Fiction Is My Friend: Part IV

Allons-Y!
(This post is bigger on the inside)

Currently I'm obsessing over Doctor Who. Obsesses is an understatement.
The aliens can be kind of dumb (they remind me of the idiot bad guys on Power Rangers) and the graphics aren't that great, but I love the idea of a time traveler that goes around making all of the wibbly wobbly timey wimey stuff work out the way its supposed to.

I think the big reason that I love the show so much is because of all the figuring out that has to happen. Its a constant mystery of what is going on. Everything is always changing. And its not just in the story that has twists and turns. The show has been on for 32 seasons and I only started watching it on the 27th. But it works. Ok, well I'm not here to rattle on about how the show itself works, but more to proclaim my love of it. And what better way than with things I've collected on Pinterest.

"There's a plan?"-River Song
"I don't know yet. I haven't finished talking."-Doctor

"That's a fairytale"-Doctor
"Aren't we all?"-River Song

Eccleston was a good intro Doctor, but it was really David Tennant that made the show fun. He's a ball of energy that just feeds off of ridiculous situations. Regeneration is a great part of the show because it's about self discovery. Tennants entrance was 

"An amalgam of the races they've conquered"
Yay! Use of the word amalgam!

"Go sit in the back of the class with the safety scissors and glitter"-Mickey Smith

"Expelliarmus! Good old JK!" (silly doctor going ahead in in time to read book 7)

The 11th Doctor has my favorite fashion sense. But I'm sick of all of the hipster crap about him. Except that Matt Smith is totally a hipster.

This genius kicking around in a Cyberman swimming cap. 

DELETE!

Remember what I was saying about Tennant? It's necessary to enjoy his silliness and the evolution of the show. I'm really soaking up how Series 5 has a distinct plotline, but its kind of like Smallville, how you have to enjoy some of the stupid nemesis episodes of seasons 1-3 before the serious stuff kicks in and ruins the fun. Oh wait. What TV doesn't do that? Chuck sure has. Getting off topic.

When the new theme song plays it makes me want to dance like this. I LOVE the updated theme song!

But Matt Smith your Doctor is just so picky and hilarious!

Can you see my internal struggle yet?

Trust me. If you start you'll never want to stop. 

[Insert the rest of these quotes now]

Fiction Is My Friend: Part III

Harry Potter was a majorly influential chunk of my childhood

We must have been about 9 and 10 (and 10) on a visit to Charly's parents in Eugene. Read: 6 hour drive to hang out in the chilly mold spore infested basement with The Jetsons and a dollhouse with no dolls.  Ok it wasn't really that bad but the cold basement will always be a vivid memory.  Grandma and Grandpa Van gave us each a book in a series that was getting popular fast. Since there were 3 books and 3 kids, we each got the one that matched our birth order, meaning I was thrown right into the action of Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.

I was in the middle of a world I had never imagined. It helped me conquer ridiculous fears. I was afraid of everything as a little girl and I felt brave if I was able to read about giant serpents who turned people to stone and werewolves with no self control. (How cool is that comic??)
I have heard some people say that they don't like how "dark" the story gets as it progresses.  When watching the first half of the 7th movie I realized that I'd honestly forgotten that Harry even lived in the cupboard under the stairs. Although the plot thickens, becomes complicated, and in the end seems nothing like the simple book that it all began with, isn't that like life? As we read along with Harry and Co. growing up his challenges must get deeper and complex. And just how boring would 7 years of same old school get?
Perhaps it is because I grew up with Harry and had to wait for each book release that the story became age appropriate with me. My 10 year old sister read the whole series within a month and I think although she may have enjoyed them and the thrill of such an accomplishment she missed so much material that will make more sense in 10 years.

We didn't just read the books though, we lived them.  Kristin and I made spell books and school uniforms (although they were nothing as cute as that apron), wrote editions of The Daily Prophet, and even made our own concoctions of butterbeer.
Summer of 2007 I was working at Border's when The Deathly Hallows was released and the party was a lovely moment of my summer. We all dressed up as Hogwarts students and other characters. I fancied myself a Luna Lovegood dopleganger, radish earrings and all! Wouldn't you know it that the pictures from that night also died in the computer crash of 2010? Hopefully I can dig up all of these nerdalicious goodies that have disappeared.

I truly believe that a tiny idea sparked in JK Rowling's head has changed a generation. And it won't stop with us. Her writing is exquisite and captivating, a true piece of literature that will be classic and relevant years to come.  As this little poster says, Harry Potter is a gateway drug to hard literature. It teaches those who find no enjoyment in reading that it can be an adventure and a lifelong journey that will become a necessary addiction.

Now for a little joy that I found on the interwebs:

If a man proposed to me like this I would undoubtedly say yes. 

Seriously. Beyond awesome.  

(click through for 18 more!)

Fiction Is My Friend: Part II

Yep. It's essential.

In 6th grade Star Wars Episode I was about to be released and all of the boys in my class were talking about it. One knew that I liked to draw and asked if I would sketch a picture of Darth Maul for him. When I brought it back the next day a few of the other boys wanted drawings as well. I figured I better see what all the fuss was about so I convinced my family into taking me to see the movie. It was love. From then on I was a Star Wars fan. In high school Abby, Brittany and I made this little video mocking the "spectacular" acting in Episode III. No matter how cheesy the films may be there's something about them that just makes an excellent story.

I learned what that was years later in a Humanities class in college while we were studying the hero's journey and Greek literature. I aced an assignment by writing a comparison of Anakin Skywalker and Oedipus. It was awesome. Thanks to the great harddrive wipe of 2010 it's not on the lappy, but I have a printed copy of it somewhere that I should track down so I can share my thrilling work.