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Great FileFactory Premium deals on right now-Oct 3/18

Post by Webscout » Wed Oct 03, 2018 7:35 am

Great FileFactory Premium deals on right now

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New USMCA Trade Deal Will Raise Canada's Duty-Free Limit to $150

Post by Webscout » Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:04 am

New USMCA Trade Deal Will Raise Canada's Duty-Free Limit to $150

By Ambia Staley
October 2, 2018
The new trade agreement between Canada, the United States, and Mexico has been dominating the news lately, but there is one update coming that online shoppers will want to take note of. Under the new trade agreement, Canadians shopping online will see their duty-free limit raised to $150.00 and the new sales tax limit set at $40.00.

Previously, both the duty-free limit and tax limit were set at $20.00, a limit that has remained unchanged since 1985.


What Does This Mean?

In simple terms, this new limit means that Canadians ordering U.S. goods online will not have to pay duties on products costing $150.00 or less. Any items over that threshold will be subject to an average 2% duty.

However, the number that shoppers will want to pay attention to is the tax limit. The new agreement will see the tax limit raised to $40.00, but anything over that limit is still subject to the sales tax of your province.

For example, someone in Ontario who orders a $100.00 item online from the U.S. will not be subject to a minimal duty fee -- approximately $2.00 based on the 2% average (although duty costs can vary by item). However, they will still have to pay the 13% in sales tax charged in their province, or an extra $13.00 on top of their purchase.


Who Does This Apply To?

These new limits will only apply to U.S. goods bought online. If you take a trip across the border, you are still subject to the current exemptions -- $200.00 for a 24 hour trip, or $800.00 for trips over 48 hours.

It's also important to note that the new rules will only apply to packages shipped by private couriers such as FedEx and UPS, and will not apply to packages shipped by Canada Post.


When Will the New Limits Take Effect?

Don't adjust your holiday shopping lists just yet. While the new duty and tax limits have been announced, it could still be a long time before Canadian shoppers can start taking advantage of it.

The USMCA agreement is now subject to a 60-day review in the U.S. Congress. If all goes well in all three nations, the deal is expected to be signed at the end of November. After that, the Canadian government will need to introduce legislation so that the deal can be ratified and implemented, which could take months. Basically, if there are no delays, Canadians may see these new rules implemented before the parliamentary session ends in June 2019. If it gets delayed, USMCA could become an issue for the 2019 federal election and be delayed even longer.

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Re:Weed--effects..

Post by Webscout » Wed Oct 10, 2018 11:48 am

Nine harm-reduction points to make with your teen about marijuana

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/cannabis/article-nine-harm-reduction-points-to-make-with-your-teen-about-marijuana/
What Canada’s doctors are concerned about with marijuana legalization

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/cannabis/article-what-canadas-doctors-are-concerned-about-with-marijuana-legalization-2/

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Hyundai’s Kona Electric

Post by Webscout » Mon Oct 15, 2018 4:43 pm

Review: At the right price, Hyundai’s Kona Electric could challenge the Chevrolet Bolt

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/reviews/new-cars/article-review-at-the-right-price-hyundais-kona-electric-could-challenge/

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Milking it!

Post by Webscout » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:24 am

Agropur launches ad campaign to keep milk consumers buying ’100% Canadian'
ERIC ATKINS
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 17, 2018
UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO
FOR SUBSCRIBERS
COMMENTS
One Quebec-based dairy producer is waving the Canadian flag as it tries to defend its market against milk imported from the United States.

Agropur, maker of Natrel milk, launched the campaign targeting Fairlife LLC, a U.S. dairy brand distributed by Coca-Cola Co., shortly after Canada agreed to let in more foreign dairy products in the proposed North American free-trade deal.

“Is your milk 100% Canadian or 100% American?” the Agropur ad reads, beneath two glasses of milk respectively labelled Natrel and Fairlife sitting on coasters bearing the Maple Leaf and the Stars and Stripes.

Fairlife milk began selling in Canadian markets on Sept. 4, said a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola, which announced in June it will spend $85-million to build a Fairlife milk plant in Peterborough, Ont. The factory is scheduled to open in 2020, and will be supplied by Ontario’s dairy farmers. Until then, the Fairlife milk in Canadian dairy aisles comes from U.S. cows.

David Wiens, a Manitoba dairy farmer and vice-president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, said the Canadian government granted the U.S. company a special permit to import dairy products to build its market ahead of the plant’s opening. “Our hope is this will create new markets,” he said.

Graham Lloyd, chief executive officer of Dairy Farmers of Ontario, said the group that represents the province’s dairy farmers has an agreement to supply milk to the plant when it opens in 2020.

“Coke has declared and it is the Coke model that they prefer to use domestic sourcing for all of their products, and so we look forward to working with them in that regard,” Mr. Lloyd said.

Fairlife bills its milk as a premium, lactose-free product that is highly filtered and processed to boost protein and reduce sugar. It also makes banana, strawberry, coffee and chocolate-flavoured dairy drinks.

Mr. Lloyd said Fairlife’s “premium” products have quickly become popular in the United States with consumers who are not traditional milk drinkers, offering the possibility of widening the market share for Ontario dairy farmers. “We value working with processors like them and we encourage them to come to Canada and start processing,” Mr. Lloyd said.

Shannon Denny, a spokeswoman for Coca-Cola, said the special import permit is temporary. The company is about to break ground on the new factory, “which demonstrates our commitment to be a part of the Canadian dairy industry for the long-term.”

Véronique Boileau, a spokeswoman for Agropur, said consumers care where their milk comes from, and the ad, which has appeared in The Globe and Mail, tries to underline that. “When you purchase from Agropur you are contributing to the Canadian economy,” Ms. Boileau said.

The proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement unveiled two weeks ago grants U.S. producers 3.6-per-cent more access to Canada’s protected dairy market. Domestic dairy farmers bitterly lament the concessions, noting Canada has recently ceded about 10 per cent of its market under recent trade agreements, including the European Union and Pacific Rim pacts.

Canada uses high tariffs and small import quotas to protect its producers of milk, poultry and eggs. Farmers’ prices are fixed by producer groups and output is matched to consumption.

It’s a system farmers say protects them from price volatility while ensuring they meet market demand. Critics say the supply-managed regime artificially inflates prices, prevents exports and discourages innovation.

The dairy industry has long used its marketing budgets to promote milk as a healthy drink and to combat declining consumption rates. Now, it finds itself defending its shrinking market against bigger players with deeper pockets and lower costs of production.

“You’re already getting push-back on the announced trade deal for dairy, because they’ve known it’s coming,” said Alan Middleton, a professor at York University’s Schulich School of Business. "It's certainly a sign of fear.”

He predicted the access given to U.S. dairies is just the start of demands for what could amount to “massive” exports of U.S. dairy products.

He said it is tough to make people care about where their milk comes from, but Canadian producers might be partly successful defending their markets if they can highlight consumers concerns over how the milk is processed, or what goes into it.

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Globe editorial: Why we must always denounce countries that silence their critics

Post by Webscout » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:25 am

Globe editorial: Why we must always denounce countries that silence their critics

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/article-globe-editorial-why-we-must-always-denounce-countries-that-silence/

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What you should know about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) before buying one

Post by Webscout » Mon Oct 22, 2018 11:56 am

What you should know about plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) before buying one

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/drive/culture/article-what-you-should-know-about-plug-in-hybrid-electric-vehicles-phevs/

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Disney theme parks have a serious problem with cremains-scattering

Post by Webscout » Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:39 am

Disney theme parks have a serious problem with cremains-scattering
Lynne Butler-Lawyer

The nicest scattering of remains I ever attended was that of one of my uncles who passed away about 15 years ago. About 30 of us went out in a boat in Conception Bay (Newfoundland) and placed his ashes in the ocean. We sipped drinks and watched a few whales breach close by and we all sang traditional Newfoundland songs as we sailed home.

Lots of people express wishes for the scattering of their cremated remains ("cremains"). Cremation has long since overtaken burial as the preferred method of disposal of a body and people like the idea of their ashes being returned to a place that is special to them. About once a week I receive instructions for ashes to be put into the ocean or tossed off Signal Hill here in St. John's. It's a very personal decision.

But it's not always nature that is special to someone. Apparently the Disney theme parks are favourite places for many. In fact, it happens so often that the parks even have a clean-up code for it ("HEPA clean-up"). See below to read an article about this activity as the Disney parks.

I'm pretty sure a place so crowded and commercialized would not be my favourite spot - either before death or after it - but to each his own. Give me the ocean and the orcas any day.

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https://boingboing.net/2018/10/25/code-grandma.html

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JOCKOLOGY-Busting the muscle-building hormone myth

Post by Webscout » Mon Oct 29, 2018 2:14 pm

JOCKOLOGY-Busting the muscle-building ...

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/article-busting-the-muscle-building-hormone-myth/

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No One is Crazy

Post by Webscout » Thu Nov 01, 2018 7:02 am

No One is Crazy

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https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/no-one-is-crazy/

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Getting old is worse than you think

Post by Webscout » Fri Nov 02, 2018 7:28 am

Getting old is worse than you think

GARY MASON NATIONAL AFFAIRS COLUMNIST
NOVEMBER 1, 2018

Here’s a fun topic to start your day: old age. Let me begin with my conclusion: it sucks.

Of course, age, particularly old age, is relative. People talk about their golden years in glowing terms – when they are in good health and have the means to enjoy the fruits of their labours.

I’m not talking about that period. I’m talking about that uncertain, often painful stage beyond the golden years, beyond beach walks with the family, beyond an enjoyable round of golf with friends, when all of that is impossible. This phase of one’s life can be deeply distressing.

In the last couple of weeks, I’ve been forced to learn a lot about what happens when a loved one becomes ill and is no longer able to care for himself. The situation ignites a series of discussions and group decisions, none of which is easy or without anxiety. And as our population ages, these are conversations that are going to be taking place on an ever increasing basis.

Two words of advice for anyone on the precipice of such change: brace yourself.

The seniors’ care system in Canada is under enormous strain, to be sure, and it’s only getting worse. A problem arises when seniors who have entered hospital can no longer return to independent living. Hospitals face heavy daily demands for beds for the aged. It’s all about churn. They don’t like having anyone there for long stretches of time.

If someone is unable to return home as normal, then the hospital will try to design a support system to make that possible. Most often, that includes supports such as in-home nursing, for instance. Some of this can be subsidized, but a lot of it can’t. In many cases, required assistance could cost a family tens of thousands of dollars a year.

Private nursing homes are another option, but they are expensive. Especially if the person needs 24-hour care; then we’re talking $10,000 or more a month. Most people opt for a publicly-funded bed, but those are not easy to come by. There are wait lists across the country for them. And sometimes, when a bed does come up, it can be a long way from where the person was living.

There were reports last year of people in Newfoundland being moved to residential nursing facilities 200 kilometres from their hometown. Some provinces have a limit of 100 kms. Imagine. In 2017, the waiting list for long-term care beds in Ontario was 32,000. Some provinces, such as B.C., are trying to build more to keep up with ever increasing demand, but it’s been impossible.

Meantime, entire floors of hospitals are packed with patients who should be in a care home but aren’t, because there’s no space.

It’s utterly depressing.

One thing you will discover as you navigate this uncomfortable, unpredictable world, however, is that it is inhabited by the most incredible human beings. They include overworked nurses and social workers, underpaid orderlies and security staff. These people have some of the hardest, most underappreciated jobs anywhere, with enormous responsibilities. And I have quickly come to appreciate how much most of them genuinely care for the poor, sick strangers that have been put under their wings.

Being pushed into this world has also made me think about death. A lot. I maintain that when it’s time to go, I want it to end like it did for my Uncle Artie. He was a handsome, outgoing man right to the bitter end. He died, at 80, of a massive heart attack, under a gorgeous old oak tree in his backyard, while on his way for a swim.

I know what I don’t want. I don’t want to exist simply for the sake of existing, living in a strange place alongside others who are very much surviving in the same manner, with more misery in their lives than joy. The moment I find myself heading into that situation is the moment I want out, by whatever means possible.

Canada’s assisted-dying law requires people to be lucid enough to give consent even minutes before a lethal injection is administered. This is a flawed aspect of the legislation, and the case of Halifax’s Audrey Parker illustrates that.

Ms. Parker ended her life on Thursday, by lethal injection, only because the late-consent clause forced her into making that decision earlier than she wanted to. And that’s not right.

When we choose to die, and where, should be on our terms, not anyone else’s.

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Re: Something Of Interest?

Post by Dude » Sat Nov 03, 2018 10:11 pm

I don’t want to exist simply for the sake of existing,
I don't want to do that either, but that's a tricky thing to figure out exactly when that starts, and what to do about it.

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Netflix’s House of Cards falls apart in its final, mundane season

Post by Webscout » Mon Nov 05, 2018 5:51 am

Netflix’s House of Cards falls apart in its final, mundane season

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/television/article-netflixs-house-of-cards-falls-apart-in-its-final-mundane-season/

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Re: No one visited me at the hospital. Now, I’m angry

Post by Webscout » Tue Nov 06, 2018 5:51 am

No one visited me at the hospital. Now, I’m angry

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/relationships/article-no-one-visited-me-at-the-hospital-now-im-angry/

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Staring into the abyss: Midterm madness on U.S. news networks

Post by Webscout » Tue Nov 06, 2018 7:34 am

Staring into the abyss: Midterm madness on U.S. news networks
John Doyle
JOHN DOYLE TELEVISION CRITIC

UPDATED NOVEMBER 5, 2018
FOR Members


Fox News Channel and radio talk show host Sean Hannity, left, interviews U.S. President Donald Trump before a campaign rally at the Las Vegas Convention Center on Sept. 20, 2018, in Las Vegas.

ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES
The other night, Saturday Night Live opened with a sketch parodying the scaremongering by Fox News personalities about that migrant caravan. Kate McKinnon played Laura Ingraham and Cecily Strong was former judge Jeanine Pirro. “What will happen when they get here?” the Ingraham character asked. “Just look at this footage of the caravan crossing into Mexico,” Strong’s Pirro said, and the sketch cut to a horde of zombies from the movie World War Z.

It was not far from the reality of Fox News hyperbole, that sketch. If you limit yourself to CNN, as many Canadians do, you’re really not getting a full, vivid picture of the tribalism, partisanship and calumny matched with delirium that is part of all-news cable TV coverage in the United States.

But even news junkies must be exhausted at his point. The wearying fact is that Trump-era politics have infested almost everything on TV. It is literally difficult to escape from it, even in the arenas of sports and entertainment. The upshot is this: The dystopia has arrived.

Americans who tuned in to Sunday Night Football on NBC saw the notoriously toxic Trump ad which has this statement: “Dangerous illegal criminals like cop killer Luis Bracamontes don’t care about our laws. … America cannot allow this invasion. The migrant caravan must be stopped. President Trump and his allies will protect our border and keep our families safe. America’s future depends on you. Stop the caravan. Vote Republican.”

By Monday morning, NBC had decided not to run the ad again and declared it, in retrospect, “racist.” Fox News also decided to stop airing it. That was the unexpected twist. Fox News is maddeningly repetitious in its support of Trump and his Republican allies, and wildly derisive about Democrats running in the midterm elections. Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity berate other news outlets and heap scorn on Democrats.

It works. In prime time, Fox News soundly beats CNN and MSNBC in the ratings. Only Rachel Maddow on MSNBC comes close to Hannity’s ratings. The nourishing of fear, anger and division is a successful formula and that makes the decision not to run the anti-immigrant ad so puzzling. The racist thrust of the ad is what Fox uses to make sense of the world to its viewers.

It’s not possible any more to stand back from what Fox News, CNN and MSNBC broadcast and make sense of it all, or look for authenticity. One recoils from the entire American public consciousness as it is captured by the all-news outlets. All of them, to be honest. It’s a matter of staring into the abyss.

Recently, MSNBC revived a feature it used during the 2016 presidential election. It sent a group of young reporters out to rove the United States and report on the local, rather than the national, picture. What they report back, sometimes, is that many Americans they meet are sick and tired of “division and tribalism." Meanwhile, MSNBC, usually fiercely progressive and critical of Trump, continues to sow division. No matter what way the viewer leans politically, there is the distinct sense of watching a race to the bottom.

But, fact is, the race to the bottom has put Fox News on top. The issue of partisanship and conflicts between the role of news organizations and political favouritism has simply evaporated. The Trump campaign announced on the weekend that Hannity and Rush Limbaugh would appear at Trump’s final campaign rally on Monday night. Hannity wrote on Twitter Monday that he would not be “on stage campaigning with the President” and asserted he would be interviewing Trump for his show. According to Variety, the Trump campaign continued to sell tickets to the event promoting Hannity’s appearance.

The matter was noted in Variety, a trade publication for the entertainment industry, because, well, it’s all a matter of entertainment. It might be dark entertainment, but that’s what it is. There is no escape now. No matter what unfolds on Tuesday night in the United States, the next two years will be worse as all news clamours to be even more partisan. What’s next is another chapter in a dystopian novel about political extremism, and parodying it – as SNL does – is close to impossible

Finally – ABC, CBS and NBC will all devote much of prime time on Tuesday to coverage of the midterm elections. In late night, both The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (11:35 p.m., CBS, Global) and Late Night with Seth Meyers (12:35 a.m., NBC, CTV Two) are going live. Colbert will have The Circus hosts John Heilemann and Alex Wagner on his show, and MSNBC’s Chris Hayes joins Meyers.

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