Quote of the Day

I was just tagged in a Facebook note to write 25 random things about myself. (What did I just say? Our speech is so permeated by our technology!) The person who tagged me, our Stargate buddy Allison, had this to say about science fiction and fantasy. I found it worth repeating:

#23. I truly believe that good science fiction and fantasy, in literature, movies and television, can illuminate the struggles of the human condition by stripping away the mundane and banal and getting right to the heart of the matter. Topics that are clouded by prejudices or taboo can be unpacked in an unthreatening setting, allowing for deeper contemplation of root issues. And, it's just plain good escapism to rid the mind of the quotidian in order to process our daily lives.
[Allison McVay]

I love big words used properly. I had to look up a few of these, so here we go with the sharing of our beautiful language. Use it or lose it.

Etymology moment:

quotidian: found in the ordinary course of events; "a placid everyday scene"; "it was a routine day" (from Latin, quotidianus, daily).

banal: repeated too often; drearily commonplace and predictable; trite
(from French banal, adj. form of ban "decree, legal control;" originally designating things like ovens or mills that belonged to feudal serfs, or else compulsory military service; in either case generalized through "open to everyone" to "commonplace, ordinary," to "trite, petty."
[www.etymonline.com]

Thank you, Allison, for your insights, and for providing an etymology opportunity!