The California Office

.

2007-08-10T19:08:00.000-07:00

So much technology...so little productivity

2007-06-25T02:58:00.000-07:00

Its all zeros and ones...

Lately I have been expressing myself on Youtube. So my writing skills have been put on the back burner for a while here.

Today I spent the afternoon trying to book airfare to Tokyo for a business trip next month. My usual keystroke methods seemed to escape me as I tried to scour the web for flight deals and hotel accommodations. There is such a panoply of choice when it comes to booking travel arrangements online that the frustration that comes with discovering just how much you can get ripped off, leads to you spend inordinate amounts of time cruising for a better deal.

Whether it was the Korean Air website telling me that they did not take amex if I was logging in from Korea, or finding out that if I logged into the site as if I was currently in the US, I would be paying an extra US$200 for the same round trip ticket from Seoul to Narita, it just did not come together for me today...at all.

The technology at our disposal today is staggering. Always something new to discover and always something new to learn. And just when you thought you knew how to navigate a particular site to get something done, the company decides to change the design and alter the efficient work-flow that you have committed to memory. Not to mention internet banking and all of the paranoia that goes with trying to actually use your account to purchase something and paying for all of the "newest" security measures that they implement each and every day.

I only had to make one phone call to customer service to verify if my master-card had been verified so I could use it to book a fare. The anxiety that goes along with dealing with bank customer service is similar to smoking in that it can take days off of ones life.

So...I took a break and went out for a walk only to have it start raining on me....

Monday....

Self imposed exile

2007-04-01T11:39:00.001-07:00

So I have made the decision to again take on expatriate status, move myself overseas and open an office for my business to seek opportunity and career advancement, let alone the pursuit of happiness.

I have been an expatriate before while living and working in Singapore during the financial crisis of the late 1990's. This time I will be more of an political exile. I will maintain my US passport and keep my main corporate offices in the US, but will not be seeking any US revenue generating projects that will be subjected to tax that will go to fund such creations as the War on Terror of support further the treasonous Bush administration.

Due to the policy and decision making of the current US government, I am forced to make economic, moral and business judgments now that leave me no options to remain in the US. I will continue to grow my business and live a life seeking liberty and the pursuit of happiness outside of the US. I refuse to allow my tax dollars to fund the current government's strategy to create perpetual war in order to generate profits that fuel their thirst for the domination of the middle east. This conspiracy to high jack the US government and use my military to carry out the wishes of a few delusional criminals is beyond the pale of rationality.

I voted for the pullout of our military in the elections last November 2006, have written letters to my congressman communicating my opposition to the growing militarism in the US, made and uploaded videos protesting the war to subscribers of my videos, done exhaustive research into the motivations of the current war effort by the Bush administration that have proven to be beyond high treason, as well as marched in the many peace rallies that have occurred on the streets of San Francisco in the past few years. All this has not effected the momentum of war and is only producing more plans for more wars.

So I must leave my country now in order to survive. I am not with "them" I am against "them". For it is clear that "they" have taken over my nation and have successfully perverted its values and ideals that allow for someone who plays by the rules to exist freely and honestly. I will remain a watchful hawk in my new home overseas, and do what I can to effect change from there. This is no April fools joke...

May god bless the United States of America and its honest tax paying citizens who are forced to support murderous fascist war criminals.

Seoul

2007-02-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Women in need of......not men!

2007-01-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

So it is confirmed now from more than one source that a majority of women are now single and pursuing life outside of marriage.

For so many years women have thought they needed men in order to survive, and now that maxim is no longer the case. Due to education, financial independence and a whole host of companies targeting them, women are questioning the validity of being in a marriage or even a relationship with a member of the male species.

They seek adventure, self-actualiztion, career advancement, travel and exposure to the world that is now open to them and supporting their curiosities and money.

From New York to Seoul women are now able to seek what they really want out of life; understanding, support, conversation, independence and someone else to to the cooking and cleaning. In place of nurturing their maternal instincts, they are climbing mountains, building businesses, organizing tour groups, running for public office as well as seeking out new relationships with none other than.....other women.

Men have fallen by the wayside as the new woman of the world no longer needs the support that he offered in days past. He can be seen now in the bar, the shop and the office scratching his head as he tries to understand why he has just been rebuffed for trying to carry on a conversation with a female.

As a result, many men have taken advantage of globalization to seek out the company and companionship of women from other exotic locales that do not have the pretense or attitudes that they find in their native lands. This has created an ever widening riff between he and women when they return home. They are finding that a wall has been erected between the sexes and that their techniques for charming and cajoling no longer hold the allure they once had. Legislation has been passed that make their behaviors of the past illegal in some states and what once worked to gain satisfaction is now met with sneering and disdain on the part of females who have educated themselves beyond what they need from men.

Women are now free...Free to find out or themselves that the world is their oyster. I do hope they enjoy themselves....

1st. Lt. Watada - Conscientious Rejector

2007-01-23T08:26:00.001-08:00

1st. Lt. Watada - Conscientious Rejector

Take some action!!!

2007-01-19T22:25:00.001-08:00

Take some action!!!

The troop increase...

2007-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

This is yet another bad idea from the mouth(s) of the US's mad administration.

In November 06, public opinion overwhelmingly voted for a change in IraQ foreign policy. It is no surprise to me to see the current administration twist this into yet another reason to spend more lives and tax revenue on a failed project. The opportunism and war profiteering being displayed here is unprecedented in world history. Rather than pull US forces and redeploy from the region they are planning an increase to bolster their new world order plan to make American the most hated nation on the face of the earth.

In the end it is my hope that it is not the American people who will appear as having lost the war, but the Neo-Con jingoists who high-jacked the government for the purpose of infesting the middle east with a form of US cancer. Military bases, occupying troops and fat no limit construction contracts are their delusional dreams that desire the of controlling the worlds only remaining plentiful oil and natural gas reserves.

President GW Bush and his cabinet are the ones responsible for this horrific mess, not the American electorate.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T20:48:00.000-08:00

Good bye 2006 and hello 2007. A few goals and challenges I am considering for the new year.

1) Procure a bicycle and use it to ride to my downtown office.
2) Eclipse my ignorance of all of the exotic fish and shellfish varieties at the Chinese grocery.
3) Give away my collected change to street homeless.
4) Plant a tree.
5) Join yoga studio
6) More surfing
7) Reduce debt levels
8) Submit award projects to Bizweek
9) Body sculpting experiments.
10) Establish JV in S Korea.
11) Use less gasoline and electricity.
12) Collect and drink more wine from France and Chile.
13)

Why California???

2006-12-31T12:01:00.000-08:00

So I've lived in this rather peculiar state of California for some time now....

This introductory greeting is for those new to my blog. I've posted it with the date December 31st, in order to keep it at the very top of my blog entries for new readers. For those of you who are regular readers, contributors, lurkers, and voyeurs continue on down past this entry for the most recent views, opinion and occasional comments....

We are a republic here in California. That fact did not mean anything to me when I arrived many years ago. But, to know that we are a self sustaining tribe out here on the west coast explains a lot when you wonder why California is so unique. You want almonds....just drive to the central valley. Need a small countries infrastructure modernized or built from scratch, just give Bechtel in San Francisco a call. Need some ballistic missiles to go with that new country, email Northrop Grumman or Hughes down in Los Angeles. Need some internet technologies that will vault your business into the next millennium, head over to Silicon valley and have a lunch on University Avenue in Palo Alto. Oil? Need oil, we got that too. Gobs of it. We can prospect for it, drill for it, transfer it, refine it and turn it into a bazillion other products with our refining capacity.

All those wonks back east are all following their tails around in circles. I feel for them as they are unable to really know what it means to exercise 100% of American freedom on a day to day basis. Here in California we push the envelope on freedom each day. Its hard to describe, but it sure feels nice.

I've lived and traveled the world over, lived in many of the United States and have visited all 50 states except Mississippi, Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii and the Carolinas. So I know how special California is. From golfing in Indio, racing across the Mojave desert at 130 mph, surfing in LA, the design community in the Silicon Valley to the San Francisco Ballet, scuba diving in Monterey, wine and spas in Napa, snowboarding in Tahoe, fishing on the Klamath River in Eureka, panning for gold in Sonora or climbing Mt. Shasta we got it all. Oh! and don't for get the fabulous food.

Having it all shapes our politics and our views. We are different, we are crazy and we are more sane than the rest of the world out here in California. So bookmark my blog...and let me know from time to time if your infuriated, jealous, curious, disgusted, intrigued or elated to know more about my views and opinion from the state of California...

Revealing yourself

2006-12-27T21:44:00.000-08:00

I've recently shared some of my life's details to a very close personal friend of mine. It was necessary to do so as is the case with most relationships that are close and involve a lot of intimacy.

The relationship began on an open platform with 100% honesty and includes refreshing dialogue and wonderful intellectual exchanges. We even share emotions of happiness as well as frustration and sorrow. I am comfortable even sharing crisis and even bad news, so I know that this person is indeed someone I needed to know more of, as there are few that I know that are capable of this kind of trust.

One of the things that is most difficult for adults to do is to be frank and honest about their lives and what is going on in them. One of the reasons this is so difficult for many is that merely finding the right words to articulate what is happening with objectivity and detail is sometimes just too odd or embarrassing or revealing too much. So we as adults hold back and utilize discretion in our relationships in order to maintain them....or so we think.

Being honest and truthful about what is going on in the world seems to be in short supply these days. So when you do come out and reveal detailed truth about a subject on yourself it can be and fraught with anxiety. Some truth has the ability to change the way a relationship is progressing. It can stop it short, depending on how insecure the parties involved are.

It is especially scary to share yourself with someone who uses a different cultural measurement method than you do. Even more difficult if there are language interpretation issues as well. How your information is perceived is always filled with the risk of misunderstanding. It is best just to get it out however, and let the chips fall as they may. This way you are being honest and the other person is given the truth which is one of the higher forms of relationship success I think. No sugar coating involved.

There is risk in revealing yourself and sharing the details of your life. People can be repelled and not want to believe what you might be telling them. Given time however, the truth has a chance to sink in and settle. It is these moments that shape the future of any relationship.

Being honest takes a lot of courage on both sides of the conversation. One side needs to be able to deliver truth eloquently and succinctly and the other's responsibility is just as difficult in receiving such truth. The reason it is difficult is that things change as a result of the new sharing of information.

Then the question remains....can you now move forward with this new added truth? It is always a mystery, and should be treated on a case by case basis I think.

Political Rant #5

2006-12-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, George Bush, Dick Cheney, Richard Perle...

Who are these guys?

Paul Wolfowitz most notably was Deputy Secretary of Defence for the current Bush administration and architect of Bush's foreign policy and the war in Iraq. He also served as Director of Policy Planning in the Defense Department during the 1970s during the Carter Administration. Has a Chicago school view of the world that includes and promotes neoconservative values. He currently is now serving at the world bank and maintains a Arab mistress after leaving his wife after 30+ years of marriage.

Donald Rumsfeld is now former Defense Secretary that served the Bush Administration. He also served as Secretary of Defense under President Gerald Ford where he implemented foreign policy issues that included selling arms to Iraq and giving Saddam Hussein military power. Born in Chicago, Illinois and educated at Princeton in New Jersey.

George W. Bush is the current sitting US President. Before serving the United States was governor of the state of Texas. Held a series of executive positions in the private sector for a failed energy firm and professional baseball team. His father served as President of the United States. Educated at both Yale and Harvard Universities.

Dick Cheney is currently the Vice President of the United States. Held positions of chief of staff for Gerald Ford and Defense Secretary under George H.W. Bush. Began his education at Yale but left after a poor academic performance to return to the University of Wyoming where he earned bachelors and masters degrees. Past CEO of Haliburton and current share holder.

Richard Perle was Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee Chairman serving under George W Bush. Served as Secretary of Defense during the Regan Administration. Born in New York City and educated at the University of Southern California, London School of Economics and Princeton.

So...what can we learn from these guys? It is clear that all of them were given a chance to seek personal revenge using the United States Government and its military power. All were given the opportunity to serve in the US government during their careers and were allowed to seek revenge for their short comings that they developed early in their careers later on in their lives.

It is this precise reason of vengeance that the US government has checks and balances for its awesome power it has been given and developed. The framers of the constitution were very wise in their design of the United States Government. They knew that creating a system of government that was based on constantly introducing new ideas, new minds and new approaches to government that it would lead the way to an enlightened world.

It is a colossal error and an egregious abuse of power that we the US citizens have allowed to transpire. All of these men were given the chance to serve their government once. By means of circumventing the rules of government they were able to high jack the US government again later in their careers to carry out a Neo-conservative agenda that served to right the wrongs that they had created for themselves earlier in their careers. Effectively giving them the power to exercise their vengeance to cover their mistakes made previously in their careers.

You should only get one chance to exercise the power of the US government and be given the opportunity to make world a better place. Anything more is obviously an opportunity to seek revenge.

Shark Attack!

2006-12-12T20:49:00.000-08:00

The waters off of Marin Country have spoken!

Each year it seems there is a report of a surfer getting the bite from a migrating Great White Shark.

Those waters are indeed rough up near Guerneville. This guy got it on his ass this year. If it were not for his board I am sure it could have been much worse.

Surfer safety seems to always need improving. Perhaps a marine life radar can be designed to give early warning of approaching danger....hmmmm?

Web 3.0

2006-11-28T21:54:00.001-08:00

It can be argued that web 2.0 will bring the coming of the social networking of the internet. Where read only markup language will give way to user generated content and ubiquity of broadband will permeate everywhere in society. Jane meets Jintek using match.com, myspace or YouTube, they agree to work together, agreeing to utilize the power of the web as they are 7000 miles apart. The project is such a success they decide to become romantically linked in a relationship despite the distance that separates them. This is web 2.0.

Well as far as I am concerned, web 2.0 is already here and the beginning of the end has started. One of the hall marks of the maturity of the web 3.0 era will be when you ask a younger person than yourself, "How large is your hard drive?" The answer will be, " I have never had a hard drive. Everything I have ever created, captured, shared and stored is online." Information will become more 3D in is presentation and the tangible quality of data will continue to mature in the 3.0 era.

Imagine being able to know exactly how many gallons of gasoline you have purchased in your lifetime at any given time of the day. Personal data matrices will allow such "conciousness driven" data bases to exist to let us know how much of the world we are consuming in order to exist on the planet. Exactly how many more calories will I burn if I run just one more block, or exactly how much intelligence did I just lose by being out late last night drinking with my coworkers? These questions and others will be able to be immediately answered in the web 3.0 era.

When you look at your wardrobe and get that all familiar "I need new clothes" feeling, all you will have to do is click "buy" and new wardrobe choices will be sent to you via the mail the next day because of the running and stored selections you have been making online everyday, but were not just ready to buy yet.

Web 3.0 will build on top of the sophisticated social interaction that has been built during the web 2.0 period. It will be smarter, more anticipatory and more efficient as all of our choices, emotions and ideas will be digital first before they become tangible.

JROTC in San Francisco

2006-11-19T14:33:00.000-08:00

The San Francisco Board of Education is currently in the throws of eliminating the JROTC program from its schools. Many are coming out against the organization as a recruitment tool and indoctrination organization that turns people into monsters to do the bidding of the evil military industrial complex.

This is a small action agaist the current momentum in our society of militarism that is destroying our democracy and efforts to spread security, stability, peace and prosperity around the world. I for one am in full support of such an elimination of program that turns the nations young people into fodder for the military industrial complex that values corporate profits and greed over the growth of democracy and benign market economic forces at the expense of innocent youths. In seeing such support, I recall a scene while I was living in Singapore that foreshadowed my strong opinion on this subject.

It was a Saturday afternoon and the media had been reporting all week long the arrival of the US Navy into port from manuvres in the South China Sea. I did not quite know what this meant for the streets of Orchard road and the hustle, and bustle of weekend consumers and citizens of the tiny nation state. What I saw shocked me and made me embarrased to be a US citizen.

As I strolled down Orchard Road browsing the storefronts, numerous young (19-23 year old) faces past me by speaking english with an american accent. I soon became obvious to me that these new faces belonged to the US Navy sailors, as they looked out of place amoungst the high end shops and malls that catered to tourists and local consumers. I soon approached a set of stairs that led up to the entrance to an air-conditioned shopping mall. To my dismay was a young Navy sailor passed out and drunk on the steps clearly blocking the way for others to ascend the steps into the mall. I immediately became aware of this sailors state of intoxication as I observed his mouth open, eyes closed and his pants unzipped exposing himself. His pants were also stained with urine that he obvioulsly had not had the coherence to properly discard in a proper restroom and without control, just let fly leaving his pants clearly advertising the fact that he had just pissed in his pants with out even knowing it. There he was, on display like a museum exhibit, for everone who passed by to see as they went about their shopping. This advertisment for the US military immediately sent me into shock.

I was immediately embarrased to be a US citizen. Something up until that point in time had never felt. To come to realize that this is what the face of the US military was presenting to the world made me sick to my stomach and put me into a state of shock for the rest of the afternoon. If there was anything that I could have done to prevent this scene as a US citizen I would have done so tight then and there, but to no avail I was at a loss for words or actions.

So now as we address our role in the world as a hegemonic, greedy, ignorant and war mongering nation, we now have an opportunity to reduce the influence of the beast that is destroying the mission of the United States. Eliminating the source of recruitment for the military is just the beginning of advancement into the future to create dignity and respect the US should be known for by the rest of the world...

So I say to the Haliburtons, the Boeings, The FedExs, the Littons, The Raythons, The McDonell Douglas', the Textrons and all of the othe MIC corporations that seek no-limit contracts at the expense of the US citizens, go get your own !@#$%! militaries to protect your greedy interests around the world and leave the United States Military that is intended for the defense of a free democracy a alone!

Secrets to celebrating your own life...

2006-11-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

To me....the very best libation is Bollinger from the Champagne region in France just east of Paris.

It is dry and crisp and carries with it a feeling of happiness that can improve your day and allow you to share your happiness with others.

Drinking champagne or even sparkling wine if it is of good quality, will indeed improve you enjoyment of life. It has that magical quality of celebration contained inside of it.

So the trick is to not just wait to drink it when there is something to celebrate, but drink it regularly in order to celebrate your own life and increase your level of happiness while sharing it with others.

Giving Bollinger as a gift will always put you in a good light as it is indeed like giving happiness in a bottle.

So...

Get out there and celebrate your life. Find out what things have the ability to put a smile on your face and then keep a stock for drinking and sharing.

Appreciating...

2006-11-15T06:11:00.000-08:00

It is difficult to appreciate life sometimes...

We get caught in our own ambition, our own problems, our own small world that revolves around us...We think if we don't continue to improve that we will be left out or left behind.

We stumble sometimes as humans. We look at people and we think of how they may benefit ourselves. We also look at people and think of how they might make our lives more difficult or challenging. We aim for improvement, but some how we miss the mark sometimes.

Looking for ways to appreciate life is actually one of the more difficult things to do and it must be a priority in life if we are to feel happy. Whether it is the quiet morning, or the train that you just caught on your way home. It could be the sunrise or the sunset. The smile on a young child's face, or the kind words of an older and more wiser person than yourself.

To look at your financial world after leaving the bank and realize that the guy on the street you just past by is in much more dire straits than you are. You wonder to yourself that maybe you are not so bad after all.

To look at a painting on the wall of a beautiful woman and feel the power that is all feminine is a form of appreciation. To truly appreciate that is to take that feeling out into the world and apply it to other women, looking for the same qualities that you saw in the painting on the wall.

Noticing the tiny creatures that land on our shirt sleeve for a breif rest, or watching a cargo ship slip on by ever slow slowly on its way to yet another destination. These are the things that can be seen on an everyday basis but go unnoticed.

Tuning your appreciation allows you to feel calm and happiness. Feeling calm and happiness gives you energy to share it with others. To do so creates more appreciation.

and that is someting the world needs more of each day....

YouTube...

2006-11-12T18:48:00.000-08:00

So....my latest web interest is the amusing YouTube.com.

After spending much time getting to know some of the regular personailities that post videos, I have learned a few things. The production techniques used are quite far ranging in quality, and understanding the various ways people are using the site for fun, commerce, communication, self-expression and meeting new people are just beginning to be developed.

The accessibility that is now available to bypass the reality that traditional media attempts to get us to consume is amazing. It has everything I need from traditional media channels. News, opinion, scandal, entertainment, culture, language, politics, economics, sociology, psychology as well as others are all on demand by the user who sits in front of his or her montitor. (for some it is as addictive as heroin)

No commercials (not yet at least) and once you tune your "YTradar" to differentiate between the struggling actors who are posting mini YouTube dramas in between their real auditions in Los Angeles and those that are being as true to themselves as they can be, you can get the realness that is the human experience from all over the globe.

This "reality" that YouTube is offering is destine to change and influence traditional media and how it packages its content (in order to sell the products of its sponsors). Which will be exciting to watch as the big networks NBC, ABC, CBS and even cable channels are now scrambling to understand and change thier formats to get all of those eyeballs back to watching their sponsors.

YouTube is raw and it is real...

Soon we will be seeing big budgets being formed around YT targeted audiences and the current YouTube webiste will soon launch its second generation site design with much improved tools, navigation techniques and organization innovations. Currently there is much redundancy in accessing the channels one subscribes to and navigating around the entire site. Its almost as if it is still a work in progress mockup.

Big things are coming in media with this new site. I must have cut my television veiwing down to only a few hours now a week as a result.

Look out big media....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

2006-11-08T17:13:00.000-08:00

The Neo-con agenda is dead!

Yesterday the United States clearly sent a message to the current administration that they want changes, and they want them now!

This morning's headlines carried the news of Rumsfeld stepping aside so that yet another one of GW's pals can step into fill of the position of heading the most well funded military in the world. Another Texan will fill the post of SecDef.....Grrrrr!

I am optomistic that with a new Speaker of the house in Nancy Pelosi, there will be some return to bi-partisan efforts to bring the nation forward into a future that includes: fiscal responsibility, a reigned in foreign policy and a focus on the US's role in the balance of power in the world.

The US clearly has an opportunity to shift its prorities and take a step forward into a future of new prosperity and peace. After we extract ourselves from Iraq of course. The sooner the better.

Mark my words....executive pay will become come front and center as an issue that drives much of the new direction if it is so deemed. Get ready to share the wealth you greedy CEOs.

Fantasy thought....
Perhaps there will be legislation discussed and ratified by the new regime that allows the US government to default on all of the federal reserve loans it has taken out to finance the Iraq war. Wouldn't that be a poetic justice...The US government using its power to leave the fed bankers holding the bag on the wasted war....teehee. I know far fetched, but knowing my tax dollars will only go to pay interest on the debt GWB has racked up for the rest of my natural life seems a bit disconcerting.

The HR mentality...

2006-11-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

The Human Resources mentality is by far the most egregious and detrimental to individual talent and the expression of ideas within an organization.

It starts to creep ino the mind of the average worker who does not develop any of their passions or talents. In order to make a living, they move this way towards organizing people or talent in order to move up the ladder and solve problems.

Once they adopt this mentality, they begin to view others as a mere means to and end. This happens at all levels of human organization. Government, Corporations, Educational institutions and especially the Military.

Once seasoned in this skill of HR thinking, the dullard's responsibility is to put together teams of specialists to develop a product, invade a nation, promote a philosophy or promote a particular politial view. They don't have any particular skill or talent, but happen to be in the right place at the right time to take the bait. Once they do, they are now in charge of judging others performance, even if they are not qualified to do so.

Taking the bait means selling out. Selling out means they are now on the other side of the fence and are willing to do the bidding of abstract entities that can destroy individual lives. They fire, they terminate, they let-go, they topple, they close down, they down size, they eliminate, they trim the fat and they do it all in the name of the large beast that pays their pitence of a salary that they so dearly prize.

Having the HR mentality means not having any of your own ideas anymore, and employing the ideas of others who have avoided the mistake of choosing the wrong path. Beacuse they employ the ideas of others, they willfully become pawns to those with perceived power over them. In becoming pawns, they carry out wasteful schemes in the name of perserving their own position because they soon realize they have nothing to offer, but thier enforcement skills of others ideas.

So...be careful of the HR mentality. Learn how to recognize it and avoid it at all costs. In doing so you will maintian your self respect and be genuinely happy in life.

No more skull and bones guys!

2006-11-02T11:18:00.001-08:00

I think it is fairly obvious now that these skull and bones guys are at the root of the United States problems.

I wanted to really respect Kerry and I still do, but it is clear that both he and bush have been programmed from a very young age to carry out an imperialist agenda for the US. The Manchurian Candidate came to mind this week and I cannot ignore its fictional truth and supposition.

The media gaf that Kerry comitted this week and subsequent cancellations of further appearances indicates that he is indeed not up to the challenge for leading the US forward to a clearer and better place in the world.

There is a malaise that hangs around New Haven, Connecticut (Yale University) that breeds fear, paranoia and imperialistic tendencies in the people that live there and go there to become educated. Not to knock Yale's noteriety for being outwardly liberal, but this character that prevails is the result of an opposition philosophy that is the missing link between the radical right and radical left in the US. In other words, Yale is where both radically right and left brains come together to plan the fate of the civilized world.

So...I guess this means another four more years of the Clintons in 2008....

There is a new dynasty on the rise in the US and in the world....watch out!

Western Surfing Association...

2006-10-30T04:59:00.000-08:00

So I checked out the 2nd event on the 06-07 Western Surfing Associations tour down in Santa Cruz a few weeks ago.

The conditions were flat. Flat flat falt, so the competitive surfing scene was nothing to report on. The average rides were less than 20 seconds long and most of the day was spent by the competitors straddling their boards.

It did gve me a glimpse into how the sport develops its talent. Most of the competitors were 12 to 18 years old with a few dads thrown in for good measure. Not much to see this time, but a few photos for your information. One of the more interesting parts of the event was not the young hotties ripping it up on the incoming swell, but was the 2 girls selling home baked cookies on the sidewalk so they could fund a tip to Washington DC. It was refreshing to see such smart young girls working the crowds to better educate themselves.

Working with India...

2006-10-29T11:36:00.003-08:00

I've just finished working on a successful web project with a designer in Kolkata, India.

I have worked with people in India before on design projects, but this one was much different due to the contractual nature of the relationship as well as the communication method. I was able to use Skype to communicate with this new designer and negotiate in real time all of he details that were to be put into the project. Estimates, design reviews, mid project compromises and agreement changes all were refined using this wonderful new tool called Skype.

The project was not a small logo design or graphics project, but a full blown web site that explained and promoted one of my design busniesses. Many flash pages were produced, hundreds of images organized and interactive text blocks were created to communicate the sites content and promotional message.

Payment terms were carried out using paypal which worked smoothly to compensate after each phase of the project was completed.

Files were exchanged using email, online storage sites as well as skype's ability to do file exchange.

Apart from the mid project agreement changes that were raised by India, which we were able to resolve with out a whole lot of drama, I think this project is the first of many to be executed in this new method of globalised commerce and interconnected cultural problem solving. In the course of the project I never met my couterpart in India. Through utilizing the internet, we were able to complete this very complex project without ever seeing eachothers face nor hearing one anothers voice.

Trust building is key in such a business relationship. I was able to build trust with someone I have never met, and acheived results that are superior to that of the old model of face to face meetings and office politics. Effiecency, economy, sophisitcation and trust were all elevated to new levels using this new business project model.

A fine case history study...

Adult communication

2006-10-17T17:44:00.001-07:00

So....my PC has been under the weather these days with some hard drive issues that have been effecting the performance of my notebook computer.

I have been working with technical support for a few days now in trying to get my system back to normal. In working with these guys I realize a few communication issues that are needing improving since all of them are over in India, and this process is carried out through the use of speaker phone.

What I am noticing is that adults need a very specific presentation of information in order to understand and execute such complex technical trouble shooting details such as PC repair. Because the adult brain is so full of information due to a lifetime of absorbing and learning, there needs to be a very measured delivery when learning new information as to not upset what is already there in the brains memory.

I have noticed this with the students I teach as well. Their brains are like sponges and do not need a system of feedback or editing in order to learn or communicate. It is why they are there in school in the first place, so they can learn to communicate as adults later on in life.

The mature mind needs to be told what it is they are going to be learning first, before they are bombarded with new information, in order to understand what it is their instructor, or tech support person is telling them. That little preview of info gives the adult brain something to hang onto when they are adding to their memory's storage capacity. This phenomena was very apparent in my Korean language class I took last summer. Without such preview information, the adult brain is left without a reason as to why the information is important, and relative to what they are doing.

Wrote learners develop their brains much differently, never questioning the information as it enters their brain and is stored away in their memory. The critical mind, which I have found most adults possess, have highly developed "gate keepers" that screen information before it is committed to memory.

This adult brain is willing to absorb new information everyday, however, with out a preview of what is coming down the pike, or an alert of its gatekeeper, the information is slippery and suspect as it enters the brain and it is not channeled and stored properly into the brains memory so as to become valuable to use later, as well as realizing its value in solving problems or using it to navigate everyday life.

So...when ever communicating to mature brains, always grant a preview of what is coming before the technical or verbose meat of the story or info is delivered. It is what separates a good story making sense and entertaining as opposed to irrelevant or nonsense....

Film review...

2006-10-17T09:23:00.001-07:00

So I saw the film Jesus Camp yesterday.

This documentary looks at how the rise of the evangelical movement has effected the teaching of children at a summer religious camp in the state of North Dakota. Made by Hedi Ewing and Rachel Grady, this film looks into the world of how a few American children in North Dakota, Missouri, and Colorado are being raised to become spiritiual warriors for Jesus Christ.

I have a problem with what this film has captured, and am very glad that it was created and is now being distributed for viewing. It illustrated just how much America has changed for the worse, has not learned from history and how the future might get darker if repeated. From the mouths of 5 year old children to the war front in Iraq, this film exposes reasons why the US is careening down a path to destroying itself.

The film raised large contrasts to the youth that I experienced while growing up in the US. The camps I attended both secular and religious, did not teach militant ideas and were not into proselytizing or brain washing me into thinking a certain way in order to advance a set of political values.

In the film, the denial of basic known precepts by the camp and church leaders in science, religion, education, politics and economics were astounding to me. So very different than the ideas that I have come to know as truth or fact.

I saw the systematic twisting of the truth as I know it to be, into a ideology that supports hatred, fanaticism, irrationality, intolerance and complete and utter ignorance for the world around them. All done so in response to a perceived threat overseas where the Muslim population who is supposedly teaching its children to do the same to the US. "You're either with us or agianst us" could be an alternative title to this film.

So what this film points out is that we have now in this world, two VERY SMALL groups of fanatical religious zealots who are training their children to annihilate one another in the future. These 2 groups beleive they have in place the politicians on both sides that support their agenda of war, hatred, intolerance, ignorance, zealotry and militantcy, leaving the rest of us to sit and watch the destruction of the world transpire.

I find it extremely tragic for these children who are being literally brainwashed into supporting the platform and ideas of the modern day Hitler inspired Neo-Nazi like behaving radicals that are the main characters in this film. They are using their own children as well as others to bring and end to the world because of their tragic misinterpretation of what it is to follow the Christian faith and a belief system that represents the idea of God which in essence is love and not hate.

By the way, the name of the leader of the Jesus Camp is Becky Fischer. Fischer is a name whos etymology originates in the nation of Germany. Also lookup etymologies of Rumsfeld (Donald), Wolfowitz (Paul), Perle (Richard), Strauss (Leo) and of course Bush (George W).

Now connect the dots....

Where do we go from here?

2006-10-15T11:25:00.000-07:00

The abundance of evidence that has now been compiled, observed, documented, prepared, sifted through, distilled, collected, organized and presented to the world is out. Its on the web, its on YouTube, its in theatres, on cable tv and its in DVD rental.

Serious doubts and evidence have now been raised with regard to September 11th 2001 and how the truth is being portrayed to the world by the US government. The due diligence is now complete.

Now the question exists, "Where to do we go from here?" How do we bring to trial the leaders of the US government and give them the opportunity to defend themselves. Using the system of justice that exists in the US seems to be the only way. And yet it seems that our government is crippled and infected so badly with these corrupted Bush administration officials that it seems there is no way out to use what is rightfully ours as US citizens, the US justice system.

The US needs a leader or individual to rise up, become elected legitimately, and take control of the process of bringing to trail these criminals who are now destroying the foundation of the US. How this is done remains to be seen, but who ever is elected in 2008 will have to deal with the procecution of war criminals.

But mark my words, we will see justice for these crimes that have been committed, in this lifetime for sure...

Birthdays

2006-10-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

Birthdays are something everyone has...

When we are young, they represent joy and fun and attention. When we are older, they can represent much different emotions and ideas.

Some need people around them to make their birthday feel real and enjoyable. Some shun the spotlight and recluse away from people in order to not be reminded of their aging self.

Birthdays do indeed mark yet another year of life, but at the same time can allow for feelings and emotions only felt on such a day depending on how it is celebrated or spent.

If in fact birthdays are a cause for joy and there are others that contribute to that joyous feeling, then you are indeed obligated to enjoy the day from sun up to sun down. Sharing your birthday with others is an opportunity to feel happy, and sharing that emotion with others is indeed satisfying.

There are no laws or rules for recognizing or celebrating birthdays. If it is not enjoyed, then an opportunity to feel young and be reminded that life is indeed precious can slip away for another 12 months.

Seizing the opportunity to feel young again by enjoying ones birthday is highly recommended. And if you can include someone who makes your birthday feel even more special or enjoyable because they were there to be with you, then that person is indeed a large part of your life and not to be taken for granted.

When someone new to your life recognizes your birthday and helps celebrate, it is a feeling like none other...and should have its own name to describe such a feeling.

I will ponder this today and perhaps have an answer tomorrow....

Film review...

2006-10-10T09:04:00.001-07:00

Ok....so I am a little late in keeping up with film release trends.

None the less, I watched Munich yesterday and gave the fim 4 stars. It was well written, contained suberb cinematography, shot on location all around the world and was very thought provoking.

Yes the film was violent, yes it portrayed the idea of having to defend one's family as justification for killing, and yes it gave a glimpse into how the US funds violence around the world.

Basically Isreal today is an arms depot and cash cow for the United States military. They are one of the US's best customers and hold the title for highest per capita spending on arms in the world.

The film did not explore the motivations of the Arabs who were behind the killings in Munich of the Isreali athletes, and was very vague in making a connection to the reasons the protagonist Avner has for carrying out such a mission for the Mossad intelligence agency.

In the end it is a long 2 hour plus film and needs to be veiwed more than once to pick up on all of the nuaces in the characters, as well as how they are interrelated to one another. The film portrays arabs as both vicious killers and helpless victims, the French as mere brokers of information who are scorned due to World War II governmental indescretions and hire the Isreali's to do thier dirty work.

Speilberg was quoted as saying that he made the film to be thought provoking and not acuse anyone of anything. What provoked my thought is how and why Jew's, Palestinians, Jordainians and others in the region need an actual peice of real estate to call thier own. This ownership idea is hell bent on destruction of the world.

Also noted is the fact that it is a woman who orders men to exact such revenge on a group of people and it is women who give the men in the film reason for feeling good about what it is they are doing with their lives. From the prime minister, to Avner's Mother, the femme fatalistic Dutch spy, his wife and his daughter, all are women, who reluctantly rejoice in what he is doing for Isreal. Making him somewhat of a pawn.

My single marital status does not allow me to understand such motivations of married guys. Perhaps I should get married and have a daughter in order to understand why it is neccessary to kill others.

Rating...4 out of 5 stars.

US Defense department spending update...

2006-10-07T13:38:00.003-07:00

The Army is scrambling for a larger slice of the defense department budget next year.

The New York Times reported today that Rumsfeld is caving into pressure to admit more Army soldiers into the ranks next year. We should all know that this is a smokescreen, which by the way, is how the military operates. Never discolosing their true intention, but utilizing the ulterior motive strategy.

This has the Navy and the Airforce grumbling of course.

This self perpetuating increasing of need for more military might is the root of the US's problems now and in the future. Justifying pre-emptive war to bolster military spending is good for defense contractors who are at the heart of the Neocon agenda to dominate the world economically through the use of egregious conventional military means.

Indeed the current US government is in the buisness provoking both Iran and North Korea currently to justify thier future plans for military increases of budget.

Insanity.....pure insanity...

Living online....

2006-10-07T10:54:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I spent some time creating a spreadsheet that illustrated how much of my financial life is transacted online.

It is amazing to me that everything from paying my credit cards to various insurances, utility bills, retirement accounts, investment portfolios, leasing and rental bills are all now automated and done for me without stamps, file folders and stacks of paper on my desk. My goal is to be able to be anywhere in the world and manage my finacial affairs from any city I happen to be in at the time.

With such management power online, the concern about the whole system crashing, lead me to think about what would I do if such a castrophy were to occur. Creating a printed hard copy matrix of what account is payed with what bank account has lead to a rather lengthy list of accounts, associated links, account numbers, monthly payments and login information. All neatly and graphically organized just incase the system crashes.

With all of this information stored and buzzing around the internet, it is no wonder that fraud is on the rise. Yet, like any malady that obstructs our freedoms temporarily, troublshooting web related finacial issues is and only will become more of our daily life.

As we move towards the future of realizing that some punk in New Jersey has used our credit card to play online games through a company in Delhi, India, we realize that although we are no longer doing things like we used to, we do have a new set of pain in the ass issues to deal with such modern conveniences.

2006-10-05T00:04:00.000-07:00

This is Bill Maher interviewed on the mainstream television program MSNBC Scarborough Country. Be sure to listen to the end where he supports his argument and disdain for the current US administration by siting Bush's support for Raytheon and the contract it has with the US Army. This is the first time I have seen this argument being aired. FINALLY!

Ah! Some main stream media evidence that the tide is turning and the truth is being revealed. Bill Maher, the voice of reason.!

Man the lifeboats!!! The United States is leaking...

2006-09-26T17:30:00.000-07:00

If it isn't the CIA report about the spread and growth of Jihad due to the Iraq war, then it was the leak caused by Guidant and Abbott Labs over the deal to buy Guidant way from Boston Scientific. If not the board of Hewlett Packard leaking info through its recently departed chairwoman, then it is the Bush administration leaking the identity of our own CIA operative Valerie Plame.

The United States has adopted and implemented a new strategy in Machiavellian tactics from the boardroom to the oval office. Today we are a culture obsessed with keeping secrets from each other, only to strategically leak information very carefully out to the public in order to ruin people's careers and spin the facts to support our particular cause.

The media is in league with executives and polititians in order to spin the public about who is rating out who in order to keep the Presidents poll numbers from rising or sinking.

We are a divided nation hell bent on rooting out the enemy which in many cases in our own selves, and exposing them to the public media in order to demonize those that disagree with our cause or ideas.

Hugo Chavez thought he was merely stating the facts when he was standing at the rostrum at the UN last week. In reality he was leaking a whole vat of spin that many have not had the proper vernacular to understand at after 6 years of chaos in the world. There was no call to some obscure reporter at the New York Times or Fox news. He just bypassed all of that secrecy and blasted his strategy from the podium at the United Nations.

You may think that this is nothing new if you are a student of political science. Then again, you may think that each new fall season brings the same forecasts for a long winter.

Either way, we have to look at ourselves in the mirror each day and see if the image we see is doing something good or doing something evil that day.

When parents get old...

2006-09-26T09:53:00.000-07:00

We all have parents of some kind. Some biological, some step parents, some nuclear parents etc etc.

Some of us are close to our parents, some are estranged and some have never even met them.

For those who maintain some sort of relationship with their parents, inevitably they run into the fact that they are growing older and that you now are responsible for them instead of them being responsible for you, if you are to keep the relationship growing and consistant that is. This is just one of the laws of nature I find.

It is at this point where communication styles and heirarchy perceptions must be discussed, in order to continue with any sort of harmionic overtones that may be part of the relationship. This inevitably comes up, and if it is not addressed and discussed then the potential for the growth away from one another is inevitable. This will in tern lead to damage, lonliness and insecurity for both individuals in the relationship.

Regardless of how difficult it is to discuss such matters, it must be done in order to move on and grow further into ones life. As our parents get older, they become more vulnerable and fearful of life, as they are not able to cope as they used to when they had all of their faculties in top shape. It is indeed cathartic to realize this without them actually admiting to such a phenomena. So when it does, and the signals are right there in front of your face, it is time to take action and formulate some sort of dialogue that addresses and raises awareness of new perceptions in the realationship.

To ignore such signals is analogous to losing an arm or a leg.

The Extreme Pressure of Being Chinese...

2006-09-23T06:05:00.000-07:00

.
In a recent article published in the New York Times, a trend in Shanghai was discussed where young and affluent Chinese parents are obsessed with sending their children to schools that teach "skills" that will better equip them to interact with the west.

Golfing, Polo, playing the violin, eating and dining manners, polite relations with the opposite sex were all sited as desired skills that parents of today's children did not learn when they were growing up and therefore want for their own children.

When I lived in Singapore for a few years, I grew to appreciate the duality of being Chinese. Singapore is around 72% Chinese, and I noticed that all had to go through life not only perfecting their mastery of Chinese culture, but also learn western language and culture in order to compete and survive.

In talking with a very close and intimate friend in Korea, she also concurred with the pressures put on Korean children to perform not only academically, but know about and possess modern skills that will help them compete in life and integrate well on a social level with other cultures, specifically the rich and powerful west.

Parents in China and other Asian nations have to shell out huge sums of money for these extra curricular schools that teach their children things that they as parents are not capable of teaching to their children. My female friend in Korea and I both concurred that it is most ideal to have parents teach their children the things they need in life to not only compete and survive, but to also enjoy an delight in. (ice skating, hitting a baseball, playing the guitar, surfing, scuba diving etc.)

However, admitting that you as a parent are not able to teach your child how to play golf because you have to work 80 hours a week in order to pay for his or her golf lessons is an astute judgment on the part of the parent. At least the child is being taught and guided while you are not there to do it yourself. Corporations love this kind of employee commitment.

This poses a very interesting question at the developing globalised world of capitalism, culture and socialisation of modern individuals. Are we better off sending our children to others to learn the things we cannot as parents teach them, or do we not work as hard and as long, in order to develop ourselves into better teachers for our children? In the process saving money along the way, and growing closer to our children as opposed to farther away from them while they learn valuable skills needed not only to survive in this world, but to enjoy and appreciate life as well.

The saying is true...

2006-09-15T09:38:00.000-07:00

Live in New York City too long and you grow hardend.

Live in San Francisco too long and you grow soft.

The 5th season

2006-09-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

Its after labour day now, and all is quieting down in the San Francisco bay area.

The kids are back in school, gas prices are falling, the days are getting shorter, the foggy afternoons will dissipate and the warm sunny weather will only increase now until winter.

I so look forward to the next 7 weeks where the sunsets at Ocean Beach are the most spectacular, the wine country will begin its harvest and the scent of processed grapes will fill the air.

The sport of surfing begins its annual quality improvement program, and footballs will replace baseballs.

The Opera and the Symphony crank up their fund raising efforts, and I will pull out my golf clubs and head north to get in a few rounds before winter sets in.

I'll put away my flip flops and linen pants only to take out my leather jackets and scarves. The crabs will come into season, I'll make ratatouillle, and I'll switch from drinking summer white wines to cabarnets, zinfandels and burgundies....yummy!

I'll begin to listen to my collection of Jazz music again, and let all of that loud frenetic and fast paced music of the summer sit idle now on my hard drives and mP3 players.

I think it is this time of the year that keeps me here is San Francisco over any other. I have always said I would move to Hong Kong in a heartbeat, but if I were to leave the city by the bay and make such a transition, I would still return for the months of September and October...

The 5th season...

America's Polygamy problem

2006-09-04T06:36:00.000-07:00

It is rather ironic that in my return to California I traveled through Utah.

Lately the media is filled with stories of this Warren Jeffs character who is presumed to have organized many such teenage marriages as well as allegedly fathered over 75 children himself in numerous marriages to women.

I must say that although the scenery of Utah is some of the most beautiful I have ever scene, the place definitely has an eerie vibe to it because of the people there.

Case in point, I was in need of some breakfast as I was nearing Provo, Utah yesterday and eyed a sign for a diner along highway 6. I decided to stop and see if I could find a some needed fuel for my body.

As soon as I walked in my radar when crazy as I saw what was my first taste of Mormon style living. A dining area that was also part of the hap hazard retail area. Over half of the 8 or so uncleared tables had meals half eaten by customers who had left. There were numerous children ranging from ages 2 to 4 running around the place yelling and screaming. There also were numerous signs indicating that restrooms were for paying customers only. (there were no homeless people in this rural region) Needless to say I gave this establishment a miss.

Later on down the road, I stopped at yet another diner for my breakfast and my radar readings were confirmed yet again. Although this place was much cleaner and more organized, the same scene prevailed. Loads of young children yelling and screaming. Each young white couple was accompanied by at least 2 children and some had as many as 4. No couples, no other ethnicities besides Caucasian, no seniors and no friends out for Sunday brunch together.

My scratching the surface in Utah brings me to the conclusion that there is something definitely wrong going on in Utah...

2006-09-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park

2006-08-23T06:57:00.000-07:00

Bonneville salt flats Utah

Traveling across the US

2006-08-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

LakeTahoe,California

Northern Nevada

Bonneville Salt Flats Utah

Western Wyoming

Nebraska

Iowa

Minnesota

Colorado

The ever changing California coastline

2006-08-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

So there was a big vote in Monterey this week on issues pertaining to the protection of the California coastline's fish populations.

Many veteran scuba divers and environmentalists have claimed that through the years there has been a marked decrease in fish populations from Half Moon Bay to Santa Barbara.

The professional fisherman have survived before restrictions on "trawling" in this area of the Pacific that ends on the coastal waters of the Golden state.

Some of the language of the proposed legislation was rather interesting. One such proposal which was passed was to "ban all human activity" in a 110 square mile area off the the coast. (bad news for everyone!)

Other such arguments that were brought forward were in an effort to curb the decrease commercial fishing off the coast, why not concentrate on the inland activity (i.e. pollution) that is poured into the ocean thus, degrading the environment for fish to thrive. Another backed up by published reports was that marine sanctuaries indeed do protect and benefit fish populations.

It looks like this proposition will basically take ocean access away from both people wanting to use the ocean for profit as well as recreation.

The fish now have a proposed law that will allow them to relax and take it easy in high rent areas of the California coastline. Whether they decide to take advantage of this offer to roll the red carpet out for them remains to be seen. When I was diving in Korea a few weeks ago, it appeared that all of the fish that had been populating the eastern Pacific had moved over to Korea and were basking in warmer waters.

Learning new languages

2006-08-11T15:02:00.000-07:00

Today I am exhausted.

My 30 s0mething brain just will not absorb into it my language lessons. With so many contradictions, learning to read write and speak hangul is overwhelming me this day.

I am getting better at reading out loud and with pronunciation, but my comprehension still lags behind my desire to speak and understand the language.

In learning another language I realize how much I take for granted in using th english language as I do. I take joy in creatively wordsmithing on a daily basis using the language that appears to be the worlds default way to communicate.

There are more online resources that are coming on line each day, but there is no substitute for face to face interaction. Of which I seem to get very little of.

I reccommend everyone try and learn as many languages as they can in this modern global world we live in. As soon as I feel comfortable with Hangul, I'll be moving onto Chinese.

Integrating language learning into ones daily life is the future of understanding, peace and prosperity I think.

So today I am feeling a bit like a "Mong chong ah"

Incompetence in the banking, insurance and government industries

2006-08-08T21:45:00.000-07:00

I am sick and tired of dealing with the necessary evils of banking and insurance companies!

Whether it is contributing to check fraud, issuing multiple checks for an insurance claim, freezing foreign accounts that can only be unlocked with expensive attorneys, holding onto deposits for over 7 days while they earn exorbitant interest off of the sum, leaving out important information regarding monthly fees, limiting the coverage that you need in a crisis and a whole slew of other such irritating and time consuming F@#$! ups and SOPs!

The people that work in banks and insurance companies are so beholden to the chain of command that they are forced into these errors of judgment and temptations to deviate from their job which is to serve the customer as well as their employer.

Here in California, processing a claim for an auto accident is a full time job! Dealing with the incompetence of the DMV alone needs an assistant to stay on top of the inefficiencies of dealing with poorly trained employees and lazy beaureaucrats.

If only they would execute what they promise to do I would not be getting so red in the face! The reality is though that the complexities and politics involved in such jobs is so mind boggling that the employee of such an institutionalized ball of incompetence such as a globallized banking firm is relegated to behaving like an ignorant fool that ends up getting a lot of people and companies in hot water, which then the expensive attornies have to step in to rectify the situation and make normal again.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scuba diving off Jeju Island

2006-08-04T01:48:00.000-07:00

Jeju diving

Jeju Island's Sea Women...part 2

2006-08-03T01:17:00.000-07:00

Awhile back I wrote about my fascination with Jeju Island's Sea Women.

So I'm visiting South Korea this week taking in a bit of the seaside and sights of the land of morning calm. I finally made it to Jeju island for some scuba diving and to see for myself the famous "Sea Women" of Jeju.

They are indeed real and very prominent on the coast. Rhythmically bobbing up and down in the shoals of the bays of Jeju island, they collect their revenue from the sea.

Many pop culture icons, art and sculpture made in the image of these economic divas decorate the island.

They are indeed unique and fascinating.

p.o.t.u.s

2006-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

In reading over the bill of rights and the constitution this morning, a few things about the President of the United States occur to me. One such item is the President of the US must leave behind his or her state infused ideologies in order to rise to the occasion of understanding and knowing where to lead the entire nation of 50 states.

Not just the few large and mature states (California, Texas, Illinois, New York) nor must he/she curry favor with the smaller (population wise) states (Rhode Island, Hawaii, Montana or Utah)at the expense of the entire nation.

Today much of our success and future growth in the US depends on how we relate with the rest of the world. The ideas of life, liberty and the pusrsuit of happiness apply to all of the races of the world who continue to come the US to become educated, seek clean water and a untainted food supply, seek health care for their families and exercise their right to own and maintain property which includes their own business.

The president has an awesome responsibility to balance the freedoms that are allowed locally while working with the US's foreign policy that is some times at odds with the values and activities of the citizens of the US.

The American people need to be more careful I think in understanding these rights and freedoms that are allowed to them by these sacred documents. They need to be more aware of who they allow to occupy the office of the President and how it effects the world they live in. For who they vote into office of the president will effect the growth towards chaos or towards harmony in the world as well as the US.

More and more each day it is imperative that the President of the United States must see an increasingly bigger picture of where and how the US will continue its growth and helping others achieve freedom, peace and prosperity. In doing so the president must be able to put aside his or her previous private pursuits or projects and focus on leading the entire nation as well as the world to a higher place.

This means putting someone into the office of President who will not use the power of the position to service his or her own private interests or that of a specific group or individual industry. To do so is beyond treason.

There is no accommodation or amendment in the Bill of Rights or the Constitution that addresses this notion of what in short is the highjacking of the government to serve private and individual interests. Therefore "We the People" must be sharp enough to realize what we have in the US, and not let it be taken away from us.

In paticular is this line from the US Constitution...

"No state shall, without the consent of Congress, lay any duty of tonnage, keep troops, or ships of war in time of peace, enter into any agreement or compact with another state, or with a foreign power, or engage in war, unless actually invaded, or in such imminent danger as will not admit of delay."

I think we as a nation are paying the price right now for this egregious violation of this constitutional amendment.

Goddamned Texans!

MMMMMMMotorcycles!!!!!

2006-07-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

Moto GP at Laguna Seca.

So I drove by the race this morning on my way out of Monterey. I just wanted to check the scene and see what was there. On the way into the race track at Fort Ord, the local race organizers had all of the motorcycle traffic use Reservation Road to the east of the track to separate cars from motorcycle fans.

Motorcycles were everywhere and the vibe was injected with anticipation for a day of racing. I'll definitely be back next year for the whole experience.
Moto GP

Laguna Seca 06

I'm back in the saddle....agian.

2006-07-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Just returned from my mechanic where my VFR was being repaired after my crash several weeks ago.

Now that I have my first crash, ensuing insurance company debacle and subsequent recuperation, I can say that I am a wiser rider now. My cred is real from here on out.

As I took my motorcycle through its paces in the Presideo, I felt my mojo return to previous levels, but with a new little voice inside my head saying to "slow down" and "be more careful and alert." My moron radar has just been upgraded as well to look out for the other drivers who are oblivious to us two wheeled types.

Crashing, repairing and working the system in California is indeed a minefield and a very large headache. None the less, I navigated my way through the process and am now back to normalcy. I just have to receive my bonus check from State Farm and then battle once more with Ca DMV to register my now "salvaged" motorcylce. Ptssss!

Just in time too, as I plan my next summer odyssey back east next month...

The women I love...

2006-07-15T11:06:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately...
Blogger will only let me love 9 women at a time...There are more.

2006-07-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

Stinson Beach

Taking the day off at Stinson Beach...

Laughing at service disdainers....

2006-07-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

It seems that there is an overabundance of those that think they deserve a certain high service level when they are out in the marketplace spending their money.

It could be at a restaurant, the dry cleaners, the mail and packaging store, the physician or even the bank.

There is prevailing mentality today that says, "I have money so I deserve service according to my standards." Now granted there are certain individuals who hate their jobs in the service sector flipping burgers, problem solving cell phone issues as well as folding sweaters at Neiman Marcus. These people are meant to be read properly and handled with care in order to escape with your desired purchase without a lot of confrontation and bad vibrations that can cause a scene. But it is those who think they are above the service sector work force that makes these people who work there hate their jobs, therefore deliver poor service.

A "service disdainer" is one who is always trying to correct the service levels that are delivered to them. They are bent on trying to customize their buying experience by telling the service rep how to do their job so that they can feel good about themselves being treated the right and proper way.

The reason I laugh at these people who generally cause the world of goods and services exchanges to be a much less desireable, is that they look so stupid trying to tell someone in public that they would like their ass kissed as well as more ice tea "when it is convenient."

These service disdainers look for people who are not properly trained or are having a bad day at their job in order to satisfy their ego and delusionally thinking that they are going to receive better service if they condescend their server or sales person.

The situation is laughable to watch unfold. It has become a modern form of entertainment to watch the so called "BMW driving prick" try and get a service level that makes them feel superior while their server is deliberately changing their behavior to anger their customer because of their attitude.

This is bad for business and it is bad for human relations, but it is good for free entertainment.

The future of world security...

2006-07-13T11:15:00.000-07:00

This is a long post, so strap yourself in.

It appears that the current state of world security is in a chaotic state of flux and no one knows how or when things will improve. Both sides of the two party system in the "unUnited States" are at eachother's throats and the rest of the world is crumbling daily due to our lack of leadership in bringing peace to the world.

With daily bombings around the world carried out in a very nondescript fashion, and the media coverage that prevails now in the modern era we live in, everyone knows who is to blame and it is just a matter of understanding the politics of these groups that now run our government.

Unfortunately, the politics of the current US government is determined to carry out perpetual war as it feeds its private interests in oil and arms. This highjacking of the US government by greedy corporate interests is a sign of things to come. Creating war for them is big business. The more of it the bigger the profits.

In the United States the system of capitalism has been set up to reflect a relatively stable system in which to make a profit with the support and legitimacy of the legal system and highly sophisticated infrastructure for designing, developing and distributing the fruits of a capitalistic society (the manufacturing part of that statement is has now been removed). Many come to the US to become educated and make contacts in order to return to their native country to begin their own enterprise, or stay on and become an American citizen and live dream that is propagated through the media around the world of "freedom and individuality."

This system is in jeopardy now as the world is not only questioning the US and its actions, but it has learned enough of the US model to implement in their own native nations and thus are able to bypass the US all together now in transacting business and building their own economies.

So where am I going with this??

What I want to see happen is somewhat radical in its approach, but none the less, drastic circumstances call for drastic solutions. I think the solution lies in the systematic dismantling of "conventional" military solutions to world problems is at the heart of my proposal.

It appears that there is a certain political group in the US that has rose to power in the last 30 years exploiting and profiting from the growth of the oil and arms businesses, among others. They are fixated on solving problems that they are involved with by using conventional military solutions to force the opposition or enemy into a position of submission that serves their self interest. Making bold an coercive statements with the US foreign policy and then using the conventional military that is assigned to carry out that foreign policy is their strategy. Many of the businesses in the US that supply our war machine are under the wing of this group who now have the reigns of power in the US government and are able to improve and grow their business interests by creating more conventional war around the globe thus justifying more conventional military spending at the government levels.

It is really quite diabolical when you do the research.

My solution to this problem is to phase out the conventional military and dismantle the business infrastructure that supplies and profits from this strategy of perpetual war so as to continue their corporate profits and growth.

In place of a conventional security force that is trained to wear fatigues, drive camouflaging vehicles and eat food that comes from a can or vacuum sealed plastic bags, I propose the NSA and CIA divisions take the place of conventional soldiers.

Imagine a world where there is no more war "theatre" to cover for the daily news bits that we as citizens are forced to follow hoping to get an idea of where the worlds peace level is at. The fighting forces of tomorrow will be wearing Italian suits in Europe, turbans in the middle east, tshirts in California and sarongs in Indonesia. The systematic dismantling and changing the way groups or nations fight to resolve their issues needs to be changed, redirected and funded accordingly.

Conflicts among political groups will never end, but the way in which they resolve these conflicts can change. By training highly sophisticated government agents to carry out foreign policy without "invasion" by conventional means is the solution to world peace and prosperity.

It is a matter of creating and using stupid people who blindly follow facistic leaders who prey on their weaknesses for pride and respect of religion to carry out the governments wishes or creating and using smart independent American citizens who can drink tea in the deserts of Saudi Arabia or eat fish brains in Shanghai, China, speak 5 to 6 languages and understand the history and culture of all the worlds nations in order to respect them and work together to protect one another in this world.

Replacing fatigued batallions with individual and highly trained business men and women who are on the US payroll, will end this stupidity that the US is currently spewing and bring the world back to peace and prosperity for all and not just the gun dealers and oil barons. Think of all of the !@#$! money spent on boots, helmets, bullets, RPGs, shoulder fired missiles, tanks, military designed computer hardware and software not to mention tools, nuts, bolts training facilities, military bases, infrastructure and those horrible MREs that probably have stuff in them that causes insanity to those who eat them.

Drop the uneducated uniformed soldier from the Pentagon's budget and create and fund the PhD, MBA worldclass athlete instead. The future of world security, growth and prosperity hang in the balance.

Daily barometer reading

2006-07-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is an awesome day today!

The sound and appearance of stupidity..

2006-07-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

It is our generalizations that make us sound and appear ignorant and stupid. Failing to analyze and discuss the minutiae of things allows for quick judgments which then lead to generalized conclusions of things. From there stupidity follows.

This is why I love San Francsico...

2006-07-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

SF jazz

Jacqui Naylor and friends storm the Fillmore.

Last weekend was the annual Filmore Jazz Festval. It is an opportunity to get out into the sunshine and soak up some smooth sounds and zesty treats.

The transformation of Fillmore Street is wonderful as it is turned into a market complete with entertainment, food and drink as well as areas to relax and enjoy the scenery and music.

As I left the scene after catching the last set of Jacqui Naylor and her band of musicians, I felt uplifted in a way that only San Francsico can deliver.

Looking good USA!

2006-06-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

This is what the Chinese media is publishing these days.

When my eyes fall on this image, it appears President Bush goes jogging with some guy who was duped into losing his legs in Iraq. The smile on Bush's face is priceless!

God help us!

The body's amazing resilience

2006-06-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

So I'm on my way this morning to hopefully participate in an event that will help the local design community here in SF. When out of the corner of my eye approaches a groggy eyed driver from a side street.

WHAMMMMMMMMMMM!

Screeching tires, metal crunching, brute force trauma and then quiet. I've been telling myself lately that it is only a matter of time until I go down on my motorcylce. Well...this morning the odds ran out on me and it happened.

I was extremely fortunate that the impact occurred just in front of my right knee. A few inches or degrees of difference and my knee would have found itself as the fulcrum of such impact between the front bumper and my motorcycles frame. I am cringing here just imagining such different circumstances. Brrrrrrrrrrr!

It was one of those moments that takes forever to occur, and in an instant it is over with. You know when you have exceeded your ability to evade collision and then your body automatically braces for the worst.

Amazingly enough, I walked away with some minor bruises to my knee and heavy cosmetic damage to my bike's farings. Immediately after the impact a local guy out for a walk and some guys in a restaurant came out to help and remove my bike from the scene. I called SFPD in order to report the incident, but learned that they only will come to the scene if there is an injury.

The woman driving the car and I exchanged information and then I limped over to start up my bike which it did surprisingly. I thought about canceling my date with the design group, but decided that I could not afford to miss such a meeting. So I slowly and carefully rode across town to Pier 40. Afterwards I dropped my motorcycle off at the shop to get a damage estimate.
I'm still shook up this afternoon as I imagine how fortunate I was to escape without serious injury.

I ride my motorcycle because it is easy on the petrol, better for the environment than a car, and its fun. But as I surmised, the odds do run out even if you are the most careful driver on the road. It is usually the other person that you have to look out for.

So please! Be careful out there!!

On being "Net Limited"

2006-06-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

In today's world of mass internet activity, more and more of our lives and who we are as individuals are residing on the web. This comes as a distinct disadvantage to our social skills that we are used to using when interacting with others.

Banking, shopping, entertainment, communication, creativity, social relationships and yes... even sex are now managed online. So it is this new phenomenon or state of being that is indeed making itself known to me.

Being "Net Limited" is the narrow view of knowing only how to interact with others via the web. Gone are the skills to introduce oneself face to face and generate an opinion about someone based on "live" in the flesh back and forth conversation.

An example of this played itself out the other night. I was attending an industry cocktail party where I was sipping wine and meeting new people. Some I knew from past project collaborations and many I was able to introduce myself to and gather information the old fashion way. Many I observed had the distinct pretense of asking my name and then referring to their database of online experiences to see if that bit of data "pinged" within their sphere of information. If they had not seen my name online and read about my work or endeavors then they were at a disadvantage to come up with conversation items that made them appear intelligent or knowledgeable. For it is the questions we ask that make us appear intelligent and well informed.

This is a growing phenomenon where people are getting to know one another via the internet and then are losing the skills to glean information and present themselves in live real time. Everything "live" is being verified based on internet intelligence gathering beforehand. In short it is limiting the ways in which we as humans interact and exchange information with one another.

Having a "net limited" outlook is indeed dangerous and will only expose oneself to whom you interact with on the web. Interpersonal exchanges with grocery clerks, police officers, land lords, coffee barristas, sales people, repair technicians and other assorted people that are necessary to interact with in order to not only run but grow our lives are necessary for successful living.

On the flip side, if you have done nothing to educate yourself and keep up with internet technology, then you are doomed to using just cash to transact your business, selling your labour to make a living, limiting your pool of new relationships that can enrich your life as well as heaping enormous amounts of frustration on yourself as a result.

Being "Net Limited" has a darkside if not balanced with skills that allow communication with the rest of the world...Banging a keyboard will never replace pressing the flesh.

Lately...German culture is about saying "No"

2006-06-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

So much of German culture these days is all about saying "No".

No, to a German means "Uncompromising"' and is reserved only for those who can afford to say such words in a world of billions of people that each have their own opinion. It is an exclusivity that one can only be German to truly appreciate its value in order to impose upon others who are not....German.

BMW is saying "No" in a new ad campaign.

One of Germany's widely published graphic designers is saying "No" to the world cup logo.

German product design had always said "No" to warmth and has chosen to take the path of "minimalistic" and "cold" to express their culture from railway transport to coffee makers.

A close friend of mine who was educated in the German style, and attended several German private schools recently lost yet another job due to his "uncompromising german style" business acumen. He can rarely retain his clients and customers due to his impudence, and is happy to talk badly of them after ruining yet another relationship.

There is something about all things German, that the world both loves and despises at the same time. We love their precision and exactingness. Beauty to a German means following a very methodical plan without deviating one iota all the way through to the end. If you are not German, then forget about being able to appreciate or even utilize or create German ideas to your benefit. One must block outside stimuli that seeks to invade the progress of German ideas and culture.

To this end, it is fair to say that German style "things" are trending towards the negative as they seek out an exclusive position in this new globalised world. There is no room for individual interpretation when it comes to things "German." It is either the way it is supposed to be intended by Germans, or it is wrong and must be corrected with a curt, "No!"

From Siemens to SAP. BMW to Krupps. Bayer to Bosch. These German brands reflect the rigid philosophy of the German style.

It will be interesting to see if the German style can prevail in the next 20 years. Such a trajectory of negativity and use of the word "No" will certainly leave some without any sense of satisfaction, but rather a sense of marginalization as they try to include "Germanness" into their lives.

Buying German products or employing German style acumen is sure to leave you with more enemies than friends I predict. The "Weltanschauung" of Germans remains a narrow and judgemental view of the world which if not allowed to change and adapt, will leave you without any one to hang around with.

Unless of course you like to hang around Germans...

Where does your revenue stream come from...?

2006-06-17T12:44:00.000-07:00

The New York times is running a series of articles regarding the issue of executives who use the US government to benefit their firms they work for.

I am interested to know when US business schools will offer strategy courses on extracting revenue for the firm you are employed by from the US government exclusively.

This tactic of growing your firm from US tax paying citizens is a dirty little secret that few know and exploit to their benefit.

It is a complex web of lobbyists, politicians, CEOs and the firms that supply goods and services to the US government. It is time honored strategy to get the right person into a special government position or office in order to build a rolodex or make the right connections, and then leave that position to leverage and secure a big contract with the US government.

It can be argued that this is where the line is drawn between the left and the right or the democrats and the republicans of the two party system that is what the US government is built upon. The democratic left is interested in the idealism of what government is responsible in doing for the citizenry. The republican right views the government as a big opportunity to build more business opportunities at the expense of the US tax payers without the prevailing idealism of what governments are supposed to do. Sometimes this is considered "pork" by "right" thinking republicans. So it becomes a matter of priority.

For instance, a defense contractor that makes machine screws for aircraft carriers is going to come down politically on the side of the government that is interested in making war in order to secure its position and growth potential in order to stay in business in an industry that is rife with competition in a relatively low tech area of the economy. They are in business to extract revenue from the US government in order to make a product that will in the end aid in the defense or offence of the USA. In a sense, making war is good for business growth.

Currently, we are mired in such a situation where we have American citizens "jacking" the government in search of no bid high paying contracts in the national security area. These guys are serious when it comes to seeking out high dollar contracts that suck the marrow out of the tax base in order to pad the accounts of the executives that run these firms. All in the name of creating perpetual war for the US in order to secure their employment.

Tom Ridge former Homeland Security Secretary does it, Adm. James M. Loy does it and the former under secretary, Asa Hutchinson does it. These guys do their time in the US government and then go profit from their service to a nation that ultimately serves their raison d'etre....war and pestilence.

Will this be a new class offered at the Haas school of business or Northwestern or the Stern school at Columbia? Perhaps Harvard or the Stanford school for business will adopt this model for gleaning profits. One thing is for sure...as we let this go in the name of patriotism, the US will continue to create war in order to line the pockets of executives who are in the business of high jacking governments in order to benefit their firms.

Pelosi and Feinstein....time to get it on!

2006-06-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Two of our most widely quoted representatives are on the hill battling it out over the latest bubble to burst in the fakewar on terror.

I ask myself, "Why is it that democrats cannot rise to the occasion and out maneuver these madmen who are running our US government?" Their civilian tactics are no match for the Machiavellian and militaristic strategies that our current government employs. $ 9 billion a month is spent over in Iraq. So much money spent on such a vain glorious project! All I hear from these reps is responses to the other sides actions and rhetoric. There is no original action on the part of the Dems!

The reality is that the democrats will always be strong on defense. The trouble is that the right is even stronger on offense. What is the cliche? "The key to a good offence is a strong defense" The current government is wrapped in a bad sports analogy, and is holding the rest of the country hostage with their short sighted plan to topple the oldest civilization in history in the name of securing a natural resource that is quickly becoming obsolete. It is an addiction to a substance (oil) and behavior beyond what we know to be damaging.

So what is the solution?

I think it is about time for a new fashioned coup d'etat. The means will indeed justify the ends in this case. Trouble is that the dems are so civilized in their methods and tactics that they do not know how, nor want to get their hands dirty, playing the way necessary to win. They handcuff themselves with civilized behaviors in order to appear honorable and just.

Nancy and Diane are you listening??? Take a cue from what many American women have become in the past 6 years. Uncivilized, trash talking, war mongering, crazy insane, ludicrous and out of control. Take these traits and turn them against the neo-evil that plagues this nation.

ACTION! We as citizens want action! Start throwing punches on the floor of the Senate if that is what it takes!

Chinese relations and the word foreigner part 2

2006-06-10T12:07:00.000-07:00

So this is the sign that greets you when arriving at Pudong airport in Shanghai, China.

Awhile back I wrote about the Chinese use of the word "foreigner."

In my recent trip to Shanghai, my position was further reinforced by the experience I received at the airport.

To me, this is the most offensive greeting you can offer someone from far away visiting your country. It immediately sets up a distinciton between people, and this should be avoided at all times. There is no welcoming sentiment contained in the word "foreigner."

Other international aiports use other forms of graphics to direct newly arrived travelers to the proper customs line. South Korea for example uses the words, "Non-Korean Passports" as an indication to travelers who are not Korean passport holders. To me this is so much more appropriate, seeing how you are now in Korea and the need to differentiate those holding passports from other nations is neccessary to maintain security and order.

In the game of "experience" design, China has a long way to go in improving their congeneality towards those who want to enter their contry, and do business there, including making foreign investments.

Everybody should....

2006-06-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

Everybody should live in a large city for at least 2 years.

Everybody should learn a second language.

Everybody should shoot a firearm at least once.

Everybody should hike into nature once a year.

Everybody should swim in the sea.

Everybody should vote.

Everybody should read books about love making.

Everybody should listen to the music of Brazil.

Everybody should learn to appreciate and utilize both Mac and PC platforms.

Everybody should travel outside of their native country before turning 30.

Everybody should upgrade their mobile phone every 2 years.

Everybody should teach to others what they know.

Everybody should work hard and play harder.

Everybody should be able to clean their own bathhroom.

Everybody should know how much to tip.

Everybody should learn to manage debt.

Everybody should learn how to spend money.

Everybody should read from at least 4 news sources a day.

Everybody should recognize thier spirituality or lack there of.

Everybody should create a new relationship each year.

Everybody should keep thier parents upgraded with the latest communication gear.

Everybody should get some form of exercise each day.

Everybody should eat more fresh vegetables.

Everybody should sharpen their kitchen knives regularly.

Everybody should own and use a digital camera.

Everybody should learn to love more and better.

Everybody should work at forgiving more.

Everybody should....

Awards, fame, plagiarism

2006-06-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

Many in the Art and Design worlds seek fame through their work, as this story from the BBC will attest to.

I have to wonder who benefits more from the awarding of such an artist. Is it the awarder or the awardee? Both are in the game to leverage attention and accolades to what it is they do. Whether it is creating art, or representing artists at the state level.

In the game of journalists, the press, profiling and self-promotion, the above story will prove a boon to both parties involved, as scandalous and salacious headlines will boost anyone's profile to any given audience. This calculated publishing of what appears to be facts is the engine that will vault both the career's of the Japanese artist as well as the statesman who questioned his award given by the government of Japan.

This article is one indication that it is indeed not about originality anymore, but the desperation of those who manipulate the press to their advantage in the most self-effacing of methods. Climbing on the shoulders of the truly great ones and calling it your own will get you fame and fortune it appears. Just make sure to plan all the way through the press barrage, the blowback, the public outcry, the damage control and the eventual contrived comeuppance that you will have to endure to continue to further your illustrious career.

Personally as a designer, the awards I have seen in my career have come and gone. They have not really done anything to boost my career. Of course the awards were all given for the right reasons and intended to acknowledge the creator for a job well done. Which is the perceived "right" way to give and accept an award. The reality of the situation though, is that so many are desperate to raise their profile in the world that they will pervert this process leaving the audience who reads the stories perplexed as to who really is deserving of the award. Is it the artist, the one presenting the award, the publisher of the story or is it the audience members who take the bait and generate public opinion that other decisions are based on.

This kind of cynicism cannot be measured as of yet with modern technology. One thing is for sure however, if you fail to recognize the purity in what it is that you do in life, then you will indeed end up on stage accepting an award someday not knowing full well why you are up there in the first place.

Fiction or Nonfiction

2006-06-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

As product designers, are we creators of fiction or nonfiction? I would say both. Having the proper balance can take a lifetime to acheive. This is what can separate one design school from another in the way they tip one way or another to pay respect to pushing fiction farther into the fantasy future, or nonfiction into an effcient and speedy present.

Product Fiction is the creation of an imaginitive invention that does not actualy represent reality. It can be a sketch, a CAD model, a rendering, a mockup, an appearance model, a rapid prototype or a slick powerpoint show with all of the above represented. Product Nonfiction makes factual claims about reality. It can be a production prototype, a first article or a mid-run assembly. All of these models are intended to shipped to the market and sold to the customer that beleives the product will solve his/her problem or fulfull a need they may have with varying degrees of quality applied to the finished product. Nonfiction tends to the more expensive type of design work as there are more risks involved as well as more professionals and disciplines.

As a designer of tangible things, one must strive to master both worlds and understand how each is impacted by the other. Some designers begin their career making claims about reality from the start. They may work directly for a manufacturer making sure that the limitations of current reality are resepcted in the process of bringing a fictional design into production. Others might begin their career dreaming of a reality that does not exist yet, and will seemingly bypass much of what is real in life in order to get to a fictionalised reality that will some how inhance our lives. This approach is more on the propaganda side of the business and if one dwells in this rehlm for too long with out making real the claims they do, they are in danger of becoming another charlatan or PT Barnum. These fitional designs never make it past the magazine, internet article or television promotion and into production.

Recently, much of the nonfiction design work has been moved over to Asia. There products are designed for manufacturing in high volumes using cheap assembly labour that will allow a lower purchase price after it is exported out of the nation that is making the object. The fiction work continues in the west as computer aided models help the fictional designer mimic reality with just the right amount of accuracy and beleivability to allow progress to occur and the project to move forward with management approval. Marketing models can be planned, finacial models can be created and distribution and point of purchase retail decisions can be made based on the fiction created in the western mind of the designer.

On a recent trip to Korea and China, this reality was reinforced with the modern factories I saw making automive engines for GM, notebook computers for Dell and HP, elevator pullies for Otis, monitors for Samsung and cars for Hyundai and Cherry Motors. So much of the fiction that drives the market in the west, is made into nonfiction in Asia. From there the nonfiction is put onto a ship and then exported to the market where the behavior matches the fictional design specification that was approved to hopefully catch the interest of the consumer and thus drive sales and eventually profits.

Once the new product reaches the shores of the intended market, the fictional propaganda machine kicks in and begins to spread the word of the new products arrival in the marketplace. Television, print, radio, internet, point of purchase as well as other channels are alerted and the volume is cranked up to promote the new nonfiction products that are real. Competitive strategies are put into place and the race is on to sell the most inventory as fast as possible to impress the analysts on Wall Street who inturn will reinvest further in th work of fictional designers only to start the process all over again.

So if you are a young designer, get some real nonfiction work into your portfolio as soon as possible so you can exercise your ficitonal skills later on in your career. Attend a school that prepares you to work with other professionals that also work in the abstract as you do. Otherwise the only designs you produce will only make it as far as the book, magazine, website or newspaper and thus never make it past the fictional stage of design.

Mt. Sorak and amenities.

2006-05-29T10:17:00.000-07:00

After my busy schedule in China, I planned some down time on the East coast of Korea in the popular weekend vacation area of Mt. Sorak.

This beautiful mountainous area contains Korea’s burgeoning relaxation industry. Complete with Chim Chil. Bang, hiking trails, beaches, condominiums, water parks and spas. As Korea evolves further into its industrialized personna, finding time away from work will continue to occupy the Korean mindset.

Mt. Sorak itself is a series of mountains and peaks that are covered in thick green vegetation. Many from Seoul travel to this rather famous place to go hiking. In looking around one of the trailheads, most people there were decked out in their modern hiking gear.

Another unique Korean recreation phenomena is the numerous spas and water parks. Waterpia is a highly diversified water extravaganza. Not just one or two spa pools for those seeking comfort and relaxation, but more like 30 plus pools with themes like, “couples pool” wellbeing pool, aromatherapy pool, etc. etc. etc. Varying temperatures on these pools provide an experience that delivers variety and diversification of therapy. Also, there is a wave pool and water maze that allows different stations of water enjoyment as you move from station to station.

Mt. Sorak is a relaxation mecca. For those busy Seoulittes who work their fingers to the bone as well as intrepid travelers like myself it is an oasis of spirit rejuvenating calmness.

Pudong Airport Shanghai, China

2006-05-26T17:06:00.000-07:00

This monstrous international terminal is….brusque!

Upon landing in Shanghai one is greeted by this massive wedge shaped beast that juts out into the atmosphere of Chinese airspace. There is really nothing elegant about this structure. The concept is based on high tension wires that are stressed like a hunting bow by these rather odd looking suspension pins reminiscent of the clothes pins used to hang laundry out to dry. (Which by the way is a very common Chinese phenomena, see photo at bottom)

This theme is repeated again and again on the interior of the roof overhead . There are intermittent pillars that anchor more high tension wires that connect the floor of the terminal to the roof. These turnbuckles contrast the curves of the “bow” ceiling and do nothing to add beauty or visual appeal to a space that is supposed to be welcoming and calming to weary travelers.

Must of Shanghai’s architecture is build to last. I will give one comment that is positive. The sense of scale is truly large in Shanghai. Big roads, big subway station hallways, big trains and big factories. Big, big, big.

Wuxi success stories

2006-05-26T16:46:00.000-07:00

I am here now in the “Mixed Area” lounge at Pudong airport waiting now to catch my flight back to Seoul, Korea.

Yesterday was a complete success in terms of meetings and execution of my itinerary. My meeting with Wuxi Industrial Design Park members went well and I sense a potential possibility of partnering with them as they now transition to a more “value added” economy in China. We had an interesting lunch where the most interesting taste on the menus was fish brain dipped in vinegar. I was given a tour of the stunning display of Wuxi tax revenue and given a glimpse into their plans to build an Industrial Design Disney Park complete with housing, recreation and work facilities. A very exemplar display of centrally planned government activity.

After lunch my afternoon contact was waiting for me back at the office and we introduced ourselves and he sat in on the presentation by the WIP people. A bit dry and stale but none the less fruitful in terms of getting an idea of how we could potentially partner together in the future.

Afterwards, my afternoon contact and I departed in the rain and headed over to his hotel to meeting his associate with whom I had set up the meeting with originally. We decided to forgo our original plan to take the train to Nanjing and see their offices. It proved just too far away to allow me to return to Shanghai afterwards at a reasonable hour. So we got in a cab and headed over to a private lounge for what turned out to be a 6 hour meeting.

Drinking tea in the Desert or Wuxi in my case…

2006-05-25T22:51:00.000-07:00

I had read recently that one of the reasons that the US is despised in the world is that their business acumen sucks. The evidence of this assertion is when US oil companies would go over to the middle east to negotiate oil pipeline deals, they would zip in for a few hours, long enough to get their legal documents signed and then quickly exit the country without bothering to stay awhile and sip tea and get to know their new partners.

In my time here in China, I have made an effort to spend as much time as possible to build relationships that will hopefully bear fruit in the near future. To illustrate this point I spent 6 hours in a meeting with 2 designers from Nanjing yesterday, talking about design, business, economics, consumer tastes and ways in which to grow business and derive profit from the design industry. We were in a very unique setting selected by the local Chinese designer who is native to Najing. It was a private lounge with comfy sofas and pretty girls coming in every 10 minutes to pour more tea and make sure we men were happy.

There were a few lessons learned about the Chinese style of hospitality. They will always try to get you to stay longer. The more you delay after saying it is time to go is a qualitative measurement of your interest in doing business long term with whom ever you are meeting with. Smoking! Smoking goes a long way to lubricate conversation and provide the necessary male bonding needed to feel comfortable about spending more RMBs on your new potential partner. The three of us polished off 2 packs of Korean and Chinese brand cigarettes in our time together meeting. I suppose we could have been more efficient in the use of our time, but the mechanical engineer in the group spoke very little English and I know next to no Chinese, so we had to have much of his ideas and inputs interpreted by his partner.

Getting up to use the restroom is an opportunity to create a little drama when you are asked a fresh and introspective question. I used the opportunity to say, “may I answer that after I use the restroom?” It was a tactic utilized well to create a little tension when I was asked some intimate financial questions.
So you see….drinking tea with the natives has many advantages to both business and ones relationship to those providing the tea.

Wuxi, China

2006-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

wuxi train station

This video was captured on my way to Wuxi, China from Shanghai. Notice the polution and gray skies...

So…I’m positioned on the train now enroute to the city of Wuxi where I will meet my contact at the Wuxi Industrial Design Park.

As I look around at this amazing city, I cannot help but feel and uncanny sense of “future.” The energy level is potent, and the hoards of Chinese are as diverse as I have ever seen a group of any.

My pretense to this place has been pleasantly dismissed due to the rapid pace of life here. So many projects and creativity going on as far as the eye can see. From new housing along the ride from Pudong airport to the dozens of small construction vehicles digging and clearing the way for a more modern and efficient China. There is no sense of settled relaxation as all here are involved in coming or going on their way to becoming “rich.”

Visually, there is a distinct lack of chrome. There still exists a patina of old Shanghai as I looked at the old Bayer building outside my window at the Shanghai Panorama. Its architecture is pure Nazi Germany and its logo sits atop the pyramidal roof line that extends into the Shanghai skyline. Stone is everywhere and the dust from its use a building material is everywhere. The new of Shanghai is contained in the ___ communications tower the has become an Icon of this cities image. Lurking in the smog it towers above the bund and gives a rather unique sense of scale to an otherwise claustrophobic city experience.

Interruption….

I’ve just been bumped from my cozy window seat on the lower level to the upper level of the train due to my inept reccognization of my seat assignment. I’m now sitting in the middle of a 3 seat row and am without a table to use my what now is being true to its design as a “laptop” computer.

So…I am now on my way north. The only “gweilo” on board as far as I know, I stick out like a well manicured thumb…

Shanghai baby!

2006-05-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

Whoa!

This place is big!

Eastern China Airline....delay!

2006-05-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

Sitting here at Incheon after learning of a delay to my flight to Shanghai.

I guess my good omens have run out temporarily and I am now in "dues paying" mode as I prepare for my first trip to Shanghai. It is not surprising to experience such a snag as this will be probably the first of many trips to China in the near future and will need to experience a few bumps along the way to toughen up my Chinese chops.

I cannot get over how wonderfully this nation keeps everything so clean and well maintained! As I was standing in line waiting to check in there was what appeared to be a 50+ year old woman down on the floor with a razor blade removing some stuck on chewing gum. You would never see this in the states. It appears lately that no one is interested in such work. Whereas here in Korea, there is much discipline in keeping what they have in tip top shape for years to come.

Arriving in Korea

2006-05-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

So here I am, Seoul!

I arrived last night comfortably around 6 pm and passed through customs with flying colors. I actually had some interesting conversation with a guy that sat next to me on the flight. He was an undergraduate student from New York attending school in Illinois and traveling to Seoul to work an internship at the Justice Department for the summer. I usually never enguage in chatting on long haul flights. So a good omen none the less.

I was accosted by the usual suspects as I emerged from the international terminal at Incheon.

"Taxi" "you need taxi?"

These guys will charge you equal to $115 just to drive you in their private car to Seoul. So I asked a few questions at the sidewalk transport area using my new Korean skills and boarded the limousine bus without being charged at all. Sweet! Good omen #2.

Seoul is foggy! I guess there was much rain the day before so it is remianing in the air and preventing me from seeing all of the vistas that Seoul usually has to offer on a sunny day.

Not staying here long, I'll hop a jet after breakfast to Shangahi today to persue the first phase of my trip and meet with several design related professionals in Shanghai and surrounding cities. Never been to Shanghai before, so am looking forward to some emperical exploring.

Memorial Day

2006-05-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

So I'm down in the laudry room this morning doing a few loads before my trip, and I find this card pinned to the tennant bulletin board.

It then occurred to me that in today's climate, the so called war in Iraq has had quite the opposite effect as this card's sentiment portrays. Because of American foreign policy in the world today, my freedom has diminished and become inhibited. Others look at the US with disdain and we are not as well received when we move about the planet as Americans. I am concerned to travel abroad and tell others where I am a citizen of.

It is sad and tragic to consider how we are the most powerful nation in history, and we are choosing to !@#$% up our good name with such incompetence in the White House.

To the Veterans that fought the good fight and the ones who have fallen due to poor decicion making skills, I honor you this Memorial Day.

Intensive Blogging coming soon!

2006-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

I leave for my trip to Asia next week, and will be blogging intensively throughout my travels to document the landscape, culture, personalities and food I encounter.

Cities on the intinerary include: Seoul,Korea Busan,Korea Changwon City,Korea Shanghai,China Wuxi,China Nanjing,China Wonju,Korea and Kangnung,Korea.

Half will be design oriented business travel and the other will be pure pleasure.

Topics of curiosity will be: Korean spa culture, Transportation options in Shanghai, Just what is an Industrial Designing Park, how do ODM firms partner with domestic and international resources to innovate and produce in the Shangahi area, what is a "serviced residence inn" in Seoul, how is Changwon City a city of industry and what floor could our new offices be in the Jin Mao tower.

All these questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks.

Stay tuned!

The safe harbour of a big brand client

2006-05-19T13:43:00.000-07:00

As everyone in the consulting world knows, having a big brand client as a cash cow is definite security for your business.

They demand a lot in return for thier budget dollars that go into your firm. Setting the bar higher from a professional, design, innovation, intelligence or efficiency perspective is your responsibility as a consulting firm or individual. Sometimes the pressure is on, I mean really on!

The most fun and satisfying work to be had however is in the small startup or unknown branded company that does not have what I call "media neurosis" which is when large brands suffering from such ailment, have extended themselves so far into the propaganda world that they become victims of thier own image, thus unable to change to meet the new markets direction or keep pace with what is shaping the trends of the immediate future.

So when you feel yourself being sheltered from the storms of the globalised economy where there basically are no rules it seems, cast off your lines and get out there to see what is going on. Your BBC (big brand client) will appreciate you getting out there and taking a few rounds in the ass to benifit their existence as a giant.

Additionally, you will be able to actually create something new after such emperical research is completed, rather than regurgitating what you learned at the conference in NYC or Las Vegas last month. Creating your own trends or innovations for your small as well as larger clients is why you went off the radar and chose to plunge into the black hole of consulting....right?

Its a larger risk I know...but the rewards are equally as large.

The simple pleasures of life

2006-05-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

The berries that make me smile...

The berries that make me high...

It is these berries I often wish would fall,

like raindrops from the sky.

Team Renault.....yo!

2006-05-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

On his home turf, Fernando did it with flair and panache.

As this season gets underway and establishes a tone and a rythm, the rivalry between Alonso and Schumacher is getting a bit boring already. Let's get Button or someone from McLaren-Mercedes in there to mix it up and rub someone off the apron.

Too much predicatability borders on the banal.

Hopefully, Monaco will charge the savage beast in Weber or Raikkonen if there is one. Will be interesting to see the the air in Monaco will do to amp it up a bit.

The fear of never wanting again...Hunting the opposite sex.

2006-05-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

In considering marriage as I do from time to time, I've thought a lot about the joys of the hunt. The first dates, the surprising discoveries, the mutual interests, the points of disagreement, the love and the love making.

When persuing a woman, it is always enjoayable for me, those first moments or dates that you both find out there is a spark of interest and then both agree to persue it further to light a fire.

In my past, inevitably I have moved on to hunt again due to my inability to "kill" my prey or "propose marriage", as the hunting analogy would go. One reality that I find in todays modern era is that the "prey" or females have gone to school on us men and have graduated from the hunting lodge themselves. Nowadays our manly tactics of hunting have been turned against us by some women only to produce a whole new generation of Femme Fatales, PMPs (Precious Metal Prospectors) or Hoochie Mommas to borrow from popular lexiconal usage.

These women enjoy the hunt just as much as men did and still do today. Perhpas I have just shed some of my naivete, and these women have been around forever. I contend however that the hunting landscape has indeed changed and is much more level and filled with emasculation mine fields.

So be careful when out on the plains, or in the urban jungle, or diving for clams gents, the prey you seek to kill is willing to bite back with cunning and ferocity, and in some cases will eat you alive and then move on themselves.

If you do find someone with whom you can drop all of your defenses with, and continue to explore eachother without offense, ridicule, cliches, sterotyping and other banalities, then put the elephant gun away, and lay down in the grass together only to sip wine and exchange stories from childhood.

If you do, I contend that it is always possible to go from hunter to King of the land with your new muse.

Christening the stick

2006-05-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

So I ventured out into the surf yesterday on my new board.

Simply put....It was a magical experience for me.

I entered sea and paddled out near 1st break in Santa Cruz. The water was warm and the sun was beaming in a cloudless sky. I quickly realized that my tricepts, lats and rear deltoid muscles need more work if I am to increase my confidence level and stamina.

I managed some relatively good wave reading skills and was able to manuvre myself in and out of the surfzone as well trying to avoid getting buried by cresting waves. It only happend once, and I was thrashed about beneath the powerful wave that sucked me down about 10 ft moving at about 20-25 mph wave velocity. It was an adrenaline filled moment to look up at the wave moving overhead as I was sucked down into the blackness of the sea. There is no other feeling that can compare to being pulled under the water by a crashing wave while you are tethered to your board.

I did not catch any waves and was content to just make it out and back to the beach without and drama. A successful first reconnaisance mission if you will. By mid summer I should be ripping it up on Ocean Beach.

The best part of the day was when I walked by a Santa Cruz local dood carrying my spanking new unwaxed board in hand. As I passed him he yelled out,

"You know you got to put wax on that thing!"

The comment was priceless. As I must have looked the part of a true newphyte to his eyes. Little did he know I had a cake of wax hidden behind my hand.

Priceless!

The US continues its hardline

2006-05-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Of concern is the new shakeup within the CIA.

Ever since its conception, the CIA has had a civilian at the helm directing the intelligence or lack there of for the citizens of the US. Now we are considering a military general for the position. RED FLAG!!!

In order to carry out its foreign policy directives now, the current administration is needing military might within its own government to combat the forces of civility and diplomacy that are in place. This is extremely discouraging as a US citizen.

As I continue to develop my career as a professional, I am continually dismayed at the hurdles I will have to surmount overseas as a foreign businessman due to my governments insistence on using force instead of reason and diplomacy to solve problems and continue the good work of the US.

It is bad enough that my options are limited these days in the US due to globalization, and now I have to conduct business and build relationships with the additional task of defending where I am coming from and what I bring to the table.

Brace yourselves America. The world is watching as we become what we have for so long fought against! Tyranny and fascism.

Take a closer look...

The Galahad prayer

2006-05-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

So...When I was a wee young lad, my mother instructed us in the wise prayers of Sir Galahad, Knight of the Round Table.

Oh God, give me clean hands, clean words, & clean
thoughts. Help me to stand for the hard right against
the easy wrong. Forgive me when I am unkind and help
me to forgive those who are unkind to me. Send me
chances to do a little good each day & so grow more
like my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen

Sir Galahad is a bit of a candy-ass looking warrior to me now.

He no doubt had to fight doods like this guy.

Its Ferrari at Nuremburg

2006-05-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

So it was Michael Schumacher at Nuremburg who took the checkered flag.

Alonso of Renault took second which earned him 8 points.

Scott Speed of the US finished at least but earned no points.

There is a delayed viewing down at Zeke's toady at 1pm but....kind of hard to enjoy knowing the results already.

The Chinese Consulate

2006-05-04T10:36:00.000-07:00

So I was down at the Chinese consulate bright and early this morning to apply for my visa to visit Shanghai. I was talking to a woman who was standing in line for her brother who lives in Seattle. Evidently because there are only 5 offices in the US, you can have someone act on your behalf to process your application. I am fortunate that it is just down the street from me.

The line extended out the door and down the street indicating a rise in demand for entry visas into China. Although the majority of people standing in line were probably Chinese, many faces were of other ethinicities including mine. Demand for entry is up!

I tried for the 2 year $150 multiple entry visa, but was shut down and reduced to just a one year application due to not owning a business in China....yet.

We'll see if my plans to visit check out with the athorities. I was surprised to learn that I can pick up my visa in only 4 days.

Cal's offshore oil issues - part II

2006-05-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

So I was in Huntington Beach over the weekend to buy a surfboard.

I was amazed to walk the streets of this mecca for surfing. Incuding the blight on the landscape provided in the above photo, just a block away from the main drag were small oil derreks pumping away right next to residential homes and near the modern retail establishments such as Starbucks, The Long Board restaurant and Diane's bikini shop.

All of this modern resort style living on the Pacific Ocean sharing the same realestate as Chevron, Exxon and others. I am sure no doubt that these smaller residential oil pumping stations are privately owned bt the citizenry of HB who in tern sell their precious black gold at market rates to the big oil companies.

I had to wonder the cancerous effects of having oil extraction and transportation so close to where the locals and so many touristas get their morning cup of coffee.

In driving around this southbay area of LA including; Newport Beach, Laguna and Costa Mesa there is tremendous wealth as indicated by the plethora of marinas housing beautiful works of naval architiecture. My guess is most of this wealth is closely tied to the oil industry.

Need to dig deeper and get more facts....

Why Asian designers accel and at the same time fall behind their western counterparts

2006-04-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

In my career and travels thus far, I have noticed distinct reasons why western designers accel over Asian designers in certain areas and vice versa.

Much of being a successful and sensitive designer is empathy and experience in a particular product field. Take Formula 1 auto racing which has been around since the 1950s. Most Formula 1 designers are steeped in mechanical design and aerodynamics from their childhoods. They probably spent many hours at the track through the decades observing speed and how it is achieved. This full immersion in the sport of Formula 1 gives a distinct advantage over say a Chinese designer trained in Beijing in the same disciplines of mechanical design and aerodynamics. Without the childhood experiences at the track, there is no way the Beijing trained designer can imagine the next innovation or improvement in the sport because of their lack of immersion and number of years in and around the sport.

Another such example is high performance sailing. The cultures with the oldest heritages in yachting will always be ahead of cultures that are behind in nautical design and epistemology. If a Korean designer only learns the fundamentals in his university studies and maybe specializes in fluid dynamics as a PhD, he still will not be able to imagine the next level of innovation or need to go faster with lighter materials or stronger technology. Without that childhood immersion in boats, sailing, nautical lingo and experience in competition within the sport, there is now way to achieve the level of intensity or raison d'etre that is necessary to create the next level of high performance.

Now, on the other side Asian designers far exceed the talent needed to generate the next level of sophistication in electronics design due to the same phenomena. Japanese designers from birth are surrounded by sophisticated efficiency in manufacturing and assembly. Instead of enjoying themselves in a power boat on the lake near Osaka, they are hanging around the factory observing and immersed in the discipline of sophisticated electronics design, manufacture and innovation. They grow up fiddling with electronics and finding new ways of improving their lives with electronics.

There is a sea change going on now as China builds it middle class bourgeois consumer society. Children today in China will have the advantage of experimenting and playing with the latest in consumer goods, sporting goods, electronics, toys, cars, lawn mowers etc, just as western children did in the last 40 years. This will give them the necessary abstract imagination to improve and apply the knowledge they get from formal education they receive at the university level in design and engineering.

Where western designers and engineers can accel and keep their edge, is to quickly learn the history of culture of these new developing bourgeois consumer societies and design for them instead of designing for a group who's numbers are shrinking.

Otherwise in a generation western designers will be using electric cars that go 110 miles an hour on a 20 minute charge and will be wondering why there is a incense burner where the ashtray used to be.

Friends and Family...

2006-04-20T09:14:00.000-07:00

I get on the red eye tonight to travel to Minneapolis for some family time over the weekend.

My uncle is getting married and throwing a party. Funny, he is on his 3rd marriage and I have yet to engage in my first...He is getting on in years and I really can't afford to make this trip, but how can I say no to my favourite uncle who granted me such freedom when I was a young lad.

When I was just 10 years old, he bequeathed a fishing boat to me which allowed me to explore the wonders of Lake Minnetonka as a solo captain. This gift gave birth to my travel wanderlust and excitement in visiting other cultures.

I'll play some golf with some old highschool friends, visit a couple and their 2 kids that I have not seen since I returned from Singapore. My sister has agreed to let me stay at her place which will give me the opportunity to cook for them. I love seeing my nieces and watch them grow into little girls. Soon I will be saying... young women. I'll spend some time with my parents and maybe see my brother. I had a dream this morning that included he and his wife.

I'll always appreciate the opportunity to see my family in Minneapolis, as I am fortunate to know such wonderful and flawed individuals.

On being "banned"

2006-04-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

It has become very hip and trendy to ban or become banned from weblogs these days.

It is rather humorous to "lurk" around the blogosphere to witness some of the hypocrisy and weasling going on as netizens debate issues from technology policy to racial politics and gender issues in the modern world.

I have yet to be banned myself from a blog where I chose to participate in the dialogue and comment areas. Perhaps I am not spicing it up enough or my comments are too dull.

Some seem to be wearing their banned status as a badge of honor and continue to defend their positions on other affiliated weblogs. There is so much pseudo intellectual discourse being thrown around in the name of defending ones avatar image that I wonder what some of these banned types do when they are not frantically typing way defending or ridiculing one another in a medium that never resolves any disputes.

There is never a winner or a loser in these online debates as the discussion inevitably leads to the owner of the blog to start to delete "offensive" posts and ban those that chose to go against the editorial mission of the weglog owner.

Perhaps the next innovation in weblogs is to move into the video realm and conduct live debates that include much more in the way of skills to make your argument persuasive to a larger audience as well as to your newly hated enemy that gets you so steamed at their hypocrisy that you end up spilling vulgarity to make a point and inevitably getting yourself banned.

Korea's Sea Women

2006-04-18T09:41:00.000-07:00

So I am fascinated by the Sea Women of Jeju Island south of Busan Korea. These women run the show in their little corner of the world. They dicate the economy, earn the income, make the family decisions and work day in and day out diving below the chilly depths of the Yellow Sea.

For centuries these women have perfected the art of free diving to make a living. They are rugged, athletic and industrious. Many of them continue to dive well into their 60s and carry with them the tennacity of a bull shark.

On land, they are the ones who call the shots in thier marriages while their husbands toil away keeping the house clean, shopping and playing cards with their neighbors. Since the men do little to earn income for their families, they reliquish their decision making power to their wives who run the shellfish market.

These women are so tough that they even organized a militia to defend their rights to their fishing waters during the Jeju insurgency of April 3rd by joining the guerillas in the mountains.

They also maintain sexual power, equality and choice in their relations with spouses. They also circumvent the patrilineal rights of men and land ownership by maintaining dominance over the sea economy. On "sharecropping" trips to Japan, groups of women would advance their economic power and earning potential while fishing the Japanese markets. They also reinforce their sexual power by taking advantage of the Korean-Inland laws while away overseas and enjoy themselves with the native Japanese men.

Very cunning broads indeed!

Car sharing insights - part deux

2006-04-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

So I'm a regular user of the three car sharing services here in San Francisco. It allows me to have transport without the hassle and responsibility of car ownership. Gas and insurance is free, the cars are clean, new and the reservation systems are sophisticated and easy to use.

City Carshare has been around the longest in SF and has the most cars and "pods" around the bay area. Their business model is good for short trips around the city that do not incur long hours or long mileage distances. ($4/hour and $.40 per mile). I find that once you leave the city and head down the pennisula for the day or to meet with a client, it can get cost prohibitive. They have a lot of Toyota xAs and xBs in their fleet along with a few popular hybrid models, a Toyota pickup as well as a few mini coopers.

www.citycarshare.com

Flexcar's business model is a bit more geared towards those that want to have a car for a few days to get out of town or take a day trip to Tahoe, Monterey or the wine country. Their cars a bit more upmarket and offer Honda Accords, Elements as well as hybrids. They also have certain cars that you can rent for the day under the star program that will not charge you over 5 or 7 hours of usage in a given day. This is great for the trip to Tahoe for the weekend. Their hourly rate at $7-9 per hour is a bit more than citycarshare for those trips to Trader Joes on Saturday afternoon.

www.flexcar.com

Zipcar is the newest player to enter the game. They offer $60/ day rentals and also have an hourly program as well at $8-11 per hour. Although they are filling the market demand for higher end cars in their fleet (Volvo S40) and they allow members to use cars in other markets like Seattle, Minneapolis, San Diego and a few others, they are clearly the highest priced horse in the race. They also have free mileage program up to 125 miles with each rental. Anything over 125 miles per day and there is a fee per mile. The thing about this firm is that they add all sorts of fees and taxes to your bill which make it cost prohibitive to use them over one of the big major car rental firms near airports. Example: I am traveling to Minneapolis for a few days and they have a Honda Element available for $60/day or $8/ hour. To get this car for the 2 days I need it would be over $139 with a 125 mile limit per day. Instead I rented a Dodge Magnum ( or other) for $15 per day with unlimited miles for 3 days and a total including tax $68. I predict Zipcar will be the first to adjust its fee structure in order to compete.

www.zipcar.com

Judging business plans at Stanford

2006-04-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

So I was invited to be a judge for the 2nd annual ABA business plan competition held at Stanford University which included student presentations from both Berkeley and Stanford Universities.

My takeaways were that "viral marketing" is the latest flavor of the month in trying to get your message out that you have a new company, product or service. A few were leveraging the new VoIP infrastructure that is gaining in users. One plan was leveraging the trend in online gambling and betting. Another trotted out the stale P2P business model for sharing music online, and another was a simple t-shirt printing company. The plan that won took old voice-mail technology and made it friendlier and easier to use on the new smart phones that are now saturating the market.

The winning group of students won on their profound success in stating the problem of traditional voicemail and then illustrating a solution that not only improved existing technology,but had a well thought out plan for deployment into the market. Well researched and justified problem statements are the winners in today's design development, entrepreneurial and innovations game. You must identify a real need with the consumer or an existing problem that everyone puts up with without even knowing it, and then provide a solution that is simple and cleaner than before. Even if it means using technology that is established or not very sexy, it will get the attention of funding angels if your solution serves a real identified need.

All was going well until the judges convened to "deliberate" to choose the runner up and the winner. The winner was unanimous by all seven judges, but the runner up caused some discussion amongst the judging panel. The end result was the team that had the lowest combined score took the 2nd prize because the other 3 teams that were so close in their combined scores. This made no sense to me at all.

To me, the team with the lowest score and the smallest vision won the $1000.00 prize because of their......I still don't know. I suspect some sort of favoritism. It just did not make sense that the team with the lowest combined score received a prize over 3 other teams that were clearly superior in their plans, had much higher combined scores and that were delivered with professional acumen.

Bottom line about being a judge is to identify the members of the organizing committee as well as the other judges and watch them like a hawk in order to seek out their bias in the competition. They undoubtedly bring some sort of preconceived bias to the contest, otherwise they would not be facilitating such an event. It is in their interest to control the outcome to benefit their agenda what ever it may be. One has to be willing to closely follow the moderation of the judging and be willing to standup and point out discrepancies in the process while being rushed and pressured by the clock to arrive at a decision. Even be prepared to walk out under protest if you feel stongly enough about the bending of what you think is fair.

Sole proprietor or LLC

2006-04-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

So I'm starting yet another company. The decision of the day is to maintian 100% control or to share it with a partner. Currently the partner is based in Korea, but maintains an office in San Jose.

Since all of the homeland security issues that passed in congress, it is much more difficult to have a "foreign" (hate that word) partner without a SSN.

I myself have partnered with others just so they can do business inside the US. Whether it is The UK, Germany or China, they cannot accept payment due to all these new laws that are a result of our current state of world affairs.

So, maintaining 100% ownership has its advantages, however it can be costly due to the sweat equity benifits of partners doing pro bono work.

A Limited Liability Corporation demands that more people in the state and federal government know about your little enterprise. Filing with the secretary of state and getting a federal tax ID number are neccessary when there are more than one person involved in the businesss venture.

Anyway...an good entrepreneur is always forging new partnerships and dissolving old ones simultaniously. Putting all of your efforts into one company is a recipie for distaster.

Speaking Korean with an American spirit

2006-04-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

안녕하세요,

So I asked my instructor how this phrase was translated into Korean

I speak Korean with an American spirit.

my instructor says it is
"저는 미귝적인 사고방식 을 가지고"

but after researching I think it should be
"저는 미국 적신 한국 말하다 을 가지고"

This is driving me crazy!!!!!

Nothing in this language is making sense enough to stick.

And yet, I stick with it....

안녕히가세요...

What area of the business are you in?

2006-04-07T06:10:00.000-07:00

As I delve further into new trends in communication, I have to ask myself this exact question.

Personally, I'm in product design...Many of my collegues and associates are "in product design" as well... But we always want to know more after we get an answer like that.

Be more specific!...they say.

Many "in product design" are merely part of the propaganda machine that is constantly trying to improve the message of just what is product design. They are out lecturing, speaking at functions, giving interviews to journalists, planning presentations and other such communication activities. They are usually from very prestigious backgrounds or universities that have the ability to control the means of publication and information. They rarely design anything, but hire "labour" to do so. These are considered the "hands off" types and they are well compensated.

The "hands on" types are the labour that is highly skilled in a very specialized area of product design and are the ones doing the creative work. They toil away in the workshop, or over the drawing board or in front of the CAD monitor. They utilize all of talent they posses and the skill they picked up in design school and focus it like a laser in order to create new and innovative "things" that will change the world. Increasingly this type of skilled work is going elsewhere to cheaper labour markets like China and India. I look at the design students that I teach and feel sympathy for them as I realize the real challenge in their career will come after the rigorous training of design school.

It appears in the US, that the market values the ability to propagandize a value added commodity over merely making it or creating it. Whether it is sweet corn, high octane gasoline, ASIC microchips or bathroom tissue. That value is increasingly added overseas while the rest of the US market is focused on spreading the news about how the product will add value and happiness to your life. Consumers have the ability to be influenced by this propaganda or be critical of it. News is now even commoditized and if you are not able to read between the lines so to speak, then you have no idea whos poitics you are watching or listneing to or supporting when you consume the "news."

Which brings me to the new and novel idea of RSS feeds. RSS feeds allow you to aggregate the information that you like or are interested in, and have it sent to you. It is intended to keep you up to date on a specific issue that is being written about and published on the internet. RSS feeds allow a higher value of propagandization of news, products or services to be focused on the eyeballs of consumers. The "hands off" types love this because it keeps them up to date on what is being talked about in the industry which gives them something of value to give in their business.

There is no RSS feed for the "hands on" types. Creative energy is fleeting at best as you age. The ability to conjure up the inspiration to stay up way past your bed time toiling away on some project is harder and harder to do. You either learn a new skill, or you are not needed it appears because what you are offering is being sold at half the price overseas.

I maintain that if you do not actively apply your hands on skill and talent from time to time in the pursuit of good design, then you are a mere regurgitator of rumor and speculation. You are not adding anything new, but are merely talking about what others are doing. Unfortunately, this is big business, especially here in the US. Talking, swaying, persuading, coercing and forcing others to buy what you are selling is the business of the United States. Even though you had no "hand" in creating or making what you are selling, you still are out there trumpeting the merits of what you represent.

So think about what area of the business you are in today. Are you creating something new with your brain or hands, or are you out there hocking someone else's ideas, labour and creativity?

Negotiating with Ghana

2006-04-06T09:34:00.000-07:00

So this guy I was chatting with online this morning wants to buy one of my old cell phones. He and I have been chatting on and off for a few months now. He seems like a genuinely nice chap and all, but the has no paypal account, no bank account and no money.

I want him to accept the phone from me, but I will not just give it to him without anything in return. So, I asked him what he could afford. He came back with the reply of..."Native sandals with wood toes"

Sounds interesting to me.

The gap between the modern world and the developing world is truly amazingly wide. But, no less I will see this deal through to the end.

He is sending me some images of the "sandals with wooden toes" this weekend. Which puts me in a negotiation with a man from Ghana that knows Tae Kwon Do and rides a motorbike to go shopping with his brother sometimes.

I wonder what it will take for the average guy in Ghana to have the capability to buy and sell online. Certainly not today as Paypal only allow transactions from only 55 countries, of which Ghana is not on the list. I ask myself what will it take for a guy in Ghana who knows tae kwon do and rides a motorbike to have a bank account that he can wire transfer money around the globe. Just think of how much faster he can modernize and materialize his life on his own terms.

the seed is planted...

Team Renault does it again...!

2006-04-02T16:30:00.000-07:00

Zeke's bar and grill was packed to the ceiling with Formula one fans from around the bay area. I got their a few hours early to take a lay of the land so to speak as I had not set foot in the rather unique sports bar before.

I was lucky enough to find a seat at the bar right next to the owner and his court of friends and colleagues. I was able to eaves drop on all of the build up to the race as they discussed everything from describing the unique formula 1 crowd to taking his mother to Beijing for a holiday.

Once 8pm rolled around, all 17 screens were switched to the race in Melbourne. From the beginning the crowd was lively and animated as the cheers rang out for even the slightest bump of tires as the cars made their way around the course.

The organizer of the event even had the skills to alert the media in Melbourne, AU letting them know that we were gathered in such a unique way. Half way through the event, the announcers recognized our little event and shared with the racing world that the San Francisco Formula One group was watching with enthusiasm and passion. The crowd really went wild after that!

After several Budweiser beers in the bottle I donned my jacket and escaped out the door with just a lap to go. It was clear that Alonso of team Renault had the race in the bag.

A great crowd and a great time.

Formula 1...BABY!!!!

2006-03-31T21:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow, Melbourne, Australia 8:00pm PST

My new passion and moto muse. This year its Renault and RedBull on my radar. So far so good. In both Malaysia and Bahrain, Renault took the checkered flag.

Button of Honda has the pole for tomorrows race.

Raving on Barbara Bui

2006-03-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

I have been following this Paris based fashion designer for some time now. Ms. Bui has built quite a successful fashion image in the small town of Paris, France.

She is represents the future in so many ways as a designer. She is prolific beyond imagination, she is an expert marketer and promoter of her work in a very tasteful way. Her designs are origional and sheik beyond the runway and her ability to design for those sassy little Parisian girls is astounding considering she is of Vietnamese background. She is even traded publicly on the CAC exchange.

The image on the right is to me quinessential Barabara Bui. Tall, languid, supple and equal parts masculine and feminine.

Wow!

www.barbarabui.com

Chinese relations and the word foreigner

2006-03-29T09:28:00.000-08:00

If we are to smooth the transition between Chinese and Western cultures, use of the word foreigner must be dropped from the lexicon.

As I talk more and more with China in business, academia and using skype and other modern communication tools, I am constantly reminded that I am a foreigner by Chinese, even in my own living room where I use my computer. I realize this is confucian philosophy up close and personal.

This strikes offense in me like a bolt of lighting. Here I am trying to freely exchange cultural similarities and get closer to another culture and they ignorantly use the term "foreigner" to characterize me. I think it is one of the first english words they learn as Chinese because it is thrown around the discussion like a blow job on the set of a cheap porn film.

What I think is necessary to not cause offence is to be referred to by nationality. It kills to birds with one stone in that it accurately describes where I am from as well an does not insult me at the same time. Something that is always needed in diplomatic relations with another culture.

The following dialoue is from a skype session I had with a woman from Shanghai the other day.

steve: 13:15:32
can you teach me some charaters...?

sunny: 13:17:47
it is difficult to a foreign, it is like english to me

steve: 13:18:19
I do not like the word foreigner...it is offensive to me.

sunny: 13:18:27
chinese is my mother language, but i don't know how to tell you....

steve: 13:20:59
There are many chinese speakers here in San Francisco...

steve: 13:21:10
They are not foreigners...

sunny: 13:21:33
oh

steve: 13:22:07
Do you understand how using the word foreigner make you appear to be less than friendly?

sunny: 13:23:32
no, in fact i don't undersand

steve: 13:26:21
when you use the term foreigner, you are saying to the person that they are not close to you. It tends to distance yourself from other people and prevents coming together closer to share more together....understand?

sunny: 13:27:17
yes, i know, thank you

sunny: 13:27:38
but which word i shoud use?

steve: 13:29:44
I try and use nationalistic terms when describing people. It flatters them instead of putting them in a one size fits all catagory of "foreigner" It shows you know the difference between French culture and Russian culture and it is perceived as a compliment to them.

sunny: 13:31:22
for example?

steve: 13:32:13
I will use your sentence...

steve: 13:33:21
it is difficult to a foreign, it is like english to me. or it is difficult for an american to learn chinese, it is like english to me.

steveallard: 13:38:21
does it make any sense to you?

steve: 13:44:44
did I condescend you sunny? ....I did not mean to condescend?

sunny: 13:48:51
no,it is only beacuse my english is not good

sunny: 13:49:32
if possible, i will learn from you...haha

steve: 13:49:40
On th econtrary, your english is quite good!

steve: 13:51:40
Many that I talk to here on skype from China use the term "foreigner" The reality is that we are both in our native coutries when chatting to one another. It is a bit strange when you think about it...

steve: 13:52:16
we will teach eachother... :)

sunny: 13:53:34
:)

Lao wei is the Romanization of the word foreigner in Mandarin.

Some other words to use in place of Lao wei or foreigner:

Korean
Russian
Japanese
Singaporean
Indian
Pakistanian
Iraqi
British
French
American
Canadian

the fundamental shift of the Chinese mind in recognizing another's nationality instead of placing them into the cauldron of "foreigner" is sure to smooth the way to better relations.

Blending culture one situatiuon at a time...this is the key to creating harmony and communication between foreign nations.

If you choose to be a ham fisted meathead and wear the label of foreigner, then you probably have these guys in your record collection.

Coming down to earth in SF

2006-03-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

So I received a moving violation a few weeks ago while driving in San Francisco.

After calling the Traffic division at SFPD and heard the ungodly fine they wanted me to pay, I decided to go down and fight city hall. More specifically, officer badge number 438. This guy was a real prick after I asked him exactly what was the best way to utilize the freeway entrance ramp out of the Hayes Valley neigborhood. I was cited for not heading the poorly signposted rule of only turing right in order to exit the city onto highway 101.

I am building my case on 3 tennents. One, the intersection that I received my citation is poorly designed and implemeted. Two, the sign posts instructing drivers of the rules are confusing and do not clearly communicate the law as it is stated. Three, when I asked the arresting officer 438 what was the best way to enter the freeway, I got a bunch of mumbo jumbo BS.

It is rumoured that SF cops are on the take in SF and get fat overtime paychecks for not doing a whole hell of a lot. The vibe I got from this officer merits further investigation into this cities image problem with its police force.

So...I've got my court date in 2 months giving me ample time to build a case to present infront of the traffic judge. We'll see what transpires...