A southwestern Ontario police force's annual list of the silliest emergency calls of the year: A lovers’ quarrel over a glass eye

A lovers’ quarrel over a glass eye and an attempt to sic police on Senator Mike Duffy make 2013 list of
silliest 911 calls, by Paola Loriggio, Canadian Press | December 31, 2013

Extract: 

A southwestern Ontario resident’s attempt to meddle in the Senate scandal by calling 911 on Mike Duffy made the local police force’s annual list of the silliest emergency calls of the year.
The caller accused the embattled senator of fraud in effort to sic Chatham, Ont., police on him — despite being more than 700 kilometres from the capital.
That wasn’t enough to nab the top spot, however. The call only ranked fifth out of the force’s 10 most ridiculous reports.

FotoliaSecond place went to a driver who ended up being carjacked by a goat.

First prize went to a lovers’ quarrel over a glass eye. A man reported his girlfriend hid the prosthesis after he took it out at her home, and asked that police help him retrieve it.

continue reading

This Woman Read One Book From Every Country in the World

Here Are Her Favorites,  A holiday reading guide by Uri Friedman The Atlantic Monthly
Sample extract:

"In the fall of 2012, Ann Morgan was wrestling with a problem few of us can identify with. No matter how hard she tried, she simply could not find a book to read in English from the tiny African nation of Sao Tome and Principe..."  

Canada:   

• Mauve Desert by Nicole Brossard/   
• Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis /   
• Mennonites Don't Dance by Darcie Friesen Hossack /   
• Fugitive Pieces: A Novel by Anne Michaels /   
• Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King/   
• Late Nights on Air: A Novel by Elizabeth Hay/   
• In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje -- Other countries...

continue reading The Atlantic Monthly

Libraries in Edmonton so much more than books

courtesy: metronews.ca

By Omar Mouallem
Extract:

I never saw a librarian shush a talky patron. That too is an old cliché. But I have watched a librarian help a grandmother contact her grandkids on Facebook; organize a community group meeting; and borrow change from the staff coffee jar so that a down-on-his-luck man would have bus fare for a job interview.
One librarian I met at the Lois Hole branch even helped Nigerian immigrant bring his daughter to Canada because he struggled to understand the paperwork. She thought it was her duty to succeed where customs had failed him.
“There has always been an element of social work to my job,” she told me.
Seeing librarians at work, and this institutional evolution, has been fascinating and humbling, especially at the Stanley Milner branch. continue reading

Canadian Employers Anticipate a Steady Hiring Climate for early 2014

• Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Reveals Canadian Employers Anticipate a Steady Hiring Climate for the First Quarter CNW Group via Yahoo! Finance --The Manpower Employment Outlook Survey Includes: Construction, Manufacturing - Durables, Wholesale & Retail Trade, Finance, Insurance & Real Estate, Services, Public Administration, Manufacturing - Non-Durables, Mining, Transportation & Public Utilities, Hiring Intentions Most Favourable in Western Canada
•  Modest hiring in Cape Breton projected for early 2014Cape Breton Post
•  Manpower says 20% of Barrie area employers will hire first quarter of 2014
•  Skilled Trades @ globalmanpowercanada
•   HOT JOBS 2014 Computing Canada

How social media status updates helps cyber predators

Top 5 Threats That Social Media Can Inflict On Users

By SiliconIndia  |   Thursday, 12 December 2013

#1 Third Party applications 
#2 Malware
#3 Hacking
#4 Identity Theft
#5 Exploitation by Cyber predators. Extract:

"Exploitation has several connotations. In cyber world, it is specifically about personal exploitation. People usually tend to update status such as ‘going out with family for dinner at 8’, ‘visiting Goa on the 25^th with family’ and other such messages. These are bits of information that can be exploited by cyber attackers. They can plan to rob the house on the day the family is out or stalk the family at the location mentioned in the status update."

On the same shelf:

• Google's Throat Tattoo To Detect Lies

   

Information Professionals' Conferences 2014 in Canada

• SLA Western Canada's The Status and Future of Canada’s Libraries and Archives - 
• Toronto (in conjunction with The Archive Summit)—January 15-17, 2014
• SLA Western Canada's The Status and Future of Canada’s Libraries and Archives -
• Toronto (in conjunction with The Ontario Library Association SuperConference)—January 29-31, 2014
•  ARMA Toronto welcomes ARMA International's SharePoint roadshow this coming January 27-28
• Ontario Library Association Super Conference. January 29 - February 1, 2014. Toronto, ON.
• FIP 2014: BiblioTech  February 7, 2014   –   Edmonton, AB
• Canadian Association of Law Libraries Conference (CALL). May 25 - 28, 2014. Winnipeg, MB.
• B.C. Library Association Conference (BCLA). March 31 - April 2, 2014. Vancouver, BC.
• Special Libraries Association (SLA). June 8 - 10, 2014. Vancouver, BC.
• Canadian Health Libraries Association (CHLA). June 16 - 20, 2014. Montreal, QC.
• Association of Canadian Archivists. June 26 - 28, 2014. Victoria, BC.

On the same shelf:

• The North American Serials Interest Group (NASIG) Accepting Applications for 2014 Conference Awards Link
•  KM and Social Business Conferences, global list

Six myths and realities about Canada Post, cbc.ca

 6 myths and realities about Canada Post: The 145-year-old post office isn't what it used to be, By Leslie MacKinnon, CBC News -- Extract: 

1. Most Canadians don't have a letter-carrier coming to their door  2. Not many people use stamps, anyway3. People aren't sending or receiving a lot of letters, but many more parcels4. One of Canada Post's biggest customers is cutting back5. Online shopping ensures Canada Post will always have a business6. Dogs will have to find something else to do

Is Canada wasting its young Asia talent and skills?

Is Canada wasting its young Asia talent and skills?

Opinion: Canadian firms' focus and reliance on business with the U.S. stifles opportunity

By Christine Park, Special to The Vancouver Sun December 9, 2013

Canada to charge many foreign tourists a fee for a proposed electronic security screening plan

Citizenship and Immigration is accepting feedback on the plan until mid-January.
Extract:

The federal government is soliciting public comment on the plan to introduce online travel applications as part of the sweeping perimeter security pact with the United States.

Foreign nationals who currently do not need a visa to visit Canada — including people from Britain, France and many other countries — would have to successfully apply for an electronic travel authorization before arriving by air.

U.S. citizens would be exempted from the new requirement.  news.yahoo.com

CTV:

Those not approved by the electronic system would be referred to an officer for further examination and a decision.
The government plans to charge a "cost recovery" fee -- how much isn't specified, but it would be a "minimal amount," the notice says. Approved applications would be valid for multiple entries to Canada over a period of up to five years.
"We're never in favour of new traveller taxes," said David Goldstein, president of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
However, he applauded the federal effort to catch up to other countries by using technology to modernize the application system for foreign visitors. Continue reading

John, Jani, Janardhan in Canadian Job Market - what's in a name?

The curse of a foreign-sounding name in today’s job market -  Toronto Star
"It’s common for hiring managers to skip over resumes with ethnic names, preferring to interview candidates with names they recognize." By:Priya Ramsingh thestar.com Nov 30 2013

On the same shelf:

• Should candidates apply with western names? Nathan Chan at 28, Mar 2013 | Elevated HR

Extract: So the topic I’m about to launch into has come up before, particularly with candidates who are immigrants or persons with very foreign names. The fact that I just said “very foreign” does make me cringe, so don’t kick me in the arse just yet! Let me explain myself a sec here. I’ve only recently returned to Maple Leaf land, my homeland, and our country is a country that is made up of foreigners after all, no? I spent almost a decade abroad, but I have never lost sight of my nationality. (Before leaving, I even branded a tattoo of the Canadian flag on my leg.) As Canadians, we pride ourselves as a ‘cultural mosaic’ – where we are an awesome and delicious bunch of ethnic groups, languages, and cultures co-existing together. ... This topic has been a recurring one for me. Should immigrants/foreigners with “very foreign” names give themselves a westernized name? I think, yes (and no). What an answer right? – read on!

• HR overlooks applicants with non-western names - Human Resources Mag, May 10, 2012"Australian Human Rights Commission has said there is a growing trend of immigrants adopting Western names in the hope it will get them hired.   “There are still elements of race discrimination in employment. It is certainly present and problematic,” Disability discrimination commissioner Graeme Innes told HC."
• How an ethnic-sounding name may affect the job hunt, by WALLACE IMMEN, The Globe and Mail Nov. 17 2011
• Job hunters change 'foreign sounding’ names 15 Apr 2013 By  Rhiannon Elston  sbs.com.au  "Australian-born Muslim woman Cindy Mohamed uses her real name on her resume these days, but that hasn’t always been the case. " 
• English-Sounding Names Still Hold Edge Over Others In Canada’s Employment Sector Link Newspaper  December 7th, 2013 
• In Canada, English name a clear advantage in landing job: survey, By Douglas Todd, Postmedia News October 14, 2011

Extract: The extensive study for Metropolis B.C., whose federal funding will run out this year, was conducted by having researchers respond to online job ads in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Each sample resume said that the applicant had a bachelor's degree and four to six years' experience.

In a related test of Canadian hiring practices involving immigrants, the researchers sent out a series of virtually identical resumes to company recruiters — changing only the country in which the applicant had job experience.

"We find that employers value Canadian experience more than Canadian education when deciding to interview applicants with international backgrounds, suggesting that employers are more interested in internationally born applicants with more Canadian experience," wrote Oreopoulos and Decheif.


Whatz Related in the News this week:

• Nelson Mandela, Madiba, Tata - what's in a name? Telegraph.co.uk-Dec 6, 2013  
• My identity depends on who is identifying me (including myself)'  Interview with Sheniz Janmohamed,  Generally About Books -- Quote:
  “I was born a Hindu, no doubt. No one can undo the fact. But I am also a Muslim because I am a good Hindu. In the same way I am also a Parsi and a Christian too.” - Mahatma Gandhi 30 May 1947

• My Name is Mike Ghouse

Canadian Experience Of International Students by Dr. Gunjan Sondhi

• Dr. Gunjan Sondhi Reflects On The Canadian Experience Of International Students, TheHuffingtonPost.com

Gunjan Sondhi recently completed her PHD in Migration Studies from the Sussex Center for Migration Research at the University of Sussex, UK. She is currently a resident affiliate at CERIS, York University, Canada, and an Associate Researcher at the University of Sussex. Her research focused on highly skilled migration/mobility, gender, class and education especially in Canada.


• Gunjan Sondhi researches the dialectical relationship between gender and international student mobility South Asian Generation Next.

New on the shelf: The Ace Awakening, by Murali Murthy

Information courtesy: Generally About Books: The ACE Principle

The Ace Awakening - 8 Milestones to Scale the Peaks of Life Murali Murthy (November 18, 2013) ISBN-10: 1460230698 

Extract:

"How do you stay grounded? Climb a mountain.

Murali Murthy, acclaimed speaker, motivational coach and author of the Canadian best-selling The ACE Principle, shares his experience of trekking across one the most inhospitable terrains in India and overcoming extreme challenges to successfully climb five perilous peaks.

Each year, climbing the five peaks helps me continue on my personal journey to reach my Pinnacle of Excellence. Now I bring this great experience to you as my gift. One that will allow you to also reach the heights you dream of.

This book is dedicated to the climber and winner within you. I hope The ACE Awakening will inspire you to climb your own mountains. I wish you the heights of success and happiness." source

Here Are Over 60 Things You Can Say To Google Now

Info courtesy webpronews.com;  
Image courtesy: TrendBlog.net `Feel free to share this graphic on your own blog or website!!!`

"TrendBlog.net has put together a pretty cool infographic listing all the different commands you can use with Google Now. There are over sixty of them. ... You may already know most of these, but it’s nice to see them all collected together, and serves as a reminder of some of the things you can do... Google Now voice commands by trendblog.net
Google Now is about more than just voice commands."