Fandom School: Lunch

Hello, dear readers! You've been to two classes already (if you haven't, check out the two posts before under the label "Fandom School"), so now it's time for lunch. Who will you sit with?

The Whovians

Say hello, to the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey table over there! The Whovians are a friendly, welcoming bunch, but we are a bit eccentric, and don't ever say that Doctor Who is weird or makes no sense. If you do, you might get soniced! (And in this case, that's not a good thing.) Our table is, of course, TARDIS blue. And did I mention, we've got comfy chairs? (Okay, maybe you have no need of comfy chairs, but please, come anyway.)

The Sherlockians
Say hello to the book-loving, mystery-solving Sherlockians! We might seem a bit aloof or even sociopathic (though we aren't - see here), but if you work hard and aren't an idiot, we'll be happy to have you. Especially if you're entertaining; we're dangerous when bored. Our table looks like the wallpaper at 221B Baker Street. Be warned, if you draw smiley faces on the table, we will shoot them.

The Potterheads

Witch or wizard, muggle or "mudblood" or squib, you're welcome to sit at our table. Here's an exciting feature you'll only find here: our plates magically refill themselves, just like at the great hall. As for our table, its appearance is constantly being changed by magic to suit the fancy of those who sit there. If you come to join us, be warned that magic may be used around you, and people might apparate in without warning. But it's lots of fun. Come join us!

The Star Wars Fans

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away... This table was created. Formed from a remnant of the exploded Death Star, it is where the Star Wars fans gather. Don't get on our nerves, or you might be challenged to a lightsaber duel. 

The Trekkies

Join us? That would be... highly illogical. But you're welcome to, anyway. We have lots of fun over here, and if you're lucky, you'll get to ride the Enterprise! Our table is the only non-circular table, and it's a replica of the Enterprise spaceship. 

The Frozen Fans

Watch out! Things can get a little cold here at this table made entirely out of ice. The talented Queen Elsa herself made it, and she visits here from time to time. Don't be surprized if someone asks "Do you wanna build a snow man?", but don't expect anyone to propose to you the day they meet you. We Frozen fans know how that turns out!

The Princess Bride Fans

Come join the group of friends who believe that, above all else, true love will prevail. Don't be surprised to hear "Farm boy, fetch me that pitcher." You should be very honored if you hear someone answer you with "as you wish", because what that really means is... Well, any fan can answer that one for you. This table has a picture of Buttercup and Westley kissing, because true love is amazing. And maybe one day, you won't mind the kissing so much. 

The Avengers Fans

You can only join us if you have a superpower or a cool suit. Well, actually, that's not true. You just have to like the Avengers. Take a picture of yourself with one of the Avengers who visit here from time to time, and that picture might be featured on the table. Pictures change every week. Come save the world with us!

The How to Train Your Dragon Fans

Come join us here and get the opportunity to raise your very own dragon! Hiccup and Toothless will teach you how. Also, get excited because they frequent this place. They love food! Watch out for the scorch marks on the table, though.

The Eragon Fans ¹
Kvetha, Fricai. Greetings, friend. Come join us. You may be wondering what separates us from the other fandoms. "Other fandoms have magic, dragons, elves, etc." That may be true. But do they have people like Eragon? Do they have dragons like Saphira? Do they have women as bold as Nasuada? I don't think so. You may like your fandom, but our characters are amazing. Our table is beautiful. It is made entirely of jewels, which store massive amounts of energy in case you need to cast a spell. So, come on. Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal. I am a rider and a friend.

The Hunger Games Fans

No, you don't have to kill each other to eat here. However, you do have the option to go off-campus to the nearby forest and hunt for your food. Buy a Fandom School bow and arrow set, and be entered into a raffle to hunt with Katniss Everdeen! Have a good lunch, and may the odds be ever in your favor.

The Divergent Fans
No matter what faction you're from, you can come eat with us. Even if you're factionless, you're still allowed. (If you're wondering if why we're so selfless, it's because the leaders are Abnegation.) You should be careful of starting an argument here, though: the Dauntless can be short tempered, and you don't want to mess with them!

Loki's Army

Don't trust anyone here. We're all, lying, cheating, thieving tricksters. [Just kidding, I mean no offense to any of Loki's Army. I wouldn't want to incur your wrath.] Come here for fun and entertainment, but beware: you might get Loki'd!

The Big Bang Theorists (Okay, so I guess that's not the official fan name, but it should be.) Come join us. The table is nothing exciting, it looks like the cafeteria tables in Big Bang, but you might see Sheldon and his friends here, so that's exciting. If you join us, you'll experience a unique phenomenon: every day at exactly 12:00PM, we stand on our chairs and sing the theme song together. It's loads of fun!

The Les Misérables Fans No, we're not all miserable. We actually have lots of fun. Be warned, though: you might not hear any speaking at all. We love to sing! (If you are reading this aloud, please sing the Les Misérables section.)

The Kung Fu Panda Fans Come join us and eat with Po! You can come at any time of day; Po is always hungry. Or, if you prefer, skip eating all together, and train with the Furious Five. It's hard work, but it's totally awesome!

So who will you sit with? I'm a Whovian all the way, but I'd be happy at any of these tables. Join us next week as we head back to class and learn about the emotions and feelings of being in a fandom.

^{1. Personally, I think Eragon fans should be called Shur'tugal or Riders, but there's no official fan name.↩}

Divergent: Being Different

A little while ago, I posted a review of the book Divergent, and said that I was looking forward to the movie. Well, after far too much waiting, I was finally able to go and see it. So, I figured another post about Divergent was in order.

No, this isn't a movie review. I'd like to talk about the different factions and what it means to be divergent. 

Abnegation

The selfless. They wear plain grey clothes and eat bland food. They look out for everyone and even feed the factionless. They avoid anything that gives the least suggestion of greed, and they would die to show their love. 

Erudite

The intelligent. They wear blue clothes and are constantly studying. They aim to learn as much as they possibly can. However, knowledge corrupts, and they seem to think they need to be in charge, not the Abnegation. 

Candor

The honest. They wear black and white to symbolize that there are only truths and lies, with nothing inbetween. They choose to tell the truth and do what they believe is right, no matter what the consequences are. Because of their honesty and trustworthiness, their jobs are in the judicial system. 

Dauntless

The brave. They wear black and jump off of moving trains. They are daring and are often called crazy, but they don't care. They are the soldiers, brave, strong, and confident. 

Amity

The peaceful. They wear red or yellow, and they are the friendliest of all the factions. They are the farmers, the nurses, the artists, taking on the simple, relaxing, but nevertheless important jobs. Similar to abnegation, they want to help others, but their ultimate goal is simply to he happy. 

Factionless

The outcasts. They don't belong anywhere. These are the people who failed initiation. Now they have to live at the bottom of society. 

Divergent

The different. They pretend to fit in with whatever faction they choose to join, but they don't belong in any one faction. Their test results were inconclusive. They are the outliers, and they can't be controlled. 

All the factions have their different values. They all have their own advantages, problems, and sources of corruption. But, as Four says, "We've all started to put down the virtues of the other factions in the process of bolstering our own. I don't want to do that. I want to be brave, and selfless, and smart, and kind, and honest." So what we really need is to be Divergent. We can't be afraid to be different. We have to be able to embrace many different sides of things. Honesty is nothing if you don't know the truth. Bravery is useless if you are selfish or stupid. Kindness is valuable, but without another virtue to complement it, it goes nowhere. We have to be willing to be different, and yet we have to work with each other in spite of our differences. If we can't agree about anything, we will never make any progress. We have to learn how to be part of all the factions. We must become Divergent. 

Original Sherlock Song on YouTube

Remember a little while ago when I posted an original Sherlock song? Well, I recorded myself singing it and made it into a slideshow. Here's the video on YouTube:

 

Book review- Divergent

If you follow me on Google+, you may have seen this funny stroke of luck. (And these posts came within a few hours of each other, too!)

And from that moment on, I read Divergent basically nonstop. I finished it in about 2 days (though part of that was because I stayed up late to read it. I just had to know what happened!) So, while I wait for the next one to be available (I'm only a hundred-something on the wait-list for that one), here's my book review for #reviewsdaytuesday.

Divergent

I'm sure many of you have read a story set in a dystopian society (for example, the Hunger Games). Veronica Roth does a particularly good job of writing one. 

The basic premise is that a long time ago, society was divided into 5 different factions: Abnegation, the selfless; Amity, the friendly; Candor, the truthful; Dauntless, the brave; and Erudite, the intelligent. People who don't fit into more than one group are called Divergent and are considered highly dangerous.

This book is really great at providing a story that is not only interesting and exciting, but also thought provoking. As we see that the factions have become corrupted over time (it is a dystopia, after all), the book makes you wonder if it's really wise to devote your life to one certain characteristic or quality. After reading this, I think we need to be a little bit of all the factions. We need to be Divergent. And maybe that's dangerous, but making a choice to be different like that is selfless, peaceful, honest, brave, and smart.

Knowledge Is Power

You've probably heard the saying, "knowledge is power". Well, that took on an entirely different meaning when I saw this:

And that freaked me out for a little bit. Also, anyone who's read (or seen) Divergent knows that knowledge isn't always a good thing. And again, that makes me worry. Is knowledge simply finding out the best way to exploit your enemies and manipulate people? After all, I do consider myself something of an intellectual. Should I stop learning because it can lead to bad things?

Fortunately, Loki isn't the only person who has something to say about this.

That's right, the Doctor likes learning, too. And unlike some people, he uses his extensive knowledge to save people. So maybe knowledge isn't so bad after all.

But then why is there such a difference? Shouldn't people all use knowledge for good?

They should, but they don't. This is because not everybody is perfect. We all mess up sometimes. And some people decide to use good things (like knowledge) for evil purposes (like taking over the world). But not everybody. Knowledge is power, and it should be used to help others and make the world a better place.

Knowledge is power. Use it wisely.

You Matter (Wholock fanfiction)- Chapter 1

I've decided to start posting my fanfictions directly to my blog (although I will still keep the page for my stories updated.) I will post each chapter here before posting it on fanfiction.net, so if you want the most up-to-date source, read my blog. And now, you get to read the first chapter of my latest story, a collection of Doctor Who characters comforting Sherlock characters and vice versa.

Chapters: 1 2 3

"I was wondering if you'd like coffee?"

"Black, two sugars please. I'll be upstairs." Sherlock Holmes walked out of the room and left poor Molly all alone. 

Another woman walked in. "He just doesn't get it, doesn't he?" Molly turned around, confused. 

"Sorry, what?"

"He doesn't know you love him. Or maybe he knows, but he just doesn't feel the same way."

"Am I really that obvious?" The second woman shook her head. 

"It takes one to know one." She sat down next to Molly. "My name's Martha, by the way. Martha Jones."

"I'm Molly Hooper."

"Nice to meet you, Molly." They shook hands. "Is this some sort of laboratory?" Molly nodded. 

"I'm a pathologist."

"I'm a doctor. I actually traveled with a man called the Doctor, too."

"Traveled? So you don't travel with him now?" Martha shook her head. 

"I was... hopelessly in love with him. But he would look at me like I wasn't even there. I mean, he liked me as a friend, but nothing more. And... it broke my heart. So I left." Martha thought for a moment. "You're really brave, you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"It takes a lot of courage to stay with someone you love when you know your feelings will probably always be unrequited. I know how painful it is. I bet that man doesn't know how much he owes you."

"Yeah, I suppose so." Molly smiled a little. 

"But I want you to know something, Molly." She stood up for emphasis. "It doesn't really matter what he thinks of you. It doesn't matter if he likes you or not. It doesn't matter what he thinks you're capable of. It just matters that you be yourself. Be the amazing person you are. After all, love or no love, he cares about you and esteems you enough that he asks you to help him. And I doubt he'd just take anybody. So just remember that whatever happens, you matter."

Fandoms are Family (Happy Mother's Day!)

I don't know how many of you (if any) reading this are mothers, but I feel like I would be remiss if I didn't say something about Mother's Day today. Today's post isn't just about mothers, it's really about families in general.

Earlier, I wrote a post about what a fandom is. In that post, I said that a fandom is a placed filled with "people who care about you" and "understand and accept your craziness". And since writing it, I realized, that's kind of what a family is too. A fandom is like your second family.

Just like a family, a fandom is a place where you can be yourself without fear of rejection. When you're crying over the loss of your favorite character, thousands of others are out there, feeling the same thing. And you can get together and console each other. Even when nothing interesting is happening (e.g., the show's on hiatus), the fandom will still be there. You can still support each other. Fandoms may be quite specific, but they get you through the tough times.

And a fandom is like a (huge) group of friends. You have your own inside jokes (i.e., fandom references), and you laugh at the tiniest things. To others, you might seem strange, but you don't care. You'll stick up for each other, and you're always ready to have fun.

Of course, a fandom isn't perfect. After all, just because somebody gets you through your struggles when things go wrong in a story doesn't mean they're going to help you when things go wrong in real life. That's where family comes in. I owe a lot to my family, especially my mom. That's why I'm writing this post ahead of time, so I can spend the morning¹ making her breakfast. And then I can spend the rest of the day thanking her for all the times she's been there for me, and all the books she's bought for me, all the movies she's taken me to see... the list goes on.

But the best bit about all of this is that you can have a family and a fandom! If a family is an ice cream sundae, a fandom is the cherry on the top. Because belonging to a fandom is sweet.

---

1 That's tomorrow morning for me. Today's morning for you. Wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey.^↩

The Villain's Guide to Frustrating Your Enemy

According to Madam Kovarian from Doctor Who, "Good men have too many rules." But the truth is, villains too have their own rules; they have their favorite ways to be evil.

1. Disguises (e.g., put on a disguise before you are known to be a villain so that later, people will go "No! He was right under our noses!")

2. Set up your rule in such a way that you even step over your own people. (This frustrates your enemies because then you are too unpredictable.)

3. Blow up a planet.

4. Devise some clever scheme so that it is very difficult for you to die.

5. Commit a crime that is incredibly obvious, then find a way to be declared innocent.

6. Pretend you've changed your ways until you've convinced everyone, then go back to being evil.

7. An extreme version of #1 - pretend you are the hero for most of the story, until a plot twist reveals that you are actually the bad guy.

8. Make people think you are defeated, then come back.

(I was going to put examples for each one, but too many contained spoilers, and I couldn't figure out how to code the html to hide spoilers until you click on them. If anyone knows how to do that, please let me know.)

The One-Word Test

Hello. No, I'm not going to write a one-word blog post. (I've already disproved that by writing these two sentences.) This is about the one-word test from the Doctor Who episode The Snowmen. Clara wants the Doctor's help. But instead of finding the Doctor, she finds his friends, Vastra and Jenny. Vastra asks her to pass the "one-word test", answering every question with only one word. This is because lies are usually longer than the truth. Finally, Vastra asks Clara to send a one-word message to the Doctor, telling him all that's going on and why he should help. Her answer? Pond.

It's really surprising that Clara manages to sum up everything in one word, and it does have the desired effect of getting the Doctor's help. So, I've decided to try it myself. Now, obviously I can't do it exactly the same way, since I'm testing myself. So, I'm going to attempt to describe the fandoms I know well in one word each. I'm not going to give an explanation for why I chose each word, because that would be going against the principle of the idea. That being said, feel free to comment and ask if any of my choices confuse you. Here we go!

Doctor Who: Adventure

Harry Potter: Friendship

The Hunger Games: Sacrifice

Les Misérables: Hope

The Lord of the Rings: Perseverance

The Princess Bride: Love

Sherlock: Eccentricity

Star Trek: Exploration

Star Wars: Freedom


And now, one word to sum up all fandoms: Captivating

If You Could Be Your Favorite Character

Hello, dear readers. Today, I've got a question to ask you: if you could trade places with any fictional character, who would it be?

Okay, so you've probably heard that question or one like it before. Am I just being unoriginal?

As Sherlock (pictured above) often says, "Boring!" There's more to my question than that. Reread it and see if you can figure it out.

Have you figured it out yet? Pay attention to the words "trade places with". If you could trade places with any fictional character, who would it be? Yes, that means that they would be where you are. So if you were reading this post and thought, "Moriarty is awesome! I'd totally want to be him!", you might want to rethink your answer. While you become London's new consulting criminal and Sherlock's archenemy, the real Moriarty is running around in your neighborhood wreaking havoc.

Okay, so maybe not a villain. But what about a hero? Hm, let's think through that. Let's say you want to be the Doctor. You find yourself in the TARDIS with your favorite companion of the Doctor's. You have to figure out to fly it (at this point, you hope River is there to teach you); meanwhile, he has no TARDIS. Some sort of disaster happens (e.g., the Daleks return, as they have a habit of doing), and you have to be the Doctor. Can you save the universe? Maybe, but don't you wish the Doctor had that role again instead of being stuck wherever you are, probably far away from the action and missing his valuable assets.

Or consider Lord of the Rings. Frodo is about to throw the ring of power into Mount Doom, and... suddenly, it's you. You don't have a ring to throw. Sauron remains in power. Meanwhile, poor Frodo is hopelessly lost and probably getting far too much publicity/abuse. Maybe he gets sent to a research center so scientists can do experiments on him. I don't know how humanity as a whole would react if a hobbit showed up. But you can bet things wouldn't go well on Earth or Middle Earth.

But what about a good character who isn't in the middle of some essential task? Let's say you trade places with Harry Potter after Voldemort is defeated. For the sake of fun, let's say you can also do magic like Harry as part of the trade. So you get to use magic, meet Harry's friends, etc. That's pretty great. But what about Harry? What happens to him? He's stuck in a world where nobody else can do magic, and all his friends are gone. That's probably not going to be a great experience for him.

Now it's time to weigh the odds. Will you decide that all that risk is worth it to trade places with the fictional character you've always wanted to be? Or will you decide to keep being yourself? I say, let those characters go on being awesome because your life is great enough as it is.

Fandom School (2nd period): Ships

For those of you new to a fandom, you might be confused when someone says "I totally ship them!" or talks about their OTP. What is shipping, you ask? That's what this class is all about.

I know, right?

What is shipping?

Shipping is when a member of a fandom romantically pairs two or more characters. To see my pairings, also called "ships", check out this post. Sometimes people will even come up with a name for their ship. For example, some people ship John and Sherlock. They call this "Johnlock". 

Why do people ship?

Often, when people fall in love with the characters, they begin romantically pairing them in their head (come on, we've all done it). Then, they feel the need to share their pairing with the rest of the world. This is shipping. As for why people pair the characters in the first place, it may be because one or more of the characters in question is lonely, or simply because the fan sees two characters and just thinks they would be good together. 

What is an OTP?

OTP stands for "One True Pairing", and it refers to a fan's favorite ship. OTPs are usually reserved for serious fangirls and fanboys. 

More on shipping later when this class resumes. Next week's topic: lunch. Come again to see what the cafeteria at Fandom School looks like and go sit with your favorite fandom. (Remember, please leave suggestions for classes you'd like to attend at Fandom School, and I will take them into consideration.) See you all later!

Book Review- Rise of the Time Lords: A Geek's Guide to Christianity

Hello, dear readers! Sorry this post is late. I normally write my posts ahead of time and schedule them, but I got a bit behind. Without further ado, here is today's book review for #reviewsdaytuesday.

Rise of the Time Lords: A Geek's Guide to Christianity

Are you a geek? A science-fiction lover? A Christian? A person who wants to learn about Christianity?
If you answered "yes" to one or more of those questions, this book might be for you. In this book, Michael Belote uses fandom references (e.g., Star Wars, Doctor Who) and general geeky things (e.g., the formation of a star, quantum physics) to explain Christianity. This will allow you to see the bible and religion in a way you never have before.

Some people say, "I don't get all this Christianity stuff. It's too strange." You might think the Trinity is boring and confusing, but when it's explained through Flatland and a Pringles can, suddenly, it seems a bit more interesting. Reading this book really made Christianity come alive for me, and besides, it's fun! You get to learn about cool geeky concepts and Christianity!

This is a must read for any Christian geek. If you read it, you will quickly find it is worth your while. It gives you a good working knowledge of God and the Bible, but not so much that it makes your head explode. It explains things in a way that makes sense to us and provides a fresh new perspective from all the theology books that give you facts and explanations, but none of the fun stuff we geeks adore.

So what are you waiting for? It's time to go read the book! Allons-y!

The Book Was Better Than the Movie

We've all said it. Far too many times, you read a great book, then go to see it in the theater - and it's awful. Even if the movie is good, the book is (in most cases) better. But why is that? That is precisely the question I am trying to answer. Let's look at a few possible reasons:

1. There are some things books can do, but movies can't.
For example, only in a book can a familiar character say something without you knowing who it is. The author can keep you guessing for suspense. In a movie, you'd recognize the character instantly by his/her voice. Also, in a book, you can tell what the characters are thinking and feeling. You can be directly told be the author what's going on in the characters' minds. In a movie, you have to convey that with actions and words. And sometimes, those fail. (In Les Misérables, they used singing to convey feeling and thoughts better, which actually worked quite well.)

2. Sometimes movies are trying to meet/not exceed a time limit.
Often movies have great scenes taken out, or horrible scenes added in, simply because the writers/producers are trying to make their movie a certain length. It can be annoying, or it can be so bad that it ruins the entire movie.

3. Movies often have extra love scenes added in.
This particular one drives me crazy. I hate it when there's some extra, stupid, mushy love scene that wasn't in the book, just because the writer felt like it. An example of this is in the second Hobbit movie. (By the way, the movie may be a prequel to the Lord of the Rings movies, but the book came before the Lord of the Rings books. Just FYI.) I'm sorry, but a love triangle between two elves and a dwarf? I don't ship it.

4. The book is interpreted differently than you wanted it to be.
Anyone who has ever had an intelligent discussion about a book knows that there's more than one way to read it. In fact, there are so many different was to interpret any given book that the chance that the script writer understands the book the same way the author does is practically none. In many cases, this isn't a problem (unless you're the author and think the writers/producers/actors didn't do your book justice). But every once in a while, there comes a movie that is horribly different from the book and is a positively ghastly adaptation.

5. Scenes/characters in the movie look different than you pictured.
How many times have you gone into the movie theater and thought "That's not how he/she's supposed to look!" or "That's not how that scene goes!"

It should be noted that in some cases, the movie is actually as good as or better than the book, but for the most part, the book is better.

What about you? Why do you think the book is often better than the movie? What are your favorite examples?

May the 4th Be With You!

Hello, Star Wars fans, and May the 4th be with you! For those of you who don't know, today is Star Wars Day. So, it's time for another Star Wars post!

So, I sat at my computer for a few minutes facing writer's block until I came up with the idea for what to write on this post. I'm going to talk about the Force. It is May the 4th, after all.

What is the Force?
Not know what the Force is, do you? Read carefully and understand, you must. Do or do not. There is no try.
The Force is a mysterious power that moves all things, unifies all things, defines all things, does all things. It's "an energy field created by all living things". Some people believe it is sentient, classifying it as a god. You can do all sorts of useful things with the Force.

What can you do with the Force?
1. Enhance natural, physical, and mental abilities - e.g., doing a "Force jump" to slow what would otherwise be a dangerous fall. This also includes enhanced speed and reflexes.
2. Increase accuracy - How did Luke blow up the Death Star? Yes, he used torpedos, but that's not the answer I'm looking for. How did he get them into such a small space? I mean, that'd have to be a really lucky shot. "Use the Force, Luke." And there's your answer.
3. Telekinesis/levitation - I play French Horn, and I can't even count the number of times I've joked with my friends that I wished I could use the Force to carry my instrument. I'd say telekinesis is the coolest thing you can do with the Force.
4. Telepathy - Okay, actually telepathy might be cooler. Communicating with your mind is just awesome! Too bad it doesn't exist in real life.
5. Hypnosis - "These are not the droids you are looking for."

Yeah, I know, two photos in one post is a lot, but I couldn't resist.

6. Enhance empathy
7. See the future
8. Become a Force Ghost (also called a Force Spirit) - Both Yoda and Obi-wan Kenobi learned this difficult skill to become a ghost through the power of the Force and thus live forever, so they could keep teaching their pupils.
9. Do better in a lightsaber combat
10. Force choke/Force lighting (dark side only) - These are both ways of killing people and thus are limited to the dark side of the Force.

The light side vs the dark side
The light side = good, and the dark side = bad. We all know that. But let's be a little more specific.

The light side
Used by jedis, this is the good side of the Force. It is for peaceful purposes only. The light side of the force is typically associated with kindness, compassion, selflessness, and other good qualities.

The dark side
This is the side used by siths, who are typically just jedis gone bad. This is the evil side of the Force. As might be expected, it is the exact opposite of the light side. It is often associated with anger, fear, lust, jealousy, and hate. You must beware of crossing over to the dark side, as it will corrupt you completely. There are many ways/reasons to go to the dark side. Yoda says that "The fear of loss is a path to the dark side." People who use it claim that the dark side is stronger, insisting that the light side is far too weak and thus they must join the dark side.

Okay, clearly I should have made a slideshow. Oh, well.

A disturbance in the Force

Sometimes, people (most notably, Obi-wan Kenobi) sense a disturbance in the Force. This occurs when there is widespread suffering or death, or when a jedi or sith is near.

How to use the Force

Okay, that's all great. But how do you use the Force? Well, sadly, you probably can't. Even if you existed in the Star Wars universe, you'd have to be born Force-sensitive to be able to use the Force. But that doesn't mean you can't pretend. In the world of roleplaying and fanfiction, anything is possible.

I'm not promoting Volkswagen, I just like this commercial.

How Much Of A Whovian Are You?

Hello, fellow Whovians! Here is a test I made to see how dedicated you are to Doctor Who. Unlike most tests, it tests your dedication, not your knowledge. This is my result (yes, I knew the answers, but it's not a knowledge test, and I was honest).

You are 93% Whovian!

93%

Total Whovian! You are the biggest Doctor Who fan ever! You watch the show obsessively, and you probably annoy your friends with all the references you make. But don't worry, Whovians are cool. (Just like bow ties and fezzes.)

How Much of a Whovian Are You?

What Is a Fandom?

Hello, dear readers. I was originally going to make this part of another Fandom School post, but the more I thought about it, the more I decided it needed its own post. So here is a mini-class to tell you what a fandom is. (And thanks to Ben O for suggesting the idea.)

According to the dictionary, a fandom is "fans collectively, as of a motion-picture star or a professional game or sport." So in our case, it's a collection of the people who like a certain movie, book, etc. For example, "I write fanfiction for many fandoms, including Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Star Wars." (This is true, by the way. To see a list of my fanfiction stories, check out my profile at fanfiction.net under the username "dolphinz.amazon", or click here to see the page on my blog about it.)

But a fandom is so much more than that. A fandom is a place filled with people who care about you, who get all your fandom references, who enjoy all your fan creations, who understand and accept your craziness, and above all, love the show/movie/book as much as you do. A fandom is a place where a bunch of fangirls, fanboys, and outright crazy people (come on, admit it: we're all a little crazy, especially during hiatus. Sherlock fans, you know what I mean.) get together and have fun.

So, what goes on in a fandom? Here's a basic list:

1. Discussion - any good fandom discusses characters, plot holes, etc.
2. Fan Creations - this includes art, gifs, fanfiction, and fan videos
3. Complaining - mourning the death of characters and/or (depending on the fandom) cursing Moffat
4. Arguing - over which characters are better, which episodes are better, etc.
5. Shipping - romantically pairing different characters with each other
6. Jokes and References - lots and lots of these. For example, "I wanted to become an alien and explore the universe, but then I realized I had to buy a fez first." (That was a Doctor Who reference, for those of you who missed it.)
7. Fun - fandoms are lots and lots of fun!

So, I hope that clears up any confusion about what a fandom is. If you haven't already, I highly recommend joining a fandom.

Ooh, just for fun, let's see how many fandom references I can make!

1. I'm in a fandom now. Fandoms are cool.
2. If convenient, join a fandom. If inconvenient, join anyway.
3. May the fandom be with you.
4. You're a fanboy, Harry!
5. A fangirl never exaggerates, nor does she underestimate. She uses precisely the amount of emphasis she means to.
6. One does not simply join a fandom.
7. A famous actor: *hears screaming* Fangirls. I bet my life on it.
8. I tried to write a good post, but it was just a great big ball of wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey... stuff.
9. *knock knock knock* Moffat! *knock knock knock* Moffat! I know you're in there. Stop killing off my favorite characters!
10. *knock knock knock knock* Sorry, but I don't think you'll be reading this post for much longer. Your song is ending.
11. The fangirl doesn't choose the fandom, the fandom chooses the fangirl.
12. *sings* Do you wanna join a fandom? Just turn on the TV. *later* I never see you anymore, come out the door. You love the fandom more than me!
13. Joining a fandom is highly illogical.
14. Oh, you like that character? Live long and... oh, never mind. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. (Wow, two in one!)

Fourteen (or fifteen, depending on how you count it). Not bad! That's all I've got so far. Anyway, have a great day/night/whatever time it is where you are. Bye!

Original Sherlock Song!

Hello, dear readers. I just finished writing an original Sherlock song. I thought I'd share it with you. To see a full list of my songs (the rest are parodies), click here.

I tried to embed the song in here, but it wasn't working, so here is the link. Enjoy!

Creso, mellonamin. Ha' chenmoH Hol ghoj (Welcome, my friend. Learn made up languages.)

In case you were wondering, the first sentence is Elvish and the second is Klingon. This is an introduction to fictional languages. For each one, I'll translate the blog's title "Vortex of Deduction". Sadly, most fictional languages don't have the words "vortex" or "deduction", so an approximate translation must be used. Also note that for runes and other picture-based languages, no meaning is provided as the letters themselves are translated and not the words.

Ancient Language

Fandom: Eragon series (Christopher Paolini)

Description: the oldest language, from which all the other languages of A developed. Used for casting spells or just talking normally.

Who uses it: elves or anyone casting a spell (except if they are talented enough to cast a spell silently)

Translation: ristvak'hugin

Meaning: place of thought/knowledge

Dwarvish 

Fandom: Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Description: the language of the dwarves of Middle Earth

Who uses it: dwarves

Translation: skilagat 

Meaning: place of learn

Elvish 

Fandom: Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien) 

Description: the language of the elves of Middle Earth. Sometimes used for casting spells. 

Who uses it: elves, wizards

Translation: sintamen' 

Meaning: place of knowledge

Feanorian Letters

Fandom: Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Description: runes used by the elves of Middle Earth. Also used to write spells

Who uses it: elves, wizards

Translation:

Gallifreyan

Fandom: Doctor Who

Description: the language of the Time Lords, an ancient race of time-traveling aliens. This is the only language the TARDIS does not translate.

Who uses it: Time Lords

Translation:

Huttese

Fandom: Star Wars

Description: the language of the hutts

Who uses it: the Hutts, an alien species (e.g., Jabba the Hutt)

Translation: Tinka pa 

Meaning: think place

Hobbit Runes
Fandom: Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)
Description: runes used by the hobbits
Who uses it: hobbits
Translation:

Klingon
Fandom: Star Trek
Description: language of the Klingons, an alien species
Who uses it: Klingons
Translation: daq sov
Meaning: place of knowledge

Lord of the Rings Runes

Fandom: Lord of the Rings (J.R.R. Tolkien)

Description: generic runes in Lord of the Rings

Who uses it: anyone in Middle Earth

Translation:

Parseltongue

Fandom: Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling)

Description: the language of snakes. Only a few people can speak this.

Who uses it: parselmouths (people who can speak it), who are usually evil witches/wizards who go to Slytherin (Harry being the notable exception)

Translation: I can't seem to embed the audio here, but if you go to http://www.theparselmouth.com/ and type in "vortex of deduction" to be translated, you can hear what it sounds like.

Because this is totally awesome, I have also made this a page, which you can visit here.

What Is The Difference Between a Villain and a Hero?

Earlier, I wrote a post about why we love villains (see here). In it, I said that the greatest enemy we face is ourselves. That got me thinking: what makes a villain different from a hero, anyway?

This is my own picture. Yay! (Although I obviously didn't make the photos themselves, I just put them together.)

Heroes
According to the dictionary, a hero is "a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities", "the principal male character in a story, film, etc.", or (in Classical Mythology) "a being of extraordinary strength and courage, often the offspring of a mortal and a god, who is celebrated for his exploits". That's a pretty great standard to live up to, but many characters do it admirably. Note that I said "characters", not "men" or "guys". By no means do I intend to discredit women. There are lots of awesome female protagonists (see my blog post about it here), and they are called heroines. So, heroes and heroines are amazing characters who are important to the story.

Villains
To get the full story on what a villain is (and why we love them), check out my blog post here. The short of it is this: a villain is "a wicked or malevolent person" or "(in a novel, play, film, etc.) the main evil character and antagonist to the hero". These guys (or girls, if you're talking about a villainess) are pure evil, and they don't care. A villain is basically the opposite of a hero: a hero is the important good character (i.e., the protagonist), and a villain is the important bad character (i.e., the antagonist).

So what's the difference?
Honestly, they're eerily similar. Yeah, that's pretty scary, especially for those of us who want to be just like the heroes. So then what is the difference? We want the hero to do well, and we want the villain to lose. We get angry when Sherlock is thwarted by one of Moriarty's schemes, and we laugh in delight when Wile E. Coyote gets blown up and the roadrunner gets away again. Also, the hero is usually more trustworthy. This isn't a rule, though. Sometimes you see a daring plot twist where the hero is revealed to be the villain. Or, in the case of Jekyll and Hyde, we knew all along that the hero and the villain were one and the same.

The biggest difference
We've all heard that with great power comes great responsibility. This is true in the real world and the fictional world. Typically, both the hero and the villain have a lot of power. The real test of who's who is what they do with this power. Do they play with it, hurting innocent people, or do they use it to save others, often endangering themselves in the process? In the words of a great song from Chameleon Circuit (Exterminate, Regenerate),

"We both carry the fire that has the power to end life

But what I do with that flame is what separates our types"

So, heroes and villains really aren't that different after all. But the difference is an important one, as it saves or ends lives. "Is that character a hero or a villain?" That answer changes the whole course of the story, and affects the character's entire life and portrayal, and changes what the reader/audience thinks of him/her.

Fandom School Class (1st period): Canon

Hello, dear readers! I noticed that my post "Fandom School" was quite popular, and one person commented "Do it!" Now, I can't actually set up a virtual fandom school (I don't know how), although there are lots of multifandom communities you can join on Google+ (I'm sure there are lots of multifandom Facebook and tumblr groups, too, but I wouldn't know). So, up first (i.e., our first period class) is Canon.

First of all, what is canon?

In general, canon refers to things that are understood to be true according to sources that are accepted. (It also refers to a musical round, but that's not relevant here.) To be a little more specific, there are two types of canon. 

The canon of the church

The church has a few written works that it accepts as canon. This includes the bible, catechisms, and other select works as defined by the denomination. For example, I belong to the Christian Reformed Church (a Protestant denomination of Christianity), which follows the Heidelberg Catechism, the Belgic Confession, and the Canons of Dordt. 

The canon of fandoms

This is the type of canon with which you, my readers, are probably most familiar with. This is determined by what happens in the TV show/movie/book and all related spin-offs (except for fanfiction, which may or may not be canon). It tells what happened and is true, and what didn't and should be ignored. Many people like to ignore the canon in favor of their own ships, fanfiction, etc. 

But more on that next class. I'll see you next week, with our 2nd period class: ships. (Please leave suggestions for classes you'd like to see at fandom school. Thanks!)