Farage's Garage

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T06:48:00.003+08:00

Randi and I wish all of our family and friends a Happy New Year and a wonderful 2010. Here is a quick video of 2009!

Grassroots or AstroTurf...

2009-08-07T05:02:00.005+08:00

So, let me get this right. When Democrats organize folks in the community to express their support or dissent to something the government is doing or is planning to do it is a "grassroots" effort. On the flip-side when Republicans organize folks in the community to express their support or dissent to something the government is doing or is planning to do it is a "AstroTurf" effort or worse a "mob".

So, basically what we have is a hypocritical situation. A situation where if it is good for us we will support it and encourage it; however, if it is not good for us we will discredit it and discourage it. Seems like a typical liberal move to me.

Now, the scary part is that the White House has asked your neighbors to spy on you and report you to the White House if you disagree with the Democrat's plan for nationalizing health care. In a blog posted to www.whitehouse.gov by Macon Phillips on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, entitled "Facts are Stubborn Things", there is a request that asks folks to forward something to the White House if it seems "fishy". So, let me get this straight...if you disagree with the White House and your neighbor sees it or even thinks that it is "fishy" they are supposed to forward it to the White House. Now, the scary thing is that records maintained by the White House can fall under executive privilege. Meaning the records and what the White House does with them could be kept secret.

So, let's throw this out there...if President George W. Bush had asked or even expressed an interest in things that were a bit "fishy" and asked your neighbors to report them to the White House...would all hell have broken loose? I guarantee you that the ACLU would have been up in arms and every liberal from California to New York would have been shouting "big brother" at the top of their lungs. The news media would have been going crazy...reporting on the Gestapo tactics of the White House, President Bush, and of course Rover and Cheney.

So, let the hypocrisy continue...but, be careful and make sure you let your elected officials know your perspective. It is your right...do not forget that. Remember how The Constitution starts, "We the people" and don't ever forget that the people are the government and we control the government. I think this is a fact lost on our current elected "representatives" in Congress and the White House.

The government wants to run health care...

2009-08-03T23:34:00.003+08:00

So, let's get this straight. The U.S. government wants to run the U.S. health care industry. Now, some of you may argue that is not what the government wants to do, but what else would you call a single-payer system? In a single-payer system one entity (the government) cuts all the checks and provides near-universal health care. In essence, we would be turning over the U.S. health care industry to the government. The health care industry is massive. It employs over 15 million people and is the 5th largest sector of the U.S. economy. Is this something that we really want to turn over to the U.S. government. Seriously, let's look at their track record with social service programs, let's start with Social Security:

The Congressional Budget Office(CBO) says that only 74% to 78% of benefits will be able to be paid after 2052. The Social Security Trustees suggest that either the payroll tax should increase to 16.41% in 2041 and steadily increased to 17.60% in 2081 or a cut in benefits by 25% in 2041 and steadily increased to an overall cut of 30% in 2081. So, basically Social Security is broken and can only be fixed by raising taxes or cutting benefits.

Now, let's look at Medicare:

According to the 2008 report by the board of trustees for Medicare and Social Security, Medicare spentd more than it brought in from taxes in 2008 and will do the same in 2009. The Medicare hospital insurance trust fund will become insolvent by 2019. This is the fund that pays for Medicare. So, basically Medicare is broken and can only be fixed by raising taxes or cutting benefits.

So, let's summarize this...the two largest social programs in the U.S. are broken or are in the process of becoming insolvent. Yet, the Democrats want to turn over the entire health care industry to the government.

Are you kidding me? With a track record like that I wouldn't let them run a lemonade stand. Seriously, this borders on ridiculous. I think folks are starting to catch on:

We will see what happens over the next few weeks as Congress returns home. I have a feeling there are going to be lots of scenes like this. At least I hope there are.

President of the United States or Pitchman of the United States...

2009-07-23T02:51:00.002+08:00

So, does the President of the United States really feel compelled to be on television all the time? This guy gets more coverage than anyone I have ever seen. Is he more interested in being a celebrity or running this country. Also, when did the President become the main "pitch man" of the United States...I mean Billy Mays has been dead less than a month and the President is trying to take his spot. Seriously, I can see Barack selling health care right now on late night television..."act now and not only do you get billions of stimulus but you get 1 trillion...that's right 1 trillion in healthcare costs...but act now this offer only lasts until August!"

This stuff is bordering on lunacy. When have we changed the fundamental direction and idea of our country in less than 6 months...not only is that dangerous...it is wrong. It is time that we all stand firm and tell our elected officials that it is time to slow this President down.

Duh...It's a Job's Bill...

2009-07-03T00:07:00.002+08:00

So, now the Cap and Trade scheme is not an environmental protection piece of legislation...now it is a "job's bill". Can someone please tell me how increasing the price of everything creates jobs? I think this flies directly in the face of conventional economic theory. If you increase the price of goods, consumers (that would be us) buy less. When consumers buy less, producers produce less...which means they need less employees. Thus, unemployment increases. This is not rocket science...this is fundamental economics.

I have really had enough of all of this. First, the Economic Stimulus legislation was going to save the economy and keep unemployment from increasing. Remember all the scary figures President Obama threw out? If the legislation was not passed unemployment could approach double digits. Interestingly enough...the legislation was passed and guess what...unemployment is approaching double digits (9.5%). Vice-President Biden laid it out clearly..."we guessed wrong". Beautiful...our elected leaders are "guessing".

Now, we are trying to pass health care...climate change legislation...and a whole slice of the liberal agenda. Seriously, do we really want the government to control health care? Look at the great success of the government managing your retirement funds (Social Security)...it is almost bankrupt. Or we can look at the wonderful job the government does with Medicare. Medicare is so bad that most doctor's won't even touch it.

Let's be honest...what do you expect to get when you have a bunch of elected officials passing legislation that they have not even read...much less researched. This is egregious stuff folks. Passing legislation without reading it is tantamount to complete and absolute failure to perform their basic job functions. I am absolutely ashamed of our elected "officials" right now. We need to throw all of these fools out of office as quickly as possible before they bankrupt and destroy our nation. We need elected officials that understand the foundations of our democracy and understand that they are servants of the people.

Back in Memphis...

2009-04-21T05:38:00.008+08:00

All right it has been a little while since the last entry...but, hey we moved from Hong Kong back to Memphis, Tennessee...I think a little slack is deserved.

So...I will hit the key points of the last 60 days or so.

Randi, Henry, and I successfully moved from Hong Kong to Memphis. The trip was a little easier this time on Henry...as we flew direct from Hong Kong to Newark. We then drove from Newark to Washington D.C. and hung out with the family for a few days as that wicked early March snow storm moved through the country. I think Henry was a little shocked to go from Hong Kong to snow. Albeit he had a grand old time playing in the snow at my parents house. We eventually made it back to Memphis after a little bit of car trouble...my Dad's Mercedes Benz died on us 45 minutes into our trip...compliments of a faulty crankshaft sensor.

Once in Memphis we hung out at our friends' house until our household goods arrived from Hong Kong. That took a little longer than anticipated but David and Andrea were awesome and did not mind us staying for a few extra days. Our stuff finally arrived around the 18th of March and honestly since then we have been getting things settled. It is a heck of an event getting everything moved in, sorting through things that were put in storage, and of course getting things just the way you like them. I think there are still a few things left to be accomplished.

On the political front...I am shocked...well actually I am not shocked at the "mess" that President Obama is creating of our country. Sure, I will get lambasted by a few folks out there...but, seriously folks did anyone really think that an incredibly liberal State Senator turned U.S. Senator who ended up in the White House would be anything but liberal? Let's see what he has done thus far to really create a mess:

Bowing to the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia would be a great place to start. Did anyone not tell him that he and specifically the United States is not subject to the King of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia? This is beyond belief...and quite frankly it doesn't surprise me...President Obama has kissed so much foreign ass since he stepped into office that Joe Biden needs to kick him squarely in the ass.
Giving Gordon Brown DVD's in the wrong format...priceless.
Let's get to some serious stuff...how about forcing the President of GM to step down...since when did anyone in the U.S. government get to make decisions about private industry.
Apologizing to Europe for the arrogance of America. I don't call it arrogance...I and most American's call it leading. Leading the world in relief work, leading the world in charitable giving, leading the world in defending those that cannot defend themselves (WWI and WWII ring a bell here), and too many numerous deeds done on the world stage to count...from saving South Korea to kicking Saddam's sadistic ass out of power in Iraq.
Nominating apparently every individual in politics who is either too stupid to figure their taxes out correctly, too arrogant to pay their proper taxes, or lacking the morals required to pay their proper taxes. For an administration that is all about "paying taxes" they sure don't take their own advice.
Nominating some truly left-wing nut jobs to important offices...Harold Koh as a prime example.
Creating some dangerous ethical grounds with "stem-cell" research changes...although the Dickey-Water amendment signed two days after by President Obama (probably without his knowledge) put many of the Bush-era restrictions right back in place.
Releasing state secrets (CIA interrogation memos) to satisfy the ACLU. Why don't we just broadcast all of our tricks of the trade to the terrorist organizations out there...that way they know what we are capable of...which will make them play fair...right?

Now I am not going to arbitrarily bash President Obama...I will give him kudos for few things:

Going to Iraq after his "European vacation" was a good move as the troops always need and want to hear from the Commander-In-Chief.
Not pulling troops out of Iraq precariously fast and actually listening to the commanders on the ground is a sound move.
Taking the fight to the Taliban and putting more troops on the ground is a solid move.
My personal favorite though has to be letting the special operations guys do their thing and kill three terrorists...I mean...pirates off the coast of Somalia to save a U.S. citizen.
I am also a fan of him telling Mexico's President Calderon that the U.S. is not going to enact a new "assault weapons ban" just to put a band-aid on the growing drug war in Mexico. Let's be honest if Mexico was securing their border...the guns would not be getting into the country and if we were securing our border...drugs would not be getting into our country...problem solved...secure the bloody border.

Now...let's move onto some lighter subjects. Where oh where do you think FedEx is sending me on my first project since arriving back in the States...you guessed it Asia...you have to love the irony of the situation. Moving all the way back to the United States just to get sent back to Asia.

I understand it though...expatriates are not cheap...and we are all in cost saving mode...even FedEx.

Randi is working hard trying to figure out what she is going to do...school...job...both. All the options are on the table. She had a second interview today at one company and I think she is pretty excited about her prospects there. It looks like it would be a good company to work for and it would provide a challenging environment for Randi to work in.

Lastly, when did humans drop down on the food chain. Today I was walking on the FedEx campus where we have some particularly hostile geese and noticed that several individuals were walking around the geese at the slightest hint of aggression from them. As I strolled closer to one particularly aggressive goose...he/she lifted his/her head and hissed at me. Now on any other day and particularly in any other location this particular goose would have ended up on the wrong end of a Benelli shotgun. However, being at work I suppose there were only two options...walk around this goose and let him/her think just for an instant that they were the apex animal on the block. Not a good option in my opinion...or number two charge said goose and make him move his aggressive ass out of my way. I chose option two and clapped and charged said goose and watched him get out of the way in a hurry. Hey folks...humans are apex predators in case you missed the latest addition of National Geographic. In order to stay that way...animals need to know their place...you can also check your bible for this...we are at the top of the food chain. There is not an animal on earth that we cannot hunt and kill. So...why would we as humans let some arrogant goose think that they are at the top of the food chain? All I have to say is that is one lucky goose...he/she should have been on my plate this evening.

What's a few more billion...

2009-02-18T20:44:00.002+08:00

While we are literally throwing billions around like pennies...why not just throw a few more billion at the U.S. auto industry? I stated clearly in my November 18, 2008 post that bailing out the auto industry was a big mistake and that it would just lead to more and more billions.

Let's be honest the U.S. auto industry could be weathering this economic downturn quite well if they had been managed effectively over the last few decades. There are thousands of companies out there (big and small) that are weathering this downturn and not turning to the U.S. government for a bailout. So, why is the U.S. auto industry turning to the government...the reason is pretty clear...they suck. Seriously, they have been managed so poorly that no one (outside of the U.S. government) is willing to provide loans to them. Think about...would you loan money to GM right now? How about Chrysler? Maybe Ford? I certainly wouldn't...they would only ask for more later. I certainly would not expect my money back any time soon.

So, the companies have been mismanaged and now we (the taxpayers of the U.S.) are being called upon to bail out the companies. This is beyond ridiculous. These companies are publicly traded (or were in the case of Chrysler) and operated in our capitalistic system successfully for decades. Decades until they lost ground to the competition. Most companies, when they lose ground to competitors, have to get creative to save their business. They can come up with innovative products, reduce price, cut costs, etc. All of these things are things the U.S. auto industry should have been doing since the late 80's. However, they have not...and now they are in trouble...I am not surprised.

We need to stand firm and let our elected officials know that enough is enough. We need to stop loaning them money and let the free market work. If they leave the market (go out of business) so be it. That won't mean our economy will fall into some abyss...usually when businesses collapse other businesses fill in. This means that other companies (Toyota, Honda, Audi, Hyundai, Mazda, etc.) will fill in the gap and provide vehicles to U.S. consumers. Many foreign auto makers (Honda, BMW, Nissan, etc.) are already producing cars in the U.S., buying U.S. parts from U.S. suppliers, employing U.S. citizens, etc. This is how the free market works.

The U.S. government needs to butt out of the free market and let the market work. If they continue to mess with the free market; we could be facing some serious and lasting problems for generations to come. Let's be honest...most politicians are lawyers...and most politicians have been in politics for a long time...would you bring in a politician to run your business? I wouldn't...and we need to remember this when it comes to election time.

Some fun facts about Pizza Hut in Hong Kong...

2009-02-17T15:17:00.004+08:00

So, Randi and I had pizza and a movie night last Friday night in Hong Kong. In pulling up the delivery number for Hong Kong on the Internet; we found some fascinating facts about Pizza Hut in Hong Kong.

Now, first let me say that Hong Kong has just over 7 million people and covers around 386 square miles (which is close to the equivalent of New York City). However, 75% of the land is open countryside and mountains...that means that more than 7 million people live in an area approximately the same size as Washington D.C. proper, which has a population of around 600,000. On Hong Kong Island alone there are approximately 1,268,112 people which leads to a population density of around 91,500 per square mile. So, I hope you get the fact that Hong Kong is small and loaded with people.

So, now that we know about all the people and how big it is...the next questions comes to mind...how do all those people get their pizza...specifically Pizza Hut pizza?

Well, according to the Hong Kong Pizza Hut website Hong Kong is served by over 4,000 well trained professionals of the Pizza Hut Hong Kong delivery team. Thousands of people dedicated to getting you a pizza, broken down as follows:

500 hotline order operators (covering Mandarin, Cantonese, English, and a few other languages);
1,700 trained prime chefs;
over 900 take-out order operators (they drive mopeds and motorcycles with hot boxes on the back); and
over 1,000 support staff.

So, if you ever wondered, like me, that there seems to be a ton of Pizza Hut delivery drivers cruising around Hong Kong on their mopeds...yep, there are...there are close to a thousand of them. The coolest thing is that they have over 80 dedicated express centers (this is where the pizza is actually made) to serve the delivery orders. Your pizza is not coming from a restaurant...nope...from a specially designed express center. Pretty cool.

So, mathematically, even if just .1% of the population (7,000 people) order a pizza a night, that means a minimum of 7,000 pizzas are being ordered. That means (assuming 24/7 operations and equal distribution of orders and employees) each operator must take at least 14 calls, each express center must make over 87 pizzas, and every delivery driver must deliver 7 pizzas.

I found this fascinating...just thinking of all the work that goes into our steaming hot pizza making it to our flat.

Seriously President Obama...is this your best?

2009-02-06T10:16:00.003+08:00

So, I have been quiet as of late...just sitting back and watching everything that is going on in our world as of late. I have to say...I am not surprised. Economic stimulus (1 trillion dollars), foreign funded abortion, closing Gitmo, etc., etc. I will say it again; I am not surprised.

I have no idea how so many people are looking to President Obama for leadership when he has never exhibited any leadership. I blogged about this awhile ago...but, do you realize our President has never led an organization larger than thirteen people. Thirteen people under the DCP organization. Now, some people are surprised that he can't lead 300,000,000 people...I am not shocked.

What President attempts to use scare tactics and writes opinion articles in the Washington Post to attempt to pass legislation. That is not leadership, that is a lame attempt at trying to coerce people into doing something.

I am so glad that not one Republican voted for the stimulus plan in the House...so glad. I hope that not one Republican will vote for the stimulus plan in the Senate. This is not a stimulus plan, this is nothing more than an attempt by Democrats to make the "big government" bigger. There are so many "pet projects" in the bill and so little actual stimulus that I have no idea how they are even calling this thing a "stimulus" plan.

I think our new President is having a "wake-up call" right now. This is not a Dictatorship and our Democracy means sometimes things don't go your way. I hope the Republicans continue to stand strong...otherwise we really could be faced with a calamity...a calamity created by the Democrats and our President.

I think President Obama needs to sit back and reassess his role and what he should and should not do. Objectively looking at his first few weeks in office...they have not been the greatest and I hope he is off to a rough start that will smooth itself out. However, I am not holding my breath as we are talking about a man who has no leadership experience and if there is one thing that is pivotal to the Presidency...it is leadership.

President Obama...stop the scare tactics...stop the oped pieces, stop the "Democrat Retreats", and at least attempt to lead. Also, while you are at...please try and maintain some respect to the office you were elected to...that means your staff need to wear a jacket and tie when coming into the Oval Office...I think that was your first mistake. The office of the Presidency deserves respect, there is a time and a place to be casual and roll up your sleeves...the Oval Office is not the place and now is definitely not the time.

As much as you want to be the next "Abraham Lincoln" Mr. President, maybe you should read some books on his leadership style.

OPEC...are you serious?

2008-12-18T23:07:00.001+08:00

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!

2008-12-10T11:27:00.005+08:00

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...

2008-12-05T09:10:00.003+08:00

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...

2008-11-18T15:44:00.002+08:00

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...

2008-11-10T16:35:00.004+08:00

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...

2008-11-05T15:10:00.008+08:00

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...

2008-08-27T18:47:00.005+08:00

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...

2008-08-13T10:08:00.003+08:00

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...

2008-08-12T16:49:00.006+08:00

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...

2008-08-12T14:52:00.006+08:00

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...

2008-07-29T09:09:00.004+08:00

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

2008-06-13T00:21:00.004+08:00

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

2008-05-28T00:36:00.004+08:00

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...

2008-05-24T10:09:00.005+08:00

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

2008-05-21T15:18:00.009+08:00

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

2008-05-11T10:44:00.004+08:00

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

2008-05-02T10:25:00.005+08:00

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...

2008-04-02T09:48:00.003+08:00

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...

2008-03-28T14:43:00.003+08:00

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...

2008-03-07T09:41:00.004+08:00

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.

It's the end of the world as we know it...

2008-02-27T18:39:00.003+08:00

So, I am still in Shitzhen having an actually fairly decent time. I have to say the town has surprised me this time around. We have eaten at a few decent restaurants and even hit up a Haagen Dazs store the other night.

So, last night I realized the world was coming to an end...how you may ask? Well, we hit a very local place for dinner (I don't think I have to point out that the restaurant served Chinese food) last night and as I was eating my rice I noticed something was just not right. It took a few moments for me to figure out what was wrong...and then it hit me...the music. Now, I am the first to admit that music is universal...but, when you are at a very local restaurant in Shenzhen, China of all places and Jack Johnson is the ambient music of choice...something is wrong. Taylor, is just not a song one would expect to listen too while working your chop sticks.

Congratulations Jack, you've made it big and you know you have when you are the music of choice at a local restaurant in China where no one speaks English. Perhaps, music is indeed the universal language and I thought it was English all along.

A Day at the Beach...

2008-02-24T00:22:00.003+08:00

So, today was a pretty good Saturday. Randi and I spent it with our friends (Ali and Caz) at the beach with the dogs. Four humans and three canines...we had them outnumbered...just barely. It was a pretty good day in Hong Kong (as far as the weather and pollution) and we headed South to a beach near Stanley. This is a "private" little beach that is rather secluded and quit honestly it is not that easy to just stumble on. We have been there a few times and we usually have the entire beach to ourselves.

The beach is probably close to 100 meters long and is around 15 meters wide...so it is great for the dogs to run around and play. The beach is also studded with large rocks and Henry really enjoys climbing up on them and playing king of the hill (see picture). Henry and his canine cohorts played for several hours while the adults entertained themselves with food and chit-chat...it was a rather nice time. Henry loves playing in the water and even though he has yet to conquer his fear of water higher than his chest...he can still have a blast. In fact Henry had such a good time that we are pretty confident that he swallowed a good gallon of sea water. To say that this did not agree with him would be an understatement. Let's just say that part of the ocean came flying out of his rear several times. After the second time Henry was a bit more cautious about swallowing water and we are pretty sure that he has learned his lesson.

After a few hours and with the approach of inclement weather; we decided to call it a day and head home. Henry was exhausted by the time we got home and he spent the rest of the day sleeping off his serious play time. I think it is always a great time when you can get out with the dogs and just have a great time. It is seriously entertaining watching dogs just play with each other. They certainly can take amusement in the simplest things. Perhaps we need to follow their lead a little more often. I can't recall the last time I played a game of tag...but, I am sure it would be fun.

The Weekend...

2008-02-22T12:09:00.003+08:00

The weekend is approaching. So, I write this entry from Shenzhen…still working on the project here and looking forward to heading home this evening. Due to the fact that I have approximately 12 months left in my original contract – Randi and I are aiming to do a bit more on the weekends in an effort to maximize our Hong Kong time. So, this weekend we are going to head out to Stanley on Saturday and let Henry play with his canine friends. I think Henry was a bit lonely when we first moved here…but, now that he has tons of canine friends he really looks forward to getting out and playing on the weekends. Last weekend he played pretty hard with a 10 month old Vizsla. They had an absolute blast…two sporting dogs playing together is definitely a pleasure to watch. Sunday is going to be an interesting day…I get to accompany Randi and her friends to some “chick flick” and then we are going to hit up one of our favorite restaurants for brunch. I will ensure that I post a movie review afterwards. In the words of one of my friends here, “how does it feel being one of the girls?” Well, to answer that…I certainly do not mind hanging out with a bunch of nice attractive women; I can think of worse things. I do have to state that I still manage to fit in some guy time with my male friend here in Hong Kong and I think I am going to go check out a shooting range this weekend. Those of you who know me probably wonder how I am surviving without my “required” range time. It is difficult but I am making it. If the weather holds I am also hoping to possibly get a little rock time…maybe by heading up to Central Crags. I hope everyone has a safe weekend. We will post some pictures of canine play time this weekend.

Your Body Will Thank You...

2008-02-21T14:58:00.002+08:00

A few complimentary warnings from Shenzhen, courtesy of yours truly. All of those who know me will vouch that I am an adventurous eater and will try anything at least once. If you dare me to eat something I will be all over it. I love all sorts of food and have tried things that would never ever make it onto Fear Factor. I can’t even describe some of the stuff I ate in Iraq. As far as Asian food goes…I love it. I have eaten at some absolutely wonderful restaurants (nice and not so nice) in China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Japan, Philippines, etc. However, the last two meals I have had for lunch (Wednesday and Thursday) in Shenzhen, China have been absolutely some of the poorest food that I have ever had the pleasure or displeasure to taste. We ate at a restaurant (Jasmine’s) yesterday for lunch and even our local staff (Hong Kong) decried the quality of the food. Most of us accept the fact that we will have to lower our food standards when in Shenzhen; however yesterday’s meal made us reset those low standards even lower. I can’t even describe the food…bad…would be putting it mildly. Let’s put it this way…I once ate the warm brains of a dead goat (as in warm because it was just killed in front of me) and I would gladly munch on some of that rather than repeat yesterday’s meal. Now, when you usually hit a low you can only come up, right? Wrong (just ask the Memphis Grizzlies, 14-39), today’s meal ranked right up there with stuff I have vowed to never place in my mouth again. Today we ate at a place (Ming Tien) that was supposed to be a Hong Kong Café style restaurant. Well, I have eaten at a lot of Hong Kong Café restaurants over the last 12 months and I’ll just say they missed the target on this one the only thing they got right was the tacky décor. They missed the target like Citibank’s latest earnings. So, when traveling to Shenzhen avoid Jasmine’s and Ming Tien if you value your lower intestines…they will thank you for it.

More Ridiculous Islamic Behavior...

2008-02-21T10:44:00.006+08:00

So, to follow-up on yesterday’s diatribe about the ridiculous behavior coming out of the Saudi polity...how about more news of “tolerant” behavior from another Muslim country. This time we only have to look a little North and East of Saudi Arabia to find Iran. Iran, home of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the great president of Iran…without a doubt one of the most insane leaders of a Muslim country; the very man who called the Holocaust a lie and has repeatedly called for the annihilation of Israel. With leadership like that you know this is going to be good.

So, earlier this year the esteemed president of Iran bought four “guard” dogs from Germany for a ridiculous sum of US$100,000 (or more) per dog. In doing so he pissed off some of the ayatollahs in the country. You see many Muslims (note I did not say all) believe that dogs are “unclean” animals and should not be kept by Muslims. Now, where does this belief come from that says dogs are unclean? That is a good question and one that must be further explored. Let’s look at the Qur’an; which any good Muslim will tell you is the “law” that all Muslims should follow and it is the basis for Sharia or Islamic law. The assumption would be that the Qu’ran must say that dogs are unclean and therefore Muslims can’t keep dogs, right? Wrong, the Qur’an does not say that dogs are unclean and in fact many Surahs show dog with humans as their companions without saying anything negative about the dogs. Just look at Surah 18; which mentions dogs as companions numerous times and never says anything about them being unclean. So, then why are dogs unclean? Who knows just as no one knows why some Muslims blow themselves up thinking that by becoming a martyr they will please their holy allah and that they will be rewarded with virgins in heaven.

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Canada was asked about dogs being kept as pets. In his response he went on and on about dogs…that they were OK if you were going to use them for hunting, or as a guide dog, or as a guard dog…but, as a pet…no sir. Suddenly as a pet it is unclean and can’t be kept. Why…because the saliva of a dog is dirty and supposedly the prophet (Muhammad) warned Muslims about the saliva. So, if dogs are unclean because of their saliva, how can a hunting dog that surely holds its’ prey in its’ mouth be acceptable. Wouldn’t the prey (which is going to be eaten by Muslims) be unclean because it has surely touched some dog saliva? These are the great questions that go unanswered in Islam and no one dares to ask the great “clerics” if they could be wrong and surely no one points out the hypocrisy and illogical nature of many of their teachings.

However, that is the great thing about being an American, being free, and not being a Muslim. I can call “bull shit” when I see it or hear it. I am calling “bull shit” on this one. So, this leads me to believe that most Muslim teachers (sheikhs, clerics, ayatollahs, etc.) are deathly afraid of anything that brings happiness to a Muslim other than the Qur’an; because if they can be happy with something other than the Qur’an then in their opinion Islam is probably being threatened. Clerics, ayatollahs, sheikhs and Muslim leaders are only concerned about exerting control over their “followers” and they do so any way they can and they don’t need a reason and they certainly aren’t going to explain anything to anyone and that is the problem. So, this leads us back to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his dogs. So, some ayatollahs issued a fatwa (Islamic ruling) saying that it was all right for the president to have his dogs. Yet, others issued a fatwa saying he couldn’t. Are you seeing the contradictory nature of Islam and the hypocrisy of Muslim leaders within the same country? Heck, they can’t even agree on something as simple as four dogs. So, the president…being the president…said “whatever” and decided to keep his dogs. The president makes his decision while it is still illegal for the average Iranian citizen to have a dog as a pet. In fact, it is illegal for an Iranian citizen to walk their “illegal” dogs in public. Can you believe that? I can’t.

I open foxnews.com this morning and see an article about a man who was arrested and is going to spend some time in jail and receive lashes for taking his dog for a walk. So this old guy (who is 70 years old) has been sentenced to four months in jail and will receive 30 lashes for walking his dog. Can you imagine this? I can’t even begin to understand the thinking behind this one. Since, this poor guy lives in Iran he certainly can’t defend himself in court adequately. If he did so he would in essence have to challenge the Sharia, the ayatollahs and their interpretation of the Qur’an. If he did that I am sure he would be sentenced to death for much greater crimes against Sharia.

It is this kind of thinking and these sorts of actions that represent Islam to the world. Independent of what the moderate Muslims out there say, when people think of Islam they think of ridiculous stuff like this. Unfortunately, the ridiculous actions of countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran will forever cast Islam in a negative light and rightfully so. For if this is the kind of Islam that Muslims want to spread around the world…I think most people will tell them to shove it where the sun don’t shine.

So, to add to my list of Muslim countries that are in trouble or heading for trouble; I gleefully add Iran. Surely, the people of Iran will not stand for this kind of behavior, leadership, and law for long. That means Iran is headed for another revolution and this one will be led by people who are tired of being oppressed by a religious system that crushes rather than uplifts. You can’t lash an old man for walking his dog, plain and simple.

Ridiculous Saudi Arabia...

2008-02-20T14:23:00.006+08:00

I am sure all of you remember the story not too long ago about the American woman arrested in Saudi Arabia at a Starbucks by the Mutaween. The Mutaween are the Saudi religious police controlled by the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (CPVPV). This particular woman, Yara, is a managing partner in a financial firm and was having coffee with a colleague at Starbucks. It was widely reported that she was arrested, strip searched, forced to sign confessions, and told by the judge that she would burn in hell. Well, in light of the outrage that erupted within the kingdom and around the world the Mutaween have spoken up to explain the situation. The statement was reported to have contained the following:

"It's not allowed for any woman to travel alone and sit with a strange man and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married, all of these are against the law and it's clear it's against the law. First, for a woman to work with men is against the law and against religion. Second, the family sections at coffee shops and restaurants are meant for families and close relatives." The statement also stated that the version of events, as reported, were incorrect, basically denying that she was strip-searched or forced into any confessions. The statement also accused her of wearing makeup, not covering her hair and "moving around suspiciously" while sitting with her colleague.

I have to seriously question the sanity of the Saudi officials who are in charge of the CPVPV. Do they actually think they are helping their case by saying that it is against the law for a woman and man to "sit and talk and laugh and drink coffee together like they are married" and that it is against the law for a woman to work with men and that it is against Islam. I suppose, by this same logic, two men talking, laughing, and drinking coffee together in Saudi Arabia are probably gay lovers who are secretly married? Saudi Arabia is there something we should now?

It is absolutely asinine for a Muslim country to display such intolerance when Muslims around the world are screaming that they are discriminated against in other countries. Per the Saudi information website:

"It is the fundamental assumption of the polity of Saudi Arabia that the Holy Qur'an is more suitable for Saudi Muslims than any secular constitution. This assumption must be viewed in the context of a nation which is completely Islamic. Hence, no churches, synagogues, temples or shrines of other religions exist. No proselytizing by other faiths is allowed. The entire Saudi population is Muslim; the only non-Muslims in the country are expatriates engaged in diplomacy, technical assistance or international commerce."

So, we are talking about a country that doesn't even allow other religions to freely practice. My parents lived in Saudi Arabia for several years and despite the fact that they were there in an official capacity for the United States of America my mom was still worried that her Christian books and such would not make it through Saudi customs. Yet, Muslims around the world want to ensure that their right to practice Islam is not impinged upon. How about some reciprocity? I think it would be great if Saudi Arabia allowed Christianity to come into their country. Hey, if they are so sure that Islam is the only true religion, I am sure they wouldn't mind Ravi Zacharias to come hold a few question and answer sessions in the kingdom. I have a feeling Ravi Zacharias would be the living embodiment of all that the CPVPV fears.

One need not look far to see the absolutely lunacy of Muslims today. How about the fact that Muslims around the world protested a few cartoons featuring "the prophet Muhammad". While some clerics took it a step towards "crazy" and issued fatwas calling for the death of the cartoonist. I don't know about you but this doesn't sound like behavior of people following a religion of tolerance to me.

I think Saudi Arabia and Islam is in serious trouble. When a country and a religion are ruled by naive and intolerant individuals, only trouble can follow. I am all for religious freedom in the United States, but I honestly believe Islam and especially radical Islam poses a clear and present danger to the very freedoms that we currently enjoy in the United States. Now I am not worried about the United States being taken over by Muslims...let's be honest that just isn't going to fly in the US of A. As long as some tough American men still have their guns no one is going to take over the United States and certainly Muhammad is never going to be on the back of a U.S. dollar. But, I do think that the spread of Islam is a serious concern to our interests around the world and we need to be extremly vigilant about what is going on in the world of Islam and in Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia.

Bottom-line if Saudi Arabia wants to arrest men and women for having a coffee together then I think it is about time that the American government and American businesses take some action. I personally think Starbucks should pull completely out of the kingdom and the U.S. government should seriously consider what we are doing for Saudi Arabia. If we are all about promoting freedom and democracy around the world - then we should start with Saudi Arabia.

Just Words...

2008-02-19T14:10:00.004+08:00

“Don’t tell me words don’t matter, 'I have a dream.' Just words? ‘We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal.’ Just words? ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ Just words? Just speeches?" These were the words Barack Obama "borrowed" from Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, who spoke the same words in 2006 as he was campaigning.

Now, as most of you know; I am a conservative and I find the "socialistic" notions of Obama and Clinton utterly repugnant on multiple levels. Universal health care...great notion...but, seriously has this worked for any country? Not at all, you only have to look at Europe. Virtually every nation in the E.U. has universal health care and when talking with citizens from these country they all say the health care systems are absolutely horrendous. It still boils down to the fact that if you have more money you have more choices. Do, I have statistics and figures to support this...no, but I have talked to folks from all over and they all say the same thing...bad idea. Now, the United States has approximately one quarter of the population on some sort of government sponsored health care system and it doesn't work. What makes these brilliant politicians think that the U.S. government can effectively control a system that would cover all of the U.S. when they cannot effectively do so now? Needless to say...I think it is absolutely absurd. If you want a democratic free country and an effective economy you have to let the free market work and that includes health care. Some may go without...unfortunately that is life. Last time I looked there wasn't a Porsche 911 GT3 in my garage and no matter how much I think I deserve one or how much someone tells me I deserve one...I still don't have one...because I can't afford one.

So, back to the speech. Some (Obama supporters) may say that folks are making a big deal out of nothing. I on the other hand think this is absolutely symbolic of Obama and is a telling sign of what his presidency would be like. Obama had the following remarks when asked if he should have credited the governor, "I’m sure I should have. Didn’t this time.” What an idiot..."I'm sure I should have"...are you kidding me? He should have simply answered, "yes, I should have and I apologize to Governor Patrick and to the American people for passing of another's words for my own." I don't have a problem with Obama using someone else's words...I mean let's be honest speech writers write most of the speeches we hear. However, if you are going to "copy" someone else's speech without saying so...that is just stupid. That would have been the same if Obama started his speech with "I have a dream" and tried to pass it off as his own.

I am sure Obama is a great guy...probably someone I would love to have a good political chit-chat with and share a beer or two; however, as the President of the United States, I think he would be extremly bad for this country.

His continued grandiose slip-ups and contempt he shows when someone questions him are telling of an individual who is in over his head. Obama has zero executive experience (just like Hillary) and to be the Chief Executive of the United States of America requires a bit more experience than a little litigation and a few years in the Senate. Being the head of the largest economic force in the world, being Commander In Chief of the most powerful fighting force in the world, and being responsible for hundreds of millions of people requires some serious executive experience and sound decision making skills. Skills I believe that are missing in Obama as evident by his latest "error". The President of the United States cannot say "I’m sure I should have. Didn’t this time" when literally the United States may be resting on his/her shoulders.

Shenzhen...Again...

2008-02-18T12:26:00.004+08:00

Well, it is that time again...Shenzhen time. For those of you who have not had the pleasure to cross the border (in Hong Kong) and travel over to the PRC's closest city...I will give you a rundown on what Shenzhen is and is not. Shenzhen is a bustling city...it is relatively new as a lot of business and commerce has exploded in the last few years. You can probably get anything and everything manufactured here and you can probably buy anything that you want (real or fake). It is definitely an eclectic city as it is a migratory city with tons of "workers" from the rest of the country working in the thousands of factories that dot Shenzhen and the surrounding cities. If it is made in China...a safe bet is that part of it was made in Shenzhen. What it is not is a vacation destination or a relaxing place. This is the home of hustle and bustle. This is the one place where a local "driver" can actually get lost...can you imagine that. Can you imagine me directing a local Chinese person in China...it has happened. Shenzhen is also a place where you can see the transformation of an economy and the beginning of a middle class. If you think China you probably are not thinking of Mercedes and Lexus cars filling the roads. Well, come to Shenzhen and that is what you will see...here China's newly rich are not afraid to spend. You can head to the luxury stores...Zegna, Dunhill, etc. and get the latest designer offerings. You can also head to one of the many "fake goods markets" and get nearly the identical thing at a fraction of the price...I myself am not a large fan of fake goods...but...to each their own. So, we are here on a project for the next few weeks; which means that I have to travel across the border a few times a week...also an interesting experience. The contrast between Hong Kong and China is apparent as you cross the border. I do have to say though Shenzhen is not a bad place. The Intercontinental Hotel is a great hotel and I have to say it ranks up there. Shenzhen...not a bad place to spend a week but...not a great place either.

Happy Valentine's Day and the vacation is over...

2008-02-14T09:29:00.010+08:00

Well, the vacation is over. Randi and I arrived back in Hong Kong yesterday a little bit before noon and nothing says "vacation over" like immediately heading back to work. I dropped Randi off at her office and then I headed to mine...sounds fun...right?

Well, Randi is officially a certified PADI Open Water Diver and I completed my PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification as well. Here is a quick picture of Randi after one of her dives...doesn't she look like a professional after a long day in the water

We had a blast in Boracay and it was difficult to come back; however, it was also nice to come back. It is always good to sleep in your own bed and we were both missing Henry a bit. To say that Henry was excited to see us, would be an enormous understatement. I have not seen that dog shake so violently with excitement in a long time, if ever. I was scared that his butt was going to come off. He spent a solid 20 minutes running around, shaking his butt, and bringing various toys to us to play with. He was definitely excited.

I don't really know the best way to wrap-up or final days in Boracay...other than to say they were fantastic. Randi ended up doing about four dives and I ended up doing a total of eight dives. To be honest I was actually a little tired after the final day of diving.

I started the day (11th) with an awesome deep water dive off of Boracay at a site called Yapak II. This was an absolutely incredible dive to say the least. I have to admit I was actually a little nervous/excited about this dive before hand. the dive was scheduled for a total of four people - two divemasters and two divers. Due to the fairly technical nature of the dive it was a recommended one-to-one dive...at least for the first time...by technical I mean: negative-entry, deep water (in excess of 33 meters), navigation (compass), and strong current. Additionally, it was a shark dive with the opportunity to see some whitetip reef sharks. So, you add all that up and I was experiencing a little bit of the nerves and a bunch of excitement. Randi will tell you if there is a little danger involved and a lot of unknown...I will be the first to jump in (in this case literally). So, the other diver and one of the divemasters didn't show up for the 7:30am dive which left Jeco (the other dive master) and me for the dive. To add to the excitement it was really windy and the waves were actually fairly large as we motored out to the dive site. The waves were actually in the 3 to 5 foot range which is actually pretty large. The New Wave Divers (the awesome diving company we picked) website has the following description for the dive:

Start Depth: 30 meters
Maximum Depth: 40 meters
Rating: *****
Description: Yapak 1 and 2 are actually two separate walls which begin at 30 meters and drop down to 70 meters. The most famous of Boracay’s dive sites, close encounters with white tip and grey reef sharks, dogtooth tuna, groupers, napoleon wrasses and giant trevallies are common. Surface conditions can be rough, and therefore a negative entry is often required, followed by a spectacular blue-water descent.

So, the "idea" behind this dive is that you do a negative entry (because of the waves and current) and meet up under water around 5 meters. Then you find your bearing (compass) as you are in deep blue water (100 meters) and then you swim with the current while descending down to around 33 to 35 meters - where if you were dropped off in the right location and found your bearing you end up on an awesome wall that slopes slowly up to the island. You then swim along the wall and get to take in the whole experience. Jeco pretty much described it as "God's Theater". He also stated that this was his favorite dive...it is now mine as well.

So, by the time we got to the dive site; I was pretty much pumped up for the dive. We donned our gear, deflated our BCDs (since we needed to do a negative entry) and got wet. Just going into the water was awesome as it was a deep blue and you are literally surrounded by water with nothing but blue water all around you. It was the definition of a blue-water descent. Jeco and I met up at 5 meters and then we headed down while checking our bearing and direction of descent every 5 meters or so. As we approached 30 meters it was as if the world just opened up. Suddenly the wall came into view and thousands of fish were everywhere. We headed to the wall and basically perched ourselves at the edge of a drop-off (down to 70 meters) and sat there just watching the fish for a bit. It was awesome. Due to the depth our bottom-time was limited. So, after about five minutes we just started to drift along the wall taking in the sites as spectators to God's awesome underwater creation. We saw baby sharks, tuna, and just about a hundred different kinds of fish. It was incredible. As our No Decompression Limits (NDL) got closer and closer we slowly swam up the wall a little bit more to extend our bottom time. Unfortunately our NDL came and we had to ascend up to our 5 meter safety stop depth. Ascending was pretty spectacular as well...as you slowly left the underwater world and were again surrounded by just deep blue water...it was as if the doors to the theater had just been shut. After our safety stop we surfaced and tried to find our boat; as the current is pretty strong we ended up probably 300 meters away from the boat. We signaled the boat and they made their way over to us. just sitting in the water waiting on the boat was pretty cool as well...as you are just floating on the surface...hanging out and you really realize how small we are and how large the oceans are. Very cool. Well, since the seas were pretty rough Jeco told me be prepared to grab onto the boat. So, the boat motored in on us and due to the swells it was pretty challenging to grab onto the grab ropes but, we made it. We got our gear off while attempting to avoid being bashed up against the side of the boat and climbed on board. All in all I have to say it was an awesome dive and definitely an experience that I would like to repeat. So, for those of you who dive and those of you who want to...get certified and come over to Hong Kong. We will take a two day trip over to Boracay and get a few dives in and we will definitely hit Yapak.

Randi and I spent our final night in Boracay at Cafe Del Mar...the same place we started our vacation. We enjoyed another beautiful sunset and we totally relaxed as we reflected on our first true vacation as a married couple. I've attached a few pictures of our final sunset...I have done absolutely nothing to these pictures.

As the sun slowly set, the small sailboats sailing along the beach made for a truly remarkable scene.

After the sun had finally set; the sky really became an absolutely beautiful canvas.

With a nice lantern on our table we enjoyed the final moments of the evening in full Technicolor.

So, we are back in Hong Kong and glad to be back although we will miss Boracay...and definitely the warmer tropical weather. Last night we found out that Randi's parents are going to come visit in April so, that will be fun. If you are planning to come visit us, remember that our two years is up in February of 2009...so plan your trips now.

Are you for scuba?

2008-02-08T22:41:00.000+08:00

I cannot help of thinking about the movie Along Came Polly every time I think about scuba diving. Who cannot laugh at Claude's line in the movie..."are you for scuba?". Well, Randi and I are for scuba. Today has been a great in Boracay. Randi is into her first day of getting certified as a PADI Open Water Diver and I am into my first day of getting qualified as a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver.

Randi hit the water for the first time and is in the process of practicing the technical aspects of diving. According to her all is well except for the mask clearing exercise. Apparently that is not going that well...but, she is plugging away and I am sure she will master it in the short run. Tomorrow, Randi will get to do her first true dive and she is looking forward to it with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. I think, as most people initially are, she is a little nervous about going into a different world where you are the guest. I have to say I can remember my first dive and I recall the apprehension that I felt for a brief second before another world was literally opened up. I think since Matt (my brother) and I spent so much time around the water (pools, lakes, oceans, etc.) we were probably a little more acclimated to the underwater world than most. I do have to say that I am proud of Randi for her adventurous spirit...which we all know she has...after all she did marry me.

I had an awesome day. The Advanced Open Water Diver course is basically the next stage for progressing with your diving skills. Basically you start to experience more advanced dive types. Today I did two dives and tomorrow I have three more. Today I started with a standard dive around Crocodile Rock (a small island off of the coast of Boracay); the first dive is basically to get use to the local buoyancy (all water is different - salinity) and for the instructor to get comfortable with you and vice-versa. The second dive was awesome...I did a night dive. Wow, being underwater is one thing; being underwater at night is an entirely different thing. Half of your senses are useless. All you really have is a limited visual sense (the flashlight beam) and your hearing. I was amazed at how much I could hear...everything from the water rushing around coral to a boat engine on the surface and the changes in engine speed. Very cool.

We did a beach entrance for the night dive and the instructor and I just headed out and went exploring for almost an hour (57 minutes to be exact). I really noticed that I sucked a lot less air than I normally do. After almost an hour underwater I had only sucked down roughly a third of my tank. I have to say it was actually very relaxing. I know a lot of you will think that it is crazy to dive...much less at night...with all those man eating sharks out there. But, let's be honest you have a hire chance of dying while walking your dog than you do of scuba diving. Some research shows that the actual risk of dying while scuba diving (from anything and everything) is 1:200,000. That means it is safer than driving your car to work every morning. So, that raises a very interesting question...why is scuba diving in the same column of "dangerous" activities as professional race car driver on most life insurance application. Anyway, back to diving at night...it is super cool and you see a lot of stuff you normally don't see. We saw octopus, shrimp, all sorts of fish, sea snakes, and a bunch of other really cool stuff...I hate to say it but, no man eating sharks...darn. I have to admit I was hoping (seriously) that as I swept my light beam I would catch a glimpse of a shark in the distance. Supposedly there are some sharks in the area...but, the Philippines are mostly known for their whale sharks. Unfortunately we are not in the area for a possible sighting. The best we can hope for are some little reef sharks.

Tomorrow I will get the chance to do a deep water dive (30 meters), a navigation dive, and then a wreck dive. I am really looking forward to the wreck dive as I think that will be really neat. I will also probably join Randi on a few of her dives...mostly for support...but, also because the diving here is awesome and I want to get as many dives in as I can.

Well, beside the diving (which occupied the entire day) we had a nice night. After my night dive we headed to the center of Boracay "d'mall". The "d'mall" is filled with restaurants and shops. We ate at an excellent Italian restaurant and were able to listen to an awesome percussion band playing next door...complete with fire dancers. Very tribal and very cool.

That is all from Boracay; we hope all of you are safe and sound.

Boracay...dare I say Paradise???

2008-02-07T19:05:00.000+08:00

Well...Randi and I are in Boracay and it sounds like it is a much better place to be than Memphis right now. We hope that all of our friends and family, in the greater Memphis area and Tennessee, are safe and sound after yesterday's severe weather. Our thoughts and our prayers will be with those who lost loved ones, who were injured, suffered damage, and/or experienced the tornadoes.

Meanwhile in the tropical island of Boracay all is well. Randi and I left Hong Kong yesterday morning via Cathay Pacific. Unfortunately we did not leave exactly on time. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 0805 in the morning; however we actually took off closer to 1000. Once we were all boarded on the aircraft (it never happens before you board) a "fuel pump" indicator issue arouse. This resulted in the mechanics having to replace a fuel pump on one of the engines. Now, don't get me wrong when you are about to travel several hundred miles over the South China Sea...you definitely want all of your fuel pumps working. But, let's be honest...why do these problems always crop up once you are on the airplane when there is no where to go? So, needless to say Randi and I sat in our economy seats for almost two hours on the tarmac (at the gate) in Hong Kong before heading off to the Philippines. This would normally not have been an issue; however, we had to catch a puddle-jumper to Caticlan so we could then catch a boat to Boracay. So, the late departure threw our original flight to Caticlan right out the window. I have to give credit to Randi and I both, as we were extremly calm and not worried...we just figured we aren't in Hong Kong and we will surely make it to Boracay eventually.

Well, we finally took off and had a safe flight to the Philippines. Once in the Philippines we had to go from the international terminal to the domestic terminal at the Manila International Airport (Ninoy Aquino International Airport - MNL) which, is an experience by itself. Here is a quick briefing for those of you who may be tempted to visit one of the smaller islands in the Philippines...highly recommended by the way.

(1.) You have to fly into MNL from wherever you are departing; this is the easiest step.
(2.) Once you land and deplane you have to make your way to immigration. You will stand in a long line looking at two flat screen televisions that continually say "Welcome to the Philippines" while sweating like a woman with questionable morals attending a Southern Baptist Church service in a bikini.
(3.) You've made it through immigration (no visa required) and you will find yourself in one of the most chaotic baggage collection areas you may ever see. Now, Randi and I decided to go carry-on so we skipped this part. Let's be honest if you have to check luggage for a trip to the beach you packed way too much stuff. All you need are some bathing suits, a couple of t-shirts, maybe one "dressy" outfit, some sandals, sunscreen, a toothbrush, and some toothpaste. Everything else is fluff. Randi and I both packed enough for a full week into two very small carry-on rollers. So, if Randi can do it you can too. I also have to say I was very proud of Randi for packing so little and for packing so quickly (under an hour). Back to our guide of surviving MNL.
(4.) You have your bags (checked or unchecked - congratulate yourself) and now you will make your way outside and decide on your mode of transport.
(5.) Option 1 - Taxi: You step outside into a hot, humid oven and you are immediately "propositioned" by taxi drivers. These are supposedly the unregistered guys - so steer clear. You want to take a "registered" taxi so, you have to cross the pick-up lane and you will clearly see a labeled registered taxi stand (look for the "taxi qeue". You proceed into the stand tell the guy behind the counter where you want to go and you will get a registered "slip". You need to take that "slip" outside and then you get into a qeue (line) and wait for a taxi. When it is your turn you hand the "slip" to the driver and you are off like a dirty shirt.
(5.) Option 2 - Airport Shuttle: You step outside into the same hot, humid oven but, you do not cross the pick-up lane; instead you head to your right and go to the "airport shuttle" holding area. Now, this is not a "special" area by any chance, there are some blue chairs and a large yellow handicapped parking square painted on the lane and a sign that says "airport shuttle". There are also some official baggage handlers with their blue numbered shirts. Here you will sort of form a qeue (line) and wait for a shuttle. Once the shuttle arrives you will pile in (you may climb over some pre-loaded luggage) and attempt to find a seat, a place to stand, or a good solid piece of luggage to sit on.
(6.) You head towards the domestic terminal through streets that are packed with cars and drivers who choose to ignore those pesky lane dividers. I have driven in some crazy places in my life and this is probably in the top ten. Like many places, you make your own traffic rules.
(7.) You have arrived in one piece, so say a quick "thank-you prayer", approximately 30 minutes to an hour after you have landed.

Now, once you are at the domestic terminal the fun really begins. It looks like you are stepping into chaos and in reality you actually are. You now need to find the ticketing office of the airline (I use that term rather loosely) that you are flying to the outer islands. You will have to purchase your ticket (cash or credit card) as most of the smaller airlines do not let you pre-pay for the ticket. You can pre-book but you can't pre-pay. Don't ask me...I just work here. Anyway, the domestic terminal is a bit crazy; there are a lot of armed security guards (all friendly) and a lot of little airlines (Cebu Pacific, Asian Spirit, South East Asian Airlines, etc.). Randi and I flew Asian Spirit and it was actually a great experience. There is a good bit of security and you will pass through three security checks. The first check is just to get into the terminal, you have to show the guards your passport and your ticket. Once you are inside the men are separated from the women...seriously there are separate security lines. You will proceed down your line (hopefully, I don't have to tell you which one) and have your luggage searched and you will more than likely be physically searched. Remember, that it is best to be the happy foreigner that is wearing a big smile and have fun with all of this...as it is for your safety. I think Abu-Sayyaf is still a big problem in the Philippines but, not big enough that you should be discouraged from visiting. After the first security check you are in the "terminal" where you need to find the hand written sign with your flight and airline on it. Here you will have your baggage weighed and checked for boarding (only one small carry-on). I believe the luggage limit on the smaller flights is 10kg or 22lbs so make sure you go light or be prepared to pay for the extra weight. They will tag your bag with a very small tag (no fancy labels here) and it will disappear into the depths of the domestic terminal. You will also notice that the Philippines apparently has no OSHA. We saw people (workers) crawling over belts, riding the belts, crawling into the baggage holes and a whole lot more. If you could take pictures in here...you would have some great ones. Next you have to pay the airport tax so, you take your tickets to one of the four tax booths and you pay your 200 peso tax per person. Now that you have paid for the privilege of the domestic terminal experience you head to another security check. Here boys and girls get to stick together. Your luggage is checked again and you are probably physically searched again, just in case you decided to grab a little kid and tuck him into your pants while checking your baggage and getting your boarding pass. Hopefully you make it through security and then you make your way into the gate area and by "area" I mean a large room filled with a ton of people and about four "gates" (which are really more like doors). Now, surprisingly most folks are pretty happy as they are probably going on vacation or are returning home to visit friends and family...there are no grumpy business travelers here folks. Once in the gate area you are going to need to find your "gate" and you will need to pay attention to the boarding times as I did not hear any boarding calls. I think you need to pay close attention and make sure you head to your "gate" at the appropriate time or you could be swimming to the outer islands. There are no jetways here, you pretty much head out a door...errr...I mean gate...onto a working and busy tarmac...so, keep your head on a swivel. Prior to heading out to the tarmac you may be searched again; I think this is for the shady looking people...also known as my friends. The airline staff will point to your airplane and you just kind of head towards it while dodging luggage carts, airplanes, fuel trucks, and other passengers.

Randi and I had a pretty good experience through all of this. Since our Cathay flight was late taking off we were late (as in missed) for our booked flight on Asian Spirit to Caticlan. Once we got to the Asian Spirit office we told the friendly agents what had happened and that we really wanted to get to Boracay ASAP. They re-booked us on the same flight for the following day as they informed us that the remaining five flights for the day were all booked. At this point we just figured that we would spend a night in Manila...no harm no foul. Once we were all booked for the following day one of the friendly agents (Neil) told us that we could probably fly stand-by on one of the flights later that day if we were lucky. We paid for our tickets and then he headed into the terminal with us and told us that he would do his best to get us on the next flight. Our original flight was at 1300 and he was going to try and get us on the 1330 flight...it doesn't get better than that. Anyway, he rushed us through the check-in procedures and maintained contact with someone on a radio the whole time. I am assuming that he was talking to the gate agent...as we were the last two to board the airplane and as soon as we were on the stairs were literally being rolled away.

So, after a late flight and an interesting experience making it to and through the domestic terminal we were airborne and headed to Caticlan on a short thirty minute flight. The best part of the flight was this little Asian kid who was probably four or five who kept saying "this guy doesn't want to wait". I guess he was as ready for a vacation as Randi and I. On the flight in you really get to see the beauty of the Philippine islands and the beautiful waters that surround them. The islands have awesome stretches of beaches and the water is a deep emerald blue. Absolutely amazing.

Landing in Caticlan was great...nothing like a short landing on a rough but paved airstrip. Once on Caticlan you basically get handled by your hotel greeter who gets your baggage and gets you in a van for the short lift over to the boats. You will wade out into the water and climb aboard the boat. Your luggage will safely be carried above the heads of the boat guys and handlers...so, you need not worry about wet clothes. Albeit, you may want to pack light not only for the 10kg limit but, also to make sure your luggage is not inadvertently dropped into the ocean. So, the key here is wear pants that you can either roll-up or just wear shorts and make sure you can easily slip your choice of shoes off or that they are amiable to getting wet.

Randi and I enjoyed a pleasant boat ride to Boracay. Seeing the deep blue water and being able to see the bottom (even though it was extremly deep) is such a contrast to the polluted brown waters surrounding Hong Kong. Once on Boracay our luggage was again handled by some porters and we were ushered into a small open back vehicle for the short ride to our hotel. The ride was awesome, nothing like cruising through tiny streets and getting to see the locals. Boracay is a neat place, if you are looking for an exotic five star lush escape...this is probably not your place. But, if you are looking for pristine beaches, local flavor, and an extremly relaxing atmosphere this is your place. There is even a golf course on the island. Apparently, the island was without electricity until the early 90's, so we are not talking state of the art. The first "resort" is currently being built by the Shangri-La and I am sure more resorts will come in after the first doors are opened there. Right now the island is dotted with small beach front resorts, mom and pop shops, local restaurants and beautiful white powder beaches...beaches with sand that is the consistency of ground cinnamon. Yes, the sand really is that powdery. Apparently that is why Boracay is always in the top ten best beaches...no matter who ranks them. This place is great.

Randi and I got into Boracay around 3:00pm yesterday and made our way to our hotel. We decided to stay at a little boutique hotel, named One Crescent Place, that is off of the beaten path. It had great reviews from www.tripadvisor.com and we really liked the idea of a little hotel with a bit more of a local flavor. We have been nothing but pleased with the hotel thus far. With only fourteen rooms you definitely get personalized service. The front desk attendant even walked us to the beach (literally less than 2 minutes) and pointed stuff out for us. Great service. Everything that we are wanting to do; they will arrange. They actually care about the service that you receive - not only from their hotel, but on the island. We have even met the owner's sister who lives in Hong Kong...a small world. The hotel room is great; stylish in a minimalist sort of way. Very comfortable with ceiling fans, air conditioning, a super clean bathroom, and great lighting...even the bed is comfortable. We are on the second floor and overlook some small local houses complete with crowing roosters in the morning. We really like the place.

Last night we walked on the beach and found a Cafe Del Mar; which is known for their great music. We sat on the beach around a small little table and watched a beautiful sunset while eating fresh seafood and sipping on delicious local calamansi juice with the smooth tunes of Cafe Del Mar playing in the background. It was absolutely relaxing and Randi and I just enjoyed the moment. After dinner we explored the beach area a little more (there really is nothing off of the beach) and spotted a few restaurants that we are going to try in the coming days. We called it an early evening and were in bed by 2100. It was a long but relaxing day.

We started this morning with a breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is made for you every morning (you can eat it on their wonderful patio or in your room) and this morning we chose the "American" breakfast, eggs, bacon, ham, toast, absolutely divine fresh mango, plus fresh mango juice. It was delicious and we are planning on sampling the pancakes tomorrow. After breakfast we booked snorkeling and massages and then headed out to the beach.

We explored the other end of the beach and spotted a couple nice prospective hotels/resorts for a future stay...just in case we decide to stay beach-front next time. Although, we are currently enjoying our little private oasis. After exploring the beach we headed out for snorkeling. We made our way to the snorkeling spot on the Rod-Angelo, named after the boats owner and his youngest son...by the way we are talking a very small local boat - complete with outriggers. Once at the snorkeling spot the water was crystal clear but the current was a bit strong for Randi. After feeding some beautiful fish (while snorkeling) we decided to just cruise around the island and take in the beauty of Boracay. The boat crew (Marlo and Larry) pointed out the local sites, who lived where, and what was being built where as we ventured around the island. The island is small, probably no more than a mile or two long and probably only a couple thousand meters wide, so it is pretty tiny. Even though it is small it is beautiful and surrounded by some seriously amazing water. I hope that 10 years from now it will not be ruined and turned into just another tourist spot, complete with a Hard Rock Cafe. I am not knocking the Hard Rock (OK...actually I am) but, it is the epitome of a "tourist trap" complete with poor quality food...why anyone ever goes to one to eat is absolutely beyond me. If that were to happen it would be a waste of a beautiful location and be worse for the locals who are extremly friendly and polite. By polite I mean, everyone is referred to as "sir" or "mam" in every establishment...independent of it being a restaurant, grocery store, shop, etc. It is definitely more polite than say...Memphis. I have not heard "watsh ya want" yet from any customer facing employee of any establishment we've been in.

After our excursion around the island and our attempt at snorkeling we walked the beach looking for someplace to eat lunch. We settled on a little restaurant that served pretty good Mexican food and some super sweet iced tea. We had to head back to the hotel for our massages so, lunch was pretty quick. Randi and I decided to each get an hour massage "in room" at the hotel at 1700. Sure, enough at 1700 the front desk called and said our masseuses had arrived. Are we spoiling ourselves? You bet you and so would you when an hour "in room" massage is only 400 pesos or approximately US$10.00. At that rate, we are thinking this may turn into a nightly affair.

Well, that about wraps up our first full day in Boracay...we are currently deciding on walking down to the beach and grabbing something small to eat or just calling it a night and going to bed.

Cheers from Boracay and we will keep you posted. I forgot my SD card reader in Hong Kong so I cannot download any photos and the one computer shop we found was out of stock...so you will just have to be patient.

Today Hong Kong - Tomorrow Boracay!

2008-02-05T11:11:00.000+08:00

Today is the last day in Hong Kong for awhile...it is vacation time. Randi and I are headed to Boracay tomorrow morning for a few days...actually six days. We are really looking forward to a nice vacation and we are hoping that the weather in the Philippines will be nicer than the weather has been in Hong Kong. It has been cold and overcast in Hong Kong for the last week or so...very "Memphis" type weather really. I am definitely looking forward to a little sunshine and some beach time. We will keep you posted on our travels as we head South.

Tonight should be an interesting night...I always enjoy watching Randi go through her packing routine. I do have to say Randi and I have absolute opposite packing routines. My "routine" (if you could even call it that) involves opening up a drawer or two and grabbing items and dropping them into the open suitcase below. I of course have some "order" to the packing; I of course make sure that I have the essentials: socks; boxers; shirts; pants; swim trunks; etc. However, that is the extent of my packing plan. Now, on the other hand Randi has a certified routine, that usually involves: writing out a list; matching outfits; narrowing down the selection; etc. I have found, now mind you I have only been married a year, that 40% of the stuff Randi brings never makes it out of the suitcase. I like to call that "excess" where as Randi calls that "back-up". My idea of a "back-up" is a sub-compact Glock; quite the opposite from hers. So, there shall be some packing in the Farage household this evening. I predict that my packing will take about 15 minutes (from start to finish - including a few minutes of wonderment and nostalgia as I find the proverbial thought lost article of clothing) and Randi will take approximately 90 minutes. Perhaps, I can place a wager with her and drop the packing time to under an hour. Wish me luck.

See you in Boracay!

Democracy, Vacation, and the end of January...

2008-02-04T09:21:00.000+08:00

Well, it is hard to believe that the first month in 2008 is already behind us. One cool thing about living in Hong Kong is the fact that we are almost a half a day ahead of our family and friends in the US. Thus, it is always fun to call them in the morning and tell them that the day is going to be a good day, “Dad, Friday is going to be a great day…it was for us.” Randi and I had “dinner and drink” events Thursday night to finish off January. Randi had drinks with our friends Caryn and Jerry. Caryn works for W.L. Gore and Jerry owns his own business and is involved in consulting with oil companies. He is headed to Saudi Arabia for a business trip and I am sure we will have some great conversations when he returns. Meanwhile, I had dinner with my fellow FedEx Express ex-pats and one of our FedEx Trade Network (FTN) attorneys, John. I met John in Hong Kong almost one year ago when I was involved on a special project involving FTN. He is a great guy from Memphis and it was good to hear some stories from home. Apparently, we are not the only ones getting unseasonably cool weather. John informed us that it has been in the teens and low twenties in Memphis…which is cold…no matter where you live. February is going to be a great month. Randi and I are taking our first real vacation to the island of Boracay in the Philippines and then I will be heading to China for another project for the second half of the month. Boracay is supposed to be absolutely beautiful and we have heard nothing but good things from friends who have visited the island. Randi is hoping to learn how to scuba dive on this trip; that way she will be able to join me on some underwater diving adventures in the future. It is hard to believe but the end of February will mark one year in Hong Kong and it has indeed moved along very quickly; this will put is halfway through my assignment.

Now a few words from Randi…

Hmmm....words from me?....Well, I was supposed to write this on Feb 1 and now it's Feb 3, so from that you can deduct 1 of 4 things: 1.) I'm at work; 2.) I'm stressed; 3.) I need a vacation; and/or 4.) All of the above.

But honestly....(well, that is pretty honest)....I haven't sent one of my typical update emails since before Christmas. Christmas was a nice holiday once Mark's family arrived after a very chaotic travel schedule complete with uncooperative winter weather in the US and UK that left them stuck in London Heathrow for 14 hours (yes, sitting in Heathrow for 14 consecutive hours) and arriving in HK with no luggage after taking nearly 2 days en route. I think Mark and I will soon have to accept that requiring our families to fly anywhere to visit us seems to cause either: a.) natural disasters (the earthquake and flash-flooding that left my parents traveling nearly 3 days and arriving in Hawaii less than 24 hours before the wedding in Maui) or b.) logistical nightmares that paralyze the air travel industry on an international scale. I will contend that the real culprit behind the Hawaii debacle was a 4.2 ounce bottle of Clinique moisturizer and those rigid TSA rules about liquids, gels, and aerosols.

As for an update about life in HK...nothing really notable to add to the list of 257 of the craziest things I've eaten since living here. The last mass email sent had pics of the pigeon head for dinner in November attached but for some reason wasn't accepted by several email servers...how could pigeon head possibly be spam?? That's quality stuff. I have to say Mark's parents and brother were brave in trying the local flavors we offered them. Granted we were a bit tame...no internal organs, exposed heads, feet, eyeballs, anything with the viscosity of sinus drainage, etc...although neither us nor my friends could talk them into sampling the chicken feet with yum cha (dim sum) at lunch. Some things you just have to try.

The latest and greatest thing going on now is Chinese New Year. For us I suppose it would equate to a 4 day Christmas. It is the most important holiday of the year - most locals spend time with with family, have big meals, give red packets holding cash gifts (lai see), etc. This year marks the Year of the Rat. Allegedly the Year of the Rat symbolizes wealth, charm, and order...and here I was connoting it with death, disease, and filth....uneducated gweilo (white person)...what was was I thinking???

As for the expatriate community during CNY, most people take a holiday (vacation) and head out of town. We will be spending about a week in Boracay, Philippines. I cannot wait! I am so excited for some beach time. Boracay comes highly recommended as it is one of the few uncommercialized and naturally beautiful strips of beach around...and unlike a lot of similar destinations in Asia, western tourists aren't targeted and solicited so heavily to give money, buy useless souvenirs, and whatnot. From my understanding, it's a getaway with little more than a few restaurants/bars, beach, diving, and water sports. Yahoo consistently ranks it as one of the world's Top 10 Beaches...and what's good enough for Yahoo is good enough for me. I'm sure there will be future posts on flickr.com, so we will keep you updated.

Also soon to come out on Flickr maybe...I was on my way to the office today to do some catch up (on a Sunday afternoon--sigh) when I found myself in a Chinese protest march. The shouting, signs, and flags were all in Chinese so I have no idea what it was about. I'm sure onlookers and protesters were wondering where the clueless gwei mui (white girl) came from...just another typical I Love Lucy moment in life. Most likely it was a pro-democracy demonstration since reaction to China's decision to delay the possibility for universal suffrage in HK until 2017 (instead of 2012) has not been good. Ideas toward democracy here are as interesting as they are controversial - worth Googling "politics of Hong Kong" sometime. Anyway, I walked in the back of the protest march -- with the cops in case these usually very docile and non-confrontational Chinese suddenly went all Orange Mound on everyone (to non-Memphians that means homicidally crazy) -- until I found a way to get around; only then to try to cross the street when the light changed and left me stuck in oncoming traffic that involved multiple double-decker buses. Yet another predictable moment from I Love Lucy...one day I expect to go schizophrenic and hear Desi Arnaz's rebuking Cuban voice in my head when I do the absent-minded things I do. I have pics from the action I will try to post soon.

So until next time - Happy Chinese New Year...Kong Hei Fat Choi!!! We will update you on Boracay and the latest Hong Kong-isms later in February.

Movie Review: Cloverfield

2008-01-31T17:57:00.000+08:00

The Farage "F" Rating: FFFFFFFF

Cloverfield was released on January 18, 2007 to much anticipation in the United States as there was a bit of pre-release Internet hype over this film; much as there was about Snakes on a Plane. It was released in Hong Kong on the 17th to the same sort of anticipation. We watched this movie last weekend and Cloverfield is definitely worth seeing as it takes the "Blair Witch" concept of hand held held filming to an entirely different level.

I have read a few reports about people getting "car sick" while watching this movie and I can believe it; the filming is indeed a bit sporadic. I won't spoil the movie here, but faced with the "reality" the characters are experiencing...sporadic is indeed acceptable and adds to the experience of watching this movie. In fact, I cannot think of a more effective filming method.

In my opinion the last big "monster" genre film, 1998's Godzilla, failed miserably in reviving a genre that scared movie goers for decades in the past. Where Godzilla failed, Cloverfield will not. The movie is exciting and if you have a pulse it will startle you a couple of times.

The actors, although none of them were previously famous, performed well and more importantly performed as one would expect under the situation portrayed in the movie. This movie saved money on the actors in order to spend the cash on the special effects; this was an investment that would make Warren Buffett proud. Rumors of a US$30 million budget and an opening weekend of US$41 million in the US and Canada, means this movie is definitely in the black.

The movie is definitely worth seeing, although short, it is a fun ride. You will be pulled through New York in ways you never imagined and the feel of the movie will make you wonder, "what if this really happened?" Regarding a sequel to this movie, one only has to look at all the other "films" that were being made during the movie. As you watch the movie, note how many other people are seen filming the event. The Producer, J.J. Abrams of Lost and Armageddon fame, has hinted at the possibility of sequel from a different perspective. I can't think of a cooler possibility; two movies about the exact same event, occurring at the same time, but completely different. Definitely a neat possibility worthy of further exploration.

One thing to look out for; at the very end of the movie, when two characters are at Coney Island, just watch the sky.

Hong Kong Chapter III - August 12, 2007

2008-01-31T13:15:00.000+08:00

"A Flying Dog and Typhoon Pabuk"

A flying dog and Typhoon Pabuk; It is time for another update from Hong Kong about the continuing adventures of Mark, Randi and Henry Farage.

Well, things have not been boring or calm since I last updated you on our adventures in Hong Kong. Randi and I are doing great and we absolutely love living in Hong Kong. Henry, on the other hand, is not the happiest of campers.

Henry has learned the inherent dangers of stalking birds in Hong Kong, the hard way. On June 20^th Henry and I were out of our evening walk and at the end of our evening walks we always come back to the complex and walk around the upper promenade, where Henry can look at birds and just relax. Well, on this particular night Henry decided that one bird looked particularly interesting and attempted to get closer to it. So, he went to jump on a ledge and misjudged things a bit. The ledge he went to jump on was pretty narrow and on the other side was a thirty foot fall to a concrete terrace below – things that Henry failed to notice. This basically meant that Henry had his first and hopefully only solo flying lesson. Apparently, the take-off went well but the landing was a bitch.

I, unfortunately, was looking at something else when he did this and did not have the opportunity to tell him “no”. All I heard was a thump and then some whimpering…which is never a good thing. I could not figure out what happened at first, seeing how these ledges are almost 5 feet tall; I did not think he would jump up on one blindly (had I thought that…he would have been on a leash), finally I looked over the edge and Henry was indeed way, way down below.

Well, Henry being the tough dog that he is decided that the fall was nothing and was trying to figure out how to get out of his predicament, I knew he definitely was hurt as he was crying softly and dragging himself around very slowly, all while leaving a trail of blood, another “not a good thing”. I told him to lie down and to stay, fortunately for him, he did.

Rescuing him was an adventure as the family, whose terrace he landed on, was not at home. I had to get security to open a vacant apartment adjacent to the one in question and then we had to scale a six foot wall that separated the terraces. We wrapped up Henry, after I assessed his injuries, (compound fracture, possible internal injuries, lacerations, etc. on my first inspection) and proceeded to extract him out of the terrace. About an hour after his fall we were at The Ark Veterinary Hospital and he was being assessed. I have to give major credit to our Gurkha security guards for helping me rescue Henry and get him to the hospital, they were great. For those of you who do not know who or what Gurkhas are, you should do a Google search on them. They are considered some of the finest, fiercest and bravest soldiers in the world. They are known for their inability to quit and their trademark Kukri knifes, the very site of these weapons in the hands of a trained Gurkha has literally stopped revolutions. Randi feels very safe with Gurkhas patrolling our complex, as can be expected.

Fortunately, for Henry, he is an extremely fit and tough dog despite his inability to defy the laws of gravity. Despite the severity of the drop and the landing (concrete) he walked away with only one broken bone (basically a doggy toe) and a slightly ruptured spleen and of course some serious bruises and lacerations. Every vet has basically been in awe that he was not hurt worse; we even consulted with our vet back in Memphis and she was equally shocked at the lack of injuries he suffered.

Henry had his 1^st surgery on the 22^nd of June to fix the compound fracture. We located a great Orthopedic Veterinary surgeon named Matthew Field and he was treated at the Ark, which is a great animal hospital. Well, around Henry’s 4^th week of recovery, when it was getting close to the time for his cast to come off, the surgeon discovered another problem with his leg. Apparently, albeit not shockingly, when he landed he severely hyper extended his carpal joint (which is kind of like the ankle joint) and severely damaged the fiber that holds the joint together. So, it was time for another surgery. On July 27^th Henry had his second surgery which involved “fusing” part of his carpal joint in a procedure called Arthrodesis. This is basically a process where the joint is cleaned out and a plate is installed that holds the parts of the joint together; the plan is then for the joint to fuse, basically growing together as one solid piece. So, Henry had to have a bone graph taken from his shoulder, as well as the actual Arthrodesis on the carpal joint. Luckily, they did not have to fuse the entire joint and he should (if everything heals properly) retain roughly 80% of his normal range of motion. This should let him still be able to perform at almost full capacity which means Henry will be able to run full speed again, after some physical therapy and rehabilitation. So, we have been a bit busy with Henry as you can tell. It is amazing that we put so much time, energy and money into our pets…but, they are part of the family. Per Randi, “we will do whatever it takes to make Henry better,” which, I translated to…prepare the checkbook. You know it is a bad sign when the vet has written on the first page of his records…”money not an object”. I am not sure how that got in there but, it can’t be good.

Henry is milking his injuries for all he can, he has learned that if he holds up his injured leg and makes a “sad” face that he can get whatever he wants. It is quite ridiculous really, but very, very effective.

Besides Henry, all is going well. We are experiencing our first typhoon of the season. The storm started as a “severe tropical storm” and has been named “Pabuk”. Apparently, a “Pabuk” is a large freshwater fish that lives in the Mekong River; the name was contributed by Laos. I am just hoping, for the sake of Hong Kong, that this is not a man-eating fish. According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) the storm is moving towards Hong Kong with sustained winds of 65mph or 100km/h. They have a signal system here and we are currently at “signal 1” and according to my sources, it is absolutely nothing to worry about until “signal 8” is raised. As a confirmation of this neither Randi nor I get to skip work until “signal 8” is raised. We are looking forward to our first typhoon in Hong Kong.

Since, it takes me a few days to write these updates (time is at a premium) Pabuk has hit and has gone on its merry way. Did it make it to a “signal 8”? You bet you, was it anything to get worried about? Not at all…it is really quite comical looking back on the last few days. I would basically equate the “chatter” of Hong Kong to the “chatter” that happens in Memphis if there is even a “whisper” of the possibility of either snow or ice. You all know exactly what I am talking about, the run to the supermarket to buy 56 gallons of water…the quick trip to Home Depot to buy a generator, basically the complete and absolute overreaction of the populous. Well, Pabuk was an utter disappointment. When you think Typhoon, you think hurricane…right? Well, I would have to say Typhoon Pabuk was more along the lines of a small Memphis thunderstorm. I am not sure why everyone was nervous…even looking out onto the semi-rough seas…all I could think of was…”man, it would be great if I had a Seadoo right now.” I could have gotten some serious air on those waves. Once the “signal 8” flag was hoisted, basically the city shutdown…well everything except for the bars. Everyone was able to leave work early and it seems all the ex-pats decided it was a great time to head to a good bar. Randi and I joined her workmates for a few beers. Leave it to the British and Australians to recommend beer as a remedy for an impending Typhoon. Well, after 3:00pm on Friday everyone left the office and Randi and I ended up hanging out until around midnight or so…weathering the storm, with the rest of Robert Half Hong Kong. I think it only rained for an hour or so during the whole evening. I think the only “storm” worth mentioning was the downpour of Jell-O-shots that some of Randi’s workmates were downing with abandon. I am sure their Saturday morning storm left more of a mark on them then the winds of Pabuk. All in all Pabuk was a bit disappointing and not really worthy of noting in “Farage’s History of Storms”, due out this fall (kidding).

Unfortunately, as a product of the changing wind direction, the smog has returned in force over the last few days (or is it fog) and the visibility has been decreased significantly. For the past month, I could see the horizon with visibility in excess of 30 kilometers; today…visibility is down to 7 kilometers. Basically it looks like a lot of fog has rolled in…unfortunately this is not fog this is “clean” air from China being blown in from the mainland. If China wants to be a global force in the future, they are really going to have to clean up their environment…less no one will want to live there. No one likes the smell of petrol-chemicals in the morning except for Robert Duvall’s character in Apocalypse Now, in the words of Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore…”I love the smell of Napalm in the morning”. Well Bill, you would love Hong Kong right now.

Well, on to more interesting topics, Randi and I bought our first piece of furniture in Hong Kong a few weeks ago. Randi was sick of our A/V equipment sitting on the floor below the TV; so we went shopping. We hit Hollywood Road, a famous road in Central known for antiques, obscurities and generally all things Hong Kong. After walking through numerous stores we found a great piece (antique) and I negotiated a pretty good price for it (I think). Randi questioned my belief that it would fit in the back seat of the car, but I reminded her that you never question a Farage when it comes to packing something in a vehicle. Sure enough, that bad boy fit in the back seat like a glove, not even a millimeter to spare…perfect! The owner, a nice older lady (probably in her 50’s) helped me load the piece into the car. Let me tell you that lady was a pit bull; she picked that piece of furniture up like it was a pillow. It kind of surprised me a bit and I had to hustle to keep up with her as we loaded it up. I think Randi felt a little “shown up” as she tried to pick it up with me and she said it was a bit too heavy…well not for the pit bull. Did I mention that Randi joined a gym in the following days? Perhaps, I see a re-match with the pit bull in the near future.

Work is going great, I just finished my first project in Hong Kong and things went very smoothly. We are extremely busy as I am currently working on two other projects that are in various stages, never a dull moment. I will be heading to Indochina next month to review our operations in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Indochina, as a market, is growing and if you look at your house; I am sure a few things will probably have been made in Vietnam, Laos or Cambodia…especially when it comes to decorative type items. I am definitely looking forward to that trip, not only to see our operations but also getting an opportunity to see first-hand the Hanoi Hilton and so many other pieces of history related to the Vietnam conflict. From what we have read, Vietnam and especially the China Beach area has turned into a wonderful vacation spot with great resorts all along China Beach. Randi is going to take a few days off and join me in Vietnam for a long weekend. It will be a great opportunity for her to get out of Hong Kong and see another aspect of Asia. She is really looking forward to it.

Randi is doing great; she is starting to enjoy her job more and more as she has gone through various stages with it. I think it has taken her a bit of time to get use to the Hong Kong market and she is definitely enjoying things as more time progresses. Which, is a good thing…I think she would have been utterly bored if she was not working.

Well, we hope this finds you all well and that everyone in Memphis is enjoying the HOT weather there. Don’t forget to check out our Flickr page (www.flickr.com/photos/mrgarage), as we are always putting new pictures up.

Cheers.

Mark, Randi and Henry

Hong Kong Chapter II - May 4, 2007

2008-01-31T13:12:00.000+08:00

All –

So, this is update number two…albeit it is the first full-time Hong Kong resident update. Well, today is May 3, 2007, which means Randi and I have been in Hong Kong for just about two months. I was kind of waiting a bit so that I could have some interesting and meaningful information to share, that and we have been pretty busy with everything going on in our lives over the couple of months.

As most of you know we left Memphis on the 6^th of March for our journey to Hong Kong…our dog, Henry, left on the 5^th due to flight restrictions and all that jazz. Just for your personal edification, it will cost you approximately $500 more to ship your dog via Northwest’s VIP (Very Important Pet) service than it would for you to buy a coach seat from Memphis to Hong Kong. When I was quoted the outrageous price I asked the highly educated and completely customer oriented Northwest representative if Henry would be receiving an in-flight meal as well as in-flight entertainment…she flat replied “no”. So, much for VIP service and so much for getting your money’s worth; I think next time we are going to slap some clothes on him and stick him back in coach…at least he will be able to stretch his legs.

Randi and I departed on the morning of the 6^th after a long week of prepping our house/condo for rent. We were “advised” that the condition we leave the condo in would be the condition that we receive the condo back in…so; Randi and I went to work. Now, having only been in the condo for a little less than a year, it was in very good condition; however there was still work to be done. We patched every nail-hole in the place, spackled, sanded and repainted to ensure that the walls were in tip-top shape. We ended up repainting the bedroom due to the walls just not looking right after our repairs; I personally think the paint color was a bit off…since you could see exactly where we repainted. So, we taped, drop-clothed and painted…which, really made the room look great. I personally think we did a better job than the contractors originally did. We also used some polyurethane (thanks to a tip from the Gillespie’s) on the tiles throughout the house…which really brought out the texture of the tiles and gave them a clean appearance. You would not believe the difference that little trick did on the slate around the fireplace…night and day. Randi and I decided to leave our home theater system in place for the renters…rather than pulling everything out. So, our lucky renters will be getting a 42” flat-screen and a Bose surround sound system hooked up to some high-end Sony equipment. I also had to leave my Xbox and PS2…so, whoever rents the place is getting a pretty decked out entertainment package. I am just hoping it is all there when we get back. Our developer, who is slower and less responsive than a corpse, is supposed to be swapping out our wine cooler and beverage center with G.E. Profile units…but, he has yet to do so. I think the only time he was responsive was when I had to cut a check for the condo…since then…we will just say “responsive” and his name do not belong in the same book…possibly even in the same hemisphere. So, after putting everything in tip-top shape…Randi and I were ready to head out.

Randi, Henry and I crashed at our friend’s the Gillespie’s for about 10 days as we packed everything up and prepared to move. A special thanks to David and Andrea for being so hospitable while we crashed at their place…complete with dog.

Randi and I also had to decide what to do with our cars. We sold the Saab right off and then we decided to keep my Land Cruiser…as it was/is my “dream” car and I am just beginning the process of building it into an “expedition” vehicle that I plan to someday cruise all over the North American continent with a few friends. Randi’s parents and uncle were nice enough to offer to keep the vehicle at their house during our absence…although I had several other offers to “watch” the vehicle why I was gone. Several individuals, who shall remain nameless, were extremely eager to get their hands on it.

We are still in the process of selling Randi’s Pathfinder and we are hoping that it will be sold by the end of the month…we hate to see it go…but, we can’t justify keeping two cars while we are out of the country. So, if anyone is interested in a fully loaded 2004 Pathfinder with less than 30k on the odometer…let me know. Sorry for the sales pitch…did I mention it is four-wheel drive?

Finally on the morning of March 6, 2007 Randi and I headed out. Well, headed to the Memphis International Airport early in the AM. Randi was worried that we were going to miss our flight and her parents decided to meet us there...so we had to get there a little earlier than normal. Randi’s parents help up pretty well, although her Mom did break into tears as we said our good-byes. They are not quite use to the “globe-trotting” lifestyle that Randi and I were embarking on. I am kind of used to flying all over God’s green earth and my parents, I suspect, are fairly use to it. Let this be a warning to all the single men out there…lesson one on how not to score points with the in-laws. Do not, and I repeat do not, tell your in-laws that you are moving their only daughter and only child to China just a few months after you get married. I have to admit they have been pretty good about it.

Randi and I arrived safe and sound on the 7^th in our new home along with my two co-workers/friends. We immediately went to check on Henry to make sure he survived the flight. I have honestly never seen a dog that “stressed out” before. I think his first flight, seeing how it was close to 20 hours and crossed numerous time zones, was a little stressful on the little guy. None the less he made it in one piece and as best as I can tell he did not use the bathroom in his kennel…apparently he has a strong bladder.

At this point in time, we are pretty much moved in and settled into our apartment. We had to stay at a hotel for about 10 days while our furniture made its’ way over here and all the apartment items were taken care of and switched over. Henry unfortunately had to stay in a kennel…he refers to this period as his Chinese Prison days…but, it wasn’t that bad. Randi and I were able to visit him once and it was an average kennel in the Chinese country side. I think Henry has just gotten spoiled sleeping on his feather bed and being tucked in every night by my wife. He is indeed a piece of work.

So, we were pretty excited when we were able to move into our new place. We are living on Victoria Peak which is on the Hong Kong Island part of Hong Kong. Hong Kong also has the Kowloon “side” as well as the New Territories. The island is definitely a lot more exciting and full of energy. Victoria Peak or “The Peak” is basically the top of the mountain that overlooks the city. It is a great area and we have some fantastic views of the city and the surrounding seas. We were fortunate to find a place up there within our budget as the area is extremely expensive. It is a great place for Henry as there are parks and trails all over the mountain. He loves going for walks and spotting all the new wildlife that he is not quite use to yet. As he is a birddog, he has an intense fascination with anything that flies. Unfortunately, being on the peak there are some large birds of prey that like to fly around…I think Henry is still sizing them up…or it could be the other way around.

Our apartment is great, we are living in a complex called “The Mount Austin”, I know it sounds a little “high-brow” but, I think if you add a “the” in front of anything you get the same feel. Go ahead and experiment with that one…start adding ”the” in front of everything at work or at home and see how people react. My pen…I mean “the pen” has taking on a whole cult following now…everyone wants to write with “the pen”…nothing special about my Pilot…except I added “the” to it.

We have a small three bedroom place with two bathrooms. It is roughly the same size as our condo in Memphis…so the transition was easy. We have great views from all of our rooms, we look down on the Pok Fu Lam reservoir and then the South China Sea…it is pretty cool to relax on the sofa and watch the ships go buy in the distance…very cool. We have hit IKEA numerous times to get all the little stuff that makes a place your home and we are really starting to get comfortable. Since our condo was only a one bedroom place in Memphis; we are still lacking guest bedroom furniture but, we are going to meet with a builder this weekend and hopefully we will be well on our way to having some furniture for our future guests. It is actually pretty inexpensive to get furniture made here…you can basically take the builders a picture of what you want (say a Pottery Barn catalog) and they will draw it up and then build it once everything is settled. We also have to get new bedroom furniture for our bedroom as the rooms are a little smaller. So, for the time being we are sleeping on the mattress which is parked squarely on the floor. It’s great, Henry’s bed is snuggled up right next to ours…so, when I wake up in the morning I get to either look squarely into Henry’s big brown nose…or if I am unfortunate…I get a canine butt shot…what a way to wake-up. We are pretty sure Henry enjoys being at eye-level with us, as in the middle of the night he has a tendency to covertly crawl into bed with us and snuggle himself up right between Randi and I.

As far as Hong Kong goes, we are definitely learning our way around and we definitely do not feel like tourists anymore. We can negotiate the streets with ease, the MTR (Mass Transit Rail) is an old friend and we know where streets cross and how to get from point A to point B with relative ease. Randi has the Central area down fairly well as that is where she is working and I have the Southern, Central, Eastern and Peak down pat. We purchased a car shortly after we got here and I have been zipping my way all around Hong Kong for the past month or so. I love driving in Hong Kong as you really get a feel for the city and you definitely learn your way around. I have been temporarily disoriented a few times…but, since we are on an island there is no fear of getting lost…sooner or later you are going to hit something that is familiar.

Randi is still a little nervous about driving…the streets are narrow and the buses and the mini-buses drive with little regards for the well being of those they share the streets with. I have seen several mini-bus drivers that are geared up as if they were preparing for the Daytona 500.

I had a run-in with a mini-bus driver yesterday that was geared up with sunglasses (Aviator style), black driving gloves and a bandana around his head...I think he was the Tom Cruise from Days of Thunder of Hong Kong. He was driving his mini-bus like he was at the wheel of a Porsche Carerra GT…tailgating me like he was drafting me on the final turn at Daytona. He was all about trying to cut people off and take them off the line. We squared up at a red light, he veered over into the left lane…a lane that ended right after the light…he knew it but, he thought he would get the drop on me. The lights in Hong Kong are just the same as in the US…the only difference is that you always transition between Yellow…even when you are going from Red to Green. So, when that light turned Yellow he gunned it off the line. I let him have about half a mini-bus length before I let the car off the line…just enough room to make him think he had me. I quickly closed the gap and he had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting the parked delivery truck blocking the lane. Sure enough I got the evil eye from him as he realized he was now pinned and was going to have to wait for the 20+ cars behind me to pass before he could pull back-out…lesson learned…you never mess with an American behind the wheel. It’s a lesson he soon won’t forget.

I have yet to see a speed-limit sign in Hong Kong…so generally everyone moves at about 60kmh through the city which is just about 37mph. I have to admit…there are a lot of bad drivers in Hong Kong…and I mean really bad drivers. I think the fact is that most people have never driven outside of Hong Kong and when you drive in a small area your whole life, you really don’t get that much of a driving experience. For the most part…the drivers are extremely slow…extremely cautious and ride their brakes like it was their national pastime. They also stop for no apparent reason and don’t think about using your turn signals…apparently they don’t teach that in drivers’ education. The most enjoyable part of driving in Hong Kong is sharing the road with the 8 trillion taxis. To them time is money and they are not afraid to take a mile even if you don’t give them an inch. When it comes to taxis you have to fight for the road…otherwise you are going too screwed. All-in-all I am enjoying it…Randi was a little worried when I first started driving and occasionally she will still close her eyes and let out a little shriek…but, I have told her driving in Hong Kong is cake compared to driving in Iraq.

Randi is working at Robert Half here in Hong Kong and she is enjoying it much more so than she did in the US. The work environment is about a thousand times better and the “fear” culture that existed in Memphis does not exist here. Although, Randi has to adjust to working without the constant threat of being fired every day; I am not sure what management school the Memphis management people went to but, I am pretty confident having your employees constantly fearing for their jobs is not the best method to maintaining happy employees…maybe that is why they had such a high-turnover in Memphis…could it be? Needless to say, Randi is much happier here and her colleagues are great people. I think she will really enjoy it over the next few years.

As far as the reason why we are in Hong Kong, my job is going great. We just got back from Australia and finished up our first project. It looks like we are going to be fairly busy over the course of the next fiscal year. We will be traveling a lot and really getting to see a lot of the Asia Pacific area. The group of people I am working with our second to none and we have hired three great locals that are going to augment our team and really create a stellar group. I see this group growing over the next few years as China and the Asia Pacific area are in such a high growth stage right now. FedEx is definitely committed to the area and I am sure we will see our business grow rapidly here over the next few years. It is hard to believe but, we have been in this area for over 20 years now, I do have to say Fred Smith has made some excellent strategic decisions. We are in a great position to capitalize on the current economic growth that is occurring all over the region. The office here is great; we are working out of the Asia Pacific headquarters in Cyberport, which is a new high-tech development on the Western side of the island. The folks are extremely nice and everyone has been very helpful. We have had to get use to their work culture…they don’t joke around as much as we do in the States and when we joke around with them, they don’t often get it right away. So, there are some learning curves there…as expected.

Randi and I are both learning a bit of Cantonese here and there and we are supposed to be starting our Mandarin lessons soon. I can’t wait to learn Mandarin and it is one of my goals to be conversational by the time we leave.

We are definitely looking forward to having visitors and we will guarantee that you will enjoy your time here…the food is marvelous and the place is amazing…so much to see and do.

Till next time.

Hong Kong Chapter I - January 19, 2007

2008-01-31T13:10:00.000+08:00

All –

Randi and I arrived on the 17th in Hong Kong, China. One day later than planned thanks to an “engine issue” on our airplane coming out of Los Angeles. Our flight was delayed over three hours and by the time we made it to Japan, all the flights out had already departed. Luckily, Northwest Airlines stepped up to the plate and had flights for the next day booked, rooms for the night, dinner coupons and buses for transportation. As far as delays go, this was probably the best delay that I have ever experienced. We flew out on the morning of the 17th and finally arrived in Hong Kong on the afternoon of the 17th. I think Randi thoroughly enjoyed the travel experience, as this was her first long flight flying Business Class and I am pretty sure she enjoyed it more than flying coach.

The Sheraton in Kowloon, where we are staying, is great. The hotel apparently was renovated a few years ago and they did an excellent job. The service has been great, the room is small but very nice and the food has been great. The morning buffet is phenomenal; we are both enjoying the cooked-to-order omelets.

We had our first house hunting/orientation day on Thursday the 18th. We spent the morning getting a great tour of Hong Kong, all the areas and some important local information. Hong Kong is a great city, busy, large and full of energy. It is definitely a vertical city and if you try to see the tops of all the buildings you might end up hurting your neck. We’ve visited almost all the areas of Hong Kong and the New Territories. From Repulse Bay to The Mid-Levels we have been all over the island. It is amazing how different and distinct the areas of Hong Kong are. There are slammed urban areas and then you can head to Victoria Peak and feel like you are in a mountain resort area. It is great.

The afternoon of the 18th we began checking out apartments. You definitely have to approach the apartment living concept a bit differently here. The apartments are a lot smaller and the builders firmly believe that the number of bedrooms in an apartment is much more important than the size of the bedrooms. Additionally, don’t plan on walk-in closets as some of the bedrooms are smaller than an average walk-in closet. It is very different…but in a good way…just one that may take a little time to adjust to. IKEA is probably a life saver here as you need to maximize the utilization of your space to the nth degree. I think Randi was a little discouraged (maybe even terrified) but after day two, it helped it all sink in a little – and it was helpful to see a furnished flat to see that it really is possible to live in small spaces like these. It will just be a more minimalist style of living.

We are traveling around with Rosalie and Donald. Rosalie is our relocation expert; she is a wonderful lady that handles just about everything. She is originally Australian but has lived all over the world and is calling Hong Kong home right now. She designs jewelry in her spare time and knows Hong Kong. Donald is our real estate man, a native young man from Hong Kong, and he is quiet but very good. He is quick to pick up on what you like and what you don’t like and he will through out his commitments with little abandon.

So, on Friday the 19th we hit the ground again looking at over a dozen apartments all over the city. We found several wonderful places and currently narrowed our list down to three, three apartments that we have to go back and review on Monday to ensure that we pick the right one. You really have to sacrifice a few things here and there to get the right place. Having Henry we have had to eliminate 80% of the properties that were shown to us as there are certainly some places that are not Henry friendly. Having said that, we have still found a few properties that are great and we will hopefully find one that works out well. There are some really great places and our short list is spread all over Hong Kong Island from the South to the North. I have to say there are some real gems on this island you just have to have patience and an open mind. You really have to throw out about 90% of your US views and re-center yourself into thinking differently.

Food, you want to talk about food, there is some amazing food on this island. You can basically have anything you want from Italian to Mexican. We have had some delicious Thai, Chinese, Mexican and American food since arriving in Hong Kong. The food is relatively affordable and absolutely delicious. Yesterday we saw our first Krispy Kreme in Hong Kong. It’s a very recent and new addition to Hong Kong – our relocation agent has never tried a Krispy Kreme donut. Randi is pretty psyched about having a Krispy Kreme in town…did it smell the same…you bet. Talk about an interesting site…a busy Hong Kong street with the sweet smell of Krispy Kreme…yummy!

The weekend is upon us and we are going to relax and enjoy Hong Kong. We are planning on meeting up with my friend Scott, whom I worked with in Iraq and his family today. Who knows what else we will do…the weekend is open. Monday we will start heavy again, looking at more apartments, checking out banks, furniture and all the other things one must do as you move across the world. I hope all of you are well, wherever you are.

- MWF

Time for Randi’s thoughts…

The city is HUGE – the apartments are TINY. It’s going to be an interesting adjustment to life in Hong Kong. I will probably cry when I have to part with lots of friends, clothes, shoes, and leave other misc. things behind….but it’s a great opportunity to live in another part of the world and appreciate all the unacknowledged luxuries you have at home. But the people we have met here are great and will be a big help in adjusting to life in Asia. There is so much to see and do – we hope to have lots of visitors from the States – that is, if the size of the bedrooms doesn’t scare you off! And with all the walking to get around here, maybe I’ll finally whip my butt into shape! J (or just walk straight to the Krispy Kreme…)

LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE SOON!

-RKF

So this is cold...

2008-01-31T11:05:00.000+08:00

So, we woke up this morning to find ourselves in the coldest day we have yet to experience in Hong Kong. Now...prepare yourself for the temperature...7 degrees Celsius...that's right 44.6 degrees Fahrenheit. So, at this point you are probably asking yourself, "why is that cold?" Well, it is cold...especially for Hong Kong. Now, that is not to say that Randi and I are wearing our The North Face goose down parkas (like some in Hong Kong are), but we did put jackets on this morning and that is a first. I wouldn't say that it is really that cold...but, like many places it just isn't prepared for the cold. A lot of places don't have heat and I would say that their heating systems are not the best. We are fortunate that our place has built in heaters...but, many places do not.

Now, I have to remind myself that "cold" is not really "cold" until there is ice and snow on the ground. I am hoping that it does not get that cold here...if it does...heaters will be the last of our worries as I am fairly confident that Hong Kong has zero ice and snow capabilities...much less a single snow shovel.

So, where does that take us...well, it takes us to a little place I like to call..."chili time". That is right, I am thinking that this weather may call for breaking out the world famous Mark Farage chili recipe...now, if I can just find a place that has an open fire and a NFL football game on...as that is the proper way to eat a bowl of chili...in front of a fire while watching "improper" football.

2008...Where did the time go???

2008-01-30T22:36:00.000+08:00

So, obviously it has been awhile since I have posted some entries on this blog. It has been a bit busy of late but, 2008 is the year to kick this sucker back up. Have I been busy...you bet you. What has happened since the last post...well...try the following: (1) I got married; (2) changed positions and moved to a different operating company where I work; and (3) moved to the other side of the world...Hong Kong. So, Randi and I are living in Hong Kong...literally on the other side of the world from Memphis. I am sticking in a picture of our new home in Hong Kong.

Is it just me or...

2006-04-20T03:04:00.000+08:00

...are there alot of bad drivers in Memphis. When did it become appropriate to drive 95mph on I-240 at 5:00pm while weaving in and out of traffic without using turnsignals. And, if this is not a sign...Monday I was passed by two off-duty cops (one MPD one Shelby County Deputy) on motorcycles (crotch-rockets) going over 100mph. How do I know they were cops...well, despite having motorcycle jackets on they left their pants on and their gear (including guns) on while breaking the law. Great example to set Mr. Law Enforcement.

Belafonte...I Think I Found Your Common Sense...

2006-01-11T05:08:00.000+08:00

I have made it a point that I am going to attempt…and I do say attempt to post to the Garage more often than I have in the last few months of 2005. I am hoping that 2006 will be a bit more prolific. I am going to go out on a limb here and lay some of my thoughts on the table. Sure…these are probably going to come back and bite me on the ass later down the road…probably when I am running for some political office. Having said that…here we go…my thoughts on what is currently going on in the world.

First off let’s call Harry Belafonte what he really is…an absolute idiot with no concept of what I like to call reality. What kind of American, with any sort of intelligence and national pride, would call the President of the United States “the greatest tyrant in the world, the greatest terrorist in the world”? I simply ask that…and I suppose Harry is also going to lead a march of the “not hundreds, not thousands, but millions of the American people” who support the Socialist Revolution that Hugo Chavez is leading in Venezuela. This guy is an absolute idiot…an idiot on the scale of which I have not seen in a long, long time. I would definitely classify every breath that Harry takes as an absolute waste of air. Danny Glover and Cornel West…what the heck are you doing there as well? Let’s get back to Harry for a second though…when did he become more than a washed up singer? When did he become an expert on global politics? When did he become an expert on tyranny and terrorism? Has Harry forgotten the names: Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Mussolini, Kai-Shek, Lenin, Hussein, Salazar, and Tao just to list a few true Tyrants. Each of those individuals, listed above, was responsible for, at a minimum, the deaths of over a million through initiating or intensifying war, famine, genocide, or by allowing individuals under their command to do so. If we look at Stalin, Hitler, and Mao they were responsible for the murders of 20, 15, and 10 million (respectively) unarmed (non-combatants) individuals during their rule. How can Mr. Belafonte even dare to classify President George W. Bush with those men? It disgusts me, it shames me, and it enrages me. It is reckless, assinine, and plain wrong. I would suggest that Mr. Belafonte get out of the United States of America as soon as possible if he finds President Bush so tyrannous. I doubt he will do so though. I am not even going to the terrorist level. Terrorists are the lowest form of life on earth, attacking innocent and unarmed men, women, and children to further their own twisted agendas. No one with an ounce of analytical capability would ever classify our President as a terrorist. It is shameful. Mr. Belafonte you are a shame to this country, you are shame to your gender, and you are a shame to human beings.

Let’s see what else…The Alito hearings…so far so good. I do think it is a shame that some individuals will vote “nay” just because he is a Republican nominee. That is absolutely ridiculous…Senator Kennedy…that is right you sir are ridiculous. You are a joke to the Senate, you are a joke to this country, and you are a joke as a man. Do something worthwhile…step down from the Senate and take a long vacation and see if you can find your sanity, reason, and backbone while you are out there. I hope Alito is confirmed, I think he would be a great addition to our highest court. I am not sure what some of the Democrats are smoking these days…but, it can’t be legal.

So, let’s move on to the Democrats…and I am not talking about the intelligent ones…I am talking about the ones on the left side, the way left. I guess these folks aren’t going to be happy until we get rid of Christianity, have a gay President with a “first man”, and have all references to God removed from our country. Oh, and let me add that they probably want all aspects of the military disbanded, the borders opened, a global currency and probably ‘666’ tattooed on everyone’s head. Speaking of the Democrats…has anyone heard the disparity between the Republicans and the Democrats in the hearings? I mean the Democrats (for the most part) stammer and stutter while the Republicans come off polished and ready to go. Hmmm…maybe it is just me…and I love how the democrats keep asking the same questions over and over. I guess they are trying to “trip him up”. Do they not understand that this guy (Alito) is smarter than all of them?

What else is going out there? Iraq…we have to stay the course…if we don’t there are going to be dire consequences…mark my words. I have experience with terrorists and I have experience with Iraq, I think you should probably listen. The United States and over 30 other countries going into Iraq was one of the best moves ever made. It would have been like the United States going into Germany when the Germans took Poland in 1939. Hind sight is 20/20 and I am afraid that we will not see the true fruits of our labor for years to come. I just wish more people had the balls to standup and fight. There is a global war on terror going on right now, everyone needs to open their eyes and realize that if we just pull back and let them attack us we will face more September 11^th’s and much worse. We must remember that sometimes the best defense is a strong offense. We shall see how things sort themselves out. I hope that the American public can remember that having a strong backbone is a good thing. Can you imagine if we had the overall gusto that the United States has currently back in the 1940’s. Heck we would have given up after Pear Harbor…because more than 11 soldiers were killed in one day and if I am not mistaken…over 2,400 Americans were killed. That beats the almost 3 year total in Iraq to date of just over 2,200 American soldiers, airmen, sailors, and marines. So, can you imagine if that death toll happened today in one day…oh wait it did…September 11, 2001. If I remember correctly every American who could stand wanted to go kick someone’s ass. What happened?

Well, this will be a different year that is for sure. Let’s see how things go…and I will maintain my commentary as we go along…some of it will be funny…some of it won’t be. Stay safe and be careful out there.

2006 Holy Sh*T

2006-01-07T06:33:00.000+08:00

Well, as they say time flys when you are having fun and I am definitely having fun (probably too much). But, hey what can you do about that? Well, some may say what is 2006 going to bring us...well...I think it is safe to say probably just about everything that 2005 brought us...just maybe with a little bit of a twist. No one wants to be bored.

Christmas is over and now everyone is trying to get in the groove for the new year...well...let me tell you I am in the groove. Did I make any New Year resolutions this year...not a single one...why kill yourself over some arbitrary item you throw out on December 31st moments before the ball drops. This year I intend not to have resolutions, rather I am going to focus on a few key things that I think I need to improve on. What are they you may ask? Well, that is between the big guy upstairs (God) and yours truly. They aren't significant...nothing as exciting as say...getting off of the crack or deciding to start a multi-billion dollar company...or say save the grey-speckled horned red-neck owl of the Chipawappa Forest. No, not so serious...just little items...cut down on the indiscriminate use of foul language, spend less money on discretionary items, slow down a little bit, etc. So, nothing that will rip off your panties and make you do a double lutz.

This year has been a great year so far...yeah, I know that it is only 6 days in...but, hey wars have been fought and won (or lost - depending upon your side) in the same amount of time. Things are good and we need to be thankful for everything. I tell you what I am so thankful when I see our President stand up and say that he is going to follow the advice of the generals rather than the politicians on a strategy in Iraq. Brilliant idea...listen to the guys on the ground who have trained their entire lives for combat...rather than some Congressman or Congresswoman who just got elected and thinks that the Kashmir Region is a reference to Robert Plant's privates. I am glad to see that we are doing the right thing. All I want is some of these folks who are knocking the Iraq conflict to spend some time on the ground there...and I am not talking a whirlwind tour in your blazer. Negative, I am talking buckling down and putting on the body armor and getting your hands dirty. Only then will you see what is really going on and the difference we are making every day in the cradle of civilization. I miss Iraq and there are times when the desire to go back is so strong it almost brings me to tears. I felt so alive in Iraq...and I do miss it dearly.

Ah...but, why am I not there...a lovely thing we like to call a fiance. There is one thing that I have learned...when you are engaged your fiance actually expects you to stick around in the same zip code...interesting concept. I agree. Well, another reason now is "walks" you bet you "walks". Let me explain my fiance and I are the proud parents of our first baby...who happens to be a one and a half year old German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP) named Henry. I had been missing the daily devoted companionship of a canine for sometime, so I worked with the GSP Rescue Society to adopt a GSP. Well, the week before Christmas everything fell into place and we adopted Henry. Henry is awesome...I cannot imagine for the life of me how such a wonderful, smart, devoted, and affectionate dog ever came into the hands of the GSP Rescue Society. This dog is amazing...he is the most loving animal I have ever had the pleasure to be around. If your on a sofa...he is in your lap...never mind the fact that he weighs over 50lbs...he just loves to snuggle. You want to talk about natural hunting instinct...this dog will point on anything that moves...and he is sharp. My fiance and I took him to my parents house in DC for Christmas and the holidays...my parents live in between two large plots of land owned by George Mason University...and he loved running through the fields...tracking deer...pointing on birds...it was beautiful. He is going to start hunting and fieldwork classes in a few months. I just want him to get fully attached to the two of us before the training begins. This dog has awesome potential and I can't wait to get him working; but, he is a pet first and he loves to snuggle...so, first things first...affection...then hunting. You can see ol' Henry above...he is a beautiful animal. Yes, he is chipped so don't even think about it.

Well, I am going to roll on out of this blog for the time being...however...I am working on my predictions for 2006...so, be sure to check back. Until then...be thankful for all you have and work hard for what you don't...and for God's sake be careful out there.

T-Mobile & Motorola Vs. The Garage - Round One

2005-11-02T06:36:00.000+08:00

There are times in life when one must take off the gloves and wage war with no mercy. I am taking off the gloves and there will be no mercy. Now you may ask who I am waging war against…and the answer is simple…T-Mobile and Motorola. Now, I am sure you all have heard of these two companies and I am sure there are those who have already taken their gloves off. So, here is my dilemma. I purchased a Motorola A630 from T-Mobile in April of 2005. Of course, I was not eligible for an upgrade so, I was charged the full price of around $350.00. I am not some Neanderthal when it comes to caring for my cell phone. I do not throw them around, sit on them, chew on them, or use them as a doorstop. I am gentle on them, carry them carefully, and try to avoid dropping them all together. I figure hey, it is my investment in the phone, so I better take care of it. Now, I have had fairly good experiences with Motorola phones in the past so, I figured (in retrospect incorrectly) that I would have another good experience from them…little did I know. Hindsight is one of those beautiful things. It let’s you look back and make a decision with complete knowledge of the future, absolutely beautiful; however, absolutely worthless when you actually have to make a decision. So, I purchased the phone and went on my merry way. However, in August a slight obstruction, in my merry way, cropped up when my phone stopped charging. Now, I am technologically rather together; so, I quickly deduced that there was an issues with the charge connector in the phone and that the “juice” was not getting to the battery. So, I took it to T-Mobile and they were nice enough to order me a replacement. At this point 100% satisfaction was on my mind. What can be better, a phone stops working and they send you a new one…beautiful. So, a few days later in August I receive the new phone and send the old one (the damaged one) to the cell phone graveyard…compliments of a fully padded box and pre-paid postage. So, August was good and then the natural progression of the year took me to September and then into October. So, late October rolls around and guess what? “Houston We Have a Problem”. Low and behold the phone stops charging again. Now, as you can imagine a phone that has no battery is about as useful of a communication tool as a rock. So, I fidget with the thing over the weekend (October 29^th and October 30^th) and alas…nothing. So, today (November 1, 2005) I take a little trip to T-Mobile and explain the situation to a nice sales associate named Autumn. Now, Autumn is unable to do anything from the store. Which is extremely frustrating, but totally understandable, because gone are the days when a store can apparently make things right for their customers. So, she calls T-Mobile Customer Service and I get connected to what I will refer to as the “single most unhelpful individual” I have ever encountered. Now, this person was so unhelpful that I will refer to him as SMUI from now on. If you didn’t follow that one look at the quotation marks above and you should piece it together. So, SMUI tells me that the only thing he can do it send me another replacement. Of course, SMUI fails to see that if two A630s have gone bad on me in less than 6 months that I probably don’t want to get another one. Also, SMUI gives me the brilliant advice of buying a new phone. Of course wouldn’t T-Mobile love this? Every time a phone (that they sold you) gives you a problem – you just go buy a new phone. Wow, I am sure that is great for T-Mobile, but it’s not so great for the consumer. So, after going around and around with SMUI for about 15 minutes I asked to speak to his supervisor. Now, I want to stress here that I never raised my voice and remained cordial the entire time I was on the phone with SMIU. However, I had to talk to his supervisor after he failed to piece together that if T-Mobile sent me a replacement that I was indeed on my second phone and not on my original phone. Hey, I am not saying that I am the smartest guy in the world, but even a 3^rd grader can piece together that if something is replaced that you had to have an “original” one and that you get a “replacement” to REPLACE it. However, I guess SMUI failed 3^rd grade. Whatever. So, I get transferred to Dwight. Now, I will say this about Dwight, Dwight understood where I was coming from and could at least follow my points and generally could keep up with my conversation. Dwight, I appreciate your help, I sincerely do…but, even you have to admit I am still taking one where the sun don’t shine. So, after explaining the situation to Dwight he recommends the same. I either get a replacement or I buy a new phone. So, I explain to Dwight that I am not going to pay for another phone and the last thing I want is another A630. I explain to him that getting another A630 would be postponing this situation for another few months. After I explained to him that T-Mobile pulled the phones (less than 6 months after carrying them) for, among other things, the recurrent charging issue he agreed that I probably wouldn’t want another A630. So, after a 15 minute discussion on how I would think that T-Mobile would want to keep a customer that pays around $100 a month for phone service (and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future) as compared to losing a customer for a $350 phone made absolutely perfect sense. After this discussion and realization on Dwight’s part he realized that making me somewhat happy would probably be the best recourse. So, he agreed to sell me a phone (from a different manufacturer) for a greatly reduced cost (basically their cost) of around $77 and that he would “waive” the shipping cost as a “courtesy”. Now, I told Dwight that I am still getting hosed on this one and that I am basically eating the cost of the A630 ($350) after 6 months and that I am not too happy about that. Dwight agreed that I had a right not to be happy…but, that he could do nothing about it…ridiculous. So, Dwight gave me the phone number for Motorola….to which, he said I could carry my complaint. So, after about an hour (lunch break) I decided that the conversation was going no where with Dwight and that I needed to escalate it once again. So, I asked Dwight to transfer me to his supervisor…of course, Dwight did not want to do this and told me that there was no way that his supervisor was available or that I could contact him. So, I politely told Dwight that he was full of the smelly brown stuff and that I found it hard to believe that a supervisor at a telecommunication company was unreachable. I explained to Dwight that under consumer protection laws that he had an obligation to honestly present the facts to a consumer and that by telling me that his supervisor “was not reachable” that he was indeed violating my rights as a consumer…so, once I explained that to Dwight I asked him if that was his intention. So, Dwight immediately transferred me to his supervisor’s voicemail. So, I left Roland a nice voicemail and asked him to get back to me at his earliest convenience. Of course, I have yet to here from Roland…I am not sure when his earliest convenience will be, but I am going to bet it is not going to be ASAP. So, I left the T-Mobile store slightly frustrated, realizing that in today’s day and age that indeed the consumer is really on his/her own. So, I get back to the office…and call Motorola. Of course I get some “Foreign Customer Service Agent” (FCSA) that I can barely understand and who can barely understand me…I had to repeat my number four times…four times. Who has to repeat a ten digit number four times for it to be heard? Ridiculous. Anyway, after explaining my situation to the FCSA and relaying to her that I did not want another A630; she told me that they would gladly fix it or replace it. This, after detailing that I did not want, under any circumstances, another A630…it was like talking to a Customer Service Robot. I don’t know where they get these people. So, I told her that Motorola just lost a customer of 11 years. So, what was her response? “Is there anything else I can help you with?” Help me with…you didn’t help me in the first place. So, I just hung up…frustrated…and quite frankly pissed. In this day and age we cannot get customer service. I tell you, it is ridiculous that a company cannot help their customers resolve their issues. It makes me appreciate companies that go out of their way to resolve issues. So, having said all of that, what is my recourse? Well, I am going to write some letters to the executives of both companies and relay my “wonderful” experiences. I am not one to just take a kicking and stay down…I always get up and I always get up with my fists up. In this case, I have just taken off my gloves. This is round one…round two is mine all the way.

The Dreaded Memphis Three-Lane Sweep...A Step-by-Step Look at this Memphis Phenomenon

2005-09-19T23:18:00.000+08:00

For those of you who are not from Memphis, have never lived in Memphis and care nothing about Memphis…please pay no attention to this diatribe. The infamous and now sorely rampant Memphis Three Lane Sweep. I am sure all of you have seen it; but, maybe you just didn’t know what happened. It goes a little something like this. You’re on the South Loop of I-240, somewhere between Airways and Perkins. You’re cruising along nicely at 70 miles an hour in the right lane and keeping up with the flow of traffic. The weather is nice, so you have the windows down and Tom Petty is on XM and the lyrics to Learning to Fly are reverberating in your soul. Suddenly and without warning a 1994 Nissan Altima with only one hubcap, a cracked rear window, a broken left rear turn-signal, a dent the size of Rhode Island in the right rear quarter panel, window tint four shades past legal, and a license plate taped to the said cracked rear window comes out of no where and is now attempting to take your space in the right lane without a turn-signal. You’re faced with a monumental decision, you can: (a) take one for the team and learn why two objects can not exist in the same space without a violent reaction, a little thing we like to call an accident; (b) slam on your brakes as the “bogey” sweeps into your lane and pray to God that the driver behind you is paying attention; and (c) swerve to the right to avoid the Scud that was just launched at you and pray, again to God, that you don’t hit a car abandoned in the emergency lane, wrap your car around a light pole, and/or lose control of your vehicle and fly through the median and end up in a ditch, while Tom Petty’s song “Learning to Fly” has just taken on a whole new meaning. You have just been the victim of…drum roll please…the Memphis Three Lane Sweep. What exactly just happened and why is it called the Memphis Three Lane Sweep (MTLS)?

I’ll break it down in an easy to follow step-by-step process:

Step 1.

The driver of the Altima Scud; which we will hence forth refer to as the “bogey” has been driving along at 75mph in the far left lane listening to his/her preferred choice of music, talking on his/her cell phone to one of their friends and/or relatives, slapping one of the unbuckled rugrats in the back all while slurping on their favorite beverage of the day. This is your “typical” Memphis driver cruising the highways and byways of Memphis; un-alert, preoccupied, and highly dangerous.

Step 2.

The driver of the Bogey, has just decided that they want to take the next exit a mere 270 yards down the road. Now at this point the rational, sane, and well educated driver will consider their options. First off, they will first decide if they can safely make the exit if they can’t they will continue to the next exit and make their way to their location without any further delay. If they can make the exit they will turn their right turn signal on and begin to look for an opening in traffic. They will proceed to change lanes, when and only if there is a safe opening in traffic. They will continue to do this while maintaining a speed relative to the flow of traffic. They will not slam on their brakes and wait for traffic to clear nor will they accelerate like an F-18 off the end of an aircraft carrier. If the traffic allows for it they will make it to their exit; if not they will, as stated earlier, continue onward to the next exit. But, we are not dealing with a rational, sane, or well educated driver. Rather we are dealing with an irrational individual, that is probably a few tacos short of a combo plate, and more than likely not well educated. So, what does this driver do, well that is the beauty of it…no one knows what he/she is going to do…they don’t even know what they are going to do themselves. That is the beauty of it all.

Step 3.

Realizing that their desired exit is now less than 270 yards away and closing fast at their current cruising speed the driver of the bogey is going to go through the following thought process before deciding what to do: ______________________. That’s right they will think of absolutely nothing. Shockingly enough they will not have a thought process before deciding what to do. That is the beauty of your average Memphis driver, when you don’t have a thought process you don’t think of the consequences of your actions. Brilliant. So, having gone through absolutely no thought process what-so-ever; the following actions are going to be caused by the driver of the bogey: (a) they are immediately going to slam on their brakes, while beginning a sharp right hand turn towards the exit that is still quickly approaching; (b) the driver will not signal nor will they look to see if traffic will allow for their kamikaze driving maneuver; and (c) finally they will not consider the reactions that may occur from their actions. Rather in their state of ignorant bliss they will head for their exit in a kamikaze like manner with no regard for the welfare, safety, or reactions of anyone else on the Interstate. Beautiful.

Step 4.

This is where you, cruising along nicely and enjoying Tom Petty, are about to meet the Bogey in the right lane of traffic. The Bogey closing in on your vehicle at 65mph and now at a 45 degree down angle has just cut off a soccer-mom in the middle lane, forcing her to slam on the brakes of her Cadillac Escalade, thereby tossing her Grande Caramel Macchiato all across the dash. The driver of the car immediately behind her has to slam on their brakes and swerve to the left to avoid permanently imprinting the hood of their car with a Cadillac emblem. The Bogey, at this point, still has no idea that they narrowly missed causing a 20 car pile-up and possible injury/death to numerous drivers and is steadily tracking for an impact with your driver-side door. Of course, the blissfully unaware and moronic driver of the Bogey has yet to look away from their exit and has no idea they are about to impact the side of your vehicle. They are on a kamikaze mission and will be damned if anyone is going to get in their way. You are now in decision mode and have only the previously stated options: (a) take one for the team and learn why two objects can not exist in the same space without a violent reaction, a little thing we like to call an accident; (b) slam on your brakes as the “bogey” sweeps into your lane and pray to God that the driver behind you is paying attention; and (c) swerve to the right to avoid the Scud that was just launched at you and pray, again to God, that you don’t hit a car abandoned in the emergency lane, wrap your car around a light pole, and or lose control of your vehicle and fly through the median and end up in a ditch, with Tom Petty’s song “Learning to Fly” taking on a whole new meaning.

Step 5.

You look in your rearview mirror and decide that the car behind you is far enough back and is not going to end up in your backseat as you slam on the brakes and lay on the horn while stringing together a string of expletives that would make a sailor blush, with the bogey narrowly missing you as they careen onto the exit ramp with the last remaining hubcap flying off. The hubcap rolls off into the distance like some eerie warning to those who actually care about their cars. You’ve just survived a classic MTLS and the best part of the whole thing is that the oblivious driver, that almost sent you to the hospital, flips you off as they drive away because you had the audacity to honk your horn at them.

You got to love Memphis.

The Week In Review

2005-09-17T02:27:00.000+08:00

Well, the week is over and here we are about to enter into another weekend...hopefully we won't be facing another "surprise" hurricane bearing down on a major U.S. city on Monday morning. So here is my take on the week.

Judge John Roberts finished his confirmation hearings this week and will be the next Supreme Court Chief Justice. I personally have never met Judge Roberts but, from listening to his confirmation hearings I have to say that I am completely impressed. I have never heard a more polished and composed individual under such circumstances. Of course, despite his outstanding credentials some democrats won't vote for him solely based on the fact that he is a Republican nominee. Yes, there are still idiots out there. And, I am further moved to believe that Sen. Kennedy is indeed a moron. After listening to his questioning of Judge Roberts I was utterly amazed that a supposed intelligent man would repeatedly ask a Supreme Court nominee how they would rule on specific cases...asinine. So, having concluded his hearings on Thursday the "special interest" groups will begin their ranting and raving about how Judge Roberts, being a conservative, is going to bring an end to the world as we know. I can't wait to hear the brilliant intellects at NOW throw their normal moronic diatribe out there and of course the NAACP will throw their normal "interesting" statements out there. I am sure they will, as Theodore Shaw, president and director of the NAACP's Legal Defense Fund stated the following earlier this week: "Our review of the available record has led us to conclude that John G. Roberts Jr. has been hostile to the corpus of civil rights and constitutional law." Are you kidding me...Hostile towards constitutional law? I want to know where these people live and what kind of drugs they are on. Of course these are the same intelligent people that support rapper Kanye West's delirious statement that, "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

So, this leads me into Katrina and Kanye...perhaps I am remiss in saying this but, does Kanye West have a quarter of a clue about what he is talking about? Watching his ranting was similar to watching a 2nd grader talk about someone pushing them during recess..."and then...and...and...he...doesn't like me." I mean seriously does this idiot actually believe that the President of the United States doesn't like black people. Hey Kanye, have you looked at who President Bush has as his Secretary of State...none other then Condoleeza Rice. And correct me if I am wrong but, the last time I checked I think she is "black". So, Kanye get a clue or do us all a favor and quit breathing. Seriously, it amazes me that these people survive childhood. Someone with the apparent intelligence of Kanye probably played on the freeway as a young child. Stick to what you know Kanye and stay out of politics until you graduate college...one semester at Columbia College in Chicago doesn't count as an education buddy...oh, and one more thing if you are going to rant on about someone...try complete sentences...it usually helps. So, needless to say I think Kanye stepped a bit outside of his "comfort zone" and had I been standing next to Kanye, instead of Mr. Meyers, he would have been slapped back into his "comfort" zone rather abruptly with one simple question: "Mr. West what do you base this outlandish claim upon?" Which, I am sure would have stunned him into silence. And by the way, it is President George Bush...at least have some respect.

So, on Katrina. For those who think we are doing a bad job. Please submit to me a detailed thesis on how you would have handled a natural disaster effecting over 90,000 square miles with a credible warning of less than 72 hours. That's right the National Hurricane Center's own Probability of Hit analysis on Friday, August 26, 2005 predicted a strike probability on New Orleans of only 17%. Needless to say it is a shame that so many people were affected; but, we are dealing with Mother Nature here and she is the most devastating force period. Sure things could have been done differently here and maybe faster here; but, I for one think we are doing a pretty good job. Can you imagine if that tragedy took place in someplace like Sri Lanka or Thailand…oh, that’s right it did and an estimated 170,000 to 250,000 people were killed. That’s right they are still counting the bodies. In areas of Indonesia they were still finding 500 bodies a day in February of 2005. I was in Thailand shortly after the Tsunami and I can tell you first hand that our response to Katrina is light years ahead of anything anyone else could have performed. Just think of the sheer fact that we had over 300 U.S. Military helicopters in the area 72 hours after the incident performing rescues and attempting to repair the levees. Trust me getting 300 helicopters and their support to a region that quickly is amazing. Logistically speaking we are doing a great job. I know what everyone is going to say…what about the poor people at the Convention Center. Sure, we probably could have swooped in and gotten them out of there earlier. But, seriously where would we have taken them. I think people are forgetting that it is not just a matter of moving people from Point A to Point B. Unless you have point B prepared and ready to handle a situation, all you have done is transferred your problem from one point to the next. So, having said that…for anyone who has ever attempted to handle the life-support functions for 30,000 it is a bit more difficult then simply moving people from one point to the next. Have I handled 30,000 people, no…I have not; however, my father has and he will tell you it isn’t a walk in the park. So, before you start jabbering about this or that…actually sit back and think about what it takes to literally move a small city. How many towns, cities, do you know that are around 30,000 people? Now, think of moving that entire town, to an unprepared location, in 72 hours…can’t be done...how about a week…hmmm…probably a little more practical. If you will recall as of September 4, 2005 the Convention center and the Superdome were cleared out, that is six days…and both locations had more than 25,000 people at them. So, think about it in that context and you may not be so quick to judge; in fact, you will probably think the Federal Government did a great job under the circumstances and that is my position. Am, I just a sideline guy here…no, I am not I am headed down to Louisiana next Friday to aid in relief work. So, expect pictures and a full report in about 10 days.

Well, what else has happened this week? We have President Putin in Washington D.C. today. Is it just me or am I right to not fully trust a former KGB officer? Well, I think Putin is moving in the right direction; but, I firmly believe he is always watching out for his numero uno or the good ol’ Russia. All I say to you Mr. President Bush is watch this guy.

What about Iran? Here is my take on Iran and “yes”, I have some experience with the fanatical Iranians that are slowly taking over that country…and “no” I will not disclose that experience. The fanatical Iranians are pouring into Iraq and attempting to destabilize that country. I simply ask what in the world is going on when a known terrorist is now leading a nation. Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad has been positively identified by at least six U.S. hostages as a ringleader in the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover. And I am going to go out on a limb here and say I bet you none of those guys will ever forget the faces of the terrorists that held them captive. He has also been identified by former Iranian President Bani Sadr as Ayatollah Khomeini's liaison with the hostage takers…hmmm…sounds pretty much like a “sure thing” to me. And, to add icing to the cake he stands accused of the murder of a Kurdish leader in Vienna by officials in Austria who say they have compelling evidence and want an arrest warrant sworn for him. Oh, but that is not all folks, as mayor of Tehran, he was one of the principal forces behind a campaign to recruit and train suicide bombers throughout the country. So, how does a guy like this become the President? Well, simply put – Iran has quickly become a fundamentalist country under control of radical Muslims that are all about Fatwa’s and bringing down the great Satan (that would be the United States). I would have to say that to truly understand how fundamentalist Muslims have taken a firm grip on the country you have to understand the revolution that occurred in 1979. So, go get some books and learn about it. Read “In The Walled Gardens” by, Anahita Firouz an awesome book that gives you some insight in how vastly different the country is today from the 1970’s. Of course, I will clarify that I think Iran still has its own internal fight to win. The young generation there is not too happy with the radicals that are leading that country. So, there very well could be another Iranian Revolution. I for one hope there is; for if there isn’t and the radicals continue to secure that country we could be seriously facing a terrorist nation much like Libya in the 80’s and with the resources, wealth, and fanaticism available in Iran the West could be in serious trouble. Remember folks that all things start small. Remember how World War I was sparked to ignition by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian-Serb student, in Sarajevo. I guarantee you that Mr. Princip did not envision that his gunshot would result in a 13 kiloton nuclear weapon being dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and a 20 kiloton nuclear weapon being dropped on Nagasaki a day later. Little things can have big consequences and they are not always anticipated. So, I would consider a known terrorist becoming president of a rather fundamentalist country an item we should all watch carefully.

I would be remiss if I did not mention that the new season of Survivor started…Survivor Guatemala. Am I interested in Survivor, not really but since I did almost make it on the show. I am curious as to what I would have been doing. Apparently it started with a 13 mile trek through the jungle with all their gear. Well, no problem and I guarantee you I would have advised that everyone drink a bit more than they did and take a little more time. It is better to be fit for the long haul. Those folks are in serious trouble for the rest of their stint. In ideal conditions they could recover rather quickly but, they are definitely not in an ideal situation. I imagine some of the men and women will be suffering directly from the “sprint” that they did on the first day. Remember that the turtle beat the jackrabbit.

Rockstar INXS…we are down to the final three and as I have said all along...they are going to pick JD. It is not a matter of the other two being bad or anything at all...on the contrary, they are all very gifted. I just think that JD fits with INXS more so than the others do and a band is all about fit.

So, on that note...I hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay safe, don’t drink and drive and remember to say your prayers to God because we are all very blessed.

Katrina - Not a National Shame

2005-09-16T01:27:00.000+08:00

So, I get home last night after a long day of contributing to society to find the latest edition of Newsweek awaiting me.

Now, I must be rather clear on the front-side; I think that Newsweek is probably one of my least favorite magazines and only receive it through a free subscription. I do enjoy reading it though, solely based on the fact that I enjoy seeing how the liberal media can twist all things to support the left.

The cover states the following: "Poverty, Race and Katrina - Lessons of a National Shame." How dare an organization that literally serves news to the entire world take such an anti-American position as "lessons of a national shame". Katrina is anything but a national shame - Katrina is a natural disaster - a disaster like the 2004 Tsunami, a disaster like hurricane Andrew, a disaster like the San Francisco earthquake, etc. It is not a "national shame" and to those who say that the response by the government (local, state, and federal) was a shame - I say open your eyes and educate yourself prior to making assinie statements.

Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29, 2005, roughly 96 hours after it hit Southern Florida as a weak category I hurricane. On August 25th, as the storm moved across Florida and headed for the warm waters of Gulf of Mexico what, where, when and how Katrina would strike again was anyone's guess. No one knew exactly what was going to happen next and independent of hind-sight no one today can look back to the 25th of August and say, "yeah, I saw all of this coming." It wasn't until Thursday, August 27, 2005 and Friday, August 28, 2005 that Katrina's future could start to be correctly determined. I have thoroughly researched the National Hurricane Center's (NHC) advisories, forecasts, strike probabilities, etc. over the last several days; and here is what I have found. As of Saturday, August 27, at 2200 EDT the NHC had still only predicted a 26% chance that the eye of Hurricane Katrina would pass within a 65 miles window of New Orleans...a 26% on Saturday night. So, having said that...and listening to the whines of all the "talking heads" of where was the support, where was the staging, where was the relief workers, where was the military...as of Saturday night there was only a predicted 26% chance that New Orleans was going to get hit by Katrina. So, my question to all these people is - with only a 26% chance that New Orleans was going to get hit...why move everything there as so many have apparently thought appropriate?

As of Friday, August 26, 2005 the NHC predicted a strike probability on New Orleans of only 17%. With that information in mind and the majority of individuals already beginning their weekend all over the United States, what would all the detractors have done? Would they have called out the 82nd Airborne and had them head to Louisiana. Now remember that the 82nd Airborne is one of the only "major" U.S. Military units that is available for rapid deployment. Would they have staged relief supplies for hundreds of thousands just outside of New Orleans. let's be honest with the weekend upon the United States and a still unpredictable storm, there really was nothing more to do than wait and see. It is not always the best answer, but sometimes it is the only answer.

I am not going to deny that mistakes were made, that things could have been done better; I am going to tell you that I am proud of the way America has responded to this natural disaster. We have given more and provided more to the people that were effected by Katrina than any other natural disaster. I just wish that some of the people effected would give as much back as they are being given.

Opening The Garage

2005-09-16T00:19:00.000+08:00

All - you heard it right - Farage's Garage is now open!