Part of living in Thailand is plotting and scheming about getting rich quick. Realize that an income of twenty-thousand dollars a year would be very comfortable in Isaan and you'll understand the relative notion of getting rich. I've spun all sorts of silly ideas through my head on how I could supplement the monthly income. Of course in the end the best I could come up with is hauling my ass (and English speaking mouth) back to Japan. Nonetheless, I plan to be back here some day on a more permanent basis and I have seen the salary ceiling. So, what's my latest entrepreneurial epiphany? - Cattle! Some may poo poo the notion and point to my losses in '29 when all of my assets were tied up in railroads and pork bellies, but I have learned a thing or two in the meanwhile. For one thing, cows in Isaan can graze on public land, meaning free food. As a cow grows, its value increases. Also cows give birth to baby cows, known in ranching circles as 'calves'. These calves also have a certain monetary value, especially if they turn out to be male with big ears (a sure sign of virile apparatus). Finally, the cost of labor is so cheap that I could have me a couple of cattle hands for a song. I don't see how I can lose. Anybody wanting to get in early on the beef buy, just drop me a line.