conspiracy. Ballistic evidence says one thing, visual evidence another, auditory still more, and human memory many other variations. Maybe we know what happened, maybe not. I'm not a judge. But, one thing I do know is that this was a moment in history that won't ever be forgotten. It spawned a whole fleet of legends, myths, and outright foolishness. Whatever your thoughts about this event, I'm sure you know about it and probably even a few conspiracy stories. I dearly hope we never again see assassinations.

- M

The amazing beauty of swords, far beyond their use

Swords are a lifelong love of mine. They are the symbol of romantic medieval periods. Of course, they are weapons of war, and designed to kill and maim. However, there's something majestic about these long bladed knives. What's really fascinating to me is how attached people became to these weapons, far more than other things like hammers. I'm not aware of knights naming their swords (though I wouldn't be surprised), but Vikings commonly did and so did Asian cultures. Anything that is worthy of a name is mighty important.

Many swords are beautifully detailed, with inscriptions, carvings, special materials, and all sorts of love put into the designs. I'm not exactly sure why three foot long blades are so enticing, but they just are. One of the most iconic weapons in cinema is the lightsaber, which is basically a futuristic sword. It doesn't matter that they're short range weapons. They're neat.

Amazingly, the art of sword fighting has been badly lost and misrepresented. One of the biggest myths is that fighters banged the edges together as they parried and attacked. Remember, these swords were meant to be used for a long time. If you wonder what happens when you take two thin, sharp, edges and bang them together then take a couple of knives and do it. Result: a nick, possibly deep, that ruins the edge and might cause the blade to break. Not a bright thing to do.

I love swords, and own quite a few myself. One thing that guests to my house enjoy is going out to the back yard and cutting potatoes in the air. I'll do an underhanded lob and they'll have at it. It's wonderful, magical, and enlightening. There's nothing quite like slicing a potato out of the air, watching it part by your own effort, and marveling at how easy it all was. It's all part of the mystery of swords.

- M

The Princess Bride movie and book

If there's anyone out there who hasn't seen The Princess Bride movie, I highly recommend it. To those who have seen the movie, I highly recommend the actual book. The book is flat out phenomenal. All the humor of the movie is really in the book, plus a whole lot more. Certain things make a lot more sense, especially the war that always seems to be somewhere in the fringes in the movie.

The Princess Bride book has a huge amount of details that never made it into the movie, as is the case with most book adaptations. But, one scene actually got rewritten to exclude my absolute favorite scene. When the heroes go into the Pit of Despair, the movie shows them finding the entrance and skips right down to the interior. However, in the book, there is a wonderful scene as the heroes go through the front entrance and through a series of traps. The final trap is so marvelous that it's tough to describe how much I wanted to see it realized on screen. Read it, and you'll understand.

I think there's something magical that happens between audiences who love movies and books together. Think of the recent storm of books into movies: Harry Potter, Twilight, Hunger Games, and the upcoming Divergent. There's a sort of fairy dust that covers such things, and I believe it's because the audience is embracing their imaginations. There's more life to these things because of it. I hope and pray that the magic never ends.

- M

Dirty Jobs, Mike Rowe, and the amazing things people do

I've been a long time watcher of a neat program called Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. The premise of the show is the host goes to a place where people get dirty while doing their jobs. At least, that's the hook. More often than not, the host discovers people who are happy and satisfied with what they do--despite getting messy. I'm always amazed by the fulfillment these people have; it's inspiring.

Of course, the host is witty, intelligent, and well spoken, but there is a true satisfaction in what goes on. It's also pretty funny. My favorite episode is when he goes to help with a lady who does research on the Lake Eerie water snakes. Watching Mike Rowe hilariously complaining about getting bit (all while the lady is doing the same job, and laughing as she does) is wonderful. The education a viewer receives is even more powerful because of the relatability of the host and everyone he works with.

When I first saw the show, I think I was curious to see people doing what I thought were awful jobs that nobody wanted. I was wrong. Sure, there's discomfort, but the jobs are needed, desired, and fulfilling in ways I never expected. These are jobs that people absolutely want to do, and enjoy doing. These aren't the pushed down, bottom-of-the-barrel positions I imagined; they're worthwhile. I'm impressed actually, and without the show, Dirty Jobs, I'd never have known.

- M

Heroes, part 2

Speaking generally, what makes someone a hero? Is it outward, or inward? Is it something someone just is, or something that's an assigned quality? Does the world say so, or can the world get stuffed? And, if the world doesn't notice, what remains? What is the composition of a hero?

Well, my answer is pretty much implied by the questions. I believe a hero comes from within. Perhaps their actions are noticed by the world at large, but probably not. Heroism isn't shy of the light, but it doesn't seek it either. I'd say most heroes never receive any recognition of any sort. Naturally, in stories they tend to be the focus, but in general life they aren't. That's a huge difference in how stories treat them and how we normally see them.

I don't think that celebrities are heroes specifically, though some may be. I don't think having fame is any sort of qualification. Heroes lift up greatness, demonstrate virtue, encourage productivity, and show us how fantastic we can be if we would only try a bit harder. In my mind, a hero is someone to model, to be like, and to admire for their quality in life. Not, simply because they play a game well, or look good on television. Heroes matter, they matter a lot.

Who are your heroes? Why? Can you put down actual reasons? I challenge you all to take the time to list them.

- M

Illness, being ill, and getting sick

Like most adults, I absolutely hate getting the flu. Can't work, can't read, can't do much of anything but sleep and drink 7-Up. The worst are these crummy stomach flus where it feels like I'm about to have a gallon of rocks burst out of my belly. It's all horrid, and I wish it could just go away and leave me alone.

Now that I think about it, I don't remember many stories actually delving into illness for more than just a very brief period. Of course, I'm not thinking all that clearly right now, so I'm probably missing some, but the omission makes complete sense. This state is so irritating and uncomfortable that audiences just don't want to be dragged through it anymore than necessary. Also, from a tactical point of view, characters don't behave normally when they are ill, which may be good, or probably bad, for the story.

So, my heart goes out to all the rest of our world who are ill at the moment. Hope you all get better soon.

- M

Loss, unfairness, reduction, and a phoenix rising.

One thing that always makes me upset is a character I love being treated unfairly, especially when it means losing their special abilities. I love seeing characters excel, and it honks me off when they get dumped in the gutter. Of course, it's necessary in a story, and I know that, but I still get upset when it happens. Perhaps that's one reason why I read as much as I do, because that takes me through endless character development and I see the tragic hero rise like a phoenix many times.

The recent trend of superhero movies really shows this to grand effect. The superhero genre thrives on taking their burly thugs and making them rob the heroes of their special stuff. Bane did it to Batman, the Mandarin did it to Iron Man, Red Skull did it to Captain America. It's grand, it's tragic, it's great theater. I think it's built into human dna to root for the underdog.

On the other hand, there is a kind of story where a fairly normal person excels and just keeps right on excelling. I've never been able to write a story like that myself, but I've read a number of them and I'll admit there's a special kind of magic about them. It's like the joy of it is simply watching a mythical progression that never ends. I haven't read many like that, and they have all been short stories, so I do wonder how long such a concept could work.

Let's give it up for the underdog! Eat a hot dog!

- M

Top Gear, especially Top Gear challenges

Cars are huge business, and Top Gear (the BBC version) is a massively successful show which talks about cars. I'll admit I've never been all too keen on cars, though I do greatly appreciate them moving me from one place to another. Yet, the Top Gear show is totally riveting to me. I have no idea why, but the banter between the show's hots is gripping. Also, the hosts know so much about cars that it completely astounds me.

But, the thing that really get me are their specials, where they go on crazy challenges and try to survive everything thrown at them. All the while they poke fun at each other, the cars, and generally have a fabulous time. I can't say I learn much from those challenges (except maybe the one where they tried to fire a care into space, a fantastic challenge that nearly worked). What gets me is just how much these guys love cars. It's gripping, and infectious. People who utterly love something spread their enthusiasm in all directions, it's inevitable.

Apart from the challenges, I also enjoy the humor throughout the show. Sure, they have a bit of childish potty humor, but there is a great deal of ribbing, kidding, pranks, and general goofiness. I love it. I'm glad the show is successful. It deserves to be. Well done, guys. Do carry on.

- M

Pure, wonderful, laughter: The Red-Green Show

I love to laugh. I love to joke, and goof around. There's this crazy Canadian show called The Red Green Show. It's this absolutely nuts gentleman who is the leader of the local Possum Lodge, and he loves to invent things (using duct tape almost exclusively, since nothing else would make sense of course). Every episode has some small story going on, but there are recurrent features that are a blast to watch.

Sometimes I like to just take my brain out and set it aside, so I can enjoy pure laughter for its own sake. That's what this tv show does for me. I can sit for half an hour and giggle myself silly, watching a grown man try to make an RV out of duct tape and refrigerator doors (really, it's an episode). The amazing thing is that many of his inventions do work, they just aren't very practical. Also, the actors all thoroughly enjoy the jokes and don't take any of what they are doing very seriously. I appreciate that aspect, and love seeing what these crazies will come up with next.

I think we grow as people when we can take a step back and laugh at ourselves. Humans are strange creatures, they deserve a good prodding every now and then.

- M

Ender's Game, movie review

Translating books into movies is tricky business; there's lots of ways they go wrong and fail. But, they also come with well developed plots and tons of detail that can be sorted through to make a 2 hour film. Of course, you can't include everything, so picking the right parts is the art I imagine.

Anyway, Ender's Game is now a movie, to the delight of science fiction fans everywhere. I've loved the story since it was a novella, and even more when it was made into a book. It's a great story about a boy far beyond his years in attitude, skill, and tactical ability. And now a movie, watched on a huge screen at the local theater.

How did it translate? I'd say the director was a big fan of the book, because most everything I wanted to see was in the movie. Naturally, the extensive subplot of Valentine and Peter taking over the world was dropped, and the battleschool combats were stripped to the bone, but the content was there and the overall plot is intact. Ender's struggle to be a leader is the plot (and no, I'm not giving away any part of the ending). Overall, the movie is very faithful to the source material.

So, what did I think? I loved it. Really, truly, loved it. So did my son, who is also a fan of the book. Harrison Ford as Col. Graft was gripping, tough, and perfect. Ender, played by Asa Butterfield, was exactly right. In the scenes of bullying, it really is incredible that this little twit of a kid comes out on top every time. And the space combat was incredible, doing what movies do best and displaying everything for your eyes to drink in.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys science fiction, and when you're done watching then go out and buy the book. Both are worth your time.

- M