In Defense of the United States of America

The message of this post is simple. I believe the positive contributions the United States has made to the world are taken for granted, more so than any other country’s in the history of the world. To everybody, stop what you are doing for one minute, look at what you’re drinking, what you’re doing, what
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Chinese New Year’s Resolutions

I was slow to write my resolutions this year, so I decided to write them for the Chinese New Year instead! Here are mine:
-Generate income! This is very important unless I want to start living a Huckleberry Finn lifestyle.
-When in the USA, do NOT pay for water. Water for sale has got to be one
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Couchsurfing

I’ve stayed in hostels, hotels, motels, even Holiday Inns. The most interesting, funnest, and inexpensive accommodations I’ve ever had, however, have been in strangers’ homes. Couchsurfing.org is a non-profit social engineering project that uses the internet to match adventuresome travelers with willing hosts.
I first learned about couchsurfing when I lived in Europe about 5 years ago. Instead
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Little Pleasures

Sometimes I get the biggest pleasures or feelings of accomplishment over the simplest of things.
Today I purchased an inexpensive American novel in a Taipei bookstore for the same price as my night’s lodging.  I regularly spend more on food on a given day (and sometimes at a given meal) than I do for my lodging. This really
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A 15 Pound Pack for Longterm Travel? Here Are the Contents!

Goal: Travel indefinitely around the Pacific Rim equipped with nothing more than a 15 pound backpack.
One of the things I really take pride in, is my ability to travel light. Other travelers use suitcases, multiple bags, or gargantuan expeditionary backpacks that look like they must weigh a hundred pounds. My
Last year I traveled 4.5 months
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The Law of Diminishing Returns: Finding the Balance

When is enough enough? When is something quality or excellent? Is there even really such thing as perfection? Does the level of effort put into a project always have to be high? These are questions I ask myself when working projects. Unfortunately, my actions don’t always correlate with my answers. Finding a healthy balance in
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Finding Sponsors on Ebay?

I’m not sure this is authorized, legal, or the best way of doing business…but when the idea popped into my brain yesterday, I had to do it: Finding a sponsor by using Ebay.
Hey, if people can sell their souls and virginity on Ebay, then I should be able to sell some T-shirt advertising, right?
Ebay makes
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The Southeast Asia Oreo Diet®1

Lose inches FAST! Drop pounds NOW! Eat anything available including a daily dose of Oreos®! For a limited time only, this diet is available COMPLETELY FREE! Willing subjects are needed to validate this revolutionary diet! Here are the steps:

Travel to SE Asia2, finding accomodation2 in rural areas.
Get a good night’s sleep every night.
Walk everywhere—to the
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The Upside of Traveling Alone

Have you ever had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something so funny or profound that it could never be repeated, and immediately afterward wished a friend were there to share it? Me, too. Traveling with another has to be the best way to build a better friendship, share interesting memories, and look out for the safety and
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Bucket List

Besides feeling rejuvenated, getting in shape, and seeing more of the world, a big part of why I left the security of employment was to line-through neglected items on my “bucket list.” Nearly everyone has one of these life “to do” lists with the hopes and goals he wishes to accomplish in life, whether saved
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