This guy is one amazing musician.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Calvin and Hobbes is a daily comic strip that was written and illustrated by American cartoonist Bill Watterson, and syndicated from November 18, 1985, to December 31, 1995. It follows the humorous antics of Calvin, a precocious and adventurous six-year-old boy, and Hobbes, his sardonic stuffed tiger. The pair are named after John Calvin, a 16th-century French Reformation theologian, and Thomas Hobbes, a 17th-century English political philosopher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today the Winnipeg Police received an apology from some idiot who decided to make up a story that he was brought on a “starlight” ride by city cops. Evan Maude, a young Aboriginal male, claimed he was driven in a police car in the middle of winter outside city limits and told by the officers to walk back. It was just a made up stupid lie. Why this cretin decided to make up the lie is anybody’s guess. Maybe he had family, who in his mind, had been mistreated by the police. Or maybe he was acting out a fantasy based on the true “starlight” rides the Saskatoon police take intoxicated and troublesome Aboriginals on.

 

 

 

In my opinion the Winnipeg Police Service does an excellent job.  Winnipeg is a rough and tumble city.  Tough people from working class neighbourhoods who grow up not liking cops.  Many immigrants from Africa and Asia who from experience in their homelands see police as corrupt thugs.  And the huge Aboriginal population of Winnipeg.  Almost every Aboriginal person knows some family member or friend who has had a run in with the cops or been arrested.  Aboriginals make up 10 percent of the Manitoba population, but they make up 60 percent of the jail and prison population.  Therefore Winnipeg police and Aboriginal people are very well acquainted indeed.

But except for a few rare cases that span decades, there has never really been animosity in Winnipeg between the Aboriginal community and the police.  The Winnipeg police are never accused of blatant racism.  Not so in the fair city of Thunder Bay, Ontario.  On a CBC documentary the other night it was astounding how the large Aboriginal community in that city is terrified of the Thunder Bay cops.  They don’t trust the cops, they are scared at the sight of police cars and they claimed that police physical abuse is rampant. Why is there this difference between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay?  There could be hundreds of reasons.  Suffice it to say Winnipeg police seem to have very sound tactics and strategies when dealing with minority groups.  They appear to show respect and patience, thereby gaining confidence.

The Winnipeg police are also very good at solving crimes, especially homicides.  There are very few cold cases in Winnipeg.  The detectives find the killers.  But the Winnipeg police get a lot of criticism.

On a local radio station talk show this morning the host was talking about the “starlight” accusation and subsequent apology.  Many callers accused the police of abusing their power and being unfair in regard to charges being laid.  For the record most of these callers sounded like rooming house low lifes who likely deserved to be roughed up by the cops when they were arrested for public drunkenness or some other petty nuisance crime.  The criticism of the police also included speed traps, getting pulled over for a dirty license plate and other trivial nonsense.  The ingrates who were making the criticisms should realize without the police there would be unmitigated chaos!

One buffoon who called into the radio station said the police should try doing what he does for a living, a garbage man.  He says he really has to work, tossing those cans of garbage filled with very nasty things into the garbage truck.  But what the idiot didn’t realize is that garbage is quiet.  It may be heavy and smelly, but it doesn’t cuss at you, spit or vomit at you or take a blind sided swing at you.  I would like to see that garbage cement head break up a house party in the North End of the city when five sisters from one family attack five sisters from another family during a an out of control booze fest.  Now that must be fun!

A Winnipeg police officer makes a good salary when he gets to the five-year mark on the force.  But for the first four years the newbies get all the bottom of the barrel assignments and likely work the worst shifts, I.E the Friday and Saturday night bring the inebriates to the drunk tank dance.  Keep up the good solid work Winnipeg police.  You keep the bad guys in their place and make Winnipeg a decent place to live.

 

Salary Level

The Winnipeg Police Service offers a competitive salary in comparison to other Canadian Police Services. Once an employee begins their career and training at the Police Academy, they start earning an annual salary of $46,835.38 as a Fourth Class Constable.

As a Constable progresses through his or her career and providing they have met all standards, their salary increases as follow:

CONSTABLE	YEARS OF SERVICE	HOURLY	BI-WEEKLY	ANNUAL
CONSTABLE	YEARS OF SERVICE	HOURLY	BI-WEEKLY	ANNUAL
4th Class	Starting	$22.52	$1,801.36	$46,835.38
4th Class	After 1 Year	$24.56	$1,965.12	$51,093.14
3rd Class	After 2 Years	$26.61	$2,128.88	$55,350.90
3rd Class	After 3 Years	$28.65	$2,292.64	$59,608.66
2nd Class	After 4 Years	$32.75	$2,620.16	$68,124.19
1st Class	After 5 Years	$40.94	$3,275.20	$85,155.24

*Above salary schedule is as of July 1, 2012.

Note: Fourth Class Constables are on probation for a two year period.

 

Winnipeg police tactical unit during a situation where a gunman was holed up in an apartment suite.

 

 

Brother Theodore (November 11, 1906 – April 5, 2001), born Theodore Gottlieb, was a German-American monologuist and comedian known for rambling, stream-of-consciousness dialogues which he called “stand-up tragedy”.

 

Brother Theodore was a regular guest on David Letterman and made a memorable appearance in the 1989 film “The Burbs” which starred Tom Hanks.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Fugazi lyrics “Merchandise”

 

Fugazi is an American post-hardcore band that formed in Washington, D.C. in 1987. The band’s continual members are guitarists and vocalists Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto, bassist Joe Lally and drummer Brendan Canty.

Fugazi are noted for their DIY (do it yourself) ethical stance, manner of business practice and contempt towards the music industry.

Fugazi have performed numerous worldwide tours, produced six studio albums, a film and a comprehensive live series, gaining the band critical acclaim and success around the world. Fugazi has been on indefinite hiatus since 2003.

 

 

 

When we have nothing left to give
There will be no reason for us to live
But when we have nothing left to lose
You will have nothing left to use
We owe you nothing you have no control
Merchandise keeps us in line
Common sense says it’s by design
What could a businessman ever want more
Than to have us sucking in his store
We owe you nothing
You have no control
You are not what you own

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

Surfing through the FM radio dial I came across a very familiar voice. Curt Keilback was calling a Manitoba Junior Hockey League game between the OCN Blizzard and the Neepawa Natives. Keilback is best known to sports fans as the radio and television play-by-play voice of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League from 1979 to 1996 and the Phoenix Coyotes from 1996 to 2009.

 

To say Curt has taken a demotion would be an under statement.  From the huge arenas of the NHL where the broadcasters sit 35 meters up in the rafters, to the cow barns of the MJHL where the announcers sit two or three rows behind the players benches, Curt is doing what he loves best: passionately utilizing his strong baritone voice to describe the action in a hockey game.  If Curt was calling a pee wee game of six year olds he would make it sound like the Penguins and Canucks of the NHL were involved in a winner takes all, frenzied end to end blood battle.

Mr. Keilback has a god given uncanny ability to accentuate, embellish and hyperbolize hockey play by play action. When I used to listen to Curt call Jets games I would get so worked up I would have to pull the car over to stop from losing control of the vehicle. He would have me so excited with his deep voiced A SHOT!!  A GOAL!! that I would start jerking my muscles to the point where I would almost have a hernia.  And then Curt would sing the phrase OFFSIDE in a deep soothing monotone.  Curt takes the term inflection to a whole new level of reality. He could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up while the next second sound like a humble backroom accountant. So now Curt is back at it, in a smaller league though.  Bit it’s a living.

 

 

 

Curt is now working for NCI Radio.

Native Communications Inc. (NCI) operates in Manitoba as a public broadcaster. NCI is an Aboriginal service organization offering radio programming throughout Manitoba, designed for and by Aboriginal people. We are a non-partisan organization.

NCI is in business to provide a service to our listeners and viewers. We are accountable to a Board of Directors made up of Aboriginal people.

NCI has been broadcasting in Northern Manitoba since September of 1971, providing Aboriginal language and cultural programming. The vision and initiative to create an Aboriginal radio station came from the grassroots. A group of people from Cross Lake, Wabowden, and South Indian Lake were instrumental in forming a committee which later evolved into NCI.

 

Another veteran of the Manitoba sports scene was the colour man on the game Curt was calling, none other than former Free Press reporter Scott Taylor.  Scott is now Sports Director/Account Manager at nci fm 105.5 and streetz 104.7 fm and media consultant at Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club.

 

Here is Curt doing a Jets game from back in the nineties.

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

 

The Duffel Blog is a military parody site that provides pitch perfect fake military stories. Below is an example.

 

 

 

JACKSONVILLE, NC — Marine Corps officials released the results of a  month-long wargame earlier today, claiming that the study has proven women are  capable of serving in combat positions.

The wargame, dubbed Operation Irrational Rage, was planned days after Secretary  of Defense Leon Panetta opened combat  roles to women. Lieutenant Colonel Jordan O’Neil commanded 3rd Battalion,  2nd Marine Regiment, tasked with finding and destroying an enemy outpost hidden  somewhere in the countryside. O’Neil was chosen for combat command after  distinguishing herself by replacing PT with Zumba classes, outfitting her  Marines with different uniforms so no one could argue who wore theirs better,  and replacing MRE’s with salads and pints of yogurt.

O’Neil organized a long distance recon, during which she made her Executive  Officer, Major Brad Gramble, carry her rucksack and open jars. Unconfirmed  sources say she also refused to wear camouflage face paint, claiming it didn’t  match her eyes.

“She also said her feet were hurting,” said Gramble, “so she commandeered a  Humvee but ended up driving it into a ditch.” She screamed in frustration,  prompting her Marines to mutter, “must be that time of the month.”

Still, there were setbacks.

That night three Marines were killed in a freak bear attack. Only a day later, Private First Class  John Metz awoke to find he had been demoted in the night. When he asked why,  LtCol O’Neil only responded, “You know what you did.” The battalion was ordered  not to speak to PFC Metz until he apologized.

The next day LtCol. O’Neil screamed at Maj. Gramble for leaving the seat up  on the ammo box used as a toilet. Although he apologized a dozen times, he  wasn’t forgiven until he found some flowers and gave her his MRE crackers  and jalapeño cheese.

Finding the objective, O’Neil and Gramble developed a plan of attack. The battalion prepared to attack at midnight but had to wait three hours for O’Neil to get ready.

O’Neil led the assault and won a crushing victory, demonstrating that women are just as capable in combat as men.

To celebrate the operation’s success, LtCol. O’Neil organized a mandatory shopping trip where everyone was ordered to buy several sets of boots they would never wear. While her Marines shopped O’Neil sulked and complained nobody noticed her new haircut.

 

 

 

 

Southern California Logistics Airport, also known as Victorville Airport, is a public airport located in the city of Victorville in San Bernardino County, California approximately 20 mi (32 km) north of San Bernardino. Prior to its civil usage, the facility was George Air Force Base from 1941 to 1992 which was a front-line United States Air Force base.

The airport is home to Southern California Aviation, a large transitional facility for commercial aircraft. The main activities at the airport are MRO, an aviation term meaning Maintenance and Repair Organization.  Major overhauls of commercial jet airliners are undertaken at Victorville.  It is the largest MRO facility in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sri Lankan woman has been arrested on suspicion of casting a spell on a 13-year-old girl during a Saudi family’s shopping trip, a police spokesman said on Wednesday, and may face death in a country where convicted sorcerers are beheaded. The spokesman, Mesfir al-Juayed, confirmed to Reuters by phone that details of the woman’s arrest published in local media were correct. The daily Okaz reported that a Saudi man had complained his daughter had “suddenly started acting in an abnormal way, and that happened after she came close to the Sri Lankan woman” in a large shopping mall in the port city of Jeddah.”

 

 

 

Saudi Arabia continues to use the death penalty for sorcery. In 2006 Fawza Falih Muhammad Ali was condemned to death for practicing witchcraft.
There is no legal definition of sorcery in Saudi, but in 2007 an Egyptian pharmacist working there was accused, convicted, and executed. Saudi authorities also pronounced the death penalty on a Lebanese television presenter, Ali Sabat, while he was performing the hajj (Islamic pilgrimage) in the country.
In April 2009, a Saudi woman Amina Bint Abdulhalim Nassar was arrested and later sentenced to death for practicing witchcraft and sorcery. In December 2011, she was beheaded.”

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

 

 

Winnipeg residents can relate.

 

 

Daily Mail

Coldest village in the world just got even COLDER… weather takes turn for  the worse in -71C Russian hamlet where even the planes can’t land in winter

• Russian  village of Oymyakon has lowest recorded temperature for any permanently  inhabited  location
• Nothing grows so  locals live off diet of reindeer meat and horse meat but never suffer  malnourishment
• Locals keep their  cars running all day for fear of them not starting again if turned  off
• Digging graves  for a funeral can take up to three days as ground has to be thawed with hot  coals

 

 

 

As we whinge about the wintry weather here in  Britain, spare a thought for those living in a Russian hamlet where temperatures  can plummet to -71C, so cold even planes cannot land there in winter.

The valley of Oymyakon in northeast Russia is  known as the ‘Pole of Cold’ and with an average January temperature of -50C, it  is no wonder the village is the coldest permanently inhabited settlement in the  world.

This is the lowest recorded temperature for  any permanently inhabited  location on Earth and the lowest temperature recorded  in the Northern  Hemisphere.

The ‘Pole of Cold’: The average temperature for January in the Russian village  of Oymyakon is -50C, with -71.2C the lowest ever recorded temperature

 

The village, which is home to about 500  people,  was, in the 1920s and 1930s, a stopover for reindeer herders who would water  their flocks from the thermal spring.
But the Soviet government, in its  efforts to  settle nomadic populations, believing them to be difficult to control and  technologically and culturally backward, made the site a  permanent  settlement.