I just finished watching the movie entitled The Pursuit of Happiness. The movie is about a guy (Will Smith) who never caught a break and is trying to provide for his family. He works really hard and tries to become a broker – which of course he eventually does. It was good and I enjoyed it but it was long and you knew how it was going to end. It’s like watching Titanic – you know it’s gonna sink.

Watching this movie, like most of the movies I watch, displays a person who is in a struggle and wants to better them self or get ahead. Have you ever thought though, what happens to these people after the struggle? Like in the pursuit of happiness, after Will Smith gets the job, then what? He has money, he’s happy; he gets a new house, a new car and then a dog. But then what? If the movie continues, it would probably start to suck. No struggle, no drama, nothing too overly exciting. Maybe there is a good deal going on at Ikea and he goes and buys a new couch or maybe he got a bad deal on his new car. The developmentment of a pretty typical life.

I evaluate. I try to take this movie and apply it to my life. I see the struggle, respect it and can relate to where Will Smith is at in this movie. But then that’s the thing though; I have been there. I was in school, didn’t have a penny to rub together and I have now gotten past it. I live a life that has fought the battle and have overcome the tight periods.

Now I live in the mundane. I go to work, try to keep fit (emphases on try), pay taxes, go to bed at an appropriate time, drink occasionally, hang out with friends, hang out with my girlfriend and I pay off school. That’s my life in a nut shell. There is no struggle, no defining moments, no chance nor risk. It’s pretty calculated from here on out. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, I love my life and the people in it but I feel as though I can’t relate with these types of movies anymore. I am past the struggle and needing encouragement stages now.

I know you can always use encouragement and it’s always welcomed but from a society stand point; I am pretty set. All I have to do from here on out is go to work, pay my taxes and pay my bills on time; that’s it, there is nothing dramatic about it. Strip down all the things you do for excitement in your own life and that is what you are left with: work, taxes and bills.

With no struggle there isn’t much going on in your life. Maybe this is why people create their own struggle. Its as though people go looking for it. Placing themselves in things they would never imagine if they stepped back and analyzed the situation. Taking a look at sports today you notice people do this. Basketball and Hockey just isn’t cutting it anymore so people are partaking in crazier and more defying sports.

People are bored, they’re not oppressed so they start creating blockades for themselves like breaking records, making things, thrill seeking or buying stuff.

Maybe that’s why people are so inspired by sports or movies like the one I just saw. People who don’t have struggle can at least appreciate other people’s dilemmas.

Two of three grads return home today. Skip the you-got-it-good jokes and get set for a new stage of parenting.

By Jean Chatzky, Money Magazine editor-at-large
December 29 2006: 10:40 AM EST

The balancing act between teaching your kids independence and keeping them safe isn’t easy. Do you let them climb to the top of the jungle gym? Are they old enough to venture into town to see a movie? What’s a reasonable curfew for a teenager … with a car?
According to the parenting gurus whose books line my shelves, that’s supposed to be it. Once college commences, your job is pretty much done. But boomerang kids are now so common that social scientists have dubbed the phenomenon “adultolescence,” a period following college that can last five or more years.

More than 65% of graduates are moving back home, compared with 53% just five years ago. And while the difficult stages of childhood may have had lasting emotional impact, this one has financial ramifications galore for you – about $5,000 a year, on average, in assistance – and your kid.
How did adultolescence come about? Blame rising college costs and rampant consumerism. Today the average graduate emerges with nearly $20,000 in student loans and $4,000 in credit-card debt. Meanwhile, she faces a world in which rents have skyrocketed over recent decades but starting salaries, adjusted for inflation, have dropped 17%. She can’t cut it, so she falls back on the bank of Mom and Dad for support in the form of either cash or an invitation to move back home.
Your challenge is to help her weather this period and come out the other side standing on her own two financial feet.

Plan for it

There are two types of adultolescence. The first is one that you and your child see coming. You both know that his starting salary as a sous-chef won’t cover his expenses, so you decide he’ll stay home for a couple of years and stash some cash.
If this happens, it’s imperative that you expect a real financial contribution from your kid, even if you don’t need the money.
“When you move home as an adult after college, you get a sense that you’re regressing, and that can have a negative effect on your self-esteem,” explains Elina Furman, author of “Boomerang Nation” and the soon-to-be-released “Kiss and Run,” who lived at home until she was 30. “If you’re paying rent, your parents won’t treat you like a child. You’re buying a bit of respect.”
So how much rent is the right amount? Enough so they feel it, not so much that they can’t save. The National Foundation for Consumer Credit suggests that a maximum of 35% of an adult’s income go for housing. Bill your kid for half that and require him to do something smart with the rest.

When housing prices were cheaper, the standard advice was to save enough for a down payment. Today, it’s more likely you’ll encourage your child to save enough to set himself up with a decent car and apartment rental.
Beyond that, he should put any extra money toward student loans. A recent survey from Nellie Mae showed that grads find their loan payments, which average $220 a month and last a solid decade, more burdensome as they get older, when expenses like houses and kids come along. And a study from Alliance Bernstein found that grads with large student-loan debts put off marriage and kids because they feel so underwater.

Already out? Help him stay out

The second kind of adultolescence is unplanned. Your son gets a job, an apartment, a car, and then he can’t hack it. If you decide to help, do it in a way that will let him maintain his independence – and his apartment.
“This is not only more empowering emotionally but financially as well,” says Dr. Charles Sophy, medical director for Los Angeles County’s family services department. “It will be harder for that son or daughter to leave the nest the second time, once they’ve gone back to the safety of your roof. If you bail a child out completely by insisting he move back home, you’re only setting him up to not have the tools the next time around.”

It’s up to you to decide whether your help takes the form of a gift or a loan. Just be specific. If it’s the latter, structure the deal like any banker would. Settle on a payment schedule and interest rate, if any. “Clarify your own expectations with your spouse,” Sophy adds, noting that Mom and Dad don’t always agree.

Put an end to this phase

How do you know that your days of bailing out your kids should come to an end?
Ask yourself a few questions, suggests Furman. “Are they working hard? Are they progressing in terms of saving toward their exit goal? If the answers are yes, you’re doing the right thing, and full independence will likely come about on its own. But if you see that your kid is coasting and not saving a dime, your contribution might be crippling him. You may want to push him out early.”
David Morrison, founder of Twentysomething, a market research firm that studies Gen Y, suggests monitoring your child’s consumption habits. “Today’s young adults are definitely spending,” he says. “And it’s one big reason that today’s young adults have less net worth than young adults 15 to 20 years ago. I tell parents this: ‘If your child is buying a better car than you or taking better trips, it’s time for them to move out.’” Amen.

Q1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms: The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven’t eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

Q2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

Q3. A magician was boasting one day at how long he could hold his breath under water. His record was 6 minutes. A kid that was listening said, “that’s nothing, I can stay under water for 10 minutes using no type of equipment or air pockets!” The magician told the kid if he could do that, he’d give him $10,000. The kid did it and won the money. Can you figure out how?

Q4. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

Q5. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and grey when you throw it away?

Q6. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?

Q7. This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it? It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it! In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out! Try to do so without any coaching!

Q8. You are participating in a race. You overtake the second person. What position are you in?

Q9. If you overtake the last person, then you are…?

Q10. (in your head!) Take 1000 and add 40 to it. Now add another 1000. Now add 30. Add another 1000. Now add 20. Now add another 1000. Now add 10. What is the total?

Q11. Mary’s father has five daughters: 1. Nana, 2. Nene, 3. Nini, 4. Nono. What is the name of the fifth daughter?

Now how many could you answer?
Scroll down for answers:-

ANSWERS:-

A1. The third. Lions that haven’t eaten in three years are dead.

A2. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

A3. The kid filled a glass of water and held it over his head for 10 minutes.

A4. Colour and Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.

A5. The answer is Charcoal. In Homer Simpson’s words: hmmmm… Barbecue.

A6. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

A7. The letter “e”, which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph

A8. If you answer that you are first, then you are absolutely wrong! If you overtake the second person and you take his place, you are second!

A9. If you answered that you are second to last, then you are wrong again. Tell me, how can you overtake the LAST person?!

A10. Did you get 5000? The correct answer is actually 4100. Don’t believe it? Check with your calculator!

A11. Nunu? NO! Of course not. The fifth daughter is Mary. Read the question again.

BUFFALO, N.Y. – This Christmas, a family here may keep a closer eye on their statue of baby Jesus. Last year someone plucked it from the nativity scene in their front yard and spent eight months traveling the state, returning it complete with plenty of photos of where it had been.

“When we tell people about it, they just look at us and say, ‘Wow, that really happened?’ ” Joan Leising said. “Then, we show them the photo album.”

The statue was taken Dec. 23, and a note – promising to return the baby Jesus in three days – was left in the statue’s place.

Eight months later, Joan’s husband, John Leising, opened the front door and found the statue on his porch, along with a photo album that showed images of the figurine in front of highway signs in Binghamton, Rochester, Albany and Poughkeepsie.

It was photographed at the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, and posed on a bicycle, on a horse, in a car wearing a seat belt, in a chair next to a campfire and in someone’s kitchen.

A note enclosed, signed “Creators of the baby Jesus chronicles,” assured the family that the prank was not intended to be “blasphemous or disrespectful.”

The Leisings were glad to have their statue back, but remained confused as to why it was missing for so long since the statue-nappers promised it would be returned in three days.

“The real Jesus Christ would have forgiven them for that,” John Leising said. “And we do, too.”

Today is the annual St. Clair basketball game.
It’s been a while since I have played Basketball. The last time was last Alumni Game. I could be a little rusty. I figure by the time I get “in the zone” the game will be over and I will have been lit up for 20 points by who ever I am guarding.

On a positive note it will be great to see everyone again. It’s good to hear that so many people are getting on with their lives and pursuing their dreams.

My prediction for this year is that we get spanked. Not because we lack talent but because all the players will have packed on about 20 pounds. Damn I hate getting old.

Do people really think there is a “war on Christmas” going on out there? I personally believe it is a faddish (just like last year) and that most sensible people got and are sick of the issue. Reasonable, levelheaded people have figured out a long time ago that there is no war, the vast majority of north America celebrates and enjoys the holiday, and that the radical warriors probably just need to pick up a new hobby.

But the radical warriors can’t drop it. Not because there is a devilish scheme to undermine Christianity and not because there aren’t other noble things for them to attack, but because the religious right has figured out that this silly little “War on Christmas” is a cash cow.

For Conservative Christian groups, this year’s hot gift is a weapon for fighting back in the “War on Christmas.” Make sure you pick up your stock of buttons, bumper stickers or a memo with some advice to the troops from either country.

The Mississippi-based American Family Association says it has sold more than 500,000 buttons and 125,000 bumper stickers bearing the slogan “Merry Christmas: It’s Worth Saying.”

The Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal aid group that boasts a network of some 900 lawyers standing ready to “defend Christmas,” says it has moved about 20,000 “Christmas packs.” The packs, available for a suggested $29 donation, include a three-page legal memo and two lapel pins.

And Liberty Counsel, a conservative law firm affiliated with the Rev. Jerry Falwell, says it has sold 12,500 legal memos on celebrating Christmas and 8,000 of its own buttons and bumper stickers.

This adds up to some very serious do-ray-me.

The Alliance Defense Fund shipped 20,000″Christmas packs” this year. The American Family Association sold more than 500,000 buttons and 100,000 magnets. The AFA’s Don Wildmon refused to get into specifics, but acknowledged that the project turned a profit — so much so that he plans to sell buttons in the spring about Easter.

So let me pull out my trusty computer based calculator.

Basic math says the Liberty Counsel has pulled in an estimated $300,000+, the Alliance Defense Fund an estimated $500,000+, and the American Family Association an estimated $600,000+ from selling their “War on Christmas” action items.

As I see it, we can draw two conclusions from this. One, even these religious right groups probably realize Christmas is not “under attack,” but cynically exploit the fears of their members in order to make some serious coin.

And two, Fear sells and what better fear do we have other than to “fear God?”

Merry Christmas.

I have been off line all week as I have been transfering all of my websites to a new server. Thanks to Nathan, I got it back online. I know that sounds like a bunch of jiperish so I will just say that its all good now because I am back on line.
Cheers.

Rocky, the last chapter (that was supposed to of been 20 years ago) will be out in theaters on Christmas. Rachel has told me she wont go with me so I need someone to go with who is just as excited as I am.

While in Fort McMurray I have a lot of access to maps of North America and the pipe lines embedded in the ground that you wouldn’t normally see on a driving map. Seeing where these lines are, I am starting to piece together why some areas are more populated than others. It appears people follow the oil (because that’s where the money is).

I will try to explain to you why Fort mcMurray has a unique relationship with Sarnia and Sarnia with the rest of North America. By understanding this relationship you will start to see why Sarnia is going to expand more in the future. (You are beginning to see this with the billion dollar expansion at Suncor and also why Shell announced the construction of a new refinery – (which is the only new Refinery constructed in the last 20 years in all of North America)).

Fort McMurray
If you don’t know its location, it is an 8 hour drive North of Calgary. I am writing this from Fort Mac so let me give you a quick break down – its cold (minus 30) and I haven’t seen the sun in 4 days. Fort McMurray is also the home to the oil sands and the oil sands contain probably the largest oil reserve in the world (over 3 trillion barrels).

The problem in Fort Mac is that the oil is in the sand and until very recently (say the last 15 years) it cost more money than it was worth to extract the oil from the sand. With the addition of new technology and a souring global demand for oil ($65 + a barrel) the oil sands has now becoming easier, cheaper and very profitable to produce.

There are two main pipeline feeds that come out of Fort McMurray for all the oil extracted (which is an INSANE amount and only climbing. Suncor alone produces 260,000 barrels a day and predict that by 2010, it will extract over 500,000). The two pipes travel east and end in Wisconsin. From their, they split. One line travels to Chicago and the other to Sarnia (under the great lakes).

Chicago
Is a HUGE depot. From here some of the oil is refined and distributed to the local vendors. The pipeline from Fort McMurray continues on and travels south and meets up with Oklahoma (Oklahoma is a MASSIVE depot and connects all the other southern states that refine, add to, subtract from and manipulate the oil.)

The pipelines going to Fort McMurray are like two way roads and in Chicago the depot receives oil from down south and Fort McMurray. But it doesn’t just stop their. The depot sends that oil through their own pipeline (a combination of Fort McMurray and southern oil) and continues to travel east. Can you guess where that line goes to?

Sarnia
Is the location responsible for receiving a pipeline directly from Fort McMurray and indirectly from Chicago. In Sarnia, the oil is refined and many plants operate their to manipulate, extract and add to the oil. 2 pipelines come into Sarnia and after its been manipulated and tweaked with it then sends the oil on further. The first line sends the oil to the heart of Indiana. From there is it received, off loaded and distributed. (This pipeline runs parallel with Interstate 75).
The second pipeline travels to Toronto (which travels parallel with Highway 402 and highway 401).
The pipeline that comes from Sarnia and travels to Toronto spirals off in many directions. One spiral is Ottawa. In Ottawa the oil is received, extracted and distributed.
Another spiral is New York. New York receives all of its oil from this Toronto line. They receive it, extract it and distribute it.
To recap: Sarnia provides the vast majority of oil to Toronto, Ottawa, New York, Boston (anything east you can imagine).

History Lesson
The relationship that Fort McMurray and Sarnia have is unique. But to go further on this relationship we’ll have to do a quick history lesson.

There are two types of oil crude: Sweet and Sour. Sweet is the crude you want. It’s easy to process and make into gasoline. All the cars (anything with a motor) receive sweet.
Where do you find sweet crude? The Middle East. In the Middle East it’s as easy as dropping a pipeline in the ground and the sweet crude just explodes to the surface. It’s very cheap to produce (probably why gas is 2 cents a litre in Kuwait).

The problem in the Middle East is instability. Totally understandable because the ground they occupy is VERY VALUABLE. All these religious wars that have been and that are going on probably have some ties (if not all) to the oil. (This is an entirely different topic of discussion and can be debated another time).

The Oil Sandsin Alberta has the largest supply of Sour crude in the world (the stuff you don’t want). This sour crude has to be processed, broken down and made into sweet. It’s a big process and quite costly. To be accurate, it now costs about $22 a barrel to take sour and turn it into sweet. Back in the 70s when gas was very cheap, the oil sands were too expensive for oil production and the oil sands only cost companies money.

Travel 20 years later into 90s and you find a different story. With the increase in car production, house heating, electricity, 3rd world countries becoming developed, an unstable middle east the demand for oil has increased at an incredible rate. So much demand that the oil sands are now very producible and very profitable.

In the last 15 years the oil sands went from being a black hole for company pockets to becoming the backbone of the company profit. The only problem now is who is going to change the sour crude into sweet? North America was never built to receive sour crude (at least not in the amount that the oil sands can produce it) but Sarnia was. Sarnia has always received sour crude. This is why you see companies dumping heap loads of money into southwest Ontario. The pipelines already point to Sarnia so why not keep sending it that way and building more there.

So the relationship that Fort McMurray and Sarnia has is that Fort Mac pulls it out of the ground, they send it across the country (which takes 26 days), Sarnia receives it, converts it and sends it on its way.

Watch these two videos.
Tell me which one you like better.
The first one is Chamillionaire rapping “Riding Dirty” and the second is Weird Al rapping “White & Nerdy” doing a Parody of Chamillionaire’s song