Dear Kitten

I know that these videos are ads and they're so popular that you may have already seen them, but they are fun. I've missed a few, so in case you have, too, here are a couple of my favorites:

 

Enjoy your day!

For Fans of Comedy Everywhere

John Green gives us 35 Facts about Comedy in one of his Mental Floss episodes (I think these Mental Floss lists are ideal for the list makers among us. You know who you are).

Proof That Movies and Books Aren't Always Logical

I'm not sure if this video will make you smile or creep you out. BuzzFeed reenacts things that happen in Disney movies, the kinds of things that would make people back away slowly if you did them in real life.

A Modern Day Fairy Tale

...with a technologically informed hero. Fun!

It's a Sesame Street Kind of Day

I don't get many opportunities to see Sesame Street anymore, but the show will always be a favorite of mine. So I was thrilled when Mashable posted this new video, pairing Oscar the Grouch with the popular Grumpy Cat. Oscar is as fun and funny and grouchy as ever, and Grumpy Cat is...grumpy. Watch what happens when the two get together.

Of course, once I had seen a bit of Oscar, I wanted more Sesame Street, so here's an old favorite, Ernie singing "I Don't Want to Live on the Moon." It takes me back.

Write It Like Jack and the Beanstalk

Remember how Jack was totally wowed by those beans and everyone thought he was crazy and naive? Sometimes writing is a bit like that. When I first started writing I tended to refrain from telling normal people (i.e., people who don't aspire to make a living dreaming things up and writing them down) that I was even interested in being a writer because I was sure that people would think I was naive and tilting at windmills. Also--big item here--I wasn't sure I could really succeed. But my dreams were like Jack's when he heard about those beans. He wanted to believe and so did I.

 

Source

Dreaming, it turns out, naive as it my make a writer appear, is actually a great impetus to becoming a writer. If there's no leap of faith, you'll never do it, because let's face it, there are big, muscle-bound and scary giants trying to keep you from achieving your goal. Some of those are real. The marketplace can still be a bit like a carnival game, something that looks easy but isn't. Then there's all the information one needs to learn about "how to publish." There's also the huge amount of practice it takes to learn how to create something that other people actually want to read (and yes, I know that anyone can publish these days, but the number of people who write interesting stories isn't nearly as large as the number of people throwing their work out there).

Even worse are the roadblocks a writer can throw in her own path: fear, a stubborn refusal to edit her "baby" when it needs editing, ignorance of the marketplace (something that is easily curable but isn't always cured when writers try to take shortcuts) and fear (this one merits a second mention, maybe even a third or fourth because nothing else keeps an author from writing and publishing like fear).

So, like Jack, sometimes you just have to take a blind leap of faith. You have to believe. You have to keep going. You have to get rid of the obstacles and do the work that is required in order to make success a possibility. You might even (maybe) consider not telling 10,000 people that you want to be a writer, because like announcing that you're going on a diet, announcing your plans to write a book creates pressure. Lots of pressure, and writing already has more than enough built in pressure. Why shovel on more? (Unless, of course, you're the type of person who responds well to that kind of pressure. Then by all means, shovel away).

In the end, the most important thing to remember is that if you don't close your mind to doubt, take the beans, plant them and make the climb, you'll never get to the top. I guarantee that.

"Brain Divided" (A Cute Animated Dating Story)

I love animation, and this animated short by Josiah Haworth, Joon Shik Song and Joon Soo Song brought a smile to my face. See what happens when the left and right parts of a man's brain do battle as he attempts a first date. This video is from the Ringling College of Art and Design. 

How To Tell Your Mother That You and Your Wife are Having a Baby

YouTuber Sean decided to get a bit creative in letting his mother in on the "we're having a baby" secret. Mom caught on quickly, though.

Days of the Week (animated)

It's been awhile since I posted any animation. This short video titled Good Morning by student Wen Chieh Lee of the Vancouver Film School is cute.

What Happens After Graduation?

A humorous look at what life will be like for new graduates.

On a more serious note, as mentioned here before, I think almost everyone goes through an adjustment period when they first go out on their own, but for most of us, that passes quickly. I've always loved being an adult and have never been one of those people who felt that my happiness lay in some past moment. Good luck to all of the young graduates out there. I hope that life is good to you!

Henri Must Have a Cat Double!

It's the Sad Cat Diary. Love it!

Yes, It's Totally Silly, But...

Adam Patch and his wife were enjoying a bottle of wine, after which she decided to tell a joke. Seizing the moment, he recorded her and then created a video to go with the audio. (Frankly, I'm so bad at telling jokes that I wouldn't need any wine to end up with something like this).

"Two Chips" / An Animated Short from Adam Patch on Vimeo.

If Your Friends Were Dogs and Cats...

Things might go something like this.

A Little Moment of Fun to Brighten Your Day

It's a dreary day in Chicago with rain and flooded roads. I think I need a little silliness to jolt me out of the overcast-day blues and get the smile working again.

It's a Sign...

I was shopping online today and ran across one of those signs with the cute sayings written on it. Intrigued, I clicked through to the store and found all kinds of other fun signs:

I've seen this in a number of places lately.(All the black and white signs like this one are from Primitives by Kathy. Click on her Amazon store to see these and many more).

And this last one is just because I write romance and I love happy ending stories most of the time (although not all of the time)...

There were so many more there. I barely scratched the surface. So, if you have some time, cruise on over and have a laugh or two (or shed a happy tear or two. There are some very poignant ones, too). Read. Shop (or just read). Enjoy!

The Frustrations of Performing the Twelve Days of Christmas

This poor little boy at RCCM Daycare's Christmas performance can't get his fellow performers to stay on track. (This is from 2006)



via Daily Picks and Flicks

Adults Act Out Kids Giving Driving Instructions

The Kid Snippets series (from Bored Shorts on YouTube) has adults acting out what kids are saying. Here, a drivers ed lesson is taking place. (My understanding is that they give the kids a topic and let them proceed on their own. The results are often unpredictable).

Your Emergency Compliment for the Day

If things aren't going so well and you're feeling down, try the emergency compliment site.

It's All in a Dog's Day...

We've seen these videos before (dogs being made to look as if they're human), but this is cute, so...why not?

If You Think You Have Problems...

Wait until you watch First World Problems, a parody. Too much fun!