I sold some stuff on eBay this weekend and had to take the items down to Canada Post for a quote on shipping. I remembered one postal code but not the one for the second package. I did remember the buyer lives in Toronto so, when the clerk asked if I knew any postal code in Toronto, I thought for a moment.
Yes...
M5W 1E6.
15 March 2009
13 March 2009
Save me, Government!
As It Happens had an interview with Richard Shapiro this week. He's the man would wrote a letter to the judge about being "economically raped" by Bernard Madoff. I should like to ask Mr. Shapiro his views on gun control, abortion, Medicare and taxation.
While it's unfortunate that Mr. Shapiro lost millions in Mr. Madoff's grand scheme, I found it difficult to listen to most of Mr. Shapiro's rant on As It Happens. Apparently, it's all the government's fault. The government shouldn't have allowed Mr. Madoff to run his little scheme. The government should have tracked it down earlier. The government should have stopped it. The government should find a way to compensate Mr. Shapiro. While I would have no problems with the government seizing money and property from anyone even distantly related to Mr. Madoff to pay back people who lost their money, I wonder what else Mr. Shapiro thinks the government should and shouldn't do. Should they track down anyone who turned a profit under Madoff's pyramid scheme and take that money back too?
If he's lobbying for the government to do this much for him, I can only assume he's at the front of the fight for gun control, Medicare and the like. Mr. Madoff destroyed his life. A gun can take a life. The government should ban all guns. People can get sick through no fault of their own and privately run hospitals can destroy the savings of any uninsured person. The government should set up universal healthcare. An unwanted teenage pregnancy can ruin the hopes and dreams of two young people who must drop out of school and work menial jobs for the rest of their lives. The government should provide abortions to anyone who wants one. Abortions end the life of a potential person so governments should ban abortion.
It's too bad that one country living beyond its means and with few real laws for the elite has affected the rest of us so much. Rampant Capitalism, unbridled Consumerism and overzealous speculation drove the boom which created this bust. How much has really changed while oil went from $140/barrel to $40/barrel? Why am I now on the hook to bail out companies that didn't plan ahead. Here's my only real Capitalist leaning. I don't agree with stimulus packages. I pay my taxes, pay my mortgage, live within my means and have collected a small savings. I was happy while the Liberals had surpluses and paid down the country's debt. Now, a few unscrupulous businessmen swindled masses of people and GM, Ford and Chrysler stuck their heads in the sand while George Bush told them Global Warming doesn't exist so I have to watch Stephen Harper spend the country $64 billion further into debt to rescue banks which we're turning billions of dollars of profits every quarter and ensure we can burn every last drop of oil around in our hybrid Escalades.
It's amazing that we don't have enough money to staff hospitals so that emergency room wait times are less than three hours. We cannot afford to send students to university without many of them emerging with crippling student loans. Luckily, the government can pile up a huge debt to ensure a big company doesn't fail after it paid its CEO hundred of thousands of dollars each year to run it into the ground and had to pull the multi-million dollar golden parachute.
While it's unfortunate that Mr. Shapiro lost millions in Mr. Madoff's grand scheme, I found it difficult to listen to most of Mr. Shapiro's rant on As It Happens. Apparently, it's all the government's fault. The government shouldn't have allowed Mr. Madoff to run his little scheme. The government should have tracked it down earlier. The government should have stopped it. The government should find a way to compensate Mr. Shapiro. While I would have no problems with the government seizing money and property from anyone even distantly related to Mr. Madoff to pay back people who lost their money, I wonder what else Mr. Shapiro thinks the government should and shouldn't do. Should they track down anyone who turned a profit under Madoff's pyramid scheme and take that money back too?
If he's lobbying for the government to do this much for him, I can only assume he's at the front of the fight for gun control, Medicare and the like. Mr. Madoff destroyed his life. A gun can take a life. The government should ban all guns. People can get sick through no fault of their own and privately run hospitals can destroy the savings of any uninsured person. The government should set up universal healthcare. An unwanted teenage pregnancy can ruin the hopes and dreams of two young people who must drop out of school and work menial jobs for the rest of their lives. The government should provide abortions to anyone who wants one. Abortions end the life of a potential person so governments should ban abortion.
It's too bad that one country living beyond its means and with few real laws for the elite has affected the rest of us so much. Rampant Capitalism, unbridled Consumerism and overzealous speculation drove the boom which created this bust. How much has really changed while oil went from $140/barrel to $40/barrel? Why am I now on the hook to bail out companies that didn't plan ahead. Here's my only real Capitalist leaning. I don't agree with stimulus packages. I pay my taxes, pay my mortgage, live within my means and have collected a small savings. I was happy while the Liberals had surpluses and paid down the country's debt. Now, a few unscrupulous businessmen swindled masses of people and GM, Ford and Chrysler stuck their heads in the sand while George Bush told them Global Warming doesn't exist so I have to watch Stephen Harper spend the country $64 billion further into debt to rescue banks which we're turning billions of dollars of profits every quarter and ensure we can burn every last drop of oil around in our hybrid Escalades.
It's amazing that we don't have enough money to staff hospitals so that emergency room wait times are less than three hours. We cannot afford to send students to university without many of them emerging with crippling student loans. Luckily, the government can pile up a huge debt to ensure a big company doesn't fail after it paid its CEO hundred of thousands of dollars each year to run it into the ground and had to pull the multi-million dollar golden parachute.
11 March 2009
A Bunch of Losers
We're a month and a half into the second edition of the weight-loss challenge at work and it's at least been fun. Once again, I had some early losses and now have hit a plateau into third. I'm following the Bicycling Blogger and trying to eat better. I need to get going with more than just the weight-lifting. The weather is improving so I can start some FFAST and interval training during the commute on my bike.
On the fun side, Jon has overtaken Victor for the lead. Last time, Victor ran away with things. Jon is mostly trying to get his weight down to 180 lbs because of his two side bets. If he can do that, he could finish last and still be $100 ahead. I don't think he could finish last if he hits 180 lbs because I'd have to be back to my high school weight of 165 lbs. That would also require Victor to be under 236 lbs. He finished the last competition at 236 lbs so it is possible. Of course, he started this one 10 lbs heavier and is down to just 264 lbs right now. Last competition at this time, he was at 246 lbs! Looks like he'll have to take out all the stops again.
On the fun side, Jon has overtaken Victor for the lead. Last time, Victor ran away with things. Jon is mostly trying to get his weight down to 180 lbs because of his two side bets. If he can do that, he could finish last and still be $100 ahead. I don't think he could finish last if he hits 180 lbs because I'd have to be back to my high school weight of 165 lbs. That would also require Victor to be under 236 lbs. He finished the last competition at 236 lbs so it is possible. Of course, he started this one 10 lbs heavier and is down to just 264 lbs right now. Last competition at this time, he was at 246 lbs! Looks like he'll have to take out all the stops again.
06 February 2009
An early start
Here's why I generally only use my GPS for hiking, biking and skiing. I will use it more for geotagging photographs but using it for speedskating on an oval doesn't make for exciting maps. The data is slightly interesting because you can definitely see the cycles of doing laps and resting. The pace seemed pretty consistent when doing laps but my back still cannot handle more than a few minutes. Still, I haven't skated seriously in about four years so it was just nice to be out on such a nice day.
We've started another weight-loss challenge at work. Victor has jumped out to an early lead but he bulked up before the official weigh-in. He was just shy of 130 kg. I came in at an all-time high of nearly 92 kg but this was just after lunch and we were all cheating. Two hours later, after a few trips to the bathroom, I had already shed one kilogram. Four weeks later and I'm down almost five kilograms. Only 12 kg to my goal weight. After vowing no side bets, Jon quickly agreed to two $100 bets that he won't get to 180 lbs. Losing a side bet last time cost him $100 and now his whole competition depends on getting to 180 lbs.
The weather is nice and the day is just long enough that I've started riding my bike to work already. Due to a little ice and a lot of rocks on the street, I'm using my 'cross bike and knobby tires. I rode two days this week for over 52 km. Snow across part of the bike path requires a small detour but it's actually a nicer route because it avoids crossing McKnight on 4th St. I might make this a permanent detour. I made the two days I rode slightly more punishing by those being my two weight-lifting days too. My legs were a little past warmed up and I've just upped the weights with fewer reps so it was pretty tiring. I hope the weather continues to co-operate so I can continue riding. Last year I recorded 2125 km with my GPS on my bike. This year I'm trying to 3000 km.
04 February 2009
The sex
LP and I just returned from an ultrasound appointment. The baby looks healthy and is developing well. It's size indicates the due date is 6 July 2009. We took a little check "down there" and, unlike the groundhog and its shadow a few days ago, we saw nothing.
In a way, that's good. We only can think of one girl's name and no boys names. When they hit puberty, I can send the girls off to have all those difficult talks with their mother. I'm now thinking of building a boys' recreation room and bathroom in the basement. WaiPo might be disappointed because she had three girls and is now expecting her third granddaughter. My only reason for wanting a boy is that Julie is very cute, or so I'm told, and has set the bar pretty high for a little sister.
In a way, that's good. We only can think of one girl's name and no boys names. When they hit puberty, I can send the girls off to have all those difficult talks with their mother. I'm now thinking of building a boys' recreation room and bathroom in the basement. WaiPo might be disappointed because she had three girls and is now expecting her third granddaughter. My only reason for wanting a boy is that Julie is very cute, or so I'm told, and has set the bar pretty high for a little sister.
23 January 2009
Trying to make the rich richer
Here's hoping Michael Ignatieff can put a scare into Stephen Harper and get some changes in the federal budget. I think I'm similar to most Canadians when I think another election will settle nothing and, while I'd like to see Harper out of power sooner rather than later, a coalition will probably anger a lot of Canadians even though they work quite well in other countries. After eight years of misery, I actually envy the States politically because they have a new, charismatic leader who seems to be putting a lot of stock in science and will restore the US's environmental reputation. Our leader only insists on helping out the rich.
Take the new Tax-Free Savings Account. Like the GST cuts, it's a perk for the rich disguised as a boon to every Canadian. I consider myself middle-class. LP and I bring home a good household income with me bringing home over two times what LP makes after taxes. We're good with our money without having to think about where we spend every penny. Our only debt is our mortgage which feels to be unlike most other Canadians in our age bracket who have car payments and credit card debt to deal with. We even have some money set aside to top up our RRSPs at tax time and then we'll use our return to pay down our mortgage. In July, we'll have our second child. We're unsure if LP will return to working but we think we can do well on my salary alone. Despite our good standing, unless someone can point out some huge advantage to the TFSA, we won't be using it.
We pay into our RRSP and are trying to max it out. 18% of our annual salaries is difficult to max out but we're close. We currently have one child so that's $2500/a to get the maximum benefit for Julie's RESP. Starting in July, we'll have to double that. Those are the two biggest savings plans for us. Number three on anyone's list should be their mortgage. If you decide to pay that off over the full 25 years, you'll pay double for your house. Granted, our interest rate is currently super-low thanks to the tanked global economy and we could probably invest our money for better returns but paying down your debt is always a good idea. Add all that together and over 60% of my net pay goes to savings plans and the mortgage. And now Stephen Harper thinks LP and I can find another $10 000/a? Good luck.
That money is taxed before it goes into the savings account so it's not like I can reduce my tax burden by putting it away. Currently, is there something secure I can invest in which will pay high interest? Sure, in time the markets will recover and steady investment in a mutual fund will reap the rewards but I'm already doing that with my RRSPs and I'm having trouble maxing those out. They also save me on my tax bill. ING will give me a 5-year GIC at 4% but that defeats the government's big selling point that I can access my money if I need it, unlike trying to withdraw from your RRSPs.
So who can benefit from Stephen Harper's little scheme? The answer is always the same: the rich. They're the ones who probably have an extra $5000 lying around to invest and would like to save a bit on the earnings. Until my house is paid off, I cannot take advantage of this offer and I'll bet 60 or 70% of Canadians won't be able to properly take advantage of it either without foregoing RRSPs or their mortgage. Then again, maybe that's Harper's little trick; maybe people will pay into a TFSA instead of their RRSPs and the government will collect more tax without people knowing their mistake. The extra money will help pay for a few more cabinet ministers who earn a big raise over regular MPs and are to be neither seen nor heard in a Harper government.
Take the new Tax-Free Savings Account. Like the GST cuts, it's a perk for the rich disguised as a boon to every Canadian. I consider myself middle-class. LP and I bring home a good household income with me bringing home over two times what LP makes after taxes. We're good with our money without having to think about where we spend every penny. Our only debt is our mortgage which feels to be unlike most other Canadians in our age bracket who have car payments and credit card debt to deal with. We even have some money set aside to top up our RRSPs at tax time and then we'll use our return to pay down our mortgage. In July, we'll have our second child. We're unsure if LP will return to working but we think we can do well on my salary alone. Despite our good standing, unless someone can point out some huge advantage to the TFSA, we won't be using it.
We pay into our RRSP and are trying to max it out. 18% of our annual salaries is difficult to max out but we're close. We currently have one child so that's $2500/a to get the maximum benefit for Julie's RESP. Starting in July, we'll have to double that. Those are the two biggest savings plans for us. Number three on anyone's list should be their mortgage. If you decide to pay that off over the full 25 years, you'll pay double for your house. Granted, our interest rate is currently super-low thanks to the tanked global economy and we could probably invest our money for better returns but paying down your debt is always a good idea. Add all that together and over 60% of my net pay goes to savings plans and the mortgage. And now Stephen Harper thinks LP and I can find another $10 000/a? Good luck.
That money is taxed before it goes into the savings account so it's not like I can reduce my tax burden by putting it away. Currently, is there something secure I can invest in which will pay high interest? Sure, in time the markets will recover and steady investment in a mutual fund will reap the rewards but I'm already doing that with my RRSPs and I'm having trouble maxing those out. They also save me on my tax bill. ING will give me a 5-year GIC at 4% but that defeats the government's big selling point that I can access my money if I need it, unlike trying to withdraw from your RRSPs.
So who can benefit from Stephen Harper's little scheme? The answer is always the same: the rich. They're the ones who probably have an extra $5000 lying around to invest and would like to save a bit on the earnings. Until my house is paid off, I cannot take advantage of this offer and I'll bet 60 or 70% of Canadians won't be able to properly take advantage of it either without foregoing RRSPs or their mortgage. Then again, maybe that's Harper's little trick; maybe people will pay into a TFSA instead of their RRSPs and the government will collect more tax without people knowing their mistake. The extra money will help pay for a few more cabinet ministers who earn a big raise over regular MPs and are to be neither seen nor heard in a Harper government.
17 January 2009
Oh, the irony
We did our monthly or so recycling run today. We like to let it build up so it barely fits in the trunk of the car. We pulled up to the recycling bins to see that someone had backed their Toyota Tundra right up to the little gate in the fence AND LEFT IT RUNNING! LP and I deposited our milk jugs and cardboard where they needed to be but not in record time. Just after we were done, the Tundra driving man finished as well. We noticed he took a few trips back and forth and wasn't speedy by any means. He had been there for a little while before we arrived by all appearances. I was left wondering why someone driving a nice looking Tundra who's taking the bother to recycle leaves his truck idling for 10 minutes in +10°C weather. Calgary is only just figuring out how to pick up recycling with regular garbage while Edmonton has been doing it for 15 years or more so it requires some effort by the citizens who do recycle so I assume anyone recycling in Calgary has some environmental awareness. I have a huge beef with the excess idling that goes on just to have a warm car instead of dressing properly and enduring the few minutes it takes to warm up the car while driving. I'm hoping more anti-idling laws will come into effect and be enforced. By the number of people who use the Fire Lane right in front of Superstore's doors as their own personal reserved parking spot without suffering any ill effects, I don't hold much hope.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)