Rider Rumbling

As much it pains me to write this, Edmonton could be emerging as the team to beat in the CFL West this year. Certainly, for fans of a certain vintage, the Esks qualify as the Riders' most bitter rival. Five straight playoff matchups between 1972-76, along with Edmonton's subsequent dominance which saw them, at their peak, win five straight Grey Cups between 1978-82, and not miss the playoffs for 34 years from 1971-2005, does allow the emnity to build. But really, which teams in the CFL West don't Rider fans hate?

In the late '60s and early '70s the Stampeders were the Riders' most bitter rival. They hit hard times from the mid-70s to early '90s, but since then have enjoyed a reasonable amount of success. And consistent with the city of Calgary itself, no team comes off as being more arrogant and boorish when they do get the better of the other team. Which fortunately hasn't been as often as it could have been as they do have a tendancy to shit the bed when the pressure is on.

When the Riders were in their heyday from the mid-'60s to mid-'70s the Lions were putrid. They didn't play in a single Grey Cup between 1964 and 1983. But under Wally Buono, who most Riders fans regard with disdain because of his insufferable prickishness, the team has become the Riders' current most bitter rival. Again, five straight playoff meetings between 2004-2008 can do that.

Anyway, the next four games will go a long way to determining who will finish first in the West. This week and next, while the Riders and Bombers play, Edmonton and Calgary lock horns. Then the Riders hook up with Edmonton for a home-and-home series Sept. 20 and 26.

Friday Afternoon Kitty!

From, and yes, I'm sorry, icanhascheezeburger.com.

(Thanks to Friend of Dog Blog Peakay.)

Hail To The Chief! (or: Congratulations! It's a Girl!)

Lynn Acoose has been elected Chief of the Sakimay First Nation. For may years Acoose was a cultural mover and shaker on the Regina arts scene as an artist, arts administrator, curator, writer and creator. She is the first woman to become chief of Sakimay.

Yay Lynn!

Farewell, "Batty"

Here's an update to this compelling story from yesterday. Last night around 10 o'clock I released "Batty" into the wild. Prairie dog freelancer and fellow Regina Press Club member Carle Steel assisted and documented. I set the shoe-box down on a bench and removed the lid. "Batty" was confused at first but after some wing-stretching he (or she) swooped at my head then flew three loops before spiraling into the night.

Goodbye "Batty" and good luck. You are very cute and everyone will miss you. Except all my co-workers.

Six in the Morning

1. LEADER POST OUTSOURCING AD JOBS: Our local daily has announced that it will be moving advertising production jobs to India and the Phillipines. It's unknown as yet how many people in Regina will be put out of work as a result. (CBC)

2. COMMUNITY ACTIVIST RUNNING FOR SCHOOL BOARD: Cindy Anderson will be running for a spot on the Regina Public School board in division 4. As a community activist who's been opposed to the current board's school closure plan, Anderson acted as a spokeswoman for the Committee for Community Renewal which tried to keep Rober Usher Collegiate's doors open. (Leader Post)

3. TORIES APPEALING KHADR DECISION: The Supreme Court of Canada will hear the Harper government's appeal of a ruling that it must seek the return of imprisoned child soldier, Omar Khadr. (Globe and Mail)

4. NET EMPLOYMENT RISES SLIGHTLY: Canada added jobs in August while the US unemployment rate continued to rise. The boost in employment here is attributed to more people getting part time jobs in the service sector. Hmmmm.... Back when times were good I kept hearing how full time jobs were being replaced with part time. Now that times are bad, same thing. How much longer until we're all greeters at Wal Mart I wonder? (Globe and Mail)

5. ASTROTURF BUSTERS LAUNCH HOTLINE: A coalition of groups are launching a hotline in the hopes of uncovering further evidence of deception by corporate lobbyists. The Polluter Fraud Hotline (1-866-363-4648) is for whistle blowers who know of instances of illegal practices or attempts to wilfully mislead American politicians. The coalition -- which includes the American Association of University Women (AAUW), National Wildlife Federation, NAACP, and Center for American Progress Action Fund and Sierra Club -- was formed after it emerged that among the tactics currently in use by coal lobbyists is to impersonate some of the very non-profits that are in this coalition. (Desmog Blog)

6. CLIMATE CHANGE PROTESTERS TO BE SENTENCED: At the same time as it's reporting that summers in the Arctic are the hottest in the last 2,000 years and that Africa is being devasted by a series of droughts, the Guardian reports that the 22 climate change protesters who hijacked a coal train are expected to get heavy community service sentences later today.(Guardian)

Liberal in Name Only

In a recent budget move Gordon Campbell's Liberal goverment in B.C. apparently took a big axe to arts funding, chopping it from roughly$19.5 million a year to around $2.25 million. So, once again, arts groups are forced to mount their trusty steeds, unsheath their sabres, and ride into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell -- to borrow a phrase from Tennyson -- to protect their turf and get the government to reverse its decision. (Globe & Mail)

The Purple Is Political

Was just crossing the street for a coffee, and this dude passes me and hisses in a sarcastic and affected, slightly effeminate voice, "Loooove what you've done with your hair."

Aaack! Pwned!

Actually, if this was a genuine, cruel remark about the current state of my head intended to hurt my feelings, it's the first I've heard in a month and a half of being empurpled. I get about 10 compliments a week on my purple hair (plug: dyed/designed by Levi at Salon Snax), so this insult--assuming it was an insult--sets the praise to snark ratio at around 60 to one.

My hair even got a squeal of admiration from a pretty lady on the way back from the coffee shop. So there.

So screw you, sarcastic guy on the street. Few share your irrational prejudice and fear of purple. The forces of goodness and violet are ascendent. Your narrow-minded kind's day is done.

Six in the Morning

1. LOOKS LIKE WE'VE GOT US AN ELECTION: The Grits are signaling they're ready to topple Harper's government. Layton suggests he's willing to listen if Harper "reaches out." Harper's unlikely to cut any deals with folk he deems socialists. Both Layton and Harper have said "no back room deals." (That we'll hear about anyway.) And Duceppe (haven't heard much from that guy lately) says he'll only prop up the gov't if they do something sweet for Quebec. Sounds to me like all four are angling to see if they can get away with going to the polls. It's about bloody time if you ask me. (Globe and Mail)

2. INCOME GAP HUGE IN SASK: A just-released report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says the income disparity between rich and poor in the province is growing. (CCPA)

3. ALMOST-SON-IN-LAW SAYS ALMOST-VICE-PREZ A BAD MOM: Levi Johnson, father of Sarah Palin's grandchild, makes some claims about the former VP candidate's behaviour, including that she wanted to adopt his kid so that people wouldn't know her 17-year old daughter was pregnant. (Globe and Mail)

4. AMAZON TRYING TO THWART GOOGLE BOOK: Fearing dramatic changes to the way intellectual property laws will work, the online retail giant, Amazon, is attempting to stop Google from digitizing books for which copyright holders can't be found. (Globe and Mail)

5. REPUBLICANS HOST ENERGY SUMMIT, NO ONE ATTENDS: No one except protesters, that is. (Desmog Blog)

6. LA PRESSE MAY STOP THE PRESSES: As part of cost cutting measures, North America's largest French-language newspaper, Montreal's La Presse, may cease publishing by December 1 and move to a new "business model" that doesn't involve a paper newspaper. (CBC)

There's A Bat On My Building

And he or she is sooo cute! S/he's perched above the door to the salon under prairie dog though, and I'm not sure how the folks at Indira are going to react. I should find a shoebox and try to save this adorable and confused little creature from terrorized hair stylists and manicurists, shouldn't I?

UPDATE: Our little bat friend is secure in a shoebox awaiting release tonight. If anyone has better advice on temporary bat-storage than "taped-shut cardboard box" feel free to post a comment.

Tech Talk

I'm not naming any names, but there are people out there who both contribute to and read this blog who will appreciate the humour in this video much better than me. (College Humour)