I think I many be the last person on the planet to see this video…..but it is too cute not to share!
A Tweeting Pope?
Yes, a Tweeting Pope!
I’ve never understood the point of Twitter, and haven’t dipped my toe into the water with it. I simply can’t imagine anyone is interested in what I had for lunch, and I am too long-winded to express myself cogently within 140 characters.
Imagine my surprise to see that the new Pope is an active Tweeter. Whether you are Catholic or not, the ability of this man to boil complicated topics down into message of startling simplicity is awe-inspiring.
Here is a sampling:
• Don’t be afraid to ask God for forgiveness. He never tires of forgiving us. God is pure mercy.
• True charity requires courage: let us overcome the fear of getting our hands dirty so as to help those in need.
• The secret of Christian living is love. Only love fills the empty spaces caused by evil.
• Christ is always faithful. Let us pray to be always faithful to him.
You can find more at his Twitter feed here: https://twitter.com/Pontifex
Why is this Guy so Hot?
Why is this Guy so Hot?
He is Peter Dinklage, the actor who portrays Tyrion Lannister in the wildly popular Game of Thrones. He also stands only a little more than four feet tall, which makes him a highly unconventional hero who is making teenaged girls rapid heart palpitations all across the country.
The Game of Thrones is an epic fantasy in which several noble houses are battling for control of the Iron Throne, and Tyrion Lannister is the dwarf son of one of these noble houses. As a dwarf, he is not in contention for the throne, and is constantly underestimated.
The Game of Thrones is too gritty for me, and I haven’t been able to watch much of it, but the rest of my family is addicted. Whenever Tyrion Lannister is on the screen I am compelled to stop what I’m doing to watch. As someone who does her best to understand the appeal of romantic heroes, I have been trying to figure out the wild popularity of this character. The actor is not conventionally handsome, and in real life he would probably come up to my elbow. And yet….
Tyrion Lannister is an underdog, and yet he is not bitter. He uses his wit, intelligence, and basic human decency to overcome the odds that are stacked against him every hour of every day. In a brutal, turbulent world he is brave and heroic despite his physical limitations. He quietly runs rings around his enemies by outwitting them. His strength is in his mind, not his body. Tyrion Lannister simply has this amazing sense of valor and spirit that powers him through the calamities in his world. He is mesmerizing.
At this point in my writing career I don’t think I’m brave enough to create a hero with such a stark physical limitation, but he gives me lots of inspiration.
Bridget Jones: Say It Isn’t So!
Bridget Jones: Say it Isn’t So!
For those who want no clue about the third installment of the Bridget Jones diaries, click away from the screen now. Although I’m afraid there will be no hiding this spoiler. Helen Fielding has been very upfront about it, and this news is burning up the web in England as shocked and outraged fans voice their opinions.
Really…. this is a spoiler, so look away now if you don’t want a major, big-time spoiling.
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
Mark Darcy is going to die in the third book of the trilogy, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
You mean no more Colin Firth? How will I ever watch those two movies again with the same unabashed delight I’ve always had?
Helen Fielding said there was no way for her to write a third book if Mark was still in the picture. She writes that the bittersweet humor inherent in the books is rooted in Bridget’s obstacles and confusion as she moves through life. Here is a link with more info.
Grrrrrrr.
There is a reason I write romance novels, and a big one is that I can guarantee I will NEVER KILL OFF MY HERO. Never. Won’t do it. Carve it in stone, get it notarized, and take a photograph.
Helen Fielding is a very brave woman. Or a foolish one. Or both? Time will tell…..
You’ve Got to Love Mark Twain…..
Mark Twain on Pride & Prejudice:
“I haven’t any right to criticize books, and I don’t do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can’t conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.” Mark Twain.
For a list of other great quotes by Twain on writing and writers, see here.
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