Do you think Ms Frizzle is a Time Lord? Her bus is the TARDIS? And Liz would be her companion? OMG Magic School Bus was preparing kids for Doctor Who!
I ADORE this costume!!
What was your favourite episode of Magic School Bus?
Dear Ghostbusters Haters: GET OVER IT!
Hello My Imaginary Friends,
Let’s talk about stories. We as a species have been telling each other tales, probably as long as we’ve had language to tell them.
In school you most likely learned that there are only 3 kinds of narrative conflicts:
- Person Vs Person;
- Person Vs Self; or
- Person Vs Nature.
Theoreticians, specifically Christopher Booker, have said that there are a limited amount of stories that can be told (Seven if you’re interested). A lot of those that don’t agree with Christopher Booker, agree that we have told every story that can be told. That brilliant concept you have for a novel? It’s been done. That cool hook for a D&D game? Done! That awesome 3 cord progression for a pop song? Done, Done, Done!
If it has all been done, what’s the point?
Every human being is different. Everyone sees the world through a completely different lens. What I understand isn’t what you understand.
When we write, we’re writing about our hopes, dreams, fears, and realities. This means that even if 100 people wrote a variation of Robin Hood, they would all be completely different. They would reflect the person, bias, and society they live in. (Side note: it’s quite possible that 100 is an understatement for Robin Hood.)
Combining and building stories is a form of entertainment but it’s also a way to re-enforce morals, express ideas, and explain difficult concepts.
Writing or telling a story is never a wasted exercise, it’s a form of expression.
Attachment and Emotion (AKA: My Precious!)
To Gollum, the One Ring was his purpose for life, it was everything to him. To Bilbo and Frodo, it was a security blanket; to Sauron, it was a Horcrux and means to power; but to Sam it was just a burden.
Like the Ring, people get attached to stories. They can illicit memories and emotions of a better, or perceived better, time and place. Attributing more value to a story is a form of nostalgia and often clouds peoples judgement as to the quality of the story.
What you get from a story isn’t what someone else gets. One person might find the love story between Buffy and Angel as romantic and another might find it disturbing. The reason is that we filter everything we experience through our own bias, lens, and ideals.
Don’t be Gollum
Once you accept that everyone already has their own version of stories, you have the choice to either open up your mind and learn from others, or be a Gollum and cling angrily to your version. This gets even worse with re-tellings, re-imaginings, or remakes.
The important thing to remember is that your Precious isn’t going anywhere. No one is going to burn all the other versions, no one is going to erase them, they’re still there for you to enjoy.
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS RUINING YOUR CHILDHOOD!
I’ve heard this phrase a lot and the memories you have of your favourite Precious, cannot and should not be tarnished by a new version.
The only way something can be ruined for you is if you re-watch it and realize that it was crap all along. But that doesn’t negate your emotions or the enjoyment you had watching it for the first time.
Ghostbusters
It’s officially the most hated movie trailer on Youtube. You’ll find more anger towards it in internet comments sections than any other human endeavor. There are conspiracy theories that anyone who liked it was paid to say so by Sony.
The hate for the movie is completely unjustified. It is a re-telling of a movie that was a re-telling of other myths. (Frankly it would be easy enough to map the journey of the heroes with the traditional Hero’s Journey, or more specifically, a rip off of Beowulf.)
I realize that most of the hate for this movie is misogyny veiled as nostalgia, but that’s a whole other post.
Conclusion: Get Over It!
Stories will be told and re-told ad nauseum, either get over it or stop consuming anything new. It’s not your place to dictate what others create or consume. If you believe it is, you’re wrong.
Myths, Legends, and Stories will continue to be explored. It’s human nature to explore our existence through stories. What better way to explore themes of humanity than by re-telling our favourite stories?
Éric
Blush: Companions
Today’s post is more of a recommendation for companion books to the card game Blush. These are books I found useful during the creation of the game.
How to Talk with Teens About Love, Relationships, & S-E-X: A Guide for Parents
by Charles D. Miron Ph.D., and Amy G. Miron M.S.
I bought this book when I was writing my term paper in 2008, which turned into the basis for the prototype of the game. It was read cover to cover, and was extremely helpful and well written. I’m so glad I decided to buy it instead of borrow from the library, because I can see myself referring to it again and again. Bear in mind, this was written in 2002, and some passages might be outdated. (Link to buy the book on Amazon)
100 Questions You’d Never Ask Your Parents: Straight Answers to Teens’ Questions About Sex, Sexuality, and Health
by Elisabeth Henderson, and Nancy Armstrong, M.D.
This book helped me build some of the 250 questions for the game this year. There is a glossary and an index at the back, but no references, so although I used it to help with the questions, I did not use this book as a reference to answer them. However, it does offer some more information in a different format than the card game, and so would be a good companion to the game. It was published in 2007. (Link to buy the book on Amazon)
Dear Dragon – Looking forward to meeting you
Hello Baby Dragon,
It’s the end of July and that means you’ll be here in a month and a few days. (Probably. Everyone keeps telling me babies arrive when they want to.) I’m extremely excited to meet you, to see who you’ll be, what you’ll like, how much you’ll sleep.
Everyone else is just as excited to meet you. You already have fans among our friends. It’s amazing to see people who we don’t get to talk to much get really excited about you.
Right now the person who seems most excited to meet you is your grandfather. He’s making sure that everything will be perfect for you. Even stressing your mom and I a little with his excitement. You’re really lucky to have him. He seems gruff sometimes but he has the biggest heart and will accomplish impossible things for those he loves. He’s a wonderful father, father in-law, and he’ll be a fantastic grandfather.
It’s going to be amazing to see you grow and become your own person. It’ll also be amazing to see what happens in the world and with technology during your life.
You’ll always think I’m old, but in my 33 years I’ve seen some astounding scientific and technological changes. The Chicken Pox and HPV vaccines, the internet, the discovery of the Higgs Boson, interactive media, and so many music and video formats it’s not funny.
Right now the world is obsessed with a game called Pokémon Go. You might remember it (I’m sure we’ll play it for at least 2 or more years.) It a game that players walk around and look for digital things in the real world. Using GPS and a map of landmarks, the game randomly generates Pokémon (cute pocket monsters).
For you, this will be an old idea but for the rest of the world it’s something new. I predict that when you look back at 2016 it won’t be 4k TVs or another feeble attempt at virtual reality that is the big tech news, but the dawn of augmented reality. It has the potential to change the way we interact with our world.
We live in exciting times and you’ll see your old Papa geek out a lot over new technology. I hope it’s something we can share.
I love you Baby Dragon,
Your Papa Éric
Assassin?
I love this take on the Assassin’s Creed costume. It looks so comfortable! (And I want that hood…)
Éric’s 5 Rules for Being Professional
Hello my Imaginary Friends,
I was taught from a young age that the secret to professionalism was subservience.
- Don’t make eye contact;
- Call people Ma’am and Sir;
- Never call an adult, client, or superior by their first name;
- Always use formal pronouns (It’s a French thing);
- Don’t complain;
- Don’t get involved; and
- Don’t look or act differently than others.
It could be that my rural upbringing was extra strict or it could just be the area. If you wanted respect, you needed to give back to the community, or have money.
My mother isn’t who taught me this, she was a progressive feminist hippie. She taught me to judge people’s worth by what they did and said, not by their money or appearance.
This post by a nurse with amazing hair brought back a lot of frustrations for me. As have countless other articles or posts about “Kids these days”. You know, the ones about Pokémon Go, or those I’ve already complained about.
The world is changing quickly and everyone is dealing with it differently. Some are nostalgic for the 90s, some are lost in hate, and others are just delusional.
I deal with clients or customers in all of my jobs (Civil Servant, Layout Artist, Sales person, Coffee Roaster, and Author) and I think I can speak with some authority on how to be professional in this new and changing world.
Éric’s 5 Rules for Being Professional
5. Treat Everyone Equally
Respecting everyone and treating them as your equal is easy but has a huge effect. People like to feel valued and will think better of you for doing it. Nobody likes being treated as stupid or beneath them.
Don’t assume that because they’re wearing biker gear, that they’re part of the Hell’s Angels. They could just as easily be a Doctor or Lawyer that likes to ride a motorcycle.
It’s important to remember that this is about respect and not assimilation or standardization. Treating someone equally also means respecting their ways, beliefs, and how they want to be treated.
4. Judge Others by Their Actions
This is the simplest rule. If someone wears the perfect suit and looks like the perfect employee, it doesn’t mean they’re good at their job.
Don’t judge someone by their race, skin colour, make up, ethnicity, sex, gender, body alterations, sexual preference, clothing, religion, weight, attractiveness, etc.
Judge them by how well they do their job and how they treat other people. You can learn a lot about a person by how they interact with someone who can’t benefit them personally.
3. Never Denigrate Others to Elevate Yourself
If you’re good at what you do, be proud. Tell people that you’re proud. I am immensely proud of my book. It’s ok to tell people that you think your stuff is awesome.
Never denigrate others to elevate yourself. My book is a YA Urban fantasy and I think it’s entertaining, but I’m not going to sell it as better than *insert popular YA here*.
By insulting others you are not showing pride in your work but disdain for others. It doesn’t elevate you, it brings others down. This applies even when the other person’s work is absolute crap.
2. Work with Others
Those people you insulted? They have strengths and weaknesses. If they’re in your field, you’ll be around them again.
If you work with those you consider competition, they become allies. Sharing information can greatly improve both your work.
There are people who just suck and you don’t want to be around. They may be purposely mean, hateful, or destructive. It’s ok to cut those people out of your life or request not to work with them.
But remember #3.
1. Be Polite
Being polite is nebulous and fraught with cultural bias. In its most basic form being polite means the same as all the other rules.
But go one step further and say: Thank you, Please, and Sorry. To Everyone!
If someone accidentally hurts you, physically or emotionally, accept their apology. An I understand, or I accept your apology.
If someone does something for you, thank them.
Finally try your best to follow the immortal words of Wyld Stallyns:
“Be excellent to each other!”
Éric
News in Montreal
Montreal (well, an hour outside of Montreal) has a Hobbit House that you can stay at. I read this news last week and promptly got so excited that I almost fell off my chair. (Exaggeration. I sit on a couch.)
This cute little place means that you can visit Middle-Earth without travelling to New Zealand! However, it is already booked solid until the new year. (Who is surprised? Not me!)
If you are interested in booking this cute little hotel for a short trip within Canada.Jen has retired from working as a travel agent. Hope you’ve enjoyed Fandom Travel.
Wargrave Island (Serial Story) Part 7
List of Characters | Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Blane and Zane both swore at the same moment, Zoe started to softly weep, Sandrine and Riko just stared at Arun’s body.
“This place is booby-trapped. That’s bullshit!” Zane voice held a small amount of panic but by this time they’d all seen so much death it was starting to feel natural.
Riko was numb. The reassurance she’d been clinging to, that they would be rescued soon, faded and she was starting to wonder if they’d survive. The feeling of impending death didn’t fill her with fear, just a sense of loss. She’d spent her entire life trying to help people but now she was completely helpless. Who would hate them so much that they’d torture them? Who could be this hateful? Who could be so crazy?
“It was me!” Sandrine yelled and collapsed to the floor, sobbing.
“What?” asked Riko.
“I hit Kate. I was so angry and…” Sandrine drifted off still sobbing.
Rolling over to Sandrine, Kate put her hand on her and said, “It’s ok, Kate. You didn’t do it. Jonathan came to me a few years ago and told me everything.”
“He what?”
“Yeah he told me he woke up drunk in his car after the party with a dent in the front. He said he drove into me when he was so drunk he couldn’t remember.”
“That’s not what happened…” Sandrine took a deep breath. “I took his keys while he was asleep and I drove off. I was just so angry and stupid. That little snoop Kingsley had caught Arun and I…” She drifted off.
Zoe looked over and said, “But that was the night he gave me the promise ring. You Bitch!” Zane and Blane held her in place as she yelled at Sandrine.
“I know that’s why I was so pissed. I didn’t want anyone finding out.”
“You were so angry you drove someone else’s car? While drunk?” Kate didn’t sound angry, she sounded disbelieving.
Nodding, Sandrine looked up at Kate and said, “I’m sorry.”
“You’re an idiot. Why the hell are you telling me now?” Kate gave a bemused smile.
“We’re all going to die.” Sandrine giggled a little. The fear and barely controlled hysteria behind the giggle spoke to how Riko was feeling.
“Look at me Kate. I’ve fought with my body, society, and gravity since the accident. I’m not saying it’s been easy, but I refuse to let it end here like this. We need to figure out if it’s one of us or if it’s someone else, find the person and beat the shit out of them. Ok?”
Sniffing, Sandrine replied, “I’d like to beat someone up.”
“There’s the badass I know. Now, who do you think is doing this?” Kate looked at Riko. The authority in Kate’s voice snapped her out of her self-pity.
“I think it’s Allison. She has the tech knowledge and the body we assume is her is too burned to be sure.”
“That’s a good theory. Any other ideas?” Kate took over the group in the same way she’d taken over all group projects or sports teams, with confidence and determination.
“It’s Ethan…” Zoe’s eyes were still filled with tears and she spoke looking at Arun’s corpse.
“Why?” asked Kate.
“He’s the only plus one who came. All the others conveniently couldn’t make it. He’s not one of us and he creeps me out.”
Kate nodded and asked, “Riko, did anything come up for Ethan?”
“Yeah, he told me he had been offered a special assignment.”
“Why didn’t he take it?” asked Kate.
Zane rolled his eyes and said, “Isn’t it obvious? The boy is madly in love with her and she with him.”
Everyone looked at Riko and she blushed not knowing what to say.
They threw around a few more suggestions including Kingsley, the girl who’d tried to film them at the party, but nothing concrete presented itself. Zane and Riko brought Arun’s body up to the makeshift morgue while the group argued it was a government experiment.
They were on their way back when they heard yelling from outside. They ran down the stairs towards the beach. Standing in the sand in only his underwear and wristwatch, a gunmetal timepiece that had belonged to his father, was Ethan.
The sun was setting over the island and the sky was on fire with red and purple. The air was crisp and smelled of salt water. Riko couldn’t help but think how beautiful the island would be if it hadn’t been one large tomb.
“Stay off the beach!” He was yelling at Blane, Zane, and Sandrine that looked like the wanted to run to him but everyone seemed frozen in place.
It took Riko a few moments before she realized why no one was moving forward. There was a glint of silver metal under Ethan’s foot and even at twenty or so metres away she knew what it was.
“Ethan,” She gasped before saying, “Let me try and help.” She’d taken basic bomb training.
“NO!” Ethan shouted. “I know you have some training but this beach is littered with other landmines.”
“I have to do something.” A strong breeze blew at her suddenly and the overwhelming smells of ozone and petrichor assaulted her nose.
“There’s nothing you can do for me, I’m already dead.” His words caused her chest to become tighter. “but promise you’ll catch the bastard and make them pay for this.”
“I love you.” Her words were barely a whisper so she repeated them. “I love you, Ethan.”
Smiling he replied, “I love you too,” as he stepped off the landmine.
“No!” she yelled as a loud explosion rocked the quiet of the evening and a ball of fiery energy engulfed Ethan. She ran forward but was held back by several sets of hands.
A second loud crack assaulted her ears and it started to rain hard.
Royal
He reminds me of an evil royal tyrant, but I have no idea who. He’s probably stealing the Doctor’s TARDIS.