Hail Sean!

Today's is Sean's birthday! And a big one, too. 

Happy Birthday, Sean, with many more to come! Your presents are, er...late. But coming! 

Pope Hat

♝
I accidentally discovered I can insert special characters into my blog posts. This sentence follows a pope hat.  

Pope hat
Pope hat
Roly poly pope hat
Pope hat pope hat
Eat them up, yum

Salem's Lot Boo Boo

Today a lovely special edition of Tobe Hooper's adaptation of Stephen King's Salem's Lot appeared on my doorstep. It comes with a two-sided poster, a "Welcome to Salem's Lot" sticker, and a handsome perfect-bound booklet that collects essays about the miniseries. 

Alas, sometime during the editing process, someone--more likely, multiple people--missed adding the name of Bonnie Bedelia's character to the cast list. For the record, Bedelia played the ill-fated Susan Norton. 

Gemini-Generated Paranoid Productions Logos

Some of these are fun, but most are kind of meh. A lot of them look like triangles because the original logo, created by Jeff Shyluk, was a pyramid with an eye near the apex, and I told Gemini that in the prompts. The wordmarks aren't bad, but look too much like the CBS logo. The pyramid with the shadow might be my favourite conceptually, but it feels like an awkward shape for most real-world purposes. Pyramid eyeball sunrise might have promise if reworked. 

Again, as a starting point? Maybe. Not ready for prime time, though. 
 

Gemini Generated Earliad Banners

A few weeks ago, I asked Gemini to generate some banners for the blog. I hate to admit that I kind of like these, but I'm not going to use them, not unless I pay a real artist to use these strictly as a "this is the sort of thing I'm looking for" sample. I think there might be a place to use generative AI as inspiration as long as we keep supporting human artists. 
 

What a Time to Be Alive

That one prophetic conversation
I can't shake it from my mind
1992 or 1993
After the fall of the wall; the end of history
"What if this is as good as it ever gets?" 
Maybe it was

Maybe the real end of history is chasing us now
Like a comet diving in from the Oort cloud
We see it coming
We can't stop it

And that's it--
Lights out forever

Reddit Glimpses Cranberry Portage

 

I came upon this post on r/1980s on Reddit just now, and I thought "Wow, this looks just like Grandma's place did in the 1980s. Hey...that looks like Mom and Dad's green Ford station wagon. And that looks like an Alberta plate. HEY...wait a minute..." 

I searched my own blog for the keywords "Cranberry Portage," and here's the source of the Reddit photo.

Pilfered from my own blog! But I'm not angry. How many images have I used from the web? Plenty. I think this is kind of neat. 

Threads

Black threads under our collective skin
Spreading insidiously through our careless flesh
Threads of envy; greed; hate
We live in one skin
Though we are billions
But the infection spreads

We are close
To being overwhelmed
Awakening sluggisly
Too slowly
Too late

A Few Thoughts on Manhattan Transfer

I picked up John E. Stith's Manhattan Transfer (1993) at the Wee Book Inn back in the early 2000s, based solely on the cover art and the title. I finally read it, a quarter of a century later, a few days ago. As it turns out, Manhattan Transfer, despite the goofy premise, turns out to be a thoughtful high concept science fiction thriller with heart. 

What you see is what you get: As seen on the cover, aliens pop a bubble around Manhattan Island, rip it out of the Hudson River, and put the whole borough inside their giant starship, on an interior plain with what appear to be dozens of other similarly kidnapped species--but these are cities from other worlds. 

The likeable protagonists spend a good deal of time exploring the mystery of their new situation: Why would aliens steal a city? Are they in a zoo? Are they going to be used as food? How will they meet their needs? Can they make contact with the aliens? 

The New Yorkers turn out to be pretty resilient in the face of all this, though there is some initial looting and panic at the start of the crisis. Once the alien kidnappers provide food, water, and maintain their oxygen supply, things calm down and a group of about a half-dozen motivated folks work with the mayor to explore the other kidnapped cities and see if there's a way to force the aliens to take them back to Earth. 

John E. Stith approaches his plot and characters with care, attention to detail, empathy, and prose style well-suited to a steadily-paced adventure. I found myself easily invested in the characters and their quest to get some answers, and the second half of the novel becomes quite exciting as they discover their real predicament and wind up playing for much, much higher stakes. 

I wasn't expecting much from this novel, thanks to the novel's name and the cover art. I'd also never heard of the author, though now I know he was nominated for a Nebula! (Ignorance, thy name is Earl.) I don't think my low expectations should prejudice my view of the novel; I think it's genuinely good. Even the science is reasonably plausible, given the ideas set out in the story. Certainly issues with inertia and the speed of light are hand-waved away, but that's common for the genre; what's important is Stith makes everything believeable. 

I wonder what kind of conversations this stirred up in the 1990s, when I'm sure at least a few New Yorkers were reading this on the subway. 


 

Hope at the Ridge

Grandma Hope at "the Ridge," according to the back of the photo, 1941. 
 

Three Soldiers

If I remember correctly, Dad said that his father was declared medically unfit to serve overseas in World War II, but I don't recall the particular malady. He did serve in the militia in Canada, though, and here he is with two of his friends. Granddad is in the centre, flanked by Bill Arnotte (left) and Dan Burr (right). 
 

Invisible Movie Star

 

I fed Gemini a decade-old photo of me at the Edmonton Film Festival and asked it to "have this man surprised by a movie star." I guess the star was Claude Rains, or maybe Kevin Bacon. 

Starro v. Titano: Dawn of Injustice

One eye and five arms

Silent Starro's children fall

Dominating with whispers

Save us, Titano!

Kryptonite vision just might

Work on this creepy thing

Vernal Geekquinox 2026: Dem Bones, Dem Tasty Bones

The great thing about bones, in a culinary sense, is their ability to act as handles for meat. This year's first Geekquinox, held yesterday afternoon, was built on very sold bones: Pete and Ellen's peerless hosting and cooking skills, and friendships that now stretch back decades. Zounds! 

The lamb lollipops were so delicious that I forgot to take a photo before they'd all been scarfed down--thanks to Stephen for this photo! Moist, juicy, tender--I don't have lamb often, but wow, these were scrumptious. They certainly put a SHEEPISH GRIN on my face! 

The next course consisted of braised lamb shanks served on a bed of rice. The sauce...oh, the sauce...the meat and the rice were excellent, too, of a quality far better than, I dare say, most restaurants. 

Here's our dapper chef in his skeleton-themed shirt, alongside a couple of the cocktail recipes. I'm not a drinker, but apparently at least one of them was "face-numbing." 

Ellen took this shot of us, which means she's not in it! Still a fun photo that captures the feeling of the day. 

We took a break between courses to marvel at Pete and Ellen's just-completed library. It's utterly gorgeous, and really makes me want to do something similar in my (much smaller) space. 

Unfortunately, family matters called us away early, so we missed the steak and the duck. But we did share a piece of this amazing homemade dinosaur dig cake. Needless to say, we dug it, bones and all. 

For better photos and a more comprehensive writeup, including the dishes we missed, see Steve's story of the event! 

Bird vs. Sean

 

Series Assimilation Misstep

SPOILERS AHEAD for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Episode Five, "Series Acclimation Mil" 

I've had more than enough time to reflect on "Series Acclimation Mil," the first episode of Starfleet Academy focused on the school's sole holographic cadet, for whom this episode is named. (Everyone just calls her "Sam.") And while I wanted to love this episode, it demonstrates that good intentions alone cannot deliver a satisfying dramatic experience. 

In this episode, Sam hears the legend of Captain Benjamin Sisko. She decides that because Sisko was known as "the Emissary" by the Bajorans, and she, Sam, is an emissary of her people to humanity, she should investigate the final fate of Captain Sisko as a project for school. It's a pretty tenuous connection, and not a great beginning. Worse, the episode feels strangely bifurcated between Academy carousing shenanigans and Sam's research. There are also some bold directorial and editing choices that feel a bit too wacky for an episode with some pretty serious themes--loss, grief, and most importantly, perhaps, ambiguity. 

In the real world, Avery Brooks, who had played Captain Sisko in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, retired not long after the series concluded. At the end of that series, Sisko jumped into a pit of fire and "joined the prophets" in the Bajoran wormhole. But before leaving what the wormhole aliens call "linear time" forever, Sisko promised his wife and son that he would return--a line added at the actor's insistence, because he did not want to contribute to the racial stereotype of a black father abandoning his family. 

That left the character's fate in limbo; to this day, we haven't learned whether or not Sisko kept his promise. That was the actor's intent, but apparently the showrunners wanted a clearer ending, one indicating that Sisko had made the ultimate sacrifice for Bajor. 

So here we are, thirty years later in our time, almost a thousand years later along the fictional Star Trek timeline. If you're going to tackle a story point that has been festering for decades, you'd better know what you're doing and have some kind of satisfying catharsis, one way or another. 

Unfortunately, the episode plays it safe, leaves things ambiguous, and in doing so compounds the downsides of the original story choices. There are some nice moments in the episode to be sure, including Tawny Newsome in a guest starring role and the return of Cirroc Lofton as Jake Siskso. But the themes here were too large and too complex for these particular writers to handle. They did their best, but some stories are best left alone. 


 

Putting My Stamp on Stamps

 

Burger Barons

What if there was a video game in which Sean and Earl had to satisfy long lines of customers at a local Burger Baron? 

SCTV and Me

At the moment I write this, Amazon Prime is streaming all six seasons of SCTV, AKA Second City Television, the sketch comedy show that arose from Toronto's Second City comedy troupe. Like many others, I was a fan during the series' original run; indeed, we moved to Alberta just in time for the third season, which was filmed in Edmonton at the old Allard studios on 51st avenue and even on location in Leduc, where we lived at the time. 

Because you never know how long any given show will be available these days, I immediately started watching SCTV on Prime from the beginning to try to capture all the episodes I missed back in the 70s and 80s and to revisit any I remembered. It turns out that out of the entire first and second seasons--as far as I've gotten--I remember only the fifth and 26th episodes of the first season, so much of the comedy is new to me thus far--quite a delight. 

The show is as silly as I remember, but also much sharper, with social commentary, double entendres, and pop culture references that went over my head as an adolescent. 

My favourite sketch from the first season is "Crossword" from episode four. I was astounded when the opening credits included Sir Ralph Richardson and Sir John Gielgud, two incredibly gifted and respected British stars of stage and screen. I figured this was a gag--including these legends alongside Dave Thomas, Eugene Levy, John Candy, Catherine O'Hara, Andrea Martin, Joe Flaherty, and Harold Ramis--virtually unknown, comparatively, especially in the mid-1970s. But sure enough, the two knights show up in a sketch called, "Crosswords," in which they're cast in a Harold Pinter play and exchange dry, mundane dialogue about which landmarks they should visit and how to solve the crossword clues. It's a strange skit, capturing the weird feeling of Pinter plays perfectly, and the two gentlemen are hilarious in the most deadpan manner possible. I'd love to know what circumstances made this bit of television history possible. 

It's also neat to see the loose narrative of the fictional SCTV evolve during the first two seasons; the skits are held together with the various goings-on at the station itself, and it amuses me to no end that Harold Ramis' departure as Moe Green, station manager, is covered by a kidnapping; the station is too cheap to pay the $2000 ransom, and Moe Green is never seen again on the show. Grim! 

As with any sketch show, some bits are funnier than others, but the actors really give every scene their all, and the cheap production values bring their own charm, putting the show's success almost entirely in the hands of the writers and comedians. 

I already remember why I loved this show, and it's a real treat to finally see the many episodes I missed. Looking forward to seasons three to six! 

Sylvia on Gilligan's Island

I enjoy teasing Sylvia by using generative AI tools to turn her into a Green Lantern, her least favourite superhero. I'm not sure she'd enjoy being placed on Gilligan's Island either, but when I found a photograph of her in this dress from our first visit to Las Vegas, the island felt like a perfect place for her--in another reality, at least. And I feel like of all the castaways, she'd be the least annoyed by Roy Hinkley, AKA "the Professor." Hence his appearance here. 

I have a strong feeling that with Sylvia on the island, it would not have taken them fifteen years to get back to civilization. 
 

Oscar Fail 2026

One answer away from getting a passing grade on my Oscar winner guesses, despite having seen 49 out of 50 of the nominees. Well, there's no accounting for the Academy's taste, I suppose. 
 

Candy Omen

 

Facebook Art 'Twere It Done by Great Masters

Back in the early days, when Facebook, though evil, could still be fun. Facebook Graffiti was one of my favourite features, and Sean and I and others sent some terrible drawings back and forth.

As you can see here, Jeff and Andrea also contributed. 

I asked Gemini to "reinterpret these works as if they were oil paintings created by great masters." 

The results: 

Captain Jellico and Tuvix Explore the World of the Mad Butcher's Superb Sausages

 

The Bottomless Well of Human Desire

Lenore and Henry are moving up in Victorian society. Henry is nouveau riche, a manufacturer of cutlery, and he's married a high-born but penniless wife. The match means class elevation for Henry and security for Lenore. Oh, there's love, too, at first, but after Lenore miscarries and becomes infertile, the relationship cools. The terrible secret they share doesn't help--and there's worse mayhem ahead, as they soon discover when they rescue the mysterious Carmilla from a carriage crash on the way to their new estate . . . 

Hungerstone (Kat Green, 2025), is a story about desire and agency, which takes Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu's lesbian vampire novella Carmilla as inspiration. In both stories, a young woman (Laura in the original, Lenore in Hungerstone) dreams of another woman about her age coming to her at night and biting her. Later, both heroines meet this mysterious figure--Carmilla--in the flesh, rescuing her from a carriage crash. Carmilla insinuates herself into Lenore's life; partly to sate her own desires, but much more importantly to help Lenore understand that she, too, has desires, and that she should be honest with herself and pursue them. Carmilla and Henry do not get along, and Carmilla, in word and deed, does what she can to encourage Lenore to reclaim her agency. It's not just a matter of getting out from under her husband's thumb--it's about survival itself. 

Lenore's backstory is presented via her thoughts as she navigates her new reality. Thanks to Carmilla, Lenore is forced to reflect on her past to discover the reasons why she gave up hope of happiness from a young age, and why she allowed herself to enter an unfulfilling, even dangerous, relationship with Henry. Moreover, without Carmilla's aid, Lenore may not have discovered the forces being drawn up against her until it was too late . . . 

For the fourth time this month, I've read stories by women about women who reclaim their agency to empower themselves and protect themselves from men. Of these, Hungerstone might be my favourite. Rich in allusion and metaphor, the novel first emulates and then inverts Carmilla's original story to present a subversive, well-earned happy ending Le Fanu may have appreciated but could not possibly have depicted in his era. Hungerstone also works as a horror novel; it's gloomy, with a pervasive sense of dread, the occasional outbreak of horrific violence, and some very weird scenes of pica--perhaps unsurprising in a novel about desire, hunger, want, and cravings--all the same thing, are they not? There's even a lovely little scene with a real hunger stone.