Free Stuff: Final Fantasy tickets

Hey dog blog fans, Twitter followers and yes even you brand new Facebook fans. We've got a sweet sweet contest here for you. What is it? A pair of tickets to the Final Fantasy show this Wednesday Sept.30th at the Exchange. Timber Timbre opens. What do you have to do? Just tell us the name of the artist who tours as Final Fantasy. Send an e-mail with your answer to contests@prairiedogmag.com with "Final Fantasy" in the subject line by 4 p.m. tommorrow Tuesday, Sept. 29th. A random draw of all correct answers will determine the lucky winner.

Thanks to our good friends at the Regina Folk Festival for the tix!

Stobbs Declares in Subdivision 1

According to the city's Twitter feed, Timothy Stobbs submitted his nomination papers to run for Public School Board Trustee in Subdivision 1. That subdivision is currently represented by Russ Marchuk.

And, a note to anyone else out there who's considering a run for public office this year.... Time's a-wastin'! The Election Office will only accept nomination papers until 4pm, Wednesday, September 30. (The Elections Office is at 1330 Winnipeg Street, 751-4479.)

Cool-Lookin' Poster Documentary

Prairie dog's designer Alex apparently doesn't want the next issue to get to the printer on time. Why else would he be sending me distracting links to movie trailers for neat-looking documentaries on rock and roll posters? Links I would have to watch RIGHT NOW, then do a blog post about?

What a dumb troublemaker.

The film is American Artifact and like I said, it's a documentary about rock concert posters and the artists who make them. It's the same idea as a doc I blogged about earlier this year called Died Young, Stayed Pretty--but this looks heavier on illustrated posters and less on text- and design-intensive work, like the poster by Nashville's Hatch Show Print. (who are great; see more work here.)

It also looks a little slicker overall. But the important thing is there's an Art Chantry interview so it's a must-see for fans of this stuff.

Here's the trailer!


And the film's website is here.

Six In The Morning

1 IRAN'S DOUCHEBAG NUKE MOVE What a shitty past few days it's been for what's supposed to be the coolest middle-eastern country around. First it's revealed that Iran has a secret nuclear weapons program. Now, the country's testing long-range missiles. Not surprisingly, the United States is talking sanctions. Oh, and for bonus fun here's the story of an Iranian prisoner who says he was tortured and raped by guards. (New York Times)

It's almost like the belligerant and illegitimate (see: this summer's stolen election) leadership is willing to risk a regional war because that'll keep the democracy rioters in line. Plus it's a big "eff-you!" to the U.N., which largely shunned President (or should that be "President"?) Ahmadinejad last week. (CBC)

2 CUTTING YOUR POWER (BILL) SaskEnergy is expected to announce a rate reduction today. Good? Yes? (Leader-Post)

3 EMERY INTO EXILE A colourful, convicted Canadian pot merchant is off to an American gulag because his own stupid country won't let him serve the sentence here. Jeez. Remind me again, how does marijuana being illegal help anyone, anywhere?

4 WHAT'S UP AT SASKTEL? Conflict of interest investigation? Who what where now? Harrunk? (Leader-Post)

5 FREE THE RAPIST For whatever stupid reason, France and Poland are leaping to defend of genius filmmaker and evil sexual assaulter Roman Polanski. Dog Blog says do the time, you jerk. (Guardian)

6 TOURIST DEATH TRAP? Two Canadians have apparently been murdered in Mexico. (Toronto Star)

This Week At City Hall

Wednesday, September 30
Executive Committee (11:45 am): A quiet week at city hall as the Executive Committee is the only committee meeting but there are no items on the public agenda.

Pick of the Day: Talkin' About School & Society

In the last few years, the University of Regina has started several public discussion/lecture series situated in non-academic settings to maximize their availability and appeal for Reginans outside of the university community. In addition to hopefully elevating the general level of intellectual discourse in the city, they're good public relations for the university. People in broader society are sometimes skeptical about the value of post-secondary institutions, regarding them as ivory towers where little that's relevant to everyday life is taught/researched.

Nothing could be further from the truth, of course. But by hosting public lectures and discussions the university is able to demonstrate its relevance. The Faculty of the Arts was first out of the gate with its popular Coffeehouse Controversies which are held at Chapters. Since then, the Department of Philosophy and the Faculty of Education have both launched lecture series at Connaught Library and LaBodega Restaurant respectively.

Tonight at 7 p.m. the Faculty of Education launches its 2009-10 program Talkin' About School & Society with a discussion on Youth, Gangs, Dropouts & Racism. It's a problem that definitely carries a high cost, both on an individual and societal level. I'll be doing a news article on it for our Oct. 8 issue. So stay tuned.

Pick of the Day: Moon

I think I could handle being alone in space for three years. Especially if my isolation was guaranteed to end at that point, and I had plenty of interesting things to do in the interim, which I presumably would, being that I was in freaking space.

That's the situation facing Sam Rockwell's character in this movie. He's been dispatched to the moon on a three-year assignment by Korean-based Lunar Industries to extract helium-3 for much-needed power generation back home (via fusion, I guess). Things go well for most of his stay, but as his date of departure looms he finds himself doubting his sanity when he begins to experience hallucinations aboard the station.

Leaving aside for a moment the premise -- what 21st century corporation would be allowed to dispatch a person to work alone for three years on the moon with only a robot for company? -- this flick is supposed to be pretty good.

If I was put in Rockwell's shoes, I'd like to think I'd be up to the challenge. Still, outer space is a daunting environment. I remember reading that when the U.S. was first launching astronauts solo into space during the Mercury program in the early '60s, one mused to ground control as he whizzed repeatedly around Earth that if NASA recruited an astronaut without any legs it'd be able to cram even more equipment into the already jam-packed capsule. So space does fuck with your head.

Here's the trailer for Moon (YouTube). It plays tonight at the RPL Theatre at 7 p.m.

ANARCHY IN THE NHL

Nope, nothing about the Coyotes' sell off. This week's G20 conference in Pittsburgh brought out the usual protesters against the capitalist system ... and Penguins fans? (PuckDaddy)

Saturday Morning Cartoon

It's time for some monkey business.

After five movies and a short lived live action TV show, the Planet of the Apes franchise made it's way to a short lived cartoon in 1975.

The story involves a group of astronauts flung into the future and trapped on - that's right - The Planet of the Apes!



The animation was crude but the backgrounds were detailed and the overall feel of the show was kind of creepy for a Saturday morning cartoon.

Pick of the Day: Beethoven Septet

Each season, the Regina Symphony Orchestra does a main concert series at the Conexus Arts Centre. Smaller groups of RSO musicians also perform chamber concerts at Government House. I've never been to one. But I imagine it would be interesting. Entering Government House is kind of like stepping back to the late 19th century. Classical music has that vibe too.

But this isn't 1891 (when construction of Government House was actually completed). It's 2009. Society's more laid back now. It's not like you're expected to show up in formal dress and bow/curtsey to your social superiors while tweaking your waxed mustache/surreptitiously adjusting your corset. Rather, you're free to be yourselves (within certain limits, of course).

This RSO gig at Government House features works by Beethoven, Sebileus and Krommer. It's being held tonight at 8 p.m., and again tomorrow at 3 p.m. To whet your appetite, here's a young Dudley Moore doing a Beethoven sonota parody. (YouTube)