Archives
Photo of the Day: Santa Colours
More photos here.Photo of the Recent Past: Backyard Snow
More photos here.Photo of the Day: Snow Benches
More photos here.Photo of the Weekend: Regina Street, December
More photos here.Sundogs
When it's -25 and the wind's blowing, we tend to keep our faces turned firmly to the ground, with occasional glances up to make sure we're not about to walk into traffic. But if, during the recent cold spell, you were brave (or foolish) enough to raise your head, you may have been treated with the sight of two bright spots on either side of the sun: sundogs. It doesn't have to be cold for sundogs (also called "mock suns" or "parhelia") to form, but it helps. That's because they're caused by the refraction of light through ice crystals in the atmosphere. Light refracts, or bends, as it passes from one medium (for example, air) to another that's more dense ...The winter brain
On a cold, dark January day, your brain just slips into neutral. Thoughts crawl along like a snail on sedatives, you can barely remember your own name, and higher functions like mathematics are simply beyond your ability. Right? Not according to a recent study. Apparently, our minds are actually sharper in the winter than in the summer! Like you, psychiatrists who study seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a.k.a. the "winter blues," have always assumed mental processes slow in the cold and dark of winter. But last year Tim Brennen, a psychologist at the University of Tromsø, Norway--the most northerly university in the world, 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle--decided to test the idea. Brennen gave ...Seasonal affective disorder
Nobody (nobody human, anyway) likes getting up on a cold winter's day when it's still dark and the wind is howling, but for some people it's more than just unpleasant: it's almost impossible. They suffer from a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known, appropriately, as SAD). Seasonal depression has probably been around forever, but it's only recently been recognized as a legitimate medical problem. It's not easy to diagnose, either; although many people--as many as one in four--suffer from "the winter blues" (a.k.a. sub-syndromal SAD), a person can only be diagnosed as having SAD if he or she suffers three or more consecutive winters of some (or all) of: sleep problems (usually difficulty staying ...Skating
In Tulia, Texas, where I lived as a kid before we moved to Saskatchewan, when you said you were going "skating" it was understood it would be on a wooden surface with rollers attached to your feet. Imagine my shock, then, when I found out that up here, "skating" meant sliding on thin metal blades on ice. Until I tried it, I couldn't figure out how anyone could remain upright on ice skates. After I tried it, I still couldn't figure it out. (I also discovered that ice is harder than wood.) I gradually got the hang of it, but not having started until I was eight years old, and having terminally flat feet, I was skating-impaired compared to my ...Skiing
I've written about the skating, tobogganing and curling, but there's a major winter sport I've yet to explore (and no, it's not competitive car-boosting). That's probably because, while I've skated, tobogganed and curled, I have yet to strap two long, skinny pieces of fiberglass to my feet and go careening down a mountain or sliding around the lake. But I've been thinking about giving it a try. Skiing has been around for a long, long time. Greek historians mention various kinds of devices used to enable individuals to travel more easily over the snow, as do Norse myths. Ancient skis have even been found in bogs in Sweden and Finland. They consist of elongated curved frames covered with leather--and ...Winter
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...it's winter. As I write this it's -28 outside, huge piles of snow line the streets, and tow-truck operators are gainfully employed all over the city. Winter is on everyone's minds, which must be why I was recently asked several winter-related questions by Colin Grewar, host of CBC Radio's Afternoon Edition. Such as: Q. Is it true no two snowflakes are alike? It depends on your definition of "alike." A snowflake begins when water inside a cloud condenses and freezes on a speck of dust or other particle. This tiny crystal grows as it falls, collecting more water vapour on its way. The V-shape of water ...
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Magebane
“Spectacular” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“Evil wizards, multi-level conspiracies, hidden kingdoms…Lee Arthur Chane…has done a marvelous job…Magebane is a very entertaining book and well worth the time.” – A.M. Donovan, Night Owl Reviews
I happily recommend Magebane and I’ll certainly give Chane’s next novel a try based on this one.” —Bill Capossere, Fantasy Literature
“…an original and delightful tale of epic fantasy and magic, steampunk science, adventure, tragedy, and love…” – Errant Dreams Reviews
Eight centuries ago, the world changed. A devastating war swept the lands, and the MageLords, who had long ruled by virtue of their spell powers, were driven to a distant place, separated from those they had ruled by a magical Barrier. With magic banished from the rest of the world, the MageLords became mere legend and people turned to science to improve their lives. But if one man has his way, all that is about to change….
Written as Lee Arthur Chane (the middle names of my older brothers, Jimmy Lee and Dwight Arthur, and myself, Edward Chane Willett).
Marseguro
Winner of the 2009 Prix Aurora Award for Best Long-Form Work in English
Water world Marseguro is home to the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from human DNA. When an unmodified human seeks revenge on a Selkie by activating a distress beacon taken from the remains of the original colony ship, a strikeforce is sent from Earth to eradicate the genetic abomination. Yet Marseguro will not prove as easy to conquer as the Earth force anticipates…
Terra Insegura
Finalist for the 2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English
Marseguro, a water world far from Earth, is home to a colony of humans and the Selkies, a water-dwelling race created from modified human DNA. For seventy years the colony has lived in peace. Then Earth discovers Marseguro, and a strike force is sent to eradicate this “abomination.” But Marseguro has created a genetically tailored plague to use against Earth’s Holy Warriors. With the enemy defeated, the people of Marseguro feel they are safe. But Chris Keating, the traitor who signaled Marseguro’s location to the Holy Warriors, has fled to Earth, unknowingly carrying the deadly plague within him. The people of Marseguro feel they must send a ship to Earth with a life-saving vaccine. Only time will tell what awaits them when they reach their destination.
Lost in Translation
Kathryn was a human empath whose world and life had been destroyed when the alien S’sinn slaughtered her parents before her very eyes. Jarrikk was a young S’sinn, an unproven warrior who’d seen his flight mates slaughtered by the humans who’d sought to colonize his world.
As humans and S’sinn found themselves on the brink of war, these two Translators had to work together to find a common ground and avert catastrophe. But whether their Translators’ oath and training could overcome the enemies leagued against them was very much in doubt…
Archives
Song of the Sword
My new YA fantasy novel from Lobster Press
Before the Lady called her, Ariane’s life was a mess. Two years ago, her mother disappeared. She bounced around different foster homes until her aunt finally took her in. The meanest clique at her new high school has decided to make Ariane their prime target. And to top it all off, she is having frightening premonitions, and they are becoming more intense. The moment water touches her skin, she sees visions of a lake, a lady, and a sword. When a staircase opens up in the middle of Wascana Lake and the water begins singing to her, she has no choice but to answer the call….
Historic Walks of Regina and Moose Jaw
Ten walks to points of historic and architectural interest in the cities of Regina and Moose Jaw (eight walks for Regina, two for Moose Jaw).
Johnny Cash: The Man in Black
When country music legend Johnny Cash took the stage at Folsom State Prison in 1968, he solidified the public’s perception of him as a rebel who followed his own path. Born in Arkansas during the Great Depression, Cash endured poverty, the death of his older brother, and a difficult relationship with his father. He turned to gospel and country music to express the pain, and after many years of struggling, his songs of hardship and hope would finally reach the ears of those waiting for an artist who represented them, ordinary people fighting to survive.
Andy Warhol: Everyone Will Be Famous for 15 Minutes
“Paintings are too hard. Machines have less problems…” In the 1960s, Andy Warhol became the most famous creator of a new style of art called pop art, which transformed mass-produced items of popular culture into fine works of art. From Campbell’s Soup cans to photographs of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol’s willingness to use anything and everything from the mass media in his work expanded the range of subject matter available to artists. His avant-garde films, artistic usage of American icons, and unconventional social life made him a controversial figure, both greatly admired and deeply reviled. A trendsetter rather than a trend-follower, a dispassionate observer of both the seamy and celebrity sides of life, Warhol was a true American rebel.
Disease-Hunting Scientist
The true stories of six real disease hunters. Epidemiologists travel the world trying to keep us safe from deadly diseases—from high-tech labs in Canada to remote villages in Africa. Learn how these “disease detectives” are coming up with new ways to fight disease, and find out if you have what it takes to become an epidemiologist, too!
The Bounty Mutiny
The Bounty was a British ship visiting Tahiti in 1789 when some of the crew overthrew the captain, William Bligh, and set him adrift in a tiny boat with sailors loyal to him. The mutiny resulted in a number of trials–both of the men who mutinied and of Bligh for losing command of his ship. These fascinating events have been the source for numerous Hollywood movies, most recently The Bounty. The Bounty Mutiny: From the Court Case to the Movie explores the famous case and the movies it inspired.
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