Abandoned Stuff by Saskboy

I’m not a NASCAR fan, but besides the Ballad of Ricky Bobby (the movie) this is the best thing I’ve seen come out of that sport:

What in tarnation could have happened to all of our kids? We’ve lost so many that closing 12 schools in Regina over the next decade makes sense to school boards???

My real guess is that they’ve learned a new way to fold children, so they take up 1/2 the space. Watch Regina’s “communities” be crushed further under the heel of corporate amalgamation-management. I guess they are trying to duplicate the success of North Central’s community in the rest of the city?

“Together, we can renew quality public education in Regina over the next 10 years.”
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the quality of a closed school is 0.

“The plan also calls for the redesign of 11 schools and 18 program mergers. Also homeowners would see a less than one percent increase to their property taxes. ”
Wow! Finally an admission I can agree with. Closing schools increases taxes.

The Plan involves 18 program mergers, the addition of one dual-track French
Immersion program, with 12 elementary and two high school facility closures. At the conclusion of the Plan, it is anticipated that Regina Public Schools will operate 35 elementary and eight high schools. Discussions regarding a potential southeast high school are also contemplated.

I’m sure that many people think that what the RBE is doing (PDF) will improve education for children, but my experience and those of several people who have left comments on other school-closure articles I’ve posted indicate that education is harmed. There’s also a good indication from past closures that nothing will be saved in taxes, even though fewer facilities are operated. Where does that money go?

UPDATE: People are starting to press for positive change.

I was in Old Fashioned Foods in Regina today, for the first time. I was browsing, looking for new things I might like to try. On the list of things I didn’t buy, I found some dandelion leaf tea[?], and in the shampoo section I saw something that I’d heard about on the Internet… It was a DivaCup, a female menstrual product. I say “female menstrual product” because if there was a male menstrual product, it would “make you bleed harder, faster, and longer” which I’m told by Ashley is a running joke amongst women about boastful men. I was thinking a male menstrual product is probably beer, as it makes the symptoms of PMS less noticeable to some men, when they get too drunk to notice.

On the box of the $34 “menstrual solution” was “Storage bag and Diva lapel pin included!” Lapel pin? You mean someone would wear a pin indicating what type of method they use to catch menstrual blood? Is this the same marketing genius that came up with the often mocked on the Interwebs: Always - “Have a happy period.”?

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In A Buck or Two, I found a new battery for my watch for just $2 (and it was a name brand lithium!) and overheard a cashier telling another about a passed out stoner in another store, who had stolen things, and mall security had refused to search or remove the man. The woman ended up searching him to get back the things he took. It sounded like he woke up himself, and left four hours later.

104.9 The Wolf, a Harvard radio station in Regina apparently forwarded a call from some pranksters at another radio station to Chris White’s cell phone. They then convinced him to rip up his Grey Cup tickets he got off eBay. Apparently.

The YouTube video of the recorded call, whether accurate or not, has been removed!
“This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.”

Does anyone have any verified information about what’s real in this stunt?

If the prank was real, then Wheeler and Hal deserve a lot more than just having their video removed from YouTube.

Here’s a good article summing things up, from the SP in Saskatoon:

UofS admin gets 33% IN WAGES, and they offer CUPE a highly conditional “17.85%” wages AND BENEFITS. The UofR-CUPE benefits are actually cut, except for the eye glasses which go up $50. That’s wiped out if you get dental work done since CUPE will lose ~$350 in the UofR newly proposed package. They are offering a conditional boost of $150, IF CUPE takes a cut in dental, Short and Longterm disability! Hmm, $150 + $50 - $350 = -$150.

….”The [CUPE] speakers took shots at the university’s senior administrators whose salaries have increased, on average, 11 per cent per year for the past six years. In 2006, their salaries ranged from $122,437 to $242,348, not including the president’s salary of $320,000.

“Senior administrators receiving those big increases and salaries at this university never had to strike. They just got big increases and paycheques,” said Linda Reiber, a member of the CUPE bargaining committee, drawing boos from the crowd.

“And then they turned around and made us strike for modest gains. That’s disgraceful.”

The universities’ latest offer to CUPE Local 1975 includes a 17 per cent increase in wages and benefits over three years.

But the union says the wage increase is really 8.25 per cent because six per cent is based on acceptable performance.

The two sides also disagree on the funding and management of CUPE 1975’s benefits plan.

The employees have been working without a new contract since Dec. 31, 2006.

Friday’s half-hour protest was a rallying point for professors and other university employees who gathered about 2,500 names on a petition, asking the university’s board of governors to direct administration representatives to return to bargaining in good faith.

Those who organized the petition believe the CUPE strike is an example of poor labour relations at the university and they’re calling for an external review of the human resources department.”

- Strikers out in -35C wind-chill, looking for a “fair offer”, not a “final offer”

Holmes hoists the Grey Cup at the Legislature to the chanting crowd below:

- The red and white Snowbirds sticker is visible in this photo.

New Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall admitted to the crowd that he was unaware that the flag pole outside of his office, and over the stairs leading into the Legislature, is reserved for when the Queen of Canada is visiting. I hope her Royal Highness is amused that a Roughrider flag autographed by the Grey Cup winning team is flying there. After all, Earl Grey was a representative of the Royal Family, so the winners of his cup have at least some claim to the special flag pole :-)

I’m cool with it.

More photos at my flickr account, and videos yet to come…

Jellyfish eat fish farm? Everything’s OK. Look at what the Queen ate.

And let’s aspire to be the best of the worst?

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Canadian technology in the US Military:

Real life got in the way of sports life today, so I missed the party at Mosaic Stadium Monday afternoon, in favour of a work. However, I did show up in time to see several Roughriders (O’Day, K. Jones, Fantuz {I think, I haven’t put a name to every face, and people look different in real life opposed to on TV with facemasks…}) leaving in their taxis and vehicles, and watched G.M. Eric Tillman sign things for fans even though he had a driver waiting for him. Someone I don’t know is getting a nifty signed helmet for Christmas thanks in part to Tillman taking that extra moment for fans.

CBC on MAX TV was claiming to be showing the celebration from 4:00 to 5:30 but they had Red Green on instead?? I hope they replay it many times so I can watch it later, or someone can YouTube it.

I want to attend the parade tomorrow, but the wind chill sounds scary, and I’m already going to be outside most of the morning in the dangerous temperatures we’re getting.

My Dad picked a great year to buy a Flex Pack of tickets with me :-) Next year I think I’ll be going to fewer games though. Not because I don’t love seeing the games, but because several hundred dollars is a lot to invest into professional sports in a year, when there are so many other more worthwhile activities that need support in the city.

Plus, what are the odds of winning two Cups in a row? Just KIDDING! Dynasty time, WOOO RIDERS!
/=S=/

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Check out the Green CN Tower! Saskatchewan: We came; We saw; We conquered in Toronto!