Monday Maniacs Back to Work!

The Tragically Hip - My Music at Work

Good Monday morning! I'm just back from a week away in Costa Rica (thank you to Minion Greg for looking after my duties last week) so it's back to work for me as well as many other Challengers - although I know that our friends in the USA are enjoying a long weekend for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. 

My first Minion post included a video from a great (but lesser known) Canadian band - Sloan - but this video is from one of Canada's best known rock bands, the Tragically Hip. The band was formed in Kingston, Ontario in 1984 and led by singer, lyricist and poet Gord Downie. The Hip (as they were known here in Canada) released 14 albums between 1987 and 2017 and won 17 Juno awards. Lead singer Downie has been described as "Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Michael Stipe combined into one sensitive, oblique poet-philosopher" by no less an authority than the New York Times, and his death in 2017 effectively ended the band and affected Canadians everywhere.

I've picked this Hip video for the post because it's one of my favourite songs from the band - I love the lyrics and the music - especially the chord change at 1:05 that always gets me. The video was directed by Kids in the Hall comedy alumnus Bruce McCulloch, for which he won the "Best Director" award at the 2000 MuchMusic Video Awards. If they haven't already, somebody has to start a Hip tribute band called "The Filters" - amirite?

Anyway, this week I am proud to present for your edification and amusement:

• very cool Little Red Riding Hood and Wolf from SanderS!
• lovely Hungarian Hussars from JezT!
• snazzy Leopard 1 tanks from RossM!
• some super 1SSF infantry from DavidB!
• a custom-converted figure from the Pechorsk Radius, from GavinB!
• a very nice Vietnam USMC mortar crew from HayesW!

I hope you enjoy this week's offerings, and I want to send out a special wish for Challenger FrederickC who had unexpected and urgent surgery last week. We're all pulling for you and wishing you the best, Frederick.

Till next Monday, all the best,

Dallas

Squirrel Duel - Second Update

    Hello all, time to check in again with the Squirrel Side Duel.

    I think I found everybody who had included the correct label in their posts and even a few who didn't. Don't forget, you need the label Squirrel in your post. It is also really helpful if you have your name in the label as well, as I also double check against a list of names. If you post goes live today, then it will be included in the next update.

    We have had quite a few new entries in the past couple of weeks. Here are a few that caught my eye.

A gang for Judge Dredd, by MattW

Some Mayans by BillA

A group of Orcs waving around their weapons by MikeW

A horde of Ottomans by AdamW

    And finally, here are the updated standings for the Squirrel Side Duel, with some challengers shooting up the ranks.

    As always, if you have any questions, comments or shouts of "Boo, that's not fair!", please feel free to leave a message below and I will get back to you asap.

    -The Squirrelfinder General.