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Millionaire Gives Away Fortune Which Made Him Unhappy

2010-02-08T21:00:00.001-06:00

An Austrian tycoon is giving away every penny of his $5 million CDN fortune after realizing that his riches were making him unhappy.

Karl Rabeder, 47, a businessman from Telfs near Innsbruck, is in the process of selling his 3,455 ft² villa with lake, sauna and spectacular mountain views over the Alps, valued at $2.34 million.

Also for sale is his beautiful old stone farmhouse in Provence with 42 acres, on the market for $1 million. Already gone is his collection of six gliders valued at $586,417.

Mr. Rabeder has also sold the interior furnishings and accessories business, from vases to artificial flowers, that made his fortune.

"My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing," he told The Daily Telegraph. "Money is counterproductive - it prevents happiness."

He will move out of his Alpine retreat into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a simple bedsit in Innsbruck, surviving on $1,341 a month, while the proceeds go to a charity he set up in Latin America. He will draw no salary from it.

"For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness," he said. "I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years."

But over time, a conflicting feeling developed. "More and more I heard the words: 'Stop what you are doing now - all this luxury and consumerism - and start your real life'," he said. "I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need.

"I have the feeling that there are lot of people doing the same thing."

For many years, he said, he was simply not "brave" enough to give up his comfortable existence. The tipping point came during a three-week holiday with his wife in Hawaii.

"It was the biggest shock in my life, when I realized how horrible, soulless and without feeling the five star lifestyle is," Mr Rabeder said.

"In those three weeks, we spent all the money you could possibly spend. But in all that time, we had the feeling we hadn't met a single real person, that we were all just actors. The staff played the role of being friendly and the guests played the role of being important and nobody was real."

Suddenly, he realized that "if I don't do it now I won't do it for the rest of my life".

Mr. Rabeder decided to raffle his Alpine home, selling 21,999 tickets at $145 each. The Provence house, in the village of Cruis, is on sale at the local estate agent.

All the money will go into his microcredit charity, which offers small loans and advice to self-employed people in El Salvador, Honduras, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile.

Since deciding to sell up, Mr. Rabeder said he felt "free, the opposite of heavy". But, he did not judge those who chose to keep their wealth. "I do not have the right to give any other person advice," he said. "I was just listening to the voice of my heart and soul."

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Michael Jackson's Doctor Charged, Pleads Not Guilty

2010-02-08T20:58:00.001-06:00

Michael Jackson's doctor on today pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the sudden death of the pop star last year from a lethal cocktail of drugs. Dr. Conrad Murray, who has offices in Houston and Las Vegas, entered a Los Angeles courthouse to chants of "murderer" from Jackson fans gathered outside. Inside the courtroom, he faced members of the singer's family.

Dressed in a gray suit and red tie, Murray stood upright and spoke in a soft voice when addressing the judge. Murray has been the focus of a police probe for months since the Los Angeles coroner's office ruled that Jackson's June 25 death was a homicide, due partly to the powerful anaesthetic propofol, which Murray admitted giving the 50-year-old singer to help him sleep.

The coroner's report said Jackson's death was caused by propofol and the sedative lorazepam. Painkillers, sedatives and a stimulant also were found in his body. Authorities found bottles of propofol in Murray's doctor's bag and on the bedside table of Jackson's home, according to court records unsealed last year. They also searched Murray's offices in Las Vegas and Houston.

Prosecutors said Murray "did unlawfully, and without malice, kill Michael Joseph Jackson," according to a statement from the Los Angeles District Attorney's office.

Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted, a sentence that some of Jackson's followers believe is relatively light given that his actions may have led to the singer's death. Murray has insisted he did nothing wrong and has told investigators he was not the first doctor to give Jackson propofol, according to court records.

Murray, a cardiologist, was hired in May 2009 to care for Jackson while he prepared for a series of 50 comeback concerts in London aimed at reviving a career sidelined by his 2005 trial and acquittal on charges of molesting a 13-year-old boy. The singer, dubbed the King of Pop, was a member of the legendary Motown singing group the Jackson 5 and was a hugely successful solo artist as an adult. His 1982 album Thriller is still the world's best-selling album.

Jackson's sudden cardiac arrest on the morning of June 25, which prompted a worldwide outpouring of grief, followed a late night rehearsal in Los Angeles for the planned concerts that were to have been called This Is It.

A documentary film, Michael Jackson's This Is It, made from video footage of the concert rehearsals, took in nearly $260 million at worldwide box offices.

When Jackson died, he left an estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars that went into trusts benefiting his mother, three children and various charities.

Jackson's family is said to be furious that Los Angeles police and prosecutors took months to file a criminal charge. His brother Jermaine Jackson, sister La Toya, mother Katherine and father Joe were in the courtroom on Monday.

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Stephen Colbert Aims to Crudely Define Canadian History

2010-02-08T20:56:00.001-06:00

Canada's history is being rewritten, online, at least, in terms so crude, that it could make any Canadian angry with a patriotic tinge. On his late-night TV show this week, 'satirist' Stephen Colbert took aim at Canadian magazine The Beaver, which announced last month it was changing its moniker after 90 years because some search engines were weeding it out, believing it was pornography due to its name.

The Winnipeg-based publication is rebranding itself as the less suggestive Canada's History, starting in April. But what Canadians don't know, the comedian joked Thursday on The Colbert Report, is in America "Canada's history" is a euphemism "for a sex act so depraved," it can't be described on television.

The unspeakable act, apparently, "involves moose antlers, a jug of maple syrup and the Stanley Cup."

The comedian then invited his audience, often referenced as the 'Colbert Nation' for their willingness to help with his pranks, to "redefine Canada's history in the most jaw-dropping terms imaginable," on urbandictionary.com, a Wikipedia-like web page that allows users to submit definitions for words and slang.

"Just put everything in there," said Colbert, who mockingly portrays a conservative pundit on his show. "Putting everything in there, by the way, is the hardest part of performing Canada's history."

Thirty-six hours later, there were 521 listed entries, each with increasingly vulgar descriptions that use more Canadian clichés than a 'Kids in the Hall' skit.

This isn't the first time Colbert has taken a slap-shot or two at Canada. He's responsible for dubbing us "syrup suckers," "iceholes," and "Saskatche-whiners," after the U.S. speed-skating team couldn't secure ice time for training at Vancouver's Olympic Oval.

But, Colbert and his fan base may not be the only ones getting their digs in with this most recent effort. One entry describes the U.S. version of the unspeakable deed "A night with Sarah Palin."

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Tim Hortons Owner Bans Customer for Life

2010-02-08T20:54:00.001-06:00

What do you do when you're a business owner that deals with a supposedly-obnoxious customer? Well, you use the law to ban them for life, if you can.

A man has been banned for life from two Tim Hortons outlets for complaining one too many times about burned coffee. According to the CBC, Jimmy Craig from St. Andrews, New Brunswick lodged three complaints about burned decaffeinated coffee at the popular restaurant chain.

"It was like brown, burned water," Craig told the CBC. "I almost, you know, got sick in the sink."

When Craig met with Edwin Dow, the owner of the St. Andrews franchise, Dow served him with a letter banning him under the province's trespass act. Craig, who is a paramedic, is forbidden from entering the St. Andrews store and another one in nearby St. Stephens unless he's responding to a medical emergency. He has hired a lawyer to have the ban revoked.

"I was baffled," Craig said. "It didn't make any sense at all. All I wanted to do was bring it to his attention that there was a problem with the consistency of his product."

"I don't see this is a way to treat people. Whatever happened to the customer is always right?"

That's a shame.

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Study Finds Drinking Soda Linked to Cancer

2010-02-08T20:52:00.001-06:00

Do you drink a can of soda every day? Maybe it's time to think again. Drinking two or more soft drinks a week may nearly double a person's risk of developing pancreatic cancer, researchers are warning. That is scary, and is definitely going to change my soda-drinking habits.

Cancer of the pancreas is one of the most rapidly fatal tumours in adults; only 6% of people are still alive five years after a diagnosis. The pancreas makes insulin, and scientists believe high concentrations of insulin can drive the growth of pancreatic cancer cells.

Eating too much sugar increases insulin levels in the body, and one of the leading sources of added sugar in our diets are soft drinks. The new study, by researchers from the University of Minnesota, was based on more than 60,000 men and women in the Singapore Chinese Health Study who were followed for 14 years. During that time, 140 people developed invasive pancreatic cancer. At the start of the study, as part of a food frequency questionnaire, people were asked to report how often they drank one glass of pop. A glass was considered 237 millilitres, or about the equivalent of one cup.

Those who reported drinking two or more soft drinks per week had an 87% increased risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who didn't drink soft drinks. The pop drinkers were averaging five drinks per week. The finding held after researchers took smoking, obesity, diabetes, red meat intake, coffee consumption and a "whole myriad" of other nutritional factors into account, said lead author Noel Mueller, now a research associate at the Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington.

There was no significant association between juice consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer. Other studies have looked at the association between pop and pancreatic cancer, but the results haven't been consistent. One of the strengths of the new study is its size.

However, there were only 140 cases of pancreatic cancer, so the finding was based on a relatively small number of cases. Mueller also said caution needs to be taken when extrapolating the findings from the Singapore Chinese study to a western population. But other studies in American and European populations have found similar associations.

A study of 88,794 U.S. nurses and 49,364 male health professionals found that women who consumed three or more sugar-sweetened drinks a week had a 57% greater risk of pancreatic cancer than did women who drank no more than one soft drink per month. In that study, there was no association between sweetened soft drinks and pancreatic cancer among men. But a Swedish study involving nearly 78,000 women and men reported in 2006 that high consumption of sugar and high-sugar foods -- including soft drinks -- was associated with a greater risk of pancreatic cancer in both sexes.

An estimated 3,900 Canadians were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year. Known risk factors include smoking, diabetes and obesity, said Gillian Bromfield, senior manager of cancer control policy at the Canadian Cancer Society.

The new study is published this week in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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Charlie Sheen Charged with Assaulting Wife

2010-02-08T20:50:00.001-06:00

Two and a Half Men actor Charlie Sheen was charged today with assaulting and threatening his wife Brooke Mueller in a heated Christmas Day argument. But, the couple left the court in the Colorado ski resort of Aspen hugging each other, hoping the charges will be dropped, and apparently planning to reconcile.

Sheen, who is 44, was arrested in the ski resort of Aspen, Colorado on December 25 after Mueller called the cops and told them that he pulled a knife on her during an argument and threatened to have her killed. Sheen spent the day behind bars before being released on bail.

Sheen and Mueller, the actor's third wife, married in 2008 and have infant twin sons.

Sheen was charged with felony menacing, misdemeanour assault and criminal mischief. The menacing charge entails the alleged use of a deadly weapon in a threatening manner. Sheen could face up to three years behind bars if convicted. He did not enter a plea and another hearing was set for March 15, 2010.

Judge James Boyd lifted a "no contact" portion of a restraining order that had barred Sheen from speaking to Mueller or having contact with her. Lawyers for both sides wanted the order lifted. Mueller, 32, told police in December that Sheen held a knife to her throat and threatened to have her killed when she said she would divorce him and take their children.

At the time, Sheen denied brandishing the knife but admitted crumpling his wife's eyeglasses and said both of them had slapped each other's arms, according to court records. Mueller embraced Sheen as the end of today's brief hearing and the pair left together.

"They hugged in the courtroom, they hugged downstairs and they are hugging in the car," Mueller's lawyer, Yale Galanter, told reporters after the hearing.

"It is Brooke's position that she would like the charges dismissed and this case to be over," he added.

His Christmas Day arrest is not the first time he has been accused of violence. He pleaded no contest to a 1997 battery charge on his then girlfriend, and his second wife, Denise Richards, obtained a restraining order against him in 2006.

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Toyota Promises Global Quality Task Force

2010-02-08T10:16:00.001-06:00

Toyota will establish a global quality task force and implement other procedures to ensure customer safety and satisfaction, its president said at a press conference. Akio Toyoda expressed deep regret for the inconvenience and concern to customers, and announced that he will personally take the lead toward improving quality worldwide.

Once established, the global quality task force will conduct quality improvement activities region by region, using a six-point action plan:

1. Improve the quality inspection process by inspecting every process and verifying causes that led to the recalls, including quality in design, production, sales and service.
2. Enhance the customer information research offices in each region to collect information faster.
3. Establish an automotive centre of quality excellence in key regions to further develop quality management professionals.
4. Seek confirmation and evaluation from outside experts, in line with the industry's best practices, of its newly-improved quality control management, based on the above improvements.
5. Increased frequency of communication with regional authorities.
6. Improvement of the autonomy of its regional subsidiaries, listening to each and every customer to improve quality.

That's good news.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe Host Hockey Hotstove in Saskatoon

2010-02-08T10:13:00.001-06:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who is also a serious hockey buff, played the role of interviewer Friday night as he quizzed NHL legends Gordie Howe and Wayne Gretzky at a Saskatoon charity event.

The trio's chit-chat emulated a Hockey Night in Canada feature, The Hotstove, as Howe and Gretzky answered questions ranging from the state of the game today, to their thoughts on career longevity.

"What's the secret to longevity?" Mr. Harper asked, as members of the audience chuckled.

"Maybe I'm asking [that question] personally," he added, sensing the knowing elbow-nudges from the crowd. "How do you stick around for a while?"

The question drew hearty laughs from the audience of 1,200, who paid $300 per plate to attend the 50th annual Kinsmen dinner. Unfortunately, the hockey legends' answers were not picked up by news microphones.

Mr. Harper appeared relaxed amid the superstar guests and genuinely engaged in the topic.

"What was your best single moment in hockey?" Mr. Harper asked.

Howe, 81, did not hesitate and answered: "When I met Colleen," his wife of 55 years who died in March 2009.

Mr. Gretzky, 49, recalled a number of fond memories from his playing days.

"The very first time I played in the NHL," Gretzky said, recalling he was on the ice against Stan Mikita, a hockey star of the day.

"And there's nothing like lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time," Gretzky added.

Mr. Harper also quizzed Mr. Gretzky about Canada's chances in hockey at the upcoming winter Olympic Games, in Vancouver.

"Going into the Olympic Games, it comes down to a couple things," Gretzky said.

"Goaltending," he said was one key element. "And secondly, your best players play at the calibre they are capable of playing at under high scrutiny. Then they will be fine."

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Toyota Canada Resumes Sales and Deliveries of Recalled Vehicles; Repairs Are Underway

2010-02-08T10:09:00.000-06:00

Toyota Canada says that it has resumed sales and deliveries of the eight models of vehicle affected by a massive international recall. The company says that owners of affected vehicles can begin contacting their local dealership to get the defective pedal repaired.

Toronto dealership manager Dan Golightly says his service centre began repairing vehicles yesterday, and will have extended hours until the repairs are done. Millions of Toyotas, including 270,000 vehicles in Canada, were recalled due to a faulty accelerator pedal in several models, including the popular Camry, Corolla and RAV4.

To fix the affected vehicles, dealerships will install a steel reinforcement bar to reduce the friction that's been associated with the sticky pedal problem.

The company has also identified brake problems in its popular Prius hybrid but has not yet issued a recall for that vehicle.

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Simpsons Featured on Coca-Cola Super Bowl Ad

2010-02-08T09:56:00.000-06:00

Unless you were living in a cave during the last few weeks, you would know that the Super Bowl was on television yesterday, and the Colts lost to the Saints.

Well, something we always enjoy watching are the Super Bowl ads, after the game, because we live in Canada and aren’t allowed to watch the ads that are shown in America.

Well, after some archiving, here is the Simpsons Coca-Cola commercial we got all excited about. Enjoy!

Toyota President Apologizes; Company Looking to Outside Quality Input

2010-02-05T16:06:00.001-06:00

Toyota Motor Corp's president apologized today for safety problems and said the company would bring in outside experts to review quality controls, an unusual action for a company that has enjoyed a reputation for high standards.

"I would like to take this opportunity to apologize from the bottom of my heart for causing many of our customers concern after the recalls across several models in several regions," Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota's founder, told a news conference in Nagoya, Japan.

Toyoda's comments were his most extensive since the latest recall began in January. Toyota has issued two recalls since last November. The company's shares, which have taken a beating in recent sessions, rose as much as 4.1% to $74.73 on the New York Stock Exchange on Friday. Since January 21, Toyota has lost $30 billion or a fifth of its market value.

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's put Toyota and some of its suppliers on watch for a possible downgrade citing "increased concern over the potential negative impact on Toyota's business profile of unfolding developments related to recent quality issues."

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, has recalled more than 8 million vehicles around the world for problems with accelerators. Episodes of unintended acceleration in Toyota vehicles have been linked to up to 19 crash deaths in the United States over the past decade. Toyota is also mulling a recall of Prius, its top-selling hybrid, for a braking problem.

The company has estimated that lost production, lost sales, parts to fix problems, staff training and repairs to recalled vehicles will cost Toyota $2 billion from January to the end of March. The news conference came after U.S. competitor Ford Motor Co readied a solution for braking problems on two of its hybrid models, the hybrid Fusion and Mercury Milan.

Toyoda apologized for safety problems that have left the Japanese carmaker "in crisis". He said Toyota would strengthen its inspection process, respond faster to customer complaints and seek input from outside experts.

Toyoda also pledged to set up and oversee a quality improvement task force involving external experts monitoring quality management. It was not clear how the global quality management committee would function.

Turning to independent experts is "about as good as you can expect," said UBS analyst Philippe Houchois.

"I've seen a lot of recalls, but I don't remember seeing that step of getting an outside expert. That's quite an innovative or aggressive approach to try to solve the problem," he said.

Toyota Europe's spokeswoman Maria Mack said, "This is not the first time we have consulted with external parties, but this is a more structural approach."

"It is a new idea in the way it is conceived. It is the first time there will be a really formalized approach."

The crisis generated by the recalls and the way the 77-year-old company has handled itself publicly have led to widespread criticism.

Toyoda, 53, bowed in apology after addressing the news conference and answered other questions, some in English, after an official tried to end the late-night session. He asked investors to "continue to support us with a long-term view."

Kazutaka Oshima, president of Rakuten Investment Management, said investors needed answers. "Toyoda is responsible for explaining to shareholders since they have lost a significant part of their assets."

Toyoda became the company's president last year, promising to steer it out of its worst downturn in history and bring greater transparency to its corporate culture.

Safety regulators in the United States and Japan are investigating a braking problem with Toyota's latest version of the Prius, Japan's top-selling car last year and an icon of green design that has lifted the public image of the whole company. Japan's transport minister said he had heard from ministry officials that Toyota would recall or voluntarily fix the automobiles affected, including those shipped overseas.

"Toyota's response came up short from the perspective of its customers," Transport Minister Seiji Maehara said.

Since its launch last May, Toyota has sold more than 300,000 units of the newest version of the Prius worldwide, including around 200,000 in Japan, 103,200 in the United States and 29,000 in Europe. Toyota's and Ford's hybrids capture the energy from braking to recharge an on-board battery to boost mileage from its gasoline engine.

Toyota Prius owners have complained that on bumpy roads and on ice, the regenerative brakes of the vehicle appear to slip and it lurches forward before the traditional brakes engage. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it has received 124 complaints from drivers of the third-generation Prius. The agency said that motorists have blamed four crashes on this problem.

Toyota and Ford have said that they have come up with software fixes for the problems. Toyota said on Thursday that it started fixing a problem in the Prius last month.

Ford's roll-out of a software patch to address braking problems on its Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models came after Consumer Reports magazine reported that one of its test engineers had experienced what appeared to be a loss of braking power with a Fusion hybrid. Ford, the #2 U.S. automaker by sales, said it was aware of one minor accident related to the braking problem, but no injuries.

Ford has said that it notified its dealers in October and sent them a notice, a copy of which was made public by Consumer Reports.

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Charlie Sheen's SUV Stolen, Found in Ravine

2010-02-05T16:03:00.000-06:00

The cops paid Charlie Sheen a visit today. But the twist is, it's not for something that he did.

Charlie Sheen's SUV was discovered by police early Friday, smashed, and upside down... in a ravine, People reported.

"Charlie was not in the car," the Two and a Half Men star's publicist told the magazine. And as police explain to People, they're treating the case as the result of auto theft. Sheen reported his Mercedes Benz SUV stolen shortly before they discovered the vehicle below a cliff near his Sherman Oaks, California home.

Though police are in the process of investigating the crash site, they so far have yet to turn up evidence suggesting anyone was in the car at the time of the crash, Us Weekly reports.

In any case, a smashed SUV is the least of the actor's troubles.

"It was nice to have police come to my house and for once I didn't have to leave with them," Sheen joked in an interview with The Insider.

Although he has committed endless crimes against good taste through his on-going sitcom Two and a Half Men, Charlie Sheen has recently found himself facing charges for an actual misdeed. On Christmas Day, a fight between Sheen and his wife, Brooke Mueller, led to the actor being charged with assault. He's also under a restraining order that keeps him away from his wife, who recently checked in to a rehab centre in North Carolina. Sheen, who's set to attend a hearing in Aspen, Colorado on Monday, and is expected to face felony charges for assault, Aspen's assistant district attorney told Us Weekly. According to their reports, Charlie Sheen allegedly threatened his wife with murder, and held a knife to her throat.

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New Marilyn Monroe Photos Go On Sale

2010-02-05T15:51:00.001-06:00

Previously unpublished black and white photos of a laughing, stylishly-dressed Marilyn Monroe visiting the poet Carl Sandburg in New York almost half a century ago went on sale Friday. The pictures, shot by photographer Len Steckler at his apartment in December 1961, had spent 45 years in a private archive.

They show Monroe, aged 35 and only nine months from death, relaxing with Sandburg, a Pulitzer-prize winning poet. The four single images and two triptychs -- a series of three pictures each -- are listed for sale at between 1,999 dollars and 3,999 dollars.

"On a wintry afternoon, Sandburg and Steckler patiently awaited Monroe, who arrived three hours later than planned, claiming she was at the hairdresser's trying to get her hair white to match Sandburg's," dealers Eagle National Mint said. "The two spent the rest of the afternoon bonding over conversation and cocktails, fostering a new friendship while Steckler quietly observed, his Nikon loaded with black and white film, nothing more than natural Northern light pouring through the windows."

Each print is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and is signed by Steckler. The sale is online at www.thevisitseries.com and by phone.

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NDP Leader Jack Layton Diagnosed with Prostate Cancer

2010-02-05T15:46:00.000-06:00

NDP Leader Jack Layton has been diagnosed with a treatable form of prostate cancer. How unfortunate. Mr. Layton said today that he will step away from an active political role for "several months" in order to undergo treatment, but will not step down as leader. Aside from his political beliefs, I do believe that he is a decent guy, and I wish him well.

"I'm a fighter and I'm going to beat this," he told a Toronto press conference.

Mr. Layton, whose father, who was a Progressive Conservative cabinet minister, also had prostate cancer and beat the disease. He added: "I have his genes on my side."

Mr. Layton said that the treatment plan for the disease "is now underway and everything is on track. In the coming weeks, the schedule of my treatment regime means I may have a bit more time to catch the Olympics."

"The hard work and drive of our Canadian athletes will be an inspiration," he said.

Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff immediately issued a news release wishing Layton a speedy recovery.

"Jack Layton has fought many battles in his life, but none will be as demanding as the fight he now faces," Ignatieff said. "We all know how combative Jack is and we know that he will face this challenge with his usual determination. I wish him strength and courage on the road to recovery, and I know all Canadians stand behind him in this fight."

Mr. Layton has been the leader of the federal NDP since 2003.

Montreal MP Thomas Mulcair is the party's deputy leader. The NDP currently have 37 seats in the House of Commons, short of the mark set by former leader Ed Broadbent in the 1980s. In a leadership review vote held last August, nearly 90% of delegates voted against holding a leadership convention to replace Mr. Layton.

A former member of Toronto's city council, Mr. Layton was elected MP for Toronto-Danforth in 2004 and is married to fellow Toronto MP Olivia Chow.

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Unconfirmed: Virgin Mobile Phone Causes Winnipeg Man's Divorce?

2010-02-05T14:22:00.001-06:00

A Winnipeg man at the centre of a preset Virgin Mobile text message fallout is apparently speaking out.

Darren, who is 49, lived with his common-law wife up until earlier this week when she found suggestive factory-installed text messages on his cell phone placed there by Virgin.

Now, Darren apparently has been misplaced from his own home, and has a protective order against him for yelling at his partner trying to explain what had happened.

Well, if this is true, I have a few questions of my own...

First off, why is a 49-year-old buying a phone from Virgin Mobile anyway? I would think that with their retarded advertising, it would appeal only to younger weirdoes.

Secondly, is his wife really that stupid?!

Apparently, there's a video too:This is kind of retarded.

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Toyota Pedal Repairs Underway

2010-02-05T14:18:00.001-06:00

Troubled Japanese automaker Toyota said today that it had begun repairing sticky accelerator pedals in the United States behind the recall of millions of vehicles worldwide.

The carmaker's U.S. branch, Toyota Motor Sales USA, said that repairs were underway after dealers across the country had received the necessary parts, information and training to repair the accelerator pedals. It also announced that it had begun mailing letters to owners of recalled vehicles to inform them of when they can bring their cars to a dealership for repair.

According to Toyota, mechanics only need 30 minutes per vehicle to complete the repairs. The company had announced on Monday that the simple fix involves installing a precision-cut steel reinforcement bar into the accelerator pedal assembly to eliminate the excess friction that has caused pedals to stick in rare instances.

But the automaker has also faced a litany of complaints about other technical problems, including brake failure and floor mats trapping the accelerator pedals.

"Nothing is more important to us than the safety and reliability of the vehicles our customers drive, and we are determined to live up to the high standards people have come to expect from Toyota over the past 50 years," Toyota USA president and chief executive Jim Lentz said in a statement. "Everyone at Toyota is focused on making this recall simple and trouble-free for our customers."

However, the car's troubles escalated further as Toyota looked set to recall several hundred thousand Prius hybrids and was slapped with a U.S. lawsuit alleging it covered up safety problems. The Nikkei business daily said that Toyota had decided to recall an estimated 270,000 Prius cars in Japan and the United States to fix a brake problem affecting the newest version of the hybrid.

"We're working hard to ensure that our dealers have the resources and support they need to make sure our customers get their cars fixed quickly," Lentz said.

"The parts have been shipped, the dealers are trained, and they are already making the repairs," he added noting that many dealers were working extended hours. Some have even opened around the clock to deal with the impact of the massive recall.

Toyota said it was sending cheques of $7,500-$75,000 to its dealers to help them with any additional costs related to the repairs.

Repairs are expected to begin here in Canada today as well.

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Jim Pankiw to Return to Federal Politics?

2010-02-05T14:11:00.001-06:00

Recently, former Reform-and-then-Canadian-Alliance MP and chiropractor Jim Pankiw announced at the Saskatoon Inn that he would eventually return to federal politics and would run against incumbent Conservative MP Brad Trost as an independent in the next federal election in the riding of Saskatoon-Humboldt. Well, good luck on getting elected.

Anyway, along with the press conference at the Saskatoon Inn, Pankiw launched his campaign website, located at www.jimpankiw.ca, which is riddled with spelling errors or terrible grammar. If you head on over there, you will find it hilarious.

Anyway, if you actually give a crap, you can watch a video of Pankiw announcing his return to politics at the link below.

And if you look at his Twitter page, located at www.twitter.com/jimpankiw, it's just as retarded.

Lastly, if you've watched enough Two and a Half Men over the years, you will know that chiropractors aren't real doctors, according to the show's cast.

So, is Pankiw a phony? That's up to you to decide.

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Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams Out of Surgery

2010-02-05T14:07:00.001-06:00

With Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams recovering from heart surgery in the United States yesterday, his deputy premier railed against the negative reaction to his having sought treatment outside the country.

"The premier hasn't done anything that anybody else in the same circumstances wouldn't have considered and acted in the same way," Kathy Dunderdale told media, adding that the criticism is "completely unacceptable."

"To have to undergo the battery that he's undergone these last few days... not only across the country but now being the poster boy for the debate in the United States... is a bit much," she said. "I believe it goes beyond the pale."

Williams had the surgery at an undisclosed U.S. hospital Thursday and is recovering in intensive care, Dunderdale said. The first 24 hours were "critical," she said, but she expected Williams, who she described as a workaholic, to be back on the job in early March.

"Given what I know of the premier, he'll be chafing at the bit to get back to work. The challenge for all of us will be getting him to slow down," she said.

Earlier this week, Dunderdale said the option of having surgery performed in the United States was chosen after weeks of consultation with Williams' doctors, and because the particular procedure isn't available in the province.

"He was able to have his preferred option in terms of the procedure that was used," Dunderdale said Thursday.

She would not release any details on the type of procedure that was performed, saying the 60-year-old premier and his family requested their privacy be respected, and that Williams would speak when he feels well enough. She said that the questions have been tough on Williams' family and added to the stress he was under.

"You forgo a lot of privacy when you put your hand up to do this job, but there are certain areas that are sacrosanct," she said. "This has been extremely frustrating for him, I believe, and extremely frustrating for his family."

The premier's decision to travel to the United States for surgery sparked debate across the country about confidence in Canada's healthcare system. Conservative nuts (which is very different from Canadian conservatives) in the U.S. also pounced on the news, suggesting it proved that U.S. President Barack Obama's proposed health insurance reforms wouldn't work.

Medicare advocates said that cases such as Williams' represent only a tiny fraction of all Canadian patients who receive medical care. Meanwhile, Williams has also been inundated with support from well-wishers, with several Facebook group pages started up, to wish him a speedy recovery.

"When we first heard the story break on the news, our sympathies went out to him," said Erin Skinner, one of two administrators on the group site "Get Well Premier Williams," which had about 4,200 members as of Thursday evening.

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January's Canadian Job Gains Better than Expected

2010-02-05T14:04:00.001-06:00

There were 43,000 more Canadians working in January, Statistics Canada said Friday, which is about three times more than what economists were expecting.

The unemployment rate fell to 8.3% from a revised 8.4% in December. The results were better than the expectations of economists polled by Bloomberg, who were calling for 15,000 additional people working last month and a jobless rate of 8.5%.

This comes after a revised loss of 28,300 people from the job market in December, but it was the fourth employment gain in six months. The employment growth in January was largely driven by women and youth. It was the first notable increase in employment among young people since the jobs slump started in the fall of 2008, Statistics Canada said.

The private sector was responsible for all of the job gains, and it was mostly from part-time positions. The number of people employed full-time was flat, and there was a decline in the number of people self-employed.

Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist with BMO Capital Markets, called the concentration of job gains in the part-time category "a big but," adding that "part-time jobs are better than none."

"While the details of this report were less impressive than the headline results, there is little doubt that the job market is grinding forward," Porter added in a research note.

The president of the Canadian Auto Workers said the fact that January's job gains came almost exclusively from part-time work shows that there is not, in fact, a true economic recovery underway.

"Instead it means that more Canadians are ending up in precarious employment, characterized by irregular hours, little job security, low wages and few benefits," CAW president Ken Lewenza said in a statement. "This is really nothing to cheer about."

By sector, the biggest increases in January came in the categories of business, building and other support services, and retail and wholesale trade. That was offset to some degree by declines in professional, scientific and technical services, as well as in agriculture. More than half the job gains were in Ontario, while British Columbia and Manitoba also saw gains. There were fewer people working in Nova Scotia, while all other provinces saw flat employment trends between December and January, Statistics Canada said.

Statistics Canada said the level of employment in Canada remains 280,000 less than the peak in October 2008. But Porter pointed out that the current job numbers are just 0.1% less than a year earlier, calling it "an amazingly quick turnaround from the dismal conditions of early last year, all things considered."

The Conference Board of Canada on Friday issued a report saying the recent recession only delayed the coming worker shortage in the country due to a coming onslaught of retirements among baby boomers.

"Job losses have resulted in temporary slackness in Canada's labour market, and boomers may be temporarily delaying their retirements due to the plunge in equity markets," Pedro Antunes, the board's director of forecasts, said in a statement. "However, even if some baby boomers decide to delay retirement, it will likely be for only a short period of time.

"If organizations fail to adequately plan for tightening labour markets, they could lose out on employees with the required skills, which could dampen their future growth prospects."

Millan Mulraine, economics strategist with TD Securities, said: "This was a very strong report, with the pace of employment growth outstripping the market expectations by a factor of three, and it suggests that the Canadian economic recovery picked up considerable speed in the first month of the year."

However, he added that "the pace of job growth may be overstating the true extent of the recovery in the Canadian economy."

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Toronto Transit Commission Bus Driver Suspended After Stop for Donuts

2010-02-05T14:01:00.001-06:00

A Toronto Transit Commission bus driver has been suspended after the driver was caught on camera visiting a doughnut shop, and apparently mid-route.

Local 113 of the Amalgamated Transit Union confirmed the suspension in a release Thursday, saying only: "A TTC bus operator has been suspended pending an investigation into the circumstances surrounding a video purportedly recording the operator taking a seven-minute washroom break and buying a coffee at a doughnut shop at 3 a.m. last Friday."

The video was posted on YouTube by a rider named Reuven Politi, who said that the delays in his nightly commute home on the route have become routine.

Well, we'd be angry too. Besides, some Saskatoon Transit drivers do that too!

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Buy American Exemption for Canada Confirmed

2010-02-05T13:59:00.001-06:00

The Government of Canada confirmed today that it has struck a deal with the Obama administration that would protect the Canadian industry from Buy American provisions. International Trade Minister Peter Van Loan and Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon made the announcement at a news conference in Ottawa.

"Preserving and creating jobs is the Canadian government's top priority," Van Loan said. "Our government stood up for Canadian businesses and workers in resolving this issue with our U.S. partners."

The catch behind the deal will see Canada agree to provide U.S. suppliers with access to a range of construction contracts across Canada's provinces and territories, as well as in a number of municipalities. In return, the United States has agreed to provide Canadian suppliers with access to state and local public works projects in a range of programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Canadian and U.S. officials hope to have a final deal signed by February 16, 2010. The two sides have also agreed to continue negotiations on a broader deal governing procurement. Further, there is a "fast-track" provision that would help resolve disputes should similar Buy American provisions be applied to future legislation. Experts say that the pact marks an "important breakthrough" in stopping the spread of protectionism and acknowledging Canada's importance to the U.S. economy.

The deal will be structured to allow the White House to use executive power to treat sectors of the Canadian economy as American by claiming supply chains are so integrated they cannot be separated. This has been done because U.S. President Barack Obama cannot rely on Congress to pass legislation exempting Canada from Buy American provisions.

"We are very happy," said Veso Sobot, director of corporate affairs at IPEX Inc., which is a Toronto-based pipe manufacturer. IPEX gained notoriety after the introduction of Buy American rules for having its pipe fittings pulled out of the ground in California because they had the 'Made in Canada' designation on them.

"This will allow us to compete again," Sobot said. "We are tickled pink and we are going to be aggressive about trying to compete for business in the United States. And I hope this can help bolster our 2010 and bring back jobs to Canada."

American officials were also touting this agreement as a success.

"(The United States) has won that access for American firms, and I look forward to signing the agreement soon," U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said in a statement Friday. "For years, U.S. firms have sought market access to Canadian provincial procurement under the WTO Government Procurement Agreement (GPA), which Canada resisted."

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Address British Columbia Legislature Before Olympics

2010-02-05T13:56:00.000-06:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has accepted an invitation from British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell to speak at the British Columbia legislature as British Columbia gears up to welcome the world to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Dimitris Soudas, spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister, has said that Mr. Harper will address the legislature on February 11, which is the day before the Games' opening ceremonies in Vancouver.

"The prime minister will salute Vancouver, Whistler and British Columbia for its magnificent work in organizing and hosting the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games," Soudas said.

A prime ministerial address to a provincial legislature is a rare event. It last happened in 1990 when Brian Mulroney spoke to the legislature for Newfoundland and Labrador. Mr. Mulroney's speech back then was part of his attempts to save the doomed Meech Lake Accord.

Mr. Harper's speech to the British Columbia legislature is unlikely to be fraught with such serious political overtones. He is likely to congratulate British Columbians on their work preparing for the Olympics and would draw attention to the positive benefits of the Games for the people of British Columbia and all Canadians.

In Ottawa, Mr. Harper's political opponents pointed out the irony of the prime minister speaking to another legislative assembly in Canada after proroguing or suspending the one in which he normally speaks, the House of Commons, until March 3.

"We're a little worried he might go out to B.C. and try and prorogue that legislature, too," Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff told reporters in Ottawa. "It does seem a little odd that he's prepared to address a working legislature while he's closed down his own. Go figure."

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Brittany Murphy's Death Ruled Accidental

2010-02-05T13:49:00.000-06:00

The Los Angeles County coroner announced their findings yesterday in the death of actress Brittany Murphy. According to CNN, the coroner determined that her death was an accident caused by a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and "multiple drug intoxication."

The coroner did not reveal which drugs were involved in the actress' death, but added that the official autopsy report would be available in the next two weeks.

The actress was found unconscious in her shower on December 21, 2009. And despite performing first aid, paramedics could not revive her. She was 32 at the time of her death.

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Finance Minister Jim Flaherty Puts Spending Cuts on Back Burner

2010-02-04T11:40:00.000-06:00

Despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's talk about slaying the deficit, the Government of Canada has no plans to cut any spending before the spring of 2011 because of the weakness of the economic recovery. Finance Minister Jim Flaherty confirmed that the Conservatives will wait until the current two-year, $46 billion economic stimulus plan ends on March 31, 2011, before looking for ways to begin trying to balance Ottawa's books.

"The first thing to do is make sure that the economy recovers, that's absolutely imperative," Mr. Flaherty said Tuesday after pre-budget discussions with business economists.

Referring to the meeting of government leaders and CEOs in Davos, Switzerland, on the weekend, Mr. Flaherty said, "We're all agreed internationally that we need to continue with our economic stimulus, that there is a lack of evidence of sustained private-sector demand."

"So we will continue to provide public-sector demand in the Canadian economy in 2010 and into the first quarter of 2011," he told reporters Tuesday.

In an update for the March 4 federal budget, a dozen of private-sector economists said the outlook for Canada's business conditions has improved a bit. They now predict 2.6% economic growth this year, up slightly from the 2.3% they predicted in September. In 2009, the economy retracted by 2.5%. But, the economists see unemployment continuing at an unusually high 8.5% in 2010.

On January 19, Mr. Harper and his aides trumpeted the need for budget restraint when the Prime Minister put fiscal conservative Stockwell Day in a position to hold the line on spending as president of the federal Treasury Board. The government has also set up hundreds of meetings across the country to initiate public debate on how to end Ottawa's budget deficits, now set to hit a cumulative $160 billion by 2014.

But Mr. Flaherty said Tuesday that trimming federal spending will have to await consistent economic growth, lower jobless rates and more investment by private business.

"Once we see a sustained recovery, then we'll start moving back toward deficit reduction and then balanced budgets," the finance minister said.

After the meeting, the business economists agreed that it's too early to focus on restraint.

"There's still lots of risks in the global economy, so to take away the stimulus that is promised would probably be premature right now," CIBC World Markets economist Avery Shenfeld told reporters.

While talking up restraint, the Conservatives appear to have added big new cost factors to their budget-making. Harper has recently committed to billions of dollars in additional spending initiatives to help Haiti and improve conditions for women in children in developing nations. The government is also moving toward significant reductions in greenhouse gases, a plan that may lead to hefty federal spending.

Mr. Flaherty was unable to say how much those programs would cost taxpayers and how the promises would impact budget planning. But Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff poked fun at the Conservatives' recent talk about fiscal belt-tightening.

"Poor Mr. Flaherty. I absolutely love it, when a guy who's dug us into a $56 billion hole is talking to me about financial responsibility and prudence," Mr. Ignatieff told reporters. "I mean, these guys have no credibility at all on this."

Well, what is Mr. Ignatieff going to do? Bastard.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper to Cancel Parliamentary Spring Break

2010-02-04T11:38:00.000-06:00

Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to cancel two weeks of parliamentary breaks this spring to try to make up for the six weeks of work lost when he decided to prorogue Parliament after Christmas. Conservative MPs were told yesterday that the government plans to alter the parliamentary calendar because of what is expected to be a heavy workload.

"Once Parliament resumes there will be a lot of work to do," Gordon O'Connor, the government whip, wrote in an e-mail that was sent to all Conservative MPs, and obtained by Canwest New Service, whose article we are stealing today.

"Members should expect that the House of Commons will sit during the week of March 15 to 19 and during the week of April 12 to 16. Please arrange your schedules accordingly."

During those weeks, MPs would leave Ottawa for their respective ridings.

"Stephen Harper is showing his arrogance and contempt. He shut down Parliament with a phone call and now wants to change the parliamentary calendar through an internal memo leaked to media," said Jean-Francois Del Torchio, a spokesman for Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, late yesterday. "After weeks telling Canadians that prorogation was not important and they were using the time to do the work in their ridings, the Conservatives are now admitting they were wrong," he added. "This is nothing more than the Conservatives scrambling to save face after the public backlash from their decision to shut down Parliament."

MPs were originally planning to return to the House of Commons on January 25, but Mr. Harper prorogued (or suspended) Parliament until March 3, saying the government needs to recalibrate its agenda. Opposition MPs have accused Mr. Harper of trying to hide from Parliament, including from an ongoing inquiry into the issue of Afghan detainee abuse. The parliamentary calendar can only be changed with the consent of all parties.

"There is no reason for the House of Commons to take constituency breaks during these weeks," O'Connor wrote. "Quite frankly, we would be surprised if the opposition disagreed."

NDP Leader Jack Layton said that Mr. Harper could make up for those lost weeks by calling the House of Commons back to work right away.

"Instead of playing silly games, the prime minister should recall Parliament right away to deal with all the important issues facing Canadians," Layton said in an email statement.

Mr. Harper and the Conservatives have seen their popularity plunge in the wake of the prorogation of Parliament because Canadians who had nothing better to do than complain suddenly gave a crap that the Prime Minister decided to prorogue Parliament to recalibrate his agenda. While they had a 15-point lead in some polls heading into Christmas, they now find themselves in a statistical tie with the Liberals, which is a drop pollsters attribute to dissatisfaction with Mr. Harper's decision to shut down the House of Commons until after the 2010 Olympics have wrapped up.

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