Business
A disturbing trend in offshore outsourcing...
A story broke recently in the Canadian media regarding a few prominent companies who have been (allegedly) replacing full-time Canadian employees with foreign workers who were in the country on temporary work visas. This post isn't about how right or wrong this practice is - I've spent years working on both sides and I can … Continue reading
Loving your job
How many of us can honestly say that we absolutely love what we do for a living? Some say that you can love your job, but your job will never love you back in the same way. Not so, according to a panel of successful business people who spoke at Ryerson business school's CEO Outlook … Continue reading
Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
A colleague passed me this link to a commencement address Steve Jobs gave at Stanford some time ago. I wish I had seen it earlier. I've intuitively practiced the same principles in life's decision making process as Jobs, but this crystallizes the process for me. Here, in point form, is the advice Jobs gave to … Continue reading
The income trust conspiracy
Why is the Canadian government persistent in trying to 'fix' the income trust sector? Both the Liberals and Harper Convervatives have claimed that legislation is needed to stop the flow of all that lost tax revenue. "Lost tax revenues" may be the way they spin it, but I have to wonder: was this revenue ever … Continue reading
A Soviet reunion
Imagine for a minute that the people who run the government of Canada just disappear. All of the MP's, the prime minister, all of the head bureaucrats at all the ministries and crown corporations one day just decide to quit their jobs, maybe leave the country for more sunny climes. What do you think would … Continue reading
Water is the new oil.
If you're old enough to remember the 70's, you will probably recall a decade of both cheap and abundant gasoline, except for one year that saw an 'oil shortage' that produced long lineups at gas stations and inflated prices. While stronger geopolitical American ties can be thanked for keeping the taps open (along with a … Continue reading
In the discount airline industry, everything's an extra
Recently my mother flew into town on Tango for some routine surgery. She recovered for a day, then I drove her to the airport for her trip back. I parked the car, escorted her over to the Air Canada counter and made sure she got a wheel chair and special assistance on to the flight. … Continue reading
We need a cure for the "ride for the cure"
The company I work for is very conscious about their social responsibility, which is why employee fundraising drives appear every so often. The biggest one by far is a 'ride for the cure' for juvinile diabetes in the fall. Each year there is a drive for volunteers to ride a stationary bike for 20 minutes … Continue reading