An investment opportunity

As I look at the date today, I wondered how many of you took me seriously when I left the post about going out of the country. Yes, I made it to commie land (Laos) and back alive. The part I am wondering about is the comment on the 7 7/11's. 

Yes, I have 7 different 7/11s between my apartment and the closest sky train stop (Victory Monument).  It is a straight walk of about 1 km (just over a half mile), and I s**t you not, there are at least 7 of these stores in that small distance. Two are right across the street from each other. And one of them opened up two days after I moved in. 

Understand that I have only counted on the street between my apartment and the BTS (sky train) station. I am supposing that were I to do a 1 km radius count of the 7/11s from my apartment, I would count far more than 7.  And the funny thing about this is that every one I have been by is always packed with people... including the walk up stand that only has a window, a hot dog roaster, a slurpee machine and a cold case for beer and soda and milk (imagine something about the size of a smart car or a yugo).

So as Asia industrializes, all I can think is 7/11... what an investment opportunity.

the bedside table

among the thugs

like drinking?  like football?  (the english version, where they actually, you know, use their feet.)  how about exotic travel?  can i interest you in some good natured drunken fun?  what about lots and lots of violence?

bill buford does for soccer hooligans (WARNING:  reading this book makes that picture a lot less funny) what hunter thompson did for the hells angels.  he lurks on their fringes, learns their habits, participates in their adventures and tells us all about it.  like the crowds that he examines, the book moves along peacefully at points.  it is even fun.  then, with little or no provocation, violence erupts.  buford is looking for why, and never quite finds it.  but, again much like the crowds, the trip is pretty interesting.