With the year coming to a close we bid farewell to another important figure (at least in my life), Harry Morgan who played Col. Potter on M*A*S*H died at 96 on Wednesday. I still watch reruns of M*A*S*H and I really enjoy them (yes I have seen them all almost a hundred times). I think we all need a Col. Potter in our financial lives to give us tough but fair advice on how to take care of our money.

This year also looks like it might end with yet another impasse in the American Government about taxes and budgets which could cause a lot more silliness and tom foolery, with all sides blaming each other about why they are in the situation that they find themselves in. With that and the European theatre still zesty and spicy (financially at least) could make for a very interesting 2012.

Not a lot of spicy topics from me this week, but still some interesting posts, none the less:

• Celebrating the Canadian Banks good results we had Holiday Bank Cheer and Sunday’s Best, with a great deal of oldie but goody posts from Twitter.
• Some not so good news from Stats Canada with Unemployment up in November 2011 in Canada, but more folks with full time jobs, so that is better news.
• With Holiday spending in mind I asked the rhetorical statement Just Because You CAN doesn’t mean you should, overspending is not a duty at Christmas.
• We also  learned that the Bank of Canada continued on with Low Interest Rates to end 2011, but how much longer can this last?
• Funny how a cracked ATM card can turn into an Inadvertent Security Measure.

And thanks to those who added me on Twitter I am now over 960 folks who follow me, wow!

With the Euro teetering on the brink of demise but Christmas in the air, it means a diverse cross section of themes from some of our favorite writers:

• Ellen Roseman reminds us that Builders may take short cuts, and given what I have seen from my house (which was a model home) this is more likely than you think.
• Larry MacDonald goes back down on the farm with Canadian Dairy Prices Going Up, but it has nothing to do with supply or demand.
• Michael James shows his mathematical side with a Confirmation that Mandlebrot Beats standard Economic Theories, I am a big fan of Monsieur Mandlebrot as well..
• Canadian Capitalist warns us to Check Your On Line Banking Agreement before Using Mint.com, another reason to be read the agreements you sign (or check off) off handedly.
• Sandy at Yes I am Cheap gives us a December 1 Debt Check In, which is gutsy, I couldn’t tell you guys about my screwed up finances.
• Our happy finance hombre My Own Advisor makes the kind of hopeless pun that could have been written by me with BIN there now done that.
• Echo of Boomer and Echo argues that Debit Cards are Costing Us Money, or at least benefits from Credit Cards, I am not sure I agree but it is always a good argument .
• Mr. Cheap at Money.Smarts gives us some Last Minute Cheap Gift Guide, don’t fall for the old “you don’t need to buy me anything this year” ploy either.
• Canadian Couch Potato warns why you should beware of first dates, especially blind first dates (OK, I added that for comedic silliness).
• Frugaltrader at MillionDollarJourney is celebrating 5 Years of Million Dollar Journey, good for him (or her)!
• Marie at PrairieEcoThrifter wants us to put ourselves on the path of happiness for the holiday season, which is a good thing, sometimes the holiday season does more damage than it does good.
• Sustainable Personal Finance has a post by Nelson Smith about Living in a Shipping Container, might be where I end up yet!
• Preet answers a reader’s query Are MERs tax Deductible? The answer is quite interesting.

Other Bookkeeping

Thank you Harry

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Remember

“Just remember, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything and the wrong way is to keep trying to make everybody else do it the right way. ”

Author: Harry Morgan as Col Potter