4 in the Afternoon1 ARMAGEDDON AVOIDED Since the wounds of the election are too fresh, and will for today remain unaddressed, we can all take encouragement from the fact that a 400m wide asteroid narrowly missed the earth last night.

2 RUSSIAN DEFIANCE Following a report indicating that UN weapons inspectors found evidence of a Iranian nuclear program, Russian officials stand up to Israeli, French and American pressure to impose sanctions. Why can’t EVERYONE go to lunch??

3 THE EUROZONE CRISIS (Though ever-worsening, AT LEAST the issue now has an appropriately catchy name). A sullen Berlusconi has informed the Italian President that he will be resigning after a controversial 17 years in politics and as Italy’s longest serving Prime Minister. At least he looks exquisite for his recent photographic bombardment at 75 years young.

4 NOT FAILURE, FLEXIBILITY In his fall economic update yesterday, Flaherty blames economic conditions for wavering on budget promises and projections which see Canadian debt rising from 550.3-billion to 640.6-billion in 5 years. This may affect health transfers, a situation which has Brad Wall pointing instead towards health care ‘innovation’ – without much imagination, privatization…

BONUS NEWS #1: WHAT ELECTION?? Okay, IT IS unreasonable to avoid the topic entirely. Here we go: voter apathy appears to be alive and well in Saskatchewan, Lingenfelter has resigned after losing his own constituency, and the ‘immovable Wall’ has won his second majority reinforcing what has been termed the ‘year of the incumbent’ in Canadian politics. Sigh….

BONUS NEWS #2:  NO MORE DOOM AND GLOOM! For all the fellow caffeine addicts out there: Studies have shown that consuming between 1 and 3 cups of coffee a day has been linked to anti-depressant effects. At least there are hopes of mitigating the downer impact of the aforementioned stories with a cup of java.