I'm Good Enough, I'm Smart Enough, and Doggone It, People Like Me!

Yay, us. Al Franken has won his senate seat.

Rah Rah Break Down

While Rah Rah's largest national tour to date is nearing a close, the costs from it will last for awhile to come. Their van broke down in Ontario, and expenses for that ran up to two grand. They kept playing shows, though, and spirits seem to be relatively high as they make their way home.

(Recent tour history hasn't been great for Regina bands, with Thee Hoolies also suffering a broken van in the past year or so and Library Voices having their gear jacked.)

The band has a couple of dates at the Club coming up: July 4 with Sleepless Nights and July 20 with the Lovely Feathers and Pneumatic Transit. If you're going down to either or both of these shows, consider making a donation to offset their debt. My prefered method? Walk up to Marshall Burns, slip him a five dollar bill folded discretely into my palm. No eye contact.

R.I.P. Dave Batters

Various media are reporting that former Conservative MP Dave Batters has committed suicide. Batters was the Conservative MP for Palliser and was perhaps best known to prairie dog readers for his controversial, "family values" attacks on public funding for the Canadian film industry. Batters stepped down from office after a never-explained incident last Canada Day, announcing he was seeking treatment for anxiety and depression. Almost exactly one year later and he's dead. Awful. You can read the Leader-Post story here and the CBC story here.

Prairie dog and Dog Blog extend our sincerest condolences to his friends and family. Anxiety and depression are cruel.

UPDATE: Here's the story in the Globe and Mail.