I feel like my head is going to explode.
And it isn't that I've been doing so much. It just feels like a lot, putting together my itinerary, shopping for my trip, finishing up the Fall Spinetingler edits, trying desperately to catch up on the email before I'm away for 9 days...
Being Wednesday, my Killer Year post is up. I must admit, two lines from one song, kept running through my head:
The days like a slow train trickle by
And even the words that I write refuse to fly
Have you ever felt this way? I'm functioning on so little sleep, I'm actually looking forward to getting on a plane so I can go 8 hours without interruptions.
Crazy, isn't it?
Oh, and there's a bit of a warning at the end of my Killer Year post, one my regulars might want to take note of. I don't want you to be too shocked if you drop by tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Get Real
The people making tv commercials are ruining my life. Seriously. We’ve all seen them. Buy this fantastic Swiffer housecleaning product and you too will want to dance around the house dusting your heart out.
In fact, you’ll even dance and dust through the mansion your friend owns, until she tells you to stop cleaning.
Yeah, right. Like that would happen. If I had a friend over here dancing and dusting, I’d grab a book, sit down and make myself comfortable. Who wouldn’t?
Every time Kevin sees these commercials, he asks if buying me that product will produce the same results. And I have to say that after 7 years of marriage, he’s daft enough to think that? Please.
We were in the kitchen one evening, making dinner, and Buttons came in. She started chewing on something on the floor. Kevin said, “What’s she eating.”
I foolishly said, “I don’t know. It could be anything.”
I hate doing housework.**
Now, can we say duh? What was this guy smoking?
And I stole this from Bonnie’s blog, because it’s priceless. Thanks Bonnie!
ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN COURT DOCKET 12659 --- CASE OF THE PREGNANT LADY.
A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her.
She immediately moved to another seat.
This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the
driver and he had the man arrested.
The case came up in court.
The judge asked the man (about 20 years old) what he had to say for himself.
The man replied, "Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I
couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat down under a sign that said, 'The Double Mint Twins are Comin' and I grinned."
"Then she moved and sat under a sign that said, 'Logan's Liniment will reduce the
swelling', and I had to smile."
"Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, 'William's Big Stick Did the Trick', and I could hardly contain myself."
"BUT, your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, 'Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this Accident'...I just lost it."
"CASE DISMISSED!!"
** The rest of this post has been preempted while the writer mutters curses and whines as she attempts to clean up around here. Although she's discovered if she leaves a big mess, her husband usually cleans up when she's traveling. Which is very convenient and suits her just fine.
In fact, you’ll even dance and dust through the mansion your friend owns, until she tells you to stop cleaning.
Yeah, right. Like that would happen. If I had a friend over here dancing and dusting, I’d grab a book, sit down and make myself comfortable. Who wouldn’t?
Every time Kevin sees these commercials, he asks if buying me that product will produce the same results. And I have to say that after 7 years of marriage, he’s daft enough to think that? Please.
We were in the kitchen one evening, making dinner, and Buttons came in. She started chewing on something on the floor. Kevin said, “What’s she eating.”
I foolishly said, “I don’t know. It could be anything.”
I hate doing housework.**
Now, can we say duh? What was this guy smoking?
And I stole this from Bonnie’s blog, because it’s priceless. Thanks Bonnie!
ACTUAL AUSTRALIAN COURT DOCKET 12659 --- CASE OF THE PREGNANT LADY.
A lady about 8 months pregnant got on a bus. She noticed the man opposite her was smiling at her.
She immediately moved to another seat.
This time the smile turned into a grin, so she moved again. The man seemed more amused. When on the fourth move, the man burst out laughing, she complained to the
driver and he had the man arrested.
The case came up in court.
The judge asked the man (about 20 years old) what he had to say for himself.
The man replied, "Well your Honor, it was like this: When the lady got on the bus, I
couldn't help but notice her condition. She sat down under a sign that said, 'The Double Mint Twins are Comin' and I grinned."
"Then she moved and sat under a sign that said, 'Logan's Liniment will reduce the
swelling', and I had to smile."
"Then she placed herself under a deodorant sign that said, 'William's Big Stick Did the Trick', and I could hardly contain myself."
"BUT, your Honor, when she moved the fourth time and sat under a sign that said, 'Goodyear Rubber could have prevented this Accident'...I just lost it."
"CASE DISMISSED!!"
** The rest of this post has been preempted while the writer mutters curses and whines as she attempts to clean up around here. Although she's discovered if she leaves a big mess, her husband usually cleans up when she's traveling. Which is very convenient and suits her just fine.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Canada's Social Commentary in Crime Fiction Hits... Autism
It’s funny, because yesterday I had my little rant (again) about wanting books set in Canada to read. Anyone who knows me knows I’d never be exclusive to Canadians, because then I wouldn’t be able to read God’s books, not to mention the various works of other deities I’ve mentioned here.
But I’ve always loved the idea of using fiction to make subtle and not-so-subtle social commentary. To me, there’s a big difference between getting in someone’s face and lecturing them about how things should be, and writing a story that includes glimpses at an issue, enough to get the person thinking, without being bashed over the head.
I’ve been reading this book and hit a conversation in it, where two characters talk about how funding for autistic kids gets pulled at age 6 in Ontario. Sounds heavy, right? Yet it’s barely three lines of dialogue, with a sarcastic remark about the funding cut off at age six, because they’re cured then, right?
The Supreme Court of Ontario has ruled against parents fighting the funding cut off for autistic children. Parent’s of autistic children are in shock.
And they aren’t the only ones.
This is the work I did before I turned to writing full time. Okay, I wasn’t working with autistic children in my last year on, but I was working in speech therapy, primarily. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I worked under the same funding program for the province of Alberta, and it doesn’t change the fact that I have experience working with autistic children.
And I’m frustrated by news of this ruling.
What the politicians, the judges, the airy-fairy types who stick their nose in the air and never actually get down on the carpet and interact with children and workers in these programs don’t seem to understand is that conventional educational approaches don’t work.
I know, for myself, I grew up going to school with pretty much the same 28-29 other classmates, give or take one or two departures and arrivals in the average year. And we didn’t have aids in the classroom, somehow our teacher always managed.
I’ve wondered about that. Why is it so hard now, having a class of 22 kids and an aid, and you still can’t keep up?
For one thing, when I was a student, the word was segregation not inclusion.
If you had special educational needs, you just got shifted sideways to a special class, where everyone had special needs. Ideas about learning by exposure to typical behaviour and encouraging tolerance and understanding didn’t seem to be the focus (that’s how I saw it as a kid).
In fact, because of my academic record, when I was in the higher grades I actually worked in the school as a tutor, and did essentially then what I was paid to do later – create a program for five-year-olds with learning challenges to help them understand basic concepts.
Today, a teacher gets fewer students, and a higher number of ESL kids and children with learning issues. I can honestly say that 28/29 kids in my class were Caucasian* most years – some years, 100% - and English was the first language in every home. Times have changed. I don’t see that as a bad thing, but I do see that this creates new challenges for teachers sometimes. (*I'm mentioning this because of ESL issues - we have a very high number of children coming from homes where they don't speak English now. I love the multi-culturalism, absolutely, but it is hard for teachers to address ESL students effectively and meet the educational needs of the whole class.)
Beyond that, teachers are expected to be counselors and to monitor children more and more. Ridiculous? Not. The last place I worked in BC before moving back to Alberta was a school in Burnaby. We did a home removal through social services, as well as monitored two children in my program for sex abuse and were involved in the legal proceedings as well. On top of that, I managed a dozen staff, over 60 kids, including a one-on-one aid for an autistic child, and I had to meet with parents and government agencies involved in the monitoring routinely. Reports to file, lists to check off…
These aren’t play jobs. I know Kevin used to jokingly make fun of me, off to play with the kids, packing my toys. And you know what? I had a lot of fun, sure.
But the educational future, in some cases the independent future, of children were what was at stake with my job. Language pathways are set by the age of 8 – some people believe the age of 6 (I’m not getting into a debate on brain development here). But it is a fact that if a child can’t read by grade 3, they will have a significantly more difficult time learning to read later.
Their entire educational future hinges on reading.
Not to mention that habits are hard to break. Anyone have a bad habit here? Chew your fingernails? I had a cousin who sucked her thumb until she was 9. You know what her parents did to make her stop? Covered her thumb in molasses. I guess she didn’t like molasses…
The point is, the longer you have entrenched habits, the harder it is to break them. I worked with a number of children with speech issues. The biggest problem was that they couldn’t hear that they weren’t saying a word properly. I’d say “Sandra” they’d say “Anduwa” and smile, so pleased with themselves. I had to teach them to hear the difference. And you know, you can’t just keep saying, “No, Sandra” because they can’t hear the distinction. You have to approach it differently, as part of a multi-phased program.
I know what I did when I worked with the children, I know what I did when I was a supervisor. I know how many times I’ve dealt with abuse reporting on top of my workload. I know how many times I’ve been overworked because we can’t find qualified people for all the children who need early intervention. That is, in the end, why I quit. Full time caseload my last year, for what I was doing, was two children. I had three. I lived in my Rodeo. I ate in my Rodeo. I had no time to work out in the morning, was absolutely dead by the time I dragged myself home sometimes 15 hours after I’d left in the morning (all depended on meeting schedules) and getting sick, constantly.
And the shocking thing is, I made such little money (I brought home about $1200 Cdn per month, 10 months a year) we decided that with the tax difference if I wasn’t working, it hardly made a difference to our income, given what Kevin earns.
Some days, I feel guilty about leaving. Parents still email or call occasionally. Two of the three children I worked with that last year seriously regressed after I left the program. Of course, there were other things factoring in. Parents get divorced, a stay-at-mom goes back to work, life in chaos. One of them was there before I left, and refusing to do their program. There were days my job was more about being a counselor than an educator.
That’s a reality any more. Kids don’t come to school all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at age 5 with nothing but the joy of childhood carrying them forward. I suppose if I thought hard back to kindergarten, maybe there were 5 kids from divorced families back then? Now, it’s drastically higher. I’ve watched kids go through that, the temper tantrums, the anger, the grief. They don’t have coping mechanisms in place yet.
You can’t just say, “Shut up and sit down Johnny, we’re working on colour concepts today.”
So, it’s all in my mind now, because I can see from the other side what this ruling means. I’ve never understood it. Same thing here – six years old and out the door. Oh, sure, they say they won’t do that. But they will. Three months from now it will be talk about funding cuts. Then they’ll “restructure” the program for older children, and gradually squeeze them out.
I’ve seen in happen before – it’ll happen again. Do we ever listen to the teachers? What some people would never stand for in their jobs – being physically threatened, bitten, punched, working in unsanitary conditions, short of supplies – teachers face regularly. I didn’t have a physical assault my last year on the job, but the year before I was put into a doctor’s office, and not the only one. One child took one of those big wooden blocks and struck his aid over the head with it, and that was the same child who put me in the doctor’s office.
I suppose the problem for me is, I could go on forever. Until you’ve worked in this field, can you really understand? Well, I think the parents of these children understand.
And I think the politicians and judges who make these decisions are out of touch.
The fact that this would even turn into a legal battle is appalling.
These parents want better for their children.
Some of them are so desperate, they’ll try anything.
What can you do?
Hon. Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Education
Email: spupatello.mpp@liberal.ola.org
Email: spupatello.mpp.ca@liberal.ola.org
1483 Ouellette Ave, Windsor ON, N8X 1K1
I can’t believe at a time when Canada is talking about record budget surpluses that we’re even having these conversations about funding and program cuts to children who really need them. The beauty of email is, you don’t have to live in Ontario to express that sentiment. Tell the minister of education that they’re wrong, that Ontario’s children deserve better.
They deserve a chance.
I found this post at Tanginika’s and it was one of those posts that made me stop and think. Made me want to just go outside and sit, with my eyes closed, the sun shining down, a cool breeze blowing on my skin…
Until I remembered all the things I have to do today.
Sad, isn’t it? I’ll be in and out this am, so don’t mind me if I’m not as quick on the comments.
Oh, and if you’d rather read about heroes and anti heroes click here.
Maybe I should have said that right at the beginning?
But I’ve always loved the idea of using fiction to make subtle and not-so-subtle social commentary. To me, there’s a big difference between getting in someone’s face and lecturing them about how things should be, and writing a story that includes glimpses at an issue, enough to get the person thinking, without being bashed over the head.
I’ve been reading this book and hit a conversation in it, where two characters talk about how funding for autistic kids gets pulled at age 6 in Ontario. Sounds heavy, right? Yet it’s barely three lines of dialogue, with a sarcastic remark about the funding cut off at age six, because they’re cured then, right?
The Supreme Court of Ontario has ruled against parents fighting the funding cut off for autistic children. Parent’s of autistic children are in shock.
And they aren’t the only ones.
This is the work I did before I turned to writing full time. Okay, I wasn’t working with autistic children in my last year on, but I was working in speech therapy, primarily. However, that doesn’t change the fact that I worked under the same funding program for the province of Alberta, and it doesn’t change the fact that I have experience working with autistic children.
And I’m frustrated by news of this ruling.
What the politicians, the judges, the airy-fairy types who stick their nose in the air and never actually get down on the carpet and interact with children and workers in these programs don’t seem to understand is that conventional educational approaches don’t work.
I know, for myself, I grew up going to school with pretty much the same 28-29 other classmates, give or take one or two departures and arrivals in the average year. And we didn’t have aids in the classroom, somehow our teacher always managed.
I’ve wondered about that. Why is it so hard now, having a class of 22 kids and an aid, and you still can’t keep up?
For one thing, when I was a student, the word was segregation not inclusion.
If you had special educational needs, you just got shifted sideways to a special class, where everyone had special needs. Ideas about learning by exposure to typical behaviour and encouraging tolerance and understanding didn’t seem to be the focus (that’s how I saw it as a kid).
In fact, because of my academic record, when I was in the higher grades I actually worked in the school as a tutor, and did essentially then what I was paid to do later – create a program for five-year-olds with learning challenges to help them understand basic concepts.
Today, a teacher gets fewer students, and a higher number of ESL kids and children with learning issues. I can honestly say that 28/29 kids in my class were Caucasian* most years – some years, 100% - and English was the first language in every home. Times have changed. I don’t see that as a bad thing, but I do see that this creates new challenges for teachers sometimes. (*I'm mentioning this because of ESL issues - we have a very high number of children coming from homes where they don't speak English now. I love the multi-culturalism, absolutely, but it is hard for teachers to address ESL students effectively and meet the educational needs of the whole class.)
Beyond that, teachers are expected to be counselors and to monitor children more and more. Ridiculous? Not. The last place I worked in BC before moving back to Alberta was a school in Burnaby. We did a home removal through social services, as well as monitored two children in my program for sex abuse and were involved in the legal proceedings as well. On top of that, I managed a dozen staff, over 60 kids, including a one-on-one aid for an autistic child, and I had to meet with parents and government agencies involved in the monitoring routinely. Reports to file, lists to check off…
These aren’t play jobs. I know Kevin used to jokingly make fun of me, off to play with the kids, packing my toys. And you know what? I had a lot of fun, sure.
But the educational future, in some cases the independent future, of children were what was at stake with my job. Language pathways are set by the age of 8 – some people believe the age of 6 (I’m not getting into a debate on brain development here). But it is a fact that if a child can’t read by grade 3, they will have a significantly more difficult time learning to read later.
Their entire educational future hinges on reading.
Not to mention that habits are hard to break. Anyone have a bad habit here? Chew your fingernails? I had a cousin who sucked her thumb until she was 9. You know what her parents did to make her stop? Covered her thumb in molasses. I guess she didn’t like molasses…
The point is, the longer you have entrenched habits, the harder it is to break them. I worked with a number of children with speech issues. The biggest problem was that they couldn’t hear that they weren’t saying a word properly. I’d say “Sandra” they’d say “Anduwa” and smile, so pleased with themselves. I had to teach them to hear the difference. And you know, you can’t just keep saying, “No, Sandra” because they can’t hear the distinction. You have to approach it differently, as part of a multi-phased program.
I know what I did when I worked with the children, I know what I did when I was a supervisor. I know how many times I’ve dealt with abuse reporting on top of my workload. I know how many times I’ve been overworked because we can’t find qualified people for all the children who need early intervention. That is, in the end, why I quit. Full time caseload my last year, for what I was doing, was two children. I had three. I lived in my Rodeo. I ate in my Rodeo. I had no time to work out in the morning, was absolutely dead by the time I dragged myself home sometimes 15 hours after I’d left in the morning (all depended on meeting schedules) and getting sick, constantly.
And the shocking thing is, I made such little money (I brought home about $1200 Cdn per month, 10 months a year) we decided that with the tax difference if I wasn’t working, it hardly made a difference to our income, given what Kevin earns.
Some days, I feel guilty about leaving. Parents still email or call occasionally. Two of the three children I worked with that last year seriously regressed after I left the program. Of course, there were other things factoring in. Parents get divorced, a stay-at-mom goes back to work, life in chaos. One of them was there before I left, and refusing to do their program. There were days my job was more about being a counselor than an educator.
That’s a reality any more. Kids don’t come to school all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at age 5 with nothing but the joy of childhood carrying them forward. I suppose if I thought hard back to kindergarten, maybe there were 5 kids from divorced families back then? Now, it’s drastically higher. I’ve watched kids go through that, the temper tantrums, the anger, the grief. They don’t have coping mechanisms in place yet.
You can’t just say, “Shut up and sit down Johnny, we’re working on colour concepts today.”
So, it’s all in my mind now, because I can see from the other side what this ruling means. I’ve never understood it. Same thing here – six years old and out the door. Oh, sure, they say they won’t do that. But they will. Three months from now it will be talk about funding cuts. Then they’ll “restructure” the program for older children, and gradually squeeze them out.
I’ve seen in happen before – it’ll happen again. Do we ever listen to the teachers? What some people would never stand for in their jobs – being physically threatened, bitten, punched, working in unsanitary conditions, short of supplies – teachers face regularly. I didn’t have a physical assault my last year on the job, but the year before I was put into a doctor’s office, and not the only one. One child took one of those big wooden blocks and struck his aid over the head with it, and that was the same child who put me in the doctor’s office.
I suppose the problem for me is, I could go on forever. Until you’ve worked in this field, can you really understand? Well, I think the parents of these children understand.
And I think the politicians and judges who make these decisions are out of touch.
The fact that this would even turn into a legal battle is appalling.
These parents want better for their children.
Some of them are so desperate, they’ll try anything.
What can you do?
Hon. Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Education
Email: spupatello.mpp@liberal.ola.org
Email: spupatello.mpp.ca@liberal.ola.org
1483 Ouellette Ave, Windsor ON, N8X 1K1
I can’t believe at a time when Canada is talking about record budget surpluses that we’re even having these conversations about funding and program cuts to children who really need them. The beauty of email is, you don’t have to live in Ontario to express that sentiment. Tell the minister of education that they’re wrong, that Ontario’s children deserve better.
They deserve a chance.
I found this post at Tanginika’s and it was one of those posts that made me stop and think. Made me want to just go outside and sit, with my eyes closed, the sun shining down, a cool breeze blowing on my skin…
Until I remembered all the things I have to do today.
Sad, isn’t it? I’ll be in and out this am, so don’t mind me if I’m not as quick on the comments.
Oh, and if you’d rather read about heroes and anti heroes click here.
Maybe I should have said that right at the beginning?
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Why I’m a Failure as a Canadian Book Buyer (Or the conspiracy against having me spend money on Canadian authors)
For years, my annual budget for books has been in the thousands. I have shelves upon shelves of books in my office I’ve accumulated. But on those shelves?
There are exactly 9 crime fiction books by Canadian authors.
Because this topic came up elsewhere, and I was going to answer it there but then found it becoming too… angry for what I wanted to say there, I’m putting it here. Because this topic does make me angry. Any time I say anything on it, people jump up and tell me I’m wrong.
But this is my experience as a reader and book buyer going back about five-six years that I’ll look at here. It isn’t about right and wrong. It’s about my reality. And if people want to ignore it, that’s fine.
However, I think it reflects that there are problems in the Canadian book-selling industry and I think Canadian authors shouldn’t dismiss what I’m saying here so quickly.
It was five or six years ago, something like that. I was done a series, at least as far as the series was written. I was a very monogamous reader – one author at a time, one series at a time was my usual route.
I was frustrated with the end of the books I’d been enjoying. Incidentally, a series written by a woman. Now, being five, six years ago, I wasn’t using email, never mind shopping online yet. You know how I heard about books?
Gasp, shock of horrors, if they weren’t on the bookstore shelves, they didn’t exist. Not for me, anyway.
So I relied on those displays. And I tried some books, by American authors. Mostly women at the time, not that it matters. There were a few I didn’t finish and some I did finish that I thought, “it was okay”. I wanted a new series to read, and nobody was holding my interest.
Then I went back to the bookstore, and I had some ground rules. First, a good six inches. That’s how much space the author's books needed to take up on the shelves – they needed to have that many titles for me to consider them. I wanted another series, dammit. I wanted someone I could fall in love with.
I took books down and read the backs. LA. New York. Nothing really capturing my attention.
Pull down Ian Rankin. Well, I don’t need to bore you with a discussion about where that ended up, do I?
At that point, Ian Rankin had plenty to keep me satisfied as a reader for a long time. And when I was finally approaching the end of the series written thus far, I remembered my earlier frustrations and wondered how to avoid buying books that wouldn’t fill the hole for me.
By then, I was online, so I thought I’d be smart about it. I read some interviews with Ian Rankin - the first time ever that I started reading author interviews, although I was writing then (children's stuff, I might add, not crime fiction). After all, if I loved his stuff so much, maybe I’d like the authors he liked? Made sense to me. And so my referral list grew.
I’m not sure this link will come up to the exact lists cited by fans I was looking at but if it does, I think a scroll through will show just how few Canadians there are on the list.
Which is something that started coming up for me. Referrals had Peter Robinson, sure, but beyond that? Americans or Brits. And I was happy enough staying on the British police procedural side of the coin, because I loved those books. After all, why spend money on books you don’t like?
The only Canadian I was reading then was Mel Malton. I heard about Mel Malton because someone from Muskoka sent me her book as a gift 7 years ago. I've never once, ever, been able to find Mel's books in local stores, when I lived in Vancouver, or Calgary. Now, that's not to say they don't come in from time to time, but every book of hers I've bought I've had to order. 7 years ago I wasn't using email either, or ordering online, so until I started using the internet more and getting back into the writing world, I honestly thought she didn't have any more books. I caught up on them well after their release dates, but again, I went looking. A lot of people won't. I recommended those books to a friend recently and she came back and told me the first two aren't available anymore and she's trying to order the second two Polly Deacon books in. I haven't tried myself - relying strictly on what she told me - but last I heard she was still waiting.
I never go into any bookstore and rely on staff. The staff usually know less than I do. Because I live in the sticks, when I go to the bookstore, I have a list in hand -I don't drive 50 km each way to the closest Chapters for wasted trips! I do search online beforehand, but find the computers are usually not updated with correct stock, so I always check in-store. And I hate to say it, but I scoured every Chapters, Indigo and McNally Robinson on the east and north sides of Calgary looking for a Rick Mofina book - any Rick Mofina book - recently and couldn't lay my hands on one. Tried Red Deer too. Finally gave up and turned to the internet - I don't even know why I bother with the bookstores sometimes.
And I never take it at face value that they'll be in the mystery section either. (He's not Canadian, but) John Rickards' books are over in literature & fiction, for example.
Now, this is where I’m going to say sue me, I like gritty books. I like police procedurals. I don’t mind the occasional amateur sleuth but that’s not what the bulk of my reading is, nor is it in the PI vein. I want police procedurals, and I wanted to find police procedurals set in Canada that filled some of the Rebus void.
I asked a group of authors/aspiring authors how many had read a book set in Canada in the past year – not just by a Canadian, but set here. The list was pretty short.
Here’s my experience as a writer. I spent two years being told to set all my work outside Canada because the Canadian setting wouldn’t sell. And, yes, it makes me angry. Being rather obstinate, I went ahead and did what I wanted with my writing anyway, but I do have a stack of rejection letters that backs up what these people told me. It was hard for me to sell the Canadian book.
Now, because I wondered if the kind of books I liked were even being written by Canadians and set in Canada, I started searching. I went to publisher websites. I joined Cool Canadian Crime. And I have a list of Canadian authors I’m looking for, a list I keep in my wallet and check on in stores. And you know what? It’s taken me all these years to have ONE time when I went to the bookstore and exclusively filled my basket with Canadians.
Not for lack of bloody well trying.
And I'm sure I was improperly influenced, but local writers I knew told me not to bother joining the CWC unless I was an author, because they don't have meetings or local events or do anything but promote authors. I'M NOT SAYING THIS - it's what I was told. It's what I've heard other people be told as well, so I'm likely not the only person who should have joined sooner but didn't because local mystery writer's groups didn't exactly encourage it.
My point is that I had to go looking, very specifically, to find out about a lot of Canadians. I have actively made a choice to learn more about what's happening here, but if I hadn't decided to do that, would I be hearing about new authors? I'm skeptical. It's part of the reason I've stayed on DorothyL, actually. I have friends who keep telling me that it's like there's a whole world out there they never knew about, and every few months they ask me for a list of what they should be reading, and if you're on my radar, you're on my active referral list. They aren't writers, and they aren't hearing about Canadian authors. How are we marketing ourselves to the readers here? (Readers, how many of you rely on DorothyL? What other sources do you turn to to hear about Canadian authors? Is it better in Toronto, for example, than Calgary and there are lots of author events?) Sorry, but my friends don't even have internet at home, so take DL and enewsletters and ezines aside - we can't forget that surprisingly, I have friends in their early 30s who don't even have email. How are we reaching them? Based on my experience anyway, it doesn't seem like we're doing a stellar job.
And my sister is a librarian - she takes all author event referrals from me. They'd never been approached by a local author on their own. Can I say what the hell, people? Since when do librarians have to go looking for local author referrals? Sorry, complete vent here, but if she didn't know me, guess how many local mystery authors would be going there to do events? Big fat zero. We've been talking about three possible events for next year for months now, and if I didn't know these authors, I wouldn’t know they’re coming to Calgary this year on tour and we wouldn't have had those conversations. Fortunately, in the past year I’ve gotten connected, which means I can help my sister out.
Conversely, I hear about a lot of authors from the UK and US with no effort on my part at all. I won't bore you with an even longer post explaining how but I'll unbite my tongue. The Canadian issue of Spinetingler is the hardest one to put together each year. This topic is hitting on the supremely grumpy side of me, because this issue causes me more stress than the ezine does for the rest of the year combined. Even with the narrow focus for that issue, the submissions are far below the amount we'd expect. But set that aside. This year, months back, I contacted Canadian publishers and told them what we were doing and that we were looking for Canadian authors to feature (interview/profile) in the issue. I did announcements through CWC.
I didn't get a single response from any Canadian publisher, whereas whenever I've contacted publishers elsewhere they've been only too happy to jump at the opportunity of getting free publicity for their authors. I'm even interviewing a UK publisher when I go to England later this month, someone I've been in touch with since last July.
Call me cynical, but I've got people waiting to hear back from me about whether or not I'll take their review copies and I'm trying to find them reviewers, and not one Canadian publisher had a book coming out by one of their authors they wanted some free promotion for. Fortunately, one author took the initiative herself, and a Canadian reviewer stepped forward with submissions.
We're waiting on a replacement for a damaged file now, and then the Canadian issue will be out, and it's much better than last year for amount of content and strength of content. But this one always puts me through a few months of extra stress, wondering if we'll get enough material. I do more to promote this issue to writers to try to get submissions than the entire rest of the year combined and by the time we're assembling, I'm wiped out from all the advance promo. No doubt this has all contributed to my cynical attitude - talk to me in two months when I've forgotten about it and might foolishly start thinking about doing another Canadian issue again next year (two years out of two I've sworn I won't, no matter how much I want to promote Canadians. With my own edits coming due at the same time as this issue, it's been extra hellish). I have to say I highly doubt we will put out a Canadian issue next year, because it’s just too demanding time-wise, and we don’t get enough to fill a typical issue size now. I won’t just run crap just to fill numbers.
I simply can't believe, when I'm getting more review and interview requests from the US and UK than I can keep up with, why I have to beg for Canadians and it doesn't even seem like the publishers care. I stress seem. I mean, hell, the last issue had over 7000 downloads in the first month, and that doesn't include online reads. Even Miss Snark linked to us. And you offer people a chance for some free promotion and they don't want it? With all the talk I hear about how hard it is to sell books, I just don't understand.
I actually only found out John McFetridge had a book out because I've learned to google the name of anyone who emails me that I don't know. He never even told me he had a book out (tsk tsk John!). If I hadn't googled his name, I highly doubt I'd be reading Dirty Sweet now. And I didn't even bother reading about it online - his email was enough to persuade me if he'd written a book, I wanted to read it, and I haven't been disappointed. Yes, I’m that easy to persuade to give a book a try, especially if it’s set in Canada. I’ve been desperate to find some Canadians, setting stuff in Canada, I can be enthusiastic about.
And all that aside, when I was debating publishing options, I talked to independent bookstore owners who told me if I had an offer from even a small US press to take it over a Canadian one any day of the week. Am I the only person who finds that heartbreaking? I think it's tragic that this is the advice I'd get from within the industry here. I always hear people quickly jump on the defensive that this isn't so, but I know what people were telling me. What I'm trying to understand is why. Even the perception of problems within the industry here isn't good - independent Canadian booksellers shouldn't pull you aside and tell you not to bother signing with a Canadian publisher... Right? So why did that happen to me not six months ago?
Incidentally, in this Canadian Spinetingler, two Canadian authors chat about Canadian settings and how things are changing for Canadian authors. For the better, I might add, but it still indicates that there have been challenges for our authors here.
Hopefully, there will be fewer in the future.
This is pretty much rant - it's just frustration. Don't knock me if I haven't heard of a lot of Canadian authors - knock the system in place or lack thereof to promote them. I've been actively trying, for a few years now. I finally feel like I'm making some headway, but you know what? The average consumer here isn't an author and a lot of them don't think of going to publishers websites to hear about books by Canadians. They think about going into their local bookstores and buying something off the shelves there.
And nobody feed me some song and bullshit about population size of Canada vs the US. Look at Scotland. Just over 5 million. 1/12 of the population of the UK. Yet look at the Scottish crime writers alone – Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith, Stuart MacBride, Christopher Brookmyre, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, MC Beaton. Internationally known best-selling authors that hold their own against the best from England, America or anywhere.
This subject came up because of a post about the summer reading habits of Canadian politicians. As they said themselves on Type M for Murder: So what’s the final word? McMurdy says that she’s unsettled by the preponderance of murder mysteries amongst MPs summer reading. Personally, I don’t think she needs to worry. With not a single Canadian crime novel on our MPs summer reading list, our federal politicians obviously prefer out-of-country crime. As long as we stay in Canada, we should be okay. Unless, of course, you’re a Canadian fiction writer writing about Canadian crime.
So, it isn’t just me who’s saying the Canadian authors setting books in Canada have some challenges. It’s been my experience. I’ve been brushed off and told I’m being ridiculous for saying so before, but the only reason I bother saying anything is that this is my actual experience, first as a consumer, then as a writer, and so sue me, I care.
I find myself thinking I should just pack it in and move to the UK because clearly, either I’m a completely inept shopper or there’s a conspiracy to keep books from Canadian authors away from me.
Though I doubt I’m important enough for the Canadian booksellers to come up with such an elaborate conspiracy.
So, come on, tell me I’m wrong. Maybe for you, but this has been my real experience. It’s getting better.
But there’s still a hell of a long way to go.
And my apologies to regulars here who’ve had bits and pieces of this before. The topic came up and you know what? I know it sounds ridiculous, but this subject upsets me so much I had a hard time sleeping last night because I kept thinking about why it is that it’s been so hard for me to find out about Canadian authors…
And why it seems unreasonable to me that it would be suggested I have to join lists to learn about them. In my day-to-day flesh-and-blood world, none of my friends are writers. And the majority of them don’t even use email.
Lists aren’t reaching those people. Now, they’re hearing about stuff through me. But if I wasn’t making such an effort, they wouldn’t be hearing about Louise Penny when I’m telling them about Val McDermid.
There are exactly 9 crime fiction books by Canadian authors.
Because this topic came up elsewhere, and I was going to answer it there but then found it becoming too… angry for what I wanted to say there, I’m putting it here. Because this topic does make me angry. Any time I say anything on it, people jump up and tell me I’m wrong.
But this is my experience as a reader and book buyer going back about five-six years that I’ll look at here. It isn’t about right and wrong. It’s about my reality. And if people want to ignore it, that’s fine.
However, I think it reflects that there are problems in the Canadian book-selling industry and I think Canadian authors shouldn’t dismiss what I’m saying here so quickly.
It was five or six years ago, something like that. I was done a series, at least as far as the series was written. I was a very monogamous reader – one author at a time, one series at a time was my usual route.
I was frustrated with the end of the books I’d been enjoying. Incidentally, a series written by a woman. Now, being five, six years ago, I wasn’t using email, never mind shopping online yet. You know how I heard about books?
Gasp, shock of horrors, if they weren’t on the bookstore shelves, they didn’t exist. Not for me, anyway.
So I relied on those displays. And I tried some books, by American authors. Mostly women at the time, not that it matters. There were a few I didn’t finish and some I did finish that I thought, “it was okay”. I wanted a new series to read, and nobody was holding my interest.
Then I went back to the bookstore, and I had some ground rules. First, a good six inches. That’s how much space the author's books needed to take up on the shelves – they needed to have that many titles for me to consider them. I wanted another series, dammit. I wanted someone I could fall in love with.
I took books down and read the backs. LA. New York. Nothing really capturing my attention.
Pull down Ian Rankin. Well, I don’t need to bore you with a discussion about where that ended up, do I?
At that point, Ian Rankin had plenty to keep me satisfied as a reader for a long time. And when I was finally approaching the end of the series written thus far, I remembered my earlier frustrations and wondered how to avoid buying books that wouldn’t fill the hole for me.
By then, I was online, so I thought I’d be smart about it. I read some interviews with Ian Rankin - the first time ever that I started reading author interviews, although I was writing then (children's stuff, I might add, not crime fiction). After all, if I loved his stuff so much, maybe I’d like the authors he liked? Made sense to me. And so my referral list grew.
I’m not sure this link will come up to the exact lists cited by fans I was looking at but if it does, I think a scroll through will show just how few Canadians there are on the list.
Which is something that started coming up for me. Referrals had Peter Robinson, sure, but beyond that? Americans or Brits. And I was happy enough staying on the British police procedural side of the coin, because I loved those books. After all, why spend money on books you don’t like?
The only Canadian I was reading then was Mel Malton. I heard about Mel Malton because someone from Muskoka sent me her book as a gift 7 years ago. I've never once, ever, been able to find Mel's books in local stores, when I lived in Vancouver, or Calgary. Now, that's not to say they don't come in from time to time, but every book of hers I've bought I've had to order. 7 years ago I wasn't using email either, or ordering online, so until I started using the internet more and getting back into the writing world, I honestly thought she didn't have any more books. I caught up on them well after their release dates, but again, I went looking. A lot of people won't. I recommended those books to a friend recently and she came back and told me the first two aren't available anymore and she's trying to order the second two Polly Deacon books in. I haven't tried myself - relying strictly on what she told me - but last I heard she was still waiting.
I never go into any bookstore and rely on staff. The staff usually know less than I do. Because I live in the sticks, when I go to the bookstore, I have a list in hand -I don't drive 50 km each way to the closest Chapters for wasted trips! I do search online beforehand, but find the computers are usually not updated with correct stock, so I always check in-store. And I hate to say it, but I scoured every Chapters, Indigo and McNally Robinson on the east and north sides of Calgary looking for a Rick Mofina book - any Rick Mofina book - recently and couldn't lay my hands on one. Tried Red Deer too. Finally gave up and turned to the internet - I don't even know why I bother with the bookstores sometimes.
And I never take it at face value that they'll be in the mystery section either. (He's not Canadian, but) John Rickards' books are over in literature & fiction, for example.
Now, this is where I’m going to say sue me, I like gritty books. I like police procedurals. I don’t mind the occasional amateur sleuth but that’s not what the bulk of my reading is, nor is it in the PI vein. I want police procedurals, and I wanted to find police procedurals set in Canada that filled some of the Rebus void.
I asked a group of authors/aspiring authors how many had read a book set in Canada in the past year – not just by a Canadian, but set here. The list was pretty short.
Here’s my experience as a writer. I spent two years being told to set all my work outside Canada because the Canadian setting wouldn’t sell. And, yes, it makes me angry. Being rather obstinate, I went ahead and did what I wanted with my writing anyway, but I do have a stack of rejection letters that backs up what these people told me. It was hard for me to sell the Canadian book.
Now, because I wondered if the kind of books I liked were even being written by Canadians and set in Canada, I started searching. I went to publisher websites. I joined Cool Canadian Crime. And I have a list of Canadian authors I’m looking for, a list I keep in my wallet and check on in stores. And you know what? It’s taken me all these years to have ONE time when I went to the bookstore and exclusively filled my basket with Canadians.
Not for lack of bloody well trying.
And I'm sure I was improperly influenced, but local writers I knew told me not to bother joining the CWC unless I was an author, because they don't have meetings or local events or do anything but promote authors. I'M NOT SAYING THIS - it's what I was told. It's what I've heard other people be told as well, so I'm likely not the only person who should have joined sooner but didn't because local mystery writer's groups didn't exactly encourage it.
My point is that I had to go looking, very specifically, to find out about a lot of Canadians. I have actively made a choice to learn more about what's happening here, but if I hadn't decided to do that, would I be hearing about new authors? I'm skeptical. It's part of the reason I've stayed on DorothyL, actually. I have friends who keep telling me that it's like there's a whole world out there they never knew about, and every few months they ask me for a list of what they should be reading, and if you're on my radar, you're on my active referral list. They aren't writers, and they aren't hearing about Canadian authors. How are we marketing ourselves to the readers here? (Readers, how many of you rely on DorothyL? What other sources do you turn to to hear about Canadian authors? Is it better in Toronto, for example, than Calgary and there are lots of author events?) Sorry, but my friends don't even have internet at home, so take DL and enewsletters and ezines aside - we can't forget that surprisingly, I have friends in their early 30s who don't even have email. How are we reaching them? Based on my experience anyway, it doesn't seem like we're doing a stellar job.
And my sister is a librarian - she takes all author event referrals from me. They'd never been approached by a local author on their own. Can I say what the hell, people? Since when do librarians have to go looking for local author referrals? Sorry, complete vent here, but if she didn't know me, guess how many local mystery authors would be going there to do events? Big fat zero. We've been talking about three possible events for next year for months now, and if I didn't know these authors, I wouldn’t know they’re coming to Calgary this year on tour and we wouldn't have had those conversations. Fortunately, in the past year I’ve gotten connected, which means I can help my sister out.
Conversely, I hear about a lot of authors from the UK and US with no effort on my part at all. I won't bore you with an even longer post explaining how but I'll unbite my tongue. The Canadian issue of Spinetingler is the hardest one to put together each year. This topic is hitting on the supremely grumpy side of me, because this issue causes me more stress than the ezine does for the rest of the year combined. Even with the narrow focus for that issue, the submissions are far below the amount we'd expect. But set that aside. This year, months back, I contacted Canadian publishers and told them what we were doing and that we were looking for Canadian authors to feature (interview/profile) in the issue. I did announcements through CWC.
I didn't get a single response from any Canadian publisher, whereas whenever I've contacted publishers elsewhere they've been only too happy to jump at the opportunity of getting free publicity for their authors. I'm even interviewing a UK publisher when I go to England later this month, someone I've been in touch with since last July.
Call me cynical, but I've got people waiting to hear back from me about whether or not I'll take their review copies and I'm trying to find them reviewers, and not one Canadian publisher had a book coming out by one of their authors they wanted some free promotion for. Fortunately, one author took the initiative herself, and a Canadian reviewer stepped forward with submissions.
We're waiting on a replacement for a damaged file now, and then the Canadian issue will be out, and it's much better than last year for amount of content and strength of content. But this one always puts me through a few months of extra stress, wondering if we'll get enough material. I do more to promote this issue to writers to try to get submissions than the entire rest of the year combined and by the time we're assembling, I'm wiped out from all the advance promo. No doubt this has all contributed to my cynical attitude - talk to me in two months when I've forgotten about it and might foolishly start thinking about doing another Canadian issue again next year (two years out of two I've sworn I won't, no matter how much I want to promote Canadians. With my own edits coming due at the same time as this issue, it's been extra hellish). I have to say I highly doubt we will put out a Canadian issue next year, because it’s just too demanding time-wise, and we don’t get enough to fill a typical issue size now. I won’t just run crap just to fill numbers.
I simply can't believe, when I'm getting more review and interview requests from the US and UK than I can keep up with, why I have to beg for Canadians and it doesn't even seem like the publishers care. I stress seem. I mean, hell, the last issue had over 7000 downloads in the first month, and that doesn't include online reads. Even Miss Snark linked to us. And you offer people a chance for some free promotion and they don't want it? With all the talk I hear about how hard it is to sell books, I just don't understand.
I actually only found out John McFetridge had a book out because I've learned to google the name of anyone who emails me that I don't know. He never even told me he had a book out (tsk tsk John!). If I hadn't googled his name, I highly doubt I'd be reading Dirty Sweet now. And I didn't even bother reading about it online - his email was enough to persuade me if he'd written a book, I wanted to read it, and I haven't been disappointed. Yes, I’m that easy to persuade to give a book a try, especially if it’s set in Canada. I’ve been desperate to find some Canadians, setting stuff in Canada, I can be enthusiastic about.
And all that aside, when I was debating publishing options, I talked to independent bookstore owners who told me if I had an offer from even a small US press to take it over a Canadian one any day of the week. Am I the only person who finds that heartbreaking? I think it's tragic that this is the advice I'd get from within the industry here. I always hear people quickly jump on the defensive that this isn't so, but I know what people were telling me. What I'm trying to understand is why. Even the perception of problems within the industry here isn't good - independent Canadian booksellers shouldn't pull you aside and tell you not to bother signing with a Canadian publisher... Right? So why did that happen to me not six months ago?
Incidentally, in this Canadian Spinetingler, two Canadian authors chat about Canadian settings and how things are changing for Canadian authors. For the better, I might add, but it still indicates that there have been challenges for our authors here.
Hopefully, there will be fewer in the future.
This is pretty much rant - it's just frustration. Don't knock me if I haven't heard of a lot of Canadian authors - knock the system in place or lack thereof to promote them. I've been actively trying, for a few years now. I finally feel like I'm making some headway, but you know what? The average consumer here isn't an author and a lot of them don't think of going to publishers websites to hear about books by Canadians. They think about going into their local bookstores and buying something off the shelves there.
And nobody feed me some song and bullshit about population size of Canada vs the US. Look at Scotland. Just over 5 million. 1/12 of the population of the UK. Yet look at the Scottish crime writers alone – Ian Rankin, Alexander McCall Smith, Stuart MacBride, Christopher Brookmyre, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, MC Beaton. Internationally known best-selling authors that hold their own against the best from England, America or anywhere.
This subject came up because of a post about the summer reading habits of Canadian politicians. As they said themselves on Type M for Murder: So what’s the final word? McMurdy says that she’s unsettled by the preponderance of murder mysteries amongst MPs summer reading. Personally, I don’t think she needs to worry. With not a single Canadian crime novel on our MPs summer reading list, our federal politicians obviously prefer out-of-country crime. As long as we stay in Canada, we should be okay. Unless, of course, you’re a Canadian fiction writer writing about Canadian crime.
So, it isn’t just me who’s saying the Canadian authors setting books in Canada have some challenges. It’s been my experience. I’ve been brushed off and told I’m being ridiculous for saying so before, but the only reason I bother saying anything is that this is my actual experience, first as a consumer, then as a writer, and so sue me, I care.
I find myself thinking I should just pack it in and move to the UK because clearly, either I’m a completely inept shopper or there’s a conspiracy to keep books from Canadian authors away from me.
Though I doubt I’m important enough for the Canadian booksellers to come up with such an elaborate conspiracy.
So, come on, tell me I’m wrong. Maybe for you, but this has been my real experience. It’s getting better.
But there’s still a hell of a long way to go.
And my apologies to regulars here who’ve had bits and pieces of this before. The topic came up and you know what? I know it sounds ridiculous, but this subject upsets me so much I had a hard time sleeping last night because I kept thinking about why it is that it’s been so hard for me to find out about Canadian authors…
And why it seems unreasonable to me that it would be suggested I have to join lists to learn about them. In my day-to-day flesh-and-blood world, none of my friends are writers. And the majority of them don’t even use email.
Lists aren’t reaching those people. Now, they’re hearing about stuff through me. But if I wasn’t making such an effort, they wouldn’t be hearing about Louise Penny when I’m telling them about Val McDermid.
Saturday, July 08, 2006
I knew I'd remember eventually
I did want to post links today, and I completely forgot this morning. First, for the writers out there, James Lincoln Warren has another Writer's Cookbook post up - check it out!
The lovely and talented Amra has two stories, The Vow and The Old Man up at Flashing in the Gutters, and the charming and talented Steven Torres has his first Flash piece up as well, called Parking Spot. Well done guys - even if I haven't gotten everywhere to comment, I'm really impressed by the productivity and creativity! Either of you want to take over editing for me for a week?
And don't forget to scroll down and read about my decision to kick Stuart out of the bed if you haven't already.
With thanks to Trace for this one:
Which Stephen King Book Are You?
The lovely and talented Amra has two stories, The Vow and The Old Man up at Flashing in the Gutters, and the charming and talented Steven Torres has his first Flash piece up as well, called Parking Spot. Well done guys - even if I haven't gotten everywhere to comment, I'm really impressed by the productivity and creativity! Either of you want to take over editing for me for a week?
And don't forget to scroll down and read about my decision to kick Stuart out of the bed if you haven't already.
With thanks to Trace for this one:
Which Stephen King Book Are You?
Kicking Stuart Out of Bed
Bad enough that it’s been hot as hell lately. Any sane creature would be laying claim to as much space as they could stretch out in, preferably downstairs or someplace cool, like in front of the fan.
Not near Human Furnace Girl. Why would anyone – any thing - want to be anywhere close to me?
Try using that logic on Stuart. Damn, I’m trying to sleep, which is hard enough given the temperatures lately, and then along comes Stuart. Nuzzling my cheek. Nibbling on my ear. As if that isn’t bad enough, Stuart then flops down on top of me. That’s right – just craters on the back of my neck and goes to sleep.
(Look at me, I'm so innocent. NOT!)
When it’s this hot, I don’t even want to be touched, never mind have some furry animal sleeping on my neck!
Although I must say, Rebus is equally annoying at night. He won’t leave my feet alone. And Simon? Don’t get me started. Simon's teeth are incredibly sharp. And it's like any spot of bare flesh is laced with catnip. Not to mention Simon has a thing about chewing my hair...
I can safely say the only one that behaves beautifully is Russel.
(Russel & Simon)
Be sure to drop by Murderati today. Elaine Flinn interviews Ian Rankin. Is he still involved with Paris Hilton? You have to go there to find out.
And I’m fairly certain I was supposed to post a link to something else today. But I’m a bit sleep-deprived at the moment and I’m just having that “you’re forgetting something” feeling.
Meanwhile, I’ll post a joke sent to me from my friend, Forrest.
The Smiths
The Smiths were dining out when his wife noticed a familiar face at the bar.
"Honey," she said as she pointed the guy out, "that guy at the bar has been drinking like that since I left him seven years ago."
Her husband said, "That's silly, no one celebrates that much!"
Not near Human Furnace Girl. Why would anyone – any thing - want to be anywhere close to me?
Try using that logic on Stuart. Damn, I’m trying to sleep, which is hard enough given the temperatures lately, and then along comes Stuart. Nuzzling my cheek. Nibbling on my ear. As if that isn’t bad enough, Stuart then flops down on top of me. That’s right – just craters on the back of my neck and goes to sleep.
(Look at me, I'm so innocent. NOT!)
When it’s this hot, I don’t even want to be touched, never mind have some furry animal sleeping on my neck!
Although I must say, Rebus is equally annoying at night. He won’t leave my feet alone. And Simon? Don’t get me started. Simon's teeth are incredibly sharp. And it's like any spot of bare flesh is laced with catnip. Not to mention Simon has a thing about chewing my hair...
I can safely say the only one that behaves beautifully is Russel.
(Russel & Simon)
Be sure to drop by Murderati today. Elaine Flinn interviews Ian Rankin. Is he still involved with Paris Hilton? You have to go there to find out.
And I’m fairly certain I was supposed to post a link to something else today. But I’m a bit sleep-deprived at the moment and I’m just having that “you’re forgetting something” feeling.
Meanwhile, I’ll post a joke sent to me from my friend, Forrest.
The Smiths
The Smiths were dining out when his wife noticed a familiar face at the bar.
"Honey," she said as she pointed the guy out, "that guy at the bar has been drinking like that since I left him seven years ago."
Her husband said, "That's silly, no one celebrates that much!"
Friday, July 07, 2006
Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy
If you don’t know what the title of my post is about and think I’m just being naughty today, then you don’t know what today is! It’s officially the time of year when the gun-toting, beer-drinking, horse-riding, tobacco-chewing crowd is in town.
Yes, folks, it’s time for the Calgary Stampede!
You can eat free for a week - this is only one set of listings. Every other business in the city has a pancake breakfast, a barbecue lunch, in some cases an Alberta beef steak dinner…
This is Canada’s largest annual event and I’m such a schmuck I get a lump in my throat just thinking about the local spirit this time of year. And tense and grumpy thinking about driving in the city for the next ten days.
I remember the first year I lived in Calgary. I was on my way to work, with no idea about the Stampede and what it meant. It took about half a dozen trains for me to finally make it down to the platform that day – it was a zoo! Of course, I had no idea about the parade. As much fun as my friends to the south have celebrating the Fourth, I’ve got to tell you, Calgary goes wild for Stampede.
Two years ago, the Calgary Flames made it to the Stanley Cup final. I remember all the flags – everywhere you went, the red flag of the Flames was flying. I even remember someone calling in Scott Phillips on Country 105’s request hour and asking for Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire because Tampa was going to go down as the Flames went higher.
A reporter for Tampa Bay covering the games here said Calgary had less than half the population of Tampa Bay, but that in Calgary, of the 933,495 residents, 933,490 were Flames fans. He was amazed at the level of local enthusiasm and support for our team.
He should come back now for a visit, and he’ll see real Calgary spirit.
What are the best things about Stampede?
- You can eat free for a week, and eat well
- If you want a beer with breakfast, nobody thinks that’s odd
- For the young guys, the Buckle Bunnies are out in full force (there’s a saying here – married women give birth 9 months after New Year’s, single mom’s 9 months after… uh, never mind)
- It’s considered a crime to be at Nashville North and be sober
- The Odd Squad usually broadcast the parade, and if you’ve ever heard the Odd Squad, you don’t need me to explain how funny they are
- It’s cool to listen to country music
- There are free concerts everywhere - Nelly Furtado and Our Lady Peace take to the Coca Cola Stage, the likes of Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Scottish country star Johnny Reid take to the Nashville North stage, and - oh gee, look at who’s performing July 10 at Ranchman’s.
Now, I feel I should offer some compensation to those of you who can’t be here for Stampede. If you’re feeling teased with all this talk of parades, scantily-clad women and country music, I have the solution. You can watch the Big & Rich video for Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) I remember when this song came out, and it remains one of the most controversial country music debuts certainly this decade, if not ever. Some people were incredibly offended. So, warning. If you don’t want to see women in short-short shorts swiveling their hips or a bit of cleavage or butt-wiggling, skip this link. If, however, you feel compelled to get into the Stampede spirit, well, that’s the link for you.
But every year the radio takes votes on what song is the best Stampede song. Popular choices? Matraca Berg’s Back in the Saddle, Gretchen Wilson’s Redneck Women and, you guessed it, Big & Rich’s Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
Important News! It’s Steve’s birthday. Steve has obviously forgotten that he is the cool one who has a birthday today, and the others are just glad to be in his company. Go wish him a good one! And thanks to me, now he knows his birthday is the event of a huge celebration in Calgary. Or, well, shares the same date as one, this year anyway...
And, because it’s Friday, jokes. First, though, a warning from JT Ellison that I felt was important enough to post:
I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times...but this one is real, and it's important.
If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warming weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! IT IS A SCAM!!
They only want to see you naked...
I wish I'd gotten this yesterday.
I feel so stupid.
It’s okay JT. We all make mistakes sometimes.
Situational Awareness Scenario:
You are driving in a car at a constant speed.
On your left side is a valley and on your right side is a fire engine
traveling at the same speed as you.
In front of you is a galloping pig which is the same size as your car
and you cannot overtake it.
Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level.
Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also traveling at the same
speed as you.
What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?
Answer below
Answer: Get off the children's "Merry-Go-Round", you're pissed.
Yes, folks, it’s time for the Calgary Stampede!
You can eat free for a week - this is only one set of listings. Every other business in the city has a pancake breakfast, a barbecue lunch, in some cases an Alberta beef steak dinner…
This is Canada’s largest annual event and I’m such a schmuck I get a lump in my throat just thinking about the local spirit this time of year. And tense and grumpy thinking about driving in the city for the next ten days.
I remember the first year I lived in Calgary. I was on my way to work, with no idea about the Stampede and what it meant. It took about half a dozen trains for me to finally make it down to the platform that day – it was a zoo! Of course, I had no idea about the parade. As much fun as my friends to the south have celebrating the Fourth, I’ve got to tell you, Calgary goes wild for Stampede.
Two years ago, the Calgary Flames made it to the Stanley Cup final. I remember all the flags – everywhere you went, the red flag of the Flames was flying. I even remember someone calling in Scott Phillips on Country 105’s request hour and asking for Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire because Tampa was going to go down as the Flames went higher.
A reporter for Tampa Bay covering the games here said Calgary had less than half the population of Tampa Bay, but that in Calgary, of the 933,495 residents, 933,490 were Flames fans. He was amazed at the level of local enthusiasm and support for our team.
He should come back now for a visit, and he’ll see real Calgary spirit.
What are the best things about Stampede?
- You can eat free for a week, and eat well
- If you want a beer with breakfast, nobody thinks that’s odd
- For the young guys, the Buckle Bunnies are out in full force (there’s a saying here – married women give birth 9 months after New Year’s, single mom’s 9 months after… uh, never mind)
- It’s considered a crime to be at Nashville North and be sober
- The Odd Squad usually broadcast the parade, and if you’ve ever heard the Odd Squad, you don’t need me to explain how funny they are
- It’s cool to listen to country music
- There are free concerts everywhere - Nelly Furtado and Our Lady Peace take to the Coca Cola Stage, the likes of Carolyn Dawn Johnson and Scottish country star Johnny Reid take to the Nashville North stage, and - oh gee, look at who’s performing July 10 at Ranchman’s.
Now, I feel I should offer some compensation to those of you who can’t be here for Stampede. If you’re feeling teased with all this talk of parades, scantily-clad women and country music, I have the solution. You can watch the Big & Rich video for Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy) I remember when this song came out, and it remains one of the most controversial country music debuts certainly this decade, if not ever. Some people were incredibly offended. So, warning. If you don’t want to see women in short-short shorts swiveling their hips or a bit of cleavage or butt-wiggling, skip this link. If, however, you feel compelled to get into the Stampede spirit, well, that’s the link for you.
But every year the radio takes votes on what song is the best Stampede song. Popular choices? Matraca Berg’s Back in the Saddle, Gretchen Wilson’s Redneck Women and, you guessed it, Big & Rich’s Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
Important News! It’s Steve’s birthday. Steve has obviously forgotten that he is the cool one who has a birthday today, and the others are just glad to be in his company. Go wish him a good one! And thanks to me, now he knows his birthday is the event of a huge celebration in Calgary. Or, well, shares the same date as one, this year anyway...
And, because it’s Friday, jokes. First, though, a warning from JT Ellison that I felt was important enough to post:
I hate it when people forward bogus warnings, and I have even done it myself a couple times...but this one is real, and it's important.
If someone comes to your front door saying they are checking for ticks due to the warming weather and asks you to take your clothes off and dance around with your arms up, DO NOT DO IT!! IT IS A SCAM!!
They only want to see you naked...
I wish I'd gotten this yesterday.
I feel so stupid.
It’s okay JT. We all make mistakes sometimes.
Situational Awareness Scenario:
You are driving in a car at a constant speed.
On your left side is a valley and on your right side is a fire engine
traveling at the same speed as you.
In front of you is a galloping pig which is the same size as your car
and you cannot overtake it.
Behind you is a helicopter flying at ground level.
Both the giant pig and the helicopter are also traveling at the same
speed as you.
What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation?
Answer below
Answer: Get off the children's "Merry-Go-Round", you're pissed.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Like Calling a Slide Show A Television Program
We’ve all seen them – sites that make us cringe. There are websites out there that actually make me squirm just looking at them, and last weekend I visited a few that drove me nearly mad.
This started with business cards. Yes, how on earth did I manage to forget until the end of June that I hadn’t ordered business cards yet? I have my engraved business card holder, I fully intended to have cards done in time for Harrogate Crime Festival. But somehow, in between all the other things going on, it slipped my mind.
Until I was rearranging things in my office and looked at my collection of cards I received last year at Harrogate.
Well, how hard can it be? I thought. I do desktop publishing – I used to work in that. I could make my own cards if need be, although Kevin was adamant that I not.
As he said, having a card with bumpy edges because you printed off a sheet of perforated cards and handing them out says cheap.
Now, I don’t think about stuff like that, because I don’t often exchange business cards. In Mr. Business Analyst and Software Developer’s world, they think about stuff like that. I think more about card stock and design – he thinks overall appearance of quality.
So, I decided to try looking at some designs online. I had a design I’d worked out on my computer, but I didn’t know if it would be feasible.
What did I discover? That, in order to have the privilege of shopping for business cards online through the retailers here, I had to register as a customer. I had to give them personal information.
Absofuckinglutely not.
I won’t give you “my right to privacy, part 2” but this was part of what got me about our government’s planned internet surveillance bill. I’m loathe to completely knock it and be 100,000% against it until I actually see the bill. Why so level-headed, so unusually restrained, Sandra? It’s simple. I also know the media can make a zit into a brain tumor. And our media have an anti-conservative bias, which means you can’t always take what they report at face value. I went through classes on covering politics, I know the subtle ways media manipulate readers to sway political favour. So, when it comes to stuff like this, I bear that in mind.
That said, I will not give out personal information in order to just look at a product online. It’s an absolute rule for me. And in cases like this, I’m tempted to write a company a letter and tell them how bad it looks, that a potential customer can’t even look at business card designs on the website in order to decide if they might take their business there. What, exactly, is the point of the website then?
Incidentally, if you go into the stores I’m referring to, they have a book on their print center counter with all their design choices. I’m not even asking for something that doesn’t exist, but there is no point having a website where people can shop from if you don’t let people browse through your products.
They lost a sale over those websites.
Instead, I went to a place in Calgary that designs on site, and yes, it was a bit of a headache for me. I had to drive in and place the order in person. Then, the next day, I had to drive back and approve the proof.
Now I have to drive back to Calgary and pick up my cards. And believe me, three trips to the city, 45 minutes each way, give or take, depending on traffic? I can think of better ways to spend my time, not to mention the gas money.
But that’s how strongly I feel about it.
What I really wish is that people who have websites, especially business websites, would realize how ridiculous they look sometimes. I debated on whether or not to pick on some sites, and figured I may as well. I’ve got to say that if you’re selling something, you should have an indication of your product on the site, preferably the front page. I don’t have a book cover myself yet, but that’s why my front page talks about my writing. Not perfect, but it’ll do for now.
This website is one of my least favourite publisher websites. The front page officially puts the site as being about nothing. Even worse, look at how they do the author listing page.
Do you see why it bugs me? You have to go a few clicks in to even start seeing book covers that way. I have no idea what this press is about from their website.
This of it this way. You have a very limited amount of time to persuade someone to look further and be interested in your site. If I was looking to buy a book, I'd be very frustrated by this site. I don't even know what kind of books they sell.
Crap, people, remember consumers fly by and if all they see is children's books, they'll think children's books. If all they see is mysteries... get it? If you publish a variety, indicate that right off the top. I look at the author listing and book listing pages and think, "I'd have to know somebody to be looking for their book here." That is NOT a site that appeals to consumers.
On the other hand, look at Crème de la Crime. Book covers, as well as a “who we are’ right on the front page. This is much better. It actually shows me that they publish books, and I can see the quality there of the designs. I’m far more interested in going deeper and looking around at titles on a site like this.
Another site that’s not doing itself any favours. Bland front page. No graphics.
Okay, I don’t want to see cheesy graphics and artwork that has nothing to do with books on a publisher’s site either. But is this a real press or what? Then show me a book cover!
This is one of the best. Crisp, clean, easy to navigate. Looks professional. Scroll down for recently reviewed and upcoming events, getting front page prominence. That tells me they’re paying attention to what happens with the books they put out and their authors.
Here are my basic rules for websites:
Show what you’re about. There is only one flaw to this otherwise perfect site, and I bet you don’t know what it is. It has nothing to do with site design, other than search engine optimization. Otherwise, this is a great author site. Atmospheric. Crisp and clean, easy to navigate. Easy to read.
If you want people to treat you like a serious business, act and present yourself like one. Here’s one I’ll give mixed reviews. I’m not sure I care what the outside of the store looks like. The cat is the mascot, otherwise I’d be wondering wth – and 2 pictures? But I suppose if you’re physically looking for the store, an external picture would help. Still, the link list is small, the titles are long, and it doesn’t put itself off as a place to shop right away.
Don’t run ads for other businesses, especially across the top of a page. If you’re going to do it, put it down the side or something. The top of the page is what grabs the eye first, and when I have to sort through ads for someone else, I’m put off. Here’s a good example of an ezine with sponsors, placing them at the bottom of the page. It doesn’t detract from the issue or what the ezine is about.
Less is more. Don’t overcrowd your site. The site I referenced above as doing ads well? It doesn’t do text so well. It’s too small, the colours I find visually distracting.
Simply put, you can’t be all things to everyone. But know what you’re about, and design your site to reflect that. Cornelia’s site is simple, understated and very effective. The uncluttered feel allows me to focus right in on who she is, what she’s about. She doesn’t have to say “author” because she has her book cover right there.
Yeah, I know, this is reading like Sandra’s rules of web design. Something to think about, though. I had a hard time designing my website at first, because I originally designed it before I had a book deal. Then I changed the whole design in a hurry.
I’ve been thinking about redoing it for a while now. I’m still thinking. And going around to some sites that drove me nuts on the weekend has made me think even more about my website.
In fact, I might know what I’m doing instead of sleeping next week.
Okay guys, I’m sure I’m not alone. Share your website pet peeves with me!
This started with business cards. Yes, how on earth did I manage to forget until the end of June that I hadn’t ordered business cards yet? I have my engraved business card holder, I fully intended to have cards done in time for Harrogate Crime Festival. But somehow, in between all the other things going on, it slipped my mind.
Until I was rearranging things in my office and looked at my collection of cards I received last year at Harrogate.
Well, how hard can it be? I thought. I do desktop publishing – I used to work in that. I could make my own cards if need be, although Kevin was adamant that I not.
As he said, having a card with bumpy edges because you printed off a sheet of perforated cards and handing them out says cheap.
Now, I don’t think about stuff like that, because I don’t often exchange business cards. In Mr. Business Analyst and Software Developer’s world, they think about stuff like that. I think more about card stock and design – he thinks overall appearance of quality.
So, I decided to try looking at some designs online. I had a design I’d worked out on my computer, but I didn’t know if it would be feasible.
What did I discover? That, in order to have the privilege of shopping for business cards online through the retailers here, I had to register as a customer. I had to give them personal information.
Absofuckinglutely not.
I won’t give you “my right to privacy, part 2” but this was part of what got me about our government’s planned internet surveillance bill. I’m loathe to completely knock it and be 100,000% against it until I actually see the bill. Why so level-headed, so unusually restrained, Sandra? It’s simple. I also know the media can make a zit into a brain tumor. And our media have an anti-conservative bias, which means you can’t always take what they report at face value. I went through classes on covering politics, I know the subtle ways media manipulate readers to sway political favour. So, when it comes to stuff like this, I bear that in mind.
That said, I will not give out personal information in order to just look at a product online. It’s an absolute rule for me. And in cases like this, I’m tempted to write a company a letter and tell them how bad it looks, that a potential customer can’t even look at business card designs on the website in order to decide if they might take their business there. What, exactly, is the point of the website then?
Incidentally, if you go into the stores I’m referring to, they have a book on their print center counter with all their design choices. I’m not even asking for something that doesn’t exist, but there is no point having a website where people can shop from if you don’t let people browse through your products.
They lost a sale over those websites.
Instead, I went to a place in Calgary that designs on site, and yes, it was a bit of a headache for me. I had to drive in and place the order in person. Then, the next day, I had to drive back and approve the proof.
Now I have to drive back to Calgary and pick up my cards. And believe me, three trips to the city, 45 minutes each way, give or take, depending on traffic? I can think of better ways to spend my time, not to mention the gas money.
But that’s how strongly I feel about it.
What I really wish is that people who have websites, especially business websites, would realize how ridiculous they look sometimes. I debated on whether or not to pick on some sites, and figured I may as well. I’ve got to say that if you’re selling something, you should have an indication of your product on the site, preferably the front page. I don’t have a book cover myself yet, but that’s why my front page talks about my writing. Not perfect, but it’ll do for now.
This website is one of my least favourite publisher websites. The front page officially puts the site as being about nothing. Even worse, look at how they do the author listing page.
Do you see why it bugs me? You have to go a few clicks in to even start seeing book covers that way. I have no idea what this press is about from their website.
This of it this way. You have a very limited amount of time to persuade someone to look further and be interested in your site. If I was looking to buy a book, I'd be very frustrated by this site. I don't even know what kind of books they sell.
Crap, people, remember consumers fly by and if all they see is children's books, they'll think children's books. If all they see is mysteries... get it? If you publish a variety, indicate that right off the top. I look at the author listing and book listing pages and think, "I'd have to know somebody to be looking for their book here." That is NOT a site that appeals to consumers.
On the other hand, look at Crème de la Crime. Book covers, as well as a “who we are’ right on the front page. This is much better. It actually shows me that they publish books, and I can see the quality there of the designs. I’m far more interested in going deeper and looking around at titles on a site like this.
Another site that’s not doing itself any favours. Bland front page. No graphics.
Okay, I don’t want to see cheesy graphics and artwork that has nothing to do with books on a publisher’s site either. But is this a real press or what? Then show me a book cover!
This is one of the best. Crisp, clean, easy to navigate. Looks professional. Scroll down for recently reviewed and upcoming events, getting front page prominence. That tells me they’re paying attention to what happens with the books they put out and their authors.
Here are my basic rules for websites:
Show what you’re about. There is only one flaw to this otherwise perfect site, and I bet you don’t know what it is. It has nothing to do with site design, other than search engine optimization. Otherwise, this is a great author site. Atmospheric. Crisp and clean, easy to navigate. Easy to read.
If you want people to treat you like a serious business, act and present yourself like one. Here’s one I’ll give mixed reviews. I’m not sure I care what the outside of the store looks like. The cat is the mascot, otherwise I’d be wondering wth – and 2 pictures? But I suppose if you’re physically looking for the store, an external picture would help. Still, the link list is small, the titles are long, and it doesn’t put itself off as a place to shop right away.
Don’t run ads for other businesses, especially across the top of a page. If you’re going to do it, put it down the side or something. The top of the page is what grabs the eye first, and when I have to sort through ads for someone else, I’m put off. Here’s a good example of an ezine with sponsors, placing them at the bottom of the page. It doesn’t detract from the issue or what the ezine is about.
Less is more. Don’t overcrowd your site. The site I referenced above as doing ads well? It doesn’t do text so well. It’s too small, the colours I find visually distracting.
Simply put, you can’t be all things to everyone. But know what you’re about, and design your site to reflect that. Cornelia’s site is simple, understated and very effective. The uncluttered feel allows me to focus right in on who she is, what she’s about. She doesn’t have to say “author” because she has her book cover right there.
Yeah, I know, this is reading like Sandra’s rules of web design. Something to think about, though. I had a hard time designing my website at first, because I originally designed it before I had a book deal. Then I changed the whole design in a hurry.
I’ve been thinking about redoing it for a while now. I’m still thinking. And going around to some sites that drove me nuts on the weekend has made me think even more about my website.
In fact, I might know what I’m doing instead of sleeping next week.
Okay guys, I’m sure I’m not alone. Share your website pet peeves with me!
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Up Close & Personal
...with Killer Year member Bill Cameron over at Julia Buckley's blog!
Courtesy of Animal.
Courtesy of Animal.
You Are Scooter |
 Brainy and knowledgable, you are the perfect sidekick. You're always willing to lend a helping hand. In any big event or party, you're the one who keeps things going. "15 seconds to showtime!" |
Questions Questions
Sometimes, people don’t really want answers for their questions. What they want is to know that, by posing those questions, they aren’t alone in their confusion.
It’s like the classic questions. Why does God allow good people to suffer? Why is this happening to me? It’s one thing if your theology or philosophy professor poses such a question in class. Having a friend ask it in the middle of a crisis is quite another.
I was thinking about questions last night, working on my Killer Year Blog Post. Again, not the original thing I planned to blog on. Instead, the thing that was weighing on my mind at the time.
I received a letter that was, essentially, a long list of those heavy questions. And the person had every reason to ask those questions.
It got me thinking about how, sometimes, people don’t want answers. What they want is to be heard. One of things that makes a real friend is that they don’t try to fix everything by giving you those answers.
They give you a shoulder, and they give you an ear.
In my own experience, there are some things that only time can address. Not because time is the solution, but because it takes time for us to work through it in our minds.
There aren’t magic formulas, say these five things and everything will be better. Yes, we want to fix problems for people we care about. And there will be times when they’re faced with something that we can help them solve.
But in the real, deep problems of life, most of the time there’s only one thing that matters. Knowing that no matter what, you’re there for them.
This is the heavy side of my thoughts. My Killer Year post is a much lighter look at the subject of questions, and answers.
It’s like the classic questions. Why does God allow good people to suffer? Why is this happening to me? It’s one thing if your theology or philosophy professor poses such a question in class. Having a friend ask it in the middle of a crisis is quite another.
I was thinking about questions last night, working on my Killer Year Blog Post. Again, not the original thing I planned to blog on. Instead, the thing that was weighing on my mind at the time.
I received a letter that was, essentially, a long list of those heavy questions. And the person had every reason to ask those questions.
It got me thinking about how, sometimes, people don’t want answers. What they want is to be heard. One of things that makes a real friend is that they don’t try to fix everything by giving you those answers.
They give you a shoulder, and they give you an ear.
In my own experience, there are some things that only time can address. Not because time is the solution, but because it takes time for us to work through it in our minds.
There aren’t magic formulas, say these five things and everything will be better. Yes, we want to fix problems for people we care about. And there will be times when they’re faced with something that we can help them solve.
But in the real, deep problems of life, most of the time there’s only one thing that matters. Knowing that no matter what, you’re there for them.
This is the heavy side of my thoughts. My Killer Year post is a much lighter look at the subject of questions, and answers.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
Why I can’t read John Rickards’ blog anymore
All indications are that our government is going to revive an internet surveillance bill to make sure Canadians are behaving online.
I want to be all bold on this, and say I’ll fight to the end, what do I care if the government knows I’m reading about horsefucking and Hardboiled Jesus? Except I live in Alberta, surrounded by farmers and the morally invested religious types. And the farmers have sharp pitchforks. Why do you think I shoot off my mouth on the blog? It jest ain’t proper for no wimmenfolk to be talkin’ ‘bout stuff they don’t understand, ne’er mind such unwholesome things.
Okay okay, I’m not serious. Well, I do live in Alberta. I am surrounded by farms. And Alberta is known for its right-wing politics, but that really has nothing to do with this.
What I can’t figure out is how I feel about this potential law, to be honest with you. Maybe it’s a bizarre coincidence that I’m putting this up today instead of yesterday, a day when all my friends to the south are celebrating independence, freedom, and I’m not sure how to feel about losing the luxury of anonymously surfing the web.
You’ll note, if you look at the article, that Bell Sympatico has already started monitoring the activities of their customers. We’ve received no such notification from our provider, but I suppose the time is coming.
I know it would be easy to climb on the moral high horse and equate this activity with the government reading my mail. It’s no different than them following me store to store and listing which books I buy or rigging my TV so they can see what channels I watch. And that is disturbing in a “Fahrenheit 451” way. The more power the government has, the more dangerous it is. One may say right now, “But I like my prime minister and I voted conservative, so it’s okay.” But once the laws will be in effect when the next prime minister takes office, and what if it’s the marijuana party? Okay, highly unlikely, but you get the point. If the bill passes, it’s there for all future governments to use. And what if, some day, the government isn’t one you trust? For some of you, that might be right now. Certainly when politicians who have strong corporate interests get into power, I’m not happy to think of them using a bill like this potentially to gain data they might abuse for their side businesses. I consider that to be a real potential problem.
On the other hand, we’ve got children being exploited through child porn. We’ve got vultures luring children off the internet. We’ve got those insidious spammers and hackers who try to break in to any computer they can – I’d love to see something done to them.
I think my fear centers around the idea that people might accept this bill, thinking about these things. Believing in the potential good. Believing that pedophiles and terrorists will be the targets. They want to see the spread of terrorist ideologies online stopped. And who can blame them?
Yet, as it’s been pointed out, recent arrests of terrorist suspects in Canada prove that the current laws provide a sufficient window to target those crimes.
Without encroaching on the rights of all other Canadians.
Hmmm. See, I’m still not 100% on either side of the fence. I have a feeling I should be jumping down on the opposition side, though.
In fact, I recently switched banks. After more than 11 years with the Royal Bank, I took out an account at the credit union. Now, I shouldn’t say I “switched”. We didn’t cancel the Royal Bank account. It’s set up for too much stuff.
So, why get the other bank account? It’s simple. The Royal Bank started requiring that you register all of your bills in order to pay them through the bank.
No fucking way. Uh uh. They do it for the altruistic purpose of keeping your business there, because it’s convenient to go to one bank and pay all of those bills. I balked as soon as I saw it.
It isn’t the first time this has happened. Kevin still has a CIBC bank account, from his single days, that I have no access to. He used to pay his bills there. Then they required all bills be registered.
My Royal Bank account existed before we got married. I added Kevin to it, so he has access (if I let him have the bank card). Once the CIBC required bill registration, I started paying his bills.
It’s simple. Kevin’s worked at too many businesses for us to be ignorant of this. Once they have that information stored, it becomes a privacy issue, one that concerns me beyond just the manipulation involved in pressuring us to keep our business with them.
So, we lean well on the side of liking our privacy. It isn’t even that I’ve got deep, dark secrets to hide.
And yet, I research some pretty bizarre stuff online. As does Kevin. Between his fire investigation stuff (for which he actually needs to know how using gasoline to set a fire versus other substances affects the burn patterns) and my criminal investigation stuff, we could come under some serious scrutiny. Sandra types in google “Body decomposition 7 days in water rape kit results” and follows that up with something else, like “lure children through internet” and I wouldn’t be surprised to get a knock on my door. This is all stuff I have done searches on, or related to, as well.
More and more, it seems we walk a fine line, between respecting freedoms and stopping those who would abuse them to harm others. Ultimately, I have nothing to fear, because I’m not a criminal. And if they think my internet activity is suspicious, they should see my library.
But I’m still not feeling too comfortable about this.
Of course, I’m not serious about not reading John’s blog anymore. But I think the idea - if your neighbours knew what you were reading about online, would you be embarrassed? – is enough to show that even us normal people have reasons to be concerned about how some of our online activities might be interpreted.
This coming from a member of a group called Killer Year.
Happy Fourth of July to my friends to the south.
And welcome back to work to my friends here who’ve just had their long weekend.
I want to be all bold on this, and say I’ll fight to the end, what do I care if the government knows I’m reading about horsefucking and Hardboiled Jesus? Except I live in Alberta, surrounded by farmers and the morally invested religious types. And the farmers have sharp pitchforks. Why do you think I shoot off my mouth on the blog? It jest ain’t proper for no wimmenfolk to be talkin’ ‘bout stuff they don’t understand, ne’er mind such unwholesome things.
Okay okay, I’m not serious. Well, I do live in Alberta. I am surrounded by farms. And Alberta is known for its right-wing politics, but that really has nothing to do with this.
What I can’t figure out is how I feel about this potential law, to be honest with you. Maybe it’s a bizarre coincidence that I’m putting this up today instead of yesterday, a day when all my friends to the south are celebrating independence, freedom, and I’m not sure how to feel about losing the luxury of anonymously surfing the web.
You’ll note, if you look at the article, that Bell Sympatico has already started monitoring the activities of their customers. We’ve received no such notification from our provider, but I suppose the time is coming.
I know it would be easy to climb on the moral high horse and equate this activity with the government reading my mail. It’s no different than them following me store to store and listing which books I buy or rigging my TV so they can see what channels I watch. And that is disturbing in a “Fahrenheit 451” way. The more power the government has, the more dangerous it is. One may say right now, “But I like my prime minister and I voted conservative, so it’s okay.” But once the laws will be in effect when the next prime minister takes office, and what if it’s the marijuana party? Okay, highly unlikely, but you get the point. If the bill passes, it’s there for all future governments to use. And what if, some day, the government isn’t one you trust? For some of you, that might be right now. Certainly when politicians who have strong corporate interests get into power, I’m not happy to think of them using a bill like this potentially to gain data they might abuse for their side businesses. I consider that to be a real potential problem.
On the other hand, we’ve got children being exploited through child porn. We’ve got vultures luring children off the internet. We’ve got those insidious spammers and hackers who try to break in to any computer they can – I’d love to see something done to them.
I think my fear centers around the idea that people might accept this bill, thinking about these things. Believing in the potential good. Believing that pedophiles and terrorists will be the targets. They want to see the spread of terrorist ideologies online stopped. And who can blame them?
Yet, as it’s been pointed out, recent arrests of terrorist suspects in Canada prove that the current laws provide a sufficient window to target those crimes.
Without encroaching on the rights of all other Canadians.
Hmmm. See, I’m still not 100% on either side of the fence. I have a feeling I should be jumping down on the opposition side, though.
In fact, I recently switched banks. After more than 11 years with the Royal Bank, I took out an account at the credit union. Now, I shouldn’t say I “switched”. We didn’t cancel the Royal Bank account. It’s set up for too much stuff.
So, why get the other bank account? It’s simple. The Royal Bank started requiring that you register all of your bills in order to pay them through the bank.
No fucking way. Uh uh. They do it for the altruistic purpose of keeping your business there, because it’s convenient to go to one bank and pay all of those bills. I balked as soon as I saw it.
It isn’t the first time this has happened. Kevin still has a CIBC bank account, from his single days, that I have no access to. He used to pay his bills there. Then they required all bills be registered.
My Royal Bank account existed before we got married. I added Kevin to it, so he has access (if I let him have the bank card). Once the CIBC required bill registration, I started paying his bills.
It’s simple. Kevin’s worked at too many businesses for us to be ignorant of this. Once they have that information stored, it becomes a privacy issue, one that concerns me beyond just the manipulation involved in pressuring us to keep our business with them.
So, we lean well on the side of liking our privacy. It isn’t even that I’ve got deep, dark secrets to hide.
And yet, I research some pretty bizarre stuff online. As does Kevin. Between his fire investigation stuff (for which he actually needs to know how using gasoline to set a fire versus other substances affects the burn patterns) and my criminal investigation stuff, we could come under some serious scrutiny. Sandra types in google “Body decomposition 7 days in water rape kit results” and follows that up with something else, like “lure children through internet” and I wouldn’t be surprised to get a knock on my door. This is all stuff I have done searches on, or related to, as well.
More and more, it seems we walk a fine line, between respecting freedoms and stopping those who would abuse them to harm others. Ultimately, I have nothing to fear, because I’m not a criminal. And if they think my internet activity is suspicious, they should see my library.
But I’m still not feeling too comfortable about this.
Of course, I’m not serious about not reading John’s blog anymore. But I think the idea - if your neighbours knew what you were reading about online, would you be embarrassed? – is enough to show that even us normal people have reasons to be concerned about how some of our online activities might be interpreted.
This coming from a member of a group called Killer Year.
Happy Fourth of July to my friends to the south.
And welcome back to work to my friends here who’ve just had their long weekend.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Powerless
And here I was, all set with my post titled, "Why I can't read John Rickards' blog anymore" when through the early morning stillness there was a loud pop outside.
And my backup power supply started beeping, so I shut the computer off.
Yes, a good, solid 4 hours without power on our side of town. Have you ever heard that things happen in threes? My sister told me that when I was a kid. I believe it was right after I partially severed my foot. The year before, I'd been hit by a car while riding my bike and I landed on my head (hence the scar on my head, James!) and this was 2 years in a row.
The cycle was completed the next year when I fell down a waterfall. Have I ever mentioned I'm a walking disaster? Well, I certainly was a very clutsy kid. I had a hard enough time walking on my own two feet - I knew modeling, wearing those tiny shoes with astronomical heels was never in my future. Not that I have the body for it anyway. I love food.
Anyway, I figure this completes our trio of bizarrities. First, the water. Second, the huge fire. Today, a major power outage.
Tomorrow, there will be peace and calm and all will be right with the world... Right?!!!
The good news is, I have my plane ticket. I have my insurance. I have some British pounds, which will probably be easier to get rid of than standard Canadian pounds, which seem to cling to you forever. And I took a couple snaps of the piles of charred rubble that they've already started bulldozing from the fire.
Another movie. This time, Syriana. Not a happy-go-lucky story. The kind that makes you sad and angry and leaves you mad at the world. Really enjoyed it, it wouldn't be for everyone (I think if you like international politics and conspiracy stuff, you'll enjoy this) and can I just say that Alexander Siddig is awesome? I don't know what it is - there's something about him that's just so damn likeable, to me anyway. But then, I loved Deep Space Nine.
And what's keeping me up at night? Or should I say, who? John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet. This is a great read. Despite the fact that the book is set in Taranna.
Something to think about.
And my friend, fellow author Julia Buckley has been interviewed by Lonnie Cruse!
As for why I can't read Rickards' blog anymore... maybe I'll fill you in tomorrow.
And my backup power supply started beeping, so I shut the computer off.
Yes, a good, solid 4 hours without power on our side of town. Have you ever heard that things happen in threes? My sister told me that when I was a kid. I believe it was right after I partially severed my foot. The year before, I'd been hit by a car while riding my bike and I landed on my head (hence the scar on my head, James!) and this was 2 years in a row.
The cycle was completed the next year when I fell down a waterfall. Have I ever mentioned I'm a walking disaster? Well, I certainly was a very clutsy kid. I had a hard enough time walking on my own two feet - I knew modeling, wearing those tiny shoes with astronomical heels was never in my future. Not that I have the body for it anyway. I love food.
Anyway, I figure this completes our trio of bizarrities. First, the water. Second, the huge fire. Today, a major power outage.
Tomorrow, there will be peace and calm and all will be right with the world... Right?!!!
The good news is, I have my plane ticket. I have my insurance. I have some British pounds, which will probably be easier to get rid of than standard Canadian pounds, which seem to cling to you forever. And I took a couple snaps of the piles of charred rubble that they've already started bulldozing from the fire.
Another movie. This time, Syriana. Not a happy-go-lucky story. The kind that makes you sad and angry and leaves you mad at the world. Really enjoyed it, it wouldn't be for everyone (I think if you like international politics and conspiracy stuff, you'll enjoy this) and can I just say that Alexander Siddig is awesome? I don't know what it is - there's something about him that's just so damn likeable, to me anyway. But then, I loved Deep Space Nine.
And what's keeping me up at night? Or should I say, who? John McFetridge, author of Dirty Sweet. This is a great read. Despite the fact that the book is set in Taranna.
Something to think about.
And my friend, fellow author Julia Buckley has been interviewed by Lonnie Cruse!
As for why I can't read Rickards' blog anymore... maybe I'll fill you in tomorrow.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Update: A bizarre series of coincidences
I can't explain the incidents that led up to it, but lets just say that the fire Kevin's department ended up fighting wasn't the one they were originally called for.
It was much, much worse.
I was outside doing yard work when a teen rode by on his bicycle. He started talking to me and then asked if I'd heard about the fire. What fire? I was thinking. The guys were called out of town.
This business, he tells me. Over by the campground. (Read: other side of town) They heard some explosions, were woken up by it.
I went over to take a look. Pretty bad for the business. Kevin's out with the arson investigators at the moment, sifting through the debris, so I didn't see him. But everyone's okay, nobody was in the building.
I'm relieved, and I'm going back over in an hour to see if they want lunch.
It was much, much worse.
I was outside doing yard work when a teen rode by on his bicycle. He started talking to me and then asked if I'd heard about the fire. What fire? I was thinking. The guys were called out of town.
This business, he tells me. Over by the campground. (Read: other side of town) They heard some explosions, were woken up by it.
I went over to take a look. Pretty bad for the business. Kevin's out with the arson investigators at the moment, sifting through the debris, so I didn't see him. But everyone's okay, nobody was in the building.
I'm relieved, and I'm going back over in an hour to see if they want lunch.
Letting Unfounded Fears Prove You An Idiot
I joined the fire department. It damn well feels like it, anyway. Okay, so my commitment isn't nearly as obvious as Kevin's, but I'm a grumpy bear this morning, puttering around after not enough sleep, wondering if he's alive or dead.
I know, I know. Don't be so fucking melodramatic, Sandra.
I was sitting in this very room, right here yesterday, when a call came in. Kevin had been outside, so all I heard was him run in for something off the table and the closing tones (which meant there was a call) and he was gone.
Not for all that long, though. Want to know what he was doing? You can read a bit about it. This is the call, and (Kevin's so pleased with himself) he got to land STARS. I've never directed in an emergency helicopter, so it sounds impressive.
We were in a dead sleep when the tones went off, just after 1 am. The radio being right by where my head was (we have a bookshelf headboard so Kevin always puts it there) I heard the call this time. Vehicle fire.
I remember thinking that shouldn't take that long to deal with.
Unless, of course, it was a trucker with gasoline or something.
So, this morning, it being after 8 am, still no word, I started checking the news to see if there was a report of the fire, which is when I found the report of yesterday's skydiving incident. Have I ever mentioned we live right by an airport where people skydive?
Usually, when the guys get called out, it isn't so pretty.
I guess that's me, back to wondering. I hate being a worry-wart, but it's hard not to. Anybody got a moment when they let unfounded fears get the better of them and felt like an idiot later? I could sure use a story like that.
I know, I know. Don't be so fucking melodramatic, Sandra.
I was sitting in this very room, right here yesterday, when a call came in. Kevin had been outside, so all I heard was him run in for something off the table and the closing tones (which meant there was a call) and he was gone.
Not for all that long, though. Want to know what he was doing? You can read a bit about it. This is the call, and (Kevin's so pleased with himself) he got to land STARS. I've never directed in an emergency helicopter, so it sounds impressive.
We were in a dead sleep when the tones went off, just after 1 am. The radio being right by where my head was (we have a bookshelf headboard so Kevin always puts it there) I heard the call this time. Vehicle fire.
I remember thinking that shouldn't take that long to deal with.
Unless, of course, it was a trucker with gasoline or something.
So, this morning, it being after 8 am, still no word, I started checking the news to see if there was a report of the fire, which is when I found the report of yesterday's skydiving incident. Have I ever mentioned we live right by an airport where people skydive?
Usually, when the guys get called out, it isn't so pretty.
I guess that's me, back to wondering. I hate being a worry-wart, but it's hard not to. Anybody got a moment when they let unfounded fears get the better of them and felt like an idiot later? I could sure use a story like that.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Oh Canada! Yep, it's our National Holiday.
Merci à mon ami Forrest, en l'honneur du jour du Canada, je peux vous dire si vous ne le voyiez pas ici la première fois, pour aller montrebest beer commercial ever. Celui qui apporte une larme à l'oeil de chaque Canadien...
Right, I cheated and used Babelfish. If you think it's important, you can reverse translate it.
At least I'm not putting the quiz answers up in French!
Thanks to Tom Brodbeck’s column I can share this Canada quiz.
1. Where did the first European settlers in Canada come from?
Aboriginal people were the first ones here, but the first European settlers came from France. There were many Europeans who came before that, including Italian explorer John Cabot in 1497. But it was the French who settled permanently in Canada in the 1600s. (I could be really naughty and say I’d want to leave France too…)
Vive le Canada!
2. Who were the United Empire Loyalists?
Those were the folks who didn't want to live in the United States anymore during and after the American Revolution (1775-1783). So they came to the Great White North. Many settled in the Atlantic region. They went on to form the Liberal Party of Canada (kidding).
(I’m really made about that Liberal Party crack. Because the Ruttan’s were UEL. And by the way, when you have lineage from a Loyalist, you can apply to have the designation UEL put behind your name. Just that most Canadians don’t know what it means. But technically, I could be Sandra M. Ruttan, UEL. Wouldn’t want Kevin to feel inferior, though.)
3. When did the British North America Act come into effect?
I guess it's tough to answer this one when you DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE BNA IS. It's the act that officially created Canada, which came into effect July 1, 1867. Canada Day. Right. Now it's all coming together.
4. Which four provinces first formed Confederation?
A lot of people got this one right. It was Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and a very reluctant Nova Scotia.
5. What part of the Constitution legally protects the basic rights and freedoms of all Canadians?
That would be the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the one that got Maggie Trudeau off her drunk driving charge. (Bet it wouldn’t work for me. Not being a Trudeau.)
6. Which province is the only officially bilingual province?
No, it's not Manitoba. The Government of Manitoba is obliged to provide a number of services in both official languages. But it's not an officially bilingual province. And it's not Quebec. It's definitely not Quebec.
It's New Brunswick -- that charming little province where about a third of people live and work in French.
(Love New Brunswick. The photo on Spinetingler? I took that on Belle Isle Bay in New Brunswick. Doesn’t look like that in colour, though.)
7. What are the three main groups of aboriginal peoples?
Very few people got this one right. The three main groups are First Nations, the Metis and the Inuit. Need a little more work in the public school system on that one.
8. What is the tower in the centre of the Parliament Buildings called?
It's called the Peace Tower. You really should know that.
9. What is the population of Canada?
It's about 31 million people. One sharp cookie said six billion. That would be closer to the global population, Einstein.
10. Where does the name "Canada" come from?
It comes from the Huron-Iroquois word "Kanata," which means "village" or "settlement." Jacques Cartier popularized the word among Europeans. Please don't ask who Jacques Cartier is.
11. Who is Canada's head of state?
No, it's not Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It's Liz. Queen Elizabeth II. She's the formal head of state in Canada. Fortunately, she has no power whatsoever.
12. Why is the Constitution Act 1982 important in Canadian history?
That's the year we severed our last ties with the British Parliament. Until 1982, changes to Canada's constitution had to be approved by the British Parliament. Canada also got the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.
So, there you have it, blogging friends. A bit more knowledge of Canada. But ONE QUESTION for you guys:
Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister>
If James and Stuart don’t know, they should be ashamed of themselves. Call themselves Scots…
And in honour of the day, some of my favourite Canada pictures.
There’s supposed to be a new post up at Killer Year, live from Thrillerfest but it isn’t there yet. Though some were emailing at 3 am, so they’re probably still asleep. I’m really tempted to call Brett’s cell right about now…
Bank of British North America in the Yukon, Igloo Church in Inuvik
Flying to Tuktoyaktuk (you can see a Pingo)
The official marker of the Arctic Circle on the Dempster Highway
The Midnight Sun in Inuvik
Along the Dempster Highway
The unaltered picture on Belle Isle Bay
Managed to get a photo of Stuart after all
Right, I cheated and used Babelfish. If you think it's important, you can reverse translate it.
At least I'm not putting the quiz answers up in French!
Thanks to Tom Brodbeck’s column I can share this Canada quiz.
1. Where did the first European settlers in Canada come from?
Aboriginal people were the first ones here, but the first European settlers came from France. There were many Europeans who came before that, including Italian explorer John Cabot in 1497. But it was the French who settled permanently in Canada in the 1600s. (I could be really naughty and say I’d want to leave France too…)
Vive le Canada!
2. Who were the United Empire Loyalists?
Those were the folks who didn't want to live in the United States anymore during and after the American Revolution (1775-1783). So they came to the Great White North. Many settled in the Atlantic region. They went on to form the Liberal Party of Canada (kidding).
(I’m really made about that Liberal Party crack. Because the Ruttan’s were UEL. And by the way, when you have lineage from a Loyalist, you can apply to have the designation UEL put behind your name. Just that most Canadians don’t know what it means. But technically, I could be Sandra M. Ruttan, UEL. Wouldn’t want Kevin to feel inferior, though.)
3. When did the British North America Act come into effect?
I guess it's tough to answer this one when you DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE BNA IS. It's the act that officially created Canada, which came into effect July 1, 1867. Canada Day. Right. Now it's all coming together.
4. Which four provinces first formed Confederation?
A lot of people got this one right. It was Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and a very reluctant Nova Scotia.
5. What part of the Constitution legally protects the basic rights and freedoms of all Canadians?
That would be the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the one that got Maggie Trudeau off her drunk driving charge. (Bet it wouldn’t work for me. Not being a Trudeau.)
6. Which province is the only officially bilingual province?
No, it's not Manitoba. The Government of Manitoba is obliged to provide a number of services in both official languages. But it's not an officially bilingual province. And it's not Quebec. It's definitely not Quebec.
It's New Brunswick -- that charming little province where about a third of people live and work in French.
(Love New Brunswick. The photo on Spinetingler? I took that on Belle Isle Bay in New Brunswick. Doesn’t look like that in colour, though.)
7. What are the three main groups of aboriginal peoples?
Very few people got this one right. The three main groups are First Nations, the Metis and the Inuit. Need a little more work in the public school system on that one.
8. What is the tower in the centre of the Parliament Buildings called?
It's called the Peace Tower. You really should know that.
9. What is the population of Canada?
It's about 31 million people. One sharp cookie said six billion. That would be closer to the global population, Einstein.
10. Where does the name "Canada" come from?
It comes from the Huron-Iroquois word "Kanata," which means "village" or "settlement." Jacques Cartier popularized the word among Europeans. Please don't ask who Jacques Cartier is.
11. Who is Canada's head of state?
No, it's not Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It's Liz. Queen Elizabeth II. She's the formal head of state in Canada. Fortunately, she has no power whatsoever.
12. Why is the Constitution Act 1982 important in Canadian history?
That's the year we severed our last ties with the British Parliament. Until 1982, changes to Canada's constitution had to be approved by the British Parliament. Canada also got the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982.
So, there you have it, blogging friends. A bit more knowledge of Canada. But ONE QUESTION for you guys:
Who was Canada’s first Prime Minister>
If James and Stuart don’t know, they should be ashamed of themselves. Call themselves Scots…
And in honour of the day, some of my favourite Canada pictures.
There’s supposed to be a new post up at Killer Year, live from Thrillerfest but it isn’t there yet. Though some were emailing at 3 am, so they’re probably still asleep. I’m really tempted to call Brett’s cell right about now…
Bank of British North America in the Yukon, Igloo Church in Inuvik
Flying to Tuktoyaktuk (you can see a Pingo)
The official marker of the Arctic Circle on the Dempster Highway
The Midnight Sun in Inuvik
Along the Dempster Highway
The unaltered picture on Belle Isle Bay
Managed to get a photo of Stuart after all
Friday, June 30, 2006
Okay, this just in...
... From the CWA Dagger Awards:
"We got to mingle with the great and the good of the crime world - top literary agent Jane Gregory, Natasha Cooper, Simon Kernick, and we even had a bit of a dance with the kilt twirling Stuart MacBride!"
Wonder if Stuart will wear the kilt to Harrogate?
And does ANYONE have a picture?
"We got to mingle with the great and the good of the crime world - top literary agent Jane Gregory, Natasha Cooper, Simon Kernick, and we even had a bit of a dance with the kilt twirling Stuart MacBride!"
Wonder if Stuart will wear the kilt to Harrogate?
And does ANYONE have a picture?
A Matter of Perspective
I was reading in the bath when my first call from Thrillerfest came in. *Not a report, but an inquiry into the marital status of certain attendees.* (see below)
Which did make me wonder just what was going on at the opening party! But, setting that aside, I had a chance to chat to a few people who previously had only been names on posts and emails.
It was during that exchange that I griped about how hot it’s been here – around 90F.
They laughed at me.
Okay, okay, so it’s much hotter in Arizona. Step outside and evaporate. But for Alberta, it’s pretty damn hot. Every animal in this house is trying to stretch out in front of a fan or find a spot of concrete in the unfinished part of the basement.
We’ve been setting temperature records, people!
It isn’t as hot as it is some places in the world, even some places I’ve been. A woman was telling me the other day she’s going to Costa Rica, the Pacific side. Just thinking about it made my body temperature elevate five degrees. Not to mention the heat we experienced in Bali, but again, another story.
Recently, I saw someone make a remark about an author. Their complaint was that the books were filled with what they called “padding”. They gave examples of the dead-end pursuits of the investigations that didn’t pan out during the course of the book.
I wanted to respond to the person, but I couldn’t find the words to express what I thought. Not without being snippy.
Then Linda L. Richards said, “One reader's padding is another's exquisite detail.”
So diplomatic, so well said. And it sums up how I feel about broad-judgment statements about books.
This is why when I review books, I try to evaluate them based on what they are, rather than what they aren’t. If the book is dark, I don’t get upset about a little blood being spilt. If it’s a cozy, I wouldn’t expect that.
It would be like watching The Lord of the Rings and saying, “Not bad, but they used magic, and that just threw the whole thing off for me. It’s so unrealistic.”
Duh.
Last night, we watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Again, no spoilers.
But what a movie. This movie wasn’t the kind of ‘heavy dark’ that Frailty was. It wasn’t light comic fun either. But a blend of the two. A very entertaining movie that I actually wanted to watch the dvd extras for afterward, because it was so well done.
So, two movies this week. Both very different in tone. But both were great.
I’ve been trying to get a good picture of Buttons and Simon together, and this isn’t it. But if you look at their faces, you can see the similarity of the markings. Simon is practically a clone!
And sorry for the brief post, but I’ve been wiped out. Hopefully, my schedule will level off next week.
* did I say my first call? This might not be entirely true. But you should see the look on my husband's face when men call for me. Thrillerfest: a few hundred bucks. Plane fare: another few hundred bucks. Food: not much money. Alcohol: several hundred dollars. The look on Kevin's face when men phone me? Priceless.
Which did make me wonder just what was going on at the opening party! But, setting that aside, I had a chance to chat to a few people who previously had only been names on posts and emails.
It was during that exchange that I griped about how hot it’s been here – around 90F.
They laughed at me.
Okay, okay, so it’s much hotter in Arizona. Step outside and evaporate. But for Alberta, it’s pretty damn hot. Every animal in this house is trying to stretch out in front of a fan or find a spot of concrete in the unfinished part of the basement.
We’ve been setting temperature records, people!
It isn’t as hot as it is some places in the world, even some places I’ve been. A woman was telling me the other day she’s going to Costa Rica, the Pacific side. Just thinking about it made my body temperature elevate five degrees. Not to mention the heat we experienced in Bali, but again, another story.
Recently, I saw someone make a remark about an author. Their complaint was that the books were filled with what they called “padding”. They gave examples of the dead-end pursuits of the investigations that didn’t pan out during the course of the book.
I wanted to respond to the person, but I couldn’t find the words to express what I thought. Not without being snippy.
Then Linda L. Richards said, “One reader's padding is another's exquisite detail.”
So diplomatic, so well said. And it sums up how I feel about broad-judgment statements about books.
This is why when I review books, I try to evaluate them based on what they are, rather than what they aren’t. If the book is dark, I don’t get upset about a little blood being spilt. If it’s a cozy, I wouldn’t expect that.
It would be like watching The Lord of the Rings and saying, “Not bad, but they used magic, and that just threw the whole thing off for me. It’s so unrealistic.”
Duh.
Last night, we watched Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Again, no spoilers.
But what a movie. This movie wasn’t the kind of ‘heavy dark’ that Frailty was. It wasn’t light comic fun either. But a blend of the two. A very entertaining movie that I actually wanted to watch the dvd extras for afterward, because it was so well done.
So, two movies this week. Both very different in tone. But both were great.
I’ve been trying to get a good picture of Buttons and Simon together, and this isn’t it. But if you look at their faces, you can see the similarity of the markings. Simon is practically a clone!
And sorry for the brief post, but I’ve been wiped out. Hopefully, my schedule will level off next week.
* did I say my first call? This might not be entirely true. But you should see the look on my husband's face when men call for me. Thrillerfest: a few hundred bucks. Plane fare: another few hundred bucks. Food: not much money. Alcohol: several hundred dollars. The look on Kevin's face when men phone me? Priceless.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
It Isn’t Murder If You’re Destroying Demons
My husband has a knack for finding movies./shows he thinks I’ll enjoy and tracking them down. Even if it means ordering it in from the US or elsewhere. We have a region-free dvd player, so some of our sets have come over from Hong Kong, Indonesia…
The other night, I took a rare few hours for TV, to watch Frailty. I don’t even remember hearing about this movie, but I really enjoyed it.
Now, I don’t want to give stuff about the movie away, in case anyone out there hasn’t seen it but thinks they might. What I will say is this. Although my crime-writing mind was trying to guess ahead at the potential twists that might be coming up (and therefore did come up with a few of the correct possibilities) the twists were so well executed it was a treat. Ultimately, I didn’t guess the final twist, some of the things that went through my mind I discounted for very logical reasons, but there was more I didn’t know that then turned everything around.
So, all in all, a movie that I not only really enjoyed watching (except for the parts where I closed by eyes or winced) but a movie I would recommend to those who like what I’d call a psychological thriller.
It’s interesting to mention this kind of movie, in light of the discussion surrounding violence in art that my post at Killer Year yesterday generated. There continue to be new comments on the topic, and a lot of the posters have put as much thought into sharing their insights as I did with my initial assessment of the subject.
I can maintain with my head that if someone commits a crime, I’m not responsible, even if they copy something I’d written. However, my heart has a harder time separating myself from the blame.
I don’t think it’s bad. I think that this is what keeps us human – that sense of concern for the impact our actions may or may not have. To question yourself doesn’t make you accountable, but it keeps you from being reckless and irresponsible with your actions.
So it’s not a bad thing.
Switching gears to something of a much different nature, A Quiet Night At Home by K. Robert Einarson proves an interesting follow-up to his story, Predator, on Flashing in the Gutters. I think my husband’s getting addicted to flashing.
Ever wish you were an Oscar Meyer Weiner? JT Ellison muses on the Killer Year blog.
What action hero would you be? Courtesy of Gabriele.
Russel - named for the birthday boy himself. Happy Birthday Russel!
Simon
Stuart and Rebus
Rebus and Stuart
Universal Symbol Of Marriage Approved
The other night, I took a rare few hours for TV, to watch Frailty. I don’t even remember hearing about this movie, but I really enjoyed it.
Now, I don’t want to give stuff about the movie away, in case anyone out there hasn’t seen it but thinks they might. What I will say is this. Although my crime-writing mind was trying to guess ahead at the potential twists that might be coming up (and therefore did come up with a few of the correct possibilities) the twists were so well executed it was a treat. Ultimately, I didn’t guess the final twist, some of the things that went through my mind I discounted for very logical reasons, but there was more I didn’t know that then turned everything around.
So, all in all, a movie that I not only really enjoyed watching (except for the parts where I closed by eyes or winced) but a movie I would recommend to those who like what I’d call a psychological thriller.
It’s interesting to mention this kind of movie, in light of the discussion surrounding violence in art that my post at Killer Year yesterday generated. There continue to be new comments on the topic, and a lot of the posters have put as much thought into sharing their insights as I did with my initial assessment of the subject.
I can maintain with my head that if someone commits a crime, I’m not responsible, even if they copy something I’d written. However, my heart has a harder time separating myself from the blame.
I don’t think it’s bad. I think that this is what keeps us human – that sense of concern for the impact our actions may or may not have. To question yourself doesn’t make you accountable, but it keeps you from being reckless and irresponsible with your actions.
So it’s not a bad thing.
Switching gears to something of a much different nature, A Quiet Night At Home by K. Robert Einarson proves an interesting follow-up to his story, Predator, on Flashing in the Gutters. I think my husband’s getting addicted to flashing.
Ever wish you were an Oscar Meyer Weiner? JT Ellison muses on the Killer Year blog.
What action hero would you be? Courtesy of Gabriele.
 | You scored as Neo, the "One". Neo is the computer hacker-turned-Messiah of the Matrix. He leads a small group of human rebels against the technology that controls them. Neo doubts his ability to lead but doesn't want to disappoint his friends. His goal is for a world where all men know the Truth and are free from the bonds of the Matrix.
Which Action Hero Would You Be? v. 2.0 created with QuizFarm.com |
Russel - named for the birthday boy himself. Happy Birthday Russel!
Simon
Stuart and Rebus
Rebus and Stuart
Universal Symbol Of Marriage Approved
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Being a bit obtuse...
I didn't put up the plea for all Americans to call their congressmen in support of crime lab funding this morning. I read my email half-asleep (it is SO hot here I can't sleep!) and I'm not exactly with it in the morning. I was notified of this by the fantastic Jan Burke and she has the details up on her blog. If you're American, take a minute to help make a difference as the senate prepares to vote.
And be sure to thank Jan for the heads up - she does a phenomenal job bringing awareness to the shortcomings of US crime labs on her blog. Check it out!
And be sure to thank Jan for the heads up - she does a phenomenal job bringing awareness to the shortcomings of US crime labs on her blog. Check it out!
No sex for Canadians, just nudity
If you read the story I linked to at the end of yesterday's main post, you'll know the Japanese - apparently - aren't getting any.
And according to this article, neither are Canadians. Although my old stomping grounds of Muskoka could be the exception.
JB Thompson has an interview with Jason Pinter up on her blog. Be sure to drop by and check it out!
And where am I, anyway? It's Wednesday, which means it's my turn at Killer Year. Come find me there! But first, kittens.
And according to this article, neither are Canadians. Although my old stomping grounds of Muskoka could be the exception.
JB Thompson has an interview with Jason Pinter up on her blog. Be sure to drop by and check it out!
And where am I, anyway? It's Wednesday, which means it's my turn at Killer Year. Come find me there! But first, kittens.
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