MOMENTS IN TIME - The History Channel
* On Jan. 22, 1779, famed Tory outlaw Claudius Smith meets his end on the gallows in Goshen, New York. Nicknamed the “Cowboy of the Ramapos” for his use of guerrilla tactics against Patriot civilians, legend has it that Smith’s skull was filled with mortar and included in the edifice of the Goshen Court House.
* On Jan. 21, 1789, “The Power of Sympathy or the Triumph of Nature Founded in Truth” is printed in Boston, the first novel by an American writer to be published in America. Early editions did not carry the author’s name, but a later printing credited Sarah Wentworth Apthorp Morton.
* On Jan. 23, 1855, John Moses Browning, sometimes referred to as the “father of modern firearms,” is born in Ogden, Utah. Many of the guns whose names evoke the history of the American West -- Winchester, Colt, Remington and Savage -- were based on Browning’s designs.
* On Jan. 17, 1953, a prototype Chevrolet Corvette sports car makes its debut at General Motors’ Motorama auto show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. The Corvette was named for a fast type of naval warship.
* On Jan. 19, 1977, President Gerald Ford pardons Tokyo Rose, a Japanese-American woman named Iva Toguri, who broadcast Axis propaganda over the radio to Allied troops during World War II.
* On Jan. 20, 1980, President Jimmy Carter proposes to the United States Olympic Committee that the 1980 Summer Olympics be moved from Moscow if the Soviet Union failed to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan. The USOC later voted to boycott the Moscow games.
* On Jan. 18, 1996, Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve interleague play for the 1997 season. The owners’ vote, which called for each team to play 15 or 16 interleague games, broke a 126-year tradition of teams playing only within their league during the regular season.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A legal matter you hoped could finally be settled could be a pesky problem for a while, until all the parties agree to stop disagreeing with each other. Be patient.
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A hectic period begins to wind down. Take time to draw some deep breaths and relax before getting into your next project. A long-absent family member makes contact.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20)
You’re eager to move forward with a new challenge that suddenly dropped in your lap. But you’d be wise to take this one step at a time to allow new developments to come through.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)
You’re almost ready to make a commitment. A lingering doubt or two, however, should be resolved before you move ahead. An associate could provide important answers.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Caution is still the watchword as you move closer toward a decision about a new situation. If you act too fast, you might miss some vital warning signs. Go slowly and stay alert.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your new goal looks promising, and your golden touch does much to enhance its prospects for success. In your private life, Cupid does his best to make your new relationship special.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) That impatient side of yours is looking to goad you into moving before you’re ready to take that big step. Stay calm and cool. Let things fall into place before you act.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Partnerships — personal or professional — which began before the new year take on new importance. They also reveal some previously hidden risks. So be warned.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your associates are firmly on your side, and that persistent problem that has caused you to delay some activities should soon be resolved to your satisfaction.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Favorable changes continue to dominate, and you should be responding positively as they emerge. Someone wants to become more involved in what you’re doing.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A friend wants to share a secret that could answer some questions you’ve wondered about for a long time. Meanwhile, travel aspects continue to be strong.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Stay on your new course despite so-called well-meaning efforts to discourage you. Rely on your deep sense of self-awareness to guide you to do what’s right for you.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have the capacity to meet challenges that others might find overwhelming, and turn them into successful ventures. © 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
An American couple are driving across Canada and they get lost while exploring the prairies. They see a farmer on the side of the road, so the husband pulls over.
“I’ll go ask him where the next town is,” he says as he gets out.
He walks up to the farmer and asks,
“Hey there, can you tell me what the next town is called so my wife and I can find it on our map?”
“Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.” the farmer says.
The man walks back to the car and gets in.
“Well honey, where do we go?” his wife asks.
“I don’t know,” the man says, “he doesn’t speak English.”
• Generally, for every degree you lower your thermostat during heating season, you reduce your energy costs by 3%.
• Just in time for soup season (and my new year’s resolutions), here’s a great fat swap: Drain and rinse 2 cups of white beans and puree with a cup of no-sodium vegetable broth. You can use this as a thickener in place of heavy cream for soups and stews. — JoAnn
• To keep snow off your windshield, use a flannel-backed tablecloth stretched to cover both windshield and wipers. Put it flannel-side to the glass. Then you’ll be able to lift it (and the snow) off your windshield to drive.
• Wondering what winter fruits and vegetables are in season? Here’s a sampling: apples, dates and pears, as well as citrus, like grapefruit, oranges and tangerines. For vegetables, consider endive, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, kale, leeks, mushrooms, parsnips, radicchio, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, yams and winter squash.
• “Want to keep your pants from creasing on the hanger? Grab an empty paper-towel tube and slit it down the side. When you slip it over the bottom of the hanger, it creates a wide curve for the pants to lie across, and no more crease!” — M.U. in Colorado
• Remember that as temperatures drop and layers of clothing increase, children in a car seat need special consideration. Remove heavy coats before strapping in a small child or baby. Winter wear can compress during an accident, and it interferes with the straps.
Send your tips to Now Here’s a Tip, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803.
© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
1. GEOGRAPHY: Which Russian city used to be called Leningrad?
2. SCIENCE: What is the coldest city in the northern hemisphere?
3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase “persona non grata” mean?
4. U.S. STATES: Which state’s flag is the only one currently that is two-sided?
5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What was the first animal to appear on a U.S. coin?
6. FOOD & DRINK: How many herbs and spices are in the original recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken?
7. MOVIES: How many movies did Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire make together?
8. LITERARY: In the Harry Potter book series, what are N.E.W.T.s?
9. TELEVISION: How many children were in “The Addams Family” sitcom?
10. HISTORY: In what year was the first email sent? Answers
1. St. Petersburg
2. Oymyakon, Russia
3. An unwelcome person
4. Oregon (state seal on one side and a figure of a beaver on the other side)
5. An eagle
6. 11
7. 10
8. Critical examinations (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test).
9. Two: Wednesday and Pugsley 10. 1971
Contact Harland to have your business or organization included in any of our publications.
•
All-new next-generation battery charger - now smaller, lighter, and with improved features to increase battery life.
Designed for 12-volt lead-acid batteries
The perfect battery maintainer for daily battery maintenance or long-term storage
Make Cheap and Sweet "Glam" Cleaning Gloves
It's easy and fun to dress up drab latex rubber gloves with perky cuffs. Add rickrack, bows or sparkling brooches for extra bling, and your household cleaning chores won't seem so humdrum. Your kids can help with the fabric choice, measuring and cutting.
Once you get going, make several pairs. They're fun to tuck in a basket of items for a shower or housewarming gift for a new family on the block. A whimsical homemade gift from you and your kids!
Here's the stuff you'll need:
— One pair of rubber gloves with cuffs in the quality and color you prefer, available at grocery and discount stores for a few dollars. — 1/4 yard of oilcloth or water-resis-
tant stiff fabric that is at least 36 inches wide
— Measuring tape, marker, scissors and straight pins.
— Sewing machine and thread.
— A glue-gun to attach decorative add-ons such as ribbon, bows, rickrack and buttons if you wish. Or pin on a brooch. You also may decide to cut the edges with pinking shears.
HERE'S THE FUN:
Directions for one glove:
1. Trim off the edge of the glove and make the cuff shorter for a comfortable fit.
2. Cut fabric 4-inches wide by at least 18-inches long. If you prefer fuller ruffles, make it longer.
3. Let your child mark 2-inch intervals along the edge and then make small knife pleats at each mark. Pin and sew the pleats in place with stitches running close to the edge. Remove pins. Note: Once I got the hang of it, I created the pleats one by one as I sewed.
4. Bring the 4-inch edges of the fabric right sides together, pin and sew a 1/4-inch seam to create a circular, pleated fabric ready to attach to the glove.
5. Ease the pleated cuff wrong side out over the right side of the glove and pin in place.
(I placed the 4-inch-long seam above the thumb side of the glove.) If the pleated cuff is too large, add another pleat. Remove pins as you sew 1/2inch from the edge.
Turn cuff over the seam and fluff the pleats. Repeat with second glove.
For extra pizzazz, use your imagination and items in your craft box to decorate the gloves with add-ons. A glue gun works quickly.
***
Find more family fun at www.donnaerickson.com. Write to Donna at Info@ donnaerickson.com
Conniving Cats
Seoul, South Korea’s Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Headquarters is warning citizens: Your cats may burn your house down. According to the agency, more than 100 fires over the past three years have been started by cats, The Washington Post reported. “We advise pet owners to pay extra attention as fire could spread widely when no one is at home,” warned Chung Gyo-chul, an official at the department, which recommends keeping paper towels and other flammable items away from cooking appliances.
Signs of the Apocalypse
In Texarkana, on the border of Texas and Arkansas, Dec. 30 brought a new phenomenon: fish falling from the sky. KXXV-TV reported that people found fish on their sidewalks and lawns, but city officials have an explanation: “Animal rain” occurs when small water animals are swept up in waterspouts or drafts. “2021 is pulling out all the tricks,” the city posted on Facebook. “While it’s uncommon, it happens ... And please, for the sake of everyone, let’s tiptoe into 2022 as quietly as possible.”
Anger Management
Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Faison, 45, had to be ejected from the stands at a high school basketball game in Johnson City on Jan. 4 after he became angry at a referee and tried to “pants” him -- pull down his trousers. Faison’s son was playing on the Lakeway Christian Academy team, the Associated Press reported. Later, Faison tweeted: “Totally lost my junk and got booted from the gym. ... I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong.” Our advice to referees everywhere: Always wear a belt.
Curvessence
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
A Calgarian rolled up the rim on his Tim Hortons coffee. He stared in disbelief for a moment, then started yelling, “I’ve won a motor home! I’ve won a motor home!”
A woman working at the counter said, “That’s impossible. The biggest prize is a car.”
“No, it says right here,” he said, handing the cup to the employee:
“W I N A B A G E L.”
A Saskatchewan farmer decides to retire and move to the Rocky Mountains after living his whole life on the prairies. A few months later, a friend comes to visit.
“What do you think of the mountains?” his friend asks.
“They’re okay,” the farmer says. “But they sure obscure the view.”
The Pope is visiting Canada.
After completing his visit, the Canadian government gives him a chauffeur-driven car to see the natural beauty of Canada. After 20 kilometers through Canada, he says to the driver:
“Oh, let me get behind the wheel. I’m from the narrow Papal States, and I always have to sit in the back of the Popemobile. even though I am such a passionate driver!” So the chauffeur swaps seats with the Pope.
After a few kilometers, the Pope is stopped by a police officer. The Pope winds the window down and the policeman immediately runs back to his car. From there he calls his superior:
“Lieutenant , I have a problem. I have a speeder here.”
“What is the problem? Just fine him!”
“I think he is a big shot though.”
“Is he higher ranked than me?”
“Lieutenant, I believe that is the case.”
“Is he higher ranked than the Prime Minister?”
“Lieutenant, I am afraid that is the case.”
“Who is he then?”
“I don’t know, but the Pope is his chauffeur.”
God was creating all the countries and it was Canada’s turn.
He turned to his angels and said “This country will have unmatched beauty, plenty of natural resources, and its citizens will be the happiest and friendliest in the world”
The angels ask God, “Aren’t you blessing this country a little TOO much?”
God replies, “Wait till you see who their neighbour is.”
Legend has it the Macarena originated in Newfoundland when a fisherman got up out of his chair and started anxiously searching his shirt and pants pockets for a pack of smokes.
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-463-5898 OFFICE: 306-463-1454
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-463-5898 OFFICE: 306-463-1454
EMAIL: operations@gpefluids.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask. “Small” enough to care, “BIG” enough to supply
EMAIL: operations@gpefluids.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask. “Small” enough to care, “BIG” enough to supply
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-460-8684 OFFICE: 306-463-1454
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-460-8684 OFFICE: 306-463-1454
EMAIL: doomen@gtgt.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask.
Brian Zinchuk: Would you buy a washer that could only do one sock at a time? That’s solar power in the winter
Twice last week, SaskEnergy set new daily natural gas usage records, and we can thank Alberta for most of our supply
Why hello, good sir! Welcome to Brian’s Green-Powered Appliance Store. What’s that? You need a washer and dryer? No problem!
BY BRIAN ZINCHUK brian.zinchuk@pipelineonline.ca
Come take a look at this model. It’s solar-powered, the latest in save-the-world technology. Now, it’s 10:15 a.m, so at this time of day you can wash one sock.
Not only was Saskatchewan setting electrical consumption records during the cold snap of last week of December, we also set two consecutive natural gas consumption records, too.
cloudy. But come Sept. 21, you better plan on doing your clothes one sock at a time until the following March.
And that wind, well, who knows? It will blow when it wants to, but not so much at night, and we have to shut it right off when the temperature outside is -30 C. We wouldn’t want the wind turbines to shatter, you know.
plant, very similar to Chinook, is under construction at Moose Jaw.
All of this added natural gas-fired power generation has, in turn, driven higher usage of natural gas during times of high electrical consumption.
Celebrating 25 Years in business
EMAIL: doomen@gtgt.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask. Celebrating 25 Years in business
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-460-4054 OFFICE: 306-463-6337
EMAIL: carthurs@gtgt.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask. “Small” enough to care, “BIG” enough to supply
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-463-5898
OFFICE: 306-463-1454
EMAIL: operations@gpefluids.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask. “Small” enough to care, “BIG” enough to supply
&
24 HR DISPATCH: 306-460-8684
OFFICE: 306-463-1454
EMAIL: doomen@gtgt.ca 1101 - 9th Ave. West, Kindersley, Sask.
Celebrating 25 Years in business
According to SaskEnergy in a Dec. 31 release, “Extreme cold weather across Saskatchewan this week resulted in record-breaking natural gas demand in the province. On December 28 and 29, natural gas consumption surpassed the previous daily record of 1.57 petajoules (PJ) which was set in February 2021.
“A new daily record of 1.62 PJ was set on December 28 and broken again on December 29 with total system delivery of 1.64 PJ. Delivery numbers for December 30 and 31 are not yet finalized, but are also expected to exceed 1.6 PJ.”
What do I mean, one sock? Why can’t you wash four pairs of jeans, five shirts, four underwear and four pairs of socks at a time? It’s because, as I told you, this is a solar-powered washer. It’s January, you know, and you can only wash one sock at 10:15 in the morning. Now, if you wait until 11:15, you can wash TWO socks. And at noon, you might be able to wash some unmentionables, too. But you better get that all done by 3 p.m., because by then we might be back to one sock again. And by supper, you can’t use it at all until the next morning. Then, around 10 a.m., you can wash another sock. But just one.
That’s not for you? Okay, please come over to this aisle, where we have the wind-powered dryer units. You will surely like this dryer, for instance. It truly sucks when it doesn’t blow.
The natural gas records coincided with record power consumption. On Dec. 29, SaskPower set another record in power consumption for Saskatchewan. At 5:27 p.m. on Dec. 29, 2021, Saskatchewan homes and businesses reached 3,868 megawatts (MW) in power use, according to the Crown corporation. The previous record of 3,792 MW was reached four years ago to the day, on Dec. 29, 2017.
Now, it’ll work most days, but not all. And especially not all in winter. If you work during the day and like to dry your clothes at night, in winter, you’ll have to be very judicious about it. That’s because this wind-powered dryer will, at times, only put out 0.13 per cent of its rated output. So that means you can wash one G-string. Not full-bottomed briefs, mind you. One G-string. That’s all this baby can handle. Forget about your jeans, shirts, or even socks.
You should expect this, you know. That’s what you get when you buy your appliances from Brian’s Green-Powered Appliance Store.
Saskatchewan’s power production has increasingly shifted from coal to natural gas as a fuel source. In December, Boundary Dam Unit 4, a coal-fired generating unit, was retired, reducing the Boundary Dam Power Station to 672 megawatts capacity. On the natural gas side, Saskatchewan has seen the construction of several new natural gas-fired power plants. They include the baseload North Battleford Power Station (289 megawatts), Yellowhead Power Station peaking plant (also at North Battleford, 135 megawatts), the baseload Chinook Power Station at Swift Current (353 megawatts) and peaking plant Spy Hill Power Station (89 megawatts). Another 353 megawatt baseload
But you absolutely need your clothes washed and dried, you say? Well, the angle of the sun and the length of days will improve by around March 21, so you should be patient until then. Your solar-powered washer should work just fine, during the day, at least, after that. That’s assuming it’s not
Not interested? Why don’t you come on over to Brian’s EV Sales’s, because boy, do we have a deal for you. We’ve got some second-hand Teslas whose heating systems don’t work in -30 C due to a software update. And we have a Model 3 that can’t make it 200 kilometres, the distance from Estevan to Regina, on a full charge in that temperature.
The Crown noted that increased demand from SaskEnergy’s industrial customers, including natural gas use for power production, was the main driver of this week’s record-setting consumption.
SaskEnergy said it measures daily natural gas consumption for the 24-hour period from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. A PJ is a unit of measurement equivalent to one million gigajoules (GJ) of natural gas. An average Saskatchewan home consumes about 100 GJ of natural gas each year.
Still not interested? That’s okay, by 2035, you’ll have no choice, anyhow. The only new vehicles sold will be electric. We’re like the funeral home. We’ll see you eventually. Now, if you think that little humour bit was full of hot air, each and every bit of it was based on facts that have occurred in recent days and months.
“SaskEnergy’s natural gas system design can accommodate additional capacity to manage increased consumption even on peak days,” SaskEnergy president and CEO Ken From said in a release. “Throughout the year, SaskEnergy employees inspect, maintain and enhance the system to support safe and reliable natural gas delivery in all weather conditions. In addition, employees monitor the system 24 hours a day to ensure sufficient system capacity to meet customer demand across the province.”
This province is now largely dependent on neighbouring Alberta to fulfill roughly two-thirds of our natural gas needs.
I don’t have Saskatchewan electrical grid figures, because they don’t put out granular information on which generating station is putting our how much power at any particular time. But the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) does, and in this past week of consistent -30 C temperatures in both Saskatchewan and Alberta, it’s been enlightening to say the least. Since the weather has been essentially uniform, you can likely extrapolate most of what’s happening in Alberta to Saskatchewan.
I thought things were bad on Dec. 31 in Alberta, but they got worse the night of Jan. 5-6.
When natural gas prices took a tumble roughly 14 years ago, Saskatchewan’s domestic gas production fell off a cliff. Targeted gas drilling went essentially extinct, with next to no gas-specific wells being drilled in this province for most of the past decade. Our domestic gas production is now largely based on associated gas production that comes with oil production. As a result, Saskatchewan went from being a net gas exporter for the period of 1988 to 2009 to a net importer that year.
At 10:45 p.m. MST, temperatures from -28 C to -40 C blanketed nearly ever square inch of Alberta and Saskatchewan, from Estevan to Zama, with most of that territory, including where the wind farms are located, running around -31 or colder. That’s significant because at -30 C, they shut down the wind turbines so that cold brittle behaviour doesn’t cause them to shatter.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE
So I looked at my favourite website this week, AESO’s Current Supply Demand, found at http://ets.aeso.ca/ ets_web/ip/Market/Reports/CSDReportServlet. It’s updated continuously, with minute-by-minute power output of each and every power plant and generating unit attached to the Alberta grid. You can see how much a particular coal unit is putting out, for instance Genesee #3 is putting out 464 of its rated capacity of 466 megawatts at this very moment. That’s almost precisely equal to the 462 megawatts of wind being fed to the grid now, at 11:38 MST on Jan. 6. But solar is only contributing 35 megawatts, when the sun is highest in the sky.
So let’s get back to Wednesday night. It’s cold, and there’s zeros across the board for 23 of Alberta’s 26 wind generating facilities. Only three are contributing any power at all – one megawatt each. So at that point, Alberta’s entire wind power generation, with a supposed capacity of 2,269 megawatts, was putting out three megawatts – or 0.13 per cent of its rated capacity. That’s analogous a dryer that can only dry a G-string at a time. Not full-bottomed briefs, but a G-string.
Of course, solar was producing precisely zero because, shocker, the sun went down that night. As it will every night, until the end of time.
Everyone knows that solar doesn’t work at night. But did you know it doesn’t work during the daytime, in the dead of winter, either?
The next day it was still cold across Alberta, and solar was still pathetic in its output. Out of an installed base of 736 megawatts, at 10:15 a.m. MST, it was only contributing 15 megawatts to the grid. By 12:15, when the sun was close to its highest point in the sky, that grew to only 45 megawatts, or 6.1 per cent of its rated capacity. So that’s analogous to a washer that can only do one sock at a time, but only for a few hours around noon. It’s useless the rest of the day, during the winter.
I don’t know specifically why Alberta’s solar generation was so low during the day. Yes, the sun is near its lowest angle at this time of year. But solar proponents, in promoting these sites, often talk about being at one of the sunniest
locations in Canada. (We have a lot of those, apparently). Could it be snow covering the panels? Maybe – but at all 13 facilities at the same time? Do photovoltaic panels not put out as much due to temperature? I have no idea.
But none of that really matters. They’re all excuses. The only number that matters is net power to the grid, and for much of the first week of January, that number has been laughably low, to the point of not even counting. Again, it’s the ability to wash one sock at a time.
Oh, and at noon on Jan. 6, Alberta was using 11,545 megawatts, just 184 megawatts shy of its all-time record of February, 2021.
Don’t forget, on Oct. 26, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the world at COP26, “We must find the right solutions for our citizens in their everyday lives. And that is why Canada has set the goal of selling only zero-emissions vehicles and establishing the electrical distribution network for zero net emissions by 2035.”
This is the “energy transition” narrative governments and media are shoving down our throats: For the sake of climate change, in 13 years all we will be able to buy are electric vehicles. We’ll plug them in at night, and they’ll be charged by clean, net-zero emissions wind power (since the sun goes down at night, so don’t count on solar).
But on Jan. 5, when you combined Alberta’s wind and solar together, they were generating 1/10 of 1% of their rated capacity. That’s 1/1000 of what they are supposedly capable of, on one of the coldest nights of the year. Oh, and five days earlier, Alberta shut down two more coal generators.
What happens on such nights 13 years from now when everyone is plugging in their electric Chevrolet Silverados and Ford F-150 Lightnings, each with an 80 amp charger running all night? Will a “smart grid” shut down their charging, so that the grid doesn’t go down? What if you need that vehicle the next day for work, or to go to the hospital, or get your kids to school? What it it’s an ambulance that needs to charge?
Someone needs to be pointing these things out. Someone needs to ask the hard questions, and providing the reality checks. Are we throwing out reliable energy sources only to literally freeze in the dark? Are we going to be like Europe, shutting down industries due to energy poverty?
I will be the one asking those questions, and making those arguments. You will want to know the answers, because these things will, very soon, affect your daily lives.
So would you buy a solar-powered washer or wind-powered dryer from Brian’s Green-Powered Appliance Store? Me neither. But that’s what we are being forced to do.
Brian Zinchuk is editor and owner of Pipeline Online. He can be reached at brian.zinchuk@pipelineonline.ca.
Kindersley & District CO-OP presents
