Harper - more negative support

02.25.11: I have always been against Harper representing me and Canadians. 
The G8/G20 fiasco only exacerbated my dislike. 


Here is an article in the Star Tuesday outlining more things he has not done ... yet promised to do.


He has initiated great expense (more than 2 billion $s over 5 years) for harsher sentencing and being tougher on crime. This part I have a tendency to agree with - yes agree.


The problem is his hidden agenda style and lack of transparency on many significant items - see the article for 5 key items.


One of the items seems to be extremely significant but I don't see too many people making noise about it.
The G8/G20 security and expense  - A lot of law cases and analysis still have not come to the logical conclusion ... it was his responsibility alone to ensure it was handled correctly by the police and to curtail the ridiculous expense. Image what good (internationally and nationally) 1 billion $s (OUR tax $s) could have achieved!


Hopefully, there will be a suitable replacement candidate available at the next federal election.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

02.25.11: Once again, another article extolling the virtues of omega-3. I have taking this supplement for quite a while, along with odourless garlic, vitamin E, glucosamine sulphate and calcium with vitamin D. 
In addition, ASA and ibuprofen three to four times a week.
This web link has quite a bit of information supporting the use of omega-3.


"omega-3 fatty acids found in fish appeared to help those fragile DNA tips -- called telomeres -- stay younger longer."

"...telomeres grow shorter as part of the natural aging process. And stress, body inflammation, a lack of exercise, and extra pounds can shorten those tips even faster, essentially opening wider the window to all sorts of body-aging cell damage. We're talking extra wrinkles, gray hair, brittle bones, and even heart disease and cancer."


Eat more good fish and take supplements!

When to Sell Your House

02.04.11: Interesting article in the Star today.


The bottom line appears to be now is the best time to sell, if you are considering it in the next couple of  years.
Of course, the real estate folks are saying any price decline will be minimal.


For some strange reason, I put more faith in the economists.


What this news also suggests is rising precious metals prices and possibly oil prices (should any further natural disasters occur to disrupt distribution).


There may be another investment opportunity looking ...

ETFs Explained

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02.03.11: A good article in the Star this morning explaining how ETFs (exchange traded funds) can fit into your investment strategy.
I have been using them for a short time and find them to be a good partner to my mutual funds.
The two things I like about them are explained:
1. lower mgmt fees
2. trade like stocks


Financial advisors probably don't prefer you use ETFs as they don't need to be involved as you can use any online bank to trade them, instantly or at a specific price, anytime you want ... for a fee.
But you do need to maintain your risk balance and not be overly tempted by how easily you can buy the high potential returns (higher volatility) funds.

Some of you have been in ETFs for quite a while and have been promoting them. 
I am coming onside slowly but still prefer MFs as my safe haven and ETFs as my riskier investments.

Markets - Bull or Brains?

01.30.11 - A good article in the Star Jan 22nd.
I am doing well in the markets these days, as i suspect you are, due to rising global markets.


I had decided, a long while ago, to go it alone without an advisor, as most advisors have hidden agendas and are not focused on my best interests.


My approach, due to my advanced age,  is short-term mutual funds and ETFs. 
Most advisors aren't interested in this approach for mutual funds. 
ETFs are ok as you control them the same as stocks and can buy/sell at will yourself.


With all elongated bull markets, investors get more risky (as i have) and reap the rewards.


To mitigate markets volatility, this article does emphasize ETF type investments as a hedge against significant downward swings, as they represent mainly specific market indexes (such as NYMEC, COMEX, S&P, MSCI, TSX, S&P/TSX, etc) which is an averaging of items within the index.
The problem with ETFs is some are bear and some are bull related. If you selected bear related ETFs, you could have lost a fair amount (except for NYMEX Natural Gas).


So far, the bull ETFs I have been emphasizing (30% of my investing) are doing well.


The trick is to fairly accurately determine timing of the next downturn. 


I am trying to reach 20% average gain before a significant downturn occurs. Regardless, my approach is to get out before the downturn.


Anyone have a good idea or tried-and-true method (specific triggers) for fairly accurately guessing the downturn timing?

Environment - why is coal use increasing in Ontario?

01.08.11 - In the Toronto Star today.


Nuclear power is 55% of total electricity generation in Ontario.


Solar generation is 2.7% (up from 2.3% in 2009). When will it be 50%?


McGinty's liberals r doing something right ... as coal use has dropped dramatically since 2003 (when he came into office).


However, as nuclear or solar couldn't step up when hydro couldn't produce last year (water level were down), coal came to the rescue.


Wouldn't it be interesting if coal COULDN'T come to the rescue...


Another good aspect of this article is we are (for the foreseeable future) a net-exporter of electricity.


Another good investment opportunity?

One CEO Is Paid Correctly - I am impressed!

01.08.11 - I never thought I would see the day a CEO would get it right! There must be something I am missing.


A lot of us do not like Jobs' arrogance and abruptness but he is an excellent CEO!


Now, if the banks and other large tech companies could employ this strategy, we would all feel much better about senior company employee salaries.




I am an IBMer ... meaning UNIX and OS/2, etc. 
I have never been a fan of the Mac computer. However, everything this company does impresses me more than what IBM has done in the last few years. 
"The company does not provide perks to the executives other than those available to non-executive employees..."


I should have invested in it a year ago.

Scarcity of Food in the Future

02.04.11: It may be much sooner than 2050. Time to look for food related investments.


Also time to start lobbying against ethanol production.

01.06.11 - in the Toronto Star today.
 It indicates food prices have risen 25% in one year.


With China and India demand only going to rise, it doesn't look good, if we cannot find more ways to grow more food. 


The indication is we need 70% more food production by 2050.


I wonder what impact there would be if we stopped allowing ethanol production?


Wherever there is a problem, there is usually an opportunity.
Looks like food commodities (corn, grain, etc) would be a good long-term stock or mutual fund investment.

Dementia Awareness - time to get testing

01.04.11 - This article appeared in the Toronto Star today. 


Like you, i had thought i was aware of what to look for in this disease that occurs in our advancing years. Alzheimer's disease is one form of dementia.


As the article states, it is important to pay attention to diet, exercise and mental stimulation, as we age, to delay the onset.


Hopefully, you will remember to take the test.

world health in last 200 years

12.29.10: We have seen this approach in movies and it's about time it became more main-stream in this technological world we now live in. Certainly does allow us to absorb a lot of information quickly.


This world health change visualization, at first glance, indicates great world-wide health improvement in the last 200 years.


On the other hand, from a futures perspective, it looks like trouble ahead ... can our world handle this speed of increased life expectancy with growing populations in the next 200 years?


Also, if you noticed, average income in China and India, in the last 30 years, is increasing more quickly than the industrialized countries - cost of labour intensive goods will increase.


However, knowing this should allow us to create near future opportunities from future problems.


For instance, this xmas season saw emphasis on shipping (online purchases). 
Larger populations mean more customers. But manual shopping is becoming more difficult due to time to purchase. More people will shop online which mean more shipping ... maybe time to invest in the shipping industry as well as companies who emphasize online shopping. eBay saw this quite a while ago. Companies like Walmart and BestBuy haven't picked up on this yet.


All this, and much more, from a single YouTube presentation...

Bell - Rogers - Is It Worth the Struggle

16.01.08: Our Rogers deal expired in December and I looked forward to 'discussing' options again with Rogers.

Our December bill showed about 8 discounted things would be no longer discounted ... raising the bill by about $100/mo.

In recent months, I have noticed nothing (other than a few sports and news channels) worth watching. Apple TV seemed to be satisfactory for grandchildren and nothing on the HBO or specialty channels were of interest.

I decided to reduce TV to a minimum and reduce Internet somewhat and home phone cell phones could remain the same. I would like to get rid of home phone but Helen wants it.

I reviewed Rogers bundles and Bell Fibe bundle prices for comparable services and noticed prices were only slightly less ... not worth the extra effort unless Rogers were unwilling to compromise for a long term customer.

I made the Rogers call on January 4th.

Just as I was beginning the conversation, I decided (to keep it simple) to request they do whatever is necessary to reduce our monthly bill. 
After an initial discussion, I was asked to hold while they discussed with another group (discovered later, it was the loyalty group).
More discussion occurred with me and the loyalty person and they did a few things i agreed with and indicated I would be charges about $15 less than the November bill ... and be given a new modem.

Skeptical as I am with Rogers promises, I then waited a day to see what channels I would no longer be receiving.  

Now, a few of days later, I have noticed no change in the channels and Internet speed the same or better.

Once, again, active/firm discussion with Rogers support appears to have paid off (for another 2 years).

As I mentioned, thy provided a new modem which took a little time to install as their instructions were wrong.

As some of you do, we use a wireless router attached to the Rogers modem. Initially, I just replaced the old Rogers modem with the new Hitron modem (CGN2-ROG) and tested the speed with speedtest.net and noticed acceptable speed. 

I then switched the PC network to access the Hitron modem instead of our router and saw much increased speed.

I then switched my smartphone to the 5G wi-fi network that was presented under wi-fi settings, and received even faster speed.

If you switch Rogers modems and want help, give me a call.

If you want to discuss how to deal with Rogers to reduce your bill, give me a call.



13.12.11: Called Bell to cancel the service and they tried to sell me on better Internet speed using fiber optics (fast is fast - no sell) and better phone line quality (analog better than digital - no sell) and would not lower the price further. They were very polite in canceling the install.
As you can see from the blog response below, perhaps I could have pushed Rogers for more. Next time...


10.11.12 - Well, it is that time again ... put one against the other for the best Internet rate.
I must admit, it isn't something i would undertake if i wasn't retired.
However, it is worth the effort, if you have the patience, to see how good a deal you can get.


Bottom line - I got more capacity, faster speed, at less cost!


To set the stage:
I did this last year and ended up staying with Rogers as Bell wouldn't do better.
I first called Bell and hassled them for a better rate than what Rogers was providing. They indicated the best rate would happen if I included home phone (which would be completely transparent - same phone number and options).


What Happened:
This time, it appears Bell is willing to negotiate. Provided i agreed to include home phone, i got: 
 - 20% increase in Internet access speed (12Mbps), 
 - 25% increase in Internet download data per month, 
 - and reduced my monthly Internet charge by %15.
So I signed up.


Not Finished Yet:
Then I called Rogers and told them I was going to Bell because they were giving me a better rate and more capacity ... fully expecting Rogers to say they wouldn't better it.


To my surprise, Rogers, without any discussion, gave me: 
 - a new modem for no rental fee for 12 months ($7/mo thereafter), 
 - increase my speed 50% (10Mbps to 15Mbps),
 - increased my download capacity 33% (80GBs), and reduce my Rogers Internet charge by 30%.


I have set up and tried the faster Rogers service (actual speed is over 20Mbps - and it is quite noticeable) and now have 80GBs of storage (I do download a lot of movies).


Good thing i am retired and have the time to play...

Up-to-the-minute Hydro Usage

12.13.10 - Accessed my account at PowerStream and checked the data. See daily usage below. 
12.09.10 - In the Toronto Star today.
Now that we are on smart meters, we need to know our current usage (just as we do for Internet usage).
What better way is there to determine the savings generated by less electricity for specific household activities and uses.
I should be able to determine cost of leaving my computer running and we should be able to see cost of running the clothes washer and dishwasher during the normal times of the week-day vs week-ends.


As you would expect, Hydro One is NOT up-to-date yet. Their 'smart' system is not really smart ... yet.


However, they expect to have up-to-the minute consumer data soon. Stay tuned!

For now, PowerStream (Markham) has the same data for their customers (previous day) and it is quite useful. Sign in to PowerStream and look for "Smart Meter Electricity Consumption".


Here is our hourly usage 12/09 and it appears quite high at 10am and 9pm, as with other days. We will need to keep track of what we do at those times, as we are not sure right now.





I would expect to be able to adjust my home hydro usage from my iPhone, while skiing in Whistler ... very soon ...

Hydro One and PowerStream  have an Internet application that will present all your DAY OLD usage data. 

Mitigating Genetic Heritage

11.21.10 - Some people question my skipping lunches in retirement. 

Here is an article from today's Toronto Star that appears to support this approach.

I have always thought the body works better with less (but always quality) food and i enjoy being a little hungry..

What is your opinion?
 

Winter Garden Preparation

11/11/10 - I have been a fan of Mark Cullen for quite some time.
He has a blog and present gardening tips in the Star periodically.
His guidance to winter garden preparation is quite valuable.


This article in the Star Saturday, Nov 6, 2010, has many good tips to getting ready for 2011.


1. apply a good winter fertilizer (12-3-8) NOW. 


2. cut your lawn NOW and don't leave any leaves or grass clippings on the lawn. 


3. apply spiral plastic protectors to your young trees (ifodents are in your area).


4. apply approx 18" of top soil or triple mix around roses, floribunda.


5. a couple of burlap layers for the smaller cedars and junipers.


6. leave the leaves (mulch) on your gardens.


7. fully water your evergreens that are under your eves.


8. turn off your outside water (from the inside) and leave the taps open.

ETFs - I Bought Some

10/23/10 - Back on Oct 9th, I indicated i would be getting into Exchange Traded Funds (ETF) if they were a relatively safe way of investing in the shorter term (important to those over 60).

After extensive reading (i still do not fully understand how ETFs work), i decided to buy these three:
1. HBP S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Bull + ETF
2. HBP MSCI Emerging Markets Bull + ETF
3. HBP COMEX Gold Bullion Bull + ETF

Here is a chart showing how most ETF type gold, base metals and emerging markets stocks are doing right now.


It still appears to be a good time to invest in precious metals and base metals, as world demand (China and India) is on the rise.






Let's see how they do ...

Investing - buy when it snows and sell when it goes

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10/23/10 - Here is a very unusual way of timing your stock market investments!

Have you tried it?

To recap the article (for those worker-bees), do seasonal investing ... buy S&P/TSX index (such as ETFs) in October and sell in May.

In their analysis, $10,000 in S&P/TSX index from 1977 (buying in October and selling in late May) to 2010 would havew produced $176,000.

Not knowing what the markets would have produced over that time, this still looks like an excellent ROI.

Canada banks also have this type of trending for Oct-Dec.

There is a seasonal ETF - Horizons AlphaPro Seasonal Rotation ETF - for those of you who don't have time to check other areas. It launched last November and has returned 11% as of last week (compared to 8% for the S&P/TSX index).

Caveats:

1. use small amounts of money to do several seasonal trades   

2. diversify

Hydro - Time-of-Use Pricing

(left-click to enlarge pics)
10/21/10 - To put my previous item (below) in perspective, most problems are also opportunities - pessimist vs optimist.
PowerStream has sent us our usage details for August and September, in preparation for our move to TOU pricing November 26th.
They also include average daily consumption ... but use the summer rates for the analysis. As the winter rates are Nov-Apr, it would have been more useful to use them. 


Now that we know when the new rates are coming, we have an opportunity to take advantage.

Here is a copy of the rates brochure sent to everyone being impacted by smart meters.
  
















10/19/10 - Has it started in your area?
This article in the Star today indicates a small decrease in electricity cost starting November 1st ... but probably not for time-of-use (TOU) Ontarians.
The time-of-use will, in fact, raise what we pay ... unless we drastically change our habits.
I understand washer/dryers are being manufactured with timers, to help take advantage of lower off-peak rates.

Here is an exert from the PowerStream site indicating the timing for TOU in Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill and Aurora.

Here are the rates to be used at the various times of the day/week. 
Note the highest rate ($.099):
1. May-Oct - 11am-5pm
2. Nov-Apr -  7-11am and 5-9pm


Our area of Markham begins TOU after September 26th.
Here is a link to the Time-of-Use Rates Quick Guide, for your reference.
Get ready for this more expensive approach to paying for necessities! 

Home Solar Panels - is it time?

11/19/13 - Are residential solar panel roofs viable today?

The OPA MicroFIT site indicates a much lower rate (effective Jan 1,2014, for any new requests not approved before Aug 26, 2013) for the roof top Feed-in Tariff.
The 2014 rates are $.396 (less than 10kW) to $.329 (greater than 100 kW). 
The 2013 rates were $.549 (less than 10kW) to $.539 (greater than 100kW).
The 2011 rates were $.802 (less than 10kW to $.539 (greater than 500kW).

As you can see, the price per kW is dropping every year now ... and much less range in price between 10 and 100 kW.

The microFIT rules (version 3) have been altered as well and you will need to discuss these details with a qualified Ontario installer.

Here is an analysis of installation cost and ROI from back in 2011.

Here is blog of an installation in Vaughan in 2012. Good details. Hopefully, design has changed since then, as I am not impressed with the look.

Here is the OPA microFIT questions and answers site.

Lots to consider....


10/17/10 - I have been watching home installation costs for solar panels for some time now.

Back in January, i added an item to this blog about residential solar panels.

Also, a while ago, i had read the price of solar panels was decreasing due to a very large supply.

I am also aware of the price of $.802 per kilowatt hour for the FIT (Feed-in Tariff) pgm. This rate is guaranteed for 20 years!
Is it any surprise it is very difficult to be accepted by the OPA (Ontario Power Authority) for this pgm???

There are, according to this article (The Toronto Star - Oct 16th), approx 23.000 applicants for this project totalling approx 15,000 megawatts of capacity ... but only 15% have been approved to-date. Are you surprised?


The folks in this article spent approx $42k to place the panels on their large roof (27 panels).


Stay tuned. As the situations improves, i will update this item.


Hopefully, i will be able to install and feed the grid ... before i am so old i forget the value of this project...


BTW, if Vaughan is reviewing this article, i would be interested in the Australian perspective.

The best automobile driver

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10/17/10 - Finally, we have located the best driver ... cannot be distracted or angered or incompetent. 
This article appears in the New York Times section of the Toronto Star today.
This driver has much faster (and accurate) response time and unerring logic.
As a result, cars will consume less fuel and our roadways will be able to handle more vehicles more safely.


As you might expect, the driver cannot be human!


There is no company better suited to work on this solution than Google. 


The good part is it can be introduced slowly and will easily demonstrate how inefficient human drivers are!  


In my opinion, it is inevitable.

Osteoporosis - how to minimize risk

10/14/10 - You are probably aware of what this disease can do without you knowing it. One in four women and one in eight men in Canada over 50 have it. Perhaps a few of you (maybe myself included) are suffering from it - with our back problems.
This article (left-click to enlarge) from Tuesday's Star highlights the need for Calcium and vitamin D supplements particularly in those over 50 (men and women).
The recommended intake from all sources daily is:
Vitamin D - 800-2,000 IUs per day
Calcium    - 1,200 MGs per day

The Markets - Oct 9, 2010

I am getting back into Mutual Funds (MFs) and Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) and have decided to record weekly results, in an effort to gain more understanding of what to invest in ... someone who only has a few years remaining to play with their RRSPs.

This article from the Star focuses on the "dominant theme" approach for the long-haul investor. 
It should work for the shorter-term investor (5-10 years) also.
It clearly indicates energy and resources as the prime areas to invest in for the future.
If you haven't placed any retirement funds in these areas, it is not too late.
I have CIBC Precious Metals and TD Resource MFs and they are doing nicely at this time.

This article shows to best/worst 5-year funds and it clearly indicates precious metals at the top. There doesn't appear to be any way for gold to go but up. Resource stocks are also in this group and with India and China developing there will be a continued need for copper, aluminium and other base metals.

ETFs are something I have wanted to look into as a shorter-term investment.
While I don't completely understand them, I sense they are slightly less risk than MFs.
The one I am interest in and will probably buy this week is HBP NYMEX Crude Oil Bull + ETF ... after more analysis (10/20/10 - glad i didn't invest).


If you have other good ideas for shorter-term mutual fund investment, pls make a comment or send me an e-mail.

Shock and Awe

Hilary Doyle was the MC at Greg and Indira's wedding Sept 18th.
She was a great MC and has lots of self confidence and appears quite care-free and happy about life.


We watched the first episode of Shock and Awe last night and it does appear to have a place in the TV rooms of our children who should better understand investments.
If they can continue to find investment opportunities and methods of TV teaching of our young adults, this show may have a future.
Maybe our children, because of this program, will become better investors than us!

The 90/10 Principle

08/19/10 - Stephen Covey has written books on personal development:
1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
2. The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness
3. Everyday Greatness


He has also developed this simple 90/10 principle to help us overcome the natural tendency to over-react.


90/10 Principle : By Steven Covey


" Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations). What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us.
We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light. However, you can control your reaction. Do not let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's use an example:
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home,When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.
Why did you have a bad day? A) Did the coffee cause it? B) Did your daughter cause it? C) Did the policeman cause it? D) Did you cause it? The answer is “D”.
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “Its ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time”. Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having. Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you REACTED. 


You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. 


The other 90% was determined by your reaction. 


Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, do not be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You do not have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day.
A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc. How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall Off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try to bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive. 
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it. 
You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why are stressed out? It will just make Things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. 


The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. 
The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache.


We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle. It CAN change your life! "