3 years since my last blog post... wow. Let's be honest I never thought I would start writing a blog again, but alas here we are. Many things have changed since my last communication with the world and by world i mean the 10's of 20's of individual's that may stumble upon this.
My ideas of what to blog about have certainly changed. I personally think that writing a blog should not be a task it should be an activity. That was lame... It should be done because you want to not because you feel you have to. I will ask my wife later what word en-composes that expression, she's the smart one, I handle the video game playing and food tasting in our family. That arrangement is working out fairly well so far. With that being said I haven't fully decided what I will focus my post's around. Initial my topic post were financially driven with spatters of social insights along the way. My interests have shifted from 3 years ago along with my opinions as they always should. I couldn't imagine having the same interests and opinions, I guess if I did though i could always go lecture at a University... ha
I don't feel that I am unique or that interesting but I have been in some unique and interesting situations. I am a big believer that just because you were the only one to survive a fiery bus crash doesn't make you a unique and special person. Instead you were part of a unique and special situation. I still want to hear about it but do you really believe that you were anymore special then anyone else in that same unique situation? I fully agree when somebody says that their not a very interesting person, I am not even sure what an interesting person? From my experience somebody who is "interesting" is only ever talking about 1. What they heard from somebody else 2. Some situation that they found themselves in. I don't think I have ever in my life come up with a completely original idea, have you? I could argue that even the great inventors of our history based their inventions on something else that already existed and they are the most interesting people I know of. Well now I am just confusing myself because I just called them interesting.
With all that being said I love reading about things that happen to people because I feel that I can learn so much. My dad always told me that in life knowledge is always better then experience. How many people don't like to hear that? 15 year old Matthew didn't like hearing that. But I agree. Going forward with this blog I think I will start writing a few post's on what I feel were important moments in my life up to this point. If you find them interesting then great, if you don't... I don't get paid to do this so don't worry about it :)
All the best,
Matthew
Friday, October 12, 2012
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
A Beautiful Long Weekend
I hope everyone that was able to had a great long weekend. The weather was beautiful, so I hope you were able to take advantage of that somehow. :)
I thought this week I would write a post that is more a quick reminder; some repetition for emphasis, if you will, haha. I believe that it is always good to be reminded of certain things and in the personal financial world one of those things is that personal debt is manageable, you just need to have a plan.
Here I will bring a couple things to your attention. Have a look at them if you desire.
Got a debt headache? You're not alone: Video
Calculate what that dinner will really cost you: Article
One of the best ways to control your debt and work towards eliminating it is to create a schedule. There are two ways to consider how to create an appropriate timeline: 1) How much can I put aside each month, or 2) When do I want my total debt to be eliminated.
Depending on your circumstances, there may be options that you do not even realize exist to make that debt load much smaller. The best way to discover these is by talking to a debt counselor, debt consolidator or a financial advisor.
Since the majority of the time debt is self-inflicted, always remember that you also have the ability to eliminate it.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
I thought this week I would write a post that is more a quick reminder; some repetition for emphasis, if you will, haha. I believe that it is always good to be reminded of certain things and in the personal financial world one of those things is that personal debt is manageable, you just need to have a plan.
Here I will bring a couple things to your attention. Have a look at them if you desire.
Got a debt headache? You're not alone: Video
Calculate what that dinner will really cost you: Article
One of the best ways to control your debt and work towards eliminating it is to create a schedule. There are two ways to consider how to create an appropriate timeline: 1) How much can I put aside each month, or 2) When do I want my total debt to be eliminated.
Depending on your circumstances, there may be options that you do not even realize exist to make that debt load much smaller. The best way to discover these is by talking to a debt counselor, debt consolidator or a financial advisor.
Since the majority of the time debt is self-inflicted, always remember that you also have the ability to eliminate it.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Monday, July 27, 2009
I Do.. Want To Dance
I had a couple topics in mind that I had wanted to talk about this week: The loonie hitting a 10-month high, and what on earth was going on between RIM and Nortel and how that ended by a surprise appearance of Ericsson. If you have no idea what that means, then I guess I am a bigger nerd than I thought....
But, instead, something else caught my attention as I perused the online world: Jill and Kevin got married. You didn't know? Don't worry, outside of the 300 so people that were there, no one else in the world would have either. But, as of July 27th, 8.5 million people know that Jill and Kevin got married, and that they did so in style.
I am a YouTube fanatic, and this video has grown in popularity faster than any other one that I can remember. Have you seen it yet? You really should do that now! Right Here
The first thing that has to come to your mind is this wedding is going to be a party, no questions asked, and I am willing to bet that it is an open bar! If you were sitting there thinking "just another wedding *sigh*" your opinion has no doubt been changed, and if it hasn't, you must have a type of OCD that causes you to avoid any type of fun-ness.
There is a saying that how your wedding day goes is how the rest of your life together is going to be. If it's full of hysterical emotions, expect the next 50 years to be full of the same. If it's a chaotic compilation of disorganized events, guess what you're in for on your path to bliss.... But if you're Jill and Kevin, I have to take a stab and say that their life is going to be full of excitement, laughter and happiness.
From all 8.5 million viewers and counting, we wish you all the best!
Thank you for being different and may we all learn from you.
Have a great week!
Matthew
But, instead, something else caught my attention as I perused the online world: Jill and Kevin got married. You didn't know? Don't worry, outside of the 300 so people that were there, no one else in the world would have either. But, as of July 27th, 8.5 million people know that Jill and Kevin got married, and that they did so in style.
I am a YouTube fanatic, and this video has grown in popularity faster than any other one that I can remember. Have you seen it yet? You really should do that now! Right Here
The first thing that has to come to your mind is this wedding is going to be a party, no questions asked, and I am willing to bet that it is an open bar! If you were sitting there thinking "just another wedding *sigh*" your opinion has no doubt been changed, and if it hasn't, you must have a type of OCD that causes you to avoid any type of fun-ness.
There is a saying that how your wedding day goes is how the rest of your life together is going to be. If it's full of hysterical emotions, expect the next 50 years to be full of the same. If it's a chaotic compilation of disorganized events, guess what you're in for on your path to bliss.... But if you're Jill and Kevin, I have to take a stab and say that their life is going to be full of excitement, laughter and happiness.
From all 8.5 million viewers and counting, we wish you all the best!
Thank you for being different and may we all learn from you.
Have a great week!
Matthew
Monday, July 13, 2009
Oil Is Starting Its Shift
Shifting to what? First, let me explain my thinking on Eco-friendly cars (i.e. hybrid vehicles, full electric vehicles, hydrogen vehicles) and their so called battle with oil vehicles. Eco-friendly vehicles are seemingly non-existent, yet people seem to developing an increasingly massive awareness about them, especially here in North America. If you have been to an auto show in the last 3 years you will know that fuel saving, eco-friendly cars are dominantly displayed at them. Yet, we just don't see that translating onto the roads. Why is that? Well, your self-titled socially responsible, eco-individual will tell you that it is because the big oil corporations are continually behind closed doors making sure that vehicles that use less oil will never become mainstream. Then, on the other side, you have the V-8 petrol heads saying that driving a vehicle is meant to be an exhilarating experience and the reason why people don't buy hybrid vehicles is because they are completely exhaustively boring.
You may or may not fit somewhere in between those two definitions. I myself have my own opinion. The reason why we don't see very many eco-friendly cars on the road is this (for these arguments I am going to be referring to hybrid vehicles because electric cars are not practical for everyday use since they can't travel very far and hydrogen cars have a lack of infrastructure to fill them):
1) They actually are not that eco-friendly (if you don't believe me, consider that a Toyota Prius, throughout its manufacturing process, will contribute as many green house gases as the making and fuel consumption that a typical oil burning car will. And you don't even want to ask what happens to those giant batteries).
2) The MPG of a hybrid is not the end of having to fill up at the pump. If you are driving only on the highway, you are better off driving a V-6 with 350 horse power, and if you are driving in the city you are better to be driving a clean diesel powered car.
I think that most consumers after they do their research see these same points that I do.
Here is where we seem to be short-sighted though. I am fairly confident in saying that the eco-friendly cars we see on the road today are nothing more than a trend and a quick cash grab for manufacturers. I don't think it is difficult to conclude that the large vehicle manufacturers have in their locked up rooms right now a vehicle that does not need oil to run, can be powered for very long distances and causes no harm to the environment.
Don't believe me? In 1969 we put a man on the moon, in 1945 we figured out how to take a simple atom, split it in two and consequently have the ability to destroy the world. It is tough for me to believe that the combustible engine, which is proven to be one of the least efficient engines, is still the best source of power for vehicles. Call me crazy!
Once you are comfortable with the fact that the sale of cars and oil is a business then you can start to think a little more clearly. For example, let’s look to technology. Five years ago you couldn't buy a camcorder that shot video in HD, now you can fairly easily. But, five years ago a company like Sony knew that they could make camcorders that shot in HD. This is why we have these labels in the tech market referred to as generations: the I-pod gen 1, the I-pod gen 2, the I-pod gen 3... and that will keep going. There is more than likely already an I-pod gen 10 in the works, but think of all the sales they will make off the gen 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
I believe the same thing is being done with the shift from oil to another form of fuel for vehicles. It would make absolutely no sense for an oil company to shift from working with oil to another form of fuel overnight. There is too much oil left, and there are too many vehicles that use oil. It makes no sense for manufactures to start only making non-oil vehicles. It would just be too advanced for the mind set of consumers. Consumers need to be eased into transitions.
But the shift is happening and if you look closely you can see it. The introduction of hybrid cars is not a shift, don't be blinded by that. News like this the start of major changes Abu Dahbi
Oil is not running out any time soon and hybrid cars are not going to take over the market share either. But don't think that multi-billion dollar oil companies and manufactures don't have a clue what is going on. They know exactly what they are doing and when they want to do it, and don't think you are going to see anything drastic until the oil supply starts getting low. When that day comes on a Friday, guess what will happen on Monday....
An all new way to get your family around without oil!!
Have a great week!
Matthew George
You may or may not fit somewhere in between those two definitions. I myself have my own opinion. The reason why we don't see very many eco-friendly cars on the road is this (for these arguments I am going to be referring to hybrid vehicles because electric cars are not practical for everyday use since they can't travel very far and hydrogen cars have a lack of infrastructure to fill them):
1) They actually are not that eco-friendly (if you don't believe me, consider that a Toyota Prius, throughout its manufacturing process, will contribute as many green house gases as the making and fuel consumption that a typical oil burning car will. And you don't even want to ask what happens to those giant batteries).
2) The MPG of a hybrid is not the end of having to fill up at the pump. If you are driving only on the highway, you are better off driving a V-6 with 350 horse power, and if you are driving in the city you are better to be driving a clean diesel powered car.
I think that most consumers after they do their research see these same points that I do.
Here is where we seem to be short-sighted though. I am fairly confident in saying that the eco-friendly cars we see on the road today are nothing more than a trend and a quick cash grab for manufacturers. I don't think it is difficult to conclude that the large vehicle manufacturers have in their locked up rooms right now a vehicle that does not need oil to run, can be powered for very long distances and causes no harm to the environment.
Don't believe me? In 1969 we put a man on the moon, in 1945 we figured out how to take a simple atom, split it in two and consequently have the ability to destroy the world. It is tough for me to believe that the combustible engine, which is proven to be one of the least efficient engines, is still the best source of power for vehicles. Call me crazy!
Once you are comfortable with the fact that the sale of cars and oil is a business then you can start to think a little more clearly. For example, let’s look to technology. Five years ago you couldn't buy a camcorder that shot video in HD, now you can fairly easily. But, five years ago a company like Sony knew that they could make camcorders that shot in HD. This is why we have these labels in the tech market referred to as generations: the I-pod gen 1, the I-pod gen 2, the I-pod gen 3... and that will keep going. There is more than likely already an I-pod gen 10 in the works, but think of all the sales they will make off the gen 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
I believe the same thing is being done with the shift from oil to another form of fuel for vehicles. It would make absolutely no sense for an oil company to shift from working with oil to another form of fuel overnight. There is too much oil left, and there are too many vehicles that use oil. It makes no sense for manufactures to start only making non-oil vehicles. It would just be too advanced for the mind set of consumers. Consumers need to be eased into transitions.
But the shift is happening and if you look closely you can see it. The introduction of hybrid cars is not a shift, don't be blinded by that. News like this the start of major changes Abu Dahbi
Oil is not running out any time soon and hybrid cars are not going to take over the market share either. But don't think that multi-billion dollar oil companies and manufactures don't have a clue what is going on. They know exactly what they are doing and when they want to do it, and don't think you are going to see anything drastic until the oil supply starts getting low. When that day comes on a Friday, guess what will happen on Monday....
An all new way to get your family around without oil!!
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Monday, July 6, 2009
Is The Death Of Public Media On The Horizon?
It has been a busy couple of weeks in the world, has it not? Let’s just recap what has happened, from deaths to sports.
Popular figures that died:
Farrah Fawcett, actress, cancer.
Micheal Jackson, pop star, cardiac arrest, not yet confirmed.
Billy Mays, TV pitchman, heart disease, not yet confirmed.
Steve McNair, NFL star, homicide, not yet confirmed.
Ed McMahon, TV host & announcer, health problems, old age.
NBA free agency opens:
Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston Celtics.
Jason Kidd re-signs with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hedo Turkoglu verbally signs with Portland then backs out and signs with the Toronto Raptors.
Ron Artest signs with the Los Angels Lakers.
Trevor Ariza signs with the Huston Rockets.
Ben Gordon signs with the Detroit Pistons.
NHL free agency opens:
Marian Gaborik signs with the New York Rangers.
Jay Bouwmeester signs with the Calgary Flames.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks.
Mike Cammalleri signs with the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin Havlat signs with the Minnesota Wild.
Mikhail Grabovski re-signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mike Komisarek signs with the Toronto Maples Leafs.
Rick Nash re-signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alexei Kovalev signs with the Ottawa Senators.
In World news:
North Korea launches test missiles.
Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska.
14 year old girl only survivor of plane crash (where?).
Swine flu attacks young adults.
Air France flights crashes off the coast of Brazil.
Bernard Madoff is sentenced.
You have to agree that that is a tremendous amount of news, that is, information that is discussed for the purpose of allowing as many people as possible to view and/or hear it.
It is now common place that we have the ability to be informed about each one of these events without reading a paper, listening to the radio, watching the news, or even reading an online newspaper; even the crowned killer of printed news now has its own competition lurking.
I am referring to the social networking phenomenon that is sweeping our globe. It started viral with You Tube, My Space, etc., but these early launches where basically used to promote individual achievements, personal opinions and to keep friends up to date as to what is happening in one’s own life.
But we have seen an emergence of new media, and the innovation of the aforementioned sites, to create an almost instant relay of the information and news that used to be found only in newspapers and television broadcasts that could take from hours to days to reach you. Now, with these new media forms, you are able to hear about events seconds after they happen, directly from individuals that were eye witnesses to them.
For example, if you don't follow tennis you might not have known that the Wimbledon finals were played this past weekend. Armed only with my phone, I was able to follow both the women's and men's final, being kept up to date not only on the points and games won and lost, but also to the reactions of the players, how tired they looked, who had the mental edge, who was in the stands, how the umpire was doing, changes in the weather, even when they brought in new tennis balls. All of this information was provided to me instantly and free of charge by a reporter at the match.
Without needing to read the paper to find out who won the match, I could write my own column about not only who won, but give a detailed account on how the match was won. As a sports fan, though, I would like to actually see some of the action. No Problem. I have been provided a link where I can see the highlights from the match. I can also see video from the match before it is even finished!
This sequence of events was a common theme in regards to keeping track of all of the news headlines that have been seen over the last couple weeks. I have been able to rely on being updated on events happening world wide in every aspect of the news without having to read a paper, watch the TV, even visit a newspapers online edition.
I must comment, though, that in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of what has happened it is still necessary to read an article on the event, maybe even a couple, to get all the details, but I don't, for example, need to know the details of a contract that has just been signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 10 words or less I know that "Beauchemin signs in Toronto for 3 years/ $11.4 million." Fantastic! Welcome to the team. On the other hand, information like "North Korea launches test missiles" might be something you want to read more about, but, of course, that is always easy to find from the traditional sources.
Is the death of public media on the horizon? I would answer that by saying that it will rather continue transforming and innovating the way it relays information. Newspapers are going to have to go online; I really can't see them surviving any other way. Maybe some big players can keep their hardcopy paper going as well, but they are still going to have to rely mainly on online communication. This innovation of immediate communication of news is not the enemy of traditional news (i.e. written articles). I believe that these new forms of instant relaying headlines are bridges to these articles. The headline piques our interest, allows us to be more efficient in where we direct our attention, and allows us to pick and choose which pieces of information we wish to receive and read.
We can now reach our news like index cards at the library. We know what we want to find, we know where to look for it, and we are told where to find it.
It is more efficient, more personal, and more informative. Imagine the world at your fingertips.... Actually, no need to imagine, it is already here.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Popular figures that died:
Farrah Fawcett, actress, cancer.
Micheal Jackson, pop star, cardiac arrest, not yet confirmed.
Billy Mays, TV pitchman, heart disease, not yet confirmed.
Steve McNair, NFL star, homicide, not yet confirmed.
Ed McMahon, TV host & announcer, health problems, old age.
NBA free agency opens:
Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston Celtics.
Jason Kidd re-signs with the Dallas Mavericks.
Hedo Turkoglu verbally signs with Portland then backs out and signs with the Toronto Raptors.
Ron Artest signs with the Los Angels Lakers.
Trevor Ariza signs with the Huston Rockets.
Ben Gordon signs with the Detroit Pistons.
NHL free agency opens:
Marian Gaborik signs with the New York Rangers.
Jay Bouwmeester signs with the Calgary Flames.
Daniel and Henrik Sedin re-sign with the Vancouver Canucks.
Mike Cammalleri signs with the Montreal Canadiens.
Martin Havlat signs with the Minnesota Wild.
Mikhail Grabovski re-signs with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Mike Komisarek signs with the Toronto Maples Leafs.
Rick Nash re-signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Alexei Kovalev signs with the Ottawa Senators.
In World news:
North Korea launches test missiles.
Sarah Palin resigns as governor of Alaska.
14 year old girl only survivor of plane crash (where?).
Swine flu attacks young adults.
Air France flights crashes off the coast of Brazil.
Bernard Madoff is sentenced.
You have to agree that that is a tremendous amount of news, that is, information that is discussed for the purpose of allowing as many people as possible to view and/or hear it.
It is now common place that we have the ability to be informed about each one of these events without reading a paper, listening to the radio, watching the news, or even reading an online newspaper; even the crowned killer of printed news now has its own competition lurking.
I am referring to the social networking phenomenon that is sweeping our globe. It started viral with You Tube, My Space, etc., but these early launches where basically used to promote individual achievements, personal opinions and to keep friends up to date as to what is happening in one’s own life.
But we have seen an emergence of new media, and the innovation of the aforementioned sites, to create an almost instant relay of the information and news that used to be found only in newspapers and television broadcasts that could take from hours to days to reach you. Now, with these new media forms, you are able to hear about events seconds after they happen, directly from individuals that were eye witnesses to them.
For example, if you don't follow tennis you might not have known that the Wimbledon finals were played this past weekend. Armed only with my phone, I was able to follow both the women's and men's final, being kept up to date not only on the points and games won and lost, but also to the reactions of the players, how tired they looked, who had the mental edge, who was in the stands, how the umpire was doing, changes in the weather, even when they brought in new tennis balls. All of this information was provided to me instantly and free of charge by a reporter at the match.
Without needing to read the paper to find out who won the match, I could write my own column about not only who won, but give a detailed account on how the match was won. As a sports fan, though, I would like to actually see some of the action. No Problem. I have been provided a link where I can see the highlights from the match. I can also see video from the match before it is even finished!
This sequence of events was a common theme in regards to keeping track of all of the news headlines that have been seen over the last couple weeks. I have been able to rely on being updated on events happening world wide in every aspect of the news without having to read a paper, watch the TV, even visit a newspapers online edition.
I must comment, though, that in order to gain an in-depth knowledge of what has happened it is still necessary to read an article on the event, maybe even a couple, to get all the details, but I don't, for example, need to know the details of a contract that has just been signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs. In 10 words or less I know that "Beauchemin signs in Toronto for 3 years/ $11.4 million." Fantastic! Welcome to the team. On the other hand, information like "North Korea launches test missiles" might be something you want to read more about, but, of course, that is always easy to find from the traditional sources.
Is the death of public media on the horizon? I would answer that by saying that it will rather continue transforming and innovating the way it relays information. Newspapers are going to have to go online; I really can't see them surviving any other way. Maybe some big players can keep their hardcopy paper going as well, but they are still going to have to rely mainly on online communication. This innovation of immediate communication of news is not the enemy of traditional news (i.e. written articles). I believe that these new forms of instant relaying headlines are bridges to these articles. The headline piques our interest, allows us to be more efficient in where we direct our attention, and allows us to pick and choose which pieces of information we wish to receive and read.
We can now reach our news like index cards at the library. We know what we want to find, we know where to look for it, and we are told where to find it.
It is more efficient, more personal, and more informative. Imagine the world at your fingertips.... Actually, no need to imagine, it is already here.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Monday, June 29, 2009
An Exciting Generation
I read this article in the Globe & Mail last week for two reasons: 1) I love the Globe & Mail, and 2) I love reading about generations and their traits. This article deals with 2009 high school graduates. I found it a very interesting article, a great read so I suggest you take a look at it. Meet Generation Practical
From my own very limited study into the different generations, one thing that I have learned about this generation (namely, the tail end of Generation Y) is that it has some of the same attributes as its members’ grandparents (Traditionalists) and is not at all like its parents (Baby Boomers). Obviously the characteristics it shares with its traditionalist grandparents are updated for the simple reason that they have grown up in different worlds, but the foundation of our beliefs seem to be the same; family, friends and helping others is what are important. Careers and the "me-first" attitude more commonly portrayed by the baby Boomer generation is farther down the list of Generation Y’s values.
If you come across a Generation Practical in the next few days, give them a thumbs up and a pat on the back. They have a lot to do over the next 20 years.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
From my own very limited study into the different generations, one thing that I have learned about this generation (namely, the tail end of Generation Y) is that it has some of the same attributes as its members’ grandparents (Traditionalists) and is not at all like its parents (Baby Boomers). Obviously the characteristics it shares with its traditionalist grandparents are updated for the simple reason that they have grown up in different worlds, but the foundation of our beliefs seem to be the same; family, friends and helping others is what are important. Careers and the "me-first" attitude more commonly portrayed by the baby Boomer generation is farther down the list of Generation Y’s values.
If you come across a Generation Practical in the next few days, give them a thumbs up and a pat on the back. They have a lot to do over the next 20 years.
Have a great week!
Matthew George
Monday, June 22, 2009
It Depends On When You Wake Up
I woke up this morning at 7:30 and, as per usual, I poured a cup of coffee and went through my morning computer bookmark routine. Check the sports scores from the day before, set my fantasy league lineups for the day, enter the bottomless pit called Gmail and graze through the news to see if the world is still stumbling along.
A lot of my attention lately has been directed towards the business section of the Globe and Mail. Usually, Monday morning is a fairly uneventful morning, the market also takes a weekend and is still on its way to work like everyone else. So I had a fairly easy read with the headline "The Return of Optimism" posted @ 7:28am. A fairly common theme I have been hearing over the last couple weeks is about how the market has bottomed out and people are beginning to feel optimistic about the next quarter. How quickly we forget....
I checked back in over some lunch at around 12 to see if ESPN had put up their power rankings for the MLB yet, hoping to find out what they had to say about our Blue Jays this past week, and then I went back over to the Globe and Mail. And before you could get a round of golf in, the market had dropped 350 points and a new report had been posted, now headlined "New Global Forecast Shakes Markets". At this point I would like to draw your attention to an article I first brought up earlier on this blog in the post "Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster".
Monday June 22 2009 sums up the last 12 months of the markets; one moment you're flying in your private jet, then your wings fall off and you turn into a missile carrying 13 different bottles of scotch, but you end off landing on a giant cloud that stops you softly and seems to carry you away to where there's no harm in sight... that is until that cloud turns into a thunder storm.
What I have been thinking about the most is whether the markets are turning into a different monster. Is the last 30 years of averages going to change? Is the ratio of 3 years of bull markets and 9 months of bear markets going to be a thing of the past? I don't really know, and I would have to be insane to try and give a conclusive answer to that. But it seems that some people do think they know.
What I do know, as of Monday June 22, is that if I want good news I should wake up early and get back to bed before noon. But where's the fun in that?
Have a great week!
Matthew George
A lot of my attention lately has been directed towards the business section of the Globe and Mail. Usually, Monday morning is a fairly uneventful morning, the market also takes a weekend and is still on its way to work like everyone else. So I had a fairly easy read with the headline "The Return of Optimism" posted @ 7:28am. A fairly common theme I have been hearing over the last couple weeks is about how the market has bottomed out and people are beginning to feel optimistic about the next quarter. How quickly we forget....
I checked back in over some lunch at around 12 to see if ESPN had put up their power rankings for the MLB yet, hoping to find out what they had to say about our Blue Jays this past week, and then I went back over to the Globe and Mail. And before you could get a round of golf in, the market had dropped 350 points and a new report had been posted, now headlined "New Global Forecast Shakes Markets". At this point I would like to draw your attention to an article I first brought up earlier on this blog in the post "Riding the Emotional Roller Coaster".
Monday June 22 2009 sums up the last 12 months of the markets; one moment you're flying in your private jet, then your wings fall off and you turn into a missile carrying 13 different bottles of scotch, but you end off landing on a giant cloud that stops you softly and seems to carry you away to where there's no harm in sight... that is until that cloud turns into a thunder storm.
What I have been thinking about the most is whether the markets are turning into a different monster. Is the last 30 years of averages going to change? Is the ratio of 3 years of bull markets and 9 months of bear markets going to be a thing of the past? I don't really know, and I would have to be insane to try and give a conclusive answer to that. But it seems that some people do think they know.
What I do know, as of Monday June 22, is that if I want good news I should wake up early and get back to bed before noon. But where's the fun in that?
Have a great week!
Matthew George
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