Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea – Swami Vivekananda
Eccentric
Ideas rule the world, you’ve heard that many times. Ideas developed and put into action are more important than ideas that exist only as an idea. You’ve probably heard that too.
But what many often hear, but often fail to admit is that some ideas are dangerous and frankly, a tough sell whilst in ideation. However, with a bit of luck, you might stumble on a quote like this one by Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde – “An idea that is not dangerous is unworthy of being called an idea at all.”
Boom! That’s your cue to go kamikaze.
It wasn’t so long ago Dotun found the courage to bet on his ideas, and the rest they say is history.
From barely being allowed to showcase the essence of his now trademarked “Energy gAD”, to building the foundations of a now fully mainstream craft. From being an afterthought to being one of the first names at the biggest events and social gatherings. Dotun is fully activated. Hype is alive.
Energy gAD
This is the ascendency, this is the crest of a wave. Like many great acts, Dotun is in theatre mode, and while those countless stage performances have come with enormous perks, immense recognition and fulfilment, the performer has had to embrace a fair share of misconceptions. Ranging from his personality and who he is away from the spotlight, from questions about his lifestyle to conclusions about the social indulgences that enhance those stellar stage and television marathons, Dotun is living through the good, bad and not so ugly.
And though Dotun understands their inquisition, and frankly, chuckles at the idea that he indulges in alcohol and burnt trees, he also realises that as a torchbearer for the organisation’s hype, it is important to send the right message to a burgeoning generation of creatives and hype men.
Dotun found a God-given dynamic to channel his natural ability to bring life to the small rooms, developed it and has now perfected the art of jumpstarting the biggest events and social gatherings.
Everything you see here is an “Illusion”, is what he told me when I met him backstage earlier this year. I found the persona on stage to be markedly different to the person off it. In private, the now christened “Energy gAD” is quiet, accommodating and somewhat shy. And though the energy is real, he explained that perception is one of the cornerstones of his craft – the art of stage mastering, a skill he’s carefully honed for a decade. Before I left him, he joked about his similarities to the “incredible hulk”, a character in the Marvel comic dynasty and how he likens himself to the superhero on and off stage.
Evolution
Despite being on speed dial for show promoters and event organisers, Do2dtun sees “institutional hype” as an endangered craft. A thought that was made clearer when a show promoter who while in several event planning sessions observed that every time the necessity of a hype-man was pitched, many in the room only fully understood it when Dotun Energy gAD was referenced.
It is for reasons like this Dotun is primed for personal and institutional evolution on a greater scale. The burden to push the frontiers of the craft forward weighs on the shoulders of a pioneer. But after more than a decade, it is not yet time to look back, rather brave the journey ahead into new territories, because just like skyscrapers – the foundations never really take a break now, do they?
For Dotun, after all those early days, it all now makes sense. He is the gatekeeper for ‘Hype’, a responsibility he could never really decline.
<p>He was detained on charges of espionage.</p>
<p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.arise.tv/russia-detains-wall-street-journalist/">Russia Detains Wall Street Journalist</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.arise.tv">Arise News</a>.</p>
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/canadian-cash.jpg?id=55425793&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C142%2C0%2C143"/><br/><br/><p>The new year is almost here, and that means a whole new 2025 calendar full of <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/revenu-quebec-cra-payment-dates-january-2025" target="_blank">government payments Quebec residents can receive</a>, including federal benefits from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).</p><p>Between monthly child benefit payments, quarterly tax credits and retirement pensions, there's likely a program that could make your year a little easier.</p><p>From monthly programs like the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-child-benefit-increase-2025" target="_blank">Canada Child Benefit</a> and Old Age Security to quarterly payments like the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gst-hst-credit-payment-date-january-2025" target="_blank">GST/HST Credit</a> and the Canada Workers Benefit, these <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/government-payments" target="_blank">government payments</a> can provide a much-needed financial boost throughout the year.</p><p>Here's everything you need to know about all the CRA payments for 2025 — from who qualifies to how much you could get and when to expect your money.</p><h3>GST/HST Credit</h3><br/><p>The <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/gst-hst-credit" target="_blank">GST/HST Credit</a> is a tax-free quarterly payment designed to help individuals and families with low or modest incomes recover some of the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gst-tax-break-canada-whats-exempt" target="_blank">goods and services tax (GST)</a> they've paid.</p><p><strong>Who's eligible:</strong> To qualify, you generally need to be at least 19 years old. However, if you're younger than 19, you could still be eligible if you have (or had) a spouse or common-law partner, or if you are (or were) a parent living with your child. You must also be a Canadian resident for income tax purposes both the month before and at the beginning of the month when the payment is made. The income threshold for eligibility depends on your family situation (whether or not you're single and how many kids you have), but it varies from $54,704 to $72,244 for the 2023 tax year.</p><p><strong>How much you can get: </strong>The amount you get depends on your adjusted family net income and your family situation. For the payment period from July 2024 to June 2025 (based on the 2023 tax year), you could receive up to $519 if you're single or $680 for a married or common-law couple, plus an additional $179 for each child under 19.</p><p>The CRA has also <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gst-hst-credit-increase-2025" target="_blank">announced that it will increase the GST/HST Credit</a> next year. For the payment period from July 2025 to June 2026 (based on the 2024 tax year), you can get up to $533 for singles or $698 for couples, plus an additional $184 for each child.</p><p><strong>2025 payment dates:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gst-hst-credit-payment-date-january-2025" target="_blank">Friday, January 3</a></li><li>Friday, April 4</li><li>Friday, July 4</li><li>Friday, October 3</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/goods-services-tax-harmonized-sales-tax-gst-hst-credit.html" target="_blank">More about the GST/HST Credit</a></p><h3>Advanced Canada Workers Benefit</h3><br/><p>The <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/canada-workers-benefit" target="_blank">Canada Workers Benefit</a> (CWB) is a refundable tax credit for workers earning a low income. It consists of a basic amount and a disability supplement, and it can be claimed when you file your tax return.</p><p>Under the Advanced Canada Workers Benefit (ACWB) program, eligible individuals can automatically receive advance payments of up to 50% of their CWB allotment for the year in three installments.</p><p><strong>Who's eligible:</strong> To qualify, you need to have worked and earned an income below the provincial or territorial threshold, which varies from about $22,800 to $51,800 in Quebec, depending on your family situation. You also need to be a resident of Canada for the entire year, and be at least 19 years old by December 31, or live with a spouse, common-law partner or dependent child.</p><p><strong>How much you can get: </strong>For the current benefit payment year (July 2024 to June 2025), the maximum basic CWB amount in Quebec is $3,521.87 for singles without children, $5,494.27 for couples without children, $1,888.40 for single parents and $3,522.38 for couples with children. There's also a disability supplement available, which can add a maximum of $787.70 per eligible person.</p><p>For the next payment year starting in July 2025, the CWB maximums are increasing, although the amounts for Quebec have not been confirmed yet.</p><p><strong>2025 payment dates:</strong></p><ul><li>Friday, January 10</li><li>Friday, July 11</li><li>Friday, October 10</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-workers-benefit.html" target="_blank">More about the Canada Workers Benefit</a></p><h3>Canada Child Benefit</h3><br/><p>The <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/canada-child-benefit" target="_blank">Canada Child Benefit</a> (CCB) is a tax-free benefit that helps families with the cost of raising children. The monthly CCB payment can also include the Child Disability Benefit, if you qualify.</p><p><strong>Who's eligible: </strong>To receive the CCB, you need to live with and be the primary caregiver for a child under 18, be a resident of Canada for tax purposes, and either you or your partner must meet certain residency requirements, such as being a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.</p><p><strong>How much you can get:</strong> The amount you'll get depends on your family's income, the number of children you have and their ages. If your adjusted net income in 2023 was less than $36,502, you'll get the maximum amount for the July 2024 to June 2025 payment year. For each child under 6, that's up to $7,787, and for each child aged 6 to 17, it's up to $6,570. Payments decrease as your income increases.</p><p>For the 2024 tax year, the CRA has <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-child-benefit-increase-2025" target="_blank">announced that it will increase the CCB</a>. For the payment period from July 2025 to June 2026, parents can get up to $7,997 for each child under 6, and $6,748 for kids aged 6 to 17. The income phase-out thresholds are also increasing.</p><p><strong>2025 payment dates:</strong></p><ul><li>Monday, January 20</li><li>Thursday, February 20</li><li>Thursday, March 20</li><li>Thursday, April 17</li><li>Tuesday, May 20</li><li>Friday, June 20</li><li>Friday, July 18</li><li>Wednesday, August 20</li><li>Friday, September 19</li><li>Monday, October 20</li><li>Thursday, November 20</li><li>Friday, December 12</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html" target="_blank">More about the Canada Child Benefit</a></p><h3>Old Age Security</h3><br/><p>The <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/old-age-security" target="_blank">Old Age Security</a> (OAS) pension is a monthly payment for Canadians aged 65 or older to help with living expenses. You can receive OAS even if you're still working or have never worked.</p><p><strong>Who's eligible: </strong>To qualify, you need to be at least 65 years old and have lived in Canada for at least 10 years after turning 18. If you're living outside Canada, you'll need to have lived here for at least 20 years. Most people are automatically enrolled in OAS, but if you don't get a letter from Service Canada the month after you turn 64, you may need to apply.</p><p><strong>How much you can get:</strong> Your OAS pension amount is dependent on your age, how long you've lived in Canada and your income. It also increases by 10% when you reach 75 years old. You may also be eligible for one of the three tax-free supplemental benefits — the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS), Allowance, and Allowance for the Survivor — based on your age, marital status and income.</p><p>The maximum monthly base OAS payment for October to December 2024 was $727.67 for those aged 65 to 74 and $800.44 for those 75 and older. Payments are adjusted every three months to keep up with inflation, so new amounts for January 2025 should be coming soon.</p><p><strong>2025 payment dates:</strong></p><ul><li>Wednesday, January 29</li><li>Wednesday, February 26</li><li>Thursday, March 27</li><li>Monday, April 28</li><li>Wednesday, May 28</li><li>Thursday, June 26</li><li>Tuesday, July 29</li><li>Wednesday, August 27</li><li>Thursday, September 25</li><li>Wednesday, October 29</li><li>Wednesday, November 26</li><li>Monday, December 22</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security.html" target="_blank">More about Old Age Security</a></p><h3>Veteran Disability Pension</h3><br/><p>The <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/veteran-disability-pension" target="_blank">Veteran Disability Pension</a> (VDP) is a monthly benefit provided to veterans with a disability related to their military service. The VDP offers lifetime monthly payments, and if you have dependents, such as a spouse or children, your payments will increase to help support them.</p><p><strong>Who's eligible: </strong>To qualify, you must be an eligible veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces, including those who served in the Second World War or the Korean War. Some current or former members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and certain civilians who served in the Second World War may also be eligible. You must also have a diagnosed medical condition or disability linked to your service.</p><p><strong>How much you can get:</strong> The amount you'll get is based on your situation, including the extent of your disability. The maximum monthly payment for a veteran with the highest disability rating (Class 1) is $3,357.30, plus additional amounts for dependents — $839.33 for a spouse, $436.45 for your first child, $318.94 for your second child and $251.80 for each additional child.</p><p><strong>2025 payment dates:</strong></p><ul><li>Thursday, January 30</li><li>Thursday, February 27</li><li>Friday, March 28</li><li>Tuesday, April 29</li><li>Thursday, May 29</li><li>Friday, June 27</li><li>Wednesday, July 30</li><li>Thursday, August 28</li><li>Friday, September 26</li><li>Thursday, October 30</li><li>Thursday, November 27</li><li>Tuesday, December 23</li></ul><p><a href="https://veterans.gc.ca/en/mental-and-physical-health/physical-health-and-wellness/compensation-illness-or-injury/disability-benefits" target="_blank">More about the Veteran Disability Pension</a></p><p><em>This story was originally published on <a href="https://www.narcity.com/cra-government-benefits-payment-dates-calendar-2025" target="_blank">Narcity</a> and has been adapted with information specific to Quebec.</em></p>
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