Iron Chef

Is it a case of reality tv going too far, or is it reality tv you can really sink your teeth into?

The latest in a long line of reality tv shows will be premiering on October 8th, and unlike any other of it's genre, it should be an instant hit. I'm talking about, the Next Iron Chef.

Iron Chef is a show that's been around since 1993. First appearing on Japanese television, chefs would compete, like gladiators in the kitchen arena. Not too long after, the Food Network in the States decided to rebroadcast dubbed versions of the show. Until eventually an American version of the Iron Chef would begin.

Well, now the Next Iron Chef is to be decided. Unlike Survivor, Big Brother, Last Comic Standing or even the American/Canadian Idol shows, Iron Chef is one show that will be entertaining and informative. I mean, come on, cooking with a deadline utilizing a secret ingredient not revealed until the show starts. Entertainment is there.



Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.

More ghosts

Time for another ghost story. And this one's a Saskatchewan ghost story.

This province has many different hauntings, apparitions, tales of things that go bump in the night. But one of the most famous, is probably the St. Louis Light.

The Phantom Light

There is a turn onto a gravel road off the highway going towards Prince Albert just outside of St. Louis. Then there is another turn onto a dirt road that used to be railroad tracks. There was a terrible derailment there in the 50's. If you go there at night you see a train's headlight coming toward you. There is also a swinging lantern that sometimes appears.

There are many stories to go along with this particular haunting! A long time ago there used to be trains running through that particular spot. They say a man was working on a train and was killed. Other people say there was a massive crash and the train hit a car killing 2 parents and little boy. The driver felt so guilty he killed himself. He now walks the train tracks.

You can actually see the light coming, and feel cold spots. Some people claim it is the light of the train, others say it is the lantern light of the conductor that was killed on the tracks (which are no longer there, however you can still see where the tracks once were) A book that was published in the 1970s has an interview of a woman who, at the time, was in her eighties. She remembers going on horseback when she was young to see the light. She does not believe that it is car headlights (as many 'doubters' say it is) because at the time she, her friends, and sisters went, there were no automobiles in the area at that time.

Know any ghost stories? Let me know, and I'll share a few. After all, October is the time when the tales of haunting become just that much more fun.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.

Editing images... online

Wow! A friend of mine showed me a very cool online utility for editing and manipulating photos. And one of the great things, it's free to join. Editing, sharing and posting photos has become a very important part of the Internet culture. Relatives that live thousands of miles apart can keep in touch easily through blogs, places like MySpace or FaceBook and even share photos through sites like PhotoBucket.

Well, this new online utility means that anyone who doesn't have a powerful photo manipulation program like Photoshop, or doesn't have the patience to learn it (it can be rather imposing to the neophyte user), this online utility is great. Picnik is a place to save, edit, sharpen, correct or even just have fun with photos and images, as can be seen with what I've created.


Give it a try. I'm sure you'll be impressed.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.

It's almost here

Just a couple of weeks away before we can get that SVHL fix in. Until then we have to deal with that other hockey league. You know, it's called the NHL.

The Outlook Ice Hawks are offering up tryouts again to start the new season. Information is in today's edition of The Outlook for contacting Royce Taylor. First practice is set for October 17th, so looking forward to a new season of hockey in Outlook.

Until that first game...

Keep 'em flyin'.

Ghost stories: Sedlec's Church of All Saints

October is here and that means two things to look forward to.

Thanksgiving and Halloween.

To kick off the month, I thought I'd post up some spooky information, and to start, I found something rather interesting.

Europe is filled with legend, lore and myth of ghost stories and hauntings. But this isn't so much a ghost story as it is more macabre in it's description. I speak of Sedlec's Church of All Saint's in Prague. The Ossuary has been around since 1100, so it has seen such disasters as the Black Plague, several wars and much more. But what is interesting is it's history.

I could describe the entire history here, but it's better to take a look at the website dedicated to the ossuary and cathedral. However, take note of the construction. The location became famous in Europe, even in those early days, after one event.

In 1278 King Otakar II of Bohemia sent Henry, the abbot of Sedlec, on a diplomatic mission to the Holy Land. When leaving Jerusalem Henry took with him a handful of earth from Golgotha which he sprinkled over the cemetery of Sedlec monastery, consequently the cemetery became famous, not only in Bohemia but also throughout Central Europe and many wealthy people desired to be buried here.

The main feature that adorns the ossuary; it is the largest place that uses the largest number of human bones in it's construction. Over 40,000 to be exact. And actually, that's the number of people, not just bones, but people that passed on with the wish to be buried at this cemetary. There were so many bones that were still laying around the grounds that a master carver was brought in to do something about it.

The charnel-house was remodelled in Czech Baroque style between 1703 - I710 by the famous Czech architect, of the Italian origin ,Jan Blažej SANTIM-Aichl. The present arrangement of the bones dates from 1870 and is the work of a Czech wood-carver, František RINT (you can see his name, put together from bones, on the right-hand wall over the last bench).

So, not so much a ghost story, but in fact a very macabre lesson in history. I highly recommend viewing the website and taking a look at some of the virtual tours.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.

Back in the win column

The Saskatchewan Roughriders snapped a three game losing skid with a 33 to 22 win over the Montreal Alouettes on the weekend. It was Anthony Calvillo's return to the Al's lineup, but it wasn't enough as Rider quarterback Kerry Joseph threw for over 500 yards, 142 of that to Canadian slotback Andy Fantuz.

By the half, the Riders led the game 19 to 4, thanks to touchdowns from Fantuz and D.J. Flick. And they continued in the second half, as Corey Holmes picked up two touchdowns. The Al's chipped away at the lead in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late.

Wes Cates picked up over 140 yards rushing on the day to add to Fantuz 142 yards receiving making those two players the dominant factor in this victory.

With the Riders winning and the Lions winning, that leaves Saskatchewan 3 points back of first place. The Leo's victory, however, came over the Calgary Stampeders, so that allowed for a bit more breathing room between third and second.

Just five games left in the regular season, and Saskatchewan should win the majority of those. With two games against Hamilton to come, one against Toronto, that should be three wins to push the Riders into a home playoff spot with 11 wins overall. Their other two games include the B.C. Lions and a tilt with the Stamps next week.

Until next time...

Keep 'em flyin'.