Hockey in June

The upcoming Stanley Cup final rematch between the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins has the potential to be a great series. I just wish it wasn't starting on May 30. (Nomad)

The Most Expensive Beer In Canada

...is in Alberta.

Canoe.ca reports that a boost to the province's liquor taxes has made Alberta beer as much as $5 a case (of 12) more than other beer.

Why the tax hike in Conservative country? Because Stelmach's government wanted more revenue from booze. Well geez, maybe they shouldn't have privatized it then. In fact, as the article says:

"The government that helped push Alberta to the lonely peak of prices refuses to discuss the impact on customers -- people who once naively believed liquor store privatization would lead to cheaper suds.

Although in fairness the article also blames minimum wage hikes and the cost of aluminum for Alberta's high-priced pints so I'm not sure there's a coherant economic analysis here. The minimum wage comment just seems like a cheap shot. And everyone knows REAL Canadians don't drink beer from, shudder, cans.

Then again these are Albertans, not Canadians, we're talking about.

So who has the cheapest beer? Good old Manitoba. Hey--don't they have an NDP government there? I'm so disillusioned.

Six In The Morning

1 STADIUM SECRETS The Saskatchewan government has a report on stadium options, but they ain't sharin' it yet. Not even with Regina's Mayor. But that's cool. 'All in good time,' says everybody. (Leader-Post)

2 CTV SABOTAGED DION: BROADCAST STANDARDS The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council says the network was wrong to show unflattering parts of an interview with the former Liberal leader. (Toronto Star)

3 GM BANKRUPTCY PLAN DETAILS Shareholders could get more shares than under the deal they rejected. Phew! (New York Times)

4 CANADA PEDDLES NUCLEAR ASSETS Okay, I skimmed this quickly so maybe I missed it, but isn't the word "privatization" missing from this story? Is this a case of a shaky, soon-to-be-out-of-office government bringing in private companies just in time for them to snuffle up profits from two new reactors, and a pending deal with India? Your guess is as good (probably better) than mine. But I think we can all agree that a public-private partnership would be best for Canada's nuclear sector because that way government can eat the losses while industry snorts up the profits. What better way to make an already troubled technology worse? (Globe And Mail)

5 NORTH KOREA KEEPS FREAKING EVERYONE OUT U.S., South Korean troops are on high alert. Yikes. (Guardian)

6 SMOKING BAN STARTS FRIDAY We'll all have to quit smoking on the can at work. Tragic, truly tragic. (StarPhoenix)

Crazy Cons Discount Cutlery

It's not like Harper's Conservatives are selling state secrets. They're just selling state silverware.

The Edmonton Sun reports that the Canadian government has "quietly" unloaded heritage tableware from Rideau Hall. Which might or might not be important to you (or me). But what is anger-stoking is the fact that these valuable antiques were sold to anonymous bidders at prices far, far below their value.

The full story is here.

There's an excellent chance there'll be an election before the year is over. When that happens there's a very good chance the Conservatives will be turfed from government by the voters.

As my co-worker who forwarded this to me says, "someone literally needs to count the silver when they leave."

Another Councillor Throws His Hat into the Ring

Got a phone call today from Ward 1 councillor, Louis Browne, letting me know that he'll be seeking reelection this October 28.

Apparently, that means nine councilors have now declared their intention to run so far. And to my shame I can only name Councillor Clipsham as another of them. Mayor Fiacco, as most probably also already know, has also begun his reelection campaign.

As the election draws nearer I hope to do profiles of all the candidates. Which is to say, you'll probably be getting way more municipal election coverage out of the p-dog than you can handle, frankly. Consider yourselves warned.

Flaherty Needs to Stop Channelling My Grandfather

I remember, as a child, my grandfather explaining to me how our nation got out of the Great Depression because of the Second World War. All that money invested in the war machine jump started our economy, he would argue, slamming a fist on the kitchen table. My grandfather had a fifth grade education and became a lovely man after the stroke, but years later after I did some reading on the subject, I discovered our recovery from that economic catastrophe was more complicated than simply "war breeds wealth." The ideas that developed out the New Deal had a lot more to do with our post-Crash recovery and our prolonged post-War prosperity than my grandfather ever gave them credit. (And, we can thank their post-Reagan erosion for the economic pickle we're in now.)

Well, judging by comments from Peter MacKay, (Leader Post) it would seem the Conservatives have been taking economic advice from my dear departed grandfather. Perhaps the PM has been getting messages from my grampy -- Mackenzie-King style -- through his cat.

Before a gathering of the "defense industry elite," MacKay was proudly declaring today that the recession will not slow military spending. In fact, according to the Post article, he claims, "the Canadian economy as a whole will be buoyed by the sustainable economic benefits that accrue through domestic and global opportunities in and beyond defence and security."

Personally, I find it ominous when a government links the word "sustainable" with anything to do with the military.

Note to Conservatives ...

You're going to learn just how crappy you made the economy. (Hill Times via Warren Kinsella)

Mediamelon --30--

Bill Stovin has packed in his mediamelon blog, after taking a communications consulting job with the Saskatchewan government. Too bad, because in the short time he wrote it, it was one of the best Saskatchewan-based blogs out there. Good luck Bill. His last post.

Six In The Morning

1 GM DEAL EXPLODES, BANKRUPTCY LIKELY Governments did their part to save GM. Workers did theirs. But bondholders refused a deal to swap debt for stock, and now bankruptcy looks inevitable. A shitty day for GM workers and pensioners--who are probably the only people government should've been looking out for, here. (Globe And Mail)

2 TALKING URANIUM Public consultations on the nuclear reactor that's being pushed on us kicked off in Saskatoon yesterday. (StarPhoenix)

3 ESSENTIAL LABOUR LAWS? DOO-DIDDLEY DANDY The blatant, naked attack on organized labour that is the Saskatchewan government's essential services legislation is working fine, says Saskatchewan's Labour minister. (StarPhoenix, even though it's Leader-Post writer Angela Hall's story. But I can't find the link on the L-P's site. Wacky!)

4 NORTH KOREA RATTLES SWORD, RANTS CRAZILY The world's squawkiest rogue state seems intent on launching a regional war. Jerks. (Guardian)

5 GO PENS Pittsburgh--the U.S. city that charmed the crap out of me when I visited it last year--has a hockey team in the Stanley Cup finals for the second year in a row. (TSN) Meanwhile the Phoenix Coyotes ownership clusterfuck muddles along. (CBC)

6 TAX TIME! The City has mailed your property tax bill. Remember, you're not being gouged, you're paying for civilization and a stable city. Yes, that's expensive--but the alternative sucks. (Leader-Post)

Cat Scratch Fever

Don't if there's an actual medical term for what the woman in this video suffers from (YouTube), but Christie Callan-Jones just made a documentary about the phenomenon called Cat Ladies. (official website)