Thursday, December 22, 2011

Merry Christmas everyone
-peace and good will to all

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Charity Giving seriesl

This information helps donors make better decisions about their charitable giving. We'll be looking at how to choose the right charity, understanding administrative and fundraising expenses, how much to give, and more. Every 2 weeks, you'll receive a new set of tips and information to make your giving easier and have more impact.

Understanding Charitable Tax Credits

Not only is giving to charity a great act of generosity and support, it helps Canadians claim a credit on our taxes as well. Many people don't understand exactly what the credit is or how it works for them.

There is both a federal and a provincial charitable tax credit that you can claim. The federal tax credit is the same for all Canadians and breaks down as follows:

The tax credit on your first $200 in donations is 15%
Any amount donated above $200 is eligible for a 29% tax credit
If you made a donation of $500 and wanted to claim the tax credit, you would be able to claim:
15% of the first $200 = $30
29% of the remaining $300 = $87
That represents a $117 savings on your taxes! Of course, the more you give, the more you're able to save. To find out the provincial tax credits you are also eligible to receive on top of the federal amount, visit the Tax Credit Table on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website.

Did You Know?
Donations must be made by December 31st in order to be claimed on that year's taxes.
To claim a donation on your taxes, you must donate to a registered Canadian charity. To make sure your organization is registered, visit the CRA website: www.cra-arc.gc.ca/charities/

You and your spouse (or common law partner) can claim donations made by the other to maximize the tax benefit.
Donating appreciated securities (stocks or mutual funds) is the most tax effective way to give. You pay no capital gains tax and you get the charitable tax credit.
You can claim unused charitable donations on your taxes for up to 5 years. If you've given less than $200 one year, you might want to claim that donation in a year when it will maximize the amount you can claim.
Donate today at www.canadahelps.org!

Knights of Columbus

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=7162

http://www.canadahelps.org/GivingPages/GivingPage.aspx?gpID=7101

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

volunteerism not elected dictatorship in the south

http://www.economicpolicyjournal.com/2011/11/ron-paul-obama-presidency-on-verge-of.html

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

* More Deep Thoughts For Those Who Take Life Way Too Seriously*

*Why God Never Received Tenure at Any University*
1. He had only one major publication.
2. It was in Hebrew.
3. It had no references.
4. It wasn't published in a referredjournal.
5. Some doubt He wrote it by Himself.
6. He mayhave created the world, but what has he done since?
7. Thescientific community can't replicate His results.
8. He nevergot permission from the ethics board to use human subjects.
9.When one experiment went awry, He tried to cover it up by drowning
thesubjects.
10. He rarely came to class and just told students,"Read the Book."
11. Some say He had His son teach class.
12. He expelled His first two students.
13. His office hours were irregular and sometimes held on a mountain top.
14. Althoughthere were only 10 requirements, all students failed save His
Son.

* Deep Thoughts For Those Who Take Life Way Too Seriously*

- Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
- A day without sunshine is like...night.
- On the other hand, you have different fingers
- 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
- 99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name.
- Remember, half the people you know are below average.
- He who laughs last thinks slowest.
- Depression is merely anger without enthusiasm.
- The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets thecheese in
the trap.
- Support bacteria. They're the only culture some people have.
- A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
- Change is inevitable, except from vending machines.
- If you think nobody cares, try missing a couple of payments.
- How many of you believe in psycho-kinesis? Raise my hand.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

More hands are better-food for thought

Revolutionary Discipleship

Ebook By M.E. Brines

The author lays out the problems of the Christian church in America today - declining attendance, spiritual apathy and cultural irrelevance - and demonstrates they are directly related to the lack of discipleship training provided by the church and expected of the average Christian. But how would Jesus recruit, educate and train disciples? Wouldn't it be great if there were a book on how to do that? Wouldn't that be the perfect way to model our lives? Wouldn't that be the perfect mission to organize a local congregation around? Isn't that what Christian churches are supposed to do? Currently there are dozens of books available on discipleship by all sorts of authors who come at the subject from every different perspective. But if we really want to know Jesus' ideas on the subject, why not examine the "books" written by the disciples that Jesus personally trained? Revolutionary Discipleship examines the Gospel of Matthew to see exactly how Jesus trained his original disciples and how Christ expects us to be disciples and to make disciples of others. Unlike most discipleship books you may have seen that quote two verses and then expand them into an entire book, he follows Matthew's account of Jesus' training of His disciples verse by verse and in context. It's a journey to discover what the Apostle Matthew said Jesus taught about discipleship, not what the author or any other merely human writer thinks discipleship ought to be. Think of the author as a fellow student; Jesus is your teacher. Along the way you see how the discipleship training that Jesus practiced two thousand years ago compares to what goes on in modern American churches today. How do we stack up against the teachings of the Master? If you want to truly be an effective and obedient follower of Christ in America today - you need to read this book.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Fwd: Fw: Fw: Stroke has a new indicator-useful information

----- Original Message -----

From: MARY DUKE

To: Ken&Cis Doucette

Sent: Friday, August 05, 2011 8:39 PM

Subject: Fw: Fw: Stroke has a new indicator

This is worth knowing. You might have read it before. Ann

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Subject: Fw: Fw: Stroke has a new indicator

Stroke has a new indicator

They say if you e.mail this to ten people, you stand a chance of saving one life. Will you send this along?

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, the Tongue

I will continue to forward this every time it comes around!

STROKE: Remember the 1st Three Letters..... S. T. R.

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a woman stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ...she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Jane went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening.

Jane's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Jane passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Jane would be with us today. Some don't die. They end up in a helpless, hopeless condition instead.


It only takes a minute to read this.

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE


Thank God for the sense to remember the '3' steps, STR. Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke.

Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:


S *Ask the individual to SMILE.

T *Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)

(i.e. It is sunny out today.)

R *Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call emergency number immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other  that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

I have done my part. Will you?

--
YOURS IN FRIENDSHIP

Your friends
Wendy and Ray

Wendy and Ray

Margaret Wall

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

real action -real consequences

Rome recalls bishop after coverup report

Jul 25, 2011ARCHIVES | Religion & Spirituality | NEWS

ROME (UPI) -- The Vatican has recalled Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza to Rome following the release this month of the "Cloyne Report," which alleged a coverup about child abuse.

Vatican spokesman Ciro Benedettini said the bishop's recall "denoted the seriousness of the situation." He said the pope would "deal with it with objectivity and [with] determination."

Leanza was Rome's ambassador to Ireland.

The report found that clergy in the rural Irish diocese of Cloyne failed to act on complaints of abuse that were brought against 19 priests from 1996 to as recently as 2009, Vatican Radio reported Monday.

After the report's release, Irish lawmakers aimed their anger directly at the Vatican and not at local church leaders.

The report accused the bishop of the Diocese of Cloyne of ignoring complaints against priests and lying to authorities, The New York Times reported.

Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny criticized the Vatican, saying, "the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism and the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day" should end.

The Cloyne Report spurred Irish ustice Alan Shatter to propose legislation penalizing anyone who fails to report child abuse, even if the information is given to a priest during confession.

Copyright 2011 by United Press International

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Good changes -church renewal

Australian church regrets forced adoptions

Jul 25, 2011ARCHIVES | Religion & Spirituality | NEWS

NEWCASTLE, Australia (UPI) -- Australia's Catholic Church apologized Monday for the forced adoption of thousands of babies taken from their mothers.

"It's with a deep sense of regret, a deep sense of sorrow that practices of the past have caused ongoing pain, suffering and grief to these women, these brave women in Newcastle [New South Wales] but also women around Australia," said Martin Laverty, chief executive of Catholic Health Australia.

The Maitland-Newcastle Diocese and the Singleton and North Sydney Sisters of Mercy also are issuing apologies.

At least 150,000 women -- mostly young, unwed mothers -- are believed to have lost their babies, taken against their will by churches and adoption agencies for placement in "better" homes from the 1950s though the '70s, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reports.

The Maitland-Newcastle Diocese and the Singleton and North Sydney Sisters of Mercy will also issue apologies.

Juliette Clough told ABC how she was forced to surrender her baby in 1970, when she was 16.

"My ankles were strapped to the bed, they were in stirrups, and I was gassed ... and they just snatched away the baby," she said. "You weren't allowed to see him or touch him, anything like that, or hold him and it was just like a piece of my soul had died. And it's still dead."

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Thursday, July 07, 2011

of interest

Crystal Cathedral draws Catholic interest

Jul 6, 2011ARCHIVES | Religion & Spirituality | NEWS

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (UPI) -- The Catholic Diocese of Orange said Wednesday it is looking into the possibility of trying to acquire the Crystal Cathedral complex in southern California.

The diocese said in a statement on its Web site Bishop Tod D. Brown has authorized a law firm and other lay advisers to explore whether the church should try to purchase the expansive property in Garden Grove, which is tied up in federal bankruptcy court.

The diocese said in its statement the bishop has followed the bankruptcy proceedings and is concerned about the future of the landmark facilities. It also noted the diocese does not have a cathedral to meet the needs of the 1.2 million Catholics in the county, the 11th largest diocese in the nation.

"While we continue to develop plans for a cathedral in Santa Ana, it is prudent to evaluate the opportunity to engage in the pending auction of this property and to mitigate the chance that it cease to function as a place of worship, if acquired by others," Brown said.

"I have authorized our advisers to contact the appropriate parties in the proceedings to determine a possible course of action. If the Diocese of Orange can prevent the loss of this important Christian ministry and what the Crystal Cathedral has represented to so many for so long -- and meet its own priorities for a new cathedral, we have a duty to at least review the options."

Chapman University, a private Christian college in nearby Orange, submitted a $46 million offer Tuesday. Earlier, Greenlaw Partners, a Newport Beach real estate developer, offered the same amount. The two offers differ in some aspects, including how much they would charge the megachurch to lease back buildings for its use.

The Crystal Cathedral, founded by televangelist Robert H. Schuller, is mired in financial problems compounded by an internal feud concerning control of its operations. Schuller's son, Robert Anthony Schuller, was voted off the board three years ago and just recently claimed his father also has been booted. However, Crystal Cathedral spokesman John Charles has said the elder Schuller remains board chairman emeritus.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Monday, June 27, 2011

be careful with your medications

Study: Common drugs dangerous together

LONDON (UPI) -- Older people taking a combination of common medicinesto treat routine conditions may risk death or dementia, a Britishstudy says.

Researchers say some well-known brands of allergy tablets, painkillersand sleeping pills, many available over-the-counter, constitute apreviously unrecognized health risk when taken in combination, TheDaily Telegraph reported Friday.

Some common bladder medications, heart drugs, eye drops and asthmatreatments were also found to be possible risks, the newspaperreported.

All of the drugs in question work by blocking an important chemical inthe nervous system called acetylcholine. Previous research has foundthat an excess of acetylcholine-blocking drugs can have a harmfuleffect on the brain and its function.

The study found that older patients who took a combination of suchdrugs had a 20 per cent chance of dying within two years, comparedwith 7 per cent for over-65s who did not take anything.

"What is really the problem is the additive effect," said researcherIan Maidment, a pharmacist at Kent University. "It is the cumulativeburden, which is very damaging."

The risk is that many patients may be regularly takingover-the-counter drugs their doctor is unaware of or which they do notreally need that increase their dosage up to a dangerous level,researchers said.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Interesting notes

Printer-Friendly |Post Comment |Share

Diocese removes cleric from abuse post

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (UPI) -- The Roman Catholic diocese of KansasCity-St. Joseph has removed responsibility for sex abuse cases fromits vicar general.

Officials said Wednesday Monsignor Robert Murphy will remain in thepost of vicar general, The Kansas City (Mo.) Star reported. But theRev. Joseph Powers, who is to fill a new position as vicar for clergy,will be in charge of allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

"As Vicar for Clergy, Father Powers will serve as a liaison...

Mental illness often ignored by churches

WACO, Texas (UPI) -- Mental illness is prevalent in church communitiesbut is also accompanied by significant distress that is often ignored,U.S. researchers found.

Study co-author Dr. Matthew Stanford -- a professor of psychology andneuroscience at Baylor University, and an expert in mental illness andthe church -- says families with a member who is mentally ill wouldlike their congregation to provide assistance.

The study surveyed nearly 6,000 participants in 24 ...

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Saturday, June 18, 2011

why unions grew

How Good Were They?
Zig Ziglar
Most of us make the comment, "Things are not what they used to be --oh, for those "good ol' days"!

Question: How far do we want to go back? "Quotable Business" authorLouis E. Boone lists "Eight Rules for Office Workers in 1872":

-- Office employees each day will fill lamps, clean chimneys and trimwicks. Wash windows once a week.

-- Each clerk will bring in a bucket of water and a scuttle of coalfor the day's business.

-- Make your pens carefully. You may whittle nibs to your individualtaste.

-- Men employees will be given an evening off each week for courtingpurposes, or two evenings a week if they go regularly to church.

-- After 13 hours of labor in the office, the employee should spendremaining time reading the Bible and other good books.

-- Every employee should lay aside from each payday a goodly sum ofhis earnings for his benefit during his declining years, so he willnot become a burden on society.

-- Any employee who smokes Spanish cigars, uses liquor in any form orfrequents pool and public halls or gets shaved in a barbershop willgive good reason to suspect his worth, intentions, integrity andhonesty.

-- The employee, who has performed his labor faithfully and withoutfault for five years, will be given an increase of 5 cents per day inhis pay, providing profits from business permit it.

Appreciate the good things we have today, and we will have somethingto smile about.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, June 03, 2011

great third party comment

using it not losing it -congratulations -stand the course- it is our century Canadians !!!

Go North, Young Man, Go North

Canada is quietly surpassing the U.S. as the land of opportunity

James A. Bacon, The Washington Times, January 4, 2011

Unless the Winter Olympics are on television or someone is clubbing baby seals, Americans don't pay much attention to what's happening in Canada. It's as if we live in a house with a set of quiet, orderly neighbors on one side and a bachelor pad with drunken parties, girls in the hot tub and occasional gunshot eruptions on the other. To whom would you pay more attention?

I dare say Americans could correctly name the president of Mexico (Filipe Calderon) over the prime minister of Canada (Stephen Harper) by a margin of 5-to-1. That's too bad. While we have every reason to fear the disorder spilling over from our increasingly lawless neighbor to the south, our well-mannered Canadian neighbors have pulled their act together. We could learn a lot from them.

Look what's not happening in Canada. There is no real estate crisis. There is no banking crisis. There is no unemployment crisis. There is no sovereign debt crisis. Recent reports suggest that consumers are loading up too much debt, but Canada shares that problem with nearly every other country in the industrialized world.

Among the Group of Seven nations, which also include the United States, France, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, Canada's economic activity has come the closest to returning to the pre-recession peak. The country has recovered three-quarters of all jobs it lost. The International Monetary Fund estimates that Canada will be the only country among the G-7 to have achieved a balanced budget by 2015.

Now, instead of expanding Canada's welfare state, the conservative government led by Mr. Harper is intent upon building the nation's global competitiveness. Our friends in the Great White North cut their corporate tax rate to 16.5 percent on Jan. 1 and will see it drop to 15 percent next year. That compares to the current U.S. corporate tax rate of 35 percent. That will give Canada the lowest corporate tax rate among the G-7 nations and an eye-popping advantage for businesses wondering whether to locate on the U.S. or Canadian side of the border.

The last time Canadians really caught Americans' eyes was when prime ministers such as Jean Chretien and Paul Martin, both leaders of the Liberal Party, were proving uncooperative in the realm of foreign policy. American media played up disagreements over the invasion of Iraq and Canadian participation in the American National Missile Defense Program, which made President George W. Bush look bad and confirmed the narrative that his cowboy foreign policy had alienated old friends around the world. By contrast, when Canadian soldiers under the conservative government became active combatants in Afghan-istan, the American media showed little interest.

But that's nothing new. Except to note how well or how poorly Canada's national health care system was working, Americans have paid little heed to news coming out of Ottawa. The titanic effort of both Canada's liberal and conservative parties in the 1990s and 2000s to rein in government spending largely escaped our notice. Nor did it ever occur to anyone to wonder why, with our economies so closely entwined, U.S. housing prices were busting through the roof while Canadian houses remained so sensible.

It turns out that Ottawa's housing policies and banking regulations tempered the boom in real estate prices. No tax deductions for mortgage interest payments. And get this: Buyers actually had to make down payments on their houses. Because there was no real estate bust, there was no banking crisis. (Indeed, healthy Canadian banks are snapping up U.S. financial assets.) Despite the lack of public policies geared toward stimulating homeownership, Canadian homeownership was 68.4 percent in 2008. That would be a higher number than in the United States, which was 67.4 percent in 2009.

Lesson to Americans: If you want affordable housing, stop promoting policies to make it more "affordable."

Meanwhile, Canada has many of the same assets that Americans like to brag about, such as an immigrant tradition that invites foreigners to live and work in the country. On a per-capita basis, the rate of legal immigration to Canada is comparable to that to the U.S. Settling in world-class, creative cities like Toronto and Vancouver, foreigners add immeasurably to the nation's wealth-creating capacity.

Talented Canadians have long regarded the United States as the land of opportunity. It may not be long before Americans see our northern neighbor as the land of the future.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Wednesday, June 01, 2011

like a balanced budget for the good of this nation

http://youtu.be/v1Kr-SnUf2s

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Fwd: Fw: Public Service: Your Liver (A Must Read!)

Useful Information about your Liver pass it on

This is great information that I did not know,,,

I have never known exactly what the Liver does. Very informative.

Some interesting facts about our Liver

Take note! I wasn't informed about many of these facts.
When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Friday, May 27, 2011

Is this us -council humour

AAADD

Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. - Age ActivatedAttention Deficit Disorder.

This is how it manifests:

I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, Ilook over at my car and decide my car needs washing. As I start towardthe garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that Ibrought up from the mail box earlier. I decide to go through the mailbefore I wash the car.

I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the trashcan under the table, and notice that the can is full. So, I decide toput the bills back on the table and take out the trash first.

But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I takeout the trash anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. I take mycheck book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the houseto my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.

I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Cokeaside so that I don't accidentally knock it over. I see that the Cokeis getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator tokeep it cold. As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke a vase offlowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.

I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glassesthat I've been searching for all morning. I decide I better put themback on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.

I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container withwater and suddenly I spot the TV remote. Someone left it on thekitchen table. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I willbe looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on thekitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,but first I'll water the flowers...

Now I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills onthe floor. So, I set the remote back down on the table, get sometowels and wipe up the spill.

Then I head down the hall trying to remember

what I was planning to do.

At the end of the day:

-the car isn't washed,

-the bills aren't paid,

-there is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,

-the flowers don't have enough water,

-there is still only one check in my check book,

-I can't find the remote,

-I can't find my glasses, and I don't remember what I did with the carkeys.

Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm reallybaffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.

I realize this is a serious problem, and I'll try to get some help forit, but first I'll check my e-mail.

Don't laugh -- if this isn't you yet, --your day is coming!

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

Sunridge Lodge <http://sites.google.com/site/sunridgelodge> "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 <https://sites.google.com/site/bpagsiegholle> -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, May 20, 2011

What to do when the building is on fire

The Building's on Fire!
Zig Ziglar
This little bit of satire from an unknown source struck my funny bone,and I believe it will strike yours, as well.

Fire: What To Do

During a recent ecumenical gathering, a secretary rushed in shouting,"The building is on fire!"

The Methodists gathered in the corner and prayed.

The Baptists cried, "Where is the water?"

The Quakers quietly praised God for the blessings that fire brings.

The Lutherans posted a notice on the door declaring the fire was evil.

The Roman Catholics passed the plate to cover the damage.

The Jews posted symbols on the doors hoping the fire would pass.

The Congregationalists shouted, "Every man for himself!"

The Fundamentalists proclaimed, "It's the vengeance of God!"

The Episcopalians formed a procession and marched out.

The Christian Scientists concluded that there was no fire.

The Presbyterians appointed a chairperson who was to appoint acommittee to look into the matter and submit a written report.

The secretary grabbed the fire extinguisher and put the fire out.

Obviously, we all know the above did not happen. But isn't it truethat many times when action is needed, there is a considerable amountof debate, and in the meantime, "the building burns down"? That's whenevery organization needs an efficient secretary or someone who has thepresence of mind to grab the fire extinguisher and put the fire out.

Those little fires that frequently occur in every company --antagonists go at each other, tempers flare, productivity stops --cause all kinds of problems. That's when a level-headed person needsto calm the antagonists down and bring order to the chaos. Such aperson in any organization is absolutely invaluable and gives everyonesomething to smile about.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Fwd: Smell -makes a difference

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sieg Holle <siegholle@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, May 20, 2011 at 7:59 AM
Subject: Smell -makes a difference
To:

Aromatherapy's Amazing Effects on Your Mind and Mood

Alan Hirsch, MD

Scents have subtle yet powerful effects on emotions -- boosting confidence, easing stress, triggering fond memories and more. Here's how to use your sense of smell to manage your moods... and other people's, too!
Increase mental sharpness with fresh flowers. When you need to focus -- for instance, to memorize a speech or balance a checkbook -- keep a vase of mixed fragrant flowers nearby. Take periodic breaks to consciously "stop and smell the roses." For kids: This helps when doing homework or studying for a test.

Promote positive family interaction with Garlic. Serve garlic bread at dinner. In studies, this scent reduced negative dinnertime remarks by 22.7% and increased pleasantries by 7.4%. You don't even have to eat the bread to reap the benefits.

Feel younger with pink grapefruit. To make others perceive you as youthful (so you feel that way, too), apply a grapefruit-scented or other citrusy body lotion or spray right after your shower. Avoid: Lavender, which makes you seem granny-ish.

Feel more secure with baby powder. Keep a small bottle or resealable plastic bag of baby powder in your purse or briefcase. Before heading into a challenging situation (a meeting with your ex, a job interview), open the container slightly and take a small whiff. Don't inhale too deeply -- you may sneeze or get powder all over your face.

Curb food cravings with banana or peppermint. You needn't eat a banana -- just smell it (peeled or unpeeled). Or, place two drops of peppermint essential oil on a cotton ball, stick it in a plastic bag and take a whiff -- or try sugar-free peppermint gum or hard candy.

Combat claustrophobia with evergreens. Keep a small vial of evergreen essential oil in your pocket or purse. When in a cramped space (an elevator, a crowd), hold the vial near your nose and inhale two or three times. Repeat every 10 minutes as needed.

Assuage anger with cucumber. Hold a sliced cucumber one-half inch from your face and level with your lips -- inhale deeply, continuing for several minutes. To reduce road rage, use a cucumber-melon air freshener in the car. Avoid: Barbecuing or roasting meat when you're angry -- the scent stirs up fiery feelings that heighten aggression.

Relax and wind down with lavender. Lie down and place a lavender-scented eye pillow over your eyes -- breathe slowly and deeply for several minutes. Avoid: Jasmine, which promotes alertness.

Rev up a man's libido with pumpkin pie or black licorice. Bake a pumpkin pie for maximum effect -- or use a reed diffuser (a stick that wicks the aroma from a bottle of scented oil). On a date: Nibble on black licorice. Noteworthy: Perfume is only 3% effective at arousing a man's romantic feelings -- versus 40% for pumpkin pie and 13% for licorice.

Bottom Line/Women's Health interviewed Alan Hirsch, MD, founder and neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation and an assistant professor in the departments of neurology and psychiatry at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, both in Chicago. He has conducted more than 200 studies on smell and taste disorders and is the author of eight books, including Life's a Smelling Success (Authors of Unity) and Sensa Weight-Loss Program (Hilton). His Web site is www.smellandtaste.org.

--
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"

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations

Monday, May 16, 2011

Fwd: do you need the procedure

interesting

Do You Really Need Surgery?

Dennis Gottfried, MD

Up to 30% of surgical procedures in the US are unnecessary. This shocking statistic was recently released by the respected nonprofit, nonpartisan policy analysis group, The Rand Corporation.
The analysis confirms why it's so crucial to request a second opinion from a physician who is not associated with your doctor before agreeing to any elective surgery.
Procedures that may not be necessary -- and alternatives to consider...

STENTS

Each year, more than one million heart patients are treated with angioplasty and stents, which restore normal circulation to the heart and reduce angina (chest pain).
With angioplasty, a deflated balloon is threaded into the coronary artery. It's then inflated to flatten plaque (fatty deposits), and a metal stent is placed inside the artery to prevent arterial deposits from reblocking the opening.
Problem: Angioplasty and stents are overused. A study of more than 2,300 patients presented at a recent meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that patients with stable angina, in which discomfort occurs in a consistent pattern (such as during exertion), who were treated with medications (such as nitroglycerine to dilate the blood vessels) had the same outcomes as those treated with stents -- without the dangers of an invasive procedure.
Who is helped by stents: Patients with a recent worsening of chest pain (unstable angina). For people with a significant blockage in the left main coronary artery or with three coronary arteries blocked and a weakened heart muscle, bypass surgery (which involves grafting a vein from another part of the body to bypass the blockage) improves life expectancy.
Who isn't helped by stents: People with stable angina. These patients usually should be treated with medications to control the pain and to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. Medications are just as effective at preventing future heart attacks and preventing death as stenting in these patients -- without the risks of a surgical procedure. Stenting and bypass surgery should be used only in patients for whom medication fails to adequately control chest pain.

CAROTID ENDARTERECTOMY

About 20% of all strokes are related to blockages in the carotid arteries in the neck. With a procedure known as carotid endarterectomy, the blockages are surgically peeled away to improve circulation to the brain and potentially prevent a stroke.
Problem: Severe carotid blockages (generally blockage of 80% or more) occasionally can lead to "ministrokes" -- transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which often precede a full-blown stroke. But if a person has a severe obstruction and no TIA symptoms, the likelihood of having a major stroke is very small. Performing a carotid endarterectomy in those people decreases the chance of having a stroke by only 0.7%.
Who is helped by carotid endarterectomy: People with severe carotid blockage and TIAs have a 13% risk of having a disabling stroke over the next two years. When a carotid endarterectomy is performed, the risk drops to 2.5%.
Who isn't helped by carotid endarterectomy: People with a blockage of less than 60% -- even if they have a history of ministrokes. In this group, the risk for stroke is higher after surgery -- perhaps because the risk of stroke-producing plaque being dislodged during the operation may exceed the patient's initial stroke risk.
In groups of people with severe obstruction and no TIA symptoms, more than 140 endarterectomies must be performed to prevent one stroke. For obstructions of 60% to 79%, there is no convincing scientific evidence for surgery. Nonsurgical treatment, including the use of aspirin and cholesterol-lowering drugs, is preferable in all of these cases.

PROSTATECTOMY

About 180,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year and about 30,000 die from the disease. Surgical removal of the prostate (prostatectomy) often is recommended, but risks include infection, impotence and incontinence.
Problem: The majority of prostate cancers grow slowly. Most men with the disease would eventually die from an unrelated condition -- even if the prostate cancer weren't treated.
In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, older men with early prostate cancer who were treated with prostatectomy died at about the same rate as older men with similar cancers who had no surgery.
Who is helped by prostatectomy: Men who are in their 50s and younger with biopsy findings that show an aggressive form of prostate cancer are generally candidates for prostatectomy.
Who isn't helped by prostatectomy: Men whose life expectancy is less than 10 years at the time of diagnosis. They're less likely than younger men to die of their cancer and face a high risk for surgical complications. Older men with prostate cancer often do better with hormone therapy and/or radiation.

BACK SURGERY

Surgery for a herniated (ruptured) disk is among the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures in the US.
Problem: A herniated disk that presses on a nerve can be excruciatingly painful. But in 80% to 90% of cases, enzymes secreted by the body break down disk material and the nerve pain disappears in time. This can take many months, so surgery promises faster relief.
Disk surgery, however, has serious potential risks, including nerve injuries, buildups of scar tissue, infection and chronic back pain. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association compared the long-term outcomes of back patients who had surgery with those who didn't. The likelihood of recovery was virtually the same.
Who is helped by back surgery: People with severe, intractable back pain that radiates into a leg (sciatica) or those with a progressive neurological deficit, such as foot weakness, or a loss of bowel or bladder control, which indicates compression of a spinal nerve, require prompt surgical treatment.
Who isn't helped by back surgery: People whose only symptom is low back pain. Studies have shown that individuals with local symptoms do better with nonsurgical treatment, including anti-inflammatory drugs, acupuncture, massage therapy and physical therapy. For most people with mild sciatica, the pain usually disappears within a few months as the disk breaks down.

KNEE REPAIR

You shouldn't assume that you need surgery if you suddenly develop pain, inflammation and swelling in one or both knees. Sometimes the pain is from a medical problem such as gout or Lyme disease.
Problem: Even with knee injuries, many surgeons want to repair or remove damaged tissue without waiting enough time to see if normal healing will take place.
Who is helped by knee surgery: People in whom a ligament or tendon is completely severed. For these patients, the knee will rarely heal well enough on its own to restore adequate function and reduce pain. For people who engage in intensive sports, arthroscopic surgery (using a "keyhole" incision) for lesser injuries often is recommended since they may not be willing to wait for healing to occur.
Who isn't helped by knee surgery: For most people with knee injuries, surgery -- even arthroscopic -- is the last resort. First, rest the leg, use anti-inflammatory drugs and try physical therapy and braces. Follow this approach for at least one to two months before considering knee surgery.

Bottom Line/Health interviewed Dennis Gottfried, MD, associate professor of medicine at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, and a general internist with a private practice in Torrington, Connecticut. He is the author of Too Much Medicine (Paragon House). www.DrDennisGottfried.com

Have a good day, be well and take care Sieg
" a simple natural lifestyle and a chuckle a day keeps the doctor away'

promoting goodwill and timely cost effective creative solutions to enhance the competitive well being of Brant, Brantford and Six Nations