Thursday, December 31, 2009

How do you like my ass?



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Yesterday on the job. The intersection of 96 Avenue

and 176 Street in Surrey. Stopped facing east on 96 ave. You can left

click me and blow me up if you like.

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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Thursday December 31, 2009
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Well, it's all over but the shouting friends. That's right, less than 24 hours and we will be participating in the New Year - 2010. Excited? I suppose we all get a little thrill about these kinds of things. You know, just like on birthdays. That is what a new year is anyway, just another kind of birthday and the start of a new year. See what I mean? We all like getting rid of the past and look forward to the future. Strange human behavior eh?
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So, what do you think of my ass anyway? Pretty big eh? Yup, this is just one of the many strange things that you see on the road when you are in the courier business. Just another big ass that is all. I wonder where the big asshole is going anyway. Who knows or cares eh? I mean, why think about the behinds when you can think about the fronts which are much more exciting. More exciting because you don't know what lies ahead. Just like the big asshole in front of me. I don't know what his or her face looks like. And, I don't know what the future looks like either until I get there. So, go ahead and dwell on the past or the asshole if you like, but for me, I think futures and faces might be more exciting. What do you think? Are you an ass man or a face man?
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Anyhow, don't forget about the weekend coming up. That is future territory of course and that means that the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey is cranking up again - tomorrow. The future. Got to love it eh? Yup, another year of great entertainment for me, and you of course, if you are a harness fan. Geez. I just thought of something. Right now, I mean. Of course. This asshole that we are looking at is a reminder of the future and of horse racing. How stupid of me for not seeing that. Did you see it or think about it? Well, I sure did not. Maybe I am not so smart after all. And, maybe that is because I was concentrating on the past or the behind when I should have been thinking about the front or the future. Weird eh?
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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Getting closer to the end....



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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Wednesday December 30, 2009

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.See what I mean? About the stock market, that is. So, there I was all pumped up yesterday and thinking the market was in decent shape and that it was going to continue its upward momentum. And, then what happens? Well, there is sort of a sell-off world-wide, more or less. Actually, the losses in my portfolio were fairly minimal yesterday, with some of my Canadian equity funds actually showing gains. But, the damage seems to be occurring in the commodities sector, you know, things like oil and gold. And, these are the things that propelled the Canadian market higher this year. Well, now they are in decline as you can see. I just finished reading a Bloomberg article detailing how some of the big U.S. equity funds never recovered from the tech meltdown at the beginning of the century. Like some are down as much as 67% or so. Now, that is brutal indeed. But, it is also a stark lesson for all of us I think. The market is a dangerous game based on greed and fear. That is what it is pure and simple. And, that is why I run a defensive portfolio - because I can sense the dangers that lurk in that place known as the market. I am currently up just over 13% for the year and I am trying to hold on to those gains as you might expect. Anyhow, I will be doing a post over on the main part of my blog, mostly likely tomorrow night showing my year end and quarterly returns for my portfolio.

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Work was kind of slow yesterday, but not a write off though. I made a bit of dough and I got to test out my GPS a little more. I used it most of the day actually even though I really did not have to of course. I just wanted to get the feel of the thing that is all. There were a couple of instances though where it helped me out. I thought I knew what I was doing in Chilliwack, for example, but the GPS located an address and I didn't really realize that that is where it was. I even drove by the street that the machine told me to turn right on because I thought it was making a mistake. So, I drove back and discovered that it knew what it was doing all along. The thing about the machine though is that it keeps you from trying to locate addresses on buildings and that kind of thing. It makes you lazy in a way. So, that is something that I am going to have to get used to. The machine will have to do all of the work knowing what the addresses are. I am going to have to give up some power to the machine and rely on its ability to know what the addresses are. So, hopefully, with this new realization that the machine knows best I will be the better for it. Like, for example, I was in downtown Vancouver at the end of the day and I let the machine guide me from an area to the south of the core to an area that I was not totally sure of right downtown. I wanted to see if the machine could take me to an address that was fairly foreign to me. And, it did it without a hitch, detailing and leading me by the hand in downtown rush hour traffic. So, that will be a plus for those streets that I am not totally confident with. And, there are lots of these kinds of streets let me assure you.

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So, just a couple more days at work and then we can wrap things up for another year. That means telling you about my portfolio performance as I stated above and cleaning up the other areas of my life as well. I suppose the big thrill for me right now is the opening of the track on the weekend, starting on New Year's Day on Friday. So, you all know what to do if you are popping into town. Talk to you all later.

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Still thinking positively....



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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Tuesday December 29, 2009
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Back on the job friends and then we will run it through to the end of the year on Thursday. That's right the end of the year. So, how were things for you under the recession or depression or whatever it was or is eh? Just kidding, but you all know what I mean, I hope.
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Still watching the market and sensing that things are on the upward swing, but who knows for how long eh? I guess the main thing about the markets is that the general trend of things is up. But, only up if things are in fairly decent order that is. I mean, look what happened to Japan after their stock market crashed back in 1989 or so. They have had twenty years of a stagnant stock market and deflation. Now, you have to certainly consider these kinds of things when you are talking about the U.S. as well. And, that is because the problem in that country is centered on the banks and credit as well. The banks in the U.S. blew up and they were bailed out and that means that the taxpayers are on the hook for billions and trillions of dollars. And, just how would you feel if you were losing your job, your house value is declining and your stocks and everything else is losing value. You would be one mean character that is what you would be. The U.S. is still in very tough shape in spite of the recent market run up. I don't think the Americans can really get excited about the market necessarily because they now are being forced to be savers. They have to be just in order to survive the current financial situation. Things have really changed in that country and I think we are all going to be feeling the effects of that change for a long time to come. And, I haven't even talked about the new trillions of dollars of debt or the wars that just do not stop.
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Don't forget that there is room for optimism in these quarters over here as I pointed out yesterday. My portfolio is making progress, but more importantly, harness racing kicks off again on Friday down in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. So, if you guys are popping into town ( my friends and acquaintances, that is ) I hope you can find time to pop in and check things out once the season gets under way. This morning I will be checking out my Nuvi in Chilliwack so that will be a lot fun of course. That is about it for now friends so talk to you all later.
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Monday, December 28, 2009

Why power is important....


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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Monday December 28, 2009
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Another day off friends and time to ponder once again. I have to tell you that I am feeling a sense of power this morning. This power is related to current conditions in my life of course. I suppose the big power related thing is the current direction of the stock market - which is up. Now, the whole thing doesn't necessarily have to be real and meaningful, it just has to look good - and it does. As we move quickly toward the end of the year there is a great likelihood that I will achieve my stated financial objectives for the year. I am already around 13% up year-to-date and the only other concern is the idea of recapturing all of my losses from 2008. And, we are very close to that goal as we speak. The market does indeed look to be headed upward toward for the remaining days of the year.
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The other big thrill for me right now is anticipating the opening of the racetrack this coming weekend. That is the Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey. This is a big part of my life of course and is my main source of entertainment during the winter months, and even into the summer months too. The excitement of the whole thing is the thought of figuring everything out and making a quick buck in the process. I think we all get some kind of rush when we figure something out and then are rewarded for our efforts. Well, the racetrack is one of those things that can be a good ego booster for you and I guess that is why I enjoy it so much. There is nothing quite as thrilling as making an instant monetary return and being rewarded for making the right choices at the right time.
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So, I think you can easily see how these power things are important in a person's life. Little power and money things really do have an effect on us. Well, they have an effect on me anyway and I consider myself to be quite a normal person with regular kinds of desires. I am just trying to give you some examples of how important these kinds of things are to the psyche of a person, even if you do not partake of the same kinds of things that I am interested in. If you examine your own life maybe you will discover things in them that have the same kind of effects as my little power things or ego boosters have.
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And, there are even a couple of other things that I could add into the mix as well. I mean, just think about the effect of the weather in the whole scheme of things as well. Why, if you are on top of the world and it is sun shiny out what could be more fantastic than that? Well, not much of course except for the idea of love. Yes, friends, even good old love can get into the picture and add another element of goodness to the whole thing. If you are a regular reader of my blog then you certainly know what I am talking about. I guess the point of the whole thing friends is that you have to savour the good moments when they come your way. Remember, nothing really lasts for ever in their current form. But, the point of the whole thing is to enjoy all of the wonderful ego boosters when they come together and make you a happy person. Yes, even materialism has a part to play in the human emotional drama. I think we should accept materialism and all of the other things for what they are. Good old fashioned ego boosters, the power things that make us human and happy. Well, thanks for reading and have a nice day for who knows what tomorrow will bring eh?
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Sunday, December 27, 2009

My new Boxing Day friend....



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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Sunday December 27, 2009

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Pictured above friends is my latest toy. Actually, it is not a toy at all because I bought it for work in the courier business. Hopefully, this new tool will make me more productive and satisfied on the job.

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The model of the GPS shown above is the Garmin Nuvi 255W. I did not get the model with the hands free capability although I could have. It would have the same features as the above model of course but with that added convenience. I just decided against it that is all. So, Boxing Day turned out quite exciting for me as you can see. I was up early, even at 6:00 AM which is when the store actually opened in one of our local malls here.

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It was a very satisfying experience indeed. I got to the mall parking lot only to discover that it was packed with cars trying to find spots to park. The time was around 9:00 AM. I was not deterred however and it did not take me long to find parking at all for there was a continuous movement of cars in and out of the parking spots. The air was crisp and it was sunny out with some fog still lingering about as well. Once parked, I walked a short distance to the entrance of the store. Already, shoppers were leaving the store with their new purchases dangling in front of me. They were proudly displaying their wares, their packages which were clearly marked indicated a new notebook computer or some other much desired electronic device. So, I ventured into the store and settled myself into a long line up in a corner of the store. I was with a group of other eager GPS purchasers. There was a real sense of comradeship here as we were all interested the same kind of purchase. None of us had owned a GPS of this type before and we were eager to share our ideas and concerns about the product.

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After I made the purchase I headed over to my friend's house in Burnaby. This trip allowed me my first experiences with the machine. You simply type in the street to where you want to go and the device will do all the work for you. This machine talks and does not miss a beat. It tries to find for you the shortest and most effective way to get to your destination. It warns you in advance of when to turn and to what streets to watch out for. And, it even knows when you make an error as well. And, it quickly makes the adjustments in route format for you. It is a quick and efficient machine, and as I said, it is a friendly female voice that is doing all of the heavy lifting for you.

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Another great feature of the machine is that it can find restaurants and like things for you. Now, as you all know I like to go to McDonald's restaurants throughout the day. So, I simply type in " McDonald's " and it gives me all of the close ones with their addresses of course. This will be really handy as you can imagine, especially when I am in unfamiliar territory, as regards the location of the closest McDonald's, that is. So, all you do is select the desired restaurant location from the list provided and the machine will take you there and lead you by the hand in the process.

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A further terrific feature of the machine is its ability to guide you during the night in the fog for example. And, that is what I experienced last night while driving home from my friends place. It was dark and it was foggy. Now, just to add a little excitement to to my trip home I punched in Karen's old address as my destination. So, once I pumped this information into the machine the trip was all set up for me. And, it was a perfectly executed trip indeed, from Burnaby all the way to Delta it knew exactly what it was doing. I told me to keep left for example when I had to get into a lane to approach the roads leading to the Alex Fraser Bridge, and with lots of warning. So, just imagine the foggy conditions in a strange area and think how handy this machine would be. Now, I knew the area that I was dealing with, but a stranger would have nothing but trouble in a foreign place at night and in the fog. This machine was a real gem the way it led me over the Bridge and into Delta, telling me in detail what to do and what streets to turn on to. Yes, friends this machine turns the dark into light with its capabilities. And, needlessly to say it took me right by Karen's old house, in the dark and in the fog. Got to love it.

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That is all for now friends. Talk to you all later and have a nice day. Oops, I almost forgot. Next week is the opening of the Meadowlands. So, if any of my friends and acquaintances are popping into town you know where I will be. And, if you do not know how to get there then I suppose it is time to buy your new GPS street finder. Believe me this machine will know where the racetrack is. I just punched in Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino and it has it in its memory. So, that is the Nuvi for you.

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

Boxing Day 2009....



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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Saturday December 26, 2009

Boxing Day

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Well, I guess we got through another Christmas safe and sound eh? Glad you made it. So, now we are into Boxing Day and the associated shopping madness. Are you going out today? Should be huge here in Vancouver especially with the fantastic sunny weather that we are having. Don't kid yourself, it would be huge even if it was pouring rain or snow. People just like to get into the malls and the electronics stores and have a look around. I have done it in the past years, but it was mostly just gazing around for me and checking out the crowds and that kind of thing. I did a little on-line searching to see if there is anything that I really need or want and I came up short. I can live without any new toys right now I think. For you see, I am mostly a contented older adult when it comes to my toys. But, then of course one never knows does one, once he gets into the malls I mean, and spots a bargain or something that just catches his eye. Well, that is just the fun of the whole thing I guess.

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Not much else to report at this time friends. I am still alive and I hope you are too. Are you still alive? Pretty funny eh? Well, maybe you are dead and are reading my blog anyway. And, just maybe I have more dead readers than live ones. Who knows? Now, that would really be something now wouldn't it? Anyway, glad to see you all made it and hope you enjoy your Boxing Day sales if that is what you are going to do. There is harness racing today as well I suppose, but I am not particularly interested as the Meadowlands is not up and running ( as far as I know ). Now, that will be really something to look forward to of course in the brand new year coming up. So, at least I have something to live for and I hope you guys do as well. But, I will bet you that most of you are not living just to make bets at a racetrack - right?

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas from Vancouver


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Merry Christmas 2009

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Friday December 25, 2009

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams
( and weather report )

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It is pretty early here on the West Coast friends, but never too early to wish all of my friends and acquaintances all the best. So, all to the best to all of my friends and acquaintances. The above snap is a picture that I would have taken earlier on this year while on the job. We had a really beautiful summer here and I was able to take lots of snaps and videos as well. If you get a chance you can browse this portion of my blog and the main section as well.

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Three Christmas presents for you:

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.A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

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..9/11 THE GREAT CONSPIRACY

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.and ...

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.Superpower

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.Merry Christmas and talk to you all later.

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Christmas Eve 2009....



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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Thursday December 24, 2009

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Just one picture for today friends and that is the picture above. I took this photo yesterday while on the job. Once again, I am showing you the lane where the girl was struck down in the ice and snow last year. Notice that there is no snow and ice this year in this area. You can read about that incident here: Carl Baydala's Christmas Message

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The Christmas rush seems to have slowed down a bit from the last couple of days. Everyone is still in a good mood and the weather is quite pleasant. Hopefully, you can get a feel for the weather from the photo above.

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People are really scurrying around doing their last moment Christmas shopping and the mall parking lots are quite congested as you might expect. I haven't had that much job contact with the malls this year so that is a good thing for my serenity. But, I certainly know what to expect when I venture into one. All of the customers are in a general good frame of mind and the job is proceeding as best it can under the circumstances. And, of course, all of us Vancouverites have the Olympics on the back of our minds as well.

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So, that is about the extent of my report on this Christmas Eve friends. I hope that all of my friends and acquaintances get through the holidays in one piece and that they will live to see another Christmas as well. That is what Christmas is really all about friends; it is a simple celebration of life and the realization that we are all part of it. I like to think of Christmas as a giant birthday party - we are all just happy to be alive. Talk to you all later.

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Getting closer to Christmas....

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Wednesday December 23, 2009

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Well, we are inching closer to Christmas friends so I hope you are all enjoying the Holiday atmosphere. I know I am and it is a lot of fun working in the courier busy during this season. And, of course the weather always makes it even more fun, whether it be snow, rain, or what have you. Right now we are enjoying fairly mild winter weather and the sun is even trying to shine a bit. If you are interested here is the kind of thing that we were experiencing in Vancouver last year around this time. This is a post I did last year about a rather horrible event that occurred just before Christmas: Carl Baydala's Christmas Message ( Note the story that took place on December 23rd )

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Anyhow, here are a few more BlackBerry pager snaps for you. They are all in Burnaby which is the big municipality just to the east of the City of Vancouver. I spent most of my teenage years in these parts actually and driving through these parts always brings back a few memories for me. The first two pictures are of our public automobile insurance company or ICBC. Most of these buildings would have been built in the early seventies just after the socialist or NDP government finally got into power. The third picture is sitting at the light going south on Willingdon and crossing Lougheed Highway. Juneau and Alaska Streets are just below Lougheed Highway off to the right. The final picture is still Willingdon going south. McDonald's B.C. Headquarters is just off to the right of the picture and we have just passed Juneau and Alaska Streets as well. Talk to you all later.




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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Always thinking about the stock market....



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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Tuesday December 22, 2009
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( and weather report )
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It was a fairly decent day at work yesterday friends and I made my out to Abbotsford and back. The weather is still kind of crappy, however, but it is supposed to pick up starting today.
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I guess I am mostly focused on the stock market right now and monitoring my retirement portfolio more than anything else. I am getting conflicting opinions about where the markets are heading. Actually, if you want to the truth of the matter it is not much sense in listening to the pundits at all. And that is because some of them are going to be right and some of them are going to be wrong. I suppose the only advice that I can give you right now is to just stay invested if you believe in the integrity of the stock market. That is about all that I can say about the whole thing at this point. I know that it is difficult to stay invested sometimes, especially when the market can be so volatile and uncertain at times. I mean, it is either just economic conditions themselves or even the political events that have a way of upsetting one's serenity and can make a person question just why he is in the market to begin with. Now, I am not a stock professional or even close to it. I am just a person trying to save for his retirement and the stock market is one of those tools that is available to me. So, I think it is incumbent upon all of us who are interested in our future to at least make an attempt to understand the whole thing and how it works. And, that is why I monitor my portfolio pretty closely ( and yes even listen to the pundits ) and make changes to it as I deem necessary. One thing that you will learn, however, that it is not possible to even achieve success by doing that ( changing things around ) and that is because of the nature of the animal itself; you simply cannot control this beast known as the market. So, you just have to stay invested and hang on tight to your chair sometimes because it can be a very rough ride indeed. My advice would be to not pay much attention to the touts or the so called experts because like I said above half of them are right and half of them are wrong. So, that makes the stock market and trying to figure it out some kind of a mugs game to a degree. How do I handle all of this craziness? I am generally a buy and hold person as I have pointed out to you, with some qualifications. I like to shift my stuff around once in a while because that gives me the feeling of control and the idea that I am saving my capital, which is the name of the game of course. Also, I like to maintain a certain balance between equities, bonds, and cash, depending on the direction of the market and general economic conditions. For example, right now I am about 38% equity and the rest is mostly cash related things and a smattering of bonds. These are all mutual funds of course. Year-to-date my gains are about 12.70% and I have mostly recovered my losses from 2008 as well. In fact, there was one day, not too long ago, where I did in fact recover all of those losses.
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Monday, December 21, 2009

Doing my Monday morning banking...



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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Monday December 21, 2009

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OK, so now all of the big Sagittarian birthdays are over and now we can get back to normal. But, it is good to celebrate these events though I think you would all agree. I mean, it is good to remember the important people in one's life and to be able to celebrate the most important day in one's life. A birthday means life friends and that is why they are very important things.

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You know, I have been reading about this Federal Reserve business down in the States for maybe a couple of years now. Now, there are the hard core conspiracy guys who do not think much of this organization at all. Check out yesterday's post, for example and watch the link on the bottom of the page. Individuals like Eustace Mullins, for example, think that the Fed is the root of all of our problems. Essentially, what he is saying is that the Fed is an evil entity that is responsible for war and all manner of discontent for the population. Like many others that I have read about lately he comes across as one who really believes in what he says and he seems determined in his beliefs. He is a true rebel in my opinion and much of what he says seems to have some relevance. The Federal Reserve Bank does truly have a lot of power and they do in fact appear to have an agenda.

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The main thing that you have to keep in mind about the Federal Reserve is that it is a group of private bankers who control the whole U.S. financial system and economy. So, that means that these bankers do in fact have a lot of power. The point of the whole thing of course and the question that should be foremost in all of our minds is: are they using that power to benefit themselves or are they thinking of the welfare of the nation?
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Remember, the bankers met in secret back in 1913 and that is when they got the power that they have today. They have the power to create money and to influence all manner of financial and economic activity. They can create inflation and they can create depressions as well. And, they do these things by affecting the money supply and controlling interest rates and the like. For myself, I am skeptical of this group of private bankers since they control the financial levers as it were. There are no assurances, for example, that whatever they do will not benefit themselves more than the general economy. And, if it can be found that they are gaining unnecessarily from their relationship to the U.S. government then why are they even in business?
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You also have to remember that the Federal Reserve and its constituents would gain from something like war. Wars are good for banks because that means that they can lend the government money to conduct its wars. They gain from lending money and collecting a rate of interest for doing so. So, how do we really know if the bankers do not have some kind of an agenda to promote war, just for the sake of war? We don't really know of course and that is where the business of conspiracy comes into play. Good conspiracies I think are based on facts as they appear on the ground in my estimation. Eustace Mullins understands that conspiracies abound in our society for this very reason. Nobody does anything for nothing as it were and if we can determine that somebody is capable of profiting from whatever situation then that makes for a legitimate conspiracy theory to develop. That is why an entity like the Federal Reserve becomes suspect when wars are created, simply as a consequence of them being beneficiaries to such events.
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Also, you have to remember that this central bank, the Fed has the power to create money out of thin air. That is a lot power in my view and it makes me stop and wonder about the power of this institution. If an administration wants to wage war for example it has an easy supply of money by which to conduct that war. It simply issues bonds to the Fed and collects the money to conduct its wars. So, an administration can conduct its wars and in the meantime the Fed and its constituents can once again earn a rate of interest for creating money out of thin air. Everybody is happy of course except the taxpayer who now has trillions of dollars of debt for which he is responsible. Was anybody thinking about the taxpayer when all of these wars were thought about?
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Also, think about the current financial crisis that we are engaged in. How do you think this happened, by some accident perhaps? Not very likely when you consider the events that led up to the crisis itself. The Federal Reserve you may recall is responsible for interest rates. And, the interest rates were low for a long time before the crisis became full blown. Through the actions of the bankers on Wall Street who were supposed to be regulated by the Fed they created toxic products out of risky mortgages. And, they bundled these things up and sold them worldwide. So, that means that there was a lot of bad paper out there and many large institutions had these things on their balance sheets. And, many financial and other companies were leveraged as well, using their risky assets as collateral. But, then the mortgages started going bad. Even a slight uptick in interest rates can cause problems for a fragile economy. And, the economy is very fragile indeed.
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We know the history friends. Everybody does now. The system such as it is collapsed right in front of us. And, what is the " system " you ask? Well, the system is what it is. There are quite a few things involved here, but I am going to try and bundle it all together for you so that you can understand it as I have come to understand it. Globalization means that the nation's jobs are being shipped overseas to places like China. The corporations have found out that they can produce things more cheaply in foreign lands. That also means that the U.S. citizens are being slowly forced into lower and lower paying jobs, or they might not have any job at all for that matter. But, these things matter not for international corporations and their allies, the bankers. They are interested in making money and nothing more. That is why they exist. Basically, what comes about as a function of globalization is that those that remain employed and who have assets are forced to borrow more, or live off of their remaining assets. The stock market and one's home are examples of assets. Now, recall that the banks were engaged in a low interest rate policy for a good long time. This policy allowed bubbles to occur in the stock and housing markets. So, everything was OK while things were running smoothly. People could borrow and they could buy houses, sometimes expensive houses too since inflation was raising their prices. And, the inflation of course was a function of the expanding credit in the economy. Well, everything was hunky dory of course while the game was being played. The Wall Street bankers were making a ton of money just doing what they normally do as well as selling the toxic assets which I mentioned above. People of low income were buying houses beyond their means and everyone was taking on more risk and more debt. But, then the system failed as we all know. It just all came to an end when the bubbles starting bursting and when everyone realized that the assets they had were not really worth what they though they were worth.
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And, so the banks started to fail and were losing billions of dollars because of the conditions that existed before the crash. But, the banks never have to worry of course because the Federal Reserve System are bankers also. In fact, they are fellow bankers and they are conducting the same kind of business. So, is it a surprise to anyone therefore that there were to be billions of dollars for the bankers but virtually nothing for the average citizen when he got into trouble? Do you think it is fair that the banks were bailed out of their misery while the lower and middle classes continue to suffer as they do? The point is dear friends that it does not have to be fair when you are in control. The bankers do not care about the average citizenry. Why do you think they pay the excessive wages to their executives so quickly after they were on death's door? They do that because they know whose side the Federal Reserve is on. And, it is not on the side of the average citizen that is for sure. Banks are only interested in making money and profit and not the sentiments of the civilian population. That is just the way things are friends, as I see them anyhow. Talk to you all later.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Happy Birthday Connie Baydala


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Good Morning Friends,

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today is December 20, 2009

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Today is Connie's birthday, so let's all wish her a great big happy birthday.

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Happy Birthday

Connie Baydala!

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.Connie Baydala is not actually Connie Baydala of course, but Connie somebody else as you might expect. But, we do not want to get too personal here of course, so let's just call Connie as she started out in life, and that is of course as Connie Baydala, namely my sister. Since Connie is another Sagittarian that I know maybe we could insert this horoscope explanation of her while we are at it. Surely, there must be some common characteristics among these Zodiac types for them to have any meaning. So, if you personally know any Sagittarians then you can decide for yourself if this is what a Sagittarian is like.

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. Sagittarius Horoscope

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Connie is a little bit older than me and that is why I am the baby brother. Do you think I look like a baby brother? Well, I am you know. Maybe some of you guys have a baby brother as well, so you know what kind of people us baby brothers are. But, this post is not about baby brothers of course, but Connie's birthday. Connie is the big sister. Do you have a big sister? Well, if you do then you know what big sisters are like. Well, I just think that Connie is the perfect Sagittarian. She was the first Sagittarian girl that I ever knew so I know all about these female Sagittarian signs. That is why I am an expert when it comes to female Sagittarians. They are fires signs friends and let me tell you that Connie is pure fire as far as the Zodiac is concerned. So, let's just wish the fire girl a Happy Birthday one more time and leave it at. I don't know what fire girls do on their birthday, but it must be something pretty hot if you know what I mean.

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Talk to you all later

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Another bonus banking tidbit for you. Eustace Mullins

talks about the Federal Reserve and other important details.

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Google Video: Eustace Mullins and the Federal Reserve

Saturday, December 19, 2009

My first candies....


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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Saturday December 19, 2009
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You may recall friends, my frustrations with the bankers, as outlined on yesterday's submission to my daily blog on these very pages. Well, I think I have may have broken the spell of these greedy individuals and things might just be turning around in the candy and gift department at work. Take a look at the photo above. That is my very first Christmas present from a customer. I should tell you that it was not actually an offering, but something that I took from a table that was in front of a receptionist. There was a bowl of candy canes sitting there and I simply asked if I could have one. And, the only reason I asked is because they were right there for the taking. So, all that was required was a bit of bravery on my part, and that was definitely forthcoming at that point in my life and at that particular moment. I simply needed to score my first Christmas treat of this 2009 Christmas season. And, that is why I ventured to ask the receptionist if I could have a candy cane. She was most gracious of course and told me that I certainly could have a treat from the bowl. Upon knowing that I could have one of the candies I proceeded to inform her that this was my very first Christmas treat of the year from a customer. She was very understanding indeed and suggested that there would be more treats coming my way. I thanked her for her support in the matter and carried on with my deliveries.
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In the next couple of hours after leaving this office I would make my way out to Maple Ridge and then back into Vancouver. On the way back into Vancouver I stopped into one of our long standing customers. I entered the office to drop off a very important delivery from one of our other customers. As soon as I approached the desk to get a signature I was immediately asked if I would like a Christmas chocolate candy. Yes, friends, I was asked if I would like a candy. You can certainly imagine my joy upon hearing these words. Of course I wanted a candy, that is the thing that I was dreaming about. Yes indeed friends, for me this was the beginning of the turning or the tide in my favour. I was beating down the bankers and beating them at their game. I had friends left who were willing to share and who cared not about about how other people conducted their business during these trying times. I was about to receive my very first chocolate candy of this Christmas season and it made my day come alive let me tell you. I thanked the receptionist and told her of the importance and what that chocolate candy meant to me. She understood the significance of course and even had the foresight to say: " People are being grinches aren't they? " I thanked her for her commentary and carried on with my work.
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So, just what does it all mean friends? I mean, me telling you about this little event in my life? I mean, candy canes and chocolate candies, are these things really that important, or even worthy of mentioning? You bet your life they are. They are important to me because they are my way of making sense of this world that I live in. Yes, friends as you can see I live in a world that revolves around the interaction of people and their personalities. I am just trying to show you how things of a seemingly unimportant nature are actually connected to things that are very important indeed. Things like world finance and how people and economies really work. I hope you are able to see some of these things in these little candy stories. That is my wish anyway.
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Well, it is exactly one week after Karen's Big Bonus Birthday and I hope she is doing well at her work and in her life. So, let us take out a moment and wish her well. There. I just did it, so I hope everyone else did so as well. I was planning on taking the car for a spin in the sunshine today because the weather person said there would be sun here. I don't think they got it right though, but I may be wrong about that. Who knows anyway? See you all later.
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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams
( and weather report )
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A Bonus Treat for You:
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Friends, here is a link to a Vancouver analyst who is also taking on the greedy bankers. Now, this is the Canadian mainstream media here and it is good to see this relevant type of discussion. The person being interviewed in the segment believes that the Federal Reserve Bank in the U.S. is not long for this world and he explains the nature of the beast for us.
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Friday, December 18, 2009

How the greedy bankers stole my Christmas candies....


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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Friday December 18, 2009
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Last day on the job friends and then a couple of days to relax. It is a little busier than normal as I have already told you in some previous posts. So, that is a good thing of course. It seems to be a fairly normal Christmas rush as far as Christmas rushes go I suppose. But, there is one notable difference this year and I must tell you about that right now.
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Friends, it is with a great deal of sorrow that I report this to you now. I am not getting any Christmas candies or gifts from the customers this year. Oh, I am not really expecting to get presents of course, but the odd one does come my way. The real disappointment this year is the lack of candies. That's right, candies. Candies sitting on the counters when you walk into the offices to make a delivery. Nobody has offered me a candy or a chocolate this year. Why, in past years the counters would be loaded with treats. I could be sampling a chocolate here and a candy there and all manner of pleasant treats. But, not this year. Nothing. My friend got a candy yesterday, but to date I am received absolutely nothing. I mean, sure there are still candy bowls on the counters and in the reception area, but they do not appear to be for the couriers or other visitors. And, most of the candy bowls that I have encountered lately have simply been - empty. I do come across the odd candy bowl filled with treats but they are not accessible, they are usually set aside or off the counter and out of reach. They might be sitting next to the receptionist where she can guard and protect them. Yes, friends, what I am telling you is that the customer is retreating and not offering these treats this year. He is tightening up and he is taking his candies with him.
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So, what accounts for this behavior this Christmas season you might be wondering? Well, I would say that is the economic conditions that we find ourselves in. People are handling less money and they are simply recoiling. They are not being as generous as in past years and this is showing up in the candy phenomenon that I am trying to explain to you. And, I think it all goes back to the greedy bankers on Wall Street. That is what I think if you want my opinion on the matter. Yes, that is it, it is the bankers that are making me have an unhappy, candy less Christmas as it were. The bankers have caused my customers to hold out that is what they have done. That is how interconnected we are friends and that is how interwoven our economies really are. The lack of candies is the collateral damage if you will from the financial crisis that struck in late 2007. Yes indeed friends, when people tighten up and feel less rich, well they reveal to us their feelings in many ways. And, one of the ways in which they show their behavior is the example that I am trying to portray to you. People are less generous and it all goes back to the bankers. The bankers who ruined our economy and who have now damaged our Christmas as well. Talk to you all later.
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Thursday, December 17, 2009

The usual concerns....



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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Thursday December 17, 2009
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Well, things are certainly returning to normal after the recent snow scare that is for sure. That's right, back to the rains and working with the customer and enjoying a typical December-like work environment. It has been fairly busy this mid-month and there is the odd Christmas gift to deliver as well. People are in a pretty decent mood and I am sure everyone is thinking about the Christmas holidays that are almost upon us.
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I am thinking about the Christmas things of course just like everyone else. But, there are always a couple of other big things that I think about all of the time too. I am sure you guys all know what those things are by now if you have spent any time at all with me on my blog. So, no sense in even mentioning them, right? Well, maybe just one tiny mention of the lesser of the things then. And, that is the stock market of course. I made a small alteration to my portfolio yesterday. I sold all of my international equity index fund as it was basically pissing me off. What a nowhere fund that is let me tell you. I think it was still down over 20% or something along those lines. I mean, the rest of my portfolio had to carry this laggard for the longest time. I just got tired of owning it that is all. I do that sometimes you know. Discarding things, I mean. Why, I even do it to my vehicles if they start to bother me. I just sell them and get something else. And, so that is what happened yesterday. I figured that there was too much European content in the fund and that that would hurt me going forward. So, I bought a different kind of international equity fund to replace it. It invests in large cap funds anywhere in the world, and that includes the United States. Prior to yesterday, as a matter of fact, I had zero equity in that country. But, now in my new fund it has about 30% U.S. stocks. Now, the fund has a heftier management fee, but that is OK if it is performing. I am really close to getting all of my losses back again from the disaster of 2008 and I am up 13.26% for the year so that is cool of course. We shall see what the end of the year shall bring us. It is fun watching the market though, but more fun when it is going up and not down. Talk to you all later.
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

The storm that never was...


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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Wednesday December 16, 2009

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

( and weather report )

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Turned out to be just another dud friends. I am talking about the snow storm that we were supposed to get around here yesterday. It was just another routine West Coast storm that is all. As far as I was concerned there never was a serious Arctic outbreak of cold air anyway, so it all makes sense to me. We were all worried for nothing and no big snow storm was to bother Vancouver yesterday. I took a few shots below to show you our ' Big ' snow storm. All of the shots are of the Port Kells area and the bottom one is in North Delta, it is 88th Avenue. Maybe there will be another batch of cold air later on and then they can try again. But, for now we are free - free to enjoy the rains that we all know and love.











Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A bit of winter to endure....



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Heading north on 208th Street at 88th Avenue in Langley

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Tuesday December 15, 2009

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams
( and weather report )

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Today is supposed to be the most difficult of the snowy days. Yesterday was not that bad actually, except there were some really icy sections of Road in Surrey. The roads were really deceiving looking. They looked like just slush and were black in appearance, but when you applied he brakes one simply skidded out of control. The ABS brakes are useless under these conditions and they lock up and just skid - totally dangerous. But, the danger on these roads was that it was really just black ice. Very deceptive and very treacherous indeed. Most of the other roads that I encountered during the day were rather tame compared to some of the early Surrey road conditions.

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The weather forecast is calling for some snow today. So, this should be the brunt of the current winter conditions. In fact, it is supposed to be all over some time today as rain is forecast. That means that we should be back to normal in no time at all. And, normal around these parts means more rain and no snow. Anyhow, I am all set up and ready to endure whatever Mother Nature has in store for us.

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It was not a bad day at all business wise yesterday so that was the plus part of the day. That is not surprising of course as this is mid month and also the week in which our customers send gifts to each other. So far though, not much gift giving activity on my end of things where I am working. Still following the stock market and wondering where it will take us, along with our hopes and dreams of course. So, hang in there and I will talk to you all tomorrow, the courier gods willing, that is.

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Snow flakes and stock markets....


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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Monday December 14, 2009

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Back to work today friends and I think it is supposed to snow a little bit. So, we shall see what we shall see. This should be the busy week if things are going to pick up for the holidays. Many of our customers send presents to their customers and this part of the business adds to the confusion if things are busy. I remember past years when things were quite hectic trying to move about in holiday traffic and that kind of thing. But, then, every year seems to be different now and one just does not know what to expect anymore. It could be busy and then it again it might not. That is just part of the excitement of the job - seeing what will happen. Anyhow, my big focus right now is the stock market. I am curious to know how things are going to play out and how the market will look at the end of the year. There are still lots of negative forces at work as you can well imagine, but people are people and everyone still wants to make a fast buck. And, the market is still one of those places where you can count on that happening. Not only that of course, people do like to invest in their future and in their countries so that means that the market does have an essential role to play. But, I guess in the end, my real focus today will be on the weather and how things play out on the road. Talk to you all later. You can check out our weather and road conditions below.

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

( and weather report )

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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Scattered emotions....


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Good Morning Friends,
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today is Sunday December 13, 2009
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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams
( and weather report )
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For my regular readers this is the day after Karen's birthday. If you have not done so you can head on over to the main part of my blog to see the entry for Karen's birthday. I gave her four big presents this year so I hope she appreciates all of the attention that I give her. She is the girl of my dreams so I can give her anything I want. To celebrate her birthday I went to the racetrack and visited the casino. That is why I am showing you the FraserDowns Racetrack and Casino picture above. I only went to the casino because a couple of my friends phoned up, other wise I would not go near a casino. Remember, the Meadowlands in New Jersey will not be starting up until January next year.
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Getting ready for the snow that is supposed to be coming. That will certainly make the job more interesting of course. It is hard to make money in the courier business though, especially with all of the cars on the road and all of the slowdowns that go with snow in this region. You can check out the webcams above to see our City and have a look at current weather conditions and the forecast as well.
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I remember when I was a late teenager and in my early twenties. My friend and I used to go to McDonald's all the time and throw our garbage out of our car windows after we finished eating. On each side of the car would be a huge pile of garbage. That is how we got our jollies in those days. Now, my friend who is now quite a respectable citizen would still laugh at that behaviour. And, I know he would. That is just the way we were when we were kids. So, that is why I took the snap with the McDonald's garbage scattered all over the street. The snap was taken near downtown White Rock. That brought back some great memories.




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The other thing I want to mention today is the fact that I actually do have a couple of friends left. This is in spite of all of my commentary that you may have read indicating something different. I got the Christmas card below just a couple of days ago. This means that people are still thinking about me and willing to send me a card. This is the second card that I got in the mail. Why, I bet you that some people do not get even one card. See, I am not so objectionable after all am I? Have a nice day and I hope everyone is getting set up for the Holidays.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Happy Birthday Karen Lenihan

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Happy Birthday
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Karen Lenihan
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Today is Karen's birthday, so let's all wish her a great big Happy Birthday.
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Happy Birthday!
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You can check out the post below to see the presents that I got for you this year Karen:
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All the best from me to you,
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Carl Baydala,
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December 12, 2009
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Friday, December 11, 2009

Some positive momentum....


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Heading north on Cambie Street yesterday

on the job.

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Good Morning Friends,

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today is Friday December 11, 2009

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Vancouver, B.C. Webcams

( and weather report )

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.Finally Friday and then a couple of days off so that is a good thing. Check out the picture above. That was yesterday at work and I am heading into the downtown core via Cambie Street. There was a lot of high cloud and a lot of people thought there might be some snow flurry activity. But, there was none and that is a good thing of course. Good, because it is hard to make dough in the courier business when it snows in this City of ours. It was cold out and you could really feel it when you were walking around. Cold in Vancouver means anything around zero degrees Centigrade. It just felt cold that is all.

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Once again I have to remind my readers that tomorrow is the big day. It is Karen's birthday and that is one of the big days in my life which I have already told you. And, like I said I am mostly ready to go with the post tomorrow on the main part of my blog. So, that impending event should keep me pumped up all day long.

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The stock market is turning positive again in spite of the difficulties throughout the world. That is very good for me of course because it boosts my ego quite a bit. Making money makes me happy and allows me to feel secure. There is quite a bit of talk about financial reform coming out of Congress and that cannot be a bad thing at all. I just don't know how real all of this talk is especially when you consider the power of the banks in the States. But, if it is real then it is a very big positive development for the market. I mean, they are talking about fixing the system so that it cannot ruin us all like it did the last time. All that is required is a little bit of effort by the regulators and none of that was evident during the last years of the Bush Regime. It is difficult to believe that these people have learned their lessons, but the world financial order should surely alert people to the difficulties that people are facing in their lives. Anything positive in the development of financial security is what the markets need to recover. Getting the money to the people so they can do their part in the return of financial health to all is the next vital step in the recovery process. You will notice also of course that there is a bit of a sell off in bonds as well. This is just an indication of the mountain of debt out there that has to be financed. Financing this debt will not come cheap and will affect all of us in one way or the other. Notice also that the price of gold is responding to conditions as well.