I'll Pass On This One, Thanks

   That is, in fact, "Dewitos", a new flavour of Mountain Dew. The new flavour is, by the way, Doritos. PepsiCo has apparently test marketed the hybrid at a few college campuses, and the response has been favorable. One tester says the drink did in fact taste like the chips.
   This isn't the first time the 2 brands (both owned by PepsiCo) have teamed up for a flavour mash-up. In 2008, they brought out Doritos Quest, a sweet chip with a mystery flavor that was later identified as Mountain Dew.
   Now, I'll admit I like Mountain Dew. I also like Doritos. But not mashed together in an orange tinged liquid. And while I can be adventurous when it comes to food, this is one item that I'll leave on the shelves, if it ever comes to Yorkton.

TTFN

11/11/14

   Tomorrow is November 11th. And at the 11th hour, we should all pause for 2 minutes silence to remember those who fell in World War I, World War ll, Korea, Afghanistan, and wherever Canadians have fought and died. It's been 96 years since the end of the "Great War", and ceremonies were held earlier this year to mark the 100th anniversary of its start.
   As is tradition in my household, both my wife and I bought poppies, since both our dads saw service in World War II. I'm also proud to say both our sons also have a great deal of respect for Canada's vets.
   It's estimated between 56 and 65 thousand Canadian military personnel were killed in "The War to End All Wars" between 1915 when the first contingent arrived in France and Armistice Day. 45 thousand more gave the ultimate sacrifice in World War II.
   In London, England, officials have been adding ceramic poppies to a very moving display that surrounds the Tower of London

   When all is said and done, more than 888 thousand will be there, with each representing a Commonwealth or British death during the war. In my opinion, it's a fitting tribute.
   Please take 2 minutes of your time tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m no matter where you are and remember the fallen from all conflicts.

TTFN

Almost Time For A Change

   Last year, for the first time ever, I bought winter tires. And I'm glad I did. Up until last winter, I'd been using all-season radials, but decided to bite the bullet since I was still commuting weekends between Yorkton and Regina. And, at least in my case, they made a difference, even around town.
   I bring this up, because in Manitoba, provincial insurance company MPI is offering 48 month term loans of up to 2 thousand dollars at prime plus 2% for anyone wanting to buy and install snowflake stamped winter treads. So far, 64 hundred people have applied.
   The rationale is simple. Winter tires are better in the cold and snow, and may help prevent accidents which would cost MPI more for settling claims etc. Other jurisdictions are a little more strict when it comes to their use. In Quebec for example, winter tires are mandatory.
   A check with Saskatchewan's provincial insurance company SGI shows a similar low cost loan program is not being made available. At least, not in the foreseeable future. Officials say they'll look at the numbers from the Manitoba program, which started this year, and do some number crunching before making a decision one way or other to see if the benefits would outweigh the costs.
   Right now in Saskatchewan, winter tire use is nor mandatory, and the government (last time I checked anyway) was not looking to make it so.
   Should the use of winter tires be mandated? Should the provinces help with a low cost loan to have them bought and installed? I don't know. In jurisdictions where there's provincial insurance, like Saskatchewan and Manitoba, having such a scheme would be a lot easier to run that province's where it's all private companies, like Alberta and Ontario. In those areas, who would pick up the tab? Other subscribers? And until we have substantive data on costs, and comparative numbers on issues like collisions with and without winter skins, I don't think I can make a call one way or the other.

TTFN

An Interesting Concept

   Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz has a suggestion for jobless university grads looking to beef up their resume's: Work for free. What he's suggesting is young Canadians and others struggling to find work should acquire more experience through unpaid internships or volunteering until the country's hobbled job market picks up. He says doing that would allow them to gain experience in the field they hope to enter.
   Needless to say, reaction to this has been mostly negative, with advocates for young workers leading the charge against the suggestion. They argue that not all young grads "live in their parents basement rent free", and need to be paid to simply live.
   This all comes as a new survey shows 20 per cent of part-time workers are looking in vain for a full-time job, while the average length of an unemployment spell is now 21 weeks. Youth unemployment is running at over 13%.
   So, while this is an interesting concept, in reality (in my humble opinion) it simply won't work.

TTFN

Happy Donut Day!

   And thanks to GX94 morning man Danny Ismond for bringing this to my attention. Darn shame he didn't bring any in for us this morning. Oh well. He also asked the question "what's your favourite kind". For me, the answer was simple: Chocolate. I said "was", because Danny chimed in "what about Boston Creme?", which is also a favourite. As are apple fritters, crullers, and good old honey dipped.
   This had me thinking back to my youth (so many years ago), when we had a K-Mart in the neighborhood. In that K-Mart was a donut making machine

   Which spat out hot, fresh donuts you could buy as a single, half dozen or dozen. If memory serves, you didn't have the choices you get these days. It was basically deep-fried dough fed from the hopper into the oil. There was a device for turning them over about half-way along the conveyor, then the final hopper for the finished product. Which was then either dipped in sugar or had powdered sugar dusted on them.
   Homer Simpson would likely approve!

TTFN

Does This Make Sense To You?

   One of Canada's big banks has announced the equivalent of 15 hundred jobs will be cut, and 120 international branches will be closed in an effort to save 120 million dollars a year.
   Scotiabank is (I believe) Canada's 3rd largest banking institution, and a release from them suggests most of the job loss will be in Canada. The banks president says the move will cut 341 million dollars from their profit in the 4th quarter of the current fiscal year.
   But here's my question. In figures publicly available on their own website, the bank has seen net earnings (not profits) of nearly 6 billion dollars in the first 3 quarters, and 2.4 billion in the 3rd. Even with expenses and other items factored in, earnings in the quarter that ended July 31st will be well over 1.5 billion. So, even if you factor in the 341 million cut in profit forecast for the 4th quarter, and even if that's a total loss, the bank still stands to make almost 5 billion. And even if the losses go higher than that, they still stand to make a tidy profit
   Now, I will freely admit I do not travel in the world of banking or high finance, and even need a calculator to do higher math, but it seems almost disingenuous to argue the need for job cuts to save 120 million dollars a year with earnings of even 1 billion.
   Or am I missing something here?

TTFN

Could This Help Crack The Case?

   That little girl is Tamra Keepness, and she was last seen at her Regina home in July 2004. I remember the case very well, since I was working in Regina at the time. There was a massive search for the then 5 year old, but nothing turned up. That search included the city landfill, and even sending remotely operated cameras into sewers in the area where she and her family lived.
   Years later, police acknowledged that Tamra likely is dead, but no trace of her body has ever been found. More than 1700 tips have come in over the years, and police look into them. In fact, there were still a few officers assigned to her case. At least before I left Regina more than a year ago.
   Now, comes yet another possibility. This map was posted on Reddit:

   The map, submitted anonymously, is labelled "Location of Tamra Keepness, Check the Wells". The person did later come forward with a little more information, but also says he/she has no firsthand knowledge about the missing girl.
   Needless to say, this has created quite a frenzy on social media. Some have said it's nothing but a hoax or a sick joke. Others want police to pursue the lead like they would any other. Which is exactly what might happen. As is the case with other tips and leads in this case, police are trying to determine if it's credible. Will they send someone to check it out? From what little knowledge I have about the internal workings of the Regina Police Service, I would say "yes". Having dealt with them for almost 16 years, I don't believe for one instant that any clue would not be looked into. Will they find Tamra's remains? I honestly don't know. I hope some day they do. I also hope they find those responsible for her death and bring them to justice.
   That's the least that can be done for that innocent girl.

TTFN