The Basics

There seems to be a great deal of negative connotations around spending money these days. Though the Canadian government has recently declared the worst of the recession over, it seems to be that people are still very cautiously spending their money. Companies are still undergoing layoffs and many unemployeds can still not find work. Kai’s cultural topic of the week is:

CONSUMERISM

I was once at a family reunion where everyone had to give a little speech about who they are, what they do, what they believe, and demonstrate a special skill. My skill turned out to be wearing a Calgary Flames Jersey, putting on a cowboy hat and shot-gunning a beer. Glacier fresh-tasting Kokanee, it’s the beer out here. My uncle, on the other hand, spoke of the downward sloping demand curve – the basis for understanding economics.

Consumerism is not a new concept but the fear of it is. Economic principles and cultural norms suggest that we can stimulate the economy by spending, but what happens when there is no money to spend on an individual level?

The recession took its toll on many countries, companies, families and individuals. Those who made it out unscathed should consider themselves lucky. I have been in my current job now for about 9 months and the company is doing well by most standards but there will obviously be obstacles as no business is truly recession-proof, as I became merely one of the many statistics to be unemployed in the last two years.

I’m beginning to sound very textbook and uninteresting, so let me just simplify it for myself and for everyone reading…

When you have very little money, it’s simple: you should not be spending. Buy what you need at that’s it. In fact (to over-OVER-simplify) this is what caused the entire recession in the first place (along with other complicated refinancing plans and poor decisions by financial institutions and international bodies).

There seems to be this general understanding and acceptance of people who live outside their financial means and it needs to stop.

From time to time I get criticized for driving and older vehicle because it’s not as pretty or as fast as something only a couple years old. Driving newer/financed vehicles often can have as many if not more costs than driving an older vehicle that once all the balance sheet is laid out. Increased insurance payments coupled versus do-it-yourself maintenance projects can often leave you on a similar playing field. Obviously you don’t plan for emergencies and this is why you need to have a safe-hold. It’s not that I can’t afford to drive a nicer vehicle, it’s just that by driving a reasonable older vehicle I allow for other luxuries in my life: photographic equipment, snowboarding, international vacations, motorcycle, eating out, etc…

Financial advisors suggest keeping on hand at all times a minimum of three months salary in liquidable savings in order to safeguard any sort of job loss or accidental costs that may occur. Sounds pretty reasonable to me…

The easiest way? There is no clear cut method but savings have to be in your spending budget. You can easily budget fun, travel, luxury items and other big tickets into your spending but the most important key is to pay yourself first. If you can’t save money, don’t buy anything else. Just slow the spending. Buy essentials. No, a $2500 purse on sale for $1500 is not an essential item…

When it comes down to it, you are going to be the only one affected by your good or poor spending habits, so if you can either live with the consequences of living in debt or stretching yourself so far that you can literally not afford to splurge or you can just think a little.

Spending money is not rocket science, it is simple economics.

YOUR HOMOS

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUTTA MA MOOOOOOUUUUTH?! - Chris Tucker to Jackie Chan, Rush Hour

This will be a short one - like a refresher course cause it's been a while. This week's cultural topic is:

HOMONYMS

What's with people these days not knowing how to spell the words they are trying to write? English teachers are rolling over in their graves trying to figure out why it is such a big issue with kids (in particular) knowing how to use simple homonyms.

I would like to highlight the three most simply corrected spelling errors in commonly used English language - and I'm NOT trying to be a dictionary here...I just can't take it anymore!

You're/Your/ur
You're = you are. Your=possessive. Therefore, YOUR so cool is not correct. You're NOT cool if you're thinking that you're and your are the same. You're can be possessive as in you are possessive and have possessions but your not possessive cause that doesn't make sense. You're=U R does not equal Your=ur. .

To/Too/Two - I see two people messaging to each other using the wrong to/too/two all too often.

Their/There/They're. They're=they are. There=a place. Their=like your=possessive. They're going to meet us there with their friends. THERE, see the difference?

Shorthand - somewhat acceptable in t9 phone texting and even then is stupid in my books - books whose dictionaries don't even include shorthand! Ur buddies might think you're def pretty tight cuz ur party last nite was the sickest. Talk 2 u L8r! DUH

No, I'm not angry - It's grammar and grammar is simple if you follow the rules. Remember: Ain't NOBODY touch a black man's radio!


PS I really like this photo - From Zoo Lights 2009, Calgary, AB

Guest Blogger

If you check in more frequently here than I do, you'll remember my good friend, Dale Vaughn. As I mentioned, he's written a short how-to guide for those "just surviving" and I had the great honour of being selected as one of his first guest bloggers.

It's a little different from the way I usually blog post, so it was a lot of fun and you might even be able to learn something.

Check it out. Let me know what you think.

http://startlivingfortoday.com/Stop_Surviving,_Start_Living_by_Dale_Vaughn/Living_For_Today/Entries/2009/9/6_Opening_doors.html

Great book, great motivation and a great way to see things in a little different light.

Howdy Y'all

Nothing makes me happier than to know I am making difference. Unfortunately, these days I am not doing that. Being an unemployed part of society is really draining. This week’s cultural topic is:

COUNTRY MUSIC

This is also a game: guess how many country music titles are blatantly incorporated.

It seems every summer I get a little bit more into country music. I’m worried that eventually it will take over my main repertoire of music, but for now it’ll stay number two. Why? One magical event happens every year that increases exposure. This event is the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth aka the Calgary Stampede. Cal-GRY. Calgary turns country. Cow-town. Despite growing up with most of my friends in the city, they, like me, have become pretty countrified too.

My interest in country music is relatively recent. I grew up with the likes of Van Halen, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn blasting from the kitchen, and rock music constantly on the radio. My brother liked this kind of music but fell into a crowd that also liked rap (for some reason). Myself, I was always a rock kid – strayed off (for some reason) into ska and punk for a brief period, but came back to my senses and went back to the classics like the Stones, Zepplin and the later glam rock of Guns n Roses or Def Leppard.

The fundamentals of rock and country music are the same. Based on Blues patterns or 1-4-5 progressions, appreciation came easily once regular attendance at Cowboys nightclub’s 25c draft Thursdays in University made it impossible to avoid. We resisted at first, of course, but wearing cowboy hats (last count for me 8) to the bar and teaching hot girls to two step became fun. I ain’t as good as I once was, but the line dance set is still the highlight of my night, whether I’m stone sober or after ten rounds of Jose Quervo.

After I bought my first country album (not that I have all that many), I bought Led Zepplin III to counter act my potential fallacy. You see, though both of my parents are from Alberta, it was somehow looked down upon. My dad nearly kicked me out of the house when he heard Toby Keith coming from my computer....but after reasoning we agreed to disagree despite classic blues riffs existing in all country and rock.

I’m becoming worried because all I’ve been learning lately on the guitar are country songs and though they are catchy and easy to play, I’m not learning any new chords. It’s not tough, but someone’s gotta do it. Live country music is good too. They can put on a show just as well as any rocker – the only difference is that cowboy hats are allowed.

In other news, I recently had a photo of mine discovered on Flickr which was shortlisted, then approved for inclusion in an online guide of Calgary. It’s not great publicity and I will not anytime soon be making photography my main objective in life, but it’s pretty neat to be recognized for work, even if it is only for exposure. Everyone wants to be kind of a big deal – like playboys of the southwestern world.

Calgary Geese – Schmap Calgary Guide

What does taking photos have to do with country music and being unemployed? Not much. But no matter what, you can make a difference in the world no matter how small. So let’s get rowdy and give somebody a great big howdy. Trust me, the chicks dig it.

The Great Red and White

With Canada Day just around the corner (July 1 - tomorrow) many people may be ramping up their plans for the big mid-week day off. This week’s cultural topic is:

HOUSE PARTY

Sure, you could make your way down to the festivities around town, fight the crowds, overpay for drinks and battle traffic after the fireworks…which, ironically, is likely what I will be doing. But consider this option: party in a controlled environment at someone’s house.

They’ll have a nice little BBQ - maybe do up some steaks or burgers or chicken or veggie burgers for you weirdos. If they have the ability, they might have a little fire - hopefully in a fire pit – and of course – drink just enough to be satisfied but not too much that you can’t make it up for work on Thursday (unless you’re like me and don’t have a job in which case days of the week don’t really matter). If you’re lucky, you might even find a party with a hot tub in case it rains or gets characteristically Calgary-cold at night…

Attention Asian people:
YOU ARE NOT GOOD DRINKERS. Asian people suffer from what is known as ASIAN RED FACE – aka Asian Flush, Asian Glow, Red Cheeks, Oriental Flush…or more scientifically – Alcohol Flush Reaction. It’s caused by an asian gene’s inability to quickly metabolize alcohol intake and a lack alcohol dehydrogenase, an enzyme which breaks down simple drinking alcohol (ethanol) into the eventual digestible product – acetic acid. Approximately half of people with Asian descent are considered to be sensitive to this drinking condition. The interim byproduct of the conversion of ethanol to acetic acid is acetaldehyde, and it is this byproduct which causes capillary constriction through face, eyes, neck, and virtually all other epidermal surfaces and gives Asians that bright hue we all like to make fun of them for, leading them to make us think they are in fact way drunker than they may actually be.

Attention White/non Asian People:
Just because you aren’t Asian doesn’t mean you can’t suffer effects of acetaldehyde. This is a possibly (unconfirmed studies) carcinogenic byproduct and is one of the leading causes of the dreaded HANGOVER…but at least you won’t turn bright red after a couple sips of your favorite bevie.

Luckily for me, this deficiency skipped most of my asian-half of the family, though one time I had a really stiff and super spicy Caesar and was also sun burnt, so it might have looked like I had it, but several follow up attempts have confirmed that I am mostly immune.

Whether you're RED faced (Asian) or WHITE faced (non-Asian), the combination of faces at your house party will be perfect in the spirit of our great country's confederate anniversary. So this Canada Day, remember kids:

Whatever you do, this Bud’s for you…unless you’re Asian.