Boy Scouts of America

I am stunned that the Boy Scouts may drop their homophobic guidelines.  It reminds me of a conversation I had while working at Hamilton.  Two of my closest colleagues are/were conservative Republicans.*  As controversy erupted in 2007 about the Boy Scouts anti-gay policy one of them remarked that the controversy was ridiculous.  The other - seeing me as a reasonable liberal (if there were such a thing) - said, "Steve, I'm sure you support the Boy Scouts."

I responded, "Absolutely not.  They discriminate   Saying they do good things but, yeah, they discriminate doesn't change things.  It's like saying the Klan promoted family  values.  That killing negroes part was just a side issue."

To post or not to post?

Today I was proctoring a test for statistics on the women's campus.  Proctoring exams is as boring as life gets.  I'd rather watch grass grow.  Fortunately, in the room above us there was a piano and we were serenaded for most of the two hours.

During the two hours of the test I checked FB several times.  A male student (not in my room since I am on the female campus) took pictures of his answers to the test and posted them.

I am aware that cheating here is on a level we just can't comprehend in the US... but 8 pictures on Facebook with your answers to every question???

The piano serenade and the pictures posted to FB with both firsts for me.  I can't turn the guy in because he smartly deleted them.  He will be taking MY final on Tuesday.  I will certainly drop him a note that says, "Don't even think of touching your phone during this test.  I saw your stats test on Sunday."

The frozen Great Lakes

Photo from NASA Modis, January 22, 2013.  Can't find the exact link.

Emirati housing

A local newspaper called The National ran this interesting story about housing for Emiratis.  The following is a summary of what I learned from the article, an Emirati friend and other sources:

• Emiratis will never be homeless because the government will provide housing.  Also, there are no water bills and electricity is billed at 5% of what we pay in the US.  (In other words, divide your electricity bill by 20 to get what you'd pay here.)
• Every Emirati family is given land to build on.  I live in the rich emirate of Abu Dhabi where they will also cover the expense of setting up the water/electricity.
• A Dh 500,000 - 750,000 (roughly $130,000 - $200,000) gift is given to help start building.  Typically, the houses - usually a villa - will cost another Dh 1.5 million ($400,000).  Why are villas over $500,000 if the land is free and the plumbing is paid for?  Good question.  It's certainly not the price of Pakistani/Bangladeshi labor that builds it.  Part of the reason may be that most villas are huge to accommodate a dozen or more family plus a maid or two... but I don't have a good understanding why the building costs are so high.
• The loan payment comes out of their paychecks.  If an Emirati loses his job or can't pay he will go to a Sheikh who has the power to wipe out the debt.  
• Many have villas built but continue to live in much smaller government housing.  They rent out the villas to westerners.  (These are westerners who make much more money than me.)  The rent is typically $35,000 - $50,000 per year.  After the loan is paid off the family moves in or continues to collect the rent as a source of income.

This is a family home in Dubai (picture was taken by an Emirati friend). Off to the left are the living quarters for the maids and drivers.  Most villas are much smaller but still huge by Iowa standards.

*****
Also, a correction:  In my first year I was told that the government pays Dh 2000 per child per month.  That would be $540 per month in welfare.  I recited that fact many times while back home.  I've now been told by multiple sources that it is only Dh 600... which is $163 per month per child.

Don't know how to title this post

Here's what I've been pondering:

"Epic fail"

"Unbelievable"

"I'll take 'Holy Shit' for $100, Alex."

*****

I coordinate the principles of management course. Simply put, I write the common syllabus, make sure everyone has the materials and write the final.  A week ago I completed the final.  Two completely different sets of questions made into four versions.  (All part of my methods to reduce cheating.)  I was feeling soooo good about myself...

Yesterday, I had a conversation that, well... This is what I said to a new colleague:  "So you are telling me you didn't cover 1/3 of the material for this course?"

What I wanted to say scream was, "What the f*#k have you been doing for the past 15 weeks?"

I am sick.  I'm not sick because *I* will get in any serious trouble over this, because I won't.  I am sick because... I don't know.  I take my job seriously?  I think what we do has value and it should be done right?

Here's what I said to the group of my fellow teachers:  "It's good thing we are not in medicine because this would be malpractice."

I have been in the field of education most of my adult life.  I can't think of any similar situation where a person simply didn't teach the course.  There's anger and rage building in me as I write this and I can feel myself losing what few, precious hairs I have left on my head.

Apple at $500

Last Friday Apple closed at $500.00.  Exactly $500.  And, wow, is it cheap.

A little review:  In 2008, I highlighted Apple as a stock to buy at $91.  Just over a year ago I said it was a buy at $381.

Now it is at $500 and it is still super-ridiculously cheap.

And I say that as a guy who is giving up my iPhone for a Galaxy Note 2...

Lotsa millionaires in Iowa

While the US struggles to come out of the deepest recession since the great depression, farmers have been having a pretty great ride.  Corn, soybean and wheat prices have been at (or near) historic highs for several years.  I don't begrudge them... not at all.  I grew up on a farm so my thought is that is about frickin' time that the people who feed the world get a decent pay.

Check out how much the price of farmland per acre has increased IN JUST ONE YEAR:

I'm not sure why this looks so bad on this blog.  Try clicking on the original here.  The bottom line is that most of Iowa saw farmland going up in value 17-35%.

Non-Iowans (and probably many Iowans) would wonder why land in the southern part of the state is worth less than half of the land in the northern part of the state.  Racism.  We just don't like southerners.  The northern half of Iowa was covered by glaciers and the land is more fertile.

A couple of years ago - when land values were half of what they are now - I joked with Dad that he was a millionaire.  In typical Iowa fashion he shrugged it off.  Last spring he contacted us kids to get permission to buy a $3000 used van.

******
Switching hats from "Iowan" to "Economist-wannabe" - Farmland doubling in value in 5 years sounds like a bubble.  It is what happened with housing a decade ago, right?

I don't think this is the same.  First, the farmland in Iowa is being bought by fellow Iowans.  It has not become the speculation buy of those nasty east and west coasters.  Second, the increase in the price of corn and soybeans is here to stay.  Farmers are getting 3x the price of corn they were getting 10 years ago and almost 2x the price for soybeans.  Poor people around the world are getting a little richer.  As they have more money they want meat and fish.  Corn and soybeans feed those cows and fish farms.

I so wish I had a chance to teach economics again.

Update:  I've never liked the ice age theory to explain fertile soil.  It may be part of the reason but as this website explains, the northern parts of Iowa and the Mississippi/Missouri river valleys had grasses with deep roots.  Over time they built a much more rich soil.

Changing world at night

As a geography geek I have always loved the "earth at night" picture.  It is a picture that reflects economic development around the world.  I love looking at the picture and identifying the major cities around the US.  A couple of months ago I saw a shocking new blur of lights in the area of North Dakota.  

In the past week this has become news on several websites. But if I had kept up blogging you could have read about it here first.  

I'm sorry for letting you down.

Member of the club

So does having no friends early in childhood make a person develop a life-long desire to join "clubs"?

I flock like a moth to flame to any company that offers a club. It is why I signed up for the Etihad club and paid $500 for the privilege even though I had never flown Etihad before!

Sometimes my club fetish doesn't work out so well... like spending $200 to join a restaurant club where I didn't really like the restaurant.

But I'd say the Etihad club has paid off.  First, the trip to Nepal was free.  In less than two years I have accumulated enough miles to make 9 round-trip flights to Nepal for free.  So even if I quit the club today I'm ahead.

The best part?  I love the lounges.  Airports suck.  The food is way overpriced and the alcohol is insanely over-priced.  (I paid $13 for a beer at the Dubai airport.)  Being part of the Etihad club means free food/beer/wine.  Plus free wifi.  I don't fly much but that's an incredible perk.

Why 2012 sucked

Since I am major work-avoidance mode I thought I would tick off the reasons why I was happy to have 2012 over.

Highlights:
First, money issues:

• I worked summer school to make $5000 to pay for a new floor in my house.  Just before I left the Emirates I lost/had stolen $3000 of it.  Later in the year I lost another $1000.
• Just before going to Nepal I had $1000 worth of dirhams converted to dollars.  I went from the currency place to pick up a friend and then went to my apartment.  At my apartment I found I only had $700.   I screamed, "Oh my god! I lost $300 in twenty minutes!"  It never showed up.
• I took a $13,000 pay cut.  It was not the fault of me, my boss or my boss' boss.  The U decided all positions like my mine were not eligible for extra pay.  Yay.

Second, friend issues:

• A close friend went crazy and ruined the trip to Canada for me and many others.  He follows that by immediately after pushing me out of a planned trip to Egypt.
• Another friend begs for my old iPhone but doesn't have money to buy it.  I give it to him and he sells it three months later.  (This is one example of many times where I feel like a friend took advantage of me.)

Third, professional issues:

• It's too long and boring to explain but suffice to say that a year ago I had interesting side work to go along with teaching.  In the past year it has pretty much all blown up on me.  My fallback is OK:  I really like teaching so if this is my lot in life that's fine.  But this is one of those years where it is easy to become jaded after one professional setback after another.  

But then again...

Why 2012 was good

In the post above I dwell too much on the negative.  2012 was a pretty good year because:

Friends:

My friends allowed me to join them on "date night" when I was back in March 2012.  

After getting screwed out of Egypt I took (an expensive last minute) trip back to the US for spring break.  It was what I needed.  I am really happy that I have great friends back home.

Mansour and me

On the trip to Canada there was a problem with one of the rooms so an Emirati student ended up sharing a room with me.  He was a former student and I liked him in class but after spending ten days with him as my roomy we became good friends.  The cultural divide runs deep here.  There are many Arabs who have westerners as friends but it is rare for good friendship to develop.

I also deepened a friendship with a guy from Morocco.  I hope to go with him back to Morocco for spring break. (I have no picture with him.  He really hates to have his picture taken.)

Lukas and me

Over the summer I went to Germany and saw Lukas.  He took me to the place where my great-great-grandfather left Germany 150 years ago.  It was an amazing trip and I am so grateful Lukas is my friend.

Sanjaya

Going back to Nepal to see my friend Sanjaya to close out the year was just what I needed.

Sanjaya procured a Coke apron for me!

2012 was also a good year in that nobody close to me died.  Also, I had a much easier time sleeping in the second  half of the year.  I could count the number of Ambiens I had in the last five months on one hand.

And ultimately, 2012 was a good year because I get paid well to do a job that I like and is really, really easy for me.  Standing in front of people and talking is more feared than death for most Americans; I live for it.

So I need to suck it up and move on.  2012 was not that bad and there are many reasons to believe 2013 will be better.

Phewa Tal

In 2003 I remember scoffing at cameras in cell phones.  "Why would anyone pay extra to get a crappy camera on their phone?"

I took this picture of Phewa Tal lake in Pokhara with my iPhone.  On this trip I didn't even take my Canon DSLR (big camera).  

e-mail of the day

From a colleague:

"It is always a pleasure and an owner to work with you."

My scary first attempt at having my beard colored

For National Day I wore a white kandoora (robe) and white guttera (head scarf).  Here I am with a colleague:

 My (American) boss saw that day and half-jokingly said I was too white to wear that.

So I decided to get my beard colored.

Now I must say, men coloring their beards here is as acceptable as women dying their hair in the US.

 I chose a light brown and as you can see this is NOT light brown!

Rather than simply apply the dye to the hair they literally paint it on the face.  I hope this picture troubles you as you try to sleep.  It does me.

I went home and spent 30 minutes washing with soap and reduced the painted on effect. 

I'm not a fan and I think 90% of westerners would not be a fan but my students universally liked it.  (And I've been teaching here long enough to know the difference between sucking up "liking" vs. real "liking.")

I recently tried the lightest shade of brown they had and I like it a little better.  It helped that he didn't try to paint it on my face.

Riding a zip-line down a mountain

Over the last two years they have been building the world's fastest and steepest zip-line in Pokhara.  It opened last summer.

 The zip-line starts at the top of a small mountain - like the green ones in background of this picture.  The beautiful Himalayas are off in the distance.

Here is the platform where they launch the passengers by two's.  The small net right in front of the gate has the opposite effect of reassuring anyone.

Here are some people going right before us.  As you can see the riders are quite well strapped in. A rope on the right can be pulled to slow you down if you should want.

It's easy to believe this is the world's steepest zip-line.  The first portion of it is at a dramatic angle.  They say you reach 140 KPH (85 MPH) but it didn't feel that fast.  Since we were so high above the trees the illusion of speed was just not there.

I paid for a picture package and video but my computers will not bring up the pictures... so here's a picture of Sanjaya at the very end.  (I'm off to the right.  I'm way behind him because I pulled the brake hard at the end.  I think Sanjaya coming in fast would have been more fun.)

And here we are having triumphantly conquered the zip-line.

I'm glad I did it because it was fun.  I might even do it again someday but compared to paragliding, the zip-line is almost boring.

Pokhara zip-line video

Not exactly exciting but here the view from a camera attached to my zip-line.  As you can see, it doesn’t really look like we hit 85 MPH.   We were so far above the trees that the sense of speed was just not there… It was still a lot of fun!

Hurricane Sandy

I want to return to regular blogging but I'm battling a cold I picked up at the end of my trip to Nepal.  That I got a cold was not a surprise; I've never traveled in buses and airplanes with more people sneezing and wheezing like I did on this trip.  It's remarkable that I didn't get the cold until day 15 - the last day - of the trip.

Anyhow, until I can get back to regular blogging here's the picture that oddly sends chills up and down my spine:

I have no idea why it has the effect on me it does.  Because I love roller coaster?  Because I picture trying to ride this one?  I don't know, but I do know that I find this haunting.