Why I still won't be a stock broker

          Back in grade 9, we had to do some research on possible career paths.  We were given a document with a list of all the possible careers out there, and were told to choose our top three.  Mine, in no particular order, were journalist, economist and stock broker.  (Strangely, I didn’t pick government bureaucrat!)

          It was certainly an interesting mix of career possibilities.  The third choice baffles me to this day.  What was I thinking?

          In one of my previous jobs in government, I actually got to see the New York Stock Exchange, and more than just from the outside.  As part of a government entourage “celebrating” a new Saskatchewan/Alberta company going public, I actually got to go inside.  I even had breakfast on the original trading floor of the NYSE with the CEO and his entourage (I like that word).  After a hearty breakfast, we were escorted onto the trading floor to watch the new company ring the legendary bell to open markets for that day.

          Now if I was in any way still interested in developing a career as a stock broker, this would have been the most glorious day of my life.  While I enjoyed the experience, I couldn’t help but think that I have nothing in common with these guys (and yes, they’re all guys in their 30s and 40s – the ones that control the fate of my and your retirement savings).

          For one, I have no appetite for risk.  Sure, I have some RRSPs in mutual funds, but I would have an aneurysm if I knew my whole life savings were invested in stocks.  I would probably be one of those brokers who never made you any money, but never lost you any money either.  In other words, you might as well just put your money under your mattress and save the administration fees!

          More than that, I could never live with myself if I did end up losing a wad of cash.  As my closest friends and family will tell you, I am renowned for second-guessing ALL of my decisions.  I typically have to research a major purchase for at least a week (sometimes a month) before coming to a decision.  And after the purchase, I’ll torment myself over the decision for at least one more month.  After purchasing our first home, I tormented myself for six months (the bigger the purchase, the longer the second-guessing).

          I love money-back guarantees, because you can be guaranteed, I’ll be coming back with that product if I’m not 110% satisfied.  I once brought a TV back to Wal-Mart after using it for six months – what can I say, they’ve got an amazing return policy!

          What drives an over-analytical person like me crazy is that so much of our economic fortune is really out of our hands.  Our pensions and savings are tied up in a money market that is hot one day and cold the next.  Our economies are tied to the fortunes of the United States, China, and Europe.  If one fails, they all fail.

          Speaking of which, it amazes me even more how much impact the little word “Greece” has on the markets.  And it stupendifies me (I just made up that word) as to how easily stock markets and stock brokers can go so back and forth on this issue.

          The herd mentality is alive and well.  One minute the entire world economy is going to collapse on account of a tiny country in Europe, the next minute European leaders have saved the day by saying, “We can probably fix this, you know.”  Really??  Is that all it takes to pay for years and years of mismanagement and indebtedness?  Just throw more borrowed money at it??

          You may wonder why I’m taking this so personal.  And I’ll tell you why it’s driving me crazy.  It’s not because my pension is taking a hit every time another bad news story arises out of Greece, or because interest rates are not letting my savings grow, or because I fear it could cause another economic meltdown in Canada.

          No, it’s because I exchanged $1000 Canadian dollars into US dollars two weeks ago just as the Canadian dollar hit bottom.  At today’s exchange rates, I lost $50!  Give me two more weeks to get over it…

Facebook: just not into it

          I’m not sure what it is about Facebook, but I just can’t seem to get into it.  That’s not to say I don’t sign in on occasion to see all the wonderful things going on with my “friends” but I’m still not into it.

          That’s why my Facebook page has so little to offer (I’ve got a total of about six pictures on it!)  It’s also why you may not hear a response from me for a month if you send it to me via Facebook.

          I’m not usually repelled by technological advances, although I’m not what you call a social bug either.  It’s probably the latter element that keeps me away from it.

          For someone who could care less about what’s going on in everyone’s lives every minute of the day, Facebook has little value.  Frankly, I don’t know how people have the time to provide all their updates (although I do credit them for their tenacity).

          While I find it interesting when “friends” (again, in quotation marks) tell of something that just happened in their lives, I do wonder about some of the features on Facebook, such as the status feature.  So you’re happy right now – does it really need expression through Facebook?  And what about the “poke” feature.  What does it really mean when you’re poked by someone?  Would I ever poke someone I know in person?  Maybe... but probably not. 

          That being said, I do enjoy Facebook every once in a while.  Call it a guilty pleasure.  Ironically, it’s probably because I'm not so sociable.  I don’t have to actually go talk to someone I haven’t seen in a while to get an understanding of what’s going on his or her life.  I’ll just go onto their site and get a pretty good idea of what they’ve been up to.  Even the pictures are telling.  Ah, they have another kid now.  Ah, they live in a different house now.  Ah, they’re living with different people now (those are the bad discoveries).

          I admit, it’s not a healthy way to keep up with people.  But I think just about everyone does it to some degree, and those on Facebook expect their friends to keep up with their happenings.  Facebook friends know things about each other without even talking… kind of strange, but we tend to find out about people even without networking sites.

          The biggest issue I have with Facebook is the amount of “friends” I have.  I don’t really have that many friends (it’s true).  They’re more like acquaintances.  Normally, I would never keep in touch with these people, so why do I feel like I always have to accept their friendships when they ask?  I don’t want to be a jerk about it, so I usually end up accepting.  But at the same time, I don’t want to hear about every update in their lives (and I know there must be some way to turn this feature off that I haven’t figured out yet…)

          My final concern with Facebook is the whole privacy thing.  Police are using social networking sites like Facebook to identify people who commit crimes, which I guess is a positive thing.  But it’s also a bonanza for stalkers and thieves, I’m sure.  Marketers, too, are reaping the awards of having all this personal information public.

          You take the good with the bad, I guess.  For making contact with old friends, Facebook is a marvel.  It’s also a fun time to snoop.  But for all that it has to offer, I still prefer e-mail.

          I know – it’s so old school.

Digging up the daycare debate

          A couple weeks ago my daughter and I passed a daycare.  “See all the kids at the daycare?” I said to her, pointing to the kids playing.  Her tone suddenly became serious: “That’s where kids go who don’t listen.”

          Yes, every parent makes mistakes.  A few months ago I may have threatened to send my daughter to daycare if she continued to misbehave (it was a bad day of child-rearing).

          And I can see how the daycare we passed looked a little like kiddy jail.  This particular daycare is housed in a small brick structure attached to a seniors’ home, with the front yard being the only place the children can play.  The yard is enclosed by a chain-linked fence, with nothing but dirt where grass used to grow.  The toddlers have essentially grazed the grass away, leaving a rather hard, gritty playing surface.  While some of the kids go down little slides, others are digging in the dirt with their hands.  (I would make a joke that they’re trying to dig their way to freedom, but that may not be appropriate.)

          With the situation we’re in, I can afford to be critical of daycares and tout the benefits of home parenting.  We’re fortunate that my wife is able to stay at home with my daughter.  We got into the housing market just before the boom and I have a job that pays well enough for us to survive.  By no means do we live luxuriously, but we’re in no way suffering. 

          Unfortunately, this way of life is no longer the norm.  I say unfortunately, because instead of being accepted for staying at home with a child, many stay-at-home parents feel scrutinized. 

I hear the stories every day.  It’s almost come to the point where a stay-at-home parent is perceived to lack ambition.  ‘Why would you not work, if you had the opportunity?’ it’s insinuated.  And if you have all this time, you should be able to do lots of things that normal working parents would never have the time to do.

Anyone who’s attempted to raise a toddler or two will tell you that work at home can be more work that going to work.  To make matters worse, it’s generally unappreciated work.  In the business world, you get bonuses.  In government, you get little pins (and maybe a pat on the back!)  As a parent, you get, “I don’t want to eat your food!  I don’t want to take a nap!”  A day in the life of a parent can lead to nervous breakdowns, whereas a day at paid work can lead to promotions.  Living with toddlers is an experience unto itself. 

I know of women who have gladly gone back to work so they don’t have to deal with their own children.  Some women keep their kids in daycare even on their days off.  There’s a reason for this.

I was pleased to read an article recently about how things are a bit different in the Netherlands.  Apparently, it’s seen as a good thing to work less, and spend more time at home with your family.  Both men and women work less and more flexible hours than in North America.  And Dutch women, at least, claim to be the most happy of the developed world.

It would be nice to see more of that here.  While I don’t begrudge those who send their kids to daycare, I do begrudge those who bemoan their lot in life because they have to work and raise children, especially when it’s to support their 2,000 square foot home, 2 vehicles and a cabin.

In these cases, it’s a lifestyle choice.

In other instances, I can understand the dilemma.  With houses starting at $250,000, you gotta wonder if new parents even have an option.

Good article: http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/08/19/the-feminismhappiness-axis/

At mid-life, still standing for something

           After my last blog, some of you are probably wondering why I sold out to mainstream society with my love of SUVs and disregard for global warming.  I know, I used to rally for causes such as these.  I used to rally against government for their stance on many issues, now I work for government (now I’m part of the problem!)

          Some of the change happens, I suppose, when you leave the protected halls of a university and enter the real world.  You start to see that there are different sides to the issues and that some things can’t be easily solved.  A well-known Saskatchewan politician (you may know who I’m talking about) once rallied against uranium mining in Saskatchewan when he was a student.  By the time he took power in government, he had changed his tune and became quite a promoter of the uranium industry.  His rationale was that coal was just as dirty, if not worse for the environment.  Of course there was an economic rationale as well.

I also remember this politician saying, “If you don’t stand for something when you’re 20, you won’t stand for anything when you’re 50.”  There’s some truth to that.  We typically become more conservative as we get older.  We get used to the incomes and luxuries that come with working every day, and we tend to want to preserve that security blanket.

          But even in my old age (at 34 I’m nearing mid-life!), I still hold true to a number of values, even though I’m tempted everyday to deviate from them.  For instance, I still believe that simple living is the way to live.  Spending less and giving more is a principle I would like to adhere to.  Yet I can’t deny my own desire to deviate from this almost every day.  I can’t deny that I’d be tempted to buy a nicer home if I had the money. And I certainly can’t deny that I bought a bigger, nicer vehicle when the opportunity arose. Again, when we have the money, it’s hard not to spend it.

          And I still care about the environment.  Locally, there are many things we can do to make things better.  I don’t think it’s good policy for a city in Saskatchewan to not have a city-wide recycling program.  Pardon the pun, but that’s garbage!  And it’s good to drive less in the city.  I’m fortunate that I can bike to work in summer and take the bus in winter.

Taking a global perspective, there are indeed concerns about global warming.  But again, I get irate when this takes precedence over concerns that could be solved for less money.  Instead of spending billions to reduce our emissions and delay global warming by 5 years, we could instead spend millions to eradicate malaria, which kills millions of people in the developing world every year.  Or we could spend the money to prepare developing nations for the impacts of climate change.

Most of all, I still have a concern for international aid and development.  While we have many pet projects in our own country, there are people starving in other parts of the world.  While there are many debates about how to best provide aid, I don’t believe we can close our eyes to the suffering as a result.  There are many organizations that do good work abroad, we just have to learn more about them.

So there, I think I’ve convinced myself that at age 34, I still stand for something.