When was the last time you got a rebate from your auto insurance company?

Not only do consumers in Saskatchewan get the cheapest bundle of utilities in Canada - including either the lowest, or second lowest auto insurance rates, but now Saskatchewanians get money back from their insurer - an average rebate of about $180.

People in Saskatchewan get their basic auto insurance from SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance). That insurance can be thousands of dollars less in a year than other provinces. For example: In Saskatchewan the average premium in 2003 was $904, while the average consumer in Alberta pays $1,853. A consumer in Lloydminster, Alberta could pay up to $8,980 more annually for auto insurance than if they lived literally across the street in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. Auto insurance premiums when compared with Saskatchewan cost twice as much in Alberta and almost three times more in Newfoundland or Ontario.

AUTO INSURANCE RATE COMPARISON STUDY - Consumers Association of Canada (2003)

"Saskatchewan’s auto insurance rates are currently the lowest in Canada based on a comparison of vehicle insurance costs for Saskatchewan’s 34 most popular vehicles based on similar coverages."

Saskatchewan Auto Fund Proposal for Rate Adjustment January 2007

"The rebate applies to both privately-owned and commercial vehicles and will be calculated on a customer’s vehicle insurance premium, prior to any discounts or surcharges earned through the Safe Driver Recognition or Business Recognition programs. Rebate cheques will be mailed to customers in mid-April, with an average rebate of about $180.

SGI has also applied to the Saskatchewan Rate Review Panel to generally reduce rates by five per cent with rate rebalancing, which would mean about 448,000 Saskatchewan vehicles (53 per cent) would see a reduction in their rates. The average decrease would be $68.

“Saskatchewan motorists already enjoy the lowest auto insurance rates in the country, and now SGI is applying to reduce them further,”"

Saskatchewan Government Insurance news release

Blue Cheese Dressing as environmental hazard

""There was blue cheese - a lot of it," said Robert Becker, fire apparatus engineer and hazardous materials specialist for Riverside County Fire Department."

"Emergency personnel worked through the night to right dozens of toppled railcars and clean up a flood of salad dressing after a train derailed Tuesday afternoon near North Shore."

The Desert Sun

CBC

San Jose Mercury

Chávez alcohol ban outrages Venezuelans

"This is not the first time Chávez, 52, has tried to focus Venezuelans on recreational activities that do not revolve around drinking.

Before last year's presidential election in December, Chávez, describing beer trucks as a "degeneration of society," ordered the National Guard to prevent the delivery vehicles from selling beer on the streets of poor neighborhoods. He has since imposed a 35 percent import duty on imported whiskey, a favorite lunchtime drink of many people here."

"Chávez, a teetotaler, appears to have touched a nerve with the ban on alcohol sales, which initially confused many people and caught them off guard.

His pronouncement on politics and the direction of what he describes as a "Bolivarian revolution" are generally taken in stride; policies that immediately affect the rituals of daily life are another matter."

International Herald Tribune articel

Chavez should be careful with revolutionary decrees like this. He should have probably been more incremental than this. I cite Nicolo Machiavelli in The Prince

"And it ought to be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things. Because the innovator has for enemies all those who have done well under the old conditions, and lukewarm defenders in those who may do well under the new. This coolness arises partly from fear of the opponents, who have the laws on their side, and partly from the incredulity of men, who do not readily believe in new things until they have had a long experience of them. Thus it happens that whenever those who are hostile have the opportunity to attack they do it like partisans, whilst the others defend lukewarmly, in such wise that the prince is endangered along with them."

Solar boat makes Atlantic history

"The crew of four academics and one full-time sailor said they were trying to promote the "great potential" of solar power to combat climate change.

A similar-sized boat would have used about 72 litres of diesel every 24 hours on the same voyage."

"During the day, the 48 solar panels on its roof gather energy from the sun. The power is stored in batteries, which allow it to sail through the night."

Solar power has been mocked by the "big iron" engineers that dominate power utilities and engineering schools. Successive right wing governments around the world have cut funding for solar research and solar projects. Experiments like this one prove the functionality of solar, and it's utility in helping solve the global climate crisis.

BBC: Solar boat makes Atlantic history

Canada's largest wireless Internet network free-of-charge in Saskatchewan

"Residents and visitors to the downtown business districts and post-secondary institutions of Saskatchewan’s four largest centres will soon be able to access the country’s largest wireless Internet network, free-of-charge. The Saskatchewan! Connected initiative will offer users basic Internet service in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Regina, and Moose Jaw via a wireless Wi-Fi network to be operated by the government Information Technology Office, SaskTel and other partners. The service will also be available in select business districts in close proximity to downtown Saskatoon and Regina."

NDP Caucus - announcement of free wireless internet

Saskatchewan! Connected website (warning: annoying autoplay music when you go there)

U.S. Humane Society complaint on fur garment mislabelling - dog fur used

The Humane Society of the United States says dog fur is being used on winter coats.

"March 14, 2007 — Today, the Federal Trade Commission is considering a petition from the Humane Society of the United States that asks for fines or even criminal charges against major designers that mislabel their clothing.

Last month, "Good Morning America" reported on a Humane Society investigation that had found dog fur used on winter coats advertised as faux fur or labeled "raccoon fur."

It is illegal to import dog or cat fur, yet the Humane Society of the United States says it found top designers and stores doing just that.

The controversial fur is used as trim around the collars and on hoods of popular winter coats." - ABC News

Read the whole story here

UK pays off World War Two debt 61 years later

"Britain has cleared the payment of loans lent by the US and Canada during World War Two some 61 years ago.

The British Treasury sent its 50th and last repayments of Pnds 42.4 million (Dlrs 80 m) to the US and Pnds 9.8 m to Canada via electronic payment on December 29" 2006.

"In contrast, loans issued by and to Britain during the first world war were never resolved until a deal was struck in 1931 to wipe them out and give countries a chance to rebuild during the years of the Great Depression." (IRNA)

There are some interesting historical tidbits to be found in the three following stories:

The Independent story

London Free Press story

Islamic Republic News Agency story

33 Senators Say They Were Wrong To Vote For War In Iraq

What more can be said? ABC asked, and a solid majority of Senators publicly say they were wrong.

Think Progress story

Aviation Emissions Higher Than Refineries Or Steel Plants

Aircraft produce about 3% of EU CO2 emissions - more than refineries or steel plants

Aviation emissions, since 1990, have gone up about 90% and, by 2020, they are going to be doubled, if business continues as usual.

International experts say aviation will account for 5% of total warming in 2050

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6195567.stm

contraceptive pill for men

"SCIENTISTS have discovered an innovative contraceptive pill that makes men infertile within hours. The one-off tablet works so quickly it could be taken as a last-minute contraceptive just a few hours before sex. The revolutionary new male pill returns a man's fertility to normal just hours after use. It contains chemicals which prevent the ejaculation of sperm without affecting the intensity of the orgasm."

from Australia Herald Sun

also read:

moneycontrol.com

Unexpected Consequences: Global Warming and the US Wine Industry

"Climate warming could spell disaster for much of the multibillion-dollar U.S. wine industry." "The main problem: An increase in the frequency of extremely hot days" "Grapes used in premium wines need a consistent climate. When temperatures top about 35 C they have problems maintaining photosynthesis and the sugars in the grapes can break down"

It's funny how there can be consequences of actions or situations that a person would never normally think of in a planning or preparedness scenario.

On a positive note, Canadian grape growing areas would increase in size in a global warming scenario, so there may be one upside for the Canadian economy (dark humour).

Full story here

Republicans Rebel Against Legalised Torture

George W. Bush has proposed a set of laws and rules to try and make legal (under U.S. law) the kind of interrogation and imprisonment that his administration has illegally been conducting to this point. Senior Republicans are rebelling.

"Leading the efforts against [Bush] in the Senate are three key Republicans on the Armed Services Committee with their own military credentials: the chairman and a former secretary of the Navy, Senator John W. Warner of Virginia; Senator John McCain of Arizona, a prisoner of war in Vietnam; and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, a military judge. And publicly taking their side is Mr. Bush’s former secretary of state, Colin L. Powell."

Read the story

This Looks Like A Fascinating Show

THE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR EXPERIMENTS
Wednesday September 13 on CBC Newsworld at 10pm ET/PT

"atrocity-producing situations"

THE DOC: Why would four young men watch their friend die, when they could have intervened to save him? Why would a woman obey phone commands from a stranger to strip-search an innocent employee? What makes ordinary people perpetrate extraordinary abuses, like the events at Abu Ghraib?

WATCH VIDEO 2:28

THE TALK: Filmmaker Alex Gibney and parenting expert Barbara Coloroso join military families and others to discuss "atrocity-producing situations": how to identify them and how to prevent them, from the schoolyard to the battlefield.

from http://www.cbc.ca/bigpicture/

The Softwood Lumber Deal Should Be Canada's Signal To Get Out Of NAFTA

"NAFTA regulations prevent Canada from exporting oil from Alberta to the rest of Canada before sending it along to other markets."

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"'NAFTA is definitely not working," said Laxer. "We were supposed to get guaranteed access [to U.S. markets] in return for giving up energy sovereignty and control over foreign ownership.' But this hasn't happened, Laxer added, and softwood lumber is strong evidence that the original promise isn't being upheld."

Playing hardball over softwood

How Conservatives Stand Up For Canada

Under this brilliant deal the U.S. will only return about $4 billion of almost $5.3 billion in duties it has collected. The new deal will see a Canada put an export tax on softwood and export shipment restrictions. Canadian softwood producers are also forced to drop the close to 30 lawsuits stemming from the American’s illegal punitive action. "Despite losing countless cases in front of both its own legal system and the World Trade Organization, the U.S. simply ignored the rulings and used its heavy-handed tactics to force an agreement." "The U.S. has indicated it will increase tariffs should the deal collapse." - Canada submits on softwood

“No One Is Supporting This Deal"

George Bush Quote of the month: "I would never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me"

"Among the many flabbergasting answers that President Bush gave at his press conference on Monday [Aug 21, 2006], this one—about Democrats who propose pulling out of Iraq—triggered the steepest jaw drop: 'I would never question the patriotism of somebody who disagrees with me. This has nothing to do with patriotism. It has everything to do with understanding the world in which we live.'"

The full story on Slate

Green Agenda Showing in Voting Interest

"Nearly one in three Canadians has considered voting Green and the party is now, surprisingly, the second choice for more than a third of Conservative voters"

As a strong New Democrat, and as a person who thinks that environmental issues should be front and centre of our platform, this kind of polling should show people who make decisions where the future lies. Vote growth is through a green agenda. Saving our planet from environmental devastaion is also going to happen through a green agenda, so that happens to a really spiffy conincidence.

Jack Layton is to be commended for marrying the issues of asthma and emissions during the last election campaign. I know that's his own personal issue because he was on about it even when I had some beer with him while he was running for the leadership (no we're not pals - a group of people went to a brew pub and yakked. His brain trust needs to trust that instinct.

Greens 2nd choice for some Tories

Immigration, Jobs, Labour Shortages, and Short Sighted Right Wing Ideas

Consider Canada's current labour shortage. Consider how we got to the point where we no longer have enough workers to supply all the jobs in Canada. Consider that our economy will not perform at the level it could because we don't have enough workers. Consider the growth at all costs agenda of the business class in Canada and then recall the Reform Party's platform which called for a 40% reduction in immigration to Canada. Remember that current Prime Minister Stephen Harper was policy chief for the Reform Party at that time. Recall the anti-immigrant rhetoric of many right-wingers. I would ask you to consider the kind of thinking and world-view sits behind policies and ideas like that.

The Liberals soaked up that bit of policy, just like the right-wing tax cutting policies implemented by then Finance Minister Paul Martin. The Liberals refused to look at their own projections and deal with an impending labour shortage in Canada. They cut tranfers to the provinces for education and they refused to increase immigration to neccessary levels.

Just for the record, my grandparents and great-grandparents were immigrants. And also for the record, as Slavic people, many in Canada tried to keep them out (to the point of forming branches of the KKK to stop Slavs from coming here saying that they were too "alien" in culture and practices.

I invite you to read the following stories which discuss the effects of the kinds of xenophic policies and ideas previously espoused by the the Reform/Alliance/Conservative brain trust:

"Short-handed: Making the most of Canada's labour crunch
Plenty of work, not enough bodies
Labour woes in the West are showing up elsewhere"

Immigrate.net

even the normally right wing slavering CFIB calls for "adjusting the immigration system to be used more effectively as a source of skilled labour"

here's a story about how a Social Democratic (NDP) government approaches it's labour shortage:

SHORT-HANDED: MAKING THE MOST OF CANADA'S LABOUR CRUNCH
A blueprint for a solution
In Regina, training gives natives the tools to fix the construction industry's shortage