Book review: The Oil Card

Here's an interesting book: "The Oil Card."

My review is here.

The author's web site is here.

The publisher's web site is here.

The Amazon page is here.

Change in the Commonwealth

"Remember when June 1, 2009, seemed so far away? That’s when CNMI immigration matters will grow some real teeth. Well, it ain’t far. It’s just 129 days down the road." Catch this week's column here.


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At the end of my column I noted three tech items of interest. Here are some links:

1. Conficker worm: Here's a CNN piece. It sure looks like the security software companies are hyping this to promote their products.

2. Seagate hard drive failures: This came to my attention thanks to John C. Dvorak's Jan. 21 podcast. Here's more information.

3. Heartland credit card hack: Here's a WSJ article.

G_tting th_ngs d_ne

If you're looking for some good news, you can consider that on a business-to-business basis, what remains of Saipan's private sector is a pretty cozy proposition. So cozy, in fact, that it can spoil us. As more folks use the Internet to venture into international commerce, there are frustrations...some of which I address is a bilious screed for this week's column.

The crab pot economy

"Saipan has experienced this lesson in economics, though it has never learned it: Destruction follows delusion. Personally, I'd like to see construction follow coherence, but it's not up to me to determine such things for the Commonwealth..." Thus starts today's article.

A powerful thirst

Every columnist picks their opening theme of a new year with great deliberation. I'm not part of the huffing-and-puffing crowd about the economic situation, since I forecast it for years in my column and it's pretty much old news by dint of long inevitability.

So my first piece of 2009 is about....water.

Yes, water.

Saipan's water situation is sometimes ticklish, but seldom dire. Still, typhoon preparation does require some thought in the water realm, and for those who enjoy adventuring, or even living, in the more remote tropics, finding clean water is more than a matter of taste, it's a matter of health.

The photo, incidentally, is the Katadyn Pocket Filter, one of many such devices on the market to help clean up water for hikers, travelers, or for emergency preparation. Actually, to get a bit pedantic here, water "filtering" and water "purification" are two different things; purification is the higher standard of cleanliness. But that's a more detailed topic for a different day. For now, I just thought the basic topic is a useful thing to consider for the new year.

(Note: Because of the New Year's publishing schedule, this column ran Saturday, January 3, instead of Friday.)

Island Hopping

Now that fuel has returned to sane price levels, it's time to relish the fact that the Commonwealth offers some of the world's best flying. Aircraft partnerships are common ways for people to share expenses, and scooting between Saipan, Tinian, Rota, and Guam in a small airplane is certainly a viable endeavor. (Pagan, on the other hand, is a bit more demanding, but it's sure a lot of fun.)

This column will run Saturday.

(Photo: Yours truly at Pagan Island)

Brutal brevity

Patronage jobs aren't an option for Saipan's Filipino workforce. For those sending resumes to the U.S. market, this week's column highlights differences between Philippine and American resume protocol.

Christmas shopping for Saipan techies

This shopping season doesn't seem to offer a "must-have" gift for the techie on your list, a situation I lament in this week's column.

But here are a few things (tech-oriented or otherwise)that I reviewed in 2008:

1. Saving Memories. Feb. 29. This extolls the benefits of the new generation of small external hard drives. Many of us have moved our photo albums to our computers; those are memories worth saving....and backing up.

2. A great piece of gear. Aug. 15. The Cabela's Outback Computer Attache is my best product discovery of the year.

3. Saipan and Everywhere: Four essential books. Oct. 24. The title pretty much says it all. Any, or all, of these four books would be a nice gift for the thinker on your list.

Paradise is for learners

"As the CNMI economy continues to transition to a totally government-based economy, anyone who wants to earn a living in the Commonwealth while remaining in the much-hated 'private sector' has got a tough challenge...but it's a doable challenge."

Here are links mentioned in today's column:

1. May 23 review of The Long Tail.

2. The A.P. story on Wyoming's Ten Sleep. (The title of this article is different than the one I mention in my column, but it's the same article.)

The Korean Juggernaut

As 2008 is drawing to a close, I noticed that I haven't filled my quota of glaring typos. So here's a "baron peninsula " just to lend an air of genuine Stephens authenticity to this week's article. Enjoy hunting for that little gem! Accept no substitutes.