One thing I have struggled to understand in the mornings over the last few years is why do we have to compete with snow ploughs when we are taking kids to school. To me, after a dumping of snow like what we had last Thursday night, the areas on Gladstone (especially) and other school zones should be cleared well before 8:30 a.m. If that’s not possible, then I really think it’s safer to try and drive through the snow as opposed to watch for other vehicles, children walking, and then also find a safe spot to sit while a snow plough parades up and down the street clearing the white stuff. Not to mention the fact high school kids can be pretty self-absorbed as they cross streets and go to school. I’ve seen more than one do something they know full well is dangerous, yet they are smart enough to know they also have the right of way. I can appreciate the hard work that goes into keeping the streets clean; but surely there has to be a better way to do school zones. Let’s just try and avoid the peak times of drop off and pick up. If you can’t, then I think it’s incumbent on the workers to really be careful in these areas. What I saw Friday morning was street cleaning with no regard for anyone else, so all it takes is for one motorist or one pedestrian to slip up and we have a serious problem.
A death by an inmate while in custody of Saskatoon Police has resulted in the call for better services in the areas of mental health and addictions. Police Chief Clive Weghill says, “If you have people falling off a cliff, why don’t you build a fence so people don’t fall off rather than picking up people at the bottom when they fall off.” First of all, we live in a world that even if Weghill doesn’t feel this way, he has to say this because he’ll be, socially, lynched for being insensitive. But, my counter to this would be that if you have a cliff that is too dangerous to climb to the top because you could fall off, then there really isn’t any reason to put up a fence. You, simply, educate about the dangers and pitfalls of going up this cliff and if people decide to go to the top anyway, then yes we will be ready at the bottom to clean it up.
Damian Cox, who I think self-proclaimed himself a hockey insider (if he didn’t name himself, he should have stopped the person who gave him this title because it’s just wrong) blocked me on Twitter last week for no reason that I can see other than that the truth hurts. During the NHL Trade Deadline program, I happened to catch a glimpse of the ticker that runs along the bottom of the screen. I don’t have the exact wording anymore, but Cox had tweeted that there was a real strong chance Tampa Bay could trade Jonathan Drouin. Maybe. This made me chuckle. By saying ‘could’ and ‘maybe’ in the same Tweet, he pretty much should have just said, “I don’t know if Tampa Bay will trade Jonathan Drouin today.” It has the same meaning. I tweeted to him that I felt ‘could’ and ‘maybe’ were great words to use as an ‘out’ in the event Drouin isn’t traded (which he wasn’t). Someone else chimed in and agreed and added that there is no substance to reporting facts anymore. It’s all about being first more than it is about being correct. This resulted in me and this other person (who I don’t even know) getting blocked by the super-sensitive Cox. Make no mistake about it. Cox is no insider, so when he reports on Hockey Night In Canada that James Reimer wants $6-million a year and he attributes absolutely no sources whatsoever, do not assume what he’s telling you is correct. It’s highly likely that it’s not. If this kind of reporting is how one keeps a sports media job today, then I am glad I’m no longer part of it. Oh, I’m glad I’m no longer part of it anyway, who am I kidding?
Speaking of Twitter, this is why I like Brad Wall. Someone Tweeted at him last week that he was a hillbilly (this is a personal attack and should result in getting you blocked) and that his mentality is 50 years behind. Wall, who accepts personal criticism much better than poor Damian Cox, replied with, “So no lawn sign then…”
Shame on Global for reporting about that inmates at Regina Corrections were, once again, refusing to eat because of what they say are inadequate exercise facilities and also being locked in their cells for 21 hours a day. Hello! It’s jail. It’s clear that when they protested the quality of their food a few months ago and that fell on deaf ears with the general public that there is no reason to think any of us give two hoots about whether or not they have the ability to exercise effectively. You have a floor. Do some push-ups and sit-ups.
Nice person mentions to Brent Murdock, Nicholas Horbasz, Dave Esslinger, and Jennifer Gillis.
