Dumb Little Man starts us off by describing five myths haunting your healthy foods. Organic food, for instance, isn’t always better. You also have to realize that “fair trade” products really serve no indication as to whether or not the food is healthy. Similarly, going gluten-free isn’t necessarily a good idea for everybody.

Raul Pacheco directs the conversation over to mental health, highlighting Let’s Talk Day 2012 by Bell. That happens to be today. There are many misconceptions about mental health and the stigma really has to be lifted. A person suffering from depression should be offered the same kind of compassion as someone with a physical ailment.

What about social health? For that, we turn to Neil Patel, who provides quite an extensive guide to Pinterest. Many of us are already on Facebook and Twitter, but this relatively new addition to the social media family is quickly rising in popularity. It’s another way to get social and, from a marketer’s perspective, it represents a great new opportunity.

Continuing with the online world, we find that Ed Lau has decided to return to blogging after a two and a half month hiatus. He once blogged daily, but that schedule has long since been thrown out the window. The good news is that while he may not continue with “clockwork regularity” like me, he is back and will try to update more often moving forward.

And finally, Free Money Finance asks whether you should move when you retire. Many people choose sunnier climes, but it may make more sense to just stay put. You’ve already cultivated community connections, for example, and that is just as much an investment

Once again at the top is our good friend Ray Ebersole. To kick off the new year, Ray chimed in with his opinion on the Mayan apocalypse, as well as the US Presidential election, the GOP candidates involved in the race, and Florida Governor Rick Scott. From Nancy Pelosi to John Bonner, there’s plenty to read here.

Next up, we have Used tires. Seeing how I live in Vancouver, the post about how to stay safe while driving on wet roads hits a little close to home. Remember to check those treads for problems, deficiencies, and wear. Uneven tire wear can be indicative of a problem with your wheel alignment, which can prove disastrous under less than ideal conditions.

To my knowledge, this isn’t the first appearance by Zagorath on the top thinkers list and I hope it won’t be the last. A great read on the myth of the retina display was published on his blog a while back, reminding us that the “magic” number of 300ppi is only relevant at a specific distance. Beyond that, the pixel density can be less and still achieve the same “retina display” experience. The 720p display on the recent Galaxy Nexus is one example of that.

The last post written by Betshopboy on his own blog showcases his SCMS 2011 result, completing a full marathon in four hours and 21 minutes. I wonder if he has participated in any other marathons since then and, if so, if he has been able to crack that sub-four hour target time yet.

And finally, we have Sourish @ iPhone 4 Problems to round out the top five for January. If you’ve ever wondered about the benefits of jailbreaking, the forum thread has over 20 responses with all sorts of information about why you may want to hack into your preferred iDevice. There are risks, of course, but there are certainly rewards to be enjoyed too.

Side note: The winner of my CES swag bag giveaway has been randomly selected. Congratulations goes out to Ratman2050. You are the winner! Please contact me with your shipping address and I’ll send it out to you right away. Thanks again to everyone else who entered.

It’s time once again for the weekly speedlink here on Beyond the Rhetoric. If you have a blog post that you’d like to share and would like to see it featured in this space, make sure you follow me on Twitter and send those links on Tuesdays. Let’s see what’s going on with the blogosphere this week.

Over on Ray Ebersole’s blog, he starts a discussion questioning whether we should trust the stars and the media. The Huffington Post and CBS Sports both jumped the gun without any substantial evidence, just to get the scoop. Ray also talks about how Food Network star Paula Deen was hiding her diabetes while still showcasing high sugar, high fat foods on her shows. That’s irresponsible, don’t you think?

Moving on to Jennie Yuen, she highlights a book by Henry Biernacki that eschews the horrors of travel and celebrates its romance. Yes, we can get frustrated with delayed flights and extra baggage charges, but we also have to remember just how beautiful and fulfilling worldly travel can be. The book is called No More Heroes, if you want to check it out. “Who cares about being lost? That is where you find the best experiences.”

I saw the same XKCD webcomic as Thursday Bram, but she has a unique perspective on the issue of sustainability. While all the Earth-friendly concerns are certainly there, she also dives into the sustainability of business. Remember that I also wrote about long-term viability and what you may need to keep in mind if you want your business to still be open and thriving tomorrow and well into the future.

The American government is supposed to be formed of the people and for the people, but no politician is really making an average wage. Flexo from Consumerism Commentary estimates the wealth of all the presidential candidates and, not surprisingly, Mitt Romney tops the list at up to $264 million in personal worth. Ron Paul is quite a bit lower at between $2.4 million and $5.4 million, but now ex-candidate Rick Perry appears to be closest to the bottom at “just” $1 million to $2.5 million.

And finally, Patti Stafford reminds us of the versatility of WordPress and how the content management system can be used for so many things other than blogging. With the right design and plugins, WordPress can power forums, help desks, auction sites, membership sites, FAQ portals, and more. In fact, WordPress is used to power my freelance business site too!

Many of us are inclined to call it Chinese New Year, but it’s really more appropriate to call it Lunar New Year. After all, several other cultures aside from Chinese celebrate it. I’ve always grown up romanizing the phrase as Gung Hay Fat Choy, but you might see it elsewhere written as Kung Hei Fat Choy, Gong Hay Fat Choi, or some other variation. It’s the way you wish someone a happy Chinese (Lunar) New Year.

Whatever the case, today marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. More specifically, it’s the Year of the Water Dragon. In traditional Chinese philosophy, there are five elements (Wu Xing): wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each of these cycles through the 12 zodiac signs, effectively creating a 60-year cycle. The Dragon is the only animal in the Chinese zodiac that is legendary. It’s supposed to be a good year to get married.

Aside: I was born a water dog. Ironically, this associates me with October (my birth month) and Canada (my country). Water is yin, but Dog is yang, so I guess that makes me balanced. Go figure.

There are going to be some regional differences, since not all Chinese cultures are the same, but here are a few general traditions that I have learned as they apply to this first day of the new calendar year.

1. Avoid lighting fires or using knives as these are bad luck, destroying the luck of the new year.
2. Try not to clean anything in the house, as this can “wipe away” the luck and the fresh start that the new year brings. This also includes not washing your hair.
3. Married members of the family should give lucky red envelopes (with money) to the single, junior members of the family. You generally don’t give red envelopes to family members in the same generational level as you.

I’ve also heard of people avoiding the consumption of meat on New Year’s Day, as this is supposed to ensure longevity. Firecrackers, fireworks, and lion dances are quite common too.

The great thing about living in a city like Vancouver is that we embrace our multiculturalism. I haven’t had the opportunity to attend yet, but I love the concept of cultural mashups like Gung Haggis Fat Choy. That’s awesome.

Every week, I do a little something here on Beyond the Rhetoric called What’s Up Wednesdays. It’s a speedlink where I share blog posts that I found around the web and the topics tend to be quite varied. This is my little way of giving back to the Internet at large and the hope is that we can work together to build a stronger online community. And with that, let’s get this week’s speedlink under way.

We start out with fellow freelancer Thursday Bram. She outlines a number of titles of people who work without a boss. “Freelancer” is one of the more common ones these days, but do you know about permalancers, consultants, virtuals, solopreneurs and startup owners? Semantics can be such a tricky business.

Always one to make things a little less tricky is Ray Ebersole. He recently wrote on ease of use in technology, particularly when it comes to synchronizing bookmarks across multiple computers. Firefox Sync is one big headache, whereas Google Chrome is so much easier. As is the case with many other things in life, it really is best to keep it simple, stupid.

Bob Buskirk and his wily gang of ThinkComputer-ers recently returned from their Vegas trip for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show. (Win my swag!) With a few changes here and there, Bob says that this trip has been more relaxing and easier than previous years. Staying in a two bedroom condo instead of a standard hotel room probably helped.

While he wasn’t there for CES, Tyler Ingram happened to be in the Vegas area too recently. He took a side trip to the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam while out that way, snapping plenty of photos along the way. He spotted some wildlife, stopped by the birthplace of Route 66, and soaked in the majestic beauty of the grandest of canyons. Sounds $150 well spent!

And wrapping up this week’s collection is John Biehler. He went out to Boundary Bay in Delta to see the visiting snowy owls. Considering that it has snowed recently in the Vancouver area, the photos are even a little more appropriate. He certainly wasn’t the only photographer there, but the winged tourists didn’t seem to mind having their pictures taken.

It has definitely been a very busy few days at CES 2012 in Las Vegas so far, but I’m still here trying to keep this blog updated on a regular basis too. That includes the weekly speedlink of What’s Up Wednesdays, so let’s see what the other bloggers are talking about this week.

We start out with Buzz Bishop, who provides a quick celebrity preview at CES 2012. I’ve already met up with LJ Rich of BBC fame and I hear Will Smith made an appearance at the Sony press conference. Other notable names this week include Dennis Rodman, Justin Bieber, Eliza Dushku, and Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi.

Next, my friend Bob Buskirk is also here for CES and he put up a short video of what he’s bringing to the show. Like everyone else here, it’s always more important to consider all the tech gear you bring to CES than it is to consider your clothes and toiletries. I’m packing a little lighter this year, since we’re roaming the floor as a team rather than as individuals.

CES isn’t the only thing going on in this town this week. John Chow is here for Affiliate Summit West, an entirely different kind of trade show. I hear that Miss America was this week too, as well as an adult entertainment expo, a high-end audio show, and likely even more. And that doesn’t even include the regular tourists who visit Sin City!

Moving away from Las Vegas, we turn to Trent Hamm of The Simple Dollar, one of the more popular finance blogs for average Joes and Janes on the Internet. He outlines how to calculate what you really make after you factor in the costs of commuting, attire, and all the other things that go along with taking a job here or a position there. Those costs add up!

And finally, Raul Pacheco asks the age old question of how much you should tip when you’re at a restaurant. For my part, it feels like tipping has lost its original meaning and serving staff expect a certain percentage regardless of the quality of service. We’re all used to it by now, but it does vary from culture to culture, country to country. How much do you tip when you eat out?

Even though we have formally bid adieu to 2011, let’s take one last look back at the year that was. That’s the scope of this week’s speedlink, the first of 2012.

As you make your way through your new year’s resolutions, Trent Hamm reminds you that you are not alone in this journey. He has experienced his financial bottom, but he has emerged stronger than ever thanks to the support and encouragement of those around him. He felt alone in his struggles, but he never really was.

In line with achieving our financial goals, Derek Semmler provides a Kindle publishing tip. If you are going to sell your e-book through the Amazon Kindle platform, make sure you utilize Author Central. This allows you to edit information on any of your books, like the product description. You can also highlight reviews and add special sections.

I agree with Anny Chih. Growing up, my reference point for memories was my school grade level. I did X in grade 5 and Y in grade 8. These days, different milestones are used as markers. For Anny, 2011 was a small measure of time that felt like “living three years in one.” She sure accomplished a lot, from traveling to working to volunteering.

With each new year comes new and exciting ways to connect to the rest of the world. While XtraNormal certainly isn’t new, Jeff Cutler is seeing potential in this kind of content strategy. Companies need to establish “new channels” and new ways to “engage their audiences.” They’ll need writers (like Jeff and I), interviewers, media folk, and more.

And finally, you may be wondering about that photo at the top of the post. That comes by way of John Biehler and his recent visit to the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. This is easily one of the best zoos that I’ve ever visited, being more expansive and more interesting than even the San Diego Zoo. John was trying out his new telephoto zoom lens on the trip and I think the pictures came out great!

It’s that time again! My 2011 predictions were only about half right, but I hope that my predictions for 2012 are a little more accurate. Let’s gaze back into that crystal ball…

1. The World Does Not End

The human race has evolved to look for patterns, helping to explain the world around us. Sometimes, these patterns aren’t exactly accurate. We thought the world was going to end with Y2K (we’re still here!) and now we think that the world is going to end in 2012, because that’s when the Mayan Calendar abruptly ends too. Several comic strip artists have already illustrated this point, but I’m fairly certain the human existence will continue beyond 2012.

2. Barack Obama Wins 2012 Election

Some time ago, there was a poll conducted that asked how Obama would fair against various Republican candidates in the 2012 US Presidential election. The poll revealed that Obama won against any specific candidate, but lost against the generic Republican. In other words, the winner of Obama vs. Romney would be Obama; the winner of Obama vs. Cain would be Obama; the winner of Obama vs. Gingrich would be Obama; but the winner of Obama vs. Generic Republican Candidate would be Generic Republican Candidate.

Unfortunately for the GOP, they do have to pick a specific candidate to run against the current POTUS. Barack Obama may not have completely lived up to his promises of hope and change, but he should be able to overcome whatever specific Republican candidate faces off against him in the 2012 campaign.

3. Baltimore Ravens Are Super Bowl XLVI Champions

This is a tough one. The current NFL season has seen many assumptions turned on their heads with Indianapolis only having two wins (no Peyton makes a profound difference) and the 49ers having the second best record in the league. Even so, the Ravens have been reasonably consistent (they had hiccups too) and they have a solid shot at the Vince Lombardi Trophy. I say the Ravens face off against Aaron Rodgers and the defending champion Green Bay Packers, beating them in a close and hard fought game.

4. Canucks Get Stanley Cup Rematch with Bruins

Last year, I predicted that the Vancouver Canucks would win the Stanley Cup. They came up one game short of that feat, losing quite badly to the Bruins in game seven. The riots that followed didn’t make us feel any better. I’m not sure if the Canucks will win the Cup this second time around, but it looks like we could see the same Cup final pairing.

5. Canada Finishes Top 16 Total Medals at 2012 Olympics

Sticking with sports, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games are set to take place in London. Canada has usually been a better contender at the Winter Olympics, but we have been able to make some steady progress. In terms of a total medal count, Canada went from 24th to 21st to 19th place in the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Summer Olympic Games, respectively. For 2012, I predict a top 16 finish.

6. Amazon Does Not Buy Research in Motion

In the world of technology, all kinds of rumors are surrounding the eventual sale of Research in Motion. The BlackBerry maker has certainly seen brighter days, but all of those patents hold a heck of a lot of value. There have been rumblings about many potential suitors and Amazon is one of the latest. However, I don’t see Amazon going through with this deal. RIM may get sold, but not to Amazon.

7. Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita Struggle for Attention

Even though there are better games available for the Nintendo 3DS these days, it’s becoming harder and harder to justify the typical $40 price point for individual games on a portable console. Yes, Mario Kart 7 and Fruit Ninja aren’t exactly the same thing, but consumers have come to expect that their portable games cost no more than a few dollars. The PlayStation Vita was recently released in Japan and is set for North America in February. I have a feeling it will be met with a similar fate as its Nintendo competitor. They’ll get some attention from mostly diehard fans, but they won’t achieve the same kind of mass appeal as the old Game Boy or even the relatively recent Nintendo DS Lite.

8. Google+ Continues to Play Second (or Third) Fiddle

Considering that Google dominates so many aspects of our daily lives, it only made sense that its social network would have a big impact too. That hasn’t really come to be, despite all kinds of fervor among early adopters and social media evangelists. It’s not going to fade into the sunset, but it won’t be the de facto social tool that Facebook (or Twitter) has become.

9. US Dollar Breaks 1.10 Vs. Canadian Dollar

The American dollar has struggled these last few years, largely due to the struggling economy. As one of the most profound business factors outside of my control, the exchange rate between USD and the Canadian dollar is of monumental interest to me. I’m trying to be optimistic, but realistic at the same time. So, I’m predicting that the USD/CAD rate will peak at around 1.10 some time in 2012, but will settle around the 1.05 to 1.07 mark by the end of next year.

10. Seven Movies Are Nominated for Best Picture Oscar

Without getting into the details, the nomination process for the Best Picture Academy Award is changing for 2012. There will now be anywhere from five to ten nominees for this category. This prediction isn’t really based on anything aside from some early buzz, but I say seven is a good number. Some possible nominees include Hugo, The Artist, The Descendants, War Horse, and Midnight in Paris.

Do you have any fun predictions for 2012? Let’s hear them in the comment section below.

It has become a monthly tradition here on Beyond the Rhetoric to give thanks to the folks who so kindly continue the conversation in the comments section of each blog post. I missed last month, since I was still in the middle of the Outback, but the Top Thinkers showcase is back for the month of December… and it’s the last one of 2011!

Ray Ebersole, despite being so busy with the holidays, still managed to clinch the top spot for December. He also has the most comments in 2011. Over on his blog, his most recent entry discusses the appearance of support when it comes to customer service and running a business.

Colocation takes the second spot for December, but his website still appears to be down for whatever reason. I hope that gets fixed soon!

Used tires has the third spot. In the aftermath of the winter holidays, you may be looking to save some money and buying used tires can be one way to trim that budget. You’ll just want to keep a few things in mind, as you would with buying any other used product.

Betshopboy just misses the medal podium with fourth place in December. That’s okay, because he’s busy training for his many marathons. Most recently, he participated in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2011 and finished it in four hours and 21 minutes. He aims to break the four hour threshold next year.

Jim rounds out the top five for this final month of the year. He didn’t provide a URL to a website or social media profile, so I guess he’ll do without a link. Thanks for your contribution anyhow!

Once again, I want to extend a hearty thank you to everyone who has ever posted a comment on Beyond the Rhetoric. Without you, I’d be standing on a soapbox, bellowing out into a black hole. Keep the discussions going and I look forward to more conversations in the new year.

I am certainly no Nostradamus, but it’s always fun to gaze into a crystal ball and look into what could be in the future. My predictions for 2010 actually turned out to be mostly true. I was right about sponsored tweets, the Saints winning the Super Bowl, and the rising popularity of touchscreen technology. And yes, I predicted the arrival of the Apple iPad too.

So, how did my 2011 predictions fare? Let’s have a look back at the year that was.

1. American Dollar Struggles to Bounce Back – Correct. The American dollar started the year right around parity with the Canadian dollar and, while it got as low as about 0.94 and as high as 1.06, the USD is ending 2011 at right around par again. It’ll be interesting to see how the 2012 Presidential election affects their currency.

2. Google Buys Groupon Alternative – Incorrect. Groupon is still the biggest name in the world of daily deals, but it is certainly not alone in this niche. Even so, Google isn’t really involved just yet.

3. Netflix Canada Faces More Streaming Competition – Incorrect. Yes, there are services like YouTube rentals and Hulu Plus, but Netflix remains the de facto streaming service for what it is.

4. Windows Phone 7 Gains Traction (But Not Enough) – Correct. It’s debatable whether WP7 has really been all that successful, but the addition of Nokia to the team and the release of the Mango update are helping Microsoft’s mobile OS make a little more headway.

5. BlackBerry PlayBook Fails to Win the Game – Correct. The tablet wars are heating up, but it sure looks like Research in Motion is playing this game from the sidelines. The hardware is solid, but the software isn’t getting the same kind of love as Android and iOS.

6. Philadelphia Eagles Win Super Bowl XLV – Incorrect. Michael Vick had a great season, but he and the Eagles weren’t able to get out of the first round of the playoffs. To be fair, they did lose to the eventual champions. Kudos to the Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

7. The Social Network Does Not Win Best Picture – Correct. While The Social Network was one of my favorite things from 2010, it did not take home the Oscar. That honor went to The King’s Speech.

8. Windows 8 Announced at CES (But Not Really Unveiled) – Correct. Microsoft made an announcement at CES in January that Windows 8 would support ARM microprocessors, but the new operating system wasn’t officially unveiled until Computex Taipei in June.

9. Ricky Gervais Replaces Steve Carell on The Office – Incorrect. In effect, Steve Carell wasn’t really replaced by anyone, as Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms) took over as Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton. You could argue that Robert California (James Spader) is the replacement, but he succeeded Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates) as Sabre CEO.

10. China Adds Facebook to Friend List, Great Wall – Incorrect. It looked like Mark Zuckerberg was on the cusp of making some headway, but I don’t think anything has come to pass just yet. Will you be my friend? I think China has clicked on “Ignore.”

11. Vancouver Canucks Finally Hoist Stanley Cup – Incorrect. My hometown hockey team made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, but ultimately lost in a heart-crushing series to the Boston Bruins.

My crystal ball must be getting a little fuzzy, as I only got five out of eleven (45%) correct this year. To be fair, some of these predictions were bolder than the 2010 predictions. Has 2011 been everything you thought it would be? What surprised you?