Nelson Mandela passed away on December 5, 2013, after a long illness. The number can see his impact on the World Politics of current (and former) world leaders that came to be seen at his funeral. There are still conservative commentators that have tried to tarnish Mandela’s reputation (remember Reagen fought against Anti-apartheid sanctions against South Africa in the ’80s), but even they have toned down their commentary for now. The only black spot on the moment is a “Sign Language Interpreter” who didn’t do his job.
Canada “Post” seems to be taking a poison pill by cutting the one service people like (i.e. door to door delivery) while raising the cost of sending a letter (and laying off 7000 employees and hopefully losing another 15000 to retirement). Everyone will enjoy what I do every day, going to the super mailbox and hoping that the mail has been delivered and the box is not iced shut. I am sure for the seniors out there. It will be a chance to get some fresh air (like today when the high is -15 Celsius). As you can tell, I am not really on board with Canada Post’s proposed changes.
Have you got your Gail on the Shelf yet? I am already starting to make some up for my kids for Christmas. Mrs. C8j wanted me to point out that it was her idea, but I can still market the idea for her. Gail seems to have taken it in stride, too (she was also bragging she’d finished her Christmas shopping too).
My Weekly Recap
My Writings for Week Ending December 13thWatch Out for that Creepy Elf on the Shelf it IS
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Better Job News in Canada for NovemberWe are still creating jobs in Canada, so that is good, but not at a very high rate, and all the old folks are getting them! |
Elf on the Shelf (for Money)Luckily Gail Vaz-Oxlade has a sense of humor, and she actually said she liked the idea (or at least thought it was funny). |
TFSA Costing the Government?I was having an argument with one of my Tweeples about the TFSA and how it isn’t costing the Government much and it turned into a post. |
Free Furnace InspectionsAs we all know there is nothing that is really “free” these days at all. Watch out for this scam if you have an older furnace. |
Swiss Army Knife Section
I have renamed this section mainly because it isn’t just the best Financial post of the week. I include other esoteric things like science and technology in here too:
- According to the BBC Bots now ‘account for 61% of web traffic’ which means a lot of you might get this joke, a Bot walks into a web site and looks at a cookie, but it didn’t meta his standards (bad bot humor).
- If you want some festive spirit go to DJ Riko and his Christmas 2013 Music Mashup, very festive.
- The Blunt Bean Counter decided it was time we learned more about Gros Morne National Park which is fun, doesn’t have any financial stuff in it either, but hey, as I said this isn’t just for financial stuff.
- Michael James writes about Not Going Dark, which is more of a business of blogging article pointing out the crap we sometimes have to go through to publish stuff.
- Kerry from Squawkfox brings us part one of her new expose I’m so done with holiday sales events. Maybe you should be too. It’s OK to shop at sales, if you are buying what you need, buying something on sale that you don’t need is not saving money, however.
- Gail Vaz-Oxlade warns Co-Signers Beware , especially if a family member asks you to co-sign.
- Our friends at Popular Science has a great new set of numbers for us The Week In Numbers: The Rise Of Bed Bugs, A Portable X-Ray Machine, And More
- When Mark from My Own Advisor asked me What’s in your portfolio? Big Cajun Man, I figured he was just asking how NOT to invest, who knew you could write about a failed investor?
- Matt at One Million and Beyond gives us The Grocery Game – Can you save 15% on your groceries? Eat 15% less?
- Preet goes un-dark with My New Personal Finance Book – 47% off for pre-orders (This week only) hurry up it is a limited time offer!
Sandra Boynton Section
No, not another Tweet with a fun picture, an actual VIDEO this time!
What Says Christmas More
Than flashing lights in time to a 109-yard field goal return, and then the Auburn fight song makes you feel like Christmas all over.
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.
Finally…Canada Post is at least trying to become efficient 🙂
I recall most Canadians lost milk door delivery years ago!
Thanks for the mention!
Mark
“Reagen fought against Anti-apartheid sanctions against South Africa in the 80′s”
I recall Margret Thatcher was in the same camp as Reagan on this issue!
As for the postal service…thought maybe we could revert back to 6 day/week delivery to EVERY household similar to the good ol’ days and the way they have it still in the U.S.
The Iron Lady and Ron agreed a little too much in this area, agreed. Still not sure what they were thinking (well I believe it was they were afraid of the spread of “communism” in Africa).
Kudos to Canada Post for taking these necessary bold steps only a couple of decades too late. Thanks for the mention.
Thanks for the link. 🙂
I was a bit surprised about the Canada post announcement – realistically though its something that was coming eventually considering more and more digital options become available that don’t carry with them a cost overhead.
I guess we’ll see how this gets implemented in the big smoke.