Anti-Rant

[kerravonsen]

Well, I've noticed this 'rant' meme going around, and while it's been entertaining, I don't want to participate myself, because (a) it is too hot and (b) I just got encouraged by my doctors today, and I don't want to squander my positive energy on something as negative as a rant.

So I propose a 'yay!' meme. Write something in the comments that you want me to enthuse about, and I shall do so.
Then go thou and do so likewise.

(oh, is that thunder I hear? It might be cooling down. Yay!)

Comments

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

All right then, I want a yay for Vila. Yeah, I know, you could've guessed that, but there are very few around and I'd be interested in what you say.

[kerravonsen]

(grin) Vila it is.

Where would we be without Vila? He is the everyman, the normal soul, not one of the "clever" or driven people. Mind you, that actually fits Gan better, now that I think about it. But this is about Vila.

Sometimes, yes, Vila is the comic relief. But he isn't just the comic relief. And part of that comic-reliefness is because he does it deliberately to defuse the tension. That makes him a peacemaker in a way. He provides balance in the mix -- the Liberator isn't full of passionate deadly-serious Rebels (though I've read PGP fanfic that was -- save us from teh boredom!) and Vila is one of those non-Rebels.

He is, of course, very talented in his "field", which is a source of pride for him -- probably the majority of his self-esteem rests on his expertise with security systems. Yes, there's a bit of cognitive dissonance in admiring a thief, but one resolves it by saying, well, he's robbing the Bad Guys.

He's amazing in the way that his hard life doesn't seem to have hardened him -- and maybe some would say "yeah, but he's a coward!" but I wonder, if in a way that's him being true to himself -- in that he had two choices in the way he coped with his hard life: one would be to become hard and nasty himself, to hurt others; and the other would be to keep his head down and seek protectors, who could be tough on his behalf.

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! That's lovely and very well-reasoned too. :-) The last point is an interesting one because I've always admired Vila's non-stereotypical softness as a criminal, and that's a very likely explanation.

[kerravonsen]

You're very welcome. That last point occurred to me as I was writing it, but it makes sense. There seems to be two major reactions to brutality: one is being brutal in return, and the other is swearing that one will never be brutal to others.

(grins at icon)

[vilakins.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think he did that, no question (one of the many reasons I love him), but you provide a very good explanation for how he did it and survived.

Thanks! I had fun making it and may do some as cartoons for my site sometime.

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Hmm... Cute fuzzy animals. Any kind you like. :)

[kerravonsen]

My bed is covered with cute fuzzy animals. Actually, they're all on the floor at the moment, but same diff.

Oh, you mean real cute fuzzy animals.

Well, cats. Of course cats. It is impossible for there to be an ugly cat (Persian cats don't count). All cats are beautiful. And kittens are cute. Very cute. With their big eyes and their pathetic little meows, and the way they pounce on anything that moves and pat it with their patty-paw but don't quite know what to do with it. And their so soft fur. Prrrrrr.

Gotta mention baby chicks. So soft and fluffy, with their eep-eep and running around all lost and confused. Don't you just go "Awww" at baby chicks?

And calves. All wobbly on those thin tall legs, lowing for their mothers, and sucking on your fingers when you try to train them to drink from a bucket of milk. So alive.

And even puppies have appeal. How can one not smile at a creature who is so obviously glad to see you? And their clumsy enthusiasm for everything, does that not make one look at the world with fresh eyes?

[astrogirl2.livejournal.com]

Aww! That made me feel... strangely good. :)

[kerravonsen]

LOL!

[daiseechain.livejournal.com]

Books.

[kerravonsen]

Books. The cornerstone of civilization. They inform, they entertain, they amuse, they enlighten. And you can take them anywhere. On the bus, in the train, in the air or at sea; or just lying in bed at home. They don't need electricity or powerpoints or transformers or batteries; they don't break down, though they might break to pieces after many years hard use. While they might not like being dropped in water, you can still read them again with care. You can't say that about TVs. You never have to rewind/fast-forward a book to find your place. A book was never cancelled due to rain. A book doesn't get ill or die (though some have been burned...). You can stop a book whenever you want. You can even peek at the ending (though that's not reccommended).

With a book, there's no such thing as cheap special effects -- the only limit is your imagination. Which is possibly why all the most innovative SF has been in books. With books, you can fly to the stars, march with Rome's legions or visit places that never were.

With books, you can learn everything from programming to basket-making (Yes, I did learn basket-making from a book; coil baskets). You can explore all the intellectual accomplishments of humanity. Well, almost all.

Books can even help you do your taxes. 8-)

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Thunderstorms.

[kerravonsen]

I actually love thunderstorms -- when one isn't out in them. Feeling all snug inside while the rain drums on the roof, and the thunder rumbles, and the lightening is so exciting! Thunderstorms make you feel alive. Even more so if it's after a hot spell where the heat seems to evaporate all one's energy (as well as all the water). Suddenly the temperature is sane again, and the water blesses the parched ground. But thunderstorms are more than just rain, they are thunder and lightening; the divine drum and celestial spear; power and beauty and danger. Not at all dull.

And think -- if it weren't for thunderstorms, Ben Franklin wouldn't have discovered electricity. And we wouldn't be having this conversation.

[mistraltoes.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I love thunderstorms; it's good to hear something positive said about them for a change.