Posted by Canadian Dream on April 14, 2009
Ok, Tuesday is usually link post, but there is just on slight problem. I have yet to open my Reader account in over six days so I haven’t read most of my usual stuff for that long. Ah the joys of being consumed by a home improvement project.
For those of you that follow me on Twitter you already know I spend the last five days installing hardwood in the family room. What I might have not mentioned was my wife and boys were gone for that entire time (they went to Grandma’s to avoid the mess and get in a visit). So during the last five days I had something odd in the house during the evening: silence.
I rediscovered a few things during that time:
- I really don’t mind being alone for periods of time. It’s just something that has never really bothered me even as a young kid.
- How hard it is to go from cooking for four to one, I’ve rarely had to cook for just one so that was a bit of challenge.
- Projects NEVER go according to plan so having some extra time is always a good idea. I figured I could do the project in four days, I finished at 4pm on day five.
The third point is what go me thinking. Should people planning an early retirement just pick a range of dates rather than a specific one? I mean it’s near impossible to predict when you can actually do it with any degree of exactness from 20 years out. It’s highly variable on many different things: rate of return, amount saved, inflation rate and changes in government policy. So should you just pick a rough date and then put on three years or more to either side? Or perhaps the answer lies in just not being very attached to any specific date.
What’s your thought on this? (Other than the fact this post started off with a blank screen and me having no idea what to write so it evolved into this mess of thought. Sorry for the mess.)
Comments:
Filed Under: Misc
Posted by Canadian Dream on April 13, 2009
I have to confess I hate being asked the question “What do you do?” at parties. It’s not that I dislike the question itself, but rather I’m never sure what answer to give.
I know traditionally you are supposed to discuss your day job, but that seems like such a narrow focus. Yes I work as an engineer, but that’s only about 20% of my year. I hate to be literal and tell them I get a fair amount of sleep each night so that eats up about 31% of my year.
It’s that other 49% of my time that I have a hard time describing. Yes I write a lot and read a lot. I also like doing home improvement and visiting with friends or family. Being a husband and father also consume a fair amount of time. Not to mention all the day to day stuff like cooking, cleaning, running errands, and balancing my chequing account. Then there is attending parties and hosting dinners. Bascially most of my life happens in that other 49% of my time.
How do you describe that to someone you only just been introduced to? Then what happens when you retire. The standard answer is gone. Do you say your retired? Is that even a job title now? Or perhaps you give yourself a new title like ‘private wealth manager’? Or better yet do you answer “I’m seeking the absolute most happiness I can from every second I have left on this earth.”
If that is the case, why can’t I use that answer as well? My point of this ramble is we are much more than our day jobs. Don’t let yourself get too define by just one part of you life. Descibing your life should always feel like having to describe the contents of the Louve in a sentence. It’s impossible to do it justice.
Posted by Canadian Dream on April 10, 2009
Recently I was reading an article about someone who questioned some of the science behind global warming and after discussing the article with a few other people I had to admit the man had some points about some questions that aren’t being discussed. What is normal climate and do they consider normal change in their models? How is cloud cover accounted for since it is larger affect than CO2?
Climate change is not having a debate anymore. After years of misinformation everyone is so confused by what is a real question and what is bullshit we had lost the ability to ask and discuss questions on the science behind climate change. That matter is consider closed to many. But after all 2008 managed to prove economic forecasts are garbage so what makes the climate models any better? Despite the need to discuss these questions anyone who goes against the popular opinion are often turned into villains before they can speak more than a question.
This is not to say I’m a denier or anything. I’m merely pointing out the ability to have a logical debate on the issues is far gone that it is impossible to have today. Climate change is now less about the science and more about a belief. I’m more likely to say I believe in climate change and global warming rather than discuss the matter with facts. We’ve managed to turn one of the great discussions of our time into a matter of faith and I mourn that loss. Faith doesn’t leave a lot of room for discussion in the wrong crowd.
The implications of being wrong are huge. Should we be focusing on renewable energy and effiency to extend our exisiting fossil fuels usefulness? Should we be focusing more on sustainable design than clean coal technology? These questions and others should be asked but can’t be discuss now.
So what are your thoughts on the debate? Are the deniers being ignored for good reason or do they actually have a few interesting points?
