It seems baseball is embroiled in yet another “performance-enhancing drugs” scandal, with a few very well-known names being implicated by yet another “wellness clinic”. Are the accusations true? I have no idea, but baseball is slowly turning into a bit of a “Gong Show” in terms of this kind of stuff. It’s interesting how “America’s Game” is gradually sliding into Side Show Carnival silliness (America’s Game is now the NFL, if you are asking).
The anniversary of D-Day was yesterday, a day that must be remembered in history. As a Project Manager, I am astounded at the logistics that were overcome to make the invasion successful, and as an amateur history buff, the bravery of the soldiers astounds me as well (whether I would have got into one of those landing crafts is a question I am glad I never had to answer).
I enjoyed some quality Rugby on Wednesday as Canada defeated Fiji here in Ottawa. It was a great game played, I am glad to see the Canadian side picking up an important win against a very strong (and fast as lightning) Fijian squad.
My Weekly Recap
Rugby in Ottawa and now the Mighty Penguins are faltering. Quite the sports week:
My Writings for Week Ending June 7th
There are Food and Travel Bloggers in Ottawa? Why?
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Best of: A parable about advice (not just financial)Sometimes even the most innocent of stories can have catastrophic consequences. |
The Perils of Home OwnershipThere is a lot of joy in owning a home, however, it does have it’s problems as well. |
Cell Phone Contracts Two years (ONLY)This ruling from the CRTC only comes into effect in December, so not sure what it means to those lucky folks who already have 3 year contracts. |
Never Buy a Car at NightAlso, never call your son Sue, if we are handing out useful advice. |
What is wrong in this storyYou might have thought it was identity theft, however, that really was not the point of this oldie but goody. |
Links for the Week
Lots of interesting stuff going on around the world this week:
Top Stories of the Week of June 7th
Jean Stapleton died this week, another Celebrity I was positive was already dead!
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Hot off the Press – 2012 TFSA Penalty Statements are Arriving at a Mailbox Near YouHooray? The BBC points out that if you were naughty and over indulged in your TFSA the CRA will be contacting you shortly. | Why Some Decisions Don’t Make Financial SenseBoomer of Boomer and Echo points out a few fallacies in the financial planning world, that need remedy. |
Watch your Speed & SaveGail Vaz-Oxlade points out that those speeding tickets will add up, especially for your insurance premiums. |
How I can save you close to $100,000Mark at My Own Advisor gives out useful tips which seem small but can add up. He didn’t add the useful, “Don’t Have Kids!” hint from me. |
The Energy Fix: When Will The U.S. Reach Energy Independence? [Infographic]Popular Science puts their money where their mouth is and suggests when the U.S. might be energy independent, my guess would be the 12th of never might be a better guess. |
Opportunity Cost and Your RetirementJim Yih is pointing out that when you take money out of your RRSP and such, you lose the future value of it too. That’s OK, I am still retired, so that’s good. |
Converting an RRSP to RRIF (Registered Retirement Income Fund)Tom at Canadian Finance gives us a walk through of how your RRSP can be transferred into an RRIF, and the best part of that is, you are retired. | We Build, We Fight: The Role of the Seabees in the Invasion of NormandyScientific American shows that the Combat Engineers were very important to the D-Day Invasion. |
Can a Raise be Bad for Your Finances?Michael James not only has this odd title, he then turns the phrase, “…Suddenly, through no fault of my own, I get a 10% raise …”, HOW DARE THEY! |
A New ETF of Strip BondsThe Canadian Couch Potato shows that there are ETFs for just about any interesting investment idea, and for those lovers of Strip Bonds, voila! One for you too. |
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak speaks out on taxThe British Broadcasting Corp (another BBC) has an interview where the Great and All Knowing Woz, speaks out about how we should all pay taxes the same way corporations do. | You can’t blame Mark Carney for our poor saving habitsPreet says we can’t point the finger at the former BoC leader? He can’t be suggesting it’s our fault, can he? This the No-Fault generation, I blame Global Warming myself. |
Video to Get Me Banned in China
Do you remember Tank Man ? Here is a Frontline video that talks about him, last I checked I wasn’t banned in China, this might change that.
Watch The Tank Man on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.
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.
BCM – I can definitely relate to your comment around being in awe of the logistics of pulling off something like D-Day. I am a project manager as well and just finished reading the rise/fall of the third reich. In it was continuously amazed at the scale with which first the Germans then the allies were able to amass such an incredible amount of arms and new weapons. I don’t know about in your world but a 3 year project plan is relatively normal in mine but they were cranking out ships/planes/tanks at rates I can not begin to comprehend.
It’s interesting to me how upset fans get about bb players using drugs, but no one seems to bat an eye at the NFL players. The logic escapes me.
Thanks for the mention. To me the biggest problems with baseball are 1) the cameras are so focused on close-ups that you can’t see what’s going on, 2) the games take way too long to play (much longer than they were 30 years ago), and 3) the home-run fences are way too close (I’m tired of seeing outfielders watch lazy fly balls they could easily catch land just over a short fence).
My over-arching complaint about baseball is the arrogance of MLB in general. They seem to think everyone loves the game and they don’t have to try to get people interested. Games taking over 4 hours is ridiculous too, R.A. Dickey is my new hero, his games take less than 2 hours (if he can make it happen).
BCM,
Thx for the link. Some weeks I think I could use some performance enhancing blog drugs to help write my blogs. Got any contacts, you seem to have some extra energy some weeks. Wink Wink 🙂
As you get older and crankier making up ranting commentaries about how “… young folks just don’t understand…” gets easier and easier.
Getting tired of all the baseball scandals, more…. *yawn*. That sport will never clean up its act I’m afraid. I stopped watching well over a decade ago.
Nice reminder about D-Day.
Thanks for the mention, stay dry.
Mark