Gray To Seek Re-Election in Ward 5

Apologies for knocking the Evangelion contest out of the top spot. I'll make this quick. Ward 5 councillor, Bill Gray, will be seeking a ninth term. He'll be up against John Findura.

Free Stuff: Passes to Evangelion:1.0

Do you like this Japanese anime and film stuff with apocalyptic themes and, like that?

Wanna win tickets to Evangelion: 1.0?

We’ve got five pairs of passes to giveaway to this two-day only showing at Galaxy Cinemas tomorrow Wed Sept 30th at 7pm and Sat, Oct 3rd at 10am

Just go to Comic Readers (Downtown location only- 2000 12th Ave) between 12pm-1pm tomorrow Wednesday, Sept. 30th

First five people to ask for them will receive a free pair of passes to Evangelion: 1.0. Passes are good for either Wednesday night or Saturday morning screening at Galaxy Cinemas.

I have no idea what this is but it sure looks cool? Rock on dog bloggers.

Szarka Runs In Ward 10

This came through the Twitter just as I was posting the last post: Chris Szarka has submitted papers to run in Ward 10 against incumbent Jerry Flegel.

Hang on a sec... Google is telling me there's some sort of "sporting personality" who is also named Chris Szarka.

... and just spoke to someone at the election office who says she's pretty sure that this Chris Szarka is indeed the Chris Szarka of Saskatchewan Roughriders' fame. But, like me, she doesn't follow the football, so we'll have to wait until he either sends out a press release or his bio goes up on the city's website for better confirmation than this.

You did know that the city is posting candidate bios didn't you? No? Well, there's no reason you should have unless you were compulsively checking the election Twitter. Anyway, you can find bios for the candidates for mayor here. Candidates for council are here. Candidates for public school board are here. And candidates for separate school board are here.

UPDATE (8:20pm): No surprise, really, but the bios were updated on the city's website and sure enough, it's Chris Szarka of the Roughriders who's running in Ward 10.

More School Board Nominees...

... on the public side this time. Frederick Rackow has declared in Subdivision 4 where he'll be running against Cindy Anderson. Meanwhile, April Bourgeois has submitted papers to run in Subdivision 2 against incumbent and current board chair Barbara Young.

Separate School Board Candidates Aplenty

I was starting to worry that the separate school board was going to be understaffed board-wise as I'd only noticed two candidates come forward. But three new nominees have announced their intentions to run: Vicky Bonnell, Bert Yakichuk and Robert Bresciani. I say new, but Bonnell and Bresciani are the current board's deputy chair and chair respectively. So, Bert Yakichuk is the only new name in that list.

Rosie LaRose’s Top Six This Windy Day

1 POWER SHIFT The Jurist takes a look at some bizarre – on the surface – moves involving SaskPower. (Accidental Deliberations)

2 NOT READY FOR PRIME TIME Denis Coderre quits as the Liberals Quebec consigliore, leaving behind a trail of bad karma. Iggy may be happy that he's not going to the polls after all. (Canadian Press)

3 AMERICANS AFRAID OF HEALTH CARE When I wrote my prairie dog/Planet S story about American health care, I had some hopes for Obama's plan, but now I don't. Woodrow Lloyd (who was mandated to bring in medicare after the 1960 provincial election, when Douglas went to lead the federal NDP) wasn't the greatest Saskatchewan premier, and Allan Blakeney (health minister at the time, premier from 1971 to 1982) always struck me as a man more at home with the theoretical than the practical. But at least they had the brains to understand when the opposition was bargaining in bad faith, and the guts to do, as Nellie McClung said, to "never complain, never explain, just get the thing done and let them howl." Instead, the Democratic Party seems to be letting the opposition dictate the terms. Not exactly acting from a position of strength. Someone should remind him who won the 2008 presidential election (Crooks and Liars)

4 WAR ON CRIMINALS? RIIIIIGHT … The Vanity Press does a pretty good job of deconstructing Peter Van Loan's complaint that we can't just lock up everyone who scares him. (The Vanity Press)

5 SPEAKING OF WHICH Sounds like it's going to be another week of stonewalling regarding the Regina Police Service's investigative capabilities, or lack thereof. (Leader-Post)

6 PALIN'S MEMOIR SET FOR EARLY RELEASE As the Royal Canadian Air Farce said when Margaret Trudeau released her autobiography, it's amazing that someone can write more books than she's read. (CBC)

Pick of the Day: Zeus w/ Brett Dolter

I suppose it takes a certain amount of hubris to name your band after the penultimate deity in the pantheon of classic Greek gods. Especially when you hail from the Canadian equivalent of Mount Olympus -- at least in the minds of those who live there, anyway. Toronto.


Led by long-time friends Mike O'Brien and Carlin Nicholson, Zeus began as the backup band for former Broken Social Scene member Jason Collett before striking out on their own. In June, they released the EP Sounds of Zeus, then followed that up with a month-long residency at the Dakota Tavern in July where they performed every Wednesday with various Toronto bands and musicians. Here's video of Zeus doing their song Heavy On Me during one of those gigs. (YouTube)

Backing up Zeus during tonight's show at the Exchange will be Regina eco-activist musician Brett Dolter.