This Is Overdue

   I should have mentioned this last week. I didn't, mainly because the situation was still evolving. Last week, as we know, terrorists attacked the Paris office of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, and a kosher market near the heart of the City of Lights. When all was said and done, 17 people had been killed. 3 suspects were also gunned down by police, while a 4th is still at large.
   Why? On the surface, it's over the paper's satirical portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad. The Islamic faith forbids such portrayals, satirical or not. At least that's what the gunmen claimed at the time.
   The reaction to the events of last week was simple: Shock and outrage. Even the vast majority of Muslims have condemned the attack, saying such acts are not part of their religious beliefs. In fact, cartoons in many Muslim or Islamic papers targeted not the dead at Charlie Hebdo, but terrorism.
   There was a memorial march in Paris and many other cities around the world, with people holding up signs saying "Je suis Charlie", or I am Charlie.
   As a member of the mass media myself, I was just as shocked as most of us when the attack happened last week. I've spent 35 years in radio, more than 33 of those in newsrooms, and, like so many, my thought was the attack targeted free speech, just as much as the people in that Paris office were targeted by the attackers.
   This week, Charlie Hebdo will publish 3 million copies of their paper. And they will again lampoon the Prophet. I'm hoping this time there will be no revenge attack in response.

TTFN

Happy Birthday Jimmy!

   He's one of the legendary rock guitarists of all time, and in my mind, the best ever. James Patrick Page is 71 years old today. A session musician in the early '60's, he joined one of the foremost groups in Britain at the time, the Yardbirds, after another legendary guitar player, Jeff Beck, quit.
   When the Yardbids folded in the late '60's, Page teamed up with John Paul Jones (a session bass player and multi-instrumentalist), a very young singer Robert Plant and legendary rock drummer John Bonham. Originally dubbed the New Yardbirds to fulfill contractual obligations, they became Led Zeppelin, and the rest is history.
   Happy Birthday Jimmy!

TTFN

Happy Birthday, Elvis

   Today, January 8, 2015, would have been Elvis Aaron Presley's 80th birthday. He was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and his influence in early Rock 'n Roll was massive. Some have gone as far as saying if it'd hadn't been for Elvis, rock as we now know it would not exist.
   I don't know about that, but he did have a massive impact on the industry as a whole.
   Happy Birthday to the "King" of Rock 'n Roll!

TTFN

Another Brutally Cold Day

   Bundling up to go outside today is not an option. Yet again, an extreme cold warning is out for the Saskatchewan side of the listening area, with values hitting -41 and lower in some areas.
   And it gets better.
   There's snow in the forecast tonight, and while it will warm up (to -14), gusty winds will blow it around, causing drifting and reduced visibility in many areas. Then, back to the deep freeze yet again.
   Yeah, I know, it's January on the prairies, and we can expect this kind of weather. But even people I know who enjoy winter are getting a little tired of the bitter cold, since it's keeping them from activities like snowmobiling and ice-fishing.
   At least no one has used the phrase "Polar Vortex" yet. After it was over-used last year, I think I'd snap if I hear it one more time.
   I'll admit it right now, I miss hating the summer heat. And since a warm-weather vacation isn't in the books, I'll just have to dream about a tropical paradise

TTFN

Here's Hoping You Had A Good Holiday Season

   It was a long break this year for Christmas and New Year, but finally it's over. That means kids will be going back to school, and offices get back to normal operations. The lengthy break was down to the days Christmas, Boxing and New Years Day fell. 2 Thursday's and a Friday. A lot of business (the non-retail ones), and especially government ones in quite a few cases gave their employees the extra day January 2nd, to go along with New Years. Top that off with the fact that an awful lot of non-retail businesses closed their doors early both December 24th and 31st, and a lot of people got a long break.
   But now, it's back to reality, and in my part of Saskatchewan, it's a very cold return indeed. Extreme cold warnings were in effect here, with windchills down to -40 at times. And the forecast calls for more bitter temperatures and windchills at least through tomorrow.
   If you were one of the lucky ones getting the extra long break, I hope it was enjoyable!

TTFN

What The Heck Is Going On In Alberta?

   10 people are dead in 2 separate incidents this week. 9 of them in Edmonton, the other in Calgary, the city I grew up in. In Edmonton, the murders of 8 people and apparent suicide of one more seems to be an extreme case of domestic violence Monday. It was that city's worst mass murder in history, and spanned 3 different locations.
   Edmonton police say the weapon they say was used had been stolen from a location in B.C
   The New Years morning shooting in Calgary left 1 dead and 6 others injured in a quiet neighbourhood where my wife grew up. In fact, it was less than 3 blocks on the very same street in Killarney.
   Police in both cities say these were isolated incidents, and continue investigating. But both crimes come as a shock since, even though both cities are at or over 1 million population, violent crime is a mostly rare occurrence in both.

TTFN

Start A New Calendar

   I hope you all had a safe New Years Eve as you rang in 2015. I know I did. As is tradition in our house, we were sound asleep long before the clock struck midnight last night. In fact, I can only recall 2 or 3 times my wife and I actually stayed up to ring in a new year. Usually, because one (and sometimes both) of us has to work New Years Day.
   This year, it's me. January 1, 2015 started almost exactly the same as December 31st, 2014 did. Up about 3:45 a.m, morning ablutions, out the door and in the office by 4:15. For that matter, when I was working in Regina, I would always be in New Years Day. For me, it was easier than owing a staff member an extra day off "down the road". Plus, as mentioned, we don't stay up much after 9:00.
   Whatever 2015 brings, I'd like to think I'm ready for it.
   I'd also like to wish you all the best for the year ahead!

TTFN