This is amazing!
Liu Wei lost his arms in an accident at age 10, Liu Wei from Beijing never gives up living strong. He managed to do everything with his feet and started to learn to play piano at age 19. His dream is to become a musician. He is now 22 and just won the China's Got Talent Show on Oct. 10, 2010. In the final, he played piano and sang the song "You Are Beautiful", perhaps his vocal is not the best render of this song, but the power and inspiration of his zest for life won him the final. Bravo! Liu Wei's motto is,"I have two options - I can die as fast as possible, or I can live a brilliant life. And I chose the latter."
Jimmy Devellano: A blueprint for success
Leo- Saturday, November 13, 2010
It would be so wonderful to follow the path of least resistance and coast along from success to success, rather than having to endure this incessant battle against the odds. Sadly, winning the lottery is not a viable modus operandi, but walking straight into an amazing opportunity is. Take time out to relax and calm your mind. If you ask the universe for help, it’ll send a search party out to find you!
For the leo's that surround us! You know who you are !
It would be so wonderful to follow the path of least resistance and coast along from success to success, rather than having to endure this incessant battle against the odds. Sadly, winning the lottery is not a viable modus operandi, but walking straight into an amazing opportunity is. Take time out to relax and calm your mind. If you ask the universe for help, it’ll send a search party out to find you!
For the leo's that surround us! You know who you are !
Passenger says crew ignored warning about man in disguise on plane from Hong Kong
A man in custody is shown with and without his disguise in this handout image released to Reuters on November 5, 2010.
ANDY CLARK/REUTERSVANCOUVER—An Air Canada passenger says she spotted a man in a silicone mask on her flight, but was ignored when she tried to warn the air crew.
Nuray Kurtur-Balas says the October 29th flight was still on the ground in Hong Kong when she told three flight attendants she suspected a fellow passenger was wearing a disguise.
She was talking about the young Chinese man who boarded the flight disguised as an elderly Caucasian man.
Kurtur-Balas told C-N-N she feared the man was going to blow up the plane and she kept her iPhone close to call her family should anything happen.
The 35-year old clothing retail production manager says she told the flight attendants the passenger’s heavily wrinkled face looked like plastic and didn’t match his young looking hands.
She says one flight attendant complimented her on her observation, another said he’d look into it, and the third said the man might have a medical condition—but no action was taken.
It was only after the flight took off and the man removed his mask that the air crew alerted authorities to meet the plane when it landed in Vancouver.
The 22-year old Chinese man remains in detention while seeking asylum in Canada.
Maritime community hits jackpot as lottery winners give away prize
November 4, 2010
Maritime community hits jackpot as lottery winners give away prize
By OLIVER MOORE
From Friday's Globe and Mail
From Friday's Globe and Mail
Elderly couple give away virtually all of their $11.25-million to close family, charity
After decades of living modestly, Allen and Violet Large suddenly had the money to fulfill their dreams.
But with $11.25-million in lottery winnings, the retired couple who live near Halifax knew that their dreams were a little different. No sports car, cruise or mansion for them. Instead, they worked quickly to give it away.
"We haven't spent even one penny on ourselves," says Ms. Large, 78. "Why spend money when you already have everything you need?"
Now, four months after cashing in their winning lottery ticket, the money is largely gone and they have little to show for their winnings. Nothing material, that is. But a long list of charities is reaping the benefits of their decision.
The decision caused a stir in the tiny community of Lower Truro and drew media attention from around the world. But the couple doesn't see it as a sacrifice. It didn't matter that the winnings would have allowed purchases impossible on working-class savings.
The couple drives the same five-year-old truck and 13-year-old car. There is neither microwave nor voicemail in their 19th-century home. The Larges are content with what they have. So when they hit the jackpot in July, it didn't take them long to conclude that others needed the money more.
"We wanted to look after our community and make sure they all had some," explains Mr. Large, who is 75.
The couple kept about two per cent for themselves, in case of emergency, and split the rest between immediate family and charities. They are unclear about the tax implications, but say they will deal with that next year.
They won't get into exact figures but say that recipients range from animal-protection agencies to churches to health-care services. Ms. Large was recently undergoing chemotherapy and facilities where she received her treatment got an extra chunk, her husband says.
A few possible scammers sniffed around but quickly were shut down.
"If anyone phoned, I would say, 'If you're looking for the money, it's all gone,'" Mr. Large says. "I wouldn't be sour or harsh but would say it gently."
On the long list of those groups that did get money is their church, Old Barns United.
"I've been surprised, they haven't even splurged in one instance that I've heard," said Reverend Ian Harrison, who said their gift will go toward keeping up the old building. "That says a lot about their character, their selflessness."
The couple has lived modestly since meeting in Ontario, where both where working at the time, at a dance.
"She was wearing a tartan skirt and I was wearing a tartan shirt and I said I must ask that girl for a dance," Mr. Large remembers.
They married in 1974 and continued working - he as a steelworker and welder and she at a cosmetics factory. They often didn't have much money and would stay home a lot. He'd watch television while she read, romance novels mostly.
The couple eventually retired to their native Nova Scotia. Their rural home is just close enough to town that Mr. Large can "crawl back" if he "gets souped," he jokes. "He never does that," his wife interjects, prompting him to add, a touch sheepishly, "it's a local expression."
In July their number came up on a 6/49 draw worth $11,255,272.70. At the time local media quoted them as saying that the win wouldn't change their lives. Instead it changed the lives of many other people.
It's a sharp contrast to the classic lottery story of a winner blowing through sudden wealth and ending up in penury.
"We're not big livers, we don't live high," Ms. Large says. "We're country. We weren't born with a silver spoon in our mouths."
Fraud Warning CIBC Scam Email
This was received in my email - its a fraudulent attempt to get CIBC ID and Password.
Beware and Be Aware
The link that was attached to the fraud email is
DO NOT CLICK THE LINK
http://hammocks.ie/view/index.html
Toronto man charged in ‘grandparent scam’
Carys Mills Staff Reporter
A Toronto man has been charged following a police investigation into a so-called “grandparent scam.”
The investigation, which dates back to last year, was started by Peel Regional Police after several complaints were received.
Police said victims in Canada and the United States received phone calls from the suspect, who claimed to be a grandchild or other relative.
The suspect then requested urgent financial help, asking for money to be transferred and for the victim not to tell any other family members, police said.
Later, the investigation expanded to include police in Toronto.
Police are warning the public, suggesting elderly family members be made aware of similar scams.
Johnathan Hunter, 40, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with 39 counts of fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000, defrauding the public and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
A Toronto man has been charged following a police investigation into a so-called “grandparent scam.”
The investigation, which dates back to last year, was started by Peel Regional Police after several complaints were received.
Police said victims in Canada and the United States received phone calls from the suspect, who claimed to be a grandchild or other relative.
The suspect then requested urgent financial help, asking for money to be transferred and for the victim not to tell any other family members, police said.
Later, the investigation expanded to include police in Toronto.
Police are warning the public, suggesting elderly family members be made aware of similar scams.
Johnathan Hunter, 40, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with 39 counts of fraud over $5,000, fraud under $5,000, defrauding the public and conspiracy to commit an indictable offence.
Why you shouldn't buy an extended warranty October 27, 2010 By Marc Saltzman
You finally pick out the HDTV you've been saving for and just before you hand over the credit card at the store, the salesperson says you ought to purchase the extended warranty to protect your investment.
What's that? You don't want to spend an extra $200 for a "product service plan" on top of a $1,500 television?
Should you?
"No," says Melissa Valentino from Consumer Reports, who says their advice for extended warranties hasn't changed much from its August 2010 report: "Skip extended warranties on most electronics as they aren't likely to break down during the extended service contract period," says Valentino.
"Service plans often cost more than you'll recover, and many have fine-print terms that can limit or disqualify your claim," she adds.
The report summary on television warranties is as follows:
It's generally not worth the money to buy an extended warranty for an LCD or plasma TV. Our survey data from thousands of TV buyers show that sets of both types from most major brands have had a very low rate of repairs for the first three years of use, and most repairs cost less than $200. A warranty often costs just as much if not more than that. Use a credit card that doubles your warranty, or shop at a retailer like Costco, which adds one year to the standard coverage. Detailed repair rates by brand are available to subscribers.
Consumer Reports also says to buy reliable brands and models, and follow the manufacturer's usage and maintenance recommendations.
CENSRD: The vanity plates the government won’t let you see
You may be a Budweiser-guzzling ex-cop stripper who worships Buddha, carries a pistol, uses Viagra and supports Barack Obama, fine. Just don’t you dare mention any of those facts on your licence plate.
The provincial government does not allow vanity plates that contain “obscene,” “derogatory” or “racist” language or that refer to drugs, alcohol, sex, violence, criminal activity, law enforcement, public figures, politics, or religion. Bureaucrats who seem abnormally knowledgeable about offensive words — 11-year-old bureaucrats, perhaps? — have rejected more than 2,700 applications on these grounds since 2006, a list obtained via freedom of information request reveals.
Though the transportation ministry accepts more than 95 per cent of proposed plates, it has faced occasional criticism from rejectees who believe its criteria are too restrictive or that its employees apply them overzealously. In 2007, United Church Rev. Joanne Sorrill became a political cause célèbre after the ministry refused to renew her “REV JO” plate because it believed “rev” could encourage unsafe driving and because Rev “is an alcoholic cooler-type beverage.”
Premier Dalton McGuinty eventually stepped in to grant Sorrill the plate, calling the ministry’s behaviour “laughable.”
“This is a difficult job being done by sincere people, but it is an imperfect science,” the ministry said in an email, going on to explain that employees use such resources as Wikipedia and UrbanDictionary.com for research purposes. “Balancing the right of personal expression and community standards is no easy task.”
The Star is a family paper, so we have had to do a fair bit of censoring of the list of censored material. What we can tell you without scarring your children is the following.
MOB.BOSS got whacked. As did WHACKED. GLOCK.18, REVOLVOR, KRUZ.MSL and 22CALIBR were shot down. A.BOM was deemed a reference to violence, as was A.BAUM, which might have just been the first initial and last name of a nice Jewish boy.
OLDFARTS was thought obscene, self-effacing 4NEWFIES, CRZCZECH and SLUMDOG lumped in with the white supremacist ARYNRACE as racist. DRSEX, SHAG.BBY and R.HORNY, among many much-much-more-vulgar references to sex, failed to score plates.
The person who proposed OBAMACAN in 2008-09 was spared some 2010 embarrassment; the people who proposed ARSON, 1POACHER, HAACKER, GRNDTHFT, WARLORDS and GNPOSTAL were spared the attention of fire investigators, wildlife defenders, corporate IT managers, OPP detectives, the International Criminal Court and psychiatrists, respectively. Speaking of criminals and mental health professionals, the unfortunately ambiguous THERAPST was also rejected.
A 2008 advisory panel argued the ministry should allow “positive expressions of religious beliefs, religious titles, references to passages from scriptures, and religious celebrations, symbols and mythology.” Nonetheless, the ministry continues to prohibit all but religious titles, and more religion-referencing plates (740) were rejected than those that referred to sex (592), violence (435), and alcohol (241). Among the “religious” plates rejected were PASTRMOM, GNOSTIC, SOLARGOD, PRAISEJC, BUDDHAFA, ISLMWAY, OM.HARI and . . . HOLI.COW.
The ministry has a 10-member personalized licence plate review committee. It meets weekly.
Plates rejected between 2006 and 2010
Religion: 740
Sample: S8NTJUDE, 4.SAINTS, B4.JESUS, B4CRHSIST, GODGIVEN, 6.DIABLO, AV.MARIA, BLESSED2, BUDDHAFA, DEVLL, FAITH.4U, GODSGOOD, GODSGR8, GODSP33D, HALAUJAH, HEISRISN, HOLI.COW, INFIDEL, JCREEPER, LAZARUS7, MINISTER, NASTY666, OHMYGOD, PASTRMOM, PRAISEJC, PSALM.24, PSALM.34, PSALM.72, PSALM.96, PSALMS24, SAAINTS, SINFUL64, TRYNITY, WRSHPHIM, IAMSAVED, JC.SAVES, ZEN.4, ENG666, 666ALEX, ANGEL.27, ANGEL.57, ANGEL4ME, ANOINTED, BLESSONE, BUDDHA.1, GNOSTIC, ISLMWAY, KAMASTRA, SHIV.SAI, SHIVSHIV, STR84GOD, AVEMARIE, HARERAMA, OM.HARI, SAI.SHIV, AMIEVIL, EVIL.INC, GODLUVSME, GODLUVYA, HADES1, HOLYMARY, KIRISHNA, LMBOFGOD, LOL.OMG, RAMADAN, SOLARGOD, SWASTIK, HEAVEN77. 121PSALM, 310.JOHN
Sex: 592
Sample: D.GROPER, SHAG.BBY, SZEMATRZ, BIG.STUD, NICE.BUT, A.QUICKY, HAVNSEX, HOT.HUMP, HORNDWGS, STRIPPER, SCHAGUAR, LILHOOKR, VIBR80R, MY.GSPOT, DRSEX, F1.PIMP, GRGASM, ORGES, RGASMIC, SEXXX, XXXR8TD, 4PLAY66, FONDL, FRCHKISS, GDONTOP, LIL.SMUT, MAKINOUT, VETDREMS, MYVIAGRA, R.HORNY, FORPLAYY, HOT.BUNZ
Violence: 435
Sample: 1BANDITO, A.BOM, A.BAUM, ARSON, ARTOFWAR, BUCKSHQT, BULLIES, BLOWDART, GLOCK.18, GANGBOSS, MILITIA, MOB.BOSS, TORRPEDO, WITCHHUNT, BLITZKRG, CRMESCNE, CRASHCRS, COLD.WAR, HIJACK3, ILSMACKU, PACNHEAT, EXPLOSIV, GRNDTHFT, SONOFSAM, STALKING, WHACKED, MALLKILR, REICH, TAZED, GN.SLNGR, GNPOSTL, LOCNLODE, REVOLVOR, TASER, SNIPERRR, YUNG.GUN, 1.COLT45, 1.GUNNER, 1.PISTOL, 1.WEAPON, 1POACHER, 22CALIBR, AKATTACK, BASSASIN, KRUZ.MSL, TOMMYGNN, EURO.KLR, KICKRDWN, WARLORDS
Alcohol: 241
Sample: BACRDI, BOOTLEGR, BUDWISER, NOBUDWSR, COORSMAN, GRAPPA.1, GUINNES, GREATALE, MERLOW, RUMRUNER, TQILA, WINETOUR, UNCORKD, ALEHOUSE, AGEDWINE, BREWSKI, MOJITO.1, MOONSHNR, ONDAROX, BUONVINO, MY.THAI, SANGREA, CARLSBERG, DAIQUIRI, DRUNKARD, FINEWINE, MYCORONA, RED.WINE, WINE.GAL, WYNE.GUY, WHISKEY, ABSLOOT, CERVEZA, SLEEMAN
Drugs: 137
Sample: COCAINES, CRACKO, KRACKO, BLUNTZ, SHROOM.3, BLUEPILL, OVERDOSE, REEEFMSTR, GETSTOND, LIQDGOLD, MEHIGH, RIDINHIGH, RX.DEALR, FARMACST, BADFATTY, SMAKDADY, DRUGIST, PRPLEHAZ, QUAALUDE, SNORTER, TRAFKING, 420.TYME, ECSTASY, XXXXTACY, LEXSTASY, MYPROZAK, TRIP.OUT, THE.DUBE
Derogatory slang: 123
Sample: STUPDKID, EPH.U, FPMS, BUTTKICK, U.DONKEY, FUGLYSS, WAR.PIGS, JAKASJIM, SCHWANG, SHAPPENS, SHUD.IT, WTF.LOL, CHIENNE, FMYLFE, GRTYGURL, CRZYBTCH, HABZUK
Criminal activity: 15
Sample: CARJACKD, 1PITBULL, SCOFFLAW, HAACKER, CRYMPAYS, PYROBRAD, DEOFENDR
Political: 44
Sample: TAXESCUT, 44.OBAMA, BH.OBAMA, HOPEBAMA, OBAMA.44, OBAMACAN, AL.GOR, BILL.C38, EL.CHE01, NEXT.PM, ANARKEY, GM.RIP
Dignitaries/Law enforcement: 81
Sample: ICUFFEM, OLD.RCMP, SSGT.RET, CHECKCPIC, K9.UNIT1, GO2JAIL, L8ROFICR, BE.A.COP, PADIWAGN, SHERRIF, CHER.IFF, CIA.FBI1, GOVERNOR, HWYPATROL, LINEIMUP, LILCOPPR, OPP7324, OPP.2747, HYOFFICR, HIOFISER, NO.POPOS, RENTACOP, HARPER59, PMCANADA, OBAMA.09, NO.PIGS, X.RCMP, THEWARDN
Racism: 128
Sample: CYNAMAN, CRZCZECH, GRINGO.1, IGOTRICE, 1SEXYWOP, PIEDNOIR, PACKEE, 4NEWFIES, ARYNRACE, ARYEN, GRINGOGRL, CRACKER7, DRTWTBOY, RCECOOKR, SLUMDOG, A.WHITEY, DTCHGEEK, GYPSY.V, MAMMY.B
Abusive/obscene language: 180
Sample: FRIG.OFF, OLDFARTS, SCHMUCK, OMFG, DAMM.5, FRIGGIT
Reason listed as “Unknown”: 1,075
BALLERRR, BDECEASED, FLYINBYU, GTO.HELL, INTMED8R, NICE.ASH, RDNCKGRL, RED.NEKK, REDNEC55, DUN.DEVL, THERAPST, 12INCHES, BAAAAAAA, BUBBIEZ, KOCKY, PORNKING, RACEGUY, RACEFANN
Somali pirates thwarted off Kenyan coast By CNN Staff
(CNN) -- A cargo ship seized by Somali pirates off the coast of Kenya was freed Monday after one day under siege, and the German-based Beluga Shipping company said its crew of 16 was unharmed.
The pirates were thwarted after the crew of the MV Beluga Fortune locked themselves in a panic room and switched off the main engine, cut off the fuel supply, blocked the bridge and reported the Indian Ocean attack to military forces, said Niels Stolberg, president and CEO of Beluga Shipping GmbH.
The pirates, seeking a million-dollar ransom, were unable to maintain control of the vessel, and naval forces were able to come to the rescue, Stolberg said in a statement. The vessel continued its journey to Richards Bay, South Africa.
"The excellent behavior of our colleagues on board made such a swift and happy ending of the capture possible," Stolberg said.
Great gourds! A whole new level of pumpkin carving
Every October, people can’t resist the pull of the pumpkin. Carvers go to work on their hand-picked gourds, eager to transform them into something spectacularly scary, or just plain spectacular.
Of course, in this life, there are pumpkin carvers and there are pumpkin carvers. And if pumpkin-carving were to become an Olympic event, Ray Villafane would be a contender for a gold medal.
The sculptor’s Halloween pumpkins are so hauntingly lifelike that they often inspire stunned silence and awe. He’s twice trounced competing carvers on TV on “Food Network Challenge: Outrageous Pumpkins,” and he’s attained a healthy fan base online.
Not bad for a guy who’s allergic to pumpkin. (His skin and eyes get really itchy after a couple of days of carving.) It’s also pretty impressive considering that Villafane’s first pumpkin-carving attempt in his 20s was a disaster.
“Yeah, it was horrible. It didn’t work out at all,” recalled Villafane, 41, of Bellaire, Mich. “I didn’t have the right tools. I used a spoon or something, you know? Really, really bad.”
From schoolteacher to sculptor
But Villafane didn’t give up. An experienced art teacher, he figured there must be a way to approach a pumpkin like a block of clay.
One day a student in the small rural school district where Villafane taught brought a big, homegrown pumpkin to class. He asked Villafane to take a stab at carving it.
“I gave it another try and it came out all right,” Villafane said. “The kids in the classroom all loved it and they started bringing in pumpkins for me. It got to the point where I would come into the school to teach, and I would have pumpkins lined up in front of my door with kids asking me, ‘Can you carve this for me?’ ‘Can you do this?’ ”
Ray Villafane created this illustration to help would-be carvers pick the perfect pumpkin.
This went on for several years, giving Villafane the chance to practice carving plenty of pumpkins without having to pay for any of them. And at a certain point in his pumpkin-fueled journey, Villafane had an epiphany: He loved sculpting.
“I got turned on to sculpting as a different career choice,” Villafane said. “And it was good timing, too. My wife and I had five kids, and teaching just wasn’t cutting it financially.”
He began dabbling in wax and he started sculpting a wax figure of Wolverine from the movie “X-Men.”
“I posted my in-progress pictures online and I got an e-mail from Marvel Comics wanting me to do it,” Villafane said. “My first practice piece was my first job. I’ve never stopped since. I never even had to do a portfolio.”
Villafane stopped teaching about six years ago, and he’s been working from home and sculpting for Marvel, DC Comics, Warner Bros. and other outlets ever since. He’s created all sorts of collectible figurines from “Batman,” “Superman” and other beloved comic-book series, as well as collectibles from movies such as “Terminator,” “Ghost Rider” and “X-Men” and from the role-playing game World of Warcraft.
Two years ago Villafane also entered the sand-sculpting scene, and he’s been making a name for himself there as well. He just placed in the recent World Championship of Sand Sculpting competition in Federal Way, Wash., and he’s done big sand-sculpting jobs in Italy and Moscow.
“One of the things that impresses me most about Ray is his ability to transcend mediums,” said Villafane’s colleague Andy Bergholtz, chief sculptor for Sideshow Collectibles in Thousand Oaks, Calif. “He is not limited by any material. The man could sculpt the statue of David out of a stick of butter.”
So you want to be a pumpkin carver?
Through all the changes in his career, Villafane hasn’t forgotten his love of pumpkins. Even though he doesn’t have as much time these days to devote to pumpkin-carving, he enjoys helping other carvers perfect their craft. He posted a pumpkin-carving tutorial on his website, and in it he shares a couple of key ground rules:
—When strolling through a pumpkin patch, stay on high alert for thick pumpkins. Of course, you can’t actually tell how thick a pumpkin is until you cut into it, but as a general rule, thick pumpkins are heavy pumpkins. “Pick up three pumpkins of the same size,” Villafane advised. “If one feels much heavier than the others, it’s got a thick wall.”
—Go for an oblong shape rather than a perfectly round shape. Villafane finds that a taller, oblong shape is best for carving faces. “The best is oblong and, if you can imagine, compressed,” he said. “Find a pumpkin that’s been lying on its side so it looks compressed, and so it has a ridge running from top to bottom. You sculpt the face along the ridge.”
Another common question Villafane fields: Does he really make such intricate creations out of just one pumpkin? Surely he must be putting at least two different pumpkins together, right?
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The answer: Nope. Villafane makes a point of carving just one solid pumpkin. Rarely he’ll use separate pumpkin meat to carve a few extra flourishes — say, the motorized snakes on Medusa’s head, or the tiny spikes on the Predator’s face, or the feather atop a Native American’s head — but other than that, you’re seeing just one pumpkin when you examine Villafane’s carvings. (If you’re intrigued, you can catch Villafane on the Food Network’s “Outrageous Pumpkins” challenge during the month of October.)
“Ray is a terrific problem solver and I think it shows in his work,” Bergholtz said. “He has always been one of the rare few that continues to push his limits and raise the bar for all of us.”
Bill Maher New Rules
Link:
Stress
raised a glass of water and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?'
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem..
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'
He continued,
'And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
the burden will become increasingly heavy:
and we won't be able to carry on. '
'As with the glass of water,
you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again..
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down: don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can.'
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while.
Here are some great ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
* Just accept that, some days, you're the pigeon:
and, some days, you're the statue.
* Always keep your words soft and sweet - ,
just in case you have to eat them.
* Always wear stuff that will make you look good
if you die in the middle of it.
*Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be
"recalled" by their maker.
* If you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,
It was probably worth it.
* It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time,
because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
* Nobody cares if you can't dance well.
Just get up and dance.
* Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird,
sleep late.
* The second mouse gets the cheese.
* When everything's coming your way,
you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays are good for you.
The more you have, the longer you live.
* You may be only one person in the world,
But you may also be the world to one person.
* Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons... Some are sharp; some are pretty; and some are dull. Some have weird names; and all are different colours;
but they all have to live in the same box.
*A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Brett Wilson
Ask the Legends: Brett Wilson
The Saskatchewan-born “capitalist with a heart” speaks with PROFIT editor Ian Portsmouth philanthropy, networking and raising the profile of Canadian entrepreneurship.
By , October 12, 2010
BRETT WILSON chairman
Prairie Merchant Corp., Calgary
Early in your career, you failed a management-aptitude test at Imperial Oil. What did that experience teach you about yourself?
It discouraged me at the time, because I believed I was on the management track at Esso. Part of my decision to go back to school [to pursue an MBA] was made on the basis of failing that test. They told me that I would be a great technical expert but that I wouldn’t fit the mould of the management track. It took me a long time to realize that all it really meant was that I wasn’t going to fit into a large, bureaucratic, monolithic, highly structured company.
The Prairie Merchant porfolio includes a wide range of businesses, from sports franchises to energy firms. How do you select your investments?
A lot depends on what upside I’m seeing. I have a really dirty rule of thumb that says if I think I can see double or triple [growth] over a three- to five-year period with an investment, I’m willing to risk losing that money. But if I’m getting an 8% return with a possible coupon or a possible kicker, I’m going to want that thing secured six ways to Sunday.
What do you look for when you’re listening to a pitch from an entrepreneur?
People pitching tend to feel they have to provide a smart answer to every question. I’m really comfortable if someone says, “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.” Sometimes, you get these half-baked answers from people who think they have to give an answer because they’re on TV or under the scrutiny of pitching a deal; they’ll give an answer you know isn’t quite right. You can sense that fairly quickly. I often ask questions with an idea of what the answer will be in mind. If I don’t get a good answer, they lose credibility.
You encourage entrepreneurs to view corporate social responsibility as an opportunity, not an obligation. Why?
I start with the premise that my charitable-giving program is about investing rather than giving it away. At FirstEnergy, we decided to use charity and community involvement to build our brand. We chose a 2.5% pretax profit threshold [to donate] and used it as our marketing budget. I can tell you, in the years I was running the firm—and I suspect it’s still true—there wasn’t a single request for funds from a client or staff member that went unheeded. We didn’t always give what they wanted, but we always gave them something. We respected that it was a branding and marketing opportunity that we could use to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. That was our thesis, and it proved to be true.
Do you personally find it difficult to say no to charities?
I tend to work with a cause, do what I can to help raise awareness and money, and then—this may sound harsh—abandon it. I move on, and hopefully I’ve left the charity working at a slightly higher plateau than where it was when I joined it. If they ask me to do it again, I’ll say, “I did what I could for you, and now I’m going to try to help someone else.” I’m a bit of a serial philanthropist.
How has joining the cast of Dragons’ Den changed life for you?
The whole concept of celebrity is somewhat new to me. I had a reasonably high profile in the Canadian business community before through the Young Presidents’ Organization and in Alberta and Saskatchewan through some of my charitable and business undertakings. But at a national level, I never dreamed of having recognition. I was sitting on an airplane the other day, and a woman carrying an eight-month-old baby and a two-and-a-half-year-old stopped. The woman turned to her child and said, “Hey, Robbie, it’s your favourite Dragon!” And I ended up giving a two-and-a-half-year-old a high-five. That wouldn’t have happened before. Ten minutes later, I turned to my partner, who was sitting with me, and said, “Did I really just high-five a two-and-a-half-year-old who loves my show?” “Yeah.” So, that was kind of a cool moment.
What do you get out of being on the program?
I’m the only Dragon who doesn’t have a brand to build around my business. Kevin O’Leary has mutual funds, Robert Herjavec has his Internet security company, Arlene Dickinson has her marketing business and Jim Treliving—well, if you don’t know he’s associated with Boston Pizza by now, you haven’t watched any of the shows. They’ve done a fabulous job of branding. But I’m the Dragon who doesn’t really want any calls. I don’t have a business that requires any kind of public persona or brand. So, I’m building this brand, and you might ask, “For what purpose?”
The real opportunity is to celebrate entrepreneurship. I’m doing what I can, in the academic world and the real world, to separate the idea of “small business” from “entrepreneurship.” Sometimes governments and academia tend to pigeonhole entrepreneurship; they say, “It’s just a little business; it’s not that important.” It’s not just something you do when you get fired and are out of a job; it’s a way of thinking. Dragons’ Den allows us to celebrate, respect and encourage entrepreneurship.
How did the experience of having cancer change you for the better?
We in the business world get pretty caught up in creating the next deal or chasing the next dollar. I admit I was part of that.
There are many reasons to acknowledge that the pace I was running at might have taken me down if cancer hadn’t. Cancer was the wake-up call, the stop button, the brakes—whatever you want to call it—that really gave me reason to reassess that pace.
Do you bring new values to the table in business now?
If you think that making another dollar is the only reason to be in business, you’re not the sort of person I really want to be in business with. There’s a sacrifice required to be successful in business, but that sacrifice shouldn’t be permanent, it shouldn’t be structural and it shouldn’t be at the expense of your family. And it often is.
You have three kids who are now grown. What can entrepreneurs do to ensure that their kids develop a sense of self-sufficiency despite their parents’ ability to satisfy their every whim?
I feel passionately about this. I think kids can get infected by what one of my friends calls “affluenza.” It’s an entitlement attitude; it takes away drive and motivation.
The whole concept of intergenerational wealth transfer needs to be addressed in a big way. I appear to be rich, but my children aren’t. I’ve been open with my kids. I’ve said, “My plans are to give away my entire portfolio, and that doesn’t really leave you with
much. You’re going to live a good life while I’m alive, and there might be something for you, but there won’t be enough for you to live off.”
My kids were given a little bit of money, in the context of the wealth we enjoy. And, with that little bit of money, we gave them great responsibility. We’ve managed to mitigate the expectation that the lifestyle of the rich and famous is available just by showing up.
How did your experience with a peer mentoring organization [the Young Presidents’ Organization] help you as a businessperson?
In many, many ways. There are several benefits. One is education. Two is networking. Sometimes, there’s a negative connotation associated with networking. But the people I know I can rely on and count on as friends, thanks to the Young Presidents’ Organization, are generally only one or two calls away from anyone I’d ever want to reach, and they’re incredible influencers in their own right. The amount of money that goes back and forth between businesses that I know in that network is incredible. And charitable requests—I can’t say no to any of them, because they come from people who have given to me without asking two questions. It’s just the way the world works. That network has proven to be invaluable.
Why do you think so many entrepreneurs don’t take advantage of the peer-mentoring opportunity?
I love the reasons people give for turning down joining these organizations. They say they’re too busy or can’t afford it.
I always say, somewhat facetiously, “Don’t worry, once you join, you won’t be busy, because none of the other people in the organization are busy. They’re just running companies like you.” I’m a pretty big proponent of these organizations. They provide a forum; you can get in a small group and discuss everything from family issues with a parent to intergenerational wealth transfer to appropriate compensation in a down market for senior employees. There is a wide range of things you can discuss with group members, because these people are living the same life you are. I certainly acknowledge that they take time, but anything worthwhile is going to take time. It’s a matter of setting priorities.
What do you consider to be the attribute that makes you most successful?
My willingness to bet on people. I’m not always right, but, more times than not, it’s people who solve a problem, not assets. I’ve often said that really great assets with a bad manager are of no interest to me, but a great manager with questionable assets? That’s something to work with.
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Ask the Legends: Kevin O'Leary
Ask the Legends: Kevin O'Leary
By , September 10, 2010
Kevin O'Leary, 56
Career highlights
Lives much of his childhood in developing nations due to his stepfather’s job with the U.N.’s International Labour Organization.
Earns a degree in environmental studies and psychology in 1977, and an MBA in 1980.
In 1983, he and partner Michael Perik launch SoftKey Software, which PROFIT names Canada’s Fastest-Growing Company in 1992. Subsequently acquires several educational software companies, including The Learning Co. (TLC), which becomes the company’s name.
In 1999, Mattel Toy Co. acquires TLC in an all-stock deal worth US$3.8 billion. O’Leary and Perik are soon let go after TLC proves not to be the cash cow Mattel had hoped for.
The experience sparks a new interest in investing. O’Leary becomes an outspoken critic of poor investment-management practices, earning a regular spot on TV’s Business News Network in 2003.
Joins the cast of CBC-TV’s Dragons’ Den in 2006 and Shark Tank on
ABC-TV in 2009.
Launches O’Leary Funds Management in 2009, which now boasts more than $1 billion under management.
How did growing up in several developing nations benefit you?
I wouldn’t have known it then, but it certainly has become a powerful motivation for what O’Leary Funds has become. It was very easy for a long time simply to buy Canadian assets and hope you could garner a good yield from that. Today, it’s far more challenging. We are going to have a slower GDP growth than the rest of the world because we are an aging population.
You’ve been described as someone who, even as a kid, has always had an “angle.” What made you so enterprising at a young age?
If you know you want something, why not ask for it? What’s the downside? All they can say is “No.” I learned early on, if there’s something I want, I’m prepared to ask again and again, and try to find the path to getting it. That’s also, I think, what defines an entrepreneur. You set a goal, you may not succeed the first time, but you keep trying.
Which of your fellow Dragons’ Den co-stars would best complement you in business?
The guy that I’m most in sync with is Jim Treliving [chairman and owner of Boston Pizza International Inc.]. My theme of investing now is far more conservative; I’m a value-yield investor. How much money do you have to tie up for how long before it becomes liquid again is the No. 1 question. I think, out of all the other Dragons, Jim’s the one who focuses on that the most.
Which Dragon would you pick if you were an operator rather than an investor?
I’d pick me, every time. I’ve had a fair amount of success, but I’ve also had a fair amount of failure. People don’t tend to focus on failures, but they are what make me a better investor and a better partner.
I think people spend too much time focusing on success and not enough on failure. I’d much prefer to invest in an entrepreneur who has failed three times than one who thinks he’s going to get it right the first time. The calluses you get, the experience of failure, are powerful things. I see too much vim and vigour in young entrepreneurs who don’t understand how hard it’s going to be.
What has your role in Dragons’ Den in Canada and Shark Tank in the U.S. told you about the difference between the two countries?
What I’ve learned about the U.S. market is that no matter how proprietary you think a deal is, when you get into the due-diligence phase, you’re going to find five other guys doing the same thing. That market is so competitive, so large and has so much potential, if you end up being the winner you often find a very similar business plan to any idea. That puts a lot more pressure on the due diligence in deals on Shark Tank that we don’t have in Canada. In Canada, you’re dealing with an economy that’s a tenth of the size. It’s easier to get stuff done here, particularly if you have an idea that’s groundbreaking. You can lift it off in the Canadian market and know you won’t have a lot of competition for the first two years.
What would you tell an aspiring entrepreneur about investor due diligence, which can be traumatizing?
Dragons’ Den works because it highlights the good, the bad and the ugly of the fundraising process. First, you have to present your idea; second, you have to convince the Dragons that you’re the right person to execute it, which is another huge challenge; third, everything you say—everything—has to check out, 100%. Just think about how often the tendency is for an entrepreneur to embellish a statement, or perhaps add an element of optimism that shouldn’t be there. Think of how much that frustrates an investor later, when they send in their lawyers and auditors. I mean, I’ll tear you apart six times. If one thing falls apart, that’s a huge problem for me.
Others on the panel care about the emotional aspect of this; they don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. I don’t care. It doesn’t matter. This is business. It’s war, it’s competitive, it’s hard. And if you can’t take the heat, don’t come in.
What makes for a great leader?
To me, great leadership is being able to stand up in a room full of your employees and say, “This is the goal. It’s the only thing that matters.”
If leaders can’t articulate the short-term, medium-term and long-term goals of their company and stay on message, they’re going to fail.
When you refused to scrape gum off the floor of an ice-cream parlour you worked in as a teenager, you were promptly fired. What did that teach you?
I considered it a demeaning role I hadn’t signed up for. When I got terminated, I had no say in the matter. That is what affected me. I have to be in control of my environment—and you can’t be in control when you’re an employee. And I think that is the motivational drive of most entrepreneurs.
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