Happy 30th, Cell Phones!

   It's almost impossible to think of life without them, but there was a time (really not that long ago) when we didn't have smart phones, or cell phones for that matter. That all changed July 1st 1985 when they mayors of Toronto and Montreal held the first Canadian cellphone call.
   And it likely would have been on a monstrosity like this:

   That thing was almost the size of a curling rock, and came in at 3.7 kilos. You got 30 minutes of talk time, and to get it, you had to charge the phone for 10 hours. But it was "portable", in that you weren't tied to a landline. The radio station I worked at in the '90's in Thunder Bay, Ontario used something similar. In fact, I still have the lawyer-size briefcase I needed to buy to carry the phone, tape recorder, mic, mic stand etc to events.
   You couldn't text, there were no apps, you couldn't play Angry Bird and no on-board camera. Which was probably for the best, since you'd almost need to be Superman to lift one up for a selfie.
   Eventually, we did get a few of these in the newsroom

   Which were at least totally portable, although the 'run time' on a charge was still not that great. The main advantage was you could detach the battery and charge it separately from the phone, giving you a little more freedom.
   A little side-bar: An Ontario man became the first cellphone customer in Canada when he inked a deal with Bell. His phone alone was 27 hundred dollars, attached to an aerial on his car and came with it's own carrying bag. His annual bill...10 thousand dollars.
   So, now were at this point

   And whether your favourite phone is a Samsung, I-Phone or something else, they are indispensable. Just don't use a hand-held one while behind the wheel.
   And with tomorrow being July 1st, I won't be in the office, so Happy Canada Day, eh?

TTFN

  

  

A Hot Weekend..UPDATE

   We did have a scorcher this weekend, relatively speaking. While not anywhere near as hot as parts of  B.C, the mercury got into the low 30's in many parts of the Yorkton area. And it's going to be another warm one today, with the high 29.
   I shouldn't complain, since we'll miss this come December and January when it's -35, but I don't like extreme heat like this. I prefer it no warmer than about 22.
   With the heat comes forest fires in many parts of the north, and the smoke from those continues drifting into the region. An air quality advisory has been issued by Environment Canada, and since I suffer from early stage COPD, it's really making life difficult. In fact, with the cloud and smoke haze this morning, I was sure we were in for a thunderstorm or 2.
   I guess there's just one thing to do when I get home. Hunker down, turn the AC up, shut the windows and cope. I remind myself that "winter is coming", and this heat all of a sudden isn't really all that bad.

TTFN

***UPDATE: This picture was taken just before 8:00 AM from our office in Yorkton showing how thick the smoke was. I shudder to think how bad it is in the North.

Ahh! A Beautiful Summer Morning

   That's the view I had this morning from atop our office building at 4:00 A.M. And what a glorious view it is! The sun is just on the verge of popping up over the horizon, heralding what should be another great day on the prairies.
   It's mornings like this where I'm happy to get up early and come in to the office. It's even better when my day is done at 12:00 noon, and I have the rest of the afternoon to myself! It's also another reason I'm very glad we don't do Daylight Saving Time in Saskatchewan. If we did, that picture would've had to have been taken an hour later. True, we'd get the extra hour of light in the evening, but that's wasted on me, since I have to go to bed around 9:00.
   And wonderful as the view is on June 24th, when it comes to winter, it's not as nice.
   I hope wherever you are, you have a great day!

TTFN

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

   Who's the most popular Premier of them all? A new survey shows Saskatchewan's Brad Wall is still the most popular provincial leader in Canada with a 61% approval rating. After being in government for 8 years now, that number is incredible, given most government's and their leaders slip in opinion polls after the so-called "honeymoon period".
   Not so Mr. Wall, although his numbers are slipping slightly. That 61% is down from 64% in March, and 7 points lower than the 68% he got in September last year. But still, he is the only Premier in Canada to poll numbers above 60%. And with an election due next Spring, I'm sure he'll be pleased with them. Coming in 2nd with a 53% rating is newly elected Alberta Premier Rachel Notley. Canada's least popular Premier is Manitoba's Greg Selinger at 22%.
   What do these numbers actually mean, since they're a quick snapshot in time of a selected number of people? In reality, not much, although I'm positive every Premier in Canada is a little envious of Mr. Wall, and would dearly love to see those numbers. Especially since Wall has consistently posted an approval rating over 60% for the past few years.
   Still, as any politician will be quick to tell you, the only polling number that matters is the one on election day. And it doesn't matter how high the numbers are going in to a campaign, either. I've seen many leaders with a statistical lead when an election is called have those numbers drop by election day, sometimes costing them the vote.
   Regardless, 61% is still a very impressive approval rating!

TTFN

Man, It Was Cold This Morning...UPDATE

   You're reading that right. Minus 5. That was sent to our GX94 facebook page by a listener in the Preeceville area, northeast of Yorkton, this morning, Thursday June 18, 2015. And, as you can seen, with the thermometer suspended a few feet above ground, there's a good chance frost hit that area, along with another community, Pelly, in the same area.
   Farmers have already had to re-seed some of their crops after an earlier frost. By the look of things, there will be crop loss due to this.
   It was also cold in other areas, with Hudson Bay and Roblin both at a chilly plus 1 at 5:00 this morning. Yorkton was 2. I didn't see evidence of frost in the city, but I sure had heavy dew on the windshield and back window of my car this morning.
   At least we can take solace in the fact the summer solstice is coming up! Summer officially arrives in my area on Fathers Day Sunday at 10:38 AM local time. I'm sure ready for it, and after last night, a lot of people no doubt feel the same way.

TTFN.

*****UPDATE: I spoke with Environment Canada who say while it's possible the mercury got to -5, they can't back it up. A spokesperson told me their monitoring stations can be far apart, adding there very well could have been a pocket or 2 of air that cold in low lying areas. The lowest temperature they recorded was -.03*****

Top Gear May Be Put Into "Park"

   I admit it. I'm a fan of the BBC motoring show "Top Gear". Or at least I was. "Top Gear" has announced the replacement for the fired Jeremy Clarkson. Chris Evans will be put in the drivers seat of a show with 350 million world-wide viewers.
   Also not coming back is James "Captain Slow" May. And even the "Hamster", Richard Hammond, apparently won't be back when the show re-launches.
   For many, this will be the end of a storied show featuring hugely expensive hyper-cars, with some costing 1.3 million dollars. Or more. If you've seen the show, chances are like me, that wasn't the biggest reason to tune in and watch. The cars, while certainly worth looking at and interesting to see them put through their paces on the Top Gear "track" were a backdrop.
   Clarkson, Hammond and May WERE the show, not the cars they featured (although the early seasons it WAS more the cars than them). It was the interplay between them, albeit largely scripted, that drew people. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed watching "Captain Slow" take a Bugatti Veyron to it's top speed twice. I also enjoyed watching Hammond take a Pagani Zonda around the track, just as much as I enjoyed Clarkson hammering a Ferrari 458 around the Hammerhead.
   There was a chemistry between them, which did take a season or 2 to fully develop. And that's something I feel the new hosts will have a tough time with. Let alone the fact the "original 3" hosted the show for some 22 years.
   Those are some large driving gloves to have to try and fill.

TTFN

Hockey Is Finally Over

   The Chicago Blackhawks put an exclamation point on their season, winning the Stanley Cup for the 3rd time in 6 years. The did it by beating Tampa Bay 2-0, winning the series 4 games to 2. On June 15th. Had the Lightning won last night, the deciding game 7 wouldn't have been played until Wednesday, the 17th
   And that's my problem with hockey. The season simply goes on far too long. The regular season started October 2nd. I did a quick search and found that if a woman got pregnant on the first night of the regular season, her due date would be June 25th. That means there's an exceedingly good chance she'd have given birth before the Stanley Cup was hoisted last night.
   I know hockey is big business, and generates big revenue. I know an awful lot of people really enjoy the game. I've even been known to sit down and watch on TV. But I also think, at least in Canada, there's a "tune-out" factor when the season drags on this long. Especially when there are no Canadian teams in the final.
   So, maybe it's time the league looked at doing some contraction. Pare down a few teams that aren't doing well at the gate. Maybe look at going to a 24 team league. Also, look at re-locating teams back to Canada if and when possible.
   But when a woman can go through an entire pregnancy during a season, maybe it is time to look at cutting back. Just a thought.
   Anyway, congratulations to Chicago for winning the 2015 Stanley Cup!

TTFN

I Don't Often Go Off On A Rant

   But this time is a little different. I live less than half a kilometer away from a set of train tracks. I know only too well they have to sound their horn to warn motorists, even at a controlled crossing, about their approach. I am also aware of, and accept the fact, that living in close proximity to the tracks, I will hear that whistle blow. I hear it every time a train goes through, even long before they get into the city. And after they pass through.
   Last night, however, pushed the boundary. It was about 8:30 or so when the engineer of a freight started sounding his horn. And it wasn't the usual signal either of 2 long blasts, one short and one more long. This guy laid on the horn for 30 seconds at just one crossing. In fact, he had it going so long that he needed to sound it again at the next crossing further down the track almost at the same time he ended the first blasts.
   As I've said, I know they have to warn people. I know I'm going to hear that sound so evocative of Canada, and especially the prairies. But to lay it on for 30 seconds around each crossing in town? Really?
   In some cities, there are noise by-laws that restrict how long and where trains are allowed to signal. I'm not calling for that here. But use a little common sense, and show a little respect for the people who's community you're going through by restricting your signal a bit. Would you like it if I parked my car under your bedroom window and blasted my horn as long?
   I didn't think so.
   Rant over.

TTFN

Two Entertainment Stars Have Dimmed

   Sir Christopher Lee has died at age 93. While he's most recently known for playing Saurumon in the Lord of the Rings, he was a prolific actor who also starred (along with the late Peter Cushing) in classic Hammer Horror Films. I grew up watching those. They were a bit campy, with things like the "Fear Flasher" and "Horror Horn" warning viewers about impending scary stuff. In all, Lee was in 20 Hammer Films.
   In fact, Lee was in more than 200 movies, acted on T,V and even did voice-acting on video games including the Lego Lord of the Rings and Hobbit games as Saruman.
   Also passing away was 91 year old Ron Moody, another British actor. He's best known for his role as Fagin in the 1968 musical Oliver.
   RIP both of you.

TTFN

It's Happened Again

   Another Canadian police officer has been gunned down on the job, this time in Edmonton. 35 year old Daniel Woodall, an 8 year vet who was married with 2 kids, was shot multiple times and died at the scene. He was trying to serve an arrest warrant with several other officers when shots rang out in the Alberta capital. He was recruited from England, and had spent time with the Greater Manchester force before coming to Canada. Another officer, Jason Harley, was hit in the lower back, but his bullet-resistant vest kept him from serious injury.
   As for the suspect, police say he is no longer a threat to the public, but they haven't at this time come out saying definitively that he's dead. They do say the house where the officers had responded caught fire shortly after the shootings.
   Whether you like them or not, police do perform a vital role in our society. They do a very dangerous job (as illustrated above) trying to keep us all safe. It's not a job I could do.
   Condolences go out to Daniel Woodall's family, friends and co-workers. R.I.P.

TTFN

Finally, This Week Is Over!

   And what a wacky week it was. As I blogged yesterday, my wife and I had to make several unplanned trips to Regina to take care of a matter. It was to deal with a health issue around a family member, and that's all I'm going to say about that. Other than the fact it was not a critical matter, and the person is fully on the mend.
   As you'll know, I don't usually post an entry on Saturdays, unless I'm working. Such is the case today (which has really rounded out a hectic, sometimes tense week). But you won't hear me complain! Especially after last week. At least on a day like today, there's not a whole lot going on. Enough to keep me fairly busy, but not rushed off my feet.
   Have a Happy Saturday!!

TTFN

A Strange Week

   It has been quite a strange week, hence the lack of posts. We've been having to trek between Yorkton and Regina most of this week for reasons that I will not be getting into. Suffice it to say, we've had some very long days since Tuesday. And even though the trip between the 2 locations takes less than 2 hours, and is only about 400 kilometers in totsl, when you combine it with the fact I'm up before 0400 and my wife before 0500 it makes for long days. Especially when we don't get back until 8:00 pm.
   This is only a short-term, non-critical situation (we hope), and things will get back to "normal" as early as tomorrow.

TTFN

Back

   What a great week off. My wife and I took a few trips this past week, including Regina (to get her spring plants), Kamsack (more garden stuff), Stenen (GREAT food at Rawhides), and I took a trip to Saskatoon as well, where I bought my wife this, at Ten Thousand Villages:

   It's a lamp. And since we're both "in" to the Moroccan style of things, it will fit perfectly. When we find the right place for it, that is.
   The only downside to the week was the weather. We had FROST Thursday and Friday nights, meaning my wife couldn't start planting until Sunday. And it was raining this morning, which we do need, so I'm pretty sure she won't be out in the garden again today. That said, it already looks good! I hope to have pictures later this year.
   All in all, it was a good week. But it's also nice to get back to work, doing the job I love.

TTFN