Rebirth Of A Nation

Mr. Obama and the United States' Global Recession

The current global financial tsunami epicenter was the United States. Not only here in Southeast Asia, but around the world, this changes the game a bit. Notorious for telling the world how to manage their internal affairs - particularly in finance, the United States is - on the ropes. This is not lost on the folks that manage countries in my sphere. There are some interesting interpretations here. "Mr. Jeff, you tell us little countries how to manage money and our society. Now look at you...". Or, "America, you say we are corrupt. You have more experience therefor being more gentlemanly corrupt". Ouch. "Lending Mr. Jeff is based on income, not credit." Blammo.
In the United States banking sector, we created a cocktail of 50% bad judgement and 50% greed. Years ago, Conservative lawmakers battled the, 'a home for every middle class American' aspired by more liberal lawmakers. Lending assessment practices were junk. There was no good mechanism for audit. Brokers and banks didn't care. Their loan packages were bundled and sold. They all made nice commissions. I know two young people, under 30, that had nearly 500k incomes in 2006.
What to do?
Let the market take it's course. The United States government cannot save the day. This is primarily a private enterprise issue. Governments maybe able to buy time, but they won't save the day, private enterprise will. I maybe wrong, but let's see what happens over the next several months. I'm concerned this government bail-out money will be gobbled-up by recipients as finger food, followed by demands for a real sit down dinner.
Propping-up losers is never a good idea. As an example, Detroit came begging on one knee to Washington for money this week. Well, they produce inferior, old school product. Helping Detroit limp along without innovative work product is just not worthy of government money. Detroit's retort to this is, if they fail, there could be job lay-offs in the millions. True.
Detroit's record for propulsion innovation stinks. Innovation put the United States on the map in the first place and is the backbone to where we have risen and our only avenue to continue to do so. If Detroit cannot do better, for shame. Then get out of the game. We should not support or reward losers.
The global recession is soon to be on the mantle of Mr. Obama. Much of the world See's this man as the new Messiah. I don't.
The scent of socialism on Mr. Obama's breath concerns me deeply. Just the same, the world looks forward to his arrival in the White House. 'The big-bad-stupid-bully is on his way out and a younger, good looking, man that loves the world is on his way in.' Black in color - no problem. International cool. I agree.
The honeymoon soon begins. "Change" is clearly arriving in the form of old Clinton folks. The chance of Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State is a poor idea. My sense is either Clinton in the Obama cabinet would suck the air out of his words. In the event Mr. Obama were to draw either of the Clinton's deep in his lair, Mr. Obama would become their poodle. Mr. Obama is a nice guy with a shallow resume for the tasks at hand. I wish him well and believe interesting times lie ahead.

Water Festival

This is The event of the year here in Cambodia, while there are plenty of Khmer holidays, of all of them - this holiday has the most Mojo. Attendance estimates vary wildly. None are scientific. Just the same, many tens of thousands of folks from the Provence's make the pilgrimage to celebrate this grand event. This is a three-day party with very deep roots.

Water Festival arrives at this time of year, not by chance. It takes place at a time of profound confluence of hydrological changes and a full and new moon.

Water Festival is held at the end of the wet season, when lakes have swollen so much water is pushed out to sea. There is too much water. Farmers hustle to make best use of the water for their rice crops, both for immediate use and storage. As the rainy season subsides, water evaporates, and rice crops are picked. Interestingly, as rainy season water is used and absorbed, water levels in the rivers lower to the point that river waters change course and sea water pushes in. Rivers change flow direction. Just amazing.

People with money, say $2.00 a day-budget for a family of four, have the resources to camp on the City side of the river.

This is a video short about the other side of the river. These are the folks that are not, 'high-rollers' and cannot afford the expense of the city side of the Festival. Just the same, they were in the Spirit and we enjoyed the festival right along with them.

Independence Day & Water Festival

School kids awaiting to greet the King for the Festival.



Bad photo luck on my part in this instance. That red lamp perfectly tracked the face of the king the entirety of his passing before me.

Monks watching the Water Festival.

Cruel games of chance.

This is what it is all about. Narrow boats of 70+ feet with 50+ rowers competing for speed.

On the sidelines of Water Festival, three days of unregulated gambling. Impunity for any law here is most often reserved for the rich. Open, free-style gambling during Water Festival in the capital for the visiting Provence farmers is their annual impunity version of Las Vegas. Just like Las Vegas, they play big-shot for a few days and go home.

The ugliest part of gaming here is street kids have their own areas to gamble. It breaks my heart. Thank goodness there are only a couple days a year this illicitness is openly tolerated.

Yes, I would like two rat on a stick and a Diet Coke.

The spectrum of BBQ here is somewhat more varied than the United States.
As bad as it sounds, rats can be a good form of protein, just like any other animal, it depends on what they eat. Read this story, it is interesting. Click story to enlarge.

Street 275 Progress

Basic, exterior and interior architectural design is finished, but will likely be tweaked with our next step. We are now on to mechanical, electrical and plumbing design for this 14-story, luxury apartment building. This part of the design process is not very sexy but crucial and tedious. We have a couple months of work ahead of us in this effort. Once this design reflects our combined best efforts, I will spend several thousands of dollars having outside architects and mechanical engineers critique our work and look for inefficiencies, ergonomic awkwardness and any other structural/layout issues.

In my view, as a humble small developer, the 'heavy-lifting' is getting the proper design and materials concisely and clearly planned and illustrated with as small a margin of error as possible. Physical construction is the easy part.


This building was just constructed for $8,000.00 and will be demolished in a couple years when the mid-rise building is finished. The purpose of this temporary construction is providing meals, showers and laundry services to 50 workers.

This is a 40 foot cargo-container we have converted to half office - half materials storage.

Just moving in.

Getting frame of signage ready.

Exploring Thakmao

Thakmao is a city about 25km South of Phnom Pehn, Cambodia. Thakmao translates to 'dark grandfather'. The city is gentle and sweet. 'Borangs', foreigners, are a novelty here. Folks stare Westerners in the eyes with a smile. Invariably, when one stops, kids nicely whirl-up to say hello and stare. Human curiosity kicks in and we all want to comfortably wallow in our stilted mutual friendly unfamiliarity. Join Chean Long and myself on this adventure.


Thakmao has a long riverfront park area. It is the place locals of all ages take their leisure. A stroll, 35 cent meal with a friend is a nice way to live here after work. Nice place to get a picture with your family or lover as well.

When Long and I showed-up, all the park photographers that charge 25 cents per-photo were just as curious as could be about our photographic equipment. They use film. They know of digital point and shoot, this was their first experience with professional digital.

Chean Long (with back-pack) deep in digital explanation with park photographers.

This photographer with his sharp and clean 1960's era Nikon is assured his all important lens cap is not far away. I respect these fellows.

Water Festival is a big deal here in Phnom Pehn, Cambodia and only several days away. Here is a crew doing training and time-trials for this momentous event. Over two-million folks converge on the Capital for this three-day event.

Like bridges, balloons are a wonderful metaphor for hope.

Kid's are everywhere. Over 50% of the population is under 25 years of age.

It has been determined by this young Mister that launching a red, plastic blow-up horse off a blue stool is a good idea. With good planning in mind, he checks his steps to make sure his stride will have the best trajectory. Check.

It' time to get down to business. Here we go.

Our young equestrian punter comes in a little low and clips the stool. But there's still plenty of momentum, 1/8th of a second away for poor unsuspecting Mr. Horse.

Whabammo!

Note the maximum height of his kick. Impressive.

This plastic horse is up about about six-feet and likely now knows who's boss.

Next time I visit, I need to position a couple three people along the river wall, holding the jaws open of this crocodile sculpture.

A reminder, drugs are bad and do not lead to a good life. Most folks here understand this. There are drug problems here, but they are not extensive. Bottom right of painting: Blister-pack of pills, can of nasty glue and gut-rot liquor. Just above the liquor, a fellow holds a baggie for sniffing glue. Higher above, we have a shard laden broken bottle holder on the left and a knife holder in repose on the right. A pot smoker between the two. Primitive, but telling and hopefully compelling.

Casting a hand-net for fish is an art. I love it. I have practiced this form of fishing for over a year as a hobby. Very difficult to splay the net in a nice circle. Once the net is retrieved from the water and fish removed, there is a five-minute process preparing for the next cast. It is like preparing a parachute that isn't folded, but at the very bottom, the net is pleated in three-inch segments.

Yep. That's the way you properly do it.

Globe Article

This is an article I participated in for Globe magazine. Globe is Southeast Asia's business monthly and read throughout Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Lao.
Click on the pages for legibility.