Category: videos

Japanese Game Shows

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You know, I’ve wanted to post this video for awhile now but haven’t been able to find a segway between writing and the madness that is the show. Finally, this morning, I’ve decided to stop trying to force something that just isn’t there and post it.

The Husband and I watch Japanese game shows a lot. On second thought “a lot” doesn’t quite describe our addiction. We watch them every single day. Whether it’s on our phones while waiting in the doctor’s office or while we’re stuck in traffic, a hysterical laugh is only a youtube visit away.

It started with MXC on Spike late nights. We’d settle down after a long day by laughing our asses off at fools riding bikes in water and running into brick walls. We’d make fun of their rayon outfits and crazy feathered hats. We’d point at the screen and secretly want to be given our shot at running through the insane course. (My hat would be all kinds of hideous purple and feathers and sequins and it’d be AWESOME.) Then came Wipeout. We were so excited at the possibility of watching a program modeled after MXC…but were sorely disappointed. I’m not sure why it doesn’t measure up–perhaps it has something to do with the fact that on Japanese game shows we have no idea what the announcers are actually saying. In our minds they’re laughing at the contestants, not with them. Wipeout is just too…too…calm. The announcers are in suits half the time for crying out loud! I think our favoritism also might have something to do with the screaming and gut-wrenching laughter that comes from the Japanese Game Show crowd. The audience is having the time of their lives! Why can’t I be there laughing and screaming with them?!? What a party!

Then we found the following video. I hardly use OMG but O-M-G! It is so funny and just keeps getting funnier all the way through. If you’re looking for a laugh, seriously, this is the way to go. Who volunteers for this? Whose job is it to come up with a stunt like this? And who is the crowd rooting for? Who are you rooting for? What on earth are they screaming? Go, go, get that marshmallow?!?

Have a look. I hope it cheers up your Monday. All Mondays could stand to be a little more cheerful in my opinion. And what better way to do that than with a marshmallow dangling on a string?

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Tik Tok

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Oh, you would not believe what I discovered on the world wide web this morning…

Further proof that with enough time and an immense amount of boredom, even Star Trek can be amusing.

Want an update on my progress? I’m still editing Dark Tide Rising for The Wild Rose Press and Enemy, Beloved is out of my hands, hopefully making editors salivate for more in New York. I completed my Author’s Bio a couple days ago, turned that in, and am now inserting my voice into a rather dry synopsis. That’s the challenge, isn’t it? Making your voice come through in a 4-5 page summary. Not as easy as it would seem.

On Monday I’ll give some tips on how to write an Author’s Bio or at least tell you what I did. I researched a ton of different sources trying to find the best way to make myself “marketable”. I’ll put all those together and condense them for you. I think I’m gonna let the Trekkies Tik Tok me into another writing session. Have a great Fourth of July weekend! Be safe out there!

So You Think You Can Dance Rocks!

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I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it before but I’m a HUGE fan of So You Think You Can Dance. Maybe it’s the seven years of ballet under my belt…or the sixteen years of baton twirling…or the seven years of cheerleading…oh, I’m sure it’s the fact that I could never in my wildest dreams come close to their level of perfection. I’d like to think it’s because I appreciate beauty in all its forms with writing and literature being no exception. Whichever the reason, the show is awesome.

Last night the show took a flawless ballet dancer and paired him against a “pro” hip-hopper. The performance gave me chills, had me laughing out loud, clapping with the beat, and had me on my feet at the end before I knew what I was doing. The routine was awesome, perfectly played up to the male ballerina’s strengths.

I knew I was going to like it from the start. The premise is a ballerina who’s in therapy to fix his ways and get more funky. Right up my alley as my bachelors degree is in Psychology…LOVED IT.

In order to get a true appreciation for how good Alex Wong is in his own right, you should watch this video first. It looks like he’s at some sort of solo competition and is, once again, flawless.

Wasn’t that worth rooting for? Oh yeah. I’m shifting from Team Billy B. to Team Alex Rock.

If guys were like girls

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This here is the reason women *love* to read about hunky, testosterone-raging, overly protective, Alpha males. Next time you think your man did something that drives you crazy think about the frightening alternative…

I don’t know who these guys are, or why they made this video, but it’s a riot!

Show not tell

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Tonight’s post was inspired by the many types of relationships in the world–no two alike. And also by the fact that I can sit upright after taking Robitussin. *grin

Over the span of my twenty-nine years I’ve heard some couples say they’ve never fought…not once. I used to think they were blowing smoke. There’s no way two people could live together for fifty years and not fight. No way. Then there are those couples that are at each other’s throats non-stop. You know who I’m talking about–they’re the ones you secretly like to hang out with just to see what’s gonna happen next. Those relationships are wild roller-coaster rides that the partners seem to enjoy.

I personally don’t get either of those.

The hero and heroine in my WIP have a fiery dynamic. She’s studious and determined not to let someone boss her around. He’s a smart-ass and likes to live life to the fullest. Together they light a fire that keeps the pages sizzling.

Tonight I got to thinking about my own marriage and the dynamic we share. And I found the perfect scene from a movie that’ll show not tell. Six hilarious minutes will depict it more perfect than any words could. It’s from New York, I Love You (2009). This is totally gonna be me and The Husband when we’re 80 years old. Should be loads of fun! I’m laughing my arse off already! No matter how tempted you are to stop the video short, get to the end…it’s worth it.

Beauty on the Subway

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On January 12th, 2007, in the middle of a Washington D.C. Metro Station, a violinist opened his case on the ground, threw a couple dollars in, and started to play. For forty-five rush-hour minutes, he played six classical pieces.

Thousands of people passed him by. Only a handful actually stopped to listen and fewer than that paid for his “symphony”. Had they known who he was and what was going on, they might’ve given more attention. Have a look and listen…

He was not a mere street-musician looking to cash in on some well-played music notes. Joshua Bell was participating in a Washington Post study to see what reaction people would have to true beauty in an unexpected form.

Joshua Bell was the featured violinist on the Angels and Demons Soundtrack as well as the The Red Violin Concerto. A few days prior to this, he sold out a theatre in Boston’s Symphony Hall where tickets started at $100 a piece.

To rub salt in the wounds of the passersby, the violin he played on was reportedly worth 3.5 million dollars.

I think this has a message for everyone who’s ever said to their child, “Stop splashing in the tub, it makes a mess!” or “We don’t have time to stop for ice cream.” or “No, you can’t go smell those flowers.” Beauty and love are all around…in many different forms. If we don’t have the time to stop and listen to beautiful music played by a famous violinist, what else are we missing in the world? Seriously, how much time would it take out of your day to sit and listen to a man play his heart out in a subway?

An even more telling question would be…when you first watched the video on my blog, did you skim through it? Did you watch it part-way then stop? Did you watch it at all or did you first need to know how good he was before you gave him a few minutes of your time?

Hmmm…I’d be interested to know.

Check out his website for album and tour dates.

Love and…um..Understanding?

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I was talking with a friend yesterday (Holla back, Lora!) when I remembered something really funny happened to me last week that I forgot to mention.

I was getting ready to leave the gym after sweating off five pounds on the EFX machine (not really five pounds but I wish).

A HUGE black man, topping the scales at probably three-hundred pounds, standing well over six-foot-six, blocked my path. My first thought was that this man was MASSIVE. I sure wouldn’t want to meet up with him in a back alley. Tattoos wrapped around both arms, disappearing behind his sagging black tank top. His dark hair was buzzed short, matching the stubble grazing his face. Mean-sucker.

He asked in a rumble of a voice, “Would you mind helping me with something?”

Uh…me? Help him? I almost blurted, “If you want a spot, Dude, you might wanna ask someone more in your weight class.” But I didn’t. Instead, I just nodded like a moron.

He leaned close before asking, “Do you know who sings this song?”

Okay, spotting him for a five-hundred-pound squat, I couldn’t do. But I’m not too shabby with calling music as I hear it. So I agreed, pulled my headphones out of my ears, stepped into the weight room and listened.

I heard a deep voice echo through the gym:

“We got enough stars to light the sky at night, Enough sun to make the whole world bright, We got more than enough, But there’s one thing there’s just not enough of.”

Know the song yet? Or the singer? The singer I guessed right away…CHER. Can’t mistake her voice.

I told him who it was and started to walk away. The muscle-bound man stopped me with an outstretched hand and said with a goofy-grin, “Do you happen to know the name of the song?”

Are you kidding me? Am I starring on Punk’d? Is this buff weight-lifter really asking me the name of a Cher song to add to his compilation? Alright…at this point I’m already helping the guy and wondering where this is headed. I swore if Ashton came running out of the locker room laughing his ass off, I was chucking a dumbbell at his perfect, Demi-loving face. She wouldn’t love him so much when I was through with him…

I listened some more:

“Not enough love and understanding, We could use some love to ease these troubled times, Not enough love and understanding, Why, oh why?”

Being the Cher fan I am, I told him the song was titled “Love and Understanding”. That’s when I waited for the punchline.

He grinned ear to sweaty ear and said, “Thank you so much.” Then he left, walked back to the bench press, where he no doubt chest-pressed a bull.

I laughed all the way to my truck. Now this situation isn’t all that different from creating humorous scenes in stories. If you make the reader think something is going to happen (IE: the big-scary-dude asks me to spot him or pushes me into a corner), it’s frightening but expected. Yet, if you have that same big-scary-dude act all interested in a Cher song it sparks a laugh.

Try it. Think of a character in a story you’re writing. Make them do something out of character and totally unexpected. Although you can’t use the technique all the time, it’ll sure spruce up the scene! After all, it uplifted my day!

Just to put you in the moment, I’ve posted Cher’s video. Watch it and imagine the biggest-scariest-meanest-bastard you’ve ever seen taking an awkward interest in it. Heh-heh. Still makes me laugh.

Silent Sunday?

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I had every intention to blog about my favorite superbowl commercials yesterday. But our superbowl party went longer into the night than I thought thanks to an intense game of Settlers of Catan after the game. (Saints won, I lost.)

So here I am, blogging a “Silent Sunday” on a very loud, very obnoxious Monday. Man, I hate excuses. Without any more of them, I give you my favorite Superbowl commerical of all time followed by my favorite ones of this year.