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What a TTC worker told a man on subway tracks to bring him back from brink

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‘Life-changing’ exchange helped save young man, but for nearly 15 people a year, the story ends differently

TTC collector John Paul Attard helps rescue a man in distress who had jumped onto the subway tracks at Dundas Station on Wednesday.

The subway platform at Dundas station was packed with commuters like any typical Wednesday when John Paul Attard noticed a man walk by and then lower himself onto the tracks.

Attard, a Toronto Transit Commission collector, says his intuition kicked into gear immediately. Within seconds, he had the TTC cut power to the station.

Attard called transit control and then did something thousands of people have since seen in an online video that has made the rounds on social media.

Amid all the bustle, he quietly sat down at the edge of the platform and looked into the man’s eyes.

John Paul Attard

“I said to him, ‘Are you having a bad day?'” Attard said. “He says, ‘Yes, I want to hurt myself.’ That’s when I just kind of embraced him and hugged him.”

Around 15 people killed each year
“Let me hold you,” Attard said. They began to talk and the conversation spanned from the future to hip hop music and what the future holds.

“I will be your mentor, I will take care of you,” Attard told the man. “I was putting affirmations in his mind to take him from negative to positive.”

Through the April 26 exchange, which lasted about 20 minutes, Attard managed to talk the man, who he says was 23 — young enough to be his son — back from the brink of suicide.

According to the TTC, some 20 to 30 people jump in front of subway trains each year, ending the lives of about half of them.

The transit commission would not specify the locations or days of the week when suicides occur on the subway system. Spokesperson Stuart Green said in an email to CBC Toronto: “These unfortunate incidents can happen at any time.”

Green said suicide prevention is something the transit agency takes seriously.

So seriously, in fact, that frontline personnel are trained on what to look for in someone contemplating suicide on the subway through what the TTC calls “the gatekeeper program.”

Tragedy ‘extends beyond the individual’

Earlier this year, spokesperson Brad Ross acknowledged suicides were also linked to absenteeism within the agency — especially among subway operators.

Green agrees.

“The tragedy of someone losing their life or being severely and permanently injured extends beyond the individual and his or her family. The train crew, witnesses and other TTC personnel involved in suicide incidents face possible life-altering, post-traumatic stress disorder.”

That’s something Attard, who says he grapples every day with his own mental illness, has seen first-hand.

Attard says he has lost three fellow TTC employees to suicide over his 24-year career with the agency.

Green declined to disclose the number of employees who have died from suicide and would not comment on how job stress might contribute to such cases.

As for suicides on its subway platforms, Green confirmed that barriers in the form of platform-edge doors have been discussed, but there is no timeline or funding commitment. The agency gave in-principle approval to the barriers in 2010, but to date they have not been implemented in the cash-strapped system.

“It’s a very expensive proposition,” Green said.

But while barriers may still be years away, Dr. Katy Kamkar, a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, says moments, such as the one in which Attard found himself last Wednesday, can play a powerful role in breaking the stigma around mental health issues.

Social media and mental illness

“I think social media has been helpful in terms of helping — opening up the dialogue and the conversation around mental health and mental illness … And here’s a situation where someone approaches someone who was in distress, listens to the person, providing listening, providing the support and care, and it made all the difference,” she said.

While there has been some improvement in taking the stigma out of mental illness over the past five to 10 years, Kamkar says, much could be improved.

She says if instances like Wednesday’s can prompt discussion around mental health and normalize the conversation using positive and health messages, they can play a crucial role.

Clinical psychologist Katy Kamkar says moments like Wednesday’s can prompt discussion around mental health and normalize the conversation.

She says 70 per cent of mental health and addiction problems begin in childhood and adolescence, with people between ages 15 and 24 reporting the highest level among any other age group.

“Everyone might react to it differently depending on their history. For some people, it could be a trigger. For some others, they might see it a different way,” said Kamkar.

“But I think it really speaks to the notion of a human being helping another human being … that human touch, which is so important.”

Over the course of those 20 minutes on the track, Attard says he could eventually see light in the face of the man on the tracks.

Moment was ‘life-changing’

“I put my hands on his temples and had him repeat, ‘I am strong, I am strong.'”

In an unforgettable moment, he asked others to join in. Soon, virtually everyone on the north and southbound platforms could be heard repeating the phrase in one resounding voice.

As police and paramedics arrived, Attard continued speaking to the man, whispering: “You are going to be OK, I’m going to be your mentor, I’m going to be your friend.”

It was, as Green put it, an “act of compassion for a person in distress.” He says it’s a testament to the acts of kindness that transit employees carry out every day.

“Some, like this one, are life-changing.”

Where to get help

Kids Help Phone – 1-800-668-6868 (Phone), Live Chat (online chat counselling) — visit www.kidshelpphone.ca

Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre

Health Canada’s toll-free‎ number for the First Nations and Inuit Hope for Wellness Help Line is 1-855-242-3310.‎

If you’re worried someone you know may be at risk of suicide, you should talk to them, says the Canadian Association of Suicide Prevention. Here are some warning signs:

  • Suicidal thoughts.
  • Substance abuse.
  • Purposelessness.
  • Anxiety.
  • Feeling trapped.
  • Hopelessness and helplessness.
  • Withdrawal.
  • Anger.
  • Recklessness.
  • Mood changes.

HP’s Mike Nash on why new Spectre x360 15 is thicker, much more powerful

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HP’s CES 2018 and late 2017 announcements include a couple of firsts that show off the company’s willingness to take chances on brand new technology. Its Envy x2 was the first detachable tablet announced that will leverage Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 ARM processors for long-lasting, always-connected computing, and it’s recently added an Intel version. And, its updated Spectre x360 15 beat packs in Intel new 8th-gen Core with Radeon RX Vega M graphics.

Mike Nash, HP’s Chief Technologist and VP of Customer Experience, Personal Systems, is high on HP’s ability to respond to customer requirements with modern computing solutions. And he had plenty to say as he stopped by Digital Trends’ booth at CES 2018, and discussed HP’s notebook and more.

First up was a discussion of HP’s first Always Connect PC based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 ARM processor, the Envy x2 detachable tablet, with Nash specifically touting the machine’s ability to remain connected to the internet and receive data while lasting for 16 hours or more on a charge. He also touched on the Intel version of the Envy x2 that brings greater performance, while maintaining around 12 hours of battery life.

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Nash went on to discuss some of the differences between the ARM and Intel versions, including HP’s decision to offer both in response to customer requests. He provided an overview of each, discussing relative strengths, and touching on what a buyer needs to consider in making a good choice between the two.

Next, Nash discussed one of the first convertible 2-in-1s to pack in Intel’s new Kaby Lake-G chips, which mate an eighth-generation Intel Core i7 CPU with AMD’s Radeon RX Vega M GL GPU. The 15.6-inch 2-in-1 promises gaming performance falling somewhere between the Nvidia GTX 1050 and GTX 1060 GPUs, with all the abilities of a pen-enabled notebook that converts to a (large) tablet for handwriting and drawing.

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If you’re wondering how HP makes its decisions on how to design its notebooks to meet customer needs, then this is the video for you. You’ll learn more about how HP listens to its customers, while picking up additional details about each of HP’s newest notebooks.

Jay Leno: Here’s the fastest way to become a millionaire

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Jay Leno: Here’s the fastest way to become a millionaire

Jay Leno has done well for himself.

After doing stand-up comedy for years, he spent more than two decades hosting NBC’s “The Tonight Show,” which reportedly earned him as much as $30 million a year. Today, he hosts CNBC’s ” Jay Leno’s Garage ,” a series that explores Americans’ obsession with cars.

While the comedian didn’t experience overnight success — “I wasn’t a millionaire when I started,” he tells CNBC Make It — he discovered the key to getting rich early on: Developing multiple streams of income.

From the moment Leno entered the working world, he always had at least two ways to make money: “I had two jobs because I realized that was the quickest way to become a millionaire.”

Leno was smart about how he handled both paychecks, too. He banked the bigger one and lived off the smaller one . When he was first starting out, that meant saving the money he made working at a car dealership and spending what he made as a comedian.

“Then I got to the point where the comedy money was, like, five times the other money, so I decided to flip it around and save the comedy money,” Leno says. “I would always spend the lesser amount of what the two were.”

He continued relying on this strategy even after he started hosting “The Tonight Show” in 1992.

“I pretended as if I didn’t even have the Tonight Show job,” says Leno. Instead he lived off the money he earned doing comedy show gigs on the side. “You know, when you start making money, you get lazy. I wanted to make sure I always had that hunger, so I never looked at [the Tonight Show money]. It would go directly into a bank.”

After 22 years on the job, he accumulated “a nice little nest egg,” he says.

Today, Leno still does two to three comedy gigs a week, he tells CNBC Make It, or “210 jobs a year outside of whatever else I’m doing.” After all, “if you do something and it works, then keep doing it.”

The Best Mice of CES 2018

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If you’re in the market for a new mouse to dominate opponents or simply wow your co-workers, the Consumer Electronics Show is a great place to see what is coming soon.

Here we list the best mice at CES 2018, all of which target the PC gamer. Manufacturers range from Cooler Master to Mad Catz to Razer, some of which provide their own take on Logitech’s wireless charging solution that hit the market in early 2017.

Cooler Master MM830

Cooler Master’s upcoming mouse is unique because it includes a “hidden” D-pad under the thumb consisting of four, low-profile buttons. Perfect for MMOs and MOBA games, your thumb will never need to leave the surface as it maneuvers to all four buttons: Just “rock” your thumb up, down, left, or right for actuation. These buttons are configurable through the company’s desktop utility.

In addition to assigning D-pad commands, the software can be used to assign functions to the wheel, customize the RGB illumination, and set the DPI levels ranging up to 24,000 dots per inch. The “durable” PBT chassis also plays host to a built-in OLED screen with a 96 x 94 resolution so you can add a team logo or unique design directly to the mouse itself. This screen is presumably programmable through Cooler Master’s desktop software.

Corsair Dark Core RGB / MM1000 charging pad

Corsair’s latest gaming mouse may have a “dark core” label, but it’s an illuminated mechanical rodent at its roots supporting four customizable RGB zones. The device relies on the PMW3367 optical sensor promising sensitivities between 100 and 16,000 dots per inch. This sensor is joined by nine buttons you can program through Corsair’s desktop software. Other features crammed into the Dark Core RGB include a one-millisecond report rate, onboard memory for storing on-the-go profiles, and a built-in rechargeable battery promising up to 24 hours on a single charge.

That said, the SE model supports the company’s new Qi wireless charging station, the MM1000, that is similar to Logitech’s PowerPlay setup. But what makes Corsair’s version different is that it will charge any device that supports Qi wireless charging. For devices that don’t support wireless charging, the station provides Micro USB-B, USB-C, and Lightning Qi adapters. The MM1000 doesn’t appear to provide wireless 2.4GHz connectivity, requiring the mouse to use the USB pass-through port, or a Wi-Fi dongle plugged into the parent PC’s USB port.

HyperX Pulsefire Surge RGB

The latest gaming mouse from HyperX relies on a Pixart 3389 optical sensor with a sensitivity of up to 16,000 dots per inch. Slated to arrive sometime within the second quarter of 2018, it will rely on OMRON switches mounted under the left- and right-click buttons, promising a duration of up to 50 million clicks. These buttons are joined by a programmable mouse wheel, two buttons located on the left seated under your thumb, and a DPI toggle.

According to product shots, the mouse will support RGB illumination in the HyperX logo, and in a single LED strip that runs along the sides and across the front. Gamers can customize the lighting using the company’s NGenuity software along with assigning macro commands to any button. Given the mouse won’t be released until the next quarter, HyperX was rather light on details, but we should know more about the hardware once we move out of March.

Best mice at CES 2018

Guess who’s back? Mad Catz made a return to PC gaming peripheral with the launch of several products, one of which is this dot-infested optical mouse. It relies on the Pixart PMW3360 optical sensor supporting sensitivities up to 12,000 dots per inch and an acceleration of 50g. The sensor is backed by 10 programmable buttons presumably customized through the company’s desktop software. Unfortunately, there is no sign of any RGB illumination on the mouse itself, but the included playing surface sports an RGB running along its edges.

Taking a cue from Logitech, the big selling point is the Air’s bundled playing surface. It wirelessly recharges the mouse using the latest “capacitor” technology as long as the mechanical rodent remains on the surface. Other notable features you will find in the entire bundle include OMRON switches used with the left- and right-click buttons, four USB report rates, a switch durability of up to 20 million clicks, and a movement speed of up to 250 inches per second. A USB cable is thrown into the mix if gamers prefer a different mouse mat.

Razer Mamba HyperFlux

The HyperFlux aspect in the new peripheral’s name stems from the embedded wireless power technology. There’s supposedly no battery involved — the technology creates a magnetic field that transfers power directly to the peripheral. It’s somewhat similar to Logitech’s current PowerPlay setup where the mouse must reside on a special mouse mat-like station to receive a continuous charge. What’s unclear is whether the mouse requires a separate wireless dongle plugged into the parent PC for connectivity or if the charging station provides a wireless feed.

Speaking on connectivity, this mouse relies on Adaptive Frequency Technology that will scan and switch to the best 2.4GHz channel for the optimal connection. Other features include an optical sensor supporting a sensitivity of up to 16,000 dots per inch, customizable RGB lighting, and a right-handed design. The charging station, dubbed as the Razer Firefly HyperFlux, is included with the mouse. Firefly provides two optimized mats in the bundle: One hard (speed), and one soft (control).

SteelSeries Rival 600

Now this is interesting: The Rival 600 sports two optical sensors, not just one. The main Pixart sensor, dubbed as the TrueMove3, does all the main work while the adjustable, secondary sensor tracks liftoff distance. Why? According to SteelSeries, this dual-sensor “TrueMove3+” setup will help reduce jitter and “cursor disparity” associated with lifting the mouse too far from the surface at the wrong times. You can adjust the liftoff detection down to just a mere 0.5mm.

As for other bells and whistles, the mouse provides a sensitivity of up to 12,000 dots per inch, 256 different customizable weight and balance options, a trigger system designed for the left- and right-click mouse button mechanical switches, a dedicated 32-bit ARM-based processor, and onboard storage for saving your button assignments and lighting effects to use during software-free events. There are even eight RGB lighting zones on the mouse you can customize using the company’s desktop software.

Dividend Investors: These 3 Stocks Are Taking Off!

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The price of a dividend stock is inversely related with its yield, and if investors wait too long to get in on shares that are rising, a great yield could quickly turn into a mediocre one. For that reason, I’ve listed three dividend stocks below that have been skyrocketing in the past six months and that could continue to rise.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (TSX:CM)(NYSE:CM) offers a lot of stability and also provides investors with a great growing dividend. There is a lot of benefit to holding this stock for years and years, since your payouts will only rise over time.

In the past five years, CIBC’s dividend payments have grown more than 38%, which equates to a compounded annual growth rate of 6.7%. This means that if the bank maintained this level of dividend increase, then you could expect that the dividend payment would double after a decade.

However, the bank stock isn’t just a great buy for its dividend; it has terrific growth potential as well. CIBC’s stock was in the negative for much of 2017, and it wasn’t until late in the year that the shares finally found some momentum. In the last six months, CIBC?s stock has risen more than 16%, which has brought its yield down to 4.2%.

Although CIBC has typically traded at a lower multiple than other bank stocks due to its lack of diversification, with the bank’s recent expansion into the U.S., that could change and provide even more upside for the stock. It could also be a good bet to outperform its peers in 2018.

Chorus Aviation Inc. (TSX:CHR) has performed very well over the past six months with its share price rising more than 26%. Despite this incredible climb, Chorus still pays a very high yield of 5.4%.

While Chorus has seen its sales decline over the years, in its most recent quarter, its top line was up 4% from a year ago, while profits nearly quadrupled. Given how well airline stocks like Air Canada and WestJet Airlines Ltd. have done in the past year, it might not be a bad idea to add one to your list, particularly, a stock like Chorus, which also has a great payout.

Domtar Corp. (TSX:UFS)(NYSE:UFS) is a low-risk stock that has been able to provide investors with a lot of stability. Although the company’s most recent quarter wasn’t without challenges, Domtar continued to produce strong results for its shareholders.

In the past six months, the share price has risen more than 34%, but investors shouldn’t expect high growth, as the stock’s returns over the past five years have been less than 50%.

The rise in price has brought the yield down to 3.3%, and although that might not produce a lot of excitement for dividend investors, Domtar offers a lot of predictability for its shareholders. In each of the past four years, the company’s revenue has exceeded $5 billion, and Domtar has also been able to stay in the black during this time.

The company’s dividend payments are in U.S. dollars, and that also gives investors an opportunity to take advantage of a rising U.S. currency.

Couple Figured Out How to Stop Paying Rent and Now Saves $2,000 a Month

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Dan and Tracy Kellermeyer made one change that let them fix their finances and live rent-free in five different states.

In the past year, Dan and Tracy Kellermeyer have lived in Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Oregon, and Las Vegas. While all that travel sounds expensive, the pair has managed not to spend a dime on housing costs.

“We came up with the idea that if we could string together back-to-back house-sits, then we could live rent- and utility-free and travel the U.S.,” says Dan. Now, the nomadic couple shares their housesitting experiences on their blog, Sitters on Tour.

Here’s how the couple got started as housesitting hustlers — and their advice for others looking to do the same.

When one door closed, another opened

Before they became digital nomads, Dan and Tracy rented a townhouse in the suburbs of Chicago. Dan had started working from home as a business analyst, but Tracy got laid off from her job as a program manager for a wellness company.

“That was a big turning point in our lives,” says Dan. “With the loss of her income, we started thinking outside the box.” Since Dan’s job was already location independent, they brainstormed ways to work and travel at the same time.

“We both loved to travel and started reading about how other people were traveling the U.S. and the world while working from home,” says Dan. “We still wanted to stay mindful of our budget, so we looked at other options and that’s when we found housesitting.”

Housesitters typically stay in someone’s home for weeks or months at a time. They’re responsible for taking care of the property, as well as caring for any pets that live there.

After working with their landlord to end their lease early, Dan and Tracy built their profile on TrustedHousesitters and House Sitters America. “Within a few months, we had our first four-month housesitting gig,” says Dan.

Since then, the couple has moved around the Western U.S., building their careers and saving money as they go.

Using their savings to pay off student loans

Although the costs of moving so frequently would usually add up, Dan and Tracy actually save thousands per month as housesitters. In fact, Dan estimates their full-time housesitting saves the pair over $24,000 per year.

So what are they doing with all the extra savings? “We initially decided to take all the money we saved by not paying rent and use it to pay off our student loans faster,” says Dan. “We both still have about $100,000 in student loans combined.”

Dan owes about $60,000 in undergraduate loans after attending Purdue University, and Tracy has about $40,000 from the University of Wisconsin. After graduating, they refinanced their federal loans to lower their monthly payments.

Today, though, Dan and Tracy’s priorities have shifted away from paying off their debt as fast as possible. While they still make minimum payments, their current focus is investing in their careers.

Building their careers as digital nomads

Now that Dan and Tracy aren’t tied to one city, they’re taking advantage of their new lifestyle and building their dream careers.

“After five or six months, we realized that this lifestyle could also allow us to pursue careers that were more fulfilling to us,” says Dan. “I ended up leaving my full-time job to focus on building my financial planning practice.”

Dan founded New Heights Financial Planning, where he works as a financial planner with clients all over the country. He provides virtual consulting on living a location-independent lifestyle.

He also founded New Heights Solutions, which mainly provides virtual assistant services to financial planners. Tracy, meanwhile, now works as a “taskmaster” with the company, providing online administrative support to its various clients.

Plus, both Dan and Tracy are building out their blog, crafting guides on housesitting, travel, and adopting a minimalist lifestyle.

To grow their various businesses, Dan and Tracy prefer long-term housesitting arrangements over short-term ones. “People wonder if we are on vacation all the time, but we still work normal work hours,” says Dan. “[It] just happens to be from a new city every few months!”

Building up an emergency fund is key

Starting any new business is risky, especially if you’re doing it from the road. To protect themselves, Dan and Tracy save money in an emergency fund. “A solid emergency fund is a must for anyone setting out on a nomadic lifestyle,” says Dan.

Not only is an emergency fund essential if you lose your income, but it’s useful if a housesitting gig goes south. In Phoenix, for instance, Dan and Tracy found themselves in a prickly situation.

“The homeowners moved to a different house in the middle of our three-month sit and we found seven scorpions during our stay in the new house,” says Dan. Though the couple did fulfill their contract and finish the job, they were comforted knowing they could have quit early thanks to their savings.

Since a location-independent lifestyle can be unpredictable, preparing for random expenses is key. Build a three- to six-month emergency fund to help you be ready for whatever comes your way.

Do your research before you hit the road

Apart from their scorpion encounter, Dan and Tracy have had mostly positive experiences as housesitters. Their favorite stay was at a ranch in Durango, Colorado, where they watched 13 barn cats and spent the winter skiing.

To ensure a safe and comfortable experience, the couple recommends drawing up a contract with the homeowner. Make sure you outline the terms of the agreement, including the address and dates of your stay, along with who is responsible for paying for utilities.

“Most pets and people are great, but you do have to do more due diligence so you don’t get into a negative situation,” says Dan. While Dan and Tracy accept long-term assignments, they also recommend housesitting for shorter trips.

“Housesitting can be a great way to vacation, even if you aren’t looking to do it full time,” says Dan. “If you want to spend the holidays somewhere new, you might look for a housesitting gig for a week or two.”

Whatever your goals, you can find ways to cut back costs and save money. “There are so many different ways to live a nomadic lifestyle, and each one has its quirks,” says Dan. “Do your research and connect with other people living the lifestyle before you set out on your own journey.”