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

(Selective) Support For Local Media

Over at The Sasquatch, editor Jenn Ruddy has a good editorial on politicians championing corporate media outlets like CTV when other news organizations are struggling. You can read it here.

I agree with Ruddy's point: this lining-up behind CanWest and CTV is irritating. While Brad Wall pleads on CTV's behalf, CBC is being starved by government (Friends Of Canadian Broadcasting). And locally-published Briarpatch, the parent magazine of The Sasquatch, faces cuts to its funding (StarPhoenix).

Where's their shout-outs from the Premier?

Sure, we need local CTV. But we need local CBC too. And we need Briarpatch and The Sasquatch and Planet S and prairie dog and the Leader-Post. You don't get a full perspective on the place we live in from one news outlet.

Our politicians need to remember that.

Wall Wants Istotopes!

Here's a link to a Globe And Mail article about Premier Brad Wall's newly-announced plans for nuclear in this province: in short, Brad Wall says Saskatchewan should build a research reactor at the U of S.

Well maybe we should, and maybe we shouldn't. But hats off to Dog Blog commentor Jurist, who predicted Wall would leverage Canada's need for medical isotope production to build support for a full-scale nuclear reactor. Wall is not a stupid politician.

Anyway, the Opposition takes a swat at this development on their website. In a press release, NDP MLA Sandra Morin asks: “How is it that the premier of a province can announce that he plans to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to build a nuclear reactor in two to three years in downtown Saskatoon without public consultation, without a plan and without a firm dollar figure[?]”

Well, good question.

Meanwhile, the other nuclear plant--the one Bruce Power wants to build--isn't for medical isotopes, of course. It's for power generation. And its opponents hate it. They say will be 1.) a cash sinkhole 2.) an environmental nightmare 3.) a distraction from sustainable energy options like wind, solar and conservation 4.) a power source for awful, pollutey oilsands extraction 5.) backdoor privatization of Saskatchewan's power grid and 6.) a strategy to transfer a ginormous pile of money to Bruce Power.

Beatty was at stakeholder consultations this a.m. and will report back when he has a chance. There will be some analysis in the next issue of prairie dog (July 2), as well.

Incidentally, the Globe and Mail story also reports Brad Wall ran on an election pledge to build up the province's nuclear industry. Here's their quote:

"Mr. Wall ran on a platform that included a pledge to build up a full-fledged nuclear industry in Saskatchewan, which already produces nearly a quarter of the world's uranium, but does little beyond extract the ore."

I don't remember this pledge, though it's possible Wall said something vague about getting more money from uranium (sarcsm: which I guess is why the Uranium Development Partnership (UDP) wants to lower royalty rates, eh?).

But I am pretty damn sure Wall didn't promise that his government would build two nuclear reactors.

The Globe and Mail really needs to get someone out to these UDP meetings. They have no idea what the opposition to nuclear is saying. Either that, or they have no interest.

Live Tonight: Sleepless Nights

June 22, 2009

Sleepless Nights, Axis of Conversation
The Club

When posting reviews of their most recent album, Turn Into Vapour, Sleepless Nights aren't only showcasing the glowing ones, one such review even saying that the band "seriously turns down the fun and turns up the suck". But, Sleepless Nights frontman A.A. Wallace doesn't seem to be the sort to let that stop him, nor has the band's ever changing lineup. Since 2003, they've been pumping out high energy indie pop, and there's little sign of them slowing now. Also appearing are Calgary-natives Axis of Conversation, just coming home from North by North East and moving onto Sled Island Fest.

Sleepless Nights - Got Caught

Six In The Morning

1 CAN I GET A COST BENEFIT ON THAT $2 BILLION? The Globe and Mail talks to Saskatchewan's nuclear boosters about our proposed controversial reactor, and imply it's a replacement for Chalk River. Huh? What? They're gonna get letters on this one.

2 ANOTHER USE FOR THOSE BILLIONS What about power transmission lines so we--and our neighbouring provinces--can make the most out of wind? (StarPhoenix)

3 TORIES SNUB PRIDE PARADE The last sentence of this Leader-Post article is the newsworthy one.

4 WHEN SCIENTOLOGISTS ATTACK Former members are saying Church Of Scientology leader David Miscavige hits people. Could these tales be true? (Guardian)

5 BAN THE BURQA: SARKOZY France's president less-than helpfully says that traditional Muslim dress debases women. (New Your Times)

6 OUR POOR, PARCHED LITTLE PALS Water-deprived rats are running amok in Swift Current. Poor rodents. But seriously, release the snakes. (CBC)

This Week at City Hall

Monday, June 22
City Council (5:30 pm): Housing will be front and centre this week as four condo conversions and one new apartment building are to be considered. Twelve delegations are scheduled to speak on those items alone. (If you're looking for background, try wading through the Curious Case of the Continued Condo Conversions, the Enigma of the Inevitable Apartments, Revenge of the Condos, What Will an Extra $300 a Month Get You?, Regina Rental Scorecard, and this This Week at City Hall.)

Also on the schedule are the relocation of the Prince of Wales library branch, paratransit vehicle maintenance, the purchase of two low-floor buses, tax exemption requests from the food bank and the airport authority, a buffer-strip for Prince of Wales Drive, a proposal for two biocide-free park spaces, transit fare increases, plans to draft a new animal bylaw, changes to indoor arena ice fees, and much, much, much more.

If you plan to attend (and we hope you do) you might want to bring food. And your jammies. The agenda is taller than my daughter. You can download it on the city's website.