The Canadian dollar is trading at 100.84 cents (U.S.) this morning, up 0.03 of a cent from Thursday’s close.
The U.S. dollar is trading at 99.17 cents (Canadian), down 0.03 of a cent.
Pound sterling was worth $1.5554 (Canadian(, up 0.43 of a cent, and $1,5684 (U.S.), up 0.48 of a cent.
The euro was at $1.2209 (Canadian), up 0.10 of a cent.
Some people think I have a important job. I am the guy that helps people find a tenth of a second, lose a sixteenth of a pound and create millimeters that previously didn’t exist. At the highest level of sports performance, these small increments of time, weight and distance can often lead to the difference between victory and defeat. In my career, these victories have helped my clients earn over 1 billion dollars to date. Some people think I have a difficult job. My job requires a meticulous understanding of cutting-edge strategies, tried and true methodology and the ability to know which one to apply at the right time. My work requires the ability to publicly speak and professionally write to educate, motivate and engage people of all backgrounds. In my career, these abilities have helped my products to sell over 150,000 copies to date. Some people think I have high-pressure job. Whether my clients succeed or fail, or a presentation is a hit or a flop, I must be prepared to accept responsibility for the result. My work is open to constant criticism of the world and I am labeled only by my latest achievement or failure. In my career, programs that I have helped to create have been used by over 600,000 athletes and people to date. This job however, is not my most important, difficult or high-pressured. In fact, my “day” job pales in comparison to my duty as a parent. My “day” job may determine the future of a handful of people, but my job as a parent influences the future of the world. As a parent, I have often fumbled and erred toward achieving a result. There was no schooling, course work and manual of policies and procedures that came along with this job. During this job, I still have done my best with all that I had. Although in no way do I consider myself an expert, I do think I know a thing or two about one of the most difficult tasks today for a parent: how to raise a healthy kid.
I believe that childhood obesity is perhaps the world’s biggest challenge. A mentor of mine once told me that if you want to do something great, seek out the biggest challenge and attack. That is exactly what I am doing with this blog. Our children are our future. There is more information available about fitness and diet than ever. Parenting is also one of the most studied areas of social development as well. Why then are the kids so overweight? Most people have the classic “blame” list. Here is a quick video of my oldest daughter that should remove a few of them:
In addition to the CDC, many people recognize the obesity epidemic. Many also feel they just don’t know what to do. I say we just aren’t doing what we know. Below is a quick list of 5 “reminders” about how to get our kids (and ourselves) back on the fitness track:
Before you are going to get your kid in shape, you have to get yourself in shape first. Everything you do is something that your child is going to be learning from you. Parents that eat right and exercise have kids that eat right and exercise. Parents that are sedentary and bring the wrong food into the house, will have kids that follow suit. Remember there is a reason that they say that “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
Once you start leading by example, you are going to have to stay consistent. Eating right and exercising is not a “sometimes” thing; it is an all-the-time thing. Stay the course. Never let off. Be consistent in your message and actions despite the opportunity to do otherwise.
When you were a kid, I am sure you had a dream. Well, every kid today has one too. The best thing you can do is discover that dream and help help your child create an optimistic expectation. There is nothing wrong with letting your child believe they can be the best in the world. Your goals might not always be the same as your child’s, but a child with a powerful support team is difficult to stop. One important aspect of that support will be by developing their first wealth: their health.
Once you know your child’s dream, the next step is to support it. The more you are involved in the process, the better the chances you will both grow healthy together. Kids that work out with their parents are proven to be less likely to be involved in drinking, drugs and delinquent behavior. Being involved in your kid’s life isn’t invasive, it is impressive.
Just like you cannot be too motivating, or too positive, it is impossible to give your child too much love. This is, however, a great goal to strive for. A great way to love them with good food and a healthy lifestyle. Once you get involved in your child’s dream, you may end up wanting things for your kids more than they do. Even if they occasionally come up short, never forget the five most powerful words you can tell your child: “I Am Proud Of You.”
If you’ve ever felt like sprucing up your walls with a fresh pop of color, you know that not all paints are created equal. To help separate the winning paints from the losers, the Good Housekeeping Research Institute (GHRI) took a wide array of interior paints and put them through many tests to determine their coverage, fade resistance, cleanability, and much more.
Good Housekeeping Research Institute scientists evaluated the paint for:
Six months in and the year is turning out … well, pretty average.
The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and market analysis firm RealNet Canada have released their sales numbers for the first six months of 2012, with some unsurprising results. While the 20,785 new homes and condos sold between January and June is down from last year’s 24,107 at this time, it’s on par with other years in the past decade. After the first six months of 2010, for example, only 19,664 units had been sold.
“The demographic realities of the Greater Toronto Area are that in and around 40,000 homes have to be built [annually] to house the approximately 100,000 people that come to this region every year,” says BILD president and CEO Bryan Tuckey. “So when we put … the first half of the year’s sales into that context, we find that sales of new homes and condominiums in the GTA have remained very steady, with more than 20,000 new homes being sold so far this year.”
It’s not only year-to-date sales that stayed on point. In June alone, 3,461 new home and condominium sales transpired across the GTA — down 27% from last year’s stronger-than-normal numbers, but on track with years before that. In 2010, 3,063 new home sales were completed in June.
Last year, in other words, was an anomaly. “If you look at 2008 and 2009 they were well below forecast, so I think there was a latent demand that was seen in 2011, which really did bring the average up a bit over the course of the year,” Mr. Tuckey says.
But trends that were obvious through 2011 are continuing in 2012. The 905 regions continue to see condominium growth, while the shift from low-rise to high-rise sales throughout the GTA is still prevalent. That’s evident in the numbers: While January to June 2012 saw the second-highest number of new high-rise sales on record (next to 2011), it’s the fourth-lowest on record for low-rise (meaning single-family homes). There are three main reasons for the shift, Mr. Tuckey says: provincial policies focused on intensification, land supply constrictions and the price difference between low-rise and high-rise that make condos more affordable for buyers.
In fact, at $603,102, the index price for low-rise in June was up 10% over June 2011, while the high-rise index price decreased by 6% over last June, to $432,256.
So what should buyers expect to see when the new home and condo market numbers are released for the rest of the summer? An enduring return to average, says Jasmine Cracknell, partner with Toronto real estate consulting firm N. Barry Lyon Consultants Limited. “It’s going back to more normal market conditions, where the seasonality is coming into effect,” she explains.
“In the summer it’s going to taper down a bit, and then we expect in fall it’s going to ramp up again.”
http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/08/07/market-news-sales-on-par-with-last-decade/
Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an exciting three-week cultural explosion of Caribbean music, cuisine, revelry as well as visual and performing arts. In its 45th year it has become a major international event and the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America. As Carnival is an international cultural phenomenon, the great metropolis of Toronto and its environs will come alive as the city explodes with the pulsating rhythms and melodies of Calypso, Soca, Reggae, Hip Hop, Chutney, Steel Pan and Brass Bands. This colourful exhibition and display of genius is truly a musical panorama that is certain to bring a pleasing smile to the ancestral titans of Pan and Calypso music.
Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is an expression of Toronto's multicultural and multiracial society. An increasing number of attendees and participants come from the US and overseas. The events are planned months in advance. The costumes and mas band displays are elaborate and oh so delicately worn and designed for movement. Every move they make, in a breath-taking spectrum of colours that is best reflected in the King and Queen Showcase on Parade Day. No Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto is complete without African Drumming along with the Arts and Crafts displays celebrating "Things Caribbean"! In 2012, Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival Toronto season is destined to be six (6) weeks culminating in the pinnacle of Parade Day on the Lakeshore with a kaleidoscope of music, colourful costumes, theatrical mas band displays, steel bands beating intricate orchestrations coupled with mouth watering feasts of Caribbean cuisine and delicacies.
TORONTO -- The Canadian dollar touched parity with the greenback Friday morning as commodities gained traction, a U.S. jobs report came in stronger than expected and the American dollar weakened against other currencies.
The loonie rose 0.71 of a cent to put it even with the U.S. dollar.
The July labour report said total U.S. nonfarm payrolls were up by 163,000, better than the 100,000 gain that was projected. The unemployment rate rose to 8.3 per cent, up 0.1 per cent.
In commodities, the September crude contract on the New York Mercantile Exchange lifted 97 cents to US$88.10 a barrel.
September copper moved up 1.8 cents to US$3.308 a pound while August gold rose 30 cents to US$1,591 an ounce.
Find out if a sleep deficit is keeping you from going the extra mile
Need a reason to hit the snooze button a few more times? Sleep is as vital for survival as food, according to Dr. Mary Susan Esther, president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). And chances are you're more likely to burn the midnight oil to finish all your work (and play) than you are to pass up dinner. But chronic lack of sleep can lead to a host of health problems—such as high blood pressure, obesity, depression, irregular hormone production, a weakened immune system, memory lapses, constant irritability, and decreased concentration and reaction times.
Fill up with a lower-octane gasoline. Buy the lowest grade or octane of gasoline that is appropriate for your car. Unless your car requires premium gasoline, filling up your car with high-octane fuel is a waste of money. That pricey premium fuel won't boost your car's fuel economy or performance in the least, so skip it.
If you're not sure what grade of fuel works best for your car, open up your owner's manual and take a look. As long as your engine doesn't knock or ping when you fuel up with regular unleaded, you're good to drive on this much cheaper gas. Passing on pricey premium gasoline could save you hundreds of dollars a year.
Don't top off. Don't bother topping off when filling your car's gas tank. Any additional gas is just going to slop around or seep out. Why waste your money paying for gas your car won't use? Stop pumping at the first indication that your tank is full when the automatic nozzle clicks off.
Tighten up that gas cap. Gas will evaporate from your car's gas tank if it has an escape. Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year, according to the Car Care Council. So be sure to tighten up that gas cap each time you fuel up your car.
Go for the shade. The hot summer sun that makes the inside of your car feel like a sauna also zaps fuel from your gas tank.
"If you let your car bake in the sun there's going to be a greater amount of evaporative emissions that take place than if you park in the shade," says Jim Kliesch, research associate at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and vehicle analyst for GreenerCars.com.
So park your car in the shade of a building or tree whenever possible. And buy a good windshield shade. A windshield shade blocks sunlight and helps to keep heat out of the inside of your car.
Use your garage for your car. Got a garage? Clear it out and make room for your car. Parking in your garage will help your car stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and you won't have to depend as much on your gas-guzzling air-conditioning or defroster when you drive.
Pump up your tires. Don't get caught driving on underinflated tires. Underinflated tires wear down more quickly and they also lower your car's gas mileage.
"Tires that have low pressure offer more resistance so the engine is going to work harder to keep the car at 60," says Brian Moody, road test editor at Edmunds.com.
Your car's gas mileage may plummet by as much as 15 percent. Driving on underinflated tires may also reduce the life of your tires by 15 percent or more.
Check your tire pressure once a month. Buy a digital gauge and keep it in your glove box. Compare the pressure in your tires with the recommended pressure listed in your owner's manual and on the placard in your car door. Then inflate your tires as needed. Be sure to check tire pressure when your tires are cold. A good time is early in the morning after your car's been idle overnight.
Keep your engine in tune. Fixing a car that is out of tune or has failed an emissions test can boost gas mileage by about 4 percent. So be sure to give your car regular tune-ups. You'll also want to watch out for worn spark plugs. A misfiring spark plug can reduce a car's fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent.
Replace air filters. Keep a close eye on your engine's air filter. When the engine air filter clogs with dirt, dust and bugs, it causes your engine to work harder and your car becomes less fuel-efficient. Replacing a clogged air filter could improve your gas mileage by as much as 10 percent and save you 15 cents a gallon. It's a good idea to have your engine air filter checked at each oil change. The Car Care Council recommends changing your car's air and oil filters every three months or 3,000 miles or as specified in your owner's manual.
Use the right oil. You can improve your car's gas mileage by 1 percent to 2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. Opt for motor oil with the words "energy conserving" on the API performance label. This oil contains friction-reducing additives.
Don't skimp on maintenance. Be serious about auto care. Your car's performance depends on it.
"Always follow the manufacturer-recommended maintenance," Moody says. "The car's designed to run a certain way. If you neglect it, it won't be as efficient."
Low interest rates, low vacancy rates and tight supply are a cue to look at buying a building for your business, according to the Bank of Montreal.
“Now may be a particularly good time for businesses to invest in commercial property for their own use,” said Steve Murphy, senior vice-president of commercial and treasury management at BMO. “There is strong demand for these properties by users, who are often able to lease out part of the property for additional rental income.”
BMO says overall the real estate market continues to show signs of strength and that will likely continue to in the face of low interest rates over the medium term.
Earl Sweet, senior economist and managing director at BMO Capital Markets, said the market is attractive to investors for several reasons.
He notes supply is limited, vacancy rates are lower than historical norms across segments in many cities and risk-averse operations have helped to improve balance sheet performance of developers, construction firms and realtors.
“After a severe and protracted market downturn in the 1990s, the commercial real estate industry in Canada has been characterized by cautious development and prudent lending practices,” said Mr. Sweet.
“Higher occupancy, spurred by steady growth in employment, manufacturing, wholesaling and retailing, is reducing office, industrial and retail vacancies, while lease rates are edging upward. Meanwhile, large U.S. retailers are targeting what they view as the underserved Canadian market for expansion.”
He expects the market to grow at a more “tempered pace” this year and next as Canada’s economic growth eases to 2%.
“Furthermore, the still-unresolved Eurozone crisis and slowing momentum in the United States and several major emerging markets will continue to weigh on investors’ risk appetite and adversely affect the industry in the short run,” said Mr. Sweet.
Lots of Toronto homeowners are looking at the eye-popping prices houses and condo units in the city are fetching these days and deciding it’s time to cash in.
In most years, Toronto’s real estate market slips into somnolence by the mid-summer and agents head to their own cottages to recover from the spring maelstrom. But 2012 is different - especially in the upper echelons of the market. On just one day this week five agents put forward interesting and luxurious properties as candidates for “Home of the Week” in Globe Real Estate. That’s a pace that feels more like April than mid-July.
Ross McCredie, chief executive officer of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada, says high-end real estate sales have been hot in all of Canada’s big cities and nowhere more than Toronto. Calgary and Montreal are bustling too. Sales and prices in Vancouver have retreated from their 2011 peaks but lots of high-end houses are still selling above the asking price, he adds.
“The Toronto market is really the story,” he says.
He cited the relative strength of the Canadian economy, low interest rates, a migration from the suburbs toward the downtown and an influx of wealthy immigrants as the main factors driving the action. “A lot of people who weren’t thinking about selling their home are now thinking about it,” says Mr. McCredie. “It’s all about timing.”
The results of a study commissioned by his firm show that the number of listings in the GreaterToronto Area for houses valued at more than $1-million swelled by 29 per cent in the first half of 2012 compared with the first half of 2011.
The increase was surprising to Mr. McCredie, who thinks that many people are selling with the intention of sitting on the sidelines for a couple of years and then getting back into the market after a downturn.
But Mr. McCredie thinks the strategy may be mis-guided.
“You need to plan these things in advance an not just react,” he says of the sudden rush to list.
He doesn’t mind if people want to list, mind you, but he doesn’t see a big correction in prices coming in Toronto. Downturns are typically fuelled by a catalyst such as a sudden spike in interest rates, he points out. He doesn’t see rates rising sharply any time soon.
He know there’s lots of talk of over-heating in Toronto but he doesn’t believe the market is in a bubble.
“We actually don’t see it from our perspective.”
All of the new listings bring more choice for buyers, who so far have continued to step up. Sales in this segment in the first half of the year jumped 29 per cent to 3,113 from 2,405 in the first half of 2011.
The inventory of houses on the market for asking prices at above $1-milion in the GTA stood 31 per cent higher at the end of June than inventory at the same time last year.
In the first half of the year, the average number of days on the market for a property in this segment slipped to 31 from 34 in the same period last year.
Mr. McCredie says the jump in listings could erode some of those numbers in the GTA just as they have in Vancouver, but he believes sales will remain robust.
Besides, marquee condominim projects such as the Four Seasons Private Residences and the Shangri-La are set to open this year.
“You’ve got a lot of high-end product,” he says. “Those are condo markets like we’ve never had before.”