Sgt. Paul McCurbin of Durham Region police said the cases all involve small boxes given out on Halloween. He said there was no evidence of tampering, "except that cold medication was found inside."

In further weirdness, it seems that in Canada Smarties are made of chocolate and have nothing to do with the Smarties we're used to — which, of course, look exactly like drugs. For example:

Durham Regional police launched their investigation upon reports from a young girl who found a tablet of medicine among her treats, according to a news release issued Friday.

The girl, Dhymone Williams, told CBC News she discovered the orange pill inside a small, sealed box of Smarties she received on Halloween night.

"I knew it wasn't a Smartie because I know that Smarties are round and they have chocolate in it, and that one I could see right through it," she said.

You do learn something every day, don't you?

Cold medication discovered in Halloween candy [CBC]
More cold medication found in Smarties [Star]

Can't remember the last Coca-Cola ad targeted at children? There's a reason...Parents tell us they prefer to be the ones teaching their children about beverage choices. That's why for over 50 years we've adhered to a company policy that prohibits advertising soft drinks to children.

When he sent a letter to the editor of the medical journal, it got published, along with a response from Coke. Now the CanWest newswire service has picked up the story and Coke remains steadfast, calling their drinks "wholesome.":

But Coca-Cola Canada stands by the position that it does not advertise soft drinks to children. "Absolutely, because it is true," spokeswoman Amy Laski said in a statement.

Coke is "wholesome and suitable" for kids, but "we understand that children are impressionable, and we respect the role of parents and caregivers in making food and beverage choices with their children. Therefore, we are committed not to directly market messages for any of our beverages to children under 12."

Oh, how soon we forget those New Kids On The Block branding partnerships of yesteryear!

Coca-Cola Lies to Doctors? [Weighty Matters]
Vetting journal advertisements [CMAJ]
Coca-Cola Canada responds [CMAJ]
Santa, animated animal ads not aimed at kids, Coke says [CanWest]

Stigma by Association in Coupon Redemption: Looking Cheap because of Others [Journal of Consumer Research] (Photo: Getty)

The BBB says:

While many seniors have reported the scam without falling prey to it, unfortunately, many others have been victimized. One well-meaning grandmother sent $15,000 to scammers, thinking she was helping a grandchild who had been in an auto accident.
...
Law enforcement officials are not certain how perpetrators are obtaining phone numbers for so many senior citizens across the U.S. However, it is believed that scammers are most likely calling random numbers until they happen to reach a senior citizen. The scammers’ basic tactic is to pose as a grandchild and let the unsuspecting grandparent fill in the blanks. For example, the scam caller might say, “It’s me, your favorite grandchild,” to which the grandparent will guess the name of the grandchild it sounds the most like, and then the call proceeds from there.

The BBB also alerted us to several examples of people who have been victimized by the scam. Here's one from Utah:

When the phone rang in the middle of the night, Vernon and Alice Harper knew something was wrong. Alice said the caller told her, "Oh, I'm sorry, Grandma. I'm really sorry to do this to you." She said it sounded a little bit like he was crying. The caller told them, "I'm in trouble, Grandma. I'm up here in Toronto. I need money. I'm in jail. I had a rented car, and I wrecked it."

They thought the caller was their grandson, so Alice wired $4,400. The caller said his calling card only had a few minutes and he didn't have much time, but could she wire the money within two hours? He would call back in two hours to get the personal identification number.

Once Alice got to Wal-Mart to get the MoneyGram, she wanted to be safe about it, so she asked the clerk to tack on a security question, something only her grandson would know. But on the other end of the transaction, nobody asked her security question to the con artist. She had already given him the personal identification number, and that's all the clerk on the Canada end asked for. MoneyGrams use personal identification numbers instead of requiring ID to wire money. As long as you have the pin, you can get the money.

And here's another one where a grandmother sent $5,300 to someone claiming to be one of her 50 grandchildren.

The BBB has some advice for people who spot this scam, or are victimized by it:

BBB recommends reporting the incident immediately to local police departments and state Attorneys General offices. If there is a request to wire money to Canada, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Call Centre has established the PhoneBusters hotline and Web site to report such fraud. Reports can be filed easily online through the PhoneBusters site at: www.phonebusters.com, or by phone, toll free at, 1-888-495-8501.

BBB Alert: Senior Citizens Nationwide Report Losing Thousands of Dollars to Telephone Scam [BBB]
(Photo: davidbivins )

Family Racks Up $19,370 Cell Phone Bill [WFTV] (Thanks to everyone who sent this in!)

Now—right before California decides whether to ban BPA in children's products—the FDA has revisited its earlier studies and reaffirmed that "the trace amounts of bisphenol A that leach out of food containers are not a threat to infants or adults."

Critics are saying the FDA is cherry-picking what studies to consider in its decision:

"It's ironic FDA would choose to ignore dozens of studies funded by (the National Institutes of Health) — this country's best scientists — and instead rely on flawed studies from industry," said Pete Myers, chief scientist for Environmental Health Sciences.

Myers said the agency disregarded recent studies of bisphenol's effects included in the National Toxicology Program's April draft report.

That group's review of animal studies suggested low doses of bisphenol can cause changes in behavior and the brain, and that it may reduce survival and birth weight in fetuses. A final version of the group's findings is expected next month.

Commenting on those studies in its 105-page assessment, the FDA said they had "inconsistencies and inadequacies which limit the interpretations of the findings."

We're not sure what sort of effect this will have on the pending lawsuits or on California's potential ban, but the BPA debate should take on new energy next month, when the National Toxicology Program's final report is released and the FDA brings in outside "advisors" to debate its own findings.

"FDA says chemical found in plastic bottles is safe" [Associated Press]
(Photo: Oop)

From the AP:

The ad's tag line was "There's a reason you've never heard of 'bus rage."'

Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said Wednesday a billboard and some tunnel posters near a bus terminal in Toronto are still up and would be removed later in the day.

"Greyhound knows how important it is to get these removed and we are doing everything possible," Wambaugh said. "This is something that we immediately asked to be done last week, realizing that these could be offensive."
...
As horrified passengers fled the bus, Li severed McLean's head, displaying it to some of the passengers outside the bus, witnesses said.

A police officer at the scene reported seeing the attacker hacking off pieces of the victim's body and eating them, according to a police report.

Wambaugh said the ads only appeared in Canada and that some in Ontario and western Canada have already been removed.

"Bus Rage" Ads Scrapped After Beheading [CBS News](Thanks, Nayeli!)
(Photo: AP)

Our tipster says this recording used to get passed around at Canadian high schools during the 80's and 90's. You know, they say you shouldn't curse because you can communicate better by using specific, and clean, language. I think this recording transcends the form... it's a free-form jazz riff on the the four-letter word, a magnum opus of expletives. And in the end, the customer wins.

Still, file under "hilarious, but don't try this at home." Jokes aside, he probably could have gotten it fixed much quicker if he had just known how to use executive customer service.

(Thanks to Scott!)

Colliton insisted he wasn't running from the law and had gone to Canada only to attend some harness races.

"You're not a fugitive if you sign into a major chain hotel using your driver's license and your American Express card," he said.

In his suit, filed in Manhattan Supreme Court, Colliton says Canadian authorities would never have "falsely arrested" or "unlawfully detained" him on immigration charges if American Express hadn't revealed when and where he had used his credit card.

"That's not why I gave them 20 years of fees and thousands of dollars in profits," he said. "They spied on me."

We're not lawyers, but we're pretty sure convicted felons lose their right to moral indignation or the right to vote or something.

Anyway, the moral of the story is that if you're an indicted pedophile on the run, don't use American Express.

Ex-con sues AmEx, says it aided in his arrest in Grimsby, Ont. [The Canadian Press]
Ratted out by American Express, charges perv attorney [New York Daily News]

From the Toronto Star:

Nicole Lilliman, 27, was fired yesterday from her Tim Hortons job for giving one of the 16-cent blobs of fried dough to a tot.

"I have been fired for giving a baby a Timbit," Lilliman said yesterday.

"It was just out of my heart – she was pointing and going `ah, ah...' I should have gone to my purse and got the change, but it was busy."

Lilliman, who has worked at the store for three years, said she thought little of the incident since Timbits are often doled out to dogs and children.

She said the baby was about 11 months old, and she gave her the treat to quiet her, since her mom – a Tims' regular – had been ``having a bad day."

"I could see (the dismissal) if it was a sandwich or something," she said. "But it was a Timbit."

Three managers greeted her yesterday, saying she had been caught on video giving free food to a child.

"They said, `Remember, Monday you gave out a free Timbit,' " she said.

"I had to think, then I was like, `Oh yeah,' and I smiled because I thought I'd get a warning."

Instead, she was fired for theft.

That's harsh, Tim Horton's. Very harsh.

Tim Hortons fires single mom over free Timbit [Toronto Star]

(Photo: FlyGuy92586 )

UPDATE: Hey, she's been rehired!"We're working with the store owner on this policy,” said a Tim Horton's spokesperson, calling Lilliman’s firing “an overreaction and not appropriate.”

In the U.S., the current status of BPA is "needs more research," The American Chemistry Council says research proves "there are no serious or high-level concerns for adverse effects of bisphenol-a on human reproduction and development," but we don't trust any organization that has "American" and "Council" in their name.

"Canada Likely to Label Plastic Ingredient 'Toxic'" [The New York Times]
(Photo: ToastyKen)

When a strange person calls you on the telephone claiming to represent a company you do business with and asks you to give them sensitive personal information, tell them that you'll call them back on the regular customer service number that you usually use to contact them.

From CBC:

Ottawa police Sgt. Mike McCormick said fraudsters are now calling customers claiming to be from the fraud department of their credit card company.

"We know as a general public that there's a lot of fraudulent activity on credit cards and debit cards, so when we start hearing ... your financial institution calling you ask you for specific information and providing information that nobody else should know, it brings down our wariness," said McCormick, who is with the organized fraud section.

He said investigators are seeing a steep increase in reports of a scam in which a caller names an unusual big-ticket item and asks if the customer has recently purchased it.

When the customer says no, the caller says the company involved has been cropping up in a lot of suspicious transactions.

The caller provides a reference number for the customer's file and give the customer a 1-800 number to call.

He or she also asks the customer to confirm that they still have the card by providing the three-digit security code marked on the back.

Fraud investigators say no legitimate credit card company will ask you for that code.

McCormick said the fraudster typically already has your address and credit card number, usually from dumpster diving for receipts and bills.

Callers use fake fraud to gain credit card security codes [CBC]
(Photo:Reznicek111)

Elliott goes over the fine print of the guarantee and discovers that it's mostly meaningless marketing twaddle:

Check out the fine print of the "100 Percent Satisfaction Guarantee" and you'll see that there are some important exceptions. "If you are not satisfied with your accommodations or our service, please advise the front desk of a problem right away and give them an opportunity to correct the situation," it says. "If the hotel staff is unable to satisfy you, they may give you up to one night's free stay."

Got that? You have to report a problem, and if the hotel can't fix it you may be entitled to up to one night's free stay. That's such a vaguely worded guarantee that you have to wonder why Choice Hotels even bothers.

But it gets worse. "Not all international hotels participate in this program," it adds. So the guarantee isn't much of a guarantee to begin with, and your hotel, being an international property, didn't have to honor it anyway.

"Not so comfortable at the Comfort Inn" [Elliott.org]
(Photo: "The Shining")

Yes, this is how the slice came: a used and soiled "Convenience Size" bottle of Vaseline moisturizer, as found in a Pizza Pizza, bagged slice of pizza; purchased in-store at 8:30PM (EST) 23 February 2008, Yonge St near Bloor St (Toronto, Canada).

Charles and his two friends thought the tube was a prank—our first reaction, too—and called Pizza Pizza to complain. They were promptly offered a free small pizza and an investigation.

How could that even happen? A hair, fine, whatever. A fake eyebrow, ok, it's getting late. But a whole !@#$ tube of Vaseline? Seriously, how do you not notice that? Gross.

Dame Mas Vaselina [Torontoist]
(Photo: Charles DH Crosbie)

Petrie, a Canadian citizen, managed to order five vodka drinks and two glasses of wine from two different flight attendants before AA cut him off during his flight from Seattle to Miami. After making some suggestive remarks to female flight attendants and other female passengers, Petrie is reported to have said: "you don't [deleted] decide how much vodka I can drink . . . I'll meet you off the airplane." He also grabbed a female passenger's butt, because that's the type of classy guy he is.

Petrie then made his way into the airplane's lavatory where he began loudly pounding on the airplane's walls. At this point the flight was diverted to Denver so Petrie could be arrested.

From The Province:

Russell Petrie, 30, struck a plea bargain that will likely result in a sentence of six to 12 months and up to a $10,000 fine, according to Colorado court documents.

Maximum penalty for the charge is 20 years and a $250,000 fine.
Petrie will also be asked to reimburse American Airlines $7,757 for the cost of landing the Seattle-Miami flight in Denver.

In exchange for a guilty plea, a charge of sexual assault was dropped against Petrie, who also grabbed the buttocks of a female passenger on the flight, according to an agreed statement of facts filed in court.

Drunken airline passenger makes plea bargain [Canada.com]
(Photo:whatatravisty)

Privacy advocates are upset about the whole thing and considering legal action, but since the camera was a "non-working decoy" it will be hard to argue that any personal data was actually being recorded.

"There isn't any real material difference between a fake camera and a real camera,'' he said. "Whether they're real or fake, you still have the feeling of being watched.''

One patron of the Second Cup in question appeared to be more sympathetic with the owner's intentions.

"I am conscious the owner has to do something about the problem,'' said Steve Beshwaty as he enjoyed a cup of coffee.

"I don't find it particularly appealing to have a camera in the bathroom, but I understand the owner. ''

"Second Cup store removes bathroom surveillance cam" [CTV]
(Photo: Getty)

AppleCare [L.A. Computer Company]
PREVIOUSLY: Canadians Wonder Why They Have To Pay More For AppleCare

Remember, though, that although pre-planning can save you and your family a lot of unnecessary stress later, pre-paying could be a waste of money and often only benefits the funeral home, not you.

"Advertising of note" [Flickr]

RELATED
"Prepaid Funeral Planning: Don't Do It!"

CBC News extracted this precious gem from the government department that inspects restaurants: "They say employees should not drop their pants behind the counter."

After reviewing the video, franchise owner Albert Buott exclaimed: "Good God almighty! Where's my managers? Who's allowing this to happen?" before confusedly adding: "Who's there? Where am I?"

Dairy Queen workers' hijinks on web shock owner [CBC News via BarfBlog]

Here's the excerpt from the contract, sent to use by Andrew:

15.Rogers may change these terms, and any aspects of the services, upon notice to you. *If you do not accept a change to these terms, your sole remedy is to retain the existing terms unchanged for the duration of your commitment period. If you do not accept any other change to aspects of the services, your sole remedy is to terminate.*

People have tried this reasoning to get out of cellular contracts here in Canada, but when pushed the carriers simply relent and allow you to continue your service while being bound under the "old" contract instead of the new one, in turn keeping you locked in.

RELATED
"Cancel Verizon Without Termination Fee Based On New Text Message Rate Increases"

Zachariah, a Canadian, asks:

My Apple iMac is nearing its 1 year anniversary and I am considering getting the Apple Care Protection plan which will give me another 2 years of warranty coverage.

I just got off the phone to someone in Agreement Administration who could not tell me why the price of the Plan here in Canada is $199 but in the US it is $169. The Canadian and US dollars are basically on par with each other. The protection plan is not a product but a service. The rep I talked to told me that he too wondered why there was such a huge price differential as well but said that reps don't get explanations.

I did some spot checking on pricing differences between different Apple products here and in the US. The prices seem to differ between 8 and 10% but the service agreement is 15%.

I was wondering if you guys could find a rationale for this? Something about this just rubs me the wrong way.

Thanks,
Zachariah

If there are any Canadians out there who know why they are charged more for AppleCare, or the best way to avoid being charged extra for AppleCare, please do let us know.

(Photo:bribriTO)

Future Shop, a division of Best Buy Canada and wholly owned subsidiary of the Best Buy we United Statesians know and love, has shipped reader Eric a box of wood cleverly disguised as a router-like-object for the XBOX.

Eric writes:

Hi There,

I thought you might be interested in hearing about my experience with Future Shop (Canadian technology store— it's owned by Best Buy). I recently ordered a Linksys Wireless-G Game Adapter for my Xbox. When it arrived at my house however I got nothing but two blocks of wood inside the box.

Since then it's been a nightmare trying to get this problem solved. I've called their customer support line no less then 3 times and been told twice that my complaint has been submitted and I will receive an e-mail to print out and attach to the box so that it can be shipped back and replaced. This has not happened yet and the only response I get is that it's been submitted, and the e-mail should arrive within 24 hours. The first time I was told this was last Thursday (the 27th of December) and after calling again yesterday was told that it would be sent within another 24 hours, which has not happened yet, unsurprisingly.

I've taken the box to two separate Future Shop stores, at both of them the manager was great, they offered to exchange it for the same product but it turned out they did not have it, it has been discontinued (probably the reason for the sale in the first place). I still want this product rather then a refund and so held on to it. The situation is not going anywhere and I write to the Consumerist out of frustration— I don't know what else to do to resolve this problem.

Thanks,

Eric

Your credit card company should be happy to reverse the charges. Good luck!

(Photo:Eric Roberts)

The families discovered the problem when contacted by another funeral home that had received 56 urns of cremated human remains from the Princeton-Similkameen Funeral Services after it shut down in 2005 for operating without a license.

The urns were labeled as being unclaimed by the families who had paid for cremations and thought they already had the ashes. Police spent 19 months investigating the case and determining which remains went to which family.

"Funeral director charged with ashes fraud" [Reuters]

RELATED
"How to Inspect a Crematory" [Funerals.org]

My brother directed me to your site after I had a rather crappy time with the Apple Care people over the phone. Long story short, I sent my MacBook in to get fixed while I was at school in Pittsburgh and contacted them to have it redirected to my home in Canada once it was all done. Lo and behold, it got sent back to Pittsburgh even though I gave them plenty of information on how to contact me and strict instructions that it shouldn't go back.

After four hours on the phone with Apple Care Canada and Apple Care USA, I was told that though it was their fault, I was going to have to pay $80 or so to get it shipped to my sister to bring to Canada because they couldn't do it themselves and it was out of their hands. I know $80 isn't a lot of money but the hassle of having to find someone who could do this for me, then making my sister bring my computer was just too much for me. I sent "Steve Jobs" a rather angry email (in the moment unfortunately) and sent it without thinking twice. I realized an hour or so after I'd cooled down that it's just a computer and that my email was probably not going to go very far seeing as it wasn't what I would call a "good email."

Apparently that didn't matter. Bright and early, Tim from Apple called me to apologize for what had happened. He arranged for an iPod Nano to be sent to me and called back later in the day to see if my friend had shipped it yet because if not, I could use the Apple Account number at FedEx so I wouldn't have to pay for it. He also just called to ask if it'd been sent because he found a way for it to get sent straight to Canada.

I have no idea what qualifies as Apple Executive Customer Support worthy problems but if Tim can help me, I'm sure he can help you

Those of you who are experiencing Apple-related anger should take deep breaths and have a cup of tea before emailing at sjobs@apple.com. Do not anger the mysterious deity.

(Photo of a Pittsburgh sandwich:sylvar)

Some Canadian shoppers wear their new clothes home to avoid paying a duty when they cross back into Canada. The old clothes get left behind in parking lots, dressing rooms and restrooms at malls and shopping plazas in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls region.

Mall Collects Clothes Tossed Away by Canadian Shoppers [WWTI via Fark]
(Photo:Zanastardust)

What follows are the exact text excerpts, other than our phone number being removed from the first post, from the Better Business Bureau complaint that we have made, Case# 1168481. The background on our situation in the first post. I'm sure at least of your readers would find this amusing (as would we if we were not actually being screwed over by these fine folk). I have also attached two pictures as I think they're pretty funny(or sad, you choose). The first is of the fridge door and innerds (in the box) which have been on our front step since they missed their first visit. The second is of the fridge in the basement. We had defrosted the fridge and removed what we could to reduce the weight for the movers before the first visit. When they didn't show up we were concerned with mold so we moved the door outside and ripped off some of the plastic shielding to allow the water to evaporate.

Nathan [redacted]

BBB CASE#: 1168481

Initial complaint filed by us on Nov 8, 2007

We purchased a new Whirlpool fridge from the Chinook Sears store on August 29, 2008. As part of the purchase we paid an extra $20 to have our old fridge removed.

When our fridge was dropped off 2 weeks later on Sept 8, the delivery personnel said they couldn't remove our old fridge as it was old and too heavy and required a 4 man crew. They indicated that the salesman should have asked us the age and location of the fridge which he didn't.

We then scheduled the fridge to be removed on Sept 22 from 12-6pm. At just after 6 we contacted Sears corporate customer service to ask them what the issue was and they said that they would still arrive. They never did. A number of calls to customer service never resulted in an explanation as to why no one came and we were not called. They showed up on Sept 24 at 5pm even though no one called us to notify us, and of course we weren't at home. We then rescheduled the appt. for Oct 6. The same event repeated whereby we called customer service at 6pm and were told that to the best of their knowledge someone would come but no one did. The same event repeated two more times, on Oct 10 and Oct 27. We had even contacted a manager, Marylne, but that proved to be no more useful. Four appointments, four no shows and not a single call at any time to tell use that they were not coming.

A letter was also sent on October 8 to Ethel J. Taylor, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Store Sales on to which we have not received a response. The majority of this has been documented on Sear's customer service system under our home phone number, xxx-xxx-xxxx, though some CSR agents have not recorded the events.

Response from Sears Nov 30, 2007

upon investigation, customer had already accepted a gift card for this inconveniences, received a credit for the pickups. Sears delivery had tried to pick up the units, calling customer, knocking on door, ringing door bell, each no answer, we apologize for any inconvenience.

Our Response Dec 4, 2007

I find this response yet a further insult. Has the person responding even read the complaint or the notes on my file?

First, each of the two gift cards was provided as an inconvenience for two of the missed visits. We never received gift cards for the other two missed visits. I assume that the additional $100 is on the way? And that's just for the inconvenience of waiting around for several hours and have no phone call, no notice that anyone was not going to show up.

Second, the only time that Sears showed up, as recorded on my file, is on the Tuesday Sept 24, for which we were never even contacted to tell us that they were going to show up. We were told by the CSR agent that there was of course a mistake on their end. If we were contacted, we would have informed them that we would be at work and not available on that day.

If Sears is not interested in providing us with enough cash to pay for a reliable and professional company to remove our old fridge, they can come back and take the fridge we purchased from them and provide us with a full refund on that fridge.

I would ask that at the very minimum that who ever responds to this read the full complaint and our long history which has both been recorded on our account file as well as in a letter sent to Ethel J. Taylor, SVP Corporate Sales. Please quit further cementing in out minds that Sears is a company that no one should ever expect decent (never mind even good) customer service from.

Nathan

Their "Final" Response Dec 12, 2007

sorry to hear that had not received the gift cards that were issued. as per the policy of sears, the gift card sent will be cancelled and will request to have the cards re-issued.

Our "Final" response Dec 14, 2007

Are you kidding me? Did you even read what I said? No where did I say I did not receive the cards. What I said is that you offered $100 for only two of the four missed visits. Thus, simply for missing the other two visits you should provide $100 ADDITIONAL!

Come on, is enraging your customers really what you're trying to do because you're being very successful at that. You still haven't even offered a solution to the fridge which is still in our basement now 3 months after we paid you to remove it. What kind of customer service is this? Is this a joke to you?

Nathan

PS Please take the time to at least use capital letters. It shows that you've spent more than 6 seconds responding to a message.

Polycarbonate plastic, which can only be produced by using B.P.A., creates bottles that are transparent and almost as hard as glass, but particularly shatter-resistant.

Recently, however, the use of B.P.A.-based plastics in food containers has questioned in Canada by Environmental Defence , a Toronto-based group. Environmentalists in the United States are also raising concerns about the chemical.

Last year, San Francisco's board of governors passed a local law banning the use of the chemical in children's products. B.P.A. was removed from the ordinance before it went into effect, however, after an industry lawsuit.

Critics point to studies dating back to 1936 showing that the chemical can disrupt the hormonal system.

While there is little dispute about that, the plastics industry, supported by several studies from government agencies in Japan, North America and Europe, contends that polycarbonate bottles contain very little of the chemical and release only insignificant amounts of B.P.A. into the bodies of users.

Canadian Retailer Bans Some Plastic Bottles [NYT]

Low-cost U.S. carrier JetBlue Airways Corp. is applying to launch charter and scheduled service between Canada and the United States, a move that is expected to shake up Canadian rivals and reduce transborder fares.

JetBlue, which built its reputation on a combination of low fares and in-flight services such as free snacks and seatback screens with live television, proposes to use 150-seat Airbus A320s and 100-seat Embraer ERJ-190s for new flights into Canada.

Domestic airlines face low-cost rival from U.S. [Globe and Mail]

Canada seems have reached a similar conclusion, although, being Canadian, they announced it in a more polite and understated way. (Those stupid Canadians!)

Some 45 cases of illness caused by E. coli were reported in five Canadian provinces from July to September, including one death, said the CFIA in a statement. It said genetic testing found "the same unique E. coli pattern" in beef from an unnamed meat facility in Alberta that is "currently not operating."

There are vaccines to prevent infection available to anyone who ate at the location less than 14 days ago. If you've already been vaccinated or had Hepatitis A in the past, you're in the clear.

Hepatitis A isn't life threatening or anything, and people usually recover in a month.

There are potentially thousands of people that would have been at that restaurant over that period of time," Dr. Judy MacDonald (ha, ha, her name is "MacDonald") told the Calgary Sun.

"It's impossible to know the extent of (or) even if people were actually exposed to hepatitis A." Ick.

Thousands exposed to Hep A [Calgary Sun] (Thanks, Vlad!)
(Photo:Morton Fox)

Ballard said he needs a Canadian license to land a job with Air India that would help offset the pension he lost during United's bankruptcy. While India allows pilots to fly until age 65, authorities there are balking at certifying U.S.-licensed pilots who are no longer eligible to fly for their home airlines.

"It's so frustrating that you almost have to laugh," said Ballard, who retired Sept. 1 and is among thousands of pilots whose careers are in limbo as legislation that would raise the retirement age moves through Congress. The FAA, which also has authority to change the regulation, has yet to propose new retirement rules, much less implement them. That process could take two years.

...David Aldrich, 55, an American Airlines captain, advocates keeping the current rules. "How many guys who want to stay [on the job] are on to their third wife with a 7-year-old at home, and 'Oops, I got to 60'? That's your problem, not the traveling public's," said Aldrich

U.S. pilots landing in age limbo [Chicago Tribune]
(Photo:MalcolmAlmeida)

From USA Today:

Among books released in recent weeks, as the currencies approached parity, the list price on Alan Greenspan's The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World is $35 U.S. and $42 Canadian. Suggested retail prices for James Patterson's You've Been Warned are $27.99 and $32.50.

"Before, when there was a 5% or 10% difference (in the currencies), people would ... accept that the Canadian price was higher without making a calculation," says Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets. "Now that we're spot-on parity, it's tougher to explain away that difference."

Sorry, Canada. We suppose you'll have to visit the library for something to read while you wait in line for your excellent health care.

Dollar parity angers Canadian book buyers [USA Today]
(Photo:TheNose)

Congratulations, Canada. Please come and spend your valuable dollars in our many fine retail locations.

Canadian dollar equals U.S. dollar for first time since 1976 [AP]
(Photo:AP)

According to the Mississauga News, there has been a rash of vehicle break-ins following expensive purchases at electronics stores. The police think that a group of thieves are watching the stores for potential targets, then following customers who buy "big ticket" items to their next stop—where they then break into the hapless consumer's car and steal their brand new gadget.

Sneaky! Maybe it's a good idea not to stop for Ketchup Flavored Potato Chips on your way home after buying a laptop. Actually, maybe you should try driving 2 hours out of your way to shake the thieves off your trail, that way they won't know where you live... Um. Or maybe you should just avoid leaving expensive electronics in your car. Even in Canada.

Thieves target computer buyers [Mississauga News]
(Photo:Getty)

We've had a Star Wars Lego Clone Trooper Battle Pack on backorder since April. When it was going to take longer than expected for the package to be sent out, Lego sent us a apologetic letter giving us the new shipping date. We thought that was nice. The new shipping date came and went, and we've been wondering what had happened. A 9 year old boy was getting pretty anxious about it.

Yesterday we received a delivery notice from Canada Post telling us our package was waiting for us at the post office. We called this morning, and the employee warned us that the truck delivering the package had been in a serious accident en-route, had rolled over, and many of the packages had been damaged. Unfortunately ours was one of the worst she'd seen... but that we should come down and see for ourselves...

We picked it up and it looked pretty bad. The package was almost completely destroyed. The box was badly squashed, and full of pieces of dirt & gravel. (see photos attached) Canada Post included a letter of apology.

We were optimistic that it might still be ok, since Lego is already in a bunch of little pieces anyway, but unfortunately there were some broken plastic pieces, including a Stormtrooper who was now an amputee.

We just called the ShopLego.com toll free number and a nice woman named Caitlin answered. We explained that our parcel had been damaged in transit. We offered to send photos but she said not to worry, she'd ship us out a replacement, just like that. Yay, Lego!

Here's a link to an article about the accident that claimed our parcel; unfortunately there were some injuries.

Kudos to ShopLego for coming through (not a bad showing by Canada Post either). But the real hero is Anne, If she hadn't picked up that phone and asked for what she wanted, she might've been left with some smooshed Clone Troopers. A little proactiveness goes a long way. — BEN POPKEN