HSAA

EDMONTON – DynaLIFE lab employees have overwhelmingly rejected their employer’s “final” offer…

On June 18, 2009, DynaLife Dx tabled its “final” offer to its employees. It includes the following:

• A wage reopener clause in the 3rd year
• Best employee concept for lay offs
• Schedule provided 4 weeks in advance
• No retention incentive program
• $500/year for health and education
• No pension plan

All in all, it was a bull shit offer, and I’m glad that 86% of my co-workers rejected it. The weeks to come will definitely be interesting. Next Mon, DynaLife and the HSAA return to the bargaining table for one final attempt at a collective agreement. Depending on how that goes, the next step will be a strike vote.

You know a song is good when you can’t stop humming it in your head…

Every ten to twenty years, an influenza pandemic occurs. My hope was that I’d never see one in my life time.

Public Health Agency of Canada

…we are dealing with a new H1N1 strain of human swine influenza.

CBC

4 cases of swine flu confirmed in Nova Scotia, 2 in B.C.

BBC

Mexico flu sparks worldwide fear.

WHO

The majority of these cases have occurred in otherwise healthy young adults…

Then a really sweet, heart-warming short film comes along…

So much new music, soo little time!

Metric – Gimme sympathy (acoustic version)

Metric have a new album coming out, Fantasies, on Apr 14. me = excited!

Calvin Harris – I’m not alone

I haven’t really heard much about the new album, except that the only copy of it was lost at London Heathrow Terminal 5. Luckily, it was recovered a few days later. His new album is set to be released in mid-2009 in the UK.

Vampire Weekend – Everywhere

This is just an awesome take on the Fleetwood Mac classic. Better than the original? you decide.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Zero

Guitarist Nick Zinner ditched the guitar for the synth on their new album, It’s Blitz!, out Apr 15.

Junior Boys – Bits & pieces

According to NME, Peaches has a new album coming out May 4, I feel cream. It features contributions from Simian mobile disco, Digitalism, Soulwax, and Drums of death. It’s been too long since her last endeavor. And what gets me even more excited is her tour plans, which includes a stop in Edmonton.

Peaches – Lovertits

Peaches – Search and destroy

Better late than never, right?

Listen to it here

It looks like Dan Savage settled on a definition of Saddlebacking. I personally liked the other definition…

LCD Soundsystem – New York I love you

My friend, Alisha, made me a mixtape recently. At 19 years old, she has excellent taste in music, I must say. Here it is:

Assembly Now – Out on the 24s
Band of Horses – Ode to LRC
Lykke Li – Breaking it up (Punks jump up remix)
MGMT – Electric feel (Justice remix)
Editors – Fingers in the factories
Keane – Somewhere only we know
The Runners – Get in line
Snow Patrol – You’re all I have
Bell X1 – Bad skin day
Rock kills kid – Hideaway
The Kills – Sour cherry
The Maccabees – All in your rows
Anberlin – Adelaide
Paramore – Decoy
Bloc Party – Mercury
Late of the Pier – Bathroom gurgle
Death cab for Cutie – The sound of settling
Postal Service – Such great heights
Strokes – You only live once
Vampire weekend – A-punk
White Rose movement – Testcard girl

Listen to it here