August 2008

With Gustav churning in the Gulf of Mexico, I’m playing it safe and evacuating the Mississippi coast. I’ll be back soon!

UPDATE I (1 Sep, post-Gustav landfall): My wife and I are spending our “hurrication” on a beach in the Florida panhandle. I looked at a live satellite image of my neighborhood and everything appears to be a-okay. When it comes to hurricanes, I’m most content to describe describe them as “uneventful”. Thankfully, this appears to be one of those times…at least for us. We’ll likely return home tomorrow or the next day.

UPDATE II (2 Sep, post-Gustav landfall): We’re home and thankfully experienced nothing more than some broken tree branches in the backyard. I’ve taken down the hurricane shutters and returned the patio furniture to its rightful place on the porch and patio. It’s good to be home, but I can’t help but think about those who lost so much in the wake of this storm. My thoughts and prayers are with them tonight.

Just announced: John McCain has selected Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his VP running-mate! Palin, a little-known, but popular, reform-minded woman has taken Alaska by storm, cleaning up a government plagued by corruption.

I think she’s a breath of fresh air in the stale, stagnant world of politics. Of course, her relative youth and lack of executive experience may be a liability for McCain, who cited those reasons for Obama’s naivete. However, Palin possesses a leadership quality that seperates her from the Democratic presidential nominee, integrity!

I have a good feeling about this…

MORE: Ed Morrissey at Hot Air points out that

“McCain can remind voters who has the real record of reform. Obama talks a lot about it but has no actual record of reform, and for a running mate, he chose a 35-year Washington insider with all sorts of connections to lobbyists and pork. McCain has fought pork, taken real political risks to fight undue influence of lobbyists, and he picked an outsider who took on her own party — and won.

This is change you can believe in, and not change that amounts to all talk.”

I have a very good feeling about this!

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. of “wagging the dog” and claims,

“U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict [and] were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader.”

The “leader”, of course, is President Bush. Furthermore, Putin also claims the motivation behind the U.S. instigation of conflict was the political positioning of a presidential candidate (John McCain, I suppose). Of course, the PM didn’t offer any evidence whatsoever to back up his ludicrous assertions.

The truth is, Putin is backpedaling in light of concerns expressed by China and other Asian nations over tension in the region. Unable to shore-up any international support for its actions, the PM is pointing fingers, attempting to shift blame to the U.S.

You’re ridiculous, Mr. Putin, and the U.S. is laughing at you!

The rapidly changing e-marketplace is forcing companies and their enterprise partners to become more responsive to their customers. There are several forces in play putting pressure on companies to better manage their supply chain, improve logistics operations and manufacturing efficiency while remaining responsive to customer demands and constantly changing market conditions. These forces are:

• The trend toward worldwide dispersion of manufacturing and distribution facilities due to the increased demand for customized products.
• Channel unpredictability resulting from the new technologies that allow companies to better manage customer demand. This requires coordination of several distribution channels.
• Responsiveness over efficiency is disrupting traditional inventory management processes as customers drive the need for faster deliveries and increased product customization.
• Companies’ willingness to accept lower margins to increase market share as they redesign supply chains to increase efficiency and eliminate delay, error, excessive cost and inflexibility.

These forces are driving manufacturers and distributors to transform their operations to become more responsive to retailers and customers. Under pressure to reduce costs, decrease order cycle times and become more operationally efficient, companies are implementing new technologies to integrate processes and attain collaborative information sharing and planning capabilities. This means that in a real sense, information is replacing inventory.

With the advent of growing supply chain capabilities, companies are facing the prospect of managing external inventory that it never actually sees and does not own. To maintain adequate control of this ghost inventory a company must become adept at controlling information about this inventory, specifically, where it is in the supply chain at any given time. Failing this, a company is forced to maintain a physical inventory of products, which increases overhead and inefficiency.

The rapid growth of the Internet and the adoption of its use as a platform for business operations has enhanced the ability of companies to integrate their business processes through collaborative planning to synchronize internal assets and production with external demand and supplier capabilities. Today, as Internet technology is adopted globally and supply chain strategies converge, companies glean a competitive edge by reducing the cost of goods sold, improving customer service, building global brands and increasing global supply chain visibility as they move products to market quicker.

As expected, Russia defied the denunciating cries from the U.S. and E.U., and officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which threatens to dismantle a democratic, pro-West ally. In response to what amounts to Western whining, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev’s said,

“We’re not scared of anything, including the prospect of a Cold War…”

His bravado demonstrates a newfound Russian confidence in their position of power on the world stage. They recognize that after five-plus years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. is stretched to the limit. Furthermore, the E.U. (and NATO for that matter) doesn’t have the balls to jump into an engagement with Russia. So, the Western powers are talking a good game, but diplomacy without a “big stick” to back it up is nothing more than words and saber-rattling. Recognizing the West’s emptiness, as illustrated by Konstantin Kosachev, head of Russia’s international affairs committee, told the Interfax news agency, that Western criticism of Russia’s actions will

“remain at the level of political declarations, which will quickly be consigned to the historical archive.”

Still, Russia is feeling a bit of an economic pinch due to its role in the present conflict. Per the WSJ, investors are shying away from Russian investments, pushing share prices to two-year lows:

“The benchmark RTS stock index finished the session on Tuesday 4.2% lower, at 1579.12, its lowest point since late 2006. It has also eroded the value of the ruble, which closed at 29.86 against a managed dollar-euro currency basket, down 1.5% since the start of the war early this month.”

Remember, this only represents a temporary shift and results from investors’ uncertainty. If the West doesn’t start backing-up its rhetoric with action, Russia will bounce back and become even stronger.

A form of knowledge management (KM), a decision support system (DSS) is basically an interactive, flexible, computer-based system that aids in the process of decision-making. Decision support systems streamline the process of turning decision into action and are key to the success of e-commerce. Within the world of e-commerce, companies have built data warehouses containing an incredible amount of information on customers, suppliers, and their transactions with them; this information would be useless without DSS. Decision support systems provide companies with the ability to query, sort, filter, analyze and report this information to facilitate intelligent decision-making. So, what are the e-commerce-driven DSS?

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Less than two weeks after Pervez Musharraf resigned as the president of Pakistan, there’s a rift within the Parliament. The Pakistan Muslim League led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif withdrew its support from the coalition government led by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), formerly led by the murdered Benazir Bhutto. Sharif broke with the PPP after the ruling party refused to reinstate the judges dismissed by Musharraf after imposing martial law last year. It seems the PPP’s new leader and presidential hopeful, Asif Ali Zardari, is afraid the judges might overturn an amnesty granted by Musharraf that cleared him of corruption charges.

(The more things change, the more they stay the same.)

I’m standing in the Wal-Mark check-out using my debit card, when a tall, skinny man with sunken eyes and goatee says…

Goatee: “Pretty soon we’ll be payin’ for stuff with a chip in our hands.”

Me: “What?”

Goatee: “I said, pretty soon we’re gonna be using a chip implanted in our hands to pay for stuff at Wal-Mart.”

Me: “Really? What makes you think so?”

Goatee: “Identity theft.”

Me: “What?”

Goatee: “That’s how they’re gonna get us to put chips in our hands; it’s the only way to protect against identity theft. That’s why people are gonna do it.”

Me: “Maybe you’re right. When we go to the implanted chip, an identity thief would have to cut off your hand if he wants to steal your identity.”

Goatee: “Yup.”

Me: “I guess it’s a good thing the chip isn’t in your head, huh?”

Goatee: “Yup. Wouldn’t work anyway.”

Me: “Really? Why?”

Goatee: “Gotta plate in there already.”

Me: “Imagine that.”

The long anticipated democratic VP selection has been made as Obama chooses Washington insider, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware, over others who could have echoed his message of change. Of course, Biden, a 30-year senator and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, will give Obama some foreign policy clout in the election. Still, I think in selecting Biden, Obama is admitting that he lacks the experience he needs to be president. The McCain campaign has already pounced on this idea in the following statement:

“There has been no harsher critic of Barack Obama’s lack of experience than Joe Biden. Biden has denounced Barack Obama’s poor foreign policy judgment and has strongly argued in his own words what Americans are quickly realizing — that Barack Obama is not ready to be President.”

And what does Joe Biden think of his new “boss”? During his failed presidential bid last year, Biden described Obama as “the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.” Notwithstanding the racial slam, he basically says that Obama is all form and no substance, which is just the argument McCain is making against Obama.

So, what impact will the Biden selection have on the upcoming election? According to WaPo, not much:

Barack Obama’s choice of Joe Biden as his running mate is unlikely to shake-up the presidential horse race. In a new Washington Post-ABC News poll completed last night, three-quarters of voters said picking Biden would not sway their votes one way or the other. And about as many said they would be more apt to support Obama with Biden on the ticket as said the choice would make them less likely to vote Democratic on Election Day (13 to 10 percent).” (emphasis mine)

The bottom line is you can’t tout a message of change while sticking with the status quo.

MORE: Michelle Malkin; Hot Air: here and some interesting info on Biden’s ties to lobbyists here; The American Pundit; Webloggin; Flopping Aces; RedState

Negotiators for the U.S. and Iraq have finally come to an agreement on the disposition of American forces in Iraq. The new security deal will require U.S. forces to leave Iraq cities and towns by next summer as a prelude to a complete withdrawal by 2011. In the meantime, the U.S. troops will reside in bases outside the populated areas it vacated. President Bush is expected to accept the agreement, but it still needs to pass through several layers of Iraqi bureaucracy , so who knows?

Although, I don’t think Bush is really too happy with the concessions he’s had to make, I’m looking forward to a U.S. drawdown. However, I would have liked to see a SOFA agreement and the permanent stationing of U.S. forces in Iraq, a goal I think the President was shooting for, too. Still, Iraq is a a sovereign state and can (and should) manage its own affairs. If they want us to leave, we should. I’m interested to see what happens in the areas we vacate. As we exit and larger areas are left to Iraqi control, will we see the terrorists move back in? Will we see Iran attempt to achieve control by fueling a new insurgency?

If things get tough for Iraq after America leaves, who are they gonna call for help?

(h/t: Opera Chic) Woody Allen is rehearsing Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi for Los Angelas Opera. Evidently, Mark Stern, LA Opera Chairman and CEO, and friend of Allen’s, asked him a number of times, begged, perhaps, to direct an opera. So, Allen reluctantly accepts his friend’s invitation although he’s concerned about disappointing everybody, “which I’m sure I will”. Still he agreed and since, according to Allen,

“these things are planned years in advance” … “I’ll be dead before it happens. I’m 72. I’m never going to make it to the opera.”

(never say never).

Schicci is the third act of Puccini’s Il Trittico, a collection of three one-act operas, and a comedy, which may be the saving grace for Allen. (or maybe not). Billy Friedkin, who directed The French Connection and The Exorcist, is no stranger to opera, having directed Schicci for Washington National Opera in 2006, will direct the first two acts, Il tabarro and Suor Angelica.

So it shouldn’t be a total loss.

(maybe).

Coming off an inferior performance at the Saddleback debate, the Obama camp is saying McCain must have “cheated” because he seemed so well-prepared.

Maybe McCain seemed so well-prepared, because he simply is…

and Obama is not.

MORE: Hot Air; RedState

Tonight (or rather Sunday morning in China), Michael Phelps won a record eighth gold medal at the Beijing Olympics as a member of the victorious U.S. 4×100-meter medley relay team. With this win, he breaks a tie with Mark Spitz for most golds in a single Games. Phelps has now won a career total of 16 medals (14 gold), more than any male Olympian in history! Only Soviet Gymnast, Larysa Latynina, has won more medals, winning 18 in the 1950s-60s.

Way to go! See ya in 2012, Mike!

Not surprisingly, Russia continues to defy the international community by reneging on the ceasefire agreement and refusing to pull-out of Georgia. In fact, Russia is digging in, building ramparts around tanks and posing sentries on a hill in central Georgia about 30 miles from the capital of Tbilisi. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice observed,

“From my point of view … the Russians are perhaps already not honoring their word.”

Perhaps? Sergey Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, made it pretty clear what they intended to do when he reported that although Presiddent Mr. Medvedev had signed the cease-fire agreement and ordered its implementation, Russian troops wouldn’t withdraw until Moscow is satisfied its forces have taken the necessary effective security measures to protect the interests of the breakaway provinces.

So what are the Russians up to? It’s plain top see that Russia is simply diverting attention while it solidifies its hold on the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Earlier today, Russian army units and separatist fighters in Abkhazia took control of 13 villages and the Inguri hydropower plant. So far, Abkhaz officials couldn’t be reached for comment. Furthermore, Lavrov said Russia would also strengthen its peacekeeping contingent in South Ossetia. (translation: Russia will absorb South Ossetia).

Still, from his ranch in Texas, President Bush said,

“A major issue is Russia’s contention that the regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia may not be a part of Georgia’s future. These regions are a part of Georgia and the international community has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so.”

I think the Russians have a different idea, Mr. President. They’ve made it very clear by their words and actions that Georgia can forget about South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

And with each day that passes, Russia tightens its grip. Are you watching America? E.U.? Georgia’s next!

MORE: Hot Air; Flopping Aces; Little Green Footballs; Neoconservative? Moi?; Political Pistachio; Right Wing Nut House

An South Ossetia gunman robbed two U.N. officials at gunpoint, taking their SUVs, while Russian soldiers watched. This is what the situation has deteriorated to, as the Russians refuse to withdraw from the Georgian city of Gori. On top of that, Russia is obviously allowing Ossetia irregulars to operate freely within the Georgian borders despite stating they would execute anyone found marauding.

(I guess government sanctioned marauding is okay)

After clobbering Georgia for five days the Russians declared a provisional cease-fire. Agreeing to a deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the Russian’s confirm Georgia’s sovereignty, but not its territorial integrity. (Which means that Russia may decide at some future date to amend the sovereign country’s borders.) Georgia also agreed to the deal with a change regarding status talks for the territories.

The clear winner here are the Russians who gave the U.S. a black eye as we more-or-less just stood by and watched these events unfold. I remember a year ago as the Russians began getting chummy with Venezuela’s Chavez, pondering a new cold war; it looks like we have it.

And if all this wasn’t bad enough, we have this ridiculous statement by Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (h/t: Hot Air):

It was a bad crisis for the world. It required tough words but also a smart approach to call on the international community to step in. And I’m very, very happy that the Senator’s [Obama's] request for a ceasefire has been complied with by President Medvedev. (emphasis mine)

This is one of those “Howard Dean scream” moments. Incidentally, at the time Kaine made this statement, the Russians were still firing on Georgia. So much for your VP chances, Mr. Governor.

Idiot!

Russia is now an invasion force, occupying the town of Gori, about 60 kilometers from Tbilisi, the capitol of Georgia. In the western part of the country, Russia crossed the border out of Abkhazia and into the Georgian town of Zugdidi. Russian troops have also taken Senaki, Georgia’s most modern military base. Although he Zugdidi and Gori occupations couldn’t be confirmed independently, it appears that Russia has effectively cut the country in half. President Bush pressed Moscow to accept an immediate cease-fire and pull back its troops and conceded that this appears to be an attempt to unseat Georgia’s president, Mikhail Saakashvili.

Appealing for help from the West, Saakasvilli said, “We are in the process of the invasion, occupation and annihilation of an independent, democratic country” and that Russia’s ultimate goal is regime change. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin confirmed a desire for regime change in a statement, earlier today:

“To quote Ronald Reagan: Somoza [Nicaragua's former U.S.-backed president, Anastasio Somoza] is a scoundrel, but he’s our scoundrel, and we’ll protect him” … “The world has changed since the Cold War” and the U.S. won’t be able to protect its new “scoundrel”, Saakasvilli.

Well, you can’t get any plainer than that! Is the West going to sit idle while Russia erases a democracy?

MORE: Hot Air; Right Wing Nuthouse; RedState; Flopping Aces

Despite pulling out of South Ossetia to avoid an all-out war with Russia, the Georgians are finding themselves facing a second Russian-backed assault in another separatist territory. Early Sunday morning, Abkhazia, located in Northern Georgia on the Black Sea, launched an attack on Georgian troops with the aid of Russian heavy bombers and 4,000 Russian troops. It also appears that Russian warships off the Georgian coast are attempting to enforce an economic embargo and have already turned two supply ships away.

It appears that Russia is acting as an opportunistic agent in this crisis and attempting to achieve a quick, decisive victory over Georgia’s democratic ambitions by absorbing South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Their maintenance of “peacekeepers” in the region for the past decade has provided a convenient excuse for this intervention. The timing of the attack to coincide with the Olympic Games in Beijing has given them sufficient cover from international scrutiny for the first couple of days. If they can bring this crisis to a quick end, they may just keep the initiative.

Incidentally, in the early 1990s, Abkhazia backed by Russian volunteers fought a brutal war for independence after an equally brutal Georgian crackdown which drove out 250,000 ethnic Georgians (approximately half the population).

Quid pro quo?

MORE: Little Green Footballs; Power Line; Right Wing Nuthouse

UPDATE: Russia says it’s ready to end hostilities as Georgia states its readiness to withdrawal troops from South Ossetia. While the U.N. Security Council met a fourth time (whooptidoo!), Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin stated that Moscow is “ready to put an end to the war”. However, Russia doesn’t appear to be willing to agree to an immediate refuses to observe a cease fire.

The general technology trend of infrastructure convergence or the coming together of various data and voice networks in simply the next step in e-business infrastructure evolution. Borne out of the needs of consumers for greater convenience in social and business networking, companies are in a race to 1) provide optical networks to convert electrical signals into optical data; 2) obtain sound quality of service solutions; 3) integrate services to provide voice and data over a single line; and 4) dominate the customer’s home contact point, expanding from the browser and modem to a myriad of in-home and portable appliances. This service convenience trend will only continue as customers’ needs are met through e-business initiatives.

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The Georgian parliament has declared war against Russia for the next 15 days as the civilian death toll in the breakaway republic of South Ossetia surpasses 2,000. For the third time in two days the U.N. Security Council has met to discuss the situation, but (typically) have not been able to agree on a solution; however, several nations including the U.S. and U.K. have called for a cease fire. President Bush spoke to Russian President Madvedev and warned that their bombing campaign marked “a dangerous escalation” of the crisis and called for an immediate halt to hostilities. Medvedev said only a complete withdrawal of Georgian troops from South Ossetia would ease tensions, and further stipulates that Georgia sign an agreement never to use force in its separatist territories again.

So, what’s the deal?

South Ossetia is a mountainous province located in northern Georgia that shares its northern border with the Russian republic of North Ossetia.

South Ossetia enjoyed broad autonomy within Soviet Georgia and first claimed independence in 1989. It has run its own affairs without international recognition since breaking away from the Tbilisi-based Georgian government during a bloody 1991-1992 conflict that killed more than 1,000 people and displaced tens of thousands.

Authorities held a referendum in 1992 proclaiming the province’s independence, but it went unnoticed by the international community, leaving the region in limbo. South Ossetians voted overwhelmingly for independence in a second referendum in November 2006.

Russia has peacekeepers in South Ossetia, but Tbilisi accuses them of siding with the separatists. Since coming to power in 2004, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed to bring South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, back under Georgian control.

Russia formally recognizes South Ossetia and Abkhazia as parts of Georgia, but it sides with their separatist leaders in disputes with the Georgian government and has granted many of their residents Russian citizenship. (h/t: AP)

So, what’s at stake?

Georgia is a staunch U.S. ally and emerging democracy. They’ve sent troops to Iraq to fight the insurgents. They also aspire to join NATO and the EU. Of course, Moscow opposes both of these goals. Its pro-Western stance has angered Russia as Moscow considers the entire region within its own sphere of influence.

I believe it’s important to support Georgia. They’re an important ally and the steps we take right now will demonstrate our level of commitment. Still, we recently supported Kosovo’s independence despite Russian objections; are we really in a position to challenge South Ossetia’s claim to independence although they’re likely to follow Moscow?

MORE: Hot Air; Neoconservative? Moi?; Political Pistachio

President Bush’s arrival in China to attend the Olympics opening ceremony comes on the heals of some pretty harsh words concerning the country’s dismal human rights record. Speaking to a group of students and business leaders in Bangkok, Thailand, Bush said that cooperation with China on economic ties, negotiations with North Korea and relations with Taiwan put the U.S. in “a better position to be honest and direct on other issues,” like human rights.

“We speak out for a free press, freedom of assembly and labor rights, not to antagonize China’s leaders, but because trusting its people with greater freedom is the only way for China to develop its full potential.”

Of course, many are criticizing the President for politicizing the Olympic games, while others are saying he could have sent a stronger message by foregoing the opening ceremonies altogether.

Of course, a presidential boycott of the olympics is simply ridiculous. I believe President Bush is absolutely doing the right thing by bringing attention to China’s restrictions on individual liberty.

So, what is China’s reaction?

Qin Gang, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said that China has

“consistently advocated dialogue and exchange on the basis of mutual respect and equality [and] We firmly oppose any use of human rights or religious issues to interfere in internal affairs.”

Right! I’m sure the Tibetans would argue otherwise!

An interesting group decision support system is currently evolving to help fight the global war on terror (GWOT). A National Virtual Translation Center connects linguists embedded with troops on the front line with networked translation assistance technologies. Currently this is accomplished with thousands of linguists pouring over the actual documents and audio clips brought from the front in an effort to extrapolate useful information. The new technology will digitize, parse and digest raw intelligence material, to facilitate the analyzing of material, instead of simply translating it.

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