Forty years ago today, Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the moon. Thanks to the Dechene Family Moon Landing Archives (ie, a pile of newspapers in an old Zehrs bag) here are some pics from the Globe and Mail announcing the achievement. I do believe you can click on them to see larger versions...
Well, it's a little rah-rah-U.S.A.! for my tastes but I always liked newsman Walter Cronkite, who passed away yesterday so what the hell. Here's 90 seconds of Cronkite reflecting on his coverage of the moon landing, ripped from the youtoob.
Dechene mentioned something special he's got so I'm hoping he'll put that up as tomorrow's Daily Moon. We'll see!
In Maclean's recent ranking of best and worst-run Canadian cities, Regina received an awfully mediocre score. Now, there's a fair bit of bad blood between this town and Maclean's gang of merry statisticians. But there is an easy way to test the validity of this latest slur against our fair burg: come on down to city hall and see how things actually run. Here's what's going on this week...
Monday, July 20 City Council (5:30 pm): Considering a partnership with the RPL to relocate the Prince of Wales Branch into the Core Ritchie Neighbourhood Centre, a proposed renovation for St Paul's Cathedral, two condo conversions which were referred back to administration at the last council meeting, a tax abatement for Restwell Mattresses, the new city hall cafeteria agreement, and more. Of note is a request from Councillor Fougere to review the city's pest control program with a focus on looking at how to better control our gopher problem, and a request from Councillor Hincks to review ways to improve the city's bike path network.
Tuesday July 21 Board of Police Commissioners (9:00 am): Reviewing crime statistics for May. Once again, crimes against people are up over last year (+12.9 per cent since May of 2008) while crimes against property are down (-13.9 per cent since May of 2008). For the record, on that Maclean's ranking, we scored well on safety and protection, coming in fifth place. The board will also be reviewing 13 letters of appreciation received by the RPS. Community Services Advisory Committee (5:30 pm): Going over meeting times for 2009.
As always, complete meeting agendas and reports can be downloaded off the city's website.
In honor 40th Anniversary of the moon launch, it's a moon themed cartoon this morning.
Universal Studios are turning the 1979 video game Asteroids into a feature film but they clearly aren't the first film company to try and adapt a video game. In 1982 Hanna-Barbera Productions made Pac-Man into a bizarre Saturday morning kids cartoon on ABC for two seasons. Shirley (The Partridge Family) Jones' lesser half, comedian Marty Ingels provided the voice for Pac-Man. The plots usually had to do with an evil Darth Vader looking villain employing ghosts that try to steal magic power pellets from Pac-Man and his people. In this episode they try and steal them from the planet Earth while on the Moon.
There was some messed up cartoons in the '80s.
And just because I've been dying to post this really cool trailer for movie Moon and this is probably the last chance I'll get - here it is. Directed by David Bowie's son Duncan Jones and starring Sam Rockwell as the only man working on a Moon base with only two weeks left in his three year stay. Naturally he starts cracking up. Very cool stuff. Of course it will never play anywhere near here.
3. PALIN NOMINATES HERSELF CHIEF NUTBALL IN ANTI-SCIENCE MOB: Not wanting to fade into the background now that she's resigned as governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin penned an op-ed in today's Washington Post in which she attacks Obama's proposed cap-and-trade system. No one should care what she thinks about climate change but sadly many do so fortunately Media Matters has gone through her piece and picked it apart point by point. (Desmogblog.com, Media Matters)
4. YES, THIS IS AN UNSEASONABLY COOL SUMMER: It's official. What we've all suspected has been verified by science: this has been an unseasonably cool summer in Regina. In fact, it's been unseasonably cool everywhere in Canada except up north where the Yukon is uncharacteristically posting warmer temperatures than Toronto for July. Meteorologists, meanwhile, report that models predict the rest of the summer will be unseasonably warm. Climate change deniers have latched onto the colder-than-usual temperatures as evidence global warming is hoax. Everyone else looks on with alarm at the numerous uses of the word "unseasonable" in weather reports. (Leader Post, Globe and Mail)
5. MOUNTAIN LION VS. MAN WITH CHAINSAW: Not much more to the story than that. I post about it not merely because this is a pretty cool tale... that is, if you dig the old man-with-enormous-powertool-versus-nature plot, but more because I have to wonder what string of keywords are attached to it that it'd wind up featured in the automated news aggregator box on the rabble.ca website. (Guardian)
6. MOON LAUNCH WARRANTS EMBEDDED MOVIE TRAILER: In honour of the anniversary of our species first voyage to a celestial body, we bring you Space Nazis!.
Further to Paul's Six in the Morning post on July 15 about a U.S. lobbyist touting the prospect of us being on the verge of another ice age. (College Humor)
That's not a home and gardening magazine, it's the new issue of prairie dog. Here's a rundown on why it's great. And let me tell you it is great, hoo boy.
SECRET GARDENS The New Dance Horizon's summer fund-raiser is back. This year's theme? The Healing Garden. What's it all about? What's the fuss? Carle Steel launches herself into pretty fields of flowers looking for an answer. Will she find one? Who the hell knows--but Steel always brings something back alive.
MARY-LOU FINLAY & RICHARD FORD The storied host of as it happens drops chats with Gregory Beatty about her new book, which she will bring to this years Festival Of Words in Moose Jaw. It is an excellent interview. Also, Stephen LaRose speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Richard Ford, who's heading up to St. Michael's retreat for the Sage Hill writing workshop's 20th anniversary celebration. Also a fine conversation.
ROLLER DERBY! Another LaRose special, this one about the wheeled warriors of the Pile O' Bones roller derby squad. A great article, loads of fun.
ANNNNND THERE'S MORE! The secrets of the summer news hole, revealed! A horrifying look at the impacts of a range of climate changes that will make you want to hide under your bed for weeks with the air conditioning cranked! A fair and objective report on the Saskatchewan Party government's stupid idea that marriage commissioners (who get their cheques signed by taxpayers, not churches) should have the right to not marry couples they don't approve of (i.e. same-sex)! A depressing column by Gwynne Dyer about nuclear proliferation! An appetizing look at TWO great restaurants by Dining Dave! A review of Bruno! A review of the mediocre new CD by the guy from the White Stripes who should go back to his day job! And much more, including Street Wear, David Suzuki, My Music, Ask Greg, Queen City Confidential, News Quirks, and other examples of splendid printed-word fun. Look for it in grocery and convenience stores, pubs, coffee shops and our distinctive yellow street boxes. There are around 400 locatiions city-wide!
Further to item #1 in my Six In The Morning, please enjoy this vintage recording of Ronald Reagan attacking public health care on behalf of a powerful special-interest group called the American Medical Association.
(And here’s some context from the New York Times’ Paul Krugman.)
Crap like this is why I freak out when I hear even a whisper suggesting the Canadian Medical Association might support ANY degree of private health care. Whenever ANYONE uses the word “socialism” to scapegoat political opponents or frighten the public, I think of haters like Reagan, whose evil bullshit helped entrench the for-profit U.S. health care system. Which makes lots of money for the U.S. insurance industry while failing countless Americans. This stuff makes me extra-furious because thanks to America’s bad example, Canada’s beloved public system is always under the shadow of privatization.
You know, I’m just a (co-) small business owner who wants to make enough money to enjoy the one life I get and have a fun job with swell co-workers. And I’m smart enough to realize it’s usually the so-called “socialists” who bring forward the ideas that actually benefit lower-middle class me and my scruffy company. They’re the ones who talk about fair taxation, a strong public sector, protecting the environment, looking out for the vulnerable. etc. etc. All the sane stuff I support.
Unless you’re a multi-millionaire it’s in your interests to be on the “socialist” team, too. Best of all, you don’t actually have to BE a socialist. You'll just have to put up with name-calling by prostitute politicians who care more about their special interest group buddies than they do about you.
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