Since I’m in the midst of a series of daily tweets about a big community event we’re having at my library branch this Saturday, I might as well double-up and use the same link I posted earlier today to also give me content for today’s #tbt blog post – namely, an appearance I did on the local morning news show a couple weeks ago.
(Er, if I didn’t mention it, make sure you come to Regent Place Branch at 331 Albert St. on Saturday December 9 anytime between 1-4pm!) 😉
Shea made us a very tasty Christmas-themed drink this past weekend featuring peppermint vodka, toffee cream liqueur and chocolate-flavoured whiskey along with a rimmer of melted After 8 peppermint chocolates and crushed candy cane.
We didn’t name the drink but I’m going to suggest “Christmas Star” since it certainly was a star of our weekend. 😉
Yum!
It hasn’t been consistent but over the years, I’ve often done one off or even a series of Christmas-themed  “Music Monday” song posts through December.
I thought I’d do it again this year and have lots of ideas for this year’s series from a MetaFilter thread looking at the Wham song “Last Christmas” as well as various other songs (“Little Drummer Boy“, “Wonderful Christmastime“) that people are using as a fun personal challenge to see if they can make it through December without hearing their chosen song.
Personally, there isn’t too much Christmas music I don’t like and so I’m likely to fail any challenges I take on as I’ll listen to Christmas music, good or bad, non-stop all month.
Last night, I literally had a playlist that streamed “Last Christmas” *followed by* “Wonderful Christmastime”. Then, after that, I purposely looked up “Little Drummer Boy” by Ringo Starr because Ringo! 🙂
Anyhow, in the spirit of that challenge, here’s my first December “Music Monday” song…
“Last Christmas” – Postmodern Jukebox
Stumbled across this video on Reddit but thought it was an appropriate post as Shea informs me her and her parents are buying some farm-direct beef from her uncle.
Yum!
After starting the season by blowing out the Flames with Connor McDavid getting a hat trick, the Edmonton Oilers, who were widely seen as a Stanley Cup contender, have sunk to near the bottom of the NHL (this year but by some historic measures as well). Forget the Stanley Cup, even a playoff appearance is looking more and more unlikely for the Oil, even though the season has just passed American Thanksgiving.
The Oilers lack of success has prompted creation of a mocking hashtag, #herecometheoilers and has people pointing out that many of the #1 picks the Oilers have been gifted due to their never-ending futility over the years (nine Top 10 picks in ten years including FOUR first overall picks!) have not only been traded away but are finding way more success away from Edmonton), or even that NHL Golden Boy, Connor McDavid, is being outpaced by a quiet, understated centreman in Calgary.
As a fan of the surging Calgary Flames, I approve of all of this.
I read with great interest the Down Goes Brown column about “The 20 Stages of Realizing Your NHL Team Is Terrible” which made me realise that Oilers fans must be at “Stage 13 – The Soul-Crushing Loss” which happened last night when the Oilers, tied 4-4 with about a minute to go, ended up having one of their defenseman blast the puck into his own net accidentally. Even worse? The guilty Oiler is a former Flame – Kris Russell.
The season’s only a quarter over but I’m already enjoying it as much as any in recent history and with Saturday night featuring a Flames v. Oilers rematch, I can’t wait!
I’m not sure what’s going to topple over first – the Lego tower or Pace!
The Saskatoon Star-Phoenix had an editorial today that I couldn’t agree with more.
Their point is that with two exciting, concurrent leadership races happening in each of the province’s main political parties, there’s no excuse for people to not spend $10 to buy a membership and have a lot more direct impact on either the Sask Party leadership candidate (who will immediately become Premier upon winning that contest) or the NDP leadership candidate (who has a shot of becoming Premier in 2020.)
If single-issue voters are buying memberships to influence and shape political parties, the average voter needs to also be casting ballots. There should be members from both rural and urban parts of the province. There should be voters of all ages, ethnicities and income levels.
I would go the Star-Phoenix editorial one step further and suggest that political engagement shouldn’t just start and stop because a leadership race is on (though that’s often the case – in fact, my first NDP membership was purchased so I could vote in the Leadership Race which eventually chose Lorne Calvert back in 2001. I didn’t renew my membership again until 2009 when a young doctor named Ryan Meili came onto my radar and I have maintained an NDP membership ever since.)
Once you are a member, you are free to do as much or as little as you choose – be involved in your constituency association, make phone calls and door knock, donate, plan and/or attend fundraisers, etc. all of which are things that give you a lot more influence and impact than simply making sure you vote once every four years.
For $10/year to be a more engaged citizen, that’s a very small price to pay!
Ready for Ribs
It was one of this year’s hottest Black Friday items online and the Instant Pot ™ combination pressure cooker/slow cooker, invented by a group of former Nortel engineers in Ottawa, has been compared to a cult for its fanatical following.
What’s the appeal? It quickly cooks food that’s tasty, healthy and, compared to the 1970’s pressure cookers, a lot safer too! People are also calling it the first “viral appliance” and there’s little doubt that numerous posts on social media about whether people should buy one or looking for recipe ideas have helped propel sales.
Shea actually beat the rush and got hers on Black Friday *last year* (which was already busy enough) and we’ve used it regularly throughout the year but more frequently lately.
(In fact, I was inspired to write this post as I’m literally eating leftover Thai curry she made in our Instant Pot as I type this!)
Reddit’s Instant Pot sub-Reddit has more information, recipes and articles all related to this amazing gadget!
Always nice to get recommendations of bands you haven’t heard of from your patrons. Here’s an interesting group I heard of today.
From the band’s web site:
The Stillhouse Poets are a roots duo from Regina, Saskatchewan, the heart of the Canadian prairies. Their influences are drawn deep from the musical well waters of the Mississippi Delta and the Appalachian mountains. With songs about blood & dusty bibles, black crows & barbed wire, there’s a “prairie gothic” theme that runs through the music.
“Hoot Owl Road” – Stillhouse Poets
