Random thoughts

[Incanus]

Sounds good, ThinkerX. I really like the idea of your related novellas. I can see how, while working on them, different ideas about the overall structure might emerge. I'm sure you'll see the best to handle it sooner or later.

 

[Tom]

I'm writing a paper right now that contrasts Delacroix's Liberty Leading the People and Picasso's Guernica, to show how attitudes towards war have changed over time. And...wow. I'd never realized how powerful Guernica is. Just studying it out of an art book is bringing me to tears over the profound suffering and horror it depicts. I can't even imagine how I would feel if I had the opportunity to see the painting in person.

 

[Stephyn Blackwood]

Recently I had this weird little thought train, and seeing as no one I knew truly appreciated it, I'm wondering if someone on here might.

It all started a couple weeks ago when I finished replaying all of the Mass Effect games, and I was thinking about the whole idea of the Reapers, and how true it is in the sense that history has forever run in cycles. Every great empire has risen to the top and then usually violently brought down i.e The Dinosaurs where brought down by a meteor, Rome by the Germanic Tribes, The Russian Empire by Bolshevik Revolutionaries, so on and so forth.

And then I put the thought aside. Until water was found on Mars... And the little rusty old wheels in my head started turning again. What if... A billion years ago or so (Not factual time-limit, I don't know much about the history of the planets.) Mars was actually a planet much likes ours is today, populated and flourishing with advanced sentient life forms. But, through some kind of catastrophic event, they were wiped out. Now this could be anything, but it doesn't really matter... (That's pretty much the only way that I can link this to Mass Effect. Be really cool if it was Reapers ))

But anyway, say.... In a few generations time, Earth goes the same way Mars did. (Because life runs in cycles, does it not?) We as a race are wiped out and Earth is left a barren wasteland with no signs of life.
Now.... What if, through some astronomical event, like how Earth and all the life forms on it were originally formed, happens on Mars in a billion years time...

And once they have progressed enough to reach our stage... And a little martian man looks up to the skies at a Barren Earth and starts to wonder... Starts to wonder and has the exact same thought process I had a few days ago...

I'd like to thank anyone who got this far through my mad ramblings, and has reached the end of it. You truly are my favourite people

 

[Philster401]

 

[Addison]

Okay I really need to vent. The subject of this post is also the reason of my lack of presence on the site. After finally writing an official "The End" at the end of my story I sent it to an editor. Not a big shot, not a publisher or agent, a proof reader.

It is driving me nuts!!!:eek2:

I am losing my mind. Seriously sending my story to be read through microscope to a stranger is.....well refer to the emoticons. The guy said he'd be done between a few days ago to a few days before Halloween. A big gap but it's seeping into my life. I've gone OCD on my book shelf, my desk, my story files, even my clothes. Worst is it's affecting my reading! All the books I never had time to read I've started but now I find myself reading hardly two chapters before I just flip to the last chapter, read the last part of it and put it away! AAAAAA!!

Phew. I feel better now. I'm also on the hunt for a new job so maybe this emotionally over-whelming challenge will drown out the story gremlins in my head. :wink:

Happy Writing.

 

[Saigonnus]

My random thought of the day is why they can't form a commitee of fantasy writers where we contemplate the problems society faces and try to find creative solutions...


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[Russ]

My random thought of the day is why they can't form a commitee of fantasy writers where we contemplate the problems society faces and try to find creative solutions...


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We already seem to have a large group of people trying to fix our society's problems with magical or fantastic thinking...we call them politicians...

 

[Tom]

God, how did I go from writing a paper on the artistry of Puritan gravestones, to a rather cynical, snarky opinion piece connecting the Puritans' acceptance of literacy with the eventual downfall of their belief system, AND drawing comparisons between that and why modern-day radical conservative Christians limit book choices and media and internet intake? Oh Goddddddddd, how am I going to explain this to my professor...?

I just hope he'll appreciate my cynicism, seeing how he's the same way.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

@Tom,
Below is the perfect solution. There can't possibly be a better one.

On your final paper for the semester, write the statement: "The Puritans were friggin' idiots, but their gravestones sure looked pretty." Put that in a footnote if your final paper is not about Puritans.

 

[Devor]

Why, oh why, am I wasting time googling Puritan gravest - Ooohh, that's prettier than the viking stones.

 

[Tom]

Why, oh why, am I wasting time googling Puritan gravest - Ooohh, that's prettier than the viking stones.

I know, right? It's ironic that a culture that discouraged pursuit of the arts left us such beautiful artifacts. I guess we have their morbid obsession preoccupation with death to thank for that.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

We already seem to have a large group of people trying to fix our society's problems with magical or fantastic thinking...we call them politicians...

There's a difference between magical and fantastic thinking to the ideas derived by a fever-dream.

 

[FifthView]

Lead is not led.

 

[Devor]

A few years ago, when I first came to Myhic Scribes, I was working on a project with a Viking setting. I just realized today, when I saw a thread on poetry, that I lost all of my work on this project when my desktop died a few months ago, except for a few handwritten notes and a printout of my work on a poem for it. I had forgotten all about it and just assumed I had all of my story work in dropbox.

The poem was for a spell cast by a disir at a big turning point in the story. The spell would transform a handful of the island's trolls into powerful creatures that protect the land, but it had a drawback. I spent lots of time on it but only came to three good lines: The drawback.

But I grieve for my soul, I have failed my role,
For the curse of my spell has unveiled its toll,
Thus the nursemaid of Hel frees Disgrace from his hole.

I figure, since it's all that's left of the work, I might as well share it.

 

[thedarknessrising]

Got my One Ring of Power today. I've got it on a gold chain around my neck. It's so beautiful. It's mine. My own. My...precious

 

[Stephyn Blackwood]

Random Conversation with a friend of mine today:

Me: "Oh, d'you know that Tolkien was writing a sequel to the Lord of the Rings, but he stopped cause it was too dark and depressing for him."
Him: "Oh cool. Why?"
Me: "Cause it was about the corruption and darkness of man, y'know, because there's no more Ultimate Evil left."
Him: "Nice.. Wait... Could you imagine he went back to it in a couple years time or something, that'd be so- *Is cut off by my stunned expression* What?"
Me: "Tolkien's dead, mate..."
Him: *Looking completely hopeless and lost with life.* "Wha...?"

Just thought I'd share the stupidity with you guys.

 

[Tom]

The little sibs are upset about Halloween costumes. They wanted to do Star Wars this year (what with the new movie coming out and all), but they waited too long to get costumes and now they're ridiculously overpriced. Guess they'll have to wait until next year.

 

[Garren Jacobsen]

I can't wait to see my 1 year old win the costume competition for being the cutest little Yoda you ever did see.

Also, I love the show My Cousin Vinny. This is one of the best lawyer shows out there. Here is a clip.

As an aside, I would like to note that this clip is set up beautifully in the first act when Vinny the lawyer eats breakfast in a diner, eats grits for the first time, and the cook explains that it takes 15-20 minutes. So...go watch it when you can.

 

[Addison]

How many of us here can understand a language well enough to watch a foreign film without reading subtitles or hunting for the english dubbed version? How many of those find they watch such foreign films? How many here look for foreign films in English dub?

Americans seem to think the great movies are made in the good old U.S.A. (True a lot are shot in other countries but still, you know what I mean.) But I've come across some non-American movies that are great. Top of the list; Krabat. For those who are fluent in German, find it. For those who don't, find it anyway. Germany is the home of the Brother Grimm, the Black Forest, Neuschwatsin Castle and so many fantastic elements. I'm currently searching for more by the same producers and writers.
There's also "Nightwatch" and "Daywatch".

I'm trying to figure out which Rosetta Stone lesson to take to further enjoy both movies and books. I'm either going Italian or French.

Oh, if you're into Fantasy/Horrors or Fantasy Creature Features, check out "Ragnarok".

 

[MineOwnKing]

How many of us here can understand a language well enough to watch a foreign film without reading subtitles or hunting for the english dubbed version? How many of those find they watch such foreign films? How many here look for foreign films in English dub?

Americans seem to think the great movies are made in the good old U.S.A. (True a lot are shot in other countries but still, you know what I mean.) But I've come across some non-American movies that are great. Top of the list; Krabat. For those who are fluent in German, find it. For those who don't, find it anyway. Germany is the home of the Brother Grimm, the Black Forest, Neuschwatsin Castle and so many fantastic elements. I'm currently searching for more by the same producers and writers.
There's also "Nightwatch" and "Daywatch".

I'm trying to figure out which Rosetta Stone lesson to take to further enjoy both movies and books. I'm either going Italian or French.

Oh, if you're into Fantasy/Horrors or Fantasy Creature Features, check out "Ragnarok".

I can understand and speak Brazilian Portuguese somewhat okay. It takes my brain time to switch into Portuguese because I hardly ever speak it but have been slowly learning over the last 12 years.

The only problem is that Brazilian films are pretty limited and pretty lame. I've watched a few of the nightly soap operas that are so popular in Brazil as an exercise but often there is so much slang or street talk that I end up missing jokes or cultural references.

Some Italian movies are fun or funny to watch and I can usually make out what they are saying without subtitles but again many things are lost.

There are some good movies spoken in Dutch and because so many of the words sound like English words, I can usually figure things out without the subtitles.

I would go with the Italian Rosetta Stone. Even if the movie is not made in Italy, you can still find Eastern European movies made with Italian voice overs and they are still pretty good.

Padre Vostro is an excellent film. It is voiced over in Italian and is about a young Catholic priest that is dismayed because the island community he is part of, is not producing any babies.

He conspires with the local condom vendor to poke holes in all the packaged condoms and then a chaos erupts on the island that is both funny and tragic.