05 Jan 2005
Canada May Alter Its Policy on Sale of Drugs

Ah ha!!! Why is a bit of news about Canadian drug export policy being blogged in my 'Agriculture' section? Well, because it sheds some light on this prevous post in the Ag section ...

The trade group that represents many of Canada's mail-order pharmacies says Bush engineered the proposal by enticing Martin with potential trade concessions, such as loosening restrictions on Canadian beef. "President Bush delivered somewhat of an ultimatum," said David MacKay, executive director of the Canadian International Pharmacy Assn.

So Americans get to eat mad cow tainted beef while paying more for prescription drugs, all so Bush can reward the huge contributions that the pharmacutical industry made to his campaign.

Ain't politics wonderful?

Los Angeles Times - WASHINGTON — Canada might soon prohibit pharmacies from selling prescription drugs to mail-order customers — a move that would cut off a market that is increasingly popular with U.S. seniors eager to take advantage of Canadian price controls that make drugs there far cheaper than at home.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Agriculture | 0 comments | permanent link

Just in Case

Well, the weather is not being very kind to us right now. All of the snow we had (up to 24 inches in parts of southern Indiana, about 16 inches around here) melted off last week as the temperatures approached 60° F (16° C). Then we got the rain. And some more rain. And then a bit more. We've had nearly 6 inches of rain in the past week. And it's still raining.

However, the temperature has now dropped to more seasonable levels - around 32° F (0° C) and ice is forming up. The rain is turning into freezing rain and sleet, and we're projected to have an ice storm, something this area is somewhat famous for.

Looking out the kitchen window I can see ice forming on the fences, trees, clotheslines - and on the power and telephone cables. We're projected to have up to two inches of additional precipitation today - depending on the how the temperature swings, we could be looking at heavy icing. Which will interrupt power and telephony, no doubt. Which means I may 'disappear' from the 'Net for a few days.

The cattle have all holed up in the sheds and barns: ice is about the only weather that Highlands will seek shelter from. All the other livestock has 'gone to ground' as well - the hens took one walk around the henhouse this morning, then went back in, with a look that said "We might be chickens, but we're not stupid!"

Cold temperatures don't really bother me, and snow delights me. But I hate the ice storms, and it looks like that's exactly what we're in for over the next day or so. So just in case you don't see any new entries, or I don't respond to your email or answer my phone, you'll know why.

00:00 /Home | 0 comments | permanent link

Canada confirms mad cow case

Hmmm, seesm like we carried a tale like this about a year ago... dairy cattle, Canada - only the date and location of the find seems to have changed.

But we're not going to get scared this time, oh no, not us. We'll not let this interefere with resumption of imports, as long as they're young cattle... after all, if it doesn't show any symptoms, it can't be sick! Right?

Canada confirms that a cow from the province of Alberta has tested positive for mad cow disease.

(link) [BBC News | World | UK Edition]

00:00 /Agriculture | 0 comments | permanent link