tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61023572011-06-08T01:22:05.867-05:00Blog about poverty, economics, and life in Pucallpa, PeruMarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comBlogger1971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1147986835511186702006-05-18T16:12:00.000-05:002006-05-18T16:13:55.523-05:00

Well I've decided that since I have been so lousy at keeping up with the blog I'm going to call it quits officially. I may take it back up again someday, but for now let's just say that the blog is in hibernation. -Mark

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1145895244721911532006-04-24T09:46:00.000-05:002006-04-24T11:14:04.826-05:00

One of the most successful policy changes in the last 20 years was the welfare reform act of 1996. If you have the time, read this article. It is a bit lengthy. Welfare reform ties in to one of the most basic assumptions in life that is People Respond to Incentives. Until reform there was no incentive to work. Here's a key quote from the article:Human beings tend to do pretty much what they are

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1145061783359224852006-04-14T19:04:00.000-05:002006-04-14T19:43:03.436-05:00

I've begun to put the link to articles in the title of the blog post so if I refer to something and you don't see the link, it is the title to the blog post.Couple things today: 1.) I love wireless internet at home. 2.) I hate it when places charge you for wireless internet (like the mall). It's so cheap that it should just be a perk.3.) The article about Hollywood is interesting. The fact

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1144967429254112262006-04-13T17:28:00.000-05:002006-04-13T17:30:29.266-05:00

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1143679356893642692006-03-29T19:32:00.000-05:002006-03-30T10:58:09.993-05:00

Maybe they'll stop painting out the 'Un' in the Opportunities Unlimited sign in Quincy... Yahoo is coming to Wenatchee too. I think this is so interesting. They are like the new Alcoa (Alcoa came to Wenatchee a long time ago). It's got to be primarily for the power rates. There's plenty of cheap land elsewhere and a single fixed cost like that is a drop in the bucket for those companies anyway.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1141771179682639802006-03-07T17:38:00.000-05:002006-03-07T17:42:13.473-05:00

Check this out...And this is pretty cool too for you Simpson fans.And so is this.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1141227604106736632006-03-01T10:28:00.000-05:002006-03-01T10:40:04.156-05:00

Private schooling in India is taking off. After listening to ads on the radio by the WEA about how Washington schools are underfunded I think this article is particularly appropriate. How about cutting down on some of the educational bureaucracy and actually getting more of the money we spend into the classroom? There's a novel thought.Here's the key paragraph from the Newsweek article:"These

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1141226851428366882006-03-01T10:26:00.000-05:002006-03-01T10:27:31.426-05:00

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1140970469351681362006-02-26T11:13:00.000-05:002006-02-26T11:14:29.363-05:00

I would love to spend some time in India some day. Here is an interesting article about it.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1139339626341750782006-02-07T14:09:00.000-05:002006-02-07T14:13:46.356-05:00

Being richly blessed in natural resources frequently is more of a curse then a blessing says this article. Development largely isn't about money and a lack of material resources. I know I sound like a broken record, but it is true.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1138655603221685852006-01-30T16:12:00.000-05:002006-01-30T16:14:17.690-05:00

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1137633808319174222006-01-18T20:22:00.000-05:002006-01-18T20:23:28.333-05:00

Read this.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1137614406112413162006-01-18T14:56:00.000-05:002006-01-18T15:15:25.156-05:00

Jack has arrived. He was 12lbs 1oz and 21" long. He was the biggest bab the surgeon had ever delivered. We ad to have a c-section done because he was so big. Tricia is doing fine. She is very sore and will probably be in the hospital till Friday.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1137179448247085782006-01-13T14:10:00.000-05:002006-01-13T14:12:48.970-05:00

“It may sometimes be expedient for a man to heat the stove with his furniture. But he should not delude himself by believing that he has discovered a wonderful new method of heating his premises.”Ludwig von Mises, Austrian economistUPDATE: Another great quote“It's only when the tide goes out that you can see who's swimming naked.”Warren Buffett

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1135880406294654872005-12-29T13:14:00.000-05:002005-12-29T13:20:06.306-05:00

Muhammad Yunus is credited with inventing micro-credit (small loans to poor people). He gives an interesting interview about his experience. His biggest challenge?"My greatest challenge has been to change the mindset of people. Mindsets play strange tricks on us. We see things the way our minds have instructed our eyes to see."

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1135703710439542492005-12-27T12:13:00.000-05:002005-12-27T12:15:10.453-05:00

Here is a good article on the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur which is currently the world's worst. I agree that urgent action is needed there. I don't know if the remedies recommended in this article are the right ones or not.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1135623546272368092005-12-26T13:54:00.000-05:002005-12-26T13:59:06.283-05:00

Not sure if you have seen the news on this or not, but Bolivia elected Evo Morales, a socialist former coca grower(cocalero) as their president. I don't know how the cocaleros behave in Bolivia, but in Peru they are, how should I say, not a positive influence on society. Anyways, this editorial seems to have it about right regarding this story. Hopefully Evo will turn out more like Lula (the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1135275945835769712005-12-22T13:08:00.000-05:002005-12-22T13:25:45.873-05:00

This is a really, really good article. Read it.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1135228614330322602005-12-22T00:07:00.000-05:002005-12-22T00:16:54.340-05:00

Got a couple requests to do some more blogging. I've been so busy at work and getting settled in that I just haven't made the time. Tricia is doing very well but really ready to have this baby. It could come any day. For those of you who don't know, we have settled on the name Jack. We're very excited to finally have him so close.My consulting business is going really well. There are lots of good

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1131313802780202012005-11-06T16:47:00.000-05:002005-11-06T16:50:02.793-05:00

Here is another great article from the Economist. Conclusion:"Although the case for reducing poverty by sending more aid to the poorest countries has some merit, the experience of China, South Korea, Chile and India shows that the much better and more powerful way to deal with poverty is to use the solution that worked in the past in America, western Europe and Japan: open, trading economies,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1130282981526903602005-10-25T18:23:00.000-05:002005-10-25T18:29:41.533-05:00

Well we are finally back in the USA. It is great to be home with family. I almost wept(for joy) walking through the aisles at Safeway. I have already eaten Mexican food, Sushi, good salads, my Mom's excellent BBQ beef, and much more. Of course all in moderation as I don't want to explode into my formerly fat self.It is great to be back. I haven't seen very many people yet, but am looking forward

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1128271243452364362005-10-02T11:31:00.000-05:002005-10-02T11:40:43.456-05:00

I just read an opinion piece about the underclass in America. It is definitely provocative and harsh. It subtitle reads, "The poverty Katrina underscored is primarily moral, not material". Its premise is that much of poverty today in the US is caused by anti-social behavior and bad choices as opposed to lack of opportunity. I don't know if I would paint the picture with quite a broad of brush

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1128099269942252852005-09-30T11:48:00.000-05:002005-09-30T11:54:29.946-05:00

Here is a very interesting article on the changing workplace in America and the developed world. I encourage you to read it if you are at all interested in economics or jobs. You will frequently hear China in particular and trade in general demonized by politicians who chide companies for "exporting" our jobs. The fact is that the workplace in America is rapidly changing but this is not

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1128010008163152742005-09-29T10:55:00.000-05:002005-09-29T11:06:48.180-05:00

Yesterday a bull meandered through our property. It walked down the sidewalk right next to our house. I personally have no problem with bulls wandering aimlessly through the neighborhood, but some parents of small children had objections. It is unknown at this point the purpose of the bull's visit. Some have suggested it was just out for a morning stroll as part of its regular exercise regimen. I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1127839859255365572005-09-27T11:39:00.000-05:002005-09-27T11:50:59.263-05:00

Carlos Cardenas, one other FH employees here in Pucallpa, taught me how to make Ceviche this morning. I am very excited about making it for family and friends when I get back. Yum!! The only thing I haven't figured out is which fish I am going to use.Less then two weeks to go till we head home. I am getting excited and sad at the same time. I will really miss some things about the life here.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1127318064503303942005-09-21T10:30:00.000-05:002005-09-21T10:54:24.530-05:00

On the more controversial side...Here is an interesting article by the president of Iraq. Here is an article on the link between the disintegration of the family and poverty.Less then a month till we head home. I can hardly believe that. Things have gotten really busy for us. Pastor Guy Basso just arrived from Oregon. Guy has led two groups down to Pucallpa and his church is involved with the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1126792514777868382005-09-15T08:51:00.000-05:002005-09-15T08:55:14.783-05:00

It is a boy! Mom and baby are healthy and everything appears to be OK. Due date is Jan. 3rd.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1126372890711842112005-09-10T12:14:00.000-05:002005-09-10T12:21:31.020-05:00

Just when I thought I was finally competant enough in Spanish to not make incredibly stupid mistakes I pulled another doosy last night. I played basketball and another player consistently beat me all game. So I figured I would teach the guy a little american slang. So I told him that he "took me to the cleaners". The word for cleaners in Spanish is lavandería, I mistakenly said lavadora,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1126104631787593482005-09-07T09:43:00.000-05:002005-09-07T09:50:31.793-05:00

I ran across a really cool resource this morning. It is called Commitment to Development Index in Maps. Basically it is an interactive map that ranks the 21 richest countries in the world based upon how much they are helping developing countries in several different areas. There are several categories and one country could be good in one category and bad in another. For example, the US is

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1126050198422992842005-09-06T18:34:00.000-05:002005-09-06T18:52:30.366-05:00

If you are here looking for information on the plane crash. Scroll down ...The last two days we have had a strike in Pucallpa. All the transportation workers (moto-cars, collectivos, buses, etc...) are on strike because of high gas prices. I'm not quite sure what they expect to achieve as the price of gas is largely determined by global market forces, not local ones. Somehow I don't think that

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1125175541287517032005-08-27T15:39:00.000-05:002005-08-27T15:45:41.286-05:00

Here is a more recent picture of the mom-to-be. Click on it for a larger picture.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1125060356332113832005-08-26T07:37:00.000-05:002005-08-27T15:38:41.473-05:00

Well I think I now know the type of storm that brought down the plane. We were in our house during lunch hour just sitting in the hammocks and it starts to rain. It begins raining pretty hard and then the wind picks up. But then all of a sudden Tricia looks at the property next to ours and all the trees just bend over. A super strong gust comes whipping through the property. I am looking

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1124838672958478942005-08-23T18:04:00.000-05:002005-08-24T08:21:20.896-05:00

At approximately 4pm EST a TANS (Peruvian carrier) flight went down on the landing approach in an intense wind and rain storm in Pucallpa, Peru. Even though it is only 1/2 mile from our house it is difficult to get details. But we know at this point there are survivors and fatalities as we have seen people being ferried to the main hospital in town. Approximately 120 people were on board. The

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1124461062627636102005-08-19T09:06:00.000-05:002005-08-19T09:17:42.633-05:00

My good friend Andy Liu is down visiting the heavenly vacation resort of Pucallpa. We are having a great time just chillin. I am realizing that being out of the country for two years I have missed a bunch of the latest trends. I have never even seen an iPod for example. It is really nice to have Andy down here. We've been talking a lot about entrepreneurship and how the business world can do

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1124460331178175222005-08-19T09:04:00.000-05:002005-08-19T09:06:20.326-05:00

"If shooting oneself in the foot were an Olympic sport, Alejandro Toledo would win the gold medal."

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1123862951314085772005-08-12T10:56:00.000-05:002005-08-12T11:09:11.320-05:00

I was riding through town in a moto-taxi today and we almost ran over a big pig sitting in the main street. I had to give the dude credit. He wasn't moving for anybody. He had decided where he felt called to be and the middle of the street was it. Apparently his owner didn't have a problem with it as nobody was trying to get it out of the street. Come to think of it, nobody really was doing

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1123861515573928972005-08-12T10:31:00.000-05:002005-08-12T10:52:02.606-05:00

We have a few people here visiting from FH USA. A couple guys from the record industry are here checking out what FH is doing. They are going to be part of FH's marketing effort and are looking at producing a CD with the proceeds going to FH. Along with them is a camera man who came and made a video of my class as well as video of a soccer game with a bunch of folks from the refuge. I love

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1123194391769638162005-08-04T17:02:00.000-05:002005-08-04T17:26:31.776-05:00

Tricia's folks have been here visiting us so the blogging has been very light as you know. I do have some pictures of the mom-to-be that I want to post. She is definitely growing a nice little belly. You can't really see it in the pictures very well, but it is definitely there. I have been admonished almost daily to converse with the baby. That is of critical importance down here for some reason.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1121093748757003422005-07-11T09:52:00.000-05:002005-07-11T09:55:48.763-05:00

Here is an article on the impact of mobile phones and development. Interestingly, the isolated river communities here use radio rather then cell phones to communicate. There just isn't coverage in most places.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1120571300506287552005-07-05T08:39:00.000-05:002005-07-05T08:48:20.510-05:00

Read this article if you want to see why I am always harping on trade issues rather then focusing on more aid to poor countries. You can't "give" people out of poverty, as much as you may want to. Wealth is something that must be earned and created, not given or transferred. But you can help people learn how to earn wealth and make sure the rules are fair so that they have the most opportunities

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119812177222521652005-06-26T13:14:00.000-05:002005-06-26T13:56:17.230-05:00

I have been writing a lot on development aid as it has been in the news a lot. I harp on it since I work for a development agency so I am in the business of aid. This is an interesting column which frames the discussion between two points of view which he labels liberal and conservative. I am not sure I agree with the labeling, but the article is worth reading. The "liberal" or more precisely "

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119542374298874232005-06-23T10:59:00.000-05:002005-06-26T15:36:35.083-05:00

Pass CAFTAUPDATE: From the perspective of an influential democratic columnist: Pass CAFTAUPDATE: From Bill Clinton's commerce secretary: Pass CAFTA

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119459295917679092005-06-22T11:53:00.000-05:002005-06-22T11:54:55.923-05:00

Here's another article by the Economist about my favorite pet peeve.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119451117884826612005-06-22T09:37:00.000-05:002005-06-22T09:38:37.890-05:00

Trade not Aid

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119113723963397652005-06-18T11:29:00.000-05:002005-06-18T11:55:23.966-05:00

I just read an article on productivity and how central it is in getting out of the poverty trap. It is an interview of William Lewis, the author of the book The Power of Productivity. The article is very very interesting and I believe dovetails nicely with some recent work by the World Bank on the importance for developing countries to foster a good investment climate. I plan on reading the book.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1119104281551326052005-06-18T09:16:00.000-05:002005-06-18T09:18:01.556-05:00

This is a great article that I highly recommend you read about aid.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1118757253381851972005-06-14T08:48:00.000-05:002005-06-14T08:54:13.386-05:00

As some of you already know, Tricia and I are expecting. Thought I would make it official by putting it on the blog.To sum up: It was a big surprise Due in early January We don't yet know how this will affect our time here in Peru. However, we will likely not have the baby in Pucallpa.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1118527028176019282005-06-11T16:51:00.000-05:002005-06-11T16:57:08.180-05:00

Here is a relatively upbeat article from the Economist on our beloved president, Alejandro Toledo.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1118499960706203072005-06-11T09:15:00.000-05:002005-06-11T09:26:00.710-05:00

This seems like a big deal. Debt relief sounds so good and seems fair. Why make very poor countries spend what little money they have servicing debt that was accrued a long time ago, often times by former regimes who squandered the money? I am lukewarm on it because many economists believe that it sends the wrong signals to third world leaders. If I am a corrupt third world leader, why not

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1118272790667987652005-06-08T18:17:00.000-05:002005-06-08T18:19:50.673-05:00

Here is an interesting article about aid to Africa. Make sure you read the whole thing, especially the last couple paragraphs.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1118151197323246552005-06-07T08:32:00.000-05:002005-06-07T08:33:27.943-05:00

Bolivia has been acting up for awhile. Now their president has resigned.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1117721832012244032005-06-02T09:01:00.000-05:002005-06-02T09:17:12.040-05:00

We found a pretty good size tarantula on our screen window in the spare bedroom. I killed it with spray. It was a little sad. A tarantula is at the border between "bug" and "animal". I used about half the can of insecticide. It was actually a pretty good size tarantula. It was about the size of my palm...maybe 4-5 inches across. Way too big to step on anyway.What I am wondering is if spiders are

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1117033555407417592005-05-25T09:43:00.000-05:002005-05-25T10:05:55.413-05:00

Well the team left a couple days ago and we are back to life as normal. I am giving a windows test today. We will see how well my students have learned. Most of them are pretty sharp and pick things up pretty easily, but there are 2 or 3 in every class that just seem unable to learn. I have a hard time keeping my patience sometimes.Summer has arrived and it hasn't really rained more then 30

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1116455719699777992005-05-18T17:32:00.000-05:002005-05-18T17:35:19.703-05:00

I have been working in construction the past couple days with the team from Colorado. I have some sort of genetic disability that prevents me from hammering. The nails just get bent all over the place.It is pretty hot at the worksite. We are building a new church for the community of La Florida outside of town a few kilometers. The church members are very helpful and are there every day helping

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1116001600615464122005-05-13T11:26:00.000-05:002005-05-13T11:26:40.620-05:00

There is a super-yummy new Ceviche place in town. I am going to go there today for lunch. It is so good. They bring the fish over from Lima which is better for Ceviche then the river fish that you get here. Ceviche is fish that is cured in lemon but not cooked. It is probably my favorite Peruvian dish.Also, sorry about neglecting the blog lately. I just haven't had that much to write about. After

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1116001069530255172005-05-13T11:13:00.000-05:002005-05-13T11:17:49.536-05:00

A team will be arriving from Colorado next week to help out in the community of La Florida. It will be fun to spend some time with them. We have really enjoyed getting to know Marty VanDriel, the teams coordinator here in Pucallpa. There is a funny story about him. We usually work out together twice a week and the last time Marty went in alone he was asked where his "son" was by the lady at the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1115057682496399032005-05-02T13:11:00.000-05:002005-05-02T13:14:42.496-05:00

We had a great time this weekend in Barranca, a town about 3 hours north of Lima. It was a weekend retreat with the rest of the international staff here in Peru. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed getting to know the rest of the staff better.We spent an afternoon at the beach there which was a lot of fun. The waves were huge and I got to spend some time bodysurfing which was a lot of fun.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1115057450126407502005-05-02T13:09:00.000-05:002005-05-02T13:10:50.126-05:00

The website was down over the weekend due to some server configuration changes. It is now back up and running correctly.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1114717859904004242005-04-28T14:45:00.000-05:002005-04-28T14:50:59.906-05:00

I am the worlds worst blogger. I am sorry about the lack of postings lately. Class has really slammed me. I am enjoying it, but it is a lot of work. But that is no excuse for dropping the blog.So I plan to redouble my efforts. We are currently in Lima again. We have a weekend retreat with all the other international volunteers. I am looking forward to it. Today Tricia and I also had a meeting

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1113842159583412442005-04-18T10:56:00.000-05:002005-04-18T11:35:59.586-05:00

I found this article to be very interesting. It talks about the various Government anti-poverty initiatives and while they may be good at delivering aid to poor families, they have largely failed to change the beliefs and values that lead to poverty.The analogy that Food for the Hungry (FH) uses to describe how beliefs or worldview leads to poverty is a tree. The roots of the tree are a person's

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1113401592161892232005-04-13T09:06:00.000-05:002005-04-13T09:13:12.163-05:00

This is a very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal (may need to do a free registration) regarding one company in Knoxville recruiting and hiring tailors from Turkey rather then locating overseas. After Tricia's experience with World Relief working with refugees, it is remarkably similar to read what needs to happen to move a Turkish tailor from Turkey to Knoxville. The reason the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1113318798122712662005-04-12T10:11:00.000-05:002005-04-12T10:13:18.123-05:00

Here is an interesting page on world economic history and development. Well it might be interesting. It also might be boring.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1113313570949327912005-04-12T08:38:00.000-05:002005-04-12T08:46:10.950-05:00

Sorry for the blogging hiatus. I have been really busy with the start of classes at the Refuge of Hope. I have 60 students this year, up from 40 last year. This means we had to split into 3 classes of 20. Each class is 90 minutes so I am in class from 1pm to 6pm. The bulk of the class this year are between the ages of 17 and 24. About 25% of the class are physically handicapped students that live

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112392658127652882005-04-01T16:56:00.000-05:002005-04-01T16:57:38.126-05:00

Anybody out there want a Gmail invite? 2GB of free storage and the best web email client out there... I still have 42 to give away.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112390923281694522005-04-01T16:25:00.000-05:002005-04-01T16:28:43.283-05:00

My basketball team won the championship last night which is cool. I only got to play 5 minutes or so which was smart as we wanted to win. It was close all game long until the 4th quarter when we started making our shots and broke it open to a 10 point lead. They were by far the best team we played against. I look forward to improving my skills and playing better next year.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112390541855988792005-04-01T16:21:00.000-05:002005-04-01T16:22:21.856-05:00

I gotta get me some of this!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112298983668291082005-03-31T14:54:00.000-05:002005-03-31T14:56:23.670-05:00

Some people have too much time on their hands

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112219004668447272005-03-30T16:26:00.000-05:002005-03-30T16:43:24.670-05:00

Los Rosales, my favorite restaurant in Pucallpa has a website!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112202277949603292005-03-30T12:00:00.000-05:002005-03-30T12:04:37.950-05:00

It has been made aware to me that there was an error in one of the questions on my last quiz regarding the pronunciation of Pucallpa. I can't correct the quiz on the site so I made a new quiz with different questions. It is still about Peru. So click here for your chance at redemption if you failed the last one.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112026734572166912005-03-28T11:03:00.000-05:002005-03-28T11:19:54.530-05:00

I thought I would upload some pictures of our trip to Cajamarca (in addition to the ostriches below). We went to Cajamarca, a city in northern Peru, for the long Easter weekend. It was very beautiful with great food (cheese and manjar blanco). We went with 3 other FH volunteers from Lima and had a great time.The city of CajamarcaClockwise from Mark: (Mark, Kristen, Erica, Luke)A cool

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1112025595236248102005-03-28T10:52:00.000-05:002005-03-28T10:59:55.240-05:00

Have you fed your local ostrich today? I am unilaterally declaring today, March 28, international day of the ostrich. IDO will unite humanity and end all war and poverty...I think.To celebrate IDO you may want to protest the sale of ostrich meat. Or, you could buy a lovely ostrich leather hand bag.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1111174854324305852005-03-18T11:21:00.000-05:002005-03-18T14:40:54.330-05:00

I need some serious basketball tutelage. I played in a tournament last night and pretty much was a one man turnover machine. I played the first and fourth quarters. The first quarter was terrible. The fourth was much better. We won by 20 so it didn't really matter, but I would like to play a little better. The tournament is every Thursday for the next couple months so I will have a chance to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1110925362695980342005-03-15T17:17:00.000-05:002005-03-15T17:22:42.696-05:00

We like being here. Don't get me wrong. I loves me some maracuya! But...there are some things we are missing a lot. For example...our niece Lyndee. You will note the slight bruise on her nose. An Olympia thug was hassling her older sister and she decided enough was enough. You should see the other guy!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1110924398052630102005-03-15T17:04:00.000-05:002005-03-15T17:06:38.053-05:00

I made a quiz about Peru. The questions become increasingly difficult. Check it out

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1110852568162321742005-03-14T20:47:00.000-05:002005-03-14T21:09:28.163-05:00

Definition of jackass: 1. A male ass or donkey. 2. A foolish or stupid person; a blockhead: "You've acted like an irrational jackass and it's time you stopped" (Margaret Truman).I looked up jackass in several dictionaries and could find no mention of Mark Mason. I was certain I was going to be there. You see, I have a habit of making "A foolish or stupid person; a blockhead" out of myself

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1110652000205307672005-03-12T13:14:00.000-05:002005-03-12T13:26:40.206-05:00

Awhile back a bunch of famous economists got together to analyze various proposals to solve global crises such as AIDS, malnutrition, poverty, climate change, etc... The assumption was for a certain amount of money (I believe they chose 50 billion a year), what is the best use of funds. They evaluated the 17 top projects out of many more which were submitted to the conference and ranked those

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1110311470707578052005-03-08T14:18:00.000-05:002005-03-08T14:51:10.716-05:00

People often ask me about the cultural and societal differences between the US and Peru. I like to think that the process of cultural acclimation is like pealing an onion. There is always another layer of cultural complexity to find and understand.For example, Tricia was in a meeting yesterday about a fundraising campaign FH is doing in Pucallpa to raise funds for the victims of the tsunami in

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1109943512848551392005-03-04T08:36:00.000-05:002005-03-04T08:38:32.850-05:00

Well we have had a kitten named Fiona visiting our house all hours of the day and evening. It is one crazy kitten. We have been ignoring it and not letting it in the house because I am allergic to cats, but it has been jumping up on the windows and meowing till all hours of the night. We have fed it, but it isn't hungry. I think it is lonely. It's owners arrived home yesterday so hopefully

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1109943350335040522005-03-04T08:34:00.000-05:002005-03-04T08:35:50.336-05:00

U.S. Loses Final Ruling on Subsidies for CottonGood news!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1109348109378604832005-02-25T11:11:00.000-05:002005-02-25T11:16:40.860-05:00

Why is there poverty in a world of plenty? One reason among many is that leaders in Nigeria refused to administer polio vaccines causing a steep rise in the epidemic. Here is the quote from the article that makes me sick to my stomach."Polio infections surged last year in Africa after Islamic leaders in northern Nigeria led a boycott against immunizations, claiming the polio vaccine was part of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1109195105851526532005-02-23T16:41:00.000-05:002005-02-23T16:45:05.853-05:00

I just read an article in the NY Times about what has been going on in Darfur, Sudan. I encourage you to read this and email your representative and Senators.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1108857547304177262005-02-19T18:44:00.000-05:002005-02-19T18:59:07.306-05:00

I saw the funniest menu in the history of menus. Here are some sample dishes with the real translation in parenthesis:For an entrance(appetizer) they had: Pope to the Huancayina(Papa is Spanish for potato, but also Spanish for pope so Potatoes Huancayina style got translated to Pope to the Huancayina )Main Dishes:You pound to the iron (grilled game hens) with mature (bananas)Sweated fine loin of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1108573310634141102005-02-16T12:00:00.000-05:002005-02-16T12:01:50.636-05:00

Glad to see that our neighbors, Columbia and Venezuela have kissed and made up.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1108571327023269392005-02-16T11:24:00.000-05:002005-02-16T11:28:47.026-05:00

Here is English text on the Valentine's day card that I gave to Tricia. It had both Spanish and English...but I bought it because of the English. I was laughing uncontrollably in the grocery store. This is exactly how it is written on the card including line brakes.A SINCERE DESIRE IN THIS WONDERFUL OCCASIONThis alone greetingit can demonstrateit leaves of the feelingsthat it harbors my heart.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1108570158571087442005-02-16T11:04:00.000-05:002005-02-16T11:09:18.573-05:00

Our friend Lana Kim who works in Uzbekistan has her own blog. It is now in the links to the right as well. It comes highly recommended.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107892341882212962005-02-08T14:38:00.000-05:002005-02-08T14:52:21.883-05:00

Dear Bob, Thanks for sending the bag. That was very thoughtful of you. We will use it for shopping. There really are no grocery stores down here and everyone in the market gives us stuff in really small bags so we can use the bag and be reminded of home. Disclaimer: To those of you who are not named Bob, please either a) change your name to Bob, or (more likely) b.) kindly disregard this

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107802206093313592005-02-07T13:32:00.000-05:002005-02-08T15:51:52.466-05:00

This is very good news. Bush is said to be seeking limits to farm subsidies in the latest budget. Good good good. Because the farm bill he signed in 2002 was bad bad bad. Rich country farm subsidies are one of the most contentious issues in the global trade talks because they are so unjust. Farmers in rich countries are paid by the government which allows them to sell crops at below

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107789856954300552005-02-07T10:16:00.000-05:002005-02-07T10:24:16.956-05:00

Ok, there are FINALLY new pictures and a bunch of other new stuff up over at the website. I put up a new sounds page that has several sounds recorded from our house. The plan is to keep adding sounds. I have a little digital recorder that is great for recording and downloading sounds to my computer. Also, many have asked about our housing situation. We will be staying where we are at until

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107623357542783842005-02-05T12:07:00.000-05:002005-02-05T12:09:17.543-05:00

Here is an article about Peruvian mining. One thing I didn't know was that 29% of Peruvian tax revenue comes from mining royalties.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107291447991991262005-02-01T16:45:00.000-05:002005-02-01T15:57:27.990-05:00

Well I had another one of those cultural moments that I am beginning to get used to. I was in church last week and at the end of the service the pastor invited the congregation to join him in prayer. Midway through the prayer he kind of stopped praying and asked anybody that wanted to make a first-time conversion to Christianity to stand. Well I wasn't really paying attention because after

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107285157350351992005-02-01T14:10:00.000-05:002005-02-07T11:15:13.556-05:00

Check this out! Our web page comes up #2 when you search on Pucallpa on the new MSN search tool. We currently show up 77th in Google. UPDATE: We are down to 4th now. Oh well. Fame is always fleeting.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1107018769013111612005-01-29T12:05:00.000-05:002005-01-29T12:12:49.013-05:00

I lifted weights for the first time in over a year this morning. It was HOT. Not to complain, but I am such a spoiled baby used to air-conditioned gyms and all in the states. The place I was at didn't even have fans and the weights were all rusty. On the plus side, it was only 75 cents. All in all, I would take the un-airconditioned rusty weights for 75 cents over the airconditioned $75 per

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1106766752829381522005-01-26T14:07:00.000-05:002005-01-26T14:12:32.830-05:00

Here is an interview with Hernando de Soto, everybody's favorite Peruvian economist. Not to brag or anything, but I have a book signed by him. I can see you are all green with envy. He talks about the lack of functioning legal system being a fundamental cause of poverty which is basically the thesis of his two books.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1106153765447898052005-01-19T11:55:00.000-05:002005-01-19T11:56:05.446-05:00

Some Peruvian political news in case you are interested.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1106065668671602102005-01-18T11:22:00.000-05:002005-01-18T11:27:48.670-05:00

Well we are back in Pucallpa and enjoying being home. We stepped off the plane to 95 degree heat with 100% humidity. However, I am to the point where it really doesn't bother me that much anymore. When we were in southern Chile where it was so cold I was longing for the jungle climate. I have my laptop back again which is really nice. Tricia and I don't have to fight over one computer

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1105646598514566582005-01-13T14:56:00.000-05:002005-01-13T15:03:18.513-05:00

We have not fallen off the face of the earth. We are still in Chile, finishing up what has been a very interesting and fun trip. Lots of interesting things have happened to us. For example, we took a bus from Lima to the Chile border. It was about a 18 hour trip and was comfortable (at least for me, Tricia had some gastro-intestinal difficulties which are not uncommon living here). When we

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1104872489016057982005-01-04T16:48:00.000-05:002005-01-04T16:01:29.016-05:00

This is a rather lengthy article on Jeffrey Sachs, an influential economist who is calling for vastly increased amounts of foreign aid to Africa. The big debate is whether foreign aid really helps or is just throwing money away when dealing with countries with bad governments.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1104873441338088372005-01-04T16:13:00.000-05:002005-01-04T16:17:21.336-05:00

The latest World Development Indicators (bunch of data on poverty) from the World Bank shows that 18.1% of Peruvians live on less then $1 per day. 37.7% live on less then $2 per day. Virtually all of the people FH works with in Peru fall into the first category of less then $1 per day.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1104856257308056122005-01-04T11:29:00.000-05:002005-01-04T11:30:57.306-05:00

According to this article, 2004 was a good year for the poor. I hope so. I am looking for the World Bank study that it refers to.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6102357.post-1104678673831711032005-01-02T10:10:00.000-05:002005-01-02T10:11:13.830-05:00

This incident is nowhere near Pucallpa.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09300148284037707993noreply@blogger.com