This may be the best Living Will I've Seen

I,__________________, being of sound mind and body, do not wish to be 
kept alive indefinitely by artificial means. 

Under no circumstances should my fate be put in the hands of pinhead 
politicians who couldn't pass ninth grade biology if their lives 
depended on it, or lawyers/doctors interested in simply running up the 
bills. 

If a reasonable amount of time passes and I fail to ask for at least one 
of the following: 
Glass of wine 
Chocolate 
Margarita 
Sex 
Martini 
Cold Beer Chocolate 
Chicken fried steak 
Cream gravy 
Sex 
Mexican food 
Chocolate 
French fries 
Chocolate 
Pizza 
Sex 
Ice cream 
Cup of tea 
Chocolate 
Chocolate 
Sex 
Chocolate

It should be presumed that I won't ever get better. When such a 
determination is reached, I hereby instruct my appointed person and 
attending physicians to pull the plug, reel in the tubes, let the 'fat 
lady sing,' and call it a day!

Have a Drink IT'S 5 O'CLOCK SOMEWHERE 

Technorati Tags: Humor,Living will,Les Muise

NEW MARKETING HUB LAUNCHED FOR CANADIAN CONFERENCES

PRESS RELEASE

- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –

NEW MARKETING HUB LAUNCHED FOR CANADIAN CONFERENCES - ConferenceZone.net aims to boost visibility of conferences, visitors to Canadian cities, and competitive positioning of small business and non-profit sectors.

Ottawa, ON – May 6, 2009 – Canadian cities, small businesses, and non-profit organizations are now able to enhance their visibility on a website designed to promote conferences and the vendors that serve them. ConferenceZone, billed as Canada’s Find a Conference – Plan a Conference – Serve a Conference Destination, provides free membership and access for meeting planners in 24 cities to promote their upcoming events; receive information, news, and trends on the conference planning industry; and to identify reputable vendors and professional service providers. As the ailing economy is poised to further impact the declining tourism industry in 2009, ConferenceZone, to be promoted online and in print across Canada and around the world, will be a useful tool to promote meeting facilities, attractions and events, and local hospitality.

“ConferenceZone is a bright-spot in these tough economic times for conference planners and for the local vendors that cater to them,” says Melissa Peneycad, Principal at Nova Vista Strategy Group Inc. “Building communities is our passion and we are delighted to work with so many talented small businesses and non-profit organizations across Canada to increase their visibility and positioning in the marketplace.”

In June, a comprehensive directory of reputable meeting vendors and other professionals that serve the conference industry will be launched to provide additional resources for meeting planners. To qualify for a profiled listing each vendor must meet a pre-determined criterion that affirms them as small business and non-profit-friendly. This summer, students from universities across Canada are being hired to meet with businesses to promote ConferenceZone and to evaluate their qualifications for vendor membership.

Advanced online tools, currently in development, will soon be made available for planners to enable conference delegates to register, receive their schedules and programs, access live webinars, and evaluate their events online. Vendors will receive email alerts whenever a conference is newly listed in their city and a planner has indicated a need for their product or service.

“This year has been presented significant economic challenges for small businesses and non-profit organizations, and ConferenceZone is a positive solution”, says Dr. Wayne Adams, former Nova Scotia provincial cabinet minister and Sr. Principal of Nova Vista Strategy Group Inc. “We feel confident that by increasing the visibility of thousands, we can help curb the economic losses that our sectors have sustained.”

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For more information about ConferenceZone, please visit www.ConferenceZone.net, call M. Daniel Roukema, President & Sr. Consultant, Nova Vista Strategy Group Inc. at (613) 683-5979, or email droukema@novavista.ca.

About Nova Vista Strategy Group Inc.

Nova Vista Strategy Group Inc. is an Ottawa-based company with associates in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan that provides small businesses and non-profit organizations with the strategies and tools required to enhance their visibility, positioning, and overall competitive advantage in the marketplace. The firm specializes in web solutions, public engagement and facilitation, and non-profit management consulting. For more information visit www.novavista.ca or email droukema@novavista.ca.

 

Technorati Tags: ConferenceZone,Novavista,Daniel Roukema,Dr. Wayne Adams

GM and Segway create new vehicle

GM and Segway create new vehicle

The electric-powered PUMA has a top speed of 35mph
US carmaker General Motors is joining with scooter maker Segway to make a new type of two-seat electric vehicle. The prototype, which will be debuted in New York, is aimed at urban driving. GM aims to start making them by 2012.

The vehicle, named Puma, can go as far as 35 miles on a single charge. It will use lithium-ion batteries. GM, having been bailed out by the US government as car sales have dropped, is looking to smaller vehicles to secure its future.

Puma stands for personal urban mobility and accessibility.

'Dramatically different' GM has already received at least $13bn in aid from the US government and seems likely to enter bankruptcy. It is looking to more environmentally-friendly models as consumers have abandoned their expensive trucks and cars.

"We are excited to be working together to demonstrate a dramatically different approach to urban mobility," said Jim Norrod, chief of Segway.

Segway introduced its personal transporter in 2002 and has sold more than 2,000 in the UK.
They are capable of speeds up to 12mph and cost £4,795.

The personal scooters came to international prominence when US President George W Bush fell off one while on holiday in 2003.

Detroit 2009: Lincoln MKT debuts with a big, toothy smile

by Chris Paukert on Jan 12th 2009 at 12:01AM

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 Lincoln MKTFord has a major-league hit on its hands with the 2009 Flex crossover – with the media. Sadly, despite its varied and considerable charms, sales haven't met the Blue Oval's admittedly lofty expectations. Blame the recession, blame the marketing department, blame the Flex's divisive styling, blame what you will, but Dearborn is plainly going to have to find more volume for its D4 platform. Enter the 2010 Lincoln MKT.It doesn't take more than a brief glance to realize that Ford's stylists have exacted much more than a quick nip/tuck on the rectilinear Flex en-route to minting this new Lincoln. But beyond the crossover's assertive looks, there is a host of new technology on offer inside and out that should help put the MKT on luxury crossover shopping lists. Follow the jump to learn more about the MKT and read Lincoln's official press release.
Gallery: 2010 Lincoln MKT
Starting with the MKT's most obvious discussion point, its sheetmetal, it is clear that Ford has gone in a different direction – literally. Whereas the Flex comes about its styling primarily through the use of horizontal lines, the MKT's design has a decidedly vertical orientation. From its two-piece wing grille, to the character ridge running down the hood, to its surprisingly crisp corners, the MKT is very much its own crossover. It's also very much a Lincoln, with its end-to-end taillamps and fast-becoming trademark two-piece wing grille. Few are likely to call the MKT "pretty," but in the metal, there's no doubting its originality or its presence.

Read the rest of this blog......

Halifax’s Finest Aggressive Panhandlers

Les Muise Consulting

Monday, October 27, 2008

Posted to MyHalifaxCa Panhandlers

The following is the Introduction to an opinion piece developed by request for MacKay Fashions of Halifax to be used to begin a discussion within the business and civic concerns with the objective of finding a better way to deal with the panhandlers of Downtown Halifax.

It’s time to deal with the issue….

Panhandling is a challenging issue faced by cities of all sizes, and one that affects Halifax as well. The experience of numerous professionals and service agencies finds that money given to panhandlers often only enables self-destructive behaviors like alcoholism and drug addiction.

One former panhandler and addict has even stated, "Giving money to a panhandler is like giving a gun to someone who is suicidal.

I think it was mid November of 1997 and I was sitting in the Great Taste Coffee Shop on Spring Garden Road enjoying a brew and writing in my journal. I was not aware of where he came from or when he arrived but suddenly, there was a little man sitting at my table. He was in rough shape having fallen and broke an arm, he had not shaved in a couple of days, he had no teeth, his fingers were deeply stained by nicotine, and he was cold, hungry and the smell… God the smell, it just about turned my stomach.

The conversation began with his statement that it had been a hard day and he was considering walking out to the middle of the Angus L Mc Donald Bridge and jumping.

My instant response was ‘I don’t know you from a hole in the ground but I figure if you’ve made it this far in life…. You’re too stubborn to do that.”

That was the day that I met ‘Terry M’ a paranoid schizophrenic who had lived with his parents on Cunard St till they died and had a room of his own [these days at Turning Point] in a know flop house. Terry had never traveled past the Halifax Commons, had memorized every word in three dictionaries and would give you the correct spelling, pronunciation, and use it in conversation…. several times in one sitting. He had a memory for detail as good as anyone I know but could never keep a job.

Tommy Boutilier, left, an on-street support worker, chats with a panhandler named Liam, while walking along Spring Garden Road in Halifax. – Halifax Herald

At the time Terry was one of a handful of regular panhandlers that you would see around town. Over the years I’ve watched, tried to help and got frustrated seeing my little friend loose ground in his life. He survives on $385.00 per month from Community Services and every check day his property owner drives him to Sobey’s on Queen and waits while Tarry cashes his check, takes $350.00 for rent and leaves Terry with $35.00 for a months worth of food.

No wonder he panhandles.

Anyone who spends time on Spring Garden Road, Argyle Street, Barrington Street or on the Waterfront [as I do] and is slightly aware of his/her surroundings should see the whole picture. You cannot help but have a certain amount of compassion for the street people like Terry M who for one reason or another have fallen through our so-called social safety net. As a community, we are failing to provide a safe, healthy and caring life for these individuals and that has to change.

Every situation has two sides and though I have a soft spot for the position in which people like Terry M find themselves I have also had to deal with the constant harassment, insults, threats and potential violence of navigating the downtown core of Halifax. As you read this document, you will read several personal accounts of both the good & bad side of our streets. In addition, remember … Big changes come as a result of many small steps.

Read More…….