Something Of Interest?

Talk about anything.

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Investigation reveals that Google tracks your movements, like it or not

Post by Webscout » Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:43 am

Investigation reveals that Google tracks your movements, like it or not

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-investigation-reveals-that-google-tracks-your-movements-like-it-or/

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Re: Something Of Interest?

Post by Dude » Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:12 pm

I know they have that thing on maps where you can see where you have been, I thought it was kind of cool,
but I am not doing anything illegal or important where it would make any difference, so I don't care.

I can see how some people would not like that, if you were in the mob or something then it probably would not work out well for you.

my advice is that if your planning on murdering someone you should probably just leave your phone at home,
maybe take your friends phone with you and post a few pictures on their social media, that will take the heat off you.

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Re: Something Of Interest?

Post by Webscout » Mon Aug 13, 2018 1:05 pm

I feel much the same way but maybe it's deeper thhan that?

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Canadian Weed..coming soon...but not in pots..

Post by Webscout » Mon Aug 13, 2018 2:26 pm

Ontario unveils plan for private retailers to sell marijuana next spring
THE CANADIAN PRESS
PUBLISHED AUGUST 13, 2018
UPDATED 19 MINUTES AGO
FOR SUBSCRIBERS
PART OF CANNABIS AND SMALL BUSINESS AND RETAIL
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The rise of ‘weed tech’: Cannabis tech sector flourishes in lead up to legalization

Environmentalists cast wary eye on cannabis industry’s water, energy use amid approaching legalization
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Ontario says it will sell recreational cannabis through an online retail channel when it is legalized this fall, with plans to have pot in private retail stores early next year.

The online sales will be operated by a government agency called the Ontario Cannabis Store.

The province says a “tightly regulated” private retail model will start operation by April 1, 2019.

As The Globe and Mail first reported last month, the Tory government is reversing course on their Liberal predecessors’ plan to have legalized cannabis distributed through publicly owned and operated stores.

Finance Minister Vic Fedeli and Attorney General Caroline Mulroney, who made the announcement today, say municipalities can opt out of hosting any pot shops within their boundaries.

The legal age to buy recreational cannabis will remain 19.

Mulroney said the government’s key objective with the new retail model was public safety.

“We will be ready to put in place a safe, legal system for cannabis retail that will protect consumers,” she said. “We will also be ready to undermine the illegal market and protect Ontario’s roads. Most importantly of all, we will be ready to protect our kids.”

Fedeli said private retailers will have to follow a series of rules including prohibiting the sale of marijuana to anyone under the age of 19. Anyone caught violating the rules will face “severely escalating fines,” he said.

“The government of Ontario will not be in the business of running physical cannabis stores,” he said. “Instead, we will work with private sector businesses to build a safe, reliable retail system that will divert sales away from the illegal market.”

The province says it will learn from the private models being implemented in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

The previous Liberal government had planned to give the Liquor Control Board of Ontario a monopoly on the sale of recreational cannabis.

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After washing hands in public, which is more hygienic: Paper towel or air blower?

Post by Webscout » Fri Aug 17, 2018 8:16 am

After washing hands in public, which is more hygienic: Paper towel or air blower?
PAUL TAYLOR
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
PUBLISHED 2 HOURS AGO
UPDATED AUGUST 16, 2018
The question: When I’m cleaning my hands in a public washroom, is it more hygienic to dry them off with a paper towel or to use an electric air blower?

The answer: There is no doubt that handwashing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs. But if you immediately recontaminate your hands, it sort of defeats the purpose. So, infectious-disease experts have put a lot of thought into the best handwashing techniques, including the final step – drying.

The latest study on the question, published in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, comes from a team at the University of Connecticut’s School of Medicine.

The researchers carried out a series of experiments in which they collected bacteria samples from 36 men’s and women’s washrooms located in the university’s basic science research areas.

As part of the study, they placed bacteria-collecting plates about a foot away from the hot-air dryer nozzles – roughly where you would hold your hands – for different periods of time. In some tests, the dryer was turned on, and in others, it was off.

The researchers then waited for the microbes to grow and counted how many bacterial colonies developed.

The results revealed that far more bacteria accumulated on the plates exposed to the full blast of a blow dryer, with the average of 18 to 60 colonies per plate – and, in some cases, reaching as high as 254 colonies. In similar tests, in which the blower was off, the plates collected an average of zero to one bacterial samples.

“We were basically able to show that bacteria in the bathroom air are drawn into the dryer and then shoot out the nozzle,” says Dr. Thomas Murray, one of the senior authors of the study.

“So much air is blown through a dryer that it’s literally concentrating the bacteria. And there is the potential to put that bacteria on your hands after you just washed them off.”

The team repeated the tests after HEPA (high-efficiency particulate air) filters were installed on the dryers. The filters, which are used in some commercial forced-air dryers in public washrooms, significantly reduced the amount of bacteria passing through the machines, but they didn’t block all the microbes.

Murray notes the amount of bacteria in the air of a washroom at any given time “is highly variable.” It depends on numerous factors, including the ventilation system and how frequently a washroom is used.

Other researchers have found that bacteria can be aerosolized when a lidless toilet is flushed. That means bacteria and other particles in the toilet can be mobilized into the air until they settle back down on surrounding surfaces.

So, should you be worried that hand blow dryers pose a threat to your health?

“If you’re a person with a properly functioning immune system, the risk of getting a serious infection is pretty low,” says Murray, who is also an infectious disease physician at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

After all, lots of different types of bacteria can colonize the skin without resulting in illness.

Of course, the chance of harm increases for those with a weakened immune system. People who are using certain medical devices – such as vascular catheters, which provide access for germs to get inside the body – might be put in jeopardy, too.

“It’s not always the people in direct contact with these washrooms who are the most at risk,” says Dr. Jerome Leis, medical director of Infection Prevention and Control at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto.

Indeed, he adds, contaminated hands can spread bacteria to vulnerable individuals who never set foot in a public washroom.

Murray points out that many institutions have converted to air dryers as a cost-cutting measure. The switch saves on both paper and labour. But there might be a hidden health cost – more germs in public places.

After Murray and his colleagues completed their study, the university decided to put paper-towel dispensers in all of its washrooms. “I use a paper towel, whenever possible,” he says.

If the environment is a concern, you can reduce the amount of paper you use by first shaking the water off your hands and then folding over the towel to increase its absorbency.

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Realtors and family members, please stop pressuring seniors to sell their homes

Post by Webscout » Thu Aug 23, 2018 6:35 am

Realtors and family members, please stop pressuring seniors to sell their homes
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investi ... s-to-sell/

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What has being a divorce attorney taught you about life?

Post by Webscout » Sat Aug 25, 2018 6:04 am

What has being a divorce attorney taught you about life?
Fran Brochstein


If you don’t like the person’s parents or family, don’t marry into it.

Discuss things before marriage to make sure you are on the same page - things like children, religion, retirement, how to spend money, how to save money, where you want to live, what you expect of each other, what will you do when your parents get old or sick, etc.

Each of you need to give 100% - not 50/50 because at one point one of you will need help and the other person has to give 100%.

The little things that irritate you will grow into big irritations after you marry.

If one of likes sex and the other does not, it won’t work in the long term.

If you hate your future spouse’s friends, it won’t work. Don’t marry.

People don’t change.

If your future spouse won’t work, don’t marry unless you expect to support the person 100%.

If your spouse is a drunk or druggie, odds are they won’t change.

Do you agree politically? If not, it might not work out unless the two of you can agree to disagree.

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New research concludes there is no safe level of alcohol. But look beyond the alarmist headlines

Post by Webscout » Mon Aug 27, 2018 3:15 pm

New research concludes there is no safe level of alcohol. But look beyond the alarmist headlines

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-new-research-concludes-there-is-no-safe-level-of-alcohol-but-look/

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There’s a smart way to shut down the bank of mom and dad

Post by Webscout » Thu Sep 06, 2018 7:47 am

There’s a smart way to shut down the bank of mom and dad
KIRA VERMOND
SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Utopia
PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 6, 2018

Forget asking for keys to the family car. Now, some adult children are soliciting parents for cash to pay for wheels of their own.

But is it any wonder why millennials are turning to the bank of mom and dad to bankroll everything from car payments and mortgages to day-to-day expenses such as phone bills and dental fees? Faced with mounting student loans, sky-high housing costs and lacklustre salaries, launching into early adulthood can seem downright overwhelming. Particularly in high-cost markets such as Vancouver and Toronto, asking parents and grandparents for a handout can even mean the difference between paying rent and not.

“It comes up all the time,” says Ngoc Day, a registered financial planner with Macdonald, Shymko & Company Ltd., a fee-only firm in Vancouver. “There’s a perception that the seniors are very wealthy because the real estate has done so well.”

Parents are often willing to acquiesce to the requests, even if they’re not rolling in real estate dough.

For subscribers: Student finance 101: How to pay for school, control spending and avoid debt

According to a 2017 poll from CIBC, in which 3,021 randomly selected Canadians participated, 76 per cent of parents with a child 18 years or older said they would give their kids a financial boost to help them kick-start their lives. Think moving out, getting married or moving in with a partner. What’s more, nearly half of the parents said they’d give an average of $24,000.

Of course there are upsides to giving funds to children and grandchildren, particularly if it was going to be earmarked as inheritance later anyway. Monetary gifts to adult children aren’t taxable in Canada. Give as little – or as much – as you want and the kids won’t be saddled with a tax burden come filing time. You’ll also save on estate probate fees if you give the money when you’re still alive. Probate fees can be an issue in provinces such as Ontario, B.C. and Nova Scotia where estates can lose up to 1.5 per cent on the gross total if the amount is large enough.

But there are definitely downsides to generosity, too. Parents can undermine their own financial security for the sake of helping out their kids, Ms. Day says. And once that money is doled out, it is usually difficult to ask for it back later. Consider those gifts expenditures, not investments, she says.

Ms. Day also tells clients considering subsidizing their kids’ expenses to ask themselves an important question first.

“If you spend your money or give it away, does it negatively affect your retirement cash flow? And I don’t mean just for this coming year. I mean for the rest of your life,” she says.

Giving away money isn’t always great for the adult kids either, explains Tony Mahabir, a certified financial planner and chief executive officer of Canfin Financial Group of Companies in Toronto. If a parent subsidizes day-to-day living expenses for an extended period of time, it can just breed dependence on that extra cash.

“You want to make sure your child has a good work ethic. If you’re just helping them live because they have no ambition, that’s a terrible thing,” he cautions.

Chris Horan, a financial advisor with Assante Capital Management Ltd. in Toronto, agrees that giving money can create more problems than it solves, especially if that extra cash is being used to mask a child’s substance abuse or destructive behavioral issue such as overspending. Even so, it can be difficult for some overprotective parents and grandparents to say no.

“The language is the easy part. The parent can just say, ‘I can’t afford it. I don’t have extra,’” he says. “The difficult thing is in the parent’s head – feeling that they should or shouldn’t give.”

Guilt, although common, should never be part of the equation when it comes to deciding to financially support adult offspring. Here are three questions retirees might want to mull over first, so they can give with a clear conscience later.

Ask yourself:

1. CAN I AFFORD IT?

Financial planning is all about being proactive, so if you think you might want to help children or grandchildren out some day, don’t wait to figure out if you can afford it until after they come to you looking for a handout.

Instead, Mr. Mahabir sits down early on with clients and runs the retirement numbers. If they get the green light to give, say, $200,000 in total, he advises them to keep that information private.

“But then you know you can give the $20,000, $8,000 or $5,000 they’re asking for later without impacting the quality of your life,” he says.

2. WHAT’S MY OBJECTIVE?

In other words, if you’re going to pay for their car down payment, second university degree or phone bill, what’s in it for you? What’s your goal?

The one Mr. Mahabir hears a lot these days?

“I’m hoping to get my child out of the house!” he says, explaining that many parents anticipate that by helping their kids with a mortgage or first and last month’s rent in order to live on their own, that will help foster independence long term.

“I will generally go along with my client if that’s the goal,” he says. “It doesn’t mean it’s a clean ‘yes,’ but I would say, ‘Well, that makes sense. There’s a win-win objective here.’”

3. WHAT ARE MY LIMITS?

Constantly giving away money without an end in sight is a recipe for disaster. At some point there’s got to be compromise. Maybe that means saying you’ll pay for only half of that second university degree, and your child must pay the other half. Or if it’s a loan to start a small business, you ask for part of your loan to be repaid once the company turns a profit.

The tougher cases tend to be the ones where adult kids can’t seem to get on top of their finances and careen from crisis to crisis even after getting bailed out. They’re the ones asking grandparents for a loan to pay the heating bill, but show up for family Thanksgiving dinner driving a brand-new SUV.

“The next month comes around and they’re in the same position again,” Ms. Day says. “That’s when tough love has to come in.”

Sometimes that means simply saying no (and ducking for cover). But according to Ms. Day, there’s an even better solution: Get the kids some professional help. Maybe that’s emotional counselling or a few sessions with a trusted financial planner or money coach.

“That gift will bear much more fruit for the long term,” she says.

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What is is?

Post by Webscout » Tue Sep 18, 2018 9:51 am

Image

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Re: Something Of Interest?

Post by johnisasmith » Tue Sep 18, 2018 11:49 am

Looks like a trap to catch alive some creature. How big it is?

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Re: Something Of Interest?

Post by Webscout » Tue Sep 18, 2018 12:05 pm

Yes...a humaine mouse trap.

You then let them go to create havoc elsewhere :r

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Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong

Post by Webscout » Fri Sep 28, 2018 7:45 am

Everything You Know About Obesity Is Wrong

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https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/

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Meet the couple who only spent money on groceries, gas and experiences for a whole YEAR

Post by Webscout » Sat Sep 29, 2018 7:08 am

Meet the couple who only spent money on groceries, gas and experiences for a whole YEAR

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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3240832/The-family-decided-buy-year-two-young-children-didn-t-notice.html

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FACTORY OF THE FUTURE-THE AUTOMATIC FARM

Post by Webscout » Mon Oct 01, 2018 11:03 am

FACTORY OF THE FUTURE-THE AUTOMATIC FARM

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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/rob-magazine/article-the-automatic-farm/

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