As a student who has the good fortune to attend the Marxist institution of York University, I often hear about how great citizens have it in Sweden and all those other clearly superior Scandinavian countries. Academics and students resolutely tell me it’s awesome over there and why Canada should adopt all of their policies, yet they never seem to move- despite Sweden having such a welcoming immigration policy (or so I’ve heard). I guess people just aren’t that fond of six months of darkness or tall blondes. And so I continue to hear about Sweden, the socialist paradise that is bastion of all that is virtuous in this world.

Imagine then my surprise when I stumble upon this article about how cash is no longer king in Sweden. Apparently none of the representatives for the Swedish tourism board, permanently stationed at York, were honest enough to inform me of the country’s eager transition to a cashless society. 

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Huffington Post aggregation turbine after an employee was sucked in, as horrified workers watched their colleague torn apart by the powerful content-gathering engine. (Image credit: The Onion)

In June 2011, a writer at The Huffington Post stumbled upon a column by AdAge.com’s Simon Dumenco. The Post journalist grabbed the piece, trimmed a paragraph here and changed a few words there, and soon enough, it found its way onto The Post website, sans byline or source attribution. A furious Dumenco wrote the organization and rightly received an apology and an assurance that things would change. But Dumenco’s decision last month to form a committee to address the ethical issues of aggregation is proof that the changes made so far are not quite enough to address the ethical issues surrounding aggregation.

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Product Description

• Company: Katadyn / Optimus of Sweden
• Country of Manufacture: Thailand
• Features: Fuel/stove carry case, 5-Year warranty.
• Unique /Limited Feature(s): Folding burner head and folding serrated pot supports.
• Specifications: 84 x 57 x 31mm; 83 g / 3.3 oz, 4200W / 14,000 BTUs, 60 min burn time @ full (220g canister), 3 min boil time (1L, conditions depending).
• Customer Service Rating: Excellent, Very courteous and helpful.
• MSRP: $50.00 - $65.00
• Official Website: optimusstoves.com 

Optimus has been building some of Sweden’s most robust and portable stoves since 1897. Now owned by world-renowned water purifier manufacturer Katadyn, their product development strategy has shifted toward portable, highly efficient, multi-fuel and LPG (Butane-Propane) stoves.

The Optimus Crux is one of their latest developments and is by far one of the most efficient and lightest stoves on the market today. Its small size makes it a fantastic addition for backpackers, weekend motorcycles, or campers. The fact that it packs down to almost nothing makes it a great life saving tool for a survival or natural disaster kits as well. However don't let its small size fool you- as our tests proved this is not just a fun novelty, it’s a workhouse!

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Dalton “Dad” McGuinty has been a remarkable Premier.  His management of the Ontario economy has relegated the province to “have not” status and ensured that Ontarians can expect to finance a deficit that will carry well into 2018. In fact, Mr. McGuinty has been performing so well that Moodys, an international rating agency, recently considered lowering the province’s credit rating. Sarcasm aside, Ontarians are going through a dark age in this once-prosperous province. While the Ontario PC Party failed to gain the majority they hoped for in 2011, there is some good news on the political horizon. In February, the PC Party convened for its Annual General Meeting in Niagara Falls where leader Tim Hudak gave an inspirational (and apologetic) speech that won the affection of most attendees with his sincere promise to redress the political blunders he accurately identified. But more significant than his keynote address was the three-way Presidential race whose outcome would signal a new direction for the party. All three candidates, John Snoeblin, Kevin Gaudet and Richard Ciano were beyond competent and gave the Party a good reason to get excited again.

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Product Description

• Company:  Gerber Gear
• Country of Manufacture: China
• Features:  Titanium-Nitrate PVD coating, G10 handle grip, locking blade, belt clip, keyhole retainer.
• Specifications:  160mm (open)/88.9mm (closed); 82.2g/2.90 oz.
• Customer Service Rating: Exceptional, very helpful and extremely polite.
• Suggested MSRP: $27.00
• Official Website: www.gerbergear.com

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