再送元兒就大審團選／莊峻華

 再送元兒就大審團選／莊峻華

今晨是元兒大審團複選日，我也動員起來，因為大審團選設在舊太空大巨蛋旁之一大展覽廳，公車不經過，步行不通，元兒不善開車探險，因此我就自告奮勇，先安排網球局打手，晨步減少幾條街，及時出發，西610公路，已經大塞車，但也準時到達，這次我乖乖在內等待，我攜帶一本筆記，準備溫習一些西日語，也有橋牌叫法，但僅閱幾頁，因戴口罩，發音不習慣，又未攜筆，不能書寫，只能座立觀望四週，都是法院值事，和律師群我猜，但此非真正法庭，何需律師出席？如此我等了一小時半，兩此看到元兒出現，一次是出外排隊，就在我面前，他不注意我揮手，也不能講話，不久就被排隊趕到背後，我問閒著職員，她說就是大審團，再問是否將被送到城中法庭？我可否離去？她也不清楚曰，他會出來告知，我又等了半小時，有一些人從後面出來，上廁所或外出離去，我看到元兒，他似乎不知我在室內等候，然後他就外出離去，我先上廁所再行追趕，旁邊職員好心證實他已外出。

原來女法官徵求志願者，在複選四十位中，志願十二位正選，四位後補，終於組成，開始為時三個月審判，每週二，週五出庭，每天三小時，一天給付四十美元，像這兩次初複選，一日給付七元美金，是故每接培審信件，都是愁眉苦臉，但真正選上陪審機會不多，我接信出席到七十歲，不曾被選中過一次。

這大審團是處理刑事案件，需要由郡州聯邦檢察官發起，開設組大審團，元兒開始講解他的研究，被通知者多半是檢察官，喜歡之對像，如此對立案有幫助，選十二人，要有九人同意，始能通過，若到真正庭審，則需全票通過，不然就淪為懸案，懸陪審團，就是審判無效，無罪釋放，電視電影經常解釋。

我們一家都喘了一口氣，法官改用志願法也通，如此大陪審團成員，比較沒有情緒，心甘情願，認真協助法官判案，此時應說是幫檢察官立案，我解釋給愛美聽，若是起訴川普在亞特蘭大電話恐嚇案，很多人一定會志願，當然檢察官也要小心，避免選到川普支持者。但大陪審團案由是不公開者也，美國法律之精密處也。

Dear Rhea/Carlos Pueblo

 Dear Rhea/Carlos Pueblo

Dear Rhea,

Thank you for sending me a note the other day. After reading the our emails correspondence attached, I am so happy to refresh my memory. You're such a sweet daughter. I have met you twice both on the Dawn. The first time, you were the night shift restaurant manager to take food order from the guest and some times you came to the Garden Cafe to help Clarita. She comforted me when I missed the photo opportunity with you at the end of the farewell party. She said that I should be seeing you very soon. I did see you at the next time on board with the Dawn while Clarita was on vacation. I was spending very much good evenings with you watching the shows on the stage on the balcony at the O'Sheehan's. I asked where was your officer's stripe? You didn't mind at all. I missed you on 04/19/2019 at Long Beach port, Los Angles, California with the Bliss. I left and you came aboard. You were replacing a handsome manager at the Cagney's. He told me so.

I did see Clarita again at Dawn while I was on a back to back trips from NYC to Quebec City. She was preparing to lead a group to London to take a new responsibility with the brand new ship, the Breakaway. Later I learned that she was changed to the Star instead, your old ship. I understand that the cruise line is idle due to the pandemic. It will be back in July gradually that I hope we can meet again. First you must inform me where you will be with the new assignment; therefore, I can make arrangement. I like to see Amy to meet her adopted daughters.

I am doing very well that I have saved some money due to the lock down of my travel. Instead, I have intensified my morning exercises on marching on streets and playing tennis every day. Even though I am getting in years, I feel very healthy. I can do some more cruises. Perhaps, I shall strike a deal the your company and let me stay more on board in a year. Thanks again and write me often.

Dad

  

給莉亞／莊峻華

 給莉亞／莊峻華

親愛的莉亞：

昨日很高興接到妳的來信，自從離開黎明號郵輪後，我一直想辦法再與妳見面，我又搭乘幾次黎明號，也知道妳已經調離，而且在歐洲，最後一次機會是在前年四月十九日，我們兩人在加州長堤港，極樂號上下船，相互錯過，剛好有位黎明號助理經理告知，妳是來接他牛排餐廳經理職位，後來我就特別注意，極樂號在阿拉斯加之航班，我未購得船票，卻遇到黎明號調到珠寶號，幾位妳的同事，像餐廳大經理奈及爾，還有其夫人珍妮，妳的好友克拉莉妲，我最後一次在黎明號魁北克行再遇，她正準備攜帶一批人，到歐洲接新輪，但臨時被調到星星號，這都是兩年前之往事矣。

我知道這武漢肺炎，迫使大家都無法郵輪旅行，這就是我詢問妳在何方？在馬尼拉家中？若郵輪復航後，妳將再回郵輪工作嗎？這都是未知數我深了解，我期待很快我們將再會面，藉時妳將拜會妳未曾謀面之義母。

再過半年，我就高齡七十四歲，我每天都散步和打網球，甚為懷念郵輪旅行，還有許多年輕美麗之愛女，我們很快將再會，多謝妳的來信。

爹地

Chinese domestic issues according the You Tube/Carlos Pueblo

 Chinese domestic issues according the You Tube/Carlos Pueblo

There are at least four domestic issues in China now according to the You Tube vlogs. 1. the abandoned buildings everywhere in China., 2. the economic collapsed nationwide., 3. forced unemployed women into prostituting., 4. the military aggression toward its neighbor. The Chinese regime can attempt all kinds of the propaganda and censor almost everything negative to them yet still can't stop the You Tube vlogers to broadcast their films. I believe these new kinds of social media.

There are so many abandoned buildings, finished or not finished, all over China. They are very ugly and awkward after long time of beat up by weather. I don't see this among those nations in the world either ahead or behind China in the Gross Domestic Product, GDP on the top 20. I ask myself often the reasons why. China claims number two on GDP in the whole world and brags about to pass the U.S. and becomes number 1 in 2025. I have had my answer now. After the Chinese Communist revolution in 1949, the Communist confiscates all personal property. It is still not recognize the personal real property. During the economic open up policy period, the regime releases the land for the development. The land is free with no cost yet the developers either the foreign investment or domestic developers must satisfy the regime from the local up to the central government. They have been over built not according to the supply and the demand. They just make the numbers to please the GDP and the communist cadre. 

There are many stores even the entire street closed for business on major cities all over the nation. The Communist regime doesn't know what to do with it. People are out of work and the owners escape and disappear. There is no bankruptcy law to mange such crisis. New money has no way to come in to rescue because the land and property are both not warrantable and the incentive is not protected. It is the disadvantage of such political system.

On the You Tube vlogs, I can see the business of broadcasting the prostitution of young women all over the nation, small alley or large street with some kinds of covered business. It is inhumane. I am a father too. I can only remember this happening in a classical reading of the tragedy in history. Xi has a daughter too. He can not pretend that he doesn't know.

Ignoring these problem and doesn't want to solve the problem, instead, tries to bully Taiwan and the neighboring nations around the South China Sea. I don't see how this will work for the Chinese regime to get out of the problem.

幾個中國問題／莊峻華

 幾個中國問題／莊峻華

中國面臨諸多問題，只好轉移焦點到國外，到處挑釁世界各國，與美國比醜，我在網誌觀看許久，舉出幾個中國問題，來證明我的看法，中國一直是一失敗之國，一直都是未開發中之國家，中國人喜歡標榜是世界經濟第二大國，就是國內總生產毛額，數目僅次於美國，而在日本之上，這是很令人啼笑皆非者也，最近中國楊㓗篪大使，在阿拉斯加哀鳴曰，中國之國民平均所得，僅是美國之六分之一，要求美國放過制裁中國，還是不對，平均所得，不能矇騙中國是國富民窮，美國是國窮民富之謬論，中國是國窮民富，美國是國富民富也。我要申論幾項，中國問題，一是爛尾樓，二是經濟崩潰，三是逼女為娼，四為窮兵黷武，此為亡國之兆也。

中國在1949年，共產黨武裝叛亂成功，全國私人土地房產，沒收為國有，一直到八十年代，放出土地給外商設廠，中飽約五萬名地方國家幹部，新制度讓有辦法之建商，到處借款興建新樓大廈謀利，這些新建大樓有完工者，有未完工者，未能賣出，風吹日曬雨淋，現在都是爛尾樓，有專門職業網誌製片人，全國各地拍攝影片，公佈在網誌，取得廣告費，當作職業，中國政府仍無法禁止，爛尾樓到處，未何不收拾？因為國家擁有土地，沒有商業破產法，地方政府銀行，無資收拾，一直爛下去，連拆除都無資本處理。

廣州，上海，武漢，東莞，深圳，重慶，和北京等大城市，都有人拍出消條景色，商店到處關閉，店主捲席而逃，中國人和政府嘲笑日本，現在我們來看中國，如何處理，日本被迫在美國生產日產，本田，和豐田等汽車，德國也是，現在福特已宣佈，不再美國境內生產轎車。中國經濟消條，和美國貿易對抗有關，拜登繼續川普之中國關稅増加，中國措手不及，也不知所措。

逼女為娼，這是很可憐者也，我過去僅在中國古書上，看到這些中國亂世悲慘，現在正在中國各處發生，甚至漫延到美國紐約，亞特蘭大等城市，影片是偷拍，行為卻是公然，買春者有人，很是淒慘，我們都是為人父母，國家領導也是父母官矣，如何坐視？

窮兵黷武，拿幾十顆原子彈嚇人，和日本，印度，澳洲，菲律賓，越南，和台灣等國為敵，迷信武力，疏忽國家和地方民生建設，亡國之兆也。

Exxon-Mobil Board is facing challenge/Carlos Pueblo

 Exxon-Mobil Board is facing challenge/Carlos Pueblo

Recently we are receiving many ballots to vote on four board members on Exxon-Mobil. The company's board is facing hedge fund managers' challenge to change the management direction. Exxon-Mobil was the number one company most friendly to these stock market raiders in 2020. Dom you remember Game Stop fiasco early this year? Game Stop was the most unfriendly stock for the hedge fund group. Hedge fund group take advantage of the oil price crash to short XOM and the stock is depressed for a long period of time. I ask two of my friends in the community for advise. They are both retired oil executive with good knowledge in the industry. Before their answering my phone call, I google what is the fighting for. There is a piece article indicates that three pension funds are back the mini coup. I make my mind immediately that I shall go along with the company because that I think the company knows how to manage the company better than the hedge fund managers.

I know that we're waiting for the stock to come back a little bit more to sell some in order to make up the mistake of heavily invest to the company. It is very hard to believe that the drinking water is more expansive than the gasoline. It is also unbelievable that the Game Stock a share is three time of XOM yet this is the stock market. The mighty U.S. dollar is cheaper than the Bitcoin.

I inform Amy and Arthur what we're going to vote for. Amy got out of half her holding at $85 while Arthur and I are still refuse to give up. Cheap oil is one of the factor to fight against the inflation that I believe. Perhaps I can rely on XOM dividends for my source of income.

愛克松接受挑戰／莊峻華

 愛克松接受挑戰／莊峻華

最近我們家三人，都不斷接到投票通知，不但郵寄，電郵亦來，催促甚急，原來是愛克松石油公司董事會，面受挑戰，股市投機者，圍剿董事會，推出四董事人選，有加州和紐約州三公職員工退休基金，約十一億美金股值支持，聲勢浩大，挑戰者要求董事會，改變公司營運策略，我們家三人股票主力投資，在此公司，這是多年投資不分散之錯誤，去年甚慘。此公司去年被股市圍剿，排名第一，股價重挫，被踢出道瓊三十藍股，因國際油價大跌，開始無利潤，被股市短線拍賣。我請艾美電話其舊教會長老，也在同鄉會理事會服務過之啓雄兄意見，他在該公司退休，擁有更多股，他正忙碌，我也電話請教博學多聞之明雄兄，也是油界工程師退休，兩位都是台大工科高才，哲學博士，等候中我順便查一下谷歌，到底在鬧什麼？愛克松股值兩千三百六十億美金，是微軟股值之四分之一不到，八年前是美國股值最高公司，現在大量地下油田，西伯利亞油田都無市場價值，很是可憐，連退休總經理，都被川普羞辱逼退國務卿職。

在兩兄回話前，我和艾美已做決定，支持公司，反對挑戰者，我們相信公司懂得如何經營石油業，元兒上次在一圍剿電玩事件中，也站在電玩公司這一邊，況且愛克松投資其個人退休金帳號，有我保證，因此我們將參與投票，支持公司董事會。

我認為石油公司受壓抑，是因為沙烏地，操弄油價，破使美國油公司賠錢倒閉，俄羅斯，伊朗等油產國，經濟窘困，就是在控制國際油市場，造成即有之攏斷，對石油開採不利，但對通貨澎漲壓力減輕，美國印這麼多鈔票，貨幣貶值和利率，均能控制穩定，低油價幫上忙，我們都在靜候，油價上揚，愛克松股價復甦，讓我們脫離苦海。

三十餘年前，我在東郊高地鎮，販賣房屋保險，遇見一位愛克松退休客戶，他和我談到愛克松持股，他說他注意的是股息，而不是股價起伏，因為他靠股息維生，目前愛克松股息，約在百分之八，外面利息是零，所以拜登無懼，大刀闊斧新政，美國經濟急速復甦，非常微妙。我們都是股息發放後轉購新股，因此愛克松股漲則樂。