NeoOpsis wins Aurora

The magazine I review for, NeoOpsis won an Aurora for "Best Work in English, Other" earlier this week. The Auroras are for best Canadian SF.

NeoOpsis editors and publishers Karl Johanson and Stephanie Johanson.
Photo by Nina Munteanu

Other award results and photos from the Aurora Awards ceremony are here

Tigana Artwork

A quick doodle

Age 9, October, 2007

Kasia Artwork

Right:

Title: "My Mom, Dad and me, fixing my sister's leg"
Original 8.5X11

October, 2007
Age: 3yrs. 11 months.

 

 

 

Below: Three other fall art projects:

What?

Tim Horton's donuts shop located in new Wellness Centre at University of Lethbridge.

 

 

 

I have to walk through the new Wellness Center at the University of Lethbridge each day to reach my office, while construction of the new Education tower is itself completed -- we currently only have access through the rear door while they finish the front entrance and atrium.

So my question is this: Who puts a Tim Horton's outlet in a Wellness Center? We just spent x millions of dollars to build a facility with the province's biggest climbing wall, an indoor track, weight rooms, gyms, and a ton of exercise equipment, and then put a donut shop next to the exit so people using the facility can grab a few calories on the way out?

What am I missing here?

Camelot

An amusing uTube video forwarded by John Herbert:

Camelot

But it and the millions of other videos like it raise an important pedagogical point: In her fabulous paper, "Conflicting Cultures: Promoting Academic Integrity to the Millennial Generation" Selinda A. Berg (University of Western Ontario) makes the telling point that the millennial generation is surrounded by examples (like the above) of the creative mashup -- people take images and sounds from various other peoples' original works, and creates something new. Although these mashups clearly violate the originators copyright, they are considered (by the millennial generation) as original compositions. So then these same kids come to campus and are told that their original compositions -- consisting of paragraphs put together from 15 different articles and books -- is plagiarism and they're going to face this or that draconian punishment. Berg asks how academia can simply ignore that these students are not entering university blank slates ready for the professoriate to write on, but fully acculturated adults -- whose culture says that mashups are the norm and admirable?

Matthew Hughes and the Archonate

Having recently hosted a virtual book tour here, I thought I'd participate in another book promotion, this time by one of my favorite Canadian SF authors, Matthew Hughes.

Hughes first SF book (I'm still looking for a copy of his first ever book, Downshift, which was a mystery) was Fools Errant. I picked it up out of my self-imposed duty to read every Canadian Sf ever written, but immedately fell in love with his writing. Fools Errant is a highly entertaining novel of the far future when the sun is slowly diming and the humanity has largely been everywhere and tried everything and those left on Earth are suffering a kind of drole enui. In this, the first of the novels set in the Archonate, we follow the adventures of one Filidor Vesh, a rather fopish young gentlemen press ganged into an adventure that in spite of his initiall shallowness, causes Vesh to rise to the occasion and well, turn out to be a decent enough fellow after all. The adventures were continued to good effect in the sequel, Fool Me Twice

Practically every reviewer on Earth has compared Hughes to author Jack Vance, and his Archonate series to Vances "Dying Earth". Well, okay, I do kind of get that; it does fit. But the comparison that first came to my mind was not Vance, but H.H.Munro, better known by his pen name, Saki. Any one of Munro's macabre Edwardian protangonists would have found themselves very much at home in the Archonate. Think of Saki's continuing characters, Clovis Sangrail or Reginald, and you pretty much have everything by Matthew Hughes.

Let me give you a quick for instance. In this opening scene from Fools Errant Filidor is trying to slip out the back door of his club to avoid receiving a summons:

"I believe you to be Filidor Vesh," said the dwarf.

"You are entitled to your beliefs, however ill-founded," Filidor replied. "No doubt you will wish to search further for this Vesh, rather than impose your presence upon a man called hence by urgent affairs."

The dwarf transferred his grip from Filidor's mantle to his arm. His gaze swept quickly over the young man's features. "This belief is supported by the evidence, since you answer to a point the description furnished me."

"You are plainly the dupe of some prankster, who abuses the dignity of your years by sending you on a fool's errand," said Filidor. "Were I you, I would seek out the rascal and thrash him."

Who talks like this? (Besides Saki's sly young protagonists, Clovis and Reginald, I mean?) But wouldn't it be a much more interesting world if people did?

Both books are highly recommended, and were subsequently issued in the omnibus volume, Gullible's Travels
Next, I subscribed to Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, for the sole purpose of reading Hughes Guth Bandar novellettes. in which monk-like order of scholars explores the collective unconscious of humanity in its physical manifestation as "The Commons". Journeying through the Commons is both dangerous for our protangonist, and hilarious for the reader, as we encounter archtypes with which the reader is more familiar than our hero -- he wanders into the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs at one point, for example, but in the adult-what-our-subsconscious-really-meant-by-it-all kind of way. Very good stuff! (The complete Guth Bandar saga in novel form, The commons is forthcoming from Robert J. Sawyer books later this month!).

Hughes next novel, Black Brillion, was a bit of a cross over, with some of the ideas from the Commons entering the world of the Archonate, but it worked pretty well. Here we meet for the first time in book form, Luff Imbry is your basic master criminal/con man, pressed into serving the forces of the law, at least temporarily.

Hughes other series concerns his master detective, Henghis Hapthorn. A number of Henghis Hapthorn stories first appeared in Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, and were subsequently collected as "The Gist Hunter & Other Stories", It too is set within the Archonate, but with the difference that magic is intruding into their world, disrupting the rationale causation that is the basis of Henghis' investigations. Think Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes set in Vance's Dying Earth, and you pretty much get the idea. But Hughes solves the eternal problem of how to have someone to explain the mystery to (i.e., his Watson character) through the unique approach that Henghis has a split personality with whom he argues his cases. The first novel, Majestrum concerns a plot against one of Earth's leading families; the second, Spirial Labyrinth, follows Henghis into a world dominated by magic. Both books are again, highly recommended, and are independent of the other series.

All in all, a Canadian author well worth checking out!

Here is a link to Hughes' website, the Archonate.com and a link to an audio of a CBC interview which captures his personality pretty accurately, from what I've seen from him online.

Fire Hall #1

I've always wanted to see inside a fire station, but got my first chance to do so this morning, accompanying Kasia's preschool class to Fire Hall #1. It was pretty interesting!

Kasia's preschool class at Fire Station #1

Paramedic demonstrates Oxygen mask on Kasia

"Hey, get down from there!"
Well, not really. They gave each of the kids a chance to sit in the driver's seat. Kasia is obviously enjoying herself!

I found the whole expedition highly enjoyable, and watching the kids climbing over the equipment, kept thinking of the Robert Munch story where a couple of kids insert themselves into a fire station. Guess that would make a good choice for tonight's bed time reading.
Cover of Robert Munsch book, "Fire Station".

Criminal Minds Episode

Watched Criminal Minds episode last night. Mary called me to watch because the promos had mentioned that the episode was about a science fiction author. In the event it was an okay if slightly predictable program, but the part that Mary and I couldn't help reacting to was when they were dealing with a couple of university professors.

In one scene a professor of post-modern literature takes the FBI agents back to her office, and as soon as the office came on screen, Mary and I collapsed into helpless laughter. Not only was her office HUGE (five time regulation size for a prof, at least twice the size of the office of our University President) but it was palatially and tastefully furnished. Obviously, none of the writers nor set designers has ever been to university, because they have obviously never seen a prof's office. Real profs offices are tiny spaces piled high with books, ungraded student papers, and empty coffee mugs. None of my colleagues have expensive art on their walls; they have their diplomas, a couple of conference posters, and a collection of Dilbert (or substitute appropriate subject-specific alternative) cartoons plastered on a bulletin board.

At the end of the scene, the prof calls her personal assistant to pull some files for her -- I nearly choked on my drink at that line because the last round of budget cuts left us with a half secretary shared between all 45 faculty members, and we're the faculty the other faculties all complain is "bloated with support staff". Mary did choke on her drink, laughing at the thought of anyone having "files", but that may be just her. (Though who has paper files any more? You'd just bring it up on the computer.)

In another scene, they stop a second prof in her car, and Mary shouts out, laughing, "Hey, it's a Lexus!." I'm 55, at the top of my game, and last year bought my first new car ever, and it was a Honda Fit. To be fair, my mentor drove a Lexus, but he admitted that he'd made the money to buy it in land speculations, not off his salary -- and that was in the good old days, the lost golden age when government's still considered universities as a good investment....

He has an axe

Great TV commercial (forwarded from Karl Johansono):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5uxs4wQAhI

Tigana on Front Page

Photo by David Rossiter

In addition to this photo on the front cover of the Lethbridge Herald, Tigana was also interviewed on CTV news yesterday on the space camp she is attending. Since she had her picture in the paper just last week, and this is now the fourth time she has had her photo in the paper, she is slightly insufferable.

So where was space camp when we were kids, that's what I want to know...

Mary Featured in Lethbridge Herald

Photo by David Rossiter

Mary was the feature interview on the cover of the Careers Section of the Lethbridge Herald today... The headline was "Are You a Workaholic"; story was by Dave Mabell. It's currently on-line full text at the Herald site, if you care to read it, and if it is still up when you read this post.

Mary was reasonably pleased with how it turned out, felt the reporter was professional and competent. One is always a little nervous how the press is going to report something one is involved in, but this came out more or less intact. (Mary felt the punchline was missing -- that the last line of the story quoting Tigana missed that 'this was a bad thing'. But close enough.)

Benoit Book Launch Successful

Following her successful virtual book tour (including a stop here, see below) M. D. Benoit held her official live book launch of Synergy in Ottawa June 19th, and sends this report:

"My book launch went smashingly well. I sold tons of books, and, most important of all, people came! My knees were shaking so much when I did my reading I could barely stand afterwards but apparently only those who know me really well knew I was nervous. The combination art gallery (venue), music (artist playing music about one of the themes of my book) and reading pleased people no end -- and so did the munchies and wine, I gather. Most people stayed an extra half hour and we had to kick some out because the gallery owner wanted to close.

I can go back to my cave for a while, now."

(I apologize for being behind in posting this and other entries, but I've been on the road most of June -- more on that shortly, I hope.)

Tigana Art

Kasia, our 3.5 year old, is crazy for My Little Pony. Her mother has therefore redone her bedroom with an My Little Pony wall paper border and stick ons. Tigana, not to be out done, contributed this portrait of a pony on Kasia's blackboard.

videos

Some excellent video recommendations from Keith Fenske via Randy Reichardt

Gervais (originator of "The Office")
fund raiser satire.

A brilliant short called Spin

a short skit on Medieval "Helpdesk

And a couple that I found for my Ed 4391 Course on cyberculture:


What if you could see 10 seconds into the future

Cell phone problems and more more problems and yet more problems and finally, crime deterrent

The Relative Merits of Saving the World

I spent most of last night fighting off alien invaders. I am pleased to say that I was successful in defending Earth.

But I must admit a certain disappointment upon waking to discover that my wife and children were not in awe of my feats of daring-do in protecting our city. I may have gone so far as to mention to my wife that I deserved some special consideration this morning for saving Earth.

Her response: "I dreamt that I had to take both Tigana and Kasia to the dentist."

Me: "Okay, you win."