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!

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN

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.

TTFN