It's a Big Universe Out There

I don't want to be an alarmist, but this is a threat that we need to think seriously about addressing in the near future. It will happen at some point, guaranteed. If we're not prepared, we're fucked, plain and simple. (MSN)

RPL Open House

I'll confirm the details tomorrow, but an open house is scheduled at Central Library on Aug. 19 between 1-5 p.m. I think to solicit more input on the proposed downtown expansion. If you're interested in the issue, it would probably be worth attending.

New Dog!

Cover by Dakota McFadzean

I'm a little surprised it took me a decade on this job to commission a cover drawing of a radioactive, mutant gopher. It seems like such a perfect match for our radioactive, mutant magazine.

And now here's some details on the new prairie dog, which, as always, you should read.

BEHIND THE URANIUM CURTAIN What will it be like if (when?) Saskatchewan builds a nuclear power plant? Paul Dechene takes a speculative look at our province in the year 2044, at the precise moment our leaders' atomic aspirations crumbled to nuclear dust.

IN THE DOGHOUSE Carle Steel's article was just supposed to be a fun little story on First Nation gas bars. Naturally, her story got some poor guy fired. This is his story, as related to Michael Bell.

THE NOBLE GENIUS OF AC/DC Prairie dog's Toronto Bureau chief, Emily Zimmerman, pens a thoughtful look at a band she admires for its integrity, work ethic and fashion choices. Okay, maybe not their fashion choices.

X MARKS THE LAWN Seema Goel and special guest writer Ken Wilson team up for an everything-you-need-to-know-but-were-afraid-to-ask look at xeriscaping, which is that lawn-thing you do where you rip out your water-guzzling, wrong-for-our-climate grass and replace it with plants that will actually do well in Saskatchewan without constant irrigation.

AND ALL THE USUAL STUFF TOO: Film, CD and restaurant reviews, Gwynne Dyer, News Quirks, Top 6 columns (including Zimmerman's savage take-down of the late John Hughes), Street Wear, a lame editorial, Typo Wiener, Queen City Confidential, Ask Greg ("why isn't the plural of moose "meese"?) and other tidbits of joy and delight.
Yep, it's a pretty good issue. Check it out!

Les Paul R.I.P.

I never thought my first post to this blog would be a link to an obituary, but that's the way it goes... Les Paul, the visionary guitar god, has passed away at the tender age of 94. May he rest. (Huffington Post)

Six in the Morning

1. PLAINS DESTRUCTION UPDATE: The L-P is reporting today that Westgate Developments, a Regina firm, is responsible for the proposed demolition of local landmark, the Plains Hotel, which is to be replaced by a condo/hotel combo -- but it's an Ontario architecture firm behind the design. I will say this for the artist's rendering of the planned building that accompanies the L-P piece, it's shiny, nondescript and I'm pretty sure I've seen three or four just like it while driving through Toronto. City council will consider this proposal as early as next month and judging by comments from the mayor, the developer, and comments to the L-P site, there's a lot of momentum behind this project. Hard to imagine it going off the rails at this point even though news that it's happening is only days old. Heck, judging by the original article on this, even Ted Godwin, the brains behind the Plains' signature marquee, doesn't seem to be shedding a tear for the hotel he provided the capping feature for. See, that's because postwar architecture is all designed to be disposable. Don't like the plans for the Plains site? Don't worry. Inside of four decades it'll be looking just as shabby and they'll be tearing it down too. (Leader Post)

2. BYE BYE BOOM?: Provincial Finance Minister, Rod Gantefor, has indicated that Saskatchewan's economic picture may not be so rosy these days. Due to lower than expected resource prices the government will be collecting less cash than predicted. (Leader Post)

3. NO ISOTOPES FOR YOU: More delays at the Chalk River site. Looks like the reactor won't be running again until at least spring. (Globe and Mail)

4. SALMON DISASTER: Creepiest thing I've read all day: more than nine million! sockeye salmon are missing from the Fraser River. I'm thinking, nine million of anything doesn't disappear unless some seriously bad shit has gone down. (Globe and Mail)

5. PLIMER RESPONDS INCOHERENTLY TO MONBIOT QUESTIONS: Things got a little weird in the leadup to a possible debate between Guardian science columnist, George Monbiot, and geologist, climate change denier, science advisor to Rex Murphy, Ian Plimer. As you may recall from an earlier Six in the Morning, Plimer agreed to respond in writing to Monbiot's questions about apparent inaccuracies and questionable citing practices in his book Heaven and Earth. And respond he did. But instead of answering Monbiot's questions, he responded with 13 questions of his own. (Scientists can be such bastardly pedants.) But judging by comments to Monbiot's article (from other scientists) and from Monbiot himself, it sounds like several of Plimer's questions are just scientific-sounding gobbledy-gook. (Guardian)

6. ANOTHER BATTLESTAR GALACTICA REBOOT: Yeah, I know, my nerd is showing... but this could be some big, bizarre news for... well... nerds. Looks like Universal is considering a Bryan Singer headed big-screen sequel to the original Battlestar Galactica. It's too early to say whether or not this interpretation of the sci-fi franchise will be linked to the recently-concluded, Ronald Moore-David Eick television series that was also a sequel to the original Battlestar Galactica. But this seems about as necessary as that Joss-Whedon-less, Buffy the Vampire Slayer film that's apparently in the works. (Hitfix)