Martin-Pierre Frenette

• Frenette.info is now partially in French

  06.02.2012,Blog,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  I have begun the long process of translating Frenette.info into French: maintaining 2 languages on a website is a long tiring process which is why I hadn't done it yet.

  Most of the articles are still only in English, but I will try to slowly translate them.

  I will try to post new articles in both languages.

• Seven Reasons Babylon 5 is still relevent (or why you should watch it)

  14.12.2011,TV/Movies, Blog,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  Babylon5 was an epic sci-fi series from the nineties which developped a cult following which sadly, didn't resonate throughout the entire sci-fi community.

  In "the Big Bang Theory", Sheldon often jokes that no one watched Babylon 5 but not a lot more is given. Perhaps you've seen one or two episodes but lack an understanding as to what it is exactly.

  In short, it's a 5 year TV show spanning 110 episodes (and 5 television movies), followed by a failed spin-off (Crusade) and 18 books.

  Babylon 5 is a space station built by Earth 10 years after humans were nearly wiped out during a war with the mysterious Minbari race. When they were about to destroy the Earth, they mysteriously surrended and became our allies. Together with the three other major races (The Centauri, the Narns and the Vorlons), they created Babylon 5 as a kind of United Nations, a democratic station to prevent further wars, our last best hope for peace.

  Over the course of it's 5 years series, Babylon 5 fails in it's mission and becomes something bigger: Our last best hope for victory. Babylon 5 is a epic sci-fi series which was unique in that it's 5 year story was planned years before the first episode was made, allowing a wide series of arcs and storylines, many present since the first season.

  As a hard-core fan of the show (I own all of the DVDs, all of the books but 2 and all of the scripts), I've decided to write a list of 7 reasons you should today, watch Babylon5.

  1. It's profound and tought provoking. There are multiple episodes discussing philosophical issues like religion and parenting (Believers), propaganda(The illusion of truth), polygamy(Soul Mates), etc.. However, in most cases, the episode doesn't impose a point of view on the viewer but rather provokes discussion. Most issues are presented with arguments from both sides, a rare commodity in today's world. The telepath revolt in the beginning of the 5th season for example, is extremely complex and none of the factions are clearly right or wrong.
  2. It relatively portrays a war in a realistic fashion: Sheridan has to make tough choices and pretty much decides most of the war away from the battle line. He doesn't step in every fight and when he has to make a sacrifice, we feel the weight on his shoulders. The war he has to fight isn't strictly fought with firepower, but he has to use strategies, rally his allies, adapt to the situation on the spot. It could have been done better, but in my opinion, it's still the best display of a war in a sci-fi show. Certainly better than in Battlestar Galactica and Deep Space Nine.
  3. The nightwatch arc: During the second season, the Earth government becomes more and more obsessed with loyalty from its citizens and began invading privacy in an ever increasing scale. When Babylon 5 was initially airing, that segment was seen as pure fiction as it could never occur in a democracy. However, today, in a post 9/11 world, the patriot act, the DCMA, SOPA, Carrier IQ and other such measures such as the upcoming US law allowing the army to detain indefinitely enemy combatants show that Babylon 5 was prophetic and serves as a brilliant morality lesson.
  4. It is quotable: many characters have amazing quotes like "Understanding is a three edged sword", or "The universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements. Energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest.", or even this great speech by Captain Sheridan: "If more of our so-called leaders would walk the same streets as the people who voted them in, live in the same buildings, eat the same food instead of hiding behind glass and steel and bodyguards, maybe we'd get better leadership and a little more concern for the future". I have on my wall this amazing quote by Marcus: "I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all of the terrible things that happen to us come because we deserve them? So now, I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe".
  5. It pioneered arc television: When Lost later came to television, people were excited that it was a story they could follow with intricate plots and long term story goals. Now that Lost is over, its writers pretty much admitted they were inventing it as they went along. Babylon 5 on the other hand, had 90% of its story planned in advance, years before the show began filming. Sure, there were changes along the way such as a changes of characters but the overall story follows a clear path. After watching the show's last episode, you get the feeling that it is complete in itself and that ever since the first season, the ending was planned. For example, we see the deaths of two of the main characters, in the far future of the series, in the very first episode of the show...
  6. G'Kar: In Babylon 5, there are 5 main races with ambassadors on the station. G'Kar is the Narn ambassador. He begins Babylon 5 as a war hungry military leader bent on revenge on the Centauri for having enslaved Narns for close to a century. He is absorbed by his hatred and anger and slowly, in the course of the show, he loses everything only to be reborn a philosopher in one of the most powerful character arcs ever written for television. We learn to love G'Kar in gradual doses, initially our of pity and eventually out of admiration. G'Kar shows us what being human can be. 
  7. But more important, it's fun for the whole family. Sure, the first season has quite a few boring episodes when the show was trying to find itself, but overall, most of the episodes find a great combination of humor, action, drama and even, occasionally, love. You get to like each of the characters for their own virtues and flaws and get to see them react to this great galaxy shaping event each in their own way. You cry with them, laugh with them and get to miss them once the show is over.

• Reading and conformity

  25.04.2011,Blog, Post-Conformism,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  Reading is most likely one of the most important activity a person can do. Reading books allows you to open your mind to other possibilities, other mindsets, other points of view which helps the reader accept more easily other people.

  Sure, movie adaptations can help, but watching a 90 minute movie and investing yourself in reading the original book doesn’t carry the same emotional investment.

  The movie shows you the action and gives you the dialog, but generally makes you lose the perspective of the characters.

  In the book, you often hear about the emotional dilemmas and internal dialogue of the characters in depth, helping you to forge your own identity by exploring other mindsets.

  Additionally, I believe that each time you read a book, your reading speed slightly increases and your reading endurance fortifies itself.

  Reading to my daughter

  I have been reading books to my daughter since before she was born. Every night (or at least every few nights), I would read to my future daughter the book “Lambert le Lionceau” while she was still in my wife’s womb.

  Far from being futile, it helped me bond as a father to my future kid and helped me establish a routine which years later, I still follow.

  It’s no surprise therefore that my daughter expressed young a desire to read herself to discover the wonders of books she was hearing every night.

  It’s no surprise her speed and agility as a reader quickly surpassed those of her follow classmates.

  At 8 years old, she already reads for the pleasure of reading, the joy of discovering new stories, new characters. 

  She fell in love with the first book of the trilogy “La quête d’Ewilan”, by Pierre Bottero, seeing it was the first book that challenged her compared to the kids book found in her class.

  Agatha Christie

  Once she was done, she decided to change style and read “Murder on the Orient-Express” by Agatha Christy. Her teacher confirmed she had the ability to read it and was rather proud of her, just as we were.

  Every time she had, she would devour the pages and get excited as to what was coming next, forming her theories on who the murderer was.

  But her joy was short lived. 

  Her teacher got an appointment and a substitute teacher made a snide comment on the fact that a 8 years old shouldn’t read books like that, in view of the whole class.

  Another specialist teacher (those that teach other subjects once per week) saw her read her book and made equally judging comments.

  Eventually, a third teacher questioned her choice of a book and it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

  Cognitive Dissonance

  My daughter decided, in a fit of cognitive dissonance, that the book wasn’t interesting for her anymore and she stopped reading it, preferring a more age appropriate book.

  I don’t mind that she reads a book for kids, don’t get me wrong, but why does it feel like society in general and school in particular is desperately trying to stop the growth of children and pull them down to the normality whenever one expresses a bit of unusual growth?

  Why is it so damn important to ensure that no kid ever exceeds the norms and the averages?

  What was the harm in my daughter reading a literary masterpiece instead of a formulaic stupid book about fairies which is an obvious rip off of Harry Potter, minus the interesting characters?

  Why was it so important for teachers who are not even responsible for her full time to pass a judgement and bring her down?

  Why is conformity so important that they need to destroy the hopes and dreams of a 8 year old daughter?

  Is the ability to read classics so threatening in today’s bookless society that they were not able to accept that a 3rd grade kid was reading a book they themselves had never read?

  My own youth

  I wasn’t much older when I read the same book. I was perhaps 10 or 11 and I too had to hide my reading habits because it wasn’t normal for a kid that age to read over 150 books per year.

  I learned to reject conformity to forge my own identity but I tried to teach to my daughter that people were good and that she could be herself safely.

  Apparently, one way or another she will see how people really are: close-minded and afraid.

  I wish it could be another way, but every time I think it cannot get any worse, someone surprises me and proves me wrong.

• How to save on a hotel reservation...

  29.08.2008,Blog,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  I had booked a hotel room for a 2 day training session I will do in Gatineau for my current contract. I had been lucky because the night I booked, there was a 20$ rebate on that particuliar night, plus the usual 30$ rebate for booking online.
  
  The client changed the date of the training, so I called to change my reservation, fearing I would lose my 20$ rebate.
  
  BUT, because I signed online, my price is guaranteed, even if I change the date of the reservation.
  
  Next time I book a hotel room, I will pick the cheapest day for that hotel, not the night I actually need. Then, a week later, I will call and ask to change the date and end up going at the lowest cost for the night !

• The seventies are bastards in French

  31.05.2008,Blog,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  I am talking about the number 70 to 79, not the wonderful decade in which most of my friends and I were born.
  
  I discovered all of this at Hugo Dufort’s wedding, where we were sitting with a very nice Belgium who taught us about French numbers.
  
  In French speaking countries, there is two competing letter-written numbering scheme: The decimal- vigesimal system (international French), which mixes base 10 and base 20 and the purely decimal system (used in Switzerland and Belgium). 
  
  Up until the number 69, every French speaker in the world agrees on how to pronounce numbers, but between 70 and 99, the two systems compete with each other, with the less logical of the two having won everywhere but the two previously mentioned countries.

  Two systems

  In the past, there were 2 systems:

   

  • The vigesimal system (Base 20).
  • The decimal system (Base 10).

  Back then, number 0 to 29 were identical, but the next number in the decimal system was “trente” (thirty) while in the vigesimal system, it was “vingt-dix” (twenty and ten).

  They were followed by “trentre et un” (thirty one) and “vingt-onze” (twenty and eleven), respectively.

  Forty was equally split between “quarante” and “deux vingt” (two twenty), as well as fifty (“cinquante”) and “deux vingt et dix”).

  It was clear that the decimal system was superior since it was notably easier to write, at least for numbers under 70, so the vigesimal system gave way and the decimal system was used.

  Numbers above (and including) 80 still use the two systems, possibly because the names for 70, 80 and 90 weren't as intuitive in a day where schools were rare. 

  For example, in international French, we spell 90 as “quatre-vingt-dix” (four-twenty and ten), while in Belgium, they use “nonante” (ninety).

  The seventies

  But the seventies are bastards in International French. 71 is spelled “soixante et onze” (Sixty and eleven). In this case, the number is neither vigesimal, because “soixante” (sixty) is a decimal number nor is it a decimal number because “onze” is a vigesimal number.

  The only 2 proper ways to spell 71 would be “septante et un” (seventy one) or “trois-vingt et onze” (three twenty and eleven).
  
  Therefore, the seventies are bastards in international French…

• Why I don't like blogs

  01.02.2006,Blog,Martin-Pierre Frenette,

  The last few year saw an explosion in the number of online blogs, from professionals explaining their secrets to artists speaking about their inspiration to the uninsteresting teenager talking about his pimples or his bowel movement.

  The Blogosphere has revolutionized the world of communication by allowing anyone, anywhere his or her own newsletter where they can publish their inner thoughts. I believe that blogging has been a great step in favor of the freedom of speech, and in democratizing the flow of information.

  Corporations saw in blogs a golden opportunity in allowing their CEO, developpers, managers publish information about their company and getting attention (read advertising) from blog readers. Many bloggers or blog-readers feel these blogs aren't real and that only personal blogs should be online.

  My opinion

  I have the completly opposite opinion. I have no intention in reading about the love life of a 21 year old australian, unless I can relate to that person. The latest political opinions of a blogger from the US bible belt is of no interest to me unless I can actually know that person a little more.

  And this is where the problem starts: Blogs are organized by date and (sometimes) category. Their only logical structure is the order in which the entries were written. Tought of the moment entries which simply record the state of mind of the blogger are thrown between 2 brilliant essays. A follow up on a previously published entry might or might not be linked to the previous entry.

  Don't get me wrong, it was a great idea, just like HTML was a great idea. But HTML wasn't enough, and in it's place, XHTML is emerging as a new more organized standard. I believe that blogs should evolve.

  How blogs should evolve

  Many bloggers are very organized and meticulous, producing high quality websites which offer a wealth of information, but personally, I prefer a traditional article archival process, which allows the author to organize his thoughts, order articles, revise them over time, produce a table of content, etc...

  I have in the past started a few blogs, but regardless of the subject, it always came down to the same problems: I have things to say, but not on a constant basis. I feel no need to rush and put on the Internet my latest idea. I prefer to let my ideas simmer, let them mature in my head before offering my reader something a little more substantial.

  However, regardless of what I have just said, this is just my own personal opinion, and I do encourage bloggers to write the best blog they can in order to perhaps, find an structure in their musings. In the mean time, you'll find me in this little corner of the Internet.