Giving, walking, and those nasty earworms

Some random post-Christmas, pre-New Year’s thoughts:

            Everyone asks before Christmas, “Are you ready for Christmas?”  I’m never sure how to respond to this.  There are a number of answers I could provide, but never do.  Am I ready physically?  “Yes, I’ve been exercising regularly and ready to gorge!”  Am I ready psychologically?  “Yes, my wild mood swings are much milder now that Christmas is here, thank-you.”  Am I ready to give rather than receive?  “Hmm… I’ll have to get back to you on that one.”

                                                                                        

            An interesting statistic on giving:  In North America, churchgoers donate approximately 2.5% of their pre-tax income to charity/church, with only 2% of this amount going to international aid.  While churchgoers are quite good at paying for their church programs, not much seems to seep out to the rest of the world.  Churchgoers still donate more of their income to charity than non-churchgoers, but is it enough?  The president of World Vision US thinks not.  In his book, The Hole in the Gospel, he points out that Christians in North American hold more wealth than ever before, but have only shared a fraction of it with the world’s destitute.  Apparently, the Prosperity Gospel wins more souls.

            If there’s anything that points to our affluence, it’s a recent report on drunk shopping.  Supposedly, it’s become so common that online retailers are now targeting shoppers at times when they are more likely to have a few drinks in them.  Yeesh.

            I'm finding that walking to work is much more dangerous than biking.  Drivers are oblivious to pedestrians, even when the pedestrian has the right of way.  I’ve had a few close calls this month and am consequently developing a mild case of pedestrian rage.  So far I’ve resisted any obscene gestures – rather, I give a strong dose of the Froese stare (trust me, it’s nasty).

            While walking to work this morning, I passed a nice 1926 two-storey house that had just sold.  The house is on a busy street in a trendy neighbourhood.  It turns out they were asking a modest $390,000 for the place.  I recall a cousin of mine trying to sell a similar looking house just seven years ago on the same street for $125,000.  Am I missing something here?  This is Regina, no?   How can people afford this?  No one would have dreamed the “boom” would have this kind of effect on housing prices.  Some call it the Saskatchewan Advantage (an unoriginal, borrowed term) – for those looking for a home, it’s quite the opposite.

I’ve got worms, by the way… earworms.  My daughter’s music has been going through my head since Christmas.

Everyone knows that a New Year's resolution has a 90% chance of only lasting until February.  But even a month-long effort has merits.  You can burn off a lot of Christmas with a vigorous one-month fitness program (although I'm really not the person to advise on weight loss or gain).  Smokers are also encouraged to try to quit as many times as possible.  According to one report, it takes on average seven attempts to kick the habit…. and five long years.  So take heart, my smoking friends!

Happy New Year!

Do you really wanna coach here?

An open letter to Corey Chamblin, the newly appointed head coach of the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Dear Corey,

          Welcome to Saskatchewan!

          I hope you don’t mind us calling you by your first name.  Here on the Prairies, we’re a little informal – some say a little backward, too, but to this day I have yet to see a "banjo-pickin' inbred."  Hey, it takes talent to pick a banjo!

          I’m sure you’ll enjoy our home grown hospitality, where people will actually greet you on the street.  How they greet you is another story.  Let’s just say that losing streaks don't go over so well here.  One thing I can tell you for sure – a visit to the grocery store will never be the same!

          News travels fast in Saskatchewan, and everyone is looking forward to the next season with you as head coach.  Not sure if you’ve heard, but our last season didn’t end so well.  It didn’t begin too well either.  There was this guy named Greg, you see, who never really warmed up to us.  We tried to like him through those first eight games, but our prairie patience can only take us so far.  We hadn’t yet reached mid-season, and we were burning his effigy.  But you’ve got to believe us when we tell you that things don’t usually end this way.

          Although I would be remiss to not mention the whole manure incident.  Back in 2004, a certain kicker of ours got manure dumped on his driveway after missing a kick in the playoffs.   It was shameful, really.  Shameful that it wasn’t actually his driveway, but his neighbour’s!  He lasted one more season with us, bless his young family.  He now wins Grey Cups with BC.

Speaking of BC, there was also a tiny little incident when some of our fans started throwing beer cans at a certain head coach named Waaally (at least that’s what we like to call him).  Hey, it takes two to tango, and we all know the man was completely unprovoked when he started to show the wrong finger to the crowd!

          One more thing you’re probably aware of, as you coached in Calgary.  We’ve got a serious disdain for Henry Burris.  Ever since he left our team for greener pastures in Alberta, we’ve never quite forgiven the man.  Sure we love to chant “Heeenry” at games to mock the pivot and spread rumours about him in the offseason, but you gotta believe us, it’s all in fun!

          But this isn’t a time to talk about all the bad stuff that goes on here.  It’s time to talk about renewal and new beginnings.  That’s what the offseason is for.  It’s about what next year will bring.  You better enjoy it, because this is the best time to be a Riders head coach! 

          And whatever you do, don’t feel bad that you weren’t our first choice as coach this year.  You see, there’s this guy named Kent Austin, who flew in for one year and won us our third championship in a hundred years, and we kind of like him now.  We begged him to come back, but he didn’t.  Never mind that, okay?  We still think you’re swell.  In Saskatchewan, we’re used to settling for leftovers!

          Just remember, we’ll always have your back (so long as you’re winning).

          We’ll always give you advice (even when you’re winning).

          We’ll give you at least four games to get settled in (two of those better be wins).

          And we’ll always, always be thinking of, talking about, and debating about you (you better get us in the playoffs, you hear?)

          Welcome to Saskatchewan!

Sincerely,

Rider Fans

Invest in memories, not stocks

            At the tender age of 12, I received a copy of The Wealthy Barber.  Essentially, it’s a book on how to become a millionaire by the time you die… or if you’re lucky, by the time you retire.   

            I was quite a young capitalist at the time because I took it to heart and proceeded to invest my summer earnings in mutual funds.  I was advised to invest in Asian and Latin American funds because of how well they were doing at the time.  My mutual funds advisor must have adhered to the old adage, “Buy high, sell low” because that’s exactly what he did. 

            My dad and I frequently debate over whether to invest in the markets or not.  Our experiences have not been entirely positive.   When I was about 25 and I had a whole $1,000 invested, my earnings were great.  Now my investments are a little bigger and well, we all know what’s happened in the last few years. 

            But if you’re watching the stock market day to day to see how your long-term investments are doing, you probably shouldn’t be investing.  The stock market is a terrible beast that cannot be tamed.  It’s irrational and run by men who think they can outsmart one another.  If you’re nearing retirement, you may be better off to invest in something more conservative.

            But if you’re young (by this I mean under the ripe age of 50), don’t pay any attention.  Over time, the stock market is still one of the easiest and productive ways to invest cash.  And I don’t think I’m just toting the financial advisor’s line here.

            Because if there’s someone I really trust, it’s the Wealthy Barber, himself.  In his second Wealthy Barber book, David Chilton claims the stock market is still one of the best ways to invest.  Just don’t expect miracles, invest over the long term, avoid high investment fees where possible, and don’t try to outsmart the markets by investing yourself.

            But remember, I didn’t advise you to do anything with your money (it was Mr. Chilton).  I was actually pleasantly surprised that investing wasn’t the central theme of his latest book.

            It’s really about being content with what you have.  What a refreshing view.  He advocates for spending less than what you make, instead of spending more.  Completely the opposite of what most Canadians are doing right now.  The average Canadian’s debt is now 150% relative to income.

            It’s been said over and over again in some form or another that material things don’t bring happiness.  Yet we’ve been brain-washed to believe that they do.  Most ads don’t talk about how their products may cause feelings of emptiness, depression and unfulfilled desires.

My new child-sized TV

            Chilton talks about our society being consumed by consumption.  Material things tend to cause us more stress than anything.  While it’s true that they can provide satisfaction to an extent, the thrill is usually short-lived. 

            When I bought a big-screen HDTV three weeks ago, I felt it would bring some fulfillment.  And it did.  And my six-month get-every-channel-you-could-ever-want promotion adds to that fulfillment.   But over time, I know it won’t improve my life or make me any happier.  I get far more joy walking 35 minutes home from work in minus 15 degree weather, knowing I not only beat my bus, but saved $2 while doing it.  Take that, city transit!

            Spending time with family, exercising, and working/playing outdoors will bring much more joy to your life than any big-screen TV (unless, of course, you’re watching with the family outside while exercising).

Dad doing the Lambeau leap

            Interestingly, Chilton writes that it’s money spent on experiences, not things, that gives us the biggest bang for our buck.  Buy something, and you lose interest after a while.  Pay for an experience (like a 16-hour trip to watch the Green Bay Packers), and you make memories that will last forever.   

Like when my dad streaked across Lambeau Field in the fourth quarter in front of 73,000 screaming fans.  Now that was a memory.

            A made-up memory, yes, but one that has value as well.

D’s doomsday report

          Time to delve into a topic I enjoy most: the end of the world economy.

          Okay, I jest a little.  I’m not suggesting it will necessarily be the end of the good life as we know it.   But our society is so focused on the present that we often lose sight of some troubling spots on the horizon.

So if you enjoy a good doomsday report, please, read on!

1. The debt bomb.  Canadians now have the highest debt relative to income ever, at 150%.  We even beat out the debt-loving Americans. Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney has repeatedly warned that Canadians are taking on too much debt.  And he has credibility.  He’s now chairman of the global Financial Stability Board, the entity in charge of preventing economic collapse worldwide.  Plus he’s one cool dude (seriously, have we ever had a cooler governor?)

Housing prices in Canada have reached a new peak.  Just a few years ago $200,000 could buy you a mansion in Saskatchewan – now it buys you an 800 square foot bungalow.  Many fear what a 2-3% increase in interest rates would do to home owners.

Government debt is another hot topic that’s currently wreaking havoc on Europe.  A full-scale collapse of the Euro and/or a market crash could result in the next year.  How long before the same situation faces the United States?  They know they can’t keep borrowing forever, yet they refuse to increase taxes or confront an issue that will keep getting bigger…

          2. Health care.  All industrialized countries, whether offering private or public care, will face a huge task of addressing health care costs in the next 10-30 years.  As baby boomers retire, their frail, aging bodies will need drugs, therapies and maybe even bionic limbs (hey, you never know!)  This will come with significant costs, but this unfunded liability is rarely acknowledged by governments today.

          3. Environment.  The problem with climate change is that its affects are projected so far into the future that we have trouble addressing them today.  While I think reducing emissions worldwide is nearly impossible, we should be investing much more into research and technologies to mitigate the effects of climate change.

          Another frightening issue that gets much less attention is the health of our oceans.  Over-fishing, chemical pollution and warmer water temperatures are having a devastating effect on earth’s largest ecosystem.  I’m no expert on what this all means, but we’ve seen the effects of a failed fishery on Canada’s east coast.  This kind of economic/environmental collapse is playing itself out across the globe.

          4. The end of oil.  This will probably have the biggest impact on our day to day lives over the next half century.  We won’t see the end of oil in our lifetimes, but we’ll see the end of cheap oil.  Despite all our advances in technology, we still have no one solution to solve our energy problems.

          Perhaps there will be a seamless transition from our oil-dependent ways to other alternatives.  More than likely, we’ll have to live with less as we trade in our SUVs for hatchbacks, and hopefully not horses (although my dad wouldn't mind).  As economist Jeff Rubin has noted, it was high oil prices in 2008 that precipitated the global recession and high oil prices that will continue to hinder a recovery.  With a lack of cheap energy, anemic economic growth may become the norm.

          Those are my doomsday predictions and I’m sticking to them!

          Please don’t let it ruin your day.