Spring Has Finally Sprung!

   It's not like the snow has melted, or we're enjoying temperatures of 18 or anything just yet, but last night my wife and I saw the surest sign ever that winter's over, and spring has arrived.
   We didn't see a jack-rabbit who had turned all brown yet. We didn't see a robin. We didn't see a flight of geese returning from the south after the long winter.
   No.
   What we saw was this

   Transition to this

   Yup! Someone took the snowmobile out of the back of their pick-up and put a dirt bike in the bed instead.
   So, spring can't be too far away now.

TTFN

Ramping Up The Rhetoric Part 2

   I was amused to say the least by the comments flying between two of Canada's provincial Premiers recently.
   This past weekend, separatist Parti Quebecois premier Pauline Marois:

     Called Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall a "weasel" always trying to trip her up, in comments tweeted by a Quebec journalist.
   Saskatchewan's premier

  Laughed the whole thing off, then told reporters in French (after consulting French translating app), that he only tries to trip up the opposition in Saskatchewan.
   I find it amusing that in the latest public opinion poll on popularity, the premier of Quebec was languishing in the middle of the pack, while Wall remains the most popular in Canada.
   I also was amused by Wall saying he has no ill will towards his Quebec counterpart and looks forward to working with her at an upcoming premiers get-together, depending on what Quebec people say about it, as they get set to go to the polls early next month.
   Wall also added he'll work with all the premiers, including Marois. If she's re-elected. Polls show it's likely the P.Q will form government again.

TTFN

Ramping Up The Rhetoric

   The "tit for tat" between Canada and Russia over the situation in Ukraine continues to simmer along, with the occasional bubble of trouble billowing to the surface.
   Canada banned several Russian officials after that country's excursion into the Crimean peninsula, and today Russia fired right back, banning 13 lawmakers and officials, including Speaker of the House of Commons Andrew Scheer

   Mr Scheer just happens to be the M.P for the Regina-Qu'Appelle riding, which also happens to include towns like Balcarres and Abernethy. I've known Andrew for years, in fact since he was first elected in 2004. He was even a guest of mine on more than one occasion when I hosted a radio talk-show in Regina, but that was before he was named Speaker.
   There are other names on the "list of 13", including Conservative Ted Opitz, Liberal Irwin Cotlerand the NDP's Paul Dewar. Not surprisingly, national president of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Paul Grod is also on the list.
   Will this escalate? Who knows. I know I'll be watching the developments.

TTFN

Winter Is Finally Over

   It's true! Spring finally arrives (arrived) at 10:57 a.m Saskatchewan time this morning. And I couldn't be happier after the long, snowy and brutally cold winter we've had. The only problem now is the much warmer weather we associate with the change in seasons could still be weeks away.
   And people in many parts of the province will be hard pressed to actually believe Spring has Sprung. There's freezing rain warnings out for some areas, while the Southwest corner of the province could be blanketed by 15 cm of snow. And that ain't all. The temperature will tumble once again, down to -22 later this week.
   But despite all that, just as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, warmer days are ahead.
   Happy Spring everyone!

TTFN

The Mystery Of Malaysia Air Flight MH 370

   Who doesn't know about this mystery. A Boeing 7-77 with 239 people on board takes off from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia more than a week ago bound for Beijing China and disappears. Vanishes from radar, no flight data information from transponders on the aircraft. Nothing. No wreckage has been found yet. Not even an oil slick.
   And, of course, the speculation about why the plane went missing has been rampant. Several reports suggest a hijacking. Others suggest one or both of the pilots intentionally crashed the plane. Still others say the flight turned back with the communication system disabled.
   But there was one very compelling scenario put forward by a pilot with 20 years flying Class-1 multi-engine planes. He believes Flight 370 suffered a fire of some kind (likely electrical) which lead the pilot to do what he was trained to do. Find the nearest airport and land. The author goes on to say the left turn the plane made would have taken them to a safe haven airport. He also says if it was an electrical fire, the crew may have been forced to pull fuses on the data transmitters to try and stop it, and that smoke from such an event could have eventually incapacitated them. He goes on to say the plane would have carried on until fuel ran out.
   An interesting theory, and certainly believable.
   The truth may come out eventually, if they ever find the plane.

TTFN

Going Green

   It's St. Paddy's Day, and that means going green:

   I brought my Lucky Charms, Pot o' Gold and darn near everything green I could get my hands on. The glasses have flashing lights in them, and they darn near made me hallucinate. I also think that was a little too much, but that's my opinion. I did wear a shamrock bow-tie, which is hard to see in the sea of green.
   Why? Well, simple. I've already "dressed up" as a zombie for Halloween, and donned the kilt for Robbie Burns Day.
   And in the spirit of St. Paddy's Day, this will help you find out what your Leprechaun name is. Mine is "Wooly McSpud"

TTFN

Mission Concluded

   The Canadian Flag was ceremoniously lowered today in Kabul, Afghanistan marking the end of our military operation in the war torn nation. It was a low-key event held under heavy security, marking the end of more than 12 years of military involvement there.
   Commando's hunting for Osama bin-Laden were the first troops on the ground, arriving in late 2001. After that, 40 thousand military personnel rotated through different campaigns. That included our 5 year combat mission in Kandahar.
   The mission came with a cost. 158 members of the Canadian military were killed there, as was a diplomat, one journalist and 2 civilian contractors.
   The end of the military mission doesn't mean the end of Canada's involvement. Our ambassador there says the country will remain engaged in Afghanistan and the focus will be on helping build the ruined nation's economy, particularly in the resource sector.

TTFN

I Knew It!

   The time change was this past Sunday, where most of the world "sprang forward" to daylight saving time. Except here in Saskatchewan, along with Arizona and a few other places.
   As I posted last Friday, I've always had a problem with the time change in places we've lived where it happens. I don't like losing that hour of sleep (even though we supposedly "make it up" in the fall). So, imagine my "surprise" when I saw an article on-line this morning saying the move ahead can be 'disastrous' to our health.
   Some studies have linked the time change to things like heart attacks, depression and a higher risk of suicide, not to mention sleep deprivation. It can take weeks for the body to get used to the new rhythm forced on it by the time change, meaning we're tired a lot of the time. And while it might be nice to have that extra hour of daylight in the evening, some studies suggest it can lead to more traffic accidents. Although I have a bit of a tough time believing that.
   The whole idea of the change was to save energy. And apparently, it does. One U.S study found there was an energy saving, but it was minuscule. Something on the order of half of one percent per day. That equates to a 0.03 per cent savings over the year, roughly 122 thousand households worth.
   So, the bottom line is this. Is it worth changing clocks twice a year?
   I can't answer that, but I'll say again: I'm glad I live in Saskatchewan, where we don't have to change our clocks.

TTFN

Time For A Change

   And, officially, most people will move their clocks ahead by an hour at 2:00 a.m Sunday, heralding the return of Daylight Saving Time.
   Except in Saskatchewan, Arizona and a few other parts of the world. We don't touch our clocks. But it's not all negative. all our favourite shows will be on an hour earlier starting Sunday. And we in Saskatchewan don't lose an hour of sleep. Then again, we don't get the extra hour of sleep in the fall, when clock are set back an hour.
   Which suits me just fine. I know all about the benefits of having an extra hour of daylight in the evening for everyone else. But since I'm up at 4:00 a.m (and need to go to bed early in the evening) that extra hour is not only a waste, but a nuisance since it sometimes prevents me from nodding off. Nothing a blackout drape won't cure.
   But then again, I've never been a fan of DST since it was brought in in Alberta way back in 1971, if memory serves.
   And in Saskatchewan, there's the debate on which time zone we would go. Mountain or Central? And since the natural dividing line of the 105th meridian basically bisects the province, I don't think we're going to be in for the "change" any "time" soon.

TTFN

Well Done, Harry

   Britain's oft maligned Prince Harry is at it again. This time, it's not for some goofy thing he did in Vegas, but something exactly the opposite. Harry, as you well know, served in Afghanistan on an Apache helicopter gunship. What you may not know about him is his apparent passion for helping wounded veterans.
   Last year, he and a group of wounded vets skied and walked to the South Pole for the Walking With The Wounded charity.
   Now, he's "stealing" (to use his own words) the American "Warrior Games", a Paralympic style event for wounded vets, and launching the "Invictus Games" after seeing how "the power of sport can positively impact the lives of wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women".
   In an era where veterans seem to be forgotten about by some governments, it's gratifying to see someone like Harry step up to the plate.

TTFN

Winter Has Gone On Long Enough

   Especially when I look out of my office window and have seen snow falling for the past 5 or so hours. And coming on top of the extremely bitter cold we've been shivering through across most of Canada, and even North America, is it any wonder social media sites are rife with posts and pictures on winter?
   Thanks to my facebook friends for the following:

   A lot of people I know are cheering for the wolf.
   Then there's this one:

   Which is sad, but true.
   The last one generated an awful lot of responses, which isn't surprising when you look at it:

   I just hope the Weather Network's prediction of actual spring like weather not arriving in most of the country until mid-April is wrong.

TTFN

This Is A Little Worrying

   That's a microscopic image of a virus, and what's worrying is the fact that a 30 thousand year old one was not only found in permafrost in Siberia, but has been revived by scientists. Not the one pictured, by the way.
   The one they found, and revived, is, in terms of virus size, gigantic, and completely harmless to humans. But it does point out a rather dire scenario for the future. If global warming is a fact (something an awful lot of people in North America need convincing of after this winter), what's to stop some other nasty little beast from thawing out, reviving and infecting us? Possibly from mining and other mineral exploration as well?
   Already, there are some fears about a re-animated smallpox virus, or another bug thought long gone and defeated. The chances of this actually happening? Well, some scientists say the risk that it could happen has to be viewed realistically.
   Time to get ready for the Zombie Apocalypse?

TTFN

The Crisis In Ukraine

   There is, without any shadow of doubt, a crisis in the eastern European nation. We know already that quite a few lives have been lost in the capital of Kyiv, following weeks of protests. It's over whether Ukraine should develop closer ties with the European Union or Russia. Ousted president Viktor Yanukovych favors closer ties with Moscow, while opposition leaders, and a lot of protesters, would prefer going to the E.U.
   Yanukovych fled the country, and is now in Russia, a country that sent troops into the Crimean region, and seized a ferry terminal, with the explanation of protecting Russian citizens in the Crimean region.
   Russia's president still believes Yanukovych is the rightful leader. Vladimir Putin is also accusing the West of encouraging an anti-constitutional coup in Ukraine, and warns any sanctions the West imposes on Russia for its military flex in Crimea will backfire.
   The West, including the United Nations, is considering sanctions, but not military intervention, in a crisis that (to me) hasn't been as big, nor as dangerous yet, as the October crisis in 1962. Or the Cold War itself for that matter.
   The big question now is: Who will 'blink' first? Russia or the West?

TTFN