OPEC...are you serious?

OPEC is a shameful organization and we (oil consuming nations) need to do more to aggressively cut ourselves from them.

In July of this year the world was shocked when oil climbed to a record high of $147.27 and during this climb consuming nations asked OPEC to increase production to ease the pain. The International Energy Agency (IEA) even asked OPEC to increase production in 2007 and 2008 to combat the rising price of oil. Saudi Arabia agreed to increase production in May 2008 by 300,000 barrels a day. The rest of OPEC merely dismissed the concerns saying there was nothing that they could do to bring oil prices down.

OPEC was upset with Saudi's decision with OPEC oil ministers decrying the increase at every opportunity. Shokri Ghanem, chairman of Libya's National Oil Cor. was quoted as saying: "I don't know on what ground they took this decision...I think it came in response to the many requests of the United States...if they think it will help the market, I don't think so because the market is already very well supplied.'' OPEC was happy with prices over $140.00 a barrel and they were raking in the cash. A barrel of oil had risen from $70.00 (in May 2007) to over $140.00 a barrel in approximately a year and with that the coffers of OPEC members were exploding. OPEC budgets were swelling and the governments were spending the money left and right. All of this while oil consuming nations were edging into recession due to gas prices that were literally beating people down financially.

Then the current global economic recession took hold and in less than half a year oil has fallen to under $50.00 a barrel and with it the excess riches of OPEC have decreased. The price of oil has literally fallen over $100.00 a barrel and OPEC is not happy. Budget deficits are creeping into the picture and the wealth is being trimmed down as prices continue to fall. Saudi Arabia recently announced that they felt $75.00 a barrel was a "fair" price for oil. I find it fascinating that when the world was hurting OPEC wouldn't cut oil prices...but, now that they are hurting they are going to slash production by 2,000,000 barrels a day starting in January 2009. At the peak price of $147.27 that 2,000,000 barrels would have represented daily revenue of $294,540,000.00. That's right almost two-hundred and ninety-five million dollars...and that 2,000,000 only represents a 3% decrease in production. That same 2,000,000 barrels now only represents $90,000,000.00 at a price of $45.00 a barrel. That is a huge swing of $200,000,000.00. OPEC has to be the most selfish money addicted group of countries in the world and it is time that we give them a taste of their own medicine.

2,000,000 barrels a day...can you believe that. When the world was hurting only Saudi Arabia would boost production and then only by 300,000 barrels a day. Now, that they are on the opposite end of the price they are going to cut oil production by the largest amount ever and in doing so hope to boost oil prices to a "fair" price.

Seriously, screw OPEC. I think most of the world would say that a "fair" price is $25.00 a barrel. So, this is my suggestion:

That 2,000,000 barrels represents (among other things) approximately 39,000,000 gallons of gas (approximately 19.5 gallons of gas can be produced from one 42 gallon barrel of oil). Based on rough figures from the Department of Transportation there are approximately 140,000,000 registered cars on the road in the United States. Let's assume that 50% of these are regularly driven...that means there are 70,000,000 cars on the road being regularly driven. So, if we take the 39,000,000 gallons of gas (the approximate gallons of gas that the 2,000,000 barrel a day production cut represents) and divide that by the 70,000,000 cars that are being driven daily on a regular basis and you come up with .55 gallons per car. That means if every one of those drivers cuts their daily gas intake by approximately a half a gallon per day (or 3.8 gallons a week) the United States alone would negate the production cut by OPEC. This is absolutely doable...I have no doubt that I can cut my personal gas usage by 3.8 gallons a week, heck just driving a little slower and being a bit gentler on the throttle would save that amount. It basically represents 19% of a full tank of gas (based on a 20 gallon gas tank). Just imagine the results of everyone cutting their gas usage by that amount. If you think gas prices are low now...just think of the results this could produce.

I think the world should be furious...and we should as a loud voice give the old "one finger salute" to OPEC. If there ever was a time to become energy independent...now is the time. Let OPEC suffer for once...they were happy when the world was suffering from high gas prices. I didn't hear many voices in OPEC saying a "fair" price was $75.00 a barrel when the price was over $140.00 a barrel.

So, I pledge to you that my family will reduce our gas consumption by at least 3.8 gallons a week for our two cars (daily drivers) when we return to the United States. We will combine errands, plan the most efficient route and generally drive a little slower. I ask every American that is sick of OPEC to do the same. If only 10% of the folks out there do it we would still use approximately 3,850,000 less gallons of gas a day or 197,435 barrels of oil. Just imagine if everyone was committed. Folks, there is a lot of talk out there these days of energy independence and doing the right thing...but, until we (the average American) take things into our own hands we won't get the results we need.

So, pledge to America's future and economic prosperity and cut your fuel usage by just 3.8 gallons a week...that is a small price to pay to give OPEC a clear signal that we will no longer be subject to their greed. If I get enough interest I will create a website where folks can sign up for the 3.8 gallon a week pledge. Forward the link to this blog entry to your friends and spread the word.

Beijing...Crap It's Cold!

Well, here I am in Beijing and let me tell you going from Hong Kong to Beijing is quite an adjustment. Let me just say this...Beijing...crap it's cold!

I arrived here on Sunday evening and will be here through tomorrow...then it is off to Shanghai, then to Shenzhen, and if all goes well back in Hong Kong on the 23rd. Just in time to do some Christmas shopping for the wife on Christmas Eve...I love it when a plan comes together.

Beijing is interesting. Monday and Tuesday were disgusting. The pollution was so bad that it was burning our eyes and throats. I will honestly say this...I rather be shot at than breathing this stuff in constantly. At least when the shooting stops you know you are OK...here...who knows what this is doing to my lungs. I can honestly say I have no idea how people live here...you could not pay me enough to live here. I thought Hong Kong was bad...these last few days in Beijing made Hong Kong's pollution look like an amateur. See the picture below, this was shot in the middle of the afternoon (after lunch) and the sun is completely obscured by pollution. When you can look directly at the sun without sunglasses...you know the pollution is bad. It really is quite disgusting...it is a brown/grey color and it covers everything. The cars have a nice layer of pollution on them after only a few hours of sitting outside...lovely.

Luckily we are staying at the Westin here and if it is good enough for W it is good enough for me. Seriously, the new Westin is where President George Bush stayed during the Olympics...albeit I have not been able to talk my way up to the Presidential Suite yet to see what kind of room he was staying in. I can't complain about mine...so, I am sure his was pretty nice too.

So, I won't bore you with the details...the food is good. We have eaten at some great restaurants since we have Larry with us. Larry is a U.S. based auditor, but is originally from Beijing so here knows the city very well and where to eat. His language skills are also great to have. The Hong Kong members of the team speak Mandarin as well, but seeing how it is Larry's first language...he is obviously the best person when it comes to talking with the locals. My Mandarin lessons have not been for nothing...I have been able to understand a bit here and there...and I can make some basic comments...I need to study more.

Let's see...funny story of the day. You know it is cold inside, when you go to the bathroom and your "stream" steams. Yes, I did say inside...the operations here save money by being frugal with the heaters. Our conference room at the first station we visited was a toasty 58 degrees Fahrenheit and when we cranked up the heat (we were too cold) we were able to get the room up to 68 degrees Fahrenheit after a few hours. The bathroom where the heat is off and the windows are open...I am guessing was around 30 degrees Fahrenheit. We had a little snow this morning...so, we will see how the day progresses. Cheers from Beijing and more to follow. Oh, can someone explain to me why FedEx stock dropped over $10 yesterday...hello...we are still making money and have earnings...doesn't that count for something?

The Domestic Auto Industry...

I am not surprised that the "domestic" auto industry is asking for our (the taxpayers) help. No one with an objective mind and a 4th grade education is lending them money. Literally, no one in the world wants to loan these guys money or buy them...don't you think that should be enough of a reason for Congress to realize that they don't need to sink our money into a dying business?

I am not surprised they are dying...they have been building crap for the last 30 years. Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Audi, BMW, and Mercedes build better, safer, more efficient cars. Surprisingly the execs of Chrysler, GM, and Ford are shocked that they are in trouble. Are these guys missing the big picture or what. It is about choice...when a consumer has the choice to choose a better vehicle at a comparable price...they are going to choose the better vehicle.

I keep hearing these horrible and scary predictions that 10% of the United States depends upon the auto industry for jobs. First off when we talk about the auto industry you have to remember that there are two parts of the auto industry in the United States...foreign and domestic. Surprisingly, (for many) the foreign auto industry in the United States is moving along well, growing, and doing so without labor unions. The domestic auto industry is sucking wind and is knee deep with the labor unions...where as the foreign auto industry is moving along nicely without the labor unions. I think you can all draw your own conclusion from this.

Now, back to economics...if the domestic auto industry does have some hard times...that does not mean the demand for the vehicles they produce disappears. Rather the demand will still be there and other manufacturers (existing or new) will step in to fill the void. What that means is that jobs may shift...but, there would not be a wholesale loss of jobs over a period of time. This is fundamental economics and instead of the media reporting these false and "scary" statements, they need to step back and assess the situation in a factual and non-biased manner. Something I am sure they are incapable of doing.

I think we need to remind our representatives (in both the House of Representatives and the Senate) that they work for us and that they should listen to the intelligent voices of reason out there and not fall for these "scary" predictions based on absolutely nothing. Then again, with most of the elected representatives of this country being lawyers...I am not surprised that they don't understand fundamental economics and business.

I guess we should put it like this for them. If they (insert Representative or Senator name) would not run in the next election would that mean no one else would run...the people still need to be represented...and thus there would be people to step in and take the spot. It is the same way for the auto industry...if Ford, GM, and Chrysler fail...people are still going to need cars and companies are going to step in and fill that void. Maybe that is a little closer to home for our elected representatives...but, we are not talking rocket science here.

Speak Up...

Just some thoughts from Mark Farage concerning today’s difficult economic environment and politics. I am not sure if you are like me but, recently every time I open up a news website it looks like the U.S. House of Representatives or U.S. Senate is talking about bailing someone out or throwing a billion dollars at this problem or a billion dollars at that problem. It seems like our elected representatives are becoming very casual with our hard earned money. Perhaps too many of them have been working on “the Hill” too long and have forgot what it is like to have a real job. When you have a real job it sure seems crazy that companies are getting bailed out for making bad decisions. In the real world if you make a bad decision you usually have to face the consequences, sometimes very harsh consequences.

So, I am asking all of you to take time and talk with your elected officials. Remember that every elected official serves on behalf of their constituents and it is our job as the constituents to let them know how we feel on something. If we sit back and say nothing…don’t be upset when something happens that you are not too pleased with. Only through raising our voices can we be heard as constituents and tax payers. It is not enough to just vote when Election Day comes…we must all be active and take an active role in the politics of our great country on a daily basis if needed.

I consistently review what the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are voting on or discussing and I take time to send emails to my elected officials. My voice is being heard, is yours? The following links will take you to the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. I encourage you to contact your elected officials and let them know how you feel on certain subjects.

United States House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/

United States Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Right now I am very concerned about the “talk” of bailing out the U.S. auto industry or certain failing members of that industry. I am appalled that we as American taxpayers are going to be potentially liable for the mistakes these companies have made over the last three decades. We are quickly becoming a nation of “bail outs” and the last time I checked that is not what this country was founded on. We are a nation built on “opportunity” and the freedom to pursue that opportunity. To me it would appear that GM and Ford have not made good on that opportunity and in a free market under the rules of capitalism you lead, follow, or get out of the way. Ford and GM have certainly not led and I don’t think they have even followed successful automotive companies like Honda, Audi, BMW, Toyota, etc. So, that means it is time for them to get out of the way.

Anyway, I have attached a message I sent my elected officials…use it as a base for your own personal message or laugh at it and chalk it up to the musings of a young Capitalist with dreams of the United States returning to a free market.

Sen. Alexander and Sen. Corker:

I am writing to you in regards to the discussion on the Hill about the possible bail out of part of the United States’ automotive industry.

I implore you to vote against any measure that would amount to a "bail out" of the industry or members of the industry. It is absolutely astonishing that members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are seriously talking about bailing out another industry in today's economic situation.

As a constituent and young professional in Tennessee; I am amazed that such a measure would even be discussed. In the free market world of Capitalism you lead, follow, or get out of the way. It is time for GM and Ford to get out of the way. For the last 30 years their management has made poor decisions, produced poor products, and made poor decisions when dealing with the UAW. It is no wonder that they are now in trouble.

Amazingly companies like Toyota, Audi, BMW, etc. are functioning fine in the current economy and have cash reserves to make it through difficult times. They operated as a business should...smartly while ensuring that their management decisions are not just made for next quarter's results but, rather for the next decade's results.

I fully understand the impact that our economy would face if GM and Ford were to sink into bankruptcy; however, the alternative is not any better. Dumping billions of hard earned tax payer dollars into their coffers is not going to change their management and will not suddenly make their products more appealing. Let's face it...the stubbornness and inability of GM and Ford to respond to today's market and the demands of today's consumers is no fault but their own.

The inability of the $700 billion financial bail out plan to boost the economy should certainly serve as warning to not make the same mistake with the auto industry. If money is given to them they will only ask for more later...and it will serve as nothing but an incentive to continue their poor business practices.

If GM and Ford fail it will leave a hole in the market and new companies will be able to take advantage of the hole. That is the essence of a free market and Capitalism. It is absolutely irresponsible for the federal government to bail out an ailing company because of decades of bad decisions.

I am a young professional with a MBA and I work for one of Tennessee's leading examples of innovative business success...FedEx. I know that the loss of GM and Ford would put pressure on FedEx...that is fact. However, FedEx will survive because our leadership has been proactive over the last three decades ensuring that we adapt and remain flexible to the demands of the international marketplace. GM and Ford have not...thus, it makes absolutely no sense to bail them out. There are hundreds of examples of companies in Tennessee that are surviving and thriving in today's harsh economic times and it is because the management of those companies have made smart decisions, planned for the future, and maintained flexibility in all they do.

I see absolutely no reason to bail out GM or Ford and neither should you. You as an elected official represent your constituents and your constituents do not want you to vote for any measure that would "bail out" the auto industry. Enough is enough it is time for companies to face their own actions or inaction. We are quickly becoming a nation of "bail outs". Who is next…the individual home owner because he/she bought a house they could not afford...sure…makes sense. Let's reward people for making bad decisions. It is time that we get back to the principles of limited government; the same principles that helped our country prosper through the darkest hours. Oversight, reform, and regulation are all keys to a successful economy but, no economy has been successful when the taxpayer begins bailing out private industry.

We as your constituents and as American taxpayers work hard for our money. My family has never owned an American car nor will I. I certainly don't want to pay for one now when I won't even be driving it. Let common sense prevail here and let companies sink or swim on their own merits. If we cross the line any further we will soon have every industry from fast food to luxury yachts lining up at the government window for a "bail out".

You represent the hard working people of the State of Tennessee...vote as we would...vote against a bail out. Remember that democracy still works and change can come at every election.

If a business is truly successful they will be able to weather any economic recession...or they will be flexible and adapt to a new reality. Let Capitalism and the free markets work as they are intended.

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

Your constituent and a hard working taxpayer of this great country.

Mark Farage

A Wonderful Day...

Cool weather has finally arrived in Hong Kong. Friday night saw a "cold" front move into the region and temperatures have drastically changed. Saturday and Sunday were absolutely wonderful days...I would have to say they were perhaps the nicest days we have yet to have in Hong Kong. Almost no pollution could be seen in the skies...perhaps the election of President-elect Obama has indeed changed the world. I am kidding of course.

Randi and I had a great weekend...a busy weekend. My management was in town from the states and we had a "junk" trip on Saturday night. It was a beautiful night for a cruise on Victoria Harbor and the food was as tasty as always...courtesy of Jaspa's Junk. Sunday we spent the day outside with Henry enjoying the beautiful weather, pizza with friends (and other dogs) at Pizza Express, and then dinner with Erlynn and her husband (who is visiting before he returns to Manila).

It was a great weekend. Monday saw more beautiful weather...I am currently watching the sun set out of our office window over a shimmering (but still polluted) South China Sea and cool temperatures in the 70's. Randi's management is in town this week and she will be busy with work.

We are approaching the end of my contract and that means only 110 days left before we tentatively leave Hong Kong. It will be sad to leave but, as with all things in life...usually the best is around the corner. I just tell Randi only God knows what is planned for our next journey in life and all we can do is move forward with faith. I have figured out that in the last 6 years...over 3 years have been spent outside of the United States...who would have thought?

It will be an interesting week in the news...I am sure we will see more from President-elect Obama and his choices or ideas for his cabinet, etc. I am sure his world view changed Friday afternoon after his first Presidential security briefing...I am sure the reality of being responsible for the safety of 300,000,000 people hit home. In a world full of threats...securing freedom, protecting the citizens of our great country, promoting democracy, and ensuring capitalism continues to reign is a lot harder than just making a great speech and sounding "Presidential". I along with millions of people around the world pray that President-elect Obama makes sound, careful, and considerate decisions over the next two months.

Election Day...

I have not made a posting to the blog in quite awhile…my wife has asked that I make our blog less political and more about what we are doing. Unfortunately; I believe that what we do is intimately tied to our politics. Everything we have, everything we do, and every opportunity we have is because of and related directly to the politics of the United States of America. I firmly believe that our nation is the greatest nation on earth and today I still believe that.

However; I believe we have, as a nation, just made a tragic error in judgment. We have just elected a man to become President of the United States who was a college student, community organizer, law school student, junior associate, Illinois State Senator, a university lecturer, and a United States Senator. Not one of those jobs has a hint of what it will be like to command our great military, to lead our nation, and to be the chief executive of the United States of America. Independent of your political inclination we just “hired” an individual that is unqualified for the job…based solely on the implied need for “change”.

Let’s look at the true, hard, and undeniable facts for a moment. President-elect Barack Hussein Obama II was born on August 4, 1961 making him forty-seven years old. He attended Occidental College for two years and then transferred to Columbia University where he graduated with a B.A. in 1983. He admitted (in his book “Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance”) that he used marijuana, cocaine, and abused alcohol during his “college-aged” years. Upon graduation he went to work for a few years for Business International Corporation and the New York Public Interest Research Group.

After four years with these two companies he went to Chicago and worked for Developing Communities Project (DCP) a faith-based community organization for approximately three years. While the director of DCP the organization grew from a staff of one to thirteen and the budget grew from $70,000 to $400,000.

In 1988 he traveled to Europe for three weeks and then went to Kenya. These were his first international trips as an “adult”. He then went to Harvard Law School in late 1988. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1991 magna cum laude. While in law school he interned at two law firms in Chicago: Sidley & Austin and Hopkins & Sutter.

After law school he had a fellowship with the University of Chicago, worked for Project Vote, taught constitutional law as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer, and worked as an associate for Davis, Miner, Barnhill & Galland for three years. In 1996 he was elected to the Illinois State Senate where he served until 2004.

During his time on the senate; he voted "present" over 130 times...thus avoiding having to vote "yes" or "no" on some hard issues. As far as being hard on crime, while in the state senate he voted in 2001 against making gang members eligible for the death penalty if they killed someone to help their gang. Oh...and unsuccessfully sponsored a bill that would have limited the number of handgun's someone could purchase in 2000. And we cannot forget that he voted for the stellar piece of legislation that successfully sponsored a law enforcement study of the race of people pulled over for traffic tickets.

In 2004 he was elected to the United States Senate where he serves/served as a junior senator. Sen. Obama missed over 24% of the votes since January 2005. He sponsored 120 resolutions since Jan 24, 2005, of which 115 haven't made it out of committee and 2 were successfully enacted. He has co-sponsored approximately 488 resolutions during the same time. The resolutions of his that have passed are mild resolutions dealing with celebrating the life of someone...legislation that I would not say is at the forefront of politics.

In 2007 he announced his candidacy for President of the United States. After that announcement he did very little actual senatorial related work.

So, looking solely at the facts we (as in the United States of America) just elected a man that was: (1) a community organizer of an organization with thirteen people and a budget of $400,000 (at its largest); (2) a junior associate at a law firm for three years without any supervisory responsibility; (3) an Illinois State Senator for approximately 8 years; (4) a part-time university lecturer; (4) an author; and (5) a junior United States Senator for approximately four years (two of which were spent campaigning for President of the United States). In my opinion that is absolutely one of the worst resumes to be leader of the free world. The man has absolutely no substantive executive experience, no substantive international relations work, and no substantial legislative experience. He is without a doubt the most inexperienced individual elected President of the United States of America.

Now, if you want to argue as he did and state that he has executive experience because he ran his campaign; well don’t jump on that one too fast; I would have to say the following people ran his campaign: (1) David Axelrod - Media Strategist; (2) David Plouffe - Campaign Manager; (3) Steve Hildebrand - Deputy Campaign Manager; (4) Betsy Myers - Chief Operating Officer; (5) Robert Gibbs - Communications Chief; and (6) Penny Pritzker - National Finance Director. The actual candidate does not do much "leading" in a presidential campaign.

So, let’s look at what we elected in the name of “change”. We elected a man that has promised the world to everyone. This man has literally promised to change the world…literally this guy has pledged to bring the U.S. energy independence, universal health care, better education, new social programs, reduced fuel costs, solve the home mortgage issue, get Wall Street back on track, solve the Iraq situation (by pulling out), calm Afghanistan, find Bin Laden, bring back America’s prestige to the world, cut taxes for everyone making less than $250,000…I mean $200,000…I mean $150,000….I mean $120,000…I mean $100,000, revolutionize our transportation, raise corporate taxes, simplify the tax code, restore the military to some sort of “prestige” (last time I checked we were still the greatest fighting force in the world), and of course encourage dads to take care of their children. If you think that this is just campaign rhetoric and no one believes it; try this on for size: in a widely publicized video President-elect Obama supporter Peggy Joseph stated: “I won’t have to worry about putting gas in my car, I won’t have to worry about paying my mortgage, you know if…if I help him he’s going to help me.” You can’t deny this folks, people actually believe this stuff and I guarantee you there are millions of Peggy Joseph’s around the United States that voted with those same false hopes. How disappointed they will truly be.

I have no doubt that President-elect Obama truly believes that he is going to help America and he probably believes that his “change” is the right “change” for this country. But, there are million of people who voted that his “change” was not their “change”. There are millions of people in the United States who don’t want universal health care, more social programs, a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq, higher individual taxes, higher corporate taxes, etc.

Let’s look at just one of his campaign promises to raise corporate taxes and close those evil corporate tax “loop holes”. Let’s just look at Exxon-Mobil as an example, a company everyone on the left loves to hate and even a company some on the right despise. No one factors into their "complaints" nor do they take into consideration that we are talking about a company that is 125 years old, a company that started small and over the last 125 years has grown and helped the world grow. You can't just judge a company on their revenue...there is so much more there. If anyone starts a business and 125 years later it is still around and has grown into a multi-billion dollar company, they have contributed greatly to this country. How much do you think Exxon and their employees have paid in U.S. taxes over the last 125 years?

I believe that large corporations deserve tax breaks, because as a corporation grows larger every incremental saving (from taxes, etc.) is being pushed into the “economic system” one way or another. A corporation is a corporation, the individuals still have to pay their taxes but, the more money a corporation keeps the more it can grow, expand, create, etc. The more a corporation can grow, expand, and create the more jobs that can be created, the higher salaries can go, higher dividends can be paid, etc.

All of that money goes into the economy and helps it expand. The engineer with a larger salary buys a new house, which was built by a construction company, which employees construction workers, who buy lunch from the local restaurant, which employees a few waitresses, who go buy some new clothes, from a store that just opened, which just hired some sales associates, etc.

Fundamental economic theory dictates that reducing the tax burden increases the ability of a corporation to expand and increase profits; which literally trickles down to everyone. Just look at your 401(k) or local restaurant and ask yourself where the money is coming from; businesses or the government? Just look at Memphis. Memphis is literally supported by FedEx; even though FedEx only employees around 30,000 people in Memphis, how many other jobs are dependent upon the incomes of the 30,000…100,000, 200,000 and then how many jobs are dependent upon the income of those 100,000, 200,000?

Increasing the tax burden on corporations is a very bad idea, very bad. Remember the employees still have to pay their taxes, a corporation is its own entity and individuals (themselves) do not reap a huge windfall from corporate tax decreases; in fact their tax burden usually goes up. How you ask? If a corporation has a lower tax rate they can afford to pay their people more, which means higher taxes on those higher incomes. What about more cash available for dividends; you guessed it more taxes for the shareholders on those dividends.

Corporations do not “eat” higher tax rates; they pass them on to their customers through higher prices for their products, services, etc. A tax increase on corporations will directly and negatively affect the purchasing power of the average citizen that President-elect Obama is so enamored with protecting and helping.

This is not rocket science; this is basic math and basic economics. Apparently, subjects that President-elect Obama did not dive into deeply while he was getting his J.D. This proves once again that we should not look to lawyers to run our government but, rather businessmen and businesswomen who understand basic economic theory, basic accounting, etc.

Now, since we are talking about money; let’s talk about charitable contributions. For those that think Sen. Obama is "salt of the earth", think again. Sen. Obama and his wife Michelle both went to Harvard Law. She earned approximately $300,000 a year from the University of Chicago Hospital System and he earned over $150,000 as a U.S. Senator. That is approximately $450,000 a year before you even take into consideration the fact that he has written two books and her income from sitting on several boards. When you factor those in, since 2005 their family has earned over $1,000,000 a year. Up until 2004 the Obama’s gave an abysmal amount of their income to charity, something that surprised me considering how much he talks about helping those less fortunate. Amazingly, the Obama’s charitable giving rose dramatically (as a percentage of income) when he began running for the presidency, but, he clearly did not have that pattern prior to 2005. Clearly, this is another point that the data clearly demonstrates that he says one thing while he does another.

Even though they were making over $200,000 a year from 2000 through 2004, they were giving a very small percentage of their money to charity and considering he is such a proponent for the disadvantaged; I would have figured (and thought so prior to looking at their returns) they would have given much more than they did.


I would also consider, since he seems to think the wealthy are making over $250,000 that being wealthy also means that you need to help out the less fortunate. Looking at their charitable giving, it would seem that was neither the case nor his true belief until they made over a $1,000,000 a year or coincidentally until he started his run for the presidency. So, he may need to reassess what he thinks wealthy is based on his own actions and income. Looking at the raw data leaves no room for argument. President-elect Obama did not put his money where his mouth was prior to 2005 and one can argue if he is even doing so today…considering he is only giving an average of 5.4% of his AGI to charity. Considering this quote by then Sen. Obama himself, when talking about money helping to solve the problems associated with the disadvantaged, "money is not the only answer, but it makes a difference..." he clearly did not believe in giving his own until 2005. For someone who speaks so eloquently about helping the disadvantaged you really have to ask yourself were these talking points to help him get elected or are they his fundamental beliefs. His charitable giving standards do not reflect his words...period.

The United States of America has, in my opinion, just elected an unqualified individual to be President of the United States. This is a man whose actions do not follow his words, a man who has promised everything to everyone, and a man who does not understand even basic economic theory. This is a man that has little to no international relations experience and zero military experience who is about to be our Commander-in-chief. I hope we all pray tonight that President-elect Obama will remember that he represents the United State of America and not just his friends who have a left leaning ideological vision of America. These next four years are going to be interesting and we have no one to blame but ourselves. Well, I also blame the media for doing such a great job digging for the truth as related to Sen. Obama. I think we have witnessed one of the most disgusting uses of biased media to date.

My final thoughts:

I do not believe "change" amounts to throwing away common sense and falling for campaign rhetoric. I do not believe "change" requires a forty-seven year old man with little experience to be elected President of the United States. I do not believe "change" requires more social programs. I do not "believe" change requires higher individual taxes. I do not believe "change" requires increasing the tax burden for corporations. I do not believe "change" encourages a "I deserve it society".

I do believe "change" requires you to become involved in your community. I do believe "change" requires you to become involved in politics. I believe "change" requires holding the individual accountable. I believe "change" requires hard work. I believe "change" involves more than campaign rhetoric. I believe "change" is in each and every one of us.

A beautiful day in Hong Kong...

So, after Typhoon Nuri came barreling through Hong Kong...we have actually had some beautiful weather over the last few days. Clear skies, blue skies, minimal pollution, and some nice cool breezes...relatively speaking of course. Here is a shot from our family room window this evening:


It will be evenings like this that will make it difficult to move next year. Where else are you going to get a view out of your family room window of the South China Sea. Spectacular.

Fly On The Wall...

I would love to be the proverbial fly on the wall in either Washington or Moscow right now. I am sure there were some heated discussions occurring between the two countries.

It is amazing after President Bush issued an extremly strong condemnation of Russia's escalation of violence in Georgia that military action was called off just several hours later by President Medvedev. I believe the words, "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighboring state and threatened a government elected by its people, such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century," by President Bush carried an implied threat. I believe that threat was received loud and clear by Putin and Medvedev, thus the cessation of hostilities.

As with all things in international politics it is the words and actions behind the scenes that usually drives the action. I would be interested if there were rumors floating around of direct military aid (troops) going into Tbilisi and if those rumors made their way to Moscow. If there were and if they did I am sure that played a quiet role in Russia calling of their invasion of Georgia.

We will see what happens over the coming days...for now I am just glad a crisis has been averted. Perhaps some lessons have been learned by both parties. I am sure this gives credence to some in the U.S. military that it is not enough to only plan for asymmetrical warfare and counter-insurgency operations; but, it is important to be ready for traditional land warfare as well.

Here we go...

Sometimes I scare myself...I just finished posting on Georgia and my belief that Russia (read Putin) wants Mikhail Saakashvili out of office and what just pops up on the AP wire at 4:44am (EDT) or 4:44pm (local): Russian Foreign Minister says Georgian President must go.

This is it folks, time for the United States to make a stand to protect a democratically elected president of an independent country or let democracy literally be crushed by the heavy hand of an ex-KGB officer. It's go time folks and I say fire it up. If I am needed I am ready to go.

My bet, we (the United States) are going to make a strong stand and I would not be surprised at all if the 173rd is being "ramped up" right now.

Georgia...Time for Action...

The situation that is growing more and more chaotic as the hours pass in Georgia poses some serious questions for the United States. Namely should we become involved and if so, to what degree?

A little history first. The United States has long held that Georgia is a shining example of a former Soviet Republic turning toward democracy and embracing Western ideals. As such, we (as in the United States) have been supporting Georgia militarily since 2002. We first put significant numbers of troops (200+ trainers) into Georgia in 2002 and have been doing so since. After the "Rose Revolution" of 2003 in which President Eduard Shevardnadze was replaced with a democratically elected Mikheil Saakashvilli the aid (military and economic) increased significantly. The United States Agency of International Development (USAID) has an entire program dedicated to aiding Georgia. We have trained Georgian forces in counter-terrorism with a view that the Pankisi Gorge area was a known "terrorist lounge" with Chechen rebels using it as a training ground. Of course when you mention Chechen rebels you know there are ties to Al Qaeda. We have also been providing them with combat gear: communications, weapons, etc. Just last month significant numbers of U.S. Marines were still on the ground in Georgia. In turn, Georgia has put forth over a thousand troops into Iraq to help support us in the Global War on Terror. Georgia was also one of the first to come out and strongly condemn the attacks on September 11, 2001. They have put their troops where their mouth is.

So, now we see Russia moving into Georgia and moving past the "disputed" combat zones. South Ossetia was the disputed region that Georgia first advanced upon and Russia responded to. Now, pointing fingers at Georgia for going into South Ossetia will get us no where. The bottom-line is that South Ossetia was a disputed region and rebels had been causing problems for Georgian troops for a period of time and Russian peace keepers were really doing nothing about it. So, Russia steps in and moves into South Ossetia to protect Russian citizens (since Russia gave Russian passports to residents of South Ossetia). Now, I can give Russia that even though I disagree with them. However, their (Russian) recent moves to Gori, Senaki, and possibly Tbilisi are just plain wrong. I see the Russian moves as a deliberate move to discredit and possibly threaten the very existence of the democratically elected government of Georgia.

Georgia's push (led by the United States) to become a member of NATO surely upset Putin and now he is getting his payback. My bet is that Russia will continue to push into Georgia all the way to Tbilisi. This will force Mikheil Saakashvilli and his government to flee (probably first to Turkey).

What should we do about this? Some may say nothing...after all who cares about Georgia? Well, I disagree, we are talking about a strong ally of the United States and a country that has a democratically elected government that is (was) making strong strides in becoming a beacon of light with a strong democracy and a growing economy in Eurasia. Are we as the United States to let our allies just get squashed upon? Would we do this if Russia was threatening Great Britain? I would hope not.

The United States speaks out often about promoting democracy around the world and here we are watching a young democracy get punished. It is time for our country to act.

Russia is no match for us militarily (even with our forces stretched thin in Iraq and Afghanistan). We should immediately give an ultimatum to Russia to withdraw their forces out of Georgia and stop their advance. In the meantime we should be flying F-15s and F-16s out of Iraq (with tanker support) over Turkey (surely they will give us over flight rights) and into Georgia to take control of the skies. Our strike fighters should be prepared to defend Georgia and take out any Russian jets flying into Georgia.

In the meantime we should move the 82nd Airborne from Ft. Bragg and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team from Vicenza, Italy directly into Tbilisi. This will give Georgia considerable defensive power. The 173rd and 82nd are both combat proven and elements of the 173rd just returned from Afghanistan where they proved themselves yet again. There are always some Marine Expeditionary Units in the Mediterranean Sea and these could move towards the Black Sea if they are needed. They could hang out in the Med and if they are needed could push through the Strait of Dardanelles and the Bosporus Strait with air cover if they were threatened by Russian forces. I am sure a MEU landing in Georgia from the Black Sea would cause some concern for Russia.

A commitment of U.S. forces is nothing to take lightly and either is the prospect of one of our allies being crushed by Russia.

There are times when we as the United States have to stand up for our allies...and I think this is one of those times. If we don't stand up for them now...who are we not going to stand up for next...or worse...who won't stand up for us in our time of need?

No one knows what the consequences of inaction could or would be...could this be a signal that Russia wants its glory back? What about the Ukraine? No one ever knows where inaction leads and this could be one of those dangerous bets. However, definitive action by the United States will instill confidence in our allies across the region and further weaken Russia's influence. That is exactly what we need to do. Russia cannot and will not wage full scale war with us; their populace will not let them. The Russian populace cares less about Georgia than the average American and they definitely will not risk their new found wealth over a full scale war over Georgia.

If you say this is large thinking for an isolated incident; just remember that World War One started with an isolated assassination in Sarajevo on June 28, 1914.

Pollution...Lovely...

Well...yesterday was supposedly the worst day in Hong Kong regarding air pollution since measurements were started in 1995. This just days before the Olympics are supposed to start. The pollution was so bad that from our apartment on the peak; I could not even see the South China Sea! Here is a normal view from our apartment:


I couldn't see the sea yesterday when I woke up. When I got to work (in Cyberport) it was even worse; I could not see Lamma Island out of my window...normally I have a great view...but, no such luck yesterday. China is understandably worried with the Olympics scheduled to start in just a few days. With the equestrian events taking place in Hong Kong the government is under pressure to at least have air that is safe for the athletes (man and animal). In Sha Tin the Air Pollution Index (API) hit 200, which is basically extremely severe. In other words...the air is so bad you probably shouldn't be breathing it. Today it is back down to a comfortable level of 71, which is high. Here is a shot out of my window this morning, absolutely disgusting:


Now can you imagine not even being able to see Lamma Island? I couldn't yesterday for part of the day. People ask me if I like living in Hong Kong; the answer is "yes" but a qualified "yes"; as in it is great but the air sucks. I am actually glad we are only living here for two years...who knows what the long term repercussions from breathing this air for years would be. I for one am looking forward to days when blue skies are the norm and not an exception. China, I have one piece of advice for you...no one will care about your low cost production capabilities if you are destroying the world one airborne particulate at a time.

Walk-About

So, I had the day off today so I had lunch with the wife at Wooloomooloo on Wyndham Street and then I went on a walk-about taking pictures. I just purchased my replacement DSLR (I sold my 20D to my brother) and I am loving the 40D. It shoots really nice pictures and controlling the different aspects of the exposure is a breeze. So, I walked around Lan Kwai Fong and Central and shot close to 400 pictures. I have put a few up on the flickr site and I will add more in the coming days.

The weather has been really rainy for the last few weeks and everything is damp. Take a second and do a search on the web for "Hong Kong Flooding" and see what you get for June 7, 2008. I think this has to be some of the worse flooding Hong Kong has had in awhile...it was bad...Black Rain.

Anyway, all is well in Hong Kong land...Randi was in Bangkok over the weekend with some of her girlfriends and Henry and I held down the fort. Randi will be posting some pictures of her adventures with the girls in Thailand...they had a good time and they have the pictures to prove it.

Keep the people of Kansas, Iowa, and California in your prayers as they are experiencing some poor weather (storms and wild fires). I am extremely saddened to hear of the murders of the two young girls in Oklahoma. It is sad when people resort to killing young innocent children...I think it speaks to us all that something must be done about this senseless violence. I am sure you have all heard that Memphis again posted top scores for being a violent city with more than 500,000 residents. Ah...good old Memphis...when are the citizens of the city going to learn that crime does not pay?

I hope you all have a great weekend...and remember to buckle-up and don't drink and drive.

Jerome "Jerry" McCauley

I have lost some good friends over the last 5 years...but, the news, which has just reached me in China, of Jerry being KIA is hard to take. I worked with Jerry when I was in Iraq and I have to say that Jerry was something special. He was probably one of the funniest guys I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. He was tactically one of the sharpest guys I ever worked with and most importantly he was a great guy. Jerry made me feel welcome in Iraq and made it a point to "take me under his wing". We had some good times driving around in "hard" G-Wagons and we had some funny times when he was helping us get the BW team house established. This is the guy who when I asked him if they had any extra guns...literally brought over a truck full. Jerry was a fantastic guy and I never heard him say one thing bad about anyone else...he always had a smile on his face and if you needed a laugh he was sure to deliver. I was informed (accuracy TBD) that he was killed on Route Irish in a moving ambush. Route Irish has taken many of our friends...and I am sure it will take more. Jerry was a SEAL and I know that his death will hit that community hard. Jerry, his family, and his friends will be in my thoughts and prayers. I/We will miss you Jerry.

I have disabled comments because I do not want anyone using Jerry's death to make any comments about the war in Iraq...Jerry died serving his country and there is no greater honor.

My first weekend in Wuhan...

Greetings all from Wuhan, China...it is May 24, 2008 already and that means it is the weekend. One of the unfortunate things about my current project in Wuhan is that due to flight schedules it is next to impossible for me to head home over the weekend...even though Hong Kong is less than a two hour flight away.

So, that means I am hanging out in Wuhan while Randi and Henry are in Hong Kong...kind of sucks. Well, we had a long night last night at the office; I finally made it out of there around 2000 hours and then headed back to the hotel. I got a nice workout in (even though the gym is limited) and then I finished reading "Not A Good Day To Die" by Sean Naylor. This is a magnificent book abut Operation Anaconda. I strongly recommend everyone reading this book and "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. These two books will remind you (vividly) that the United States is at war and that the great soldiers of this country are fighting and dying every day to ensure that radical extremism does not gain a foothold. Our soldiers are waging this war in extreme environments against determined fighters and they are conducting this war with honor, integrity, and morals. To say I am proud of our country is an understatement.

So, I stayed up until almost 0300 hours reading and am just waking up...well...actually waking up for the 2nd time today. I am not sure what happened this morning but at 0650 someone decided to set off some fireworks (the ones that sparkle and then explode on the ground) in front of our hotel. Now, I am not talking just a couple of fireworks...I am talking about enough to cover the entire sidewalk for a full block...I am not making this up. This...display...lasted for 5 minutes or so as firework after firework exploded. I swear for a second I thought I was on Takur Ghar.

Plans for today are not too exciting...one of the team members decided she needs to go into the office today...so...instead of heading out with the rest of the team to go site seeing in Wuhan; I am going to head into the office with her. Dad always told me to make sure that you never ask someone to do something you won't do yourself and I figured even though this was her idea...I shouldn't let her go in by herself.

So, I will take the time to study for the CFA exam which is just a few short weeks away. I am hoping that I am not going to be in the office all day. The rest of the team is going to go check out East Lake, which is a famous lake here in Wuhan, and then they are going to go to some museums and check out the Wuhan University. I think that would definitely be interesting...and maybe I will just go and site see myself tomorrow after I get the intel from the rest of the team on where and what to see and of course what to skip. I am here through June 4th...so, I have another weekend next week as well. We will see what I can figure out to do...although I am sure a majority of that time will be spent in the gym and studying for the CFA.

The hotel here has a little gym that has a few dumbbells, unfortunately the heaviest one is 25lbs. Now, at first I was a little disappointed as usually the lightest dumbbell I use is 30lbs when working out...but...I decided to just "rep-out" on everything. So, I have been doing 20 to 30 reps for each set in my workout...which is actually pretty tough. So, for my arm and back workout yesterday I ended up doing 6 exercises with dumbbells and I did 4 sets of 20 to 30 reps for each of those exercises depending upon the exercise. Let me tell you...that was actually a really good workout. My biceps were screaming to me after my 4th set of 30 one arm isolated curls...wow...I am actually a little sore this morning. I also did a lot of creative stuff and kind of used one 25lb dumbbell as a "kettle ball" and did some "dynamic" exercises working my core. So, even though a hotel gym may be limited you can still be creative and get a good workout. Also, the hotel has a pool and I always bring my swim gear so I can swim laps. Unfortunately, when we first arrived the pool was being repaired...but as of last night the pool is back in business...meaning I can get some laps in tonight.

Randi is in Hong Kong and I am sure right about now she is at Berlitz taking a Mandarin lesson without me. I have to say Randi is progressing really well with her Mandarin. I am doing all right...as I get to "practice" a bit on my travels...which is fun. I think she is going to go see the musical "We Will Rock You", which is set to Queen's music, tonight with some friends. I am sure it will be fun and when she goes out with the girls they always have fun.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be a Henry day and she is going to get together with more friends and their dogs and let the four legged friends play and socialize. I have to say Henry has some good "dog" friends here. In fact, our friends Phil and Lauren just got a new dog named Juno and Henry and her get along wonderfully. In fact, they get along so well we started joking that Henry has a girlfriend. Juno was at our house the other day and they played constantly for several hours just "flirting" with each other. Juno is a puppy so she has tons of energy and when Henry would collapse from exhaustion she would come over and nip and lick at Henry's face until he would get back up and go for another round of chase or tug-of-war. It was hilarious watching them play...the simple things in life are always so amusing.

Well, that is all from Wuhan...I think it is time to get up and get the day going. Have a great weekend and remember to be safe, buckle-up, and treat everyone you come across this weekend as you would like to be treated. Oh...and make sure you smile and say "hi" to everyone you come across...you never know it might otherwise brighten someone's dreary day. Here are a few more pictures from Wuhan:

A shot of me on the Yangtze with a few co-workers Jacko (my right) and Sally (my left):


Larry knocking back some boneless chicken feet...yummy:

Greetings from Wuhan, China

One place that I never dreamed of visiting when I was younger was Wuhan, China. I never dreamed of visiting Wuhan primarily because I had never heard of it. Well, here I am in Wuhan, China and I have to say so far the experience has been pretty good. I departed Hong Kong on May 18, 2008 and arrived in Wuhan a quick hour and a half later. The flight was nice and it was my first flight on Dragon Air. I have to say I recommend Dragon Air as the airline to fly in China.

Wuhan is a bit different than some of the other cities that I have visited in China. It is considered a tier II city and has a population of roughly 8 million. So, that should put China in perspective for you...a "medium" sized city with 8 million people...a city with 8 million people in the U.S. is huge.

I am scheduled to be here through the 4th of June, so I am definitely going to get some time to see the city. So far I have had some great food. Wuhan is in the Sichuan Province and they like their food spicy. On my first night we had some spicy crawfish (yes, real crawfish), even spicier than ones I have had down in Louisiana. I love spicy food so, I am actually enjoying the food here more than the food in Southern China (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, etc.). It has been a good trip thus far with only a few "interesting" stories. We had a chance to be in the middle of the 3 minutes of silence that China undertook on the 19th of May and during the evening we went down to the Yangtze river where candle balloons were released into the night sky. I have to say that I was extremely impressed with the solidarity and support that everyone was showing for the victims of the earthquake. I hope that if our country suffered such a devastating natural disaster that we would show the same solidarity. I have attached some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

I think this is the equivalent of the little guy in the U.S. "relieving" himself on your choice of car manufacturers:


This is a shot of the actual "three minutes of silence" in China - it was impressive to see a city of 8 million stop. Very impressive solidarity:


This is a shot of the candle light vigil we were part of on the Yangtze River:

The Weekend...May 11, 2008

Well, it is Sunday the 11th of May in Hong Kong and that means it is Mother's Day. What a great day. I am a huge fan of Mother's Day...you get to celebrate Mom. Randi and I are thousands of miles away from our Moms...but, we will definitely be calling them and wishing them a wonderful Mother's Day. Today is a cloudy wet day in Hong Kong and it looks like it is going to stay that way for the majority of the day. This weekend is another three day weekend in Hong Kong with Buddha's birthday being celebrated on Monday...not sure how old he is. Randi and I don't have any really exciting plans...just hanging out...spending time with the dog and friends. We went and saw Ironman on Friday night and I have to say that it was a great movie. It was incredibly entertaining, the acting was superb, and the movie offered the right mix of action, comedy, and drama. All I have to say is it receives a 9-F score on the Farage Movie Meter. Randi was actually pleasantly surprised as well...I think she thought it was going to be a little cheesy...but, she really enjoyed it. She even recommended it to my mother...so you know she enjoyed it. Randi and I were also pleasantly surprised that the movie was pretty much "foul language free" which was a nice change. We are scheduled to see What Happens in Vegas this evening and will report on that one as well. As of right now...Ironman is the best movie of 2008 in my opinion. Have a great weekend and remember to buckle up and don't drink and drive.

Wright is Wrong

Wow...that is all I can really say about Rev. Jeremiah Wright's performance at the National Press Club event this week. I think this guy has basically gone off of his rocker. I was literally in shock watching the event; Wright made an absolute ass of himself. I have never seen a more arrogant, mean-spirited, twisted, and smug "man of God" in my life. For someone who presents himself as a "preacher" yet goes out and demeans the very nature of the position - Rev. Wright should be ashamed. His church should also be ashamed. I think the thing that capped it off was his comment "he did not put me in chains, he did not put me in slavery, and he didn't make me this color". This comment was in response to a question about his relationship with Louis Farrakhan. If you look at this statement it defies all logic...for someone who is having a multi-million dollar house built for him he has done pretty well for a black slave who is in chains. This is crazy...this man has never been in chains and he was never a slave. He speaks as if he was a slave and that he is angry about being a slave. Get over it. I am never going to apologize to Rev. Wright for slavery for several reasons: A) I was not alive when slavery was practiced in parts of this country; B) my family wasn't even in the United States then - they were making their way from Lebanon, Lithuania, and other countries; and C) most importantly that there is no one alive today who was a slave. Rev. Wright deserves no apology from me or the government of the United States of America. If anything, Rev. Wright owes this country an apology - an apology for saying AIDS and HIV was created by the USA to infect black people - an apology for saying that the USA practices terrorism - and an apology for saying that the U.S. is attacking the "black church". Bottom-line this guy has made a drastic mistake. I feel sorry for Sen. Obama as he hitched his wagon to the wrong horse.

Seriously...

So, for those of you out there who think that "Islam" is a religion of tolerance...you are right it is a religion of tolerance towards fellow Muslims. It is a religion that does not allow a fellow Muslim to condemn a fellow Muslim...say even if that Muslim kills some innocent non-Muslims. That must be great if you are a crazy radical Muslim...knowing that even if you blow up school children you are not going to be condemned by your fellow Muslims. That must be great...an instant base of support. If you don't believe this - just ask yourself how many Muslims you see on a daily basis condemning the terrorist attacks carried out by Muslims in Iraq and elsewhere around the world that claim the lives of innocent people every day. So, along this same line...I have said for awhile now that Europe and the UK are in trouble. They have tolerated radical Islamic teachings for too long and now they have a serious "homegrown" problem. A problem that is not going to go away. So, fire up this video and listen in and ask yourself how far America is behind Britain? I hope if we hear a "prominent Muslim" talking "smack" like this on US television that there will be no "tolerance" of this brand of lunacy.

The Latest...

So, here is a quick wrap-up of what Randi and I have been up to over the last few weeks and why there have been no “posts” on the blog as of late. In fact, I do have fans and I have received a few emails asking me when the next post was going to be added.

Well, as most of you know – last weekend was Easter weekend. Randi and I had planned to head to Bangkok with a few friends and relax for a few days – taking advantage of the fact that Hong Kong gives off more time for Easter than the United States. In Hong Kong you get off Good Friday and Easter Monday. Pretty neat stuff if you want my opinion.

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our plans and head back to CONUS for an emergency. My Grandmother died on Monday (March 17, 2008) after suffering from Alzheimer’s. My Grandmother, June Farage, was an incredible woman and had a “firecracker” spirit that the entire family will miss.

Alzheimer’s is a tragic disease; fortunately advancements are being literally on a daily basis and hopefully one day this disease will be thing of the past. You can aid the fight against Alzheimer’s by contributing to the Alzheimer’s Association. Approximately 78% of the funds donated to the association are used for research, care, support, awareness, and advocacy – with only 22% of the funds being used for general management and fundraising. This is an incredibly high ratio in the “not-for-profit” world. Our family asks that anyone who wishes to offer support to our family during this time – do so by donating a small amount to the association – even a few dollars can make a difference – and you can even donate in the honor of my Grandmother – June Farage.

June Farage was an awesome woman and she raised my father, his two brothers, and his sister with the love and support of my Grandfather – Nyme Farage. My Grandfather took care of June mostly by himself up until the final days when she had to be admitted to a hospice. He took care of her through a knee replacement, a broken hip, and through her Alzheimer’s despite the fact that he himself is in his 80’s. The example of love between my Grandfather and Grandmother is something that I will always aspire to. I know it was extremely difficult and challenging, both emotionally and physically, yet he stuck with her all the way through the end. Our whole family gathered to say goodbye to my Grandmother and it meant a lot to my Grandfather that Randi and I were able to make it to Florida.

So, Randi and I literally flew across the world (20,000 miles) in five days. We left Hong Kong on Tuesday morning (March 18, 2008) and arrived in Orlando on Tuesday evening (thanks to the huge time difference). The memorial service was on Wednesday morning. We then stayed and hung out with my Grandfather on Thursday and left Friday morning (March 21, 2008) for Hong Kong. We arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday evening (March 22, 2008) and let me tell you we were exhausted. I don’t think I have ever flow from one side of the world to the other and then back again – all in less than a week.

Randi and I are back in Hong Kong and back to work. We enjoyed relaxing on Sunday and Monday and then hit it hard on Tuesday – back to work. This coming weekend will be a busy one. I have to head to Southern China for a business trip on Sunday – should be fun. I will be going back and forth over the next three weeks. This weekend is also the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens – which is a world famous global rugby competition. Teams from around the world compete in short matches and it is basically a huge party. This will be my first time to go and I am looking forward to it. A friend and I are going to go – it should be fun – I will take plenty of pictures and be sure to write about the experience.

Well, what else is going on in the world? Apparently Hillary Clinton “misspoke” about landing under sniper fire in Bosnia. I know what “misspoke” is – usually it involves a minor fluctuation in details – say you accidentally said Monday – instead of Tuesday or something similar. However saying you landed under “sniper fire” when you really landed to a “press event” complete with a kiss from a young Bosnian girl with no “sniper fire” what-so-ever is just flat out bull shitting at its finest. The best thing is that there is no way in the world you could remotely mistake a “press event” for landing under “sniper fire”. In the words of Hillary Clinton, “I remember landing under sniper fire, there was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base.” Check out this photo; it clearly shows Hillary running for cover from “sniper fire”.

I have seen “sniper fire” in Iraq and it doesn’t look anything like that. It basically involves hunkering down and waiting for someone to take the sniper out. Running with your head down does nothing to protect you from a trained sniper with a heavy caliber precision rifle. This is just another example of the crap that Hillary dishes out left and right. Can’t you just envision the leader of the free world dishing out this crap – that would be great – exactly what America needs – a leader that mistakes a press event for sniper fire. I don’t know about you but, that is what I want in my Commander In Chief.

Now, let’s move onto to Memphis. A bit ago I wrote about the family that was basically massacred in Memphis and the police at first had no leads. Well, five days go by and guess what the brother of one of the victims is arrested and charged for the crimes. Now, I spoke about the “expertise” of the Memphis police department and I am sure that offended a few people – I am not a detective but; I think I could have figured this one out a little sooner than the MPD did. Jessie L. Dotson, Jr. was the brother of one of the victims and guess what – he had just been released from prison in January of 2008 for you guessed it – murder.

So, we have a brother who has just been released from prison for murder and now we have a family that has just been murdered. Now, with my limited knowledge it appears that you usually look to the family first and if you have a convicted murder that has just been released from the prison – I am sure the pieces fall into place relatively quickly. Just from reading the news articles it did not appear that this guy – Jessie – was a master criminal so I am sure there was a lot of “evidence” at the crime scene. However, apparently the MPD was put onto this guy by one of the surviving children. So, here is my question – without the surviving children – would this guy have been caught? Let’s just put it this way – family is always suspected first – I would think especially if one member of the family is a recently released convicted murderer. If I was a detective – that is where I would start my investigation – but, then again I am an accountant and one plus one always equals two.

Last but not least we have North Korea. Do these guys not get the message…your economy is in ruins and the only thing you can do is fire a few short range missiles off. Heck, sell the missiles for scrap and buy some food for the citizens. I am not sure what is or will happen in North Korea – but, let me tell you something has to give.

With the strict control that the regime has over the North – I doubt there will be any “uprising” in the future that could cause a dynamic shift in the stance of North Korea. My feeling is that the North will continue to become more and more jealous over the South and will do something about it.

My greatest fear is that they will try and take part of South Korea. This would be bad – I have no doubt that the South Koreans and the United States can stop the North Koreans – but, mark my words it would be bloody and make Iraq’s 4,000 U.S. causalities look like roses.

Kim Jong-il has roughly 8,000 artillery systems within 90 miles of the DMZ. I once read, and I can’t remember where this was or if it is 100% accurate, that theoretically the North Koreans could fire something like 20,000 artillery rounds in the first minute or two of a move South. This tactic would supposedly “stun” the South Korean and U.S. forces and allow “openings” to be created for the movement of tanks, mechanized infantry, and Special Forces into the South. Now, granted that much artillery flying through the air is very bad news…luckily a lot of the U.S. and South Korean forces have moved further South in response to this threat. Additionally, with the extremely sophisticated radar and counter-artillery systems the U.S. has produced, honed, and tested recently in Iraq – the North Korean’s would probably only get to use their antiquated artillery pieces (most from 1940 through 1960 designs) in the first few minutes. After that, they would receive a lot of counter-fire that would at least quiet them temporarily and force them back into their underground tunnels. Which, would hopefully give enough time for the extremely superior U.S. Air Force to begin hunting and killing anything that moves along the DMZ. No doubt anything that went airborne from the North would be shot out of the sky. The North Korean military has nothing that can take on any of the South Korean or U.S. fighters. It would be ugly, thousands would die – but, I am extremely confident that the South Korean and U.S. forces would be victorious.

Anyway, that is my greatest fear – hopefully the powers that be in North Korea will realize that rather than being jealous and trying to “take” South Korea they can just “join” South Korea and open up their economy and society to trade which would benefit the entire peninsula.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and that everyone takes time out of their day to talk to their family and realize that “good” or “bad” your family is your family and they you need to let them know they are loved and appreciated.

Tennessee...

Randi and I have noticed that living in Hong Kong whenever news comes out regarding Tennessee or Memphis in particular it is always bad...we have yet to hear any good news come from our former home. For instance, the recent Memphis murders made international headlines and it appears that the Memphis Police Department (MPD) have no leads to go on.

I want to believe that there are some very good detectives in the MPD but, I have serious doubts about the professionalism of the MPD. First, they have lowered their recruiting standards, you can now become a police officer with little or no college education and they are lowering their psychological requirements. The following informative piece of information is available on the MPD website: "Individuals who were disqualified for the position of Police Officer on the basis of their psychological evaluation for the period of 1996-2001 will be allowed to reactivate their application of employment with the Memphis Police Department." Now, I don't know about you but, I really don't want my police department accepting people who were previously disqualified based on psychological factors...even if they have to undergo another psychological evaluation.

Memphis is notorious for having unsolved crimes, basically if they don't catch them in the first 48 hours they are not going to get caught - or the odds greatly decrease. In fact, the MPD was involved in a TV series called the "The First 48". I'll just say this - I watched a few of the shows when the MPD was involved and I was not exactly filled with confidence. I even had lunch with a few of the "crew" members from the show (the actual production people) at Cafe Ole one day when they were filming in Memphis - and they said that they were very unimpressed with the MPD. So, we will see how this plays out but, I would hope that whomever committed this atrocious crime is brought to swift justice.

Now, back to the point of Tennessee and the fact that all the stories coming out of there are usually bad. I opened up foxnews.com this morning and see this heading: "Man Dies When Wind Flips Mattress He Was Moving". So, I immediately have the following thought, "I bet this was in Tennessee." Sure, enough I open it up and find out that of course it was from Tennessee. So, this poor guy was riding in the back of a truck sitting on top of the mattress he was helping move when the principal of "lift" ruined his day. Now, I am sure this guy was having a blast right up until the end. I can just picture this guy in the back of the truck hooting and hollering as his friend was driving and he was riding the "magic carpet" in the back of the truck. Then, a little too much lift was created and the mattress probably just flipped right over and out of the truck with this guy holding on for dear life. Not the way I want to go out...moving a mattress. My thoughts and prayers are with this man and his family and I hope that we all learn a lesson from this one. You do not "ride" a mattress in the back of a truck. There are these neat inventions called tie-down straps...please use them to prevent this sort of tragedy from happening again. Less, Tennessee get more negative press.