So the kids all got to see what a dead beaver looks like.  (Not many city kids would be able to have that kind of experience!)

For the next couple of days they kept asking why he shot the beaver.  The beaver have built a couple of dams on the creek in behind our yard and they’ve chewed down quite a few of the trees along our fence line.

I took them for a walk down by the creek to show them where the neighbor was shooting the beaver and the trees that they had chewed down.  It was all so fascinating for them.  I was a little upset to see all the trees that they had chewed down but my husband just said that it will give the spruce trees more room to grow.  I guess that’s one way to look at it.

TheLittleClydesdales

Now may be the time.  Canada’s Economic Action Plan includes a temporary 100% capital cost allowance (CCA) rate for all new computer hardware and systems software for all Canadian businesses.

Normally the CCA is 55%, which means that you can only deduct 55% in the first year.  The temporary 100% CCA means that you can claim the full amount of your computer hardware/software purchase in the first year.

The government is hoping to accelerate the investment in technology and computers which will increase productivity.  This initiative was implemented on January 27, 2009 and is available to all Canadian businesses until February 1, 2011.

The estimated cost of this initiative is $340 million in 2009/2010 and $355 million in 1010/2011.

For more information please consult your tax advisor or visit Canada’s Economic Action Plan – Budget 2009.

www.budget.gc.ca/2009/pamphlet-depliant/pamphlet-depliant2-eng.asp

Some other initiatives for Canadian businesses:

Reduction of taxes for small businesses – 11% on the first $400,00 of qualifying income.

Canada’s Manufacturing and Processing Sector – 50% straight line accelerated capital cost allowance (CCA) rate to investment in manufacturing or processing machinery and equipment.

Mineral Exploration – temporary 15% mineral exploration tax credit

The two frogs ignored the comments and tried to jump up out of the pit.  The other frogs kept telling them to stop, that they were as good as dead.

Finally, one of the frogs took heed to what the other frogs were saying and simply gave up.  He fell down and died.

The other frog continued to jump as hard as he could.  Once again, the crowd of frogs yelled at him to stop the pain and suffering and just die.  He jumped even harder and finally made it out.

When he got out, the other frogs asked him, “Why did you continue jumping?  Didn’t you hear us?”  The frog explained to them that he was deaf.  He thought they were encouraging him the entire time.

This story has two lessons:

1.       There is power of life and death in the tongue.  An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift them up and help them make it through the day.

2.       A destructive word to someone who is down can be what it takes to kill them.  Be careful of what you say.

The power of words…it is sometimes hard to understand that an encouraging word can go such a long way.  Anyone can speak words that tend to rob another of the spirit to continue in difficult times.  Special is the individual who will take the time to encounter another.

What are we missing?
A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that thousands of people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by and a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till and without stopping continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3 year old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written with a violin worth 3.5 million dollars.

Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theatre in Boston and the seats average $100.00 each.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities of people.
The outlines were: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected context?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:
If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing each and every day?…