it’s my Parting Shot for Tuesday Tidbits, after a long weekend…..

As I write this, the great snow storm that we are supposed to be getting hasn’t started. Of course, depending on when you read or hear this, the conditions may have changed. For us city slickers, who like to have a golf club or ball bat in hand, the six inches or so of snow that we are supposed to get is extremely disappointing. But, the guy who sits in the cubicle in front of me – the pre-eminent voice of agriculture in the main stream media, Neil Billinger – tells me that the snow is desperately needed for the farmers who grow our food! And, since I like food, just look at my body shape, bring on the snow!!

Another thing that you may not know about the Saskatoon Media Group is that there are no televisions in any of our work spaces! That has been the case since we moved up to the Airport area from downtown – no cable and no monitors equals no distractions. I wish that weren’t the case, especially with the Winter Olympics on right now and the seven-hour time difference meaning all the activity happens during the day time here in Saskatchewan and Canada! However, thanks to Pat Dubois – a wizard with Artificial Intelligence and manipulating video and audio streaming – we all have the ability to watch what is going on in Milan. For instance, I’ve seen Rachel Homan’s team win an all-important game against Sweden in women’s curling since I’ve been at my desk, as well as the gold medal for Canada in the women’s team pursuit long track or oval track speed skating event, plus the men’s hockey qualification games. I don’t stare at my lap-top screen the entire time and not get anything done, but I do listen and watch when something big happens – so thank you, thank you, thank you Pat Dubois!

Speaking of curling, I saw something, again, this morning that leads me to believe that this notion that brushing a stone that is wide of the broom in an attempt to get it to curl and make a shot is a load of hooey! Sweden scored three because Canada thought they could make an up-weight attempt at a double takeout, that was outside the stick on Homan’s delivery, and have the stone curl when it didn’t have a chance! The only way you can carve a stone is if it is thrown with no more than hack, maybe, board weight! You throw a rock outside, you pray that it curls on its own!!

That’s my Parting Shot. I’m Les Lazaruk…and it turned out nice again!