In honour of Remembrance Day, the next few weeks will contain some pictures from the D-Day celebrations in Normandy.
Downtown Bayeux
Carentan
In honour of Remembrance Day, the next few weeks will contain some pictures from the D-Day celebrations in Normandy.
Downtown Carentan. The map of Carentan.
Pre-Holiday Grumps!
There is another war on the holiday season in which most people participate. The regulation of the holidays is something that gets more annoying every year. Arbitrary rules like, “No Holiday music until December 1st” or “No decorations until American Thanksgiving” are everywhere and people will get into loud angry debates about the “Proper” thing to do.
As much as people love the holidays, they love to complain about them more. There’s nothing like hearing a Gen X or Y complain about the commercialization of the Holidays. We are the generations that grew up with endless holiday specials, endless holiday themed toys, candy, etc.
The holidays are stressful, and people, as much as they like the days of, hate the lead up. The planning, the buying, the same 3 songs sung by 20 different people which play on the radio. I get it.
The biggest new trend now is the, “Respect our Veterans. No Christmas until after Remembrance Day!” As if the two are mutually exclusive. If you have a wreath on your door, or lights on, or are selling Holiday themed anything, you have no respect for Veterans.
BULLSHIT! and to hell with your emotionally manipulative crap! Your hate and fear of the coming holidays has nothing to do with respecting the brave men and women who fought and died to protect our freedom. Shame on you for using Veterans to legitimize your own personal dislike of the holidays
True respect has nothing to do with your decorative preferences. It has to do with your actions towards the Veterans. Wearing a Poppy, talking to the soldiers around you, telling them you appreciate their sacrifice, volunteering or donating to those associations that help Veterans, and going to Remembrance Day ceremonies.
The holidays aren’t starting any earlier than they have in the past twenty or thirty years. Decorations start appearing near the end of October, and on November first, all the places the Halloween decorations held is filled with winter holiday stuff.
It’s not earlier, you’re just noticing it earlier.
The winter holidays are an industry. They push our economy in a huge way. They are the yardstick the economists use to know the health of our economy.
It’s ok not to like it. I won’t judge (Others might, but they’re jerks). But if you truly hate it, for whatever reason, channel your anger and frustration into something useful. Volunteer your time, donate money, etc.
If someone is being genuinely hurtful, racist, or mean, then feel free to let loose; but don’t get on a high horse and try to police others’ harmless love of the holidays.
Have you been yelled at for celebrating too early?
Eric
Normandy
Normandy is an approximate 2h30 drive from Paris. It is located in North Western France. There are lots of little towns, grassy fields, hedgerows, beaches, and cliffs. It is also the perfect location to visit if you are a fan of the Band of Brothers miniseries on HBO.
A description of Normandy during D-Day Celebrations on June 2015 by a Canadian tourist:
Every town is decorated in flags from England, France, the States, Germany, Poland, Canada, etc. The store windows are all painted with murals of paratroopers and flags and soldiers. And everyone is dressed up in either 1940s clothing or re-enactment military outfits. As you drive on the highway, you can be passed by WWII jeeps. They have organized dances with swing music, and fireworks displays. They have military camps set up with authentic gear, and parade displays of military vehicles. They have parachutes jumps in full WWII outfits, including the parachute, and from the original C47 planes! Everyone partakes in the celebrations – tourists and locals alike. Although tourists aren’t allowed to jump out of the planes…
Utah Beach has the Utah Museum. There is public access to the beach, and they have several monuments and statues. The beach had extremely fine sand, and it was surprising how vast and shallow the beach was at low tide, which shows how far they had to travel under fire (500m from the U-boats to the shore!) before reaching the banks. It carried an atmosphere of serenity. The museum overlooks the beach, and focuses on American military vehicles, uniforms, and more of the logistics of D-Day. On the way to the beach, they have a specific monument to Denmark, and the Danish soldiers, and they have the Dick Winters leadership memorial (Major of the 506th Second Battalion of the 101st Airborne).
Juno Beach is the Canadian beach. The museum is called Juno Beach Centre. This beach was different in that it was still being used as a beach. Full of sunbathers, and the waters were peppered with sailboats. People are living and using that beach, which is rather symbolic of Canada’s involvement. “We went over there to liberate France in order for people to be free and live, and that is how they are using that beach.” The beach sand had lots of rocks, and the water was almost green. Beach was much less wide, less distance to travel under fire. The area near the memorials was solemn, but the beaches themselves were full of joy. The Centre itself focuses on the people, the stories of the soldiers and of the home front in Canada. All of the employees from the Centre are Canadian.
Carentan is a small town (all roads lead to Carentan) that was a strategic location in the war, because of the roads, and was liberated by the 101st Airborne, a fact that is still celebrated today. Notre-Dame de Carentan Church started being built in the 11th Century, the stained glass windows that got blown out during the war were replaced with some of the original designs, but some had added homages to the soldiers that liberated them, with depictions of paratroopers and saints holding the Screaming Eagle crest (the 101st Airborne’s crest). They also have a war memorial from the First World War, which is now dedicated to both wars.
Near Carentan is the Dead Man’s Corner Museum, which has the D-Day Experience, where you can board a C47 fuselage that is operated by hydraulics and has virtual screens in the windows to make it seem like you’re flying, then get hit, and then crash.
Bayeux is a really cute little town, with cobblestone streets and watermills in the creek. The Bayeux Cathedral hosts the famous Bayeux Tapestry that was created in the 11th Century. There are lots of really nice cafés.
NOTE: Sundays are VERY limited in the Normandy region: all food serving places are closed, but you should be able to find a grocery or bakery that is open.
If you are interested in visiting Normandy. You can contact Jennifer Desmarais through Orleans Travel. jennifer.desmarais@orleanstravel.ca
References
Recollections of, and pictures by, Lindsay
http://www.dday-overlord.com/eng/utah_beach.htm
http://www.spottinghistory.com/view/2858/carentan-church/
http://www.european-traveler.com/france/visit-bayeux-cathedral-normandy/
The War on Christmas!
This is something I hear about every year. The idea that Christmas is under attack and we need to save it. This year it’s the Starbucks cup conspiracy, but it’s just another example of what people are calling, The War on Christmas! Or the Christmas Controversy.
Since the early 2000’s conservative Christians have gotten extremely upset with people wanting to say Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas. There are other events like removing Christian iconology from secular institutions, or changing the lyrics to certain songs. The list goes on.
Effectively it’s marketers and governments trying to make the winter holidays more inclusive. Many different cultures celebrate a mid-winter festival around the winter equinox. It’s arguable that Christianity placed Christmas at that time to replace the winter festivals celebrated by converted cultures.
North and South America have been heavily dominated by Christian sects for the past 200 years. The Christmas Industry as we know it is a product of the mid-twentieth century. Like most things it’s grown and changed with each season, adding new things and getting rid of old things.
There is no war on Christmas only the inexorable march of change. Your parents’ holidays, if you celebrated them, was different than yours and will be different than your children’s.
In no other holiday than the winter one are people more stubbornly latched on to the past. Every movie, book, or play about families at this time of year is dripping with the near rabid need to recapture something from childhood.
The flawed and stressful ideal of the “Perfect holiday” drives people completely nuts. All to make sure that the season lives up to some form of unattainable ideal. I’m just as guilty as the next person. I have plenty of traditions that I refuse to let go.
*WARNING SAPPYNESS* In almost all the cultures that celebrate a winter holiday have the same goal, to be with those you love and thank the heavens you’ve made it through the literal dark times.
Beyond that it’s about appreciating the people who are around you. Saying happy holidays isn’t about hating Christmas, it’s about loving your fellow people and including them. Inclusivity is a good thing. More people to party with and get presents from. If you know the person is Christian say merry Christmas, if you know they’re Jewish, say Happy Hanukah, if they’re pagan wish them Happy Yule or Solstice. If you don’t know be respectful and say Happy Holidays.
What’s your favorite winter holiday tradition?
Later Days,
Éric
Saint-Lo
In honour of Remembrance Day, the next few weeks will contain some pictures from the D-Day celebrations in Normandy.
Saint-Lo
Side alley
In honour of Remembrance Day, the next few weeks will contain some pictures from the D-Day celebrations in Normandy.
Downtown Bayeux, down a little side alley.
Writing About Death
Hello Imaginary Friends,
I suck with negative emotions. I seriously have issues handling them. My normal reactions are to either get angry or numb. Sometimes both.
Whenever I need to deal with those kinds of feelings I write about them. (sorry for being a meta.) If I could deal with every situation by writing at or about it, I’d be a lot more comfortable. Obviously this isn’t a viable way to deal with the world. You have to go out there and hug people and feel your way through things. But written words are so much more safe.
Death is the most terrifying and the most life changing of all. In genre writing there is a stereotype of the death loving author. We cackle in glee as we kill one character after another, happily ripping your heart out. It’s a stereotype that writers love to promulgate and it’s a total lie.
We hate killing characters as much as you hate it, sometimes more. Remember that our imaginations brought them into the world and through a quirk of storytelling they had to die.
It’s an unwritten rule that death, in stories, must have a reason. Even when it seems utterly senseless, in a story there is always a reason for death. It’s such a major life changing and emotionally charged event that it has no choice but be important.
It’s easy for a writer to overuse death and with time it starts to lose its significance and the reader becomes desensitised. A good writer will make you feel and think about the death and let you grieve. A bad writer will pile bodies up like a bad slasher movie.
The essential narrative of death in stories makes death in the real world seem ever more senseless and stupid. No matter what we say or do few deaths in the real world make sense.
My in-laws lost their Grand-Matriarch last night. She passed in her sleep surrounded by family in her mid-nineties. It’s a great loss to the entire family and my heart goes out to them.
She was a strong willed woman with a great sense of humour and a large heart.
She’ll be missed.
Éric
Blush: PAP Tests
So far we have received almost three digits worth of questions, but I’m greedy, and I want more! Ask us your anonymous questions here!
Questions
What is a PAP Test (Papanicolaou test)? When should I have one? What is it like?
Answer
What is it?
A PAP Test checks for abnormally growing cells on the cervix. These cells could be pre-cancerous or cancerous, and getting checked for them could prevent cancer. Cervical cancer is one of most preventable cancers, and it all depends on getting checked regularly.
When do I have to get one?
Ask your doctor. They all have different guidelines. Women’s Health suggests between the ages of 21-65. They also suggests Diva Cup if your are shopping for menstrual supplies they are very cheap. My doctor said “When you’re 21 or are sexually active.” (The former applied to me.) Different countries might have different health care plans that cover the test.
What happens during a PAP Test?
First of all, you should trust your doctor. If you don’t feel comfortable with your doctor, then you should ask to be recommended to another one. Mine is amazing. He (Yes, a male. It’s okay if you don’t feel comfortable with a male doctor. They won’t be offended if you ask for a female doctor.) is excellent at explaining what’s going on with my issues, and he listens to my problems. If he doesn’t know because it’s something weird, he finds out and the nurses call me to let me know. I am lucky.
Yes, you’ll have to strip completely. Depending on the doctor’s office, they will provide you with either a cloth sheet or a paper one. Mine has cloth, but they’re very thin and not long enough to provide much privacy. Honestly, the only time I feel uncomfortable in it is when I’m waiting for the doctor to come into the room. Once he’s in, I forget that it’s uncomfortable. But everyone is different. You can ask if you are allowed to provide your own covering.
If you have a good doctor, they won’t charge right into the PAP Test. They’ll talk to you, ask if you have any questions, take blood pressure, etc. Then they’ll ask you to lie down and put your feet in the stirrups. I find that continuing to talk about your life helps to make this feel less uncomfortable. You have to spread your knees and it is possibly the most awkward and intimidating position imaginable. Just remember – practically every woman has had to deal with this same position before you. And men have to deal with the Prostate Exam! (This will be discussed at another time.)
The speculum (see image above) will be lubricated (and if your doctor is nice, warmed) and inserted. It will feel very weird. Every time. It is widened, to allow for a visual check of the cervix, and then a removal of a thin layer of cells. The widening doesn’t hurt, but the removal is uncomfortable. It gives me the same feeling as scratching the inside of my bellybutton does. But that could be just me. (Anyone else feel uncomfortable about their bellybutton being scratched?)
That’s it! The speculum is closed and removed (which also feels weird). You may have some spotting, so you might want to wear a light pad afterwards.
References
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/pap-test.html
Can-Con Report 2015
Hello My Imaginary Friends,
If you hear loud snoring coming from downtown Ottawa, know that I’ve fallen asleep at my desk. Between conventions and various stresses I haven’t slept much and when I have, it’s been filled nightmares.
I know what I’ve been stressing about and I’m dealing with it; both from the “let’s get this done so I stop stressing” and the “must learn to deal with stress” points of view.
One big stress, which shouldn’t have been, was Can-Con. Between selling, attending, and pitching novels, I was wired the entire three days.
Panels
Since I felt guilty going to panels when I should be selling, I only went to eight panels. Here’s a basic rundown:
Backstories and the Development of Villains
This panel mostly revolved around the difference between Villains, Evil-Overlords, and Antagonists. A lot of good advice on how to avoid creating cardboard cut-out villains.
It’s a great panel for someone who wants to write Bond or Adventure Fantasy.
“Nobody is a villain in their own story. We’re all the heroes of our own stories.” – George R. R. Martin
Preparing to Pitch Novels
This panel prepared me for my pitches, but I didn’t learn anything earth shattering.
Whether you pitch or submit, always remember:
- Read the Guidelines
- Follow the Guidelines
- Present yourself professionally
- Don’t beg, threaten, or cajole.
- Be passionate about your story because if you aren’t, no one else will.
Serialization Past and Present
Everyone agreed that Serialization isn’t a fad and is probably here to stay. It’s also something that is changing quickly.
There are two major ways of serializing, distributing a finished and edited project, and writing it as time goes by.
The panelists agreed that the second way was less desirable because it meant less ability to edit and a higher chance of writing yourself into a corner.
I like the challenge of writing a serial novel/story as you go. If you don’t believe me, ask Felix Felicis, or Rachel of Only Human. However these aren’t stories that I’m writing for publication. I’m writing them for practise and enjoyment.
The Frontiers of Young Adult Fiction
This panel spoke a lot about normalization and the dangers of not giving social issues enough consideration. It’s not easy for someone like me (Cis-White-Male) to fully understand anything but my own experiences, but the panel seemed to think that with proper research and editing it’s important to have a diverse cast of characters.
This was something I already try to do as much as possible.
Advice to Aspiring Writers on the Craft
My wife and I both went to this panel, but I barely remember it. It must have been Saturday. The one thing I remember is the panellists explaining that there isn’t one way to write. All those “Rules” are really just suggestions and tools that you can use.
There seems to be only one golden rule of writing and that’s to finish what you start.
Fantasy Novels: A Readers’ Panel
The panel was mostly the panelists geeking out on their favourite authors. There were a lot of book names and author names bandied about.
It was very skewed towards Epic fantasy, Dark fantasy, and Literary fantasy; with little to no mention of a lot of the other subgenres of fantasy. I don’t think this was the panelists’ fault so much as the fact that they all wrote and read in those sub-genres and didn’t know that much about the others.
I was extremely happy to have Tamora Pierce mentioned in the positive.
Two things that seriously annoyed me were the lack of mention of Terry Pratchett and one panelists’ utter disdain for Urban Fantasy and Supernatural Romance.
Hopefully, there will be a better mix of expertise in future years. I would love to be on this panel.
Police Procedure: Busting Myths and Preconceptions
Wow! This was by far the most educational panel I went too. The presenter was engaging, fun, and informative. It helped me separate the major fiction of police dramas with real life.
I really hope they have him back next year, maybe for a double length panel.
Crowd-Funding
I considered crowd funding a book, but it seemed like more work than self-publishing it. I eventually dropped the idea because of the cost of editing. Trust me, a good editor is worth it. REALLY worth it! I love my beta-readers but it’s just not the same thing.
The panel did give me a few ideas for a crowdfunding project I have in mind for spring. Don’t worry. You’ll hear about it Ad-nausea in 2016.
More Panels
Check out S.M. Carrière’s write up of the panels that they were on and attended.
Parasomnia
This year’s Resolutions had submit Parasomnia to 3 agents and 3 publishers. I half accomplished that already.
I had three pitches to three different publishers and all three agreed to read my book. Two were extremely excited. Now it’s a waiting game. I’ve decided to skip the agents – I don’t need them.
So if you’re counting, that’s 2 novels with publishers right now. Hopefully I’ll hear by March if any of them will publish my books.
*Keep your fingers crossed*
Coffee
One of my thrills for the weekend was seeing authors, editors, publishers, and people, whom I greatly respect, loving my coffee.
So far most people love the coffee I’ve been roasting and it makes me really happy to hear. It’s been a little over a year since I started roasting my own and almost a year since I started selling.
After Pop-Expo I will sit down and see if it’s been financially worth it. If it has, I will consider expanding my operation. If it hasn’t, I’ll see what I can do to make it profitable without sacrificing quality.
Overall
This is one of my favourite Conventions. I love it so much!
I’m still not sure if I want to be a vendor, pitch a book, and attend panels next year but we’ll see. Maybe I’ll be able to add panelist to the list…
If you like speculative or genre literature, this really is the Con for you.
Thank you to the organizers and see you next year!
Éric