Sailing the Sea of Uncertainty

It's been a crazy week at my work.

Last Friday, Qimonda, the customer who's manufacturing facility I work at, filed for bankruptcy. They are a European company so they filed in Germany. Since that time, things here have just been surreal. I'm still waiting for someone to pinch me so I'll wake up.

Prior to Friday's announcement, there were no indications they were planning to file. Was I completely surprised? No. I didn't need Dionne Warwick or her Psychic Friends Network to tell me the company was doing really bad. They were bleeding money at an unbelievable rate and there was no way they could just go on without additional financing.

Since they've announced their insolvency, they are under credit protection and are currently trying to reorganize and get some funding from investors. It's hard to believe this is going to succeed, but they're giving it their best. In the meantime, since they are insolvent, they can't buy materials to manufacture their products (DRAM memory chips), so they have completely ceased all manufacturing and lots people are just standing around not doing anything. It's just freaky.

They are trying to get it together. What is even more freaky is that there are a lot of folks here who are in denial of the situation and believe wholeheartedly this place is going to get bailed out and be back to running production (and losing money) within the week. That may happen. But there's a really good chance it won't.

So how has this affected me? Well, with our equipment shut down we have been able to get caught up on a lot of work we were putting off. And starting today, I'll get to leave work early. We've already brought our property and equipment down from their factory floor. Now we're just waiting to see what happens. Either we are going to go back to work here, or they're going out of business. They're having a large employee meeting this afternoon. I wonder what they are going to say. Regardless, we're prepared to wait until next weekend to give them time before we pull all our parts from their stockroom, gather our things, and walk out. It may happen sooner, but we just don't know right now. My customer is happy we haven't walked out yet. A lot of their other vendors and equipment suppliers already have. Qimonda owes a lot of folks a lot of money, including us.

I don't work for Qimonda. I work for one of their equipment suppliers so I am somewhat indirectly affected by this. Am I concerned? Yes. Am I really worried? No. Strangely, I feel sort of calm about the whole situation. I figure really only one of four things is going to happen:
1. Qimonda gets financing and we go back to work here.
2. Qimonda gets bought and we go back to work here.
3. Qimonda goes out of business and I quit my company to stay in the Richmond area.
4. Qimonda goes out of business, there aren't any good jobs in the Richmond area, and I stay with my company and relocate to somewhere else (somewhere probably not as nice as where I live now).

All four of those options are equally probable. I've updated my resume and have made a few calls just in case. We'll just have to wait to find out which one it will be. Right now I'm sailing on a sea of uncertainty. God is at the wheel and only he knows where I'm headed. I'm good with that. This is going to work out one way or another. Whatever happens, I know things are going to be ok and I'm going to be thankful. I already am.

Hello Again....

Took a little time off from blogging. For the past two weeks I haven't written any postings. I haven't even read anybody else's.

I occasionally go through seasons where I just avoid my computer. A technology mini-vacation. I stay attached to my computer all day at my job and eventually I just get sick of it. Instead I read more books and try and do more stuff around the house. I have been thinking about getting a Facebook account and everyone has been telling me I should. However, the thought of spending more time in front of a screen and keyboard right now just seems so unappealing to me. It's not that I haven't had anything to write about... I have. But sitting down and putting my fingers on the keys..... yeeesh....

I've been loosely keeping up with my email. But I haven't even been really surfing the web lately or playing any computer games. I am pretty addicted to Wikipedia but right now, I only check it every couple of days. I still momentarily go to a couple of news sites that I like, just to keep up with what's going on out in the world. I'm not yet ready to fall completely off the grid.

I think this condition is more encompassing than my computer and has also spread to other technologies including my cell phone. Normally on the ride home from work in the afternoons, I call my friends and catch up with them. I haven't even been doing this. Again, no real reason. Just don't feel like picking up the phone and pushing the buttons. I'd rather just put on the radio (I listen to NPR and WRVA... gotta have some balance) and just drive.

Do you ever go through times where you feel allergic to technology? Over the past couple of weeks, I wished it was warmer so we could pack up the truck and go camping somewhere and just get away from electrical cords and all the data swirling around. My mini-vacation from technology has been good for me. I feel it is ending and I'll be getting back to posting on this blog. This isn't the first time I've taken a break since I've started this blog. It won't be the last. I need a break from technology once in a while. I need to break away from my computer monitor to make sure I'm not missing out on anything that is going on around me. I think my computer and phone need a break from me as well. We all have batteries that need to be recharged.... don't you agree?

Friends in Need

Yesterday was a slow day at work. Very slow. Yesterday afternoon I was keeping myself busy by writing in this blog about how my friend Dan (sits in the cubicle across from me) and I were keeping ourselves busy by trying to solve the world's problems. The big problem yesterday was that India is the world's fastest growing video gaming market and yet there are no games specifically for them. Our solution?.... Sitar Hero... ta-daaaa! Yeah I know, we're such nerds.

And then I got the call from Daleen.

It's odd how the big problems in life always hit you on some idle Wednesday afternoon.

Daleen phoned to tell me our friends Frances and Shannon Wells' house burned down. Everyone in their family is safe thank God. They were renting the house and everything inside of it is gone. They've lost pretty much everything.

We've known Shannon and Frances for a long time through our church. They are a close-knit, hardworking family and great people to know. I can't imagine why this would have happened to them, but many of our friends and church members are not going to worry about that. What we are doing now is thinking about how we can help them and what we can do to meet their needs.
With the loss of everything, they obviously have a lot of needs, everything from a new place to live, clothes, pots and pans, plates to eat off of, furniture, you name it. They need a lot, but I know there are a lot of people in our church family who are ready and want to help.

For those of you who don't do the church thing, this is pretty much how God often works. People run into real trouble and God acts by sending the church and it's people in to help. I have to admit, it's a pretty effective way to go. Together, we can do a lot more than a few individuals could ever on thier own. Also, when I'm helping people in this way, it makes me feel great. I feel like I'm doing something I was meant to do, like I have a purpose. Incidentally, I have also been on the receiving end of care and help provided by the church. In those times, I have always felt a lot more comforted and at-ease than I ever could have without them.

The Wells family has a lot of needs. Our church has a lot of work to do to help them. It's not like there are a bunch of government agencies or any other major aid groups swooping in to assist them. So it's up to them, their families and friends, and us. I would encourage you to help as well. Even if you don't go to church or know them. They're great folks and deserve some help during this time. It will definitely make you feel great.

If you want to help, Powhatan Community Church is accepting monetary donations for the family and will get those into their account. You can contact the church office at 804.598.1174 or at www.powhatancc.org. Also, if you have any tangible items you would like to donate, please contact John Starkey with the church at johnS@powhatancommunitychurch.org. My family is going to help Shannon and Frances during their time of need. We're going to help the church help them. I would encourage you to do the same. I'm doing my part now because it's the right thing to do, and I know someday I am going to be on the receiving end again, and I'll be glad to see that same sort of help coming to me.

What Inflation?

Who wouldn't want five hundred million dollars?


You know, I can't even say "five hundred million dollars" without automatically holding my pinky to the corner of my mouth and doing my best "Dr. Evil" impersonation.

Guess how much five hundred million dollars will buy you in Zimbabwe these days? Nothing.... Absolutely nothing. How sad is that?


I read in the news this week where the Zim government is now printing (hold on to your hat) Fifty Billion (with a B) Dollar notes. That's $50,000,000,000.00 in case you couldn't figure out how many zeroes that is. How much will fifty billion Zimbabwean dollars buy you? Try two loaves of bread. That was earlier this week. It probably won't even buy that much now. One person interviewed said he didn't even understand why the government was even wasting time printing money nobody uses. He said people are only using foreign currency as their own loses almost 100% of its value daily.

This is nothing new. Their hyperinflation problem has been going on for some time. Zimbabwe has, several times now, knocked a few zeroes off their money to try and keep the numbers functional. Apparently, they keep reaching the limits of the numbers that ATM and banking systems can handle. According to Wikipedia, the current inflation rate is over 80 sextillion percent. (For you math types, sextillion in scientific notation is ten raised to the 21st power). In comparison, the current second worst inflation rate in the world is in Burma (at a paltry 39.5%)

So how did they get like this? Well, since their independence from Great Britain and subsequent civil war which changed the nation from the white-controlled Rhodesia to the black African ruled Zimbabwe, there had been a desire to increase black empowerment and redistribute the nation's farmland. Initially, Zimbabwe was a large exporter of food, grown on it's many large scale (and typically white owned) farms. After the change of power however, there was a widely held belief by black Zimbabweans that the land the farms were on was stolen from them during colonialism and that it should be returned to the hands of the indigenous people of the nation.

Prior to 2000, the government sponsored a "willing-buyer-willing seller" program for land reform. Then in 2000, the government, led by a man named Robert Mugabe, started a compulsory program where almost all white owned farms were seized, (often violently), broken up, and then redistributed. The chaotic implementation of the program, coupled with the small sizes of the new plots, the lack of equipment, and the lack of agricultural knowledge severely traumatized the nation's ability to grow food. Zimbabwe, instead of exporting, now imports almost all of its food and people are starving.

In addition, the commercial system has also broken down. The newest commercial black empowerment program requires all businesses (including foreign owned) be owned/operated by black Africans. This has resulted in the failure of most businesses and the departure of almost all foreign investment, adding to the country's problems.

As you can imagine, the results of these governmental decisions have been disastrous. Due to the violent seizures of farmland, several nations (including the US) have leveled sanctions against the nation. Also, Zimbabwe has ceased making foreign debt payments resulting in suspension from the International Monetary Fund. In addition, due to a lack of donations, the UN World Food Program has stopped food aid. HIV is now at it's highest levels in the history of the country at 1.8 million people infected, and the average life expectancy has plummeted. Since 1990, the life expectancy for males has dropped from 60 to 37 and for females it is now lower than 34 years.

The government, led by Mugabe, denies the severity of the situation and continues to place the blame of the problems on the international community. They are convinced, and tell their people, that their situation is a conspiracy to return the country to colonialism and oppression. They have been accused of numerous human rights abuses and election tampering in order to stay in power. Also, they only allow state controlled news organizations work inside the country. News companies such as CNN and Britain's Sky News do not have permission to operate in Zim.

What a sad situation. One can understand that when the indigenous Africans regained control of their country, they wanted to have a greater stake in land ownership and business ownership. The people wanted better lives for themselves and new opportunities. It's a noble goal. Unfortunately, there was a total lack of patience and planning on the part of the government, resulting in a total crash of the economy and the scaring away of potential investors.

So, who cares? Well, for one, I do. I travelled there years ago with work and spent a week in the capitol city of Harare. It was awesome. I also care that these people are starving and dying and their leaders are doing nothing but making the situation worse. They have only succeeded in scaring away or running off anyone who tries to help them because receiving help would mean they would have to admit they made mistakes and they could lose their power.

My in-laws care. Where they live in South Africa is near the border with Zimbabwe. They are currently experiencing a severe problem with illegal immigration as people come looking for food and work. In addition, there is now a severe cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe and these people are streaming across the border and carrying it with them.

It's a bad situation. It makes me sad. It makes me angry. I don't think they can go on like this for much longer and then something is going to have to change for the better. There are many nations on the continent that, like Zimbabwe, are in various stages of development. I hope they learn the many lessons the situation in Zimbabwe offers. Democracy and emerging markets are new to many of these nations and my hope is that they don't start taking steps backward. That would be a tragedy.

Back in Black

I checked my 401K account yesterday and got a pleasant surprise. According to my account statement, I am back in the black......but just a little.


The last time I checked it, I was in the red. Severely in the red.
"How could this be?" I wondered. Am I the new Warren Buffet? Did I somehow pick some winners that overnight propelled my retirement fund back to where it was before this current financial crisis hit? No, of course not. I looked again at the return percentage. "Oh", I realized, "It's my year-to-date return". Which as of yesterday was only a few days.
But still, it was an encouragement to see this, even if it's not really a complete or accurate representation. I have lost a lot from my retirement. A whole lot. I didn't ignore reality, but I got a real boost from seeing that positive number. The encouragement I felt was great.


Way back a long time ago when I was in school, I used to work for Ukrops (a local grocery store chain.) I didn't work at a store. I worked at their central bakery (great experience.... surprised I don't weigh a lot more than I do because of that experience). I could have bagged groceries, but the idea of not having to deal with customers appealed more to me. (Plus, it paid a dollar more an hour.) During my time there, I got to know this guy who worked on the oven room. His name was Paul and his primary job was pastoring a small church somewhere in the Richmond area. It was a very small church, so he worked nights to make ends meet. A great guy. The one thing I remember about Paul was that he was an encourager. He used to always say, "Everyone needs encouragement from time to time." When walking through the facility, he made sure to tell folks what a great job they were doing. He wasn't the boss. He was just some guy. But you could tell what he said about others and their work were genuine. When he came by on his way to the break room and told you your work looked great, you could tell he meant it. It seemed kind of silly to me at the time (I was a teenager) but now I look back and realize that little bit of encouragement was always uplifting no matter what my situation was, or how I was feeling. It was such a little thing but it had a big impact on everyone who worked there.

My son Colin, even though he is two (about to turn three) really responds to encouragement. Sometimes I think he is easily discouraged. He seems to give up easily when something like putting on a shirt or taking off his shoes becomes even slightly difficult. "It's too hard. You do it.", he cries. Or he'll yell, "I can't do it". Lately I haven't been helping him as much with this type of thing. Instead, I have been encouraging him and telling him he can do it. Then when he does, I'm quick to tell him how proud I am of him. I've actually taken to telling him I'm proud of him for all sorts of things he is doing. I can tell it has an effect on him. It makes him smile and I think it helps him to believe he can tackle all sorts of stuff without giving up easily.

My friends Julie and Barry are encouragers as well. Like everyone else, they have a lot to be thankful for, but they also have their fair share of problems. But no matter what, they always seem to have a positive attitude and encourage others to look at the good side of every situation. They're awesome to be around and no matter what mood I'm in when I see them, I'm always uplifted after we talk. It's not that they try and help me solve my problems or ignore reality, but they always take time to actually listen, and then say something to put me in a more positive frame of mind.

My 401K is down, but I saw a little positive movement and it had a big impact. I was encouraged. I like being encouraged. We all do. Perhaps over the next week you could take a moment and encourage someone. In the tough times we are going through right now we can certainly all use it. Tell someone you are proud of them. Tell someone what an awesome job they do in their work. Tell someone you appreciate what they do and how it affects you. A little bit of encouragement goes a long way and you'll see it makes a difference. I promise.

End of a Season

It's all over... and my wife couldn't be happier.

The 2008-2009 deer hunting season in Virginia has officially come to an end. Daleen is very happy now that she doesn't have to listen to my alarm clock go off at 3:30 most mornings I am off from work. I'm not too sad about it either. I need a break and I like sleeping in too.

Now the countdown is on once more. It's already nine months and counting until the mayhem begins all over again for the 2009-2010 season. I have already been thinking about what I did this season and how I can make improvements for next year.

It's been an awesome hunting season. I put plenty of food in the freezer and I also let a lot of them walk away. I learned a lot of new things this year, met some really great folks, and built up better relationships with some guys I already knew. I even got to spend some time with a relative I hadn't seen in ages. Best of all, I spent countless hours in the woods, just sitting, taking it all in. In case you didn't know, Virginia forests and farmland are extremely busy and loud places. You just have to sit still long enough to notice.

Of course it wasn't all fun. I think I got the biggest scare of my life while hunting this year. Also, those deer I harvested didn't just walk to my truck and get into the back on their own. (I definitely got my exercise.) And while I like processing the venison myself, it is a lot of work. It's really not all fun.... but that is all part of the package.

Overall, it was a great season. A dream season. I can't wait till next year. I actually don't have to wait the whole nine months this time. I'm kinda cheating this June and going on a weeklong hunting safari in South Africa with my brother-in-law and his buddies. New places, new friends, new challenges. It's going to great.

In the meantime, Daleen is going to be happy. No getting up early. No wondering if I'm going to be home or out in the woods. No wondering if I am going to get around to my honey-do list. She deserves a break from my absences. I'm going to enjoy it too..... until the woods beckon once again...