New Dog!

The new prairie dog should be just about everywhere by now. It's not too bad. You should grab a free copy. There's a thing on football, a report on the Saskatchewan government, a whole pile of stories on the Saskatchewan publishing scene, a really cranky column by John Conway, a super-snarky editorial by me that's a little wordy but overheats nicely by the end, a better-than usual letters page, Gwynne Dyer on the Fort Hood massacre, David Suzuki on the ocean ecosystem massacre, a preview of some of the bands playing soon, a bunch of movie and CD reviews and OF COURSE regulars like News Quirks, 14 Days, Queen City Confidential, a bunch of Top 6s, My Music and Street Wear.

The whole thing is more fun that a knapsnack of extra-cute kittens. Give a prairie dog a home today. Available at over 400 locations city-wide.

The Afternoon News

1 MURRAY MANDRYK TEARS THE SASK PARTY A NEW ASSHOLE Well said, sir. (Leader-Post) And here's my own editorial comment: is there anyone out there who doesn't honestly believe the NDP would've managed this situation better? Seriously? Because they would have. by far. They've earned their gloat. besides, the Sask. Party proved Sask. voters respond to attack politics. Karma's a bitch.

2 REGINA RECREATION PLAN A-COMING Much ado about hockey rinks and stuff like that. (CBC)

3 MORE MONEY FOR MELTDOWNS Right now if a Canadian nuclear reactor goes kerblooey, it's only liable for a maximum $75 million in damages. The government--in fact, the Conservative government, which readers may recall I slightly despise--is bringing in legislation to raise that limit to $650 million. Critics say it's not high enough, and they're probably right. But this sounds to me like a step in the right direction. So credit where due: good for Stephen Harper. (The Globe And Mail)

4 THEN AGAIN, THERE'S THAT WHOLE TORTURE THING The Toronto Star's editorial board slams the Conservatives for their reaction to Afghan prisoner torture revelations. (Toronto Star)

5 MONTREAL CAFES TORCHED, AND IT LOOKS SUSPICIOUS Molotov cocktails and mysteriously silent victims? Sounds like something from an early Scorsese movie to me. (CP/Winnipeg Free Press)

6 OPRAH'S GOING BYE-BYE Thanks to the power of prayer, apparently. (New York Times)

Friday Afternoon Kitty!

Special Call Of The (not so) Wild edition!

1.) A cougar! Being cute!



2.) Bobcat! Purring for two minutes! It just goes on and on! SOOOO HAPPY!



3.) Baby Black Panthers! Squeal!



4.) Extreme cougar violence! Adorable!



DISCLAIMER: Don't adopt a pet big cat. Even if they are totally woogy-boogy cute-ums. There is a 99.999999999% chance it's a terrible idea. They pee on EVERYTHING.

Pick of the Day: Genesis

It's a busy night in Regina. To begin with, Vancouver-based indie rockers Mother Mother, who you might remember from their main stage performance at the 2007 Regina Folk Festival, are playing a 19+ gig at Riddell Centre. To give you a taste of what they have to offer, here's the video for the title track off their 2008 album O My Heart (YouTube)

Local favourites The Polymaths, who graced the stage along with Rah Rah and These Estates at prairie dog's 15th anniversary party in February 2008, have a CD release scheduled for tonight at O'Hanlon's Pub. I wasn't able to dig up any video of the band on YouTube. I did learn, though, of the existence of a death metal band called The Polymath. Don't confuse the two. While a rockin' good band, The Polymaths won't make your ears bleed -- trust me. For more info on the band, which includes Craig Fink, Matthew Blackwell, Jenn Bergen, Patrick Barks and John Cameron, check out James Brotheridge's preview in our Nov. 19 issue.

Finally, tonight and tomorrow night at the Performing Arts Centre the Youth Ballet Company of Saskatchewan (pictured above) is presenting it's annual fall recital. A mix of contemporary dance and classical ballet works, Genesis, as the title implies, also marks a new beginning for the company. After 15 years at the helm, Connie Moker-Wernikowski stepped down as artistic director this spring. She was replaced by Richard Zimich.


To ease the transition, Zimich was joined this fall by guest artist-in-residence Karen Rose from Toronto. Works choreographed by both her and Zimich will be featured in Genesis. Also on the bill are excerpts from Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. To whet your appetite, here's an excerpt from a 2004 performance of the former ballet by the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. (YouTube)