Owner: The Barron Blog URL:http://qualteam.tripod.com/qualteam/ Join Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2008 21:45:04 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: This is my life in the "Barron Universe" on Earth and elsewhere. Site statistics:Click here
<b>Discovering What It's Like To Be Canadian<b> 2008-03-06 20:55:03 As a lad, I experienced record snowfall in my home town, Barrie Ontario. I got used to it because I could toboggan and make snowballs of it. Canada was "The Great White North" then and today, it seems to be again. Pass me a "Canadian
or Moosehead Beer", hoser.It looks like we're closing in on a record snowfall for the Toronto area. Check out these stats:"We're already in record territory and this will only add to the record snowfall," Phillips said.The previous record dump for February in Toronto was 66.6 centimetres in 1950.This February has already seen 69.8 centimetres of snow fall.In fact, Phillips says "it's entirely possible" that another major snowfall record could fall by the time winter packs up.The most snow accum
<b>Tax Filing Software Of The Year: UFile<b> 2008-03-04 21:11:41 For many years, I used Quicktax because it was easy and instructive. It had a pretty interface and I could always see in the upper right corner how much of a tax refund, I was getting. At $39.99, it was expensive, but "the easy to follow quicksteps" made me feel like a tax auditor.This year Quicktax allowed only two refunds per customer. This ticked me off, so I checked out the competition and got UFile at Best Buy for only $19.99. You can do eight returns with this software and I've done two already. I finished both tax returns in about 30 minutes.While UFile isn't as sexy as Quicktax, it's just as easy to use and to Netfile. Three stars. Read more:Filing
, Software
<b>Pride In Home Ownership<b> 2008-03-01 22:18:48 For most Canadians, housing has increased in value. It has increased the most in the western provinces because of economic expansion in the oil fields.Please note that a house in Canada is used primarily as a place to live rather than as a way to make a quick buck.For many Canadians, "house appreciation" in done through renovations which improve the resell value of the home. You could also call this "Pride
In Ownership
" because it's a personal win to add value to something that didn't look that good in the first place.With interest rates and house prices going down in the U.S., there are marvelous opportunities to obtain a bargain property that if cared for will appreciate with time. The produ Read more:Home Ownership
<b>Mike Smith Of Dave Clark Five Passes Away<b> 2008-02-28 21:14:39 Mike Smith
(far left) on keyboards was the lead singer of "The Dave Clark
Five". He will be missed.The Dave Clark Five was the heaviest rock group in the 1960s that I ever heard: "Glad All Over", "Anyway You Want It", "Do You Love Me", Bits And Pieces", "You Got What It Takes" were powerful tunes in their arsenal.The band is going to be inducted into "The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame" this March.There's not that many good videos of Mike and the band, but here's a decent one on YouTube. The song is "Catch Us If You Can": My favourite DC5 song is "You Got What It Takes" Read more:Passes
Thinking Outside The Mental Trap (i.e. The Box) 2008-02-26 14:29:41 The mental trap or "The Box" as it is often called came from "experts" and their followers on such subjects like religion, science, economics and foreign affairs."Thinking Outside
The Box" is just another way of engaging in "Independent Thinking". Please check out those hyperlinks. There's relevant material on those webpages.These mental boxes are created by know-it-all authorities who probably do a great deal of debunking of other people's creative ideas. An outstanding example of this is the criticism levelled at inventor, Thane Heins, with regards to his offbeat electrical motor."Conventional wisdom" and "expert opinion" often trys mold us into sheeplik
<b>Tracking Lost Souls In The Afterlife<b> 2008-02-24 20:26:44 Our perceptions of the afterlife, usually come from religious mythology or paranormal psychics.Many investigators and new age prophets have investigated this subject in depth.Some people are more sensitive to paranormal activity and visions than others. I don't belittle anyone's research in this area. For human beings, life is full of frightening mysteries.Personally, I believe that we are looked after by a powerful ancient civilization (i.e. "The Kingdom of God") where spiritual activity outside of bodies was and still is the norm.The tracking, rescue and restoration of lost souls on Earth is standard practise for this organization.A cloaked space ship sends out light probes which contain all kinds of pleasant sensations and perception Read more:Tracking
, Souls
<b>Blue Chip Companies With Many International Customers<b> 2008-02-24 09:49:24 Sure green stocks are really sexy these days, but how can you separate the winners from the losers? No doubt, green companies will become the next big bubble on the worlds' stock markets.In the short term, there will probably be a flight to quality blue chip stocks by smart investors. The speculators can chase can chase gold and energy securities until the cows come home. Who wants to be another crazy in crazy sectors?Here are my top ten old economy stocks with international exposure that I believe will do well in 2008. They are based in Canada and the United States:General Electric Co. ($34.37): It now derives 50 per cent of its sales of power-station generators, locomotives, lighting supplies and medical equipment from outside its home market. Read more:Companies
, International
<b>The Benefits Of Early Retirement<b> 2008-02-23 09:57:45 Of course, if you love your job, you wouldn't retire from it, you'd just take a long vacation like the man above.I've worked close to 35 years for Canada Post and I don't love my job. I don't hate it either, but I get the feeling that I should move on to something more creative like writing.Having a pension will enable me to devote more of my time to writing and other creative pastimes like karaoke singing, basketweaving and religious myth collecting. More than a week ago, I added up my non income tax expensives from my pay stubs for 2007. They totalled over $7,000. This included CUPW union dues, Canada Pension Plan premiums, Canada Post Pension premiums, Unemployment Insurance premiums, Disability Insurance premiums, etc.By next year at this time, I Read more:Benefits
, Early
<b>Creepy Transit Ads About The Drug "Obay"<b> 2008-02-19 21:37:05 Ads like the above have been appearing in bus shelters throughout the Greater Toronto Area. Another ad states "My son used to have his own ideas. Now he doesn't."This whole campaign seems like something out of a sci/fi movie like "The Stepford Wives" or "They Live". Aliens take over the bodies of parents and start turning their kids into "The Stepford Teenagers." Very scary.Using drugs to produce docile easily controlled people, definitely sends a negative message to me. Most of the free nations of the world have fought against totalitarian regimes like Nazi Germany that advocated unquestioning obedience to a superior power. Read more:Transit
<b>A Top Ten "Funny" Word List<b> 2008-02-17 21:10:06 The Popeye Motivational Principle: "That's all I can stands. I can't stands no more."McDogfood: Any sandwich bought at McDonalds.Death: Nature's way of telling you to slow down.Work: A place to go after breakfast.Pupsqueak: The sound a yawning dog emits when it opens its mouth too wide.P-Spot: The area above the urinal in a public restroom that men stare at, knowing a glance in any other direction would arouse suspicion.Metrosexual: A gay man who would bitch-slap or hit you with his manbag if you irritated him.Fauxhemian: Someone who adopts the trappings of the Bohemian lifestyle without actually straying too far from the straight and narrow of social conventions.Little Bugger: A gay midget wrestler.Hell: Spending an evening with an insurance saleman. Read more:Funny
, Top Ten
<b>Winning The War On Terrorism With The Green Economy<b> 2008-03-12 22:01:00 It's suspected that Iran and other Arab states are financing terrorism and suicide bombers through oil profits. As you might know, the price of oil continues to go up because China, India and other countries are driving more automobiles than ever. This is bad for the environment and the North American economies.The time has come to make fossil fuels history and to develop "The Green
Economy" to its highest point in the next ten years. The technology like plug-in hybrids and nano solar technology are there and affordable.If you want to look over some good green stocks, try this website("The Greenchip Review"). Google, Microsoft, Intel, IBM started out as small companies who innovated and succeeded with new technology. There' Read more:Winning
, Terrorism
<b>The Road To U.S. Economic Recovery: Who Will Help And Who Will Hinder?<b> 2008-03-11 15:26:12 The "Subprime Crisis" was like a large dirty nuclear bomb going off with fallout all over the world. Below is an excellent overview of where this is coming from: Needless to say, neither Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton or John McCain were aware of this bomb when the fallout started to spread.The Federal Reserve and various central banks of the world have tried to contain this contamination through lower interest rates and currency injections, but the damage has been done to many major banks and financial institutions.Perhaps, the biggest damage has been the "doom and gloom atmosphere" that has spread from former U.S. homeowners to billion dollar investors in every corner of the Globe.It boogles the mind that this "subprime mess/bubble&q Read more:Economic
, Recovery
, Hinder
<b>Leslie Gore At The Rose Theatre In Brampton<b> 2008-03-09 20:34:14 Despite getting caught in a Blizzard, Irene and I managed to get to the Rose Theatre on time for Leslie
's performance.It was worth it. Leslie's voice is lower pitched and raspier then it was in the 1960s, but the emotional impact was still there. Even though she's 61, she was still able to conjure up an image of a teenage girl who just couldn't hold a boyfriend.The highlight of the evening was her last song, "You Don't Own Me". It sent chills up and down my spine. Check out her new CD on her website.Songs like "It's My Party" and "Sunshine And Lollipops" helped to define what the 1960s were all about. Three stars.Please enjoy Leslie on YouTube: "You Don't Own Me".
<b>Boycott Mexican Vacations And Products<b> 2008-03-14 14:11:16 Brenda Martin (left side) has been in a crowded, filthy Mexican
prison for the last two years. Even though her former employer, Richard Waage, exonerated her in his internet pyramid scheme. The Mexican judicial system insisted on keeping Brenda in abominable conditions while under arrest. These conditions have made her suicidal.Former Canadian prime minister, Paul Martin went to Mexico to see what he could do about it, but more effort is needed by present PM, Stephen Harper.I think it's time to play hardball with our so called "NAFTA Buddies" down south. Checkout the "We don't need no stinkin' badges." video from the movie "Treasure of Sierra Madre". Boycott
Mexican vacations and products until this situation is h Read more:Products
, Vacations
<b>Investment Wars: Speculators Vs Investors<b> 2008-03-13 18:37:29 There is a war going on for your investment dollars in this world. It's being waged between speculators and investors. Investment speculation depends on the old "pump and dump" strategy. Buy some hot stocks(gold and oil are the flavor of the month), promote them heavily and then dump them when the price soars. That's today's "plan". The speculations of yesterday produced financial institutions and banks who lost billions on subprime mortgages and asset back paper. This also applied to hedge funds who were burned on the same paper and the stock market.The more speculators go in and out of the market quickly, the more they lose. Investors
on the other hand have a long term view of the market and pick up quality sto
<b>It's Time To End Our Dependence On Oil<b> 2008-03-16 21:27:55 It's time to put the pedal to the metal in finding alternates to oil and other fossil fuels. I getting tired of being held hostage by the oil companies and OPEC.The alternate fuels are out there. Their use has to be encouraged by governments and an enlightened public.Very soon, automobile companies will be releasing their green vehicles to consumers. Take a look at "The Tesla Electric Car", "The Chevy Volt", "The "Honda Fuel Cell FCX", and "The Zenn Electric Car".Probably, one of the most useful alternate energy products is solar energy from Nanosolar. An explanation of their product is given below in a YouTube video:It's time for the great financial powers that be to invest in something that will save the planet and Read more:Dependence
<b>Top Comments From Bear Stearns Employees<b> 2008-03-18 10:28:34 "I've been at Bear for 11 years and I want to vomit," "Where is the $2 bill?" I might need that tomorrow!""The price is crazy. Someone who'd won the lottery could have paid that price.""It's not a bankruptcy, that's the good news, but JPMorgan is going to come out today and tell us what they think of us." "A lot of these people are going to lose their jobs, and most of their wealth will have been in share options. They're soon going to be looking for a cheaper place to live.""Bear does not offer payouts, known as 'golden parachutes,' for executives in the event of it being taken over."One Bear Stearns
employee, when asked for a reaction snapped: "You must be joking. What are you, a vulture? Ge Read more:Comments
<b>Reexaming My Irish Roots On St. Paddy's Day<b> 2008-03-17 22:14:37 Last year, some of the facts on my Peever ancestry in Ireland were incorrect. My grandfather, Lindsay Peever was born in Pembroke, Canada around 1900. My greatgrandfather, James Peever was born in Poulawaddra in 1866 near Tralelee, Ireland. I would like to thank Kevin (Peever?) for that information.The above picture is the old Peever homestead which is still standing in Poulawaddra.My mother and I were both born in Pembroke, Ontario. It is a scenic small city on the Ottawa River about 90 miles from Ottawa. I spent many a summer at my grandfather's cottage fishing, swimming and having fun. I was lucky to have such a wonderful childhood connected with the great outdoors. Many children never get that chance.I grew up in Barrie, Ontario and both my Read more:Irish
, Paddy
<b>We Don't Have To Be At The Mercy Of "The Gods Of The Stock Market"<b> 2008-03-20 21:41:51 Sure there's a great deal of volatility and emotion in the stock market. That doesn't mean that you should be the effect of it. There are always many reasonable actions that you can do with your investment money:Learn from your mistakes in the past and resolve not to do them again.Invest in long term assets like a house, blue chip stocks and financial institutions that you trust.Look at the subprime crisis as way of sweeping away phoney assets and incompetent financiers. A new broom sweeps clean.Obtaining a good credit record should be done before buying a house.Buying a decent house at a bargain price with a low interest rate should be the prime building block of your investment strategy.Adding value to one's assets rather than chas Read more:Stock
, Market
<b>The Power Of Life Energy<b> 2008-03-23 22:04:08 Getting hold of powerful energy has been an obession of mankind over the last hundred years. Most of that energy comes from physical sources like oil, solar rays, nuclear, wind and falling water. Physical and electrical energy of one kind or another makes the world go round.Unfortunately, little is known about spiritual or life energy. There is evidence that it does heal and there is evidence that it can make us feel better.Individuals sometimes survive horrible conditions like concentration camps and extremes of heat and cold.You might call it "mind over matter", but people have "survival life energy" that we can tap into when our backs are against the wall. Sports teams call this "motivational desire". Religious Read more:Energy
<b>A Recession Of Confidence Can Be Turned Around<b> 2008-03-22 22:23:21 It's time for investors, shareholders and potential homeowners to start separating the morons and criminals of financial institutions who promoted worthless garbage like "SIVs", "CDOs", and "ABCPs".In a game of hot potato, banks unloaded this junk far and wide in bundles stamped with triple-A creditworthiness stickers, the recipients raking off their fees only to flip the package again until a $475,000 split-level in suburban Toledo whose low-income subprime mortgagee could no longer make the payments had found its way into the portfolio of a municipal employees pension plan in Hamburg or, remarkably, enough, an agency of the Ontario Treasurer. Now every banker and financial hotdog isn't like former Citibank CEO, Charles P Read more:Recession
, Confidence
<b>Green Investments Are Investments In The Future<b> 2008-03-27 21:34:51 I was surprised that some green oriented mutual funds have been doing so well over the years."The Acuity Clean Environment" fund has a compounded return of 9.3% since its inception in 1991. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2007 the fund had a gain of 30.3%. That sure beats the 8.8% gain of the Dow.In the U.S., "The WilderHill Clean Energy Portfolio" has had a gain of 65.7% since inception in Aug/2004.Not only are these funds socially and environmentally responsible, but they're highly profitable as well. This reminds me of how Microsoft developed in the late 1970s.If you're interested in the next big thing, check out "Green
Investing: A Guide To Making Money Through Environmentally-Friendly Stocks" by Jack Ulrich.Good news can Read more:Investments
, Future
<b>Earth Hour: A Cause That Unites Us All<b> 2008-03-30 21:46:44 For sixty minutes tonight as our contribution to Earth
Hour, My wife and I turned off the lights and appliances in our house.Unfortunately, my stepson celebrated Earth Hour by watching television in the garage with the lights on. Maybe next year, he'll get the message.For an event that started in Sydney Australia, this crusade has snowballed around the world. Even the guys at Google are embracing the idea. I've written many articles about grass roots involvement in the "Green Crusade". One of them is buying stocks and mutual funds in green oriented companies. That was the subject of my last blog. "Reduce, Reuse and Recyle" are also activities that anyone can do. What are you doing for the well being of the planet and mankind?&n Read more:Cause
<b>Rays Of Sunshine Are Getting Through Clouds Of Doom And Gloom<b> 2008-03-31 21:30:20 While much of the media and the financial crystal ball gazers are predicting the U.S. will go to "Hell in a Handbasket", there are some signs that responsible people in government and business are trying to turn things around.Most market watching spectators are standing around with their fingers up their butt whistling Dixie. "What tune will we be whistling next," they ask?Fortunately, there are U.S. business men and others that are competent at what they do and willing to take calculated risks:Last year, 41 per cent of venture capital invested in Canada – and 53 per cent in Ontario – came from the U.S., making our potential gazelles increasingly dependent on foreign capital.Nice to see General Read more:Clouds
, Gloom
<b>There Are Much Bigger Housing Bargains In The U.S. Than In Canada<b> 2008-04-03 21:56:26 The average price of a house in Canada
is now over $325,000. Canadian homes are less affordable because prices have grown faster than household income. Prices have gone up 10 percent a year between 2002 and 2007 while historically, they have gone up only 4 to 5 per cent a year. Mortgages with 40 year amortizations are now 37% of new home loans--- and 9% of outstanding mortgages.Homes in the U.S. are a real bargain in comparism. Lets look at the positives that exist now:Any investment whether house, stock or mutual fund should be purchased at the time of greatest pessimism. This is another spin on the old adage: "Buy low and sell high".The Federal Reserve is bringing more controls into the financial and mortgage marketplaces, so that someth Read more:Housing
<b>Winning At Online Poker<b> 2008-04-06 19:21:40 For the last three weeks, I've been on a winning streak with "Texas Hold 'Em". Granted I only play for small stakes "$.02/$04 blinds and $.05/$.10 blinds, but that's part of the secret of winning. I play with the stakes that I'm comfortable with.Here are my top ten online poker strategies:I'll only stay in a game as long as I'm winning. When I start to lose, I leave.When I'm unlucky at the $.02/$04 level, I move up to the five/ten cent level where I often get my money back and more.If I lose early, I stay with a game until I move into positive territory. Online poker is great for that. You can come and go as you please.I study the game on YouTube and other websites. There's a difference in playing "limit and no limit p Read more:Winning
, Poker
, Online Poker
<b>Canada Post's Corporate Team Incentive Delivers<b> 2008-04-07 21:47:20 For the first time in the history of Canada
Post, the membership in the Canadian Union of Postal Workers(CUPW) will be receiving a Corporate Team Incentive
Bonus . It's only $895.00, not as much as I thought it would be, but it's a big change from "no bonus for 150 years". I must point out that management has been getting a bonus for over 15 years, so I fought hard last year against CUPW opposition to it and finally, the union membership did accept it.There is more information concerning the Corporate Team incentive on my CUPW website at Have fun checking out my history in CUPW and the anti-war songs on the website.Below is Canada Post's spin on why the CTI wasn't in the 100% range:"2007 was a tough year with aggressive target goals. Alth
<b>Dave Devall, King Of The Weathermen After 50 Years<b> 2008-04-10 21:58:52 Dave started as a weatherman on television at CHEX, Peterborough in 1958. I first saw him as a forecaster on CKVR, Barrie from 1959 to 1960. In earlier 1961, he made his appearence on CTV Toronto and has been with them ever since. To work over fifty years at one job shows me that he really likes it and he's good at what he does.There's always a personal touch in his weather forecasting. He tells you if you need an umbrella, a coat or sunscreen.The humourous touches like writing COOL on the transparent wall and then putting his eyes through the "OO" does the trick (LOL).He banters around with the other newscasters and often gives the impression that he's creating the weather. There also a running joke about&n Read more:Years
<b>Beware Of The Toilet Police<b> 2008-04-12 11:33:30 This memo was actually sent to employees of a company that my wife used to work for:PLEASEFLUSH TOILET WHEN DONENO STANDING ON THE TOILET SEATIf this bathroom is not kept clean, we will be forced to lock the bathroom door.Then you will have to get the key from your shift supervisor.It will be inspected before and after you use it.From ManagementRemember you might be being watched at all times. Read more:Beware
, Toilet
, Police
<b>General Electric Goofed Up Its Earning Reports<b> 2008-04-13 20:39:25 Sometimes it hurts to be too optimistic at a time of slower growth. This happened to GE and it shook the stock markets of the world. Take a look:"Net income fell to $4.3 billion or 43 cents per share from $4.57 billion, 44 cents per share, a year ago. Earning
s from continuing operations came to $4.4 billion or 44 cents per share, down eight per cent year-over-year.That was well below the 51 cents per share expected by analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial for profit from continuing operations. The company (i.e GE) itself had forecast a profit of 50 to 53 cents per share".Companies could learn a great deal from Canada's former Finance and Prime Minister, Paul Martin. He was the king of low expectations in Ottawa, the surpluses were always greater than Read more:General
, Electric
, General Electric
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