Sticker shock

The next time you think food prices are high in your area, just think of the poor souls up North. Shipping costs are going up, which means so does food prices. There are some subsidies that help reduce the price, but that is changing. More here at CBC. Pictures courtesy of markcoatsworth's photostream



Semi-related the price of chilies go up in Indonesia, no doubt the blame will fall on Harper and his Neo-Cons for that as well.

Pictures from around the world

Saving a Humpback whale stranded on the coast of Brazil



A villager stands in front of Mount Merapi, near his motorcycle covered by ash at Kaliadem village in Sleman, near the ancient city of Yogyakarta, October 27th



A Brazilian crosses the muddy bottom of the Rio Negro, a major tributary to the Amazon river, in the city of Manaus, October 26, 2010. A severe drought has pushed river levels in Brazil's Amazon region to record lows, leaving isolated communities dependent on emergency aid and thousands of boats stranded on parched riverbeds.

I have traveled on the Rio Negro, a main tributary of the Amazon by dug out from Rio Coco in Ecuador, amazing river, sad to see it this dry.

Photo's courtesy of Reuters