Category Archives: Uncategorized

AP Journalists Uncover Slave Trade in Southeast Asia

Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Le, Thailand. Photo by  yeowatzup
Maya Bay, Ko Phi Phi Le, Thailand. Photo by yeowatzup

A team of Associated Press journalists were led to a town in Southeast Asia where forced labor, slave trafficking and slavery is going strong after a year-long investigation into the fishing industry there. In Benjina, a small town in the depths of eastern Indonesia which is situated on two islands, the journalists were able to interview over 40 current as well as former slaves. Many of the slaves told the reporters that they had been forced to work on boats under dire conditions, paid nothing or very little. They described being taken onto boats for months or even years at a time under the brutal supervision of overseer captains.

Also found in Benjina were eight slaves held captive in a locked cell. The journalists were able to take video footage of the scene. In the evening, hiding in the darkness, the AP group took a small boat to come close to a trawler with slaves on board who began yelling at the journalists for help, beging them to take them home.

The journalists observed the supply chain from slave-caught fish to a refrigerated cargo ship heading for Thailand. They tracked the boat’s 15-day trip using signals sent by satellite. They met up with the vessel in Samut Sakhon, Thailand and watched as the fishy cargo was off-loaded from the boat and place into trucks during four evenings. They followed the trucks to processing plants, cold storage and the largest wholesale fish market in Thailand.

Finally the journalists established the chain from slave labor to market using US Customs documents with the names of Thai companies that sell fish to the United States. Although the food goes to other countries in Europe and Asia, the AP concentrated on the information they were able to get about specific US companies, where custom records are in the public domain.

To protect the men who were photographed, interviewed or videotaped for the story, the International Organization for Migration and Indonesian Marine Police were informed about the men. The police then took the men away from Benjina and they are now waiting for their cases to be processed. The goal is to have the men returned to their homes in Myanmar. Unfortunately there are still hundreds of other slaves still in the town and on the surrounding islands.

Running a Business is Like Running a Marathon

Hong Kong Marathon finish line 2011 photo by Drew
Hong Kong Marathon finish line 2011 photo by Drew

Observers who are paying attention may have noticed that businessmen seem to be over-represented among long distance runners. Could it be that some of the qualities needed to be a successful businessman are also prevalent among dedicated runners? Let’s take a look at some highly motivated businessmen who take running seriously.

Seth Hillel Fischer is the Chief Investment Officer of the Hong Kong based private investment firm Oasis Management. In 2002 Fischer united Oasis with DKR Capital Partners, LP, forming DKR Oasis. From 2002 until 2011 assets under management climbed to $3.3 billion. Fischer is also an established road and trail runner all over Asia as well as a Big City Marathon runner. He has participated in some of the world’s most acclaimed races, including marathons in NYC, Boston, Tokyo, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Philippe Tschannen is a partner in Heidrick & Struggle’s’ Zurich office.  He has over 15 years of experience recruiting exceptionally talented executive for the financial sector. As a long distance runner, he trains along Lake Zurich in Switzerland. In 2010 he ran in the Cresta Run skeleton track in St. Moritz, and the New York City Marathon.

Perhaps the ultimate merging of business with running is the entrepreneur who has made his business from the enormous popularity of fitness, sports, and especially long-distance running. Vishal Gondal is the CEO and founder of GOQii, a company that is developing advanced wearable technology. According to their website GOQii wants to enable people throughout the world to “be the force” by helping them to ‘unleash their untapped potential. Gondal has participated in several half marathons between 2011 and 2013 in Amsterdam, Mumbai and Delhi.

Optimism Up Says Poll

According to the most recent Wells Fargo/Gallup Small Business Index, optimism among small business in the US is higher than it’s been at any time since 2008. The November overall Index score topped at 58, flying past July’s score of 49. The last time this number was so high was during the first quarter of 2008, when it peaked at 83. In spite of the positive trend, there is still a while to go to get to the pre-recession levels.

Gallup Poll

The data for the Index number was collected between November 10 and 14 from small business owners across the country. The highest this Index has ever been was 114, which was reached near the end of 2006. During the third quarter of 2010 the Index reached its all-time low of -28.

The upward movement is a reflection of the optimism small-business owners feel about the improving economic situation in the US.

Sony Introducing Waterproof Phone

Sony's new Xperia Z3 is waterproof, and can charge wirelessly
Sony’s new Xperia Z3 is waterproof, and can charge wirelessly

Sony is bringing its new smartphone to market within just one month of revealing the Xperia Z3 waterproof phone at the Berlin trade show in September. The consumer electronics giant learned their lesson from their Xperia Z1, which took months to appear in the US market, making the phone feel old even before it started selling. The Z2, which came out this past spring, never partnered with a wireless carrier in the US.

Consumers can expect to see the Z3 available beginning on October 23. The timing is good, as it is within one month of the release of Apple’s iPhone 6, and only one week from the date the new Galaxy Note 4 is expected to be launched by Samsung.
Sony is struggling to recoup a bit of the smartphone market share and getting to market in a timely fashion is part of their strategy.

T-Mobile will be carrying the standard model, which charges in the traditional manner. The Verizon version, to be called the Z3v will offer an optional accessory with which users will be able to charge their phone wirelessly, in other words, the need for a USB cable will be rendered obsolete.

The two different models are sized a bit differently, but their screen sizes are both 5.2 inches on the diagonal.

Both phones have the ability to play Sony PlayStation 4 games, even while the user is in a different location than the TV. The phones can also survive a dip in the pool, sink or any other body of water. (Salt water too? Not sure.) They also have 20.7 megapixel cameras which can record video in ultra-high, 4K, definition.

The pricing for the T-Mobile has not been announced yet but the Verizon version will cost $200 with a two-year contract or $600 without.

Summer Sales Up: Feeds Growth Expectations

Retail Sales Going Up
Retail Sales Going Up

The US Department of Commerce announced an increase in retail sales by 0.6 percent in August, based on increased car sales and a wide range of other goods. July showed a 0.3 percent rise sales as well.

These figures, combined with an improved measure of consumer confidence, which reached a 14-month high in September, are allaying fears about the US economy, helping to spur further growth.

“It is further indication that the underlying positive momentum in the US economy is being sustained,” said Millan Mulraine, deputy chief economist at TD Securities.

The consumer sentiment index of the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan, reached 84.6 in the early days of September, which was the highest number sinc3e July 2013. In August the index was at 82.5.