Shovel, Snake, Meet Yogi

BSHT Radio reports today that tunneling operations at correctional centers in Saskatchewan have been put on hold since the appointment of a new correctional Minister on Friday.
Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall today made a number of changes to the provincial cabinet, appointing four new ministers and changing the responsibilities of a number of other ministers. D. F. (Yogi) Huyghebaert - Minister of Corrections, Public Safety and Policing.
Huyghebaert or Yogi as the prisoners will soon affectionately call him replaces
Darryl Hickie who had a number of interesting things happen under his watch including "The Great Escape".
Inmates used a nail clipper and other makeshift tools to tunnel their way out of a Regina jail over a span of four months, a damning report into last summer's escape has revealed.
The report blamed a failure by staff to adequately follow up on intelligence received before the jailbreak, as well as a "counterproductive" organizational culture at the jail, and an "abysmal" relationship between management and union shop stewards.
Throughout the report, there are repeated references to the negative working relationship between staff and management.
Even the prisoners were surprised at the easy way they got out with one quoted as saying "We didn't think we would get away with it"
Yesterday Fred (aka The Shovel), a member of Local 666 of the prisoners union confirmed that with Hickie's departure current tunneling operations and other escape adventures have been postponed until they get a read on the new corrections minister.
*Note Fred did not want his last name used but did say his picture could be used on Facebook.
Fred, aka the Shovel also said a number of his colleagues including Snake and Slice are looking forward to personally meeting "Yogi"
Stay tuned for developments.

Media Too Hard on Lingenfelter

Pat Atkinson doesn't like the new Sask Party cabinet. Says Pat - theres not enough representation from Yorkton, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert. She is right. We have to get people to stop electing the NDP in those centers.

Darryl Hickie is out as a Saskatchewan cabinet minister. All tunnelling in Saskatchewan correctional centers has been put on hold.


And to complete a strange week in Saskatchewan news, the media came down way to hard on NDP leadership candidate Dwain Lingenfelter. Come on people, it was a photo on Facebook.
Lets lighten up. Calls of racism and using the natives are ridiculous.

Dominguez Deserves Better

Matt Dominguez's playing career with the Saskatchewan Roughriders is officially over.

Roughriders head coach Ken Miller issued a statement Wednesday morning regarding Dominguez's future with the team.

"Over the past several weeks, we have had numerous questions regarding Matt Dominguez and the upcoming season

Isn't that what training camp is all about or has that changed ? A chance to assess
not only Dominguez but all the other receivers that are there. He still may be better than what they have. He may not but now we won't know.

Making a decision in this matter has been a very complex process, as we have attempted to strike a balance between our profound respect for Matt and our health related concerns, given his unfortunate history of knee injuries," Miller said.

"Matt is far more than just a football player in the eyes of this organization. he is a highly respected person who, along with his family, has invested significantly in our community, living here year round. He is, and always will be, beloved by the Rider Nation."

Really! Dominguez was released by the Roughriders on February 13, 2009, days before he was due a bonus payment and other incentives with two years remaining on his contract. That sure sounds like respect.

Matt Dominguez is a class act. He has been an outstanding player for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders and he deserves much more than this. If he was beaten out at training camp, or if the injury continued to bother him and he can't cut it, thats fine, but to be punted out like this. He deserves better. I hope he catches on with another CFL team this year and has a great season.
Matt Dominguez deserves it !

Time For Hockey To Wake Up

TORONTO — A Mississauga, Ont., teen was convicted Thursday of manslaughter after the death of an opponent on a rugby field, in a case that tested the acceptability of dangerous and violent play during sporting events.

Now that leads me to wonder if the Canadian Justice System (or lack there of) will get around to sending the same message to the various hockey leagues around the country and in particular the National Hockey League.
** Readers to this blog emailed me to remind of the following as well. I hadn't forgotten but was more or less just looking at the big league.
The death of a 21-year-old hockey player who died three weeks after hitting his unprotected head on the ice during a fight has renewed calls for tougher rules governing the use of helmets.

Don Sanderson, a rookie defenceman with the senior AAA Whitby Dunlops of the Ontario Hockey Association, died shortly after 1 a.m. Friday at Hamilton General Hospital.

Sanderson, a native of Port Perry, Ont., was tussling with Brantford Blast forward Corey Fulton during the third period of a Dec. 12 game at the Brantford Civic Centre when his helmet came off.


In case anyone is counting here's whats happened in the NHL over the years

1905 - Allan Loney is charged with manslaughter in the on-ice clubbing death of Alcide Laurin. Loney claimed self-defence, and was found not guilty. [4]
1907 - Ottawa Senators players Harry Smith, Alf Smith and Charles Spittal were charged with assault after beating Montreal Wanderers players, Hod Stuart, Ernie "Moose" Johnson and Cecil Blatchford with their sticks.
1907 - Ottawa Victorias player Charles Masson is charged with manslaughter after Cornwall player Owen McCourt dies of a head wound sustained in a brawl. Masson is found not guilty on the grounds that there was no way to know which blow had killed McCourt. [5]
1922 - Sprague Cleghorn injured three Ottawa Senators’ players in a brawl, leading Ottawa police to offer to arrest him.
1969 - In a pre-season game held in Ottawa, Ted Green of the Boston Bruins and Wayne Maki of the St.Louis Blues engaged in a violent, stick-swinging brawl. A fractured skull and brain damage caused Green to miss the entire 1969–1970 NHL season.[6] Both were acquitted in court. The NHL suspended Maki for 30 days and Green for 13.
1975 - Dan Maloney of the Detroit Red Wings attacked Brian Glennie of the Toronto Maple Leafs from behind. Maloney was charged with assault causing bodily harm. In exchange for a no-contest plea, Maloney did community service work. He also was banned from playing in Toronto for two seasons.
1975 - Police charged Bruins player Dave Forbes with aggravated assault after a fight with Henry Boucha of the Minnesota North Stars. After a nine-day trial ended with a hung jury, charges against Forbes were dropped.
1976 - Four Philadelphia Flyers players, Joe Watson, Mel Bridgman, Don Saleski and Bob "Hound" Kelly were charged with assault, using their hockey sticks as weapons in a violent playoff game between the Flyers and the Toronto Maple Leafs in which fans had been taunting the Flyers players and spitting at them. Bridgman was acquitted, but the other three Flyers were found guilty of simple assault.
1976 - Calgary Cowboys forward Rick Jodzio plead guilty to a charge of assault following a cross-check to the head of Quebec Nordiques player Marc Tardif during the World Hockey Association playoffs. The hit led to a 20-minute, bench clearing brawl.[7]
1977 - Dave "Tiger" Williams of the Toronto Maple Leafs hit Pittsburgh Penguin Dennis Owchar with his stick. He was charged with assault, but acquitted.
1982 - Jimmy Mann of the Winnipeg Jets left the bench and hit Pittsburgh Penguin Paul Gardner, breaking Gardner's jaw in two places. Police charged Mann, who was fined $500 and given a suspended sentence in Winnipeg.
1988 - Dino Ciccarelli hit Leafs defenceman Luke Richardson with his stick. Charged and convicted of assault, he was sentenced to one day in jail and fined $1,000.
1998 - Jesse Boulerice of the Plymouth Whalers was suspended for the rest of the playoffs after violently swinging his stick at Guelph Storm forward Andrew Lang. Boulerice was charged with assault as a result of the incident.
2000 - Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins hit Vancouver Canuck Donald Brashear in the head with his stick in the waning moments of the game, after losing a fight to Brashear earlier in the game. McSorley was convicted of assault with a weapon and given an 18-month conditional discharge.
2004 - After repeated failed attempts at instigating a fight, Todd Bertuzzi of the Vancouver Canucks sucker-punched Steve Moore of the Colorado Avalanche from behind, knocking Moore unconscious. The pair then fell to the ice with Bertuzzi's weight crushing Moore face-first into the ice, followed by several players from both teams further piling onto the mêlée. Moore sustained three fractured vertebrae, a grade three concussion, vertebral ligament damage, stretching of the brachial plexus nerves, and facial lacerations. Bertuzzi was charged by police, and given a conditional discharge after pleading guilty to assault causing bodily harm. His suspension resulted in a loss of $500,000 in pay and the Canucks were fined $250,000. Bertuzzi was re-instated in 2005; Moore has not played since and made several unsuccessful attempts at civil litigation.

Its a good idea for the Courts to finally come down on violence in sports.
How can it be acceptable to smack someone over the head with a hockey stick just because you're playing a game. Time for hockey to wake up.
Kind of sad though that the test case has to be a teen age rugby player.

Lower The Deficit Or Else

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff and Finance Critic John McCallum issued a stern warning today to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Lower the deficit or else
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff called on Prime Minister Stephen Harper Wednesday to fire the finance minister, a day after Flaherty said the federal government deficit this year would to $50 billion, up significantly from $33.7 billion he forecast in the January federal budget. Ignatieff, whose party is pushing for even more spending which would result in a bigger deficit by, among other things, making it easier for more Canadians to qualify for employment insurance, said that Flaherty’s credibility was the issue and it was for that reason that he should resign.

Get On Board With Us

Help Wanted:

Saskatoon Transit requires bus drivers immediately. This is an attractive position that features working as little as two hours per day and being paid for a full day. Or you may be fortunate enough to not work any hours in a day and still be paid for it.
These positions could be ideal for retired persons who didn't want to retire. Now they can work, or in this case, not work and still be paid for a full day. Other perks include video watching and more !
Saskatoon's mayor is on board on this one saying the city is saving money on overtime.
To apply please fax your resume to (306) 975 7651

Queen to Join The Seal Hunt

It is reported today that Queen Elizabeth may be preparing to join the Canadian seal hunt in an effort to support both her
representative Governor General Michaelle Jean and Canada's sealers.
It may have meant to be a sign of solidarity with Canada's Inuit people or possibly a slap in the face of the European Union after it recently voted to ban seal products.
Whatever her motivation, Governor General Michaelle Jean is certainly being talked about this morning after she gutted a freshly slaughtered seal, cut out the heart, took off a slice and ate it raw. It was it was definitely graphic, even stomach churning, but was it justified? Jean says yes.
On the Governor General's final official visit to the Arctic, she used a traditional blade to repeatedly cut into a freshly slaughtered seal, then turned to the woman beside her and asked her, "Could I try the heart"? And then she did.
When it was over, the Governor General wiped her bloody fingers with a tissue, saying it is difficult to believe anyone would characterize the traditional hunting practices as inhumane.
And apparently the Queen is in agreement.

Lets play "Who Said It"

Quote

"If you mess with me, I will mess with you until I am done"

Now who said it

A) Tommy, the school yard bully who picks on everyone till he gets his way!
B) Rocky, the barroom brawler who never has a date and goes to the dance just to pick a fight!
C) Michael Ignatieff, the Harvard scholar who wants to be Canada's next Prime Minister
D) Bubba, the down south redneck who will beat on anyone

GANDER, N.L. - Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff did not mince words in issuing a warning to Stephen Harper on Saturday night.
Ignatieff told the Newfoundland and Labrador Liberal convention in Gander the prime minister must learn: "If you mess with me, I will mess with you until I'm done."

If you picked C - congratulations you are right. The man who wants to be Prime Minister Michael Ignatieff speaking with class and dignity that only a Harvard education can provide.

And speaking to a Liberal rally - a Liberal rally - Are these the same Liberals who advocate no guns, no violence, hug a thug with the criminals etc. Does Michael Ignatieff have a new vision for Canada ?

Just One Is Too Many

Victoria (Tori) Stafford
Age: 8
Location: Woodstock, Ontario
Killed 2009

Emmanuel Jacques
Age: 12
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: August 1977. Emmanuel was working as a shoeshine boy on Yonge Street in downtown Toronto. He was lured into an apartment above a body rub parlour, strangled and drowned in the kitchen sink.
Sharin' Morningstar Keenan
Age: 9
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: January 1983. Sharin' was abducted in downtown Toronto and found dead 10 days later.
Christine Jessop
Age: 9
Location: Queensville, Ont.
Killed: October 1984. Christine was abducted from her home, sexually assaulted and murdered. Three months later her remains were found about 50 kilometres from her home.
Alison Parrott
Age: 11
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: July 1986. Alison was lured to Varsity Stadium by someone posing as a photographer. She was sexually assaulted and murdered. Her body was discarded in a wooded area near the Humber River.
Andrea Atkinson
Age: 6
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: October 1990. Andrea was abducted from her building in Toronto, sexually assaulted and murdered. She was later found stuffed in the storage tank on the sixth floor of her building.
Kayla KlauduszAge: 3
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: July 1991. Kayla was sexually assaulted and murdered. Her body was found floating in Toronto's harbour.
Leslie Mahaffy and Kristen French
Age: Leslie, 14; Kristen, 15
Location: Niagara Region, Ont.
Killed: 1991. Leslie and Kristen were both abducted, tortured and murdered.
April Lambert
Age: 12
Location: Alberta
Killed: April disappeared from the Bushie Reserve in northern Alberta in 1998 and later found dead, her body mutilated.
Sharmini Anandavel
Age: 15
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: June 1999. Sharmini disappeared in June, and was found dead in October of that year.
Farah Khan
Age: 9
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: December 1999. Farah's dismembered body was found in a park in Etobicoke, in Toronto's west end
Domenic and Gemini BrownAges: Domenic, 15 months; Gemini, 3 months
Location: Calgary, Alta.
Killed: In the summer of 2000, the infants' mother, Rie Fujii, left them alone
Heather Thomas
Age: 10
Location: Surrey, B.C.
Killed: Oct. 1, 2000. Heather was sexually assaulted and dumped into Alouette Lake
Alexis Currie (Shown in picture)
Age: 2
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: March 9, 2002. Alexis disappeared during a custodial visit with her father. The toddler was stabbed to death. Her body was found near Claremont, a forested area northeast of Toronto.
Holly Jones
Age: 10
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: May 12, 2003. Holly was abducted in broad daylight within blocks of her west-end Toronto home. The next day, her remains were found in two locations on the city's waterfront.
Cecilia Zhang
Age: 9
Location: Toronto, Ont.
Killed: Cecilia went missing Oct. 20, 2003. She was apparently abducted from her bedroom overnight. Her remains were found in March 2004 in a ravine in Mississauga, Ont.
Jessica Koopmans
Age: 5
Location: Lethbridge, Alta.
Killed: Jessica went missing on her way to a friend's house on May 4, 2001. Her body was later found near a farmer's field outside Fort Macleod.



The above list contains the names of many Canadian children who have been abducted, raped, tortured and murdered over the years in Canada. They are names and faces that the do good groups opposed to the death penalty would prefer that you didn't know. Unfortunately I have probably missed some as well.
The "hug a thug" groups that claim the death penalty is barbaric with no thought to the horrors that were inflicted upon innocent children. The main objection of those opposed to the death penalty continues to be, what if an innocent person is sentenced to death?
I agree that would be tragic but and in cases where there is even a small element of doubt, the death penalty could be postponed. But how many times does that happen?
I know, I know, they will cry. Just one is too many.
But look at the list again. These are not just names. These are innocent children with hopes, dreams, aspirations who leave behind shattered families. Just one is too many.
We won't see a return to the death penalty anytime soon. All three political parties are against it and have been even if a majority of Canadians favour a return to capital punishment. But a good start might be the return of the death penalty for child killers, pedophiles and other sexual deviants who prey on children and the death penalty as well for those females who lure an innocent child to a predator.
Perhaps a penalty like that would be a deterrent for who prey on children.
Again I know, they will throw in their studies that show the death penalty is not a deterrent. Some even claim that murders have decreased since the abolition of capital punishment. Keep in mind that to many of these groups, this is a full time
occupation. In other words they are paid to coddle the criminal, spin the statistics and keep on getting government funding.
And the murders of children just keep on happening.
One more innocent child killed in this manner is just one too many.

NDP's Best Before Date

Another week or two goes by and no-one has reported the NDP Lingenfelter phoney membership scandal to the RCMP. In fact the NDP, after conducting an in house investigation by one of their one, The Hale Report, says they won't refer the matter to the police. In giving Lingenfelter their "Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval"
the NDP say it was all the work of one over zealous campaign worker and its over with. No harm, no foul. The worker now can not be found. Most likely he is
recovering from exhaustion. This one incredible, over zealous worker managed to sign up 1100 members without even contacting them, take in over $10,000 in cash,
small unmarked bills I presume, and get all the paper work done without anyone noticing it. This guy should be sending out resumes. Workers like that are hard to find.
But it got me thinking. Is there a "Best Before Date" on all of this. Could it be
that the NDP sits quietly, waiting for six months, waiting for say a Statue of
Limitations to expire so the whole thing just goes away? No harm, no foul.
A spokesman for the Regina RCMP, Staff Sergeant Richard Roy, says anyone can report a crime. However before police can take action they do require some-one to provide evidence that a crime was committed.
Lets see - that would only leave four possibilities. The NDP who say they won't,
the Lingenfelter campaign team who say they have been cleared (The Hale Report), the overzealous campaign worker who can't be found or one of the 1100 people who had their names forged on these membership documents. Doesn't look good does it?
Lets see what was that "Best Before Date" again ?

MacLeans Misses Some

a



MacLeans Magazine selected Saskatoon and Regina as the two most dangerous and crime ridden cities in Canada. This brought cries of indignation from the Mayors of the two cities. Not with standing the occassional broad daylight machete and sword attack, numerous everyday stabbings and throw in a nightly convenience store robbery, the Mayors claim their cities are as safe as they come.
Well not to debate that at this time, but MacLeans Magazine missed some other thefts that occur legally in the two cities. It happens everyday, at the pumps, where like puppets on a string, gas stations raise their prices and the poor consumer is robbed again. Gas prices in Saskatoon now range anywhere from 1.04.9 per litre up to
1.09.9 The website www.gasbuddy.com shows this comparison
Local Price Snapshot
Today 104.921
Yesterday 100.724
One Week Ago 97.359
One Month Ago 93.433
One Year Ago 129.683
And advises prices are expected to go even higher.

It furthers shows that Saskatoon and Regina trail only Vancouver and Victoria in this great Canadian ripoff


Edmonton, AB 95.025 +5.308
London, ON 95.748 -0.417
Hamilton, ON 96.896 -0.369
Toronto, ON 96.983 -0.593
Calgary, AB 97.128 +6.541
Winnipeg, MB 98.238 -0.030
Halifax, NS 99.365 +0.065
Quebec City, QC 99.567 +1.167
Montreal, QC 99.667 -1.015
Regina, SK 103.715 +3.403
Saskatoon, SK 104.921 +4.197
Vancouver, BC 105.493 +2.030
Victoria, BC 107.900 -0.200

Today the government proudly annouced legislation to protect credit card holders.
Of course not from high interest rates because the Finance Minister would never be that courageous.
Heres a message Mr. Flaherty. I don't need you to protect me from credit card companies. I need you to lower gas prices. I don't need to use a credit card and if I decide to, well the interest rates, the charges and whatever else you think you are protecting me from are my problem. I do use my car everyday though. I need it to get to work. I need it on the job and Mr. Flaherty it requires gasoline.
Isn't it about time your government protected us from the hosers at the pump?

The White Oliphant Commission

If information is power, the ability to distort and control information will be used more often than not to preserve and perpetuate that power. David Wise in " The Politics of Lying"

I'm not sure which is more disheartening. Watching another fourteen million dollars of taxpayer money flushed down the drain in the Oliphant (White Elephant) Commission debacle or watching Mulroney twist and spin his way though another day.
It got me thinking - Is lying just a way of life in politics ? Is this something we should just come to expect ? You know, just another day at the office, deceived one or two, screwed a few and on we go. I mean we have had enough of it.
Bill Clinton - I did not have sex with that woman
George Bush - Iraq poses imminent danger and weapons of mass destruction
The Liberal Party - cashed stuffed in brown envelopes
Mulroney - its all just a business deal
and even here in Saskatchewan, the NDP expects us to believe that 1100 phony memberships were just the work of one
over zealous volunteer and not the fraud that many believe it to be. No harm, no foul !
Is this the norm ? One only needs to look at the Soviet Union to know the danger of lying in politics. Here was a government so adept at lying that even they seemed to forget what the truth really was. Soviet society was built one fiction upon another until it almost became comical. Can we really be that far behind ?
Does Brian Mulroney think the Canadian public will really think that three hundred thousand dollars in cash and then stashed away in a safe unreported was just a normal way of doing business. Does the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party actually think that Saskatchewan people will accept that this was just the work of one person, who signed up 1100 members, got it all paid for in small cash amounts and was just being over zealous? It makes me think that politicians need to be more honest about their lying. Or do they ? Do we just take everything they say at face value.
Two things bother me about these lies.
1) These lies are completely insulting and
2) Perhaps even more insulting is the belief of the politicians that they can get away with it.
But even worse than that is the sobering and humiliating fact that we indeed are letting them get away with it.

Oh What a Tangled Web We Weave

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive"
- Sir Walter Scott

"But when we've practiced for a while,
How vastly we improve our style!"
- J.R. Pope

NDP Say No RCMP

The NDP say they will not involve the RCMP in the phony membership scandal.
That leaves more to be swept under the rug adding to morin that has already been thrown under the bus.

Hurricane Cheerleaders at it Again

Carolina Hurricanes have the only cheerleading squad in professional hockey and they were busy again tonight in the TSN broadcasting booth.

Cam Ward is stellar, but Marc Andre Fleury won the game
Cam Ward was magnificient, but Marc Andre Fleury won the game
Cam Ward was a monster, Cam Ward is so fundamentally sound, Cam Ward, Cam Ward,
Cam Ward, Cam Ward,
But Gord, Darren and Pierre, Pittsburgh WON
Pittsburgh 3 Carolina 2

Bettman Saves The Maple Laughs

What a guy that Gary Bettman. My hat is off to him. Not only has he beaten back Jim Basillie, kept the Coyotes in Phoenix but he may have saved the pathetic Toronto Maple Leafs as well.
Bettman favoured Winnipeg: Moyes
Lawyer for team owner claims NHL boss would rather see Coyotes in Manitoba, not Hamilton
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would rather the Phoenix Coyotes move back to Winnipeg, preferring Hamilton to get an expansion team, according to the latest documents filed in bankruptcy court.

Well of course he would. Could you imagine if the Phoenix Coyotes moved to Hamilton and actually made the playoffs while the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to miss year after year. Oh what an embarassment that would be for Bettman and the center of the universe. Bettman's hopes will of course be - stick an expansion team in Hamilton.
Fill em up with AHL, CHL and other minor leage players and hopefully they will languish in futilty forever. Preferably behind the Maple Laughs who own the record for languishing in futility.
The saw off in all of that. Winnipeg. Lets give those poor old Manitobans the Jets and hopefully that will save the Leafs. Only if we have to though.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said moving the team to Winnipeg was considered only if there were no other options. Isn't that a ringing endorsement for Winnipeg.
We'll go there only if there is no where else to go.
"In the event there turned out to be no options in Phoenix - and only in that event - we thought it was worth exploring what might be available in Winnipeg," Daly said in an email in reaction to the latest documents.
You sometimes have to wonder why fans are stupid enough to support this league year after year.
Too bad the founders of the World Hockey Association weren't around to give it another go.

And Another One Under the Bus

My apologies to Queen but here's my take on the NDP Membership fiasco in
Saskatchewan.

Another one under the bus
Another one under the bus
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one under the bus
Hey, Im gonna get you too
Another one under the bus


How do you think Im going to get along,
Without you, when youre gone
You took me for everything that I had,
And kicked me out on my own

Another one under the bus
Another one under the bus
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one under the bus
Hey, Im gonna get you too
Another one under the bus

Are you happy, are you satisfied
How long can you stand the heat
Out of the doorway the media rip
To the sound of the beat

Another one under the bus
Another one under the bus
And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one under the bus
Hey, Im gonna get you too
Another one under the bus

Riders New Farm Team For Edmonton

The Edmonton Eskimos announced today that they have entered into an agreement with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders which will see the Riders serve as a farm or development team for the Eskimos.
At the same time, the Eskimos announced they have sent someone by the name of
Juan Joseph to the Riders for all star defensive end Kitwana Jones. Joseph has just graduated Millsaps (yes that does say saps) College in Jackson, Mississippi.
(Wonder who the saps are in this deal?)
Kitwana Jones
Started all 18 regular season games and West Semi-Final at defensive end…had seven defensive tackles in week 7…had three defensive tackles and a fumble recovery in week 9…had five defensive tackles, a quarterback sack and a forced fumble in week 10…had four defensive tackles, three special teams tackles and a quarterback sack in week 12…had two defensive tackles, a special teams tackle, a quarterback sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in week 14…finished the season with 55 defensive tackles, 11 special teams tackles, three tackles for losses and a team high five quarterback sacks.
Looks like a pretty even trade !
The Riders have been unofficially serving as a development team for the Eskimos having recently traded Fred Perry for Steven Jyles (another quarterback who doesn't play)
Ritchie Hall also left the Riders to take over the head coaching position with the Eskimos and earlier this year the Eskimos called up Scott Gordon and Maurice Lloyd to play with the big team.
A league spokesman says although unusual it is not against the rules for a team to have a farm team in the same league. As far as disappointing the fans, the spokesman points to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who haven't won anything in years and yet still fill their building.
Rider officials are confident their young inexperienced quarterbacks can do the job but say negotiations are continuing with Michael Bishop and Kerry Joseph and talks have started with Dave Dickenson, however apparently Dickenson can't remember where Saskatchewan is.
As far as a decimated defence corps goes, Rider coaches say there is no truth to the rumour that Gainer the Gopher is now working out at the middle linebacker position.

TSN's Hurricane Cheerleading Team !

Just add skirts and pompoms and you're ready to go

What The Hale ?

The Hale Report is in. Commissioned by the NDP, and conducted by NDP lawyer Bob Hale, the results are in. Nobody did anything wrong.
Oh yes perhaps one over zealous campaign worker who shall remain nameless. He actually has a name. He was referred to numerous times as "Local Volunteer". Local Volunteer must be quite a worker. He can sign up 1100 new members, get all the paperwork done, collect the payment and get it in on time and now he has amazingly disappeared. To people who are really disappointed in this "sweep it under the rug" report, who cares? The NDP membership will be the first to pass judgement on the type of leader they want to fight the next election. If they are ok with this, doesn't that say something about them?
And if they do give "Waterhen gate" the second rubber stamp, then the third and final reading will go to the general electorate when Dwain Lingenfelter faces Brad Wall in the next provincial election.
And really isn't that the way it should be? Interesting Napolean had his Waterloo, Nixon had his Watergate and now Lingenfelter has his "Waterhen" When it comes to any conclusion about the Hale report, how does that old saying go about the fox guarding the henhouse?

WANTED - Conservative Prime Minister With Charisma

As I watched Brian Mulroney unravelling on the stand in the latest Canadian million dollar boon doggle inquiry, I began to think what this country (Canada) really needs is a Conservative Prime Minister with charisma. You know a character, someone who is really charismatic. Unlike Michael Ignatieff, the tourist who wants to be your next Prime Minister, I have lived all my life in Canada and pretty much grown up on a steady diet of Liberal PM's. So I decided to do a little comparison with the concept of charisma as the main factor.
The Liberals of course can offer up Pierre Elliot Trudeau (68 - 79 and 80 - 84) as their charismatic superstar. Trudeau mania swept Pierre to power in a Canadian version of Obama mania. Even Western Canadians liked Pierre until he fingered and fuddled duddled us and basically told our farmers to go to hell.
Then there is Jean Chretien, elected in 1993. The scrappy little guy from Shawinigan, who even if you didn't like Jean, you just had to admire him for getting to the big show. Would there have been anyone in Shawinigan in Jean's growing up days who would have looked at him and said there goes our future Prime Minister?
Now look at the Conservative side. Remember this is in my lifetime. Theres Joe Clarke who had a short visit as Prime Minister in 79 - 80. Described as modest,
straight forward, the youngest Canadian PM at 39, but charisma, no.
Then theres Brian Mulroney. Fiscally responsible, typical Conservative but charismatic? Kim Campbell popped in for a cup of tea as Prime Minister in an even shorter stay so we really didn't get a chance to know her.
And then there is today's Stephen Harper. Again solid, dependable, responsible, all those great Conservative terms but charismatic? Sorry.
You know maybe the problem is in the name. Webster's dictionary defines Conservative as tending or disposed to maintain existing views, marked by moderation or caution, traditional. Thats all good isn't it? In Canada apparently not !
The same dictionary describes Liberal as marked by generosity, generous, openhanded, not bound by tradition. Beginning to sound a little more charismatic isn't it ?
So when you do this comparison and the Liberals can offer Pierre and Jean as their charismatic superstars and the Conservatives can only repsond with well, uh, oh my,
Brian Mulroney. Yikes!

Who Will Speak For Canada

One speaks for the Tamils, one speaks for the Taliban and one speaks for the Separatists. Will some-one please step forward and speak for Canada !

Baaaaa Baaaaa, Media are a Bunch of Sheep

Boston Bruins defenceman Aaron Ward can't believe Carolina Hurricanes forward Scott Walker was not suspended for his punch in Game 5 of their Eastern_Conference semifinal on Sunday. Ward's arms were at his side and was defenceless when Walker took him down with one punch.
Most people who follow hockey can't believe it either. A sucker punch and a league that doesn't follow its own rules.
The NHL rescinded Walker's one-game suspension for instigating the fight in the last five minutes of the game after a hearing on Monday. Walker said he was coming in to defend teammate Matt Cullen, who was engaged in a verbal confrontation with Ward.

"If you, the media, accept that you're a bunch of sheep," Ward told the Raleigh News & Observer. ". . . It just allows people to get off scot-free."

Responded NHL Vice President Colin Campbell and I quote, "Baaaaa,

Baaaaaa, Baaaaaaaa

Shhhh Larry, There Is Still One More Game

Boston 4 Carolina 2 (series tied 3 - 3)
Game seven in Boston where NHL Vice President Colin Campbell has advised the referees to continue to allow the
Hurricanes to trip, slash, aim blows to the knees of star Bruin players, sucker punch others with no consequence of
penalties or suspensions.

How is it not a sucker punch when a player has hands at his side. I agree with Aaron Ward - the media are a bunch of sheep that report whatever they are told.

Aaron Ward, who has a purple bruise under his left eye, spoke today for the first time since being punched by Scott Walker in the third period of Game 5. Walker was fined $2,500 for the incident, but had an automatic one-game suspension (instigating in the final five minutes of a game) rescinded by the league.
"It's a joke. It's honestly a joke," Ward said of the situation.

According to Ward, he was initially barking at Matt Cullen, who had slashed him in the back of the legs. Ward was telling Cullen he didn't like the slash when Walker came in first with a gloved left hand.

Walker then dropped his gloves and nailed Ward with a right hand. Ward said he didn't see Walker and never exchanged any words with him.

"I don't remember a single word being said," Ward said of the exchange between he and Walker. "I was looking at Matt Cullen. The moment I saw his right hand was when it was about a foot away from my face."

NDP Says Farmers Are Seasonal Workers

Putting A Face On The Homeless

Took in the movie "The Soloist" on Saturday night. This is an excellent movie based on a true story about Nathaniel Ayers, a gifted musician who suffers from schizonprenia and becomes homeless on the streets of Los Angeles. He is befriended by a Los Angeles Times reporter who discovers him playing his cello on the streets and begins writing in his column about him.
We went to this movie at the Roxy, a stately theatre in Saskatoon and as an added touch the theatre had a young lady playing the cello for about a half hour before the movie began. Very nice.
The movie, at least for me, really gets you thinking about the plight of homeless people. In the credits at the end of The Soloist, it is stated that there are approximately 90,000 homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles. Mind boggling when you consider the city of Kamloops population is about 90,000 and also that is more people than live in Red Deer and many other Canadian cities. I always a little skeptical about those numbers so I did some checking and it appears 90,000 homeless in
Los Angeles sadly is a pretty accurate number. Some reports said 75,000 homeless, some went even higher than 90,000.
Sad when you think about it. I mean I know there are all kinds of reasons for homelessness but in this day and age people living in countries like Canada and the United States and being poor and homeless really is a sad commentary.
The plight of the homeless has received a bit of a boost lately with this movie and also with the actions last week of Winnipeg's homeless hero Faran Hall. He is the homeless man who dove into the river to pull a child to safety. For that and rightly so
he has been recognized as a hero and honored and gifted. He's been rather modest about it all but perhaps the attention received may result in improvements for the homeless.
The real question is "What can be done about homeless people? We have some of the best social programs in the world and they do not seem to be solving the problem. One article I read the writer glibly quoted Jesus in Matthew 26:11 where he said
"the poor you will always have with you" as if that were some reason for not offering assistance to the down and out.
I could go on here about what Jesus was really saying and how that writer has taken the quote out of context but most people with an intelligent mind would get it.
I would remind that writer of Mark 10:25 where Jesus also said "It is easier for a camel to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God" Now hows that for balancing the scales.

Canucks Sign New Goaltender

The Vancouver Canucks immediately signed a new goaltender following their humiliating 7 - 5 playoff loss to the Chicago BlackHawks and elimination from the Stanley Cup playoffs. Cono Pylon is expected to challenge Roberto Luongo for the top spot on the Canucks and is expected to at least make the backup position replacing Jason Labarbera who never gets to play no matter how bad Roberto is.

Stanley Cup Parade in Toronto

Maple Leaf fans gathered on the Toronto Expressway last night in what they thought was a Stanley Cup parade. And no the Tamil Tigers are not Gary Bettman's new expansion team for Southern Ontario

A Solution For The NHL's Economic Woes

The time has come for the National Hockey League to take a page from society in order to solve its economic problem.
Psychiatrists and psychologists have been telling us for years its not about winning, its about participating. Educators have stopped giving passing and failing marks and have gone so far as to no longer mark papers in red pen because red is a sign of failure. How is it that the Toronto Maple Leafs wear blue? But thats another story.
So here is my solution for the National Hockey League.

1) All 30 teams make the playoffs every year. Its about participating and making money remember. Each participating team will get a miniature Stanley Cup. As part of the new 30 team playoff format and in the interest of fairness and everyone making money the 30th place finisher opens against the 29th, the 28th against the 27th and so on right down to 2 vs 1.
This will give the sad sack Phoenix Coyotes and opportunity to make the playoffs and really generate some excitement out there in the desert, a real hotbed for hockey.
Imagine first round the Coyotes facing off against the equally inept New York Islanders.
Then say Phoenix gets a win in that series, they would face the winner of 28th vs 27th. Likely Nashville or Atlanta.
Can you see the excitement pounding as Gary Bettman's National American Hockey League rolls on through the playoffs.

2) All series will be best of nine, This is about making money remember. As it stands now the National Hockey League wraps up sometime in early June. This will extend the season into mid July thus earning even more revenue for the NHL.

3) Salaries could be slashed drastically. Remember nobody wins, Its participating so now salaries could be cut back substantially. Say salaries could be somewhere in the range of what the President of the United States makes. If you didn't know thats $400,000 per year. If the most powerful man in the world only makes $400,000 per year why are these guys getting five or six million per year to shoot a puck. Ok lets be fair though. Mr. Obama lives in a nice big white house and has all his expenses paid for. So lets triple the NHL salaries. Each player would make 1.2 million per year. Everyone gets the same so no one has an advantage. Small markets like Edmonton can compete, draft good players and then hang on to them.

4) In the new affordable National Hockey League, ticket prices could be dramatically lowered so that a family of four could actually go to a game and not have to take out a second mortgage on their house. Another plus more Canadian teams could be added even in places like Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton, Halifax and Saskatoon. I know that will have NHL President Gary Bettman running for the Pepto Bismal at the thought of Canadian teams competing but remember Gary, this is now a participation league. And anyhow Bettman could have what he's always wanted. An all American cities division competing against an all Canadian division. That way Bettman's "Americanization" could really show us Canadians.

So there are some new ideas for the NHL Board of Governors to kick around for the June meetings. And in keeping with the all participation theme, I won't even charge for these exciting, bold, dramatic and revolutionary ideas.
These ideas won't catch on with other professional league though. A spokesman for the National Football League and major league baseball says fans in their cities actually care about the game unlike hockey with Phoenix, Tampa Bay, and Nashville where to them ice is something you put in a drink.

An Open Letter to NHL President Gary Bettman

Dear Mr. Bettman:
Its difficult to miss the open disdain and contempt that you show towards Canadian NHL teams and Canadian Hockey fans. That you would proudly announce that you will fight any move of the Phoenix Coyotes to Canada and block an opportunity to give Hamilton a team shows your complete arrogance.
Your league, Mr. Bettman, does pretty well by the six current Canadian teams. Statistics show the six Canadian teams make up 31% of the league's 1.1 billion dollars of ticket revenue. That is six out of 30 teams Mr. Bettman.
Other numbers show that at least eleven of the USA based teams either just made it or lost money on ticket revenue.
And yet you continue to shun Canada. Local sports announcer, Drew Remenda, who also does color for the San Jose Sharks, sounds more like your publicist than an announcer when he says you love Canada and you were instrumental in keeping the Oilers in Edmonton. Well why wouldn't you keep the Oilers in Edmonton?
In terms of ticket revenue generated they are number 18 on the list ahead of New Jersey, Pittsburgh and Washington among others. Calgary sits at number 14, Ottawa at number 12. Toronto, as you know is #1 in ticket revenue while Montreal sits at number 3 and Vancouver at 8. Pretty good numbers for six Canadian teams.
From a business standpoint a franchise in Hamilton or Winnipeg only makes sound economic sense.
Some of the USA markets that you vigoursly defend including Phoenix are way at the bottom. For example, Mr. Bettman, the Coyotes bring in about $450,000 in revenue per game while Toronto brings in about 1.9 million dollars per game.
In fact in 1996, Mr. Bettman, the Winnipeg Jets, averaged about $330,000 per game so have you really done much better in a non hockey market like Phoenix?
And in case you haven't checked Phoenix isn't your only problem team. Have you checked the numbers for Columbus, Atlanta, Nashville, the Islanders and even the Buffalo Sabres?
Unless somehow you can turn these teams into winners, Mr Bettman it won't be long before they will be looking for somewhere to move as well. And true to form I am sure you will try Kansas City or Orlando and fail again there before you try good Canadian cities.
Its an unfortunate reality Mr. Bettman that not every team can win the Stanley Cup and winning does make a difference. Remember the Washington Capitals? They were about ready to die in the mid seventies. They finished last six out of eight seasons and missed the playoffs every year of their first eight seasons. Then came the trade that brought Rod Langway to the Capitals. They made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and then never missed the playoffs in the eleven seasons that Langway played there. But even today Washington lags behind the six Canadian franchises in terms of ticket revenue.
You see Mr Bettman just being large in population doesn't guarantee success.
The Saskatchewan Rough Riders play in the smallest market in the Canadian Football League and yet they lead the league in numerous categories. There's a little thing you keep forgetting about Mr. Bettman. Its called passion. Canadian hockey fans have it. It is our game you know. So move out of the way, let Mr. Bassillie have his franchise and let Hamilton have the Coyoteees. By the way we'll call them the Coyotes up here. When that works out and it will, lets bring the Jets back to Winnipeg.

When a dog's gotta go, well a dog's gotta go

Went grocery shopping tonight at the local Extra Foods and was surprised to see that they are now charging five cents for their plastic bags in an effort to as they say, Save the Planet, Protect the environment. Isn't that what they all say?
Now I get all the environmnent stuff, I get it, I mean I'm not fanatical about it but really how is charging me five cents for a plastic bag going to have a real significant impact on the environment.
I asked a couple of employees where this nickel ends up. Does the company donate back to say environmental causes or is it just another five cents into the profit bag. And don't get me wrong, I'm not against profits.
I understand all the hype about plastic bags. Apparently we use over 500 billion of these things every year. And thats what leaves me a little skeptical. Do the math on five billion multiplied by five cents and its starts to look like a money grab to me. Tell me my nickel is going back to planetary improvement and not to the companies bottom line.
Also its not like the plastic bag industry isn't aware of the concerns.They had to get concerned after the city of San Francisco became the first city in North America to ban plastic bags. The industry says they will be using 40% recycled content by the year 2015 and expect to reduce waste by 300 million pounds per year.
My concern, What about poor Fido? Signs all over parks tell us to "Scoop the Poop" or get fined. Scoop it where if I can't carry a plastic bag? Will I have to start carrying a little plastic pail on all my walks? What about these parks that sell little plastic bags? Will they have to stop? You know I'm trying to convince myself that this nickel a bag thing is all about the environment. But something else is telling me its just another executive thought out money grab.