"The wise learn from their own experiences but the truly intelligent will learn from someone else's!" - Benjamin Franklin.

Akbani Informatics: A full-service consultancy for training, and information management. For Information services, Research, Content management, Training, Human Resources, Helpful Advice & Related Services Visit www.akbani.info  


Words of wisdom:
"Remember your weekly mix of activity will vary, depending on how soon you need to be employed, how much time you have to spend on your campaign each week, the economy, the relative difficulty of job finding in your targeted field, and the relative effectiveness of each job search method with regards to your job objective. Good Luck!!!" [source: JobSearch-in-Canada.com]
Related Posts with Thumbnails

30 August 2014

Toronto Public Library: new fines, trouble with e-books helped complaints spike in 2012, Toronto Star report


Things have settled down now, but some observers say city’s ombudsman should have jurisdiction... "Library records obtained by the Star show complaints leapt to 7,627 in 2012, from just 2,191 in 2011, but dropped back to 3,875 in 2013 as ..." Continue reading Toronto Star  By: Samuel Greenfield, Staff Reporter, Aug 28 2014


On the same shelf:
  • Toronto Public Library's site: A $1.00 fine will be charged for each hold you do not pick up.
    "You can cancel a hold at any time - whether it's outstanding, in transit, or available for pickup. When your hold arrives at the branch, you have 7 days to pick it up. In order to avoid the Holds Not Picked Up fine and allow others to get materials sooner, make sure to cancel your hold before 9:00 p.m. on the expiry date."
  • Mississauga Public Library: Holds  "A $2 service charge will be added to your account for any holds you do not pick up" (Does it mean only physical or even e-books, not sure, comment by blogger!!!). "Please notify the library as soon as possible if you cannot pick up a hold. ...  These instructions are intended for items that you pick up at the Library.
    If you are looking for instructions on how to place holds on eBooks and eAudioBooks (for devices such as computers, tablets and smart phones), visit our help page."

22 July 2014

The Little Black Book of Scams, By Competition Bureau Canada


Concerned about elderly loved ones and fraud?

Give them a copy of the Little Black Book of Scams, a reference guide with information on common scams that target Canadians and steps on how to avoid them.

Read or download from Competition Bureau Canada
The Canadian edition of The Little Black Book of Scams is a compact and easy to use reference guide filled with information Canadians can use to protect themselves against a variety of common scams. It debunks common myths about scams, provides contact information for reporting a scam to the correct authority, and offers a step-by-step guide for scam victims to reduce their losses and avoid becoming repeat victims.
Consumers and businesses can consult The Little Black Book of Scams to avoid falling victim to social media and mobile phone scams, fake charities and lotteries, dating and romance scams, and many other schemes used to defraud Canadians of their money and personal information. continue reading: Competition Bureau Canada

11 July 2014

Temporary Jobs Are Canada's Future: The new normal

Temporary Jobs Are Canada's Future: Report.
Sunny Freeman @ huffingtonpost.com

"A pronounced shift toward temporary gigs and unstable positions could become the new normal for this generation as demand for short-term workers rises across the country, according to one of the country’s biggest employment firms...
 Temporary blue collar jobs are in high demand, with a 40-per-cent increase from just the first quarter of this year to the second quarter, the analysis found.
The allure of temporary work is strong for employers who aren’t obligated to provide pension plans, benefits or vacation days. And in a job market where supply is plentiful --- the unemployment rate climbed to 7.1 per cent in June -- employers can be picky about hiring conditions and still fill jobs.

"
On the same page:
From The Canadian Press:
OTTAWA - The national unemployment rate was 7.1 per cent in June. Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month average unemployment for major cities but cautions the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples. (Previous month in brackets.)
St. John's, N.L. 6.8 (6.4)
Halifax 5.5 (5.8)
Moncton, N.B. 6.0 (5.9)
Saint John, N.B. 7.7 (7.7)
Saguenay, Que. 9.7 (9.8)
Quebec 5.4 (5.0)
Sherbrooke, Que. 8.0 (8.6)
Trois-Rivieres, Que. 8.4 (8.3)
Montreal 8.3 (8.0)
Gatineau, Que. 6.4 (6.5)
Ottawa 6.9 (6.8)
Kingston, Ont. 6.4 (6.9)
Peterborough, Ont. 9.7 (11.1)
Oshawa, Ont. 7.2 (7.3)
Toronto 7.9 (7.6)
Hamilton, Ont. 7.2 (6.9)
St. Catharines-Niagara, Ont. 7.9 (8.0)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Ont. 6.4 (6.7)
Brantford, Ont. 6.7 (7.2)
Guelph, Ont. 7.8 (7.6)
London, Ont. 7.4 (7.7)
Windsor, Ont. 9.0 (8.6)
Barrie, Ont. 6.5 (7.3)
Sudbury, Ont. 7.0 (6.7)
Thunder Bay, Ont. 5.2 (5.8)
Winnipeg 5.8 (5.9)
Regina 3.6 (3.4)
Saskatoon 3.8 (4.2)
Calgary 5.4 (5.4)
Edmonton 5.5 (5.2)
Kelowna, B.C. 5.2 (4.7)
Abbotsford, B.C. 7.6 (7.5)
Vancouver 5.6 (5.5)
Victoria 5.2 (5.2)

19 May 2014

"Victoria Day: Only in Canada" + "Happy Victoria Day! Or is that May 2-4?"


image

The 'May Two-Four' long weekend is as distinctively Canadian as the two-four with which it is often celebrated.
Many Canadians may have the idea that Victoria Day is an internationally observed event that connects us — however quaintly and tenuously — with other remnants of the old British Empire as we collectively celebrate our colonial heritage by pulling up lawn chairs and raising a glass or a beer bottle to the tubby little Empress of Canada, India, Australia, Britain and points between.
Couldn’t be further from the truth.
Canada is the only country in the world to celebrate Victoria Day, and the ‘May Two-Four’ long weekend is as distinctively Canadian as the two-four — a case of 24 bottles of beer — with which it is often celebrated.
There is a Victoria Day in Australia — but it’s a completely different critter, a localized event marking the founding of the southern Aussie state of Victoria (as a separate colony in 1851) and it’s celebrated, coincidentally, on July 1.
continue reading the article by Alan Parker @ Macleans.ca
 On the same shelf:
  • Victoria Day vs. May 2-4: What The May Long Weekend Signifies To Canadians- The Huffington Post Canada -- "Happy Victoria Day! Or is that May 2-4?" -- "Toronto-based illustrator Kinnon Elliott (who you might remember from her entertaining Valentine's Day infographic) has come up with a infographic that looks at the historical roots of the holiday." 
  • When Is May Long Weekend In Canada? And What Exactly Is It? The Huffington Post Canada
  • Victoria Day is not Sacred - Haliburton Master Gardener
  • Victoria Day is not a statutory holiday in the eastern provinces of PEI, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland / Labrador, where it may be only a holiday ... About.com
  • Although Victoria Day is not a holiday in Great Britain and never has been since Queen Victoria passed, it is one of enduring attachment in Canada. Google News
  • Victoria Day still means something to Canadians, Ottawa Sun

17 May 2014

‘How is Rob Ford mayor of Toronto?’ A symposium in Washington DC

Academics gather in U.S. capitol to test their intellectual mettle with a tough question: ‘How is Rob Ford mayor of Toronto?’
The Wilson Center's Canada Institute held a symposium on a topic that has fascinated people in Canada, and beyond: How is Rob Ford the mayor of Toronto? news.nationalpost.com
See also:

The Rob Ford Phenomenon: What’s going on in Toronto?

Event:  The Wilson Center's Canada Institute,
May 16, 2014 // 10:00am  11:00am

03 May 2014

Brampton Flyer Incident - media monitoring


29 April 2014

Dr. Seuss book Hop on Pop : Ban @ Toronto Public Library???


Toronto residents asked their public library to remove six books and a DVD over the past year, and one of those books was Dr. Seuss's Hop on Pop. The classic rhyming tale of fatherhood and saltation was accused of putting pops at risk of being actually hopped on.
The complaint argued that the book "encourages children to use violence against their fathers," and demanded that the library "pay for damages resulting from the book."
The library's Materials Review Committee, which takes all complaints, even those of obvious trolls, "very seriously," declined to remove Hop on Pop. They described it as "humorous" and "well-loved," and pointed out how many times it's made best children's book lists.  continue reading: Toronto Library Asked to Ban Hop on Pop to Protect Dads @ gawker.com
Loved by generations, this “simplest Seuss for youngest use” is a Beginner Book classic. See Red and Ned and Ted and Ed in a bed. And giggle as Pat sits on a hat and on a cat and on a bat . . . but a cactus? Pat must NOT sit on that! This classic Beginner Book makes an ideal gift for Seuss fans and is an especially good way to show Pop some love on Father’s Day!

Originally created by Dr. Seuss, Beginner Books encourage children to read all by themselves, with simple words and illustrations that give clues to their meaning.

Dr. Seuss book Hop on Pop does not encourage ‘violence against fathers,’ library says in rejecting ban request nationalpost.com
"Despite a demand to ban the Dr. Seuss book Hop on Pop because it “encourages children to use violence against their fathers,” the Toronto Public Library rejected the request after careful consideration."

On the same shelf:
  • Toronto Public Library asked to pull Dr. Seuss book 'Hop on ... CTV News
  • “Violent” Dr. Seuss book should be banned from library, patron says ... Toronto Star -- 

    "Toronto Public Library's annual list of challenged items includes beloved children's picture book, Hop on Pop."

22 April 2014

Save the time of the reader: 'Queens Library is being asked to open the books for a full audit.'

Extract:
Dr. S R Ranganathan's Five Laws of Library Science, best practice suggestions:

1. Books are for use
2. Every reader his/her book
3. Every book its reader
4. Save the time of the reader
5. The library is a growing organism
 In today's news:
  • Queens library boss should open financial books : Queens Library boss Thomas Galante should hand over financial books to City Controller Scott Stringer City Controller Scott Stringer wants to know what Thomas Galante is hiding. Stringer has asked a judge to force Galante to open the library's books for a full audit. So far, the library boss has refused. Read more : New York Daily News
  • Operation Get Galante: Union-Supported Politicians Go After Head of Queens Library System, The Epoch Times: "Queens Library CEO and President Thomas Galante is having a bad year. His once-solid reputation has taken a hit from allegations of mismanagement and corruption at the taxpayer-supported library system. The charges include excessive compensation, waste, and failure to disclose outside sources of income. The FBI and the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) have launched probes into the most serious accusations against Galante: that he inappropriately gave lucrative contracts to associates."

14 April 2014

Basic Human Needs Dimension of Canada according to Social Progress Index


Read the full report and visuals, here.

"Harvard business professor Michael E. Porter, who earlier developed the Global Competitiveness Report, designed the SPI. A new way to look at the success of countries, the SPI studies 132 nations and evaluates 54 social and environmental indicators for each country that matter to real people. Rather than measuring a country’s success by its per capita GDP, the index is based on an array of data reflecting suicide, ecosystem sustainability, property rights, access to healthcare and education, gender equality, attitudes toward immigrants and minorities, religious freedom, nutrition, infrastructure and more..."

"Of issues covered by the Basic Human Needs Dimension, Canada does best in areas including Nutrition and Basic Medical Care and has the greatest opportunity to improve human wellbeing by focusing more on Shelter. Of issues covered by the Foundations of Wellbeing Dimension, Canada excels at providing building blocks for people's lives such as Access to Basic Knowledge but would benefit from greater investment in Ecosystem Sustainability. Of issues covered by the Opportunity Dimension, Canada outperforms in providing opportunities for people to improve their position in society and scores highly in Personal Freedom and Choice yet falls short in Access to Advanced Education.

Extracts:
Social Progress Index: 86.95;
Basic Human Needs: 93.52;
Foundations of Wellbeing: 80.31;
Opportunity: 87.02 -- Personal Rights: 87.96;
Personal Freedom and Choice (Freedom over life choices, Freedom of religion, Modern slavery,
human trafficking and child marriage,
Satisfied demand for contraception, Corruption): 91.14;

Tolerance and Inclusion (Women treated with respect, Tolerance for immigrants,
Tolerance for homosexuals, Discrimination and violence against minorities, Religious tolerance,
Community safety net) : 86.79;

Read the full report and visuals, here.

13 April 2014

Ten signs that you’re a Canadian immigrant

 

Info courtesy: Mayank Bhatt, Canadian Immigrant columnist.

 

 

10 signs that you’re a Canadian immigrant, By Takara Small



1. You have been told you have “no Canadian experience”
2. You now know what a  “double double”  is!
3. You’re no longer amazed by the snow
4. You quickly realized that you had to keep improving your English
5. You sent out hundreds of resumés, but didn’t receive one reply
6. You keep persevering despite the challenges you have faced
7. You worked a “survival” job
8. You have friends from all over the world
9. You changed your name after you immigrated
10. You love Canada!

12 April 2014

The Heartbleed Hit List + LastPass Heartbleed checker, Just-in-case The Passwords You Need to Change Right Now

* * Ottawa orders sites vulnerable to Heartbleed shut 
*  *'Heartbleed Bug' puts Web security at risk A vulnerability in the OpenSSL program could compromise encryption on much of the Internet, putting passwords and data at risk. Experts say now is not the time for online banking.
* * nationalpost.com: A little over two years ago, at one minute before midnight on New Year’s Eve 2011, a German computer programmer called Robin Seggelman made a small error in an update to OpenSSL, a program that lets computers trade data securely, as in email or banking.
It was a programmer’s typo, of a sort that is routinely caught and corrected, but the damage it caused could make Heartbleed, as the error is now known, worse than any other virus, glitch or bug of the Internet age.
In effect, the error created a secret back door to supposedly secure websites. Though it is now being frantically “patched,” it has been unlocked for more than two years, with reports Friday suggesting it has been quietly exploited all along by the U.S.’s National Security Agency (NSA).
Friday, Canada shut down all government websites that use OpenSSL, notably the one for filing taxes, fearing they were under constant attack.
On the same shelf:

21 March 2014

Ontario job market undergoing seismic shift: report

TORONTO – Ontario's labour market woes can't be blamed on a recession hangover – the underlying trouble is a long-term, seismic shift that requires new policy answers, says a report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Ontario (CCPA-Ontario).
Key trends highlighted in the report:
  • Ontario's well-paying manufacturing sector went from the bedrock of the economy at 18% of the labour market in 2000 to 11% by 2013 – a loss of 290,000 jobs;
  • The growth in jobs was concentrated in the service sector – it represented 73% of jobs in 2000 and but rose to 79% in 2013;
  • Involuntary part-time employment rose by 43% since 2000;
  • Temporary and part-time work grew faster than full-time work;
  • The recession wreaked more havoc: there remain 270,000 missing jobs since 2008;
  • Ontario's long-term unemployment rate remains one of the worst in the country – there are 125,000 more unemployed workers in Ontario than before the recession. continue reading CCPA-Ontario Report
On the same shelf: 
  • Ontario’s job market undergoing ‘seismic shift’ from full- to part-time jobs Ontario’s labour market is in tumult as the province slides from a workforce of steady full-time jobs to shaky part-time posts, warns a new study.thestar.com

20 March 2014

CRA & IRS warn of telephone and email scams

  • Canada Revenue Agency warns public of email fraud
  • Canada Revenue Agency : Beware of telephone and email scams
    "To better equip taxpayers to identify possible scams, the following guidelines should be used:
    The CRA:
    • NEVER requests information from a taxpayer about a passport, health card, or driver’s license.
    • NEVER divulges taxpayer information to another person unless formal authorization is provided by the taxpayer.
    • NEVER leaves any personal information on an answering machine or asks taxpayers to leave a message with their personal information on an answering machine.
    When in doubt, ask yourself the following:
    • Am I expecting additional money from the CRA?
    • Does this sound too good to be true?
    • Is the requester asking for information I would not include with my tax return?
    • Is the requester asking for information I know the CRA already has on file for me?
    • How did the requester get my email address or telephone number?
    • Am I confident I know who is asking for the information?
    • Is there a reason that the CRA may be calling? Do I have a tax balance outstanding?"
  • Fraudsters threaten South Asians in Calgary with deportation, jail
    "Members of Calgary’s South Asian community continue to be targeted by fraudsters and are now being threatened with deportation as well as jail time if they don’t comply with demands to send money.
    City police say for the last month, Calgarians of South Asian descent have received calls from scam artists posing as representatives from the CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) or an agency with a similar acronym.
    The victims are told they have ignored written warnings to send overdue payments, and are instructed to wire money or purchase and send pre-paid debit cards.
    They have been threatened with jail time and even deportation if these demands were not met, said police, adding at least one person sent $2,000."
  • Simcoe (Ontario) Couple warns others about CRA scam
  • Hundreds of Calgarians targeted by CRA scam
  • Income tax scammers strike again bclocalnews.com
  • RATTAN’S RUMBLE: South Asian crooks targeting South Asian newcomers in Canada Revenue Agency scam Indo-Canadian Voice   
  •  Peel Police – Warning of Ongoing Scam involving fraudulent communications from the CRA http://www.weeklyvoice.com
  • Top 6 Canadian tax scams and how to protect yourself : Phishing; Charity scams; Tax-preparer fraud;  Identity theft; Tax-free RRSP withdrawals
  • IRS warns of ‘largest ever’ nationwide phone scam   by CNN Wire: NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — If the phone rings and the caller says he represents the IRS, be suspicious.  That’s the warning from federal authorities, who on Thursday said a nationwide phone scam has stolen $1 million from thousands of unsuspecting people.
  • South Asian Taxpayers Warned Against Telephone Scam  (IRS)| News India Times
  • IRS watchdog warns of ‘largest scam of its kind’ with agency impersonators  washingtonpost.com

14 March 2014

Canadian Federal libraries ... shutting down : Emerging impact on Canadian environment with books lying in dumpsters is 'Like a Book Burning,'


Impact on Canadian environmental history in news by Sean Kheraj :
librarydumpster "News reports across the country showed startling images of books and other documents lying in dumpsters with rumors that others may have been burned. The culling of these libraries involved what has been described as a haphazard free-for-all with members of the public and industry scooping up abandoned books and valuable so-called “grey literature,” unique internal government publications. The process of library consolidation and closure seems to have happened so quickly that books that were still out on loan were never recalled. And beyond the loss of material, we still do not know the extent of the personnel losses. As library staff get laid off, valuable human knowledge vanishes along with the books." continue reading more Nature’s Past – Episode 41: Closing Federal Libraries

Destruction of documents ‘a last resort’
Library and Archives Canada said it is working closely with federal libraries on “issues related to reductions” and has received about 1,000 boxes of “material of historical value” from libraries forced to cull their collections. continue reading : POSTMEDIA NEWS

12 March 2014

Work until you die: Lifelong labor becomes new normal

Work until you die: Lifelong labor becomes new normal

Whether by choice or necessity, more people are working past retirement age, 


Chart  job market rose "From 1990 to 2010, the percentage of workers 65 and older staying in the job market rose for both women (from 28.2 to 43.8 percent) and men (52.5 to 65.3 percent). ... There’s an interesting paradox happening in the U.S. labor market: today there are more incentives than ever for a healthy, prosperous retirement. Yet, over the same time period since investment options like 401(k)’s become available, people have been choosing to work further into their golden years..." continue reading Yahoo News
While the above is an American sample, does one have to guess the Canadian figures? 
Looks like, it is not necessary. You can build your own statistics based on some official trends, to know first, if you will get a job, and if yes, after how much of struggle, patience and eyes-breakers, and how will it be the new normal. 

An example is job prospect's for the grads at the Centre for Comparative Literature, University of Toronto's one academic school: 
"For the last 30 years, about 50% of graduates in our field have succeeded in securing a tenure-track job within 5 years of graduation." (source: UoT)
Read the above numbers again: about 50% of thier grads have got in, and got in after waiting (upto FIVE years...) What will the other 50% get as a return on their investment???? What will those do who secure job in their waiting time...And, how long will they pay their overdue school bills, medical bills and the rest of the financial baggage. May be all of them will workout as a new normal, or work anyways in any capacity to make the ends meet. Bottomline is they will be also working until they die... See also: Decline of humanities; The Repurposed Ph.D. : Finding Life After Academia — and Not Feeling Bad About It NYTimes by Rebecca Tuhus-Dubrow
(Anonymous comment on this article: Academia is full of problems, and so is the rest of society. Why do people go to University? Not really to get education (they can get that online now), but to get a degree. And why do they need a degree? Because recruiters rely on labels and brands. And why do recruiters function that way? Because it is far more important to them to be able to justify a hiring decision to a semi-ignorant management, than hiring the best person for the job. And why is management semi-ignorant? Because, by and large, at the top of the pyramid it's not really about what you know but who you know. And in fact when you look at decision-making in academia you often see an enormous personal bias: very talented Ph.D. students who don't get along with faculty and must give up, very talented professors who don't get along with the tenured crowd and are rejected by the system etc.

Add all the students graduating in debt who will never find decent jobs because recruiters will mark them as unemployable for the "objective" reason they couldn't find jobs immediately after graduation, and you get a pretty grim picture. But all this mindlessness works very very well for a small fraction of the population who's never had a better time.)
See also on the  same shelf:

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