AFK

   If you're not an on-line gamer, you might not know what the heck that means. It means Away From Keyboard, which is what I'm going to be for the next 10 days, taking a belated Christmas break.
   It also means no entries until the new year, so I'd like to take the opportunity to wish you all the best in the New Year.
   May 2014 bring you peace and prosperity.

Fish Bites Man

   And woman, and children. 70 people were injured as they cooled off in a river in Argentina, where temperatures reached 100 degrees F. Some of the children attacked lost parts of their fingers and toes.
   The fish is called the Palometa, and if it looks a little like a piranha, that's because it's a relative of the flesh eating fish.
   One scientists says the attack was unusual due to the magnitude, adding normally there are reports of bites every now and then.
   Incidentally, the attack happened on the Parana River.

TTFN

Need A New T.V?

   It's called 4k Ultra HD T.V, and you won't find one on sale this Boxing Day. The TV's, called 4k because they've got 4 times the pixels of the current 1080 HD models, and supposedly have much, much better resolution and picture quality. Not that it'll make much difference with my eyes.
   These things don't come cheap, either. A 55 inch set, on sale at big box retailers, will run you about 4k ($4 thousand). A top of the line 85 inch set will run you $40 thousand. And that's U.S funds. And that's before tax!
   I think I'll be using my 32 inch 720 set for a while yet. A very long while!

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What Did You Do For Christmas?

   Since I'm still doing the commute thing between Yorkton and Regina, and since I worked both the day before Christmas and Boxing Day, there wasn't any real point in trying to get home. As I believe I've already mentioned in an earlier post, this was the first Christmas in over 30 years I was unable to spend with my wife. It was also the first I was unable to spend with my kids.
   So, I took the day off, and was lazy. I slept in until 8:30 (I'm usually up at 4:00), called my wife to wish her "Merry Christmas", got Christmas wish texts from both our kids, and replied, then sat down and watched movies.
   It was the first, and probably only, time I've watched the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy in one go:

   It was a 9 hour event, broken up by the need to feed and use the washroom, but I got through it. Am I glad I did it? Yeah, I am. and I'd probably do it again if the chance presented itself, not that it likely will.
   Have I seen the Hobbit yet? No, I haven't, but I likely will, not that that was my favourite book.

TTFN

Merry Christmas!

   Tomorrow is Christmas Day, and I would like to wish each and every one of you "Season's Greetings". May your Christmas be truly Merry, and if you are travelling, a safe journey.
   I'll be back on Boxing Day, and not in a line up looking for deals. Or to make any returns either.
  Peace, good wishes and a Happy Festive season to you all!

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Would You Eat This?

   It's called a "Turducken" and it's a boneless chicken stuffed in the gastric cavity of a boneless duck, which is then stuffed into the gastric cavity of a boneless turkey. Regular bread crumb stuffing is also jammed in to fill the void in the cavities, then the whole thing is roasted.
   Other versions of this have 5 different meats used, starting with sausage stuffed into a quail. And don't think the practise of stuffing one animal into another is new. Far from it. It goes back to ancient Roman times, and has a modern counterpart going back 200 years with 17 different birds being used.
   And it has to be cooked at a low temperature of 225 degrees F to prevent burning the turkey, while allowing the rest of it to cook properly. To reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees takes about 9 hours.
   And you better have a large family or a huge dinner guest list for it. A typical turducken serves anywhere from 15 to 25.
   And no, I wouldn't try it.

TTFN

The Clean Up Continues Down East

   It may not be the Rideau Canal, but kids were skating after the ice storm hit Ontario, especially Toronto. And as this photo posted on Twitter shows, they were skating down the street. While they may be having fun, more than 150 thousand people in Canada's biggest city sure aren't.
   Power is still off to a large number of customers, and while the local hydro company has been working hard to get service back, some customers will be without power through Christmas Day.
   I've been through an ice storm, but nothing anywhere near what the folks back east have had to put up with. We got a little lucky in May 1986 when ice coated a good part of southern Alberta. We were in High River at the time. If you've ever tried to make boil water for a cup of tea using a fondue, you'll know it takes forever.
   One of our kids was young, and my wife was pregnant with our second, but at least the power was turned on from time to time to keep the house warm, the fridge cool and allow enough time to make a pot of soup for their lunch.
   Here's hoping folks in the eastern part of the country will get service back sooner, rather than later.

TTFN

Thanks Mother Nature

   In Eastern Canada, more than 400 thousand people were without power after a massive ice storm hit the region on the weekend. More than half, 260 thousand, are in Toronto, 120 thousand in other parts of Ontario, 50 thousand in Quebec and 5 thousand in the Maritimes.
   Some folks have been told they may not get power back until Christmas Day. If there's any upside to the storm, I guess it would have to be the fact the high in Toronto today is -4, even though that's no comfort if you don't have power. We in Saskatchewan and Manitoba can count ourselves lucky that the same storm didn't hit here. Windchills of -50 were recorded in Brandon this morning, and -49 in Regina.

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Seasons Change

   And in this case, as of 11:11 a.m Saskatchewan time today, officially to winter. The actual start of winter is rather a moot point in our province, and across most of the prairies for that matter.
   It seems we've been in the grip of frigid Arctic air since the end of November. And there's no long term relief in sight either. At least not until March or April.
   On the bright side of things, while today is the shortest day of the year, the days will get longer. Until June 20th, when the Summer Solstice arrives, and the days get shorter again.


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It Almost Never Happened

   That is one of the most iconic images ever recorded in all of human history, and it was taken 45 years ago.
   That's the earth rising above the surface of the moon, taken by astronauts on Apollo 8, the first manned orbital mission to the moon in December 1968. And if it hadn't been for an orbital manoeuvre, it's possible that picture would not have been taken at all. The astronauts took that picture on the 4th orbit around the moon, and it seems only because Apollo 8 was rolling. In a recent video, you can hear the surprise and awe in their voices as they see earth rise above the lunar surface. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders can be heard looking for cameras, and you can even hear the shutter trip on them.
   The first picture was actually black and white, and you can hear the call for a color film, which obviously was found in time.
   On Christmas Eve during the mission, in a historic live broadcast that night, the crew took turns reading from the Book of Genesis, closing with a holiday wish from Commander Borman: "We close with good night, good luck, a Merry Christmas, and God bless all of you -- all of you on the good Earth."
   And to think if it hadn't been for a simple roll manoeuvre, that picture might not have been taken on that mission.

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Merry Krampus, Everyone!

   I must admit, I had never heard of Krampus, until today. And I can thank my typically sheltered Canadian upbringing for that. Apparently, a Krampus in folklore, roams Alpine areas of Europe, including Austria, looking for children to punish over the Yule season. Sort of a counterpoint to St. Nicholas, who rewards kids for good behaviour.
   As you can see, a Krampus is usually depicted as a beast-like, demonic creature who roams the streets shaking chains and ringing bells to scare the kids. some versions of the myth have Krampus side by side with St. Nick, others have it a loner. The point of that being while old Nick dispenses gifts, the Krampus hands out coal. Or even swats children with birch branches.
   There's even a night devoted to the Krampus' called Krampusnacht, typically December 5th. That's the day before the Feast of St. Nicholas. Heck, there are even Krampus cards available.
   I'm not sure about a Krampus tree, though.

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The Ordeal Is Finally Over

   Today's the day we get possession of our new home in Yorkton. It's also the end of a 4 month long ordeal. Buying the place here wasn't the issue. Selling our place in Regina was. I'm not going into any detail, except to say the process should not have taken as long as it did. But that's behind us now, and we can start building our new life here, in our new home.
   And while this big hurdle has finally been cleared, there is still a fly in the ointment. While we get possession today, our buyer won't be able to take over our Regina home until February, meaning my wife and 4-legged family members will remain in the Queen City until the end of January.
   But even that's a blessing in disguise, since it gives us lots of time to make repairs to that house (which have already been done), and book a moving company (which has also already been done).
   It also ends a 4 month long ordeal of my living in a basement suite which, at times, and for reasons I will not go into, was very trying as well.
   But the corner has been turned, and a new chapter unfolds. And I can;t wait to get my life back!

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My Two Cents

   This is a rare, if not freakish, occurrence. I'm normally not given to commenting on news items of the day, but the kerfuffle around Canada Post has made me step up to the plate and give voice to my 2 cents.
   As we know, Canada Post will end urban door to door delivery within 5 years, and start charging a dollar per first class letter we send. The rationale is simply this: People are not using traditional mail as much as they used to, which is driving up costs and dropping profit.
   But recent comments by the head of Canada Post had me scratching my head. Deepak Chopra says seniors (who will be some of the most highly impacted people by the impending end of mail service) want more fresh air and exercise. At least that's what he says they've told the corporation in response to at least one M.P's claim that they will be disadvantaged by the change.
   Mr. Chopra's assertion about seniors wanting more exercise and air is fine. As far as it goes. Most seniors do, in fact, like to get "out and about", even in winter. But I can see a problem for those with mobility issues who don't have the good fortune to live in southern Ontario or Vancouver or Victoria.
   Quite a few have a walking aid, either a cane or a walker, and I defy anyone who thinks getting around in a Saskatchewan winter is easy to try it themselves. Especially after the winter we had last year.
   With all due respect to Mr. Chopra, trying to make our way through the snow we had last year, even fully mobile, was a chore at the best of times. But to compound that by making seniors use a cane or push a walker through those drifts to a communal mailbox seems to me unrealistic.
   At least that's my opinion.

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Oops!

   You've probably heard the phrase "take a long walk off a short pier", and may even have used it a time or 3. But in Melbourne, Australia, a woman vacationing from Taiwan actually did take the proverbial long walk.
   I guess I should mention she was totally engrossed in checking her facebook status, and simply didn't see the end of the pier was approaching. Fortunately for her, a witness saw her take the tumble into the cold water and called police. Fortunate, because the woman can't swim, and was floating on her back in Port Phillip Bay.
   Once she was fished out of the water, she was checked, but escaped injury.
   And, yes, she managed to hold onto her cell phone the whole time.

TTFN

Are You Texting This Christmas?

   If you will be using your mobile to contact loved ones on Christmas Day, and not picking up the 'phone to do so, you're in the majority.
   A recent survey shows that on Christmases past, 59% of Canadians say yes: They texted, rather than called. And it looks like the trend will continue this year as well. And while Canadians are texting greetings more, as a country we're well behind the world trend. In fact, among the 24 countries polled, Canadians were least likely to text theirs.
   This year, I might not have a lot of choice in the matter. It's the first time in more than 30 years I won't be spending Christmas with my wife. It's also the first one ever that at least one of our kids won't be joining us for dinner. And while the boys might get a text, my wife doesn't have a mobile, so it's a phone call to her. It would have been anyway.

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You Know Your Getting Old When.....

   Keith Richards, guitarist for the Rolling Stones, turned 70 today. He's inspired many, many people to start playing, and has lent his distinctive voice to quite a few Stones songs.
   The wonder of it all is that he's made it to 70. Drug use, heavy smoking, drinking and the "Rock 'n Roll" lifestyle, have killed several of his peers. Usually at a much younger age that him. Some pundits have also takes a few digs at Richards over his age, past and appearance, with some saying he may be 70, but looks about 140. Others have said he looks like he's been rode hard and put away wet. And while I'm not a huge fan of the Stones: Happy Birthday, Keith.
   And if that's not enough, Hollywood actor Brad Pitt turns 50 today.

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I Got This From A Friend A Few Years Ago. I Think It's Worth A Laugh

Updated Employee Handbook-Effective Immediately

DRESS CODE:

It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary.

If we see you wearing $350 Prada sneakers & carrying a $600 Gucci bag we assume you are doing well financially and therefore you do not need a raise. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes and therefore you do not need a raise. If you dress in-between, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a raise.

SICK DAYS:

We will no longer accept a doctor statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

SURGERY:

Operations are now banned. As long as you are an employee here, you need all your organs. You should not consider removing anything. We hired you intact. To have something removed constitutes a breach of employment.

PERSONAL DAYS:

Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.

VACATION DAYS:

All employees will take their vacation at the same time every year. The vacation days are as follows: Jan. 1, July 4 & Dec. 25

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE:

This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or coworkers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early, provided your share of the work is done.

ABSENCE DUE TO YOUR OWN DEATH:

This will be accepted as an excuse. However, we require at least two weeks notice as it is your duty to train your own replacement.

RESTROOM USE:

Entirely too much time is being spent in the restroom. In the future, we will follow the practice of going in alphabetical order. For instance, all employees whose names begin with 'A' will go From 8:00 to 8:20, employees whose names begin with 'B' will go from 8:20 to 8:40and so on. If you're unable to go at your allotted time, it will be necessary to wait until the next day when your turn comes again. In extreme emergencies, employees may swap their time with a coworker. Both employees' supervisors must approve this exchange in writing. In addition, there is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of Three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under the "Chronic Offenders" category.

LUNCH BREAK:

Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure. Fat people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim Fast and take a diet pill.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. We are here to provide a positive employment experience. Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.

Have a nice week.

Management

Imagine The Freedom

   Lotto fever has taken hold on both sides of the border. In Canada, the jackpot in the Lotto Max on Friday is 50 million bucks, with 50 one million dollar Maxmillion prizes up for grabs.
   But that's not even 10% of the huge Mega Millions jackpot in the States, valued (at least right now) at 586 million dollars. Should someone win, the lump sum payment, even after taxes, will likely be in the 250 to 300 million dollar range! Imagine the freedom! And with ticket sales brisk to say the least, it could top the record of 656 million.
   If there's no winner tonight or tomorrow, officials say it's very likely the jackpot will balloon to more than one billion dollars.
   Right now, I'd settle for 10% of the Lotto Max big prize. Heck, even 1% would still be worth 500 thousand dollars. Better get a ticket, I guess.

TTFN

That Didn't Take Long

   Just 3 weeks ago, Family Guy's talking dog Brian was "hit and killed" by a car. Until last night, that is. It seems Brian's been reprieved sort of, being resurrected by Stewie in the episode "Christmas Guy".
   The wise-cracking, drink loving canine had his Lazarus moment when baby Stewie found his time machine, travelled back and "saved" him. All this after lamenting to Santa about wanting his best friend back.
   Well, Stewie and a lot of others. Fox Entertainment was deluged with complaints by fans about the "killing" of Brian.
   I guess this means we can continue with The Life of Brian instead.

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No Parking

   At least for some people in Yorkton. The city has started a week long parking blitz, and will issue warnings or tickets until Friday. It's for people who park on the wrong side of the street, park for more than 24 hours or leave trailers on the street.
   It's to help crews with the recent snowfall we've had, and to allow access should street repairs become needed. Similar blitzes have been done in other cities during winter, including last year in Regina.
   But they didn't issue a warning or ticket. Sometimes city crews just pushed a mound of snow either around, or in some instances, on top of vehicles left where they shouldn't be. Not intentionally, but with the snow that ell last year, it was sometimes difficult for crews to know where a car was parked.
   In Calgary this past weekend, they didn't have to worry about snow. In fact, a lot of what fell during a blizzard there last week melted, as temperatures hit +9.
   Chinook's are wonderful. Shame we don't get them here.

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Two Hollywood Passings

   The film industry did lose 2 giants over the weekend.
   In London, England, Peter O'Toole passed away at age 81.

   O'Toole starred in many films, but he's best known for his portrayal of Lawrence of Arabia, in the movie of the same name.
   He won an honorary Academy Award in 2000, and was nominated several other times. He was also a renowned stage actor, appearing in several versions of Shakespeare's works.

   Joan Fontaine also passed away this weekend at age 96.
   She won the 1941 Academy Award for best actress in the Alfred Hitchcock film "Suspicion". She also appeared in several T.V shows.

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Was James Bond A Boozer?

   A new study by the British Medical Journal suggests 007 was almost always over .08. They went back through all 14 Bond books, and tallied up just how many Vodka martini's (shaken not stirred) the fictional spy drank. And the results are astonishing.
   The journal says with the level of alcoholic intake he had, Bond would not be able to function properly. In fact, their numbers show 007 would have been imbibing 92 alcohol units a week. Put that in perspective, a pint of beer has 2 units. You do the math, the BMJ did!
   Bond's level of drinking would put him at high risk of multiple alcohol-related diseases and an early death, the researchers said.
   In fact, they say his choice on how to mix his favourite drink is a clue as to his inability to function. Proper Vodka martini's are stirred, not shaken, and Bond would likely not be able to even stir one.
   It's just as well he's a fictional character.

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Fun And Games

   It's nice to work in a place where you can have fun. GX 94 morning man Danny Ismond had a lot of fun doing this, and I had a huge laugh when I saw the result.
   Unfortunately, the video isn't streaming properly and the audo is gone, but take a look at what Danny came up with as the countdown to Christmas continues:

   Danny had the app for this passed to him by his wife, and came up with the GX 94 Morning Crew Elves Dance, with Danny, myself and sports guru Benny Walchul. Great job Danny!
   The full video (with sound) is on the GX 94 Facebook page.

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A Dangerous Practice

   The ubiquitous laser pointer. Great for boardroom presentations. As a scaled down version, it's great to get your cat moving. Not so great when people aim the beam at in flight aircraft. Which has been happening quite a bit in Regina this year.
   In fact, police and the airport authority are reporting 12 incidents where flight decks have been "painted" with the devices, up from 5 in 2012.
   To say the practice is dangerous is an understatement. Laser pointers, even low-powered ones, can cause vision damage or even blindness if shone into someones eyes. If that someone happens to be the pilot of an aircraft, large or small, it could be enough to cause a loss of control, and possibly a crash.
   There are stiff fines and a prison sentence for anyone convicted.

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The End Of Mail Delivery Is In Sight

   At least is could well be for urban residents in Canada. Canada Post says up to 8 thousand jobs will be eliminated over the next 5 years, mainly through attrition, as they look to make efficiencies, and reduce costs.
   That figure will be well over 15 thousand when retirements and resignations are factored in.
   The bottom line for urban customers is simply this: Home delivery will be phased out in the next 5 years, and city folk will have to go to community mail boxes.. The Post Office says falling mail volumes and rising costs have made it impossible to continue traditional operations. About 1/3rd of homes in the country get delivery to the door.
   I remember a time when we got twice daily delivery during Christmas, along with Saturday service. The postman would also collect letters to mail for you, saving a trip down to the local office.
   And while it will be sad to see home delivery cease, I can understand why. More and more, people are using e-billing as the way to pay their monthly statements. I guess I'm going to have to start myself. In about 5 years. By then, I hope security systems will have improved to prevent hackers.

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A New Record Or Three

   This should come as no surprise. Saskatchewan's provincial electrical company is in fact reporting a new record for use.
   It happened about 5:30 Friday afternoon, and saw 3543 megawatts used. And it's not really a surprise, given the recent influx of people and businesses in the province. In fact, SaskPower officials fully expect more records will be set once winter really gets rolling on the 21st.
   Provincial gas company SaskEnergy is also reporting record consumption last week of 1.24 petajoules in a 24 hour span. Whatever that means.

   And while we've been dealing with bitter cold temperatures in the Yorkton area recently, our temperatures are practically tropical compared with new numbers from Antarctica. True, the readings were taken in the winter of 2010, but made public just recently.
   How does -93.2 c grab you? On the old Fahrenheit scale, that's 136 below zero. The readings were taken in several different locations between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji, two summits on the East Antarctic Plateau.
   One scientist says that's 50 degrees F colder than any place in Alaska. Another said if someone were to take off their glove and touch the snow, it'd be like grabbing a piece of dry ice. Not advisable.

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Has It Really Been 33 Years?

   As hard as it is to believe, yes. It has been 33 years Sunday since John Lennon was gunned down in New York City by Mark David Chapman not long after Lennon autographed a copy of his new album for him. It was one of those 9-11 moments, and I recall very well where I was and what I was doing that December 8th in 1980. It was a Tuesday, and I was working at CKPG Radio and TV in Prince George B.C, doing evening news on radio, and anchoring the late night TV package.
   I remember vividly hearing the alarm bell on our B.N printer go off, signifying a major, breaking story. I remember rushing into master control, letting the DJ know what had happened, that Lennon had been shot.
   It wasn't long after confirmation came through that the former Beatle had died. I also ran that into master control, as well as recording a short audio "hit" with the bulletin for use on our TV station.
   Also sticking firmly in my mind was the DJ making a last minute change in the album feature he was running. In a strange ironic twist, he had to dump out of a feature he was doing on the Rolling Stones, a band some say was the Beatles main rival.
   John Lennon would have been 73 this year.

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It's Ugly Hat Weather

   It truly was in Yorkton this morning, with a windchill of -40 when I got into the office. And it looks like the ugly hat will be out for a while yet, since there's no appreciable break in the arctic outflow that's gripped a good chunk of the prairies.
   Count yourself lucky I didn't get an "ugly hat-hair" photo taken, showing the aftermath of wearing the Ugly Hat.
   And as mentioned it looks like the Ugly Hat is going to be around for some time as well. It's not even mid-December, meaning we still have another 3 or 4 months of winter left.
   On the bright side, though, it does keep my head and more importantly my ears warm.

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Brad Wall Is Not A Happy Camper

   Saskatchewan's Premier in fact blasted the Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan in a letter sent to executives after it was learned shareholders would be getting dividends, while the mining giant trims 18% of the workforce.
   Mr. Wall stated tough times shouldn't be borne by the workers alone, and that shareholders should share some of the burden. He's particularly upset that company CEO Bill Doyle stated those dividends would not be touched.
   Another PCS official says even had the dividend been zero, the cuts would have gone ahead. PotashCorp says the decision to make cuts stems from soft demand for potash and phosphates, two major types of crop fertilizer.
   All this will no doubt come as cold comfort to some of the 440 workers laid off in Saskatchewan, and the nearly 600 elsewhere, and might even be seen as a slap in the face to go along with the pink-slips.

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Remembring Mandela

   The anti-Apartheid icon and former South African president died last night at age 95. Jailed for his revolutionary stance against the minority white government in 1962, he was finally released from prison in 1990.
   He was also the first black elected as president of the Republic of South Africa in 1994, and served one term. He was also named the Nobel Peace Prize winner, along with former South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk for their peaceful joint effort to bring down Apartheid.
   His death was not unexpected. He suffered from T.B while in prison, and had been hospitalised for a lung infection for over a month earlier this year.
   His legacy is simple. A great statesman and leader, and a fighter for his people who eventually saw the dismantling of an oppressive system, and the establishment of the rule of law for all, regardless of skin color.
   World leaders both past and present will be descending on South Africa for his funeral December 15th.

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Lord, How The Money Rolls In...Part 2

   Earlier this week, I blogged about bank profits at BMO, and the prospect that more profits were coming.
   Today, RBC..Canada's biggest bank..reported record profits on the year. Of 8.5 billion dollars. That's better than last year when the bank made a whopping 7.5 billion.
   And this will no doubt strengthen the argument of many that it's time for the federal government, as imperfect as they are, to step in and put a halt to the money train rolling in to the banks.
   As I said in my last post on this, banks are businesses, and businesses need to make profit. But a lot of people will fire right back that a lot of the profit is being made on the backs of people who struggle making ends meet with mortgages, car loans and credit card debt.
   So, maybe it is time for a Royal Commission or something to at least have a look at the banks bottom line.

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Christmas Traditions

   Talking with GX94 morning man Danny Ismond today, and we discussed Christmas traditions. One is perfect for his young family, the "Elf on a Shelf". You may already know about this. It's an elf (obviously) which is moved from location to location around the house. Kids are told "the elf is watching", and will report back to the parents or even the Big Guy, Santa himself, on behaviour bad or good.
   That got me thinking about what traditions we have in our family. I know for years, since I was a little guy, I had a clear plastic ornament with a propeller inside. We hung that over the old fashioned tree lights, and the hot air would make it spin.
   My wife's tradition (which we still carry on in our home) sees the tree put up December 14th, which is her sister's birthday. It's taken down 12 days later, on Boxing Day. Give or take a day or so. We also used to buy our kids a new ornament every year when they were young, as a keepsake. Our cats loved them. So much, in fact, they'd bat them around the house until they broke. We don't have the ornaments anymore, but we still have cats!
   Feel free to share any traditions you might have.

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To Build Or Not To Build

   That is the question city officials in Melville will now have to decide after a doctor recruitment and retention committee presented a report last night. The current facility is getting old, and some say past it's usable lifespan. Fixing it would cost at least 600 thousand dollars, but building a new one would be in the millions.
   The choice has been made even tougher by the fact that the current clinic has been inspected and major deficiencies were found. Compounding it all is the fact a new clinic would help attract doctors. Right now, there are 3 doctors working out of the clinic. Mayor Walter Streelasky says the need in the city and surrounding communities is 5.
   In fact, there are 17 municipalities that make use of the facility, and would cost-share on a per-capita basis any repairs, with Melville picking up the lions share.
   The provincial government would help defray some of the cost of building new, but Melville and the other communities would still be on the hook for the majority of the cost.
   Tough decision.

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Lord, How The Money Rolls In

   'Tis the season. No, not Christmas, although Canada's big banks are reporting some nice presents in the form of profits.
   BMO was first of the mark today, reporting a profit of over 1 billion dollars in the 4th quarter, and 4.2 billion on the year. Which, by the way, is a record.
   It'll be interesting to see how the other major banks fared, although I'm positive they'll all come in with at least a billion dollars in profit for the quarter.
   The record raking in of these profits has a lot of Canadians wondering how much is too much of a good thing. Yes, the banks are a business, and business needs profits. But when they're taking in 1 billion in a quarter, folks who make minimum wage and pay a lot in service fees, credit card interest rates and other charges wonder if that's way to much.
   I seem to recall a while back Parliament was going to look at bank profits to see if customers were being gouged or not. Given BMO's latest report, I'm sure a lot of Canadians will simply say "yes", they are gouging us.

TTFN

The Axe Comes Down

   Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan has issued hundreds of layoff notices. In fact, 18% of the workforce is being affected. The majority of the cuts being made by the Saskatoon based company are in our province, and total 440.
   Another 130 jobs are being trimmed in New Brunswick, with the remaining 435 outside Canada. Of those, 350 are in Florida, 85 in North Carolina and 40 in other parts of the U.S and in Trinidad. PotashCorp says the reason behind the move is a softening demand for the mineral used in fertilizer, something that was reflected in the recent mid-term financial statement by the SaskParty government last month.
   In fact, falling potash revenue put a cash crunch on the government in the last budget back in March.

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Winter Tire Woes

   So, today's the day. I'm getting winter tires put on my car. For the first time ever. In my more than 40 years of driving, I've never had a set of winter skins, but that's going to change today. Primarily due to the fact I'm still making the commute between Yorkton and Regina, and with highway conditions the way they were yesterday, I'm overdue.
   In fact, I was supposed to have my winter treads put on last week. I drove to the dealer, had the car put into the shop, was told it's be an hour or so, and went to lunch. When I got back to the shop, they told me there was a problem. They said I had locking lug nuts on the wheels, and they couldn't find the key. A search of my glove box and trunk turned up no trace of it.
   So, I called the dealership in Regina to find out what was going on. They said it should be right on top of the spare tire, which it wasn't. Fortunately, I got the lug nuts changed out, meaning new winter tires can go on today.
   The horrifying part about this is the fact A: I wasn't told there were locking lug nuts installed on my wheels. And B: Could not find any key. I'm just counting myself lucky I didn't get a flat during the months I'd been driving, blissfully unaware that had I had a puncture on the highway, I would have been pooched!

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Full Facial Fungus

   It's been a long haul, or at least it seems like it to me, But here's the final update from the Movember campaign. It's hard to believe I shaved everything off back on October 31st:

   The re-growing was slow to take off, as you might imagine:

   But, gradually, things did improve:

   And by the 3rd week in, the beard had really taken hold:

   Will I keep the beard? Hell yes I will. And I'll even try to smile more.
   You may have noticed the hat I was wearing in the first picture. I've had that for 14 or 15 years, and traditionally wear it just once or twice every Christmas season. It does indeed say "Bah Humbug" on the front.
   I found the hat while shopping at a Safeway store in Regina all those years ago. I was heading into the check-out, and saw these holiday hats. Most had greetings like "Merry Christmas" or "Season's Greetings". Things like that. But I saw the "Bah Humbug" hat and knew I had to have it. and It's a good thing I got it when I did, as I haven't seen another one since.

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