It's A Record!

   It is in more ways than one. A huge vinyl record has been installed atop the Forum in Inglewood, California to help celebrate the famed rock venue's re-opening, as this picture courtesy of the Forum shows.
   It's for the benefit of some 17 hundred flights landing at the local airport every day. The 400 plus foot diameter disc does spin as well, at 17 mph, but with no stylus, needless to say it doesn't actually play.
   And in case you were wondering, the record is the Eagles "Hotel California", and the group will be doing 6 shows there over the course of the month.
   I still think it still needs a stylus, amp and a couple of honkin' great big speakers.

TTFN

More Birthday Wishes

   Yesterday, I mentioned it would have been Elvis Presley's 79th birthday. Today is rock guitar legend Jimmy Page's 70th. With Led Zeppelin (probably my all time favourite band), he was responsible for classic riffs in Stairway to Heaven, Whole Lotta Love and also used a violin bow during performances of Dazed and Confused.
   Page got his start in the 1950's playing Skiffle. He was also a very successful session musician before joining the Yardbirds. When that band broke up in 1968, he formed what would become Zeppelin with Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and the late great John "Bonzo" Bonham.
   The surviving members re-formed for a special one-off concert in December 2007, with Bohnam's son Jason on drums.
   Several publications have listed Page either at the top or very near the top of their lists of the greatest rock guitarist ever.
   Happy 70th James Patrick Page!

TTFN

Happy Birthday, Elvis!

   Today would have been Elvis' 79th birthday. The "King of Rock n Roll" was born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi. As you most likely know, he started his professional career in 1954 recording at Sun records in Memphis for Sam Phillips. He had hits like "That's Alright" while working for Phillips.
   But his "big break" didn't come until after Phillips sold Elvis' contract for what was then the almost unheard of sum of 35 thousand dollars. It was after signing with RCA the hits really started to flow, and his star ascended.
   He was inducted into the army in the late 1950's, and was stationed in Germany, meaning a break in his career. When he returned, his film career took off, while his musical career suffered. It wasn't until 1968 he came back, eventually becoming a mainstay in Vegas.
   Elvis Presley died August 16, 1977 at age 42. Quite a few people believe to this day he's still alive.

TTFN

Flu Season Continues

 

   And in Saskatchewan, so far, the H1N1 strain is thought to have been a contributing factor in the deaths of 6 people. As of Monday, Saskatchewan Health also reports 18 people are in intensive care units while there are 336 lab confirmed cases of the flu so far.
   Health officials also remind people it's not too late to get a flu shot, and in the Sunrise region there will be several clinics running a little later this month. But I, for one, will not be getting the jab.
   I have never had the flu shot, and frankly I don't see the benefit. I don't get sick that often, and when I do, I usually manage to fight it off quickly. That said, there have been times I've been down with a whammer for weeks on end. Most recently, in November of last year when I probably did have the flu.
   Not that I'm suggesting no-one should get the shot, far from it. My sister and mother both got their shots, and both say it helped them avoid the bug. That actually echo's what a lot of people I know who had the jab say.
   But there are not a few others who've told me they got no benefit from it, and in fact got sicker than they would have if they hadn't had it.
   Again, though, it comes down to a personal choice, and I chose not to.

TTFN

The Olympics Are Getting Closer

   In fact, the 22nd Winter Olympiad in Sochi, Russia starts February 6th. Admittedly, I'm not a fanatic about them, but one sport I will be keeping a very close eye on is the snowboarding competition. Specifically the men's Free Style and Big Air events.
   Why? That's easy to answer. It's because of this young man:

   That's Mark McMorris, and unless you're from a different planet, you'll know he's the Saskatchewan man who's made a huge impression on the sport, winning not a few medals at the Winter X-Games over the years.
   His dad,of course, is Saskatchewan's Highway and Infrastructure Minister, and is also the SaskParty MLA for Indian Head-Milestone.
   I'm not sure, but I'm assuming dad will be in Russia to cheer on his son (along with the rest of Saskatchewan, if not Canada) when he competes.
   I hope Mark brings home the Gold!

TTFN

Polar Vortex

   That's what's been gripping most of the continent over the past few weeks. A huge dome of extremely frigid Arctic air has been hovering over us, bringing very cold temperatures and dangerous windchills.
   And it's not just Saskatchewan and Manitoba suffering either. Ontario, Quebec and many parts of the States are also shivering. In Chicago yesterday, a new record of -26 was set, making it the coldest January 6th on record.
   Even in places like Georgia and other Southern states, it's been cold.
   But what exactly is a Polar Vortex? Believe it or not, it's basically a cyclone over both polar regions. In the north, there are two main areas where they form. One in Siberia, the other over Baffin Island. That's the one responsible for the recent cold snap we've been having. And these things are huge, spanning anywhere from 1 to 2 thousand kilometers.
   For Saskatchewan, things will gradually improve, with highs in the -5 range expected later this week. Of course, that means snow, which I think is preferable to the bone numbing cold we've had.

TTFN

No Longer AFK

   It's true, I'm back. Had a good week off, managing to pay some outstanding bills related to our move to Yorkton, now just 3 weeks away.
   But I must say I'm not a big fan of the weather we've been having the past few weeks. It seems we've been stuck under what's being called a "Polar Vortex", which has been continually been pumping the frigid air on most of the continent. That's brought brutal cold to areas as far south as Georgia in the U.S.
   We are in for a break, though. Temperatures will moderate by Friday, with the high forecast at -5. But that's going to bring problems of another sort. As I'm still commuting, I'll need to watch out for pavement frost. And there's the possibility of snow as well.
   And just to put everything in perspective, from what I managed to glean, the temperature at the North Pole today was -16. It was a balmy -9 at the South Pole, but of course it's summer down there.

TTFN