Merry Christmas

   As hard as it is to believe, Christmas is here. It really doesn't seem possible that it's been a year already, but it's true. All our shopping is done, except for a very few last minute food items we need for tomorrow.
   I just want to take the time to wish all of you the very best of the holiday season. I am working on the 26th, Boxing Day, but have next week off. So, Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2016.

TTFN

Winter Arrives

   It officially arrives tonight at 10:48, local time here in Yorkton, but you'd be hard pressed to know it. Yes, there is snow on the ground, and yes, it's getting colder, and yes, the days have been getting shorter. But so far, we've escaped the worst of what w8inter can bring.
   Just this past weekend on a trip to Regina, the only river I cross on my way down was still unfrozen. And it's not a big river, either. A week earlier on a similar trip, there was a good size patch of open water in the lake the river flows into, so you get an idea of how mild it's actually been. Normally at this time of year, everything would be frozen solid. I guess we can thank El Nino for this.
   But it won't last. We will get some bitterly cold weather well before the seasons change in March. Good news I guess for people into ice fishing who put shacks out for the season once ice on the lakes gets thick enough.
   And on the bright side, even though winter starts tonight the days will start getting longer! At least for the next 6 months.
   Happy winter!

TTFN

The New Face Of Terrorism?

   I actually wrote this post yesterday, then deleted it. Why, I'm not really sure. I guess it was because I didn't want to give people ideas about this. But it's out there now, so I decided to give this another try.
   Yesterday, a threat was called in targeting students in the 2nd largest school district in the U.S, the L.A Unified School District. More than 1 thousand schools in an area of 720 square miles cancelled classes affecting 640 thousand students and their parents after someone apparently issued a threat describing an attack with assault rifles. It turned out to be a hoax, as did several copy-cat threats in several other cities, including New York.
   Given recent events in San Bernardino and Paris, authorities acted correctly in safeguarding students and staff. In the post I wrote (and deleted) yesterday, it's my contention that if/when the person(s) responsible are brought to justice, they should face terrorism charges. Not only were the kids, teachers and parents vastly inconvenienced, but the strain put on all law enforcement agencies, no matter how big they are, must have been huge.
   And that's why I believe this incident, and one last week where a threat was called in to Air France forcing a plane to make an unscheduled stop in Montreal, is in fact a new form of terrorism. One where people, companies, law enforcement and others must for the public good take these as serious. It's not as deadly as the attacks in California or Paris were, but just as insidious since authorities MUST take precautionary measures.

TTFN

I Had To Share

   We here at our radio station often trade information with other outlets in the province, notable Regina and Saskatoon.
   I got this from our "partner" in Saskatoon, and simply had to share.

   The lengths some people will go to save their cell phone.

   In Saskatoon last night, a man called 9-1-1 saying he was stuck under the walkway of the Circle Drive South bridge.

   He told first responders he dropped his cell, and used a rope to rappel down from a walkway to get it.

   He got stuck 20 feet down at the base of a column.

   Firefighters sent down a blanket and hand warmers, and crews did manage to pull him out safely and unharmed.

   I've had cell phones for years, and while my wife thinks I obsess over them, I in fact don't. At least not to the point of trying to shimmy down a rope to retrieve it.

   I was never good at rope climbing, even in P.E classes in high school.

TTFN

Christmas Shopping's Done

   In fact, it has been done for a while now. For our now adult "children", it was easy. One is interested in Viking history, and has visited the site of one of the first Norse settlements in North America in Newfoundland. The other, even though he's over 30, wanted the latest incarnation of a video game. Done.
   As mentioned, they were the easy ones. My wife, not so much. I guess I'm lucky. She's not into clothing or shoes or jewelry, so getting her some "bling" was off the list. I asked her several times what she did want this year, to be met with "oh, nothing". (Handy tip: If your significant other says they want 'nothing', do NOT provide such as a gift. Try and find something nice.)
   This year after several requests of "what do you want" were met by "nothing", my wife relented and said buy her a goat. After the quizzical look shot in her direction (she's been asking if we could get one as a pet), she explained. One of the bigger overseas charitable organizations gives donors the opportunity to buy a goat for a family to raise. Not to eat, but for the milk and other potential products which they then sell, benefiting the entire family.
   After her explanation, I got not one, but 2 in her name. I figure since she's been married to this old goat for almost 33 years, why not help a couple of families out by buying them one?
   As for myself...well, I've got a project I never thought I'd undertake. I'll blog about it at a later date.

TTFN

One Down At Least

   It's a project that's literally been sitting on our bedside table for 6 months. I bought a lamp at a store in Saskatoon way back in May. In October, I picked up the internal workings, lamp stem, socket, cord and lightbulbs. Finally, I finished it:

   There was a cost, though. Seems the support stem I bought was brass, and I ended up breaking my (only) hacksaw blade in the process of cutting it down from 12" to 4". And since my thought processes aren't always that good, I had to take the darn thing apart a few times when I realized I neglected to add (in the correct order) things like nuts to tighten the stem down with. But, in the end I persevered, and am quite pleased with the result.
   Next on the "honey-do" list:

   A towel bar in the bathroom that's been hanging like that for 2 years. (I procrastinate quite a bit.) Maybe I'll tackle that this weekend. If I can figure out how to remove it without ripping up the entire wall.

TTFN