Planet Laurel

“Bob Tremblay Dobro” CD cover

Although he's been playing 'forever,' and he is described in reviews as a "virtuoso, this album is the first time Bob Tremblay's Dobro magic has been featured on a recording.

Bob Tremblay released "Dobro," his first solo CD in February 2011.

Cover art by Lothlaurien.

Laurel L. Russwurm, Author Portrait

lothlaurien posted a photo:

The discordant elements of this photograph are what make it both appealing and memorable.

This is the portrait that will be used as the Author Photo for Laurel L. Russwurm's novel "Inconstant Moon"

Laurel L. Russwurm

lothlaurien posted a photo:

This was the more conventional author photo that was originally planned for the cover.

The novel is set in the fall, with action in the wooded sections of the ficticious Christie University campus.

Since photography is really only a hobby, and I *hate* using a flash, It was a given that the author photo session should take place in daylight out in the woods of Victoria Glen Park, a natural preserve located in Waterloo region along side the Kissing Bridge Trail.

A very old logo

It may look like a new logo but that is actually a very OLD logo. There is so much political stuff happening, not to mention self publishing, that I haven’t time, but one thing I intend to do is to republish Canektion here.

Canektion was a Star Trek & Science Fiction fanzine we published in the 1970’s. It was the official fanzine of the Canadian Trekkies Association which met in the art room at EDSS after school. Art teacher George Caesar magnanimously allowed us to hold our meetings there. We actually convinced the other art teacher, Tom Thirtle, to design us a logo. And he did. Is that ever awesome!

So although the Canadian Trekkie’s Association no longer exists, I thought I’d put the logo here.

Because eventually I hope to republish Canektion here.

If anyone is interested, let me know.

Macleans.ca : Is there a future for Canadian TV?

I applaud the folks at CHEK-TV for taking on their own station. There is no reason why local programming shouldn't work. For all the cries of "Local Programming Matters" there hasn't been any real local programming in Canada in fifty years. The networks ran things by remote control which is why they had no trouble flipping the switch on the little stations during tough economic times. I would suggest that they contact their local community college and perhaps even high school to and look into co-op and/or apprenticeship programs. In the early days of radio and then TV, stations created their own content cheaply by providing a forum for local talent. Check the local music scene, maybe comedy shops, or community theatre. Early TV filmed stage plays for broadcast. Passe? Last year the Stratford Festival's production of "Caesar and Cleopatra" was videotaped as a stage play and subsequently projected for high prices in a limited movie theatre run. Thanks to the possibility of internet distribution, for the first time in decades it is possible for Canadian musical acts to make a career for themselves without attracting big (read american) record labels. The technology has made it possible for them to make and distribute their own stuff. Which should make it easier to both find and promote local music (and visiting acts) on deeply low budget tv shows as in days of yore. Canadian culture could well be coming into its own right now thanks to the modern technologies. Small local stations like this would do well to take advantage. CRTC has long profoundly failed both the Canadian music and tv worlds, and currently they are doing their best to offer up the internet to Bell Canada's control with rulings designed to condemn the independent ISPs to oblivion. As well, the impending implementation of Usage Based Billing will double the cost of Canadian internet access for the exact same substandard service we get now. http://stopusagebasedbilling.wordpress.com/ Sign the petition at http://dissolvethecrtc.ca/

Science Fiction Double Feature

When I was young I read a lot. Including pretty much every bit of science fiction I could get my hands on.

There were precious few science fiction movies that were any good back in those days. Bad special effects were part of it, since serious filmmakers didn’t want to do movies that looked hokey.

Also good actors would try to stay out of those movies, because being typecast as a science fiction actor could be the kiss of death to an acting career. Obviously it isn’t like that any more, since the Terminator could become the governor of California.

Every now and then there would be something good. Metropolis. Things to Come. Silent Running.

And then there was Star Wars. Star wars wasn’t really science fiction, it was space opera, but it proved that it was possible to create good special effects. Not looking hokey improved the tone. Suddenly it was cool to make or be in a science fiction movie.

Now that I am less young I read very little science fiction but I’m more likely to watch science fiction movies. And I wouldn’t mind talking about them.