Backpacking - You must do it once in your life.  No excuses!
	Thai Hospitality - There is nothing else like it in the world.  You must go and experience it for yourself.
	Weight Loss Systems - They are all scams.  You want to lose weight?  Do a trek through Everest and I guarantee you will lose so much weight that you'd need a whole new wardrobe.  Note: Some risk to your life may be involved.
	Indian Buses - Incredibly uncomfortable and a necessary evil if you are to traverse the vast Indian continent.  Just watch out for your luggage and don't pay more than RP 5 for storing them in the trunk.
	Indian Bureaucracy - It is a mystery to me how this vast country is still able to function given the weight of its infamous bureaucracy.
	Touts - I am convinced there is one ISO 1900 certified tout mafia operating that we don't hear about in the news.  From India to Egypt, just about every tout I have encountered gives the same lines:  "Hello, my friend, where are you from?  Special price for you...".  That said, I must say Egyptian touts are some of the best I have encountered.
	ATM Cards - Why bother with travelers checks when you got one of these?  You get better rates, more security and nearly universal access - what more could one ask for?
	Middle-Eastern Men's View on Western Women - They couldn't be more wrong.  Many think Western women are easy and sex crazed.  Oh, if only they knew the suffering we men have to endure, they'd think twice about even approaching one.
	Video Buses - Avoid them at all costs in India and the Middle East if you are planning to sleep on the bus.
	Western Views on Islam and the Middle-East - No, not all Arabs are terrorists and Middle-East isn't as dangerous of a place as many of us seem to think it is.  In fact, it is quit hospitable.  If you are fortunate enough to go there, keep an open mind and you might just be surprised.
	Bargaining in the Middle-East -  While prices are low when compared to the West, you must bargain and shop around.  30% of the asking price is a good starting point.
	Euro - The best thing that has happened to Europe since the dark ages.
	Taiwan Strait Conflict - I am all for reunification if China becomes a democracy and the people of Taiwan decide this is the best for them without pressure from China.  Until such time, Taiwan is a separate and sovereign nation, a founding member of UN and a proud part of my heritage.
	Middle East Conflict - May be only god can save the promised land.  Do not believe everything that is said about the Middle East.  While CNN and other news organizations may report the truth and nothing but the truth but it DEFINITELY is not the WHOLE truth.  Please keep that in mind.
	War on Terror - We should kick their ass hard and hunt down every one of them.   I do, however, feel strongly that we should reexamine our own foreign policy and act responsibly instead of basing all our actions on INTERESTS.  That will forever doom us to being a nation of hypocrites.
	World Economics - Has anyone ever done a study on the role Western nations play as the world's money changer and how that distorts the world's resource allocations?  Perhaps a universal currency is the answer?