I Made The Switch

   I did indeed. For years (when I haven't had a full beard), I've been using cartridge razors, but I'm prone to razor burn and bumps. After doing some research, I decided to purchase an Olde Fashioned safety razor. Something like my Dad used when I was growing up.
   He never passed the skill on to me, because when I started shaving, he'd gone to an electric. So, I went on line and bought the above razor. It's an Edwin Jagger DE89Lbl, and with 50 razor blades, it ran me about 60 bucks. For that 60 dollars, I've got a razor I can use for years, and a years worth of shaves, if I change blades every week.
   As mentioned, I have never used one before, but I have to say I got a nice clean shave. Apart from a nick or 2:

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The Shots That Triggered World War 1

   It was 100 years ago tomorrow, June 28 1914, an event in Sarajevo changed the history of the world, and triggered the 5th bloodiest conflict in human history.
   Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand:

   And his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg:

   Were assassinated in their open top car by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip.

   Even though there were many other factors involved in the events leading up to the conflict, their deaths on that Sunday in June, 1914 lead to the declaration of war by Austria-Hungary a month later on July 28, which quickly spiralled into what was known at the time as the Great War.
   Canada, as part of the British Empire, entered the conflict August 4th when war was declared by Britain. By the time the war ended November 11, 1918 at least 60 thousand Canadian military personnel had been killed, and 150 thousand wounded. From what I've been able to determine, a soldier named H.G Bellinger, killed in January 1915, was the first Canadian to die.
   A total of between 8.2 and 10.7 military personnel on all sides were killed, and as many as 23.6 million wounded. It's been said that there was one military death every 15 seconds for the duration of the war. As many as 5 million civilians also died.
   As for the man who's shots June 28, 1914 lit the final fuse, Gavrilo Princip, he escaped the death penalty for the assassination, being 27 days short of the 20 year age limit, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He did not survive to see the end of the war, dying of T.B on April 28 1918, 3 years and 10 months to the day after the assassinations.
   The legacy of the war lives on to this day, especially in Belgium, where up to 80 tons of unexploded ordnance is found and destroyed from both wars every year. Officials say it could take 300 years to clear the old battlefields completely.
   It was 7 years ago in 2007, Canada's Vimy Memorial from the First War was rededicated on the 90th anniversary of the battle.

   Lest we forget.

Rain Is Not A Good Thing

   With apologies to Luke Byran, rain is not a good thing. And we in the Yorkton area are in for a lot of it today and into tonight. 20 to 30 (and possibly as much as 60) mm is expected from a system moving in from the U.S. A rainfall warning is out for the area. This is exactly what our lawn and my wife's flower beds do not need. Already, we're seeing brown spots on the lawn, and I'm worried it's going to drown. Luckily, I managed to get ours cut the other day. It had started to go to seed.
   Then, there's the potential for flooding. 4 years ago, Yorkton was inundated by torrential rain, which resulted in an awful lot of basement flooding and sewer back-ups. None of that is needed now. And then, there's the agricultural impact. While seeding is for all intents and purposes done, what's needed now is dry, warm weather to advance crop development.
   I'm not the only one hoping for drier weather. We've had 2 jack-rabbits through our yard quite a bit recently, and if it doesn't dry out soon, they may need these just to get around:

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Chomp!

   That's Uruguay's Luis Suarez. The governing body of Football (soccer) FIFA has slapped him with a ban from all soccer activities for 4 months after he allegedly bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during Uruguay's 1-0 win in the group stage.
   It means Suarez will not be in the round of 16 when it starts, and he will not be able to play for Liverpool when the English Premier League starts.
   It also means he will; not play in the Copa America next year. In addition to the ban, FIFA fines him a total of 112 thousand dollars. The chairman of the association's disciplinary committee, says ``such behaviour cannot be tolerated on any football pitch, and particularly at the World Cup.''
   It's supposedly the 3rd biting incident Suarez has been involved in during his career. He's lucky. He faced a 2 year ban, which likely would have ended his career.
   And, of course, someone profited from the bite. A Norwegian man won the equivalent of  27 hundred dollars after placing a bet that Suarez would bite an opponent. The man was one of 150 across Europe who thought it was a sure thing, and plunked down some cash. A Swedish man not only won some money, but posted the winning ticket on Twitter, and thanked Suarez.

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Not Unexpected

   Indeed, it wasn't. Saskatchewan's Crown owned natural gas company SaskEnergy has been given final approval by the provincial cabinet for a rate hike which will add an average of $9.57 a month to most bills. And the brutally cold winter we just came out of is to blame.
   A seemingly endless succession of one polar vortex after another gave us one of the coldest winters in decades. It was certainly one of the coldest I've been through in a long, long time. What it meant was, of course, record demand for home heating and business applications. To the point where natural caverns where the utility stores the commodity for winter were almost emptied.
   It got to the point where they were contemplating asking the industrial sector to cut back on their use to ensure there was enough for heating. Another factor was simple increased demand due to the influx of people into the province.
   All that meant SaskEnergy had to shop on the spot for natural gas at a higher rate, and that's what's being passed on to us.
   In this province, we have the option to pay spot prices by the month, or go on equalized billing, which spreads the pain evenly throughout the year. We've been on equalized billing since we moved back to Saskatchewan in 1997. And while it does mean we pay more in the summer, it also means we don't have to come up with 2 or 3 hundred dollars for the monthly heating bill in winter.

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Don't Say We Haven't Been Warned

   Saskatchewan Government Insurance has been telling us about the changes for months. This week, Friday to be exact, they take effect.
   New traffic law changes will be in effect in time for the Canada Day long weekend. For impaired drivers: Tougher consequences including longer license suspension, 3 to 60 day seizure of vehicles and other measures. Distracted drivers also face stiff sanctions including seizure for a 2nd and subsequent offense. There are new penalties for speeders and those who don't have proper in-car restrains for their kids.
   The "why" behind it all is simple. An effort to reduce the number of fatalities and injuries on highways in the province. Last year, 134 people died and more than 67 hundred were hurt. Time will tell how effective, and how well enforced, these measures will be, but if they do achieve the goal of death and injury reduction, even by one, so much the better.

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I Think I'll Stay With Sugar

   Apparently, it's all the rage. Putting a pat of butter in your morning cup of coffee. Unsalted, preferably. The only question I have is: Why? Why ruin a perfectly good cup of java by putting butter in it? It was morning man Danny Ismond who brought this to my attention, and I had to Google it myself to find out what it's all about.
   And it seems the idea of adding butter to coffee is far from new. They've been adding butter to tea in Tibet for years, and (apparently) in Singapore they actually stir-fry low grade coffee beans in butter before brewing. Whether or not that's still done, I don't know.
   I've had some not so strange things in coffee. Unrefined sugar, honey, even things like cinnamon. But I don't think I'll be trying butter in it. At least not for a while. Meantime, black. With 2 sugars, please.

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A True Electric Glide

   It's an American classic. The Harley-Davidson Electric Glide. A motorcycle I always wanted. And now Harley has taken "Electric Glide" to the next level.
   They've come up with an electric motorcycle:

      Called the LiveWire, it's a bit of a gamble for Harley, since the only other electric bikes are nothing more than scooters. And while this is just a test phase, with the bike not fully marketed for a year or more yet. That's to allow engineers to get feedback from test riders.
   As for the statistics, LiveWire is said to be able to get from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, and has a 130 mile range before it needs to be recharged, which takes about half an hour or more. And that's where any potential downfall lies. It's not a long-distance cruiser like the Electric Glide. It'd basically get from Yorkton to Regina, maybe a little further, on a single charge.
   And then, there's the noise. Part of the reason people get a Harley is for that V-twin rumble when idling, and the roar when you take off. The LiveWire is silent, although the gears hum, and apparently sound like a jet taking off.
   Maybe I'm just a little old fashioned (or just stubborn), but I think a Harley should sound like a Harley.

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The Spring Session Is Done

   The GX94 "Supper in the Field" spring edition for 2014 is in the books, and it was another great (if windy) night. Our final trek took us to the farm of Laurie Meeberg near Preeceville, and it was a huge crowd with more than 20 people there. And one black bear!
   Just as we were pulling out of their yard, a big black bear sauntered through, not 50 yards from the house! It's the first bear I've seen since we lived in Thunder Bay, Ontario 17 years ago. Supper in the Field will be back in a few months with the fall edition, and I'm hoping we can get "Craig in a Combine" again.

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More Flooding

   Yesterday, I blogged about the fact it's been a year since devastating floods in Alberta. I also mentioned the fact there was more rain possible, and more worries about flooding. It seems those fears will be realized.
   The High River area is just one part of  the province where total rainfall accumulations are expected to top 200 mm by tomorrow. That's an unimaginable 8 inches. And as of this posting, the City of Medicine Hat had triggered a state of emergency, and started the Emergency Operations Center.
   Officials in Lethbridge were looking at doing the same. South of Calgary, in the little town of Claresholm, which is where my dad grew up after granddad settled there from Norway, people are being forced to evacuate due to overland flooding. They're being housed in the local arena.
   Here's hoping the rain stops soon.

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A Year Has Passed

   That was High River, Alberta last year when flood waters hit that community, along with Bragg Creek, Canmore, Calgary and others. 4 people were killed when torrential rain combined with snow melt sending cascades of water down rivers, creeks and streams.
   High River was one of the hardest hit, although there was devastation in many other areas as well. I lived in High River for about a year back in 1985-86 when I worked at the local radio station there, and I remember some flooding that year as well.
   In fact, nearly the entire quarter acre we had as a back yard was flooded almost to the house. We had ducks swimming in it for quite a few days. But that's nothing compared to what happened last year.
   In Calgary, water from both the Bow and Elbow rivers was so high it flooded the Saddledome up to the 10 row of seats. Animals at the zoo on Prince's Island had to be rescued. Several homes in Bragg Creek (which is a lovely little community west of Calgary) were nearly washed away.
   A year later, there are more fears about flooding recurring, even as efforts continue to clean up from 2013. High River, for example, could get 75 mm, or 3 inches, of rain through tomorrow. Canmore could get 45 mm, Calgary could be hit with 30.
   Here's hoping they don't get that much, and any new flood prevention/protection systems installed in the past 12 months do their job.

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Passing The Torch

   It was a mainstay of Saturday nights since 1952. But after the Stanley Cup final ended Friday (L.A beat the Rangers 3-2 in double O.T taking the series 4-1), it faded to black. At least on CBC. As hard as it is to believe, Friday night's game was the final installment of CBC's Hockey Night in Canada after the NHL struck a deal with Rogers for the rights to the games starting next year.
   I remember every Saturday night growing up in Calgary. It was dinner, the Bugs Bunny Show, then Dad would settle into his favorite chair, grab a beer and watch the game. Of course, back in those days there were only 6 teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings.
   Of course, CBC already saw the end of an era in 2008 when (after 40 years) they didn't negotiate a contract for the rights to what's simply known as The Hockey Theme, or Canada's 2nd national anthem.
   And while CBC will still carry NHL games, it'll be through a sub-license to Rogers, who will be providing the main coverage on networks like TSN.
   Why? CBC has run into budgetary, staffing and programming cuts. It's been said HNiC provided half of CBC's revenue, and the cuts also mean they will not be going after the broadcast rights of professional sports.

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What A Great Way To Start Friday The 13th!

   It was. My wife sent in a "care" package for the morning crew at both GX94 and our sister station Fox F.M.
   In it were (l to r) white chocolate chip cookies, her scratch-made chocolate cake (the recipe for which is so secret not even I know it) and peanut butter cookies.
   Not a bad start at all for Friday the 13th!

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Do You Suffer Triskaidekaphobia?

   If so, then today is not your day. Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number 13. As in Friday the 13th. As in today. The proper Greek term is paraskevidekatriaphobia. And while there are a good number of people who suffer from it, most of us don't.
   If you want the 4-1-1 on how it started, do the Wiki on it. It'll save you a lot of time, and me from explaining it here. Probably wrongly, by the way.
   And to top things off, there was also a full moon last night, something that hasn't happened for more than 100 years. And won't happen again for a long time on a Friday the 13th in June.
   Sure, there are superstitions out there that seem to get reinforced on Friday the 13th. You know the sort of thing. Breaking a mirror. Walking under a ladder. Having a black cat cross your path. Those sorts of things.
   I guess I'm lucky, in that I don't hold with superstitions. And it's just as well. Leaving for work this morning, I dropped and broke the mirror I was holding when a black cat crossed my path just as I was walking under a ladder!
   Happy Friday the 13th!

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A Rhetorical Question

   Do train engineers really need to blow that horn so long? Yes, I know, they do have to warn vehicles at level crossings about their approach. I get that. I also get the fact they need to have a loud horn to make sure it's heard. What I don't get is why they feel the need, even at 2:30 a.m, to blow it up to 11 times nearing a crossing. I also don't get why they need to sound it for up to 10 seconds (yes, I have timed it).
   I thought they sounded it with 2 long blasts, one short and one long. Not 3 or 4 long, 1 or 2 not quite as long, and one very long.
   In Yorkton, it's hard not to hear them, especially when there's a set of tracks less than half a mile away. And yes, I realize the proximity to said tracks will enhance the listening pleasure.
   In several cities around North America, there are by-laws on the books regarding the use, volume and frequency of horns, whistles or other rail warning devices. Do they need them in Yorkton? No. But I submit that crews do need to regulate themselves a little, especially in the early morning hours. And, in case you were wondering, no. I have not (yet) been awakened by a train sounding their horn.

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The Power Of Social Media

   It's something I was aware of. Things like facebook, twitter and other social media are becoming more important in people's lives. Mine included, since I'm on FB personally as well as professionally, and issue tweets all morning, just job related. So, I'm aware what impact and force social media has.
   But it was really driven home yesterday after I posted at item on the GX94 facebook page:
   "People share a lot of stuff on facebook, quite often meaningless. Lets see how many shares this gets. R.I.P."

   I was a little astounded when I checked the shares this item got. As of this morning, and less than 20 hours after I posted it, that one little item had more than 375 "shares", and had reached 13,700 people.
   I just did it as an experiment, and granted there are a lot more facebook postings that get a lot more shares and reaches than this one did. But it shows in our area the impact it has on people, and how people react.

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R.I.P

   I hope you can rea the biographies above, I've enlarged the post as much as I can. A full Regimental funeral for the 3 RCMP members gunned down in the line of duty is underway in Moncton, New Brunswick. Constables Fabrice Gevaudan, Dave Brass and Douglas Larche were killed and 2 others wounded last week by a 24 year old suspect, who is now in police custody awaiting court appearances.
   Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General David Johnston and other dignitaries are at the funeral.
   Two Mounties wounded in the incident are recovering in hospital.

R.I.P.

Has It Really Been 20 Years?

   Unbelievably, it really has. It was June 12, 1994 Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were stabbed to death outside her condo. I remember being glued to my TV watching the slow speed chase through parts of L.A as police were trying to apprehend O.J Simpson, the prime suspect in the case. It was the Friday after the killings, and I sat there, watching the whole thing unfold. I must've been up until 11:00 p.m that night, which was not as good thing, because I had to be in for work at 4:30 the next morning.
   Then, there was the trial, and the famous (or infamous) Johnnie Cochrane "if the gloves don't fit, you must acquit" remark about the blood soaked gloves prosecutors say Simpson wore during the killings. The gloves didn't fit, and he was later found not guilty at his murder trial, but was found guilty of wrongful death in a civil trial a few years later.
   Now 66, the Heisman Trophy winner is in jail after an armed robbery in Las Vegas.
   Still, it seems like yesterday, not 20 years ago.

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World Cup Fever

   I've been getting it every 4 years for quite some time, and the 2014 fever hits June 12th. National football (NOT soccer) teams are gathering in Brazil for the month long World Cup, but the winner may already be known.
   EA Sports ran a simulation through the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil video game, and Germany won the tournament on a Miroslav Klose goal in extra time, 2-1 over the host nation. Now I'm not saying I'm overly skeptical, but EA Sports also ran a simulation of the current Stanley Cup final earlier this year, and said Boston won in 6 games over San Jose. I think I'll be taking their World Cup prediction with a grain or 4 of salt.
   As for who I'm supporting: England. And hopefully, they won't get knocked out this year. If they do, I'll support Italy.
   And there's one positive change from the 2010 World Cup in South Africa: No annoying vuvuzelas!

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Remembering D-Day

   It's June 6, 2014, and we live in peace, with no major war going on. It was a lot different on June 6, 1944, D-Day. 70 years ago, soldiers, sailors and airmen took part in the largest amphibious invasion ever in the history of the world. It was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany, and it started on the beaches of Normandy.
   At Juno, Gold, Sword, Omaha and Utah beaches, thousands and thousands of men hurled themselves against formidable defenses, trying not only to make their objectives, but in a lot of cases, simply trying to stay alive under a hail of enemy fire.
   It's said as many as 45 hundred Allied servicemen were killed on the first day of the attack, including 359 Canadians.
   Commemorative ceremonies are being held in many locations, including Yorkton. The local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion has a parade set for tonight at 6:30, which will end up at the Cenotaph and a service of remembrance.
   I have a personal connection with the Allied invasion of France. My father was a radio operator in the 2nd Battalion,  Queens Own Rifles in 1944. While he wasn't part of the D-Day landings, he did go into France about 6 weeks later. and like thousands of other young men, he was wounded in action. He, the other veterans of that and all other wars, and those who gave the supreme sacrifice are why I will continue to mark events like Remembrance Day and D-Day.

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Tragedy In New Brunswick

   Moncton RCMP are mourning the deaths of 3 members, who were gunned down last night. 2 other officers were wounded, but are expected to recover.
   Eyewitnesses say they saw a man in camouflage pointing weapons at police before the deadly gunfire erupted:

(Photo from RCMP)
   The manhunt for 24year old Justin Bourque is (as of this post) 12 hours old. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has issued a statement from Brussels, offering his condolences to the families, colleagues and friends of the Mounties and residents affected by the shooting.

Not That Difficult, Actually

   Yesterday, I blogged about the fact that I'd be the "chauffeur" for last night's "Supper in the Field". I was, and got to drive the GX94 motorhome (with Agriculture director Rod McDonald in the "shotgun" seat):

   And it really wasn't that hard. Our trek took us to the farm of Ed and Lorraine Petrychyn, near Bankend. And it wasn't "supper in the field" so much as "supper in their house". We had a day of pretty solid, at times heavy, rain. That moved everything indoors, which is probably just as well. With all the mosquito's that came out last night, if it had been outdoors, we would have been the supper for the little pests.
   The night was capped by us seeing the aftermath of a train vs tandem semi crash at a level crossing near Foam Lake:

   Fortunately, the driver was not seriously hurt.
   Next week, another "supper in the field" adventure. It's hard to believe there's just 2 weeks to go in the spring session.

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How Hard Can It Be

   You've seen me mention "Supper in the Field" more than once on this blog, so the concept won't be foreign to you. We take a catered meal to a farm family during spring seeding and fall harvesting. 6 times in each season. Tonight is the 4th spring supper, and I've got to admit I'm a little more excited for tonight.
   Because I get to drive the GX94 motorhome. Our regular chauffeur Glen isn't available tonight, so I'm stepping in for him. And really, how hard can it be? How much more challenging is it than my daily drive..my Lancer:

   I ask tongue in cheek, because there's a vast difference, which is obvious. Truth to tell (in case anyone from the station planning to come out tonight is viewing), I have driven large vehicles in the past, and I'm well aware of the turn radius being very much larger, the vehicle being much longer, wider, heavier and less easy to control.
   And yes, I plan on being very VERY safe.

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Has It Really Been 25 Years?

   If you can make it out, that's the most iconic picture from the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, and one of the most iconic photos taken in the 20th century. And it happened 25 years ago today, with authorities cracking down on protesters. The man staring down those Type 59 tanks has never officially been identified, and his fate remains unknown. What he did certainly made him an icon for protesters around the world. Not only did he halt the column of tanks, but he kept in front of them when they tried to turn around him. The wonder of it all was that the tanks simply didn't drive over him instead.
   Not only did he halt the tanks, but climbed up on the lead one and talked with the crew, only to climb down and stand in front of them again when they tried to move. Finally, he was pulled away by 2 people, with some reports saying he was executed 2 weeks later. The Chinese Communist Party says they've never found him.
   What is known is the government crackdown killed (in their official numbers) 2 to 3 hundred people. Other estimates out it as high as 1 thousand, possibly even higher. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, more were arrested in the aftermath.
   The Chinese government condemned the protests as a "counter-revolutionary riot", and has prohibited all forms of discussion or remembrance of the events since. And security is said to be heavy for the 25th anniversary today.

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Should We Put In A Bid?

   It seems a lot of potential hosts for the 2022 Winter Olympics are now backing down from the idea of hosting the games. The IOC is to meet soon to discuss which city should host the games, but the lack of willing participants (Krakow, Poland and Stockholm, Sweden have withdrawn their bids, Oslo, Norway faces internal opposition, and Lviv, Ukraine mired in unrest) now down to Almaty, Kazahkstan and Beijing, China, officials may well look to Canada to pick up the torch.
   And since Vancouver hosted the 2010 games (city council there is not interested in hosting another so soon), the spotlight may well fall on Calgary, which hosted a successful 1988 games. Most of the infrastructure is still there, maintained and even upgraded, and is still being used as training for some of Canada's Olympians.
   But there are 2 questions. Since Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Games, does that leave them out of the running? And secondly, will Calgary (and Canada for that matter) be willing to take on the expense of the games. The 2014 Games in Sochi, Russia cost that country 51 billion dollars, a hefty price tag under any circumstances. Even with the majority of the venues in Calgary still in good shape, there's bound to be a cost involved.
   However, according to one report, no one in city government was currently prepared to take questions on the idea of a future Olympic bid.
   I've been saying for quite a while now that the IOC needs to look at having 2 permanent venues, one for each games, with countries wanting to send athletes having to pay either a set amount or an amount dependent on athlete representation. That way, there's always a pool of cash to make repairs and improvements without the need for countries to go into debt to pay off the cost.
   On that note, all you need to do is look at the Montreal games of 1976. It took nearly 3 decades to pay them off.
   And with the 2014 games costing 51 billion, it's no real surprise that potential host countries are backing away.
   It'll be interesting to see just what the IOC does for 2022.

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