Can you believe that the American League pennant race has come down to the Cleveland Indians vs the Toronto Blue Jays? Major League Baseball sure heats up in October, that's for sure! I can tell you, first hand, the differences between September baseball and October baseball are pretty astounding. On September 17th, 2016 I sat in section 181 of Progressive Field, in Cleveland to watch a game between the Indians and the Tigers. I paid $9 for that ticket. Fast forward to the second round of the MLB playoffs, and that very same single seat is now advertised for sale at $220. So, my pair of tickets, with agency fees and currency exchange cost me roughly $30. Now, if I were to buy tickets to this next game it would literally cost a mortgage payment! I stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn. It's right across the street from Progressive Field. Literally, it's so close you could forget your baseball glove, run back to the hotel and return in 5 minutes or less. I paid $103 per night. Of course, it's sold out already for this weekend's games, but I can bet you're not paying $103 either. Lastly, the souvenirs. I picked up a couple of game used balls, league coded and authenticated, for $25. It was a 2 for 1 deal. End of season blow out! Some of the game used bats were going for $50 a piece. I enjoyed the game. Great park. Great hotel. Great atmosphere. If you decide that this is the hottest game in town, and you HAVE to go, I'll give you a couple tips. 1) Wear good shoes for the airport. The connecting gate is at the furthest end of the airport in a long annex-style hallway. Gate 90 in Toronto, was pretty much in Burlington. 2) When you arrive in Cleveland, go downstairs at the airport and buy a ticket on the Red Line train. It's $2.75 per one way. (You need the ticket from the machine dispenser) The train is literally at the airport. It's so easy. It will take you 20-30 minutes and you will get off at the main terminal at Tower City. You are now a mere 5 minute walk to the stadium. $50 if you take a cab. 3) If you want a hotel at Tower City (train station) you can stay at The Ritz Carlton or the Renaissance. Expect to pay $400 a night or so, but, extremely convenient. 4) Eat out before or after the game. The on-site concession lines were long and the food was very basic and "factory" food. Progressive Field did not have the variety or gourmet options like I found at Roger's (Blue Jays) or Chase Field (Diamondbacks).  

Throughout my travels as being a hockey agent I have been fortunate to visit dozens of countries. And the question I get asked over and over is HOW IS RUSSIA? Generalization of the former CCCP would be the Sexiest Women, Vokda, Guns, and Oil. But that doesn’t at all cover Russia one bit. It would be like saying Canada is all about bacon, maple syrup, hockey and Anne Murray. To start off, and this is only my opinion and observation, Russia is kind of like the Wild Wild West in some way but still with lots of Military everywhere you look. Train stations – Airports – Hockey rinks, you will always see a military presence, and don’t get me wrong I do not mind it however some people are worried about the military being just about anywhere a large area of population is. Oh, and getting a Visa to travel to Russia is not an easy task so hire a professional company in Ottawa or Toronto to handle the details. Now to start with some real small issues that you would find different about being back home. Finding ice for your drink is difficult. Local people tell me it is because they feel the ice will water down their beverage of choice. When at the airport I approached a blonde woman for a taxi and she just looked at me like an idiot and basically said WHAT DO YOU WANT? So I scrambled to my pocket to pull out 1500 rubles (30 dollars) for my one hour cab ride. Plus there are very few,if any stop signs, you just don’t see them anywhere. Unless you are in a major city such at St. Petersburg you will not find English being spoken in many places, except nicer hotels and perhaps some restaurants. Then again if a Russian comes to Canada how many places will have Russian speaking staff? Having a Mexican lunch in a city called Vladivostok with some American and Canadian hockey players they summed it up really well. People don’t smile often and overall you get the impression that most people are gloomy or morose. Women of all ages really dress to impress with the latest fashion trends and the men are perhaps not really as interested in being on the cutting edge of fashion. You do get the impression that Russian people are far more educated than North Americans and they are very informed for example on the US Election. Most people are anti government and mostly say Democrats overall as the division in income is so different with really no middle income families. Interesting point University is free in Russia. Therefore most people do have a degree of some sort. And they will have a very defined degree not a general degree. Perhaps a bit of a shock is most people are not very religious as say American’s are. However they have more solid old school family values that we have. And for the US Election most Russians that I have spoken to find it very funny and overall sad as well. Putin has a current 88 percent approval rating so that speaks volumes. To close this one common comment you will get when asking a question about the country or a situation the local people will always say to me "THIS IS RUSSIA".    

The Brandon Public Library will host a public reading with award-winning author Craig Russell on Monday, October 17th, 2016, 7:30 pm. Craig will read from his newest novel, Fragment, published by Thistledown Press, and will discuss the art and craft of writing. For more information about the event please contact Shelley at the Brandon Public Library at shelley@wmrl.ca. Fragment | $19.95 | 9781771871112 | paperback Prominent Canadian science fiction writer Robert J. Sawyer describes Fragment as “A wonderfully thoughtful eco-thriller from one of Canada’s best writers.” Praise for Craig's previous novel, Black Bottle Man (Great Plains Publications, 2010): “An extraordinary book. A story of profound love, of commitment to family, of humility, of grace under pressure; so rich with metaphor and allegory, depth, complexity.” — Nikki Tate, CBC Radio: All Points West Black Bottle Man won the 2011 American Moonbeam Award gold medal for Young Adult Fantasy and was a finalist for the Prix Aurora Award for Best Canadian English Novel, as well as for two Manitoba Book Awards in the same year. CRAIG RUSSELL, award-winning author of Black Bottle Man (2011), has directed a variety of theatre productions and his short play, The Unintended Consequences of Love, was performed at the 2006 Carol Shields Festival of New Works. Craig is a lawyer, and lives in Brandon with his wife. If you would like more information on Fragment, would like to request a review copy, or set up an interview/event with Craig Russell, please contact: marketing@thistledownpress.com Phone: (306) 244-1722 Fax: (306) 244-1762 www.thistledownpress.com

A pair of Yuk Yuks comedians are coming to Brandon to make people laugh at the Prairie Firehouse for three great shows in November. Canadian Comedians Jonathon Baum and Todd Ness will be performing at Prairie Firehouse starting Thursday, November the 18th thru to Saturday, November the 20th. Jonathan Baum is a Vancouver/Whistler comedian who published a book in 2015 titled My Impaired Moral Compass. Todd Ness was the winner of the 2014 Yuk Yuks Chase Your Butterfly Contest featuring up coming comedians from across Western Canada. Tickets for all three shows are on sale at Prairie Firehouse. Ticket price is $35.00 per person.

Late this Spring I initiated a conversation with filmmaker, and my childhood friend, Krista Loughton. We had reconnected on Facebook some years earlier and I had been following her plight to raise funds to complete a documentary. Lougthton along with Jennifer Abbott wrote and directed the film. Abbott is best known for her work on The Corporation, a Canadian documentary with 26 International Awards under its belt. The Corporation is a “provoking, witty, stylish and sweepingly informative, it explores the nature and spectacular rise of the dominant institution of our time.” (Source thecorporation.com) Us & Them was filmed over a decade and begins when Loughton is questioned by addiction expert Dr. Gabor Maté about her need to relieve pain in the world. This takes her back in time, when she befriended four chronically homeless people in an effort to help them heal their lives. These four charismatic people reveal the heartrending realities of their lives. The severe challenges of life on the street are portrayed with an unapologetic openness, in both emotive and humorous ways. All are struggling with addiction issues rooted in their painful childhood histories. Loughton finds a mentor in Reverend Allen Tysick, a street minister who dedicated his life to serving the poorest of the poor. Watching him build a new facility for the street community inspires her to create change in her own way. Years ago, Loughton had been introduced to the First Nations Medicine Wheel and its success helping former addicts maintain recovery. Under the mentorship of Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr., she decides to teach her friends how to balance on the Medicine Wheel. They learn to take stock of themselves physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally, in an attempt to help balance and heal their lives. (Source usandthemthefilm.ca) Loughton has created something very special with this film, and said "I want people to watch the film and never look at a street person, or themselves, in the same way again.” And after having viewed the film, I would say she has absolutely achieved that success, among others. Local support and endorsement for Loughton’s work has been provided by myITsource, Westoba Credit Union, J&G Homes, Service Canada, Landmark Cinema 9, Howling the Night Away, BDO, Victoria Inn, Leech Printing, United Way Brandon & District and LaBuick & Co. The film has been screened in Victoria, Sidney, Campbell River, Galiano Island, and Vancouver, BC. It is also set to screen in Winnipeg, Brandon, North Cowichan, Maple Ridge, and Toronto. Loughton is also currently working to screen in La Loche, SK, which means she can take Karen one of the film key characters, home. And lastly, Loughton is on the verge of confirming an official screening on Parliament Hill in Ottawa this fall. The Community Screening for Us & Them is scheduled for 13 October at 7:00 PM. There is no ticket fee, but attendees are asked to bring a can of soup and donate at entry, all of which will be given to Helping Hands Soup Kitchen. Register by using this link: Us & Them Community Screening. There will be a Question & Answer panel post screening that includes; documentarian Krista Loughton, Mayor Rick Chrest, J&G Homes CFO Tamra Rapsky, United Way CEO Cynamon Mychasiw, Housing First Coordinator and City Councillor Kris Desjarlais. For more information please contact Tanya LaBuick at tanya@labuick.co or the United Way at(204) 571-8929.