#A-TO-Z CHALLENGE – LETTER “L” – LAUGHTER

LAUGHTER

When I first planned out my theme, I had planned to write about a good blogging buddy, Cary McNeal, who helms, wrangles and writes LOTD (List of The Day). However, he is hard to quantify and he deserves more than just a quick post; a book would probably do him justice. Kind to a fault, and tirelessly combing the internet for oddities, marvels, random craziness and things that defy description, he would be better served with a longer post. Besides, I still owe him for lurking around his site for years, before I ever started to engage with the innerwebz, or blog myself. He thanked me for coming in from the cold, when I took that brave step.

My fellow minion on #teamDamyanti, Guilie Castillo Oriard, who writes and blogs at "Quiet Laughter" and puppy. Who doesn't laugh like this holding a puppy?

So, I looked to the wellspring and inspiration for my Theme: Humor and Humorists and landed on Laughter, and I found out some very interesting things about laughter and laughing. There are certainly physical cues and psychological ones as well, and some of the things that make people laugh are universal to everyone and every culture. But, what I found interesting is that there are schools of thought regarding laughter and what triggers it and if it is organized or unorganized. Geeze! I would never have thought it was that complicated, but then, I know from experience that laughing is good medicine. I have essential tremor, or familial tremor, and before I received Medicare and was able to find a good neurologist and get treatment, the only thing that relieved the tremendous pain associated with this condition would be a hearty laugh. Bring on Cary with LOTD and the folks at Cracked.com! I would laugh myself practically into the “Red Zone” of laughter (apoplexy and hernias – my term) and it would relieve the pain. Noel Coward was right.

For me, a post about laughing, must feature a cat. A laughing cat is even better!

But I did not know that laughter is also sequentially-organized and precisely placed relative to surrounding talk. This places it beyond the category of a mere response to humor and in the category of a tool of diplomacy, as it were. More than a simple external behavior caused by an “inner” state, it is highly communicative and helps to found relationships and accomplish actions. Who knew, when Kissinger was yucking it up with U Thant at the U. N.? Or when Boris Yeltsin was telling Little Ivan jokes to Bill Clinton? Da!

Boris: "How does every Russian joke start?" Bill: "Dunno, Boris." Boris: "By looking over your shoulder." Bill: "Ha ha!" Boris: "Is no joke! Is pravda! Just keeding!"

As mystifying as I found this to be, I also found out that animals laugh. Well, that's probably not a big secret. I think they're laughing at us humans all the time, but that's just a philosophy of mine. There have been studies done with primates, rats and dogs. All have some type of laughing behavior, but what I found most interesting, was the study done with the rats. The rats apparently have a type of “tickle skin” that they like to have rubbed, or tickled. When this was done with a rat subject, the rat would display a positive emotion, or would bond with the human “tickler”. Rats are pretty smart and they are sensitive emotionally; my aunt had one named Snoopy that rode around on her shoulder for years. It was to have been her sons', but the rat took to my aunt and stayed with her almost constantly.

The look on the kitten's face is priceless. I'm not sure if the cat even care that the dog is got practically his whole head in his mouth, but by the expression on the cat's face, something tells me this is not an unusual tableau at the breakfast table!

This is just scratching the surface regarding the role of Laughter in our lives and in the lives of the other creatures on this planet. Just as we have the ability to feel deep sorrow and loss, these are tempered by the wonderful gifts of laughter, joy and most importantly, love!

BOOK RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT AND RAFFLE-COPTER!!!

Title: Golden Dawn

Author: Aldrea Alien

Genre: Paranormal

Release date: April 18^th, 2014

From now until April 18th, I will be show-casing Aldrea Alien's newest release, Golden Dawn. This will include an raffle-copter (be sure and enter!) and well. . . I'll let her take it from here!

 Family and blood.

After 1100 years, these simple words mean everything to Herald. His life has been ruled by keeping his siblings safe, keeping them from becoming prey whilst feeding on the weaker. His failures have been many and measured by those he has lost. People like his twin brother.

There has always been an enemy to push back or defeat.

Just who the enemy is comes into question when Herald meets the dangerous, angelic creature he is to guard. Wondering where his true loyalties lie is a dangerous thought. No matter whether he chooses family over the heart, it will mean death.

Only the right choice will ensure the life taken is not his.

Buy Links:

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/411514

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/golden-dawn/id828141989

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/golden-dawn-aldrea-alien/1118739415

MuseitUpPublishing: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/coming-soon/april-2014/golden-dawn-detail

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/golden-dawn

Omnilit: https://www.omnilit.com/product-goldendawn-1429463-234.html

CoffeetimeRomance: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookStore/pubs_product_book_info/museitup-publishing-c-98/golden-dawn-p-11898

Andrea Alien

Author Bio:

Born and raised in New Zealand, Aldrea Alien lives on a small farm with her family, including a menagerie of animals. Since discovering a love of writing at the age of twelve, she hasn't found an ounce of peace from the characters plaguing her mind.

Website: http://www.aldreaalien.com

Blog: http://thardrandia.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aldrea-Alien/262519090516776

Twitter: https://twitter.com/@AldreaAlien

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7328363.Aldrea_Alien

a Rafflecopter giveaway!!