Humality and Heroism

I have the good fortune of working in a department that allows me to work from home (WFH) one day a week. I usually WFH on Wednesday but a scheduling conflict had me WHF on Thursday, I feel fortunate because this allowed me to have the radio and the TV on and watch the events surrounding the crash of US Airways Flight 1549 unfold as I worked.

A terrible tragedy was averted that day but I want to say. Wow Americans are awesome! From the pilots and rescuers to the passengers who had done nothing wrong but be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Not to neglect Gods merciful had but watching and then hearing personal accounts afterward all involved truly showed the stuff the good citizens of this wonderful country are made of.

I realize we may not always agree on politics, theology and so on but when it comes to human life and tragedy we come together and we become stronger and demonstrate our immense capacity for humanity and compassion.

When the engines were taken out on that airliner did the pilot give up, no obviously not demonstrated in the fact the the plane is mostly intact and not one passenger was lost. But his efforts to save these lives did not start the moment the engines were lost it began decades before when he began training to become the best pilot he could be. All his training and preparation made sure he was able to keep his head and and do everything right not by luck but by talent and preparation. He is rightfully a hero in my eyes.

Then when the plane hit the water it did not take a moment before the nearby ferries converged on the scene to help. These ferries likely had busy people on them on there way to appointments an such but at that moment all was forgotten and everybodys selfless efforts were focused on saving lives. From civilians to sworn professional rescue personnel these are also examples of how awesome Americans are.

As can be expected there was some chaos, confusion screaming and praying but once the plane settled in to the water passengers quickly started to calm and those who gained there composure helped to calm others. Then and effort to quickly and safely get every one out in an organised safe manner ensuring no one was left behind. Then the pilot made several more sweeps of the passenger compartment to ensure everyone had evacuated. Yes there were injuries both physical and mental but they are all alive to recover because by working to gather everyone was eventual rescued.

At times I get concerned that this is no longer Gods country but on that day it truly was.

World Economics

I've always had a general fascination with economics so much so that I took two introductory classes in collage: Macro and Micro Economics. I found it amazing that if ALL the correct principals are put together it is possible for a company or a country to be successful in a local or global economy. I emphasize all because that is the key it requires an mind broad enough to remember to consider all the variable and possible influences on the relevant economy. Ultimately this is why I never perused a career as an antrapanuer or any otherwise economy based career I felt myself lacking in this area. I now find myself wondering if I sold my self short because there are many others who have made a living in making economic advice but do not have a broad enough horizon of thought to adequately consider the important variables or influences on the economy. There is a great article in the Wall street Journal illustrating this point. It explains how Chinas push to make a strong entry into the world market sacrificed its local economy and now as we move into a recession or perhaps even a depression China may not have the local financial support to keep itself afloat.

The China Growth Fantasy - By YASHENG HUANG From Wall Street Journal Asia.
Remember the hype about "decoupling"? Not so long ago, Western analysts -- in particular investment-bank economists -- were peddling the idea that China had become a powerful economic center of its own, able not only to drive its own growth independent of the United States but also to power the global economy forward.

To the extent that these Wall Street economists are still employed, few would make that argument now. The economic numbers emerging out of China are sobering. Exports, still the backbone of the economy, are contracting for the first time in seven years, according to the latest data. They're being driven down by slackening demand overseas. Even worse is the sharp decline of imports, a sure sign of falling domestic demand. These two developments taken together signal monumental economic challenges ahead. Clearly China is not bucking global trends.

Entire article on the Wall Street Journal web site http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122988679995424611.html

New reality of Terorism

It used to be the term terrorist brought to mind some thug with and AK and a bomb attached to a vest. This picture no longer represents the modern terrorist this is an antiquated vision the AK represents a by gone era of war fair and the vest a suggestion that at the wearer will die even if no one else does. This picture implies one person who usually with out any plans simply tries to make his way in to a populated area for greater casualties and has had little more planning than this. Terrorism is no longer this simple and as such we can no longer expect to be able to sit our selves in a glass house, shut our eyes and pretend people do not exist out side who are watching us and planning our demise. What I'm I talking about am I just some paranoid freak? Well maybe but the happenings in Mumbai over the thanksgiving weekend illustrates to us what terrorism is becoming, its sophisticated, its well planed out, it is calculated, it is trained, it is timed, it is well funded and they are getting better. We cannot simply hide from it any more this evil has to be sought out and killed or it will come and kill us. Doubt me, I bet vacationers and residents of Mumbia doubted this fact and learned just how intolerant and desperate terrorists are to SEEK out people who are different from them and kill them. It is a hard lesson to learn some refuse to learn it til there dying breath.

Think I'm exaggerating judge for yourself read of the Mumbai attack and seriously tell me this was not well planed, funded and a deliberate effort to find, kill and victimise with no remorse.

"The Mumbai attack is uniquely different from past terror strikes carried out by Islamic terrorists. Instead of one or more bombings at distinct sites, the Mumbai attackers struck throughout the city using military tactics. Instead of one or more bombings carried out over a short period of time, Mumbai is entering its third day of crisis."

Read the entire account here http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/11/analysis_mumbai_atta.php