We have just had a Federal Budget in Canada, from a government led by a former Governor of the Bank of Canada and Bank of England. Chances are, the poor will get poorer and the rich richer, yet the government will promise the opposite.

1. For HIGH SCHOOL graduation, a young chap got a brand new Porsche, got drunk, did a lot of coke, and totaled the Porsche. When asked why he did it, he said he never asked for a car. He'd asked for new drums. When told he could have sold the car and bought drums, he said "Then how would my parents learn not to disappoint me?" Who is the bigger disappointment - the parents or their son?

2. I got a job in a bank based on my good grades. A coworker got his job in the bank because his father was a bank customer. Towards the end of one month I mentioned I was struggling to come up with the rent for my apartment . His response -"How could your family accountant let that happen?'" Who do you think the bank favored for promotion?

3. My brother married someone from a wealthy family. At a family gathering she and my fiancee (now wife) were washing a few dishes and she noticed my fiancee taking her engagement ring off in case the (tiny) diamond got lost. Lady Muck said, "If it is a good quality ring with a good stone, you don't have to take it off." A couple of years later my brother had his back yard dug up to expose the pipes into which my sister in law's diamond had traveled from the kitchen. I don't know if they ever found it. My wife still has her ring with diamond intact. Do you take off your rings and/or other jewellery to do chores?