tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:40:01 +0000personal responsibilitywaterloopersonal financesbusinesscartoonstartupeconomyinflationemerging economieskitchenerentrepreneurshipphilosophytiny housesafetysnapsortpsychologysavingsfoodbookmarkhistorymarketingdesignp90xpop culturefunchinaarchitecturepreservation of capitalcanadainvestingmoney<b>My musings on the economy, life, technology, business and things I find interesting.</b><br><br>http://blog.christopherreid.com/noreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)Blogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-7076750952442081964Sun, 02 Oct 2011 17:38:00 +00002011-10-02T10:39:23.312-07:00Seriously, I want to dance like this, pure awesomeness.http://blog.christopherreid.com/2011/10/you-cant-dance.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-905577905020832515Sun, 15 May 2011 01:34:00 +00002011-05-14T18:42:28.657-07:00RIM Silver and RIM have been on my mind of late.  I like being a calculated contrarian.  I have enough risk flowing through my veins running Snapsort, so I tend to be pretty conservative with my other investments.  I do love finance though and there are many investors I respect.  Most businesses are about arbitraging inefficiencies/disadvantages and investing is no different and the reason why http://blog.christopherreid.com/2011/05/silver-and-rim-timeframes-luck-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-1373540972194624345Tue, 01 Jun 2010 12:37:00 +00002010-06-01T05:40:41.412-07:00Interesting visualization of the BP oil spill overlaid against southwestern Ontario.  Pretty scary proportions.  For some perspective on scale: Worst oil spills of all time Hat tip Paul Rademacher http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/06/bp-oil-spill-vs-ontario.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-6776641344302042405Sat, 01 May 2010 15:12:00 +00002010-05-01T08:14:33.605-07:00designtiny housearchitectureWe downsized recently to a much smaller house, 2500 sq ft 6 bedroom down to a little 3 bedroom townhouse which we gutted and did all kinds of crazy things to make the little space feel bigger and more efficient than our previous house. We couldn't be happier, everything is better about our new house and we have a much smaller mortgage as a bonus. At some point I'll do a post with before and http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/05/living-in-really-really-tiny-house.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-8636977807430827855Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:45:00 +00002010-03-16T03:52:19.024-07:00funcartoon Unfortunately I don't get to choose my cats friends, but if I did......... http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/03/lvl-20-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-3744418523840056747Sat, 20 Feb 2010 17:59:00 +00002010-02-20T11:54:21.423-08:00entrepreneurshipstartupbusinessLets get it straight, I'm a big believer in fail fast.  Failure is a magnificent tool for improvement - its raw, unforgiving and truthful.  Quite often its the only way people will except reality.  Failure ain't no model T Ford though, it comes in all shades of grey. The crux of it is that everyone has a different definition of failure.  Imagine for a moment a passionate and energetic individualhttp://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/02/on-either-side-of-fail-fast-is-stupid.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-5552797513603172064Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:10:00 +00002010-02-20T11:55:10.081-08:00marketingAlthough this is a pretty simple fix, it was one that helped me out.  By default Google shows you a rolling month window up until yesterday, to the casual observer it looks like you'll have to wait in order to see today's stats. Not so cheerio, simply bring up the date picker and choose the current date and enjoy all the real-time google analytics chart porn your heart desires.  Just remember http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/02/how-to-see-real-time-google-analytics.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-3744681029219488159Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:34:00 +00002010-02-20T11:56:47.438-08:00canadawaterloobusinessThere is a lot to admire about Blackberry: Great at email Multitask applications Integrates well end to end for corporate customers running Exchange and other corporate solutions Strong battery life Security and stability focused platform Bulletproof drop worthy devices I like all these, but there is much I hate about my Blackberry Extremely closed API limits developer innovation Arrogant http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/02/can-rim-maintain-its-stellar-growth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-8890221263335240516Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:13:00 +00002010-02-20T11:56:20.878-08:00bookmarkGreat music, introductions to artists you'd never consider, well selected playlists, no commercials, no commentary and free. Crazy I love such nice netizens. Thank you. My selection of late 181.FM - Chilled.  I listen to it on my Sonos in various zones, on my Blackberry and via Winamp at my desk.  You can catch the 128kbp MP3 stream here: http://216.155.137.150:8700.  It's fabulous chill/slackerhttp://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/02/good-radio-is-fabulous.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-8337170370459084551Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:16:00 +00002010-02-20T11:55:31.796-08:00snapsortpsychologyphilosophyfoodChoice Debilitates In general making decisions is difficult, the plethora of choice available to us as consumers has a lot to do with this.  If you only had two choices your decisions would be easier.  Take medicine as an example, most people just want a single choice: the one that gets them better.  Instead the get a list of drugs/procedures with pros and cons accompanied by FDA required http://blog.christopherreid.com/2010/01/what-camera-should-i-buy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-6368312847447104263Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:34:00 +00002009-11-15T16:40:56.238-08:00food Will Smith thought thought he had it bad when the bad guys took his blender in Enemy of the State, well let me tell you he ain't got nothing on me.  I'm going through legitimate Blender withdrawal, life is just not the same. Banana espresso chocolate smoothies for breakfast -  no more Yum Berry and banana with hemp protein -  forget about it Avacado shakes with fresh grapefruit - not possible http://blog.christopherreid.com/2009/11/my-blender-is-dead.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-8868780472208517296Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:55:00 +00002009-11-14T07:02:47.162-08:00 If you've owned or used a computer for any length of time you've lost something, probably something awesome that you created.  It sucks, you move on, things disappear, people have come to accept that their precious creations are temporal.  It ends up happening in different ways but it's always a mix of human laziness and poor design. Examples might include: You upgraded you computer 5 time and http://blog.christopherreid.com/2009/11/fallible-nature-of-data.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-4575454571361631085Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:56:00 +00002009-11-13T06:38:20.961-08:00p90x Although I ditched cable a long time ago (cable meaning all TV) I watched my fair share of infomercials at my parents house growing up.  I'm not sure why, I think it was mostly for the entertainment value but there was also an element of popular science junk gadgetry appeal to them. I mean you gotta love a guy like Ron Popeil, and for that matter Jack Lalanne.  The most memorable spectacle http://blog.christopherreid.com/2009/11/p90x.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-2546270896115022950Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:37:00 +00002009-11-12T06:57:32.269-08:00It's been a year since I last posted, but based on my Google Analytics it doesn't look like any one noticed, I feel like I'm writing some new year resolution: I will blog regularly, I will blog regularly, I will blog regularly.  But lets just take it as it comes. So many things to discuss, but I'll start with tying off many of my previous thoughts on the economy in a few broad strokes: Things http://blog.christopherreid.com/2009/11/what-horrible-neglect.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-8530996478732061668Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:18:00 +00002009-11-13T05:59:29.632-08:00I've been a fan of Warren Buffet for a long time, the old hawk is an expert at extracting value from these types of times. I continue to invest in Berkshire and it's worked out well. Fairfax Financial is another favorite, Perm Watsa has been predicting these times for a while and despite Mr Market trying to pull him down, they keep rolling in the profits, again Fairfax has been nice to me. The http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/09/extracting-pound-of-flesh.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-4289598960629070000Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:41:00 +00002009-11-15T16:40:02.343-08:00 Before you start reading this I want you to keep something in your mind as you read this post My absurd bailout solution, which is done "tongue in cheek", IS a better solution then what is being proposed. That's how ridiculous the current solution is. My Solution: The American Patriot Bailout The bottom line is the US government is more than willing to give out money for crap, my http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/09/bailout-for-rest-of-us.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-5986835241579697419Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:11:00 +00002009-11-15T16:40:19.806-08:00preservation of capitalkitchenercanadawaterlooinvestingeconomyOverall I'm pretty bearish at this point, if I was an American I suppose that view would fit right in, but I'm not and the Candian economy has been anything but bearish, it's been down right bullish amidst the credit crises, as is evidenced by the following yearly chart of the TSX vs the S&P since the market top in October 2007. Even Canadians are starting to feel that something is creeping up onhttp://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/07/entertaining-collapse.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-3224846112360462848Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:27:00 +00002008-06-16T21:24:59.704-07:00 Some NumbersWhen your mileage goes from 14 MPG to 20 MPG you're saving 30% on gas, over 12,000 miles that translates into a savings of 250 gallons or about $1000. In order to achieve these savings you must buy a hybrid version costing $4000 more.Lets compare this to going from 36 MPG and 45 MPG, that's a savings of 20%. In terms of dollar savings it's $267 per year over 12,000 miles. In order tohttp://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/hybrids-do-they-even-make-sense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-1865122713374411330Sat, 07 Jun 2008 14:58:00 +00002008-06-09T12:33:46.807-07:00canadainvestingeconomyOn my way to work last week I filled up my tank for the first time since last year (parked for the winter), the bill rolled in at $87. The first thing I did when I arrived at work was post it for sale. Now I'd already decided to sell it, but the thought of trading down from 300hp to my 115hp civic wasn't that fun so i had been slow with the sale. Cars are grand wastes of resources, deliciously http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/whats-happening-with-oil.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-202792467337813304Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:22:00 +00002008-06-06T14:25:47.679-07:00preservation of capitalinvestingpersonal financeseconomyThe blood was running thick on Wall street today, a 3.13% drop in the Dow and 3.09% drop in the S&P 500, thus cancelling out most of April's and May's rally in one fell swoop (chart below shows today's close taking us back 2 mos). Intimidating indeed!Tumultuous times to be an investor long in the market. As I've stated I've been market and US dollar neutral for a while so today was more fun then http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/blood-was-in-streets-today.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-434660759712749121Wed, 04 Jun 2008 23:36:00 +00002008-06-05T18:16:55.395-07:00moneysavingssafetyinvestingpersonal financesI think investing on your own is a thoroughly scary proposition. I think this for a simple reason, the amount of knowledge, time and resources necessary to be successful is daunting. The alternative to going it alone is using an advisor, but unfortunately the bar for becoming an "advisor" is so incredibly low that most people are just left with two really bad choices.Problems with Going it Alone http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/going-it-alone.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-5681836698442548240Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:25:00 +00002008-06-04T16:31:25.873-07:00canadamoneypop cultureinvestingeconomy If they didn't have me doing their stupid dance in the eighties they got me tonight. That's right two all beef patties special sauce, cheese on a sesame seed bun.My wife and I worked late tonight and had a big proposal to get out by midnight. Her car broke down and other nonsense ensued, the end result was we ended up at McDonald's. A brand spanking new McDonald's in a new subdivision, with http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/do-arches.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-5893412730485842171Tue, 03 Jun 2008 00:59:00 +00002008-06-06T14:27:14.327-07:00pop culturehistoryinvestingchinaeconomyAbout a week ago I fired off my blog address to some friends for feedback, the response was interesting. Some want more details, figures and links and other want me to be more simple technically and more light hearted. I thought I'd give creating a spicy, simple yet informative financial post a shot.Victoria's Little Secret: A Durable Business I Am NotIt's not as naughty as you probably hoped, inhttp://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/spicy-financial-advice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-3966329335309021827Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:01:00 +00002008-06-04T16:31:56.839-07:00preservation of capitalcanadasavingssafetyinvestinginflationeconomyEarly last month the Globe and mail reported on Jeff Rubin's thoughts on inflation and interest rates. My comments in boldUnrelenting upward pressure on food and energy prices will force the Bank of Canada to reverse course and start raising interest rates to combat inflation over the next year, a high-profile Bay Street economist says. I think Jeff Rubin is underestimating the role of http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/early-last-month-globe-and-mail.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2894031961625680870.post-3179022323809572324Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:47:00 +00002008-06-02T19:31:17.589-07:00emerging economieshistoryinvestingchinaeconomyDespite a heavy time at a friends wedding and a birthday to boot, I've been neglecting my intentions to be posting daily, so here's a quick post on an ancient route translated into modern times and some musings on it's investment potentialThe HSI and HSCEI (aka the Chinese markets) have their respective valuations take a severe beating since November of last year, even worse though have been the http://blog.christopherreid.com/2008/06/investing-in-new-silk-road.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Christopher Reid)0