PLWBlogSpot2

                                             ARE YOU A COFFEE HOUND? Three of the caffeinated brands came out on top with a "very good" rating. The No. 1 caffeinated coffee, Eight O’Clock Coffee 100% Colombian, was also one of the most reasonably priced, at $6.28 per pound or 15 cents per 6-ounce cup . It beat out brands like Gloria Jean’s and Peet’s Coffee, which sell for $13-$14 a pound (32 cents a cup), and which both got "good" taste ratings.   Top 10 Caffeinated Coffees (100% Colombian) "Very Good" Rating 1.Eight O’Clock Coffee 100% Colombian, $6.28 per pound 2.Caribou Coffee Colombia Timana, $11.76 per pound 3.Kickapoo Coffee Organic Colombia, $14.33 per pound "Good" Rating 4.Starbucks Coffee Colombia Medium, $11.53 per pound 5.Bucks Count...

    Finally had our backup camera installed. Fortunately there was a small 7" cubbyhole just above the transmission selector. They were able to install it there. No wires, are visible as it's a wireless system. The camera installs on the license plate and a transmitter is installed under the trunk lid. Cost of all this about $300.00. Camera & Monitor $214.99 Install(Best Buy) $80.00 The guide frame boxes are about 3 ft. each. So we are parked a little over 10 ft. from our shed. Manufacturer advised that "Best Buy" installers were qualified  to do the installation. 

      The Canadian Senate flexed its muscle Tuesday and in an unprecedented move tossed three of its members  Senators Mike Duffy, Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau — out of the chamber over allegations of “gross negligence” related to their expense claims,  cutting their salaries and use of office resources.  They do retain their Health Benefits. *************************** The Canadian Senate is an unelected body that acts as a body of review or "sober second thought"; senators are appointed by the Governor General on the advice of his or her Prime Minister. The allocation of seats in the Canadian Senate is based on the relative equality of regions rather than individual provinces. Hence, unlike the elected US Senate , The Canadian upper house(Senate) does not generally have a record of representing provincial interests, leading to calls for senatorial reform. The approximately 300 million Americans are represented by 535 elected federal legislators (4...

The single payer system that Canada has used for the last 25 years has drastically simplified their administration costs. For instance, it takes more people to administer Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts that it does to administer the entire health care system of Canada.. The Canadian system is a publicly funded insurance program where costs are controlled and both hospitals and doctors are private. Any Canadian can go to any doctor or hospital in the country. Each province has its own system and its own unique way of funding it. In spite of this decentralized approach, there are agreements among all provinces that provide for treatment of any Canadian citizen regardless of where the need occurs. The great success of their system causes almost all Canadian politicians, even conservatives, to defend it vociferously. It is called single payer because there is only one "payer"; there is no alternative program, such as private health insurance, to which Canadians can turn ...

    The main contractor for Obamacare’s troubled Healthcare.gov website, blamed early problems on another contractor’s software, according to written testimony posted to a congressional website on Wednesday. “Unfortunately, the (front door software) created a bottleneck that prevented the vast majority of users from accessing” the federal health insurance marketplaces, CGI senior vice president Cheryl Campbell said in testimony submitted to the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee. CGI Federal is a subsidiary of CGI Group Inc. of Montréal, Canada’s largest technology company which employs 39,000 people worldwide and recorded revenue of $4.8 billion in 2012. CGI blames Verizon for many of the problems relating to the website access.    

Brussels — The EU and Canada signed a free trade accord Friday after four years of  tough talks, saying it will boost growth and set the stage for others, including a massive  EU-US deal.Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper hailed it as the biggest (trade) deal our  country has ever made while European Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso said it  was highly ambitious and far-reaching. It will provide new opportunities by increasing market access and be the basis for  gaining a strong foothold in the North American market and so provide a catalyst for  growth and the creation of jobs in Europe, Barroso said. The accord is widely seen as a possible template for EU efforts to conclude a similar  Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) with the United States, touted as  one of the biggest free-trade agreements ever. According to EU figures, bilateral trade in goods last year was worth  ($84 billion), with  Canada the EU's 11...

Canadian retailers say prices are higher here than in the US. in part due to higher labour costs, rents, import duties and suppliers' prices. A relatively small population spread over a vast geography costs more to service. BMO found most of the narrowing in the price gap over the last six years is due to the decline in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the US. greenback. To eliminate the price gap completely, the Canadian dollar would have to fall to 88 cents US., Porter said in an interview. Apart from the currency, the price gap between the two countries is narrowing, very gradually, the report found Ottawa's attempt to reduce the price gap by cutting import tariffs on some items — including baby clothes and hockey gear— have had only a limited impact on overall pricing. A small minority profits from this narrow tarrif relief. Free trade what a non bonus for Canadian shoppers. If you live close to the border the benifits are there with a short drive to the USA bor...