Is there a difference between a human disaster and a natural disaster? Yes. There is - a big difference. Human disasters are disasters which can absolutely be avoided, which can be controlled from ever happening. In most cases involving natural disasters, these can't be controlled from happening. A person can potentially avoid a tsunami by seeking higher ground, but you can't predict the earthquake that causes it or the fact that it may or may not come. We usually have no idea when a volcanic eruption is to happen or when a flood will hit because we lack the natural senses of our fellow animal. However, we can predict and prevent disasters caused by our own species from the atomic bomb to the rise of Nazi Germany, all human misdeeds are preventable. They may not be very predictable, but the pilots who flew the bomb to Hiroshima could have said no. They could have refused to carry it and those who trigger wars can learn not to selfishly include other people in their misdoings.
Humans can be seemingly far more vicious and destructive than nature. Propaganda is a powerful tool for blindfolding the people and for changing the direction of society. The average person will not notice the vicious shepherds that herd it. Until now, I was never aware of the reality that conspiracies probably exist in our world, despite the freedom our ancestors fought for in the wars of the last two centuries. Will I research these things more? Probably no. Human kind scares me, but there is a difference between humans and 'the big one,' the massive earthquake which is supposed to someday hit the West Coast of North America. I can do nothing about the big one beyond stray far from the coastlines. I do not know when or if the earthquake will occur and I cannot stop it when it does. Humans have no control over earthquakes - but we do have control over ourselves. We do have the power to stop our own kind.
We must always remember this. I stand on guard for thee.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Friday, December 9, 2011
When Hunter Met Missy (EB Cut Scene)
Due to some plot changes, this hilarious scene was cut from the manuscript... enjoy! Unedited.
____________________________________________________
There was a knife, a big, flipping huge knife with engraving on it in Keel’s hand and for some reason he had pulled Hunter’s sleeve up. Hunter stared at the knife, than at Keel’s naked arm, then at his and several things clicked together. Firstly, he decided, Keel had just gone spontaneously psychotic again and probably wanted to kill him. Secondly, Keel looked nervous for some reason, which could not be good, because bad things like crazy Dart Feather drakoon appeared usually when Keel was nervous. Third, Hunter thought now might be the time if there ever was one to take his life into his own hands and run like hell.
“Er yeeeah Keel. Whatever.” said Hunter, hearing the drakoon talking nervously to himself like it was scared of the knife it was holding. The knife was almost long enough to be a short sword, Hunter thought. Anything that big was clearly meant for stabbing things. Hunter did not want to find out why their arms were bare. Keel reached for his hand and Hunter hardly thought; before Keel could get him with the knife he threw the second greatest punch of his life, hitting Keel’s arm holding the knife to send it flying. Hunter did not wait to see where it went, sprinting off with no idea what he was going to do besides his will to live.
“BYE MYSTAYA!” yelled Hunter, bounding through the streambed as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him Keel started digging desperately around in the water for the knife, apparently thinking that it was more important than keeping Hunter from his grand escape. Hunter sloshed up onto the bank, then headed for the undergrowth, trying to get a solid wall of it between him and the stream before Keel started chasing him. Somehow it worked. He did not hear Keel behind him, even though he was pretty sure Keel could hear him, crashing through the bush like he was with no regard for any of the branches slapping into his face.
Hunter! Come back! cried Mystaya, whinnying somewhere on the other side of the stream. Hunter didn’t answer, leaping over some logs. The trees opened up and he sprinted, twigs that had gotten stuck in his hair flying out. He looked back, but all he could see was forest and he felt a little hopeful, maybe he had made his point clear, maybe Keel had changed his mind -
“YEEAGH!” The embankment appeared out of nowhere, Hunter hardly having time to throw out his arms before he was falling down the hill. A root caught his foot sending him head over heels into a bunch of the thorny broad leafed plants that he had seen in the old growth forest of Sloveniska’s lower elevation regions, tiny prickles immediately hooking into his clothes and skin. Sitting up and groaning he looked up the embankment desperately to see if Keel was there, but he wasn’t. Grabbing a nearby root he hauled himself up, staggering for a moment, then he started running again, down the ravine he had fallen into, eventually dragging himself up the opposite side of it to avoid the nasty thorn leaf plants.
“I’ll find some place with no drakoon and maybe I’ll find a nice little horse or cat or something that doesn’t like drakoon to be my buddy. We’ll live happily ever after and invent a pesticide that only kills those stupid thorn plants because those things are evil.” muttered Hunter, still painfully picking leaves off of himself as he trotted through the brush. “Oh yes. It will be grand.”
Nearby there was a mewing sound and he jumped. “Marl? Marl is that you? Listen bo, I’m not going back, not if Keel’s going to wave nasty looking knives around like that in my face. I have no idea what his problem is, but I’ve decided; I don’t want to die. I want to live damn it. Is that too much to ask?”
The mewing quieted for a moment, then it started again. It did not sound like Marl. Marl had a big cat’s meow. Hunter slowed down and moved in the direction of the mew. “Hey, you’re not Marl are you? Who are you kitty? Are you a kitty?”
“Meow.” said the invisible cat pitifully. Something rustled; the cat. It sounded like a kitten.
“It’s okay kitty. I’m not like those turd-bags back there. I don’t wave knives around or nothing. I’m a human. My name is Hunter.” said Hunter, glimpsing some white fur in the underbrush and a pair of wild blue feline eyes. “Are you alright there kitty?”
A whiskery little white face with huge kitten ears poked out from under a fern, staring at him and he chirruped, trying to lure it closer so he could pet it. “Hey, you’re a pretty kitty aren’t you? Gorgeous eyes!”
“Mew?” asked the kitten. It looked about four months old and pure white. It squeezed out from under its fern and flipped its fluffy tail up in the air.
“Aww, you’re so cute.” fawned Hunter.
“Mew.” said the kitten, almost as if it agreed with him. It bandied over to him and rubbed its face against his outstretched hand, then jumped onto his legs to nudge against his chin. Flustered, Hunter scratched its ears, unable to think of any cat he had ever seen that was more adorable than this one.
“Aw you’re so friendly!” gushed Hunter as the kitten flopped down on his lap, kneading his leg and starting to purr loudly. It looked up at him adoringly, blinking slowly and seeming to grin with its whiskers. “Pretty and friendly! Aww!”
Hunter hugged the kitten, picking it up in his arms and it didn’t resist or struggle. “You want to come with me kitten? Well you can if you want! I don’t mind, but I have to run right now, that okay?”
“Mew.” said the kitten. Hunter objectively decided that that might mean yes and started moving again, lugging the young, still purring little creature under his arm. Hunter kept petting it as he hiked, moving as swiftly as he could and trying to conserve energy. It seemed kind of peculiar that he had not heard Keel behind him yet, but maybe him running off had been what the drakoon had wanted, or maybe he had just wanted to get rid of him. Hunter was a little choked that Mystaya hadn’t followed him; he had thought they were buddies, but of course Keel probably came first in her books.
“Ah well, probably another horse out there somewhere in the world we can be buddies with, eh little miss?” said Hunter to the kitten, who just seemed like a girl to him. He sincerely hoped it was. A pure white boy cat just seemed a bit weird to him. The kitten continued to purr as he hiked, careful to pick up his feet and be stealthy about leaving tracks, thinking carefully about each step that he took. Time passed and still there was no sign of Keel, making Hunter almost feel a bit dejected. Hadn’t they been friends at least a little at all after all that being chased and stuff? In his arms the kitten stopped purring, staring at something in the bush with her ears up. Hunter stopped and looked too, then froze.
A shaggy, black and white bicoloured, predatory looking animal was stalking towards him.
_____________________________________________________
Little does Hunter know that he has met the world's most prissy cat. And that she is his. (Or, more properly, he is now her eternal slave. Luckily, Missy is useful.)
In the canonical version, their meeting is a little less funny, but still pretty amusing regardless.
____________________________________________________
There was a knife, a big, flipping huge knife with engraving on it in Keel’s hand and for some reason he had pulled Hunter’s sleeve up. Hunter stared at the knife, than at Keel’s naked arm, then at his and several things clicked together. Firstly, he decided, Keel had just gone spontaneously psychotic again and probably wanted to kill him. Secondly, Keel looked nervous for some reason, which could not be good, because bad things like crazy Dart Feather drakoon appeared usually when Keel was nervous. Third, Hunter thought now might be the time if there ever was one to take his life into his own hands and run like hell.
“Er yeeeah Keel. Whatever.” said Hunter, hearing the drakoon talking nervously to himself like it was scared of the knife it was holding. The knife was almost long enough to be a short sword, Hunter thought. Anything that big was clearly meant for stabbing things. Hunter did not want to find out why their arms were bare. Keel reached for his hand and Hunter hardly thought; before Keel could get him with the knife he threw the second greatest punch of his life, hitting Keel’s arm holding the knife to send it flying. Hunter did not wait to see where it went, sprinting off with no idea what he was going to do besides his will to live.
“BYE MYSTAYA!” yelled Hunter, bounding through the streambed as fast as his legs could carry him. Behind him Keel started digging desperately around in the water for the knife, apparently thinking that it was more important than keeping Hunter from his grand escape. Hunter sloshed up onto the bank, then headed for the undergrowth, trying to get a solid wall of it between him and the stream before Keel started chasing him. Somehow it worked. He did not hear Keel behind him, even though he was pretty sure Keel could hear him, crashing through the bush like he was with no regard for any of the branches slapping into his face.
Hunter! Come back! cried Mystaya, whinnying somewhere on the other side of the stream. Hunter didn’t answer, leaping over some logs. The trees opened up and he sprinted, twigs that had gotten stuck in his hair flying out. He looked back, but all he could see was forest and he felt a little hopeful, maybe he had made his point clear, maybe Keel had changed his mind -
“YEEAGH!” The embankment appeared out of nowhere, Hunter hardly having time to throw out his arms before he was falling down the hill. A root caught his foot sending him head over heels into a bunch of the thorny broad leafed plants that he had seen in the old growth forest of Sloveniska’s lower elevation regions, tiny prickles immediately hooking into his clothes and skin. Sitting up and groaning he looked up the embankment desperately to see if Keel was there, but he wasn’t. Grabbing a nearby root he hauled himself up, staggering for a moment, then he started running again, down the ravine he had fallen into, eventually dragging himself up the opposite side of it to avoid the nasty thorn leaf plants.
“I’ll find some place with no drakoon and maybe I’ll find a nice little horse or cat or something that doesn’t like drakoon to be my buddy. We’ll live happily ever after and invent a pesticide that only kills those stupid thorn plants because those things are evil.” muttered Hunter, still painfully picking leaves off of himself as he trotted through the brush. “Oh yes. It will be grand.”
Nearby there was a mewing sound and he jumped. “Marl? Marl is that you? Listen bo, I’m not going back, not if Keel’s going to wave nasty looking knives around like that in my face. I have no idea what his problem is, but I’ve decided; I don’t want to die. I want to live damn it. Is that too much to ask?”
The mewing quieted for a moment, then it started again. It did not sound like Marl. Marl had a big cat’s meow. Hunter slowed down and moved in the direction of the mew. “Hey, you’re not Marl are you? Who are you kitty? Are you a kitty?”
“Meow.” said the invisible cat pitifully. Something rustled; the cat. It sounded like a kitten.
“It’s okay kitty. I’m not like those turd-bags back there. I don’t wave knives around or nothing. I’m a human. My name is Hunter.” said Hunter, glimpsing some white fur in the underbrush and a pair of wild blue feline eyes. “Are you alright there kitty?”
A whiskery little white face with huge kitten ears poked out from under a fern, staring at him and he chirruped, trying to lure it closer so he could pet it. “Hey, you’re a pretty kitty aren’t you? Gorgeous eyes!”
“Mew?” asked the kitten. It looked about four months old and pure white. It squeezed out from under its fern and flipped its fluffy tail up in the air.
“Aww, you’re so cute.” fawned Hunter.
“Mew.” said the kitten, almost as if it agreed with him. It bandied over to him and rubbed its face against his outstretched hand, then jumped onto his legs to nudge against his chin. Flustered, Hunter scratched its ears, unable to think of any cat he had ever seen that was more adorable than this one.
“Aw you’re so friendly!” gushed Hunter as the kitten flopped down on his lap, kneading his leg and starting to purr loudly. It looked up at him adoringly, blinking slowly and seeming to grin with its whiskers. “Pretty and friendly! Aww!”
Hunter hugged the kitten, picking it up in his arms and it didn’t resist or struggle. “You want to come with me kitten? Well you can if you want! I don’t mind, but I have to run right now, that okay?”
“Mew.” said the kitten. Hunter objectively decided that that might mean yes and started moving again, lugging the young, still purring little creature under his arm. Hunter kept petting it as he hiked, moving as swiftly as he could and trying to conserve energy. It seemed kind of peculiar that he had not heard Keel behind him yet, but maybe him running off had been what the drakoon had wanted, or maybe he had just wanted to get rid of him. Hunter was a little choked that Mystaya hadn’t followed him; he had thought they were buddies, but of course Keel probably came first in her books.
“Ah well, probably another horse out there somewhere in the world we can be buddies with, eh little miss?” said Hunter to the kitten, who just seemed like a girl to him. He sincerely hoped it was. A pure white boy cat just seemed a bit weird to him. The kitten continued to purr as he hiked, careful to pick up his feet and be stealthy about leaving tracks, thinking carefully about each step that he took. Time passed and still there was no sign of Keel, making Hunter almost feel a bit dejected. Hadn’t they been friends at least a little at all after all that being chased and stuff? In his arms the kitten stopped purring, staring at something in the bush with her ears up. Hunter stopped and looked too, then froze.
A shaggy, black and white bicoloured, predatory looking animal was stalking towards him.
_____________________________________________________
Little does Hunter know that he has met the world's most prissy cat. And that she is his. (Or, more properly, he is now her eternal slave. Luckily, Missy is useful.)
In the canonical version, their meeting is a little less funny, but still pretty amusing regardless.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Differentiation by Region and Biodiversity
One of the biggest issues that exists in writing a story based on a world is one most people don't even think about, barely glancing at it. Until a while ago, I didn't notice this either; the issue of differentiation by region. The reason I noticed this issue first off was through my personal study of wolves as amongst the species known as the timber or grey wolf, there are many subspecies. What makes a subspecies? A subspecies can easily be compared to a breed of dog. All dogs are dogs, but they look different from each other because they are different breeds. The same goes for human races, which, in turn, are also subspecies. A breed is a subspecies as well. Wolves probably have over fifty subspecies in North America, from the shaggy white arctic wolf to the burly British Columbian wolf to the rain or coastal wolf of British Columbia's island rich west coast. All these subspecies are wolves, yet all of them have key thing which make them different from the rest of their species, every one of them being specialized to the region in which they thrive.
For example, an arctic wolf has a heavier coat, a smaller body and smaller ears than a big British Columbian wolf, which lives in the forested interior of B.C. British Columbian wolves are said to be the largest subspecies of wolf, which is pretty cool, considering that they live right in my own personal area. Rain or coastal wolves are small and wiry, adapted for swimming long distances from island to island and to catching salmon, feasting on the salmon runs. Another key physical, biological characteristic that makes rain wolves unique is that they have the highest level of biodiversity in their DNA found anywhere in the world; they are truly something which must be protected, because they could literally save their species with the amazing richness of their DNA. The reason for this is that for thousands of years, these wolves have been isolated from human contact. As a result, they exhibit no fear of humans.
Geography is responsible for the isolation and differentiation of these subspecies; it is what has made them have to uniquely adapt. A British Columbian wolf might not survive in the territory of the rain wolf because there is so much swimming involved and less big game. A rain wolf probably wouldn't make it in the high arctic, where the beautiful white arctic wolf lives, preying on musk oxen in the dead of winter. An arctic wolf is built to withstand intensely frigid low temperatures while a rain wolf is built for life on the soggy, humid but cool wet coast of British Columbia. All this biodiversity comes from geography and from living in different regions.
Not just biodiversity is effected by a change in climate and region. A farming society would have a different attitude about like than a hunter-gatherer society and would probably have a different set of spiritual beliefs. By region, people would have to adapt and do things differently to fit their habitat, just like the wolf. Language would also change - the only reason English is such a universal language in our day is because we humans have become extremely well traveled, so a common language has become a great necessity for survival. However, cut off our ability to travel as well as our ability to technologically communicate and over the course of several hundred to a thousand years, something amazing would happen; English would fragment into new languages in each isolated pocket of humanity!
As humans, we are not above the rules of differentiation by habitat or region. In a thousand years, the common language of the humans living on my planet Rimer might morph into something completely new so that if humans from Earth were to meet humans from Rimer, they probably would have a pretty hard time understanding each other. In my timeline for the Copperbane Series, it is known that around the year 400 A.G, the official language of human inhabited Rimer is forcefully changed (by government order) to a native falcolf language known as 'Common Fallan' (which is obviously commonly used by nearly all native species) to encourage better communication between sentient species. English is disowned and abandoned, falling into military-code only use, as with other languages which on Rimer have become for the most part dead. (Such as French, German and Italian.)
Regionally, Rimer's native species use their own unique languages. Common Fallan is seen as more of a language for getting information from strangers than anything, yet it will become the dominant language of the human race. (However as Rimer has far less communication than our Earth does, there may just be pocket languages developed still.) Chartan may still stubbornly hold on to English.
When you're writing a story that spans vast tracks of biodiverse terrain and geography, it really is important to remember the situation of each area before just writing a boring default situation that does not make any sense. I do my best to mentally explore each area, discover its history and its geography before writing anything. Remember; a pug and a great dane are both dogs, but they look vastly different. Remember; all dogs are domesticated wolves and are of the same species as a wolf, with almost no genetic variation.
A pug is a wolf and that is truly biodiversity!
For example, an arctic wolf has a heavier coat, a smaller body and smaller ears than a big British Columbian wolf, which lives in the forested interior of B.C. British Columbian wolves are said to be the largest subspecies of wolf, which is pretty cool, considering that they live right in my own personal area. Rain or coastal wolves are small and wiry, adapted for swimming long distances from island to island and to catching salmon, feasting on the salmon runs. Another key physical, biological characteristic that makes rain wolves unique is that they have the highest level of biodiversity in their DNA found anywhere in the world; they are truly something which must be protected, because they could literally save their species with the amazing richness of their DNA. The reason for this is that for thousands of years, these wolves have been isolated from human contact. As a result, they exhibit no fear of humans.
Geography is responsible for the isolation and differentiation of these subspecies; it is what has made them have to uniquely adapt. A British Columbian wolf might not survive in the territory of the rain wolf because there is so much swimming involved and less big game. A rain wolf probably wouldn't make it in the high arctic, where the beautiful white arctic wolf lives, preying on musk oxen in the dead of winter. An arctic wolf is built to withstand intensely frigid low temperatures while a rain wolf is built for life on the soggy, humid but cool wet coast of British Columbia. All this biodiversity comes from geography and from living in different regions.
Not just biodiversity is effected by a change in climate and region. A farming society would have a different attitude about like than a hunter-gatherer society and would probably have a different set of spiritual beliefs. By region, people would have to adapt and do things differently to fit their habitat, just like the wolf. Language would also change - the only reason English is such a universal language in our day is because we humans have become extremely well traveled, so a common language has become a great necessity for survival. However, cut off our ability to travel as well as our ability to technologically communicate and over the course of several hundred to a thousand years, something amazing would happen; English would fragment into new languages in each isolated pocket of humanity!
As humans, we are not above the rules of differentiation by habitat or region. In a thousand years, the common language of the humans living on my planet Rimer might morph into something completely new so that if humans from Earth were to meet humans from Rimer, they probably would have a pretty hard time understanding each other. In my timeline for the Copperbane Series, it is known that around the year 400 A.G, the official language of human inhabited Rimer is forcefully changed (by government order) to a native falcolf language known as 'Common Fallan' (which is obviously commonly used by nearly all native species) to encourage better communication between sentient species. English is disowned and abandoned, falling into military-code only use, as with other languages which on Rimer have become for the most part dead. (Such as French, German and Italian.)
Regionally, Rimer's native species use their own unique languages. Common Fallan is seen as more of a language for getting information from strangers than anything, yet it will become the dominant language of the human race. (However as Rimer has far less communication than our Earth does, there may just be pocket languages developed still.) Chartan may still stubbornly hold on to English.
When you're writing a story that spans vast tracks of biodiverse terrain and geography, it really is important to remember the situation of each area before just writing a boring default situation that does not make any sense. I do my best to mentally explore each area, discover its history and its geography before writing anything. Remember; a pug and a great dane are both dogs, but they look vastly different. Remember; all dogs are domesticated wolves and are of the same species as a wolf, with almost no genetic variation.
A pug is a wolf and that is truly biodiversity!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Long Time, No Updates...
Sorry for the lack of any updates! The unexpected hiatus has been mainly due to:
- I suddenly moved back to my parent's house. (And I MEAN 'sudden!' I spoke to my folks one day and moved the next - a move of over 600 kilometres, back to the Okanagan!)
- Almost immediately after I arrived in the Okanagan I got not just one, but TWO part time jobs - due to my lack of luck job hunting in Vancouver, I guess this means it was meant to be that I came home here!
- Due to those part time jobs plus a regimen of cooking meals for my night shifting parents (so that they don't have to eat nasty sandwiches at work) I've been really busy and tired. This doesn't mean I haven't been working on my manuscripts though!
- I kind of hit my photo capacity for blogger and I like pictures in my posts. I tried buying more space for my pictures, but somehow that didn't work, so I dunno. I still have photobucket, but it's a huge pain in the ass re-coding every single picture that I want to upload!
So, as you can guess, lots of stuff has gone on. Here's a summery of things which have happened beyond the stuff keeping me super busy.... (as usual; do I EVER truly take a break?!)
- I've been hiking THREE times since I moved here! All have been pretty great hikes. The last one was a 9 kilometre hike and I didn't feel a lick of pain ANYWHERE in my body until the last kilometre (the tendon in my left arm that likes to act up - it's some stupid genetic thing I got from my mother that kind of ache-hurts) and I was never out of breath the entire hike. What really helped with controlling my speed was letting my Dad take point, instead of galloping off ahead of him and using all my energy way too fast. (He's not slow but he takes like 10 billion pictures when we hike - which is awesome - but it means we stop a lot, which is sort of a good thing I guess!)
- I'm slowly, slooooowly, getting sound. My irritable bowel syndrome has been acting up because I've been eating blacklisted items (like too much cheese and eggs - all animal products are no-nos) but because I walk up to 8 kilometres every day, I'm starting to build up my wind again, which means that I'll possibly be strong enough to do some backpacking next summer!
- My cats like it here! They're getting along okay-ish with my other older cat Smoky. Unfortunately, they gave her fleas, but I'm working on that. (How two indoor cats got fleas sort of escapes me, but they did and they got them back in Vancouver. I couldn't afford any flea treatment back then.)
- I'm still mourning Sunny. I'll probably be mourning him for the entire rest of my life. (He was just that special!)
- I'm getting some more solidified ideas about my future, living here. I've learned a lot about myself in this past year and I'm really hoping that I can apply all of it to making the right choices from now on and ignoring that damn Coyote! (I'll explain Coyote.) I've got several demons to take on though before I can get anywhere. Luckily, they're identified demons!
- Speaking of Coyote, I had a medicine card reading in which I learned that I have more totems than previously thought. Some were unexpected (like Coyote, which is a double-edged knife) and some were previously known or expected (like Wolf and Dog - yep, I am both a Wolf AND a Dog!) I'm not going to mention all of the spirits who follow me here, because I hear you're not supposed to, but among the spirits who govern me, there are Dog, Alligator, Wolf, Coyote and Rabbit, the evil one. (There is absolutely NOTHING good about having a rabbit totem because they represent Fear.)
Thanks to the medicine cards, I've gotten some good ideas about how I should proceed with my life. Wolf is my Teacher and because he's been known to me all my life, I feel this means that I am meant to teach others too - and Dog reaffirms that - dog is Loyalty, the servant. I must do something that serves and aids my beliefs to be happy as Dog. Because I am also Wolf, I have the power to teach people, so I must assume that I will serve through teaching - I am meant to be a teacher. No, not a classroom one. I think I need to do something with nature, such as the biology thing or working for Parks Canada in a national park or educating people through eco-tourism. Thus, right now, my goals look like this:
- Learn to drive. (Currently studying for my Learner's license or 'L.')
- Take a NOLS course. No matter what I end up doing, be it guiding on horses, being a warden, a field biologist, a ranger or just a park interpreter, getting trained with NOLS will help me survive in those fields as well as get a job in those fields.
- (Possibly) Learn French (because French is Canada's second language.)
I can't do anything about my future loneliness (when I move out from my parents') right now. It's impossible to know what will happen with me socially in the future. For now I'm home and because of that I'm emotionally stable (aka not lonely) because I'm getting the social interaction which I so desperately needed from my parents (like Dog, I desperately require companionship and cannot live or thrive without it). Right now the only idea I have for my future predicament is to get a dog, because dogs, unlike cats, can go hiking with you and go on trips with you. A dog would keep me active, which is important, because I need to stay sound and the only way I will will be through excersize. Right now, the breeds under consideration (also which I just plain like the best) are:
- The German Shepherd - there aren't many disadvantages to this breed. They have been known to do just fine in apartments (provided they get enough stimulation and walkies) and they've been a favourite of mine for probably my entire life. I love GSDs, plain and simple, but some stuff to consider are that if I have a GSD, I would like to give it a job (such as teach it Shutzhund or tracking) as these are extremely smart animals (third smartest breed in the world) and I would have to make doubly sure that I socialize it well as a puppy. (And I think I would get a puppy, because I want my dog to be fine with my cats and to my cats to be okay with it, which I think would be better if they meet it when it's still a small size close to their own so that they're less intimidated by it.) Some considerations are that GSDs can be prone to hip displacia (damn you improper breeding!) so I would have to make doubly sure to get my dog from a reputable breeder using German working stock. (NOT crappy American show stock!)
- The Canaan Dog - I never even considered this bloody dog before I started getting it as a suggestion on almost every 'breed selector' test that I've taken. Reading up on them, there's some pretty great aspects to this breed, such as them being a very healthy, ancient, long lived breed with almost no health problems. They're also extremely smart (like the German Shepherd) and have been used as herding dogs for thousands of years in Israel (aka Canaan) while in more recent years, they have been employed as war time sniffer dogs, sniffing out landmines (again, like the German Shepherd!) The only real disadvantage to this breed as far as I can see (its temperament being similiar to a GSD but its health being sounder) is that it's pretty rare, so a puppy would be hard to find. Also, it's not really recommended for first time owners, but really, it doesn't seem like ANY dog is recommended for first time owners! (I think, judging from my personal studies of canine psychology I have a leg up over most first timer people who are thinking about getting a dog.) Another good point for these dogs is that they're a spitz, (like a husky or an akita) so they look cool. Also, they might be pretty easy on the wallet in regards to feeding; they are easy keepers, expense wise.
- Swiss Mountain Dog - big, lovable and completely gorgeous! Sweet tempered, they love people and would probably make the best first time pet of my list (according to most dog people anyway) but disadvantages abound for them, despite their beautiful nature. Firstly, they don't live long with a projected natural lifespan of 6-8 years. Second, they have some health problems and third, they're really big dogs, which means they might have really big appetites, which might not be so friendly for my wallet. Despite disadvantages, these low key dogs would probably be quite happy going hiking with me and packing their own stuff.
- Rottweiler - I love rotties for the same reason I love pit bulls (though I don't like the looks of pitties as much) - they have a very sweet and loving nature, provided they are raised properly. Rottweilers, like German Shepherds and Canaan Dogs, were originally herding dogs, used by the Romans to herd their cattle, so this makes them not only smart, but also, yes, naturally protective of their 'flock.' If I had a rottie, I wouldn't get one with a docked tail because I believe that while undoubtably cruel, the docking of a rottweiler's tail also contributes to its 'mean look.' All dogs look better WITH tails! (Unless they were actually born without one!) Rotties have some of the same health issues as GSDs (though maybe not as severe) and to get one with a good temperament, I would have to be very sure to seek out a good breeder and it would be of extra importance to meet the parents of my dog.
- Jack Russel Terrier - I have some experience with these; my old best friend had a pack of four and I used to spend quite a few weeks every year living with them, so I'm accustomed to these spirited dogs. Personally, I'm not really into small dogs, but I am making myself consider Jack Russels because financially, a small dog would be easier to take care of than a large one. Jack Russel Terriers are great little dogs with enough energy and spunk to go the distance on a hike for their size, though if I got one I would do well to find a breeder who is mindful of good genetics and does not dock tails. I will not have a dog with a docked tail. I will not support that disgusting fad and Jack Russels look cuter WITH a tail anyway!
- Cairn Terrier - CUTE. They look like little wiry foxes with cute stubby puppy tails. As terriers they're feisty little things and they have a good coat that would keep them warm in cold conditions. Cairn Terriers are best recognized for the character Toto, who is the dog in the Wizard of Oz. Besides possibly being more economical than a big dog feed-wise, they are also comparable to the size of my cats, which could be a good thing if the animals decide to have an argument.
So anyway, those are my dog ideas. I don't plan on getting a dog until I'm settled into whatever career that I'm going to have, so it will be a while, probably years before I have a pooch. For now, I'm pretty happy with my cats.
Right now (away from the dog topic) I'm working on a self-imposed production deadline of finishing the first book of Emperor's Blood by Christmas (and if not Christmas, than December 31st.) After that, I'm supposed to work on spiffing up the manuscript of Ashes of Hope for three months before beginning the writing of Kill Copper, the second book in the EB trilogy. I'm giving myself a year for that and I have to shop out AOH while I write it. After KC is done, I will (if I stay on target) begin writing Imperial Spirit in March 2013. That's the goal. After that, I will spend up to six months (but hopefully only three) editing the trilogy together for continuity, flow and characterization. Hopefully I can keep these deadlines!
- I suddenly moved back to my parent's house. (And I MEAN 'sudden!' I spoke to my folks one day and moved the next - a move of over 600 kilometres, back to the Okanagan!)
- Almost immediately after I arrived in the Okanagan I got not just one, but TWO part time jobs - due to my lack of luck job hunting in Vancouver, I guess this means it was meant to be that I came home here!
- Due to those part time jobs plus a regimen of cooking meals for my night shifting parents (so that they don't have to eat nasty sandwiches at work) I've been really busy and tired. This doesn't mean I haven't been working on my manuscripts though!
- I kind of hit my photo capacity for blogger and I like pictures in my posts. I tried buying more space for my pictures, but somehow that didn't work, so I dunno. I still have photobucket, but it's a huge pain in the ass re-coding every single picture that I want to upload!
So, as you can guess, lots of stuff has gone on. Here's a summery of things which have happened beyond the stuff keeping me super busy.... (as usual; do I EVER truly take a break?!)
- I've been hiking THREE times since I moved here! All have been pretty great hikes. The last one was a 9 kilometre hike and I didn't feel a lick of pain ANYWHERE in my body until the last kilometre (the tendon in my left arm that likes to act up - it's some stupid genetic thing I got from my mother that kind of ache-hurts) and I was never out of breath the entire hike. What really helped with controlling my speed was letting my Dad take point, instead of galloping off ahead of him and using all my energy way too fast. (He's not slow but he takes like 10 billion pictures when we hike - which is awesome - but it means we stop a lot, which is sort of a good thing I guess!)
- I'm slowly, slooooowly, getting sound. My irritable bowel syndrome has been acting up because I've been eating blacklisted items (like too much cheese and eggs - all animal products are no-nos) but because I walk up to 8 kilometres every day, I'm starting to build up my wind again, which means that I'll possibly be strong enough to do some backpacking next summer!
- My cats like it here! They're getting along okay-ish with my other older cat Smoky. Unfortunately, they gave her fleas, but I'm working on that. (How two indoor cats got fleas sort of escapes me, but they did and they got them back in Vancouver. I couldn't afford any flea treatment back then.)
- I'm still mourning Sunny. I'll probably be mourning him for the entire rest of my life. (He was just that special!)
- I'm getting some more solidified ideas about my future, living here. I've learned a lot about myself in this past year and I'm really hoping that I can apply all of it to making the right choices from now on and ignoring that damn Coyote! (I'll explain Coyote.) I've got several demons to take on though before I can get anywhere. Luckily, they're identified demons!
- Speaking of Coyote, I had a medicine card reading in which I learned that I have more totems than previously thought. Some were unexpected (like Coyote, which is a double-edged knife) and some were previously known or expected (like Wolf and Dog - yep, I am both a Wolf AND a Dog!) I'm not going to mention all of the spirits who follow me here, because I hear you're not supposed to, but among the spirits who govern me, there are Dog, Alligator, Wolf, Coyote and Rabbit, the evil one. (There is absolutely NOTHING good about having a rabbit totem because they represent Fear.)
Thanks to the medicine cards, I've gotten some good ideas about how I should proceed with my life. Wolf is my Teacher and because he's been known to me all my life, I feel this means that I am meant to teach others too - and Dog reaffirms that - dog is Loyalty, the servant. I must do something that serves and aids my beliefs to be happy as Dog. Because I am also Wolf, I have the power to teach people, so I must assume that I will serve through teaching - I am meant to be a teacher. No, not a classroom one. I think I need to do something with nature, such as the biology thing or working for Parks Canada in a national park or educating people through eco-tourism. Thus, right now, my goals look like this:
- Learn to drive. (Currently studying for my Learner's license or 'L.')
- Take a NOLS course. No matter what I end up doing, be it guiding on horses, being a warden, a field biologist, a ranger or just a park interpreter, getting trained with NOLS will help me survive in those fields as well as get a job in those fields.
- (Possibly) Learn French (because French is Canada's second language.)
I can't do anything about my future loneliness (when I move out from my parents') right now. It's impossible to know what will happen with me socially in the future. For now I'm home and because of that I'm emotionally stable (aka not lonely) because I'm getting the social interaction which I so desperately needed from my parents (like Dog, I desperately require companionship and cannot live or thrive without it). Right now the only idea I have for my future predicament is to get a dog, because dogs, unlike cats, can go hiking with you and go on trips with you. A dog would keep me active, which is important, because I need to stay sound and the only way I will will be through excersize. Right now, the breeds under consideration (also which I just plain like the best) are:
- The German Shepherd - there aren't many disadvantages to this breed. They have been known to do just fine in apartments (provided they get enough stimulation and walkies) and they've been a favourite of mine for probably my entire life. I love GSDs, plain and simple, but some stuff to consider are that if I have a GSD, I would like to give it a job (such as teach it Shutzhund or tracking) as these are extremely smart animals (third smartest breed in the world) and I would have to make doubly sure that I socialize it well as a puppy. (And I think I would get a puppy, because I want my dog to be fine with my cats and to my cats to be okay with it, which I think would be better if they meet it when it's still a small size close to their own so that they're less intimidated by it.) Some considerations are that GSDs can be prone to hip displacia (damn you improper breeding!) so I would have to make doubly sure to get my dog from a reputable breeder using German working stock. (NOT crappy American show stock!)
- The Canaan Dog - I never even considered this bloody dog before I started getting it as a suggestion on almost every 'breed selector' test that I've taken. Reading up on them, there's some pretty great aspects to this breed, such as them being a very healthy, ancient, long lived breed with almost no health problems. They're also extremely smart (like the German Shepherd) and have been used as herding dogs for thousands of years in Israel (aka Canaan) while in more recent years, they have been employed as war time sniffer dogs, sniffing out landmines (again, like the German Shepherd!) The only real disadvantage to this breed as far as I can see (its temperament being similiar to a GSD but its health being sounder) is that it's pretty rare, so a puppy would be hard to find. Also, it's not really recommended for first time owners, but really, it doesn't seem like ANY dog is recommended for first time owners! (I think, judging from my personal studies of canine psychology I have a leg up over most first timer people who are thinking about getting a dog.) Another good point for these dogs is that they're a spitz, (like a husky or an akita) so they look cool. Also, they might be pretty easy on the wallet in regards to feeding; they are easy keepers, expense wise.
- Swiss Mountain Dog - big, lovable and completely gorgeous! Sweet tempered, they love people and would probably make the best first time pet of my list (according to most dog people anyway) but disadvantages abound for them, despite their beautiful nature. Firstly, they don't live long with a projected natural lifespan of 6-8 years. Second, they have some health problems and third, they're really big dogs, which means they might have really big appetites, which might not be so friendly for my wallet. Despite disadvantages, these low key dogs would probably be quite happy going hiking with me and packing their own stuff.
- Rottweiler - I love rotties for the same reason I love pit bulls (though I don't like the looks of pitties as much) - they have a very sweet and loving nature, provided they are raised properly. Rottweilers, like German Shepherds and Canaan Dogs, were originally herding dogs, used by the Romans to herd their cattle, so this makes them not only smart, but also, yes, naturally protective of their 'flock.' If I had a rottie, I wouldn't get one with a docked tail because I believe that while undoubtably cruel, the docking of a rottweiler's tail also contributes to its 'mean look.' All dogs look better WITH tails! (Unless they were actually born without one!) Rotties have some of the same health issues as GSDs (though maybe not as severe) and to get one with a good temperament, I would have to be very sure to seek out a good breeder and it would be of extra importance to meet the parents of my dog.
- Jack Russel Terrier - I have some experience with these; my old best friend had a pack of four and I used to spend quite a few weeks every year living with them, so I'm accustomed to these spirited dogs. Personally, I'm not really into small dogs, but I am making myself consider Jack Russels because financially, a small dog would be easier to take care of than a large one. Jack Russel Terriers are great little dogs with enough energy and spunk to go the distance on a hike for their size, though if I got one I would do well to find a breeder who is mindful of good genetics and does not dock tails. I will not have a dog with a docked tail. I will not support that disgusting fad and Jack Russels look cuter WITH a tail anyway!
- Cairn Terrier - CUTE. They look like little wiry foxes with cute stubby puppy tails. As terriers they're feisty little things and they have a good coat that would keep them warm in cold conditions. Cairn Terriers are best recognized for the character Toto, who is the dog in the Wizard of Oz. Besides possibly being more economical than a big dog feed-wise, they are also comparable to the size of my cats, which could be a good thing if the animals decide to have an argument.
So anyway, those are my dog ideas. I don't plan on getting a dog until I'm settled into whatever career that I'm going to have, so it will be a while, probably years before I have a pooch. For now, I'm pretty happy with my cats.
Right now (away from the dog topic) I'm working on a self-imposed production deadline of finishing the first book of Emperor's Blood by Christmas (and if not Christmas, than December 31st.) After that, I'm supposed to work on spiffing up the manuscript of Ashes of Hope for three months before beginning the writing of Kill Copper, the second book in the EB trilogy. I'm giving myself a year for that and I have to shop out AOH while I write it. After KC is done, I will (if I stay on target) begin writing Imperial Spirit in March 2013. That's the goal. After that, I will spend up to six months (but hopefully only three) editing the trilogy together for continuity, flow and characterization. Hopefully I can keep these deadlines!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Rimer's God of Weather and Catastrophe
I had a comment a while back that I found a bit strange; that Kayoss, the Rimarian god of catastrophe, was not 'evil enough.' I guess if you've never read AOH, this might be an easy mistaken assumption to assume. Kayoss isn't evil. In fact, I challenge anyone to point out a truly evil character in my entire series. Yes, it has some world class jerks and some guys who should probably go to hell for their crimes if there is such place as that (such as some drakoon characters I have) but even these guys aren't really evil. In fact, I don't believe in evil-ness in anyone. You might point out a guy like Hitler and Stalin and say that they were evil, but they weren't, not really, because from their point of view, what they were doing was absolutely right. It's impossible to say that their actions were not evil because they were, but the men themselves, were they evil? No. Just misguided.
Kayoss is neither misguided or evil. Sure, he's god of catastrophe so as a hobby he sometimes causes things like earthquakes and tsunamis just because he can but most of the time, the dude is really responsible about his powers. The fact is, Kayoss was not born being a 'god of catastrophe.' He was born a normal falcolf with an ordinary upbringing. Later, he became a military leader and a very good, responsible one. He's got prejudices against certain things and he can be fairly racist but that's rather normal for anyone, because everyone is usually a little racist against something (doesn't matter if it's the same species or not!)
Kayoss is not evil. He dislikes humans because we are interlopers on his planet and if he could, he would reasonably annihilate us to protect it. His first job is protecting Rimer, his home - and he will do anything to do that. The only reason he does not smite the humans off the face of his world is because he made a deal with his daughter and with the other immortals (whose support he needs and since they were largely against murdering all the humans, he must grudgingly cede to what they want - for now. He does not want a mutiny but he has made sure to make clauses in that deal which make him able to act.) What Kayoss really is, more than a controller of the weather (and if you think about it, that job would require quite a responsible and dedicated person) is a guardian of his planet, the most powerful one that it has. He's a hero and an antihero. He's the actual main character of my series, as he is the only character to make an appearance (somehow, even just subtly) in every book.
The character who is closest to being evil is the one who is revered the most.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Reason for Kayli (SPOILER WARNING)
In the past two years, I've had a few questioning comments on the characterization of the major falcolf character of my book, Kayli. I can see why some people might not like her (she is, in essence a talking animal) but there's one or two things these people are obviously not getting if they are only taking her at face value - that is, as a weird talking animal. (If you don't like talking 'animals' you are doomed to hate my entire series, since there are many 'talking animals' involved in it. While I try to keep as much scientific stuff in my stories as possible, there is still an element of magic too.) Kayli is probably the most purposefully created character that I have ever crafted. She exists because the plot of AOH had came to a major snag chapters after beginning, a snag which (unless you're extremely puffed up with humanity's apparent super master species status) you would definitely see.
Imagine the predicament of Zack and Sarah who have suddenly been abandoned on an alien planet with no technology of any kind to help them. They have no way of calling for help. They have no shelter and no knowledge. They do not know which plants are edible and what are poisonous. They have just arrived on this world, so they know absolutely nothing about the place, except that the air is breathable. Now; imagine what they don't know at this point - this planet is full of predators - honest to god predators, aka, the truly carnivorous kind (like starfers) which happen to be just as intelligent as our two poor castaways are. In plain, simple terms, in this situation with no hope, no ideas and no way of helping themselves, Zack and Sarah are doomed. They are absolutely, unarguably toast. That isn't a very exciting story. Our heroes are shipwrecked and then they die. The end.
It's obvious, since we'd like these two poor sods to live, that they need help, but from who?
Enter Kayli. Now, I'd say it's a pretty lame question plot-wise to ask why I gave this falcolf the ability to speak any language. If she couldn't speak English, she would be completely useless to Zack and Sarah as a guide. However, contrary to movies, it does not make any sense at all for Kayli to know English and by her anatomy, to really have much of an ability to speak it. Normal falcolfs (and most other native Rimarian cultures, usually deemed Falla) can't physically speak English. They have a common language called Common Fallan but most native cultures have their own languages - and one falcolf in one geographical region would probably not speak the same cultural language as the falcolf who lives a thousand kilometres away, but that's okay, because that's what they have a common language for, so that if they meet each other, nobody's confused. Native Rimarians are raised bilingual (which says a lot for their society. They may not always have prehensile hands, but they are educated.) In any case, since Zack and Sarah have just arrived on Rimer, it makes no sense whatsoever for any natives to know English, even the ones physically capable of speaking it, like kiri and kyra.
Thus, nobody native can speak English. So, how does Kayli do it?
As I said before, she has the ability to speak any language and she is because of this, a bit of a walking dictionary - only for thousands, even billions of languages rather than just one or two. Kayli can talk to trees. She has only to spend a minute or two with any given living thing to be able to understand it - and to be able to respond. This might make her seem like a know it all, but she's not, because while she is a walking multi-lingual dictionary, she isn't a walking encyclopaedia. She knows the definition of a given word, if you asked her what the War of 1812 was about, she would only be able to define that there was a war in 1812 and she would probably wonder what the heck 1812 means, because she sure wouldn't relate it to a year date as we do, since Rimarians don't run on our calendar. Her dictionary-type knowledge can also be bias, since the only word Kayli knows for her own world in particular is its name - Rim-err - and in fact, the word 'world' in reference to her planet is pretty hard for her to process because of this.
And so, with Kayli's ability to speak any language, Zack and Sarah's situation is relieved; providing she wants to help them. Kayli is one of the most solidly developed characters in the universe of my series and one of the oldest (though not nearly as old as Zack and Sarah, who trump her by at least a decade) in real world time. As a pup she's a feisty, venomous little spitfire who, like many dogs, doesn't like men, hates most sentient males of any species and yet she has a capacity for great caring; she finds it hard to attack the prey that she can understand - Kayli is not a willing predator, so she resorts to scavenging that which is already dead. She wants a family and to be loved. Unfortunately, that's not really in the cards for her.
Because of Kayli, Zack and Sarah survive. In a hunter-gatherer society such as what Kayli lives in as a scavenger, even a carnivore like her knows which plants are poisonous and which aren't from being taught such as well as watching the grazing of prey. She's extremely special in her lingual abilities and with them, she is able to teach Zack and Sarah what she knows. She is willing to leave her home with them because she has never felt cared for there.
In Ashes of Hope, you the audience meet Kayli as an unwanted adolescent pup who becomes a guide. Later on in Rimer's timeline, she never really stops being a guide for her humans but the way she does it changes. She's definitely a character who grows.
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