Hello my friends!

I want to wish you and your’s the best of the season and a healthy and prosperous 2012!

I will be off taking a break and will return January 4, 2012.

Enjoy every second of this special time of the year!

My Uncle Rene made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedom we all enjoy today. He and all who served then and all who serve now deserve our thanks and appreciation.

Your efforts and sacrifices are with us always.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

James Corbett from Argentina creates wonderful sculpture from old auto parts.

Check out this website for more images

http://www.binscorner.com/pages/s/spectacular-auto-parts-art-amazing.html

Christmas Traditions

By Lou Schizas CIM, FCSI

In my family Christmas has always been a time of giving. It’s a time to share our bounty with our loved ones, friends, colleagues, clients, and worthwhile causes. All of us have a common coming of age moment when we decided that we wanted to participate in the joy of giving. I was reminded of that transition a year ago when my daughter, Madeline, made the leap.  

The story begins in the year that Madeline was born. I came upon the notion of commemorating the occasion with a special ornament for our Christmas tree. My thinking was that each year when we dressed the tree we would celebrate not only the beginning of the festive season but also revel in the memories of our child’s first Christmas and what a special gift she is to our family.  

A good friend, upon hearing of what I had in mind, suggested that I make it an annual tradition. You have to love it when someone takes a good idea and makes it even better! Every year thereafter I have made sure that there has been a gift wrapped special ornament from her me that Madeline can open and place on the tree.

As the years went by I further developed the tradition. Each year I would tell Madeline that the collection of ornaments I had given her would be the first ornaments for her tree when she grew up and left the family home to start new traditions with her own family. I told my daughter that she could always look upon the collection of special ornaments on her tree and that they would remind her of childhood.

 Last year after six years of marking the occasion with a new special ornament it was time to dress the tree and begin celebrating the Christmas season. But that year wasn’t like every other year.2009 was the year that my daughter had bought a special ornament for me, which I could keep she told me, to remind me of her childhood spent in the family home. I can’t tell you how proud and happy that made me.

This year Madeline has been saving her money to buy gifts for her cousins and other members of the family. When I asked her why she wanted to buy presents for her family members she answered that she wanted to give like everyone else.

I have been very lucky as a parent to have had great friends and family members who generously shared their experiences raising their children. One family member, Pierre Laferriere, gave me these words to live by. Your children won’t do what you tell them, they will do what you do.

From my family to yours best wishes for the Christmas Season and may you enjoy a healthy and prosperous New Year in 2011.

Remembrance Day – Capt. Rene Andre Asselin 1918 – 1944 – Fusilliers Mont Royal

At one of the most important elections in Calgary’s history – one that will determine our future for decades to come, Calgarians find themselves now wondering who is in this race for the right reasons, who did it for public attention, and who did it with hidden agendas. Something only each Mayoral candidate can answer in the privacy of their own minds.

I entered this race for one reason. This city has afforded me tremendous opportunity, and I want to ensure those opportunities are there for our children.

As someone the media has referred to for months now as an “also running”, I remain proud of my decision to publicly serve as Mayor if I am so honoured. It would have been an easy decision to re-run as Alderman , but as Winston Churchill once said, “play the game for more than you can afford to lose…only then will you learn the game.”

When I was elected, leaving a 25 year successful business career because my community asked me to step up, they proudly presented me with a copy of James Owen’s book entitled “Cowboy Ethics”.

Since then, I have withstood much ridicule for publicly stating and sharing Owen’s Ten Codes of the West. A code I have told many is my morale compass – a source of inspiration that I have turned to over and over again when I cast my vote on some of the toughest decisions affecting over one million people.

As rhetoric abounds, I have never let the non-believers tarnish the power of the words, perhaps because one of the codes is “when riding through hell…keep riding”.

Cowboy Ethics taught me how to build a Calgary that we can all be proud to call home. It’s masterful language tells me that I am only as good as my word. And that as a leader, the true test of my integrity is keeping it in tact by living with courage, taking pride in my work, finishing what I start, and keeping my promises.

But perhaps its most resonating code as Calgarians go to the polls on Monday is this: Remember that some things are NOT for sale, and to the cowboy, the best things in life ARE NOT things. That is why Calgary will not see me quit this race and why I refuse to govern my life according to foregone conclusions.

My promise to Calgarians is simple. I will finish what I started when I announced my intention in April. I will keep my word that you will have a voice at City Hall and that together we will build a future of opportunity.

It is unfortunate that the media is only focusing on the top three, when the hidden gem is Joe Connelly.  He has over 25 years of senior business experience, extensive community experience including a past Community Association President, and 3 years on City Council.

He has proven that he is not one to sit back and take his representation of over one million people lightly.  He blew the whistle on the $25M Pedestrian Bridge, and delivered what he promised he would do for Ward 6 – over $1B in new infrastructure including the West LRT.  Imagine what he can do for our city.

He knows how to rally the team so things get done, has experienced leadership, and proven results.  Joe Connelly is also a big supporter of sport and culture which is so important for our youth!

To learn more about Joe you can also visit www.joeformayor.ca .  There you will also find over 20 videos on YouTube where Joe shares his stance on the current issues.

I hope that you will take a closer look at Joe Connelly – he will ensure your voice is heard at City Hall.

To reach Joe directly he can be emailed at joe@joeformayor.ca .

Hello My Friends,

Please take the time this weekend to give thanks for all that is good and share it with family and friends.

Happy Capitalist Thanksgiving!

The Canadian Society of Technical Analyst will be holding its first monthly seminar of the fall on

Wednesday October 13, 2010 at 7pm in room J320 at Sheridan College

To register for this event go to :

http://www.csta.org/index.php?categoryid=3

Seating is limited so register now.