Regina's New Sunday Bus Schedule Is A Disaster

Last spring Regina Transit, in response to a petition requesting expanded service on Sundays (when buses typically run hourly from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.) and stat holidays (when there's no service at all) to make it easier for transit users to do stuff like go to work/church and attend special holiday events, announced plans to extend service on Sundays (no mention was made of holidays) so that buses ran from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. At the same time it announced a fare increase (adult jumped from $2.10 a ride to $2.25).

The fare hike was instituted Aug. 1. Today, our office received a fax from Regina Transit announcing its intention to begin expanded Sunday service on Aug. 30. Oh good, I thought. But then I read this:

In order to better serve riders' needs and provide extended hours without significant budget impact, service was redesigned resulting in removal of service from limited areas of the city. Sunday service will operate on 11 routes. Only three of those routes will be the same as on weekdays. The Sunday routes were designed to provide service to as many of the religious buildings, shopping areas and activity centres as possible. This means walk distances to the bus stop may be longer in some instances. Where changes to routes have been made, bus stops will also indicate whether there will be no Sunday service at a particular stop and some new signs will be installed for Sunday service only.

What it boils down to is that instead of 18 routes, there will be 11. They'll have different names than existing routes, and their own numbering system (901 through 912). And the bus routes themselves, except for three, will all be different--sometimes radically so -- from the routes people ordinarily ride Monday-Saturday.

Uh yeah, right. I cycle for transportation as much as I can, but for a good four months of the year I rely heavily on Regina Transit for getting around, and I wholeheartedly support it as a service vital to any notion of Regina being a modern and progressive city. And this is a pathetic joke. Way to make transit use safer, more convenient and user-friendly. Yes granny, we'll give you Sunday service. Only thing is, you may have to walk a bit further to catch your bus. Yeah, it's icy in the winter. And cold too. And it gets dark early. And buses only run once an hour. So make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to make it to the stop (heh-heh).

I don't blame Regina Transit. That phrase in the first sentence "without significant budget impact" says it all. Regina Transit doesn't control its own purse strings. It works with the money it has.

I can't wait to see what the petition organizers will have to say about this.

More On That Jerk With The Rifle At The Obama Rally

Turns out his show of force was planned in advance--police had been notified and the "journalist" who interviewed him is apparently a friend and fellow libertarian wackjob. Here's the story on Talking Points Memo.

So, instead of this being a spontaneous event where a lone asshole shows up with a gun to intimidate people who disagree with him it's an organized, calculated show of force by an organized group of armed right-wingers and fringe media creeps. Phew! A group of heavily-armed, self-absorbed egomaniacs with axes to grind and a following is so much better than one loon with a machine gun. I feel so much better about America's prospects for the future now.

The gunman's name is supposedly "Chris B.". In the interview he attacks the public option in health care by saying, and I quote, ""We will forcefully resist people imposing their will on us through the strength of the majority with a vote." (I wonder how he feels about gay marriage.)

Naturally, this guy also says taxation is theft--one of my favourite psycho anarchist right-wing talking points.

Here's the charming little video where he says many pleasant things.





Of course this is all insane garbage. No one is talking about taking his "right" to private healthcare insurance away. But most Americans want a public system. They voted for it. They should get it.

These gun-toting maniacs really need their own country. Ideally on Mars. In the meantime, where, exactly, is the FBI? Yeah, yeah I know, probably spying on some neighbourhood anti-poverty organization somewhere. Snort.

Here's the Guardian's take on the whole thing, by the way.

Library Development Drop-In Session Tomorrow

Here's the skinny on the library dealie:

The RPL will host a "Central Library development drop-in session" tomorrow. According to my information, the RPL will "share our progress to date on the Central Library Development and discuss the ideas that will create this new Regina landmark."

The drop-in will occur at the Central Library branch in downtown Regina and be located on the second floor in an easy-to-spot locale. According to the person I spoke with, the drop-in will be operational during library hours. I recommend going between one and five if you can, since those were the times I first heard so that's probably when they will be serving delicious confections. (I am speculating on this detail. I do not have confirmation that there will be confections.)

Sounds like something people should be following. You should go if you can.

See you tomorrow perhaps!

Obama Joker Artist Interviewed

The scoundrel behind that portrait of Obama as the Joker has been found--and he's not the conservative you'd think he is. From the Los Angeles Times:

When cryptic posters portraying President Obama as the Joker from "Batman" began popping up around Los Angeles and other cities, the question many asked was, Who is behind the image? Was it an ultra-conservative grassroots group or a disgruntled street artist going against the grain? Nope, it turns out, just a 20-year-old college student from Chicago. Bored during his winter school break, Firas Alkhateeb, a senior history major at the University of Illinois, crafted the picture of Obama with the recognizable clown makeup using Adobe's Photoshop software. Alkhateeb had been tinkering with the program to improve the looks of photos he had taken on his clunky Kodak camera. The Joker project was his grandest undertaking yet. Using a tutorial he'd found online about how to "Jokerize" portraits, he downloaded the October 23 Time Magazine cover of Obama and began digitally painting over it. Four or five hours later, he happily had his product.

Full, very interesting story here.

The pictures, of course, have been used by right-wingnuts to attack Obama as a socialist. The artist's critism of the President, however, is that there "wasn't much substance to him".

As for the Conservative red-baiting? "To accuse him of being a socialist is really ... immature," Alkhateeb tells the Los Angeles Times. "First of all, who said being a socialist is evil?"

RPL Open House

I posted something on this last week, then e-mailed the RPL for confirmation and never heard back from them. Received an e-mail from another source today saying that there will be a drop-in open house Wednesday Aug. 19 from 1-5 p.m. at Central Library to discuss progress that's been made on plans for an expanded downtown library. The announcement is framed in terms of an invite to Regina Public Library Stakeholders. I assume that means everyone, but these days it's hard to be sure, as some people/organizations apparently hold bigger stakes in public facilities and policy issues than others. Why else would they receive direct invitations, while others, like prairie dog, only learn of things through word of mouth?


UPDATE FROM WHITWORTH, 2:20 P.M. : I have a call out to the Library and will report back on what this thing is before the end of the day. Is it innocent? Is it sinister? We'll soon find out!

WHITWORTH UPDATE: 2:24 P.M. Amazing what can be cleared up with a phone call. There's no conspiracy, it's an open-to-the-public drop-in. I am told we were definitely sent a media notice (which I can't find). I'll post more details when I have them officially, which will be later this afternoon.

Six In The Morning

1 PLANE DOWN, TWO DEAD A flight instructor and his student are dead after a crash near Saskatoon. (Leader-Post)

2 HEALTHCARE FOR EVERY AMERICAN IS UN-AMERICAN Hillary and Bill couldn't get it done and now Obama's floundering in their footsteps. The White House is taking about being open to other ideas--much to the delight, I'm sure, of paramilitary lunatics, traitor Democrats, the entire Republican Party and Fox News bullies. Oh, and the special-interest for-profit medical system. But if you skip the headlines and read the actual stories, it ain't over yet. Washington Post)

3 TRASH TROUBLE Regina's dumpster situation is dire. (CBC)

4 AFGHANISTAN'S DUBIOUS DEMOCRACY Corruption, threats and bombs, bombs, bombs rattle nerves leading up to elections. (Guardian)

5 THE WAR ON AGING Researchers are fiddling with drugs that may extend lifespan. I don't think our planet could handle us sticking around any longer than we do but that's a problem for another day. (New York Times)

6 CONSTITUTION SAYS EXECUTING INNOCENT PEOPLE OKAY: AMERICAN SUPREME COURT JUDGE Yeesh. (firedoglake) Oh, and speaking of dick judges... double yeesh. (Telegraph) Judges only work 9-5 but state-sponsored murder is okay anytime I guess.

Man Shows Up At Obama Rally With Assault Rifle

photo swiped from Daily Kos.

Holy crap. From Talking Points Memo:

About 12 people were carrying guns, including at least one semi-automatic assault rifle, outside a building where President Obama was speaking today. No one was arrested outside the VFW National Convention in Phoenix, according to the Associated Press, where hundreds of people demonstrated both for and against health care reform. There are no reports that the 12 were part of an organized group. The man spotted carrying the assault rifle and a pistol, who gave his name only as "Chris", was asked why he was armed. "Because I can do it," he said. "In Arizona, I still have some freedoms."

So was the scary gun guy arrested by Homeland Security? Ha ha ha, of course not.

Two police officers kept close by. Carrying guns, including the AR-15 assault rifle, is legal under Arizona law. "If we need to intervene, we will intervene at that time," said Detective J. Oliver.

Full article here. (TPM)

Two points of my own.

One: what would've happened to any anti-war activist who showed up at a Bush or Cheney event with a weapon like that a year ago? Exactly. (Thanks Blaine.) Funny how America has different standards for peaceful liberal protestors than it does for armed conservatives. Where is this "liberal bias in the media" the Fox News pundits are always wailing about, again? This guy isn't even in a free speech cage.

Two: This man is clearly threatening political violence. He's intimidating health care supporters with the implicit promise of mass murder should they not back down.

Meet the face (well, the back of the head) of the anti-healthcare movement. They're fucking brownshirts, but better armed than those Nazis ever dreamed of. Next step: smashing windows, beating and killing political opponents, assassinating politicians, riots, misery etc. Welcome to real, honest to god fascism, America. At least it's not a white-only party.

The politicians always say you aren't supposed to negotiate with terrorists? Well, so be it, I say. This thug is a terrorist. He can't get his way through peaceful conversation. He can't get his way through democracy because his views (which I promise you are insane) don't have majority support.

He can only get his way if he frightens people into silence with his (legal!!!) assault rifle.

Most Americans want public health care (CBS.) The Democrats have to stop trying to build consensus with Republican saboteurs, they have to stop trying to appease the lunatics and they have to force this thing through. It's what Americans want. If the conservative lunatic fringe explodes into violence, I'm sorry but, well...they're going to anyway, sooner or later. Right? Deal with it now.

You can't stop working for a better world because the nuts have guns and are holding everyone hostage. Health care now, America.

Six In The Morning

1 RECESSION HURTS CANADIANS' HEALTH A poll by the Canadian Medical Association says Canadians are putting off doctor and dentist appointments and buying perscriptions, and are skipping meals to save money. The CMA, which is in Saskatoon for its annual meeting, also says four out of 10 Canadians are feeling "stressed or overwhelmed by financial concerns. (CMA)

2 ADDING INSULT TO INJURY Our health care system has problems. Could a private option help? Nope, says Roy Romanow, who's at the CMA convention. (CJME)

3 NDP STICKS WITH TRADITION The federal New Democratic Party wrapped up its annual convention, held in Halifax this year. The message: stick to core party values--protecting regular Canadians from big business, banks and bullies in general. One notable thing that didn't happen: a name change to Democratic Party (since they're not new anymore). Too bad. I was looking forward to Canada having some DP action in federal politics. (If you understand that joke your cable bill is probably really big.) (NDP website, Toronto Star)

4 SAVED BY KENNEY Canada's immigration minister granted a temporary permit to save a former child soldier from deportation (CBC). It's the right thing to do. We're surprised minister Jason Kenney is on the good guy's side though, after his shenanigans last March. Kenney is now batting 50-50 in his quest for favourable Dog Blog coverage.

5 PSYCHOPATH BULLIES WIN AGAIN The United States can bomb disarmed countries that didn't attack it, detain and torture people on whims and bail out Wall Street thugs but it looks like it can't make public health care work. I guess everybody believed psycho Sarah Palin when she said President Obama would bring in death panels for unfit citizens. Maybe we need a wall to keep Americans out of Canada. (New York Times)

6 AC/DC ADDS TICKETS TO SOLD-OUT WINNIPEG SHOWS It's true. Could it happen here? (Winnipeg Free Press)

This Week at City Hall

Monday, August 17
City Council (5:30 pm): Council will be considering the Interim Housing Incentives Policy which offers incentives to developers to build new, affordable rental units. Seeing as it has, after much delay, been approved by Executive Committee (which has all city councillors as members) this should breeze through council. I expect there'll be much self congratulations over this one -- and it does deserve back patting -- but I wonder if there'll be mention of how many times this had to go before Exec Committee before it was passed? (How many times, you ask? Four times.) Might've been nice to have this in force six months ago.

Also on the agenda, a request for support for some independent living suites, a bylaw amendment so that construction can begin on another Harbour Landing neighbourhood, a proposal to acquire land needed for a drainage system for the Global Transportation Hub, a request to reduce the housing density in a portion of Harbour Landing, a request to boost the housing density in a portion of the Greens on Gardiner, and a request to adjust a bylaw to accomodate parking at 1700 Elphinstone.

Councillor Flegel will be making a motion about noise attenuation in the Uplands and Argyle Park area. Councillor Clipsham will be making another motion about backyard fire pits. Councillor Murray will be asking "What's up with all this construction waste in people's garbage bins?" (Yeah. Seriously. What is up with all that construction waste in my garbage bin? And while we're on the subject, why do you construction people always pick my backyard to dispose of your rusted out hot water heaters? Why???) And Councillor Hincks will be after another extension to the bike path system. (Yay!)

Oh, and before I forget... about that drainage system (and I'm jotting this down more as a mental note for myself, so feel free to skip along down the page to a kitten video): the report says there are no environmental implications arising from the purchase of land to facilitate the construction of a drainage channel from the Global Transportation Hub into Cottonwood Creek. But wouldn't rainwater runoff from the GTH be a little on the contaminated side thanks to all the oil and the gasoline and the what-have-you? Or am I missing something?

More District 9

Because this blog has too many nerds we'll probably end up with five or six District 9 posts. Oh well. Here's mine.

The District 9 in the title is a trashy, garbage-filled South African shantytown/refugee camp for unhappy space lobsters marooned on Earth (they're called "prawns" in an obvious nod to South Africa's racist history). After 20 years, a multi-national corporation is contracted to relocate the shipwrecked aliens farther away from humans so that everyone (i.e. South Africans) will be happy. But there are sinister agendas afoot.

In a nutshell: really enjoyed it. Good premise, shitty plot but a decent, fun sci-fi movie overall. 3.5/5 dogs (a "B").

The rest of this post has spoilers. You have been warned.

District 9's heavy-handed apertheid/racism allegory worked better than I thought it would and there are some touches that really sell the setting. The arms dealers, black markets and general xenophobia and corruption all seemed realistic and awful. And the reference to muti killings--murders where body parts are cut out and used in folk magic--is really disturbing because that's something that would plausibly happen to aliens interned and isolated in fenced-in South African slums.

The story of this slum is initially presented as a documentary about stranded aliens awkwardly co-existing with humans. But early on, the fake documentary format is abandoned (without explanation) and District 9 becomes a dumb action movie with a stupid story. After an idiot bureacrat sprays himself with goo that starts slowly turning him into a crayfish (what is this, The Fly?), District 9 bumbles into rah-rah-action movieland. And a lot of bad guys die in satisfying ways.

In fact just about every human who gets mangled or disintegrated totally deserved it. Fun! But really not much different than Die Hard or something of that ilk, with likeable aliens instead of Bruce Willis.

(Actually, District 9 was a lot less gory than I'd heard. Then again, it was full of exploding heads, amputations and bloody disintegrations so I might just be desensitized. I dunno. I say it's not gory if the bad guy's exploding head makes you happy.)

Final word: It's a decent movie and I had a hellava great time watching it this afternoon. But it would've been a better film if it had a coherent plot (or even no plot).

District 9 invests a lot in its gritty, depressing, setting, but it betrays this realism with a dumb story and a cheap, hopeful conclusion. Then again, a better film would've been a lot less fun. In real life, the toxic combination of refugee camps, murderers, callous bureacrats, arms dealers and corporate malefeance doesn't lead to happy endings (sucks how that works). So I'll take District 9 just the way it is.

And I learned that cute, resourceful child heros aren't annoying when they have face tentacles. Who knew?