Internet Memory, Grand Prix of Monaco and #FreeFormFridays

The internet is a permanent record of everything that is posted on it, which can be a double-edged sword for those who are falsely accused or exonerated. The Economist published an enlightening article about this issue. For instance, if you want to see how this website looked like six years ago, just use the Internet Archive WayBack Machine to see what was posted on January 29th, 2008. The European Union has launched a program called On Being Forgotten, which aims to remove certain information from the internet, but deleting data from the internet is impossible. As a responsible parent, I have advised my children to assume that anything they write or any photo they take on a device is permanently on the internet. It is crucial to act accordingly if you want to stay safe online.

The Grand Prix of Monaco, the Crown Jewel in the Formula 1 season goes this weekend, but I will only be watching the qualifying session, as the race is a bit anti-climatic. The streets of Monaco make for a picturesque race configuration, however there is nowhere to pass, so barring rain or a mechanical screw up, the car in the Pole Position, usually wins. If you want to see what the race used to look like check out Grand Prix (Amazon Link) a very good movie from the 60’s with James Garner. See just how dangerous driving in F-1 was back then.

The Mud Slinging Provincial Election campaign continues here in Ontario. Does anyone say anything nice anymore on the campaign trail? Kathleen Wynne is doing her best to say nothing, as she has figured out her two opponents may convince everyone to vote for her?

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My Writings for Week Ending May 23rd

So May 24th Victoria Day (the actual date) is tomorrow, but we have already celebrated it?!?:

• Happy Victoria Day  salutations from this past Monday, which still confuses me, but how many times can I post a picture of Queen Victoria and get away with it?
• If you plan on Doubling Your Money, you had better figure out just how long that might take, and luckily Albert Einstein helped make the math to figure that out, popular.
• Seems like a week for big number tables, with MER And Growth Percentage showing how little you get after everybody gets paid, I guess I could have thrown in the taxes you pay on this as well, if it's not in a registered account, but that would be a little too depressing. This one got revised after I had phrased things a little incorrectly.

This Week's Finest

Pat Sajak accused those who criticize the Global Warming Denier movement of being racist. What kind of race are you talking about Pat? Hatred towards higher temperatures? At least he didn't jump to the "Hitler Card" like Prince Charles did (i.e. Godwin's Law) :

• What was the funniest movie ever made? Easy, Blazing Saddles by Mel Brooks, I remember seeing that and my Dad telling me on the bus on the way home, "Just don't tell your Mother what we saw!!", and in Esquire Mel Brooks Remembers the Funniest Movie He Ever Made
• Tablet or Laptop Computer for your MBA? That's a question Barry from Money we Have asks, but I think the question is, "Do you really want an MBA?", oh and I like Laptops, if you are asking. I might swap a Tablet for an MBA, but I'd need maybe a Doctorate in Cat Toe Flossing thrown in.
• Speaking of farting you do realize that the iPhone Fart App Pulls in $10K a day? Why does that sound like a Jerry Seinfeld episode?
• I always like the expression, "His fortune disappeared like a fart in the wind", but that is my level of sophistication with humor.
• A wise writer once said, "... anyone who acts as their own lawyer, has a fool for a client..." and Mark from the Blunt Bean Counter might agree with that statement Do It Yourself Accountants and Lawyers. I'd like to add to that saying, "... just because you can use Excel don't make you an accountant...".
• Going to LaRonde in Montreal for some fun? La Ronde under fire for scanning visitors' fingerprints, biometrics making inroads for service industries eh?
• On those days that I feel sorry for myself and wallow in self-pity I read this kind of useful article Autism is NOT About You, and I realize I should stop feeling sorry for myself and get back to work.
• Continuing on the self-reflection Mark from My Own Advisor confesses I write about Investing but I have over $200K in debts. Mark that's OK, the fact that you recognize you have a problem is a good start.
• Creative and Interesting folks usually lead interesting lives, and have interesting daily rituals, and Mason Currey has expanded form his web site to a full book : Daily Routines (the blog) is now Daily Rituals (the book). I like to write this blog in the nude, for those curious about such things.
• Did Homer Simpson Actually Solve Fermat's Last Theorem? You can't say these Friday #BestOfs aren't enlightening, now can you? D'OH! Homer missed it by a little, but he was closer than I ever got!
• Speaking of a lover of Fermat, Michael James asks What to do about the Impending Stock Market Crash, WHAT?!?!? No, the Stock Market only goes up, I read it on the Interweb!
• What are The 10 Algorithms That Dominate Our World ? Read on, but I am not fond of the Google Pagerank algorithm (although my guess is it is similar to the 10,000 monkeys in a room with typewriters will eventually write all of Shakespeare's work algorithm).
• Do you have money locked up in an LIRA? Scott Wallace from Retire Happy reminds us that is possible to get at that money by Unlocking LIRA and Pension Money.
• What are the Life Cycle of Ideas ? Popular Science has thinks they know, but for my ideas their life cycle mostly consist of... Mmm... beer...
• I love technology but I really can't get behind this whole Google Glass thing, but MIT Tech reviews tells us Why Some Doctors Like Google Glass So Much
• The Physics of Finance gives active investors hope with How to consistently beat the market -- follow trends, I guess if you join the flock, you are bound not to get fleeced?

You Remember that Movie Where the Coach Makes that Speech?

Yeh, well forget that crap, this is Gene HACK-MAN from the greatest basketball movie ever, Hoosiers, game over!

Random Thoughts for 2014

Lots of these kinds of Best of articles in 2014. Here is a list of them.

• World Cup Side-Effects, Seinfeld Cars, and #BestofFinancial What happens around the World at half time of the World Cup Final? Is it like Flushed away? Is there a sudden tsunami? Who knows?
• Cuba, Rubles, Christmas and #BestThisWeek - getting close to Christmas but Ian McKellen can teach us about impulse control.
• Snow, Christmas, Enhanced and #BestThisWeek talk of more festive ideas, like how to save money at Christmas.
• A Gentleman, Day of Disability, Christmas, Rugby and #BestThisWeek noted the passing of Jean Beliveau and John Oliver's views on Lotteries.
• Black Friday is Here, Advent, and #BestThisWeek speaks of the blessed Black Friday and associated sales but also includes a Fanfare for the Common Man.
• Lake Effect Snow, Web Cameras, Travel Insurance and #BestThisWeek November brings snow in Toronto, as we see, and other financial ideas.
• Asteroids, Tax Cuts, Lemurs and #BestThisWeek how many times has the Earth almost been hit by an asteroid? Too often to remember.
• Lame Ducks, Financial Literacy, Working for Free and #BestThisWeek lame duck leaders never really get that much done, no matter how they negotiate.
• Happy Halloween, Income Splitting and #BestThisWeek a wonderful financial time of the year is Halloween? Maybe income splitting is a better subject.
• Ottawa We Shall Remember, Bank of Canada and #BestThisWeek after a bad week in Ottawa, with senseless violence.
• Crashing Markets, Ebola, Low Loonie, Cheap Gas and #BestThisWeek even in 2014 the markets were a little volatile.
• Hockey, Turkey, Leaves, Carry On Bags and #theBestFin4TheWeek is it right that the hockey season starts before Thanksgiving?
• October, Hello Ebola, Give Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek October arrived unexpectedly this week, almost unnoticed. As we have entered the final (calendar) quarter of the year 2014, it may be time to start considering a year-end review of your financial plans.
• Autumn , United Kingdom, Beer Money, and #theBestFin4TheWeek the colours in Ottawa during Autumn are truly spectacular.
• Pins, Alibaba , Apple Pay , Lecosse , and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when Alibaba the IPO happened, those were heady days.
• Home Despot, iPhones, and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• Back to School, Tim Burger King, Knee Defenders and #theBestFin4TheWeek will the dutchie ever come back? I can only hope.
• Broken Humerus, Ebola, Anniversaries, Blood and #theBestFin4TheWeek remember when we thought Ebola was going to wipe us out?
• It is Done, Ice Bucket Challenge, Media Perceptions and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• WW1 Centenery, More Hacked Passwords and #theBestFin4TheWeek
• The Long Weekend with no Name, Defaults, and #BestFinancialForTheWeek
• Unmasking Super Heroes, Dogs of Summer and #BestOfFinancialForThisWeek
• All Stars, Al Stars and the #BestOfFinancialForWeek the world cup was a big thing in 2014 as was Bastille day too.
• Brazilian Defeats, Tour De Chunnel, and #BestOfFinancialForWeek you mean Brazil can lose at the world cup?
• Tennis, Racing, Inflation and #BestofFinancial Canada Day is the start of the summer for most Canadians, and financial stories too.
• The Stand, Football Biting, Naughty Banks and #BestofFinancial even in 2014 the banks were misbehaving with shenanigans.
• Elections, Dad's Day, World Cup, Friday the 13th and #BestofFinancial somehow the Liberals won the 2014 Ontario Provincial Election
• No Rate Hike, Better Performance, Montreal Grand Prix and #Bestof-Financial back in 2014 we were worried about rates, but they were already pretty low.
• Elections, Farewell Knowlton, May Done, and #Bestof-Financial Knowlton Nash was the voice of news for Canada for a while.
• Internet Memory, Grand Prix of Monaco and #FreeFormFridays the Internet has memory?
• Time Off, Elections, Victoria Day and #FreeFormFridays Victoria Day is always a fun weekend.
• Frosts, Elections, Farley Mowat and #FreeFormFridays it does get cold in May!
• Rain, Budgets, Bloggers Meeting, May Day and #FreeFormFridays When financial bloggers meet what happens?
• Beware the Financial Jabberwock, Netflix Expansion, Model Trains, Backups and #FreeFormFridays a thematically odd article.
• Easter is Here and a Saturday #BestOf for the Weekend a time of renewal, new beginnings in life and financially as well.
• RIP Flaherty, Heartbleed, Tax Time, Quebec Elections and #FreeFormFridays the former finance minister did a lot of good for the economy.
• #Selfies, Quebec Election, Big Joe, Awareness, and #FreeFormFridays would Big Joe Mufferaw have been a good fit for the Redblacks? We'll never know.
• Don Quixote, Tax Time, Cheap Mortgages and #FreeFormFridays gotta hate tax time.
• Spring Has Sprung, March Madness, Celebrity Blogger and #FreeFormFridays talking about Spring in March in Ottawa can be a bit early.
• Pi Day, March Break, Two Ferns, Snow and #FreeFormFridays given pi is infinite, how much pie can we expect?
• Quebec Elections, Eating Sugar, Suing Parents, Big Rocks and #FreeFormFridays those elections in Quebec are never dull.
• Saint David’s Day, Big Posts, RRSP Time, the Dating Game and #FreeFormFridays always a good time to put a Welsh Choir Clip in an article.
• Hockey Day, Tax & RRSP Time and #FreeFormFridays Hockey day in Canada? Well it does happen, right around RRSP time too.
• More Olympics, Budgets, Love Day and #FreeFormFridays Valentine’s Day: Celebrating Love and Dealing with Financial Whining.
• Olympics, Not Super Bowls, Creationism and #FreeFormFridays 2014 Olympics Opening Ceremonies and Soshi Stadium’s Doppleganger: The Super Bowl.
• Senators, Weak Loonie, Superb Owls and #FreeFormFridays Rugby is a Hooligan’s game played by a Gentleman.
• Polar Vorteces, Olympics, Mayors and #FreeFormFridays The Polar Vortex brings Winter in Canada. But don’t worry – -30C highs in Ottawa in January are normal.
• Giveaways, Oil tanks, Eagles and #FreeFormFriday Have you checked your oil tank if you heat with Oil? What will your insurance do if the tank ruptures?
• Truly Canadian Issues, Ultra HD TV, Car Loans and #FreeFormFriday Get your lock de-icer and unlock your Super Mailbox cubicle like I did – Canadian Tire to the rescue!
• Some #RandomThoughts from 2014 Some of the best of, best of posts on my random thoughts weekly post.
• CPP Reform, Snow, Christmas, Boxing day and #FreeFormFriday Did the CPP reform of 2013 fix much? Kind of, but Christmas was coming too.