Inanimate Arch Enemy

From 1995-1998, I worked at the Western Board of Music, an educational institution for music instruction. The Board's headquarters was an old house in the Garneau region of Old Strathcona, next to the HUB Mall parking lot at the University of Alberta.

This photocopier, located on the second floor, was my nemesis.

While working at Western Board I could often be found photocopying handouts, newsletters and the like until the copier inevitably jammed. On one memorable day the magnitude of the paper jam was such that one of the interior paper rollers was stripped to the metal core, most of the rubber shredded into the bowels of the machine. I called for a service technician, who was understandably baffled when he saw the damage.

Changing the toner was even worse; the cartridges were of such shoddy construction that they leaked inky black soot all over the place. Each time I attempted this task, I'd get black toner all over my hands, my clothes, the photocopier, the floor, the walls. It was a nightmare. Thanks to this photocopier I know what toner tastes like. I'm pretty sure I inhaled a bunch of it, too. You wouldn't think that serving as an executive assistant would be hazardous, but it became so anytime I ventured to the second floor.

Even worse, not long after I was promoted to executive director we ran out of money to pay for any other staff, so I still had to battle the copier.Thankfully, I'd done enough freelance writing at this point to make the leap to a professional writing career, and I've fought with photocopiers only rarely since then.

The Lifeblood of Politics

When feeling poetic, one might say that dialogue is the lifeblood of politics, or perhaps compromise, or empathy. Perhaps those concepts are the lifeblood of pure politics, but in the imperfect, day-to-day reality we all inhabit, the real lifeblood of politics is money.

The vast majority of Canadians don't belong to any political parties, and so have never attended events like the one pictured above, where Mike Decore and I seem to be having a spirited discussion. (As usual, Mike looks urbane and dapper while I look like a raving lunatic.)That was the 2009 Alberta Liberal Leader's Dinner, an annual event held to raise funds for the party. Prices vary according to the party and the event, but generally speaking it costs anywhere from one hundred to five hundred bucks for the pleasure of a meal, perhaps some entertainment, a couple of speeches and the satisfaction of helping fuel the engine of democracy.

I would prefer it if political parties were funded by small, individual donations rather than big donations from corporations and unions. Public funding would be better still, and I was glad when the federal Liberals passed legislation to that effect. Ironically, so far the changes have helped the federal Tories more than the Liberals, but even so I think it was the right thing to do. The more individual Canadians get involved in politics, whether locally, provincially or federally, the greater the chance that our elected officials will listen to the voices of the people rather than well-funded special interests.

If you consider yourself a progressive, it's especially important to donate to the moderate/progressive/centrist/leftist party of your choice. Right-wing parties attract lots of donations, and we need to match them, dollar for dollar, if we want to build the kind of Alberta and the kind of Canada we want.

Speaking of donations, today would be a great day to donate to the party of your choice and make a matching donation to Doctors Without Borders, my favourite charity. They're already in Japan helping out the victims of the terrible earthquake and tsunami that hit late last week.

Opposition Parties Present United Front on Health Care



Brian Mason, Sue Huff, David Swann, Raj Sherman and Danielle Smith. Photo by Andrew Fisher.

In a huge first for Alberta politics, leaders of the Alberta Liberals, NDP, Wildrose Alliance and the Alberta Party, as well as Independent MLA Dr. Raj Sherman, are calling for a full public inquiry to

"investigate whether or not health care staff and professionals were subject to intimidation, including retribution, professional or employment discipline or the threat thereof, or attacks on their character or professional reputations, in order to prevent them from speaking about issues which affect patient care or the effective delivery of health care in Alberta."

Here are the remarks Alberta Liberal Leader Dr. David Swann delivered this morning at an unprecedented all-opposition party news conference in reaction to new allegations that the provincial government punishes doctors who speak out about problems in health care.

I stand before you at a turning point in Alberta politics. The government duly elected by the people of Alberta has broken a sacred public trust. Recent developments show that Tory mismanagement of our public health care system runs deeper than most Albertans could ever have imagined.

Under unrelenting pressure from all opposition parties, the Premier has capitulated. He’ll allow the Health Quality Council of Alberta to carry out an investigation of cancer care and ER wait times.

That’s no longer good enough. Given the severity of the damning allegations coming forward late yesterday, the investigation proposed by the Premier is not enough on its own to restore public confidence in health care.

Because of the shadow cast over this government by recent developments, Albertans have no reason to trust this Tory government. There’s every reason to believe they’ll try to use the HQCA investigation to cover up their own incompetence.

If this sounds cynical, it’s because the Tories have given us every reason to be distrustful. The depth of their incompetence and dishonesty has grown so great that the Tories have brought together all opposition parties. The need is that great.

Today we speak with one powerful voice, on behalf of all Albertans who care about public health care and financial accountability.

We now demand, on behalf of the people of Alberta, a fully independent public inquiry, one completely free of government interference, control or intimidation.

Ideally, the inquiry we propose would have these features:

• Investigate whether or not health care staff and professionals were subject to intimidation, including retribution, professional or employment discipline or the threat thereof, or attacks on their character or professional reputations, in order to prevent them from speaking about issues which affect patient care or the effective delivery of health care in Alberta

• An inquiry open to the media and the public, transparent and overseen by a current or former Justice of the Crown, with total discretion as to who is called to testify and full access to any documents deemed relevant by the Justice
• A full and open public inquiry to investigate whether the Alberta government, Alberta Health Services or former regional health authorities paid any form of compensation to any person in return for their silence on the quality of health care, or lack thereof, for Alberta patients
• All witnesses relieved of any obligations pursuant to confidential and non-disclosure provisions for the purpose of giving evidence

Premier Stelmach, if you truly care about your legacy, if you really care about public health care and the lives and health of the people you lead, call this inquiry immediately. If your party has nothing to hide, you’ll come clean about your mismanagement of public health care and give our health professionals the tools they need to prevent more tragedies.

To the people of Alberta, I say to you now that we will not allow this government to escape the consequences of its mismanagement and possible corruption. We will not allow our doctors and nurses to be threatened for telling the truth. We will not allow public health care to be destroyed by incompetence and possible corruption. We will act on behalf of every Albertan who has suffered or lost a loved one needlessly.

That is our duty to you, and we will carry it out.

***

What a fascinating time to be working for the Official Opposition. Unfortunately I was stuck behind my keyboard as all this was going down, so I couldn't be at the news conference in person. They also serve who sit and type, I suppose.

Thanks my own personal experiences in the emergency room over the past couple of years, combined with everything I've seen and heard working at the Legislature, there's no question in my mind that this inquiry is necessary. We can't fix the system until we know the whole, unvarnished truth behind the surgery delays and long ER wait times. Will the Premier allow a truly independent and transparent public inquiry to go forward? I certainly hope so. It's no exaggeration at all to say that lives are at stake.

No matter what happens, I'm very proud that Alberta's opposition parties, despite striking ideological differences, came together at this important moment, proving that public health care is important to all of us. Well done, everyone.

Here's the Official Opposition release on today's event.

Super Supporting Characters

For about a decade and a half spanning the early 70s to the mid 80s, Clark Kent worked not as a newspaper reporter, but as anchorman for WGBS-TV. WGBS was located in the same office tower as the Daily Planet, allowing Clark to stay in contact with his regular supporting cast, folks like Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Perry White...and of course, Connie Hatch, "the Planet's PUZZLE EDITOR!"

Who knew the Daily Planet had a puzzle editor? I suppose it makes sense that a major metropolitan newspaper would have one, but it's still a little strange to see one playing a role in a comic book story. And yet, odd little details like this enhance the verisimilitude of even the most outlandish stories.

As seen here, Connie inadvertently manages to provide the insight Clark needs to solve Superman's current problem. I wonder if DC or Warner Brothers ever thought of partnering with Ideal to create an S-shield variant of the Rubik's Cube?

In the story excerpt above, Clark references his nominal boss, news director Josh Coyle. Coyle made many appearances in the 70s and 80s, but vanished after Superman's character - and the world he inhabits - was rebooted by John Byrne in 1986.

It's a shame, because I've always had a soft spot for the antacid-popping Coyle. Imagine trying to produce a nightly news show with an anchorman who always showed up at the last second, or who vanished during commercial breaks.

Of course, Coyle needn't have worried, since with Superman's speed, Clark Kent could always handle emergencies and anchor the news, virtually at the same time - but Coyle wasn't privy to Kent's dual identity. Poor Josh, needlessly plagued with ulcers, all thanks to Superman!

To my knowledge, neither Connie nor Josh were ever transformed into werewolves, kidnapped by Metallo, mind-controlled to do a villain's bidding or suffered any other of the various twists and turns of fates suffered by Superman's more famous supporting characters. They were just ordinary folks in an extraordinary world, grounding some pretty crazy stories with just a touch of reality. Comic books wouldn't be the same without them.

To Your Health, Ryan Gordey

Today the Alberta Liberal Caucus bids farewell to longtime health researcher (and regular blog reader!) Ryan Gordey, a stalwart fellow I'm very pleased and gratified to have worked with since 2008.

Even more so than ghostwriters, researchers toil in obscurity doing critical work without the general public ever realizing it. A caucus researcher helps prepare questions for Question Period, writes voluminous bill briefings to help MLAs prepare for debates in the legislature, drafts policy, provides support for all kinds of communications activities, attends stakeholder meetings...it's a long, daunting list of tasks, and I've always been impressed by the tenaciousness and skill of our researchers. I really believe I've worked with the best of the best, and Ryan certainly stands tall among them. Communications people may help their clients sound good, but researchers make sure that public figures always have the relevant facts at hand. I couldn't do my job without them, and I'm profoundly grateful.

Thanks for three fun years, Ryan. And if any other former Alberta Liberal researchers ever read this blog, I hope you know that my thanks and admiration extend to you as well.

International Women's Day

Today marks the centenary of International Women's Day. While I think it's fair to say that women are better off today than they were 100 years ago, at least in the developed world, it's pretty clear that the inherent rights of women still aren't universally respected or even acknowledged. Most of the injustices are fairly well known; the threat of violence faced by women, unequal pay for equal work, inaccurate stereotyping of women, the unfair emphasis on personal appearance and so on. In many parts of the world, women face far worse: state-sanctioned (or at least state-condoned) stoning, genital mutilation and a long list of other horrors.

Folks wiser than me have commented on these issues at length. This International Women's Day, I'd be happy if people could make more of an effort to simply look past one of the basic stereotypes - that of the decision-making husband and the compliant, if not invisible, wife. (Or if you prefer a gender-neutral term for both parties, partner.)

You would think that Canadian society had gotten past this decades ago, but Sylvia and I bump up against this outdated assumption from time to time. On several occasions Sylvia has been ignored by service providers when we're together. Questions and replies get directed to me rather than her, often even at those times when she initiates contact. Being very outspoken and assertive, Sylvia almost always has no problem recapturing the attention of anyone who tries to do this. But she shouldn't have to do this constantly, so sometimes I'll take on the task of ensuring that both of us are equally respected. Usually all that's required is a gentle nudge in the right direction, a subtle gesture or a simple "You should talk to Sylvia about that."

(As an aside, sometimes I still have trouble figuring out when I should jump in and when I shouldn't - I don't want to be paternalistic, but on the other hand I don't want to leave Sylvia in the lurch if and when she'd like my help, either!)

Naturally the goal isn't to be rude or make the other person uncomfortable, but we both get a little tired of people assuming that just because I'm a guy, I make all the important household decisions. We're a team, and we make those decisions together. Involve both of us in the conversation, or we'll take our concerns  or our business elsewhere.

I'm certain that many other Canadian couples face this sort of casual stereotyping. At worst it's an annoyance, but a troubling one. The attitude reveals deep-seated societal prejudices about gender roles. It's going to take another century or two of hard work and education to put those prejudices to rest. But when we do manage it, we'll be that much closer to eradicating the most serious crimes against women, and to building a world of true respect and equality for both sexes.

Mystery Sylvia Theatre 3000

Yesterday afternoon Sylvia screamed up at the ceiling, fists clenched in frustration, eyes pinched shut in rueful ennui: "I'm bored!"

I rushed into the theatre room where my wife reclined. My eyes roamed speculatively across our collection of movies and television shows, searching for the perfect entertainment. They came to rest upon the gaudy boxed sets of Mystery Science Theater 3000, a program much adored by geeks.

"How about one of these?" I asked.

"What's the premise?" Sylvia replied.

"It's about mad scientists who maroon a guy in space and force him to watch horrible movies," I explained.

"So basically what you do to me every weekend," she said.

I had no response to that and retreated back to my office, defeated.

The Dice Are Cast

The Barn at Sunset

Today's previously scheduled post is taking longer than expected to materialize and I'm really making an effort to post something once a day, so here's a photo of the Etsell barn at sunset.

This would be sometime in the late 60s or early 70s. I love the colours - a splash of vibrant red and gold, some earth tones...I'm really just torturing myself with summer scenes as I wait for spring to arrive. I suppose we shouldn't be impatient; technically, spring is still a couple of weeks away.

Tome of the Titans: 75 Years of DC Comics

Armed with an Amazon gift certificate from Sean, I browsed through my recommendations, coming across the innocuously-titled 75 Years of DC Comics. Noting that the book was written by longtime DC Comics scripter Paul Levitz, I thought it would probably be a fun and informative work to add to my collection of pop culture tomes.

The book arrived today in a box far larger than I expected. 75 Years...25 pounds, at least. It's bigger than Sylvia.

The book even comes with its own storage box for the superhero on the go.

Now all I need is a table large enough to use as a reading platform. It's too heavy for my lap. Great Krypton!

Pints and Politics with Kent Hehr

Last night Kent Hehr, Alberta Liberal MLA for Calgary-Buffalo, hosted the first of his popular Pints and Politics get-togethers to be held in Edmonton. Somewhere between 30 and 40 people of various ideologies and affiliations showed up to eat, drink and discuss Alberta politics. MLAs, candidates for provincial and federal office, political party members, caucus staffers and politically-minded citizens from a wide variety of backgrounds gathered together for mostly cordial discussions of the issues of the day.

Even folks in the same party can disagree over specific points of policy. Actually, Kent and I are just posing here, using the "rhubarb rhubarb" trick for fun. I think he looks more convincing than I do - probably why he was elected in 2008 and I wasn't!

John Santos was David Swann's Executive Assistant, and he's transitioned to a new role as Alberta Liberal Caucus media liaison. Once again, I've forgotten to take off my security pass after leaving work. John was kind enough not to point this out, (unlike some of my former colleagues, cough cough).

Several ex-coworkers showed up last night, and it was great to see them again. Even as roles change, connections remain, and the ties of common citizenship bind us all together.

Photos by Andrew Fisher.

Double Exposure Experiment One

You can do a lot of amazing things with Photoshop, but sometimes it's fun to experiment in the analog world. While scanning the family slides, it suddenly hit me that I could place one slide atop another to create a double exposure effect. And lo and behold - it worked! After a fashion, at least. It would work better if I chose two relatively uncluttered slides - one to serve as background, and the other featuring a strong subject. This exposure would have been way more dramatic if I had been standing against empty sky instead of the peas behind me; that way, the flaming debris of the second slide wouldn't have had to compete with as much clutter. Still, for a quick experiment, I think it's kind of neat.

Thompson Tales

In northern Manitoba, winter's embrace is long, tight, and bone-chilling. Having shown how a typical southern Manitoba winter looked in the 1970s yesterday, here's an equally frigid image of Thompson, several hundred kilometres northeast of Virden. That's our backyard, buried in snow, with a huge drift looming off the roof's edge, ready to collapse. Dad managed the local Acklands branch, supplying the commercial and industrial automotive industry. Cold winters generally meant good business.

Here I am all bundled up for some forgotten excursion. I was a preschooler at the time, so at least I didn't have to walk to school in weather like this. (In fact, we moved further north, to Leaf Rapids, so I wound up walking to school in even worse weather.)

Despite the cold, I retain warm memories of northern Manitoba. In the summertime, the snow warmed enough to make snowmen. All right, so it was probably late spring. Still, note that the snowman's ears are made of snapdragons in full bloom. Note also the lush lawn peeking through the snow. Winter could hit during any month of the year, save perhaps June and July. Maybe. It was from this backyard that the kids next door stole my big beautiful Tonka dump truck, or at least that's what the clues seemed to indicate. Dad valiantly tried to retrieve it, but we couldn't prove the theft. I was pretty incensed by the injustice.

In compensation, Manitoba is beautiful in the summertime. Here's how our house looked during those elusive weeks. I sat on that very stoop, perhaps even in the same pair of pajamas, the day Mom and Dad set the breakfast bacon on fire. As soon as I became aware of the blaze, I retrieved my most prized possession: a suitcase full of toy cars, a prize Dad won from McQuay-Norris, a manufacturer of engines and steering parts for automobiles. Suitcase in hand, I evaded the billowing smoke and sat on the front step, playing with my cars while waiting for the fire department to arrive.

The firemen arrived minutes later, snuffing out the blaze with dry ice fire extinguishers. Damage was minimal (the insurance company simply paid Mom to scrub the smoke damage off the walls), but the firemen had to place a huge fan on the front step to suck the smoke out. According to my parents, I was completely unfazed during the whole affair. Ah, the serenity of childhood.

The Etsell Trees in Winter

I grumbled a little about the persistent cold today. Then I remembered how much worse it was in Manitoba during the 1970s. This image from the winter of 1972 shows the trees in the Etsell farm backyard shivering - or seeming to, at least. That's just outside Virden; northern Manitoba was typically even chillier.

I'm not sure if my parents or one of my aunts or uncles shot this photo, but I love how succinctly it captures the still silence of a Manitoba winter, especially in small-town or rural areas. It was beautiful, but harsh.

Best Picture 2010

Tonight the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will hand out a truckload of Oscar statuettes. It's one of the biggest days of the year for film buffs, and despite my misgivings about the cult of celebrity, I'll tune in once again.

For the second time in the 21st century, the Academy has nominated ten films for the prestigious Best Picture award. Overall, this year's field was about as strong as last year's, though the worst nominee this year is much better than last year's worst nominee, The Blind Side. Here's my ranking:

10) The Kids Are All Right
Unconventional family, conventional script. The performances are fine and it's nice to see a film that treats gay relationships as normal, but neither the writing nor the direction really lift this above standard dramedy fare. I enjoyed it, but I don't see it as a Best Picture nominee.

9) Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3 is warm, funny, and a great final act for these lovable characters. However, as I get older and more crotchety, I'm finding that Pixar's brand of heartfelt sentimentality is wearing a little thin. I hope they don't ruin John Carter of Mars.

8) True Grit
I love the Cohen Brothers, but they can be a little hit and miss. There's nothing wrong with this "gritty" western, but it's not particularly challenging, either, especially compared to last year's Cohen nominee A Serious Man. Frankly, I prefer the 1969 version, with John Wayne.

7) The Fighter
This film is all about the acting. Fortunately, it's full of great performances, from recovering addict Christian Bale to Melissa Leo's sometimes overbearing but ultimately sympathetic Alpha Mom to the adorable Amy Adams' tough but underachieving barmaid. Funny, sincere and about as uplifting as a film about the sport of beating your opponent unconscious can be.

6) Black Swan
I expected to enjoy this more than I did. The makeup effects, editing and cinematography are top-notch, the performances fine, but I was looking for a little more ambiguity from the storyline. There's also an unfortunate subtext about the "dangers" of female sexuality that turned me off a little. Why are women so often punished in popular culture for having orgasms, or even seeking them out?

From this point on, the rankings become a lot more difficult for me. I loved all five of the following films for different reasons, and on a different day I might rank them in a completely different way. But for now, here's how I stand.

5) The King's Speech
This one's all about Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush, and the two play off one another beautifully. Bonus points for recreating a fascinating era in British history. Plays a little fast and loose with history, but still worthwhile.

4) The Social Network
David Fincher's direction is as cool and austere as ever, which suits this film perfectly. The Social Network uses one man's fascinating story to capture the feel of this peculiar era of North American culture. Aaron Sorkin's script is wonderfully cynical, while at the same time showcasing human vulnerability.

3) Winter's Bone
Against a backdrop of grinding poverty and the omnipresent threat of sudden and brutal violence, Debra Granik's brave thriller presents no easy answers. But Jennifer Lawrence as Ree Dolly gives us a wonderful feminist heroine, a tough but not invincible 17 year old who refuses to let almost insurmountable obstacles prevent her from protecting her younger siblings.

2) 127 Hours
Of all this year's nominees, I wanted to see this film least of all. I didn't see how even Danny Boyle could make a one-man-show about a rock-climbing accident interesting. But it's much more than interesting - it's absolutely compelling. James Franco is astounding as Aron Ralston, a somewhat self-absorbed young man who finds himself trapped in a narrow canyon, his arm pinned between a rock and a stone wall. This film sends a powerful message about the two conflicting but equally powerful forces that shape human culture: the power of individualism, and the importance of community. I was deeply moved by Boyle's masterful handling of these forces, and how he brings them together into a seamless, utterly vital whole.

1) Inception
It's the most original film in years. Chris Nolan has crafted a sublime film about the creative process, the importance of emotional catharsis and the subjective nature of reality. Far more than a simple caper film with a clever gimmick, Inception rewards careful analysis and repeated viewing. One of my favourite films in years.

Of course, Inception won't win tonight; that honour will go to The Social Network, or if the Academy is fickle, The King's Speech. All in all, not a bad set of nominees.

Trouble in Thompson Town

From a profile of our Thompson neighbours the Hawkins printed in Inco's In Manitoba magazine, circa 1972.

I'm a little appalled that I didn't hear about this news until celebrity Michael Moore waded into the debate, but apparently a Brazilian mining company bought out Manitoba mainstay Inco and is now shutting down major operations in Thompson. Thompson is a mining town, and this is going to have a devastating effect on the community. When the mine shut down in Leaf Rapids, it became, if not a ghost town, then a shambling zombie town. The difference this time is that Thompson is Manitoba's third-largest city.

Playing with Matthew and Michael Hawkins in front of the Woods home in Thompson.

The way I remember it, Inco played fair as far as corporations go, establishing good labour relations and even paying their share of infrastructure costs. I haven't investigated too deeply yet, but on the surface it sure seems like this deal stinks. I hope Thompson doesn't go the way of Leaf Rapids; the north is an important frontier, and the people living there deserve better.

42

What do you get when you multiply six by nine?

Anyone familiar with the works of Douglas Adams knows that 42 is the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything. It logically follows, then, that "What do you get when you multiply six by nine?" is the ultimate question.

Yes, there is something fundamentally wrong with the universe. Fortunately, turning 42 today is unrelated - I hope - to ultimate questions and answers.



I found 42 balloons waiting for me at work thanks to Andrew's kindness, and many well-wishes from friends and family. Sylvia spoiled me with some very thoughtful gifts and dinner at - of course - Earl's. So I guess if there is an ultimate question and and ultimate answer, it probably goes something like this:

Why are we here?

To be nice to each other.

And to do a whole bunch of other things, of course, if indeed there's even a "why" at all. But we are here, so we may as well make the best of it even though we don't have all the answers, or all the questions.

Thanks for the birthday wishes, everyone. 

Breadalbane Pioneers

In July 1975, the people of southwestern Manitoba gathered at Breadalbane Church to unveil a monument to the area's original settlers. The church is about 8 km from the Etsell farm, and my family was there, but the only thing I really remember is the heat. It was sweltering. Mom says I was pretty well-behaved anyway.

The man at the podium is Harold Leask, my grandmother's first cousin.

Here's the cairn, with Manitoba's lush prairie in the background.

A closeup of the monument reveals the names of the pioneers being honoured that day. Mom's ancestors are represented by the Leask family at the upper right. Note that a Tom and Charlotte Woods are also listed, although there's no direct relation to Dad's side of the family.

 This is the inside of the church. I'm in the front row, wearing the green vest. Mom is three rows behind me, the short-haired brunette in the pink blouse. Looking good! Aunt Margaret is right in front of her, sharing a pew with my cousins Cathy, Barbara and David. You can see my grandmother in the row behind, between David and Barbara.

Here's the church as it looked in 2009. It's held up remarkably well.

If you look at the 1975 photo of the cairn, you'll see a shack in the background. It was still there in 2009.

The inside of the church was still in good shape, too.

Sean proved that even the piano still functions.

And I took an opportunity to strike a dramatic pose.

I'm not a religious person, but there's something special about Breadalbane church. Even though it's usually empty these days, you can feel the weight of history emanating from every stone and timber. I wonder what yesterday's pioneers would make of the 21st century. I like to think that at least they'd be pleased to be remembered.

Brother of Another Colour

Al Oeming's snow leopard in a more natural hue.

After yesterday's lament about faded old slides, Jeff sent me a helpful email about Photoshop's amazing curves function. A few simple adjustments, and this poor old snow leopard is no longer looking quite so pink.

 Here's another scan of an old slide. This is my Uncle Arnold and a couple of my cousins, sometime back in the late 60s. The photo is awfully pink, so I'm going to follow Jeff's advice and use the curves tool to flush some of the red out.

Well, it's not perfect, but I think it looks a lot more natural than when I started. Thankfully the vast majority of the hundreds of slides I've scanned don't exhibit this extreme red tint. In fact, the only ones that have turned red are all of a strange non-standard variety; the film frame is much larger than a normal 35 mm slide, with a very narrow border.

CORRECTION: Mom tells me that this photo is probably not from the late 60s, but rather 1959 or 1960. Whoops! Thanks, Mom.

Al Oeming's Alberta Game Farm

A snow leopard interred at the Alberta Game Farm, circa 1974.

Back in 1974, while we were still living in Leaf Rapids, Mom and Dad took me on a trip to Alberta, where we visited Al Oeming's Alberta Game Farm. I don't remember the trip at all, but while scanning the family slide collection today I came across some official photos created by the Farm for visitors. The slides are in very rough shape, the colours faded by the years to a dark pink. I've tried to colour-correct these as best I can, but the results, as you can see, are lukewarm at best. (UPDATE: originally these photos were very pink, but thanks to a tip from my friend Jeff, they now look much better.)

Mom and Dad inform me that we did visit the Farm once again after moving to Alberta, mostly so that my brother Sean could see it. I have hazy memories of this trip - really nothing more than sensory impressions of strong odours, chain-link fences, and perhaps a sea of cars in a field that served as a parking lot, though this could easily be a memory conflated with that of one of our trips to the Namao air shows.

In its later years the Alberta Game Farm was known as Polar Park before shutting down for good in 1998. The Edmonton Journal has a pretty funny gallery here; my favourite is the one captioned "In 1978, gorilla escapes were a problem."


Here are a few other slides:

Formosan Sika Deer

A pair of Nilgai

Chilean Flamingos

A chained cheetah

The (Canine) Candidate

The old Etsell farm lies just a few kilometres away from Virden, Manitoba, in the federal electoral district of Brandon-Souris. The riding has been reliably conservative since it was first contested in 1953. Grandfather Etsell once memorably claimed that "We could run Laddie as a Tory in this riding and he'd win."

Laddie, pictured above at the Etsell farmhouse in 1966, never ran for office, probably figuring that popular Distinguished Flying Cross recipient Walter Dinsdale had the PC nomination well in hand. Indeed, Dinsdale represented the riding for 30 years, right up until his passing. It wasn't until the Liberal wave of 1993 that Brandon-Souris was represented by anyone other than a Tory; Glen McKinnon, a biology teacher from Virden, held the seat for one term before voters returned another Tory to office. The riding has remained blue ever since.

With a record like that, I have to believe that Granddad, though speaking in jest, was probably correct in his analysis.

The Con-Version Experience

A couple of years after I met Steve Fitzpatrick, I started joining him at Calgary's Con-Version science fiction conventions. We headed down to Calgary three or four times in the late 80s and early 90s, and I always had a blast. I loved the bad movie night, the guest speakers, and the panels. One year, our friend Steve Muir earned a glare from SF author David Brin; apparently Steve's giant feet got a little too close to Brin's toddler in the elevator. Another year I ran into Bjo Trimble, the so-called "superfan" who orchestrated the fan mail campaign that saved Star Trek from cancellation - twice!

Delegates are obligated, by tradition if not force of law, to bring costumes to this event. And of course there's a contest. At Con-Version XII in 1995, Steve convinced me to play a supporting role in his contest entry for that year. Revealing that there's much more to Klingon culture than simply war and honour, Steve dressed up as a Klingon accountant. But even a Klingon number-cruncher remains a Klingon, and when I, playing an uptight Federation bureaucrat, confronted Steve's character about his figures, well, he stopped crunching numbers and started crunching my hand. We had a lot of fun hamming it up for the audience, and took away some reward or other - I don't remember which. though perhaps Steve will.

Here I am in a turbolift (i.e., elevator) with Audrey Fitzpatrick. Why am I wearing glasses? Most 23rd century patients with vision problems are given a dose of Retinax-V. But I'm allergic to Retinax.

And here's the gang that went down that year: myself, Stephen Fitzpatrick, Peter Harris (as the Surgeon General), Dave and Paula Ticheler, Audrey Fitzpatrick, and Steve Muir, he of the giant feet.

Ask anyone what defines Calgary and they'll probably mention one of the sports teams, the Calgary Stampede, or the oil and gas industry. But every metropolitan area plays host to a plethora of subcultures, including science fiction and fantasy aficionados. Con-Version has been attracting thousands of fans for nearly thirty years now, as interesting and diverse a crowd of people as I've ever encountered. I haven't been to a convention for over a decade, but if anyone wants to make the trip again, I'm up for it.