People Who Don't Know Their Gas From A Hole In The Ground.

From News Daily:

CALGARY, Alberta, Mar. 24, 2008 (Reuters) — A war on gophers waged by two Canadian men went awry this weekend when a device used to blast the rodents in their holes sparked a massive grass fire in a rural area near Calgary, Alberta, causing more than C$200,000 ($197,000) in damages.

Despite a ban on fires in the tinder-dry area of Springbank, just northeast of Calgary's city limits, two men went into a field to kill gophers using a device called a Rodenator, fire officials said on Monday.

The device pumps a mixture of propane and oxygen into gopher holes, which is then ignited, and, according to the manufacturer's Web site, the resulting blast creates a shock wave that kills the gopher and collapses its tunnel system.

"We had a couple of acreage owners out taking care of their rodent problem with this device," said Captain Joe Garssi of the municipal district of Rocky View's fire department.

"They did a few holes successfully and then hit a hole that didn't go in very far. When they filled it with propane it over-filled the hole...and when they ignited it (fire) flashed out of the hole into the grass beside them."

The resulting grass fire scorched about 160 acres of surrounding property and destroyed a number of outbuildings. No homes were damaged.

"The way I look at it, it's 'humans eight, gophers one'." Garssi said, as the two men destroyed about eight of the rodents before sparking the blaze.

Charges are being considered against one of the two men involved.

Fly Canadian

You've got to love the Canadian sense of humour. West Jet is based in Calgary , Alberta . It's flight attendants are famous for trying to make the in-flight safety lecture and pre-flight announcements more entertaining. Here are recent examples:

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On a flight featuring a senior crew of attendants, the pilot announced,"Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude. We'll be turning down the lights both for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of the cabin crew."

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On landing, an attendant said, "Please be sure to take all of your belongings with you. If you're going to leave anything, make sure it's something we'd like to have."

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"There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of this airplane."
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"Thank you for flying West Jet Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."

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As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at the Vancouver airport, alone voice came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"

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After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Ontario , a flight attendant on a West Jet flight announced, "Please take care when opening the overhead compartments. After a landing like that, everything sure as heck shifted."

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From a West Jet employee: "Welcome aboard West Jet Flight 245 to Calgary .To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle and pull it tight. You'll find that it works just like every other seat belt.However, if you don't know how to operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
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"In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face.If you're traveling with a small child, secure your mask before assisting with theirs. If you're traveling with more than one child, pick your favorite."

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"The weather at our destination is 50 degrees with broken clouds. We'll try to have them fixed before we arrive. Remember, nobody loves you or your money more than West Jet Airlines."

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"Your seat cushions can be used for flotation. In the event of an emergency landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our compliments."

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"As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings.Anything left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do not leave children or spouses."

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And from the pilot during his welcome message: "West Jet Airlines is pleased to announce that we have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of them are on this flight!"

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Heard on West Jet Airlines just after a very hard landing in Edmonton: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a bump,and I know what you all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's fault, it was the asphalt."

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Overheard on a West Jet Airlines flight into Regina on a particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Regina . Please remain in your seats with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our airplane to the gate!"

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Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."

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An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the first officer to stand at the door while the Passengers exited,smile, and give them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye,thinking that someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a little old lady walking with a cane. She said,"Sir, do you mind if I ask you a question?""Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. "What is it?"The little old lady said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
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After a real crusher of a landing in Halifax , the attendant came on with, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced,we will open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

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Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of West Jet Airways."

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Heard on a West Jet Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing. If you can light 'em, you can smoke 'em."

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A plane was taking off from the Winnipeg airport. After it reached a comfortable cruising altitude, the captain made this announcement."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Flight Number 293, nonstop from Winnipeg to Montreal . The weather ahead is good and we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY GOD!!" Silence followed. Moments later, the captain returned to the radio and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm sorry if I scared you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant spilled hot coffee on my lap. You should see the front of my pants!"A passenger yelled, "That's nothing! You should see the back of mine."

H/T to my brother.

The Land Mine Pixies Are At It Again

There isn't alot of information available yet, but the discovery of several landmines hidden in a Canadian culvert is bad news no matter how you spin it. Thank God someone found them.

Landmines Found In Creek, The London Free Press
This mine, likely an anti-vehicle model, experts said, was found by two teens out with their mother and dog for a walk Friday. A bomb-disposal team found another nearby yesterday.

STRATHROY -- A country creek where children swim, fish and frolic was instead swarmed by police yesterday as Canadian Forces explosives experts detonated two live landmines. The mines, found in a culvert that runs under Inadale Drive between Strathroy and Mt. Brydges, appeared to have timers and were likely the type used to blow up tanks, Strathroy-Caradoc police say.

[...] The creek is popular with families, so police suspect the mines were put there to maim and kill, or in callous disregard of that possibility. .

Someone got their hands on really punishing explosive devices. Two of these mines were recovered near each other. Strathroy-Caradoc police Sgt. Mike Overdulve was interviewed for this story.

The potential for devastation was evident yesterday as a military team detonated the mines from a safe distance. The force of the blast ripped bark and limbs from a tree and sprayed water so high it could be seen by observers a kilometre away.

"I could feel the percussive force," Overdulve said, "It was 100 times louder than any fireworks you ever heard."

Seven centimetres thick and 25 centimetres in diameter, the mines appear to be the kind used to disable tanks.

"We can't definitively prove that, but that is the direction we are leaning," Overdulve said.

After the detonation, the explosives experts found debris "consistent with timers," he said.

I am a realist, not an alarmist, but who would have the motivation to do this? This incident occurred in Middlesex County, Ontario. It is north of Cleveland, Ohio on the Canadian side of Lake Erie and directly due east of Flint, Michigan.


Strathroy-Caradoc (Strathroy merged with the Town of Caradoc in 1998) is a small community of about 13,500 souls. The biggest thing that ever happened here was in 2004 when the train station was burned down. Some teens were charged with the arson. Because of Cuddy Farms, Strathroy favors the reputation as the turkey egg capital of the world.


Not exactly a terrorist hotbed.