Robert J McLeod – Odd and Misunderstood

So I have an issue with the problem of charities, causes and companies who make a difference yet their success depends on their ability to market.

If you’ve read Freakonomics, you can get a bit of a sense for what I’m talking about. For example, people are more afraid of guns killing children than children drowning yet way more kids drown in swimming pools than are killed by guns.

In a similar (but much less morbid) way, a company like the Canadian Red Cross’s success for blood donations doesn’t depend on the actual impact it has on our lives but rather on the Red Cross’s ability to inform the public about donating blood. However, their tagline “Blood – it’s in you to give” is such an accurate line that I wish more people would realize just how important it is to donate and go on a regular basis; not simply when they feel compelled after seeing a commercial.

As well, when the earthquake hit Haiti, the world came together in a huge way and sent a ton of aid to those in need; however, what about all the people in our own country and cities who need our help? Why don’t we help them out instead/as well as?

I’m all for helping causes that matter but I think instead of being influenced by marketing and being told that “for less than a dollar a day…” etc, we should instead really think about what we care about and support those causes – either with our time or our money. There are so many reports about how organizations don’t allocate the money they receive very evenly (ie too much goes to administration costs) or how a lot of the money never reaches the intended target due to legal issues so instead I think we should think more locally where we can be sure that our help will have a real impact.

We see so many commercials but if everyone wants our money perhaps don’t give it to anyone; instead why not give them our time? Just a thought.

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Sweet potato fries.

Tri-ominos.

Good friends.

Cute puppies.

Good music.

Ultimate frisbee.

Water.

More good friends.

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Seriously.

Every Wednesday at the Joyce on 4th in Calgary. There are other places too (all owned by the same group of owners). But what a fantastic idea. 1 cent ribs. And then of course they make all their money off the beer and pop. Pfffft. But still.

How would you feel if you went out for 7 cent ribs and I told you I was only spending 1 cent on my ribs? Would you feel ripped off? Because I think it’s awesome.

When’s the last time you could buy anything for 1 cent? 1 cent candies haven’t been around for years. They’re now 1o cents most places – some still offer them for 5 cents, but 1 cent? Not a chance.

The next time you’re eating 7 cent ribs, I ask you…what would you do with an extra 6 cents per rib?

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I’ve never been a big fan of setting “New Years’ Resolutions” so instead I’m going to make a concerted effort at being better at some specific things. In no particular order they are:

1. Read more. I own a lot of books. Novels, fiction/non-fiction, business books, computer programming books, etc and a lot of them are sitting on my shelves, unopened collecting dust. I bought them because I was honestly interested in reading them (and with my list of must buy books growing) I’d like to read the ones I have before adding any more to my collection. A few books of particular note that I’m excited to read are: Traffic, The Selfish Gene, I Know This Much is True, Predictably Irrational, and The Flyers. There are more but those are the ones that jump to mind.

2. Exercise more. I live in a beautiful part of Calgary and it’s awesome to run along the river. Along with the standard stretching, core work and yoga, I want to run more. As simple as it sounds, putting it into practice does take some dedication – especially when working from home since my schedule is not as consistent as you would think.

3. Continue following my heart, my passions and my dreams. 2009 was a big year for me in that I started a great new job, and then a few months later left that great new job. For anyone who has ever not gone out one night because you say you’re “broke”, you probably are exaggerating a bit. By following my passions, I’ve learned what it’s like to really not have any money sometimes…trying living on $5 a week some weeks. Yeah, not so simple. But doing what I love to do has always worked out and I just have to have faith that it will continue to bring me what I want in life. I talk a lot about how important it is to do what you love, and this short audio clip starring Apple’s Steve Jobs really captures what I talk about: Alexander Hamilton – Steve Jobs

4. That’s all I really have thought out for now. Perhaps I’ll update this as I think of more. I believe that’s a pretty good start and if it becomes that, an ending as well.

I hope that you all take time to reflect back on the year that was 2009, good or bad, and try to figure out what you learned, how you will apply that to 2010 and how it will help you get what you want out of life.

Cheers!

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You can’t make $100,000 with a $50,000 head.

Great example of how 10% of the world’s population (roughly) makes 90% of the money. There are 4 quadrants; employees, the self-employed, business owners and investors.

If you went to school, got an education and are working for a company, where do you fit in? The 2 quadrants on the left have an active income – as long as you’re willing and able, you will make money. If you’re not, you don’t make money. Where you want to be is in the 2 quadrants on the right side – which is passive income; you don’t have to show up in order to make money.

The question is, how do you get there?

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Parking is, to put it lightly, annoying.

Think about what parking is. Your car is sitting on the ground. Yet you have to pay for it to sit on the ground. Maybe you could have like a time share system. You use someone else’s parking spot downtown and they use your spot somewhere else.

Have you ever seen those garage type parking systems? Like the one in the pic. They’re so sweet. Efficient since all of the spaces are optimized to fit a car and there’s no wasted space. But, what happens if your car becomes like a chocolate bar in a vending machine and gets stuck halfway out? Then convenience and efficiency turns into hassle.

I get why we’re charged for parking. And I understand that people have come to expect to pay for parking. But honestly can’t they make money another way? The amount we spend on vehicles is high enough already between car payments, insurance and gas so why not cut us a break?

I think the government should do something about it. For university students, it’s outrageous how much they have to spend to park to go to school. No wonder so many people try to park for free and get tickets for risking it.

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When you want to do something, whether it’s apply for a job, try out for a sports team or set a goal, who do you listen to?

Do you let your friends tell you what you can or cannot do?

Do you let your parents?

Your boss?

Or yourself?

Of everyone, shouldn’t you listen to yourself?

So why is it that so often we let what others say dictate our decisions? Why don’t we instead know what we want, believe in ourself and go for it? By not doing something we fail. By doing it, the worst case is fail; best case is success. So there is no do not; there is only do. Think about that. And go for it.

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Whether you’re a janitor, a lawyer or a doctor, you won’t truly love what you do unless you believe in what you do.

Why is that?

Well because if you don’t believe in what you’re doing and you don’t love what you’re doing then you’re cheating yourself. There is NO reason why you shouldn’t be doing what you love. It’s 2009. It’s time to stop making excuses. It’s time to rediscover your passion and commit yourself to do that.

What’s stopping you?

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This post is about cats and what they are thinking. And yes this post has the cutest pic ever.

But seriously, what do cats think? Sometimes they seem normal when they’re lying there looking around. They could be thinking anything really, just like a human.

And then the next minute, the cat is running around, chasing a bug or jumping on the furniture or just being wild.

How can we really test/find out what a cat is thinking? Is a cat really even consciously aware of us? I mean, yes if we make a noise, the cat hears it and acknowledges us. But apart from that, does the cat understand us when we call their name? Or when we say a command? Or do they just hear our voice and the tone in our voice and recognize based on that?

Perhaps that does mean they can communicate with us. I’ve lived with pets long enough to know that they understand many things. And a lot of times they just want attention so when we call for them they come running since they’re eager to be loved.

Just something I was thinking about as I’m sitting here watching my friend’s cat (whom I’m cat-sitting for a few days). They are a curious creature.

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Do you know what I mean? Like when you eat ice cream while having a beer? Some think it’s strange. I think it makes perfect sense. Eating good things together can only equal goodness. Well, in theory right? Here are some more of the food combos I like. What are yours?

• Soda crackers and yogurt
• Peanut butter and chocolate chips sandwich
• Peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie sandwich
• Soda crackers, yogurt and chocolate easter eggs
• Soda crackers and ice cream
• Soup and pasta
• Chicken and cream of mushroom soup
• Cheese Whiz and sandwich spread (smelled like salmon…odd)
• Soda crackers dipped in chocolate pudding
• Rice cakes dipped in chocolate pudding

It’s fun trying new combinations. Leads to trying new food. And not being nervous about really eating anything. Try it sometime. And if you ever have me over for dinner, make sure you have lots of soda crackers, beer and ice cream for dessert.

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