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It's 2012. It's finally here. The last year we have on this planet, right? Not so according to National Geographic magazine. It turns out that this Maya, doomsday, end-of-the-world scenario is pure poppycock.
The Maya calendar doesn't come to an abrupt end on Dec. 21, 2012, as some have said; it just flips back over to zero like the odometer in my old Ford LTD. Read the rest of this entry »
Variety is the spice of life, right? It is if poet William Cowper is to be believed. Then there is singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow who told us that “a change will do you good.”
One man taking the spice out of his life, or at least his wardrobe, is local-boy-made-good Sergio Marchionne. In an interview with reporters following a recent speech, the Italian-Canadian head of Fiat and Chrysler explained why he wears the same clothes — a black sweater and black pants — every day. Read the rest of this entry »
Family Day – the third Monday in February – broke up one long stretch of the year, but now it’s time to rectify a pre-Christmas mistake. By making Remembrance Day a statutory holiday nationwide, governments would give respite to Canadian workers in need of a break, and take care of a long-standing error.
Most provinces and territories — Alberta, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Prince Edward Island, Saskatchewan, and Yukon -- actually observe this day as a statutory holiday. The rest should follow suit.
As the Canadian manufacturing sector continues to try to break out of its slump, new numbers indicate that the industry may be moving in the right direction.
In a recent survey conducted by Canadian Industrial Machinery, manufacturers said that they are running closer to full capacity than they were a year ago. In 2010 shops reported that they were producing at about 77 percent of their full potential. This year that percentage has risen to 84.8 – a definite step toward the competitiveness and profitability needed in this economy. Read the rest of this entry »
September is Self-Improvement Month and time, perhaps, for a little reflection.
The basis for most well-known self-help guides requires the recognition of a personal problem or deficiency and the promise of success following a change in attitude, actions, or activity. And while I may know the difference between Tony Horton and Tony Robbins, I’m certainly no expert. Read the rest of this entry »
A hot, sunny day spent at the ballpark can teach you a few things. It can teach you the difference between a four-seam fastball and a two-seam fastball; it can teach you the importance of sunscreen; and most of all, it can teach you patience.
Sluggers like the Toronto Blue Jays' José Bautista enter the batter's box with a plan. They wait for their pitch, and when they see it, they swing. It's carpe diem, baseball-style. However, success in this sport is a very relative thing. You are deemed a success when you fail seven times out of 10. Read the rest of this entry »
It doesn’t take a supergenius like Wile E. Coyote® to figure out that recent months have been a struggle for Canadian manufacturers.
The rise of the dollar’s value over the past few years is reshaping the business landscape here in the Great White North. When the value of the Canadian dollar was low when compared to the U.S. greenback’s, the effects of offshoring on Canadian business were delayed as orders poured in from south of the border. Read the rest of this entry »
Wind power is not necessarily all it's cracked up to be.
A recent windstorm that swept through southern Ontario a few weeks ago not only relieved my house of some of its shingles, but also taught me several valuable lessons. Among them is the fact that I'm not in as good of shape as I think I am. Read the rest of this entry »
It seems everything these days can be had on demand.
Movies and television shows can be streamed into your house and watched at any time of the day or night. Music, video games, and books all can be downloaded to your newest gadget to be enjoyed anywhere. Read the rest of this entry »
Twenty-five years can be a very long time or a very short time. It all depends on perspective.
Back in 1986, thanks to the movies "Platoon" and "Top Gun," Charlie Sheen and Tom Cruise were cool, not crazy, and a magazine called Canadian Industrial Machinery (CIM) was launched. I wonder what the next 9,000 or so days will bring. Read the rest of this entry »
