Friday, December 30, 2011

Swedish Chocolate Buttercream Cookie Recipe

Old Fashioned Swedish Chocolate Buttercream Cookies




Makes 16-20



Cookie/ Macaroons:

200 g almonds

200 g powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

2 egg whites



Chocolate Buttercream:

100 g unsalted butter, softened

90 g powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)

1 egg yolk

2 tbsp cocoa powder



To glaze:

100 g dark chocolate



Blanch and peel the almonds. Let it dry, and grind it finely in an almond mill. Mix with the powdered sugar to a grainy mass. Beat the eggwhites (just a little) and mix them with the almonds and sugar to form a smooth paste. Spoon rounded dollops of paste onto baking sheets lined with baking paper. (Use a piping bag if you want them to look neater.)



Bake the cookies at 200°C for about 10 minutes. They should just color slightly. Remove from the oven. Carefully slide the baking paper off the baking sheets, and run cool water over the sheets to cool them down. Place the paper, with the cookies, back on the sheets, and let them cool. They should peel off easily.



Beat all the ingredients for the buttercream until smooth, and then spread this liberally on the completely cool cookies. Spread it on the bottom of the cookie, which is now the new top. Place the cookies in the fridge or even in the freezer for a while, as this makes them much easier to dip in chocolate.



Melt the chocolate and temper it if you want to. Dip the buttercream quickly. This is easiest if you have the chocolate in a small, deep bowl. Set them on a plate to firm up.

Bon Appetit!

Friday, November 4, 2011

GTA real estate market continues to be a safe haven!

November 4, 2011

 
I just reviewed the stats from the Toronto Real Estate Board. TREB reported that in October, there were 7,642 sales for the month. October 2010 there were 6,504 sales so we have experienced an approx 17% INCREASE in the number of sales compared to last year.

At the end of October there were only 17,794 homes for sale on the Toronto Real Estate Board, compared to 18,305 at the end of October 2010. So inventory is shrinking slightly and the sales are picking up year over year. 

Buyers continue to have limited choices in many areas of the GTA requiring them to act quickly when they see something they like. What we traditionally see is that many people delay their decision to list their homes over the next 2 months which will cause the inventory to decrease even further. Between now and the end of the year will be a VERY good time for new Sellers to come on the market as competition will decrease and there will still be a back-log of buyers out there looking for a home.

So the question I always get is  .... “What will happen to the market?” Answer: Much more of the same. 

The market will continue to be very strong well into 2012. Prices should remain stable. Inventory levels will likely increase in the new year, however in most areas and price ranges, conditions will still favour Sellers.

The global economy continues to be real concern and we’ll see some changes over the next few months. Even with this distraction, indicators seem to point to our economy not taking much of a hit and we’ll continue to be in pretty good shape. Our real estate market will continue to be a safe haven. I’ll keep an eye out on this for you.

Whether selling OR buying, the key to taking advantage of current market conditions is working with the right realtor. When you hear of anyone who may want to buy or sell, please contact me at the office. I promise you that I will take care of them, do a great job and provide them with the best customer service. If you would like any more information, I’m here to help.

Yours Truly,

Lisa Portolese, Sales Representative

(905) 568-2121


Sunday, October 23, 2011

The 14th annual Canada’s Walk of Fame

Burton Cummings is the only individual to be inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame two times.


The class of 2011 includes seven new inspiring and celebrated Canadians who have excelled in their fields and are a part of Canada’s legacy.

The 14th annual Canada’s Walk of Fame will add the following Canadian icons to its current list of 131 inductees:



>> Burton Cummings

>> Dr. Roberta Bondar

>> Daniel Nestor

>> Sandra Oh

>> Russell Peters

>> Ryan Reynolds

>> Mordecai Richler



“Each one of our inductees has made their mark on Canada’s colourful landscape and helped define to the world what it means to be Canadian,” said Peter Soumalias, President and Founding Director, Canada’s Walk of Fame. “We are thrilled to honour and celebrate our inductees’ dedication and passion to both their craft and community at this year’s ceremony.”



Joining the 131 existing inductees, the 2011 honourees will be added to Canada’s Walk of Fame, which annually recognizes individuals for their achievements in various fields, including music, sport, film and television, science and innovation, in addition to the arts: literary, visual and performing. Commemorating the 2011 inductees, the Canada’s Walk of Fame Awards will feature special guest performances and celebrity presenters.



“Canada’s Walk of Fame truly champions Canadians and their pursuit of excellence across all disciplines, and Shaw is a proud supporter of this important cultural initiative,” said Barb Williams, Senior Vice-President, Content, Shaw Media. “We look forward to our 3rd consecutive broadcast on Global and Slice™ highlighting another exemplary list of inductees this fall.”



Once again, one of this year’s inductees will be honoured with the Canadian Legends Award, sponsored by Cineplex Entertainment This year’s recipient is acclaimed author and screenwriter, Mordecai Richler. The Legends Award is given posthumously to Canadian pioneers in film and television, music, sport, arts and innovation. Cineplex Entertainment is proud to sponsor the Legends Award as well as Canada’s Walk of Fame.



Potential candidates of Canada’s Walk of Fame must have been born in or spent the totality of their creative or formative years in Canada. A minimum of 10 successful years is required to qualify, as well as a recognized body of work that has had a significant influence on our cultural heritage.



“As a sponsor for a third consecutive year, RBC Visa Infinite Avion is proud to be a partner of Canada’s Walk of Fame and its commitment to allow Canadians to share and celebrate the achievements of those talented individuals that continue to inspire us all.” said Karen Leggett, SVP, RBC Cards & Payment Solutions.



The 2011 Inductees



Dr. Roberta Bondar O.C., O.Ont, MD, PhD, FRCP, FRSC Hometown: Sault Ste. Marie, ON

As the world’s first neurologist in space, Dr. Roberta Bondar has been globally recognized for her pioneering contribution to space medicine research. As an author, educator and celebrated landscape photographer, Dr. Bondar has also earned a reputation as a leading speaker and consultant within the medical and scientific communities, and in the field of corporate social responsibility as well as the environment. Recently created, The Roberta Bondar Foundation aims to help people see their environment in a positive light. Some of her numerous accolades include the Order of Canada, Order of Ontario, the NASA Space Flight Medal, Honorary Patron for Canada of UNESCO’s International Year of Planet Earth, and inductions into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame and the International Women’s Forum Hall of Fame. Dr. Bondar has received 24 honorary doctorates from Canadian and American universities, and in 2003, TIME magazine named her among North America’s best explorers. Dr. Bondar served two terms as Chancellor of Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. She is also an Adjunct Faculty Member in Trent’s Environmental & Life Sciences Graduate Program.



Burton Cummings Hometown: Winnipeg, MB

Few artists have achieved the level of success and critical acclaim that Burton Cummings has enjoyed in a dazzling career spanning more than 40 years. Whether as lead singer and songwriter with the Guess Who or on his own, Burton Cummings has amassed more hit records than just about any other Canadian performer in history. “These Eyes,” “Laughing,” “No Time,” “American Woman,” “Share The Land,” “Clap For The Wolfman,” “Stand Tall,” “My Own Way To Rock” and “You Saved My Soul” all bear Burton’s distinctive stamp. As a member of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canada’s Walk of Fame with the Guess Who, Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame, Prairie Music Hall of Fame, six-time JUNO Award winner, recipient of the Order of Canada, the Order of Manitoba, the Governor-General’s Performance Arts Award, 22 SOCAN Awards and several BMI (Broadcast Music Industry) Awards for over 1 million airplays of his songs, Burton Cummings is one of the most celebrated rock artists in Canadian music history. He earned the first US platinum album by a Canadian artist with the Guess Who, and on his own, the first quadruple platinum Canadian-produced album. Altogether Burton has earned some 80 platinum and gold record awards. Recently, the bestselling book The 100 Top Canadian Singles ranked “American Woman” the greatest Canadian single of all time. His most recent album, 2008’s critically-acclaimed Above The Ground, was his first ever to feature all original songs. Canadian rock music royalty, Burton Cummings remains at the top of his game as an unrivaled singer, songwriter and recording artist with the extraordinary gift for entertaining and delighting audiences the world over.



Daniel Nestor Hometown: Toronto, ON

Born in Yugoslavia, Daniel Nestor moved to Toronto in 1976 where he proudly became a Canadian citizen. Today, this Canadian tennis player is recognized as the third most decorated doubles champion in tennis history, winning multiple titles over the span of his epic career. Nestor has won 73 ATP Tour doubles titles, including 7 Grand Slam events, 2 mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, not to mention 3 Masters Cup Doubles titles. Nestor proudly represented Canada at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, bringing home Gold at the Sydney Olympic Games. His continual athletic success has made him the only player in tennis history to win all four Grand Slams, all of the Masters Series events, the year-end Masters Cup and an Olympic Gold medal in doubles at least once. Ranked number one in the world in 2002, 2004 and 2008, Nestor continues to impress, recording his 800th career victory at the 2011 French Open.



Sandra Oh Hometown: Ottawa, ON

Born and raised in our nation’s capital, Sandra Oh is a life-long performer, appearing in her first play at the age of 10 and kick-starting her professional career at the age of 16 in television, theatre and commercials. After only three years at the National Theatre School of Canada, she landed the coveted title role in The Diary of Evelyn Lau, earning her a Gemini nomination for Best Actress, as well as a 1994 Cannes FIPA d’Or for Best Actress. Her career then continued to soar, as she won, the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for the Fox Starlight film, Sideways. Further awards include two Genie Awards, a Cable Ace award for Best Actress in a Comedy, a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe, Screen Actor’s Guild Award and five Emmy nominations for her role as ‘Dr. Christina Yang’ on the hit series Grey’s Anatomy. With numerous awards and outstanding performances under her belt, Oh continually showcases her ability to shine both on-stage and on-screen. Although she can be seen in various award-winning feature films and television series, including Rabbit Hole and HBO’s Six Feet Under, she never strays far from her theatrical roots, starring on New York stages in Dogeaters, Stop Kiss and Vagina Monologues.



Russell Peters Hometown: Toronto, ON

Russell Peters is a global comedy rock-star and internet sensation. His Youtube clips have been viewed over 60 million times and he has performed to sold-out crowds from Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, to New York’s Madison Square Garden, to the Sydney Opera House to London’s O2 Arena where he established a new attendance record. Over the course of his 20-year career, he has headlined comedy festivals throughout North America and has performed sold-out arena tours worldwide. Peters has appeared on Showtime, Comedy Central, HBO, the CBC, BBC, CTV, CNN, TBS, CBS, ABC and NBC. His DVD releases, Outsourced and Red, White and Brown have sold in excess of 300,000 units. In 2009 and 2010 he was listed on the Forbes list of top earning comedians in the United States along with Chris Rock and Jerry Seinfeld. His first book, Call Me Russell was a number one bestseller and his new DVD / special, The Green Card Tour LIVE from the O2 Arena is in stores now.



Ryan Reynolds Hometown: Vancouver, BC

Ryan Reynolds commenced his acting career at the age of 12 in the series, Fifteen. In 1993, Reynolds landed his first feature film role in the Canadian made Ordinary Magic (1993), for which he was nominated by the Young Artist Foundation for Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Cable Series. After working on several television shows including Serving the Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Reynolds landed his breakthrough role, co-starring on the hit sitcom, Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place. This series landed him the lead role in National Lampoon’s Van Wilder (2002), for which he earned an MTV Movie Award nomination for Breakthrough Male Performance and a Young Hollywood Award for Next Generation-Male. Since then, he’s become a sought-after Canadian actor and big-screen regular, starring in movies such as Definitely, Maybe (2008) and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009). His starring role in The Proposal(2009) earned him two MTV Movie Award nominations including Best Comedic Performance and People’s Choice Awards nominations for Favourite Movie Actor, Favourite Comedic Star and Favourite On-Screen Team. Reynolds has also been recognized by the Teen Choice, Goya, Saturn, and Scream Awards, and won People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2010. His success continues with his latest lead role in Green Lantern (2011).



Mordecai Richler Hometown: Montreal, QC

Mordecai Richler was a controversial writer who penned the truth as he saw it. His work included numerous novels, essays, short stories, children’s books and hundreds of journalistic articles published in Canada, the U.S. and Britain. His most successful novels include The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1959); St. Urbain’s Horseman (1971; Governor General’s Literary Award), Solomon Gursky Was Here (1990; Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize) and Barney’s Version (1997; Giller Prize for Fiction, Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humor). Richler wrote several screenplays and his adaptation of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) earned him an Academy Award nomination. Richler’s popular children’s book Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (1975) received Canadian Library Association Book of the Year for Children Award and the Ruth Schwartz Children’s Book Award. Richler was working on a script forBarney’s Version when he died and the film premiered in 2010, winning seven Genie Awards. Richler was made a Companion of the Order of Canada shortly before his death on July 3, 2001.



About Canada’s Walk of Fame

Established in 1998, Canada’s Walk of Fame (CWOF) aims to educate, inform, and inspire through the permanent celebration of achievements in Canadian music, sport, film and television as well as the literary, visual and performing arts, and science and innovation. In 2010, CWOF expanded to include a four-day festival of music, comedy and film featuring some of Canada’s most popular and iconic performers. The annual celebration culminates in a televised awards special that honours Canada’s finest stars from the worlds of arts, entertainment and sports. Each inductee is immortalized, their names forever cemented into the sidewalks of Toronto’s Entertainment District. To-date, 131 Canadians have been honoured, including Margaret Atwood, Howie Mandel, Steve Nash, Michael J. Fox and Blue Rodeo. A complete list of inductees along with more information on Canada’s Walk of Fame can be found at www.canadaswalkoffame.com.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Avoiding the Flu.



Hello to anyone reading this and if you  are reading this, I hope you're doing well!




If you're like me, you hate catching a cold or flu. So I thought you'd be interested in some tips on eliminating germs in your home. These are based on recommendations from the U.S. and Canadian departments of health.



• You're much more likely to catch a bug from a handshake than a cough. So wash your hands regularly.



• You are 200 times more likely to pick up a germ in the kitchen than in any other room in the home -- including the bathroom. So give your kitchen top priority with cleaning.



• Most people keep countertops clean and sanitized. But don't forget other surfaces that can also carry germs, like computer keyboards, children's toys, phones, and door knobs.



• If you need to cough or sneeze, and don't have a tissue handy, use the shoulder of your sleeve rather than your hand.



By taking some simple precautions, experts say you can reduce yours, and your family's, risk of getting a cold, flu or bacterial infection by as much as 50%.



That's something to think about!



As I said, I hope you're doing well -- and I also hope you stay well!



Lisa Portolese, Sales Representative

Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty, Brokerage

30 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 200

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Bus (905) 568-2121

Cel (416) 953-9714

Email LisaMovesYou@Rogers.com

Website www.lisamovesyounow.com


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Cineplex Community Day

Cineplex Community Day


On Saturday, October 22, Cineplex will be hosting its first ever national Community Day at all of their theatres across Canada to support Starlight Children’s Foundation.

The morning event will begin at 8:30am with a selection of FREE family films.

Guests will be able to purchase regular popcorn, regular drink and selected Mars product candy items for $2 per item.

100% of the funds from these special concession items will be donated to Starlight.



Visit www.cineplex.com/starlight to find the theatre and movie selections in your community!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

Stanford Report, June 14, 2005


'You've got to find what you love,' Jobs says

This is a prepared text of the Commencement address delivered by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, on June 12, 2005.



I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.



The first story is about connecting the dots.



I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?



It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.



And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.



It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:



Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.



None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, it's likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.



Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.



My second story is about love and loss.



I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.



I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.



I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.



During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.



I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.



My third story is about death.



When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.



Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.



About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.



I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.



This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope it's the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:



No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.



Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.



When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.



Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.



Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.



Thank you all very much.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Ontario Election, VOTE October 6th/2011

I want to encourage you to get out and vote on October 6 and make your voice heard. You have an opportunity to help send candidates to Queen’s Park who will best serve the interests of our province.
The polls are open Thursday, October 6, 2011 from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. For more information on when, where and how to vote visit the Elections Ontario website at www.elections.on.ca or www.wemakevotingeasy.ca.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche October 1st, 2011 to October 2nd 2011

Scotiabank Nuit Blanche


For one sleepless night, experience Toronto transformed by artists. The familiar is discarded as the city becomes the artistic playground for a series of exhilarating contemporary art experiences. One night only. All night long. All free. Experience the magic of Scotiabank Nuit Blanche once again on Saturday, October 1, 2011.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Ontario Provincial Election October 5th, 2011 Various Platforms

Progressive Conservative (PC) Party Leader Tim Hudak announced that if elected Premier on October 6th his government will introduce legislation to create a registry of former marijuana grow operations. OREA has lobbied the provincial government for close to six years to create a registry to protect home buyers from the health and safety risks associated with former grow ops.


Most recently, OREA worked closely with Nepean–Carleton MPP Lisa Macleod to introduce Bill 139, the Clandestine Drug Operation Prevention Act, 2010 which, if passed, would have created a registry. Despite not making it past first reading in the Ontario Legislature, Bill 139 is credited with helping to move the issue into the PC election platform Changebook.

To learn more about OREA’s proposal to create a registry of former marijuana grow operations visit our website.

To read about the PC Party’s pledge to create a registry read their platform.

http://www.ontariopc.com/changebook/


Liberal Platform

http://www.ontarioliberal.ca/OurPlan/Platform.aspx

NDP Constitution Download

http://ontariondp.com/en/policy/constitution

Friday, September 16, 2011

HOPE is still spreading Faster than Cancer~!!!!!

SUNDAY SEPT 18TH


TERRY FOX COMMUNITY RUN~WALK~WHEEL




TEAMS / FAMILIES / FRIENDS

No Minimum – No Registration Fees!

As The Terry Fox Run is not a competitive event, we do not require participants to register in advance, nor is there an entry fee to participate. When you arrive on Run Day you will be asked to complete a very brief entry form. If you have not collected paper or online pledges we ask for a donation of your choice.

www.terryfox.org



Please join us for the annual Terry Fox Community Run ~ Walk ~ Wheel

Sunday Sept 18th

Meadowvale Community Centre, 6655 Glen Erin Drive; corner (Aquitaine and Glen Erin).



The route is on the paved pathway system starting at Lake Aquitaine over to Lake Wabukayne

and winding through the Meadwovale parks over the Derry Rd overpass finishing back at the

Meadowvale Community Centre; and is marked off for 2Km, 5Km, and 10km.



Registration starts at 8:am.

Run starts at 9:00 proceeded by a warm-up.

There is no minimum pledge required, and no entry fee!

Info at: www.terryfox.org

Working together to outrun cancer!


Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The fated W. (Wallis) and E. (Edward) Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)

TORONTO -  W.E was magnificent! It did not lack soul, it was pleasing to the eyes and ears...I laughed, I cried, at times I was horrified. I must admit that I bought into some of the unfair criticism that is bound to occur when Madonna directs a film. I can't wait to learn more about what inspired Madonna to want to direct this film. I have heard that she always had great creativity and input with her music videos, Her experience and true artistic intregrity shows in this film. I was pleasantly surprised. If you liked Amelie, the Kings Speech, Room with a view and Black Swan, you will love this film. If she directed it under an alias, it probably would have had Oscar Buzz.

It is a shame that false accusations were given more attention that the film itself. I was there. Madonna was gracious last night. Very graceful and giving and then I popped over to see the Premium Screening of a Documentary about Neil Young, it was amazing!!!

Madonna did not ask volunteers at the Toronto International Film Festival to face away from her, says the Material Girl's publicist.


A statement from Liz Rosenberg was issued on the red carpet Tuesday night refuting a report in the Globe and Mail that said volunteers were asked to turn their faces to a wall so they would not see Madonna as she walked to a Monday news conference for her new movie, "W.E."

"Neither Madonna nor her security ever gave instructions for the volunteers to turn away from Madonna," Rosenberg said in the statement.


"In fact she was so impressed with the volunteers that she publicly thanked them from the stage for their hard work before the premiere of her film last night which earned a standing ovation. She had a wonderful time at the festival and was especially delighted that she got to spend so much time with her fans in front of the theatre which is a famous tradition at the festival."



Rosenberg said she can't figure out who made the request of the volunteers. The Globe cited a volunteer who said such a request was complied with.



"(Madonna) has never and would never ask anyone to do that ever," said Rosenberg.



It is the second time in recent days that the performer has been accused of imperious behaviour.



At a recent news conference at the Venice Film Festival to support "W.E.," a fan presented Madonna with a bouquet of hydrangeas. She promptly declared that she loathed the flowers, and later made fun of the incident with an online video.



"W.E." jumps back and forth through time to tell two stories: Andrea Riseborough plays Wallis Simpson, the controversial American whose romance with Edward VIII ultimately led to his abdication of the throne, while Australian actress Abbie Cornish portrays a downcast modern woman who is obsessed with her.



The film, Madonna's second directorial effort, has received decidedly mixed reviews.



The Toronto International Film Festival wraps Sunday.



Monday, September 12, 2011

It Couldn't Be Done, the poem that inspired Terry Fox

It Couldn't Be Done


Edgar Guest



Somebody said that it couldn't be done,

But he with a chuckle replied

That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one

Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn't be done, and he did it.



Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;

At least no one ever has done it";

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,

And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn't be done, and he did it.



There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

There are thousands to prophesy failure;

There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,

The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,

Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start to sing as you tackle the thing

That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.

Sunday September 18th, 2011

Join us for the Terry Fox Run!

http://www.terryfox.org/

Friday, September 9, 2011

The Toronto International Film Festival & Why Bono, Madonna and Clooney should INVEST Here!!!!

The Toronto International Film Festival & Why Bono, Madonna and Clooney should INVEST Here!!!!




Trivia


The Ides of March was the day (March 15) that Julius Caesar was assassinated. In Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" before being stabbed to death, Julius Caesar is told by a Soothsayer: "Beware the ides of March."











IDES OF MARCH film is about an idealistic staffer for a newbie presidential candidate gets a crash course on dirty politics during his stint on the campaign trail. Based on the play by Beau Willimon. It has it's first screening tonight in Toronto at Roy Thompson Hall. What does the Ides of March have to do with real estate? Caveat Emptor, "let the buyer beware" but what if it is good news we have to share?



I just reviewed the stats from the Toronto Real Estate Board. I am not a forensic accountant but I will try to simplify things for you. TREB reported that in August, there were 7,542 sales for the month. August 2010 there were 6,083 sales so we have experienced an approx 20% INCREASE in the number of sales compared to last year.



At the end of August there were only 17,248 homes for sale on the Toronto Real Estate Board, compared to 18,823 at the end of August 2010. That represents about an 8% drop! To put these numbers in “English”, we’re not getting enough new listings coming on to keep up with the number of sales that are happening. We are still in a very active market.



So the question remains .... what will happen to the market? My prediction remains the same. The market will continue to be very strong until at least the end of the year and well into 2012. There should still be price increases but a slower rates than we’ve experienced over the past 2 years. Inventory levels will likely increase slightly, however in most areas and price ranges, conditions will stay favouring Sellers.



Despite some troubling financial news we are hearing about what’s happening in the U.S. and Europe, in Canada and our area in particular, all indicators seem to point us out to be in pretty good shape. I’ll keep my ear to the ground and keep you posted if I hear anything change!



Enjoy the Toronto International Film Festival and if you see Ryan Gosling or George Clooney, tell them Lisa sent you.....(I assure you, they will not know who I am)



Lisa Portolese, Real Estate Sales Person for Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty, Graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and League of Rock Alumni....







Thursday, September 8, 2011

Email Delivery of Documents and Notices

For years now, the delivery of documents and notices relating to real estate transactions could be accomplished via facsimile provided that a facsimile number was included in Clause 3 of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale (APS) or a fax clause was added to Schedule A.

Now, thanks to the newly created OREA clause, you can do the same thing via email.

OREA developed a new standard clause, entitled “Email Delivery of Documents and Notices,” that can be inserted into the APS to indicate the parties involved in a real estate transaction agree to send and receive documents via email, and to use the email address specified on the APS.

Indeed, this will make the exchange of documents more convenient. However, some words of caution are in order.

1. Confirm that all parties to the agreement have specifically agreed that email is an acceptable method of communication. There should be no misunderstanding.

2. Verify that the correct email addresses of the parties appointed to receive the documents are noted in the clause.

3. Verify that you’ve sent the documents to the correct email address. For example, you can double-check the address in the ‘Sent Items’ section of Microsoft Outlook by clicking on ‘To,’ which then displays the email address to which you sent the documents. This section also notes the date and time you sent the document

4. If the document is time-sensitive (e.g., when there are competing offers or a condition must be waived or fulfilled by a certain time), do a telephone follow-up. In this case, you want to ensure the document has not only been delivered, but has been read. Alternatively, you may hand-deliver the documents.

5. The new clause only facilitates the exchange of information electronically. It does not pertain to electronic signatures, an entirely different matter. In fact, Regulations to the Electronic Commerce Act, 2000, which will clarify the requirements and technology standards for electronic signatures, have not yet been created.

For More Information

For more information, review OREA’s Guidelines for Residential and Commerical Clauses, January 1, 2011, at http://www.orea.com/index.cfm/ci_id/7228.htm.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Bracebridge, The Heart of Muskoka where Cottage Country Vacations Begin

Bracebridge Ontario



The Heart of Muskoka where Cottage Country Vacations Begin

The town of Bracebridge Ontario sits midway between Gravenhurst and Huntsville, but also midway between the equator and the North Pole. Maybe that's why Santa's Village theme park was set up in Bracebridge back in 1954.

History of Bracebridge

Bracebridge came into being because of the logging industry - long before Santa's helpers set up the famous theme park. In fact, the first hydro-electric plant in Canada was built in Bracebridge and is still operating. The steamships that used to serve residents and industry now ferry tourists along the peaceful Muskoka River. And the 22 waterfalls in the surrounding area are the reason Bracebridge is known as the "Niagara of the North".

This town of 12,300 swells in the summer months as tourists from around the world flock to get a taste of cottage country and the lake lifestyle that we Ontarians are so fortunate to have right in our backyard.

Getting To Bracebridge

Getting here is easy. From Toronto, take Hwy 400 north past Barrie and then exit to Hwy 11. Take Hwy 11 to all the way to Bracebridge.






Thursday, September 1, 2011

Home Ownership Matters to people, to communities and to Ontario

Home Ownership Matters to people, to communities and to Ontario.






With less than a month to go before Ontario voters go to the polls in the provincial election, OREA’s “Home Ownership Matters” campaign continues to promote greater support for affordable home ownership to candidates, political parties and key decision makers.

Among the “Home Ownership Matters” many successes has been extensive media coverage of the campaigns key messages and issues. Working with member boards, OREA has written five different opinion editorials focusing on the Ipsos Reid research report on home ownership, why home ownership is so important to Ontario and the campaign’s three policy proposals. To date, these editorials have been printed in over twenty daily newspapers, on numerous websites, blogs and discussed extensively on social media channels.

OREA has also run “Home Ownership Matters” ads on the provincial news aggregator www.OntarioNewsWatch.com, facilitated meetings between local candidates and member boards, promoted the campaign extensively on social media and submitted surveys to all three major political parties on home ownership related issues.

To learn more about OREA’s Home Ownership matters campaign visit http://www.homeownershipmatters.ca/.

Lisa Portolese, Sales Representative


Royal LePage Kingsbury Realty, Brokerage

30 Eglinton Avenue West, Suite 200

Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

Bus (905) 568-2121

Cel (416) 953-9714

Email LisaMovesYouNow@Rogers.com

Website www.lisamovesyounow.com







Monday, August 22, 2011

Jack Laytons Letter to all Canadian



August 20, 2011


Toronto, Ontario



Dear Friends,



Tens of thousands of Canadians have written to me in recent weeks to wish me well. I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughtful, inspiring and often beautiful notes, cards and gifts. Your spirit and love have lit up my home, my spirit, and my determination.



Unfortunately my treatment has not worked out as I hoped. So I am giving this letter to my partner Olivia to share with you in the circumstance in which I cannot continue.



I recommend that Hull-Aylmer MP Nycole Turmel continue her work as our interim leader until a permanent successor is elected.



I recommend the party hold a leadership vote as early as possible in the New Year, on approximately the same timelines as in 2003, so that our new leader has ample time to reconsolidate our team, renew our party and our program, and move forward towards the next election.



A few additional thoughts:



To other Canadians who are on journeys to defeat cancer and to live their lives, I say this: please don't be discouraged that my own journey hasn't gone as well as I had hoped. You must not lose your own hope. Treatments and therapies have never been better in the face of this disease. You have every reason to be optimistic, determined, and focused on the future. My only other advice is to cherish every moment with those you love at every stage of your journey, as I have done this summer.



To the members of my party: we've done remarkable things together in the past eight years. It has been a privilege to lead the New Democratic Party and I am most grateful for your confidence, your support, and the endless hours of volunteer commitment you have devoted to our cause. There will be those who will try to persuade you to give up our cause. But that cause is much bigger than any one leader. Answer them by recommitting with energy and determination to our work. Remember our proud history of social justice, universal health care, public pensions and making sure no one is left behind. Let's continue to move forward. Let's demonstrate in everything we do in the four years before us that we are ready to serve our beloved Canada as its next government.



To the members of our parliamentary caucus: I have been privileged to work with each and every one of you. Our caucus meetings were always the highlight of my week. It has been my role to ask a great deal from you. And now I am going to do so again. Canadians will be closely watching you in the months to come. Colleagues, I know you will make the tens of thousands of members of our party proud of you by demonstrating the same seamless teamwork and solidarity that has earned us the confidence of millions of Canadians in the recent election.



To my fellow Quebecers: On May 2nd, you made an historic decision. You decided that the way to replace Canada's Conservative federal government with something better was by working together in partnership with progressive-minded Canadians across the country. You made the right decision then; it is still the right decision today; and it will be the right decision right through to the next election, when we will succeed, together. You have elected a superb team of New Democrats to Parliament. They are going to be doing remarkable things in the years to come to make this country better for us all.



To young Canadians: All my life I have worked to make things better. Hope and optimism have defined my political career, and I continue to be hopeful and optimistic about Canada. Young people have been a great source of inspiration for me. I have met and talked with so many of you about your dreams, your frustrations, and your ideas for change. More and more, you are engaging in politics because you want to change things for the better. Many of you have placed your trust in our party. As my time in political life draws to a close I want to share with you my belief in your power to change this country and this world. There are great challenges before you, from the overwhelming nature of climate change to the unfairness of an economy that excludes so many from our collective wealth, and the changes necessary to build a more inclusive and generous Canada. I believe in you. Your energy, your vision, your passion for justice are exactly what this country needs today. You need to be at the heart of our economy, our political life, and our plans for the present and the future.



And finally, to all Canadians: Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world's environment. We can restore our good name in the world. We can do all of these things because we finally have a party system at the national level where there are real choices; where your vote matters; where working for change can actually bring about change. In the months and years to come, New Democrats will put a compelling new alternative to you. My colleagues in our party are an impressive, committed team. Give them a careful hearing; consider the alternatives; and consider that we can be a better, fairer, more equal country by working together. Don't let them tell you it can't be done.



My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.



All my very best,



Jack Layton

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

The Foundation and Future of MLS



When the MLS System was first introduced in Toronto over 50 years ago it was called the Photo Co-op system. When it started there were many board members who scoffed at the idea of sharing information with fellow Realtors in the city. Some brokers felt it was unfair to provide valuable listing information to other offices because they were the ones who had gone out, knocked on doors and worked hard to solicit the business in the first place. The idea of co-operating listings wouldn’t go away and eventually it became established. It grew to become the largest MLS in the country.




The foundation of sharing listing information was based on what was best for the customer. Making all brokers across the city aware of a listing and actively participate in its marketing was good for the customer because it created an army of men and women who worked collectively to market and sell the listing.



While the brokers involved in the listing and selling of a property would have to share the commission, the big winner would always be the customer. That was why the idea did not go away and was eventually accepted by all board members. It was irrefutable that the customer would win and that was what the MLS System was all about right from the start.



The customer benefitted not only because TREB members were able to market the property all across the city but also because the brokers who belonged to the board operated under a strict code of ethics ensuring the same honourable conduct of the person representing their property all across the city.



These two principals were the pillars of reason on which the foundation of MLS was built.



Other licensed Realtors who did not belong to TREB were envious of the huge base of listings that TREB’s “club” of brokers was able to provide to members. They did not have access to those listings and the valued information they formed collectively. If they wanted that, they had to apply to join TREB. If they were accepted, agreed to pay the fees promptly and pledged to conduct their business under the code of ethics and strict guidelines of business conduct then, too could participate in MLS and gain access to all those listings.



Many of them joined. But others did not. Some complained bitterly to government officials and the press that TREB members had formed a monopoly and controlled all the real estate listings in the city. They angrily pointed out that real estate brokers were being pressured into paying member fees in order to make a living because they had to join TREB if they wanted to be in business and they had to conduct themselves the way TREB dictated, in particular the way the MLS rules dictated. If any member declined to conduct their business in a manner outside of those rules, their membership was terminated and their access to MLS was cut off.



TREB prevailed because it was always able to show that its system ensured that the customers of its members received the best service possible, delivered with exemplary business ethics. No one was being forced to join the board.



From its development as a simple process of picture sharing through all technological changes over decades, the foundation of MLS has never changed. However the charges of exclusion from those who want information provided in a manner different than the way TREB makes it available have never ceased throughout the years.



Today the Competition Bureau is acting for complainants in a dispute with TREB over this issue. My fear is that they may lose sight of the fact that the winner of this dispute should always be the customer.



If that fact is lost, then so is MLS.



Heino Molls is publisher of REM. Email heino@remonline.com





Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Who or what is Canada PRO and why are they giving me money?

Canada PRO Bank Payment Just Landed in My Account – What is It?

Who or what is Canada PRO and why are they giving me money?

Many Ontario residents will receive a “mystery” bank payment directly into their bank accounts today.  (And you might remember a similar one that landed earlier this year.

The mystery payment of $100 or up to $330 for families is usually labelled “Canada PRO”. What the heck is it?

It the second instalment of your HST rebate from the Ontario Government.

Back in June, 2010, TD Canada Trust bank fielded dozens of calls that day from concerned customers wondering what the payment was for. The Bank confirmed that the provincial government was the source of the mystery Canada PRO payment to customers.

Transition Benefit to Offset 13% HST
As promised by the McGuinty government, these “transition benefit” payments are designed to offset the new 13 per cent harmonized sales tax – or HST – that took effect July 1, 2010. The new tax will increase levies on one in six consumer items, including gasoline, electricity, home heating fuels, tobacco, and legal services.

The Ontario government estimates that 51 per cent of Ontario families will be paying up to $480 more in taxes by 2012 because of the HST, according to a Toronto Star report on Wednesday, June 9, 2010

These transitional payments are designed to take away some of the pain for eligible residents.

So now you know! Now, I am going to blow it all on gasoline! Yay!!!!

Monday, July 25, 2011

If Shakespeare Had a Hard Drive

"If the plays had been written with a word processor on a computer that had somehow survived, we still might not know anything definitive about Shakespeare's original or final intentions — these are human, not technological, questions — but we might be able to know some rather different things... We might discover the play had originally been called GreatDane.doc instead of Hamlet.doc. We might also be able to know what else he had been working on that same day, or what Internet content he had browsed the night before (since we'll assume Shakespeare had Web access too). While he was online, he might have updated his blog or tagged some images in his Flickr account, or perhaps edited a Wikipedia entry or two. He might even have spent some time interacting with others by performing with an avatar in Second Life, an online place where all the world is truly a shared virtual stage.


...

We may no longer have the equivalent of Shakespeare's hard drive, but we do know that we wish we did, and it is therefore not too late — or too early — to begin taking steps to make sure we save the born-digital records of the literature of today."


Of all Internet activities, email is the most popular.


There are two reasons I decided to blog about email etiquette. The first one is the sheer number of people using email, especially those using it for business communications. Since you are reading this article which appears on the Web, there's a good chance you use email to communicate with others, including your boss, colleagues, clients, or prospective employers.

So, what's the second reason? Well, I receive a lot of email. A lot of it is well written. A lot of it isn't. Some messages go on and on and on, until finally the question is asked. Sometimes the length is necessary -- other times the writer could be more concise.

Some messages get right to the point ... a little too quickly. The writer wastes no time asking for what he or she needs without bothering to be polite. Some of my younger readers (I assume) use what I can only describe as some sort of shorthand, i.e. "Can U plz send info on careers?" This may be appropriate for communicating with your buddies through instant messaging, but not for writing to someone you've never met. Besides, being a little more specific might help me find the information faster.

Sometimes there are glaring errors, such as misspellings and very poor grammar. While this annoys me some, I can only imagine what a prospective employer would think when receiving a poorly written message. Because your correspondence says a lot about you, you should be aware of some basic email etiquette, sometimes known as netiquette.

Mind Your Manners

What three words have a total of only 14 letters yet carry a great deal of meaning? People may not notice these words when they're there, but if you forget to use them, you'll come across looking disrespectful and ungrateful. Give Up? These very powerful words are "Please" and "Thank You." Please take my advice. You'll thank me later.


This isn't something that especially bothers me, but there are others who are very sensitive to being addressed by their first names. When in doubt, use Mr., Mrs., or Dr. (if appropriate). When you are replying to an email and the sender of the original message has used his or her first name only, then you could safely assume it's okay to use that person's first name as well.


Don't Use that Tone With Me


Tone is a difficult thing to explain. Remember when your parents would say "Don't use that tone of voice with me, young lady (or young man)?" Your feelings come across by the way you say something. It is easy to change your tone when you're speaking. When you are writing it's very hard to do it. Whenever I write an email, I read my message over several times before I hit send. I want to make sure I come across as respectful, friendly, and approachable. I don't want to sound curt or demanding. Sometimes just rearranging your paragraphs will help.

If you're writing to someone you've communicated with before, you might want to begin by saying "I hope you are well." Email writers often use emoticons to convey a certain tone. For those of you who don't know what these are, emoticons are little faces made up by arranging parentheses, colons, and semi-colons. Use good judgement here. If you write to someone frequently and you have a less formal relationship, then emoticons are okay. If, however, you're writing to a prospective employer, stick to words only.

Avoid writing your message using all upper case letters. It looks like you're shouting. Don't use all lower case letters either. Some people say it will make it seem like you're mumbling.


Author and motivational speaker George Torok said “your body leaks messages.” That is, it’s not only what you say that’s important; it’s how you say it.


Nonverbal communication is equally, sometimes more, important in the exchange of information. Often, people understand more about what you’re trying to say from how you look than from the words you speak.

We communicate with our eyes, facial expressions, tone of voice, posture, and physical space. [This is not an exhaustive list.] Each of these behaviours influences how we exchange information.

Eye Contact

We’ve all heard the expression “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” They are also a way of connecting with the person(s) to whom you’re speaking. Making eye contact opens the flow of communication, conveys interest and confidence, and increases credibility.

Facial Expressions

If eyes are the window to the soul, then a smile is the light in the window of your face that tells people you’re at home.

Smiling is a powerful communicator, indicating friendliness, warmth, and approachability. This is how you should be communicating (even when you’re on the telephone). Be wary of facial expressions denoting anger, frustration, confusion, or boredom. If you note any of these expressions on your listener(s), you should investigate further.

Tone of Voice

How you speak, specifically the tone of your voice, conveys emotion and will affect how your message is received. Therefore, it’s important that you speak in a tone that suggests confidence.

Posture

Posture refers to the way we move our bodies – the way we sit, stand, lean, or bend. Each posture speaks volumes about your emotions and will influence the message you deliver. For example, assuming a stiff and immobile posture may suggest you are uncomfortable.

Physical Space

Physical space refers to the distance you put between yourself and the other person. This will vary based on how well you know the other person and culture. There are basically three zones – intimate, personal, and social. In North America, most business transactions take place in the social zone, which is between one to three met.
 
This information comes from a survey conducted by the UCLA Center for Communication Policy (The UCLA Internet Report: Surveying the Digital Future. UCLA Center for Communication Policy. 2001).
 
Trouble Communicating?

Improve Your Communication Skills Using Dale Carnegie's Free Tips.

Contributing articles Dawn Rosenberg McKay, About.com Guide, The Dish by AndrewSullivan

DaleCarnegie.com

Monday, July 18, 2011

I'm melting, I'm melting. Okay, knock it off, we're all HOT!!Ways to beat the heat.


TORONTO - A sweltering day in the Greater Toronto Area is expected to be followed up by more of the same the entire week.


The high temperature prompted the City of Toronto to issue a heat alert Saturday morning and it’s expected to last a while.

The alert, posted on the Toronto Public Health website, comes as temperatures rose beyond a predicted to high of 33C.

This, combined with a “very high” humidex forecast by Environment Canada, has the city warning Toronto residents to do whatever they need to do to keep cool.

To help beat the heat, Public Health recommends folks drink lots of liquids – water and fruit juices, mostly.

Avoid going out in the blazing midday sun when possible, and if your home isn’t air conditioned, head to well-chilled buildings, such as shopping malls, libraries and community centres.

Also, take a break from vigorous exercise, and strenuous outdoor work should be avoided. too. And people taking certain kinds of medication – drugs for mental illness, for example – should avoid the heat, as well.

Things could stay scorching for the rest of the week, with an average high a little above 30 over the next five to six days, according to data from Environment Canada.

A heat alert is issued when current conditions are compared with – and are similar to – past hot weather that has resulted in a spike in deaths, according to the Toronto Public Health website.


Thursday, July 14, 2011

Terry Fox's Royal Pirates/Sponsor or join our team.

Terry Fox's Royal Pirates

A team that believes that HOPE is spreading faster than cancer.

My team message This year we are proudly supporting The Terry Fox Foundation in its ongoing work to fund innovative and progressive cancer research programs. Please support our team by joining, or making a donation. Your kindness will impact the lives of so many people living with cancer



http://my.e2rm.com/TeamPage.aspx?teamID=216339&langPref=en-CA&Referrer=http%3a%2f%2fwww.terryfox.org%2fRun%2fOntario.html

Friday, July 8, 2011

"MY GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD" CONTEST

"MY GREAT NEIGHBOURHOOD" CONTEST (No Purchase necessary)


Contest Rules

1. The "My great neighbourhood" Contest is held by Royal LePage (the "Contest Organizers"). The Contest runs on the Internet from June 21, 2011 at 0:01 (ET) to October 21, 2011 at 11:59:59 p.m. (ET) (the "Contest Period").



ELIGIBILITY

2. The Contest is open to residents of Canada who have reached the age of majority where they reside. Members of the jury, employees, agents and representatives of the Contest Organizers, of any company, corporation, trust or other legal entity controlled by or affiliated to them, Royal LePage agents, their advertising and promotional agencies, suppliers of prizes, material and services related to this Contest, as well as members of their immediate family (brothers, sisters, children, father, mother), their legal or common-law spouse and any individuals with whom such employees, agents, representatives and members of the jury are domiciled, are not eligible. "Cookies" must be accepted to enter the Contest.



HOW TO ENTER

No purchase necessary



3. To enter, proceed as follows:



3.1 During the Contest Period, go to www.royallepage.ca/mygreatneighbourhood. On the home page, follow the instructions to access the electronic entry form (the "Entry Form");

3.2 Fill out the Entry Form by entering your e-mail address, password, confirm password, first name, last name, country, province, city, postal code, date of birth and address;

3.3 Enter the characters which must be reproduced for security purposes;

3.4 Declare that you have read and agreed to the Contest Rules including the conditions set out in the Statement of consent, authorization and release in connection with the Material submitted by checking the corresponding box;

3.5 Click on Create Account;

3.6 Enter the name of your tradition, referring to the theme of the contest which is to describe why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

3.7 In the space provided, write a short text explaining the reasons why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

3.8 Enter tags (separate with spaces);

3.9 Enter your location;

3.10 Select up to five photos or one video showing why you like your community or your neighbourhood and click on "Start upload" to select and download the file of the photo or video you want to submit. A message will appear confirming that your submission has been received.

4. You can also enter the Contest by registering through the "Login with FaceBook" option. Click on "Allow" on the window appearing on your screen and complete the Entry form as provided at section 3 of the present rules.



5. Group entry. Group entry is permitted. The person who enters his name on the Entry Form will be the group representative and deemed to be the contestant in this Contest.



6. Evaluation criteria of the jury. The following criteria will be used by the jury to evaluate the video or photo(s) and text (the "Material") submitted to select winners as detailed in section 16 of these Contest Rules:



6.1 Originality and creativity;

6.2 Quality of neighbourhood information provided;

6.3 Relevancy of the Material submitted;

6.4 Number of votes obtained (see section 12)

7. The following conditions apply to the Material submitted:



7.1 It must be original and the contestant must be its sole author or have obtained all required rights or authorizations for its use in the scope of this Contest;

7.2 The Material must show why you like your community or your neighbourhood;

7.3 Accepted video formats are: Cinepak FLV (H.263/Spark and On2 VP6) H.261 H.263 H.264 / AVC / MPEG-4 AVC / MPEG-4 part 10 MJPEG (Motion JPEG) MPEG-1 MPEG-2 MPEG-4 (part 2) On2 VP3 On2 VP5 On2 VP6 RealVideo 1.0 RealVideo 2.0 Snow Theora WMV1 (Windows Media Video 7) WMV2 (Windows Media Video 8) WMV3 (Windows Media Video 9). Maximum upload size is 500 MB; Duration of the video: minimum 5 seconds and maximum 10 minutes.

7.4 Accepted photo formats are: bmp, eps, jpg, gif, pdf, png, psd, tiff.

7.5 The text must comprise between 1000 and 2000 characters;

7.6 Each video, photo and text submitted must be different from each other. The decision as to whether they are different is at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers;

7.7 The content of the Material must be in French on the French version of the Contest web site or in English on its English version. The Material must not violate a person's privacy rights, notably contain his/her name, likeness, resemblance, voice or reveal intimate details about this person unless you have obtained his/her consent and in the case of a minor, the consent of a parent or legal guardian;

7.8 The Material must not hold inappropriate content, notably content which is explicitly sexual, offensive, harassing, discriminatory, libellous, violent, malicious, hateful, content which may be against knowledgeable accepted standards of good behaviour among the Canadian society or which depreciates Royal LePage or its affiliated companies' products or services. It must not contain suggestive images or language promoting an illegal activity and must not contain commercial content showing or promoting a product or service other than those of the Contest Organizers. The entrant will have to make sure he/she has obtained all required authorizations with regards to any portion of the Material submitted which is protected by copyright, any other intellectual property right or the right of a third party, notably music;

7.9 The Material must have been created specifically for this Contest and must not have already been published or submitted in the scope of another contest or promotion.

8. In order to be eligible to the Contest and for the Material submitted to be broadcast, any entrant must provide the following authorization by checking the corresponding box on the Entry Form:



Statement of consent, authorization and release in connection with the Material submitted



I grant Royal LePage and its representatives the authorization to reproduce, broadcast, publish, distribute, represent in public, edit, modify and translate the Material submitted and I declare to have obtained such authorization from persons who are represented in the Material and the authorization of their parent or legal guardian in the case of minors, as the case may be. These are worldwide authorizations, without any compensation and for an unlimited period of time, for the purposes of this Contest or for any other purpose related to the activities of Royal LePage, including but without being limited to, broadcast in various media notably the Royal LePage web site, web banners, existing Internet platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, etc.) or advertising material promoting the present Contest or its future editions, as the case may be, or the services and/or products of Royal LePage. I agree for my first name, last name and location of residence to be used in connection with the Material submitted. I declare that the Material submitted is original, that I am its sole author or that I have obtained all required rights or authorizations for its use according to the terms set out in these Contest Rules and that I am not in violation of any law or third-party right. Upon request, I accept to provide Royal LePage and its representatives with the authorizations mentioned in this section. I acknowledge that royal LePage and its representatives have no responsibility concerning the use and broadcast of the Material submitted for the authorized purposes and they cannot be held liable for any violation whatsoever under these terms and conditions or terms of use of the web site by users. I undertake to reimburse Royal LePage and its representatives the amount corresponding to any expense incurred by them in the event of a claim or legal proceedings resulting from the use or the broadcast of the Material submitted.



9. If the Material submitted seems eligible following its preliminary evaluation by the Contest Organizers and/or their representatives, it will be broadcast on the Contest web site approximately one business day following the receipt of your duly filled out Entry Form (on business days) and you will obtain one (1) entry in the Contest.



10. Given the nature of the present Contest and its entry and Material broadcast conditions, it may be difficult or impossible for the Contest Organizers to identify content which is not eligible or has not undergone the required necessary authorizations. The Contest Organizers do not require additional documentation from entrants to sustain that they have obtained the necessary authorizations before broadcast of the Material. Therefore, if a portion of the Material submitted does not comply with these Contest Rules or if the Contest Organizers have reason to believe it does not comply, they reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to disqualify the entrant's entry, to remove part of the Material or to modify it in whole or in part, notably by hiding the concerned elements. If the Material is not broadcast or is withdrawn, no entry will be awarded for such participation. No notice or explanation will be given to the entrant as to why it was decided to broadcast or not the Material submitted or why it was withdrawn.



11. Entry limits. Entrants must respect the following limits otherwise they may be disqualified:



11.1 One (1) entry per e-mail address per day for the Contest Period;

11.2 The use of only one e-mail address when a person owns more than one.

PUBLIC'S VOTE

12. During the Contest Period, anyone can vote for his/her favourite Material, including the one he/she has submitted. To vote, proceed as follows:



12.1 Go to www.royallepage.ca/mygreatneighbourhood;

12.2 Follow the instructions to vote and view the broadcast Material. Each Material is posted along with the first name and location of residence of the entrant who submitted it;

12.3 To view videos, click on "Gallery" section;

12.4 To vote, enter your name and e-mail address and click on "Summit" below the Material submitted. Once this step is completed and subject to the vote limit in the following section, your vote will be registered. To vote, the "cookies" must be accepted.

13. Vote limits. Any person must respect the following vote limits otherwise his/her vote(s) will not be registered or may be cancelled, as the case may be:



13.1 One (1) vote per e-mail address with an IP address in Canada per day;

13.2 The use of only one e-mail address when a person own more than one.

PRIZES

14. Three prizes are offered. The prizes, each consisting in an amount of money, are:



14.1 Twenty thousand dollars ($ 20 000)

14.2 Three thousand five hundred dollars ($ 3 500)

14.3 One thousand five hundred dollars ($1 500)

15. Prize limit. There is a limit of one (1) prize per person and per household.



JURY

16. During the week of October 24, at the office of the Contest Organizers located in Toronto, a jury formed by representatives of the Contest Organizers will select three (3) entries among those submitted during the Contest Period to award the three prizes in the order they are listed in these Contest Rules. Entries will be evaluated according to the criteria provided at section 6 of these Contest Rules.



17. Odds of winning. The odds of a contestant being selected for a prize depend on the quality of the entries received according to the evaluation criteria and the total number of entries received.



AWARDING OF PRIZES

18. To be declared a winner, any selected contestant must:



18.1 Be reached by phone or e-mail, at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers, within fifteen (15) days of the selection of his/her entry by the jury. If a selected contestant is reached by e-mail, he/she must reply in accordance with the instructions given in the e-mail, as the case may be. In the case of the return of an e-mail prize notification as undeliverable, the Contest Organizers will have the entire discretion to disqualify the Contestant's entry or to try to reach him/her by phone;

18.2 Fill out and sign the Declaration and Release Form (the "Declaration Form") that the Contest Organizers will provide him/her by mail, fax or e-mail to the effect that he/she has fulfilled all the requirements of these Contest Rules, and return it to the Contest Organizers for them to receive it within fifteen (15) days of its receipt;

18.3 In addition to the authorizations which have already been granted in compliance with section 8 of these Contest Rules, assign all copyrights or intellectual property rights and waive all moral rights related to the Material submitted to the Contest Organizers and, if required, supply any additional documentation proving that he/she holds all rights related to the Material submitted without any form of compensation. A statement to such effect will be included in the Declaration Form;

18.4 Upon request and in a timely manner, provide an identification card with photograph;

18.5 Upon request and in a timely manner, consent to a confidential background check to confirm that the use of his/her identity in any advertising or activity associated with the Contest would not discredit the Contest or the Contest Organizers nor cause them any harm.

19. Failure to comply with one of the conditions mentioned in these Contest Rules or to accept the prize will cause the selected contestant to be disqualified. In such a case, the Contest Organizers may, at their sole discretion, cancel the prize or proceed to a new selection in compliance with these Contest Rules until a contestant is selected and declared a winner.



20. Within two (2) to four (4) weeks following the receipt of the duly completed and signed Declaration Form, the Contest Organizers will deliver to the winners their prize by mail.



GENERAL CONDITIONS

21. Verification. Entry Forms, Declaration Forms and votes are subject to verification by the Contest Organizers. Any Entry Form, Declaration Form or vote which is, as the case may be, incomplete, illegible, mutilated, fraudulent, registered or submitted late, bearing an invalid e-mail address or phone number or otherwise noncompliant shall be rejected and will not entitle to an entry, a vote or to a prize, as the case may be.



22. Disqualification. The Contest Organizers reserve the right to disqualify a person or to cancel one or several entries or votes of a person who participates, votes or tries to participate or vote by using methods that do not comply with these Contest Rules or that are unfair to other entrants (e.g. entries or votes exceeding the authorized limit, violation of a third party's rights). Such a person may be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.



23. Conduct of the Contest. Any attempt to deliberately damage the Contest web site and/or any related web site or to sabotage the legitimate conduct of this Contest constitutes a violation of civil and criminal laws. Should there be any such attempts, the Contest Organizers reserve the right to reject the entrant's entries or a person's votes and obtain legal or equitable relief under applicable laws.



24. Acceptance of prize. Prizes must be accepted as described in these Contest Rules and may not, in any case, be in whole or in part transferred to another person, replaced by another prize.



25. Liability limit: use of the prize. By entering the Contest, any Finalist selected for a prize releases and holds harmless the Contest Organizers, any company, corporation, trust or other legal entity controlled by or affiliated to them, their advertising and promotional agencies, their employees, agents and representatives (the "Released Parties") from and against any damage resulting from the acceptance or use of the prize.



26. Web site. The Contest Organizers do not warrant that access to or use of the Contest web site or any related web site will be uninterrupted during the Contest Period or error-free.



27. Liability limit: conduct of the Contest. The Released Parties disclaim all liability for any of the following that may limit or prevent any entrant's participation in the Contest or a person's vote: malfunctioning of any computer component, software or communications line; loss or lack of a communications network; or any transmission that is faulty, incomplete, incomprehensible or erased by any computer or network. The Released Parties also disclaim all liability for any damages or loss that may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, by the downloading of any web page or software or by the transmission of any information related to participation in the Contest.



28. Contest modification. The Contest Organizers reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Contest in whole or in part, should human intervention or an event take place that could alter or affect the administration, security, impartiality or conduct of the Contest as provided in these Contest Rules, subject to approval by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec, if required.



29. Termination of participation in the Contest. In the event that the computer system cannot register all Contest entries or votes for whatever reason, or if participation in the Contest or the voting period must be terminated in whole or in part before the closing date provided in these Contest Rules, the prizes may be awarded in compliance with the provisions to be determined by the Contest Organizers, at their sole discretion.



30. Prize limit. In no event shall the Contest Organizers be required to award more prizes than indicated in these Contest Rules or to award a prize otherwise than in compliance with these Contest Rules.



31. Liability limit: participation in the Contest and vote. Persons who enter, vote or try to enter this Contest or vote release the Released Parties from any liability for damage these said persons may incur as a result of their entry, vote or their attempt to enter the Contest or vote.



32. Authorization. By entering this Contest, the contestants authorize the Contest Organizers and their representatives to use, if required, his/her name, photo, likeness, voice, place of residence and/or statement regarding a prize for publicity purposes, without any form of compensation.



33. Communication with entrants. No communication or correspondence related to this Contest shall be exchanged with contestants, neither to members of a group, except as provided for in these Contest Rules or at the Contest Organizers' initiative.



34. Personal information. Entrants' personal information collected for the purpose of the Contest will only be used to administer the Contest. No commercial or other communications unrelated to the Contest will be sent to entrants unless they have otherwise agreed to receive such communications.



35. Property. Declaration Forms are the property of the Contest Organizers and shall not in any case be returned to contestants.



36. Entrant identification. For the purpose of these Contest Rules, the contestant is the person whose name appears on the Entry Form and it is to this person to whom the prize will be awarded if he/she is selected and declared a winner, subject to the following section.



37. Group prize. If the winner has registered in the name of a group associated to a cause, the winner will indicate in the Declaration Form to the Contest Organizers the name of the group to which the cheque has to be remitted. If the winner has registered in the name of a group of individuals, the prize will be remitted to the winner who will be the sole responsible for the distribution of the prize among the group. The decision to remit the cheque to the winner or to the group is at the sole discretion of the Contest Organizers.



38. Contest Organizers' decision. Any decision by the Contest Organizers, their representatives or the jury regarding this Contest is final and without appeal, subject to a ruling by the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec on any issue under its jurisdiction.



39. Litigation. For Quebec residents, any litigation respecting the conduct or organisation of a publicity contest may be submitted to the Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux du Québec for a ruling. Any litigation respecting the awarding of a prize may be submitted to the Régie for the purpose of helping the parties reach a settlement.



40. Unenforceability. If a section of the Contest Rules is declared or deemed illegal, unenforceable or invalid by a competent court, that section shall be considered invalid, but all unaffected sections will be applied within the limits of the law.



41. Language. In case of any discrepancy between the French and English versions of these Contest Rules, if an English version is available, the French version shall prevail.



42. This contest is not managed or sponsored by Facebook.

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