Canada's high tax rates driving talented workers to leave the country - "Canada’s personal tax rates are too high, as many of us realize. There are numerous data sources that consistently put this country’s personal tax rates amongst the highest on Earth... Canada used to be the U.S.’s largest trading partner, but it lost its top spot to China a few years back and the two countries have been jockeying for top spot ever since. However, Mexico has surpassed Canada in 2023 and China has slipped below Canada... One of the first things the Liberals did when they came to power in 2015 was create a new top-end personal tax bracket, effective as of 2016. They introduced it with the awful speaking point of “we’re asking (high-income earners) to pay just a little bit more.” You can quickly appreciate why that phrase is offensive when you understand how much high-income earners already pay as a percentage of the whole. The high personal tax rates and the continued threat of more targeted increases (such as the threat of the introduction of a wealth tax, capital gains inclusion rate increases and the recent horrible amendments to the alternative minimum tax) have also contributed to the significant amount of high-income earning Canadians to consider leaving Canada. In my practice, the number of files I have worked on in the past five years for Canadians who are exploring leaving (or have now left) has far exceeded the cumulative number of files in my entire 30-year career to that point. The actual number of Canadians leaving is small compared to the recent number of immigrants, but it is the outsized amount of wealth, income and loss of future tax revenues associated with that small number of highly productive Canadians that is scary."
Left wingers don't care about destroying the economy, since they hate the rich and want "degrowth" anyway
Guy Benson on X - "House Republicans, despite nursing a razor thin majority, expelled George Santos over his criminal charges. In a 51-49 Senate, here are more criminal charges against Democrat Bob Menendez, who’s still just…there."
ZUBY: on X - "There is a healthy balance to be found between conservatism and liberalism. Too much of the former, and you have no creativity, innovation, or freedom. Too much of the latter and you end up in clown world, with high crime, broken families, and stupid policies."
Europe: Warnings Of Coordinated Terror Attacks On Christmas Crowds - "Officials in Austria, Germany and Spain have all received indications that an Islamist group was planning several attacks in Europe, possibly on New Year's Eve and Christmas, the German daily Bild reported"
An emotional support alligator at a Phillies game? What really happened - "An emotional support alligator walks into a ballpark ... and is asked to leave. That's the story that's made headlines in recent days, thanks to viral photos and videos showing Wally — a six foot long, 55 pound alligator wearing a harness and leash — and his human companion outside of Citizens Bank Park during a Phillies game... He's posed for photos at City Hall with the mayor of York and visited seniors at a local retirement home. And he was the visual reference for Alligator Loki in the hit Disney+ show Loki. "He's actually world-famous," Henney said. Which is how he scored an invite to meet the Phillies... Wally attracts attention wherever he goes. And it's hard not to, seeing that he's the first reptile to be legally certified as an emotional support animal, according to Henney. It might be because he walks on a leash. It could be because of the red harness with his name on it. And it definitely has something to do with the fact that his mouth isn't taped shut, because he doesn't bite."
Meme - "Tech horror stories thread
>be Indian
>work as a code monkey at one of the smaller offshore development sweatshops
>get project from Filipino client
>requirements are unclear, contact clients team
>client lets slip that they're an outsourcing house too and the project is somewhere from eastern Europe
>Filipinos don't do any developement, just pass it to a cheaper contractor (in this case us) aka middlemen
>months pass, no progress
>find out the eastern European guys are an outsourcing house as well, and they don't do any developement and the actual client is somewhere from UK
>every piece of info, document takes months to arrive since there are 4 different companies in the mix
>6 months pass, barely any progress
>turns out the Filipino guys misunderstood the scope of the project since the eastern Europeans refused to share their requirement document
>that means the requirement document our guys created was at best based on an errenuous understanding of the project from the Filipinos
>leave company
>ff 4 years
>project is still "in development'
>brit clients are nearly bankrupt"
">>be Indian
stopped reading right here, too scary"
It’s time to dust off Margaret Thatcher’s young entrepreneurs schemes - "The Enterprise Allowance Scheme is largely forgotten now. But Margaret Thatcher’s plan for backing budding entrepreneurs was a significant success. This is surely the moment to dust it off and launch a revamped version. Right now, we are going to be paying young people to sit around doing nothing – when we could be paying them to start something up for themselves instead. Mrs Thatcher was never a great fan of handing out government money, especially with very few strings attached. She hated subsidies, insisted the market would eventually fix most problems when left to itself, and wanted people to take responsibility for improving their own lives. It was a rugged, individualistic view of the world. She did make one important exception, however. She backed a scheme that essentially gave lots of twentysomethings free money for messing around and having fun. The EAS was launched in 1981. At the time unemployment was hurtling towards three million, and a shocking 30pc of young people had no jobs. The Specials’ Ghost Town was a great song but it also topped the charts that summer because it reflected the bleak prospects most of its audience faced. The EAS paid anyone who signed up £40 a week, about £160 in today’s money, for a year. They had to be unemployed, and they needed £1,000 in savings or loans. But that was about it. True, you had to submit a business plan, but didn’t need to get your idea approved. There were no committees monitoring your performance. There was nothing to repay, and the support wasn’t scaled back if the business made money. You could just go off and try something out, with some free money to help you along the way. The Thatcher government, true to its free-market instincts, didn’t try to pick winners, or work out which sectors of the economy would grow. The result was that businesses that would never have got past a Treasury-dominated selection committee – and certainly not one from the 1980s – were given a chance. Viz magazine, for example. Or Alan McGee’s Creation Records, which went on to launch Oasis, as well as Julian Dunkerton, who went on to found Superdry, or the artist Jeremy Deller, who went on to win the Turner Prize. Money was thrown around largely indiscriminately, based on whether you wanted to give something a try. Overall, the results were surprisingly impressive. At its peak, 100,000 young people were enrolled in the scheme. A study at the time from the World Bank found that for every 100 people taking part, 64 jobs were created. According to a report from the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, it created 325,000 jobs at a cost to the Treasury in today’s money of £4,200 each. Eighteen months after signing up, 65pc of recipients were still running the business they had started, and a fifth of them had started employing someone who was not part of it. A quarter of them were under 25. They were young people embarking on a career in entrepreneurship and self-employment which, in many cases, was to last for the rest of their careers. It had its critics at the time, and it didn’t last forever, but it was relatively cheap, and made an impact. The EAS had two big advantages. First, it launched a new generation of entrepreneurs. It removed the personal financial risk of starting a new business. You had money coming in to get you through the first few months when there weren’t yet any customers. And the jobs were largely permanent, because they were mostly in growth industries. For example, a lot of the computer games industry, which was just starting to emerge, was helped by the EAS. So were the new breed of indie record labels, and the UK has maintained its place as a world leader in the music industry. Perhaps most importantly of all, it shifted the mood. It offered opportunity, at a time when that was in short supply, and it helped convert a generation to enterprise and innovation. These things are hard to measure, but it is not a great exaggeration to argue that the boom in start-ups began in the early 1980s has continued ever since."
Meme - Cat: "You mean to tell me... that I get to live in this house rent free for the rest of my life... WITH THREE MEALS A DAY, ATTENTION ON DEMAND ANd A 6 FT TALL PERSONAL SERVANT WHO CLEANS My TOILET... IN EXCHANGE FoR My BALLS. Hm."
Outdated on arrival, ERP 2.0 is the type of costly technology project Singapore should avoid - "Now, unfortunately, comes the unwanted rollout of a costly project that has taken nearly 20 years to complete, if you count its early efforts. It is clearly outdated and inconvenient for users. Many questions have already been raised about this “next-gen” ERP 2.0 unit when it was unveiled two years ago. Most damning was why it was even necessary. Okay, it will use satellite tracking to monitor how many kilometres you drive, but there are now no plans for the distance-based road pricing that it enables, despite skyrocketing car prices due to record COE (certificate of entitlement) costs. In other words, one of the biggest reasons for the new ERP 2.0 unit isn’t relevant today, unless transport policy changes. And the ugly road gantries that have sprung up over the years will remain, at least for now. What about the other “next-gen” features? Real-time traffic information? Well, isn’t there Google Maps or Waze for that? Some cars even have these features built in now and they have bigger screens nicely integrated into the dashboard. In saying that its own screen is optional, the LTA this week also pointed out that a mobile app could be used to access some of these services on the go. It’s even going to have a software development kit (SDK) that developers can use to create apps to tap on these services. You wonder why that hadn’t been been in the plans earlier, as smartphones came into the picture, starting with the iPhone in 2007. And how is it that a project to track cars in Singapore has taken years to complete, when an app used to track people in the country during the pandemic took just weeks? The answer lies in the approach to technology projects. Today, big organisations, including governments, want to build infrastructure and digital services in a modular format, so each building block can be reused and upgraded constantly. This way, these digital services can be launched fast and don’t become obsolete by the time they are ready. Since they are constantly iterated, they also don’t end up outdated as technologies improve over time. One look at the ERP 2.0 unit that drivers are being made to install now tells you it is built the old way... At a time when the Singapore government as a whole is embracing the public cloud and AI technologies, it is a surprise to hear the LTA justifying why its project has to be so “bespoke” and custom-made. It has chosen not to use a common smartphone system because of the trouble with the different phone models and operating systems, for example. Plus, it needs to ensure a mobile app is functioning and has a cellphone connection, it says. Really? Does the LTA not know, for example, that you can identify yourself digitally with your Singpass app to cast a vote in an election? Plus, carry out all manners of transactions with the government and also transfer lots of money from a bank account? If citizens have been told it is okay to trust the phone as a wallet and personal identifier, why do they need a whole separate system just to pay road toll? The only good thing about this ERP 2.0 episode is that it’s a valuable lesson on how not to build massive technology projects that end up outdated by the time they are finally ready. Back in 2020, then-Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung also acknowledged in a Facebook post that the way the ERP 2.0 system was developed had to be improved. Unfortunately, by then, the government had already commissioned the S$556 million project and changes in design would affect the contract. So, now, it has to be rolled out, even if it inconveniences citizens who don’t want it in their cars and when distance-based pricing isn’t in the plans. Tellingly, the LTA will even give you the screen if you opt out of it. You can only swallow it as another sunk cost in the world’s most expensive place to own a car."
India’s ‘Little Afghanistan’ showcases cuisine rich in taste – and history - "Unlike spicy Indian cuisine, Malik adds, Afghan food is light and allows the taste of the meats and veggies to shine through. “Bread is the soul of our food,” he said. “In Kabul, no one makes bread at home. It is our tradition to buy bread from the naanwais down the lane, usually men who knead the dough and make fresh bread throughout the day.” Apart from being used as a vehicle to mop up sauces or an accompaniment to Afghan soup – a bubbling pot of yellow gravy, shredded chicken and chickpeas – bread is also integral to the Afghan burger, a towering creation of chapli kebabs, roughly cut potato fries, salad and a tangy salsa, all wrapped in a naan. Indian cuisine has a profound Afghan influence, according to Amit Bagga, the co-founder of Daryaganj, a pan-Indian restaurant chain launched in the 1950s that serves Afghan-inspired food. “Kebabs were brought to India by the Afghans. Seekh kebabs and chapli kebabs both trace their provenance to the country’s Pashtun region,” he said. “Arab travellers passed through Afghanistan on their way to India along the Silk Route that criss-crossed Central Asia. A rich culture took hold at this crossroads, and with it was born a complex cuisine that has survived the ravages of war, invasion and internal upheaval.” Bagga added that the creamy chicken tikkas popular in India, marinated in a rich cashew paste, originated in Afghanistan. “Even the tandoor, now intrinsic to Indian cuisine, as well as the concepts of roasting birds, and barbecuing food, were all brought in from Afghanistan,” he said... Even today, Afghan dried raisins, almonds, figs, pine nuts, pistachios, and apricots – apart from fresh fruits such as pomegranates, apples, apricots, and cherries – are an integral part of the Indian diet. These commodities also comprise the bulk of trade between India and Afghanistan"
How Did The British Influence Indian Cuisine? - "Spices such as saffron and cardamom were combined with traditional British herbs like rosemary, bay leaf, and thyme to create new flavorful combinations. The combination of spices created a unique flavour profile for Indian food that would eventually become synonymous with its culture. In addition to introducing new flavours, the British also popularized certain dishes in India that had not previously existed there. Many popular curries today are adaptations of English classics; for instance, Chicken Tikka Masala is based on chicken tikka, which originated in Britain but now enjoys immense popularity in India. Whether it’s through influencing existing recipes or creating entirely new ones, it is clear that Britain played a significant role in shaping Indian cuisine into what we know today... The influence of foreign cuisines on Indian food began early in history, with invasions from Central Asia bringing spices like cumin into India’s kitchens. Portuguese traders brought sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cashews and chillies, while Dutch merchants introduced cucumbers and bitter gourds to the subcontinent... From savoury pies to puddings, many dishes that were once considered exotic in Indian kitchens are now commonplace. Spices such as cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg have become staples in recipes nationwide due to their affordability and availability during this period. In addition to spices, the British brought vegetables like potatoes, onions and carrots into India, adding even more flavour and variety to traditional Indian dishes... the popularity of curries in southern India – one of which has even been declared its national dish! Although curry recipes are thought to have originated from British soldiers during colonial times, they were quickly adopted by locals... The same applies to sweets like puddings or custards, which remain popular desserts today despite being brought centuries ago by English settlers. By adding Indian touches such as saffron or cardamom into these treats, bakers created unique flavour combinations that still tantalize our taste buds today"
There was some meme claiming the Spanish influenced Filipino food and the French influenced Vietnamese food, but the Indians influenced British food
How Indian food curried favour with the British, and vice versa - "One dish invented on a long journey by resourceful chefs was the Railway Mutton curry using English and Indian spices, coconut milk and potatoes, and served with dinner rolls... the British introduced India to tea drinking... While Anglo Indian cuisine was influenced by various European settlements in India, like the Portuguese, the strongest influence was undoubtedly the British. “Bread puddings and custard are standard Indian comfort food today,” said Dalal."
How the British sandwich became a uniquely Indian meal - "Forget samosas and bhajis, Indians love their sandwiches and gravitate daily to their favourite street corner stalls to enjoy slices of bread with every kind of filling from paneer to pizza... For centuries, Indians have had their own breads such as naan and chapatis made of wheat flour, but the Western concept of bread (and refined flour) was brought to the nation by the British and the Portuguese colonisers and is now part of the country’s culinary culture. “It was the Portuguese who introduced India to Western style bread as a concept. When they came to Goa in India’s west, they longed for their bread and started making it themselves using a little toddy to ferment it (they did not have yeast) in improvised ovens, and pao (pav) bread was born, which is a common bread eaten by the masses all over Western India and used in street food like vada pav (pao bread and a deep-fried potato in gram flour) and Kutchi Dabeli (pao buns stuffed with potatoes, chutneys, peanuts and crunchy sev (crispy snack made from gram flour),” said Kurush F Dalal, food anthropologist and historian... Another favourite, popular in British-style Indian clubs, is the chilli cheese toast, which is loaded with grated Desi cheese and green chillies then grilled. While no train journey is complete without ‘ bread-omelette’ that is served in the food stalls at stations and in pantry cars. “The iconic omelette sandwich was thanks to the development of the Indian railways and the British colonisation in the 20th Century. Sliced sandwich bread became easily available and a spicy, Indian version of the omelette loaded with green chillies, onions and coriander was put into two slices of white bread toasted on the greasy tawa. It made for a good protein and carb-filled meal that was easy on the pocket and accessible,” Dalal said."
Indians love thali – and they’re hungry for the ‘56-inch Modi’ version - "The 56-inch thali is a reference to Modi’s close colleague and Indian Home Minister Amit Shah calling the PM a “man with a 56-inch chest” who could take on terrorists to protect the country from their attacks. The gargantuan platter comprises more than two dozen dishes, including quintessential Indian palate pleasers such dal makhani (creamy black lentils), naan, chicken curry, lachcha paratha (layered bread), a selection of seasonal vegetables, and desserts such as gulab jamun and kheer (rice pudding). It comes in a vegetarian or non-vegetarian version... The restaurant also serves the “United India thali”, featuring regional favourites presented in the form of a map of the country, while its “Vedic thali” involves two dozen dishes infused with healthful herbs such as turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, and bay leaves. “However, we’re most excited about the ‘Crypto thali’ we launched this month to offer a digital experience to our diners, as it can be paid for in cryptocurrency,” Suveett said. “It is our attempt at creating a digital community of foodies.”... He said Gujarati, Rajasthani, South Indian, and Punjabi thalis were the most popular among his customers. “The Gujarati thali – which is also the prime minister’s favourite – manages to achieve a fine balance between heat, spice, and sweetness, with sides like pickles, chutneys, and papads providing flavour, texture and heat to the meal.”... What makes the thali so popular in India, according to Vivek Rana, executive chef of the Claridges Hotel in New Delhi, is that of all the traditional feasts, it offers the perfect assortment of wholesome regional dishes on a single platter. “Plus, there’s convenience as well,” he said. “You don’t have to waste time scanning the menu to choose multiple dishes or make frequent forays to the buffet for refills. The buffet comes to you. You can share it with your family; there are unlimited refills and it is therefore value for money.”"
Thalis in India have unlimited refills?!
We’re boosting ties with the wrong countries, says ex-BNM official - "A former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) deputy governor has lamented Malaysia’s foreign policies, saying “national leaders” have been focusing on foreign relations that will not benefit the nation much economically. Sukhdave Singh said this put Putrajaya at risk of alienating the same countries on which Malaysia is highly dependent to ensure its future economic progress." “Malaysia has had too many leaders who have not been international statesmen. They have failed at providing a balanced perspective on international developments, and rather than seeking to reconcile and understand, they have instead reacted emotionally. "They have undermined themselves and the country by playing to popular sentiments of gullible citizens domestically and internationally to countries with very little stake in Malaysia’s economy. “Instead of being statesmen, they have become rabble-rousers, hoping to ride on a tide of emotions to enhance their political prospects,” he said in a LinkedIn post, without naming specific leaders... Citing Putrajaya’s national debt of RM1.5 trillion and moderate economic growth, he said the government should focus on building stronger relationships with “economically strategic countries”, on top of optimising its expenditure. “Failing this, and if things continue as they have, it is not unforeseeable that Malaysia itself will need global financial assistance in the future."
Texas teenager caught punching random strangers: 'Everybody makes mistakes' - "A Texas teen who was caught on video sucker-punching random people at local parks has been found. Alford Lewis says he regrets his actions and that he made a mistake"
‘Kenya’s Mike Ross’: Fake lawyer who won all his cases becomes wanted man - "A legal body in Kenya has called for the arrest of a man accused of practising law without proper qualifications. Local media reported that despite not having any formal legal training, the “lawyer” won 26 cases in various Kenyan courts under the name “Brian N. Mwenda”. According to the BBC, the man was a “masquerader” who had stolen the identity of a real lawyer named Brian Mwenda Ntwiga. The alleged imposter’s name, said the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), is Brian Mwenda Njagi... Despite LSK’s warning of Mr Njagi’s deception, the incident has won him supporters. Among them is Mr Francis Atwoli, secretary general of Kenya’s Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU), who in a statement on Saturday described Mr Njagi as “a young and brilliant Kenyan who has recently faced condemnation for practising law without the traditional law qualifications”. “If, indeed, it’s true that Brian has been practising law and successfully representing clients in legal matters, we strongly advocate for a fair and transparent examination to test his knowledge, skills, and competencies in the field of law,” said Mr Atwoli. The veteran labour leader also called on the Kenyan government to recognise the talent of young people who have acquired expertise through informal education. He said that Mr Njagi’s case is “not unique”, and added: “I know of many great engineers, accountants, teachers, IT experts, cyber security experts... and paramedics who are specialists in their areas of interest yet without any paper to show their qualifications.”"
Keto-like diet may be linked to higher risk of heart disease, cardiac events: Study
The keto crowd are going to be very upset
Stoeffel The Honey Badger’s Amazing Escapes - "A resurfacing story of a honey badger in a South African wildlife refuge has again caught social media’s attention. Reportedly, the honey badger escaped his enclosure twice to fight the lions next door. He also built towers out of sticks and rocks, and stood on his mate’s head to reach the gate lock — all in effort to escape and fight the lions again."
Addemdum: Also referred to as Stoffel
Meme - "Her Milk Shake Brings All The Boys To The Yard *Nude Wendy's girl shitting out a chocolate Frosty, with Wendy's logo*"
Meme - ">Call a company
>"Hello would you like whitehathacker LLC to attempt to hack you? We offer our services to poke holes in your network, and if we find a problem, we let you know. That way we can patch it so no big bad hackerman can break in?"
>They agree
>Try to "hack" their system
>Sit on my ass for a week
>"Your system is fully functional and we did not find any holes"
>Get paid"
Meme - "Girls in haram relationships go out to eat and ask if the food is halal LOOOOOL babe ur worried bout the wrong meat going inside you"
Meme - "Hello"
"Hi."
"How are you doing ?"
"Can we get straight to the scam? I'm pretty busy"
"This person is unavailable on Messenger."
A 46 ans, Laeticia Hallyday prend le métro pour la première fois - "Si certains rêvent de nager avec les dauphins ou de faire le tour du monde, d’autres comme Laeticia Hallyday rêvent de prendre le métro. A 46 ans, la veuve de Johnny Hallyday a enfin pu réaliser le sien... pour Laeticia, son rêve d’ado était de prendre le métro comme tout le monde. «Jalil m'a aussi fait découvrir le métro. A 46 ans, cachée sous un chapeau et un masque, j'ai réalisé mon rêve d'ado. Cela peut paraître invraisemblable, mais j'ai peu vécu à Paris.» Plus tard, c’est son mariage avec la rockstar qui est venu contrarier son rêve, difficile de prendre le métro incognito avec Johnny."
