I have no moral compass...

23

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True Colours Showing

I can only hold off for so long without sharing critical Blue Jays news:

http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20071203.wsptjays3/GSStory/GlobeSportsBaseball/home?cid=al_gam_mostview - A.J. Burnett on the outs?

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20071204.BLAIR04/TPStory/Sports - Erik Bedard is awesome...

The inevitable collapse of the dollar

A follow up from my earlier post tonight - now I have a few global experts to back me up...

The Cold, Hard Truth

As much as we don't like to admit it, Canadians are tied to Americans in nearly every way. Just look at the facts: We shop the same, watch the same television and movies, dress the same, talk the same. Our cultures are parallel. And so are our economies.

This is the scariest part of it all - Canada's economic dependence on the United States. As much as we'd like to rejoice the rise of our dollar against the U.S. dollar (although, it barely registered an impact in retail stores) we have to consider the downside. And it's a frickin' large downside.


Without getting into to the nitty-gritty details of interest rates, inflation, and financial markets, we can still look at the basic foundation of the Canada-US relationship - trade. Canada's primary trade partner is the United States. I was too lazy to find the newest data, but in 2000, 86 per cent of Canada's total exports were to the United States. 86 per cent!!! That's basically every 9 out of 10 toys, stacks of lumber, cars, refrigerators, and barrels of oil. If you're in for a bit of macroeconomic shock treatment, take a look at http://www.buyusa.gov/canada/en/traderelationsusacanada.html. You won't believe how much we really need to States to get its act in gear.

In addition, the US is poised to lose its coveted position as the world's official currency reserve. This means that countries are choosing less and less to hold US dollars as a reserve of monetary value. All things must come to an end, and just like the Gold Standard before it, the American dollar will soon give way to the rising strength of the Euro. This won't happen in the next year, but the US dollar is singing its swan song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reserve_currency). Once the Euro closes the gap, expect America's massive fiscal deficit to wake up and start slapping people in the face. Gone will be the days of economic ignorance and pumping billions into fighting the "War Against Terror". Gone will be the days where the States can rely on its official reserve status to preserve the power of its political influence. The United States will have to do some serious re-structuring just to survive the collapse of its own machine. The Fall of Rome, anyone? It's already starting - the meltdown of the sub-prime mortgage market and skyrocketing rate of personal bankruptcy in the US are clear indicators of the foundation stones crumbling. Don't look at me like I'm an idiot! I have Wikipedia to back me up (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Subprime_mortgage_financial_crisis) !

The problem for us is that most people forget the fall of Rome was in essence the beginning of the end for a number of nearly equally powerful civilizations of that ancient era. By the same token, Canada is one of those civilizations that will bear the brunt of America's inevitable shock wave. As a nation, we have to continue to globalize quickly to shed the heavy dependence we have on our historical trading partners. China, India, the UK.... not to be cliche but the possibilities are endless, and the benefits of global diversification heavily outweigh the risks of worldwide trade. There are so many countries accessible now will the power of the web. If nothing is impossible in this digital age, then Canadians have to take a long look in the mirror and ask: Are we ready to face the cold, hard truth?

Lunch: The Ultimate Paradox

I don't know what it is with me, but I can never seem to figure out what to have for lunch. No one ever talks about it, but I wonder if anyone else there feels the confusion I do on a daily basis.

The problem doesn't only come up at 8am while I'm stumbling around my apartment. It is a constant struggle: Wondering what groceries to buy for lunch, whether I should cook more than I need on a given night for lunch the next day, or whether I can afford to keep eating out. I mean, who wants to eat sandwiches every day? I get bored with things pretty easily, so sandwiches are losing their appeal at lightning speed. Not even honey mustard can save me, and that stuff is clutch.

Maybe it's because I am a typical 20-something male and I still have a very limited range of things I actually "cook" from scratch. I should brand the President's Choice logo on my chest for all the frozen food I eat. Plus the fact that I find it hard enough to cook for supper, much less for lunch. But I just think it's my lack of culinary creativity - a mental block the size of the Eiffel Tower.

So, I'm crying out for lunchtime salvation. Problem is, search engines don't seem to be much help. I finally broke down and tried an Internet search for "Lunch Ideas". The #1 search result was as follows:

"No time to make lunch this morning? Don't worry - here's some ideas that will save the day!

1. Cheese & Crackers
2. Roll Up Sandwich
3. Breakfast for Lunch
4. Gorp"

What the HELL? These are the worst ideas I've ever heard. I'd rather starve to death than eat Gorp for lunch. And suggesting breakfast for lunch? Isn't that a gigantic cop out? Thanks for the original ideas, Google.

The moral of the story is, as usual, I caved into just getting a sandwich for lunch today. Only one problem - the bread was green. What can I do? It said November 29th on the tag. Classic Cafe will have to save the day again.

Help!

To Mix.... or Not to Mix?

I'll keep my first post simple: Avoid mixing Monster Assault Energy Drink with alcohol. I guess it's the same premise as the whole Red Bull/Vodka idea, but I've learned that not only does it screw up your heartrate, it also screws up most to all of your motor skills. It doesn't even matter about the quantity - one beer and one can was enough to blast me. I had to focus hard just to fend off the dizziness earlier tonight.

I hate you, 2 for $5! I fall for your mindless trap everytime.

On a brighter note, I discussed with a couple of my friends tonight how I very possibly exhibit some characteristics of a psychopath. But upon further research, it looks like I'm in the clear.

Test yourself against this list:
http://crime.about.com/od/serial/a/psychopaths.htm
I might be "normal", but I can definitely relate to the listed item, "Poor judgement and failure to learn from experience". See Trent's life, pg. 212: "How to properly handle, stow, and secure your electronic devices."

Let's face it, a lot of these characteristics everyone displays from time to time. The whole world revolves around "degrees" of things, anyway: degrees of color, degrees of temperature, degrees of morality, and yes, even degrees of psychopathic tendencies.

The key is regulating these degrees through moderation - except if it's energy drink and beer. Just stay away.