More random links
- Stephen Harper’s penchant for spicy food starts Beijing soup craze
- "... a few days after Harper left the Chinese capital, Canadian Embassy staff began hearing rumours that the restaurant was now doing brisk business in a dish translated as 'Harper’s Elbows.'"
- America is Europe
- "The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently calculated how much each affluent country spends on social programs. When you include both direct spending and tax expenditures, the U.S. has one of the biggest welfare states in the world. We rank behind Sweden and ahead of Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Canada. Social spending in the U.S. is far above the organization’s average." ... the article then goes on to describe how funky tax breaks to random organizations seem to accomplish the same things as official expenditures do in other countries.
- To Nap or Not to Nap
- NY Times Room for Debate: "Should people be encouraged -- by their doctors, employers, teachers -- to take short naps during the day? Would Americans be more productive if they did?" I generally vote "no" personally to napping, although it doesn't seem a bad idea.
- Resilient BC Tech Sector Forecasts 3,000 New Jobs
- How dependent is Canada on the resource sector? "The tech sector now employs more British Columbians than the forestry, mining, and oil and gas sectors combined"