Monthly Archives: August 2015

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Surfing the Web

Leave a comment

Yesterday’s post covered the basic concepts of the most popular part of the internet, that is the world wide web.

One of the most commonly used forms of viewing data from one computer on another device connected to it via the internet is through an application commonly known as a “web browser” or “internet browser” or just “browser”.

The browser is just a software application that runs on a computer, phone, pad or other similarly functional computing device.  Most commonly the browser connects to a software application on another server via the internet.  The sending application is generically called a  web server.  There are a wide variety of specifically branded web servers with names like Apache and Internet Information Server (IIS).   They all perform the same basic functions but have different features performance attributes and costs to acquire and operate.

The data sent from the web server computer is in a standard format (there are a variety of these) and the browser knows how to interpret the data it gets because it understands the structure of the data because of it’s standard formatting and codes that tell the browser how to display and interpret it.   The displayed data is called a web site.

You can see the term world wide web led to a number of related naming conventions – web site, web server, web browser as these all depended on the world wide web to perform the functions for which they were intended.

Surfing the Web

Surfing the web became the commonly used term for viewing various different websites in your browser.  This could be via multiple searches for specific information or by using links from one site to another.

Surfing has become a popular pastime for both entertainment and gathering knowledge.  In one sense the internet is just the worlds largest library (although I would not believe everything I read there, except this blog of course).

Not Just About Websites

It is important to note although the most common use of the internet is via web sites;  the basic concept of the internet, i.e., two or more computers connecting and exchanging information/data in a way each understands and can interpret,  enables much more than just web site functionality.

Remote connections to computers, e-mail,  file transfer protocol (FTP), voice over IP;  are just a few of the other common functions that can be executed using an internet connection.

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

World Wide Web- Spiders Beware

Leave a comment

Really what is the internet?

The internet is a simple term referring to a vast network of computers that communicate with each other by a common set of standard communications protocols.

Each device on this network has a unique identifier (Machine Access Code also know as the MAC address).  All end points on the internet are identified by up to 12 numeric digits made up of four groups of three in the format xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx.  This is called the Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

When combined with the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) one device with a unique MAC address can access another at it’s associated URL and send information to it.  The response to the originating device’s MAC address (via it’s associated unique URL) creates a two way data exchange between the devices (a conversation if you will).

A word with an associated 3 character extension (called a domain name) can be associated with a URL so you don’t need to know the actual URL number,  just the word.  The three letter extension is used to identify the type of domain (i.e., .com – commercial, .org – organization, .ca – Canadian, etc)

Note:  This is changing and the extensions are becoming unrestricted in length and more informational (e.g., .Deloitte) , this is a change to domain names you will see introduced over time.

What about the world wide web (www)

In addition to the three letter extension at the end of a domain name (suffix) there can be a descriptive prefix called a sub-domain in front.  This would be formatted for example as xxxxx.domain.com.   This sub-domain allows for access to a number of actual websites associated with the same main domain’s URL but differentiated in location within the main domain URL  (actual web address) by the prefix.

In the beginning public internet domain names used the prefix  www. (world wide web).   Overtime the need to use www. sub-domain in front of your public website on the internet has generally been dropped.

Why post about the internet today?

It started with this picture a colleague shared with me this morning.  It really resonated for me as my current career is very much focused on the “web” (and his too) and it just resonated with me.  Hence I was prompted to do a short post on the background basics of the convoluted web we call the internet.

world wide web

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Save your Vision – Consider Transition lenses

1 Comment

I recently went for my annual eye check, all was fine but I got an updated prescription – my vision is a little weaker.

This led me to Lens Crafters because they had a 50% off sale.  I do wonder about that though.  They will sell you lens for $750 regularly but twice a year they will sell you those same lens for $325.  Tell’s you something about their mark-up.  Also makes me wonder why anyone would buy lenses at any time but during their semi-annual sale.

Why transition lenses?

I live in the most northern city in North America with a population over 1 million.  This means the sun is low on the horizon at sunrise and sunset and this can play havok with your eyes, particularly when driving.  Often I forget my sunglasses and I cannot put them on while driving as that is distracted driving and it is illegal.

So this time I purchased transition lens which automatically darken as the surroundings get brighter.  Instant sunglasses.  For years I thought this was a gimmick and a waste of money (these lens cost more) but my wife has been using them for years and finally I was convinced to give it a try.

Unwanted Advice

I am a firm believer that the only kind of advice is unwanted advice (by definition) but I am going to go ahead anyway.  If you wear corrective lens seriously consider getting transition lens, they are fabulous.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Food Additives and A Funny Story

Leave a comment

I found out today that many breakfast cereals  (including Cheerio’s) contain Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) as an additive.  I believe this addition is like adding baking soda.

What is interesting about this is there is a popular cleaning agent branded TSP which also contain trisodium phosphate and some other stuff.  This product is really good for cleaning painted walls as it generally does not affect the paint but is good at dissolving greasy fingermarks and the like.

The Funny Story

The funny story for today’s post is not that TSP is used in breakfast cereal manufacture (that’s more sad than funny.)

In the 1980’s when my children were all under 10 they all desired we acquire a dog.  I was strongly against this and asked my wife not to get a dog.

So, my oldest daughter, unbeknownst to me,  saved up her allowances, gifts and other sundry funds, found a breeder and bought a pure bred Sheltie (Shetland Sheep Dog).   When my wife and daughter brought the dog home I of course protested and my wife clarified that she did not get a dog, as I had requested of her, rather my daughter got the dog.  Bazinga on me.   The dog had been named by the breeder and was called Tia, which was Spanish for Aunt.

I will continue with my funny story but would like to note that Tia was a wonderful dog and the whole family (including me) came to love her very much, kudos to my daughter and sneaky wife.

Once day I bought some TSP to use as a solvent to clean the walls of our home.  As I dipped the sponge in the bucket and began to wash the walls my children (all three) appeared and asked what I was doing.  “Just washing the walls with TSP” I said.  At once they were all concerned and disgusted,  ” Dad” they yelled ” How can you wash the walls with Tia’s pee,  that’s disgusting”

Of course I had to clarify for them and soon all was understood, but I still chuckle over this story.  If you say”TSP” out loud you will see it does sound very much like Tia’s pee.

Enjoy your cheerio’s!

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

More about RRSP’s

Leave a comment

In my series of posts about retirement planning,  back at the beginning of August, I reviewed pensions, registered accounts, income funds and life annuities.

Today I am going to drill down a bit more on Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP’s)

Currently you can contribute 18% of your income to a maximum of $24,270 (the limit can change each year).  The thing to note here is the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) will calculate your next years contribution limit each year when you submit your tax return.  The calculation for the upcoming year is based on the income reported on the submitted return.  Or more simply put, when you submit your 2013 tax return in April 2014, on the confirmation the CRA sends you back they will indicate the 2014 contribution limit (calculated based on 2013 income).

Some things to note:

– contributions to employer pension plans that are not taxed are counted toward the limit (say you contribute $6000 to the company plan through payroll deductions and your Registered Plan  limit was $24,000 than you only have $18,000 room left for your personal RRSP.  It does not matter if the employers plan is defined contribution or defined benefit.)

– additionally unused amounts from previous years are held over and accumulate.  So you don’t loose unused contribution room, it just adds to the next years 18% max $24,270 calculation,  making the contribution room higher.

Although you can calculate the maximum contribution limit the best way is to let the CRA do it for you.

Reasons for Contributing

As noted in my previous blog you defer taxes on the refund you get.  And you get the investment growth on the amount you contributed.

Another key value of your RRSP contribution is the tax refund you get, that is basically calculated as your marginal tax rate times the amount contributed.  You can use it to buy things (e.g., payment toward a new car) or you can invest it.

For future use (for example when you retire), investing the tax refund works best , that being said though using the refund to buy something you want now (a little luxury), but were not able to save up enough during the year, can be appealing too.

The bottom line is to make a conscious and informed decision  of how to best use your RRSP tax refund (basically invest or spend) in the context of your overall financial plan.

Contribution Strategies

Given unused contribution room accumulates in cases where your income is rising over time you can benefit by for example contributing extra savings to a TFSA initially instead of an RRSP and building your RRSP contribution room along side your income growth year over year.  Then at some point,  make a big contribution to your RRSP.  At this point assuming your income has put you in a higher tax bracket this maximizes your refund (which is based on your marginal tax rate).   The balance here is not to wait too many years as the value of the refund is having it to spend or save.

This strategy balances the contributions to both of the key Canadian savings vehicles that help reduce your tax burden (i.e., RRSP and TFSA).   The values and benefits of TFSA versus RRSP will be explored more fully in a future blog.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Film Comments – “Sunshine on Leith”

Leave a comment

My wife and I watched the Scottish film “Sunshine on Leith” last night.  For us it was a hidden gem.  Not a widely publicized film in North America, although it screened in the special presentation section of the Toronto Film Festival in 2013.

It only went in to theatrical release in North America in early 2015 and DVD release is just out.

Leith refers to a district to the north of Edinburgh, Scotland lying at the mouth of the Water of Leith.   The movie is taken from the stage musical in which a story is built around the songs of the Scottish pop group The Proclaimers.

Great story, good music and after seeing the film I definitely will visit Edinburgh, what a beautiful city.

Not a Review!

This post is just about me sharing my experience about the film, as both my spouse and I really enjoyed it.  First it’s a real life drama, feel good entertainment and unlike many musicals the songs are not constructed to support the story, in fact just the opposite.

General Observations about Movies

Thinking about today’s blog topic I wondered what are the attributes of a good movie.

Obviously the entertainment value is very targeted to the likes and dislikes of the viewer, that being said I find it really interesting that the ratings on film review site Rotten Tomatoes often (like 9 times out of 10) match my own thoughts.  Of course the type of movie I watch at any time is a filter for choosing, that is a thriller, romance, heavy social theme, etc.   But, if the genre appeals to me I find the Rotten Tomatoes rating is often on target.

My conclusion would be that basic attributes of a good movie; actors, story, cinematography, etc  are good measures and these things form the underpinnings of the overall average score of a film on Rotten Tomatoes.  Thus on the whole the ratings provide a good indicator of whether the movie will be enjoyed or not.

Sunshine on Leith scored 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Breaking Down Taxes

Leave a comment

Taxes are what we pay to our governing body to cover the cost of the provision of common services, common that is to everyone one who comes under the control of that governing body to some extent (in some cases that includes visitors who don’t necessarily pay taxes for services they receive when visiting) .

To make that less general, say you live in a city and there is an elected group (the city counsel) that oversees the cities operation.  That is the governing body.  You pay them to provide and manage the common services for the people living in the city (everyone under the control of that city council).    In this case common services are things like police, recreation centers, parks, etc.

In reality most people are aligned with a number of governing bodies (e.g., cities, provinces, countries)and pay taxes to each in a number of ways and receive different services from each (in some cases overlapping services).

Are Taxes Fair?

If everyone received the same level of service and paid the same amount taxes you could argue this was fair.

However, you could also argue individuals with more resources (i.e., money) should pay more and support the services they use as well as some of the services those with less money use.  This kind of pay what you can afford thinking has a number of supporters who argue it is fairer than equal distribution of cost and usage.

There probably are those who argue the “you should only get what you pay for” approach as being the fairest.  That is if the park cost $100 to build and there are 10 residents they all pay $10 taxes and get to use the park exclusively 10% of the time.   England briefly tried a variation on this approach with a poll or head tax – every man women and child paid the same basic tax.  (no surprise this did not work out well)

And reality strikes home!

Of course in the societies which we live it is not practical to match cost to service received and this is even more complicated by the multiple government jurisdictions we generally support.   So we practice the principle that those who earn more pay a higher percentage of the taxes (theoretically if you earn more you can afford to pay more).

Say you go to out to a restaurant for dinner with your parents.  If your parents pay the bill you get a free meal, odds are though they wanted to pay for you.  I will assume they can afford it and probably wanted to cover your meal cost to help as you have less resources than they do (not because of ability but rather probably due to age, experience and opportunity). They know if the situation was reversed you would pay.

I am not sure those that pay a higher percent of the tax bill giving others a “free meal” want to do it, but the concepts do have some parallels.

And the usual disclaimer and caution

Effective societies operate on the principles of collaboration and charity, not equality (one of the key reasons communism does not work .   The key consideration though is balance.  That is everyone is equal probably does not work but nor does overtaxing those with more resources.  The tax scenario works best if balanced for all parties.

A parting thought (and great book for you to read if you have not already done so)  in the book “Atlas Shrugged” author Ayn Rand creates a world where the differences before those that can and do and those that do not is exaggerated.  Basically balance does not exist those that cannot feed off of those that can.  Those that can succeed drop out of the society, no longer supporting the government (they had enough because the balance was off) and the result – I won’t give away the ending of the book but you can probably guess.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

It’s All About Me!

Leave a comment

From childhood we are all indoctrinated into the cultural group-think of our local civilizations.  We are just part of a whole.  Life is bigger than just us.  Co-operation, collaboration, community behavior respecting others are a key part of all cultures and generally embedded into our upbringing.  This is pretty consistent regardless of what geographic location you grew up in.

I have also read a number of books and articles by behavior psychologists that this community behavior and focus on the value of social groupings is even stronger in females then males.

I wonder though, should it not really be “all about me”.    Respect for others needs is not excluded from this principle.  It does, however; focus on a basic reality of life, we are all individuals.   We all have ego’s and they should not only be respected by others but most importantly by ourselves.

What about me?

I was always partial to to this album track by Quicksilver Messenger Services, a sixties psychedelic rock band with strong ties to the drug culture of the time.   Take a listen.

The song is clearly reflective of North American (perhaps world wide) basic cultural changes that were occurring in the mid to late 1960’s.    The message focuses on the changes in the younger generations thinking and their desire to change culture as they seek to get out from under the thumb of “the man”.   Although the question is posed as “What about me?” the song could be interpreted as “All about me!”

Is that selfish, vain, proud, egotistical, self-centered,  self-serving, self- obsessed; the list goes on and on.  So many words with a negative connotation to describe what is generally very natural and needed behavior, in fact it is not only natural but truly beneficial.  That is to say self-worth is a key underpinning to how successful you are in the journey we call life.

Honestly, should you not most comfortable with your own self.

Clarification and Disclaimer

This post is not a demonstration that I am an uncharitable, opportunistic mercenary. (wow there really are a lot of ways to describe this behavior – none flattering either).

In fact respecting and practicing the basic self intuitive behaviors that support a thriving and effective social environment are not exclusive from being self aware and believing in (and promoting) your own greatness.

Remember being comfortable in ones own skin is far more feasible than being comfortable in the skin of someone else.

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Aspire Against All Odds

Leave a comment

Today a colleague shared  a picture which he called “my special flower”.  Not his wife, daughter or grand child, no it was really his special flower.

 

my special flower

Special because it survived and thrived against all odds.  Arising from a crack in the paving stones of his home driveway the flower is both health and colorful.

And this growth was without nurturing or support , no water or fertilizer, my colleague just let his little flower make it on her own.

What does it take to succeed against all odds?

Despite any outside help this little flower succeeded because it aspired to.  That is, building on a theme from yesterday’s post, the flower practiced the belief that  “If I believe I can, than I can!”

The takeaway here is not the sense of pride my colleague feels for “his little flower” but rather the fact she did it without him.

We do not live and thrive in isolation, we do need support; however, I postulate one of the most important personal value we can practice (if not the most important) is personal accountability.  Regardless of the need for support of others (and most times you really do) the foundation where it all starts is the individual.  You need to believe in yourself, take responsibility for your actions and use this as the springboard for success – bring the other flowers along with you for the ride.

For the greatest success couple your personal accountability with the aspiration to set personal goals and then achieve them (it is you who makes greatness happen not others).

What am I aspiring for?

This is of course a very personal question.  That being said there is a basic methodology you can employ to answer it.

Begin with high level statement of personal purpose, that is a life philosophy.  For example (and I freely admit I borrowed mine from an ancient greek philosopher):

I will live my life to maximize personal pleasure as long as I don’t impede on the personal pleasure of others.

Using this simple statement as a foundation I craft my life around achieving things that make me feel good.  I don’t have or need a bucket list, day by day I live mine.

And so little flower, grow – live long and prosper.

 

 

Random thoughts – keeping you on your toes

Ideas, Innovation and Entrepreneurs

Leave a comment

What are the qualities of a good entrepreneur?   Is it the entrepreneur or the idea that leads to success?

Just to be sure we are thinking of the same definition, here’s a standard one  from dictionary.com:

“A person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk”

There are many well known and broadly communicated success stories of people who started a business with minimal resources and became huge successes. ( Apple, Microsoft, Blackberry, etc.)

What is not as widely publicized are the  details of the failures – that is to say what was tried and how it failed.  Of course from a big picture perspective  the failure rate for entrepreneurial start-ups is pegged around 90% ish (depending on whose study you read)  so the likelihood of succeeding is known to be low and readily available in public media.  However, the stories of what did people try and why did it not work are usually not the topic of books, articles, talk shows, etc.  (I guess general in our culture failure is not celebrated).

Stories about lack of success are the opposite of the success stories, however, both examples can help understand what kind of skills, values and approaches form the underpinning of successfully building a business.  It would also help put some perspective on how much of success was attributed to good ideas and how much to the entrepreneur themselves.

The athlete model

While I don’t have a bunch of data or reference points proving my own view, I still believe the majority of the success lies with the entrepreneur themselves.

Consider successful athletes at the top of their sports.   Those in the top ten are probably equally skilled and capable but the athlete that rises to the very top succeeds through motivation and drive.  They vision the win and then they win.  Of course this is not an absolute philosophy but I wager that on the whole it the most critical success factor – believe in yourself, don’t doubt, don’t question – just proceed.

My favorite summary of this attitude is the simple quote from the Yoda character in the Star Wars film series – “There is no try, just do or do not. ”

Is there a point to this post?

Today’s message is short, brief and pointed – trust in yourself, if you think you can, then you can!