Asteroids, Tax Cuts, Lemurs and #BestThisWeek

We have successfully landed on an asteroid! This is a tremendous accomplishment! Despite the challenges presented by the asteroid’s size and speed, the attachment mechanism is experiencing some glitches. Nevertheless, the team is working tirelessly to ensure that the dishwasher remains securely attached throughout the journey. However, concerns have been raised about the feasibility of a full rinse cycle. Nonetheless, it is an extraordinary feat to have a dishwasher onboard a fast-moving object in space.

I must thank my parents that they pushed me to get a University Education, after watching those two window washers at One World Trade dangling 69 stories up. I’d need to be paid a lot more than I currently make to do that job, but I guess there are folks who don’t mind that kind of risk in their day-to-day jobs (but I am not one of them).

Plenty of talk about the coming tax cuts in the next budget, whether they deliver, is another question, and whether the Public can be bought off or not (sorry that is a cynical view of politics (or is it?)). Maybe they will cut our EI premiums a little more? A few other carrots being tested via “leaks” from the government. Start paying down the National Debt would be a very good thing.

Sad to read of the deaths of two of my favorite supporting characters on TV. First Carol Ann Susi passed away this week, you may not recognize her name, but she was the voice of Howard Walowitz’s mother, “HOWARD!!!“. Wonder what they will do about this on the show? The second passing was Jovian the Lemur from ZooBooMaFoo, who would leap around on the show. Jovian died of kidney failure.

My Writings for Week Ending November 14th

Remembrance Day in Ottawa is always an awe-inspiring event, and this year it was that much more, truly astounding to see that many folks come out to say thanks to those who defend our rights and freedoms.

• We should all be partying like it is 2008 again, as Unemployment is at 2008 levels (according to Stats Canada). However one of my commenters questions the validity of the number, given he doesn’t count.
• I shy away from individual stock picking for a lot of reasons, not the least of which was How Class B Shares are defined for some companies.
• If you need something to read for Financial Literacy Month, I did a Book Review: Complete Idiot’s Guide to Getting out of Debt , start with that.

This Week’s Finest

Wonder if those poor chaps dangling from the Window Cleaning Gantry thought about whether they had enough life insurance, while up there? Certainly they might have thought more about retirement plans.

• Do you want to know 3 Sure Signs the Economy is improving? Better go check Mark’s post over at 2nd Career Search.
• Normally I wouldn’t say much about this kind of post but Kiplinger gives us a list of the Best Mutual Funds for Aggressive Investors, and please do not take this as me condoning or advising you to do this, I am simply supplying it as an alternate point of view from my point of view.
• What would you do if you knew you were dieing and had a $100M and your family was taken care of, what would you do? Read the Washington Post piece on The Amazing Finals Days of Simpsons’ Co-Creator Sam Simon, who is donating $100M
• Infidelity is evidently a growing Tech Business as outlined in the Atlantic’s interesting expose The Adultery Arms Race, I still have no idea how anyone has time to have an affair.
• Marie from Boomer and Echo helps us with, How To Become a Successful Investor: Prepare an Investment Policy Statement, which will help you stick to your plans.
• How does a worthless company continue to lose millions? The Wall Street Journal outlines how Nortel Spends Big Money in Bankruptcy, wow.
• A guest on Million Dollar Journey does a very complete Gas Rewards Program Comparison, worth checking out.
• The Economist points out that The United States – Canadian Border Undefended No More, now it is not as heavily defended as the US-Mexican border, but yes, it is not that easy to get into the USA these days from Canada.
• So you are dreaming of sitting by the lake next summer at the cottage you just inherited from your parents? Better read about Cottage Trusts (a follow on guest post) on Blunt Bean Counter.
• If you are always on the look out for a spreadsheet that is already premade for you, check out Vertex 42 and their Canadian Mortgage Spreadsheet, well worth checking out.
• I guess it’s a good thing that Microsoft is fixing a security hole in Windows that has been around for 19 years, good that IBM found it for them.
• Barry at Money We Have touches a topic near and dear to my heart, and that is 9 Fees to Cut From Your Daily Life, every one of those “small fees” sucks more money away from important things, like booze!
• Berkshire Hathaway bought the Duracell Battery brand from Procter and Gamble? Interesting, given the need for batteries, sounds like a good investment.
• Kerry from Squawkfox wants to know Are you Frugal or Cheap, and has a helpful graphic to figure it out. I am a spendthrift, I blow all my spare cash on Moon Pies and Penny Whistles.
• What is a Cash Wedge? Well Mark from My Own Advisor gives us Cash Wedge and Opening the Investment Taps, it sounds a lot like a cash buffer to draw from instead of having to go directly to your securities to get living money.
• If you look at my Twitter feed, my icon has changed to a saucy photo of myself and my son.
• Michael James asks a question that maybe Mark from My Own Advisor might find disagreeable, but a good point is made in Why Don’t Couch Potato Portfolios Use Dividend ETFs? Surprised I didn’t see a comment from Mark on this one.

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Sesame Street is 45

Wow, that is old, how about Elmo singing with Elvis Costello with a cameo from the C-Monster? Sure!

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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.

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My Twitter feed is where I re-tweet many great articles by some of my featured writers (and make the occasional odd or off colour commentary on life (in 140 characters or less)).