Prairie Post

5 things you absolutely must know today

Leonard Cohen releases new album, starts smoking again

Canadian legend and possible demigod Leonard Cohen turned 80 this weekend, days before the release of his latest album, Popular Problems, which comes out today. He’s also planning to start smoking again. This writer is jealous. Few people can make smoking cigarettes look good. Cohen would be among those few. “Quite seriously, does anyone know where you can buy a Turkish or Greek cigarette? I’m looking forward to that first smoke,” he said at a press conference in New York before his actual birthday. “I’ve been thinking about that for 30 years. It’s one of the few consistent strings of thoughts I’ve been able to locate.” This birthday was Sept. 21. Happy belated, Leonard! And happy smoking! [Source: Death and Taxes]

Tanya Tagaq uses hipsters to make case for eating seal

Throat singer and Nunavut native Tanya Tagaq wowed the audience with a song, then, shortly after, while their minds were still bent on her performance, won the $30,000 Polaris Music Prize. The event happened Monday. Tagaq’s Animism took top prize over contenders Drake, Arcade Fire, Owen Pallett and many others. The Polaris Prize is given to the best Canadian album of the year as decided by a jury of journalists. “The album itself came from a very awesome place,” Tagaq said. “I couldn’t be more happy.” Then came her side note: “People should wear and eat seal as much as possible because if you can imagine an indigenous culture thriving and surviving on sustainable resource, wearing seal and eating it, it’s delicious and there’s lots of them. I really believe that if hipsters can make flower beards in, then you can do it with seal. Come on, guys.” [Source: Toronto Star]

Canada’s earliest dwellers found, possibly 

It just may be the earliest evidence of humans in Canada. Researchers from the University of Victoria and Parks Canada used what’s called an autonomous underwater vehicle to survey the sea floor hoping to find remains of the ancient Haida civilization. The vessel scanned an area near the Haida Gwaii islands off the northern coast of B.C. The crew is hopeful one of the images they surfaced with is of a stone weir, which is a man-made channel used for fishing. Anthropologists estimate the finding could date back 13,8000 years. [Source: CTV]

Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome exists 

Dale Decker has Persistent Genital Arousal Syndrome and sometimes gets up to 100 orgasms per day. The syndrome developed after he slipped a disc in his back two years ago. On his way to the hospital, he reportedly had five orgasms, and they haven’t stopped since. The episodes are painful and have left Decker, 37, housebound for fear of experiencing an orgasm in public. “If you’re in public, if you’re in front of kids, it’s disgusting and it can break you real fast. I was in line at the grocery store once and as I got to the front I dropped to my knees and had an orgasm. I was yelping. It was horrendous. When it was over I looked around and about 150 people all stood looking at me in disgust.” Dr. Dena Harris, a New York-based doctor who helps women cope with the condition, said, she hopes “he gets the help he desperately needs.” [Source: UKNW]

U.S. expands airstrikes into Syria

IS-controlled areas in Syria are under fire as the U.S. and five of its Arab allies launch airstrikes against the militant strongholds. Warplanes, drones, and Tomahawk missiles were used in the attack. At least 70 IS members were killed, according to ground reports. This is another notch in the barrel for the U.S. The country has launched about 190 airstrikes in IS-controlled areas in Iraq since mid-August. But Monday’s attack is the first of its kind across the border in Syria. [Source: BBC]

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Toban Dyck is on Twitter @tobandyck

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