You might think there is no more to the question of why never come back than the above. And on the surface I agree. However, right now I can think of a couple more good reasons that are strangely linked to global finance and my bank account at the magically same time.
But let me digress from this annoying topic first as many of you have to my surprise wanted to know about my future whereabouts. I guess my insecurity comes out in such a way that I think nobody really gives a hoot what I do and where I do it. So thank you for prooving me wrong and asking where the bloody hell my next outstandingly funi, interesting, poetic and exceedingly readable, if not gramatically completely correct, travel report will reach you from.
It is to be from Austria. I just realized that I really should be making an effort to promote Austria at least a little bit since it is quite lovely. Yes, I said it, Austria is wonderful. At least when I am on vacation, wherelse can I go to Schiele Museums...
Go play a game of pool with both my Austrian and Austinian friends...
Listen to Abbado and Pollini (my Mum thinks he is too unemotional) do Beethoven Symphonies in one of the top 3 concerthalls in the world for 6 Euros, tickets purchased at the door on the night of the performance...
Put Versailles to shame...
Find out how its done (the putting to shame of Versaille). It takes roughly 60 year-round gardener employees and lots of practice and talent to be able to cut a tree round. This guy was telling me that while Phil snuck in a picture. Sneaky, Dr Jones! I know, we should be spies.
And so much more, which might come out in another posting, but right now I know you are dying to find out what is next, and why I will never come back from Don Det!
On the 10th of October I have a flight to Bangkok. I will stay there a few days and then get on the bus to Cambodia. I will be in Cambodia for about a month and then get back to Bangkok to fly to Yangon on the 10th of November where I will meet my uncle who I will then travel around Burma with for about a month. On the 5th of December I will be back in Bangkok. No idea after that.
Why I should stay in Don Det instead of going to Melbourne and Brisbane and back to USA? Because a couple of dollars a day is all I need there, and thats all I will have after the Treas. Sec is done bailing his old company out. I know I promised you no more capitalist robber baron rants, but this one is just too good to be passed over. Quick and painful:
- Treas. Sec. Paulson "The Hammer" says that the overleveraged and underbacked debt instruments that were created by the investment houses over the last few years are largely responsible for the current malaise.
- Goldman Sachs is one of these investment houses, as proven by the current bailout of Goldman Sachs by Warren Buffet to the tune of USD 5 billion.
- Paulson was the CEO of Goldman Sachs for 8 years before joining the Bush Administration last year.
- His payout from Sachs before joining the govt was: YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! You can find his stock ownership of $632.4 mil right under the first pie chart. This is a Forbes site, they are in business to tell us who the heroes of capitalism are. They wouldn't lie, they are proud of this stuff. He had to sell these stocks without (!) paying taxes at the time of switching from Sachs CEO to Treas Sec. Cant have a conflict of interest, right? RIGHT?!?
- Amongst other actions as CEO he directed that all major strategy changes had to come before the board before being implemented. For example the usage of new overleveraged and underbacked debt instruments.
- So now he asks me to give him 700 billion (we all know this is an entré), of which a cold hard 630 million went into his pocket 1 year ago.
Feedback Links to your Senator:
Cali
Barbara Boxer: http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/feedback.cfm
Dianne Feinstein: http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ContactUs.EmailMe
Members of Congress: http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newseek.cgi?site=ctc&state=ca
Arizona: My favorite "The economy is in good shape" John McCain: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm
Members of Congress:
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/cgi-bin/newseek.cgi?site=ctc&state=az
I did write to all of the Senators and to one Representative each. Call me naiv, call me stupid, but this stuff annoys me too much to not at least give them a piece of my mind.
This post makes me believe that you in fact went to southeast asia instead coming back to the states in refuge from more angry letters to the congress and potential heart attacks. ... Don det looks like just the place for such refuge. I love this picture very much. Can we dig up the large version and I'd love to have it hung on the wall. :)
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