Dolphin Bubbles

Proof, as though any was needed, that dolphins are an amazing species.

Sixless In The Morning

I have zero time to write a top six news this a.m. but this blog needs a morning post--so how about a cartoon? This is probably my all-time favourite National Film Board of Canada short. It's by Richard Condie, who was nominated for an Oscar for The Big Snit, and it's called The Apprentice. It's about learning and creativity, and the value of obstacles and what we can learn from adversity (and how it can even save us from disaster without us realizing it). And to my tastes it's reallyreallyreally funny.





Incidentally the NFB has a Web site that you can find a lot of their animation on but last time I checked (maybe a month ago) this one wasn't there, hence the embed from the copyright-plundering nightmare that is Yootoob.

Why Stephen Colbert Will Never Appear On NBC Again. Ever.

Not safe for work, but funny as anything.



(found on Bob Cesca's Awesome Blog.)

21st Century American Capitalism ...

as explained by Calvin and Hobbes.

h/t to Crooks and Liars

Friends in High Places

You know how the National Post always keeps harping on how the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is unfairly encroaching on their territory because of its subsidy?

Pot, meet kettle. What color is it? (TorStar)

Tip of the lynch lid to Warren Kinsella

I'm Jealous Of Nerds

I want this. (New York Times)

Six In The Morning

Too much going on and going down not to have one of these linkapalooza doohickeys here today. Here's a pertinent smorgesbord of stories.

1. BUDGET! Well, consensus seems to be it's a reasonable budget that doesn't take a lot of risks. The opposition NDP says the Sask Party's estimates on provincial revenue are off but I guess we'll see about that. Frankly, nothing amazing, nothing too horrifying. Unless of course you stop to consider that this provinces' economic success is entirely linked to fertilzer and fossil fuels, in which case you'd probably want to run into the streets screaming and tearing your eyes from your face because that's not any way to keep us strong, long-term. But that's a problem of the paradigm, not the budget.

The new hospital is nice.

The cash transfers to cities are great.

Waiting to hear what the art/culture crowds think of it. Still like to see culture get its own department, sorry, ministry. Being shoe-horned in with sports and tourism makes me nervous.

Probably a hell of a lot more could've been done to help the poor/unemployed/situationally fucked and to position Saskatchewan for long-term success. I'm sure an NDP budget would've been wildly different here. Hahahahahahahahaha, that's a good one.

We'll have more in next week's prairie dog. I am optimistic there will be at least some limited insight.

In the meantime, here's reports from the CBC and the Leader-Post.

2. FRANCE! In Saskatchewan, changes to labour laws are definitely making it harder to unionize and are (arguably) a blatant violation of human rights. Our take? La la la, hooray for the boom! Unions have ruined Saskatchewan long enough. La la la! In France, meanwhile, public sector workers are striking over President Sarkozy's handling of the economic crisis (let's give tax cuts to the super-rich!) and... 80 per cent of the French people support them. Huh. La la la! (Guardian)

3. GUNS! A Saskatchewan Conservative MP who fought against gun control laws will be honoured at a dinner in Mississauga, Ontario for his, cough, efforts to improve the country we all share. MP Garry Breitkreuz' dinner has a raffle prize: a Beretta handgun. Critics* say this is tasteless and reinforces the perception that gun control foes are out-of-touch assholes with a poor grip on the facts surrounding gun violence. (Toronto Star)

4. RAPIST! Austrian psycho-dad Joseph Fritzl changed his plea on the murder charge to guilty, and he's been sentenced to life in prison. He'll probably be locked up in a secure psychiatric facility, probably forever. Good. (Guardian)

5. CBC! The national broadcaster is cutting executive bonuses and "selling assets" (uh oh) to deal with advertizing shortfalls. But no commercials on the radio as had been previously discussed. Phew! (Globe And Mail)

6. DEATH PENALTY! New Mexico repeals it. (New York Times)

*me for starters.

Re: The Banana Splits

For anyone who read my Doodlebops blurb in the 14 Days Top Six of the March 12 issue (pp. 20) here's some info on The Banana Splits (Wikipedia) (YouTube). Mind-expanding stuff, at least for a pre-teen living in Whitmore Park in South Regina.

13th Ave to be Rebuilt

At last night's Cathedral Area Community Association annual general meeting, Councillor Fred Clipsham announced that this summer 13th Avenue -- the street itself -- will be dug up and rebuilt. Sounds like it'll be more than just a resurfacing job. The plan is to dig up the entire roadbed -- the sidewalks will also likely get redone -- and then build a spiff new avenue. Once completed, 13th Ave will sport something that Regina cyclists have been longing for: bikelanes. Also, the drainage should be improved which means this might be the last winter of mini-skating rinks at major intersections along that street.

Work will not start until after the conclusion of the Cathedral Village Arts Festival.

Exciting News!

It's a busy day in Saskatchewan but you wouldn't know it from the way this alleged journalist is sitting on his ass in front of this screen. Stephen Whitworth is not a morning person but publisher Terry Morash has cast him as one in this sitcom called prairie dog.

Even worse, the coffee is too hot and I burned my lips.

Items:

News item #1: Gregory Beatty is at the legislature covering the budget proceedings. I suspect he is once again going dressed like a hobo. Greg is punk.

News item #2: Paul Dechene will be along with a post this a.m. following up yesterday's controversy on Canada's christian, evolution-averse science minister. [update: that post went up as I was typing this.] As with yesterday's post on the topic, there will be an illustration. Puty likes to draw dinosaurs.

News item #3: Next week, Dog Blog gets a new look, courtesy prairie dog designer Alex Whyte. I have seen it. It is good. No more cookie-cutter template for us. Exciting!