For those die hard NHL fans (like me) there will be hockey soon. I heard many folks saying, “I don’t care” (I’m talkin’ to you Mr. Blunt Beaner) I know they will start watching and forget all about the strike. I actually love most televised sports (I even on occasion watch darts, that is how die hard I am), but having Hockey adds just a little more spice into my TV watching stew. I hope Mr. Fehr and Mr. Bettman go away, and that we don’t have to go through this kind of Macho Posturing for a very long time. Drop the puck and let’s get going !
Piers Morgan and Alex Jones put on quite the spectacle this past week, with Mr. Jones howling like a wild man and Mr. Morgan acting like a pompous ass, quite the show. My guess is that this was somewhat staged for both of them to get a needed shot in the arm in terms of their careers. I think while both appear to be passionate about their point of views, they are actually more worried about their careers than they are the topic of Gun Control. The “Death Pills” comment by Mr. Jones will resound throughout the Internet for months, an astounding leap in the discussion, but entertaining in a macabre way.
Today, the Elementary School teachers in Ontario may be on strike, or they might be taking a job action, but most likely the schools will be closed (so it really is only a semantic thing). As a parent, what is my opinion? I’ll attempt to remain out of the argument, but I guess my only question for the Head of the Teacher’s Union is this, “Do you consider yourself a Civil Servant?”. My guess is the answer would be “NO!”, however, given your pay comes from Taxpayers money, I might disagree.
For those of you thinking that with the Winter Wonderland over Christmas Ottawa might still be buried in snow, think again! We are having our standard January thaw, and thus we are a slushy, and wet nasty place. Let us hope it gets cold again, so the Rideau Canal Skateway can open.
Weekly Recap
My Writings for Week Ending January 10th
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More Jobs in Canada in December 2012Good news with more jobs, let us hope the economy can keep up the good work! |
What are Financial Bloggers Good For?A rhetorical question actually, and Mark is actually worth more than a lot of us (IMHO). |
Sarcastic Financial New Year ResolutionsMe Sarcastic? Who would have thought it? Yes, anybody who reads this site knows of my acid pen. |
Blackmail as a Financial MotivatorWhatever you feel gets you up off the mat and fighting, use it for your financial battles |
Links for the Week
There have been a few funny pictures about the weather on Friday around the World being 12000 Degrees Farenheit and such, however none of my favorite writers lowered themselves to that kind of crass writing (like me):
Top Stories of the Week of January 10th
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Simple Interest is Too ComplicatedMichael James points out that sometimes even simple arithmetic can become complicated math very quickly. |
3 RRSP pitfallsOur amigo Larry MacDonald returns with some pointers on the upcoming RRSP season. Glad to see you back Larry! |
Credit Cards – Tax, Budget and Repayment IssuesThe big Triple B takes on Credit Cards and makes his usual eloquent points on the issues. Oh and in reaction to this post the Leafs fired Brian Burke! |
Pension Basics: Defined Benefit Pension Plan PayoutMillion Dollar Journey points out that if you have a defined benefit pension plan, you’ll need to understand how it is calculated. |
Asset Class Returns for 2012Where did you make money in 2012? CC points out where the big money was made last year. |
Which Rob Carrick Column did You Click on?The Globe and Mail have a greatest hits for Rob C., nice. I’m just happy when he mentions me! |
Your Gadgets are Slowly Destroying the InternetOur friends at MIT point out that all those fun little gadgets we have, are slowly grinding the interweb into the ground |
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My Own Advisor 2013 Financial PredictionsSwami Mark over at My Own Advisor has his official guesses for the coming year. I note there is no mention about how the Blue Team might do in the NHL? |
2012 Investment Portfolio Returns – A Good YearMike over at Money.Smarts talks about the returns for last year as well. Wish I’d invested more last year, need to get that time machine working. | Your advert here send an e-mail for info to bigcajunman at canajun finances dot com ! |
Economic Coles Notes, Oprah, and more (PODCAST)Our media maven Preet is on TV! If you get the O network, watch for the Million Dollar Neighbourhood, and listen to his podcast as well. |
Best of 2013
Some of the best of posts from 2013
- CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.
- Mandela gone, Canada “Post”, Gail on the Shelf and #FreeFormFriday Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, after a long illness.
- Christmas is Coming, Christmas Lay Offs, Electric Fees, Commie Pope and #FreeFormFriday Celebrate Christmas with more online shopping – BMO and many other companies announce layoffs during the Holiday season.
- Black November, Bitcoins, Tablets, Unloseable Lottery and #FreeFormFriday So Black Friday is upon us, however, it seems to be losing a lot of it’s “thunder” thanks to the “sales” starting earlier.
- Mad Dog, English Men, I’m OK and #Shoutouts Maurice Mad Dog Vachon was a tough son of a gun, but did he have a financial impact too? Read on to find out.
- Toronto Circus, Prince Charles Retires, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts This whole Toronto thing really is just a reality TV show gone off the rails, isn’t it? The three-ring circus that is unfolding in the media
- Identifiable, the Iron Sheik, Remembrance Day, More Word Puzzles and Friday #ShoutOuts So my concerns that if I put my natural face on my Social Media accounts were just paranoia.
- Incestuous Bloggers, Word Puzzles, RDSP Menu, All Saints Day and Friday #ShoutOuts Sometimes blogs become a little closed in and don’t recognize new folks and we become incestuous bloggers.
- Senate Fun, Apocalypse Averted, Asteroids and Friday #ShoutOuts News Canadians can’t ignore: investigate the scandal and discover if the Harper Government’s demise is near!
- Kicking the Can, Throne Speech, Windows 8.1 and Friday #ShoutOuts Seems our friends down south had so much fun with almost upending the world economy, they’d like to try to do it again in January.
- Government #Defaults, Fake Reviews, Turkey Time, Fall Colours and Friday #ShoutOuts Given that for some odd reason shutting the government down wasn’t enough our friends down south are now attempting to disrupt or possibly completely f*ck the world economy by defaulting in a few days.
- Government Shutdowns, Hockey Returns, New iPhone and Friday #ShoutOuts Explore the debate surrounding the US government’s shutdown with insight into potential resolutions outside of the standard back pay for civil servants.
- Financial Bloggers, 35 Million Strong, Odd CRA Cheques and Friday #ShoutOuts I had a very good time at CPFC13 where I got to moderate a panel of Investing Smart folks, and I learned a great deal from a few outstanding presenters,
- A Better Friday and #CPFC13 Not a regular Friday after this week and my preparations for the coming weekend, I didn’t really get enough time to put together my regular Friday Random Thoughts, but here is a shortened version.
- Friday the 13th, Private Royal Mail, Canadian 1% and Friday #ShoutOuts Watch out for bad things on Fridays – it’s Friday the 13th! Don’t subscribe to the concept? Tuesday is the most evil day. September 11th was a Tuesday! Don’t forget about ladders and black cats either. UK privatizing the Royal Mail? A price tag of £3B pounds!
- King Louis, Braun Follies, Lice and Friday #ShoutOuts Greetings and Happy Birthday to Prince George Louis Alexander Windsor (and future King of Canada), welcome to the media “sh*te storm” that will be your life.
- Loose Money, Faster Sites, the Heat is On and Friday #ShoutOuts The new Bank of Canada Governor announced on Wednesday no change in the interest rates for now, with the overnight rate continuing at 1%.
- Floods, Explosions, See Thru Lu Lu’s and Friday #ShoutOuts Looks like the Engineer is now being “thrown under the train” as it were (i.e. the finger of blame is being pointed at him by his CEO).
- Egypt, July 4th, Sweltering Summer, Alfie and Friday #ShoutOuts Interesting how the Egyptian military throwing out an allegedly democratically elected President is being hailed as a great democratic change.
- Canada Day, 4th of July, Flooding and Some Random Thoughts A hard week in 2013 for my family with the passing of my Mother-in-law to Cancer. One day that disease will be done.
- Fathers, Corruption, Horton’s Hedgings and Friday #ShoutOuts Hopefully everyone enjoyed Father’s Day, I know I did, very nice day, lovely meal and some peace and quiet.
- Stanley Cup, Turbans, Car Tracking and Friday #ShoutOuts The Stanley Cup finals have started, and hopefully all the games aren’t going to go that late into the night, or I will need to start working the night shift at work.
- Baseball “Cheats”, D-Day, Fun with Fiji and Friday #ShoutOuts It seems baseball is embroiled with yet another “performance enhancing drugs” scandal with a few very well-known names being implicated by yet another “wellness clinic”. Are the accusations true?
- Obliterating Rock, Floods, Senators and Friday #ShoutOuts If you are reading this after 4:35 PM May 31, 2013 I guess we survived another close fly by of a “Civilization Killer” lump of Rock.
- Senators, Twisters, Water and Friday #ShoutOuts To say the entire Senators Expenses Event is more ridiculous than a Christmas Panto (usually an excuse for men to dress up as women
- Mothers, Hab Nots, Trains, and Friday #ShoutOuts What does a Walrus, Model Trains and Mother’s Day have to do with each other? Not that much but more financial stories too.
- Taxes Done, Drones, Playoffs and Friday #ShoutOuts Hope your taxes were in on Tuesday, because if not, you might be in trouble (especially if you are part of the $29 Billion dollars still owed to the government in Taxes).
- Disk Crashes, Daffodils, Password Trappers and Friday #ShoutOuts High Tech always proves that it is much like Mother Nature, in that, you should never ignore it or take it for granted, because things can change very quickly at the most inopportune times.
- Loose Money, Trudeau-mania II, Nut Bags and Friday #ShoutOuts If you missed it on Wednesday the Bank of Canada continued to keep their key overnight rate at 1%.
- Snowmaegedon, the Masters, Windows and Friday #ShoutOuts Today, we are experiencing a late version of winter, with a nasty snow/ice/rain storm that proves that just when you think it is Spring, you might be mistaken.
- Final Four, Dark Matter, Tax Time and Friday #ShoutOuts The NCAA Men’s basketball Final Four is this weekend, and my bracket is completely shot.
- Budgets, Dark Side of the Moon, Eight Years Later, Palm Sunday and Friday #ShoutOuts Minister Flaherty gave us a very vague budget (2013) yesterday. For Hockey Moms, reasons to rejoice, given tarifs on Hockey equipment, Golf Clubs, Baby Clothes and a few other things are now gone.
- Pope Picked, Pi Day, St. Patty’s Day and Phriday #ShoutOuts Seems our Catholic brethren have chosen a new Pope (Francis) this week, thus ending one of the greatest talent hunts of the year.
- Thanks Stompin Tom, Loose Money Continues, Tax Time, Pope Picking and Friday #Shoutouts Stompin’ Tom Connors a true Canadian treasure has left us, and I for one am sad to hear it.
- St David’s Day, Snow, RRSP Season Over, Tax Time and Friday #Shoutouts Happy Saint David’s Day to all my Welsh brethren today.
- RRSP Time, Winners, Tax Time, Short Weeks and Friday #Shoutouts Yes, it’s that magical time when your Savings Institution pressures you to top up your RRSP account so you can take full advantage of the savings on your taxes.
- Lent , Pope Out, the Senate, RRSP Time and Friday #Shoutouts Lent is finally upon us, have you started making your plans? No? Me neither, I just haven’t had a heck of a lot of time to think about this kind of stuff.
- Lent , Pancake Tuesday, and Love Day Soon and Friday #Shoutouts For those of you unaware, Lent begins next Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) February 13th, so here is yet another chance to restart (or start) your financial plans for the coming year.
- Groundhog Day, Farewell Penny, No Vine and Friday #Shoutouts Tomorrow is Groundhog Day, so then we shall see how well a ground hog can prognosticate the weather (about as well as I can prognosticate financial stuff is my guess).
- Loose Money Continues, Polar Temps, More Info Lost and Friday #Shoutouts Wednesday our friends from the Bank of Canada kept their loose money policies in place.
- Hockey, Armstrong, Idle Folk, Lost Loans and Friday #ShoutOuts What happened the week of January 18th in 2013? Some NHL stuff, but a lot of interesting financial stuff too!
- Drop the Puck, Death Pills, Strikes and Friday #Shoutouts For those die hard NHL fans (like me) there will be hockey soon.
- Bye and Thanks for all the Fish, CBC Questions, Holiday Hours and Friday #Shoutouts Well it has been fun, but I guess it all had to end some time, it’s been a good run.
The Blue Team won’t make the playoffs, again, go figure 🙂
Go Sens!
Mark
The strike and the extreme richness of the players and owners leaves me in the same position I was in before the strike.
I don’t give a whoop about hockey on the ice. I have played Underwater hockey and that is a blast, but I won”t be watching hockey. They have pissed off their fans by delaying so long that half the season is already gone, and personally I think the fans should show their displeasure by not going to games for the first two weeks of the season. Let the owners know that it is the fans who pay those immense salaries, and WE control whether they get paid or not! For that reason, and many others, I will not be attending any NHL games for at least the next two seasons.
Personally, I think the owners were able to hold out for a fairly long time financially, and when they were about to start pinching pennies, is when they allowed the strike to be over.
Anderson Cooper is trying to one up Piers Morgan tonight. A big story on how many Americans believe that the Sandy Hook masacre was either faxed using actors or an Israeli terrorist action. I like Anderson but this is crazy stuff so I had to change the channel.
Good of super-rich Anderson to work even though his mom is so rich he never has to work a day in his life.
That Hadfield pic looks like he’s working on the guts of a giant IBM PC from the 80’s.
80’s? You’d be lucky, remember this is NASA and the Russian space agency, it might be a 16 bit processor!!
Darts?? Wow, r u one of those guys who used to watch the local 5 pin bowling show? I feel sorry for Mrs. BCM. Thank god for you the Sens are back, too bad there probably only marginally better than the Leafs. The season is a FARCE. Does not mean I will not watch if I have nothing to do, although maybe I will choose Darts over the NHL this year. Not much reason to watch Leafs anyways and now I can’t even buy a Burkey Dog if I go to the game.
Thx again for the nice words this week, I was glad to help and very happy you got a $nice result.
No but I do watch High School sports on the local Rogers Channel, does that count? I go to Ravens basketball games, so yeh, I am a sports junky. Mrs. C8j knew what she was getting into when she married me.
Thanks for the mention. Amazingly, compound interest is a lot simpler than simple interest.