SB2840 – ‘Local jobs for local people’

This is a continuation of a few posts on bills that have passed through the Hawaii legislature that I am voicing my opinion on.

Recently, SB2840, also known as ‘Local jobs for local people’ was passed through the HI State Legislature.  Governor Lingle vetoed the Bill, but her veto was then overridden by a majority vote in the HI Legislature.  SB2840 makes it a law for all construction projects in Hawaii to be made up of 80% Hawaii resident construction workers.  This is another move by Hawaii politicians that baffles me.

As Governor Lingle astutely points out, this bill will likely result in higher construction project costs and more delays in construction projects, as local companies will be fined if they don’t meet the 80% resident requirement.

Proponents of the bill support it because it keeps jobs with Hawaii residents and therefore money will stay in Hawaii.

I fundamentally disagree with this bill because it doesn’t reward contracts to the company that can do the best job at the least expensive price and puts restrictions on who companies can hire to complete a job.  I see this bill as another tactical mistake by the Hawaii Legislature that will actually hurt Hawaii and its residents more in the long run than it will help in the short term.  What this bill does is insulate local companies and workers from outside competition and creates an environment where companies aren’t forced to be innovative and competitive on the global scale.  While local construction companies will have to be competitive with each other for jobs, I think this will allow local companies to stagnate while firms outside Hawaii become increasingly efficient.  While this bill will keep jobs and money with Hawaii for now, I think we will get to a point in the future where the difference in cost between a local firm with greater than 80% local employees and outside firms is so drastic that we will be forced to allow outside firms to bid on projects.

In addition, SB2840 puts restriction on construction companies that want to do business in Hawaii on who can work on their projects.  I see two primary problems with this.  One, this restricts local construction companies from potentially hiring the best person for the job and is like a form of affirmative action for Hawaii residents.  Two, this could limit construction companies ability to execute on jobs they’ve won if the workers needed to meet the 80% Hawaii resident minimum aren’t available because they’re committed to other projects.

I don’t want to seem insensitive to Hawaii residents’ need for jobs, and I do understand that middle class workers have been hit hardest by the recession, but I don’t think that justifies a bill that puts restrictions on who companies hire.  Where will this go next?  I disagree with this bill because I don’t think it is realistic, because I think it sets a poor precedent for the type of work environment Hawaii ‘fosters,’ and will ultimately hurt Hawaii’s businesses and its workforce in the long run more than it helps in the immediate future.

I hope after the recession Hawaii lawmakers will reevaluate this bill, see it’s flaws, and retract it.

**I am basing a large part of my argument on the assumption that it is not economically realistic or feasible for construction companies outside Hawaii to come into Hawaii and hire a construction crew that  consists of more than 80% Hawaiian residents.

SB2001 and SB2401 – Terminating High Tech Tax Credits

In the last month, several bills have passed through the Hawaii legislature that have left me with mixed feelings.  I want to use my blog to share some of my thoughts.

SB2001 and SB2401 – Terminating High Tech Tax Credits

Two bills are currently waiting to be reviewed by Governor Linda Lingle that could have a significant negative impact on the future of Hawaii and the way it is perceived both as an innovation hub and a viable location to do business.  At their core, Senate Bills SB2001 and SB2401 were designed to eliminate the benefits investors in high tech businesses receive from tax credits granted by Act 221.

“In its original form, Act 221, which went into effect in 1999, offered a 100 percent credit against state tax liability for cash investments up to $2 million in qualified Hawaii tech companies. The return was designed to be front-loaded over five years.”
Hawaii tax credits for tech firms in jeopardy – Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

Supporters of SB2001 and SB2401 claim that Hawaii has lost millions of dollars in tax revenue as a result of Act 221 and that we cannot afford to continue to loose more money in tax revenue.  What is flawed about this argument is that it is based on the assumption that we would have had the revenues to tax if Act 221 was not passed.  In actuality, Act 221 creates an incentive for investors from outside of Hawaii to invest in local companies and create jobs in Hawaii. Click here to see a great YouTube on how Act 221 works. The tax credits currently in place provide high tech investors and entrepreneurs with the incentive to bring innovative technologies and services to Hawaii, and diversify our sources of revenue outside of the two main industries; tourism and real estate.

SB2401 and SB2001 will set back Hawaii as a potential innovation hub and discourage would be businesses and entrepreneurs from investing in Hawaii’s burgeoning high tech community. Many current investors and entrepreneurs relied on the law when making existing plans and placing investments.  If these bills go into law, they will severely damage Hawaii’s reputation as a place to do business and it’s long term potential as a innovation hub.  These bills will cause many people in the tech industry to lose their jobs and end up on unemployment, which will be an additional burden on the state.  They also stand to negatively impact the state’s credit rating, since they break previous contracts and destroy Hawaii’s credibility as a place to do business.

SB2401 temporarily suspends the claiming of the technology infrastructure renovation and high technology business investment tax credits.  If SB2401 passes into law, it will negatively impact investors who made their investments based on the laws in place at that time they developed their business plans and upsets the tax planning of thousands of investors.  While investors will eventually receive their tax credits, this significantly impact the tax credits they expected to receive and will discourage investors in the future from investing in businesses in Hawaii.  Is this the message we as a State really want to send?    Future growth is promoted by businesses and investors being able to rely on laws without the threat of retroactive suspensions or repeals.  If  these bills pass, it sends a message to entrepreneurs and investors that doing business in Hawaii doesn’t make sense.

SB2001 attempts to eliminate the tax credit program on 5/1/2010, 7 months in advance of the 12/31/2010 sunset. This has the potential to eliminate jobs and negatively impact business plans at many local business plans, since their financial planning was based on the 12/31/2010 sunset date.  This is just more evidence that Hawaii is only thinking tactically about how to solve the current budget crisis, and that it needs to think more strategically about growing industries in Hawaii and future tax revenue sources.

Now that these bills are in front of Governor Lingle to approve or veto, I’d like to ask her this simple question.  If these businesses go out of business or are unable to continue the employment of middle to high income technology workers, then where is future tax income going to come from?

Some residents can continue to delude themselves into thinking that Hawaii can rely on the tourism and real estate industries for the future growth and wealth of the state and its residents, but if Hawaii doesn’t expand into industries beyond minimum wage paying service jobs, then the discrepancy in wealth between the poorest and wealthiest will continue to expand, and Hawaii may not remain a desirable vacation destination.

I would even go so far as to say that the future success of Hawaii depends on these bills being vetoed by Governor Lingle.

Governor Lingle, please veto these bills!

Next Post: SB2840 – local jobs for local people

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. ” -Thomas J. Watson

HB444 Waits on Lingle

In the last month, several bills have passed through the Hawaii legislature that have left me with mixed feelings.  I want to use my blog to share some of my thoughts.

HB444 – Hawaii Civil Unions

In a dramatic opening legislative session House Speaker Calvin Say lead the Hawaii Legislature to an anonymous vote of HB444, which effectively tabled the bill indefinitely and struck at the heart of democracy since representatives couldn’t be help accountable for their votes.  For those that are unfamiliar, HB444 allows any adult couple the same legal rights and benefits the state provides to those who marry.  This was a cowardly move as its only purpose was to shield representatives from being help accountable for their vote, regardless of which way that voted.

While I am a supporter of HB444, I can understand and respect representatives that would choose to vote against HB444.  However, democracy has failed when a publicly elected official’s vote cannot be recorded and associated to them.  Without that record, there is no way for the public to hold that official accountable for their views and their votes.  HB444 will affect the lives of thousands of Hawaii residents, and it is our right as Hawaii residents and US citizens to know where our representatives stand and vote on issues.

After a significant amount of political pressure both within Hawaii and Nationally, HB444 went to a vote on April 29th, 2010, and the Hawaii legislature approved Civil Unions in a 31-20 vote.  We now wait for Governor Lingle to approve the bill or abstain from voting and allowing the bill to pass into law without her blessing.  While Lingle has publicly said she would not veto a Civil Unions bill if it passed across her desk, thousands of gay and lesbian Hawaii residents eagerly wait for HB444 to pass into law and gain the same rights that are afforded straight married couples.

Next post:  SB2001 and SB2401 – Terminating High Tech Tax Credits

“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. “

-Thomas J. Watson

musings on Bloomberg by Bloomberg

I started writing this blog post about a year ago, and for one reason or another never got around to posting it.  I think mostly because I got wrapped up in grad school apps or some other excuse.  This is a collection of quotes from Bloomberg by Bloomberg that caught my attention and I’ve decided to post and comment on.

=================================================================

I have to admit that I heard of Bloomberg the company and Bloomberg the magazine long before I knew anything about Bloomberg the entrepreneur or Bloomberg the mayor of New York.  After watching Bloomberg get elected to mayor of New York and reading an article about him where he talked about the ‘bullpen,’ I decided I’d like to read up on this republican turned democrat.

Bloomberg by Bloomberg is a story of how an entrepreneur from wall street created a niche market and from there a media empire.  I found the story engaging and Bloomberg to be not only a ‘good guy,’ but someone that would be exciting to work for.  While reading the book I found some qoutes that jumped out at me and made me think. I thought I’d share both the quotes and my thoughts.

“(From John D. Rockefeller to Sam Walton,) great financial success comes from staring businesses with concrete products in the real world, building jobs, creative value, and helping people.”

“If you’re going to succeed, you need a vision, one that’s affordable, practical, and fills a customer need. Then, go for it.” – this reminds me of Jack Welch’s quote “if you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete”

“I’d always prefer to have a smart, fair, honest, demanding client than a nasty dummy or an ‘I don’t care’ user.”
This is something that I can totally relate too.  Too often I’ve worked with users that have only vague requirements of look, feel, functionality, and requirements.  I’ve also worked with users that have highly specific detailed requirements from the color of lines on a chart to the font used on a web site and the order of columns in a report.  If I was given the choice between the two extremes, I would definitely choose the specific, demanding user as long as they can provide the specifics up front.  There is nothing worse than having a user that knows exactly what they want but is unable to communicate it during the requirements/design phase.  The demanding user that can’t communicate what they want until they have something in their hands leads to a time consuming, highly iterative development phase.

“Your company is one of your families, and the office is that family’s home. Do those outsiders live in pigsties?”

“If you’re not providing something unique, you have no ability to impose charges.”

“No uniqueness: too much supply”

“Distribution changes rapidly. Content evolves slowly with cultural advancement.”

“Technology makes our job different but more productive and more interesting. Technology frees us to do more creative work. Technology is responsible for the employment of more and more people, not fewer and fewer.”

“Making change is difficult.”

“You promise users everything; then you build what you can, and what you think they need.”

“The great system advances are pushed on users, not demanded by them. You can’t run governments or companies successfully by polling or asking for suggestions. Someone must have a visions and take others along, not the reverse.”

“A manager’s primary job is to get those he or she supervises to work together – particularly with technology, where many contribute to any single project.”

“Knowing the company’s products, competitive position, accounting, marketing, and personnel policies is what’s critical to success for any CIO; that knowledge, along with leadership, business acumen, and hands-on management, is what’s needed.”

“CIOs have to stay ahead of the curve and take the rest of the organization along.”

“Technology, it turned out, was no substitute for management.”

“Ours (physical plant) is an open plan layout. People must develop the ability to concentrate, despite myriad distractions. But, the good part is, they absorb information peripherally while focusing elsewhere. Openness also constantly puts them in front of their peers, preventing childish fantasies that coworkers are out to get them.”

“As true with markets, transparency produces fairness.”

“I issue proclamations telling everyone to work together, but it’s the lack of walls that really makes them do it.” “Openness also shows off our most important asset, our people. They are the company.”

“I long ago declared that we would never rehire anyone who quite for other than family reasons.”

“We have no reserved parking spaces for senior executives. If you want to leave your car right by the door, just come in earlier.”

“If we constantly remind those people at the bottom that they are not at the top, do you really expect them to be ‘gung ho’ about the company? Remember, shoot the bottom 50 percent and half of everyone joins that lower group instantly.”

Is this in contrast to rewarding your top performers, or are you just rewarding someone for being older, and working their way to the top of the company over a longer period of time. I believe that these executive parking spots could be used instead for reward and recognition like an employee of the month.

“Constant training, retraining, coaching, and instruction from on-staff, full-time experts increase everyone’s worth.” “Be honest, work hard, treat each other fairly and openly. Add a dash of competency, and we’ll be together for a long time.” “Consumers have an insatiable appetite for improving their lives – and zero loyalty to past products or brand names.” “Growth makes us a moving target. No growth makes us a sitting duck.”

“Without growth, no new opportunities are created, and employees who work hard to get a promotion have no place to go….So we must grow to create new valuable positions, or watch our best and brightest quit for management jobs elsewhere and dissipate everything we’ve built over the years.”

“When is diversification appropriate? Only when it fits with what you already do.”

“The primary function of those at the top is the care and feeding of the company’s most valuable asset, its employees, including designing and administering a compensation system that encourages cooperation, rewards risk taking, and gives inducements to work hard – Job One for the CEO.”

“It may be a standard of success harder to measure, but rather than raising stock prices and even generating earnings, building, leading, and motivating the staff a company needs for the future is what managers should be paid for.”

“The CEO is also the company’s morale officer. He or she must promote an atmosphere in which ordinary people who try new things that fail are encouraged to try again.”

“Being well-rounded, inquisitive, perceptive, logical, and communicative is more valuable than knowing a given sequence of buttons to push.”

“America’s concentration on value-added industries(as opposed to commodities businesses that compete based on price) puts it in a position to maintain margins and salaries, and generate the capital to reinvest in even greater labor saving technology.”

“Compensating top management appropriately, particularly vis-a-vis the rest of the employees, also influences how hard everyone works together and how well a company does. How much to pay the CEO? Try roughly the amount other competent managers make in other fields…The argument that someone is worth tens of millions of dollars in compensation per year because his or her company’s market value went up many times is so ludicrous that I’ve always been amazed anyone can espouse it as fair with a straight face. “

“The corporate change that works is evolutionary change, not revolutionary change.”

“Good business is also providing summer jobs to students.”

“wealth, wisdom, and work – the three contributions one can make.”

===============================================================

I chose each of these quotes as excerpts because each struck a cord with me in one way or another.  Either because they made me reflect on the way the current organization I work for is run, how I would like to lead and motivate people, or the type of environment I would like to foster and work in.

Sorry for not providing page numbers.

My Ironman China ’09 experience

2.6 miles in the water, 112 mi on my bike, and 14 miles in 110+ degree heat was all my body could take before I blacked out and all my muscles cramped up.  While I didn’t finish my first attempt at an Ironman triathlon, I can happily say that I didn’t leave anything out there in the end.  I put in the miles in on the road on both the bike and running, but I don’t think I was prepared for the searing heat and humidity that followed a day of torrential rains and thunderstorms.  Ironman Live put the high at 113 degrees.  I was preparing myself for temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s, but in the end I was one of almost 1/3 of the participants that didn’t finish.

Race day started out really well, especially considering the day before there was plenty of thunder, lightning, and rain coming down in sheets.  I donned a Zoot wetsuit Tim Marr let me borrow since the pros weren’t allowed to wear wetsuits.   We dove into the Nandu River which had one of the strongest currents I have ever swam with.  The current was so strong, that the course was slightly shortened so we could run up the shore on part of the course instead of fighting the current.  the wetsuit, which made me look a bit like batman, was like a double-edged sword.  While the suit allowed me to float really high in the water and swim pretty fast, the water temperature was not so cold to really warrant the wetsuit, and it got pretty hot in it.  About 1/4 of the way through the swim I really started baking in the suit.  We had two laps of the swim course, and had to run a couple hundred meters between the two loops.  The wetsuit was very heavy and the water inside felt like it was boiling.  On the second lap, I didn’t have many people to follow, but was able to sight pretty well.  When we got to the portion of the second lap where we were fighting the current I just stretched out my stroke as much as I could.  I felt like I was barely moving against the current, but finally came 10th out of the water.  I pulled off the wetsuit as quickly as I could and moved to the bike.

The sky was clear and the sun was already beating down hard 1 hour into the race.  The course was cleared and the roads were smooth.  Except for a strong headwind and the warmth it was pretty good conditions.  The only problem was it kept getting hotter.  I had my nutrition all planned out from the many rides I did on Oahu, but none of them prepared me for the conditions on the road.  I went through my water and bike nutrition (Hammer Sustained Energy and Performance) by the end of the first of two 60 mile laps.  I felt good going into the 2nd lap, but quickly noticed something was wrong when my quads started cramping shortly into the 2nd lap.  I was concerned that I was going through my nutrition too fast or drinking too much water, but realized I was probably getting dehydrated when I still didn’t have to go to the bathroom 4 hours into the race.  I was also getting really hot on the road, and the breeze was not welcome, because it felt like a blast of hot air instead of a cool breeze.  Around the 100km mark I started questioning whether I would even be able to finish the bike.  I kept telling myself to make it to the next aid station or the next town.  Fortunately the volunteers were dousing those of us that stopped at the aid stations with cold water.  The water helped temporarily, but the sun quickly evaporated water or sweat; even the water in my water bottles was hot shortly after being filled.  On the second lap I was one person just fall off his bike for no apparent reason and a girl crying on the side of the road; I felt like doing both, but I told myself that at a minimum I wouldn’t take the ambulance into the 2nd transition area.

Battered and feeling beaten, I rode into T2, but seriously questioned whether I could leave the tent.  I was dizzy and my body temperature felt dangerously high.  I contemplated so many times whether I could go on or whether I should just quit, but kept thinking of all the time, energy and resources that I’d put into preparing for this.  If there was anything left in the tank, I would give it a go or pass out in the process.  I arrived in T2 around 3 o’clock and the sun was brutal, so I decided to lay down for a few minutes and let my body cool off.  Around 4 I tried getting up, but my abs and quads started cramping so I got some more liquids and food in me.  I laid down again, and woke up around 5.  I can hardly imagine how many people rotated through transition while I was out, but it didn’t matter.  I felt better, but not great.  I strapped on my fuel belt, put on my hat, and started my death march.  Jogging, much less running wasn’t really an option.  I stuffed as much ice down my suit as possible as often as possible.  I tried jogging a few time, but that just brought on muscle cramps.  I knew the course would be hot, and I knew a lot of people were going to be walking, but I was amazed by the number of pros and strong athletes that were walking as well.  The heat seemed to claim even the strongest of the athletes, but too many, including myself, finishing is finishing, no matter how you get there.  I did my best to walk/jog because I knew how long just walking would take.  I stuck ice cold sponges in every part of my suit and tried to continue consuming liquids and food to keep myself hydrated an moving.

I finally made it past the half way mark of the run and was confident that I would be able to finish.  So badly, I wanted to cross the finish line and be declared an Ironman.  I kept walking/jogging, but felt like I had something in my left shoe.  I didn’t know what it was, but my foot was really bothering me.  I took of my shoe and just moving my muscles in different ways seemed to disagree with my body as my abs started cramping up so bad I could hardly stand up.  I gave myself a second to stand up, but when I finally straightened out I got a horribly dizzy feeling.  That’s when everything started spinning, I couldn’t feel my legs, and I slowly blacked out.  I remember it pretty vivdly to.  It was just like a movie.  Everything felt like it was getting dark from the outside of my eyes to the inside, like a fade out effect.  I tried to fight it, but I had no control.  I don’t know how long I was out.  To me, it only felt like a few seconds, but it must have been longer than that because there were about 5 people crowded over me when I came too.  I wanted to get up, but the race marshall wouldn’t let me get up quite yet.  An ambulance was called for me, even though at that point I didn’t want to take it.  I tried to get up to see if I could just walk, but that’s when I realized the race was over for me.  My legs were cramping and I couldn’t stand on my own.  Things got worse when I tried to get in the ambulance.  Lifting my legs seemed caused a horrible response throughout my body as what seemed like every muscle in my cramped up from the arch of my foot to my neck.  The pain was excruciating.  What made things worse was the people helping kept trying to lift me into the ambulance, causing even more muscles to cramp.  I laid on the ground for at least 15 minutes before my quads started loosening up.  I tried lifting myself on the guerney that was brought to the ground and my triceps and biceps started cramping as well.  Talk about leaving everthing out there.  I didn’t think I would ever get to that point, and I never had before.  I can honestly say that I pushed my body to the brink and over, with nothing left to give.

I was brought to the finish line where there was medical support and took a good hour before I even attempted to stand on my own again.  I was finally brought to a massage area via a wheelchair and was worked on for a good half hour.  When the massage was finally done I was able to stand on my own two feet again, albeit not sturdily.  In the end, a little over 200 of the 380 competitors were able to finish, and I’m sure everyone has their own story.  Some of the pros put it best when they said that when you’re out there you’re facing your own personal battle to take your next step, get to the top of the next hill, or finish.  I don’t regret for a second trying to

China Blog post: episode 1

I want to be better about posting blog entries, and I figure now is as good a time as any.  I’ve had a few things I’ve wanted to blog about, but haven’t really had the time or energy between work and training for Ironman China.    I’m just kind of chilling, the day before the race, so I figured I’d take some time to get things started.

I got to the Honolulu airport around 7:30am, thinking my flight to South Korea was at 10:30am.  Since it was an international flight, I wanted to make sure I got there with plenty of time; especially since I was checking bike box.  Turns out the the flight was pushed back 12:00am, and ticket counter didn’t even open till 9.  Oh well.  I checked my bags, expecting to have to pay extra for my bike box, but they didn’t charge me extra for anything!  I checked two bags, one of them, the bike box, which I know wasn’t light!  SWEET!

Flight went well.  Some pretty good food on the flight.   Landed in Seoul.  The Seoul airport was really cool and super modern.  It was kinda funny though, because the place could have easily been a mall for all I know.  Tons of electronic and make up stores.   Even the food court felt like a small mall food court.  I boarded my flight to Shanghai, and it had the tv’s in the back of the seats.  Some good selections.  We ALMOST landed in Shanghai, but at the LAST minute rerouted back to Seoul.  It was pretty sketchy; like the scene from Air Force One where the pilots almost land and then gun the engines and take off again.  Apparently visibility was really poor, and we almost had a bad landing (i.e. the ones you don’t walk away from).  I’m happy we had a good pilot that could make a smart decision to not try a risky landing.  wasn’t worth it.

Anyway, we got back to Seoul, and a lot of people from the flight were pretty frantic.  It makes me mad when people spaz out in situations like that.  The Korean Air employees were pretty awesome.  Even through a  language barrier, they did a great job of corraling everyone together, getting us flights for the next morning, AND setting us up in a hotel for the night.  When I got back to the airport the next morning, the SAME employees that were there the night before were there again!  I had an issue though.  My new flight was scheduled to land in Shanghai at 9:45am, and my flight to Haikou was at 11:00am.  Not a problem unless you have to claim your luggage, navigate the Shanghai airport,  check-in with your baggage to another flight, and get through security.  I voiced my concern to one of the Korean Air employees that was there the night before and they said they’d help me out as best they could.  When I landed in Shanghai Korean Air had a escort waiting for me at the gate.  She guided me to baggage claim, helped me get my baggage, get through customs, and get to the Hainan Air check-in.  I don’t think I would have made it without her.

Shanghai airport was pretty crazy.  Super muggy and HOT.  Everyone crowded around security, check-in, and the boarding area.  Most ‘lines’ were just a mass of people trying to funnel through one location.  I made it to my flight to Hainan with minutes to spare.  The flight to Hainan was kinda sketchy from a westerner perspective.  The seats were falling apart and everything was really musty.  BUT, we made it to Hainan in one piece, so I shouldn’t complain to much.

Landed in Hainan without any issues, got my bags, met a nice lady named Carol (who I seem to have run into everytime I’m in the lobby since I’ve been here), and then went to go find the shuttle from Endurance Sports Travel.  Once I left the ‘secured’ area I was bombarded by taxi drivers trying to take my bags.  Seriously, like 5 taxi drivers tried to take my luggage.  Besides the fact that I already had a shuttle arranged, these guys were either really friendly or really sketchy depending on how you look at it.  It was a really frustrating experience, but I got in touch with a guy holding the EST banner, and was promptly led to the shuttle.  That worked well for me, but unfortunately there were OTHER people that were supposed to have taken the shuttle.  Since the kid carrying the banner too me back to the shuttle, there was no one else there with an EST banner for people to look out for.

Made it to the Crown Royal Spa Hotel just fine, and I’ll be posting pictures of it later.  It’s a nice, 5 star hotel, but I really get the feeling that they weren’t properly prepared for us.  Maybe this was the first large group of people they’ve catered to.

Oh, and something I want to comment on, because it’s something I became aware of while traveling.  In the states, I’m used to a work force with a relatively higher average age than what I’ve seen so far in Asia.   I’ve noticed while traveling that this ‘front-line’ work force has been consistently younger in Asia.  It’s just an observation, but I’m wondering what this says about the American workforce versus the Asian workforce.  I also don’t know if this trend extends beyond Asia.

Also, based on my very brief exposure to China so far, I have gained a lot more appreciation for the importance of organizations being service oriented and taking responsibility when things don’t go according to plan.  In more than one situation, I’ve felt like getting my money is all that matters, and that I’m not appreciated or valued as a customer.  This makes me feel like I’m being taken advantage of, and doesn’t encourage me to repeat business.   Korean Air made what could have been a negative experience into an extremely positive experience.  Their motto is “Excellence in Flight,” but should also include “Excellent in Service,” because their service is not limited to what happens in the air.

Anyway, will have more to share in next post.  I finished Bloomberg by Bloomberg on the flight over.  Great book.  I can see why so many people want to work with him.  Will be sharing some of lines that I liked in my next post.