A year ago, Russian war aims were clear:  take Kiev, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Kherson, Zaporizhia, and other major population centres, overthrow the government of Ukraine, kill Volodymyr Zelensky, and occupy all of Ukraine east of the Dneiper River.  The parts of the Donbas that they didn’t control, in the oblasts (provinces) of Luhansk and Donetsk, were to be taken at the very minimum of invasion objectives. 

That was then.  This is now.

Toonies For Tummies is a noteworthy project, it’s intent being to feed school children in Alberta, Ontario, and Atlantic Canada where these kids may not get enough to eat, or properly eat, at home.

The Bluegrass Festival will see some changes for 2023 and was approved by Renfrew Town Council at their meeting February 14.

Once a four-day festival, the event will now be condensed into a two-day affair after lagging attendance started to eat into the operational budget.  Also of importance is the decision to not allow camping as part of the festival, again directly connected to municipal staffing costs.

The festival, while styled a Bluegrass Festival, will contain performers of other music genres as well as an anticipated increase in the participation of local talent.

Finally, there will be enhancements to the transportation plan, allowing for adequate event parking, traffic flow, and safe transportation alternatives for festival-attendees.

Aliens?

That’s a pretty big leap for a bunch of balloons.  I know the X-Files was a popular show in its time, but still, aliens?

Have you ever worried about growing old in a drive-thru?

Of course not.  The whole point behind a drive-thru is to give your order, go to the window, collect your purchase, and be on your way, bing, bang, and boom.

Too bad that’s not my personal experience.

Sometimes things just elude a plausible explanation.

On Friday, the OPP were conducting a RIDE program on Grey Road 17 in the township of Georgian Bluffs.  A driver entered the checkpoint at around 5:20 PM.  He didn’t leave in his own vehicle.

Officers found “signs of impairment” at the stop, and observed open liquor “readily available,” an interesting way to describe what must have been 100 cans of beer, most empty, completely filling up the front passenger side of the vehicle.  It looked to me that the whole vehicle was held together by scotch tape and best wishes.

I have to be honest, I didn’t see that coming.

The Philadelphia Eagles, betting favourites to win the Super Bowl on Sunday, were sitting at half-time with a 24-14 lead and Kansas City’s all-star quarterback Patrick Mahomes limping badly off the field with an aggravation of a high ankle sprain he suffered last week.  It just didn’t look good for the Chiefs.

Russian ambassador to Canada Oleg Stepanov made me spill my coffee this morning.

In a Russian-language interview, Stepanov claims that Canada is a “very dangerous place” for Russians, who he claims face racism at every turn.

I’ll admit I’m not a big Rhianna fan.  Not that I dislike her as much as I really don’t know her.  I’m aware of her success, and aware of the buzz around having a star of this magnitude headlining the vaunted Super Bowl Half-Time Show. 

I watch the half-time show because it’s the half-time show.  I think it’s probably the most watched piece of television on any Super Bowl Sunday, and that includes the game.

Renfrew Mayor Tom Sidney is encouraging members of Town Council, town staff, and residents to wear red on Monday, February 13th in support of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre’s Wear Red Canada Day.