Rotundus.com

When economists tell us the current U.S. slump could never turn into another Great Depression, they all point to one thing: one of four Americans was out of work in the 1930s. But since the definition of joblessness has changed over the years, this expert assessment might be too rosy.

... Figures collected for Reuters by John Williams, from the electronic newsletter Shadowstats.com, suggest that ... if unemployment were still tallied the way it was in the 1930s, today's jobless rate would be closer to 16.5 percent -- more than double the stated rate.

- Reuters News

Back in October, Fitzroy commercial gallery director Mark Jamieson was asked by a Russian-born photographer whose work he represented to consider the work of another artist. Nikka Kalashnikova showed Jamieson some abstract paintings by an artist called Aelita Andre; Mr Jamieson liked what he saw and agreed to include it in a group show, alongside work by Kalashnikova and Julia Palenov (also a Russian) at his Brunswick Street Gallery later this month.

Mr Jamieson then started to promote the show, printing glossy invitations and placing ads in reputable magazines Art Almanac and Art Collector, in which the abstract work was featured. Only then did he discover a crucial fact about the new artist: Aelita Andre was Nikka Kalashnikova's daughter, and she was then just 22 months old.

- From The Age

I managed to get a cheap flight on Air Canada, but that seems to have been a mistake:

One official said the Calgary-Vancouver route was a victim of the airline's policy to focus on long-distance routes during weather advisories, since short-distance routes can recover faster once the winter weather subsides. (source)

Westjet on the other hand is showing delays, but has all flights to Vancouver operational (albeit with cancellations to Abbotsford).

The earliest flight that I was able to confirm isn't until Sunday afternoon, although Air Canada mentioned that they may add flights when the weather clears. Given that in anticipation of travelling my fridge is near empty, and grocery stores are going to be closed tomorrow, I should probably do a little grocery shopping this afternoon. (Albeit I could survive on dry / canned food). The other option appears to be Chinese food tomorrow.

I noted last year that Richard Dawkins likes Christmas music, and there Albert Mohler pondered how "We can only wonder which Christmas carols are Richard Dawkins' favorites." Well, now we know:

I actually love most of the genuine Christmas carols. I can't bear Jingle Bells and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and you might think from that that I was religious, that I can't bear the ones that make no mention of religion. But I just think they are dreadful tunes and even more dreadful words. I like the traditional Christmas carols.

Richard Dawkins cited in the Daily Mail

Even more ironic than before.