2013 TFSA Annual Contribution Limit Increase

saving and spending (Photo credit: 401(K) 2012)

On November 26th, 2012, The Canadian government announced that it had boosted the limit on its popular Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA), by $500.

Beginning next year, the ceiling will be $5,500 a year.

When it introduced the savings vehicle in 2009, the government said the $5,000 limit would move in $500 increments tied to inflation. This is the first year that’s happening.

“An additional $500 in annual TFSA contribution room can have an important impact on the amount of tax-free savings an individual can earn,” the government said.

“Over a 20-year period, an individual can accumulate significantly more in TFSA savings than under the original $5,000 annual contribution limit. For example … a middle-income saver could accumulate about $2,340 more in tax savings on their investments than if the additional investment had been made in a taxable savings vehicle (unregistered account).”

The TFSA has been popular since it was introduced, though recent surveys suggest Canadians still need more education.

The latest survey by Bank of Montreal showed less than 50% of savers are putting in the maximum of $5,000 a year, though 57% say they will go to ceiling within the next five years.

But while 60% of those polled claim to be “knowledgeable” about the savings vehicle, only 44% knew the contribution limit and 37% didn’t know what TFSAs can hold, such as stocks and bonds.

See the government’s calculations, here.

For more TFSA information, please go to the CRA website, here.

How Time Flies: Happy 3rd Birthday Boo.

Wow. Time really does fly.

It seems like only yesterday when I was trying to figure out how to gear up for a tax-reporting season with our daughter on the way and unlike our previous two children, I was in no position to take any time off to spend with my family.

Then she arrived.

Now, today, she turned three years old!

Happy birthday Boo!

… and yes, girls are easier… at this age.  :)

So, Boo had her birthday party last Thursday because our nanny, Gamay, headed off today for a 7-week vacation back home in the Philippines and we wanted to make sure she was here for Boo’s birthday. Gamay has been with us since Stewie was almost 3-years-old, or around 3 1/2 years and her and Boo are quite the team.  Boo tickles her and Gamay has taught Boo how to speak, count and sing in Tagalog.  The two of them run upstairs in the mornings only to return 20 minutes later and Boo’s hair is braided and clipped up in a wonderfully different way each time, the teachers and Boo’s school can’t wait to see what style Boo will be sporting each day.  LOL.

When asked what she wanted for her birthday, Boo replied, “Hello Kitty cupcakes, cake and green beans”.  So easy to buy for.  I baked somewhere near 120 medium cupcakes for her party which my wife decorated the day before the event,  Teamwork!

The funny thing about having a birthday party for a three-year-old before her birthday, then taking her out for her birthday dinner on her actual birthday is that she thought she had 2 birthdays this year, the party being her birthday and tonight’s dinner out being her “other” birthday.

The only hiccup today was Linus trying to explain to her that she was still 2, until after 11pm because she was born that late at night. She kept checking with us, “Am I still 2?” and the more we tried to explain, the more upset she got. So we gave up and said, “yes, today is your birthday and you are three”.

Having a three-year-old means we finally get to push through some parenting improvements her way, like getting her away from asking us to feed her when she’s lazy, or asking us to take off her shoes every now and then.  She’s 3 now.  She has been sleeping commando for a couple of month now, but we agreed when she turned 3, she could get out of her bed in the middle of the night if she needed to pee instead of calling for me and waking up the house.

That might result in sleep…

Naw.

So aside from that, it’s amazing to see what an awesome little girl she has turned in to.  Still a much smaller version of my wife, Boo loves to sing, loves the colour pink, her Hello Kitty’s, elephants, unicorns and her brothers.  She looks more and more like she’s going to be left-handed like me and I think she’s going to be my only hockey player.

She’s sweet, she’s fun, she’s awesome and she’s 3.

Keep the Champagne on Ice, lefties, The Rob Ford Saga is not over yet.

Toronto City Council Chambers. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As soon as I heard that a judge had ruled that Toronto Mayor Rob Ford was found guilty of violating the Municipal Conflict Of Interest Act and ordered to be removed from office in 14 days, I knew that lefties in Toronto and on Toronto Council were in celebration mode.  I also knew that my Facebook page and blog were going to be quite popular with the “I told you so” comments.

I was correct.  Not only were there plenty of comments about the situation and questions about what happens next, but thrown in were the regular attacks on Ford for being; fat, boorish, dumb, uncultured, uneducated, balding and ignorant.  Whew.  Such attacks for a man who was voted in as Mayor or Toronto and was removed over $3100 which he never received but which went to an organization which helps children.  I guarantee no-one in Toronto would have ever done this to previous Mayor David Miller.  Never.

Adam Chaleff-Freudenthaler, the man who brought Paul Magder and Clayton Ruby together to bring down Ford in this conflict-of-interest court battle is a labour relations specialist for the association representing Ontario civil servants claims.  On his Twitter feed he states that he is a “non-profit exec” and “an advocate for strong communities and accountable government”.

Chaleff-Freudenthaler was a regular fixture around City Hall when David Miller was in power and he was a part of Olivia Chow’s Toronto Youth Cabinet.  As a union-employee and given Ford’s anti-union attitudes in Toronto (TTC, garbage collection, employees, etc) it’s no surprise that this played out the way it did.

You can read the entirety of the judge’s decision here.

The decision created an uncertain situation at Toronto City Hall.  Next steps will depend on the success of the Ford’s appeal and, if successful, the length of the ensuing court process.  If his appeal is not granted or is unsuccessful, Toronto City Council will either call a by-election or name someone as the interim Mayor for the duration of the term.  Already posturing for this interim role is the left-wing hope, Adam Vaughan, who speaks very well, rarely raises his voice, asks great questions and is slowly selling out the downtown core that is his ward to developers.

Even my left-leaning City Councillor, Joe Mihevc couldn’t hold back the giggles as he stated “Justice was done. There is not a law for people with power and those who don’t have power–it’s the same law. If you are the mayor of this city you have to respect conflict of interest legislation.”  Bad for Toronto, but great for the left-wing block in a non-partisan municipal government.

As Mayor, Ford provided the city with much less leadership than many had expected from him, instead finding him caught up in left vs. right politics and picking fights with anyone who dared to question or delay his clear vision on how Toronto should be run.  Granted, there were many on council like my own councillor Joe Mihevc who were ready for fighting from the day Ford was named Mayor.  With a council stacked with left-wing councillors, and the Toronto Star peeking in his backyard, Ford could do not right and the lefties attacked like never before.  Ford is too fat, he didn’t lose enough weight, he was not smart enough, he spent too much time on football, he was too tight with his brother… The list is seemingly endless and the public attacks on Ford were justified again and again by folks in downtown Toronto who Ford called “Commie Pinkos” and they felt that Ford discredited the city by being mayor, something I never understood.

Look at the alternative in the past election, George Smitherman.  Fresh off blowing $1 billion dollars of taxpayers money as deputy premier and former Minister of Health, the eHealth fiasco was the tip of the iceberg for the Ontario Liberal Party, yet somehow those in downtown Toronto felt Smitherman would be a better choice that Ford.  Maybe they could look past the horrid fiscal mismanagement and lack of apparent leadership but most Torontonians could not.  Smitherman as Mayor would mean tax, upon tax, upon tax.  Toronto would be bankrupt, but Smitherman would look good, eh?

Personally, I never found Ford to be the Mayor-type.  I recall his drunken outburst at a Leafs game quite a while back and I know he’s had some issues both personally and professionally, but Toronto was facing a major cash-crunch, property tax increases of 3% a year were the easy solution for the previous Mayor David Miller and a fiscal conservative was needed to get the books in order.   With no other choices, Toronto selected the one who pledged to “respect taxpayers” and Ford was brought to power.

Rough, crude, abrasive and brutish, Ford fought with everyone not because his views were unpopular, but because every decision he made was so heavily scrutinized in the left-leaning media that he was forced to defend each issue which he did a poor job of.  It got so out of control that even author Margaret Atwood was brought into the fray when Ford said that he was looking for “gravy” – or areas where he could reduce expenses by closing or selling off assets that the City owned or operated that he felt the City should not be responsible for.

Was it wrong to look at parts of the City where there were libraries very close to each other and suggest that one be closed and the other used instead?  Absolutely not, unless you’re a right-wing politician, then you are deemed to be anti-literature and next thing you know there are polls showing that Ms. Atwood would be a better choice for mayor.  That public outcry on this issue was embarrassing to the City.  The thought that a professional author could run a city was as asinine as suggesting that a councillor could write best-selling novels, yet the downtown Toronto folks lapped it up.

Was it wrong for Ford to contract out garbage pick-up in order to save money?  Not at all, and because this has also turned into a major service upgrade, no one complains.  How about contracting out the cleaning of TTC buses?  Another Ford suggestion which was faced with fire from unions only because they know that if taxpayers knew the TTC paid their unionized workers upwards of $80.00 and hour to clean only 2-buses on their shift, there would be an outcry.  Contracting this out may go against the unions but the cost-savings would be huge.

And was Ford wrong to suggest that Toronto needs subways, not LRT’s?  Again, no.  Toronto wants to be a world-class city but at the current pace and costs we’ll never see coverage of this expanding city in our lifetime.  Unionized workers are too expensive and take too long and Toronto cannot afford it, and Ontario blew all their money on stupid decisions not called eHealth but might be related to powerplants and buying elections so they cannot contribute.  Things were moving forward until Karen Stintz stepped in the way, drawing the ire of the Ford brothers and forcing on Toronto what they do not want.

It’s been a challenge for Ford, that’s no lie, and he’s played right into the hands of those who don’t want him there.  Instead of hiring people to act as buffers he preferred to lead as he always had as a long-serving councillor and that meant some bumps in the road, gaffs, and lots of photo-ops of him with a double chin and naked in a Toronto magazine that I will not mention here.

At the end of the day, no matter who the mayor of Toronto is, the left vs. right conflict has to come to an end.  Councillors are supposed to be non-partisan and should be serving their constituents and finding ways to expand transit, reduce gridlock, keep neighbourhoods safe, while preserving the history of the city and not wasting the taxpayers hard-earned money.  Our city should not be divided for political purposes between left-wing and right-wing or by downtown vs the suburbs.  We are all residents of Toronto and no matter where you live you should be able to receive answers to your questions and see progress in making this city more accessible and not wasting your tax dollars.

As an aside, see what punishment other Canadian Mayors in conflicts of interest situations received, here;

Related articles

• CHARLES ADLER – Dark day for democracy in Toronto (sunnewsnetwork.ca)
• Why Toronto’s left shouldn’t over-celebrate Mayor Rob Ford’s removal (o.canada.com)
• Blatchford: Behind the people who brought down Toronto Mayor Rob Ford (canada.com)

Entertaining at Holiday Time: Impress with these incredible drinks

(Photo credit: Joel Olives)

Last weekend we had some friends and their kids over for dinner and a playdate.  We ordered Indian Food for the adults from a place around the corner from us, and the kids ate plain noodles and raw veggies.  The adults had some quiet time to chat and catch up while the kids played and played.

To start off the adult part of the evening, we gathered around the kitchen island and had to choose between some red wine or a bottle of ready-made Pina Colada – a skinny version.   Everyone was eager to try the mixed drink but after a couple sips, it was roundly given the thumbs down for it’s lack of flavour.

The bottle looked great, but it was really disappointing.  Now I don’t normally drink, I’ll have a half a glass of red wine or a mixed drink containing Rye here and there but when I’m at home I like to try and create drinks for those who enjoy a good drink here and there.  In our house when I was growing up there was a huge bar in the basement which was kind of funny since no one in my house drank and we really didn’t entertain that much and never in the basement.  I used to pretend I was a bartender when I made ice cream floats for my friends and family.

But on this night I offered to make up a batch of Mud Slides – which contains Kahlua, coffee liquor, vodka, and cream.  If you have never had one, but you love the taste of sugary alcoholic drinks then be careful because not only do these taste like candy but they are REALLY high in calories.

Everyone declined, but I was ready to impress with my ability to follow a recipe and make drinks which tasted more like a dessert than a drink.  If I had more time, I would have picked a couple drinks from this article I found online here; http://www.casinotop10.net/Unusual-Cocktails-and-Drinks which has some pretty amazing drinks such as the “Toblerone”, or “Pickleback” or the “Green Donkey Show”.

With drinks like that who wouldn’t be impressed?!?

10 Ways to Tell if your Nanny Loves your Children

I recently received this article in my inbox from the kind folks at http://www.nanny.net and it covers a very important topic, how to tell if your nanny loves your child.

I think every first time employer, or an employer currently interviewing for a replacement caregiver should go through this list as it should help you understand when a connection has been made.  Having the emotional buy-in from your nanny in addition to the financial buy-in is critical to long-term success of this partnership and a way to keep your stress down.

Sometimes, you need a nanny and the nanny needs a job, and you both compromise and these relationships often end abruptly not because something has gone wrong but over time you both start to come to grips with the fact that it is just a job.  It’s easier to let go of those relationships than if there is an emotional buy-in, we all know that.  So if you have the time, see if there is a connection and if so and you can make it work do so.  Any child would be overjoyed to have that much love and both the employer and the caregiver will have an easier time on a day-to-day basis.

The link to the original article is below.

http://www.nanny.net/blog/10-ways-to-tell-your-nanny-loves-your-kids/

Related articles

• What can you expect from your nanny: Non-child care responsibilities. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)

The Importance of a Social Media Policy and Compliance to that Policy

English: Data that lists Social Media activities (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As a user of the Internet, for work or for play, it is extremely important to know and understand what the consequences can be when you use social media.

Many do not.

I am constantly amazed that people get caught doing, saying or showing things online which they later regret and the consequences of their actions can be very severe. It certainly changes the way people see them, and can change the way people treat them, with bullying, job loss, or lack of promotion some of the worse case scenarios.

I learned this the hard way. In the almost nine years since I started blogging I did so with the mistaken assumption that no one read my it and that the 5-10 hits a day were complete strangers who arrived there by error. Not having any comments, and being able to see the search engine terms used to get there it was easy for me to write whatever I wanted in complete anonymity. My blog was my forum to bitch, moan and complain about whatever I felt like, whenever I felt like it. Getting it all off my chest made me feel great.

Then it all came crashing down. I can recall this as if it were yesterday, when I hit send on one particular post from 2005 in which I complained about my employer and also lambasted some colleagues for their lack of work ethic. I never thought for a moment that there was a remote possibility that anyone from my company was reading my blog and that the information I wrote in that post, or in any of my previous posts were going to be spread around the office and used against me, like they were.

My hits over the next couple days went from 5-10 to 150 on that post and I started to receive anonymous ominous comments on that post. Stuff started to disappear from my desk, and I would get hang-ups in the middle of the night. Then some of my colleagues would start random conversations with me and include information from my blog that they would not have known if they did not read it there, like “how was the movie you saw Saturday with your wife at Yorkdale.” I was perplexed.

It was soon thereafter when I realized that I had made a really stupid mistake and if I wanted to continue to work there without having my stuff disappear, I would need to go into damage control and implement my own social media policy.

Some of the key points are below;

1) No mention of work. Ever. I’m a blogger building my brand first and foremost.
2) No mention of names of my family or friends unless they give me permission.
3) No posting of pictures on any form of social media except for family pictures on Facebook that I would be comfortable sharing with the world or a future employer.
4) I would never say anything online that I do not believe in or would not say face-to-face to someone.
5) If I am going to be critical of something or someone it had to be fact based and that required sources and a ton of research. No gossip or hearsay.
6) I am my own brand. I want my brand to be respected and taken seriously so I will have to treat others that way – good and bad.

The next thing I had to do was take a step back and see how this new social media policy worked for. I moved my blog from Blogger to WordPress and kept it hidden until I was sure that I could play by these rules. Once I came out from hiding, I not only started to play fairly, but I started to informally educate others about the consequences of using social media for I realized that whatever you post that can be traced back to you, or your brand, can and will be used against you at some point in your life.

I have seen people tagged in photos where they are with friends and drinking, and the picture is most unflattering – maybe they are winking but look drunk – or the comments to a photo are unflattering or rude, or a photo taken in an inappropriate position – like on the toilet, and even an innocent comment like “I’m bored” which shows up next to a mention about your place of employment. All these examples can have long-lasting consequences far from the original intent. Ignoring them is not an option and just removing them usually does not suffice either. Not being in that situation is the best choice a person can make, and letting others know if equally as important.

I’m being tough on myself, but it’s nothing compared to the tolerance that certain industries have for themselves and when tracking their massive employee base.

Financial services, for example, can be especially tough due to the high regulation and as an employer they must ensure that their employees are clear about the organizations expectations and the social media policy.

I, for example, when hiring for my tax units always spends a few minutes to check out the candidates Facebook page, LinkedIn profile and then I Googled them to see if there are any warning flags. To not do so, would be not be responsible on my behalf. If they post anything and their profiles are not neat and tidy it means either they are going to be social media nightmares for the company or I am going to have to do a lot of coaching and mentoring them to ensure they don’t get caught online harming the company’s image of their own brand.

One of the first discussions I would have with staff is to caution them about what they say when using certain social media outlets, like LinkedIn. If they are choosing to comment on posts and join discussions they have to remember that they are not just individuals commenting there but they are also employees so they have to be cautious to keep their comments on topic and away from anything which could get them fired or the company sued.

I treat all my online activities, whether blogged, tweeted, liked or commented on, which relate to any external business as being monitored and recorded by someone if the company is not doing it themselves. I expect the same from my staff, my colleagues and my peers. I know when I talk to staff who are not practicing safe, social media that it is just a matter of time before it catches up to them.

Implementing an effective social media compliance process isn’t rocket science especially when the company has a clear social media policy and everyone abides by it and that policy has to be more than reactionary and punitive. Effective companies outline how they interact with the world via social media and how they expect their employees to do so as well. Leading organizations empower employees to build the corporate brand but it is certainly a team effort every step of the way.

Almost every other department has a key role in shaping the message. Marketing defines the scope of the message, the IT group outlines which social technologies will be used and provides the devices to be used while the legal and social media compliance groups are critical to ensure that the messages meet the necessary regulatory criteria. Once all that is in order it is absolutely critical for the training and learning group to be engaged so that the organization be trained to understand the pros and cons of using the various forms of social media, the most common being Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

What most employees in large organizations do not know unless they are trained is that any output on a social media platform goes through a series of serious checks and balances before someone hits send. Static content, for example – such as Facebook and LinkedIn profiles – require documented pre-approval before being posted online, while interactive content such as updates to Twitter, LinkedIn, and other networks do not need to be vetted, however, regularly monitoring the content is extremely critical to ensure that there are no compliance violations or negative comments.

What most employees fail to understand is that these tight rules not only apply to business-related items posted by the organization but also if it comes from the employees personal social media accounts. It pays to think twice before speaking about your organization, their practices, clients or earnings.

Organizations keeping a close eye on their social media content in order to control the public message and ensure it is compliant with the organization’s policies and procedures. It also allows organizations to control their message and that makes sense from a brand perspective as quick accurate responses to comments shows a proactive organization while quick responses to, or removal of, derogatory or inappropriate messages displays a proactive social media policy. Keeping negative comments unanswered in a thread is a message to the general public that it is okay to pile on with more negative comments and spam the site. If these comments are removed and/or responded to quickly than others will think twice before hitting send.

Even prior to the monitoring the output, employees usually are not aware that many organizations prefer to control the message by utilizing tools to prevent rogue posts from ever hitting the web. Organizations assign limited permissions to certain employees and once that employee is finished creating a tweet, comment or update it is them moved into a queue to be edited or for managerial review before it moves to the compliance group, then on to marketing before it is approved and posted.

The best of these systems even come with their own archiving tools already built-in as financial services are heavily regulated and keeping all outgoing messages for a certain period of time, are a requirement of regulators.

Banning social communications altogether and hoping for the best, is no longer a viable alternative. Restricting communication, access to information and people networking is a practice which many organizations have been moving away from since smartphones have become commonplace on the hips of many employees. There is also the opinion that if organizations continue to resist, that their competitors and customers are moving ahead and talking about them to their current customers and to their potential customers.

To further that point, many organizations who are already heavy in social media are forging ahead with new social media positions, such as the social media compliance officer who among other things, lines up tweets for management’s approval and works closely with legal, marketing and training to ensure the right message is getting out and that all staff have been trained in a meaningful manner on the risk of non-compliance to these policies both for their personal brand and for their company.

Banks in particular, are moving forward quickly in all areas of social media, and with great reason. These customers tend to be more affluent and faster adopters of new, expense-cutting technology such as online and mobile banking, which makes them particularly valuable at a time when revenues are low and expense cutting makes the most sense. Getting them on the bank’s side also helps on the public relations front as these tech savvy folks are just as likely to comment online about good experiences, as they are to complain about bad ones.

So next time you fire up the computer, smartphone or tablet, make sure that before you press send that you are doing so responsibly. You don’t want to ruin your brand in a manner of seconds (or a few words) considering how long it took you to build it up.

Related articles

• The Importance of a Social Media Policy and Compliance to that Policy (intaxicating.wordpress.com)

Saturday Facebook Shorts

Flag of Regina.  Keeping it clean here… Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If you have not already “liked” The Urban Daddy on Facebook, then you really should run and do it right now.  I’ll wait.

…

http://www.facebook.com/TheUrbanDaddy  in case you need help.

Done? Smart choice, because I post things there which never make it to the blog because they are too small (in my opinion), too random or too silly.

But on the weekend we had some great conversations, the kids and I which I posted there, and I had to get them in here for everyone to enjoy.  The discussions my kids had on Saturday and both are them are about the “Vagina”, or “Bagina” as my daughter calls it, and it all stated with “Regina”.

1) 7-year-old Linus is learning the provinces of Canada at school.  He has just finished his oatmeal for breakfast this morning and he had taken his 6-year-old brother over to the couch so he could practice and teach his brother too.

Stewie; “Where is Saskatchewan?”

Linus; “Right here…”

Giggling (I knew where this was going)

Linus; “But where is Regina? Daddy… Where is Regina?”

Boo (who is sitting at the table eating her oatmeal) “Bagina? My Bagina is right here!”

Me; “No, not your bagina… Regina.”

Boo; “Oh. I’m so silly (giggling).”

Stewie is completely oblivious to the reference but laughs at the Bagina comment.

lol

 

2) I was trying to get Stewie to take a bath with his sister and I told her that he was dirty.

He said; “I’m not dirty!”

“Yes you are”, I said. “You were born dirty!”

“Of course I was born dirty” he replied. “Everybody is born dirty.”

“Yes, they are.” I nodded in his direction.

“They are born dirty because they are born out of their mother’s bums.”

“Excuse me?” I said.  ”So you’re telling me that all 8lbs of you came out of your mother’s bum?”

“Yes”, he said.  That is how they get the baby out of their stomach.  Out through the bum.”

Before I could say anything, Boo piped in to educate her big brother, “Nooooo.  Babies come from the Bagina, not from the Bum.”

So there.

I’m not sure how she knew that, but I’m more surprised that he didn’t know that.

Related articles

• Thursday Thirteen: 13 Weird Eating Habits (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• My Oldest Son Doesn’t Like His Name! (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Guest Blogger: Stewie writes! (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Does this sound foreign to you too: “If The Big Show came to our house, would he fit through the door?” (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Family Movie Night: We saw ET. Movie reviewed by my kids. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Thursday Thirteen – My 13 Most Memorable Posts of my first 900 Posts. (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)

O’ Canada: I know you changed the name of a Province not too long ago… Right?!?

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador in Canada (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve got to stop making bets with my wife that I lose.  She tells me that she never makes a bet that she will lose, however I try time and time again.

Now I’ve got more than her to challenge me.  I’ve also got Linus to fare with.  He likes to interject his opinion on the world – whether he knows what he’s talking about or not – when he says; “Actually”…Then he throws out his 2 cents worth.    For example he is studying the Provinces and their capitals in school, and while I was testing him, he corrected me and said; “Actually, Toronto is the Capital of Canada and Ontario is the Capital of Toronto.”

Yup.

So after my wife and I set him straight (with a little help from Siri to reinforce the point) we decided to have a discussion about the provinces and territories in Canada as a family.  Note: I think he gave in because he 100% trusts what his mother tells him, clearly more than what I have to say, because mummy is a teacher, and teachers know everything!

In our discussion I mentioned that recently – within the past 10 years – Canada added a territory and changed the names of a province and a territory and that I did not believe it was Newfoundland, but I was not sure.  So we discussed, they called me crazy, we discussed some more, they were convinced I was crazy and we left it at that.

Later that evening we had friends over and with all 7-children in the basement playing I again brought this up to our distinguished guests and after my explaining that there was a recent name change or 2, there were now 4 additional people calling me crazy.

The sticking point here for my wife was that when she was in school she was taught that the province of Newfoundland was really Newfoundland and Labrador and if this was the name change I was thinking of, then I cannot say it occurred “recently” because 1949 was not recent.   I agreed.

So I went to Wikipedia and provided this update for my wife and guests:

On January 4th, 1999, Nunavut split from Northwest Territories.  Nunavut was assigned “NU" as its province code in mid-2000.

That we knew.

On December 6th, 2001, an amendment to Canada’s federal Constitution Act officially approved a name change from the easternmost province of Newfoundland to the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.  The move for change began in the early 1990s to provide “symbolic but important recognition of Labrador’s status as a full and vital partner within the province, with its own unique geography, history and culture.”   On October 21st, 2002, NL was recognized as the provincial symbol for Newfoundland and Labrador, replacing NF.

Insert huge smile here.

But there was more…

On January 1st, 2003, The name of Yukon Territory was changed to Yukon.

So Dads, if you ever decide to Google the term, “I was right”, you will probably come to this post.  Not only was I right, but I educated 5 adults, 7 children (and myself).

Now you know too.

Related articles

• What is the top tourist attraction in Canada? (lfpress.com)
• Newfoundland’s food revolution (matadornetwork.com)
• Targa Newfoundland: To drive and survive in a 2006 Mini Cooper S JCW rally car (motortrend.com)

Thursday Thirteen: Short and Sweet. 13 Cool Songs about Woman.

mjc-2012-08-15-IMG_0996 (Photo credit: wiccked)

Not feeling very original today, lol, when I found this post sitting in my draft folder from April.  It was mostly complete, only missing the last three songs, which at that time seemed impossible… That was until SongPop came along. 

I love SongPop.

Too much.  I’m good at it.  REALLY good at it.  Every, every genre, I can hold my own and some I kick ass in and some make me laugh but I feel bad for new challengers because with the tournament format of this game I’ve only been owned by 2 or 3 people.  And by owner I mean losing all 10-15 games we play.  In most cases, it’s me winning all the games, and certainly winning the tournaments. 

Not that I’m keeping count, but in the 200 tournaments I have played, I would suspect that I have lost maybe 20 of them. 

But let’s move past SongPop (challenge me if you would like to lose) and onto the this week’s Thursday Thirteen.  So sit back, grab a box of kleenex, turn on iTunes and get ready to find your inner female.

Here are 13 cool songs about women.

13. “Beth” -Kiss. This 1976 tearjerker was a big hit for the rock group Kiss and although the name “Beth” was fictional, the song –  about band members missing their ladies while they were out on tour – was all true.

12. “Rosanna” - Toto - The song was written by David Paich, who has said that the song is about several girls he had known.  As a joke, the band members initially played along with the common assumption that the song was about Rosanna Arquette, who was dating Toto keyboard player Steve Porcaro at the time and coincidentally had the same name.  Hmmmm.  Had me fooled too.

11. “Sweet Caroline”- Neil Diamond. Although the identity of the “Caroline” in this 1969 song wasn’t discovered until 2007- when Neil Diamond revealed that the song was about Caroline Kennedy, who was 11-years-old at the time the song was recorded.  

10. “Angie” – The Rolling Stones. The “Angie” in this 1973 Rolling Stones hit song has always been speculated upon, with the most common story being that it’s about Mick Jagger’s rumored affair with David Bowie’s ex-wife, Angela.  Jagger never gave the story any credibility, though.  And since Stones guitarist Keith Richards had a daughter named Angela born in 1972 (she was also immortalized in the song “Dandilion”) it’s possible they just used the name “Angie” because they liked it.

9. “Diana” - Bryan Adams - The song, written in March 1984, was intended as a light, comedic song about the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer.  The song was not included on Adams’ Reckless album because Adams was worried about offending the royal couple so it was later released as a b-side on the single, “Heaven” which happens to be our wedding song.  Though the song is assumed to be about Diana and Prince Charles, the song never explicitly identifies the characters as such. Furthermore, is it never mentioned what Diana does (other than being a well-known celebrity), nor is Charles mentioned by name or title.  A royal connection is made, though, in that Diana is identified by the narrator as “the queen of all my dreams”.  Adams often performed the song during his live concerts up until the day of Diana’s death after which he retired the song permanently.

8. “Amanda” - Boston - This was the first single Boston released after a 7-year layoff and was their first and only #1 hit.  The song is actually very romantic, with Brad Delp singing about telling his girl “I Love You” for the first time.  ”Amanda” was most likely chosen as a name because it scans so well, the perfect word to follow lines like “I’m gonna tell you right away, I can’t wait another day…”

7. “Billie Jean” - Michael Jackson – There are contradictory claims to what the song’s lyrics refer to. One suggests that they are derived from a real-life experience, in which a female fan claimed that MJ had fathered one of her twins.  Jackson himself, however, stated that “Billie Jean” was based on groupies he had encountered.

6. “Cecilia” - Simon and Garfunkel – Paul Simon who this song and suggested that it’s about St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music in the Catholic tradition, and thus the song might refer to the frustration of fleeting inspiration in songwriting, the vagaries of musical fame or in a wider sense the absurdity of pop culture.  The song is generally interpreted as a lament over a capricious lover who causes both anguish and jubilation to the singer.

5. “Nikita” - Elton John.  This song was about the Cold War from John’s 1985 album.

4. “Oh Sherrie” - Steve Perry.  The song was Perry’s biggest hit as a solo artist and written for his then-girlfriend Sherrie Swafford, who also appeared in the music video.

3. “Dirty Diana”- Michael Jackson. This song is quite different from most of MJ’s other songs as it’s darker and more seductive.  This song is about a groupie.

2. ”Jenny/ 867-5309″- Tommy Tutone.  Snopes confirmed that the phone number mentioned in the song- 867-5309- has been a thorn in the phone company’s side for years.  But it has made for a very memorable song. For a good time, call.

1. “Venus” – Shocking Blue. A song about Venus which became the most popular when covered by Bananarama, however in their version they sing, “Venus was his name”.  Silly Bananarama…

Honourable Mentions:

“Maria” – Rage Against the Machine

“Judith” – A Perfect Circle

“Pamela” – Toto

“My Michelle” - Guns “n” Roses 

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Urban Daddy Recommends: WineWire.ca

This blog does not regularly endorse products or services.  That’s not why I started writing all the way back in 2004, however, I will mention, endorse or support products or services which I believe in, or feel that might be of interest to my readership. 

As a result, I am supporting this new Canadian business venture because I like the business model, it’s a Canadian business and, I know a wide variety of my readership, who have kids, could benefit from knowing this service exists, especially when planning a nice dinner a home with their spouses or when they want to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with friends or family.  I can’t tell you how many times over the years we have been invited over to friend’s houses or on playdates knowing that the hosts enjoy a very nice bottle of wine and not knowing what to bring with or if it’s any good. 

WineWire.ca, which launched in Ontario in September 2012, offers wine lovers an option beyond the catalogue of imported wines available at the LCBO by offering the first-ever one-stop location to learn about, discuss and purchase imported wines from a large selection of independent wine agencies, whose consignment wines are typically available only in licensed restaurants and bars.

At the time of its launch, WineWire.ca featured more than 250 individual wines for sale from a roster of 18 wine agents.  With approximately 130 active wine agents in Ontario, representing close to 10,000 unique wine listings (almost three times the number of wines on the LCBO’s general retail list), the number of wines and agents represented on WineWire.ca will grow significantly.

WineWire.ca acts as an independent marketing representative for the wine agencies that choose to promote their products on the site and has developed a convenient online ordering mechanism to enable customers to purchase the wines directly from the agent. WineWire.ca does not directly handle any part of the actual buyer-seller transaction. 

Consignment wines are wines that are not available for sale in LCBO retail outlets because they have not been selected by the liquor board’s merchandising group responsible for filling the LCBO’s shelves.  Consignment wines are typically bought and sold by restaurants and other licensed establishments. Individual wine enthusiasts can purchase consignment wines through WineWire.ca which come directly from wine agents in case lots.

The power of choice rests with the customer.

Care to learn more?  You can head over to www.winewire.ca, or you can continue reading the FAQ’s below which should provide some answers to questions you may have before you try this service.

FAQ’s

1. Q: Does WineWire.ca actually sell the wines promoted on its site?

A: No. WineWire.ca acts as an independent marketing channel for wine agencies that choose to promote their products on WineWire.ca who have developed a convenient online ordering mechanism to enable customers to purchase wines directly from the agent.  WineWire.ca is a wine marketing business who does not directly handle any part of any actual transaction that occurs between the wine agent and customer.  WineWire.ca passes the order and payment information in a secure manner directly to the agent for payment and delivery. 

2. Q: Isn’t the sale and purchase of alcohol over the Internet in contravention of a number of legal statutes and regulations?

A: No. The sale, distribution and purchase of alcohol is strictly regulated in every provincial jurisdiction across Canada and WineWire.ca adheres to both the spirit and letter of these laws.  Similarly, any wine agent who promotes their products on WineWire.ca is contractually bound to abide by all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of alcohol.

3. Q: How big is the potential market for online wine sales in Canada?

A: Huge. Consumer spending on wine in Canada has been steadily increasing for the past decade, with some estimates pegging the total sales volume at almost $6.5 billion for 2012. Currently, online wine sales in Canada account for less than 2% of the total volume but it’s growing.

4. Q: Do people really buy wine online? 

A: There have traditionally been very strict restrictions on the sale and distribution of wine, spirits and beer between provinces. These restrictions have inherently worked against the emergence of the kind of online wine sales and delivery services you might find in the U.S. or Britain, but there is still a great deal of room for growth in this country, even working within the confines of these restrictions.  Over time, we’re hopeful that the rules and regulations will be amended to allow WineWire.ca to offer our services across provincial borders.

5. Q: Is it possible for minors to illegally acquire alcohol by ordering from WineWire.ca?

A: No, there are very strict regulations governing the delivery of wine and other alcoholic beverages to persons under the legal drinking age.  Agents must adhere to all applicable laws and regulations regarding the sale and distribution of alcohol. Anyone making a wine purchase through WineWire.ca must be at least 19 years of age and must present valid government-issued age of majority identification when the order is delivered.

6. Q: The concept of online wine sales in Canada is not entirely new, so what makes WineWire.ca so different?

A: WineWire.ca does not hold an exclusive relationship with any one wine importer or producer and visitors to WineWire.ca have the opportunity to learn about, discuss and purchase wines from any of the many competing wine agencies that choose to list their products on our site.   The power of choice rests with the customer. That’s the way it should be.

7. Q: What are consignment wines?

A: Consignment wines are privately imported wines distributed by agents through the Speciality Services department of the LCBO. For the most part, consignment wines are bought and sold by restaurants and other licensed establishments. However, individual
wine consumers can also purchase consignment wines from wine agents who import the wine, as long as they agree to purchase the product in case lots.  Case lots usually contain 6 or 12 bottles per case.

8. Q: What if I have a complaint about a purchase I made through WineWire.ca?

A: Customers should direct any customer service enquiries directly to the agent in question, however, if you have a serious complaint about the business conduct of any wine agency promoting its products on WineWire.ca, we want to hear about it.  Contact us
directly at 1-855-517-7555, or by e-mail at info@winewire.ca.

9. Q: Can I purchase wines from WineWire.ca if I live outside of Ontario.

A: Not currently. However, WineWire.ca plans to roll out its online marketplace for imported consignment wines to other provinces in the relatively near future. Follow our ”News” section on our website or follow us on Twitter @WineWireCA for updates.

10. Q: Can I mix and match bottles within the same case order?

A: No. Wine agents are only permitted (and licensed) to sell wine by the case lot.  Unfortunately, this prevents the agent from mixing wines within the same case order.

11. Q: Does WineWire.ca only represent imported wines?  What about Canadian wines?

A: In addition to consignment wines exclusively imported from outside of Canada, WineWire.ca will also feature Ontario VQA wines not available at the LCBO.  These wines will be available on WineWire.ca as they are made available to us, so please check back regularly for details. 

12. Q: Does WineWire.ca only promote new release wines, or are vintages also available?

A: The selection of wines available through the agencies listing their products on WineWire.ca is extremely wide, from new releases in every price category to premium vintages and rare finds.

13. Is there a standard delivery schedule / fee for wines purchased on WineWire.ca?

A: Although delivery times will vary among the wine agencies selling their products through WineWire.ca, most wines can be delivered within 3 – 10 business days.  The delivery fee to have the wine delivered to your door is set by the agency.  Alternatively, if it is more convenient, you can have your wine delivered to a LCBO store anywhere in Ontario at no cost.  Customers choosing this option can expect delivery of their wine in about 2 to 3 weeks.

14. Q: How do I order a wine I’ve read about on WineWire.ca?

A: You simply browse the wines available on WineWire.ca, click “Add to Cart”, fill out your personal and delivery information and the agent representing the wine will call you to arrange for payment and delivery.  You can also call 1-855-517-7555 to place an order by phone.

15. Q: Is there a minimum order size I must place?

A: Yes. Due to strict provincial restrictions surrounding the sale of consignment wines, you must order at least one case lot at a time, which is usually 6 or 12 bottles.

16. Q: Is there any way I can try a wine before ordering it?

A: WineWire.ca promotes wine tasting events across Ontario, where many of the wines featured on our site can be sampled in a fun and lively atmosphere. Many individual wine agents also participate in wine tasting events in their local markets. Details are available on our website or on Twitter @WineWireCA.

17. Q: Are HST and bottle recycling deposits included in the price of the wines on WineWire.ca?

A: Yes. All prices presented on WineWire.ca are inclusive of HST and bottle recycling deposits.

18. Q: I am ready to place an order!  Is there any way I can track it once it has been placed?

A: Yes. All registered customers who order wine using WineWire.ca will be able to track the status of their order at our website under the “My Account” link. Also, WineWire.ca will automatically email the customer when their order is being processed and when it has shipped.

19. Q: What if I need to cancel my order? How do I do that?

A: If a customer needs to cancel or adjust an order for any reason, they simply need to contact the agent over the phone.  WineWire.ca provides the customer with the representing wine agent’s full contact information to ensure total satisfaction.

20. Q: Am I able to pick up my order in person?

A: Most wine agents are happy to allow you to pick up your wine in person at their offices.  We encourage you to discuss this option with the wine agent when they contact you to arrange for payment and delivery.

So if you are a wine-lover, or are curious about wine and want to learn more, then you must visit www.winewire.ca and make sure to check out all the episodes of Wine Wire TV where WineWire’s co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Adam Bekhor – a candidate with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust diploma program and Nelson Abreu – Wine Wire’s co-founder and Chief Operating Officer (who has earned his diploma with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and was elected a member of the Wine Judges Commission of Canada) educate and enlighten you about the wines they have featured. 

In addition, if you are in Toronto, the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo (GFWE) runs this weekend, November 15th to 18th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and WineWire.ca will be there.

If you’ve never been to the GFWE you have no idea what you are missing, especially if you love wine, as they have over 1,500 wines, beers and spirits at this year’s Expo, meaning you won’t be hard pressed to find a bunch of new offerings, including dynamic options from around the world. 

The GFWE provides everyone with the opportunity to sample a tremendous variety of wine that they may never have had a chance to try before.   

“There are so many great wines out there and the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo is the ideal place to learn about the differences between selections from around the world,” said Christopher Waters of the Gourmet Food & Wine Expo. “You can sample the wines from Chile, jump over to France, go to Germany, then over to California and then finish in Ontario and discover what makes each region’s offerings so unique.”

One of the highlighted Ontario wineries at the Expo this year is Southbrook Vineyards, located in Niagara-On-The-Lake. Southbrook Vineyards is Canada’s first certified biodynamic winery and is also certified organic. The winery produces a wide variety of options such as the traditional Chardonnays, Syrahs, Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots but also branches out into fruit wines and the Canadian classic – Icewine.

 “If you consider yourself a bit of a wine expert or just want to check out some of the 2012 InterVin International Wine Award winners we invite you to the Fine Wine Tasting Lounge. Guests can sample rare premium consignment, vintages and private order wines in this casual, yet truly distinctive setting,” said Waters.

For more information on how to buy your admission or sample tickets, visit www.foodandwineexpo.ca.

Here is the link to a printable coupon for $4.00 off the entrance fee to the show from their website; http://foodandwineexpo.ca/sites/foodandwineexpo_ca/upload/pdfs/2012/GFWE_web_Coupon.pdf

General Admission tickets are $20.00 (before coupon) and keep in mind, parents, that there are no infants or children permitted at the Expo.

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