ROTTEN EGGS!

If you have a hazelnut allergy, beware those Cadbury mini-eggs!

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Cadbury Adams Canada have issued a warning about Mini Eggs -- saying that consumers with a hazelnut protein allergy could have a potentially serious reaction to the product.

The affected product is the 39 gram package of the milk chocolate Mini Eggs, which do not declare that hazelnut are an ingredient on the product's packaging.

The Cadbury products, bearing UPC 0 61200 08021 6 and lot codes 02457T and 02357T are being recalled by the company.

Cadbury Adams Canada at 1-866-782-3267 between 9:00 a.m and 6 p.m. Eastern time.

ALBERTA TAR SANDS SITE FOR WW III

I used to be a big fan of Tom Clancy. I never got into the Op-center series. I stopped reading him in the late 1990s with Rainbow Six which was the last Jack Ryan book. However he made the transition to video games and my brother Mike and I became addicted to the Rainbow Six Video game and then Ghost Recon.

His latest book is called "ENDWAR", and a war between the USA and Russia is fought in Alberta! American and Russian troops trade bullets and grenades in the stairwell of the Calgary Tower. Set in the near future, EndWar is an account of a Russian invasion of Alberta with the intent of capturing the vast oilsands and reconstituting the motherland as the top global power.

And yes, there is a video game to boot!

THE NDP DILEMMA

Have the Federal New Democrats stumbled? Are the left's hopes and ambitions for Jack Layton crumbling? One thing is for certain: the NDP have not displaced the Liberals as the national governing alternative to the Conservatives.

The NDP faired poorly in last week's by-elections and the Green Party picked up support. Should the NDP be heading away from the loftier crowded centre and back to its traditional position on the left?

The Globe & Mail looks at the plight of the stalled NDP.

THE NIGHTMARE GAMES

The 2008 Summer Olympics are beginning to look like a farce as China starts to renege on many of its commitments made to the International Olympic Committee to secure the games.

The communist regime's heavy handed approach to Tibet, and now the potential ban on live programming from Tiananmen Square, does little to promote openness. Like the Olympics, live broadcasts from Tiananmen Square were meant to showcase a friendly, confident China — one that had put behind it the deadly 1989 military assault on democracy demonstrators in the vast plaza that remains a defining image for many foreigners.

If the decision stands, it would be a blow to the TV networks whose money to buy the right to broadcast the games accounts for more than half the IOC’s revenues. The biggest spender is NBC. It paid $2.3 billion for the rights for three Olympics from 2004 to 2008 — Athens, Turin and Beijing.

As the world grapples with the situation in Tibet a novel suggestion for a mini-boycott of the Olympics by VIPs at the opening ceremony is making the rounds. Reporters Without Borders is urging heads of state, heads of government and members of royal families to boycott the Aug. 8 opening ceremony.

Just the fact that such a topic is being discussed is a black eye to the communists. They must be very concerned about more unrest to risk further international condemnation by backing away from previous commitments for an open door policy. What tempest is really lurking just below the surface economy that today produces many of the world's consumer goods and represents a massive market of tomorrow?

China asked for it. It bid aggressively for the Olympics and argued the games would hasten the development of human rights. Perhaps they are not as prepared for the scrutiny as they had anticipated.

THE AMERICAN BALD EAGLE

When I was a young fella an American Bald Eagle was a rare sight. Locally they were called "Greeks" and their feathers were a must have on every scavenger hunt.

The Americans took the Bald Eagle off their endangered species list in 2007. The birds were once plentiful throughout North America. But their numbers plummeted by the 1960s and 1970's because of hunting, a decline in their prey and habitats, and exposure to pesticides.

The sea cliffs around the upper part of Fortune Bay make a great home for these massive birds of prey. They are now almost commonplace. My father lobster dishes under many of the secluded cliffs and coves in this area and it seems that the eagles have become accustomed to fellow fishers. From a perch atop an ancient spruce that anchors to a cliff ledge, the eagle surveys all activity with a keen eye.

They can live into their twenties and are truly magnificent. Here is some more information on the eagle.

This evening while I was taking some pictures of a rock face near Little Bay East that is called "the old Indian" an eagle soared into the photo. What a wingspan!

I ADORE MY COMMODORE 64

One of the benefits of coming home for a visit is the nostalgic rooting through the boxes of stuff marked "Peter" under the storage area in the spare bedroom. I found an old Commodore 64 in there and am preparing for some relaxing retro gaming.

What was your first game machine or computer? Mine was a Vic-20, but I spent years hacking programs for the c-64 and copying them on the old 1541 hard drive. The first game console that made its way out the bank here in St. Bernard's was this Colecovision which I am going to try and find for later.

Here is an interesting look at the evolution of video game machines.

PUSS N SINK

What is it about cats and sinks? We have a couple of cats and next to my head at night, they love relaxing in the sink!

Here is a site dedicated to the topic of cats in sinks.

If you're a cat owner you know our feline friends work on their own schedules. Does your cat have a particular fetish?

MORE FERRY WOES

So I am down on the Burin Peninsula for Easter with the boys. I thought it might be a nice day to scoot across Fortune Bay to Rencontre East from Bay L'Argent and perhaps over to Pool's Cove. Follow the advice on the intra-provincial website which is go out and explore

I checked the provincial website for the ferry crossing schedule and went down to the wharf in Bay L'Argent. No Ferry! Apparently the ferry was yanked off the service for some "issues" two weeks ago. Residents have access to a helicopter for emergencies.

No update or advisory on the website! No mention in the news. It's a small ferry servicing a truly isolated community and no replacement in sight. The Provincial Ferry Service continues to be a lark!

It is obvious to me that this administration is following the same path as those before them. Do not invest in decent ferries and wait these communities out. Until such a time as ferry contracts are designed to be 5 year contracts with renewals to 10, how can government expect operators to put anything in place but junk? Who can make the investment to provide the type of ferry that these communities deserve with a two year contract?

In the meantime if ferry service is down, you would think that Transportation and Works might have the smarts to let people know. Imagine how the minister would react if this was a federal service?

I am going to take a little break from blogging over the Easter Weekend. The boys and I are heading down the Burin Peninsula to spend a few days with nan and pop in St. Bernard's.

CHEW ON THIS

Jack Spratt could eat no fat

His wife could eat no lean;

So they both ate potatoes

And scraped their platters clean

Who is to blame for increasing grain prices? Is a world food shortage close? As the world's population explodes are we in for a crisis in North America? Can we feed 9 Billion people? Did you know that Canada does not even break the top five when it comes to the production of wheat or corn?

Gold and Oil are not the only commodities to hit al- time high prices this year. The price of the big three food crops, corn, rice and wheat, continue to fetch record prices.

The building blocks of cheap food are cheap grains. Cheap grains produce cheap sugar, like the high-fructose corn syrup that has invaded most beverages, cereals and baked goods. Cheap grains also produce cheap meat and dairy, since pigs, chickens, cows and cattle can all be fattened quickly in barns, instead of slowly in fields, munching on grass. Once-cheap grains are now being used to feed cars, thanks to U.S. and European subsidies for farm-grown ethanol.

Now Magazine investigates the issue of grain production and cheap fast foods and arrives at some surprising conclusions about the future of global food production.

WOULD YOU BELIEVE....

The classic TV series "Get Smart" has been adapted for the big screen and will be released on June 20, 2008. Canadians are not being treated to an advance screener but Stock "Barney" Day could be excused for thinking he has taken on the role of Chief of CONTROL.

A couple out for a stroll in an Ottawa neighbourhood stumbled on blueprints of the new home of the Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit at CFB Trenton, Ont., inside a garbage bag that was blowing around in the wind. The documents were clearly identified as defense department documents.

The Canadian Joint Incident Response Unit is a special operations unit, the military's first response team in the event of a terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, chemical and biological. The building is currently under construction.

The Globe & Mail is reporting that Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day has “great confidence” in government security measures. What an embarrassment for the Department of Defense and the Federal Government. What a blow to a nation's confidence in the government's ability to protect classified information.

Meanwhile Conservative bloggers have taken to the old "blame the media and the opposition for making a big deal out of a scary security lapse and hope it gets forgotten trick". Even Siegfried is laughing at you Stock!

TANGLY NUANCES

I am not going to win any friends with this post.

For the record, I have supported the province's fight with the federal Conservatives over broken commitments related to the exclusion of non-renewable resources in the equalization program. I have long advocated , as a provincial Liberal and long before Danny Williams was elected, for the transfer of the federal government's share of Hibernia, for equity investment in new off-shore projects and for the creation of a crown energy corporation.

The opposition asked some good questions yesterday. Their role is to keep the government accountable and ask tough questions and that may not always make them popular. The public has a right to know where the money for the equity position in Hebron is coming from? They have a right to know what sort of risk assessment has been carried out? The public wants to know why it is taking so long to get the deal hammered out! Go to any coffee shop, bar, PTA or church meeting and people are talking about the latest revelations related to the breast screening fiasco. Who the hell is going to be held accountable for the way this has been handled since it came to light in 2005?

Interim Opposition Leader Yvonne Jones questioned Energy Minister Kathy Dunderdale about the value of the $110 million the province has agreed to pay for a 4.9% equity stake in the Hebron-Ben Nevis. She expressed concern about where the money will come from: "We all realize that $110 million is still a lot of money, good price or not, especially for a Province with many demands being placed on it, both in its health care, education and infrastructure programs."

A few minutes later Kelvin Parsons asked a few questions related to the scandalous transfer of turbot quotas that are supposed to be processed in Burgeo to Nova Scotia without any consultations with the province. The federal Conservatives are screwing Burgeo. There can be no doubt of that.

Parsons than lobbed this question, which just served to politicize a legitimate line of questioning: " Is Burgeo, a hard-working, rural Newfoundland and Labrador town, suffering due to the consequences of this intergovernmental feud? Can other communities in rural Newfoundland and Labrador also expect to be causalities in this dispute between your government and the feds?"

On one hand the interim leader questions spending a $110 million on an equity stake because that money is badly needed for infrastructure, and on the other hand Parsons is suggesting that we stop fighting with Ottawa to try and force them to make up for that broken $10 billion promise because we are beat and communities like Burgeo are suffering because of it.

The ongoing federal-provincial dispute is the result of the loss of $10 billion that our province would have received if Harper had kept his promise to exclude offshore oil revenues from the federal equalization formula? Money that could be used for rural diversification, health care, education and infrastructure programs. Harper is the villain, clear and simple.

Although on reflection, the $110 million is money we have and are willing to spend while the $10 Billion is money we are likely to never see. Perhaps my pride and anger is blinding me. I see no benefit in rolling over, but if the the fight is going to continue and places like Burgeo are going to get caught in the cross fire, perhaps the province should be find some way to assist them weather the storm.

This Conservative government seems to treat the provinces with disdain and do what ever they want anyway. okay it

I still think it is the right fight, and I still think it's a mistake to attack the province's decision to purchase equity positions in off-shore oil projects and develop an Energy Corporation that will provide lasting benefits to our province.

That said, the interim opposition leader has put some distance between her position and the former interim leader who clearly opposed the equity arrangement. Jones did say to Dunderdale, "There is no need for the minister to get her knickers in a knot. We are not saying that this may not be a good thing."

WISEMAN TRUE TO HIS WORD?

I am just getting an opportunity to review today's Hansard from the House of Assembly. Health and Community services Minister Ross Wiseman addressed a few of the issues I raised earlier.

MS JONES: Mr. Speaker, ten months ago in the House of Assembly we asked the Minister of Health why information regarding the number of people impacted by faulty testing was not released publicly and in a timely manner. On the eve of the judicial inquiry the minister finally released a statement acknowledging that 108 women who received inaccurate results are now deceased. This is a shocking and disturbing acknowledgement that should have been disclosed much earlier.

I ask the minister: Why did he wait until the start of this inquiry to make the startling information public?

MR. SPEAKER: The hon. the Minister of Health and Community Services.

SOME HON. MEMBERS: Hear, hear!

MR. WISEMAN: Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

I, too, would acknowledge, it is startling information. As I said last year, as information became available I would make it available to the public. I had a press conference in November where I announced the early findings of a special unit we had put together. We had brought in the Centre for Health and Information, a unit of individuals to put together, to reconstruct the data basis; to tell us exactly how many people we were dealing with. We realized last year, in May and June, that the information we had was inaccurate. So, in November I provided an update of information at that particular time. In February, I provided another update of the information. The concluding work of that group of people from the Centre for Health and Information, they were wrapping up their analysis and I provided an update at that time. At that time there were a couple of critical questions that we did not have the answers to, and I said then that when it became available I would release it. Last week we found out what that information was, and as true to my word, I released that when we knew it at that time.

DALAI LAMA THE DEVIL

Zhang Qingli, hardline leader of the Communist party in Tibet, says the Dalai Lama is "a wolf in monk's robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast," and that China "is now engaged in a fierce blood-and-fire battle with the Dalai clique, a life-and-death battle between us and the enemy," over rule in the Tibet.

Beijing has accused the Dalai Lama of orchestrating protests to focus international attention on China's human rights record ahead of this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing.

Foreign media are banned from Tibet, and China's entirely state-controlled media have reported only the official version of events, in which the government says rioters killed 16 people.

Chinese forces occupied the Himalayan region in 1950 after several decades of effective independence. They have been going about the cultural genocide of the local population for decades by encouraging migration to Tibet by members of the Han Chinese ethnic majority.

It is a shame that we continue to kowtow to the likes of Mexico and China for opportunities to compete in their markets. China needs to be taught a lesson. The suppression of human rights should result in isolation.

BEWARE: 1,4 DIOXANE IS EVERYWHERE

Have you ever heard of 1,4-dioxane? Chances are the answer is no. Until recently it received little attention from regulatory agencies and environmentalists in Canada.

In a study by the Organic Consumers Association, a cancer- causing compound called 1,4-dioxane has been found in some of the most commonly used petroleum-based cosmetics—including many "NATURAL" products.

1,4-dioxane is a foaming agent that is used in the manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products such as deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste and mouthwash, which is why it may contaminate these items. 1,4-dioxane is classified as an ether and is a known eye and respiratory tract irritant that easily penetrates the skin. It should not be confused with the similarly-spelled chemical "dioxin," which is a major environmental pollutant.

1,4-dioxane, the solvent stabilizer typically associated with TCA (also called methyl chloroform), has recently been attracting much attention, in part due to its classification as a probable carcinogen.

Now that 1,4-dioxane has been shown to be a threat to human health and the environment, regulatory agencies, particularly in the United States and in Canada, have begun to focus on it.

Don’t bother looking for this substance on any ingredient list. Instead, watch for PEG (polyethylene glycol), polyethylene, polysorbates and laureths, all chemicals that can be found in everything from cleaning products to face wash, and can break down to form the contaminant 1,4-dioxane. Easily absorbed through the skin, it’s been linked in studies to nasal cancer. While 1,4-dioxane is on Health Canada’s list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients, the U.S. still allows it, so check American products on shelves here.

To learn which items YOU may be using that do or do not contain this chemical, click here.

ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW ON CHRISTIAN SALVATION

I am a Christian and I believe in the resurrection and salvation.

As we are in the middle of Holy Week which culminates with the crucification and the resurrection, it seems like a good time to discuss salvation and the concept of Jesus dying for our sins.

I am a firm believer in challenging precepts. This author, who calls himself bad, argues that if we dissect the morality of salvation and “God’s Plan” we find it completely morally bankrupt. His latest blog post is called CHRISTIAN SALVATION MAKES NO SENSE: THE MUDDLE OF GOOD COP/BAD COP MORALITY.

So what do you think?

IT PAYS TO BE NICE

A Harvard University study says nice guys do actually finish first!

100 Boston-area college students played the same game over and over — a punishment-heavy version of the classic one-on-one brinksmanship game of prisoner's dilemma. Those who escalated the conflict very often wound up doomed.

Common game theory has held that punishment makes two equals cooperate. But when people compete in repeated games, punishment fails to deliver, said study author Martin Nowak. He is director of the evolutionary dynamics lab at Harvard where the study was conducted.

Nowak said he next wants to study chief executives to see if the findings play out in the real world.

The research appears in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature.

NATIONAL PHYSICIAN SURVEY HAS QUESTIONABLE RESULTS

Interesting story on the CBC website today about family physicians taking on new clients. The numbers as they relate to this province send a confusing message.

We are having great problems recruiting and retaining GP's and specialists outside of St. John's. Rural areas are desperately short of doctors. We have heard concerns in the media from larger centres like Labrador West, Stephenville and Gander that are crying out for doctors.

Many rural doctors burn out more quickly, as well because they are the only physician in an area and are expected to take all comers. I imagine that in St. John's the numbers would likely be quite different than the overall provincial number. Finding a family doctor here is tough.

However, The National Physician Survey, which in 2007 asked questions of nearly 20,000 doctors, residents and medical students across the country indicates that Newfoundland and Labrador is the second best place in Canada if you're looking for a family doctor. The only province that ranks ahead of us in this survey is Saskatchewan.

Other findings of interest include; 4,000 physicians are expected to retire over the next two years, and 35 per cent of physicians plan to reduce their weekly work hours over the next two years.

WHEN WILL SOMEONE BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

In 2005, nearly three years ago, health officials suspended ER/PR tests at Eastern Health's pathology lab after a patient who initially tested "negative" was retested and found to be positive. All negative test results between May 1997 and August 2005 were re-tested at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto.

In December 2006, Eastern Health acknowledged that about 1,000 people were re-tested. They said 117 patients would have a change in treatment as a result. They did not release information on how many people who had been given the wrong treatment had died or how many people were no longer eligible for Tamoxifen because the cancer had spread. They also told the public that affected patients had been contacted. Much of the blame was placed on technical issues with equipment and imprecise science.

Since that time we have learned that not all patients have been contacted, that the number of people involved continues to grow, and that there was nothing wrong with the equipment. External audits of the facility, which Eastern fought being released, showed glaring problems at the lab which was working below standards. The reports spoke to staff incompetence, poor quality control, deficient procedures and a general negligence in keeping up with changes in science. The lab had no pathology reference books or even an internet connection!

Twice now information has been released that inflates the number of people impacted. The numbers of people affected who have died continues to grow and amazingly, 44 people have still not been contacted.

So in fact the government has been dealing with this fiasco since 2005 and they still do not have a handle on how big this mess really is. Yesterday the Minister said he found the information that he released to be "extremely troubling .... There's mothers, there's daughters, and they've all been impacted in a very profound way. Our thoughts are very much with them."

Somehow, three years after this began, despite the public uproar and on the eve of the start of the royal commission, we find out that 44 people have never been told that their tests had to be redone! That the number of people who have died is much higher than previously reported - almost a third of the patients who were tested between 1997 and 2005 have already died! And just to provide an extra measure of confidence, the number of patients whose hormone receptor tests were redone is 1,013, not 939 as reported last year.

The minister is troubled...he should be. He should be outraged! His boss should be outraged at the fact that health officials still do not seem to have a handle on the numbers, let alone that 44 people were left out of the loop. This is far from satisfactory.

I guess part of Justice Cameron's job is already answered: "whether, once detected, the responsible authorities communicated in an appropriate and timely manner with the general public." The answer to that is cover-ups, untruths and more incompetence. I am looking forward to learning who is responsible.

Yes the government is going to throw an extra $2.5 million at the lab to improve quality assurance and address short comings, but who is accountable for the communications mess since 2005? Why is the incompetence allowed to continue?

SO IT BEGINS

It began today. A Royal Commission headed by Supreme Court Justice Margaret Cameron is investigating why hundreds of hormone receptor tests for breast cancer patients were faulty. She said it will be her job to find out what went wrong and how it can be prevented from happening again.

It appears that no stone will be left unturned. Cabinet ministers, civil servants, hospital administrators, technicians, doctors and nurses will be questioned about what happened between 1997 and 2005 to cause the faulty test results.

We should prepare ourselves for revelations of a culture of ineptitude and indifference, and I fear some of it will be tied to budgeting and the provision of resources for training and staff.

For the families of those impacted, the mothers, fathers, aunts, grand-mothers and sisters, this will be a a gut wrenching experience. This is a small province and many of us are connected to people impacted by this fiasco.

There are people who put their faith in our medical system who have died because systemic incompetence prevented them from getting the treatment they needed. I am not quite sure how an inquiry will heal those wounds.

Justice Cameron has made it clear that her mandate is not to review the personal medical histories of people affected by the faulty test and whether the mistakes hurt them.

PARENT CRUELTY

Giving your child a name is like branding them. Selecting the right name for your new bundle of joy can be a challenge. There are names you like, relatives to consider, and inspiration or an attempt at creativity. Getting all creative with an original name or spelling is just going to lead to a life of embarrassment and red faced introductions. Let's face it your decision, which they have no part in, could affect them for the rest of their lives.

Michael Sherrod and Matthew Rayback complied some of the most unique, shocking and downright tragic names given to real people in their book "Bad Baby Names."

What would compel a parent to name their offspring "Tiny Hooker", "Wanna Towell", "Fanny Whiffer", "Cholera Peace", "Bread White", "Pomegranate Purple", "Good Dog", or "Ima Whore."?

Ancestry.com shares the silliest, craziest and downright cruelest names of all time. Check out the books blog at http://www.badbabynames.net.

What's the worst name you have encountered?

CONSERVATIVES BUNGLE MARTIN CASE

It is time that the Canadian Government issues a travel advisory to Canadians about the dangerous corrupt legal system in Mexico. Over a million Canadians a year holiday in Mexico, unaware that the legal system is based on the principle of "Guilty until proven innocent."

Media reports that the Canadian consulate in Mexico City failed to do its job for a Canadian citizen who has been locked in a Mexican prison without a trial for two years are disturbing.

A senior Mexican justice official says Brenda Martin was illegally arrested and detained and could have been freed within 72 hours had Canada's consulate done its job!

The official says Martin is the victim of a bunch of blunders and corrupt officials. She is in poor mental health. Former Prime Minister Paul Martin visited her last weekend and has been trying to assist in ensuring she is freed. Since being incarcerated, she has lost one-third of her body weight and is now on suicide watch, having spent two years crammed in a tiny cell with up to eight other women, including a convicted murderer.

Apparently Mexican officials are embarrassed by entire situation. Martin is caught in a legal nightmare. The only quick way out of prison for Martin is through a presidential decree -- or if she pleads guilty to a criminal charge and is extradited.

An American citizen was arrested at the same time as Martin but the approach of the American consulate was quite different. They provided legal advice, a private lawyer and a qualified translator.

Her crime was that she worked for a convicted fraudster who managed to bribe his way out of Mexico. She was his chef until he fired her. She was given a one year severance package of $28,000 which the Mexicans are saying makes her part of a money laundering scheme.

The federal government, in particular Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Helena Guergis, are being embarrassed into action. It would appear that not ruffling the feathers of a trading partner is more important than assisting Canadian nationals being mistreated by a medieval and corrupt legal system.

Guergis visited Mexico in January and raised the issue with the Mexican Attorney General but did not visit Martin who was only 18 minutes away. A Canadian citizen on suicide watch, locked away with out a trial for bogus allegations and Guergis can not find time to provide a boost in morale and let her know that she is not forgotten. Shameful!

This women has been though hell, rotting away in a Mexican jail while her own county has gone through the motions of pretending to care but really trying not to upset its trading partner. Why are we even in a trading agreement with this backwards country that does not respect individual rights, due process or justice?

SNOW RAGE

I think I experienced snow rage this morning. At around 5 am I was woken by the sound of heavy equipment out on the street. I was about to slip back into slumber when I recalled that one of the cars was out on the road. We had fallen asleep fairly early last night and forgotten all about it.

I rushed out and was happy to find - to my surprise - that there was no ticket on the windshield for my violation of the winter overnight parking ban. The plough was busy widening the street. As I had to scrap a half inch of ice off the vehicle and it was warmed up, I decided to go grab a coffee.

On my return the entrance to my driveway had vanished. In its place was a three foot high pile of huge chunks of ice and snow that stretched back 10 feet or so. I could not believe it. I assume it was my punishment for not having the car off the street. I guess I should not have turned my porch light on and identified which house I was leaving when I got in the car.

That wet, frozen snow is heavy as hell. Another 45 minutes of digging and it was all clear. Arg!
At least I did not get a $50 ticket on top of a driveway full of ice.

This last storm was like an unwanted house guest that just will not go away. The system that caused it is laying south of the Grand Banks and seems to be in no rush to move on. As a result, more precipitation and high winds. Blizzard warnings are up for much of the province.

On the Avalon we have a freezing rain warning for tonight and tomorrow morning. The forecast says we will have rain by mid-morning. Sounds like a recipe for a mess. Right now it is -2, a little freezing drizzle.

Tomorrow up to +3 but slipping down to -2 in the evening.

Enough is enough already.

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY: WHO IS ON FIRST

Who's On First for the Next Generation

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?

Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.

George: Great. Lay it on me.

Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.

George: That's what I want to know.

Condi: That's what I'm telling you.

George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes.

George: I mean the fellow's name.

Condi: Hu.

George: The guy in China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The new leader of China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The Chinaman!

Condi: Hu is leading China.

George: Now whaddya' asking me for?

Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.

George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?

Condi: That's the man's name.

George: That's who's name?

Condi: Yes.

George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.

Condi: That's correct.

George: Then who is in China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir is in China?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Then who is?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.

Condi: Kofi?

George: No, thanks.

Condi: You want Kofi?

George: No.

Condi: You don't want Kofi.

George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi?

George: Milk! Will you please make the call?

Condi: And call who?

George: Who is the guy at the U.N?

Condi: Hu is the guy in China.

George: Will you stay out of China?!

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi.

George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

Ingenuity and vision. The ability to think outside the box. Here is an example. Watermelons are difficult to transport, they roll around, they are hard to stack, difficult to transport, carry and cut.

A few years ago some Japanese farmer realized that they could grow square watermelons. The secret does not involve frankenscience - no splicing genes or special chemicals.

They just started putting special glass boxes around the melons as they grew. This allowed for light and the exchange of gases necessary for growth. The melons fill the available space!

I wonder if Sprung would have worked if they'd produced specialty watermelons instead of cucumbers?

A TALE OF TWO APPROACHES

April 18th has been set aside as the date for an American Presidential Science Debate. The remaining candidates for the Democrats and Republican John McCain have been invited to attend.

Americans see the candidates' ability to set smart policies on scientific issues as a key component of their fitness for the presidency. People should be concerned with how much science a president knows and what their science policies are going to be. There is climate change, medicine, education, public health.

Juxtapose this with the Conservative record on the importance of science. Putting aside Stockwell Day's public relations disaster of a few years ago over science, Prime Minister Harper dismissed Canada's National Science adviser, Dr. Arthur Carty. Fewer than four years after the position was created, the Harper government feels that it's no longer necessary.

The National Science Adviser is a voice of reason to the government over actions it should take on issues such as climate change, genetically modified foods, managing fisheries, sustaining the environment - any time the politicians need to be educated on the basic science behind those often controversial issues. Of course, decisions are seldom made for purely scientific reasons; all too often, the interests of industry, special interest groups or a misinformed public will cloud the scientific truth. The Adviser’s job is to provide clarity and perspective.

The future of the economy may depend upon it. All of these things impact every citizen of this country. We need a Prime Minister who understands science.

Carty was appointed by former Prime Minister Paul Martin to provide expert advice on the government’s role in matters of science and science policy.