You Have To Love Grey Cup Week

   Even Environment Canada is getting into the spirit and act. Here's a special weather statement they issued for Regina for game day:


Grey Cup Sunday weather outlook update.

The weather has held regina in its icy grip for much of grey cup week. This morning the temperatures sit at minus 27 celsius with a wind chill of minus 37. With cold conditions like this in rider nation, its been quick to freeze the paws of Tiger Cats and Lions and turn watermelons into rocks. Though sunday will be mild by comparison, it will not trick the Alouette to burst out in spring song....

The Stampede of milder air for grey cup sunday is still looking promising with clear skies and no sign of precipitation. there may however be a bit of a wind chill factor. Mosiac stadium is known to funnel the winds and with game time temperatures around minus 3 or 4 celsius, wind chill values will be near minus 10.

For those who Argo'ing to the game sunday, appropriate dress would be advised. Don that Bomber jacket so as not to turn True Blue, or pack that Eskimo parka to keep toasty. The day time forecast high for Sunday is minus 2 celsius. With sunset near kickoff, the temperature will likely fall slowly as the game progresses. By the 4th quarter, temperatures will be closer to minus 6 celsius and the wind chill closer to minus 13.

TTFN

Perception Is Everything

   And it will be no different Sunday in Regina when the Saskatchewan Roughriders host the Hamilton Tiger Cats in the 101st Grey Cup game at Mosaic Stadium.
   I'm sure this is how the Ti-Cats and their many fans going to the game or watching at home see their team:

   But Rider fans and the team will see their opponent a little differently, myself included:

   It's been interesting to view all the hoop-la around this game from a distance as well. There are already parking problems in Regina due to the influx of fans. But not in the downtown core. At the airport, where officials say they're having problems finding spaces for the private and business aircraft flying people in for the contest.
   Plus all the events taking part in the Queen City as well, leading up to Sunday at 5:00.
   And while there are a lot of people going to the game, the vast majority of fans will be watching on TV from the warmth and comfort of their living room or den. Unfortunately, I will not be one of them. I do have a TV in my place, but I don't have cable. So, I'm going to be listening to the broadcast on GX 94.
   Go Riders!!

TTFN

Movember Update

   It's been 3 weeks since I shaved off the beard. And it's starting to come in nicely. I don't think it'll be back in full in a week, but it's certainly better than me clean shaven.

   And I must apologise if I seem a little grumpy in these pictures. I'm not. It's just that I'm not a huge fan of getting photographed.
   Anyway, there's just 1 week to go. Or "grow", I should say.

TTFN

Has It Really Been 50 Years?

   A warning that some of the images and descriptions in this post are extremely graphic.

   It was 50 years ago to the day, Friday November 22, 1963, the 35th President of the United States, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was assassinated as he rode in an open topped car through downtown Dallas, Texas. In 6 short seconds, shots rang out in Dealy Plaza at 12:30 p.m local time, and Kennedy was confirmed dead about half an hour later at Parkland Hospital.
   He was the first President elected in the 20th century to have been born in the same century, in 1917. He was also the first, and so far only, Roman Catholic elected to the post.
   I remember that day well. I was a 7 year old boy in grade 2 at Brentwood Elementary School in Calgary, and had just got home for lunch that noon hour. I remember it was snowing that day, but not very hard. The assassination's immediate impact on me was the news breaking into my favourite kiddie program at the time, Colonel Lunar. Mom came running into the living room, and sat there stunned as the events unfolded.
   According to the Warren Commission report, Kennedy was gunned down by this man, who they said acted alone:

   Lee Harvey Oswald was born in 1939, spent time with the Marines and even moved to Russia, where he met and married his wife, Marina.

   The most famous, or infamous, film of the killing was taken by a dressmaker, Abraham Zapruder, and documents the last few seconds of Kennedy's life.
   This may well be the last image of the President alive:

   Frame 312 of the 8mm home movie he captured. In the very next frame, 313, Kennedy is hit in the head:

   That was just the beginning of what turned out to be a hectic weekend. Not only was Kennedy killed, but his alleged murderer, Oswald, was also gunned down as he was being transfered between jails:

   Jack Ruby was arrested and convicted in Oswald's killing, which happened on live TV. Ruby died in jail of lung cancer in 1967.

   Flash forward 30 years to August 1993 in Sudbury, Ontario. I had the opportunity to not only attend, but have media accreditation to a symposium on the assassination. One of the speakers was Bev Oliver, who was standing opposite from Zapruder, and also filmed the killing. But she was approached by people claiming to be law enforcement who took her camera and film.
   But even so, she described in grisly detail what she saw. She said at the moment of impact, the back of Kennedy's head literally exploded, spraying blood and brain tissue from the back of his skull, which is an important point. The Warren commission claimed Kennedy was shot from behind, not the front. Oliver's testimony would refute that.
   I also had the opportunity to ask 2 questions of Oswald's widow, Marina Porter, but for the life of me I cannot remember what I asked.
   Now, 50 years later, a lot of questions remain unanswered. Did Oswald act alone? Did he even fire any shots that day? What direction did those shots come from? An analysis of Kennedy's brain would solve that quickly, but his brain was removed from the National Archives, and has not been found. The only other way to prove the trajectory would be exhume Kennedy's body for examination. But that's not going to happen either.
   Quite a bit of information has been released, but a lot more remains classified and will remain that way for at least 25 years.
   Was there a conspiracy? Very likely there was, as a report done in 1978 on the assassination suggested there was more than one shooter.
   Will the case ever be solved? That's the question I can't answer, but if it is, it won't be in my lifetime.
   And as hard as it is to believe, it did happen 50 years ago today.

TTFN

Baby, It's Cold Outside

   It certainly is for this time of year in the Yorkton area. The mercury's been stuck at -24 pretty much all morning, and the warmest it'll get today is around -12. Which, interestingly, is nearly our normal low for this time of year. Usually, our high is around -5. But it is November in Saskatchewan, and anything can and does happen.
   At least we're not (so far) getting much for snow. A friend of mine in Edmonton was saying they've already had 42 cm so far this month, with another 20 possible. I'll take the cold any day.
   And it won't be that cold too much longer, either. The forecast calls for a warming trend this weekend, with the high Sunday-1. Which is very good news indeed. Not only for my weekly commute to Regina and back, but for Sunday's 101st Grey Cup at Mosaic Stadium, since Regina's high is also forecast at -1.
   Of course, it'll be a bit colder than that at kick-off, and a lot colder at the final gun.
   Go Riders!

TTFN

The Buzz Gets Louder

   The party has started in Regina and Saskatchewan for this Sunday's Grey Cup, and the cold we've been getting is playing a role in the festivities. Grey Cup 101 Chairman Neil Donnolly says the bitter cold may force officials to cancel some activities.
   But the week is spilling out of the Queen City as well. Hotel rooms in Moose Jaw are sold out, and the Band City also saw the Riders practise indoors, while the Ti-Cats opted to work out at Mosaic in weather with windchills of -30.
   The Cup itself was on display at the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre for veterans and other patients to see.
   Rural Saskatchewan is celebrating this week's Grey Cup festivities. Moosomin's parks and rec director, Mike Schwean, says his community had a western final party last weekend. Moosomin was a runner up in the Richardson Pioneer Rider Nation Community Celebration, winning 25 thousand dollars for sport facilities. Davidson also won 25 thousand dollars while Dalmeney was the grand prize winner of 50 thousand dollars.
   The Holy Grail of Canadian Football will be played for Sunday, and I'm hoping for a repeat of the 2007 game:

   Won, of course, by the Riders:

   But for now, the party's on. And if you're there taking part in the fun, please be careful and don't overdo it. Especially not the special "chicken soup" Danny Ismond and I have been talking about.

TTFN

Would You?

   That's a 17 storey high water slide under construction in Kansas City, and it's sparked quite a bit of chat on our GX94 Facebook page. Morning host Danny Ismond and I both agree there is very little chance that either of us would take the plunge down that.
   And quite a few listeners also say there's no chance in hell they'd slide down that either.
   For me, it's simply the height of this thing. I have a problem with very high places, other than airplanes, and this ranks right up there on the cringe scale.
   About the only way you'd get me up there is pay me. 50 million. And if you want me to actually slide down it, another 100 million. Which isn't likely to happen.
   Better still, I'll just avoid it altogether.

TTFN