Interesting quote...

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes. - Marcel Proust

Another happy day...

Because it's lilithlotr's birthday....

EVERYBODY DOES A HAPPY DANCE!

Have a wonderful day, and a year full of exciting travels, good photos, and wonderful adventures.

The theme of Death...

I was just listening to a special on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in which Philippa Boyens said "Professor Tolkien said that the theme of this book was death." When did he say that? I'm not disputing it, but I don't recall having read or heard that. How... surprising.

The fannish five...

From today's posting of the Fannish Five:

1. What scene always makes you cry?

In The Lord of the Rings: the scene where Aragorn and the Gondorians kneel to the Hobbits. (I could equally say the death of Boromir.)
In Smallville: the scene where baby Clark touches young Lex's face in the truck.
In Firefly: The scene in "Out of Gas" where Inara tells Mal he doesn't have to die alone and he says, "We all die alone."

2. What scene always makes you laugh?

In The Lord of the Rings: "There's enough for all of us, and may the best Dwarf win."
In Smallville: the flying tractor in "Perry".
In Firefly: How to choose only one? Impossible. Far too many good lines and good moments. I love Wash with the dinosaurs. And how about Mal's line to Jayne: "My days of taking you seriously are coming to a middle." But maybe the best of all is the recruitment of Jayne in the first place.

3. What scene always makes you cringe?

In The Lord of the Rings: Any time we see the steps of Cirith Ungol, especially when we see Minas Morgul far below. (Shudder.)
In Smallville: The scene where Lionel is talking to Lex and stroking his face when he's tied down in Asylum.
In Firefly: The scenes where Niska is torturing Mal and Wash in "War Stories". I don't like torture scenes. I like these better than any other torture scenes ever filmed, but I still cringe.

4. What scene always confuses you?

I can't offhand think of any scenes in either fandom that confuses me, excactly: I'm good at rationalizing just about anything, or making up an explanation that satisfies me. I can think of a few that make me wonder, though. In The Lord of the Rings, I wonder why Legolas is such a supporter of Aragorn from the moment we first see him - "This is no mere ranger" - and how they came to know each other. In Smallville, I wonder why Martha Kent isn't working for Lionel Luthor any more.

In Firefly: The scene we'll never know about in which some madmen with clout decided to axe this brilliant show.

5. What scene always makes you want to kill the writers?

Nothing makes me want to kill the writers. Writers, though sometimes misguided, are all wonderful people. And I am a proponent of ahimsa, absolute non-violence.

This doesn't mean there aren't scenes that make me want to scream.

In The Lord of the Rings: The line that Arwen's life is tied to the Ring. What on earth does that mean and where did it come from?

In Smallville: Any scene in which Lana Lang denies being a princess, or talks about her dead parents, or scolds Clark for keeping secrets from her, or expresses self-pity to someone whose personal situation is worse than hers. And equally, any scene in which Clark Kent is professing undying love for her.

In Firefly: A different order of problem, but I could really do without the line at the brothel in "Heart of Gold" where Mal implies he's totally straight. I have to rationalize that one.