Emil Probylsky

This is Emil Probylsky. He was feisty old man who called me on some bad math while fishing. He was convinced his catch was going to be a "50 pounder".

Yee-haw!

Moosomin's yearly Rodeo was this past weekend, and it may not be the Calgary stampede, but it was a bucking good time. It featured real life bull riding, which is the most stressful sport I have ever watched. Apparently the overall riding was worse than usual because of a couple of rank (rodeo lingo for a particularly difficult) bulls.


Rocanville recently passed a new by-law that was spurred on by their obsession with town tidiness. Section 13 was was added to the Nuisance Abatement Bylaw stating that "no person shall create a potential habitat for snakes within town limits by stock piling concrete, buying concrete, using concrete as fill to raise land elevation or by failing to remove concrete from a demolition sites..." Apparently this guy got some free gravel from an RM looking to get rid of it and now it sits on his property, and is rather unsightly. After two and a half hours of belly aching about yard conditions, this bylaw gave me a serious case of the giggles.

I went to a pow-wow a couple of weekends ago and snapped some pics. I can't find the picture I took of the 20-something guy in traditional dance gear wearing a New York Yankees cap.

Photo update

I haven't been keeping up with my posts, but I swear that it isn't Saskatchewan's fault.
Getting back on track can be a challenge, so I'm going to ease into it with a photo blog.
I took that picture from my back deck-for-one. I wasn't trying to take a silhouette photo, but I did by accident. I just emailed my college prof to ask how to replicate this because Saskatchewan gives good sky.


The best dressed team—or "Wolf Pack" as they tell it—at the golf tournament held recently at Carelton Trails. I wish I could claim that they are all strangers, but that would be a lie.

I recently learned at Elkhorn's Antique Auto Museum that the original dodges have the Star of David on it. The museum curator told me rumor had it that the Dodge brothers were Jewish, and that they changed the symbol because people didn't want to buy Jewish cars. In reality, the logo wasn't a sign of Judaism but two interlocking triangles believed to represent Delta's —the Greek letter for D. And the brothers were Methodists. They did, however, moved away from the six point star in 1939 when they were trying to export trucks to Europe.
This dodge I came across in Maryfield isn't quite that old, but it has seen better days.


This tree grows on the side of highway eight, which takes me north to Allison's. After I snapped this photo I was reminded of a tree that used to grow outside my mom's house at the corner of Lincoln and Isabella Street. A tree that at one time was a very good friend of mine—one I used to plant Cheetos under convinced that I could will a Cheeto tree to grow.

Gliding, and soaring of sorts.

This past week-end, the Spectator signed me up to accompany a local crew of cadets gliding. Gliding is done by towing an engineless plane 2000 feet up, and then letting her go.
The feeling is incomparable. Without the noise of an engine, there is a natural feeling of flight, quiet and serene. I didn't want to come down, and am now convinced I should have been a bird.
The only really terrifying part was releasing the rope that attached us to the tow plane- the plane with the engine. I'm not sure that my brain understood what was happening until the rope fell in front of me, thankfully the panic passed quickly.
Despite my protests, the pilot -seen below- set us down safe and sound.



Today, while on assignment, I snapped this photo of a an Ospry hunting with its mate (who refused to enter the same frame) over the Qu'Apelle Valley. I am no longer surprised by the natural beauty here, just frustrated it won't co-operate with my photographic capabilities.



Unrelated note: I will be cheering for Germany this World Cup.

The world cup started today, and nobody cares. Well, that isn't entirely true. It is, after all, the most watched sporting event in the world, just not around here. 84,000 people gathered in Johannesburg's Soccer City stadium to watch Mexico and South Africa's opening game.
You'd think with all the wide open, flat land around, the people of Saskatchewan would get behind a game like soccer wholeheartedly. No one in my office, save graphic designer Gina, even blinked at the mention of the opening match. To make things more interesting, I proposed an office pool. Again, only Gina, who is a fan of Argentina, responded positively. I think, in order to make the event more interesting around here, I will take on the roll of rabid fan. Now all I have to do is pick a team. In '96 I was in France when the world cup started, so my allegiance fell naturally. Since then, they have continue to disappoint offensively, and after the whole irish handball incident I'm not sure my heart is in it.
With the first round of play already underway I don't have much longer to decide.
For the record, the opener ended in a 1-1 draw, with Mexico equalizing in the last 11 minutes of regulation play.

Inquiring minds

While I was trawling the internet and hanging out with my dehumidifier, thank-you crop destroying rainfall, I came across this little tidbit. The national enquirer will compete for the Pulitzer Prize — an award whose motto is honouring excellence in journalsim and the arts since 1917.
The tabloid is being considered under the category of investigative reporting and national news reporting for the work it did breaking presidential candidate, John Edwards' extramarital affair.
Apparently there was some debate regarding whether or not it would be considered. It should be mentioned that this same paper has reporting on Richard Simmons' "alleged" sexuality.



In my mind the papers chosen for Pulitzers should not only have that exceptional, attention grabbing series, but also a respectable body of work. Then again, maybe this should act as a flare for the state of journalism.



In other, non-enquirer news, scientist discovered, what they are now calling, the oldest shoe in a cave in Armenia. The 5,500 year old loafer was found near the Turkish and Iranian borders and is estimated to be about a modern-day size 7. Made of cow hide, the shoe predates the Pyramids of Giza by 1,000 years. Armenians everywhere are beaming with pride — cradle of life people, cradle of life.

Loader rides and Prairie fun.

Today, during research for a story, I can across this lil' tidbit from Stats Can. Apparently, 44 per cent of Canadian tourist responded that there is nothing worth seeing in the province of Saskatchewan. In fact, my beloved new home ranked the lowest of all provinces and territories.
Apparently, Saskatchewan Tourism isn't doing their job.
Saskatchewan may not have an big malls or giant nickels, but there are certainly things worth coming here for.
I may only be in my second week, but I have to say, the communities here are enchanting. Beyond the kindness of stranger, which there is a plenty, Saskatchewan in a beautiful place.
I've heard it referred to as the land of 1000 skies, which means very little until you see it for yourself. Each sunset and sunrise you can easily find a panoramic view of a natural light show that rivals the Northern Lights.
As I've gotten to see more of the province, my awareness of its natural beauty has grown. At the same time, I become more aware of how ignorant it was of me to assume that the 600,000 square foot province (10% of which happens to be water) was in anyway uniform.
Before I came here, my pre-30 bucket list tentatively included a cross-Canada Winnebago trip. After seeing the kind of communities that line the Trans-Canada, the idea is definitely a-go.
Proud indeed.

Saskatchewan

It has been done.
And by that I mean my move to Saskatchewan. To reflect this major change, I did a minor redesign on the blog.
I have no doubt that my new environment will provide all the fodder needed to write a blog.
I arrived in the prairies on Monday, to find it was nothing and exactly like I expected. I was picked up at the airport by my overly-kind bosses and their dog, Angel.
We took the scenic drive home, giving me an opportunity to take in the sights —yes, Saskatchewan has sights.
It turns out that the natural landscape in South Eastern Saskatchewan isn't that different from Northern Ontario. Seems I bid my lilacs trees back home farewell too soon. Being that is it spring the fields are filled with adorable baby animals that you can't help but fawn over.

Next stop was the office, the World-Spectator, where I got the first glimpse of where the magic happens.

I got to meet the cast and crew that make the paper possible — a colourful bunch to say the least. Arriving on a week with two staff birthdays proved to be quite fruitful. Nothing says welcome like cake.
Besides warm welcomes, my first week was filled with loader rides, attempted fix ups at the post office and community meetings.
Saskatchewan, can't wait to see what else you have to offer.

Prairie Beaver

So blogging on a daily basis is hard. In my defense lots of things have been happening around here. I am *drum roll please* moving to Moosomin, Saskatchewan. I got a job at the World Spectator, a local independent paper and I have good pal already out there.
It's a big change, but I am hoping it offers me (and anyone reading my posts regularly) a different perspective in things.
All of which means that my blogs are going to be Moosomin-centric, as of June 1st.



In the spirit of the prairies I thought I'd share this cute tidbit.
Turns out, Alberta has the worlds largest beaver dam. The 850-meter rodent compound is half the length of the CN tower and can be seen from space.
In 2007 Ottawa-based ecologist, Jean Thie, used NASA and Google satellite technology to locate the giant dam.
He posted the information on the Canadian Institute of Geomatics website, but has only recently made headlines- probably in part due to the layout of the site.
Thie told the Edmonton journal that the dam is part of the beaver belt' that runs from Riding Mountain National Park, in Manitoba, up through Alberta's Birch Mountains.
Generations of beavers worked on the massive structure, which took more than 35 years to build.
According to scientists beavers are the only other known mammal, aside from humans, that manufactures their own environment.
Beavers are also monogamous and mate for life.
What's good for the beaver...

Craftshows and the Greenzone

In the spirit of things to do in a city with a weekend forecast for rain, I thought I would share some indoor alternatives to watching Law & Order reruns.
Lansdowne Park is hosting the Spring Craft Show this week end.
While traditionally this may appeal to an older demographic, there is certainly fun to be had for the $7 price tag.
Food vendors offer free samples of nearly every imaginable jam, spread, and fudge. Served with crackers, they are perfect to have around for parties or for feeding friends who stop by unexpectedly.
If you are in the market for a new piece of jewelery, this is the place to find unique and well crafted items.
Melody Cebula's line, Precious, features beautiful made recycled couture (pictured above). Well made and super cute, her shrugs and sweater are the perfect accent piece for anyone who loves jeans and t-shirts.
For the perfect fathers day gift, check out Arttech Glass Blowing Studio's hand blown steins, make from your favorite beer bottles.



Local playwright, Arthur Milner, opened his newest play, Fact, last night to a receptive audience.
Fact is a police drama set in the West Bank.
The play centers around the murder of an American archaeologist killed on Palestinian land. A Palestinian inspector and an Israeli detective are politically pressured to satisfy American authorities by solving the crime quickly.
The entire play takes place in a bare interrogation room, located on the Israeli side of the Green Line, with the two investigators and an Israeli suspect as the only characters on stage.
The 75 minute play uses shadows and light, humor and the sparring nature of the investigators relationship to stimulate the audiences interest. Fact is not a carefree night out at the theater, but rather a thought provoking look at a complicated conflict from a new, and entertaining angle.

In other news...

Over the last two weeks the government has released over 8,500 pages of documents regarding Canada's handling of detainees. This week they released another 6,200 censored pages, adding to last weeks 2600 pages released last week, in what the opposition is calling a major document dump. In an attempt to sift through all the emails, field reports, administrative reports the CBC posted the annotated versions (one, two and three) online to have have the masses rip through.

Spins and Needles, the brains behind mixing arts & crafts, DJ music and beers, are having their 5th anniversary tomorrow at the War Museum. Inspired by the Razzle Dazzle movement featured in the museums Camouflage: From Battlefield to Catwalk, the evening is sure to be filled will funky beats, cool craft projects and reasonably priced beverages.

Roy R. Behrens, Professor of Art and Distinguished Scholar at the University of Northern Iowa will hold a discussion before the event on how Dazzle camouflage was used during World War to distort the shape and size of warships.

Finally, Jonathan Roy, son of famed hockey goalie Patrick, who is best known for being charged with assault following a brawl with opponent Bobby Nadeau during a March 2008 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game, is now a singer. No punch lines here, just the facts.

Jeggings.

Tonight I learned a new word. Jeggings. Blend jeans and leggings and that is what you get. Jeggings.
It turns out these grotesquely tight pants, whose main following is in the U.K, are on their way across the Atlantic.
Their appearance -as seen above- is as offensive as their name is ridiculous.
Knitted and pull on jeans were both names that got tossed around, but according to denimology.com jeggings is what stuck.
Google recognizes the word immediately, which is either a testament to the strength of the google search or jeggings are alarmingly popular.
My roommates boyfriend discovered the term at a mall in Toronto.
A friend of his that works in a clothing store was given a free pair of the stretchy pants by her employer in an attempt to boost their popularity.
He of coursed passed this information on, ending the time before jeggings were part of my world.

Public interest, I think.

Ottawa Police Services released their annual report to the public today.

A year's worth of police work was summed up in 4 pages, with total of 11 articles maxing out at 450 words a piece. To compare, my blog yesterday was nearly 200 words.

The report also shares a striking resemblance to the Vernissage newsletter I get from the National Gallery.

Graphic content (pie charts and information cyclones) and photo's (pictures of police with kids, with dogs, on bikes) make up as much of the review's content as what is written about policing in Ottawa over the last year.

The report does have a few nuggets of information.

Of the more than 900,000 calls made to the police in 2009, less than 40,000 of them lead to charges of offenses. According to the information cyclone, this adds up to a police solvency of 35 per cent.

Without documented explanations, these statistics come off looking a lot like Madoff Math.

Crime is down for the fourth year in a row in Ottawa - dropped 2.6 per cent from 2008. For that same period the number of police grew by 4 per cent, and the budget by 6 per cent.

My roommate, the criminology major, made me wonder what crime prevention expert, Irvin Waller, would say about this. For context, his main body of work is called Less Law, More Order.

The police said that this pamphlet version of a year end report was more accessible to the public than traditional reports, and that this was their main goal.

I forgot to ask "What about transparency?".

So those are our choices - either a glorified edition of Owl magazine and a 500 page bureaucratic bowel movement.

Fashion week closes with Free Bud Light Lime

Ottawa fashion week closed tonight in the Rideau Center's newest restaurant, EXchange Pub. I was there to snap picture of, well, anything I could find; newspapers love pictures. I always get to assignments early because I'm new to the reportage, and most of the time I have no idea what is going on.

The most interesting part of my evening was either meeting Ryan Gosling's first agent, or flirting with two young bankers from Montreal.

Apparently Gosling, who is from Cornwall, originally wanted to be a singer but t Angie's Model's and Talent gently nudged him to follow acting. When a Man Loves a Woman used to be his go to tune, co-founder Lou Seymor told me. He also informed me that Gosling started a band called Dead Man's Bones, that according to my quick youtube research, preforms exclusively with children.

Flirting with the Hardy Boys wasn't as salacious as learning the details of 12 year-old Ryan Gosling's life, but it beat circling the room looking for something to photograph.

Ironically, the photo of them is under-exposed -yet another reminder that I need to buy a flash.

Blogging. Here goes nothing.

Currently I am interning at the Metro Free Daily in Ottawa. It is a small office with a crack team of reporters. Team seems like an exaggeration, dynamic duo is more accurate. Between the two full time staff and me, Ottawa’s news gets covered each day – in 250 words or less.

My lack of paid employment means I should have the time it takes to commit to an endeavor like blogging. From what I have gathered, persistence online, or anywhere, is key – personal life including.

My hope with each post is to entertain while providing what substance I have to offer.