Extreme! NorthKorea court sentences Canadian pastor to life imprisonment for 'crimes against the state'

 

A Supreme Court in North Korea has sentenced Hyeon Soo Lim, who pastors the Light Korean Presbyterian Church in Toronto to life imprisonment with hard labour after he was convicted of committing 'crimes against the state'. Pastor Soo Lim who had been in detention since February was given the sentence after a brief trial.

 He had earlier appeared at a news conference organized by North Korean authorities in Pyongyang in July and admitted to plotting to overthrow the North Korean state.

Toronto MBA Graduate Arrested After Randomly Stabbing A Stranger

 

On Tuesday afternoon, Toronto police arrested Rohinie Bisesar, an MBA and financial district regular, and charged her with attempted murder. Police believe Bisesar walked into a downtown drugstore Friday afternoon and hacked a knife into a stranger’s chest, wounding her grievously. Then she walked away.

Bisesar’s story made international news when police released her name Monday. She appeared online to be as far from a common criminal as could be. She went to one of Canada’s best business schools, at York University. She worked in finance and consulting. Her LinkedIn page featured a slew of glowing praise from former colleagues.

Down Payment For Mortgage Increases to 10% On Homes Over $500K

The federal government is increasing the minimum down payment required to buy a home for more than $500,000 in an effort to cool the red-hot housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver, but some economists say the impact on housing activity will be minimal.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau made the announcement in Ottawa on Friday. "We are looking at ways to ensure our market is stable and we want to make sure people are making the appropriate decision as they buy a new home," Morneau said during a news conference.

Starting in February, CMHC will require a 10 per cent down payment on the portion of any mortgage it insures over $500,000.

Victim of Facebook Love

According to Mozart ‘Love is the soul of the genius’. As Homo sapiens we were conceived from a love conjunction of two individuals that we call ‘birth parents’. We were made in love and live for love. We crave for love and had to share love ourselves. Love keeps the human race orbiting. The genius in us is being called out when we are arrested by the divinity of love.

Since we are birth by love, we daily seek love. Before the age of social media, we seek to satisfy this crave for love by being vocal about it and making our intentions known by different cues in popular culture.  In recent, the advent of technology has made the onerous task seem invincible where you can easily drive love by the number of text characters, type of emoticons and smileys in a person’s status update on a social media tool.

Social media has offered the current generation one of the most unique platform to connect with family and friends seamlessly real-time. Facebook is the colossus giant ruling this space and have at least 2 out of every 7 person connected on the social networking triangle. You can easily share photos, videos, send messages and update personal status. The first thing Facebook ask you is to update your status, it goes like ‘what’s on your mind?’ You know deeply down your answer – you crave for attention and love. In the real sense, Facebook can connect you with people and at most give you ‘likes’ but it is not capable of giving love. You seemly cannot judge the quality of life by the number of Facebook likes.

Read full on ablethoughts

Edmonton Eskimos Beat Ottawa Redblacks to Win 14th GreyCup

After a ten year drought, Edmonton Eskimos won their fourteenth Grey Cup. Thanks to an aggressive coach they have in person of Chris Jones. Jordan Lynch scored a one-yard touchdown on third down with 3:22 left, sending the Edmonton Eskimos to a 26-20 victory over the Ottawa REDBLACKS in the 103rd Grey Cup presented by Shaw.

Mike Reilly who was named MVP threw touchdown passes to Adarius Bowman and Akeem Shavers while completing 21 of 25 passes for 269 yards, while Edmonton’s defence allowed only four second-half points to guide the Eskimos to their first Grey Cup since 2005.

Creating Your Reality

It is okay not to have iPhone, all the girls in your class has it but you enjoy your old nokia

It is okay not to leave a life of falsehood just to fit in the brotherhood

It is okay to always want to have it simple, big is expensive and carries weight

What is not okay is pretending to tag along

---

No trouble no fun

It is okay to be out of ideas, may be that was the idea

It is okay to wear sweat pants on J’s, yo feelin’ yourself

No one misses you while you’re lost, find yourself first

Read full on ablethoughts

Full list of Canada's New PM Justin Trudeau's Cabinet

The full list of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new 31-member cabinet(including 15 women), in order of precedence, being sworn in today at Rideau Hall in Ottawa (with their province in parenthesis):

Justin Trudeau (Quebec) - Prime Minister, Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth.
Ralph Goodale (Saskatchewan) - Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.
Lawrence MacAulay (P.E.I.) - Agriculture and Agri-Food.
Stéphane Dion (Quebec) - Foreign Affairs.
John McCallum (Ontario) - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Carolyn Bennett (Ontario) - Indigenous and Northern Affairs.

Will History Remember?

                      Veteran Anna Hoffman of New Jersey Regent. Source: sfcmac.wordpress
I once heard the parrots in a neighbor’s main lobby whisper that legacy is for the blind. I tried to reason like I always do with species beneath human best intelligence. But then, I was so furious I want to get into the discussion and have a debate like one of them “fellas”.

The unthoughtful may choose to forget, the careless care less anyways, the hardened may block reasoning, or newbies become blind to the sacrifices of past heroes but history will never forget those who fought hard for what we all enjoy even if taken for granted. Time passes all and moments speed by our notice but history will always remember those who fought hard, not the chickens.

If you were to go on a date with history, will history remember how hard you fought or care less because you are always looking for the easy. How hard are you fighting for your career, marriage, family, kids, spouse, community, nation, humanity? How hard are you fighting for your life?

Read full on ablethoughts

I Am Running For President

source: national journal

Governance in the 21st century has become a playground for who has the ball rolling. There was a time in the world where we were all ruled by a sect. The selected few had to come from a given family name and history. It has nothing to do about the “best hand of rule” but the willful sovereignty of the sect. As the human race evolved through civilization and modernization, the Greek first demonstrated representative democracy in the 6th century as a political system of government. 

Centuries past by, new world leaders have emerged from Egypt to Italy to England to Germany and now United States of America. Apparently as the lion of the western world, America has been characterized as the main proponent of democracy in the rule of nations. Concurrently we have a political system that is always ready to provoke change and challenge the norm. What could not have been possible in ages past is fast becoming living realities.

Read full on ablethoughts

File Income Tax By May 5, CRA Extends Deadline Due To Human Error

Janyce McGregor, CBC 
Canadians have been given five extra days to file their 2014 income tax returns, thanks to a "human error" at the Canada Revenue Agency.

Last Friday, the CRA issued a statement saying the deadline for filing tax returns electronically was May 5 at 3 a.m.

That was a mistake. On Monday, the agency issued a new statement, saying this year's deadline is, in fact, April 30.

Members of the British Navy face sexual assault charges in Halifax

The Canadian Press
Four members of the Royal Navy have been charged with sexual assault causing bodily harm at a Canadian Forces base in Halifax.

Crown attorney Scott Morrison said Friday outside court that the men are alleged to have participated in a “group sexual assault” in a barracks at CFB Shearwater on April 10.

The men were arrested Thursday morning and were in Nova Scotia participating in a hockey tournament with local Armed Forces personnel, he said.

Imagine This Giant Shark At Your Backyard

Many in Southwest Florida are used to having some wildlife in their backyard. In this case, the wildlife was a shark. An 8 to 9 foot bull shark has been swimming very close to the condos that line Hickory Boulevard. Residents say it’s not the first time.

Neighbors say people are chumming — throwing bait into the water — which is causing the sharks to return. Now, they are asking the city to get involved and prohibit fishing as well as designate the area as a swimming only area. See video below after cut

Bell Canada faces $750M lawsuit over allegedly selling customer data

A lawsuit seeks $750 million in damages for breach of privacy, breach of contract and breach of the Telecommunications Act. (CBC File Photo)

The Canadian Press
A $750-million national class-action lawsuit has been filed against Bell Canada over alleged breaches of privacy arising from its recently discontinued target ads program.

The suit against subsidiaries of Bell  alleges that the defendants used the program to track, collect and sell the sensitive account and internet browsing information of their customers to advertisers.

It seeks $750 million in damages for breach of privacy, breach of contract and breach of the Telecommunications Act.

Average Canadian sold houses climbs 9% to $439,144 in March

CBC reports that the average price of a Canadian home sold in March increased by nine per cent compared with the same month a year earlier, rising to almost $440,000. The average house price was $439,144, and actual home sales activity rose 9.5 per cent above March 2014 levels.

While the spring home buying season is off to a hot start, the two big markets of Toronto and Vancouver continue to skew the numbers higher, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Wednesday. If sales in those two markets are stripped out, the average price for Canadian resale homes drops to $332,711, with an annual increase of just 2.4 per cent.

Sam Griner, 'Success Kid' helps father get a kidney through GoFundMe

Sam Griner is shown in this original photo from the 'Success Kid' meme. (Know Your Memes / Laney Robertson Griner)

This is an inspiring story of the 'success kid' meme that helped father  raise donations through GoFundMe. In seven days He has successfully raised over $75,000 needed to do his father kidney transplant.

Eight-year-old Sam Griner was once the pudgy-faced, fist-pumping toddler who spawned the Internet meme known as "Success Kid. On the page, the description goes like this 'Justin is a 39 year old father of one in need of a kidney transplant. Please help us reach our goal so that Justin may get the pre-treatments and transplant he desperately needs. His mother died from this disease, please help us write a different story for Justin and his son, Sam'

Now Sam can write his own "Success Kid" meme after his family successfully raised more than $80,000 to help fund a kidney transplant for his father, Justin.

One-fifth of New Immigrants Arrive With No Money

via Vancouver Sun

In a new report  by Metro, it shows new Immigrants arrive in Canada with an average of $47,000 in savings – but are left with less than half of that once they get initially settled, says a new BMO Wealth Management report.

And about one-fifth, or 19 per cent, come with no money at all, finds the study being released Wednesday.

“It can be incredibly stressful – financially and otherwise – to pick up, move to another country, and begin the process of creating a new life for yourself, so it’s great to see that new Canadians do have a bit of a nest egg remaining,” said Julie Barker-Merz, president of BMO InvestorLine.

15yrs Old Canadian Diplomat's Son, Is Charged With Murder In Florida

Marc Wabafiyebazu, 15, left, stands in juvenile court in Miami with attorney Curt Obront during a hearing, Wednesday, April 8, 2015. (AP /The Miami Herald, Walter Michot, Pool)

The Canadian Press 
A Canadian diplomat's teenage son accused of involvement in a drug-related shootout that killed his older brother in Florida has been charged with murder and will be tried as an adult.

A Miami-Dade County grand jury indicted 15-year-old Marc Wabafiyebazu on first-degree felony murder charges Wednesday.

Wabafiyebazu's defence lawyer, Curt Obront, said his client will plead not guilty.

"We have confidence in the criminal justice system and look forward to moving forward through judicial process," Obront said.

RIP! Iconic Singer Percy Sledge, Dies at 73

The singer of one of the most iconic songs the world has ever heard 'When A Man Loves A Woman', Percy Sledge, has died. The Legendary soul singer died today April 14th at his home in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was 73 years old.

His longtime agent, Steve Green, said Percy, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005 died after a long battle with liver cancer. He's survived by a wife and 12 children.

When A Man Loves A Woman was the biggest song of 1966 and the greatest hit of his career. It's one of the most covered songs of all time and has featured on several movie soundtracks

Canadian Toy Testing Council Shut Down After 63yrs For Insolvency

Children play during a 2010 Canadian Toy Testing Council event to announce its top toy picks. (Pawel Dwulit/CP)

The Canadian Toy Testing Council known for testing toys for children since 1952 has shut down after members were unable to secure financial backing. The council operates through a network of through families in the Ottawa region who would take the toys home and judge them on design, durability, safety and playability.

The group also produced an annual pre-Christmas list of top toys and books.

But last year the volunteer-run organization did not operate its toy testing program or produce its annual list because of what it described as funding challenges.

In a news release Tuesday, the organization said it had been under financial stress for several years.

Canada Revenue Agency filings for the council show the organization's revenue was cut in half from 2011 to 2012, to $52,328 from $98,743, and the group could not recover. The council reported revenue of $46,101 in 2014.

Everything Is Mathematics

It is the beginning of spring down here south and I joined the fellas for a game of soccer for the first time in the year. I noticed changes in people and the vibe was different compared to the previous season. Halfway into our warm-ups, a fight ensued between two ladies who came to cheer their man friend. I was flabbergasted that two young ladies in their twenties who appeared decent in demeanor could result into fatal violence in open field.

We paused the session to stop the scuffle but it seems a larger sect would like to see the end of the fight. In fact, it was like a round match of women UFC match, only that I do not think these ones have insurance to cover injuries suffered from broken bottles. There it dawned on me that everything is mathematics. Mathematics resolve truth by seeking out patterns, permutations, shapes, motions, logic, structure, change, space,… probability

Read full on ablethoughts

First Nations Languages Studied By Zurich University

Three indigenous languages still spoken within Canada are part of a global project on mother tongues. (CBC)

Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press
Three indigenous languages still spoken in Canada are among a group being studied as researchers attempt to understand how children around the world learn their vastly different mother tongues.

The global project — spearheaded by the University of Zurich — is looking at Dene, East Cree, and Inuktitut among 10 languages.

Researchers already know that children have little problem learning to speak their native language. What's not well understood is exactly how this happens.

"We're trying to get a real sense of how children can acquire or learn any language in the world," Dagmar Jung, a senior researcher from the University of Zurich, said in an interview.

"It's a miracle that any child can actually learn any language it's exposed to when it's young.

Caption This Art: Is This Reptile or Human

What is your guess? Do you think it is human or the reptile 'Chameleon'. Most will argue it is the former, but look closely, you can be looking at two human inter-woven together, one on the other. 

Awareness: Ontario farms under bird flu quarantine

Canadian Press
Twenty-nine poultry farms in Ontario were under quarantine on Sunday after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency established an avian influenza control zone in the wake of the disease being found on a turkey farm in the province earlier this month.

The agency had said last week that H5 avian influenza was found on a farm in Woodstock, Ont. It had placed the infected premises and eight other farms under a quarantine.

That quarantine was broadened over the weekend as a new control zone — stretching out in a 10 kilometre radius from the infected farm in southwestern Ontario — was established.

Hillary Clinton declares interest to run for US Presidency in 2016

Wife of former US President Bill Clinton, and former US Secretary of State. Hillary Clinton, 67, has declared her interest to run for president of the United State sin 2016. She announced her interest to run today April 12th.

"I’m running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion. And I want to be that champion. So I’m hitting the road to earn your vote - because it’s your time. And I hope you’ll join me on this journey.” she said

Canada's unemployment rate stays at 6.8 per cent in March

The Canadian Press
Canada’s economy posted a surprise job gain in March as more people found part-time work.

Statistics Canada’s latest labour market survey says the country’s jobless rate remained at 6.8 per cent in March — unchanged from the previous month — and it registered a month-to-month net gain of nearly 29,000 jobs.

Women over 55 years old, in particular, were able to find new jobs in March.

The unemployment rate matched the consensus projection of economists, who also predicted no new jobs would be created for the month, according to Thomson Reuters.

“The bar was set pretty low for this employment release and it managed to clear it,” Bank of Montreal chief economist Douglas Porter said in a note to investors.

Thus Far, Game Of Thrones 'Dinkles' Recap

Before the premiere of "Game of Thrones" Season 5, the valets look back at the show's most striking moments. Check out Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele’s Game of Thrones “recap,” and find out which one of them calls Peter Dinklage, aka the Dinkles, “my jam, my jelly, my peanut butter and my peanuts.”

Aww! Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel welcome son

According to People magazine, Justin Timberlake and wife Jessica Biel have welcomed a son, Silas Randall Timberlake. A rep told the magazine that mom and the baby are doing well and dad is “ecstatic

Vancouver Canucks Made It Back To NHL Playoffs

The Vancouver Canucks were able to officially clinch a playoff berth while away from the rink Tuesday, guaranteed due to results elsewhere in the NHL. (Jonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press)

Canadian Press
The Vancouver Canucks are in the playoffs, having clinched a spot with the Los Angeles Kings losing to the Edmonton Oilers Tuesday night.

And that means a win for local bars and restaurants as well, says Ian Tostenson, president of the B.C Restaurant and Food services Association.

"This is probably at least a million dollars a game for the economy of Vancouver. It's massive."

The Palace of Mistakes

Welcome to realness. This guy spits some real.

The breadth of life’s daily up and down is the time clock of our very existence. The world is a beauty of imperfect souls in a perfect space of time. The critical member of this imperfection is the boodle of mistakes we commit in our endeavour to a better expression of self.

We are often relegated to the thought that the mistakes we make defines us as we are all human. I resent such character appropriation. How we ‘right’ our wrongs defines us. No matter how deepened are the wounds, sullen the relationship or messy that fallout; we failing to act to correct our wrongs is building a comfy palace of mistakes.

Read full on ablethoughts

Disgusting! Afghanistan woman forced to marry her attacker to avoid prison

Sitting next to the man who raped and made her pregnant, Afghanistan woman forced to marry her attacker to avoid prison. Afghan woman known only by her first name Gulnaz, (pictured left) was just 16 years old when was raped by her cousin's husband, a man named Asadullah (pictured right), in 2008. She fell pregnant as a result of the rape. But in Afghanistan, sleeping with a married man is a crime, and it doesn't matter if the married person forced themselves on you. How sad! Rejected by her family and facing 12 year in prison for 'adultery by force' and falling pregnant for a married man, Gulnaz had no choice but to marry her depraved attacker. That was her only hope to get a reduced sentence. She later gave birth to the girl in the photo above.

19 yrs Old Canadian Student Missing For Weeks, Located

A York University student who went missing on her 19th birthday in late March has been found and is safe, police are reporting.

Amina Lawal went missing on March 20 after going to meet a study group for school. Lawal is a student at York's Schulich School of Business.

Avril Lavigne's Husband Chad Speaks About Wife Battle With Lyme Disease

Avril Lavigne recently discussed her debilitating bout of Lyme Disease after months away from the limelight, and now husband Chad Kroeger has expressed that he’s “very thankful” to have Avril’s condition out in the open.

The 40-year-old rocker shared his relief with KISS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O this week in Australia. “I’m like, “OK the wife has come out and said this and now I don’t have to keep hiding,” he said. “With everyone going, ‘What’s wrong with your wife?’ and me just going, ‘Ah, she’s going to be fine.’

He added: “I’m like, ‘Okay, I can talk about this now.’”

Goodnews! PM expands eligibility for Canada Student Grants program

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces changes to the Canada Student Grants program at Seycove Secondary School in North Vancouver. (CBC)

CBC
Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a change to the Canada Student Grants program Tuesday, which will expand the number of training programs eligible for government help.

Until now, post-secondary training programs had to be longer than 60 weeks to qualify for the grant program, which was started in 2009, Harper said at a press conference in North Vancouver.

Harper called the cutoff arbitrary.

Rewind Clip: Tug of War Battle Between Canadian And US Soldier

Prior to the departure of 31 Canadian Brigade Group (31 CBG) personnel from Camp Atterbury, Indiana, Canadian soldiers observed US National Guard soldiers playing an interesting version of the game Tug of War. 31 CBG soldiers were fascinated by the spectacle and cheered on the competitors. Finally, one young Canadian soldier dared to challenge the hometown crowd, and put national pride on the line. In this video, Master Corporal John Celestino of the Windsor Regiment (left), participates in a game of Tug of War with a US National Guard soldier (right). This version of the game builds esprit de corps and really works the leg muscles...just ask Master Corporal Celestino! See video below

Selfishness Is Good Business

The journey of life is not complete in the entirety of its existence when apt privileges fail to serve its very purpose. The long drive to be successful and accomplished is deeply in-grained in the human DNA, whether it is for the better or worse of the lot. Regardless, the glory of self comes to play in the theatre of dreams.

Selfishness is often seen as a dark expression of oneself over the common good. In some school of thoughts, it is seen as the root cause of the ills in the society. At the tail end of all contemporary issues we face in the world, you’ll trace scintilla of self coming to play big time. Terrorism, corruption, crime, scam, homicide and abuse; all emanated from the selfish ideology of some few.

Read full on ablethoughts

Canadian Teacher In Indonesia Convicted Of Child Sexual Abuse

 The Canadian Press
An Ontario teacher found guilty Thursday of sexually abusing three children at an Indonesian school said he will appeal the decision.

A three-judge panel sentenced Neil Bantleman, of Burlington, Ont., to 10 years in prison.

"Today is completely a miscarriage of justice," Bantleman told The Associated Press. "I'll keep fighting."

The court also ordered Bantleman, 45, to pay a fine of nearly $10,000 or serve six additional months in jail.

"The defendant has deliberately committed violence and obscene acts," the judges said in their verdict.

Empire overtakes The Big Bang Theory as No.1 series on network TV

Empire has passed The Big Bang Theory as this season’s No. 1 rated series on broadcast television. Joe Adalian of Vulture tweeted the numbers out, showing that Empire scored a 6.9 and TBBT a 6.7 in the key 18-49 demographic.

Before Empire came on TV, the Big Bang Theory on CBS was the top rated series on broadcast television in the US. Well, not anymore. That title now belongs to Empire on Fox.

Pavelec makes 39 saves as Winnipeg Jets soar over Montreal Canadiens

The Winnipeg Jets' Jim Slater (behind net) and Lee Stempniak celebrate a Dustin Byfuglien shot that trickled through the legs of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Dustin Tokarski. (John Woods/The Canadian Press)

Canadian Press
Winnipeg’s Ondrej Pavelec earned the full support of the hometown crowd Thursday night against Montreal.

Pavelec made 39 saves for his sixth consecutive win as the Jets downed the Canadiens 5-2 at the MTS Centre.

Fans were already chanting “Pavy, Pavy” after he stopped 20 shots in the first period alone to keep a 1-0 Winnipeg lead alive.

“Yes, I heard it. It’s always nice,” Pavelec said with a small smile.

UK One Direction's Zayn Malik Quits After Five Years

Zayn Malik (second from left) has quit One Direction after five years with the chart-topping boy band that was formed on X-Factor in 2010. The 22-year-old singer has made the decision to bow out of the group leaving Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne & Louis Tomlinson to continue as a four-piece. 

In a statement released to Daily Mail this afternoon Wednesday March 25th, Zayn said;

'My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I'd like to apologise to the fans if I've let you down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.'

New report warns of perils of corporate farming in Canada

A farmer works a potato field in North Tryon, P.E.I. in this July 13, 2000 photo. CP

The Canadian Press
A board member for the National Farmers Union says without laws that support decent farm livelihoods, Canada could lose its next generation of farmers.

Matt Gehl, board member for Saskatchewan, says the country could end up with something like “the serfdom many of our ancestors tried to escape.”

On Tuesday, the NFU released an update to its 2010 report on corporate farmland buyup, farm debt and input financing.

Canadian Housing Market Ready To Bust - IMF warns

Andrea Janus, CTV
Canada’s housing market could be headed for “a hard landing,” the International Monetary Fund says, warning that an “overheated housing market” and record-high household debt remain drags on the domestic economy.

In a commentary posted to the agency’s website, Hamid Faruqee and Andrea Pescatori hail how the Canadian economy weathered the 2008 financial crisis, but note that “certain financial risks” remain at play, namely: “its overheated housing markets and high household debt.”

While household debt has recently stabilized, it has “increased to historical highs over the past decade,” and now rests at 150 per cent of disposable income. That is “one of the highest” among OECD member countries, the commentary noted.

Photos: ISIS beheads three men with sword for being gay

Some horrific photos from ISIS run state. Three men, accused of homosexuality and blasphemy, were publicly beheaded by a sword-wielding ISIS executioner. The photos of the barbaric execution was shared online today. Two of the men were accused of being homosexuals and the third one accused of Blasphemy. They were blindfolded and taken to a traffic roundabout with a crowd looking on.

An elderly man used a microphone to read out their crimes before a masked man beheaded them. See the photos after the cut...

Prince Edwards Islander Spent 6 Hrs Tunneling Through Snow To His Car Because He Was Bored!

Toronto Former Mayor Rob Ford's Crack Necktie Sells For $16,100 on eBay

Rob Ford's tie went up for sale on eBay on Feb. 25, 2015. Bidding closed on the item on Wednesday. (eBay.ca)

The price of owning the tie Rob Ford wore on the day he first admitted to smoking crack cocaine is $16,100. That was the winning bid listed on Ford's eBay page, when bidding ended just after 5 p.m. ET Wednesday.

The city's former mayor and current Ward 2 councillor has been selling off some of his belongings on eBay.

His crack-confession necktie went up for sale on the auction website a week ago.

Ford is also selling a coat he wore as a football coach, several sports jerseys and a familiar-looking sweatshirt. But so far, the bidding for those items has not been close to bids placed on the tie.

ISIS militant group throw 'gay' man off building in Raqqa

ISIS barbarians have killed yet another man they accused of being gay. The blindfolded man was led to the rooftop of a multi-storey building in Raqqa, where he was barbarically thrown to his death. A large crowd gathered at the foot of the building to watch the murder of the young victim. The killing was filmed and photos shared on social media. More pics after the cut...

Living In The Past Can Be A Huge Risk

One of the best decisions in life one can make is dealing with present reality by managing attending situations of life within contemporary means. It is often said that it is the decisions made and actions undertaken in the past that brought us where we are now. That is looking at it from a systemic angle.

With life come choices and chances. There is different between stand-up and stand-up now. You can easily recall how many times you came late to the party (delayed in taking a necessary step to achieving a portion of success). Mind you, the world comes with its surprises. Even the most gifted aren’t the most celebrated but the fortunate.  We are fortunate with a lot of things but who can discern the unfortunate circumstances of life. The designer of the universe knows better than we mortals.

For in the strength of a man, the fort of battle is built. Who will rule is in the hands of who wins the battle of life. From childhood to adulthood, we transcend from sucking milk to growing tooth. Who ever thought that cracking of bones would be much fun than growing the first lateral incisor has passed through the full cycle of eruption.om

Read in full on Ablethoughts

Federal Government Cut Funding For Sex Crime Prevention Program

CBC

The federal government is cutting funds for a program designed to prevent the most dangerous, high-risk sex offenders from repeating their crimes, just as its own five-year study has found the program dramatically improves public safety and saves money.

The 18 Circles of Support and Accountability (COSA) programs across the country now have about 700 trained volunteers who help safely reintegrate offenders from prison back into the community.

Most sites are now preparing to close after funding from the Correctional Service of Canada ends March 31.

Meet the twin sisters everyone can tell apart...

Daily Mail

18 year old twin sisters, Lucy & Maria Aylmer, from Gloucester are non-identical twins. While Lucy (left) has fair skin and straight ginger hair, Maria (right) has a darker complexion with curls. The college students were born with radically different colouring thanks to a quirk of their mixed-race parentage. Their mother Donna is half Jamaican and their father Vince is white. Continue...

Forbes Welcomes Basketball Legend Michael Jordan on Billionaires' List

In the new Billionaires List Forbes magazine released today, 290 newcomers joined the list, including basketball great, Michael Jordan, 52. He's now the 513th-richest person in the US with a net worth of an even $1.0 billion. Forbes report below;

The most famous rookie on the billionaires list? Michael Jordan, arguably the greatest basketball player of all time and indisputably the best-paid athlete of all time. Most of his cash comes from Nike payouts on his iconic brand. The Jordan brand grossed an estimated $2.25 billion in 2013, earning his Airness some $90m. But his most valuable asset is his stake in the Charlotte Hornets, worth more than $500m. When ex-Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for a stunning $2 billion, values of all NBA teams skyrocketed, creating three new billionaires. Jordan’s old boss Jerry Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago Bulls, joined the list with a fortune of $1.3 billion, and Houston Rockets owner Leslie Alexander boosted his net worth to $1.6 billion.

Ronda Rousey’s Incredible 14 Second KO Victory Over Cat Zingano

UFC 184 on Saturday was headlined by “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey defending her bantamweight title against “Alpha” Cat Zingano, in what UFC was hyping as her toughest fight. The betting odds didn’t reflect that, though, as Rousey was a -700 favorite. The actual fight played out like the bookies expected though, as Rousey defeated Zingano with a record-setting 14 second straight armlock.