Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Can the ugly be beautiful inthe future?

A lesson on ugly for the New Year   ( constuctive use of ugly )
 
When Stephen was five, he wanted a flowerbed of his own. So I helped him lay out the bed and get the ground ready. I asked him what kind of flowers he wanted to plant. His answer was simple, "Beautiful ones."

The next day after work I picked up several different kinds of bulbs. Stephen was so excited about finally planting his flowers. As he opened the packages the disappointment was all over his face. Stephen looked up and said, "Mama, you got the wrong thing, these are not flowers, they are too ugly to be beautiful."

I assured him that if he would plant the bulbs, and take care of them, they would grow and be the beautiful flowers he wanted them to be. Stephen wasn't at all convinced, but he trusted me and was willing to give it a shot. He planted the bulbs and everyday he watered them and watched to see if they would grow. It seems like yesterday, he was standing there in overalls, hands on his hips, staring at his flowerbed waiting to see something beautiful appear out of the dirt.

Finally, he could see the stems, then the little buds, the day two buds opened up was an amazing day. Stephen came running into the house yelling, "Hurry mama you have got to see my beautiful flowers."

As we stood by the flowerbed Stephen said, "I didn't think they would ever grow, but they did. I growed it beautiful right out of the dirt." Then he slipped his little hand into mine and asked, "Mama, how can something so beautiful come from something so ugly"?

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Friday, December 24, 2010

What the heck happened to our billions - food for thought pass it on

This one applies more to the U.S. than to Canada  (with respect to the various Taxes shown)  but it is  interesting .
 
 
How many zeros in a billion???
 
This is too true to be funny...
 The next time you hear a politician use the
 word 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicians' spending YOUR tax money.
 
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend,
but one advertising agency did a good job of
putting that figure into some perspective in
one of it's releases.

A
A billion seconds ago it was 1959.
 
B
A billion minutes ago Jesus was alive.
 
C
A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

 D
A billion days ago no-one walked on the earth on two feet.

  E.
A billion dollars ago was only

8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

  While this thought is still fresh in our brain... let's take a look at
New Orleans ....

It's amazing what you can learn with some simple division.

  Louisiana Senator, Mary Landrieu (D) is presently asking Congress for

250 BILLION DOLLARS

to rebuild New Orleans .. Interesting number...

what does it mean?
 
A
Well... if you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans
(every man, woman, and child)

you each get $516,528.

B
Or... if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans , your home gets $1,329,787.

  C.
Or... if you are a family of four... your family gets $2,066,012.

  Imagine, now $700 billion bailing out banks in the US .  That's enough to fund complete medical care for every man, woman and child currently alive in the US for 11 years!!

50 billion to bail out the auto industry???

Washington , D.C. & Ottawa ON.
< HELLO!!! >
Are all your calculators broken??
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL License Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Federal Income Tax , Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax)
IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Tax
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Property y Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service charge taxes
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax (Truckers)
Sales Taxes
Recreational Vehicle Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax upon Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

Income Tax
Everything Tax

 STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY???

  Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago...
and our nation was the most prosperous in the world.

  We had absolutely no national debt...
We had the largest middle class in the world.. and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

  What happened?    Can you spell 'politicians!'

  And I still have to press '1' for English.

 
I hope this goes around the US & CANADA at least 1 billion times

 
What the heck happened???

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Get going in 2011

Get Going  Zig Ziglar
I don't believe there is a human being alive who has not awakened with responsibilities at the office that he felt must be taken care of, yet he simply did not feel up to the task. He'd had a miserable night's sleep, a case of the sniffles, and overall it just wasn't starting out to be a good day. He lay in bed, debating whether it would be advisable to stay home so as not to infect anyone else. Or since he would not be productive, why not sleep in, recuperate and be ready for tomorrow?

However, as our hero pondered this possibility, he started remembering the other projects that were directly tied to his performance. (Obviously, I don't recommend this if you're having a coronary!) With that, he reluctantly rolled out of bed, struggled to the kitchen, poured himself a cup of coffee, and one eye finally popped open. He took a shower, ate breakfast, and realized he would probably live; adjusted his halo, got in his car, and drove to work. He was greeted warmly and immediately given a fresh assignment in addition to those he already had. He quickly got busy, and that chore was followed immediately by another. Suddenly, at 10 o'clock, he realized that not only was he not really feeling bad, but he was actually feeling good.

The reality is that most of the time when we do what we don't feel like doing or even want to do, as we become involved in the activity, we realize it really isn't all that bad. In fact, we're feeling pretty good!

There are two key words at work here. First there is "responsibility," which is "the state of being accountable or answerable, as for a trust or office or for a debt." The word "responsible" means "liable to account, as for a trust reposed or for a debt. We are all responsible for the talents entrusted to us by our Creator. A guardian is responsible for the faithful discharge of his duty to his ward." It also means that you are "able to discharge an obligation, or having estate adequate to the payment of a debt."

As you look at these definitions of responsible and responsibility, recognize that when you "respond" to your responsibilities, you feel good about yourself. Before responsibility, however, "commitment" comes into play and enters the picture when we "commit ourselves to make some declaration that may bind us in honor, good faith or consistency to pursue a certain course of conduct or to adhere to the tenor of that declaration." In summation, it means that when we accepted the position at our company, we accepted the responsibility of following through on those things that were expected of us. This is important at all times, but especially when the performance of others is related to the contribution we make.

This is a reality check because the reality is that had we awakened as I described earlier, knowing that we had a chance to go to the "big game," we would not have entertained the idea of missing it. As a matter of fact, we would have rolled out of bed with considerable excitement, taken a quick shower, eaten a hearty breakfast, called our best friend to meet us at the game, etc. Obviously, I know there will be exceptions to this, but very few of us would cancel our tickets or call off our trip to the big game, if we were just feeling a little "poorly." All I'm saying is that when we get as excited about performing on the job as we do about attending any highly anticipated event as a spectator or participant, chances are good we'll start to move up the totem pole pretty quickly. Take the "big game" approach to your everyday responsibilities, and I really will SEE YOU OVER THE TOP!

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Pass on the gift of love this Christmas Merry Christmas everyone !

Rich Is Not What You Have

"Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."1

Dr. James Moore wrote, "During World War II, four young American soldiers who had been on the front lines of battle for some time, were sent back to a small French village for a little R & R. When they arrived in the village, they realized that it was Christmas Eve. They began to discuss how they would like to spend Christmas. One of the soldiers said, "You know, as we were coming into town earlier today, I noticed an orphanage on the outskirts of the village. Why don't we go there in the morning and take some Christmas joy to those children?" The others liked the idea and the more they talked about it, the more excited they became. So they went out and bought all kinds of toys, candy, clothing, food, books, and games. Early the next morning they showed up at the front door of the orphanage with wonderful Christmas presents for all the children.

"The orphanage director was pleased and all the children were delighted as they opened their gifts. All the children that is, except for one little girl who stood quietly off to the side. She appeared to be 5 or 6 years old and her face looked very sad. One of the soldiers noticed that she was not participating, so he asked the orphanage director about the little girl. 'Bless her heart,' said the director, 'we just got her last week. Both of her parents were killed in a car wreck. There was no one to take her in, so we brought her here.'

"The soldier went over to the little girl and gently he said to her, 'It's Christmas morning and we have wonderful Christmas presents here: toys, clothes, candy, food, books, and puzzles. Which would you like? What do you want most for Christmas?' And the little girl said, 'I want somebody to hold me.'

"Maybe that is the best Christmas gift of all—someone to hold us. As somebody once put it, 'Rich is not what you have. It's who you have beside you.' Well, this sacred season comes along once each year to remind us that 'Love Came Down At Christmas,' that God is even now reaching out to us with open arms, and that He wants us to accept His love and to pass it on to others."2

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Re: Funeral John baran

In honour and respect for fellow Knight John Baron
 
Well done - yes I will attend  and pass it on

I just had a call from Jerry at the funeral home to inform of the family request to attend the family parish prayers at St Joseph on wednesday nite at 8pm for the rosary,
 
i believe that John Baran was a Chartered Knight of St Pius X Council, Please send me or Gerry Barnett a email if you will attend, if we don't hear from you we will be phoning,
 
Let's give our brother Knight a proper Christian Fairwell



--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Giving Made Simple | Le don en toute simplicité

Here are some interesting ideas -for those who would like to participate in Knights fondraising for Christmas . Give on behave of something that is needed to someone you love
  • students  David Alexander  Bursary
  • knghts    Alberto exemplary knight award
  • St Joe elevator 
  •  youth program Knights Dufferin club
 ---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: CanadaHelps | CanaDon <info@canadahelps.org>
Date: 2010/12/21
Subject: Giving Made Simple | Le don en toute simplicité
To: backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com


Trouble viewing? Le message ne s'affiche pas? View it online/ Consultez-le en ligne.
Insights Newsletter - Bulletin Aperçus

CanadaHelps Insights - December 2010

CanadaHelps is Giving Made Simple

Here's your guide to fitting charitable giving into your busy holiday schedule:
Gift Card image
STEP 1: Turn a donation into the perfect gift
Charity Gift Cards let you make a donation and give a great gift to someone (or everyone) on your list. You select the design and the amount, and get your tax receipt. The recipient chooses any Canadian charity to receive the donation.

Buy Charity Gift Cards today!

STEP 2: Donate online
Make your year-end donations online to save time and get instant tax receipts. CanadaHelps lets you set up a secure account and donate to all your charities in one transaction - with only one receipt to keep track of. 

Start your donations now!

STEP 3: SCalendaret up monthly donations for 2011
Set it and forget it! Don't leave your giving to the last minute next year. Set up monthly donations to your favourite causes now and spread the giving throughout the year.

Search for your charity to set up monthly donations now.
http://www.facebook.com/canadahelps Twitter YouTube
 

French1Décembre 2010 - Bulletin « Aperçus » de CanaDon

CanaDon - le don en toute simplicité

Voici un guide qui vous aidera à inclure le don caritatif à votre horaire des fêtes bien chargé :

Étape 1: Faîtes du don caritatif le cadeau parfait
Carte cadeau
Grâce aux cartes-cadeaux, vous pouvez à la fois faire un don et offrir un cadeau à une personne (ou tout le monde) sur votre liste. Vous choisissez le modèle de carte et le montant et vous recevez un reçu fiscal. Le récipiendaire de votre cadeau pourra choisir de remettre le don à l'organisme de bienfaisance canadien de son choix.

Achetez vos cartes-cadeaux aujourd'hui!

ÉTAPE 2 : Donnez en ligne
Faites vos dons en ligne et épargnez temps et tracas. CanaDon vous permet de créer un compte sécuritaire grâce auquel vous pouvez donner à tous vos organismes de bienfaisance en une seule transaction - vous n'aurez donc qu'un seul reçu à conserver.

Faites vos dons dès maintenant!

calendrierÉTAPE 3 : Planifiez vos dons mensuels pour 2011
Planifiez et n'y pensez plus ! L'an prochain, n'attendez pas le dernier moment pour faire vos dons. En mettant en place dès aujourd'hui des dons mensuels à vos causes préférées, vous répartirez vos dons sur toute l'année.

Trouvez maintenant votre organisme pour mettre en place vos dons mensuels
http://www.facebook.com/canadahelps Twitter YouTube



--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Used stamp for life saving drugs leprosy progam

Last year the leprosy foundation sold use stamps and it paid for the drugs to cure 3660 people who had leprosy, save your used stamps and use them to buy the drugs for the cure, anyone who knows a man in the knights of Columbus will know what to do with them, keep Christ in Christmas
 
Give your used stamps to a Knight of Columbus

--
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Friday, December 17, 2010

congratulations -competitively we are the best in health care delivery in Canada

 
"Ontario finishes in first place in this year's rankings, with an overall score that is similar to British Columbia's and New Brunswick's in the clear top-tier. Its wait times are shorter than the national average in most categories including orthopaedic surgery and diagnostic imaging. However, an unusually large number of Ontarians reported waiting more than one month the last time they were referred to a specialist for a new condition. Primary care and problem prevention was a particularly strong area for Ontario. For example, a comparatively large number of Ontarians report having regular access to a family doctor."

 
 
 
The annual Canada Health Consumer Index evaluates healthcare-system performance in the ten provinces from the perspective of the consumer. For the third straight year, Ontario and British Columbia finish with the top scores in the CHCI's overall rankings. Analysts from the Frontier Centre assess whether provincial healthcare systems are meeting the needs of consumers.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Fwd: Christmas is a time for giving - what are you really giving?


 Saint of Auschwitz

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."1

You may be familiar with the story of Father Maximilian Kolbe, a Catholic priest who was imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Father Kolbe's love for the other prisoners earned him the nickname "Saint of Auschwitz." One day, a prisoner escaped from the camp. Each time anyone escaped, the guards executed ten men as a punishment. As the guards prepared for the execution, Father Kolbe came forward. He asked to take the place of another prisoner, a man named Gajowniczek. The guards agreed.

Father Kolbe and the other nine men were placed in a cell and starved to death over the next few days. Father Kolbe died on August 14, 1941. Every year, Mr. Gajowniczek returns to Auschwitz to commemorate the death of Father Kolbe. It is his way to say thank you to the man who died in his place.2

-- 
 

Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Re: meeting

Ken -Good to see you today
 
Here is a test that will be posted on our blog "brant-knightsofcolumbus"  and on our google group brant-knights-of-columbus@googlegroups.com . you should get it 3 times. Please send me your copies.
 
Knights are you planning to attend or would you prefer a meeting after Christmas . please respond
 
On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 8:39 PM, kenneth doucette <kencis@sympatico.ca> wrote:

 
Don't forget we have a meeting Thursday nite December 16th at St pius let's make an effort to attend 7pm.


Sieg
--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Re: We Won: Clifford Olson’s Stocking Empty

Well done on a needed change  -we will circulate this to our members . Accountability is a sweet victory for all Canadians  

On Wed, Dec 15, 2010 at 2:12 PM, Canadian Taxpayers Federation <updates@taxpayer.com> wrote:
Canadian Taxpayers Federation

Dear Supporter:
 
  The only reason prisoners like Clifford Olson will no longer receive low-income senior's benefits is because of your donation that make the work of the CTF possible. Thanks for your support in 2010! Our privacy policy can be viewed here.
 
Great News!  Later today Bill C-31An Act to Amend the Old Age Security Act – will receive Royal Assent and become law of the land.  As of January 1st, serial child-killer Clifford Olson and other prisoners will no longer receive taxpayer-provided benefits intended to help low-income seniors.
 
One victory is saving taxpayers up to $10-million a year; but the larger victory is once again demonstrating that citizens can make a difference.

When the CTF learned that serial child-killer Clifford Olson was collecting Old Age Security and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments, we got organized.  We quickly gathered 46,000 signatures and delivered them to the minister responsible on Parliament Hill.  We issued statements, conducted media interviews, and testified in support of the bill to committees of both the House of Commons and Senate.  We won!

The CTF
exists independent of government money, large corporate or union donations, without foundation grants or even a charitable tax number.
 
We are grounded solely in the moral and financial support of thousands of Canadians who believe taxpayers deserve a voice.  
 
Can you help us out with a small donation?
 
This past year we achieved victories ending the practice of MPs sending junk mail outside their ridings; Parliament opening their books to the auditor general for the first time in 20 years and stopping a private members bill C-308 that would have added billions to the EI program by requiring applicants work a mere 45 days a year to qualify for benefits. And, we came just two votes short of ending the wasteful long-gun registry.
 
In 2011 we plan to restore the National Debt Clock and tour it across Canada as we did successfully in the 1990s.  While politicians appear to be lecturing Canadians about their household debt, we think it's time they take a look at their own.  Demanding governments at all levels move toward balanced budgets will be a top CTF priority in 2011.
 
Thank-you for your support in 2010 and the very best of the holiday season to each of you and your family.
 
--Troy, Kevin, Courtenay, Shannon and the rest of the CTF team.


You are receiving this Issues and Action Update because you have either signed a CTF petition, signed-up through our home page or given a donation. If you do not wish to receive further Action Updates please click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this message. Otherwise please add updates@taxpayer.com to your address book. Our privacy policy can be viewed at http://taxpayer.com/about/privacy-statement. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation is Canada's leading non-partisan citizens advocacy group dedicated to lower taxes, less waste and accountable government.

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--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

To give is to receive "Volunteer fill the Gap" Blood needed!

Knights blood clinic - Tuesday Dec. 28th   at Christian Reform Church
Knights this is OUR clinic Tuesday Dec. 28th at Christian Reform Church off Dunsdon St, close to Brant Park Rd. Tuesday 9am to 1.30pm we can use a couple more Knights on Hospitality

Please read you or some one you know will need blood this season
Subject: Volunteer Directive Holiday Appointment Gap

                                                                                                                                 

Volunteer Directive
Holiday Appointment Gap


22,000 more donor appointment bookings needed this holiday season
Donors needed now to bolster blood reserves for hospital patients

At a Glance
What? Eligible Canadian Blood Services employees, volunteers, friends and family are asked to donate blood over the next three weeks.

When?

Today and ongoing.

Who?

All Staff and volunteers.

Why?


Where?

Between December 13 and January 2, Canadian Blood Services will need 22,000 more donors to book appointments. Regionally, we need 3,275 more appointments booked

At all clinics

o        We need more people  including employees, volunteers, friends and family, to book appointments this holiday season to donate blood  particularly the weeks before and after Christmas.

o        Between December 13 and January 2, Canadian Blood Services will need to collect close to 50,000 units of blood to meet the needs of hospitals.

o        Canadian Blood Services needs 22,000 more donors to book appointments to meet this goal. In Southern Ontario, we are 3,275 appointments short.

o        We are able to draw on our national inventory reserves if needed, and although at this time our inventory is healthy at the moment, we want to be proactive to ensure hospitals receive the blood and blood products needed during the challenging weeks before and after Christmas.

o        Please encourage your friends and family to donate at a clinic this month.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants" http://www.ic.gc.ca/ccc/search/cp?l=eng&e=123456239975 .


Back to Eden communities
 Sunridge -261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford
 backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
www.backtoeden.bravehost.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -quality 24/7 care
 


Monday, December 13, 2010

Merry white christmas to you all

You are classic and deserve a classic Christmas -enjoy
 
Sieg and all good friends and family

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

are there options to government run nursing homes?

There will be no nursing home in my future........

When I get old and feeble, I am going to get on a Princess Cruise Ship. The average cost for a nursing home is $200 per day. I have checked on reservations at Princess and I can get a long term discount and senior discount price of $135 per day. That leaves $65 a day for:

1. Gratuities which will only be $10 per day.

2. I will have as many as 10 meals a day if I can waddle to the restaurant, or I can have room service ( which means I can have breakfast in bed every day of the week).

3. Princess has as many as three swimming pools, a workout room, free washers and dryers, and shows every night.

4. They have free toothpaste and razors, and free soap and shampoo.

5. They will even treat you like a customer, not a patient. An extra $5 worth of tips will have the entire staff scrambling to help you.

6. I will get to meet new people every 7or 14 days.

7. T.V. broken? Light bulb need changing? Need to have the mattress replaced? No Problem! They will fix everything and apologize for your inconvenience.

8. Clean sheets and towels every day, and you don't even have to ask for them.

9. If you fall in the nursing home and break a hip you are on Medicare. If you fall and break a hip on the Princess ship they will upgrade you to a suite for the rest of your life.

Now hold on for the best! Do you want to see South America, the Panama Canal, Tahiti, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, or name where you want to go? Princess will have a ship ready to go. So don't look for me in a nursing home, just call shore to ship.

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Re: FW: Fw: The night before Christmas!

Thanks Brother Barton for sharing this least we forget .......

Barton Brennan

 

 

       The Night Before Christmas

         Twas the night before Christmas, He lived all alone,
         In a one bedroom house, Made of plaster and stone.

         I had come down the chimney, With presents to give,
         And to see just who,In this home did live.

         I looked all about, A strange sight I did see,
         No tinsel, no presents, Not even a tree.

         No stocking by the mantle, Just boots filled with sand,
         On the wall hung pictures, Of far distant lands.

         With medals and badges, Awards of all kinds,
         A sober thought, Came through my mind.

         For this house was different, It was dark and dreary,
         I found the home of a soldier, Once I could see clearly.

         The soldier lay sleeping, Silent, alone,
         Curled up on the floor, In this one bedroom home.

         The face was so gentle, The room in such disorder,
         Not how I pictured, A Canadian soldier.

         Was this the hero, Of whom I'd just read?,
         Curled up on a poncho, The floor for a bed?

         I realized the families, That I saw this night,
         Owed their lives to these soldiers, Who were willing to fight.

         Soon round the world, The children would play,
         And grownups would celebrate, A bright Christmas Day.

         They all enjoyed freedom, Each month of the year,
         Because of the soldiers, Like the one lying here.

         I couldn't help wonder, How many lay alone,
         On a cold Christmas Eve, In a land far from home.

         The very thought brought A tear to my eye,
         I dropped to my knees, And started to cry.

         The soldier awakened, And I heard a rough voice,
         'Santa, don't cry. This life is my choice.

         I fight for freedom, I don't ask for more,
         My life is my God, My country, my corps.'

         The soldier rolled over, And drifted to sleep,
         I couldn't control it, I continued to weep.

         I kept watch for hours, So silent and still,
         And we both shivered, From the cold night's chill.

         I didn't want to leave, On that cold, dark night,
         This guardian of honour, So willing to fight.

         Then the soldier rolled over, With a voice, soft and pure,
         Whispered, 'Carry on Santa, It's Christmas Day, all is secure.'

         One look at my watch, And I knew he was right,
         'Merry Christmas my friend, And to all a good night.'

This poem was written by a peace keeping soldier stationed
overseas.   The following is his request, I think it is reasonable.


PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as you can?  Christmas will be coming soon and some credit
is due to our Canadian service men and women for our being able to
celebrate these  Festivities.  Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what
we  owe.   Make People stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who
sacrificed  themselves for us.

 

 

 
 
 
 
 


 


 
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Christmas is alive and well -Christ is in Christmas

Poll: Most say Christmas a religious day

ASBURY PARK, N.J. (UPI) -- An overwhelming majority of Americans celebrate Christmas, and most of those who do say they consider it a religious celebration, a poll indicates.

A telephone survey found 92 percent of U.S. adults celebrate Christmas in their family, Rasmussen Reports said Thursday.

Of those who celebrate the holiday, almost two-thirds say they regard it as a religious occasion despite the strong secular, commercial overtones, the poll found.

Of those who say they're not celebrating Christmas, 25 percent say they observe some other holiday like Hanukkah, while 66 percent of those who say they do not celebrate Christmas say they do not celebrate any holiday at this time of year.

Americans generally rate Christmas as the nation's most important holiday, closely followed by the Fourth of July, Rasmussen Reports said.

The survey of 1,000 adults nationwide was conducted on December 4-5, 2010 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Friday, December 10, 2010

ProActive Rants: Knowledge is power -how did we do ?

ProActive Rants: Knowledge is power -how did we do ?

Fwd: [FAIR Newsletter] OAG report on Integrity Commissioner – a devastating indictment


What is your position on this ?

FAIR   Newsletter

OAG report on Integrity Commissioner – a devastating indictment

The Auditor General, Sheila Fraser, released yesterday the results of her investigation into the the conduct of the government whistleblower watchdog, Integrity Commissioner Christiane Ouimet – an investigation that was prompted by complaints from three of Ouimet's former employees. These findings amount to a devastating indictment of the Commissioner's conduct.

Fraser concluded that the three areas of complaint were founded:

  1. that the Commissioner failed to perfom her mandated functions, showing great reluctance to accept or investigate cases, failing to establish proper procedures for handling cases, and refusing to investigate for reasons that were not supported by the available evidence
  2. that she engaged in inappropriate conduct towards her staff – that she "yelled, swore, berated, marginalized and intimidated" certain of her employees
  3. that she engaged in reprisals against employees, in one case devoting significant resources to a bogus security investigation against a former employee whom she suspected of complaining about her.

Fraser also reported separately to Treasury Board about allegations related to performance pay decisions, and referred to the Privacy Commissioner violations of the Privacy Act by Ouimet that she uncovered.

FAIR's analysis

The importance of Auditor General Sheila Fraser's thorough investigation cannot be overstated.  Over the past three years FAIR has repeatedly criticized the inadequacy of the law and the lack of results from Christiane Ouimet's office. We are pleased to see our concerns validated and to understand better why this office accomplished nothing.

It is ironic that this commissioner was a role-model for the types of behaviour that she was employed to help drive out of the public service: misconduct in the performance of her mandate; and reprisals against honest employees who objected to this.

OAG's findings lay bare at least three major failures:

  1. A failure of the whistleblower legislation. It is noteworthy that OAG soon found that it could not even conduct its limited investigation effectively under the whistleblower act and decided to proceed under the Auditor General Act instead.
  2. A failure of the appointments process. This commissioner did not suddenly turn into this type of person when appointed to this office – she had a track record which should have been examined. This is the kind of bad decision that so often results from secretive back-room deals.
  3. A failure of oversight. This appalling situation continued for more than three years before being brought to light. The first complaint to OAG was more than two years ago – yet when Ouimet appeared before parliamentary committees she essentially got a free pass. Committee members asked her few tough questions because they had no idea what was going on.

Described by some as a 'reign of terror', Ouimet's actions over the past three years have had very serious negative consequences.

The worst is that instead of deterring wrongdoers she has emboldened them, since they could quickly see that her office presented no threat to them.

And instead of protecting honest public servants from reprisals, she has terrorized her own employees and abandoned to their fate those who came to her office for help: they soon learned that the safe harbour promised to them was an illusion. There is a human tragedy behind so many of the 228 complaints that she ignored, as we know only too well from the many calls we have received from desperate whistleblowers.

Sheila Fraser's description of the lax and arbitrary manner in which cases were disposed of, and the bizarre reasons given for refusals, suggest a contempt for due process and a complete disregard for the plight of many of these truth-tellers who had been brave enough to come forward.

Some of the details revealed by the report are quite surreal. For example, Ouimet launched an investigation of an employee who had left 6 months before because she suspected (incorrectly) that he had complained about her. In the process she compiled four binders of information on him containing more than 375 pages, circulated at least 50 emails about him, and engaged at least six of her 20 staff in this task. She also attempted to get access to the personnel files of this person (and three others) from previous employers and shared confidential personal information about him with others within and outside the public service.

For those who, like us, wondered what the Commissioner was doing with her time – since her office seemed to be doing nothing – here perhaps is part of the answer.

Further revelations to come

There is a lot more information still to come out about what was going on within this office – and across the federal government.

At least two Parliamentary committees have an obligation to examine and learn from this catastrophe – Government Operations for the operational aspects, and Public Accounts for the legislative aspects. The Public Accounts committee has apparently decided already to call Mme Ouimet to appear before it on Tuesday.

We will hear in due course from the Privacy Commissioner the results of her investigation into Ouimet's actions, and the Treasury Board will be under great pressure to release the results of its investigations into allegations of improper performance pay decisions by Ouimet.

There are also the dozens of public servants who went to this office for help – submitting a total of 170 complaints of wrongdoing and 58 complaints of reprisal.  When their cases are re-examined properly there will surely be many more investigations, followed by more exposures of wrongdoing within government departments.

In addition many people who have been silent while waiting for Fraser's findings can now speak out publicly, knowing that their concerns have been vindicated. These include former PSIC employees such as Normand Desjardins (who submitted the first complaint) and Pierre Martel, the acting Commissioner who left within weeks of Ouimet's arrival.

It is noteworthy that, although FAIR has received a steady stream of calls from whistleblowers over the past three years, we never heard from any PSIC staff – until this audit was announced. Now we are in contact with several former employees – some still very fearful and insisting upon complete anonymity – who say that there is yet more more to this story that needs to be told.

Actions required

As recently as October 25, after the OAG audit was announced, President of the Treasury Board Stockwell Day assured the public of his confidence that PSIC "continues to be a safe and independent agency for public servants to bring concerns about wrongdoing in the workplace without fear of reprisals". How was he so badly briefed?

Hopefully Fraser's report will erase the government's past denials that there is a problem, and it will then become possible to have sensible discussions on the Hill about how to fix this mess.

So one of the first things that needs to happen is a frank admission by the government of the magnitude of the problem. Its much-touted "ironclad" protection for whistleblowers, the core of its Accountability Act, is a complete shambles – a bad law compounded by a bad choice of commissioner.

The Liberals also need to avoid turning this situation into a purely partisan debate, since their track record is no better: after promising during their successful 1993 election campaign to clean up government and protect whistleblowers, they reneged and even blocked several private members bills. Only when forced into a corner by the Gomery Inquiry did they introduce legislation – a pitifully inadequate bill that never came into force.

Minister Day's statement today – that he 'assumes' the acting Commissioner will now review all the old files – raises serious concerns.

The current acting Commissioner Joe Friday was Ouimet's long-standing senior legal counsel. In this role he was responsible for reviewing all cases and providing guidance to the Commissioner regarding the legal basis for her decisions. Is it reasonable to expect him to review his own work?

The government must also realize that this review will be a massive task, since it involves essentially re-doing three years of work – the work that this office of more than 20 people was supposed to be doing. This will require an entire team of people, who must not only be competent, but must also be independent of those who did the original work.

Going forward, we see at three major processes that need to be initiated:

  1. The search for a new Commissioner – this time using a public, merit-based appointment process, not the type of secretive back-room process that led to Mme Ouimet's selection and the glowing endorsement of her as the ideal candidate.
  2. A root-and-branch reform of the current deeply-flawed legislation, which was condemned by FAIR and many others even before it came into force. This law creates so many barriers and pitfalls for whistleblowers that most will fare just as badly under a new Commissioner, whose hands will be tied until the law is rewritten.
  3. A complete, thorough and independent re-examination of all the past cases, and thorough investigations of wrongdoing and reprisals where warranted.

There also need to be consequences for those who perpetrated this massive obstruction of justice – and not just the Commissioner. Other senior PSIC staff who willingly collaborated in depriving whistleblowers of due process – and effectively assisted in the cover-up of suspected departmental wrongdoing – need to be disciplined.

This office was created to punish and thus deter wrongdoers, as well as to protect whistleblowers and make them whole after reprisals. These same goals must be pursued in the efforts to clean up the current fiasco. We cannot allow yet another scandal in which the wrongdoers retire in comfort while the truth-tellers have to lick their wounds and adjust to straightened circumstances.

The USA began protecting whistleblowers more than 30 years ago. The UK has had effective protection for truth-tellers for more than a decade. Even former Communist-bloc countries like Bulgaria have made important strides. Meanwhile Canada has been pretending – but doing nothing serious – for 17 years.

This government, with assistance from Mme Ouimet, has brought about a spectacular meltdown of whistleblower protection. On the issue of protecting honest employees, which is central to the entire process of transparency and accountability, we are now the laughing stock of the developed world.

Canadians deserve better.

FAIR looks forward to assisting all sincere efforts to fully understand what went wrong and to develop a way forward. We will work with the government, opposition leaders and any other interested parties to help recover from this body blow to the integrity of our democracy.

We hope that this time around the government will pay attention to the expert advice available from ourselves and others to create a system that's not just for show, but one that will work to protect the public interest.

David Hutton
Executive Director

Read the full text of the Auditor General's report (pdf)


About FAIR

Federal Accountability Initiative for Reform (FAIR) promotes integrity and accountability within government by empowering employees to speak out without fear of reprisal when they encounter wrongdoing. Our aim is to support legislation and management practices that will provide effective protection for whistleblowers and hence occupational free speech in the workplace. FAIR is a registered Canadian charity.

FAIR is a volunteer-run charity with slender resources. If you feel that our work is worth supporting, please consider making a donation.

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Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

Fwd: [ProActive Rants] A tax saving strategy that helps charities



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BrantKnight <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Dec 7, 2010 at 11:41 PM
Subject: [ProActive Rants] A tax saving strategy that helps charities
To: holcrest@worldchat.com


 
In the 2000s, tax shelters evolved and donation tax shelters became the rage. Many were buy-low-donate-high schemes where you'd purchase something for one price then donate it to charity and receive a donation receipt for a much higher value. The Canada Revenue Agency isn't exactly thrilled about these.

Interestingly, not all donation tax shelters should be painted with the same brush. Some are different. Some legitimately help charities.

Recent tax saving structure There's a donation tax strategy, designed by EquiGenesis Corp. and their legal team, that is worthy of some mention. Over the past seven years since it was first introduced, it has distributed $14.7-million to charities in Canada, with significantly more expected over the next decade.

Now, before I go on, I want to emphasize that this strategy does come with tax risk. There's the likelihood that the CRA will audit the 2010 version of this strategy, and the risk that taxpayers could be reassessed.

Having said this, I like the fact that the total cash to be distributed to charities over the life of this tax structure will be greater than the donation receipts issued to the taxpayers who participate. This gives the strategy more legitimacy than many. It also helps that this strategy is fully on the taxman's radar already. It was audited by the CRA for 2005 and 2006, and was given a clean bill of health subsequent to those audits.

How it works

There are basically two phases to this tax structure. The first is that the taxpayer will make an investment in a limited partnership. The second involves a donation to charity. It's a 10-year program so that, at the end of 10 years, your investment is wound-up and you are expected to receive a cash distribution (although not guaranteed).

Specifically, the investor will borrow money to invest in a limited partnership. This will provide the investor with annual deductions on his tax return for interest costs on the debt and financing charges.

Once the investor acquires the limited partnership units, he uses those units as collateral on a second loan, and he donates those loan proceeds to charity. There is no deduction available for the interest on this second loan, but the individual investor will receive a sizable donation receipt. So the tax savings in the first year can be significant.

Part of the funds that are invested in the limited partnership are set aside and invested in a portfolio that is designed to grow over the 10-year program. At the end of 10 years, the funds in the portfolio are expected to be sufficient to pay off the loans. This is part of the risk of the structure. If that portfolio does not grow sufficiently, the investor may have to make up the difference to pay off the loans. The fact that there is some risk to the structure makes it more palatable to the taxman.

At the end of the day, the net cash in the investor's pocket from the tax savings and cash distributed in year 10 is expected to be higher than the cash outlay, with most of the tax savings coming up front in the first year.

If you can help charities and save more tax at the same time, it's worth a look. But before jumping into any tax-structured program, be sure to have a tax specialist review the program on your behalf.



--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  



--
Posted By BrantKnight to ProActive Rants at 12/07/2010 11:41:00 PM



--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Knowledge is power -smile


Expressions Explained, Part I  did you know where it came from ......smile
 
failure not an option.jpg  When political correctness was not an option

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

---

As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig." Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.

---

In the late 1700s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The "head of the household" always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the "chair man." Today in business, we use the expression or title "Chairman" or "Chairman of the Board."

---

Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile." In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt...therefore, the expression losing face."

--

Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations  




--
Hollecrest & Associates Inc   -"Turnaround Consultants"  .

Sunridge Lodge  "Back to Eden" quality 24/7 care
261 Oakhill Drive, Brantford  backtoeden.ontario@gmail.com
"Building elder peer communities that are cozy,caring and comfortable" -
 
Brant Positive Action Group -a positive community affirmative action group that promotes goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant Brantford and Six Nations