Rob Cheng’s Blog

I went to Las Vegas a few weeks ago and I won about $2000. It had been a long time since I had gambled but I got to thinking about it. After I left Gateway in 1999, I had a certain fascination for gambling and I went on an incredible run.

In fact, long before there was blogging, I made a list of all my winnings. Here they are:

So in the space of about six weeks, I made $15,000! I remember it well, because I was always walking around with a wallet full of one hundred dollar bills. When I think about this time, and all my times before, there is one simple rule that will allow you to consistently win money gambling. I mainly play blackjack but this simple rule most likely work for virtually any type of gambling.

Before I start, there is one prequisite. In the case of blackjack, you need to know what you are doing. There is a certain way to play the cards, and you have to always play the cards “according to the book”. If you play each hand according the book, your odds of winning each hand is right about 49% or maybe a little higher but less than 50%. You get the idea. Read More »

January 27th, 2012 | Category: General, Stoned Thoughts | Leave a comment

Today was a cold and windy day in Myrtle Beach, but it was also quite sunny. We decided to explore the city and visitd Alligator Adventure in North Myrtle Beach. I was very impressed. I had never seen anything quite like it. They literally have over a thousand alligators and crocodiles at the park. Additionally, they have the largest captive alligator measuring in at an astonishing 24 feet.

On top of the alligators, they also have tigers, camels, tons of lizards and a wide variety of other animals. This was also a good test for me because many of the exhibits were also indoors requiring me to change around the camera settings on the fly. I am starting to get the hang of it but it is always a challenge. Read More »

January 16th, 2012 | Category: Photos, Slide Show | Leave a comment

The weather has been spectacular here in Myrtle Beach. I have been here for a little over a month and virtually every day has been sunny and warm. By warm, I mean anywhere from highs of 65 to 75 degrees. It is very nice, and that is almost perfect weather to take photos.

In my continuing quest to not let my new camera conquer me, I took my wife to Market Commons for a brief photo shoot. Myrtle Beach has been part of our nation’s economic bubble, and currently Myrtle Beach has the highest unemployment in all of South Carolina. Market Commons for me is a symbol of that bubble. It is a very ambitious project to bring together commerce and apartments all in one integrated community. It also was completed shortly before the bubble first and rumour has it is near financial ruin. Despite all of that, it is a very beautifully designed place and it is seldom very crowded. Hence a great place for a photo shoot.

All of these photos were taken with ISO 200, although I spent quite a bit of time monkeying around with f-stops and shutter speeds. There are clearly flaws in some of the photos but others turned out pretty good. Solange is also learning how to become a good model too. It was a fun project never the less. Solange has been putting her hair in a bun kind of like Amy Winehouse, which gives a different look to the photo shoot.

Read More »

December 31st, 2011 | Category: Photos, Slide Show, Solange | Leave a comment

Teddy and I went out yesterday for his first golf outing. I wasn’t planning to go with him because I didn’t think he was ready, but he cried plenty until I agreed. I normally play at Prestwick, but that is a very hard course for anybody much less a 4 year old, so we went to a little par 3 called Midway close to our house.

It was a beautiful winter day. The temperature was in the in mid 70′s which was awesome. I brought a large plastic softball, and then we also had a blue plastic golf ball, and then of course normal golf balls. Teddy is very patient, and very determined, so we always made it to the hole, and then Teddy really loved trying to putt the ball near the hole. The trick is that the closer to the hole, the less hard you must hit the ball. Teddy figured it all out. We paid for 9 holes and we played each hole twice. We certainly got our money’s worth and I want to thank all the other golfers on the course that put up with us. We let quite a few play through.

It wasn’t easy taking photos since I still don’t understand my new camera well, and I have not played golf in a while. I only took a few shots, but I am so glad I did because it is so cool to see Teddy learning something new. Read More »

December 18th, 2011 | Category: Photos, Slide Show, Teddy | Comments (1)

When in Rio, my good old Panasonic Lumix camera broke. It really made me sad, because I was just figuring out how to compose a decent photograph. So as soon as I got back to the United States, I bought a new camera. I decided to upgrade a bit and I purchased the new Sony NEX-5N which is a new type of camera that gives SLR style photos but the camera has no mirror. It is also is a lot smaller and lighter than the big honking SLR’s that we see people carrying around.

So this is my first photo shoot with the new camera. I am still getting used to it, because it is a very sophisticated camera. We went to Brookgreen Gardens which is a beautiful and elaborate garden just south of Myrtle Beach. It was a beautiful fall day and I have always wanted to do a photo shoot of my beautiful wife, Solange. I also think she was curious to see if she could model for the camera. So this is her first attempt at being a model, and my first attempt with my new camera. Some of the shots are a little over exposed but over all I think it turned out not too bad for a first effort. Leave us a comment particularly if you know a lot about photography. As always, the photos look much better in full screen mode.

Read More »

December 14th, 2011 | Category: Photos, Slide Show, Solange | Leave a comment

I made the flight reservations for November 25th for 5 people (me, Solange (my wife), Teddy, Jesse, and my mother in law Maria). The reservation was for approximately $1000 a person with US Air. I only fly US Air to Myrtle Beach because I refuse to fly Delta ever again, because Delta ripped me off for $2500 which I already documented on this web site. The price I felt was reasonable.

After that, the unexpected happenned. My wife is doing quite well in school, and in Brazil if a student is not doing well then they have the option to take an additional set of exams to try to pass the course. That was not necessary in my wife’s case because she is learning her coursework well. But… last week, she had an exam and the professor did not show up for the exam. They were told that he was in the hospital, and that my wife would have to wait a week to take her last exam. I called US Air and they nailed me for $400 but what could I do? So I paid.

Now, only four of us are travelling (me, Maria, Teddy and Jesse). My wife drove us to the airport to say good bye. When we get to check in they informed us that we were unable to travel since we do not have my wife’s written permission to allow me to travel with the kids. Apparently, they just passed a new law in Brazil in the last two months to stop parents from abducting their children to foreign countries.

I was bummed but I was more nervous because I was sure that US Air would nail us for fees. We go to the US Air counter, and we argue with them, and guess what? US Air actually changed our ticket to the next day for free! I really don’t know why they didn’t stick it to us because I was fully expecting it. Read More »

November 29th, 2011 | Category: Brazil, Jesse, Teddy, Travel | Comments (2)

Somewhere in the 80′s or perhaps the early 90′s, the American dream changed. The American dream became to own a house. Before that time, it had been about the future. I was raised to believe that if you were smart and worked hard, you could build a better future for yourself. Also, I have always wanted to believe that whatever future I could build, my children would have a brighter future than me. I no longer believe this.

Many of my friends and relatives childrens are becoming of age to go to college or enter the work force. It makes me sad because they do not have anywhere near the opportunities I had when leaving college. There were literally a line of companies that wanted to interview me. I was 20 years old flying throughout the entire country for free trying to select the best company for me. It made me feel great about myself and my future. Today’s college graduates are lucky to get a job at all much less get wined and dined by the most attractive companies in the country.

So how did we get here? How did such a bright future turn so bleak in the course of one generation? It has taken me a while but I have figured out the answer. It is the Fed. The Fed has ruined the future. Let me explain how.

The core of the issue is ZERO percent interest rates. What are interest rates? What does that mean? Interest rates are generally thought to be the time value of money. So therefore, if you want to borrow $100 today and interest rates are 10%, you must pay back $110 one year from now. More importantly, if you pay back in two years, you now owe $121. Basically, the longer you wait to pay, the more you owe which in general is not good.

How are interest rates determined? Interest rates historically have been considered a price between the supply and demand of money. Back in the gold old days, if a lot of people were saving money in their bank accounts, this would drive interest rates down. Conversely, if a lot of people wanted to borrow money, that would drive interest rates up. This entire equation has been broken in the last 10 years but one retard named Alan Greenspan who was the chairman of the Fed under Ronald Reagan, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Read More »

November 22nd, 2011 | Category: Financial Crisis, Politics | Leave a comment

Shortly after getting married in 2006, I decided to purchase a car here in Rio de Janeiro. We bought a brand new Chevy Astra for about R$48,000. At the time, that was about $20,000. Still today, it is perhaps one of the most popular car in all of Brazil. Our Astra included leather seats, a 2.0 liter engine, and an MP3 player. Also, I could not live without the rear sensor which lets me know when I am near something when in reverse. After 5 years, we only have about 15,000 kilometers on the car (10,000 miles), but it still has been a great investment.

1. Consider Parking

By and large, we do not drive in Rio de Janeiro. The main reason is that you should not take out the car unless you feel comfortable that you will be able to park the car. For example, a popular weekend activity is going to the beach, however, I would never take my car because you could literally spend 1-2 hours just looking for a parking space. There are however lots of stores and malls that have ample parking. There are many restaurants that have valet parking. Some but not all of the valet parking is free.

2. Obey The Rules

This is not as easy as it sounds because by and large no one else is obeying the rules. It is clear to me that the there is really no traffic police on patrol and so it is basically a free for all. On my street, Epitacio Pessoa, there is a very hairy place when leaving Copacabana, where suddenly 4 lanes are condensed to 2 lanes. If there is traffic, then it slows to a halt as every one vies to get a car length on the other cars. Worse yet, this happens near a gas station, and it is not uncommon to see people zipping through the gas station, to gain an edge on the other side. I always obey the rules. For example, if there is bumper to bumper traffic, and there is an ambulance behind you, then get out of the way and let them pass.

3. Know Your Route

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most complex cities in the world. Worse yet, many of the streets are not very well marked. Now with the internet, spend a good amount of time studying the maps to understand how the road system is put together. One good way to get to know the city is to just drive around on the weekend where there is less traffic and you are not as rushed. It is such a big place. Read More »

November 12th, 2011 | Category: Brazil, Rio de Janeiro | Leave a comment

I have a dear friend that is dying of cancer. He is still with us but I don’t believe that he has much time left on this earth. We have been talking on the phone frequently and one time he shared with me two things. ONE – He stopped having sex 6 months ago and TWO – He was still chain smoking. I found the topic fascinating and it really made me wonder, when do we stop doing the things we enjoy?

My grandmother died when she was 107 years old. Some time before she turned 100, she stopped playing bridge. She said that it made her think too hard for someone her age. She loved playing bridge and it puzzles me to this day.

I have another dear friend (still in the living) that was an avid golfer. Around the time that he turned 60, he stopped. That was 5 years ago, and he has not played since.

This got me thinking about my life and also “Why do we stop doing the things we love?”. Is stopping a sign that your life is running out of energy for certain pursuits? Or is it the opposite? Are you saving energy as you grow older by giving up these pursuits? I have no idea.

I love to run. It is a passion for me, almost an addiction. The reason is because it makes me feel good. About 15 minutes into the run, the endorphins kick in and the rest of the run is like a beautiful dream. I am relaxed. I am in harmony with my body and nature. I am mostly just lost in my thoughts. Those thoughts quite often will drive my direction for the day or more. I know that running is also a physically demanding pursuit and I wonder, will there be a time when I must stop. How will I know when I should stop? Either way, I know that my life will not be the same if I don’t run.

I also love to read. It is like tickling my brain or scratching an itch. It is a different feeling than running but it is relaxing and helps me sleep at night. I imagine that I will continue to read until the very end. It is not physically demanding, only mentally. But who knows? Not I.

I also play guitar. It is a peaceful pursuit and personally rewarding. I have been playing for over 30 years and honestly, I am only so-so. There are probably millions of guitar players better than me. It is rewarding when you feel like you have improved a little iota. It is rewarding to figure out a song that you never could touch before. Just to get a little better each time you play. I guess one day I will stop when I feel that I can no longer improve any more. There is so much room for improvement but I have reached a point where my lack of talent will not allow me to improve any more. I hope it doesn’t happen any time soon. Sometimes, it just makes me happy.

So I am just wondering out loud. What makes us stop? I used to drink beer every day and at one time in my left I was addicted to nicotine and cigarettes. These are two things that I have stopped because I knew they were unsustainable activities. They were doing more harm than good. But then, why do we stop doing the things that are good for us? The things that keep us challenged or motivated? What do we stop? I really don’t know. Leave a comment below.

October 25th, 2011 | Category: Religion, Stoned Thoughts | Comments (3)