46

So, another trip around the sun successfully completed.  My 45^th year wrapped up quietly this weekend, with a day spent at home putting together some birthday Lego, walking the dog, going out for a pricey supper and just generally relaxing around the house with Cathy and doing some reading, when I wasn’t cursing on making mistakes with the Lego.

So how was 45? Pretty good, over all. Let’s sum up a few high and low points.

•  Things with Cathy and I are still rock solid. All marriages have highs and lows, but I think the last year was mostly good. And hey, we celebrated being married for 10 years. The only time it had the potential to get a little stressful, I gave the heads up that things were going to get hectic for me last fall, and that she might need some extra patience. And she did. So yeah, I’m pretty happy there. Still the smartest decision in my life.
• We also celebrated 10 years of living in Nunavut. It's not always the easiest place to live; there are times when you can get deeply, deeply frustrated. But there's no question that our lives have changed for the better in the 10 years we've lived here. Let's put it this way, there's no question we're in a much better place living in Nunavut than if we had stayed in Newfoundland. And given that Newfoundland is sliding into what I think is going to be a solid decade of economic horror, I don't see us moving home anytime soon
• A couple of very nice trips made the year good. Three weeks in Europe, including 15 on a Viking River boat from Budapest to Amsterdam, then a few extra days in Amsterdam and a few more days in London. That’s a pretty good, albeit in very expensive, vacation. Although I really should get around to writing my review of the Viking boat, because we always get questions about what the cruise is like.
• I also went to New York for a week, which I’ve already written about extensively. That was good. Also the last time I’m likely be there for a long time given how bad the Canadian dollar is right now.
• And everything else was fine. I think when you get older you appreciate less drama, or at least work hard to purge unnecessary drama from your life whenever you can. I’m healthy, Cathy’s healthy (well, the usual complaints, but we’re use to them by now), most of my family and friends are healthy. It may not be an action packed life of excitement, but it’s a good one. If nothing else, writing a post like this is a useful reminder how rare and lucky a set of circumstances that can be. So I’m going to pause and enjoy that.

In terms of, “well, bollocks” moments for my 45^th year.

•  My weight crept back up. I’m not back to where I was when I just turned 42 and was at a record bad weight for me, but I’m closer to that than when I was 43, and managed to drop down to a weight I hadn’t seen since my 20s. Some of it was a series of nagging injuries that made working out uncomfortable. But let’s be honest, part of it was me being lazy and slipping out of my routines. So I’m back to trying to eat healthier and going to the gym 3-4 times a week again. I doubt I’ll ever get back to 182 pounds, which is where I was when I was 43, but a lot of friends and family were worried about me at that weight. I didn’t realize it at the time, but there was apparently a rumour going around town that I was sick, because I had dropped so much weight so fast. On the upside, I’m in better shape, just carrying more weight than I would like.
• I don’t discuss work on the blog, for obvious reasons, but it was a stressful and occasionally frustrating year.  But again, an upside, it was a year where I worked with the same organization for the whole year.  And that’s not nothing. I still get mad when I think about the previous job. So yes, some challenges and frustrations. But that’s work.

So what do I have planned for 46? I like make plans at my birthday rather than on New Year’s Eve.

• Continue to eat better and exercise. Be content that the weight is not going to fly off like it did last time, but don’t get complacent about it either. Ideally I’d like to be back around 200 pounds. That was a comfortable weight for me…and didn’t freak people out.
• Read at least 25 books this year. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you consider all the graphic novels, magazines, newspapers and web articles I read, finding time for 25 novels can be a challenge. I’ve already finished “Career of Evil” by JK Rowling (Well Galbraith, but it’s Rowling) and I’ve started "Ancillary Mercy" by Ann Leckie. After that it’s back to The Expanse series.
• Write more. I’m doing a little better on the blog, but I still need to write more. I’m actually debating pitching stuff to some of the geek blogs. They pay is utter shit, of course. I attended a panel on geek journalism when I was in New York and they all said “You better love it, because you’re going to find it hard to make a living off of it.” Fortunately, I don’t need to. So maybe try and do some geek writing for my own amusement. We’ll see. That one is still rattling around in my head.
• Continue to try and be awesome to Cathy.
• Try and spend less time on the computer. That may be counter-intuitive to the doing more writing, now that I think about it. How about “waste less time on the computer”? That’s better.
• And go on a decent vacation. Alas, nothing as epic as last summer. It was...pricey. But we were celebrating our 10th anniversary, so it was allowed. I think this summer is going to be Southern Ontario (I've never been to Niagara Falls) and then we're debating either going to Chicago for a few days and trying to get tickets to Adele or taking a quick jaunt through New York state and Vermont and hang out in Montreal for a few days. Also planning on going to St. John's during the summer for the first time since 2007. So that'll be fun. Assuming the weather doesn't suck.

How grown-up can you be with Stitch, Yoda
and Dr. Who Lego

It’s funny, I got asked when I turned 46 if I feel any older. Given that I was putting together a Dr. Who Lego set at the time, I’m going to go with “no”. I have no more secrets to staying young than anybody else. But the combination of exercise, eating a bit healthier, going on cool vacations, enjoying and demanding sloth time (I’m an introvert. I desperately need down time), and being comfortable in my geekery is working well for me. I don’t feel 46. Hell, there are days when I’m geeking out over something (on the weekend it was the announcement of a second season of Jessica Jones and a possible new Punisher series, both on Netflix) I’m not entirely sure I’m 16.

Then I look over and realize Cathy’s talking to me, and since a girl talking to me at 16 was deeply unlikely, I guess I am somewhat of an adult.

I seem to have found what works for me. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty damn good most days.

Last Five

1. Galician Overture - The Chieftains*

2. Hey, Snow White - The New Pornographers

3. Empty threat - Chvrches

4. El Besu - The Chieftains

5. This is our perfect crime - The Von Bondies

The balmy north

You can get weird weather living in the North. This time last year we were in the middle of an epic cold snap. It had been weeks of temperatures in the -30C range, and that's before you added windchill. Windchill would put it into the -40C and -50C without much effort. Since schools closed when you got Extreme Wind Chill warnings (-50C in case you were wondering) there were a lot of closures...and grumpy parents. On one particularly horrific day, temperatures dropped to -44C with windchill at -67C. I used that day to horrify Americans in New York last October to explain just how cold it could get where I live.

It was a long, hard cold winter. By many accounts the coldest one Iqaluit had seen in decades.

So what do you do to follow that up? Well, how about a day in the middle of January where it was....+1C. Which is what the temperature was here today. Seasonal norms are between -24C and -31C in case you were wondering. Or as I told friends in St. John's, it's roughly the equivalent of waking up this morning and discover it was +30C. That would freak out people.

It certainly was freaking out people here. Normally when you get temperature spikes like that in the middle of winter you get something truly horrific. I remember the last big one we had, back in 2008, I think, when it hit +3C at the end of February. On top of that it was pouring rain and 90 km/h winds. So when everything froze a day or so later Iqaluit was a skating rink for weeks.

But today it was fairly...civil. We had some high winds. Pangnirtung got smacked around quite nicely with winds hitting around 110 km/h. We had some moments of unpleasantness, but nothing epic. I spent the day walking around in a Spring coat. Environment Canada has spent most of the last few days trying to figure out what exactly they should be warning us about. They knew something was coming, and I think we got warning for just about everything. Environment Canada - good for predicting cold, clear and sunny weather in the Arctic, but not much else.

The worse we had to deal with were flights being cancelled. Probably because of the winds, but also I suspect the airlines couldn't believe that something evil wasn't going to happen in town when they were halfway here, meaning they would have to turn around. Its meant no mail in days and NorthMart looks like it had a run on it as if the zombie apocalypse was underway. No fit fruit or vegetables to speak of.

However, we did get this...

Photo: Nick Murray/CBC North

That's what the light looked like in Iqaluit around sunset today. There's no filters on that pic. That's actually what it looked like when you were outside. It was surreal. It was also freaking out a lot of people. Which I think is completely reasonable.

This being Iqaluit, the temperature is dropping to about -22C tomorrow. So that's some whiplash. Also, if you're married to someone who does not handle sudden temperature and pressure changes well because of her arthritis, this all well and good to look and, put it sucks pretty much for her. The warm temperatures were nice and all, but I think we'd both like something seasonal and stable.

Last Five
1. 2 -1 - Imogen Heap
2. Morning light - Eskimo Joe
3. My heart will go on - Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
4. Nature of the experiment - Tokyo Police Club
5. Armagideon time - The Clash

The Force Awakens

At some point, and I think the point is when a movie makes $1.7 billion dollars in less than a month, it's safe to take the cone of silence off Star Wars: The Force Awakens can be lifted.

A few of my friends haven't seen it yet. If you're one of them and you've wander here and don't want things spoiled, feel free to drift away.

So, first things first...I liked the movie. I liked it quite a lot. Is it the best Star Wars movie ever? Well, no. I would put it third behind A New Hope and Empire. It's certainly not the best movie of the year, as an over-excited critic of the Toronto Star wrote in his review. I haven't seen some of the major contenders like Spotlight and the Big Short yet, but I can say with certainty it's not better than Mad Max: Fury Road.

But it's a good Star Wars movie. It's been a long time since we've had one of those. I had to see The Force Awakens a second time because I'm pretty sure I was holding my breath for most of its running time the first time through praying it wouldn't start to suddenly suck. And it didn't. There were wobbly moments, like when Han, Finn and Rey gather at the bar. That just felt a little flat and draggy to me. And the big Super Weapon was almost as stupid as Star Trek's Red Matter (almost, but not quite. Do not get Abrams to head your weapons development program).

But there are so many other genuinely great emotional moments - the first time you see the Millennium Falcon, the great swooping chase scene through wrecked imperial Star Destroyers, Han's "Chewie, we're home", "The Scene" (which I will not spoil here, but had me muttering "Oh no. This is bad. Very, very bad."), pretty much anything Rey does, but especially the first time she fires up a light sabre. I remember saying to Cathy "I feel a great disturbance in the Force. As if a million geek girls squeed at once and said 'I'm cosplaying the shit out of that.'"

It's good fun. It's obviously very retro, and deliberately so. Look, you don't hire JJ Abrams to give you something you've never seen before. His whole career has mostly been about taking other people's properties and making tweaks to them. Fox wanted him to do something like the X-Files, so he gave them Fringe. Super 8 was updated Spielberg (not good Spielberg, but he tried). Star Trek. Ok, Lost was its own thing, but I've never been so glad to bail on a show after its first season given how frustrated I've heard so many fans get over that show.

So yes, get Abrams to do his own take on A New Hope. Which was needed for the franchise. Desperately.

It's interesting to hear George Lucas snipe at the movie, basically complaining that it's too retro and he would have done something new and different. Which is not necessarily a wrong point of view to have. Episode 8 is going to have to do something different. It can't just be a retread of Empire. Which is why I'm so very, very glad Abrams is not directing it given what a disaster Star Trek: Into Darkness was.

But here's the thing about Lucas sniping...he couldn't have done that "new direction". I'm sure he had ideas, but I guarantee you, it would have been over-produced, with actors who would have been miscast and given no support and dialogue that you would need a jackhammer to chew through. Go take a look at Lucas filmography on IMDB. He's literally directed nothing of any value since the first Star Wars.  He's been involved with creating nothing worthwhile since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. He'd never be able to admit that, of course. Not with that much money and ego.

Lucas is practically the poster boy for catching lightening in a bottle. He's the father of this series. I will grant you that gives him a wide latitude to express his opinions. That doesn't mean they're right. Lucas is more a clever marketing genius than any kind of cinematic one at this point.

The Force Awakens had to be the way it is, with so many retro touches and throw backs to A New Hope to ease the mental trauma so many Star Wars fans had from the prequels. Honestly, if The Force Awakens had been as bad as the prequels (I rewatched them for the first time in years in the weeks before The Force Awakens. There's maybe half a good movie in there of the three of them) then I think we might have had to put a couple of million people into counselling.

The people behind the scenes remember that it's not all big flashy CGI battles we love about the movie. There's probably never been a better space battle than the one that opens Revenge of the Sith for spectacle. And yet it's hollow and boring. All CGI flash and no heart.

No, the folks with The Force Awakens remember to bring the fun. And there's a ton of it in there. There are some genuine laugh out loud moments (my favourite remains the Stormtroopers turning around when they hear Kylo Ren's temper tantrum). The dialogue is really good and, as an added bonus, the acting is also quite good. I say added bonus because most of the Star Wars movies have not exactly had Oscar calibre performances.

The other way you can tell the movie is good is the fan reaction. The prequels often lead to spirited defence and trying to explain how they are probably, somehow, better than what they appear to be (they weren't). Or discussions on which order to watch them to cause the minimum psychological damage. With this one, there are fun cartoons on the internet. The relationship everyone wants to see isn't Rey and either Finn or Poe, but Finn/Poe (these shippers are hardcore. Don't mess with them). There's analysis about how Kylo Ren is actually a symbol for over entitled fanboys. It kinda works.

And, as an added bonus, when there was a distinct lack of Rey toys (because who buy toys with a girl character) #wheresrey? trended and shed a ton of light on the general stupidity in the toy industry when it comes to how they market and sell to women.

Oh, and a Men's Right's group claimed they cost Disney millions by boycotting the movie because none of the new characters are white males, which makes them feel persecuted. Which was good, because it brought together millions of people of different races, religions, sex and countries to mock some genuinely deeply stupid people.

So yeah, a good movie. A positive movie. A nice step forward for the franchise and fandom as a whole.  I worry that Disney is going to milk this to death, a similar worry I have about Marvel movies, but that's a worry for another day. At least with The Force Awakens, they managed to land a good movie, against all odds and ludicrous expectations. Not perfect, but pretty damn good.

And that's good enough for me.

Last Five
1. My winding wheel - Ryan Adams
2. I feel fine - The Beatles
3. If it works - Tokyo Police Club
4. Rains on me - Tom Waits*
5. The western isles - Josh Rouse

Slow down

If it's the weekend before Christmas then the Great Iqaluit Exodus must be well under way. For all my theories that there would be fewer people flying out this year due to the high cost of plane tickets the lines at the airport were biblical. There were pictures on Facebook and Twitter of the security line stretching out the front door of the airport and down the steps. Nothing quite like having to wait outside in -20C weather.

This is our 11th Christmas in Nunavut and I think we've been out three, maybe four times. And as we get older it's becoming harder and harder to muster the will power to brave airplanes and airports during holidays. I had no shortage of complaining in my social media feeds the last couple of days about people travelling. And yes, it would be lovely to see some friends and family or go some place warm. Today we got hit with the annual cold snap that Iqaluit gets every year around Christmas. It was -56C when I woke up this morning and apparently it was below -60C for awhile this morning. So yes, going to Cuba or somewhere might be nice.

But this morning after I got up, Cathy and I spent the morning in the living room. The dog was being a nuisance, but a charming one (he begged to go outside, discovered it was "oh my god" cold and promptly headed back inside in something under 60 seconds). After that I set up the Apple TV to stream Christmas music from my computer. Soon enough photos started streaming across the TV from past vacations in Hawaii, California, Australia....I mean, it's not the same as being warm, but it's a nice reminder.

Cathy sat on the couch reading a book on her iPad and drinking her coffee. I was in my chair (until Boo stole it when I got up to get coffee) reading Molly Crabapple's autobiography 'Drawing Blood". (initial review - Molly Crabapple was braver and more fearless at 17 than I have been at any point in my life). We both glanced out the window at different times, admiring the light that you get at this time of the year, but pretty much vowing that this was a jammies day and that neither one of us was going outside, although Boo made liars out of us, but only for moments.

Honestly, it was as relaxing a day as either one of us has had in weeks. The last six weeks or so have been stressful. We've both been in to work on weekends trying to catch up on stuff. A weekend of sloth is a nice treat. A break over Christmas where we can spend many days reading or rewatching movies or TV shows - we're currently binge watching Fringe - will be a much needed break.

Oh, and I got to see Star Wars on Thursday, so that was good. I won't write about that yet, but the moratorium on my thoughts about that are probably going to last until next weekend. At that point, I figure nearly all my friends will have seen the movie, so talking about it is fair game.

Last Five
1. Hotel plaster - Nicole Atkins
2. Disaster button - Snow Patrol
3. Set our running - Neko Case*
4. Cold cold heart - Norah Jones
5. Drop the bombs - Matt Mays

Tonic

I confess, when I found out my brother-in-law was getting into the tonic water business, my reaction was "ooooookay. Sure." And then he named it Third Place Tonic, which is weird thing to call your product, but ok (there's a story behind it, honest).

I did not see the demand for high end artisanal tonic water. I'm pretty sure the last time I had tonic water was in Sri Lanka when a group of us went on a quest to find some to use with the rather large bottle of gin we'd acquired.

Then again, I'm not much of a drinker. Or entrepreneur, apparently. Because Danny has been having just a wee bit of success with it, judging by this CBC story and this story from the Overcast. Oh, and here's their website.

Now, ordinarily getting some positive write-ups in the local press doesn't mean success. Except everything I've heard says they can't keep the stuff in stock. They bring it to some high end restaurants in town and it sells out. They bring it to a few cafes in town and it sells out in days. I have friends who have tried it and are converted to the religion. I have another friend in San Francisco who is desperate to try and get a few bottles.

So maybe this is a thing. I've been away from Newfoundland for 10 years. The place has obviously changed. I'm still floored any time I read articles in national publications discussing St. John's food scene as one of the best in Canada. So high end tonic water is now a thing.

And, you know, good on him. This is probably the third most interesting thing that's happened to Danny this year, what with the birth of his first daughter (and my first niece) Charlie, and also becoming seriously ill last summer. So if the good news and bounce back from a rough summer is in the form of expensive tonic water, more power to him.

While it's not tonic water, we have our own new business opening in Iqaluit that has people excited. A new restaurant is opening, well, any day now. And of all the kinds of restaurants that could open here in town that I think would be successful - fish and chips, Italian, Indian, etc - I would not have picked barbecue. And yet, Big Racks Barbecue is gearing up to open. It's eagerly anticipated, to say the least. I have at least one friend who is going to kick in the front door and demand ribs if they don't open up pretty soon.

I'll let you know if it's any good as soon as we try the place out. New restaurants are rare beasts in Iqaluit. Other than some food trucks (oh, and Starbucks), I think the last new restaurant to open in town was Yummy Shawarma, and that's been open for at least three years now.

Entrepreneurship is not something I think I'd ever be particularly good at. Too risk adverse, I suspect. Although I was oddly spit-balling a few ideas if I ever felt the urge to blow my life saving and Cathy lost her mind and let me do it.

First idea is a pet store. Not one that sells cats and dogs, although I would work with the local shelter. But a store that sold decent pet food and supplies, and maybe had some pets like fish, birds, hamsters, etc. Of course, I'd have to check to see if you could ever bring those kinds of pets into Nunavut. I vaguely recall the Government of Nunavut having laws against bringing non-native species into the territory. I think they turn a benign blind eye to it, as there are certain plenty of cats, and some hamsters, ferrets and other critters. And while Shih Tzus are technically dogs it's hard to look at them in quite the same way you would look at a husky.

So yeah, I think it could do ok, actually, if you could overcome some of the logistical challenges of getting certain things like goldfish here safely.

Second idea is a proper bakery. NorthMart has one, but it's very bland. There's I Like Cake, but they sell mostly, well, cake, cupcakes and cookies. I mean a place that sells bread, bagels, croissants...that sort of thing. Something like Georgetown Bakery in St. John's. God, I miss that place.

My plan involves flying back to Newfoundland and kidnapping four grandmothers, maybe stop off on the way back in Quebec and grab a couple from there, and then bring them here and let them bake up a storm. Old fashion three-bun loaves of bread like your nan used to make. I'd even call the place Nan's Bakery. Oh, and throw in some bannock for good measure.

You'd be fighting people off with sticks. You start selling hot, fresh out of the over homemade bread up here and you would do quite well.

Anyway, if anyone wants to steal one of those idea, go right ahead. I'll certainly give you my money...

Last Five
1. Star witness - Neko Case*
2. Bad blood - Post Modern Jukebox featuring Aubrey Logan
3. Field behind the plow (live) - Stan Rogers
4. Water in hell - Broken Social Scene
5.  The ocean (live) - Tegan and Sara

Recent geekery

Some random thoughts on recent geek TV and some little sci-fi movie coming up...

1. Jessica Jones - First of all, let us take a moment to appreciate the miracle that we were able to watch this show at all. Nunavut based internet is a horror show...unless you're on Xplornet. I was ready to light up Xplornet earlier this year because of the truly dumbass way they were handling a transfer to a new system. But now that it's all settled down, it's working pretty good. We were able to stream all 13 episodes with no problems, and it didn't destroy our bandwidth cap of the month. Miraculous.

As for the show itself, feminists are going to be writing doctoral papers on that show for years. I don't mean that as a bad thing. Every time I read a review or a commentary it points out a new level to the show that I missed the first time around (I'm a middle-age white male living in Canada. Let's say I have a privileged existence). But there's a lot of smart feminist commentary going on there, but that in no way becomes preachy. It's a well-acted, mostly well written show that's deservedly making a lot of year-end lists.

I said mostly...I can find a few flaws with it. At 13 episodes it did feel a bit dragged out (Kilgrave gets away one two many times). I think 10 would have been a rock solid series. While they established early on why Jessica didn't want to take cases while dealing with Kilgrave, it still would have been nice to have seen her do more detective work. But it's nitpicks. I thought Marvel/Netflix would have a hard time topping Daredevil, or find a better villain that Wilson Fisk, but Jessica Jones is easily that show's equal.

Looking forward to Luke Cage. If Jessica Jones has smart things to say about feminism, I suspect that show is going to have interesting things to say about race.

2. Supergirl - Pretty much the opposite end of the spectrum. If Jessica Jones is entertainment for adults, with mature themes, some deeply flawed and unlikeable characters (including the heroine), Supergirl is all sunshine and inspirational. It can be a bit...cloying, at times, and I could do without everyone telling Kara that she's awesome, but it's mostly harmless and enjoyable. Also, Melissa Benoist is some of the best super hero casting I've seen so far, including the movies.

But I do wish it would...settled down a bit more. It still feels a little over-eager and earnest. I wish it would relax and get comfortable in its skin. The Flash, which is by the same show-runner, is much more comfortable in its super-hero universe. Supergirl is still trying to figure things out.

Although the episode I watched this week, which was kind of meh and felt very much like a "we need to make a cheap episode because we have some expensive special effects ones coming up" had at least one deeply cool moment that I didn't expect. A big reveal at the end that had me laughing out loud (and deeply confusing Cathy). I do love it when these shows actually seem to love the source material and play with the comic book universe as opposed to kind of reluctantly acknowledging that yes, these characters come from comic books.

It's my favourite reveal of the year. Maybe even better than King Shark's cameo in Flash, which had me laughing for a solid five minutes.

3. Dr. Who - Thank God. After a couple of deeply mediocre seasons with only a few really good episodes scattered throughout, a really solid season with only one real clunker and one episode - "Heaven Sent" - that people are going to be talking about for years.

I'm also really growing quite fond of Peter Capaldi as the Doctor. Last season I think they were still trying to figure out what kind of Doctor he was going to be. I like the aging rock star thing they went with this year. And with due respect to previous Doctors, who were good, Capaldi is a much better actor. It comes from the extra years of experience.

Also, it was a decent send off for Clara, with some nice misdirection along the way. Cathy, and a few other Whovians I know, hate Clara. I never minded her. She's the only companion to graduate to being a pseudo Time Lord. I like that.

Now to wait for the Christmas special with River. It looks fun.

4. Seriously, Showcase and Space are airing Childhood's End and The Expanse against each other? Two of the biggest sci-fi TV show events of the year, and this is the plan. Dead clever, that is...

5. The Librarians - Which is mostly harmless, although there is the bizarre thing where I'm kind of meh for the first 35 minutes or so, and then it gets really fun in the last 20 minutes. They really need to work on that. Oh, and more John Laroquette. Man, he walks on the screen and just steals the room. The rest of the cast really need to step up their game, especially when he's on screen.

6. Finally, I'm pleased to say that with the new Star Wars coming out next week I know virtually nothing about it. This was a very conscious decision made ages ago to pay very little attention to the movie. I watched a couple of the trailers, but I've avoided most of the speculation online, and as the movie launch date has drawn closer, stayed away from the promo campaign now in full swing.

There are two reasons for this. Although I normally don't mind being a spoiled a bit by movies (just because I know something happens doesn't mean I know why it happened. That's the interesting part), I thought going into a new Star Wars completely free of any knowledge might be a refreshing experience.

And, I admit, part of it was sheltering myself and managing expectations. I'm in the long list of people who were desperately disappointed by the prequels. Consider this part of managing expectations. The less I know, the less likely I am to be pissed off if it's bad. And considering JJ Abrams has made plenty of things that have pissed me off (ie. the last two Star Treks. Mercifully, I bailed on Lost after the first season, so I didn't waste about 100 hours of my life on the rest of the show.)

So we'll see. It's supposed to be opening in Iqaluit on December 18 and I'll try and get tickets for opening night. I hope it's good, but if it's not, I'm going to be ok. Probably.

Last Five
1. I can't hear you - Dead Weather
2. See me, feel me - The Who
3. The sick bed of Curchulainn - The Pogues*
4. Eddie's ragga - Spoon
5. The other side - Ron Sexsmith

Sinking feeling

Way back when I used to review movies for The Muse and The Express I remember that it was always easier to write about movies I hated. Probably not much of a surprise for people who knew me back then. Let's just say I had negative energy to burn and it was easy to sit down at pound away at a keyboard about why the movie was so very, very offensive to me.

I mean, nothing I wrote ever topped my friend Andrew's review of the movie Ski School, which he called Ski Sluts throughout the review. A review so singularly vicious that the local cinemas pulled The Muse's movie review passes for two years. But, you know, I had some game. I could bring the pain when I had to.

But it's not like I want the movies to be bad. I recall someone giving Siskel and Ebert grief, saying how hard a job could it really be to sit in a movie theatre all day and watch movies. Until they pointed out how many hours of their lives they had wasted watching absolute dreck by people not even trying to make something useful. I believe Siskel said it damaged the soul after awhile. I can believe that.

So yes, it's easier to hate on something bad...but I'd just as soon be challenged to write something good about a great movie.

I've also been pretty good at watching movie trailers and getting a fairly accurate vibe on if I'm going to like the movie. For example, I saw the trailers for the Fantastic Four earlier this year and was immediately filled with dread. I really, really wanted that movie to be good, because I have a great fondness for the characters. But it just looked so...wrong.

And wouldn't you know it. Terrible movie. One of the worst reviewed ones of the year.

I was feeling apprehensive about the latest Bond after seeing the trailers, and I was right. I was feeling underwhelmed about the last Hunger Games after the trailers, and I was spot on with that one (the series ended on a decidedly "meh" note). I really try to go into these things with an open mind and not pre-judge. And I can be wrong - I thought Guardians of the Galaxy was going to be terrible based on the trailers - but not very often.

So when we had a tale of two trailers the last week or so - Captain America: Civil War and Batman vs. Superman - I had very different reactions.

Captain America...sign me up. Nice emotional context, some big fight scenes to look forward to and everyone looks so relaxed and comfortable with their roles at this point. It's like the latest instalment from old friends. I could be wrong, but I think that's going to be a movie I'm going to enjoy.

I've yet to see a trailer for Batman vs. Superman that does not fill me with dread. I don't want the movie to suck. I want a good movie, so they go and spin off, maybe get a fun Justice League movie, maybe get a really good Wonder Woman movie...

...but man, it just looks awful.

It just looks so dark and grim. No one ever cracks a smile. It looks like everybody is just massively full of their own self-importance. It looks cool but it doesn't look fun.

The two best online comments I've seen so far.

1. That Jesse Eisenberg appears to be playing Lex Luthor as if he was Mark Zuckerberg doing too much cocaine at a party. Sounds about right.

2. Someone else said the movie looked like a 90s DC comic, a comment that chilled me right to the bone. Sure there were good DC super hero comics in the 90s. But it was the decade of Knightfall (Batman gets his back broken), Death of Superman, polybags and foil covers. It was a decade where gimmicks and stunts covered up the fact that the art and stories were often not very good.

That's what I'm afraid what we have with Batman vs. Superman. Dark, grim, flashy, cool moments and utterly lacking any substance. Say what you will about Marvel movies, they're fun. I really doubt this one will be.

I hope I'm wrong. Got the funny feeling I'll look back on this in March after watching the movie and see that I was eerily psychic.

Last Five
1. Downtown - Matt Mays
2. 19th nervous breakdown - Rolling Stones
3. Sick of you - Cake
4. By Bye love - The Cars
5. Gimme something - Ryan Adams*

Plane trouble

I was poking around on Twitter the other night, as par for course, and noticed yet another Iqaluitmuit practically begging WestJet to start flying here.

This wasn’t the first person I’ve seen doing it. For that matter, I’ve done it.  Few companies in Canada do social media as well as WestJet. They’re playing it coy for right now…

Hopefully! When we start new routes, we grow the number of travellers by up to 70% and fares drop by up to 50%. https://t.co/5G8KcmqyzZ

— WestJet (@WestJet) November 26, 2015

So why the desperate need for WestJet to come to Iqaluit? After all, we’re serviced by two airlines. They allow two pieces of luggage weighing 70 pounds each on board. They feed you on the plane. Hell, you can ever get the famous First Air ‘special” coffee (special = booze).

Well, let’s do a little test. Let’s say I want to fly from Iqaluit to Ottawa in the middle of January. How about Tuesday, January 12 and return on Tuesday, January 19. Middle of January, middle of the week. Not exactly a peak travel period.

So with taxes and fees, that’ll set you back $2,418.15.

Yeah, let’s also now take a moment to stop hyper-ventilating. For some comparison, I flew from Ottawa to Colombo, Sri Lanka a couple of years ago for about $1,200. Colombo is half way around the world. Ottawa is three hours away. I'm having trouble reconciling the math.

Plane tickets to and from Iqaluit have never been cheap. But you could always find some ways to offset the damage. A seat sale every now and then. Or perhaps you had a discount code from being a government employee.

Even with those codes, in most cases you’re still looking at ticket prices north of $1,500. And neither airline has offered a seat sale worth a damn this year.

You could say, “well, maybe Canadian North will be different?” I’m honestly not going to check because it won’t be.  There was never much breathing space between the two of main Nunavut airlines, but ever since they signed a codesharing agreement there’s been less. I’m not going to go into all the technical details about it, but let’s just say there’s not a single person in Nunavut who likes it, unless you work for an airline.  It feels like the airlines are providing cheaper service while charging record high tickets prices. So, more for less. Always what you want in a service provider.

So yeah, it’s been a rough year for travel. Normally Iqaluit becomes a ghost town at Christmas with so many people flying out. This year, at least in our circle of acquaintances, a record number of them are staying in town. A lot of them simply can’t afford to fly out, especially if they have kids.

I mention all of this because I’ve chatted with some in the airline industry saying that no other airline will come to Iqaluit because the passenger volumes aren’t high enough. That both airlines depend heavily on cargo and medical travel to make their money, something presumably that Air Canada or WestJet wouldn’t get (The Government of Nunavut, as a rule, supports Inuit-owned businesses).

Plus, Air Canada had a truly spectacular failure flying into Iqaluit. They lasted maybe a year. Granted, they came here in the dumbest way possible. They used a plane that was ill-equipped to fly to Iqaluit (small cargo space, couldn’t fly if it was colder than -35C, etc.) Plus, everyone used their Aeroplan Points with them. Finally, people were still fairly loyal to Canadian North and First Air. Or at least their better luggage allowances.

Air Canada drove prices down for a year, and once they left, tickets went up almost immediately.

This is getting a little rambly, but my point is, I think WestJet is going to come here. There’s a new airport opening in Iqaluit in 2017 (itself a source of no small amount of controversy). Which would make it the perfect time for new airlines to fly in. They can actually have their own counter space and staff rather than having to share the current over-crowded airport.

WestJet wouldn’t get hammered with the points problem that Air Canada did. First Air/Canadian North have done a superb job of burning a lot of their customer loyalty at this point. All WestJet has to do is come and make it work for a year or so with cheaper tickets and I’m pretty sure they’ll break one of those airlines, or force a merger.

People are just getting deeply, deeply fed up with how much it costs to fly here. For years it was “eh, it’s the North.” I think it’s moved beyond that into genuine annoyance and a desire for something cheaper. You can only handle $2,400 for a three hour flight for so long.

This is going to cause a whole new kind of rackets, I’m sure. If people in Iqaluit are pissed, it’s probably nothing compared to people who live in the smaller communities, who are paying a lot and not getting top notch service. And what happens if one of the Northern airlines goes bankrupt? What will it mean for some of the smaller communities? Will they get few flights?

So yeah, a lot of unknowns. But I think it’s a matter of when, and not if, before WestJet starts flying here.  Then things get interesting. Cheaper, but interesting.

Last Five

1. Sleep - Garbage

2. My favorite song - Ryan Adams and the Cardinals

3. Gypsy biker - Bruce Springsteen

4. You want history - Kaiser Chiefs

5. Fireside - Arctic Monkeys

Spectre

I’m a little late on this, but it’s been rattling around in my head…

I’m kinda frustrated with the latest James Bond movie. It’s been two weeks since I’ve seen it, and it’s still bothering me.

I like a good Bond movie. I’m not the biggest Bond fan in the world, but I look forward to the movies. And I quite like Daniel Craig as Bond. Once we all accept that Connery originated the part and is, by default, the first and best (I got in a discussion online with someone arguing that Timothy Dalton was the best Bond. Courageous. Deeply, deeply wrong, but courageous) then Craig is probably the best in the role.

Casino Royale remains my favourite and as Cathy will tell you with a roll of her eyes, it also contains my favourite scene. And no, it’s the pakour footrace or the chase at Miami airport…it’s Bond and Vesper’s first meeting on the train.  “How was your lamb?” “Skewered. One sympathizes.” It’s one of my absolute favourite exchanges in any movie, let alone a Bond.

Quantum of Solace was a mess, of course, and elements of Skyfall just don’t work for me, but I can’t deny that it’s a very good movie, beautifully shot and the best Bond theme since The World is Not Enough. So there’s all that…

I don’t even mind the first 2/3rds of Spectre. There’s a couple of nice action scenes, particularly the car chase in Rome (suspend your disbelief there’s no traffic in Rome, even in the middle of the night), a good, menacing henchman, a spectacular cold open in Mexico and once again it is absolutely beautifully filmed. It’s stunning to look at.

But man, does it ever go off the rails when Bond meets the big bad in his secret base in Africa. Literally nothing in the movie makes sense after that. It’s not even that it doesn’t make sense, it’s that it’s deeply stupid. It’s like they brought in a different screenwriter who doesn’t like Bond movies.

I’m not the only one perplexed by how off the rails the movie gets in the last 30 minutes or so. My favourite is the theory that the last part of the movie is a delusion by Bond. That he’s actually still being tortured, dying, and the last part of the movie – escaping, getting the girl, stopping the bad guy and saving the country (oh, like that’s a spoiler for a Bond movie) -  is all just a hallucination.

Now that would be dark. Imagine a 5^th Craig Bond movie with him waking up in a security ward, brain damaged, broken from being tortured and that everything in the last 30 minutes was just a delusion. He failed and everyone he knew from MI6 is dead or gone. He’s now out of his mind, a danger to everyone, and needs to be put down. Put down, possibly, by the new 007…

It’ll never happen, of course. And it’s not like a badly written Bond movie is unusual. The franchise is 50 years old. There are lots of bad Bond movies. There are lots of villains that don’t work. When the henchman who says exactly one word in the movie is the best villain, then you’re in trouble. Both Christoph Waltz and Andrew Scott look deeply bored. They were always going to struggle to match Javier Bardem, who was amazing, but they didn’t even try really hard. Talk about the banality of evil.

(The only use for Scott's 'C' is to be the punchline for the best line in the movie, delivered by Ralph Fiennes 'M'. Bond doesn't even get the best quip.)

And if this is Craig’s last one, well, he managed to land one of the best entries in the franchise, and another that’s pretty close to the top. One clunker and one meh is a small price to pay. Look at Roger Moore’s record as Bond.

Besides, if the ending is disappointing (but, I might add again, beautifully shot. London has rarely looked better) it’s nothing compared to the horror show that is the opening theme. Sam Smith’s song is just wretched. Easily the worst since Madonna’s Die Another Day. But at least that had Madonna’s mystique around it. It gives it a certain shield. This is just terrible. You’re actively wishing for the credits to be over so the song will stop and the misery will end.

The only thing more perplexing than the producers and director thinking the last 30 minutes of Spectre made any sense was them listening to this song and thinking it was any good. Gah.

Last Five

1.       A simple game of genius – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds

2.       Lie to me – Tom Waits

3.       I’ll be alright – Passion Pit

4.       First place in a space race – The Kremlin

5.       Bay blues – The Stills

NYCC: Finale...

So, wrapping up NYCC with the last three things to cover: Panels, show floor, and cosplay…Oh, and I apologize for the mess that is the layout. I've spent an hour fiddling with it. Blogger really sucks these days....

I didn’t do many panels this year. I keep promising I will if, for no other reason, that sitting down on a chair for an hour is a really excellent idea after being on your feet all day. But the timing never seemed to work out. Plus, there wasn't that much that interested me. But I did manage to do three.

There were a lot of Harley Quinn's. Lots.

I went to a panel on journalism and geek culture. If nothing else, I won’t be quitting my day job any time soon as they all said, without fail, you better love it because the pay is terrible (or non-existent). It’s an interesting subject because it’s a very gray area. There are things that really do need covering – such as sexual harassment in the industry. But it can be hard to cover given how lots of people don’t want to go on the record for fearing of losing work opportunities or suffering online harassment, that many reporters are hoping to break into comics and don’t want to burn bridges, and that major publishers like DC and Marvel can quickly cut access to a website if they don’t like their coverage.

I mainly wanted to meet Jill Pantozzi, who is a great geek journalist, but also her writing about feminism in geek culture is top notch (her editorial on why the Mary Sue, a site she used to edit, was dropping all Game of Thrones coverage because they were tired of all the rapes is worth reading). I’ve always considered myself a feminist. You don’t spend four years at the Muse and not be one. But you can always learn more. Pantozzi and a handful of other feminist writers have educated me a lot in recent years. I just wanted to tell her that.

I went to the Firefly panel. I didn't say I got close to the stage.

I also went to the Firefly panel. The line for that was silly, just in case you thought interest in the show was waning or anything. 

That Saturday morning there were lines for a half dozen panels in the main boardroom. The biggest was for Jessica Jones, then Firefly, then X-Files. And really, the cast are pros at this. They’ve done dozens, if not hundreds of these by now. There’s literally nothing new about their time on the show they can add. But they can tell stories and charm people like nobody’s business.

Plus, they seem to genuinely like each other. If there really is ever another Firefly show (and who knows what Joss Whedon is working on right now), you know they would all jump at the chance to be back at it. So that’s something.

Finally, I went to an art auction on Saturday evening. Not really a panel, but it’s fun to go to them…if you can keep your head. Which I did. Most of the pieces went for a few hundred dollars, although some went higher. The highlight was a beautiful painting of Jean Grey/Phoenix. This is the way the auction went.

He really did look like Chris Helmsworth.
Which helps when cosplaying.

Auctioneer: Oh, let’s start the bidding at….$400

Bidder #1: $6,000!

Gasps from the audience.

Auctioneer: Um, wow, ok. Do I hear…

Bidder #2: $7,000!

Gasps from the audience.

Auctioneer: Um, ok. $7,000 going once…going twice…sold.

Entire thing lasted about 30 seconds. Hilarious. I believe the auction raised about $40,000 for a local kids hospital.

Fezes are cool. I read that somewhere.

I’m always asked what you can buy at a comic con. It’s an exaggeration to say anything, but man, there’s a lot of stuff that can do damage to your wallet. Yes, you expect comics and toys to be for sale there. T-shirts…sure. Original comic artwork. Video games.

But fez? Yup.

How about lingerie? Sure.

I didn’t photograph it, but Swatch had a booth there. There was a booth selling knitting patterns for geek related apparel. Cosplay supplies. Armor. Fake weapons….there’s so, so, much stuff you can buy. (I still maintain a TARDIS flask was potentially very, very dangerous…if it’s actually bigger on the inside).

I did my resist resisting a lot of it. If I was going to buy a graphic novel, it had to meet one of three criteria: It had to be 50% off US cover, it had to be out of print, or the creative team had to be at the con for them to sign it. That saved my ass a lot. As for other stuff, I had the walk away rule. If I really wanted it, I’d find my way back. Again, saved my ass a lot.

Was not kidding about the lingerie. Did not buy any. I
value my life.

My Waterloo came wandering around and finding a big display selling the BB8 toy robots that are controlled by your phone. I’d already asked around a few places in New York that week and most were polite enough not to laugh. So I asked the guy playing with the BB8 if they had any for sale or if they were just taking orders.

Clerk: Oh no, we have lots. Do you want one?

Me: Fuck. Sigh Yes, give me one.

I’d been resisting buying anything from the new Star Wars because, hey, I’m not convinced the movie is going to be any good yet. As for BB8, what if the character is not adorable, but an asshole? What if he makes Jar Jar Binks look delightful and charming? Anyway, I’m currently using it to torment the dog.

I include these pair of Doctor Who cosplayers
because they are adorable and awesome.

But everyone is running around trying to find something cool, or lining up to get an exclusive. The craziest was the Funko Pop Vinyl booth. If you wanted to get any of their exclusives, this was what you had to do.

-          Get in line at the holding pen.

-          Once the doors opened 10am, you got in another line in the holding pen area to wait to get a wristband, which they gave out at 11 am.

-          Once you got the armband, you could go upstairs to their booth where you could, yes, get in line. They would then give you a list of what Funko products were available. Which then you got the privilege of buying.

Yes, that is crazy, but lots were doing it. I decided early on that as charming as I find the toys, I didn’t need their exclusives quite that bad.

I also didn’t need the Alien chestbuster Christmas ornament exclusive that Hallmark was selling, either. No, I’m not kidding. I was tempted by the plushy of Han Solo frozen in carbonite, though. So I have no high ground to occupy.

This Funko figure, alas, was too big to take
home.

It’s possible to wander the show floor and just look stuff and pick up the many freebees, but you need to have some deeply serious will power. Or have no money. That works too.

Finally, we have cosplayers. Everybody should go to a comic con just for the cosplayers. These aren’t people who think they get an extra day to celebrate Halloween. They are into the character they are dressed as. They sometimes spend months working on a costume. They’ll pose, re-enact scenes. And they are normally very generous in their time by posing for photos. You just need to be polite and ask. Then thank them afterwards and compliment their costume.

A cosplay can be cheap to make (the cheapest at NYCC had to be Netflix Daredevil, which was black jeans, black turtleneck and a black cloth covering the top of your head) or ridiculously expensive (see this Hulkbuster Iron Man cosplay that reportedly cost $60,000 to make). They can be straight forward cosplay, gender-swapped, or mixtures of different characters. They can be amateurs putting together stuff from second hand stores (normally Dr. Who cosplayers) or professionals that actually do it for a living (one handed me her business card after I took her picture). The sky’s the limit.

So many Deadpools. So very, very, very many of them.

But they’re all having fun with it. It’s also much safer now. Up until recently some would get harassed, especially if they were dressed in a sexy way (Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, and Zatanna were frequently targeted). But cons like NYCC take a very harsh view on harassment. “Cosplay is Not Consent” signs were everywhere at NYCC. And I didn’t hear any horror stories about bad behavior. People know the consequences. Harass someone and you are gone.

I have a lot of good photos of cosplay, but here’s my favourite, even if the costume was pretty straightforward.

These two were the most creative that I saw.

Belle in front of the largest line for a
Starbuck's you've ever seen

She’s obviously Belle, from Beauty and the Beast. I watched her for about 10 minutes on a Sunday afternoon down near the food court. She was going flat out. There was always someone wanting to take her picture. Little girls were rushing over to get hugs and get their pictures taken. Little boys would shyly ask for a picture with her. I quickly snapped off a photo when no one was nearby. I then had a quick chat with her.

Me: Is there anyone happier at a Comic Con than a Disney princess?

Belle: (Out of breath, and glowing). No! I’ve been at this for hours and I’m having so much fun!

At that point a little girl rushed in and hugged her and she laughed.

She wasn’t charging anything. She probably never got to the show floor. I doubt she went to the panels and maybe Artist Alley wasn’t her thing. But for a day she was a Disney princess and people loved her. That was her con and she was having the time of her life.

It’s Comic Con. Go make you own fun….

Last Five

1.      Shoebox – Barenaked Ladies

2.      Mysterious Ways – U2

3.      Take your partner by the hand – Robbie Robertson

4.      White fire – Angel Olsen

5.      Daydreaming - Paramore

Ron Hynes

Ron Hynes died this evening and a power failure knocked the lights out in downtown St. John's at the same time. If that's not proof that the man was magic, I'm not sure what is.

There's going to be an awful lot written about Ron in the coming days by people who knew him a whole letter better than I did, who can better explain his cultural impact on Newfoundland and Labrador. But I have to get this down because I've been grieving most of the evening. It's not a surprise that he's passed away...he's been unwell for years, but that makes it no less shocking and saddening. A part of Newfoundland's heart and soul went away this evening.

Snapshots of Ron Hynes in my life...

A picture of Ron I took during a Songwriters
Circle while I was with The Express

1. Watching Ron and the rest of the Wonderful Grand Band on television with my parents. It was my first exposure to him, although he had been around for years. I still have Living in a Fog on my iPod (I have all his songs on my iPod). There was a lot going on in the show, but I do remember liking the songs from the show quite a bit...

2. Hearing "Atlantic Blue" on the radio after the Ocean Ranger disaster. I was a teenager and it wasn't a hit pop song or anything, but you have no heart if that song doesn't make you well up. I'm not sure there's ever been a better song written about a disaster. Maybe "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Maybe. I have no idea how anyone with family or friends can listen to that song. Or perhaps it gives them comfort. I don't know.

3. Walking down Water Street and seeing a chalkboard outside the Rose and Thistle advertising Ron Hynes performing...for $5. It was ridiculous. It was insane. He was one of the great singer/songwriters in Canada, and you could pay $5 and watch him perform in a half empty bar. I think one of the sad truths was that for many, many years we just took Ron for granted. That he was always going to be there.

I paid the $5 and went in. But there are many, many nights I didn't. I think a lot of us are regretting passing by that sign at the Rose this evening.

Walking off stage after accepting an ECMA in
St. John's, circa 2003, I think.

4. Hearing Ron perform in Iqaluit last year. We were thrilled when we heard he was coming here and bought tickets as soon as they went on sale. I'd been saying for years that I didn't know why more Newfoundland acts don't come to Iqaluit because they would sell out instantly. This was after his surgery for throat cancer, so his voice wasn't what it once way. But he was still a performer and a professional. His sets were great, he told good stories and he was unfailingly polite and kind to everyone who came up to him. He made an impact in town. There's a lot of sad people in Iqaluit this evening as well, if my Facebook and Twitter streams are any indication...

I said on both that there needs to be a Day of Mourning and some kind of State Funeral for Ron. I wasn't kidding when I said it. In my lifetime, the only Newfoundlander I can think of whose passing will have had an equal or greater impact was Joey Smallwood. This needs to be a life celebrated and remembered.

He wasn't a saint. No one is going to say he was. Stories about his behaviour and his problems with drugs and alcohol were never in short supply in a town as small as St. John's. He was a complex man, and that came out in his songs. Sixty-four was too young. We've been cheated of years of songs, kindness, and wisdom from him.

Everybody is going to list their favourite Ron songs over the next few days. And there are lots. I also won't argue with anyone who picks "Sonny's Dream", "St. John's Waltz", "Change in me", "Godspeed" or any of the dozens of others you can choose. But along with "Atlantic Blue" my other favourite is "30 for 60". I spent many, many, many nights playing 120s - a particularly Newfoundland card game - with my friends during my 20s. I have a lot of fond memories of that time and that song, which is a master class in songwriting and storytelling, brings a smile to my face every time.



It will be said many times in the coming days. Godspeed, Ron....

Last Five
1. Hard days - Beth Moore
2. Honey for bees - Sherman Downey and the Ambiguous Case
3. Black wings (live) - Tom Waits
4. Sinnerman - Nina Simone
5. Sharp sounds - The Sheepdogs