Who Needs Drugs Anyway?

This is big news in a world where the average temperature is set to keep rising. Mosquitoes are among the most deadly animals in the world, and the best drug we have is about to become a placebo. Way to go, profiteering drug companies!

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The Conservatives crowed about “accountability” then don’t release reports they are legally obligated to show the media upon request.

“The document was an annual report on Public Works’ massive real estate portfolio, which contained factual information on high vacancy rates and weak returns on investment. Such reports had never been made public before.”
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IggyGoHome wrote: The Conservative government is the only Canadian government to date that has ever made these reports public. Why is that?

Because, troll, that’s what Harper promised to do, yet his office broke his promise, and the law. It’s hard to brag about Harper’s “commitment to accountability” and that no other government released these reports, when Harper didn’t willingly release them. You can’t have your cake, and eat it too.

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Saskatoon doesn’t want to recycle because it will lose landfill fees, is the claim of someone. Sounds possible, given the attitude of some people toward recycling, let along losing revenue to a worthy venture.

Australian Flag Up

Go Australia! Stand up to the IOC bullies! It’s too bad the Canadians already folded, when we were holding most of the cards. We are hosting the 2010 games after all, we could tell the IOC to stick it, if it weren’t for limp-wristed Canadians like Dick Pound.

From 1996, this telling quote from Dick Pound:

But on the skyline just beyond the park’s gates lurk the logos of so-called ambush marketers – companies such as shoe giant Nike, which have not paid a sponsorship fee to the Games, but hope to cash in anyway. Montrealer Dick Pound, the IOC vice-president who runs the committee’s marketing arm, was blunt in his criticism of such tactics. “It is unethical and unacceptable,” said Pound. “If we don’t stop it, it will diminish the value of Olympic sponsorship in the future.”

It’s a far cry from the real Canadian attitude, which unfurls a Canadian flag so large that it covers a large portion of a sports field, like in the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Opening Ceremonies.

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Adrian has comments on this too.

Hockey or Parliament?

Most Canadians would prefer Harper be in the NHL instead of Parliament, as well.

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Hat tip Canadian Cynic

Is it Rude to Let a Liar Speak Uninterrupted?

Who is being rude here, Monbiot or Plimer?

Monbiot catches Plimer in multiple lies, and while he repeats them and evades a straightforward yes or no answer, Monbiot interrupts. They are both playing a media game, so is either really being rude? Is winning the debate all that matters? Do whatever the moderator will allow.

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The first part of the debate is available, as is the 2nd part.

Plimer accidentally plugs DeSmogBlog while trying to smear it and the David Suzuki Foundation.

Dear Internet: Stop saying “rips” and “eviscerates” in your headlines. Thank you.

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Conservative liar Braid demonstrates that it isn’t just fraudulent science that can be lied about on TV. And you see the same lying quote elsewhere in the news by someone else in the Conservative Party as well.

Cell Phone Surprise

I’m not really surprised, but some lawmakers may be.

The new study, which was completed in December, looked at crashes (and not just at those involving cellphones) in those four places and found no decrease in accidents, despite the bans’ having reduced the use of hand-held cellphones 41 to 76 percent. The researchers obtained those numbers by going out to street corners and exit ramps to observe how many people had cellphones up to their ears before the bans compared with after the bans.

“We can’t even see a blip in the data for crashes,” said Mr. Lund. Furthermore, there was no indication that increased cellphone use was resulting in more crashes nationwide, despite what studies and common sense would indicate.

What then is the implication of these findings?

“We still don’t think we understand this fully,” said Mr. Lund. But one possibility is that while cellphones are a distraction, maybe they are not “all that much worse a distraction than many of the other things that we do.”

Another possibility for the surprising finding is that drivers in places with these bans may be switching to hands-free phones. In this case, crashes wouldn’t decrease because the risk is about the same as with handset phones, Mr. Lund said.

I added the bold to point out to Saskatchewan drivers snapping up bluetooth headsets that you’re still at an increased risk of crashing if you talk on a headset, or a handheld phone each time you drive.

Touch Tone Fee Still Charged!?

Bell and the telcos need to stop robbing people blind. $4 for name display is crazy, and a touch tone fee in 2010 is INSANE. Governments in power are letting utility businesses charge basically whatever they want, and don’t even require them to upgrade infrastructure in return.

Bell/SaskTel to charge “Inconvenience Fee” on next bill.

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A computer in 2010 without a standard USB port? Would you buy it? Oddly, millions of fan-boys would jump at the chance to get screwed by a hardware and software and content monopoly.

Remembering The Past

Archives Week has arrived in Saskatchewan. Here are a list of events, and interesting archival websites.

SCAA and their facebook group.

# Wednesday, February 3

* “From the Vault: Archives on the Big Screen”- Join guest commentators for an evening of short films from archives in Saskatchewan. See ground-breaking research from the 1930s, witness archival documents coming to life in “A Curious Friendship,” “A Chaplain’s War” & a film about the politically charged 1936 Olympics. Be swept up in “A Prairie Romance.” 7:00 p.m., RPL Film Theatre, 2311 12th Ave. in Regina – FREE ADMISSION. Presented by the SK Council for Archives & Archivists & the Regina Public Library as part of Archives Week 2010.

Can you identify the clothing or woman in this old photograph? She’s a person from Saskatchewan’s history, and the Archives is attempting to verify her identity.

US Archives on Flickr.

SaskTel Squeaking By Consumer Protection Act?

SaskTel claims they don’t have to observe the rules around gift cards, even though their Prepaid phone cards are the same idea. That’s why they can go back to forcing people to buy new $20 cards every 60 days, because they’ll otherwise expire the time. In effect, they are charging a $20/2month inactivity fee, which is not allowed in Saskatchewan law.

SaskTel was initially scared of the law enough to discontinue the fee robbing structure they had set up. For about a year you could buy the one $20 card and just use it sparingly. Then they sprung an $8/month minimum charge on everyone, and because enough people complained they offered the initial, sucky, $20/2month inactivity fee again.

Gift Cards
Part IV.6 of the Act sets out rules regarding gift cards and gift certificates (prepaid purchase cards). With some exceptions, it:

* prohibits expiry dates on most gift cards and certificates;
* requires disclosure of terms and conditions on gift cards and certificates;
* prohibits suppliers from charging inactivity or dormancy fees that reduce the value of a gift card or gift certificate if it is not used within a certain period of time;
* prohibits any other fees that may be charged in relation to gift cards or certificates unless authorized in the regulations; and
* provides that any agreement, whether verbal, written, express or implied, that the benefits of the Act do not apply or are not available, is void. A consumer may recover any money paid under such an agreement by commencing an action in court.

Expiry dates, and inactivity or dormancy fees will be allowed for cards that have been issued for a charitable purpose or if the consumer has provided nothing of value in exchange for the card. Fees are allowed to customize a card or to replace a lost or stolen card.

When a prepaid purchase card is issued or sold, the supplier must give the consumer the following information:

* a description of all restrictions, limitations and conditions on the use of the card, including any fee or expiry date permitted in the Act; and
* a description of the way in which the consumer can obtain information about the card, including any remaining balance.

Remedies
The Director or the court has investigatory powers under the Act, including the right to enter premises, and search and seize documents.

The Director may order a person who fails to comply with the Act:

* to stop an act or to begin an act;
* to comply with the Act; and
* to do or stop doing any other thing the Director considers necessary.

The Director may apply to the court for:

* an order directing the person and, in the case of a corporation or partnership, the directors and officers or the partners, to comply with the Act or preventing that person from contravening the Act; and
* any other order or remedy the Director may request.

The court may make any order it considers necessary.

Zombie Music

It makes sense that Zombies just want to sing too. You can hear lots of other MP3 music here too before buying it.

Have Some Fun

You’re never too old to have some fun

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Hat tip April

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Friday night I got a quick nap in, then went bowling. I had the high score of the night, 225. My next game was about 175, and third was cut short on time. Wednesdays and Thursday nights are all you can bowl 9:30 to midnight for $35, for a group up to 6 people, at Golden Mile.

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Try Windows 3.1 again without even installing it.