Are we being cheated as Corporate Canada pays Low Taxes

Canadian companies are often criticized for not paying their fair share in taxes, but those in the business community say thecorporate income tax rate doesn't fully reflect the contributions of Canadian business. (Nathan Denette/Canadian Press)

"Corporate Canada pays governments in lots of other ways. They pay different levels of governments, they pay property taxes and they pay a variety of fees and charges that in many cases actually exceeds what they pay in corporate income tax," said John Manley, head of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, in a feature interview with Michael Enright onThe Sunday Edition.

Canada's corporate tax rate has been repeatedly cut for more than a decade, and now sits at roughly 25 per cent when combined with provincial tax rates. Activists complain many of the country's largest firms don't pay anywhere near that rate.

No Pain, No Gain, No Guts, No Glory... Any Limits?

  Corey Jenkins/Cultura, via Getty Images

Exercise makes us tired. A new study helps to elucidate why and also suggests that while it is possible to push through fatigue to reach new levels of physical performance, it is not necessarily wise.

 

On the surface, exercise-related fatigue seems simple and easy to understand. We exert ourselves and, eventually, grow weary, with leaden, sore muscles, at which point most of us slow or stop exercising. Rarely, if ever, do we push on to the point of total physical collapse.

 

But scientists have long been puzzled about just how muscles know that they’re about to run out of steam and need to convey that message to the brain, which has the job of actually telling the body that now would be a good time to drop off the pace and seek out a bench.

80 Mind-Blowing Facts That Sound Stranger Than Fiction But Are Completely True

Some say that facts are often stranger than fiction. Did you know that there’s an animal that produces pink milk, or that it is almost with certainty that the water you are drinking right now once passed through a dinosaur?

 

Here is a collection of 80 fascinating facts to enrich your knowledge. So read on, and get ready to have your mind blown into a different timezone.

 

1. Oxford University is older than the Aztec Empire.

 

2. Harvard University was founded before calculus was derived.

Harvard is the oldest higher education institution in the US, founded in 1636. Calculus wasn’t derived until later in the 17th century, with the work of Gottfried Leibniz and Isaac Newton.

 

3. France was still executing people with a guillotine when the first Star Wars film came out.

Star Wars premiered in theaters in May 1977. The last execution by guillotine took place September 10th of the same year.

 

4. Anne Frank, Martin Luther King Jr., and Barbara Walters were born in the same year, 1929.

 

5. The name Jessica was created by Shakespeare in the play Merchant of Venice.

 

6. Not once in the Humpty Dumpty nursery rhyme does it mention that he’s an egg.

 

7. In the span of 66 years, we went from taking flight to landing on the moon.

Money and Politics lobbying in U.S. and China

Credit Yarek Waszul

To understand how money and politics intertwine in the world’s two largest economies, look no further than two important articles in The Times in the last few days.

 

First, Michael Forsythe, Chris Buckley and Jonathan Ansfield reported on a Chinese public corruption investigation into many of the relatives of Zhou Yongkang. He is a powerful Communist Party leader whose family members became wealthy from energy and real estate contracts — and are now being detained.

 

Second, Michael Barbaro reported on the sprawling business activities of Jeb Bush since he left the Florida governorship and which began when his brother was president. Mr. Bush’s work included advising Lehman Brothers, the investment bank whose bankruptcy triggered a global financial calamity, and serving on the boards of one company that misappropriated funds and another that had accounting irregularities.

 

There is no accusation that Mr. Bush, now a presidential contender, did anything illegal, or for that matter, that Mr. Zhou did. But that’s actually the point: The circumstances surrounding the two show the differences — and perhaps more surprising, the similarities — between how influence is peddled in two very different countries.

Kim and Kanye planning threesome wedding ceremonies

Kim K and and her third husband-to-be Kanye West are planning not one, not two, but three wedding ceremonies…

According to Radar Online the couple plan to have two ceremonies in France and one in Southern California for legal purposes. The Paris wedding date is rumored to be May 24th.

To avoid long lines and red tape, a source tells RadarOnline.com, the couple’s lawyers recommended they hold a civil ceremony in the United States prior to their French nuptials on May 24.

“Typically, the U.S. recognizes citizens getting married in France, but dealing with a foreign government and paperwork could be a nightmare,” the insider explains. “So just to make sure it’s legal, Kim and Kanye will first be having a civil ceremony in Southern California.”

Next, the couple will cross the Atlantic for their dream ceremony in Paris— and French law dictates that there be two wedding ceremonies.

37 Most Surprising Secrets About Sex You’ll Ever Read

1. Alligator’s have erections for 100% of their lifetime.

2. Cleopatra is credited with the invention of the vibrator. She is said to have taken insects and placed them inside a hollow sphere. The insects would become agitated and begin buzzing around, causing the sphere to vibrate.

3. Amazon River Dolphins are the only species of animal recorded to have engaged in nasal sex.


4. The clitoris extends 9cm under the skin.

5. Avocado is the Aztec word for testicle. In Aztec culture, avocados were considered sexually powerful and were restricted for virgins.

6. The average erection contains enough blood to keep three gerbils alive.

7. Four popes have died during sex.

8. The average human sperm cell or spermocyte contains about 37.5Mb of genetic data. So when orgasm occurs, roughly 1.5Gb of data is ‘ejaculated’ in about 3 seconds, a data transfer rate 6 orders of magnitude, or a few million times, faster than an average internet connection.

9. Opossums have a double-headed penis.

10. Kangaroos have three vaginas.

Complete list of Vitamins: Source and Use

 

NAME	USE	SOURCE
Vitamin B-1 (Thiamine)	Brain function Nervous System Function Mood Stabilizer Enhances energy Decreases stress	Beef, pork, liver, legumes, fish poultry, yeast, whole-grain breads, pasta & nuts
Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin)	Enhances energy Dry, cracked lips and mouth Decreases stress Promotes vision	Milk/dairy, dark green vegetables, eggs, yogurt, enriched breads/cereals, and liver.
Vitamin B-3 (Niacin)	Reduces blood pressure by dilating blood vessels Improves circulation to extremities Reduces cholesterol Brain function Decreases stress	Yeast, meats, eggs, poultry, liver, cereal, legumes, seeds, milk, green leafy vegetables, fish, & nuts
Vitamin B-5 (Pantothenic Acid)	Enhances energy and stamina by supporting the Adrenal glands Decreases stress Fatigue PMS	Widespread in foods
Vitamin B-6 (Pyridoxine)	Brain function Decreases stress Fatigue Reduces blood pressure PMS Reduces risk of heart attack Mood Stabilizer Enhances Immune system	Meats, fish, green leafy vegetables, legumes, bananas, & whole grains
Vitamin B-12 (Cobalamin)	Brain function Production of healthy Red Blood Cells Enhances energy and stamina by supporting the Adrenal glands Reduces cholesterol & dilates blood vessels	Meats, fish, poultry, milk, eggs, yeast. & cheese
PABA	Skin pigmentation disorders Red Blood Cell production Protects intestines Fatigue, irritability and anxiety	Grains, cereal, corn, rice, wheat, & flour
Choline	Depression & anxiety Brain function & memory Fat metabolism	Cereals, grains, legumes, & meat
Inositol	Depression & anxiety Brain function Fat metabolism	Cereals, grains, legumes, & meat

 

Little Town of Champions: Bekoji, Ethiopia

The village of Bekoji, in the highlands of Ethiopia, has produced long-distance runners who’ve won 16 Olympic medals in 20 years. What explains this remarkable success?. "Running is in my blood,” says Tolo Debele, feeding his 3-month-old boy Dawit in his gated compound in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa. “It’s changed everything in my life.” The long-legged 32-year-old is wearing a pair of bright blue running shoes with shock absorbers on the heels, provided by his sponsor, Nike. A competitive marathon runner, he’s raced in Asia, Europe, and America. But his wife Askale Tafa has him beat: Their massive cabinet in the living room is packed with sparkling trophies, mostly hers. Fifth place, Boston; third place, Dubai; second place, Berlin.

Not long ago, Tolo and Askale were living a very different life: herding cattle and farming in Bekoji, the pastoral, grain-producing town in central Ethiopia, several hours south of Addis, where they grew up. They moved to the capital to join a large urban running club, but they’ve maintained their ties to Bekoji, capitalizing on their athletic success by opening a hotel back home.

Never Sell Your Future

Woman spends $15,000 on plastic surgery to take perfect 'selfies'

 Pursuit of perfection: Triana Lavey, 38, from Los Angeles, California, has told how she spent $15,000 on plastic surgery so she could take better 'selfies'

A woman has told how she spent $15,000 on plastic surgery so she could take better 'selfies'.

 

Triana Lavey, 38, from Los Angeles, California, revealed to ABC's Nightline that she 'hated' the way she looked in Facebook and Instagram photographs with her 'weak chin' being the main concern.

 

In a bid to be more photogenic and 'look like a supermodel' she got a chin implant, nose job and cheek-defining fat grafts. Two years on, she says she's overjoyed with the results.

 

'I now have the face that I always thought that I had,' the brunette exclaimed. 'I look like myself, but Photoshopped.'

The Curse Of being Associated With Oprah- Says StepMother

Barbara Winfrey can pinpoint exactly when her divorce turned more ugly than she had ever thought possible. 
 

It was Friday 2 November 2012, her sixty-fourth birthday, and the day she received the telephone call that turned the implosion of her marriage into an 18-month legal battle with one of the most powerful celebrities on the planet – her stepdaughter, Oprah Winfrey.

 

Barbara listened as Oprah delivered her thunderous ultimatum: ‘You say I never talk to you?
I want to talk to you now. You have until Monday to get out of MY house.’

Earlier this month Barbara was finally served with an eviction notice. She has until 29 May to vacate the $1.4million house just south of Nashville that was home throughout her 14-year union to Oprah’s father, Vernon Winfrey.

Bryan Cranston Shares Grossest 'Breaking Bad' Scene

Over five seasons of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston was privy to — and, as Walter White, responsible for — numerous unsightly things, including Gus Fring's blown-up face, Jane's overdose and Saul Goodman's shirt-and-tie combos. But during a Tribeca Talks panel at the Tribeca Film Festival (aptly titled "Psychos We Love") the actor singled out a heinous moment from Season One, episode two as his choice for the show's grossest scene, Indiewire reports.

"Early on, there was a scene where I instructed my young protege to buy a particular kind of plastic container to dissolve a body and he said, 'Why do we have to do that when we have a perfectly good bathtub upstairs?'

Top 4 Celebrity on Perfect Tuxedo

Toyota Outsells All Other Carmakers

Toyota Motor Corp. (7203) outsold General Motors Co. (GM) and Volkswagen AG (VOW) for a third straight quarter, helped by rising demand in Japan and China.

Sales at Toyota, including its Hino Motors Ltd. (7205) and Daihatsu Motor Co. (7262) units, rose about 6 percent to 2.58 million units in the January-to-March period, the Japanese automaker said today. Second place is too close to call as GM and VW said they sold about 2.4 million each, and the German company hasn’t disclosed deliveries for the MAN and Scania heavy truck brands.

For President Akio Toyoda, last quarter capped what the company estimates to have been its most profitable fiscal year as Toyota projects a record 1.9 trillion yen profit ($18.5 billion), mainly because of a weaker yen.

American Middle Class Outclassed By Canada

Stuck in the Middle Research data suggests that many middle-class American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality.

The American middle class, long the most affluent in the world, has lost that distinction.

While the wealthiest Americans are outpacing many of their global peers, a New York Times analysis shows that across the lower- and middle-income tiers, citizens of other advanced countries have received considerably larger raises over the last three decades.

After-tax middle-class incomes in Canada — substantially behind in 2000 — now appear to be higher than in the United States. The poor in much of Europe earn more than poor Americans.

The numbers, based on surveys conducted over the past 35 years, offer some of the most detailed publicly available comparisons for different income groups in different countries over time. They suggest that most American families are paying a steep price for high and rising income inequality.

Change is Coming, But From Who?

World's First lesbian Threesome Marriage

 

 

Is this polygamous marriage or complete loss of humanity and the institution of marraige, we have not recovered from gay rights, and yet we have this, interesting? Lesbian threesome couple, Doll, Kitten & Brynn, from Massachusetts, who were joined together in a marriage-style ceremony in August 2013, are expecting their first child, UK Daily Mail reports.

The world's only 'married' lesbian threesome are expecting a daughter in July. Kitten, 27, (pictured left) is pregnant after undergoing IVF treatment using an anonymous sperm donor, and the trio eventually plan to have three children - one for each of them.

Decaprio's facial expression when your girls look good

Golden Girl Lupita Nyong'o named People magazine's Most Beautiful Woman

Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong'o has been named People magazine's Most Beautiful woman 2014. She covers the 25th publication of the magazine.

An excited Lupita says its a major compliment;

"It was exciting and just a major, major compliment and especially, I was happy for all the girls who would see me on [it] and feel a little more seen." she said

Dancehall Mega Star Vybz Kartel Murder Video Leaked Online

On April 3rd Jamaican dance-hall star Vybz Kartel was sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a former associate, Clive 'Lizard' Williams. He just filed an appeal against his sentence but it's unlikely he will make any headway with that because his murder video just leaked online.

When he was arrested back in 2011, the center piece of the murder case was a video tape made at the crime scene (Vybz' own home) implicating Vybz and his co-defendants. Well, someone just leaked that video footage...and it's chilling! They chopped the guy into pieces...that's why a body has never been found. This guy is ruthless, OMG! Continue...

Actor Cuba Gooding's wife files for divorce after 20 years of marriage

Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding Jr's wife of 20 years has filed for separation citing irreconcilable differences.

TMZ reports that Sara Kapfer, Cuba's high school sweetheart, filed yesterday April 22nd in L.A. County Superior Court. The two married in 1994 and have three children together.

Sara wants joint legal and physical custody of their kids and isn't asking for child support currently.

Toronto Raptors push back to beat Nets in Game 2

Jonas Valanciunas (17) of the Raptors is defended by Kevin Garnett of the Nets in Game 2 at Air Canada Centre on Tuesday. (John E. Sokolowsk)

DeMar DeRozan put his playoff jitters aside and turned in an All-Star performance for the Toronto Raptors.

DeRozan scored 30 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 15 points and 14 rebounds and the Raptors beat the Brooklyn Nets 100-95 on Tuesday night, evening their first-round playoff series at one game apiece.

A first-time All-Star this season, DeRozan struggled in his postseason debut on Saturday. He went 3 for 13 from the field and scored 14 points in Toronto's 94-87 loss.

On Tuesday, DeRozan eclipsed that total in the fourth quarter alone, scoring 17 of Toronto's 36 points.

Habs enjoy first playoff series sweep since 1993

Rene Bourque (17), Daniel Briere (48) and P.K. Subban (76) leap off the bench to celebrate Montreal's series-clinching win. (Andre Ringuette/Getty Images)

That loveable Latvian, Kristers Gudlevskis, almost spoiled the party again.

 

The 21-year-old Tampa Bay Lightning goalkeeper, however, came up a whisker short, just like he did when he gave Canada that massive scare in the Olympic quarter-finals in Sochi with a 55-save performance in Canada's 2-1 win.

 

The Montreal Canadiens were out to sweep the Lightning at the Bell Centre on Tuesday and were well on their way until they blew a two-goal lead early in the third period, when the Lightning scored goals 3:02 apart.

Shakespeare turns 450 years old today, but left us these 13 Everyday Phrases

On Wednesday, April 23, renowned poet, playwright, and snappy dresser William Shakespeare will turn 450 years old. 

Whether you're a fan or not, you probably use many of his phrases on a regular basis — maybe without even knowing.

We created a list of 13 popular, albeit strange, sayings The Bard coined. In fact, we say or write some of them so often they've become clichés.

1. "Green-eyed monster"
Meaning: jealousy.
In "Othello," Iago describes jealousy as a monster that devours its source.

"Oh, beware, my lord, of jealousy!

 It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock

 The meat it feeds on" (Act 3, Scene 3).

In this case, Iago uses romance as an example. He thinks a man would rather know his wife is cheating than suspect her without proof.

2. "In a pickle"
Meaning: a difficult or uncomfortable situation.

In "The Tempest," King Alonso asks his jester, Trinculo, "How camest thou in this pickle?" (In other words, "How did you get so drunk?")

Samsung goes on the Offensive Against Apple over FaceTime App



Samsung claims Apple's FaceTime, pictured, which lets users make video calls over an web connection, infringes a Samsung patent regarding the compression of video before transmission over a mobile network, awarded in 1994. Apple's lawyers claim the technology described in the patent is now obsolete


For three weeks, Samsung has been fending off claims from Apple that it has ripped off various patents - but it’s now hitting back.

During the ongoing, high-profile court battle between the two tech giants, the Korean firm claimed Apple's FaceTime feature infringes one of its own patents.

The Galaxy smartphone maker is demanding $6 million (£3.6 million) as a result of the alleged infringement and is mounting its own case for damages to counter Apple’s numerous accusations.

Canadian Arrested for Heartbleed Hacking

The Canadian government shut federal websites to guard against hackers A 19-year-old Canadian has become the first person arrested for theft of information related to the Heartbleed bug, a defect that allows hackers to bypass internet encryption code. Federal police in Canada said on Wednesday they had arrested and charged Stephen Arthuro Solis-Reyes over the theft of 900 Canadian taxpayers'  data, which was made vulnerable by the "Heartbleed" bug. Solis-Reyes was arrested at his London, Ontario home on Tuesday without incident.

Death Toll In South Korea Ferry Disaster Rises To 150

The confirmed death toll from the ferry disaster off South Korea rose Wednesday to 150 as divers located more bodies in the sunken vessel, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

 

The Associated Press

That number of deaths has sharply increased after divers reached the ship’s cafeteria where many passengers were thought to be when the ship began to sink.

Divers were able to begin recovering bodies from inside the 6,325-ton vessel that sank off the coast of South Korea last week with 475 people aboard.

 

South Korea Coast Guard / AFP

Divers had previously failed to enter the ferry because of strong currents and bad visibility due to poor weather, according to reports.

Keep Your Head Up, Take Nothing For Granted

Top 25 Controversial Statements by Toronto Mayor Rob Ford

Toronto's ever-controversial mayor never seems to shy away from controversy, whether it be feuding with the media, denying a crack pipe scandal, or repeatedly being caught in an inebriated state on cell phone camera footage

1.      Sobriety- A speech in city hall, Toronto to say how sorry he was when his first crack story went viral but he did again, didn’t he?

“With today’s announcement, I know I embarrassed everyone in this city and I will be forever sorry. There is only one person to blame for this and that is myself. I know that admitting my mistake was the right thing to do and I feel like 1,000 pounds have been lifted off my shoulders”

 

2.     F..K it. Baddest guy alive. In a superficial arm-wrestling match with Hulk Hogan for fan Expo, he said "If I win, I will fucking donate…"

3.     Damn it I am the Mayor—Two women spotted Rob Ford on Hollywood Boulevard. One of them squealed. She demanded a photo.

Top 10 Ways To Force Yourself Out Of Your Comfort Zone

As entrepreneurs, we crave a challenge. It's a critical component of peak performance because it provides stimulation.

Without it, when we get too comfortable, we are bored, which can be the death of motivation and creativity for an ambitious business owner.

Pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is key. If you don't, you risk stagnation.


Remaining challenged and staying out of your comfort zone, however, is not easy.

When you step too far out in business, you risk making costly mistakes; not out of it at all, and you are bored and underutilized.

For example, say you are a CEO running a business that you love, but you are constantly reacting to your work versus being proactive. You don't have time to stop and think if you are really challenging yourself in a way that maximizes results to achieve your long-term goals.

Busyness can get in the way of optimizing your talent, and before you know it, you are spending all your time in your comfort zone. If that is happening, you are probably feeling less inspired, more tired, and unsure of how work that you used to love is now more taxing.

To avoid the comfort-zone blahs or the risks associated with going too far out, review the list below. These 10 indications can help ensure that you are staying in the sweet spot of challenge and remaining a healthy distance from your dreaded comfort zone.

1. Your activity is linked to your overall mission. It's clear that working on this challenge will get you a step further in your company's path forward.

2. You are the originator of the challenge. You are not doing this because someone else has dictated it. Someone else could have a fantastic idea, of course, but you want to avoid getting into a situation in which you feel out of control or as if you have no autonomy within the challenge.