Post Election Fun

I have not posted an update to my blog for a long time.  I have just been so busy!!  But, I saw this and like it. : )

America is Saved

Our prayers have been answered! We will want for nothing. I have a whole list of things I don't need to worry about anymore. I will be fed, my car fueled, and may not even have to worry about paying for a house. This is incredible. I wonder if I can get some help buying new clothes. A pair of diesel jeans in Switzerland costs 350 CHF. It sounded expensive until yesterday, but now I have the US government to take care of all my needs!!

Watch this video to see another happy American...



Who wouldn't be excited about all this?! Where else can you live where everything is covered by the government? America truly is the best country in the World!!!  I just feel like ....  I don't know.   I just feel like he will help us all!!!!

Barack Obama is Weak!

Barack Obama does not understand the true fiber of America. He is weak and weak minded. He is not good for America, or for the World. This brave American soldier says it best.

Corruption Galore & Meltdown of World Economy

The world markets have begun their collapse led by my country, the USA. It is embarassing, but the stupidity and lack of integrity behind this issue are simply amazing. But, is anyone really surprised? This will hit other countries around the world and it will be the blame of their governments and businesses.

The solution in the USA is not $700B of tax payer bailouts.  It will hurt for a couple of years, but the real solution is to let these corrupt businesses go out of business, and without the benefit of golden parachutes for Sr Execs.  Nothing seems to get the attention of some people like hitting them in their own wallet!!

Some prominent politicians also need to go (Barney Frank, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee and Christopher Cox, Chairman of the SEC, etc, etc, etc, etc).

In the meantime, feel free to review this funny, but true presentation that explains the situation --> CLICK HERE.

Back in Switzerland

It has been a while since my last update, but I have been busy with a few things.  My phone and camera are both full of pictures that are just crying to be uploaded so the world can see them.

Several weeks ago, I took a much needed vacation and my friend Rance visited to share it with me.  We ran all over the Lausanne, Vevey, Montreux area checking out all there is to be seen.  Final analysis: this place really is great!!  The montains are beautiful, the water is beautiful, and the girls are perhaps more approachable than I first thought.  The American "cocky" attitude is not recommended, but they are certainly okay with being approached for a conversation.  : )

Rance flew home on Sunday morning.  This same morning, I received an early morning call from my dad in Nashville.  I knew when I saw the caller id that something was wrong.  Sure enough, I learned that my role model grandfather had just passed away.  I left for Nashville Monday morning.  It was nice to see family and friends of my grandfather.  Grandad was 90 years old and life was becoming difficult for him.  He lived a long life doing good for countless people.  It was an honor to be his grandson, and he certainly started a legacy that cannot easily be lived up to.  It is comforting to know that he is in Heaven, reunited with Granma and others he loved...

Last week was a long, tough week, but I was reminded of his constant advice to "keep on keeping on".  I arrived back in Switzerland on Friday afternoon and have been spending the weekend recovering from jet lag and loss of such a great man of integrity.

Miscellaneous Happenings

I have had many things to write about but no time. Hopefully I haven't created an addiction with anyone that has gone unsatisfied.  Where to start...

Two weekends ago I had dinner with a wonderful Swiss couple, one of which is a colleague of mine at work. They live in the mountains above Vevey. Their home and view are absolutely fantastic!! There is a waterfall not far away that is covered by the trees, but can still be heard.  I spent 30 minutes outside just admiring the view (will add photos later).  I even got a nice tour of their wine collection which is impressive.  We had tartare de boeuf and several bottles of red wine.  I know some might be thinking, "How in the world could you eat that!?".  But, don't knock it until you have tried it.  We even discussed how Swiss women are different than American women.  It was very enlightening.  Things here seem to move a little (lot) slower.  It appears as though men have to be patient.  This means one thing to me...  I better learn to be patient or I'm in a world of trouble!!!  Bottom line - the women are different in some ways (not a bad thing and maybe for the best in some ways) and the same in at least one.  Men cannot understand any of them!!  : ))))  This may be a universal challenge that knows no borders.  : ))))  Hopefully this does not get me in trouble as I am kidding for the most part (Anna??)...

John McCain named Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska, as his VP running mate.  What does this mean?  At first glance, one would think this might provide an opening for Democrats to attack her experience.  But, the reality is that this women has made more executive decisions in the past 3 months than Barack Obama has made in a lifetime.  Time will only tell how all this plays out but the Democrats should be careful about challenging her level of experience.

I am a bit of a techno geek so I will update the world on several new offerings.  I am trying out the beta version of a new IM client called Digsby.  I have tried Trillion, Meebo, etc, etc.  So far, Digsby is looking very good.  Even though it is still in beta and not open for general release, it is surprisingly stable and they are pushing updates out almost daily.  It basically brings all chat and social networking into a common platform.  It's a great concept that will only get better.  Hopefully they will support Skype chat soon.  Check it out!!  Google also just launched its new browser called Chrome.  I just downloaded it 30 minutes ago so I cannot say much except that it is pretty clean and has some interesting features...

I saved the best story for last.  Last Friday, my friend and I started at the Montreux Palace where we had a couple of drinks.  After that, we had dinner and wine at an Italian restaurant.  Next, we took a taxi up to Bloney for an 80's birthday party.  We weren't dressed for the occasion but that was fine as we really didn't notice at the time.  We had a few more drinks at the party, danced a little, and just had a great time.  But, the great time was just beginning.  We attempted to walk back to I'm not sure where to catch a taxi back to Montreux.  I won't give exact details as I am sworn to secrecy (nothing bad), but let's just say we spent a little time recovering near the roadway.  Several hours later, we managed to get a taxi and head back to civilization.  The details are left out to protect the innocent, myself included.  Let me just say that S is a cool girl and it was a fun night all around!!

Sunday Afternoon Hike

I left my apartment this afternoon and went for a hike above my town. Vinyards were all around as I made my way through several towns, including Grandvaux. Let's just say it's much easier on the way down than on the way up. The pictures don't do justice to the view that I had from above Cully!!!

Tesla Fever

I started reading about production of the Tesla several years ago. It is lithium battery powered car that will leave many gasoline powered cars in the rear view mirror. It accelerates with constant power across the power curve. It will travel 300 and something miles on a single charge. It is 100% carbon fiber which means it is very light. I have no idea what this means if you get into an accident?


I considered ordering one before I decided to move to Switzerland. Even after coming here, I wrote Tesla to see if they could ship one here. They didn't respond to my message which I think is pretty crappy on their part. But, even if I could get it here, where would I charge it? Where would I take it for service?

So - I'm left driving a slower gasoline powered car, paying about $8 gallon for petrol, and feeling jealous of people who have one of these babies!!

Swiss Wino

I never considered the effect that living in the middle of wine vineyards can have on ones drinking habits and choice of alcohol. I moved here leaning towards beer but have always enjoyed a nice glass (bottle) of red wine. Now I'm afraid I could turn into a wino.

In some of the restaurants, they recommend Italian and French wine ahead of Swiss wine. But, in all fairness, it's difficult to discern a difference in taste and the price of Swiss wine is lower.

I have already met one Cully wine producer and had a private tour of their facility. During lunch today, as I was working from home, I visited and toured another - Cave De La Cour. Click their name to visit their site. They have some nice information about Cully there as well...

It's only a 1 minute walk from my apartment. They are very friendly people. I asked 100 questions and they answered all of them. We (the owners joined in) also tested some 2005 Pinot Noir, as well as 2007 Merlot that hasn't even made it to the bottle yet. : ) Both were tres bonne!!! I learned that is takes about 5 bundles of grapes to make one bottle of Pinot Noir. The cork costs about .60 cents. The bottle is about .55 cents. Since I'm a business minded person, I was, of course, trying to figure out their business model. I like what I was seeing...

Producing the wine involves growing, taking care of, and picking the grapes. That part of the operation didn't interest me much. The actual production process seems to be a mix of creativity and science. For a stronger oak taste, they use a newer oak barrel. For less of an oak taste, the barrel is a little older. The process for red wine seems to be the same no matter the type of grape. All interesting stuff. Knowing the people who make the wine makes drinking it even more interesting... I left with 3 bottles of both the 2004 and 2005 Pinot Noir. The 2005 is the good stuff!!

This was a nice break from work but I cannot suggest wine tasting for lunch if you have serious work to get done in the afternoon. Au revoir!

Idiot of the Month Award

It's amazing that a person can be so stupid. Watch what happens when this moron decides to kite surf during a tropical storm.



Most people are able to predict what might happen when attempting to tie a large kite to oneself when the wind is blowing near hurricane strength. Geez - this guy wins the Idiot of the Month Award for not knowing and trying anyway. I hope he's okay.

Missing Madame Batista

It has been a difficult two weeks and it can only get .... worse!! You see, my wonderful housekeeper, Madame Batista, is away on vacances.

I have been required to wash my own clothes, clean the dishes, and pick things up (a little) behind myself. It's amazing how spoiled a person can become when someone handles all these items for them. Since dry cleaning is so expensive here, Madame Batista even irons my shirts for work. This means I will have a full month of semi wrinkled shirts at work. Will people at work understand and accept my explanation?

Making matters worse, it's not just the cleaning that I'm missing. She also brings me fresh vegetables from her garden. Oh my!!!

I am halfway through this punishment of sorts. Please please come back soon Madame Batista!!

Passing of a Swedish Neighbor

I met Richard over a month ago. We stood at the stone wall that divides our gardens and spoke for a short bit. I had seen he and his wife outside a number of times. They worked in the garden constantly. I have never seen such a well manicured garden in all my life!!! He was an older man. I have since learned that he was 86. Anyway, we made introductions. He explained that he was from Sweden. I told him I was flying back to the USA the next morning to see my grandfather who had fallen and was in the hospital. We agreed that I should visit he and his wife and have some vin rouge (red wine) sometime.

Following my short visit to the USA, and for the past month, I have not seen Richard. Several weeks ago, I noticed that their grass had grown higher than usual and wondered if something was wrong. Well, my thoughts were confirmed Friday night while having dinner with a Swiss couple (also neighbor's of mine). They informed me that Richard had a heart attack and died a month ago. He had made breakfast and was serving his wife in bed when it happened.

It's too bad I never got the chance to have wine with he and his wife. Even from my short conversation, I could tell that he is a nice man. Today, I spoke to his wife and told her how sorry I was to hear the news. She confirmed that he died just a few days after speaking to me. I suppose it happened while I was visiting family in the USA. She is very sad of course and noted that it is "difficile". She made the comment that she is all alone. I feel terrible for her. I told her to let me know if I could help with anything. She was thankful for the offer but it did little to ease the pain of her loss.

Sometimes we get so caught up in the everyday occurrences of our busy lives and forget the smaller, more important details.

Paris Hilton's Energy Policy

Neither US Presidential candidate has been able to articulate an energy policy as clearly as Paris Hilton, and they sure as hell haven't looked as good as her in the process.

It's understandable if you are distracted and have to watch a few times to actually hear what she is saying. The first couple of times I watched, I thought I was hearing her call my name... : )

How many presidential candidates have their own ideas anyway? They have a team of "experts" around them to give them options and recommendations. All they have to do is make a decision and present it. Paris makes both of these guys look like amateurs with no ideas on important issues like energy.

McCain needs some spark and youth behind him. He should consider Paris for VP, or at least a campaign advisor on energy policy. Whatever happens, we just need to see more of her!

Global Oil Problem Not Just About Oil

The US is the largest user of oil by far, but it won't always be. Nations like China and India will soon pass the US up. Why is this happening now?

I believe the root, in addition to the ignorant policy of the US government to import versus drill, is founded in a series of governmental and private sector failures. Two of the most key are a poor public education system and corporate greed. Schools in the US are not competitive in a local economy, much less a global one. Jobs at the tail end of last century and from here on out require brains and skills. The economy is global. Kids coming out of public schools in the US must compete with the smartest that a number of other nations have to offer. They are competing for a finite number of jobs. Who will win? The smartest, most skilled kids will win.  This is dangerous for the US economy in that it must import knowledge (in addition to oil) from other countries.

This is where lack of education and greed have come together to form the perfect storm. At least 10 years ago, Corporate America (and large companies from other developed nations) began experimenting with shipping high technology jobs to less developed nations. Why pay an American $150hr when you can pay someone from India $20hr? Many would argue that companies now pay 5 times to get the job done, but this really does not matter. The fact is the money is being spent in another country - one where $20/hr goes as far or further than $150/hr in the US. What does any of this have to do with oil?

When a person has money, he or she spends it. In a country where a person does not have a car, what is the first or second thing he will buy? That's right. A car. Cars take fuel and this is where the problem starts to take shape. A number of "developing nations" are now "developed enough" to ignite an expansion which is driving global demand for oil to levels never before seen. It will get worse. It will not stop.  Advanced jobs are now being exported into Eastern European countries like Poland.  It's great for the local economies but will continue to strain the global situation.

Let's get back to the topic of oil. For the past 1/2 century, the US has imported more and more oil. The US does not have the infrastructure to utilize its own resources. The real shame is that the US government will try to pressure Saudi Arabia to release more of its oil to drive prices down, but the US will not drill for its own oil!!! This is a sad state of affairs effecting the world economy.

The solution: take steps to improve the school system by hiring qualified teachers, paying them middle class wages, implementing testing to validate teachers have knowledge in their brains to share, and fire those who don't perform. Provide large tax incentives for companies that utilize American resources. Drill now in Alaska but continue to invest in alternative energy sources and drive down the use of oil.  Educate Americans about the importance of energy conservation and provide rewards to those who do it.  The solution is complex and involves multiple areas - not just oil.

Newsflash: Obama has solution to reduce dependency on Middle East oil

It's simple.  Everyone, please inflate your tires and get regular tune ups.  Now why didn't anyone else think of that?

Swiss National Day

Swiss National Day is today so happy Swiss Day to my new friends in my temporary home. See link for history.

History of Swiss National Day

I spent some time at the Cully Festival which was nice.

Here's my street decorated with Swiss Flags.


I like boats.


Did I say I like boats?


Well I really do... : )


Some of my fellow villagers from Cully.


Happy Swiss Day!!!

US Soldiers Walk on US Soil in Iraq

My cousin shared this picture and explanation with me. In this picture, a US Army soldier is tending to his tiny 'plot' of grass in front of his tent. He is actually using scissors to cut the grass. It is said that he asked his wife to send him dirt (US soil), fertilizer, and some grass seed so that he can have the sweet aroma, and feel the grass grow beneath his feet. Before the men of the squadron have a mission, they take turns walking through the grass and the American soil -- to bring them good luck.

May God Bless our Soldiers as they fight for freedom for a people
in a part of the world who have never seen real freedom!!

Baylor might land #1 prospect out of 2009 class!!

All I can say is Hell Yeah!!!  Sic 'em Bears!!!!

Read news from KUSports.com

Click to watch this guy play!!!

Missing home, sometimes.

I'm adjusting well to life and work in Switzerland. I'm finally settled into an apartment, have furniture, and have met some new friends. It is beautiful here and there are all kinds of new experiences just waiting for me. I still have to find a way to get proof, including the date, that I passed my written driving exam in the USA. My simple explanation that I had to pass the test to get a license, and here's my license did no good. Oh well.

Sunday night we had some serious fun that reminded me of the good ole days back in Dallas. I do miss my friends back home, but Rance will be here in September soooo watch out!!!

HOME

Drill your way out of incompetance

If the US government were running a business, it would be out of business. Forget the fact that the country is in debt above its eyeballs, and let's focus on the shortage of one of the drivers of the entire country (no pun intended) - oil.

The production of oil within the USA has dropped since mid last century while, during the same period of time, the demand has risen sharply. Making matters worse, many "developing nations" are now "developed" and more will get there one day. This will continue to drive the demand for oil up, even if the demand within the USA falls. Some may see this statement as an obvious, but clearly the US government has failed to understand.

Environmentalists have battled against drilling and refining within the USA, but seem content with doing the same in other countries. Is the damage from drilling in another country not as bad as the damage created in your own country? The environmentalists are actually happy to see the prices increase because they see an opportunity for alternative energy. But what alternative? No doubt the USA needs to do much more to conserve energy, and to develop alternative sources, but we cannot cut off our nose to spite our face. You never cut off one option without having another. We should have been leveraging the oil resources in our own country for the past 50 years. We should have also been more aggressively investing in alternative energy sources while offering healthy incentives to industry and consumers for developing and using them. We did neither of these things!!!

What do we do now? First, we start drilling in Alaska yesterday. With today's advanced drilling techniques, the process will pollute the land with less oil in a years time than what is spilled in a Wal-Mart parking lot over the same period of time. We must offset the demand of developing nations with our own oil. At the same time, we need to invest heavily in alternative energy. By the way, during my last visit to Los Angeles, I saw more electric vehicles on the road than I have seen in all of Europe. In fact, you cannot even readily buy an electric vehicle in Switzerland (correct me if I'm wrong). So - let's not assume it cannot be done!!

The government has failed the American people. Let's hope they grow a brain soon, otherwise prices will continue to rise and will take the economy down...

Obama Scraps Visit to Wounded US Soldiers

Barack Obama just wrapped up his World Tour where he made time to address hundreds of thousands of European citizens, meet with leader after leader, and conduct a number of press conferences. Some have suggested that Obama is more interested in being the president of the World than he is the President of the United States (the country that his wife has never been proud of).

His decision to not visit wounded US soldiers in Germany seems to support this claim. Wouldn't anyone who desires to be President of the United States place priority on visiting wounded US troops above giving campaign speeches in a foreign land? Let's face it, the wounded America soldiers were lying in hospital beds not far from Obama's location.

What does this say about Barack Obama as a man and as a leader?

Ready for some Football!

I'm not sure how I'll be able to enjoy the college football season when I'm 7000 miles away, but I'll figure something out.

It gets me fired up to watch the band start it's way into the stadium.

- Baylor Golden Wave entering Floyd Casey

Then, there's the play where Daniel Sepulveda, our linebacker converter to punter, absolutely destroyed the return guy. I was at this game and it was a leveling hit.

- Daniel Sepulveda Levels Return Guy

Border Control Options

The US government is inept at solving the border issues with Mexico. Government officials in Mexico do not want it solved. Why would they as our weak controls allow their criminals and poor to head North and become someone else's problem.

It really has become a joke, but one with serious consequences. Neither party wants to enforce the law because of fear of losing the growing Mexican vote. There is a serious lack of leadership in both parties these days. It's a shame when ordinary American's have to push for solutions themselves...

Life's Good

When I received the job offer to work in Switzerland, they didn't have to twist my arm for me to accept it. It's such a beautiful place here. Words cannot describe the beauty and photos cannot tell the entire story.

Today, I walked down to the waterside which is only a couple of minutes from my apartment. Below is what I saw.


What you cannot see too well are the Alps on the other side of Lac Laman (Lake Geneva). It was a bit cloudy but still picturesque.

After having some healthy ice cream : ))), I returned to my apartment and relaxed on the terrace with some red wine from the region, and some Skype chatting with friends back in the USA.


Not that is cannot be challenging, but life is good!!!

Obama World Tour

Barack Obama has taken his campaign to foreign shores. He has loaded his campaign plane with his top supporters - the liberal press. He is speaking to friendly crowds in Europe who want nothing more than a liberal US President. What does he want to accomplish on this trip? He has to make a strong case in two critical areas. He has to demonstrate that he has foreign policy experience, and that he can bolster the support of European leaders which Bush was unable to do this time around with Iraq.

Let's start by giving credit where credit is due. He looks like a leader and has managed to deliver press conferences with a number of foreign leaders. But, this is where is stops... Everyone knows that Europe wants to elect Barack Obama. After slipping up and saying he will consider splitting Jerusalem, the Palestinians now want to elect Barack Obama. The leaders of Europe consider it a pleasure to host Obama for a press conference. Together, they are offered up slow pitch softball questions from Obama's friends who came along for the ride, and everyone looks really good in the process.

But, has Obama been successful at making the case he needs to make? Let's start with foreign policy experience. This is an easy one. Anyone can travel country to country and jump on a stump to talk about the issues he has talked about for a year now - especially to a crazed crowd of European liberals. Anyone can have a one time conversation with a group of soldiers and meet for an update with a General in a warzone. But, this does not give a person foreign policy experience. A person achieves experience when they roll up their own sleeves and get involved to solve (or create then fix) real problems. Barack Obama has never done this outside the USA. He simply has no foreign policy experience.

What about his ability to bolster support from European leaders? Let's start by recalling the fact that the leadership has changed in both Germany and France where Bush faced European style liberal opposition to the war in Iraq. The new leaders actually support Bush!! The shame is that they were not in leadership before the war started in Iraq. But, with the Iraqi investments both countries had (probably still have) at the time, perhaps it would not matter who was in office. I'm sure it's difficult to take a stand when over 35 UN sanctions are broken but you have so much money on the table which could be at risk. The point is, getting post war consensus from Sarkozy and Merkel in 2008 is nothing compared to trying to get consensus from Chirac and Schröder before the war ever started. At least Bush had the majority backing of the US Congress...

Barack Obama cannot claim to have foreign policy experience and the ability to generate support in Europe after taking a 2 week World Tour. Anyone could do that... In the end, however, I'm not sure it matters. His base will support him no matter what. Pending any major errors, the real question is, who will attract the majority of Independent voters?

First Game of Pétanque

I played my first game of pétanque last Saturday in Vevey. I was invited to play by new friend's who I met at their restaurant in Cully. Their restaurant has become my 2nd kitchen. They are a couple around my age, or a little less, from France. If they were Swiss, I might not have been invited at all! You see, the Swiss are known to be "closed" and do not easily open themselves up to new friends who are not "one of them". Prior to my arrival, I read about this in the book "Living and Working in Switzerland". I dismissed it at that time and thought my natural charm would win everyone over. Well, the book might have been right. I digress...

The game of pétanque was pretty fun, especially since my team won 3 out of 3. I guess horseshoes is similar so I was not at too much of a disadvantage. After the game, we had dinner and drinks along with some good conversation. It was nice to interact with some locals in their surroundings.

1st Post

I just created this blog site to share random thoughts, pictures, and who knows what else. I have been in Switzerland for 6 months of an agreed upon contract term of 3 years. If I want, I can probably stay much longer. If I adapt to the culture, I can see myself considering this option. If not ..... well let's think positive.

There are many many things to do and see here, and of course write about. Every detail of life is a new experience as I learn to live in a new place. I find it necessary to remain flexible and open to change, but also feel it necessary to hold onto certain truths which I bring here with me.

So - this is my first post and we shall see how many follow...