Here's and interview with Shannon for CBC.
You can watch the episode Family Jewels episode "Mr.Tweed Goes to Canada" on A&E's website here. This is one of the shows that I always watch when I'm in the field! This and "Deadliest Warrior". Good times!
Also, Wade's bro Gavin is in the episode! Well...kinda. Yay him!
p.s. They should also be applauded for making a generous donation to the Saskatoon SPCA.
You may remember the Riders from past posts in which I watched the Scotiabank West Semifinal game between the Stampeders and the Roughriders (and then they went on to win the 95th Grey Cup in Toronto). Well, after some 5 years in Saskatchewan I finally went to see a Rider game at Mosaic Stadium. Although I had seen them previously playing against the Stamps in Calgary back in the day (like 2003 or '04 or somethin'). Anywho, what a sweet game! Pure awesome sauce I tells ya! As this article tells it, the Riders beat the BC Lions 33 to 30 with a thrilling overtime interception that snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Woohoo! It was super close up until the end there and when the Lions got their last touchdown some people got up to leave but there was still over 2 minutes left! Come on! And then the Riders tied it up and there was a sweet overtime that we were all standing for the entirety of. Good times. See the CFL game recap here.
p.s. Also, KW made me an awesome green and white scarf to wear, which I promptly spilled hot chocolate on, but it was OK because it came out with dish soap. Huzzah!
Sweet, sweet Früli (link, link, link). The best pseudo-beer ever. Tasted at Beer Brothers whilst on a mini-pub crawl with the peeps to celebrate my first week in Regina (Update: they now have this on tap!). This was the first stop, then to O'Hanlon's pub for crazy grape-flavoured vodka. Then to the Freehouse, where we had weird ginger beer based drinks and some sweet potato fries and heard a good Canadian band called Pneumatic Transit (accidental concert series entry). And finally to Crave, a martini bar, for fruity martinis. We sat on the patio under a heat lamp. Then we got sleepy and had to drag ourselves home. What a super-fun night! Thanks guys!
Fun things to learn and know:
Pneumatic tubes are systems in which cylindrical containers are propelled through a network of tubes by compressed air or by vacuum such as those used in large plants and office buildings. A pneumatic transit system functions in this way to transport cars full of people. The creation of such a public transit system has been attempted repeatedly but always abandoned as economically unfeasible.
Super fun camping times at Baldy Lake. Located in Narrow Hills Provincial Park, a lovely little lake with a very low smeatness ratio. Also, went on the challenging version of the Gem Lakes hike (apparently). Some nice lakes that were pretty (although not as trippy as advertised).
From Environment Canada's Official Weather Warnings:
City of Saskatoon
3:13 PM CST Saturday 24 January 2009
Wind chill warning for City of Saskatoon continued
Extreme wind chills tonight and Sunday morning.
This is a warning that extreme wind chill conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.
Cold Arctic air and winds of 20 to 30 km/h are combining to produce wind chills of minus 40 to minus 45 over much of southern and central Saskatchewan tonight and Sunday morning. Lighter winds over southwesternmost regions will keep wind chill values out of the extreme category. These extreme wind chills will moderate Sunday afternoon.
At these extreme wind chill values frostbite on exposed skin may occur in less than 10 minutes.
Sweet llamas of the Bahamas! FYI click here for a handy guide to Canada's Wind Chill Index and it'll tell what's up with wind chill.
p.s. McShanty points to anyone who's nerdy enough to know who this is.
Then: Monsanto patents genetically modified canola, engages in legal battle with a Saskatchewan farmer.
Now: Monsanto has been ordered to take full repsonsibility for recent contamination of same Saskatchewan farmer's fields by same patented genetically modified canola.
And now a completely untrue reenactment of the events:
Farmer to Monsanto: I don't know where those seeds came from, they must have blown in from somewhere! Like seeds do!
Monsanto to Farmer: You lie! See you in court!
Farmer to court: It was an accident! Also, you can't patent a plant! It's a higher life form! Jerks!
Courts to Monsanto: He's right you can't patent a plant, but it's cool because you can patent a gene and a process to insert said gene.
Courts to Farmer: Pay up Thiefy McGee!
Farmer to Courts/Monsanto: Oh no you di'in't!
Supreme Courts to Farmer: OK you don't have to pay legal costs but you can't keep the seeds or the crops.
Farmer: Fine! Whatever!
Some years pass...
Farmer to Monsanto: Hey! Get your seeds off my lawn!
Monsanto to Farmer: Shove it!
Farmer to Monsanto: You shove it!
Court to Monsanto: Shove it!
Monsanto: Fine! Whatever!
Regular canola to Monsanto: "You're not the boss of me! Jerks!".
In other partly true news (see if you can guess which one is mostly true):
Egypt to copyright pyramids.
Take that British Museum!
God to take action on illegal bible distribution by Gideons.
God to smite Gideons: "They will face prosecution, court orders to pulp any versions breaching copyright law, and their lands shall be ravaged by locusts and famine for seven years."
Poland to copyright Copernicus' visage as determined from newly discovered remains.
Says representative "We're thinking of using him in advertising. He'll be bigger than Orville Redenbacher". Poland's claims are challenged by the Flat Earth Society who wish to use his image to make a posthumous retraction of his "Earth is not the centre of the universe thing".
Simpsons to copyright use of the word "Meh" in casual conversation.
I said "Meh".
Took in the first annual Saskatoon Fireworks Festival Aug.30&31 (here is the website, there's even a section where they explain all about fireworks). Probably the best fireworks I've ever seen in real life (I know I've lived a sheltered life fireworks-wise but still). Way to go Tourism Saskatoon! Much better choice than the stupid lights lining the Victoria bridge or the more stupid "wheat grains" or some such "art" at River Landing. But I digress.Of course I'm ruined now for all other fireworks, Saskatoon's Canada day ones were like dirt in my eyes compared to these! But what are ya gonna do? Anyway, we watched the fireworks from the new River Landing area as they were shot off the Victoria Bridge (aka "the traffic bridge"). I'd say the Sunday fireworks were better because there were several distinct songs with different styles of fireworks for each one, whereas the first night was more of a single entity. But they were both awesome sauce for sure, I was pleased. I likes all the purdy lights 'n all.
Here, courtesy of Karmen are some highlights from the show:
On Saturday
On Sunday
p.s. I know this post is dated before the fireworks happened...I went back in time to write it.
Wow look at that propaganda! Its got everything! Mounties wearing dress uniforms all the time, intolerantly stereotypical depictions of native people, helpless women folk wearing off the shoulder dresses whilst crossing the plains in a wagon. I don't even know where to start with this! Wait, yes I do...why is Saskatchewan in the Rockies? Bah!
Update: Here is a link to an article in the Globe and Mail about this and a few other similar misrepresentations of Canadian geography and history. Neat.
Best game ever (so far)! WooHoo! http://www.saskriders.com/
Football is pretty kickass, but everything is better with foreign Simpsons:
