This Week at City Hall

I'm leaving St John's tomorrow morning so I'd better find out what the heck I'm coming home to....

Tuesday, June 16
Public Works Committee (4 pm): Considering a bylaw amendment concerning weeping tile discharge and the McCarthy Wastewater Forcemain replacement project. And, big news: the consultant's final report on Waste Plan Regina will be before the committee. Update: The administration recommendation on the Waste Plan report is to table it until 2010 so that public consultation can be conducted on it this fall.

Wednesday, June 17
Executive Committee (11:45 am): Receiving a report from the Regina and District Labour Council. Also looking at funding for anniversary events, a report on Canada Day, he 2008 Out-of-Scope Short Term Incentive Plan, and a review of the committee structure.
Community and Protective Services Committee (4 pm): Considering the planing framework for the Recreation Facilities Plan 2010-2020, cemetery maintenance standards, indoor arena fees, and the new Regina Animal Bylaw. There are also two transit-related items that look particularly interesting: the changes to Sunday service will be considered as well as the outcome of the now-complete Campus Express pilot project.

As always, you can download full reports and agendas on the city website.

While I'm Proofreading, Revolution Boils...

Iran is exploding. Wow.

A couple quick thoughts before I get back to proofreading the summer guide listings (which are probably perfectly fine and don't even need proofreading): Twitter! So THAT'S what it's for: documenting mass, civil unrest and helping organizers communicate and out-maneuver police, troops and homocidal vigilantes. I have no doubt that "The Man" will get a handle on the technology and find ways to limit it, but it's sure caught Iran's regime off balance this time. But even so, it also shows how hard it is to hold down an educated, technology-equipped population. Modernity, education and a measure of wealth sure can be powerful weapons against tyrants.

Oh, one important point: it is not yet proven that this election was stolen. It looks pretty bad, yes, but we don't know it was rigged for sure. Anyone know if they were using Diebold voting machines?

(Links to the Guardian, The Nation and Wired.)

Rosie's own top six at the p.m.

1. Earlier this month, Calgary alt-weekly FFWD did a story about the problems with Calgary's Farmers' Market and how vendors felt ripped off (FFWD). This week, every copy of FFWD in sight of the Calgary Farmers' Market disappeared (FFWD). Nice to know that the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority's philosophy is alive and well.

2. Micheal Ignatieff channels his inner Mackenzie King: an election if necessary (Toronto Star) but not necessarily an election (Impolitical). Why the hesitation? ThureeHundredEight.com explains why. So does my favourite Ottawa Blogger, even if she does work for Macleans. (Inside the Queensway)

3. The Galloping Beaver offers the Stephen Harper solution (The Galloping Beaver) to the problems facing the Snowbirds' Tutor jets. (CBC Saskatchewan)

4. A little piece of Regina history went up in flames Sunday morning when the Grain Show Building was destroyed by fire. (CBC Saskatchewan)

5. Is there a co-relation between Saskatchewan and Alberta's education system sucking at teaching students history (Dominion Institute) and the fact we keep electing Cons? Hmmm...

6. The American media is largely silent on the outcome and the ramifications of Iran's totally-screwed-up presidential election. They're not interested in covering it because of the lack of dead blonde teenagers involved. (Crooks And Liars) Then again, one report says as many as two million took to the streets in Tehran in post-election demonstrations: how many Americans protested the theft of two presidential elections by George Walker Bush? Do what Crooks and Liars do when they want real international news -- screw CNN and the American networks and newspapers -- head for Auntie Beeb's coverage (BBC)  and The Guardian (The Guardian).

Captain America Lives Again

It's common knowledge by now that superheroes never really die. Superhero death and resurrection is at this point completely meaningless. It's so common place that's it the source of constant jokes in the comics industry.

A couple of years ago Marvel Comics decided to kill off Captain America on a slow news day and it turned into a big event for them. But Marvel doesn't trust retailers for some strange reason so nobody knew in advance to order enough copies to meet the demand at the time. What could have been a huge payoff for everybody was quickly lost by poor planning 0n Marvel's part.

Well Marvel is trying to create buzz again with the latest issue of Captain America - issue #600 and once again they didn't trust the retailers to know what they were planning. (Robot 6) Just the standard memo "Trust us, order lots, there will be a national news announcement." Marvel is even allowing comic stores to sell the comic (for additional shipping charges) early on Monday June 15, 2009 when the "news" breaks instead of the standard comic day Wednesday but only if retailers had managed to jump through all of Marvel's magic hoops and were paying attention when they briefly solicited it. More than a few didn't bother to take Marvel up on it.

So the big announcement is that Captain America is coming back to life. (Robot 6) But this time there's actually news going on in the world and nobody really cares. Life is always less interesting than death in the news. My favorite is CNN's take. "Perhaps he should be called Captain Phoenix?"


But there already is a new Captain America - former Cap sidekick Bucky and I guess he's going to get moved to the sidelines. He currently runs around in a shiny Captain America costume with a handgun and the shield. And truth be told he makes a far more interesting Captain America than Steve Rogers ever did. Sure the handgun seems a little controversial but then it's not like Cap never carried a gun before.