Archive for July, 2006

Settling an Argument

Friday, July 21st, 2006

     I’m pretty close to a number of Germans.  They’re very good friends (and family), and I really love them all.

     Occassionally we’ll discuss world events, and since the Middle East is nearly always in turmoil, it tends to come up as a good topic.  I tend to talk at length about the unsettled Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how and why it is often central to the problems that occur there. 

     Typically, my German counterparts will dance around the issue a little.  If they do offer an opinion, I generally forcefully advance and defend my opinions (often too bluntly, I’m told).  Most often, they will eventually offer that they don’t understand why their opinions about Israel don’t carry weight in discussions, from the personal level all the way to the United Nations. 

     I’ll leave that question open to the floor.  I may share my opinion later.

     Here’s some additional reading on modern European anti-Semitism.  Please be aware this is from the Center for Jewish Community Studies, just so you know where the biases lie. 

     Of course, it’s not really fair to analyze one side only without pointing out that there’s been at least some attempt to do something about the recognized problem. 

     For even more information on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I recommend reading Fawaz Turki’s The Disinherited:  Journal of a Palestinian Exile, and Alan Dershowitz’s The Case for Israel. 

Posted in History, International Relations | No Comments »

Chris’ Market Watch

Friday, July 21st, 2006

     I am by no means a professional investor.  I’m not just a hobby investor, either.  Call me a serious amateur, perhaps with a serious lack of time to really get good at being a part-time pro on the side.

     In any case, here are some things I know that I thought I’d share:

  • Capital is the stuff we use to make business go
  • Goods are what capital makes
  • Cash is the medium of exchange to acquire goods or capital
  • Humans are what make capital and cash
  • More humans equals more capital and cash
  • When a population is expanding, so is cash and capital
  • All that cash is going somewhere. . . .

     With all of this in mind, especially the last item, my object is always to try to figure out where everyone is going to start putting their money before they all figure out where they’re going to put their money. 

     In mid-2000 at the start of the big market slide, where did everyone put their money that they pulled out of the stock market that made the market go down? I haven’t done any serious analysis, but I would offer that real estate was booming around that time.  It kept going while the stock market started recovering in 2003, though.  So, where was the money coming from that was floating both real estate and the stock market?

     We know that real estate is now cooling off, and interest rates are probably about to peak.  I suspect a lot of people are doing what I’m doing.  Lately I’ve found some pretty attractive CDs and bonds.  Perhaps everyone else is taking money from stocks and locking in these higher-than-recent average and less risky places?

     Maybe everyone’s gone speculating in oil and gold futures? Note that gold also went up over the last few years, from the $330 range in 2003 (don’t quote me on that year), up to around $730 early this year.  It fell back when the market rallied earlier this year, but has recovered back to $620 or so this summer.

     Then what next? What is everyone else going to start doing next week? 

Posted in Finance | No Comments »

Tropical Paradise

Friday, July 21st, 2006

     The past few days have been somewhat relaxing.  I’m on the island of Okinawa.  I wish I could say I was relaxing and enjoying myself.  I brought plenty of work with me, so I’m working and enjoying myself, as it were. 

     The other great thing is my old deputy "Tank" is stationed over here.  He and I have managed to get together and have dinner twice thus far.

     Hopefully my compatriots and I will be able to blast off out of here and get back to my new home. 

Posted in Asia/Pacific, Travel | No Comments »

Annoyance Resolved

Tuesday, July 18th, 2006

     I’m happy to report that Avis made good on the problem of the parking attendant who tried to make me park anywhere else but where I was because she thought she could.  Management actually got in touch with me and asked some questions, and offered a discount on my next rental. 

     I’m happy now.  I wonder if the parking attendant is, too?

Posted in Business | No Comments »

Typical

Friday, July 14th, 2006

    As so often happens during a permanent change of station, life has been filled with unexpected twists and turns that drinks up free time as fast as a thirsty man in a desert that ran across his first oasis in a hundred miles.  There are the randomly (often inconveniently) placed meetings, changes of command ceremonies, tests, training events, paperwork lost by some office; the list goes on and on.  I haven’t even started flying yet. 

    The silver lining to all of this is that at least we don’t live in the early industrial revolution period, where factory workers were often expected to work 12-16 hour shifts six days a week.

    Of course, I work with a bunch of people who love their work (me included, but not quite to the extent some of my compatriots do).  Over the past several years I’ve become used to twelve hour days, I just keep working until I have to quit to go to sleep.  Somehow I manage to find tons of things to do.  But then, my job doesn’t involve much manual or hard labor.  Perhaps it should, I’d certainly be in better physical shape! 

    Luckily I have a loving and understanding wife who puts up with my work habits.  But then, she works as much as I do, too!
 

Posted in Travel, USAF | No Comments »

Left is Right

Tuesday, July 11th, 2006

    When is the "Left" right? When you’re driving in Japan (or England, or Singapore). 

    I just bought a car with a number of ‘firsts."  It’s my first Toyota.  It’s my first four-wheel drive.  And it’s the first car I’ve bought that has the steering wheel on the right side of the car! 

    I’m still waiting to feel my first earthquake!  

Posted in Asia/Pacific, Travel | No Comments »

Nippon

Friday, July 7th, 2006

     I arrived in Japan for the first time ever about a week-and-a-half ago.  Actually, I’ve touched Japanese soil before (if you count the Narita International Airport terminal ‘soil’) on several occassions.  This was the first time I actually stayed here.

    I had some great sponsorship in getting here, so I knew pretty much what to expect.  Since I’ve been travelling internationally for the past six years, I knew what questions to ask, too. 

    I’m not sure how long it will be until I get to fly over here.  Waiting is always frustrating, especially when one is forced to wait until someone else in some headquarters somewhere finishes some paperwork. 

    So far, the Japanese people have been very friendly and helpful.  The landscape here is nice, there are beaches, a lake, hills, forests, and mountains in the distance.  It’s a bit foggy this season, and cooler than I expected.  But I think I’m going to like it here!

Posted in Asia/Pacific, Travel | No Comments »

Annoyances

Friday, July 7th, 2006

    I was in my hometown of St Louis last week.  There were a couple of issues that came up that I thought I’d vent about.  There isn’t necessarily any rhyme nor reason to it, they’re just little things I found bothersome.

    First, I rented a car while I was home.  Now, the auto rental place was kind enough to upgrade me to mid-sized from the compact/economy rate, as there were no smaller cars available.  This was great! The problem was not with the rental company at all.  The problem was that the car I got to drive (a 2006 Pontiac Gran Prix) had been damaged in an accident at some point earlier.  Whomever damaged it got some body work done and had it substantially repainted.  The only way we figured this out was because the right rear brake and signal did not work.  Lucky for me, I run an aggressive cross-check before changing lanes (a habit learned from substantial time on the Autobahns in Germany), so I never ran into any danger.  But who busts up a car and doesn’t take responsibility for it? If you’re going to get body work done to it, at least have the courtesy to get the critical electrical components working again, too!

    Second, I had to park near the exit of a different car rental agency (Avis) while I waited for my German in-laws to drive out so I could lead them to their hotel through an unfamiliar city.  I did a superb job parking, was in nobody’s way, and remained with the vehicle in case I needed to move it.  As it happened, the Avis security guard ended up directing me to move anyway.  I calmly explained my situation.  She didn’t care.  She told me several times I was blocking the exit.  I looked at her with as much incredulity as possible.  It was clear from any vantage point I was not in anyone’s way whatsoever.  No matter! She was in charge, and she would not be gainsaid.  Luckily for her, my in-laws appeared, and I was able to drive away before I had to get management involved. 

    I wish I could say that was all that bothered me, but that’s all I’ll write about for now.  This particular article has been in ‘Draft’ for two weeks now! 

Posted in Business, United States | No Comments »