Rare and wonderful events

Have you ever noticed how common rare events are? Planetary alignments, special gems, unusual circumstances, and amazing skills. Lots of things are called rare, or unique. I think we love to find these "rare" things, and so we search high and low until we find them. Maybe it's because we humans are natural puzzle solvers, and it's almost beyond us to go through life without some sort of riddle confounding us. So, we seek out patterns that are rare and curious. Planets lining up isn't really all that significant, but a whole field of study was made around it (astrology is what I have in mind, but astronomy fits too).

Chicago's Shiny Object

The funny thing is, we still respond to the common nature of rare events with awe and intrigue, at least until the next rarity occurs. Maybe it's a way of marking periods in our lives, kind of like historic landmarks? All I know is these things keep cropping up and I see no stopping any of it, not that I'd want to.

 

Truth is, I love seeing special things. Maybe it's only special because I haven't experienced it before, but it doesn't matter. Life should be special, and I'm happy to find new reasons for it to be that way. So, I'll keep looking for, and finding, rare new special things. I'll point them out to anyone interested, and hopefully someone else will find amazement and happiness. It's all I ask for that little bit of unique magic.

 

- M

The Doctor always wins

I was thinking about winning and losing in popular television shows. Why is it that in Doctor Who, that the Doctor always wins? Isn't that boring? Doesn't it eliminate the unexpected? How are we still entertained? Well, it's the same as with every other superhero story, we know the ultimate results but we are straining to imagine the how's and why's. Winning and losing doesn't matter, because we want to cheer at the win and be surprised by the elaborate process. In the end, the Doctor always wins.

 

And there's the paradox. If the audience knows the hero cannot fall, then how do you challenge and threaten the hero? Simple. Threaten the hero's friends and family. Threaten the hero's world. Make the hero suffer. Yes, the hero wins, but pain is more than physical and lasts far longer. In the process, make the audience squirm at what's happening.

 

The best part about telling a great story is watching the audience. I love seeing them reflect what's happening and guessing at what's to come. A real edge-of-your-seat story can keep you up at night, prevent sleep, and get you to work bleary eyed and happy. We yearn to be amazed and touched. So, yes, the Doctor always wins and always will, but so do we as we cheer and hope for the best of both worlds.

 

- M

The miracle of undeniable imagery

Jurassic Park (the original one) is still considered one of the finest examples of computer graphics ever made. The dinosaurs depicted by computer are phenomenal, even today. But, how often were the CGI dinosaurs actually on screen? Only 4 minutes out of 127 total minutes. Yet, that's what people remember ... 4 minutes out of a whole movie! I find that remarkable.

T-Rex from Jurassic Park

But, the concept goes far beyond movies. We tend to remember what surprises us, especially images. I think that's why our childhoods are a series of disjointed memories, focused on certain visuals and impressions. It's like a slideshow of our lives. We constantly rearrange the images, fiddle with the colors and make them into something special for ourselves--it's why we often remember something a bit different than reality.

 

Images come to us from our own imaginations too, like when we read or see abstract arts. Even listening to people conjures images we can't deny--such as campfire ghost stories. I admit some of the scariest images I've ever seen are from inside my own head. That's pretty powerful stuff.

 

 - M

Doctor Who returns with a bang!

Peter Capaldi as the 12th Doctor

The new season of Doctor Who is finally here, and it's a cliffhanger! Doh! Doctor Who fans are very familiar with the Daleks (as they are his greatest enemy), but this new season is starting with twirling the entire concept of the Daleks and switching it all up. I won't give away any details, but let's just say we didn't understand the Dalek's nearly as much as we believed.

 

Every new doctor takes a while to get really going, but I love this new one. He's edgy, strange, and wonderful, just as the Doctor should be. This Doctor is afraid. Afraid of what he's done and could do.

 

I'm loving it all. It's like the old Buck Rogers show, or the cliffhanger serials they used to show in early movie theaters. I'm finally seeing the wonder and excitement of television unafraid to be ridiculous and inventive. It's hypnotic. Did I mention I love the new doctor? Well, it's because he started with a full realization of who his character would be. His doctor is haunted, impulsively searching for a bright future as he strains to forget the past.

 

Doctor Who has always been a crazy show, doing brilliant escapism as we roll our eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. Who cares how well these stories hold up against analysis? I sure don't. All that matters is the fun of the show and the imagination of unending new worlds and experiences. Let your brain take it all in and have fun with it. There's nothing wrong with fun, is there?

 

- M

Perspective. Isn't it funny how time and distance changes things?

As I've grown older it's become more and more obvious that I don't remember things the way they truly are. When I was a child, I thought everything was big and mysterious, that there was a new surprise around every corner and behind every wall. Infinite possibility ruled the day, and it was all brand new to my eyes. Now, I'm a lot more jaded, I see far too many obstacles and not nearly as many possibilities. My question is, which perspective is truer than the other?

The same is true about distance in time or space. What seems awful now can be a joke later, and what looks like nonsense makes sense from far away. Optical illusions use this principle to great effect, and so do comedians. When you achieve a different perspective, the image may change completely.

Do you see the Candlestick or the Faces?

In stories, perspective is usually about who is narrating the story or how it's shown. Is it first person narrative, or possibly shown only in a single location, or maybe following a group around while the villain skulks in the background out of sight. By controlling the perspective, the author can wrap an audience around their little pinkie and make them jump on command. I'm not talking about jump scares (loud noise and a visual thunk isn't scary beyond the initial surprise). I'm talking about when the perspective is so powerful that an author can create fear and dread simply by suggesting and implying. "You know, there just might be someone listening. Can you hear them breathing behind you? Don't turn around!"

I love that part of writing, when an audience is so in tune with the story that they actually turn and look in real life. It's incredible. Ray Bradbury's "The Thing at the Top of the Stairs" did that to me, and still gives me shivers when I think about it. Memories like that are why I dearly love stories. It's more than just the tale, but it's the adventure and the journey of the participating audience that makes it so special. It's all in the perspective.

- M

Comic books, graphic novels, and graphic movies

"Comic books are for kids." I've heard that so many times, I lost count long ago. Modern comics, despite having many heavily adult themes, are still considered mostly for the younger generation. I'm not sure why, since stories told in pictures is a time-worn concept that has lasted well. In fact, some of my favorite tales are comics (Dark Phoenix saga, Infinity War, Terminal Velocity). Sure, children have far greater imaginations than adults, but that shouldn't prevent anyone from enjoying the medium. And, in comics the heroes generally win out in the end, and happy endings abound. For the most part, it's a much more positive genre than others.

Graphic novels are much longer than a single comic book (usually around 10 or more bound all back to back) and focus on one constant story, like a regular novel but told in picture form. Graphic movies are a fairly new concept and take a graphic novel and animate it a bit so it's a "movie." I wasn't sold on the concept, but I bought "Iron Man: Extremis" and am totally amazed. The story is preserved in marvelous form and the minimal animations fit the style. I highly recommend any Iron Man fan get this (mainly because the 1st and 3rd movies use practically all the concepts within the Extremis story).

I'm glad to see comics moving beyond just the papers they started in. Comics are a powerful storytelling tool and I think more adults should check them out, rather than idly toss them to their children. These are stories of worth, stories of heroes and villains, stories of sacrifice and triumph, especially they are fun and enjoyable. What's wrong with a bit of fun in our boring adult lives?

- M

Hidden knowledge, trivia, and all sorts of goofy things to know

Cats racing ...

My mind is a fount of mildly useful information, or so I'm told. Actually, it's more like I've filled my brain to the brim with lots of little tidbits I found interesting and for some reason have retained it all. One fun trick is recognizing a movie, and giving the title, with barely a second or two of watching it (even movies I've never watched, but only know about). Sure, some of that falls into the category of Parlor Tricks, but it's still fun. I'll never forget when my youngest daughter tried to stymie me by playing a few seconds of the title intro to "Star Trek: First Contact." (okay, I'll give it away, I recognized the actress name and the music and the style of the credits and the way the camera moved... like I said, a trick).

Truth is, I don't find this knowledge helpful for the most part, it's just fun to know. I still read constantly in a huge variety of fields. Thirst for knowledge doesn't ever go away, especially when you keep feeding the hunger. But, just because you know it sadly doesn't mean you'll remember it accurately when you need it--yup, I stink at Jeopardy, or anytime there's a time limit.

I tell my kids to keep learning, all the time. The day you stop learning is the day you let your intelligence drift away on summer breezes. Of course, I'm a writer and a nerd so, yeah, of course I'd say that. But, there's nothing quite like rattling off a little gem of information at the perfect time and drinking in the looks of awe around you!

- M

Star Wars projects as we await the next episode!

Several of my friends find all kinds of incredible projects people have done in the spirit of Star Wars--a Darth Vader grill, or Stormtrooper doggie sets, and I see Boeing just painted one of their Dreamliner jets as R2-D2. Amazing. Kinda strange, but neat. It's a testimony to how deeply this series of movies has affected our culture. It's safe to say that everybody knows what Star Wars is, even if they haven't seen the movies.

I still can't say I fully understand why these movies are so beloved. The story is a very simple hero's journey. The setting is pretty standard science fiction for the era. Perhaps it was the incredible special effects? Maybe. Was it the actors? Nope, since they were unknowns at the time (aside from the eminent Sir Alec Guiness). I think it was a very special and unique blend of people wanting a story of hope and ultimate victory mixed in with cutting edge special effects and that ultimate strangeness of "it's awesome." Okay, so I don't know for sure, but I definitely believe it was a "one in a billion" happening.

Star Wars 7 is coming up quickly (Dec. 2015) and is almost sure to be a huge blockbuster. I have great hopes that they focus back on story rather than dripping the scenes with special effects. Let's bring back the hero stories with villains that are simple and get under our skin. Let the Jedi ways be mysterious and sparingly used. I want the old Cowboys in Space kind of feel that the original series had. But, whatever shows up, you can bet I'll be there watching it. So help me, I love Star Wars!

- M

p.s. I'd love one of those Darth Vader grills, if anyone wants to make one for me.

Tragedy and Hope

Today is Sept. 11th, and it was 14 years ago that my country was a target of horrific terrorism. Our country certainly isn't the only victim of terrorism, and we are far from the worst afflicted. But, it really becomes real in a powerful way when the violence happens in your own back yard. My heart goes out to anyone suffering terrorism currently, and today reminds me of the terrible cost of allowing anyone to wantonly destroy.

Despite the great tragedy, I wanted to lift the banner of hope. There is a bright future for those who refuse to allow a terrorist act to destroy their spirits, to push them into hiding, and to become lambs for slaughter. Just witness the countless stories of incredible bravery and heroism of this day years ago! Look at how a planeload of passengers refused to become an instrument of terror and gave their lives to stop the fanatics! See the many police and firefighters who rushed into harms way, knowing it was likely their last living act, simply to save what lives they could!

Firefighters at ground zero of the destroyed Twin Towers
image credit

Tragedy brings people together to grieve, restore and build. Yes, there is pain, but there grows a new sense of belonging and direction. We lick our wounds and move on to bigger and greater things. In a sense, it's like a fire that burns away the shrubs so new grass and trees can prosper. The loss is great, but hope for the future remains.

I love my country, I pray for my country, and I believe in my country. All patriots do the same for their own. Patriotism is a good, decent, and proud thing. Never be ashamed of being named a patriot. Patriots make a country great, and remain great.

God bless the U.S.A.

- M

Will the villain get it in the end? Well, read on to find out...

Here's a picture of Cat Kung Fu, just because.

One of the best tricks in the storyteller's arsenal is making an audience scream out, "Wipe him out, he deserves it!" That level of audience feedback goes right back into the story, drawing the audience along and implanting the story with greater urgency and passion. It's incredible to witness. I've been at movies when you hear the whole audience clap when the villain gets his comeuppance (such as watching an elaborate trap turn on the bad guy rather than hurting the good guy). Pacing the story so it happens at the best point is the tricky aspect.

Those moments when a story grips your heart and mind and makes you scream at the pages are priceless. I can remember numerous examples, such as Die Hard when the bad guy (who has been easily escaping notice throughout, yet is as ruthless as they come) gets it--I won't spoil the scene if you haven't seen it yet. That makes the story stick in your mind, gives it life, and you'll think about it long after the story is actually over. Even harder to forget is when a character doesn't get rewarded, or punished, for their actions. People naturally want good deeds rewarded and evil deeds punished. It's the same reason little kids constantly moan about, "It's not fair."

Some stories even use this trick as the most important plot point, such as seeking revenge against an evil guy who got away (The Man in the Iron Mask is an especially good example). Done well, the audience forgives all manner of coincidences, just so justice can be done. The author can even bring out absolutely ridiculous methods without much audience pushback at all. The audience's desire to see it all end well is amazingly powerful. I think this is the biggest reason cliffhanger endings are so frustrating, because we want it all resolved now!

- M

ps. There's a whole category of videos called "Instant Karma" that are a blast to watch, and really key into the idea of getting back what you do.

Happy Labor Day holiday. But, what's it all about?

Here in the good 'ole USA we are celebrating Labor Day, a day specifically honoring work ... by not working. Some interesting points: Labor Day was established to celebrate workers (the holiday was fast tracked because of the tragic labor strike in Pullman, Chicago--read about it, it's important), the day is also the last fashionable day to wear white, and Labor Day marks the beginning of NFL and College football! So, we get to ignore work, wear white one more time, and chow down on barbeque as we watch football--it's a great holiday, isn't it?
<note: I have no fashion sense, had no clue football started this weekend, but I do like barbeque ... which we didn't cook anyway>

Work somehow has turned into a kind-of bad word. I'm not entirely sure why. Without work there'd be virtually nothing around, because somebody had to sweat to put it together. And, hard work not only feels good, but satisfies a very deep urge to make a difference in the world. No matter how small your contribution, doing work makes the world run. It's worth being proud of. One of my dad's favorite sayings is, "Son, some of the happiest people in the world come home from work smelling like hogs and dirty enough to match. Hard work is good for your soul." <Paraphrasing there, dad. Hope you don't mind.>

So, celebrating work is a great idea. I truly wish we did more of that. It seems like all of our entertainment these days celebrates the opposite, and ridicules those who are happy to work hard and earn a living. Find something to be proud about in your present work, and I'll guarantee you that you'll be happy to do it afterward. I think hard workers should be among our greatest heroes. Whatever happened to posters such as  "Rosie the Riveter" (a World War 2 reference, if you didn't know). Honor our workers! Make Labor Day matter at a whole new level.

"Rosie the Riveter," the iconic woman who symbolized all the women workers during the WWII war effort.

- M

Getting the cats out of jail.

Don't bug me, I'm adjusting!
image credit

We've been doing heavy cleaning in our home this past couple weeks, and so asked a friend if she could keep our two cats for a while. It's been interesting. Apparently the two cats hid the entire time; coming out only to eat and poop. The ride home was filled with constant meowing--many times in unison for our listening enjoyment. What's interesting is how they reacted when they came back in to our home. One immediately fell asleep, while the other is cozy and still meows constantly. It makes me wonder what goes on in those little cat brains.
We all go through adjustments to any kind of change, be it at work, home, or play. New rules, or places, or people. It's traumatic each time, just to varying degrees. But, we cope and figure things out and soon are happily productive again. Our cats are doing the same thing, though the younger one is still meowing a lot because she doesn't feel comfortably home yet. Funny how important comfort is to everyone, including cats.

And, yet, we can use our discomfort to push past barriers and find higher success. It's all in how you look at it. The question motivational speakers ask is: "Are you too comfortable where you are?" The implication is that we shouldn't stay still too long. I suppose that's true, but there's also nothing wrong with being happy where you are.

Ugh, I think I may have to muzzle the younger cat. Quit yowling! Argh. You're home, so cut it out!

- M

Where did time go? Actually, where did the year go?

image credit

As a little twirp of a kid, I thought time passed on rusty bearings. It seemed it was never time for recess, or the trip to the zoo took forever, or I was always waiting in lines. Nothing happened as quickly as I wanted. I'm guessing we've all felt the same way as children. We want to race around and have fun, yet time slumps past at the speed of a snail. And our parents are completely unaware--actually, they always tell us to slow down! Yup, for a kid, a single day could be measured on a yearly calendar.

However, as we age we gain new perspective. I'm not entirely sure why, though. Is it because of a growing wealth of experience? Is it because we slow down ourselves and our perception of things slows down as well? I'm not sure, but I couldn't even chase time down with a stopwatch now--the hours flitter past and are gone before I even notice. There's not enough time for what I want to accomplish. So, what happened? Did the universe rearrange itself in the last forty years? I'm inclined to think it has.

If the speed of light is relative to the observer, then is time as well? Physics agrees, but I'm talking about perception and not math. When you're busy, time flies, but when you're bored then time crawls. It's seemingly all about how engaged your mind is during your tracking of time. The more I study the phenomenon of time, the more I believe we could actually stop time if we wanted; watch a raindrop splatter against a windshield, or tap a butterfly between flaps of its incredible wings. Sure, I'm imagining, but why not? Wouldn't it be neat to slow time to an actual crawl and walk between the blinks of the world?

- M

Teaching a new driver to drive and not becoming insane.

I'm now on my second child learning to drive. I'm only party insane now. I'm reminded of Bob Newhart's incredibly funny skit about the driving instructor. No, it's not that bad, really. So long as you (the parent) are keeping a good eye on the road and thinking a bit ahead of your student (child), then things go swimmingly Of course, being a new driver makes everything a tad unsteady. What I mean is, I find that learning to keep your hands apparently calm and not shrieking like a banshee helps beyond words.

All kidding aside, learning to drive is one of the greatest accomplishments of young adulthood. It's about the only rite of passage we have here in the United States, and it marks the first true liberation of a child. I'll never forget when our oldest daughter finally realized just how free it made her when she could borrow the car and go out to buy whatever she wanted. She didn't have to convince us anymore to take here somewhere, because she could just get the keys and go. Eureka!

Gradual steps toward the full responsibility of adulthood is a wonderful thing, but I must admit that learning to drive is right up there with being tossed into a sea of red ants and told to keep still. It's not easy. On one hand, you want to get up and go, and on the other hand you're worried about failure. But, you can only fly if you spread your wings and try. There's a life lesson somewhere ...

- M