On not having stuff

I don't own anything. Not much anyway. I have several pairs of clothes and a cheap laptop. Everything else is fungible. This keeps me limber. It allows me to move quickly and to not have to worry about things. No matter where I live, there is no worry of loss of possessions. I am unattached.

I already know if your marriage will work out

Men and women are different no matter the socio-economic level, in whatever culture you happen to be living in. However, my experience suggests that the further you move away from rich countries with all the creature comforts (not sleeping on the floor, clean air, decent nutrition), the more women want marriage.

In the US, marriage is declining. Under age 35, people see marriage as a scam. They see the rate of divorce over 50% and don't see the point outside of utilitarian purposes. I've seen employees of mine get married and have kids to increase the checks they receive from the government. They hide paychecks and bank accounts and live in big groups to game the system of entitlements. This is the way under 35's are using marriage. The others simply aren't getting married. They see how much better life is in non-married relationships where partners need to put forth effort to keep the relationship together. The tension of lack of permanence is the greatest motivator. In marriage, you're stuck so the incentive to not be selfish or moody is less obvious.

Is Africa's future currency the RMB?

A question of significance regarding the global economy for the next 30 years is how the reserve currency status changes over time. As of Q4 2013, the USD is used for 80% of global trade settlement. However this is changing.

Along with the continued deterioration of respect for America around the world due to war and spying, the USD is becoming less desireable for foreign trade. In Chinese-speaking Asia, the Chinese RMB is increasing in popularity between governments, specifically Hong Kong and Singapore. Asia will become more and more dependent on the RMB for trade, but there are other regions that are up for grabs.

Agony in Transition: From the Third to the First World

I'm a chronic culture swapper. Upon entering a new country and foreign language, a new mind space invades. This requires a bit of processing time. In the first couple of days after a culture switch, I find myself in a quiet phase. I keep my face in a computer to work or escape into a book during the shift. If I'm not with anyone from the previous location, I'll remain almost mute until the shock wears off.

Who will be the next EU?

It's a beautiful time to be alive. The global economy is in an inflated bubblicious state due to excessive money printing by central banks (US, UK, Europe, Japan). People think things are good due to irrational stock prices. Corporate profits are high due to governments giving zero percent interest loans to big businesses. What could be bad?

As a politician looking to shake things up, now is the time. There's instability. Putin, one of the greatest politicians of our generation, is ready to make some bold moves. Putin is trying to make a new EU to compete with Europe, the US and China. He plans to call it the Eurasian Union. The name is a bit silly. Although his goal is to pick up Central Asia, he will not be able to get either of the economic centers of Europe or Asia. The current Eurasian Customs Commission includes Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan. Candidates to join the Eurasian Union are Armenia, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan.

Significant land area

Questions from around the world

I split my time between a couple of different cities in SE Asia. One is a major metropolis where no English is spoken, but I get to sleep in an incredibly comfortable bed. I have access to one of the best Crossfit gyms I've ever been to. I can fulfill any desire I can think of. Though the last American I spoke with wouldn't agree with me, I call it the first world due to availability of creature comforts and 50' x 50' TV screens on the sides of buildings selling whatever the advertisers pay for. Oh yeah, and the mass transit elevated train system is awesome.

Bitcoin is completely misunderstood

I've been a Bitcoin advocate for a while now. Yes, the USD value rose 10x in the past two months. However, when Bitcoin goes parabolic, I tend not to report on it. The USD value has been stable for a short while and had a mini-crash today $1150 to $850, so I feel ok writing about it. The mainstream media puts out hundreds of articles when it rises. Much of the information is wrong and the writers lack basic understanding of what Bitcoin is.

Why it's dangerous to outlaw guns

I am not a gun owner or advocate. Frankly, when someone shows me a gun, I ask them to please put it away so I don't have to run for my life. I don't like guns and think they are dangerous, but I feel strongly that you have a right to have one.

It's not my place to bear judgment of what you do with your life for two reasons. (1) I don't care. (2) That would be a lot of worrying if I had to concern myself with everyone else and what they are doing. I guess my election campaign was stillborn before it even started.

Third world rules

The third world plays by different rules than the second or first world. Let's see how...

How to win at life

I heard that the secret to life is balance. This is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. If we are to be balanced, what's the the point of living? Balance is boring and leads to mediocrity. If you were born balanced and tend toward the middle, great. You probably have an important role in someone's life. You may have followed the path that society prescribed for you. You probably aren't rustling any feathers. That'll never be me...

World Champion Magnus Carlsen Ushers in a New Era

Magnus Carlsen is the new Chess Champion of the World! He defeated Vishwanathan Anand on Anand's home turf in Chennai, India and did so in style. Not only is Carlsen the highest rated player of all time, but more importantly, he has cemented his spot in history as the 16th World Chess Champion.

Carlsen earned $1,350,000 for taking the title, while the previous champion Anand got a $900,000 check for his efforts and a respite from the paparazzi. Carlsen defeated comedian Steven Colbert in a rock, paper, scissors death match, and was named one of the 2013 Sexiest Men Alive by Cosmopolitan magazine.

Magnus Carlsen celebrating his new title

Why should I talk to you?

I don't feel a need for much of a circle of friends. This is not to say that I'm not friendly to those who I interact with. I am smiley to all, and though they may have an opinion about me, I have never sought their approval. I have no interest. I recognize that they will come and go and that most people will have no effect on my life.

I am a political refugee

I have always paid my taxes, always voted in major elections, always followed the laws of the land. However, my government has betrayed me. It has not followed its end of the bargain, so I left. I don't believe in sulking, taking taxpayer money from the government, or being a voiceless member of a protest. I chose to leave. The best way to be heard is to vote with your feet and with your wallet.

My entrepreneurial skills are more rewarded outside of America, so I'll go where my hard work is appreciated. I am not a follower of either of the two parties that run the US government. They are both war parties, they both believe in spying on their citizens, they both believe that the capital of its people is better in government hands than to be utilized by the people. My contribution to society in creating jobs and building businesses no longer goes to the US. In my free market paradigm, I choose to be productive elsewhere.

Your government sucks

I don't believe in borders. The world arbitrarily draws lines separating what they call countries. With this slicing and dicing of land comes the opportunity for the few to control the many living in that place. They create propaganda to make the inhabitants feel good about their captivity within the lines drawn in the Earth.

World Championship - Shenanigans at the start

Carlsen is the huge favorite to beat the current world chess champion. Magnus Carlsen is a 22-year-old Norwegian who has the highest chess rating of all time. He is so much better than the rest of the top chess players in the world that he is expected to win every tournament he plays in. He rarely disappoints.

Does Magnus have the fight in him to become world champion?

Gravity - Worst Movie Ever

Gravity has been hyped as the movie of the year. With venerable favorites George Clooney and Sandra Bullock, you have to expect a blockbuster. The first half hour of the movie puts you in a different world. You wonder whether you will be taken on an unimaginable ride.

The pace is somewhat different than most movies. There is a calm that washes over you as you float through space with the soothing voice of George Clooney telling stories of his past. But then it all changes...

The Chinese are taking over the world

One Chinese person is a dragon, two Chinese people are worms. The meaning of this expression has various depths of meaning. It is a reminder to Chinese people that we must work together. One Chinese person has unlimited strength and power, but when we are at odds with one another, the result is becoming incredibly weak. It is also a reminder of the superiority of having a one party system over one with more parties that work against each other. In business, when one Chinese person has a successful massage parlor, another Chinese will see this success and open another massage parlor next door. The result is often the failure of both businesses. Product copycatting is one of the greatest risks of our time in the age of a rising China.

Bitcoin, just die already!

I'm a Bitcoin guy. I believe in the liberty from fiat that Bitcoin provides. I am sold on the concept of having no central authority that has the power to devalue currency. I believe that Bitcoin is the solution to the payment problem that startups have been working on for a decade. It is too expensive for business owners to get paid.

We have credit card companies taking 3% off the top of our revenues. Credit cards are the major method of taking customer money in America and the real costs of taking credit cards can end up being 7-10% after considering equipment costs, start-up costs, transaction charges, and end-of-month fees. This is ridiculous and needs to end. Bitcoin solves the problem. Up to the current $2.3B market cap of Bitcoin, payment fees on unlimited purchases are essentially zero. No central agency can take a cut. Bitcoin is the most revolutionary thing to come to money since the advent of paper currency. It is money in the digital age.

Minimum wage misery

There is currently a media storm over the minimum wage. McDonalds workers in the US are complaining about their $8.25/hour wages and want $15/hour. The mainstream media is currently putting out articles about the suffering of hardworking employees earning low wages. What's the real story behind the wage situation in restaurants and retail where much of America works?

Where is the best place to travel?

I am from America. Today, a doctor from India told me that America is the best country in the world. Other days I am told that Americans should be wiped from the face of the Earth. Being from America, I have a less extreme view but have an intense belief in freedom that makes life in America unsuitable for me at the present time. I am a product of a melting pot where we have numerous ethnicities, religious groups and ways of seeing the world. Through living in NE Asia, I have learned to welcome ideas that diametrically oppose my own. I have lived in or traveled through twelve countries in NE and SE Asia. It is the region of the world that I feel most comfortable and where I hope to stay for a long time.

A New Moral Paradigm

The source code for an anonymous black market (non-gov't approved) website was found and published by a hacker. When the owner of the black market site realized that his code was public, he took down the site for the safety of his users.

The hacker explained: “It was not our aim to bring the website down, we just published the leak because if we had it, enforcement and private hackers could have it as well, trouble could arise if the leakage would have been exploited without people knowing. We have no contact with any of the involved parties (the owner of the site).”

The question is, "Is this behavior moral?" Of course most logical for the hacker who found the source code is to simply tell the site's owner. The owner was public and could be easily communicated with on the site.

However, hackers have a slightly different moral system. For hackers who believe in "open source," of course it makes sense to make the source code of the website public. They take no responsibility for the repercussions that the revealing causes.

Julian Assange and Edward Snowden are believers in this same morality of transparency for all. Google and Facebook as well. In this new moral system, all information is public and extrapolated to find out more than what is voluntarily released. What is the result when nefarious governments share in the knowledge gathering?

Click here for the answer: We're All Edward Snowden Now

My Deep Dark Secret

I'm going to let you in on a secret of mine that no one in the world knows about me. Are you ready for it? OK, here it goes...

I'm Inspired!

I want to go back to America to fight for the future.

I feel sad for what has happened to the image of America. I am amazed at the continuous lies that Obama is telling us. I am inspired to change the country for the better. America is an incredible people. BUT, I can't do anything from inside a jail cell. I know that if I return to America and fight to improve the country, I would be taken out by gun or by a police officer who chose not to follow the law.

Are you doomed?

It's a glorious time to be alive. The developed world is falling apart due to the few trying to rule the many. Politicians in America, Europe and Japan have lost control of their financial systems and are choosing economic destruction. The selfish desire to retain power has caused a short term mindset in our leaders which has destroyed productivity and caused a "future" problem. To fix the present, they have decided to steal the future.

Are there floods in heaven?

For the last month and a half I've been living in my friend's 250 sq ft house in a rural village. Whenever I leave the house, I talk to the kids on my street. I know all of the street cats by name:  Princess, Adopted, Ogi, Kabs, Jumper, Bagger, Stormy, and Kymie and I always take interest in the local street dogs: Maya, Marvin, Blackie, Whitie and ChoCho. I call my next door neighbor "Grandma." Keiya, the three year old girl who lives with her, let's me know the exciting news of the day: I have a candy, I have a doll house, I climbed a tree, and so it goes.

SE Asia Visa Guide

If you're planning on visiting SE Asia, you have to make sure you know the regulations of each country. It's so easy to jump on a bus and cross the border into the next country, but be sure you have the right currency to get your new visa. If you are not prepared, you could be charged huge premiums or simply not have enough cash on you to cross the border. You do not want to be forced to buy a plane ticket or be sent away.

At border crossings, you are an easy target for scams, having all your worldly possessions stolen, or being beaten up. Don't trust people in uniforms who claim to be officials. Keep your head down. At border checkpoints, smile but don't give more information than necessary. Keep responses short and know what the border guards need to hear. Your best source of information regarding border crossings are from other travelers in hostels.

Free money for everyone

The Swiss government is "disruptive" in entrepreneur-speak. That means that they reject the status quo and do things that would seem unimaginable. No, the Swiss government is not just unconventional in that the people have a say, though this is unique in the world. Just 100,000 signatures are required to force a referendum where every citizen gets to vote for a new law.

Where am I?

I find myself in a metropolis of 10 million people where you can taste the freedom.

I wake up in my what I see as a 5 star hostel. $13/night, 10 bunk beds in the room, this is the lap of luxury. I pay $2/night in other cities. Just a few feet away is a European with his manhood fully displayed as he sleeps. He is spread eagle on his bunk presenting himself for all to see.

Love letter to the future

In twelve hours, I'll be in another country. My visa here is finishing, a clear sign to move on. Too bad, I was starting to like it here. Matters of money, romance, and mental space were easy and clear. Language came easy and the praise for its use was lavished.

You don't own your children

Parents, stop pushing your kids to get jobs. Or worse, make them feel guilty for not following your career paradigm.

Working for someone else is not only obsolete, it is slavery. This may have been the way of the past, but it is no longer an option. The sooner you stop trying to coerce your children toward this barbaric practice, the better off your kids will be.

Why I'll never go home

Like a growing number of Americans between the age of 25-35, I have left the country due to lack of opportunity. Politicians have created a system in which young educated citizens have no future.

America under martial law

America will be under martial law within the next 10 years.

That means that the military will take over and people will not be free to go to the store. Business owners will not be allowed to set their own prices. You will be severely limited in the money you can take out of the country. You will be a slave to the state, but it will be different than it is now because the gun to you head will be literal, not figurative as it is now.

It's the end of the world as we know it... and I feel fine

When you get a serious cut, what do you do? Is the best method of dealing with the injury taking a knife and cutting deeper? Is it better to take a mentally ill person and verbally abuse him? Is the best method to help the homeless walking by, spitting on them and peeing on their blankets? This is what the civilized world has been doing with the economy.

If we could only aspire to be Filipino

The Filipinos are smarter than we are.

Though it is foolish to make such a blanket statement, they are socially brilliant and have the stability for happiness. Not only do they understand others' thoughts and intentions as other Asians do, but they also understand the West. This is a brutal combination of social brilliance that may never be defeated.

The oldest trick in the book

There's always Thailand, the Land of Smiles. No problem in your life can ever be so serious. Whenever something bad happens, the answer is always "no problem."

The method for getting your way in Thailand is always to flatter and woo with sex. Boy or girl, it doesn't really matter. In Thailand, the Westerners are seen as hairy monkeys, but somehow we like it that way. The Thais always smile and make for a fun atmosphere without any heavy undercurrent of reality. As long as you keep the Thais happy, you'll feel light, without a care in the world.

Bitcoin is Dead, Long Live Bitcoin

The US government has done what they do best, plunder from those who create freedom. They have taken the creator of Silk Road, the online drug marketplace, into custody and stolen his money and business. It was just a matter of time.  Even Dread Pirates Roberts the pseudonymous Silk Road founder knew his day would come the moment he gave an all access interview to Forbes. He will go down a martyr, just like WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange or Edward Snowden who reported the US government's spy program to the world. Silk Road is THE representation of Bitcoin to the government, the mainstream media and to consumers.

Whose fault is the government shutdown?

Barack Obama has been a light upon the nation. He brought us together on his campaign with a 'we shall overcome' platform. He has successfully encouraged Americans to alter their views toward a more European style of government. His method has been to divide the nation between good and evil, have and have not.

How to stay in the greatest country on Earth forever

In the Philippines, you will be given 30 days in the country free. It is crucial that you have a plane ticket out of the country. Your options are to either fake a ticket or buy the cheapest ticket you can find and simply not take the flight.

The only thing you need to know about Bali

Bali is where you go if you like the beach. If you are a surfer, you'll love it! It is an easy place to start your travels if you're new to Asia because the level of English spoken by the locals is extremely high.

Citizenship Hacking

As the US regulatory stranglehold on individuals increases, some of us are choosing to opt out.

3 charts you need to see to believe

JUNE 21, 2013:

Ben Bernanke is signaling that the end of US quantitative easing is coming.

The Australian Dollar dropped to below .92 US Dollars after being at 1.06 in April.  

China's LIBOR spiked to 13.4%.

Gold dropped 6% in one day!

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