Matters of Personal Interests

THE BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT IN BELLEVILLE

by Nancy Snipper

She's the one you need and will love working with

She's so bright!

Her name is Mandy Gifkins. Never have I met such a brilliant real estate agent in my life. Mandy absolutely takes care of you from start to finish.

I must have called and emailed her over (Don't want to say times). the same questions whose answers I could rarely recall due to my chronic senior moments. Never did she lose patience.

Mandy found the right house for me. I trusted her so much, I bought it site unseen in a town I had never even been to. She never put any pressure on me to buy. In fact, advised me what area to stay away from.

My needs were specific and she listened with golden ears all the time.

Mandy is your first and 'always-there' real estate responder in everything. She treats you like you are the only person in her life. But don't be fooled, she's a busy mother, community giver and never ever restricts any time you wish to call her. You'll get the house that meets your needs. Her personality is engaging and gorgeous to look at. And she has brains to match.

Mandy has olympian stamina. She never rests until she gets every detail ironed out on your behalf. She's a shining star with an infectious laugh and a heart made in heaven.

I could not have bought without her.

Contact her at:

The Royle Group

Century 21 Lanthorn Real Estate

Her email is: mandy.gifkins@century21.ca
Cell: 289-387-0566
Office: 613-967-4621

Systemic racism and hatred must be eradicated

Violence, injustice, and inequality are not the values that any responsible nation (includes individuals); that claim to value its citizens (fellow human beings) and that visitors (strangers – “I was a stranger and you let me in”) are welcome, that shelters and protects those who are downtrodden; would ever want to adhere to. Borders should be considered as mere lines on a map, not an impenetrable wall patrolled by militarized and bloodthirsty guards. It is a crime against humanity to separate children from their parents and place them in concentration camps with appalling conditions. Often, they are dished out as slaves or toys for those who indulge in despicable, dehumanizing and cruel fantasies.

ALL OF HUMANITY SHOULD BE UNIVERSLY RESPECTED AND HONORED. No world leader should ignore those who are impoverished in their respective countries.

Everybody who approaches a border crossing should be welcomed with a smile and a hearty handshake into their culture (as they do at a hotel check in). Of course, those who are confirmed to be (after a thorough background check) a risk or have been convicted of a felony, should be turned away and/or handed to authorities in the country they are coming from. These cases must be handled fairly and without prejudice. Suffice it to say, we must fight to uphold the ideals that define who we are. Everyone should be free to travel without restrictions, in total security and an exhilarating sense of being openly welcomed. You return home with a desire to come back, not with a bad taste in your mouth as if you just had a terrible cup of coffee filled to the brim.

I stand for justice and equality for all of humanity. We are all equal but diverse. We should all be responsible for each other’s welfare to the best of our abilities (especially during critical and difficult times). We have all been weaved together from the same cloth and imbued with the same spirit. IT PAINS ME TO SEE SO MUCH SUFFERING, DIVISION, INEQUALITY AND EXPLOITATION STILL RAMPANT IN THE WORLD TODAY!

Unity empowers and diversity brings out the beauty in all that we are. It should be shared, not destroyed through oppression, suppression and intimidation. We need to build bridges between cultures, not walls that isolate us from each other. All of us must commit to dismantling systemic racism and injustice. Hatred and racial violence must be eradicated, once and for all. After all, we have been assembled from the same basic elements. The true nature of a man/woman is what makes up his/her character, not what we see on the surface. Your real wealth and mine is what’s in our hearts, our integrity and the level of respect and love we have for others, not what we have in our bank accounts, investments and possessions.

We must take to the streets and post on our social platforms and blogs, to raise our voices and strongly demand that law enforcement respects its duty to protect and to serve. If there is a risk of harm, it should not be tolerated – zero tolerance. SAFETY SHOULD BE OUR #1 CONCERN.

We all share the responsibility to fight racial, social and cultural injustice. Brutality from those who are in law enforcement must end NOW! Those who engage in such behavior should be held accountable. It is a crime. DO YOUR JOB – PROTECT CIVILIANS! Even if the risk of being harmed is low. Emotional disturbance should be considered, not just physical injury.

“Meanwhile, at a time when a president should be bringing the country together to help heal our communities and fight to enact peaceful, meaningful change, Donald Trump has done nothing but fan the flames of hatred and violence. He has demonstrated a failure of leadership at his best moments and an abhorrent abuse of military power at his most repulsive. His actions are what you’d expect from a two-bit dictator, not the President of the United States.”

Richard Blumenthal June 3^rd, 2020

A leader’s primary responsibility is to ensure that his constituents are taken care of first. His position is not to be for his own personal gain.

“Every American, regardless of color, deserves the right to live freely and make their voice heard without violent backlash and retaliation.”

Congresswoman Joyce Beatty

Editor’s note: “Every American, regardless of color…” could be modified to read “Every man, woman and child, regardless of race, culture, creed, sex, opinion (reasonable, common sense and based on fact not fiction) expressed with love and understanding…” I.E. “Agree to disagree.” And “Have a friendly debate.”

Examples include:

Prejudice, xenophobia, internalized oppression and privilege, and beliefs about race influenced by the dominant culture.

OVEN-BAKED TRADITION

THE PERFECT FOOD FOR YOUR PET

Oven-baked Tradition is fantastic in every way

This is the only food you should be feeding your pet!

Oven-Baked Tradition is a Canadian family-owned business that prides itself on providing your pet outstanding organically baked food, made exclusively at Bio Biscuit company, in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. Since 2006, the Lemieux family has worked prodigiously to create the highest standards in dog and cat food. In fact, the company has an R & D department with specialists, a quality control laboratory, impeccable equipment with stellar standards.

Zak, my Maltese lhasa apso dog is the pickiest of eaters, and has had several ailments from the get-go. I was feeding him vet-recommended hard food that really was difficult for him to eat, and he hated the taste. It became very discouraging to see his bowl full of kibbles; nothing was touched. Sometimes, he wouldn't eat the stuff for two days, and that is when I knew I had to find a food that he would gobble up - a food that contained every healthy, nonchemical bio-based ingredient possible without compromising on taste appeal, I wanted 100% purity - excluding all that dangerous stuff that most of us can’t even read - let alone feel good about putting it in our pet’s stomach.

The Happiness Factor

I set out to discover a nutritious food that he would like. I chanced upon Oven-Baked Tradition at a local Mondou store in Montreal, and took home a few samples. It was like night and day. He loved it! His tail wagged; he had more energy, and best of all, he seemed to revert to puppy playfulness, even at the age of 14 years and nine months! Judging by how fast he ate it up - no coaxing needed now - he obviously found it all delicious. And when I introduced him to the wet food which is also 100% organic – a pate made with quail and the other - a pate made with rabbit, he was in gourmet heaven. organic. In fact, they are enlarging their line of wet food. Nice for dogs with teeth issues.

Heaps of Health Packed into its Flavorful Food

Why is my dog responding to this food with such eagerness? Why does he love it so much? Each bag contains palette pleasing real food, and each morsel is made without wheat, corn, soy, bovine products, artificial flavors and GMD. The Lemieux family who owns the business stresses that the manufacturing process is unique as it uses slow baking at low temperatures which allows for nutrients not to be lost, nor natural flavors. Its fresh fish recipe is prepared with fruits and vegetables, and like its crunchy companions, it’s completely holistic, devoid of hormones or antibiotics. This slow baking process is their modus operandi for all their pet food products and as the Lemieux family explains, this process increases nutrition ingredient density – a super food that tackles allergy and digestion issues, strengthens the immune system and joints.

Another attractive aspect to Oven-Baked Tradition, is the variety of food it offers for both dogs and cast. For dogs, it considers all breeds and its kibbles cater to five different sizes of dogs. You ’ve got lamb, fish and their chicken has been especially created for puppies as well as adults to address weight control. They have also put out a grain-free line for dogs of all sizes in different flavors as well.

The Total Package

Omega-3 and 6 fatty acids, glucosamine, chondroitin, fruits and vegetables come in all bite sizes baked for small, medium and large dogs. Zak won’t go to sleep without oven baked packages surrounding him, because he knows he’s going to wake up to them in the morning.

Terrific treats

Most of the treats we buy for our pets are not uber-healthy, but we still feed our pet with them, whether it be for training or simply as a snack, or even for doing nothing. The awesome assortment of 19 treats at Oven-Baked Traditions lives by the motto: variety is the spice of life. They include: dental for good breath care, chicken with pumpkin, liver, duck, meatballs, sweet potato and yummy bacon flavor – that is really popular for training. These goodies are organically concocted and baked with no additives or preservatives of any kind. I enjoy changing treats, and I can with this company. It spoils our dogs with beef treats, even meatballs, sweet potato goodies, and liver – to name a few.

Zak in blueberry treat heaven

😻 I can’t attest to how happy your cat is going to be feasting on their line for cats, but I bet you’ll have instant success. I truly believe it will contribute kidney health for your cat.

Oven-Baked Tradition distributes its food beyond Canada to over twenty countries all over the world in Europe, Latin America, South America, the United States and nine in Asia.

Their website is: ovenbakedtradition.com

Call: 1-888-224 4140

A Message to Humanity

As of November 1^st, 2020, many countries are experiencing an uptick of new cases of COVID-19 on a daily basis. Many governments have had to reinstate restrictions, mandate wearing masks and social distancing. There is still a lack of resources in many countries (ex. Brazil, Mexico). Humanity needs to approach this globally and needs to develop a universal plan to combat this apocalyptic crisis. Unfortunately, there is currently too much division (even within nations – U.S.A.). There is also a lot of misinformation, lies and conflicting approaches with regards to this profoundly serious and game changing crisis. Noncompliance is rampant. Many individuals show hostility and often ridicule those who do comply. They consider good to be evil and evil to be good. Death threats against health experts and responsible leaders has become the new norm.

The ideal would be to establish a world body consisting of experts in epidemiology, virology, etcetera, and they should be given the power to not only implement but to strictly enforce appropriate measures necessary to protect everyone as much as possible. Economists and businessmen would also be required to ensure that everyone is sheltered, fed and given the basic necessities to survive, regardless of the length of duration of the crisis. Anyone who doesn't comply (no exceptions) will be guilty of crimes against humanity. All of humanity would be treated equally – no special status and no ulterior motives, with fairness for the sake of all. Transparency and integrity at all times.

This is too serious – only 100% cooperation among all of humanity can save us now. It is not a ‘suggestions or a matter of opinion’. It shows respect for life in general and that we care deeply for humanity and our planet Earth. Life is more important than the economy. We can always rebuild after this is over and the way it looks now with everyone doing what is "right in their own eyes", this will only result in death, chaos and bitter rivalries – we must all become one global entity in order to defeat this unseen enemy. The fate of all mankind must be taken out of the hands of fools and put into the hands of those who have the know-how, the wisdom and are willing to act for the good of others, not to aggrandize themselves at their expense. Love, understanding and empathy not intolerance, hatred, deceptions, oppression, and exploitation. Tear down the walls that divide us and replace them with bridges that unite.

But can we achieve this ideal soon enough for humanity to survive this unprecedented crisis and return to the ‘normality’ we had before COVID-19? Can the damage be repaired? Will the World be “One for all and all for one”? Can humanity learn valuable lessons from this and be prepared for the next one? Will humanity vanquish crisis caused by greed, hatred, exploitation, etcetera?

I feel that we have little hope that humanity will survive this apocalyptic crisis and also return to exactly the way it was before. I base this thought on the appalling behavior of many individuals who are out and about, as I leave home to support a friend, honor an appointment or to pickup necessities. Not only do they ignore measures set in place to avoid and contain the pandemic, but they also often respond violently and accuse those who comply or enforce of “taking away their liberty to do whatever they please.” True liberty includes the responsibility of protecting and not hurting others around us. That is why we have laws – traffic, criminal, procedural, proper maintenance. These Laws are not just suggestions. They are meant to ensure that we can go about our day-to-day activities with 100% assurance that we are protected by those responsible and duty bound to enforce the laws of the land. Not only enforce, they must also teach the general populace the importance of compliance. Noncompliance can lead to fatal consequences and unnecessary suffering. This is true during any hardships suffered, not only in a pandemic. As I previously stated, “there is no excuse.” Safety measures are the only way to stay healthy. From what I have observed – it is not a problem to wash your hands, wear a mask in public (even outside) and maintain a social distance of at least 2m (6ft). More if you can. Ask yourself: What is more important? Momentary comfort or your’s and the other individual’s health and safety?

If you see that there could be a problem: turn away and, if possible, take a different route. Be vigilant at all times, calculate the risk factor and err on the side of caution. If you happen to be stuck in a risky situation (at times this can happen – it has happened too many times for me) hope and pray that it is not the fatal bullet in this dangerous and extremely deadly global game of Russian Roulette.

As to what society will look like after, only time will tell. In every critical moment, there is always a remnant that survives. Hopefully, those who fortunately survive will have learned lessons due to their experience during COVID-19 and pass them on to their descendants.