Never give up

Winston Churchill made a very famous speech where he said, "Never give in." That was it. Most take it as "Never give up," and I think that's in keeping with the message. The question is, why was that so fundamentally important? Two things stand out to me. First, make certain that what you are working toward is a goal you actually want and will invest yourself into. Second, once you commit, don't ever back down.

 

Opportunities are everywhere. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, and in that case you need to pay more attention. For instance, did you know that when the motion picture camera was invented that the general consensus was it was a neat invention, but had no use. People tended to film and show only a single uncut scene. But, once editors came into it and spliced together various points of view to create something beyond actual life, only then did the magic of cinema begin. Opportunity was there for anyone to see, yet only a few actually acted upon it.

 

The same thing happens around us all the time. There are unending examples. It's up to us to discover them. Part of never giving up is keeping your mind open. It's hard to find anything worthwhile if you stop looking. Actually, I'd bet a lot of our own problems stem from giving up. So, cut it out. Get moving. Find your dream, chase it, and don't stop!

 

- M

Funny animals being cute and adorable, no matter what they do

We humans love cute animals, and let's just admit that any baby animal is cute, fuzzy animals are cute, and happy animals are cute. So, why are videos of animals being jerks so popular? Or, why do we seek out videos of adorable little kittens being scared silly? Can dogs flopping down a couple stairs be funny? Yup, indeed they are. This is all naturally assuming nobody gets hurt. Animals can't help being cute.

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There you have a goat chewing on a fence, yet when you take a picture it transforms into a hilarious and goofy looking animal. It made me smile. I can imagine the goat making all kinds of goofy noises, snorting, and stamping around. Maybe there's also a parade going by that it can sing along with. One can only hope.

 

Scientists have studied this, and have decided that we humans are programmed to love and adore "baby-like" faces (big eyes, small faces, roundish shaped heads, etc.). Recent studies have also proven how watching these animal videos improves overall workplace moral and efficiency. So, go right ahead and view those cat videos your best buddies send you, because your boss will then happily enjoy your profound productivity! See, you get all sorts of helpful advice here.

 

- M

Happy Mother's Day

To the special mothers in my life: Margaret (home with our dear Lord), my wife, Beth, and my own mommy. Love you all!

Happy Mother's Day!

Captain America: Civil War ... movie review (zero spoilers)

 

"Captain America: Civil War" came out this week. I'm sure the entire world gasped with excitement. First question: would I recommend it? Absolutely! It was everything I'd hoped it could be, and the mega-story Marvel is telling is finally showing real fruit. We already know the backgrounds of the characters, already sympathize, and already understand the stakes. So, things get rolling right away and wow does it keep moving. "Civil War" is definitely a movie you'll want to see more than once--I'm sure I didn't catch all the subtexts this first time.

 

Previews to "Civil War" asked us to pick a side, either Captain America or Iron Man. But, this is really too simplistic. There are huge issues at stake. Are superheroes free to do whatever they want? If not, then who should watch over them? Like all good stories, this one is filled with issues we can relate to: friendships, loyalties, fear, hope. There is significant impact in the final scenes--power that only comes from going through a long journey with close friends.

 

One aspect I particularly enjoyed was how convincing the plights of Captain America and Iron Man are. They are both fiercely loyal, yet see things from different perspectives. Iron Man is a haunted man, while Captain America is an idealist. But, they both want to make the world a better place. They demonstrate that alternate views aren't necessarily bad things. Yet, circumstances can quickly spiral out of control when someone throws a wrench in the works. <No, I won't give away any plot details, but a story isn't a story without conflict and this movie has plenty of conflict.>

 

Back when Marvel announced its multi-year, multi-movie, story it was considered a really risky maneuver. Now, I think it's safe to say they've been proven correct. People want bigger stories and worlds that continue between movies. Audiences expect huge stories in television, so why not movies too? I wouldn't be at all surprised if other studios follow the same path.

 

Go see "Captain America: Civil War" before your friends ruin it for you. Experience the story yourself. I loved it.

 

- M

Rainy Days and Sweet Sunshine

My lovely wife has taught me to truly enjoy rainy days. I've always enjoyed the sound of rain, but now it's something that puts me at peace with the world. Watching her face glow, as she listens, is beyond what mortal hearts can bear. I think it's a reflection of something so magnificent it can only show a little without burning our minds to dust. That level of beauty isn't an illusion. It's not subject to decay or breaking. It's true beauty. And, I get to see it on my wife's face every time it rains.

 

Sunshine is another thing that catches my imagination. My children, when they were young, would rush out to greet the morning light and spend all day playing outside. It was magical. The feeling of warmth that the sun provides on my skin will always remind me of my children's smiling faces. You see, there are some memories which will never fade, no matter what happens to me or how much time lays between events. Those happy smiles are with me forever.

 

Sometimes I wonder if I've had a similar effect on other people. I hope so. At least, if not me, then the stories I tell. As a writer, I'd actually prefer for people to remember my books with such fervor and love. That's the gift I feel I have to offer, and I hope I'm using it well. Maybe you'll curl up by a warm fireplace, open a nice book and fall into a flood of sweet memories. That is a terrific thing to do. Why don't you do it now?

 

- M

Old photos of yourself that prove you really are ... copied by a gawky robot.

As I've grown older, one thing has become very obvious. Old pictures of me are a conspiracy. Those couldn't be me. They're some sort of alien, or robot, or clone. I refuse to believe I was ever that skinny, or narrow, or ... erm ... good looking. Okay, that last bit was actually true, but how is it possible I was ever that person? It just isn't possible. The only explanation is a goofy robot was put in my place, and I think I'm being generous. 

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I do realize we change and grow and spread out, but sometimes it gets a bit ridiculous. I look at my wedding pictures and wonder who I'm looking at. Only my wife is recognizable. I don't know who the weird bloke is beside her. And, how dare he kiss my wife! Furthermore, why do I have a picture of him doing it?

 

Maybe it's an alien? Could be. I'm a bit foggy of that day's particular events. I truly only remember my wife's face. (Hint: that's a great brownie-point technique for when we men do something awfully wrong, like forgetting a birthday or not buying flowers for our anniversaries.)

 

So, by extension, I think it's safe to say we've been invaded by alien robots. Even worse, the conspiracy is they take our places in photos for the devious purpose of making us doubt our own existence. What could be more horrible? I think we need to round up all our old photos and burn them, yet can't quite get myself to doing it. It's possible it's not a conspiracy--

 

- M

Letting the cat out of the bag.

Right now I'm on a kick of finding my own verbal crutches and overused phrases. It's surprising and a bit disturbing to find trends in my vocabulary. If you're not sure what I mean, think of the word, "Like," that gets used so much in regular talking. Take this sentence for instance, "I wanted to go, like so bad." The sentence doesn't need the word at all, but it's stuck in there just because. While speaking, many people will use a variant of "um" to fill in awkward gaps.

In editing, these things are taken out, to make written sentences more readable and kind on the ears (I can't be the only one who reads out loud in the confines of their own head). I've read a few stories which attempt to capture actual spoken words, in quirky dialogue--can't say I'm a fan of this technique--but it does demonstrate how badly we all talk. I do find it interesting how uncomfortable this is to read, while it's fine in a movie. Well, there's a big difference when we're forced to interpret the words ourselves, rather than hearing it spoken--at least, that's my current theory.

And then we come around to phrases. Every culture has sentence fragments which encapsulate entire conversations in spare few words. For anyone within the culture, this makes communication easier and quicker. But, outsiders are clueless--"out in the dark" is how my culture says it. So, it can be dangerous to include these in stories, yet also obviously should be included to match the setting. It's a difficult task to juggle, and is one of the hallmarks of great storytellers.

So, let's see if this lead balloon can fly and knock out two birds with one stone...

- M