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. Remember to keep your operating systems and user data separate from each other and back up things that are very important, like Financial Records and Family Photos. Remember to find someone you trust to service your computers as well.
The daffodils are starting to bloom in Ottawa, and the tulips are starting to poke their way out of the ground too. Spring is great for watching things grow and such, but if you have allergies, it can be hell as well.
Here in Ottawa a thousand students may be sent home for 20 days by the local school board because their immunization records are not current. I think immunization is important, and in the school board’s defense there have been warning e-mails sent telling the parents that their kids would be suspended, so another example of parents acting up? I can’t help but think this is an outcropping of the odd belief that Immunization causes Autism and other interesting “Internet Ideas” out there.
Ever wonder how Joe Fresh and other clothing companies have such cheap clothing? Ask the 170 people killed in the factory collapse in Bangladesh this week, Joe Fresh was a customer of that “factory” (according to the CBC). Lower prices, but at what cost?
How do you keep your passwords safe? Watch the video at the end of this post to see a hint about how not to do it.
My Weekly Recap
Spring is coming slowly but surely and that must mean the return of children from University and such:
My Writings for Week Ending April 26thThe Week, The System… Died (paraphrasing Don McLean)
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Reprise: He Has Lunch Out so I can Too!Using your money as a weapon in a relationship is never a very good thing. | Inflation Back to 1.0% for March in CanadaEven with Gas prices bopping up and down like a Punk doing the Pogo, evidently other prices are moderating. | Best of: Always Have a TargetLooks like the pictures have gone walk about for this post, but you still get the gist of what I am saying. | Systems and FailuresIf all you get from this site is examples of how not to do things, I am doing my job. Make sure you have backups and restores that work. | I took a day off? Wow. |
Links for the Week
Tax day comes soon in Canada, are you ready? I have already spent my refund:
Top Stories of the Week of April 26th“Taxation with representation ain’t so hot either.” ~Gerald Barzan | |||
Confessions of a Tax Accountant -2013- Week 4An accountant that doesn’t listen to his own advice? Didn’t think that was allowed, but the BBC proves even he can trip over his own feet (financially speaking). |
Is Your $$ Going Where You Want?Gail Vaz-Oxlade asks a tough question that a lot of folks don’t like the answer to, it’s important to figure this hard question out. |
Left Blank on Purpose 🙂 |
People Respond to IncentivesMichael James points out that different things, motivate different folks in different ways (although his system doesn’t really seem that much like incentives). |
Top 10 excuses for not filing your 2012 taxes yetMark at My Own Advisor does an excellent imitation of me with this fun view of the best reasons why you haven’t done your taxes. | How A Millionaire Sold Fake Bomb Detectors To Governments All Over The WorldI love reading that James Randi is still hard at work debunking “magical” devices like this, thanks Popular Science! |
How to Setup and Pay Bills Online from a PC Financial No Fee Chequing AccountFrequent commenter Bet Crooks gives us a step by step on paying bills on line using PC Financial. |
RBC and BMO Offer Cheaper Business Banking OptionsSmall businesses don’t get a lot of breaks on banking so it is nice that the CC found two cheaper options from RBC and BMO. |
WebPiggy took my $100 and won’t give it backEllen Roseman points out the issues that can arise with the on line group coupon world. Might want to read this if you think this is a Eutopian World. |
What It Costs Canadians to Comply with Their Personal Income TaxesEvelyn Jacks talks about a Fraser Institute study on who is using Tax professionals now compared to almost 30 years ago, interesting read. |
When You Can Ignore Tracking ErrorThe Canadian Couch Potato tutors us on when you don’t have to worry as much about your index fund’s tracking errors. | Â Personal finance for students so you can buy more beer (Podcast)Preet brings us a new Podcast with one of the authors of More Money for Beer and Textbooks, a book mentioned many times here. |
Tech Advice From a Daytime Talk Show Host
Yes, it’s not usual for me to have a video from daytime TV. However, Ellen does really hit the nail on the head for this supposedly real product:
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.
- No Verizon, Microsoft Phones, NFL Kick Off and Friday #ShoutOuts Verizon won’t enter the Canadian wireless market, meaning Mobilicity may disappear and consumers will pay ridiculous monthly charges. Learn why with this blog post!
- 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.
- Giveaways, Vacations, No Sun and Friday #ShoutOuts Win a software worth almost $100 and go on the vacation of your dreams! Enter my intelligence test and get the chance to take the trip of a lifetime. #vacation
- Stock Frauds, Senate Expenses, Twitter wrong and Friday #ShoutOuts Canadians beware of stock fraud? U.S. Justice department investigates alleged penny stock swindler. Senator Pam Wallen scrutinized for spending. Find out more about the scam!
- 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.
I think there is only one thing worse than building a new computer system and trying to remember all the passwords that you need to log into your websites and social media sites. That would be someone getting access to all your passwords to those websites and media sites!
Funny that I was thinking that because of my poor memory, I need to write stuff down, and was thinking a notebook would be ideal. Now I can buy one for $10 bucks!!! SWEET!!!!!
I guess my garden is in trouble, becuase I don’t have a mosquito breeder (I mean rain barrel :-). Thanks for the mention.
Don’t worry, I’ll leave a few open buckets in your backyard, you’ll be mosquito overrun soon.
Thanks for the video link to Ellen. I’ve ordered a set of those Minders for my whole family for Christmas! Wow, a tax refund and all my holiday shopping done, talk about a great week!
And on a much more serious note, many thanks again for the link.
I hope you ordered the Minder, Minder too, with the combination lock!
The sad thing is that there are people who have purchased this item!
I may start marketing my own version, or better still offer a “Secret On Line Password” keeper on this very site!