Sliding Scale Of Idealism Versus Cynicism
It should be noted that some people contend that an overly negative worldview is actually just as unrealistic as an overly positive one. For what it’s worth, some serious research on the matter indicates that pessimism is more likely to be accurate, and optimism is more likely to be healthy; in other words, pessimists are probably right, but optimists will probably live longer.
- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism
Should probably pick one of these too.
Edit: Wait, look:
“Earn your happy ending”
Some series don’t stick to one spot on the Sliding Scale Of Idealism Versus Cynicism; rather, they end up somewhere in the middle by drawing from both extremes of the scale. Humans may act like bastards and the world may seem like it’s half empty, but that doesn’t mean that that the worst villain is beyond redemption, or that things can’t be improved with hard work or even The Power Of Love. The forces of Good may have to go through Hell, but in the end they will Earn Their Happy Ending. May overlap with a Bittersweet Ending. (By its Golden Mean sort of nature, this is a rather Subjective Trope.)
- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EarnYourHappyEnding
High- and Low-Fantasy
From wikipedia:
Low fantasy is an umbrella term, describing various works within different sub-genres of fantasy, to contrast specific works with high fantasy. Though a vague term, some features that may indicate low fantasy are: downplaying of epic or dramatic aspects, de-emphasising magic, real-world settings, realism, cynical storytelling and dark fantasy. An archetypal example of low fantasy might take place in a quasi-historical setting where the protagonists lack a clear moral initiative, are haunted by dark pasts or character flaws and where conventional fantasy elements (such as magic, elves, or dwarves) are lacking or absent.
There are many arguments about what constitutes the line between Low and High fantasy, but invariably in High Fantasy there is a moral dichotomy of altruistic good and irredeemable evil, and in low fantasy there are many shades of gray, where the “main character” is often an anti-hero.
The Lord of the Rings is seen as the quintessential high fantasy tale that all others either emulate or studiously avoid, and so elves and dwarves and a commonality of magic are seen as the hallmarks of High Fantasy, but in truth it is the stark black and white separation of good and evil that locks it into the “High Fantasy” realm.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_fantasy
Hmm. I certainly like reading both – High for escapism and Low for philosophy but maybe I need to pick one to write in rather than trying to straddle both?
Lawliet – name of the moment
Lawliet (‘L’ from Death Note)
Pronnounced: LOW-light
“Means determind, stoic.”
- http://www.behindthename.com/submit/view.php?name=lawliet
Not sure if the writer of that definition is making it up, but having scoured hundreds of google pages I can’t find any other definitions of the name. Could have just been invented for the Manga.
I have seen the LOW-light pronunciation around a bit, but not sure of the source of that, either. Interview maybe?
Edit: Oh, here we go:
The Death Note names also suffer from the creator romanizing them himself. This means that ‘aw’ is pronounced like a long ‘o’ and ‘ie’ is pronounced like the letter ‘i’ – with no exceptions. Which makes L’s name pronounced like “Lowlight.”
- http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ForeignSoundingGibberish
*sigh*
I miss L.
Charles Kettering
My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.
The opportunities of man are limited only by his imagination. But so few have imagination that there are ten thousand fiddlers to one composer.
- Charles Kettering
Dreaming of the Dead
“What studies actually say is that I’ll begin to “accept” my mother’s death more quickly than I would have in the case of a sudden loss—possibly because I experienced what researchers call “anticipatory grief” while she was still alive. In the meantime, it sucks as much as any other death. You still feel like you’re pacing in the chilly dark outside a house with lit-up windows, wishing you could go inside. You feel clueless about the rules of shelter and solace in this new environment you’ve been exiled to.“
From “Dreaming of the Dead” (Same author as the hamlet one)
http://www.slate.com/id/2211257/entry/2213007/
There is also an interesting discussion on finding a metaphor for your dead loved one. The author of the article feels her mother very strongly in the wind. I have friends who are connected to their loved ones through the sea. Most people will recognise the idea immediately and say – oh yes – that’s the moment I heard the ocean/trees in the wind and realised they were still with me.
Jess was in the rain for me.
Aleatoricism
Aleatoricism is the creation of art by chance, exploiting the principle of randomness. The word derives from the Latin word alea, the rolling of dice. It should not be confused with improvisation.
Eg: Dice Man, Music with built in choices, all Movie decisions made by flipping coins etc, An example of aleatory writing is the automatic writing of the French Surrealists involving dreams, et cetera
see wikipedia for more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleatory
Some more good names. Maybe not for kids….if I’m not cruel
- Beowulf (Can you imagine: Beowulf Hunter Offman = Wolf Hunter Offman!)
- Sirius! (continues the star theme)
MANY more cringe-worthy hippie sci fi names I love after the jump:
truism
Nice word.
My preferred usage:
anti-truism.
Never accept the status quo because it is the status quo!
Born with lonliness
“Yeah, sorry…” The werewolf sighed again, “I think sometimes…like people…some are born with magic…and some aren’t…maybe…some people are born with loneliness, you know? Like…some people are just destined to be alone, that it’s in their blood and it’s in the heads and it’s in their souls and hearts…maybe…those people exist…”
From fanfic “Hurt” by xXDark.Lord.MeloniousXx
http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4478075/1/
‘I know dead people’
From “Why the Grieving should read Hamlet”
http://www.slate.com/id/2211257/entry/2211820/
At times I simply feel she’s just on a long trip—and am jolted to realize it’s one she’s not coming back from. I’m reminded of an untitled poem I love by Franz Wright, a contemporary American poet, which has new meaning. It reads, in full:
I basked in you;
I loved you, helplessly, with a boundless tongue-tied love.
And death doesn’t prevent me from loving you.
Besides,
in my opinion you aren’t dead.
(I know dead people, and you are not dead.)Sometimes I recite this to myself as I walk around.
