If You Strike Me Down, I Will Become More Purple Than You Can Possibly Imagine

Things to do when you're in your 40s and kind of lame: 1.) Buy an expensive sports car. 2.) Leave your spouse for someone wildly inappropriate. 3.) Dye your hair. Dye it awesome. I can't wait for the next time I have to go somewhere looking like a professional.

Where the Buffalo Days Roam...

"This ancient animal has survived everything nature could throw at it," intones the narrator of The Great Buffalo Saga, the 1985 NFB film below. Saskatchewan has a long history with the bison, a history worth remembering and (mostly) celebrating. From Chiefs Sweet Grass and Big Bear's warnings at the Treaty Six negotiations to the work of Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard, the bison has been there when we've been at our best. The bison was absolutely essential (pdf) to the Cree, Nakota, Nakawe, Blackfoot and Dene people who were here before Europeans. At various points since Confederation, there has been talk of amalgamating Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba into one super-province called Buffalo.

But y'know what? All that's just too old-fashioned for those trail-blazing hipsters (Leader-Post)who booked MC Hammer as the big headliner at Regina's summer fair. Pat Fiacco, that long-haired hippie of a mayor, agrees, telling CJME "I think the organizer's [sic] are simply looking at continuing to make sure attendance is up and provide a brand that is more relfective [sic] of the current exhibition as to what it was 20 years ago."

Which is interesting, because it was nearly 20 years ago that anyone gave a non-ironic rat's ass about MC Hammer. Meanwhile, the Buffalo, or Bison has only seen its cultural currency rise over the years. First of all, the return of the bison to the Canadian Plains is a great parallel for the resurgence of First Nations cultures in Saskatchewan. Both of them survivors against terrible odds. Both of them representing great hopes for the future of Regina and Saskatchewan. And then, hellz yeah, there's rock & roll.

Righteous Vancouver metal act Bison B.C. (July 15 at the Exchange) are hardly the ones clued in to the awesomeness of the most majestic (and delicious!) of all the beasts. Toronto's rad-gnarly psych-rock combo Quest For Fire's best song is "Bison Eyes". Regina-born Daniel Brodie created the wondrous and evocative cover art seen at left for Roger Dean Young & the Tin Cup's sublime 2007 album Threshold. Australian Sally Seltmann, who co-wrote Feist's big hit "1-2-3-4" records her own tunes as New Buffalo. And let's not forget Neneh Cherry's (way better than "U Can't Touch This") 1988 hit "Buffalo Stance".

Frankly, the problem isn't the name, it's the stewards of the name. Since the organizers of the fair formerly known as Buffalo Days are so eager to relinquish the Bison Power, why not let someone else use it? The Regina Folk Festival has clearly had designs on becoming more of a pop festival for some time, a la Sled Island, so why not a name change? Or how about this: Why not set up a grand celebration of South Saskatchewan First Nations culture in Victoria for, let's say, a week every summer, call that Buffalo Days?

1.5 DOGS TOO FEW

Boy, were we ever off in the dog deigning department! In my riveting masterpiece on first nations gas bars, Cowessess seems to have lost one dog (that's why they're on the cover and the text says they won, and because they did). Creeland also got dinged by a half dog, which would have upped their count to three.

The official score on the gas bars around town: Cowessess Gas and Grocery, 4.5 dogs; Saulteaux Junction, 4 dogs; Creeland Mini-Mart, 3 dogs. Along with the extra dogs, I would like to send our thank to all three of these businesses for their participation in this very important research.

2 dogs too many

Dear Readers,


In case anyone thinks I'm an idiot for giving Sonic Youth's new album 5 prairie dogs (PERFECT and EXTRAORDINARY MASTERPIECE) I didn't. For the record I've never given any review a perfect score. 4.5/5 is the highest I've ever gone, and that's only for something really incredible that I think everyone should listen to. The review I wrote was actually 3/5 (a good listen but really, who are we kidding, this ain't no Daydream Nation folks). It's a typo. The suits at the head office have asked everyone to please burn your copy of this weeks Prairie Dog and to never speak of it again.

With love,

Andrew

Speaking Of Oil Patches...

And here's the price of gas in Fort McMurray this a.m., courtesy friend O' Dog Blog Rick.




By the way, Rick says gas went up in Fort Mac this a.m.--it was apparently 98.9 last night. So, Saskatchewan still wins with the highest fuel prices in the West. Go team!

Gas Gouged?

Gas in Regina:




Gas in Winnipeg:




Both photos taken yesterday afternoon/early evening. You'd think with a bigger oil patch Saskatchewan gas would be cheaper. Nope. Snort.

Thanks to Carle Steel and friend O' Dog Blog Peakay for the pics.

Sneaky Cephalopod

Earlier this week a scheming octopus at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium opened a valve and flooded the place. From the L.A. Times:

"The tiny octopus, which is about the size of a human forearm when its appendages are extended, floated lazily in the water that remained in its tank. It watched intently through glass walls and portholes as workers struggled to dry the place out in time for the day's first busload of schoolchildren to arrive on a 9:30 a.m. field trip."

Full details here. Octopusses are awesome.