Off!

   I'm taking a week of well deserved rest next week, so there won't be anything from me. I will be back June 1st.
  Take care, and until then:

TTFN

The End Of A T.V Era

   Whether you were a fan or not, it must be said David Letterman had a huge impact on television. Tonight, the lights will go out for the final time on the "Late Show with David Letterman", bringing the curtain down after more than 42 hundred shows since it debuted in 1993. Letterman announced his retirement last year.
   One of the most famous moments of the Late Show was "Assman the Gas-man". Letterman found out about Regina gas station owner Dick Assman (which is properly pronounced OSS-man), while reading a newspaper ad. Assman quickly became the butt of several jokes, and even appeared on the show. Now 81, Assman says he wishes Letterman well in retirement.
   Of course, it was far from smooth sailing for the show, which was in a constant battle with "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" for ratings gold. And there was bad blood between the 2 after Letterman was passed over in favour of Leno to host the Tonight Show when Johnny Carson retired. For a few years, Letterman ruled the late night wars, but then lost the competition for viewers.
   How popular was his show? Enough to grab 67 Emmy's. Letterman also won a Kennedy Center Honor in 2012.
   Will I be watching the final broadcast tonight? No. For the simple reason I have to work early Thursday morning, and it's going to be a long day with Supper in the Field tonight. And since I don't have DVR, I won't be recording it. And truth be told, I was always a Leno fan.
   That aside, best wishes on your retirement Dave, and regardless of my preference, you made a mighty huge impact on T.V and peoples lives over the years, which will be missed. For that, Thank You. and good luck to Stephen Colbert, who takes the reins.

TTFN

Not The Best Long Weekend

   Monday was Victoria Day in Canada, but the weekend (at least in this part of the country) was more like November than mid-May.
   Friday was great, sunny and warm. Saturday started off not bad, either, with more sun and warm conditions. But by afternoon, it started clouding over, and by evening it was overcast and windy.
   Then, there was Sunday. I was awakened in the middle of the night by a howling north wind, and freezing rain, which continued into the early morning. Even later in the morning it was -1 with a windchill of -9. We even got a skiff of snow. The wind was gusting so strong, we could see the fence in our back yard start to tilt.
   The southeast corner of the province was forecast to get hit even worse, with the possibility of 10 cm of snow or more, along with the gusty wind. In parts of Manitoba, it got so bad the RCMP were warning people to stay off the road if possible. A few provincial highways were closed due to conditions.
   And what was responsible? A Colorado Low. Not that we can't get lousy weather in mid-May, mind you, we have and still do. But it was a bit of a slap in the face to have it on the first "warm weather" long weekend of the year. I just pity anyone who was out camping in a tent.
   And why was the weekend so early, anyway? Victoria's birthday is actually the 24th, which would be this coming Sunday. Why not move it back to where it should be? Our long-range forecast suggests it's going to be mush better weather-wise with sun and highs near 26.
   No matter. I hope all my Canadian viewers had a safe May long!

TTFN

That's Something You Don't See Every Day

   The Victoria Day weekend is upon us in Canada, and lots of people will be heading out of city's and towns looking to get into the great outdoors after a long winter.
   But in Yorkton last night, the Great Outdoors decided to come into the city.

   A moose was seen crossing one of the busiest streets in town about 9:00 last night, before heading down an alley. City RCMP sent officers out to check for it, but by the time they arrived the moose had disappeared.
   Officers on the night-shift decided to call the moose "Monty". Personally, I prefer Bullwinkle. There was, however, no sign of a flying squirrel.
   Have a safe May long weekend!

TTFN

The Passing Of A Legend

   Riley King has left us. Better known to the world as BB King, he died last night at age 89. And he was a legend. Rolling Stone magazine put him 6th on the list of the top 100 guitarists of all time. He won 15 Grammys, and is in the Rock 'N Roll all of Fame, received the  Kennedy Center Honor and Presidential Medal of Freedom among others.
   His impact on not just Blues, but music in general is immense, with several notable musicians like Eric Clapton citing him as a major influence. King says his favourite singer was Frank Sinatra, who he credited with helping get him into the major clubs in Las Vegas in the early '60's.
   I only got to see him play once. It was in Regina in 2008 when he was 82. It was a short show, only lasting an hour, but it was great nonetheless. I couldn't get over the power of his voice when he was singing, and the power of his playing was, well, legendary.
   And while King may be gone, his music will live on for a long, long time to come.
   RIP Riley B "Beale Street Blues Boy" King.

TTFN

D'Oh!

   Long time Simpsons voice actor Harry Shearer is leaving the show, apparently after a contract dispute. He was the last hold-out in a new contract that saw the rest of the cast sign on for seasons 27 and 28. As you can see, he was responsible for the voices of some very major characters including Mr. Burns, Mr. Smithers, Principal Skinner and Ned Flanders, and in fact was one of the originals when they show started in December, 1989.
   Producers say the show will go on without him, but exactly how remains to be seen. All the voice actors do multiple characters, and the loss of someone like Shearer may well be the death-blow to the Simpsons, even if they find a replacement. I also can't see the folks who put it out doing a mass purge of his characters, since losing them altogether would certainly mean the end of the show.
   It'll be interesting to say the least to see how this all shakes down.

TTFN

Need For Speed

   O-kay, I'll admit it. I've been known, on rare occasions, to go a little above the posted speed limit. And be honest, you probably have as well. Not all the time, but rare occasions. When I'm on the highway I'll set my cruise control very close to the posted maximum.
   There were times in the past, in the days before I got cruise control, the old right foot got heavy and I'd be doing a little above the limit. But not like this guy.
   RCMP pulled a driver over on the Trans Canada near Swift Current in March going, wait for it, 204 km/h. That's a whopping 127 MILES an hour. The posted speed limit on that stretch of highway (and on most divided highways in Canada) is 110.
   And he was driving one of these:

   A Ford Mustang. He's been slapped with quite a hefty fine for going almost twice the limit. 2 thousand dollars in fact. And apparently it's not the first time he's been nabbed, either. He was busted in January going 154 km/h in a 100 zone. That cost him a license suspension, a fine of 3 hundred bucks, plus another 500 for giving the cop a false name.
   No word if his license was pulled again.

TTFN