Little Worries, Big Worries

As bad as the immediate effects of high gas prices are, the long-term consequences may be far more painful. Is it time to chuck the car and buy a donkey? Maybe, maybe not, but in any event, this week's column ponders the gig.

e-Book look

Can e-books do for reading what the iPod did for listening? Find out here.

Short tale of The Long Tail

"The Long Tail is an inspiring, thoughtful, and informative look at a phenomenon that we’re all involved with, but that we have a hard time getting real perspective on."

Click here for the rest of my review.

The sound of the Huey

The sound of the Huey is today's article.

Hey, I'm always up for talking about helicopters: Here's some background on this great machine.

Thoughts over Asian coffee

"These days, Saipan has so many talkers and bureaucrats, and so few doers, that’s it’s fun to be among some doers, even if I can’t even speak the language and need help ordering even a simple cup of coffee...."

Such is one thought over coffee while enjoying the buzz of business in Hong Kong this week.

Spring cleaning for e-mail

E-mail: We need it, so we might as well include it in our Spring Cleaning.

Bug vs Windshield

If' you've got any gray hairs, you might remember the band Dire Straits and their song The Bug. In the realm of oil prices, the Commonwealth is the bug, and there are a lot of economic windshields speeding right as us, ready to squish us financially. That's the topic of today's column...and it ain't a pretty picture.

Taiwan

Although Taiwan and Saipan have long-standing economic ties, information for Taiwan-bound travelers is sparse. Here are a few observations from my first visit.

I don't usually wax enthusiastic about hotels, but this time around, I'll make an exception. Business travelers who want to stay in the airport (Taoyuan) area should be aware of Monarch Plaza hotel, it was quite a find and the staff helped make my trip a good experience.

Choices: Crunching numbers

In the April 11 edition of the Saipan Tribune, we crunch some numbers to get a feel for the relationship between choices, tradeoffs, risk aversity, and rewards...and thus solve the riddle presented in last week's column.

Catching up: March 21, March 28, and April 4 column links

The dust has settled from my travels, so I can catch up on some column links now.


April 4: "Choices in life"

"A career bromide as worn as the steps to the Nauru Building goes like so: Do what you like to do, young man, and then your work won’t seem like work, life will be happy and, fortuitously, the money will flow into your pockets..."

Here's a link to the April 4 column



March 28: "Zoris"

"There are two kinds of people on Saipan: Those who have adopted zoris as their primary footwear, and those who haven’t..."

Here's a link to the March 28 column



March 21: "The dollar and credit bombs: Told you so!"

"For many years, I have warned Saipan Tribune readers that the U.S. dollar, and the pile of toxic debt it is built on, will all collapse in an ugly heap.

And it’s happening. Right in front of our eyes. It’s the stuff of global headlines right now. There will be time, a lot of time, later, to analyze the impact on Saipan, but today let’s just ponder the general situation..."

Here's a link to the March 21 column