The world isn't really imploding. Currently it's only Europe

As Greece prepares for another day of a general strike and massive protests, One wonders, Is taking the day off work and causing millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure and public buildings really a good way to show that your serious about solving a debt problem that really is created by the people.  Also is it really a good move to just go out and take a break when the government is considering massive public sector layoffs.  If you're not coming to work it may just make that job a whole lot easier.  It's strange to see people suggesting that the "Government" is making the cuts and bowing to pressure, especially when the people are the ones that put the very very spendy governments in place to begin with.  It's hard to imagine too that Greece and other European governments got to this point all of a sudden, cause the world of trouble they find themselves in doesn't really come about overnight. Sure 5 years ago creative solutions like job sharing and adjusting benefit shares could have been done but at this point there's no time for that and it's not like the public sector unions would listen anyways.  Oh yeah and Italy's next so hold on to your Riot Shields it's going to be a bumpy few years.

Jack Layton

I remember watching the winding down of the last election and seeing the camera on CBC of the inside of Jack Layton's Hotel room headquarters where he was watching the numbers roll in. Some time after it had become clear that he would gain a respectable second place the phone rang and he answered it with something to the effect of, Her Majesties Loyal Opposition. It was a candid and funny moment that characterized how many Canadians felt about Jack. They felt he was the kind of person they could sit down with, have a joke or chat with and he would listen and do something for their concerns. Jack Layton was a man who stood for his principles and stood for what he believed in, a quality often lost on politicians. It is a true shame that he never really got his chance to steer the course of the country, to lead us to a fairer and better Canada. He will be missed.

HP Touchpad Dead

Well one thing is certain no amount of advertising can replace the fact that your product isn't an i-pad. You can work as hard as you like and it still won't matter because all people are talking about is what color the new i-pad will be and what features the currently unannounced product will have. It's just hard to compete when your competitor's product has taken on a life of its own.  Of course HP and others got caught flat footed and still were only trying to catch up when the axe fell.  So long Touchpad, you made a valiant attempt to slay the dragon and failed. Will anyone else take up the challenge?  Can anyone sell a tablet that can beat the i-pad on price and features? Or will the also ran parade continue?

A Wakeup Call for the US? or Just another chance to press the snooze button?

It seems like the US is trying to blame everyone else for it's problem.  If American politicians could solve their debt problem with the same passion and vigor that they attacked the downgrade of American debt, there wouldn't be a debt problem. The basic answer is that American politicians are attacking the S&P because it's put the spotlight on them.  S&P has said it's not about the short term ability for the US to pay it's debts,  it's about the US ability to, in the long term, solve it's dependence on borrowing money.



One thing that has come out of all this is that S&P has been criticized for getting it wrong on subprime mortgages before when they rated them as AAA right up to the very end.  I guess I would say that maybe they're just being more realistic now and rating things as they see them rather than getting caught up in the hysteria or excitement of the moment as they did in the past.

Of course it's not as if the S&P is the only one calling the US government on the carpet for it's dependence on debt.  China, the US's largest creditor, has also criticized the US dependence on debt.  While the S&P downgrade is a problem, one would wonder what would happen if China suddenly pulled the plug and showed up to collect?

The American Peso?

I have nothing against the Peso of other countries such as Mexico and the Philippines but if the US doesn't get it's act together the US Dollar isn't going to be valuable enough to buy 1 of either.  While the US is in an ideological game of chicken, the value of it's currency is slipping away.  It seems obvious to the American public that both raising taxes and cutting spending is necessary but all of this is lost on the Republicans and Democrats as they try to stake their positions and prepare to get elected again in 2012.  Though what will be left to get elected to lead is hard to imagine if this doesn't get sorted out. While they talk again and again about an August 2nd deadline the world has already given up.  Right now traders a fleeing the dollar like so many rats leaving a sinking ship raising the price of gold and driving up other currencies like the Canadian dollar.  As this flight from the US Dollar accelerates it may not matter whether a solution on the "debt crisis" is found or not. By the end the dollar might be worthless and inflation might already be accelerating to a point where the US economy can never recover.

Of Course failing to find a solution to the debt crisis is unthinkable.  If a solution is not found social security checks won't go out, soldiers won't be paid and millions across the country will be out of work as hundreds of federal agencies will be forced to close. 

The suggestion that this is all just "an American Problem" is pure fiction.  If the American economy sinks the rest of the world is going to go down with the ship.

Shaw delays wireless launch

CBC News - Calgary - Shaw delays wireless launch

Shaw is delaying the launch of their wireless product by 3 months. Unfortunately that means you still have a year to wait till you can ditch your current provider for another. Shaw still hasn't announced much detail on it's wireless network such as coverage, plans or the type of hardware it will be supporting. So it's difficult to know how much you would be able to save with a switch but it will likely be just enough to temp customers away from rival carriers. The one advantage of being last to market is that you get to see everyone else's hands. It's like being the last person on the price is right you can say 1$ or 1001$ to allow you to sneak in an poach someone else's bid.