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Saturday, October 31, 2009

Halloween 1, H1N1 0.

Halloween has come and pretty much gone. I had wondered if the paranoia about the H1N1 flu might dissuade some trick or treaters, but I think we had about the same number this year as last year. I guess I should have kept records last year for comparison.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Battery Conundrum.

I just bought a radio that uses 3 AA batteries, which I have installed because using it on batteries is useful for some things. But batteries tend to come packed in multiples of two and four. So I now have a left over battery that will sit in my drawer for the foreseeable future, since most of the things that use AA batteries around here use at least two at a time. Perhaps I should go out and try to find a penlight that use one AA.

Gas In Saskatoon, October 30, 2009.

Gas prices have been like a pinball over the last week. On Saturday they actually dropped 2 cents a litre to 97.9. This was followed by a rise at the beginning of the week to 104.9 cents a litre. This was followed by a drop on Thursday, giving us the current price of 102.9 cents a litre.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Vote, Saskatoon.

I really should have done this last night, or maybe Monday, but better late than never. Today is civic election day in Saskatoon, so vote if you can, Saskatonians. If you don't vote don't come crying to me if you don't like who was elected, because by not voting you in effect voted for whoever won.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Gas In Saskatoon, October 23, 2009.

After several downward moves the trend has reversed itself. Gas in Saskatoon is now 99.9 cents a litre.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Self Promotion.

Today former US President George W. Bush made an appearence at Saskatoon's TCU Place. If you'd like to get an idea of what it was like outside while this went on check out this post at my photoblog Saskatoon At 7 Megapixels. Its the most ambitious post I've done on there yet, and hopefully I'll get a chance to do something like it again soon.

Monday, October 19, 2009

A Bunch Of Hot Air.

Yep, I'm going to post about the "Balloon Boy" saga before it gets too stale. Does this count as Shameless Hit Mongering?

Thinking about the case this morning reminded me of the animated movie Up that was in the theatres this summer. I would imagine a few kids tried to imitate the plot of that film by tying balloons to things, including themselves, and were profoundly disappointed. No doubt a few have spent the last few days trying to make tinfoil balloons so they can try flying, or at least launch their own balloon. And we're bound to see some copycat attempts by people old enough to know better in short order.

I'm surprised to hear that the kid won't be facing charges. I get the impression they like to charge 'em pretty young in some parts of the US.

I wonder how long it will be before a "movie of the week" of this story hits the air. I'm sure the obviously publicity craving Heene parents are even as I write this trying to sell their version to someone. Sounds like they'll need the money for legal expenses. And you can be sure an episode inspired by this story will appear on Law and Order or CSI sometime in the next year or two.

Finally, Falcon? You named your kid Falcon? What were you thinking? Oh, that's right, apparently rational thinking isn't a high priority in the Heene house given that you're not only alleged hoaxsters, you've also appeared on the TV series Wife Swap. I'm sure at least one of your kids will be writing a tell-all book about his childhood 20 years down the road.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Big Jim On Alpha.



Yes, I'm a Space: 1999 fan. Why did you ask?

From YouTube here's the opening sequence from the first season episode "The Troubled Spirit." This music, parts of which is used elsewhere in the episode, is performed by well known British session guitarist Big Jim Sullivan, who appears as the musician playing the music on Moonbase Alpha. The instrument used is a Coral Electric Sitar, a guitar designed to have a sitar like sound. It was created by the Danelectro guitar company in the mid '60s with the help of New York sessioner Vinnie Bell to cash in on the Indian music fad launched by Beatles' recordings like "Norwegian Wood."

The episode is a good example of the often gothic and psychedelic feel of the first season of the series. Chaos is unleashed when an attempt to communicate with plants(plant intelligence being an idea popular when the episode was made, now long debunked) causes Alpha scientist Dan Mateo's vengeful spirit to haunt Alpha before Mateo's death.

Sorry, Douglas.

The classic Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series claims the answer to the ultimate question, life, the Universe etc. etc. is 42. From my perspective right now I'm just not seeing it.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Point Of Order.

Today a lot of attention is paid to between episode continuity of TV shows. Some shows are strongly continuity oriented, with the writers trying to create an ongoing story arc across many episodes. Even shows that aren't tend to pay attention to the issue. But that wasn't always the case. There was a time when it was considered better to avoid strong continuity so that a series could be aired in any order. The first season of Space: 1999 was a typical example, and what order you saw the episodes in depended on what station you were watching it on. Although many fans today feel production order is the best choice others have different ideas. Andrew Kearley has come up with his own viewing order, and his thinking behind this order makes for interesting reading. If you're familiar with the series give it a look, and see how it compares to your arrangement, assuming you have a prefered order.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Hockey That Doesn't Matter.

Once again those creeps at Rogers Sportsnet are trying to extort money out of baseball viewers in Western Canada. Instead of playing the Yankees versus the Angels they're playing a Calgary Flames game. This early in the season it's a meaningless game. Of course you can see the Yankees game if you subscribe to the alternate Sportsnet feeds, but this of course costs money. And if you don't already do so I suspect you're not likely going to get those feeds operational in time for tonight's game. Too bad TSN didn't get the rights, as they don't seem to play these kind of silly games.

Persistent Nonsense.

I was just reading that the Reverend Sun Myung Moon, creator and head of the Unification Church, is 89. Unfortunately like Scientology and L. Ron Hubbard it looks like the crap he created will persist after his death. He's made provisions for his kids to take over the empire he's created, including appointing son Hyung Jin Moon his replacement as head of the Unification Church, while putting others such as son Justin in charge of family business holdings(Justin being in charge of Kahr Arms.) Whether or not Moon truly thinks he is the Messiah as he and the church claim he's used that idea to make lots of money off his followers around the world, as well as supporting dubious right wing causes in the US.

Friday, October 09, 2009

Say What?

Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this morning. Bizarre. I was glad Obama got elected given that he's a Democrat after 8 years of a Republican President, is America's first black President, and because it meant the silly Sarah Palin wouldn't have a chance to take the job if something happened to John McCain. But to be blunt as of yet he really hasn't done much internationallly, which is no surprise given that he hasn't been in the office a year yet. So what was the Nobel Prize selection committee thinking? It almost seems like a thumb of the nose against George W. Bush and his shakey commitment to international relations and multilateralism. The right wing talking heads in the US should be already working themselves up to a good lather this morning, although coming on a Friday it will give some folks a bit of time to calm down over the weekend.

Can you turn down the Prize? Mr. Obama might want to seriously consider the idea.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

The Corner Series.

Today my mother asked me who'd I like to see in the World Series. Personally I think the LA Dodgers versus the New York Yankees would be cool. You'd have the two teams most far apart geographically in the majors competing, and of course would see what used to be the Yankees fellow New York team the Brooklyn Dodgers competing against them. On the other hand the Minnesota Twins representing the American League would be cool as well given that they are about to abandon the Metrodome for the new Target Field, which will open as their new ballpark next Spring.

Sunday, October 04, 2009

Economy.

Today I finally had to change the battery in my Sony SRF-59 radio. A single AA battery has lasted me since January of 2008! Talk about long battery life. Supposedly the battery is supposed to last 100 hours, but I think the Life Brand akaline I had in it outlasted that number considerably.

You can find out more about this fun little machine at DXer.ca or at the Yahoo Ultralight DX group.

Friday, October 02, 2009

Gas In Saskatoon, October 2, 2009.

Another drop to report. Gas in Saskatoon is now 95.9 cents a litre.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

A Bad Case Of Remakeitis.

Hollywood's lazy remake habit is bad enough, but you really have to wonder what they're thinking with some of them. There's a remake of Red Dawn currently in production. The original starred the late Patrick Swayze as a member of a group of teenagers who take up arms when the Soviet Union invades the US. The premise was ridiculous in 1984 and is even more ridiculous now even with the main bad guys switched to the Chinese this time. Does this mean that Amerika will be remade next? It makes about as much sense. I can't help but suspect that whoever greenlighted the Red Dawn remake was a kid back in the '80s and it was his favourite film.