American Express - don't leave home without it

When you think of American Express, people immediately identify the company as a financial services business, namely the distribution of charge and credit cards - the company reach extends far beyond the traditional credit business.

I began with some basic research and found the company was founded as an express mail business in 1850 by Henry Wells and William Fargo, the founders of Wells Fargo bank that was incorporated in 1854. As a non-American, I was aware of the Wells Fargo brand but didn't really know much about the bank apart from the fact that it was a pretty big deal. I think of DHL Express and TNT Express as logistics business and Amex as purely a financial business.

Interestingly, the financial services arm began in 1882 with the introduction of the travelers cheque after dissatisfaction with the traditional letter of credit created difficulty in obtaining local currency for international travelers. American Express entered the charge card business in 1958 following the success of Diners Club and then entered the credit card business in 1987.

What I am tending to find is Amex isn't the first company to enter a business, but when it does, the business becomes a serious competitor. Amex still hasn't conquered the Visa and Mastercard market share yet, but I'm guessing they will build market share at the expense of these two credit card providers.

A business like Diner's Club suffers an identity crisis based on its history as a restaurant charge card, patrons wrongly associate the card with purely a restaurant charge card competing against Visa and Mastercard credit cards and the Amex charge card.

As a competing charge card, American Express displays better advertising, a name now associated with finance and a strong branding. American Express does not suffer from such an identity crisis despite its logistics history and name.

In Australia, the American Express isn't as readily accepted as one might think due to the excessive fees for vendors charged by the company. Plenty of times I have been told I will be charged an extra fee for Amex, around the 2% mark but if I use Visa or Mastercard - the transaction interchange fee is lower and usually won't be passed on to consumers.

American Express charges an annual fee to issue the card, this can be very high as opposed to competing cards, then comes the merchant fees - the benefits to consumers better be pretty good to justify such costs to the consumer.

If Amex was to lower fees to build both market share among consumers and gain stronger acceptance with vendors, I am guessing they will soon displace Mastercard and seriously challenge Visa as the dominant credit card.

Is this the end of Chrome?

I read on The Wall Street Journal that Google was intending to merge Chrome into Android and I was more than a little concerned, I'm very disappointed. I had become accustomed to Chrome; I don't really use my tab much except when on holiday and I don't own a smartphone, so I would prefer if they didn't mess with an excellent operating system. 

According to The Wall Street Journal article, Google will now merge its Chrome operating system built for personal computers into the Android mobile operating platform. Furthermore, the article hinted there would be a significant change to Chromebooks - that can't be good. I got stuck with that dog of an operating system Windows 8 that was built for mobile devices on my notebook computer - I don't want to see a repeat of that episode.

Shopping for my World Vision sponsor child

I hate shopping, all men hate shopping so when I needed to go out and purchase a gift for a 17 year old youth, I was suitably perplexed - what do I get him?

As Michael is my World Vision sponsored child, I wanted to make sure my gift is educational in line with the values and philosophies of World Vision. After some searching, I decided on a tablet, this way he can use the tablet for school work and social activities.

Sure, I know he is going to use it for playing games, chatting and generally messing around. In a days time it was going to be his so he was free to add apps as he wished. My only apprehension was that he spent all his time playing games and generally jerking around instead of furthering his education - I guess I will find out.

At the store, they didn't want to load the Facebook and Skype apps, I said why not, it is his now - he can do as he likes. He tells me he wants to go onto vocational school to study refrigeration and air-conditioning so I hope he is able to utilise the tablet in his studies to build himself a job and career - I am pretty excited for him.

Not a hot August night but a hot November night

It has been a long time since Neil Diamond released Hot August Night in 1972; this hasn't concerned me, no matter his age, we knew we were off to see a very good show. So, a much older Neil Diamond was to play at Sandalford Winery in Perth's Swan Valley after the temps hit over 37C on a Saturday - this was going to be a hot November night.

We got there late, it wasn't without dramas and fights, we were there now and it was time to go. The picnic basket was cracked open and a warm bottle of Sandalford's chardonnay was sipped - they knew the volumes to be catered, there is no absolutely excuse for that.

Just before the show started, a dark cloud floated over as the sun was setting, the lightening show lit up the sky right on dusk. We guessed we were going to get wet, so that was the price of entry - it never eventuated though. The downpour came after the show finished and we were on our way home, we were walking down a line of traffic and a window opened and two ponchos were offered and gratefully accepted.

He puts on a pretty good show, the price of entry was extravagant but the cost was negligible at the end of the day considering the quality of the show. His dance moves were a little lame, but what do you expect at age 74? There was nothing wrong with either the lyrics, singing or the melody. My major complaint is the tickets stated the concert was from 7.30 - 10.00 with times subject to change without notice, so you could imagine my nonchalance when he started at 8.00 and finished at 9.30 - all in all, a pretty expensive one and a half hours.

Ross Taylor puts on a batting masterclass

Following on with the run-fest on the flat WACA pitch, New Zealand's Ross Taylor brings up a double century late on day 3 chasing down Australia's 9/559, still around 100 behind Australia's first innings total with 5 wickets in hand. By stumps on Day 3, New Zealand trailed by 49 runs at 6/510 with Taylor not out on 235 and poised to run down Warner's 253 early on day 4.

Taylor had a wide array of shots against an Australian bowling group lacking penetration. In all fairness, Mitchell Starc had a couple of catches put down as he cracked the 160 kph club. Taylor's driving was excellent going straight down the ground on multiple occasions, his cut shot was pretty good too. He becomes just the first Kiwi to crack a double century against Australia. He put on a batting masterclass, that's for sure.

David Warner scores big time at the WACA

We had to laugh late on day one of the second test against New Zealand at the WACA, that is the Western Australian Cricket Association ground in East Perth. 

After the new ball was taken after the mandatory 80 overs, both David Warner and Usman Khawaja were set and seeing the ball well with a century and a double century already on the scoreboard. Trent Bould is handed the new ball with Khawaja taking a single giving the strike to Warner, showing no respect for the new ball drives the ball to the boundary, takes two runs on the third ball and smashes the ball straight back past the bowler and into the fence. 

New Zealand demand a new ball after just four deliveries as they feel the ball has lost shape, we are falling over laughing and even the umpires have a smile on their face. Regardless, they succumb to New Zealand's demands and the ball is changes to everyone's amusement. Delivery 5, Warner drives the next new ball down the ground, yep, it is clearly the ball with the last ball of the over going for a single - that's 16 runs off the new ball over. 

The next over, New Zealand ask for another ball change, the umpires are openly laughing and just tell them to get on with it. Australian are in a dominant position at 1/381 and a run rate of 4.64, closing in on a 400 run day - this is just a great day against the hapless New Zealand cricket team. A breakthrough late in the day, Khawaja is caught by Latham off Bracewell's bowling for 121, Steve Smith is exposed for a couple of overs late in the day and Warner finishes the day not out on 244 with the Australian total at 2/416.

We stand united with France

The latest terrorist attacks in Paris have underscored the danger posed by the porous borders of the European Union. A leading European economic powerhouse, France has been so accommodating to people following the Islamic religion.

For all their tolerance, their freedom and the humanity that the French people offered - the French nation is targeted by religious Islamic zealots intent on destroying democracy. While the immediate aftermath no terror group had come forward, this cowardly attack showed all the hallmarks of Islamic terrorism.

Apologists calling Islam the religion of peace are repeating pathetic and hollow words. The deeds of Islamic extremists living not in the middle east but in the safety of the cities, towns and villages of tolerant western nations threaten the safety of all inhabitants of these nations.

Anybody questioning the virtues of Islamic immigration are immediately dubbed Islamphobia despite all evidence to the contrary. Described as "an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share" by US president Barack Obama, this is indeed an attack on freedom and humanity. We are all French today, we support France and we stand united with the French people.