Polls: Entertainment & Arts

Met a fan of my writing at Day 1 of 2 of the Founding Fathers of Fiction Multi-Author Event today. He told me he read the prologue and the first part of Chapter 1, in my new book which includes a church service about the story of David and Goliath, and how we too must find our stones—our faith, our hope, our courage, our unity, and our love—and use them to overcome the giants in our lives. He said he isn’t even religious nor a churchgoer—yet it still resonated with him deeply. As an author of Christian-themed urban fantasy, that meant a lot to me. 🥹 He said he’s already excited for book 3 and he hasn’t even finished book 2 yet! 😅 I suppose this means I wrote a convincing pastor as my main character. So to answer this question, yes.

Not the surface description of east orthodox "joyful sorrow" of standing at the cross willingly. But detached from theology. We all have heard that pleasure and pain are two sides of the same human experience. It is my assumption that 100% everyone here took it the opposite way than mystics and poets ever intended.

Those who chase the laughter, get used to laughter, then eventually reach for pain to laugh at because jokes aren't a strong enough substrate anymore. Laughing is like catch and release fishing, find the target and then the laughter is coughing out all feelings. When offended or ashamed, an ordinary troll will find something to laugh at. Even his own pain. Just to restore the comfortable hollowness. Then there is psychosis where people can't stop laughing at what is sad.

If you strengthen your sorrow muscle, you chase that which requires empathy. You then grow your soul to accommodate all the sorrow. And soon you blur the lines between pleasure and pain. You step into the opposite territory and still use the same mourn muscle as a means of appreciating jokes. Instead of coughing everything out, you absorb and digest what's supposed to be funny.

Pain? Pleasure? Doesn't matter. Certainly fewer people get offended if you digest their jokes (don't laugh at what is funny) than if you spit on their wounds (laugh at the unfunny). And you certainly don't unconsciously project onto others your own shadow that you run away from if you embrace it with all the sorrow necessary. And as opposed to seeking a stronger stimulus just to feel alive, weaker and weaker stimuli work just as well to make you feel alive. Willingly enduring sorrow, emotionally, not physically or mentally, is a prerequisite to being able to feel joy.

They are old enough...

They are smart enough... arguably...

And gosh darn it, they sure are cutter than the others...

As red white and blue as apple pie and hamburgers... probably fueld by both for decades.

As wealthy as it takes... we all know that's important.

Will get a lot of votes... don't even have to promote, just put names on the forms.

Could be the new USA Royalty...

And who knows... a baby in the white house?

The Eurovision song contest is held every year and many countries compete. It originally included only countries in Europe but over the years other countries have participated: Australia and Israel, for example.

Now Canada has announced that it will participate in the contest in Vienna in 2027., making it 4 continents (3 outside Europe) that participate.

Is it time the name was changed from Eurovision to Worldvision?

When it comes to a trilogy, whether it's a movie or a book, which part is usually your favorite? The beginning, the middle, or the end? Or does it just depend on the overall story arc?

I just finished a book and it got me thinking about this. What do you think?

Spoilers

I mean the whole Cowgirl Jessie and Buzz Lightyear "relationship" is getting crazy.

Surely the last Toy Story should ship Woody and Jessica and Buzz and (female purple haired space ranger insert name).

Duh. And of course, all go home to adult Andy and Wife. Even with Prospector Stinky Pete.

You might see similarities among them all lol

One is when I was little, I played Halo 3 split screen with family friends. One was Ethan, he'd always destroy me in everything with understanding the maps and getting to the heavy stuff before I did. So he had a rocket launcher and I had an SMG which was basically useless.

He chased me, I placed a mine which as you can see, hilariously conspicuous, it beeps loudly, and only goes off when they step on it. Or punch it with a rocket launcher as he did as he smugly said "oh, what's this"? The mine doesn't kill the player, either, it just breaks their shields.

No shields= no protection, so I emerged and finished him off with the SMG and took his rocket launcher, I was laughing hysterically at him. He knew the map, but I knew him, he'd just have to show me who's boss and that I was a noob, and he wouldn't recognize his vulnerability until after I've already exploited it.

So he essentially shut off his own shields so he would only survive a few shots. It makes me laugh even harder, how mortified he must've felt for smacking an exploding bomb and then losing his rocket launcher to me.

He rage quit, as one does when the hierarchy flips so instantly in such a ridiculous and avoidable manner. I'd have said "thanks for the rocket launcher" if i wasn't laughing too hard to speak as he stomped off. What's a funny instant karma story you have? And did you enjoy my story?

Oliver Tree (1993 - 2026) may he R. I. P

He died in a helicopter crash from 4 days ago...

I have posted a song for him from like one or two years ago here on this site, it's called "cowboys don't cry".

Which song is your favorite one from his music list?

These are my favorite ones, you can pick one from my list down there or write down yours if it isn't found in my personal favorites...