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.
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.
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!
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!)
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.
