Save Our Insurers

Protect Insurance Companies PSA from Will Ferrell

What's really funny is the article I found this in -- worth a read (Insurance News Net). Among other things, INN calls the video "witty but ineffective" and, without a trace of irony, object to the actors' lack of irony in presenting the skit, because they're all rich enough to afford healthcare.

Rich actors. That's a good one. Note the random university student sources too. That Will Ferrell's so darned mean.

Also thanks to The Current which broadcasted the audio this morning. God bless The Current.

Pick of the Day: Apocalyptic Discourse in the White House

Dr. Ira Chernus hails from the University of Colorado. He was orginally supposed to deliver today's lecture at the university (RIC 119, 3:30 p.m.) last March, but he got snowed in somewhere and couldn't make it.

The George W. Bush White House, as most Canadians know, was full of right-wing loons who either fervantly believed in all sorts of apocalyptic Christian fundamentalist claptrap, or else were ruthless enough to exploit this truly scary undercurrent in American society for political gain. Thank God they're no longer in power, right?
Well ... yeah, I guess. But the full title of Chernus's lecture is Apocalyptic Discourse in the White House: FDR to Obama. That suggests that threads of that way of thinking cross party lines and are deeply embedded in American political culture. And the impact it has, worldwide, is considerable.

Take the U.S's blinkered support for Israel. It's driven, in part, by a fanatical belief in the southern Bible Belt that before Jesus can return to Earth and the Rapture occur, in which the righteous will ascend to Heaven and the sinful will rot in Hell or whatever, Israel must be restored to its Biblical glory. Each year, the U.S. provides Israel with billions in military aid to protect itself from Arab aggression. One tactic that Israel has adopted to secure its presence in the Middle East is to establish settlements in the Palestinian-held West Bank and Gaza Strip. The irony is exquisite. Unless Jews see the light and convert when Jesus returns, they're destined, in the minds of hardcore U.S. Christians, to burn in hell along with all the other heathens. But until then, they're invaluable allies.

Because of the mythology that has built up around their country -- inspired, in no small part, by fundamentalist religion -- Americans truly believe they are divinely ordained to lead the rest of the world. In his talk, Chernus will hopefully shed some light on how this discourse infected American politics, and what can be done to eliminate its pernicious influence. Definitely worth checking out.

Rock the House just a little bit more

A few more pics to accompany Gregory Beatty's
article "Rock the House" in the current issue.

Pictured are The Wooden Sky and Matt Goud

Photography by Carey Shaw

Regina Election Update

Shawn Kuster has declared his intention to run against Louis Browne in Ward 1. I'm just pulling this information off the Election Twitter feed so I've no details on who Kuster is, but I'm wondering if he's the same Shawn Kuster who's a strength and conditioning coach for the UofR Rams.

Also, Debra Conlin has submitted nomination papers and will be running for trustee in Subdivision 6.

New Dog!

Hello hello, and how are you? Well, I hope? Enjoying the weather? Keeping healthy? I hope so. Say--what about a new issue of prairie dog? There's one out today! And as usual, it's packed with interesting things to read. Here's an overview!

THE DOCTOR WARS Last month I was sitting in a bar with good friend and prairie dog restaurant reviewer Dave Margoshes, who pointed out that some publication needed to run a story comparing the Saskatchewan doctor's strike of 1962 to the ongoing U.S. mental meltdown over health care. This was probably around the time that Arizona asshole walked around in public with an assault rifle to to imtimidate health care supporters. Well, if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself. Dave's feature, a must-read, is our cover story this issue.

ROCK MY HOUSE Gregory Beatty infiltrates a house party where the entertainment is top notch--awesome, touring band The Wooden Sky and excellent local band Libray Voices (AKA a sure-fire 2011 Polaris prize nominee, you just wait and see, buddy).

FREE THE PANHANDLERS Regina needs to stop fining beggars for begging, says the Canadian Civil Liberties Association. I agree 8000 per cent.

ALSO! An interview with Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett, CD reviews, News Quirks, Queen City Confidential, Ask Greg, an update on Regina's now-official Downtown Plan, Street Wear, several wildlyentertaining Top 6s, a look at the fabric art show at the Art Gallery of Regina, and basically a whole ton of other stuff. Pick it up free at something like 400 locations city-wide.

Six In The Morning

1 BECAUSE IT'S WORKED SO WELL FOR AMERICA The Conservatives want to convert Canada's prison system to a U.S.-style, punishment-based model. But smarter people than our angry, ideologiocally-blinkered PM say it's stupid, stupid, stupid idea. (CBC)

2 NUKE RESOLVE The United Nations talks sorta tough about countries who want nuclear weapons. They mean countries like Iran and North Korea, not countries like Russia, the United States and Britain., of course. (New York Times)

3 POLYGAMY PROTECTED Tow Canadian polygamists in British Columbia had charges against them tossed out yesterday. Which is a problem if, in fact, they're running brainwashing sex cults as some have alleged. (Wanted: legal framework to differentiate adults--who should be allowed to make make their own decisions about life, love and partnership--from exploitive cults.) (Toronto Star)

4 BIG HIV BREAKTHROUGH Go science! (Guardian)

5 UNBELIEVABLY SELF-SERVING MARKETING GIMMICK A HUGE SUCCESS Look, I support daily newspapers and all, but, ugh. (Star Phoenix)

6 PUBLIC NEEDS TO CARE ABOUT DEMOCRACY City elections are important, says prof. Know what? Prof is right. (Leader-Post)

A Contender for Mayor Steps into the Ring

Just found out via the city election Twitter feed that Jim Elliott has submitted nomination papers for mayor. Elliott, as some may remember, was voted prairie dog reader's Eco-Warrior for 2008.

In other election news, the Leader Post is reporting that John Findura, a water heater technician and community organizer, will run for council in Ward 5. That's Bill Gray's ward and still no word from the veteran councillor if he will run again.

Pick of the Day: Val Halla

In the last few years, a number of stylish new coffeeshops have opened in downtown Regina. They're okay, I guess. But none of them has the character and charm that the downtown Roca Jacks had in its heyday. With its expansive second floor, far removed from the noisy espresso machine and the chatter of the coffee break crowd, and with a balcony overlooking Victoria Park, it was a perfect place for me to conduct interviews with authors, curators, artists and other creative/intellectual types that I was writing on.

I started going there in the mid-90s. And over the years, especially after I got a laptop in 2001, I did a lot of work there. People from all walks of life used to frequent the shop, and hang out there. It was uber-hip. Uber-cool. With a great summer patio. And a real arty, egalitarian vibe.

Over the years, plenty of young people worked there as baristas. Near the end, Valerie McLeod joined the staff. In the time she was there, I had occasion to chat with her about various gigs that were happening in the city. Later, she moved to Vancouver and embarked on a music career of her own. In 2006, she released a self-titled CD. In Regina last year, she collaborated with Def 3 on a track from his CD Drumbo.

While she considers herself a rock artist, Val recently spent some time in Nashville. "I went to Nashville to learn from some of the best songwriters in the industry," she says. "Not only has my writing improved, but so has my guitar playing & singing. There's nothing like being the rookie in a city of veterans to make one step up their game!"

If you check out her show at O'Hanlon's Pub tonight, here's a taste of what you'll experience. (YouTube)

Six At Night

1. OBAMA ROCKS THE UN: At home, he's starting to seem a little gutless. But his speech at the UN -- which called for more cooperation between nations -- was a big hit. (Guardian)

2. CANADA SAYS NO TO LIMITS ON BANKERS' BONUSES: While the G20 nations are working out ways to limit executive bonuses in the banking sector, it looks like Finance Minister Flaherty is prepping to break ranks and leave bonuses in Canada's banking sector untouched. (Progressive Economics Forum)

3. YOUR STUFF IS SAFER... YOU? NOT SO MUCH: Crime stats in Regina from January to August show property crime has gone down a fair bit over last year, but crimes against people are up a smidge. (Leader Post)

4. CANADA BOYCOTTS IRANIAN SPEECH: The Canadian delegation to the UN participated in a walk out of a speech by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (CBC)

5. UNION DENIES HELLS ANGELS LINK: The head of a Quebec construction union denies allegations the Hells Angels bike gang were involved in his election. (CBC)

6. UWE BOLL FILM MAY NOT SUCK: His movies are so utterly horrid -- and not in that funny-good-bad way -- I find it somehow newsworthy that an early review of Uwe Boll's film Rampage is a good review. A very good review. (film.com)

Pick of the Day: Blow Your House In

I interviewed Australian artist Vernon Ah Kee when he was in town for a month-long residency at the MacKenzie Gallery in early September. As I noted in an article that ran in our Sept. 10 issue, I got a quick look at the central portrait, but didn't see any of the 50 other smaller-scale drawings that he was doing for this exhibition -- which is on display at the gallery until Jan. 3.

For generations of Canadians in search of adventure, Australia has been the destination of choice. Exotic, yet civilized. Friendly, prosperous, and sub-tropical, just like us (except for the sub-tropical part). And to top it all off, we share a common heritage as part of the British Commonwealth.

But while similarities exist between Canada and Australia, we are not identical. In its region, Australia is a dominant power. Canada, meanwhile, shares a border with you know who. Indeed, in conversations I've had with people familiar with Australia and its much smaller neighbour New Zealand, the comparison's been made that as New Zealand is to Australia, Canada is to the U.S. Which maybe helps explain some of what Ah Kee and I talked about.

As brutally as Canada has treated its First Nations and Metis people since colonization began in the 17th century, he said, we're regular Ghandis compared to the Aussies and their treatment of aboriginal people. In this show, Ah Kee doesn't huff and puff, but he does present dozens of drawings and text works that challenge the oh-so-comfy perception that most Canadians have of Australia -- and of themselves in relation to aboriginal people here, for that matter.

Definitely worth a look. And today would be as good a day as any.