I Heart NY..sometimes...briefly

There are a couple of things a man's wife can say that make him drop everything and eagerly come running. Today, my wife said one of those things -- let's go for a motorcycle ride. Two minutes later we were on-board the trusty Harley, roaring out of the driveway. We cruised down beautiful back-country roads, admired farms, livestock, and scenic villages, and enjoyed the passing scent of lilac, honeysuckle, and freshly-turned soil. I admit, there are times when I love NY.

Unfortunately, my mind quickly returns to thoughts of stifling taxation (the highest I've ever seen), shrinking population, fleeing jobs, and a bloated state government that feasts while the taxpayers bleed.

Arriving home, I found a political flyer boldly proclaiming "Take Back State Government!" Turning it over, I see it's for my incumbent assemblyman. Are you f&&$#@ kidding me?!? A man who eagerly participated in the destruction of this state has now found religion and wants to take it back?!? Nobody who has ever been elected to the disaster we call state government has the moral right to make such a plea. Regardless of party affiliation, the government of this state has failed, and it's past time that we punished those involved by not giving them another chance!!

Another Piece on Iraq

While in Iraq, I wrote a proposal for several of the industrialists that I had been working with to visit the US. The purpose of the trip was to learn about best practices in manufacturing, quality control, and business associations. The proposal was approved, and in April, the industrialists visited the US. What a strange experience to see my friends in the US! Initially they seemed so out of place -- so overcome by the natural beauty of our great country. Like most good businessmen, they adapted quickly, and like small children, were eager to learn from everyone they met. Here's a link to a TV news piece that was done about the trip:

http://rochester.ynn.com/content/501758/hope--friendship-bring-iraqi-business-association-to-rochester/

Some of the details are wrong, but overall, it's a nice piece.

Now this is Responsible Government!

I got back from Iraq about three weeks ago. More stories, pictures, details later, as well as some thoughts on what's next. For right now, however, I'm puzzled and angered by a letter that a friend of mine, a small business owner, just showed me. This, from the state of New York, regarding a business tax refund he is owed:

"No excess monies are available in this filing period for a refund to be given."

I could go on for hours about this, but there's really no need. I do dare you to try a similar tactic if you are ever unfortunate enough to owe taxes in New York.

Industrial Work in Iraq

Wow, I've been working in Iraq for almost seven months. I can't believe how quickly time has gone by. The pace of work, lack of time off and lack of personal space blends one day into another. Even given the difficulties, the work is some of the most rewarding that I've ever done. Here are a couple of links to stories:

http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/04/20/19879-patrolling-for-industry-coalition-forces-assist-local-businesses-with-improving-productivity/index.html

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=27470&Itemid=225

Big Changes

It's been some time since I posted. It hasn't been the result the laziness, or even a lack of ideas. Rather, there have been some big changes for me. I've accepted a full-time position with the US State Department and have reported for duty this week. I'll share more of my experiences as the job develops, and will use this blog to do so. I'll definitely be traveling to some interesting places.

That said, there will be a need to re-interpret the title of the blog. Normally, you would assume that I mean "China Business" and "China Travel." In this case, I would ask that you allow the "China," "Business," and "Travel" blog.

During my time with the State Department, I'll be working as an Industrial Advisor. I should have some great opportunities to compare and contrast the state of technology as well as business opportunities in some diverse places. As I said, I'll keep you posted here as things develop.

National Day of Service

In his excellent blog, Seth Godin reminds us that Martin Luther King day is thankfully being transformed into a National Day of Service (instead of another shopping day). He offers a list of service ideas that web-savvy people might consider.

In that spirit, I'd like to tell you a little bit about a charity that my family and I support, the International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC). IOCC is the official international charitable organization of the Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas (SCOBA). IOCC is involved with a wide range of charitable efforts -- everything from helping to feed refuges in the Gaza Strip and Iraq to working to eliminate hunger in the United States.

In many ways, you might say that IOCC is like many other charities. But there are differences, and those differences are why I support IOCC, and urge you to as well. You're not likely to see many celebrity endorsements (though I'm sure IOCC wouldn't mind), and you certainly won't see any marble-floored corporate headquarters, or millionaire Directors. Volunteers and employees of IOCC and related organizations go about their duties quietly and lovingly, called by Christ Himself to be like the Samaritan on the road to Damascus, and help those whom others have passed by.

Outsourcing Body of Knowledge II

In August of last year, I posted about Mr. Govindarajan Ramu and his effort to develop an outsourcing body of knowledge. Mr. Ramu is an experienced professional, and highly knowledgeable about the topic. I just found out that he presented on the topic of outsourcing quality to the Hong Kong Society for Quality. You can find the announcement here, and the actual presentation here. Looks like great material!