50% GOOD
50% BAD
Which half will Grandma receive? Find out next week, with hopefully no shoe throwing incidents to report.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Grandma Arrives - Free Muthathar al Zaidi!
50% BAD
Which half will Grandma receive? Find out next week, with hopefully no shoe throwing incidents to report.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
The Moon, Jupiter and Venus
The other night I came out of the house and looked at the sky and the moon was smiling at me with two eyes above it. I quickly shot it on camera to make sure I wasn't having an adverse effect from Dtock's cooking and then considered it was probably a sign from the gods that they are laughing at Thailand and their political fiascoes.
The next day at work it was hot gossip, the locals had gone on to say that it was a deeply significant sign and that Thailand was possibly slipping into the gulf. Some had even consulted books (a first for everything) and were coming out with pretty gloomy stuff.
Well they needn't worry because I've worked it all out, the sign was for me and all my fellow Clarets. Looking back now, I can't believe I didn't see it coming. The planet on the left prophesised a 6th minute goal at Turf Moor from Kevin McDonald, symmetrically the planet on the right (be it Jupiter or Venus who cares) indicated a second half 57th minute pearler with the outside of his boot from the same player. The moon smiling was indicative of me, Turf Moor and Clarets all over the world being sent into raptures at 4 in the next morning (Thai time) as Burnley marched on past the mighty Arsenal and took their place in the semi finals of the League Cup.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank Channel Seven Thai TV for showing something useful for a change without any interruption as clear as crystal. We even got the on pitch half time draw live over here.
So there you go Russell Grant and co. you can take your thinking caps off and relax. We're the famous Burnley F.C. and we're going to Wemberlee, Wemberleee, Wemberlee.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thailand's Political Upheaval (in a nutshell for my homies in the UK)
The current upheaval can be traced back since colonialists overlooked Siam, in favour of a buffer zone between British India and Burma and French Indochina. The disaster waiting to happen has been a long time coming, it survived the American Indochina cold war satelite wars and post cold war American capitalist aggression because of the West's artificial adoption of it in exchange for logistical and political support as its main ally in South East Asia. It’s therefore no coincidence that as the new World power order shifts East the one country left in the cold will be this one. The recent problems are symptomatic of a wider paradigm shift.
On the ground Thais are intellectually and politically immature making them vunerable to blatant rhetorical polital and economic exploitation. Born of their warped indoctrination of nationalist ‘virtue’ they become worryingly over enthusuastic to discard their well branded, purported national love ‘land of smile’ image for an incongruous quest for their self idealed nation, which can never work as no individual sees the same way. Class divisions are huge here, my Nana Booth’s one vivid re-collection was of a country polarised and she came here in the early 80s, history hasn’t been favourable to levelling out these discrepancies.
The most disappointing element to all this is that it all stems from a deep aminosity between two main media and political moguls who used to be close friends and business partners; Thaksin Shinawatra (who I'm sure you've all heard of) and Sondhi Limthongkul (one of the main protest organisers), people on the ground are so dumb they're willing to put their lives on the line for these super rich personalities. Neither side seems to have a set and coherent plan for what it wants apart from the other side out (or dead) and the PAD which stands for Peoples Alliance for Democracy ironically want an end to the current form of democracy in exchange for a Parliamentary appointed seats process which wouldn't really be democratic.
It’s like England dividing between Roundheads and Cavaliers but with more money, ego, yellow, red, fun and total lack of responsibilty involved. And a virile media waiting to pounce. In reality Thailand is far behind the rest of the world we live in and has been lucky not to have experienced hardship suffered akin to neighbouring Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam or Laos in recent decades, a few more false steps and turns of irreversible misfortune may just see Siam slip into the gulf.
On the ground Thais are intellectually and politically immature making them vunerable to blatant rhetorical polital and economic exploitation. Born of their warped indoctrination of nationalist ‘virtue’ they become worryingly over enthusuastic to discard their well branded, purported national love ‘land of smile’ image for an incongruous quest for their self idealed nation, which can never work as no individual sees the same way. Class divisions are huge here, my Nana Booth’s one vivid re-collection was of a country polarised and she came here in the early 80s, history hasn’t been favourable to levelling out these discrepancies.
The most disappointing element to all this is that it all stems from a deep aminosity between two main media and political moguls who used to be close friends and business partners; Thaksin Shinawatra (who I'm sure you've all heard of) and Sondhi Limthongkul (one of the main protest organisers), people on the ground are so dumb they're willing to put their lives on the line for these super rich personalities. Neither side seems to have a set and coherent plan for what it wants apart from the other side out (or dead) and the PAD which stands for Peoples Alliance for Democracy ironically want an end to the current form of democracy in exchange for a Parliamentary appointed seats process which wouldn't really be democratic.
It’s like England dividing between Roundheads and Cavaliers but with more money, ego, yellow, red, fun and total lack of responsibilty involved. And a virile media waiting to pounce. In reality Thailand is far behind the rest of the world we live in and has been lucky not to have experienced hardship suffered akin to neighbouring Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam or Laos in recent decades, a few more false steps and turns of irreversible misfortune may just see Siam slip into the gulf.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
That Luang, Vientiane, Laos
As soon as we get on line, I'll type something, until then just look at this.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I've seen the future (and it looks like this)
This was taken whilst we were listening to this quality progressive house mix www.megaupload.com/?d=XI0ZQY8V and Bamboo started rocking away, for some reason he buzzes off heavy in yer face hard rocking house, a chip off the old block perhaps but the similarities are heartening, eary and scary.
Perhaps we will take him to the Full Moon Party in Ko Phan Ngan for his first birthday, then he can tell all his mates at school he was there before them.
You know how your parents used to say stuff like 'turn that shit down!' We should all buy T-Shirts when we go clubbing that read, 'our kids will be listening to this shit' and on the back 'turn it down'
Blog On
Our House (in the middle of a canal) # 1
This was the view from our front garden yesterday... 'I've seen this happen in other peoples' lives and now it's happening in mine' Morrisey.
Take it East
Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Handbags
I saw this daubed on a bridge near the canal on a Soi off Sukhumvit (Bangkok's main road), the sign resonated with me for obvious reasons and then within about 30 seconds I spotted this lady walking down the road, so I shot her handbag and decided to ask my friend Dave to put the two shots into one frame for me.
I think one of the most poignant truths for anybody living in Asia is the huge disparity between poverty and wealth and the negative effect this has in cultural and social terms. Not just on the poor but the rich too.
In a city like Bangkok these issues are bipolar, but there only ever seems to be one winner in the propaganda war between the needy and need nots.
Devotion to money manifest, appears to create a convenient cycle of myopia, the force of consumerism creates useless needs for the need nots, whilst the really needy watch the trend cycle by.
I believe the tide will turn one day and that's why I bring these shots to your attention.
I think one of the most poignant truths for anybody living in Asia is the huge disparity between poverty and wealth and the negative effect this has in cultural and social terms. Not just on the poor but the rich too.
In a city like Bangkok these issues are bipolar, but there only ever seems to be one winner in the propaganda war between the needy and need nots.
Devotion to money manifest, appears to create a convenient cycle of myopia, the force of consumerism creates useless needs for the need nots, whilst the really needy watch the trend cycle by.
I believe the tide will turn one day and that's why I bring these shots to your attention.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Insomnia (Barking Dogs Mix) Faithless
Just when things started looking up, dogs howled and yapped all night long , that's why I'm in work at 6.30am writing this. Taking after my Dad for his love of barking dogs, call it nature or nurture either or, from 2am onwards I've had no sleep. At 5am the neighbours were berated and frankly put, if any of their dogs get within bamboo swinging pole reach of me I'm going to beat the living crap out of it or them.
Rhetorically, who in their right mind lets their dogs run round the moo bahn (estate) upsetting all the other dogs, all night long? Who never complains about problems because it's not in their "mai pen rai" quasi-nevermind culture? Why are problems never solved? Why does the white man come across as the crazy one?
Thankfully, I attained my compulsory 20 hours of Thai culture and language knowledge certificate the weekend prior, otherwise I may have gotten myself kicked out venting my spleen on this subject, like the drunk who stood up and said something like "when are the Thai people going to realise they are part of the international community, why is it always Thai this Thai that?" He was roundly booed but by then, he'd already upset the audience by screaming for the microphone and abusing the nice pretty well spoken lady orating the course.
In one way after a night of barking dogs no matter how far I've come to consolidate myself back with the "culture" since leaving Bangkok and a near two year fall out, it's like Tin Tin Out... always something there to remind me.
Take it East (Leave it West in a nod to Danny)
Rhetorically, who in their right mind lets their dogs run round the moo bahn (estate) upsetting all the other dogs, all night long? Who never complains about problems because it's not in their "mai pen rai" quasi-nevermind culture? Why are problems never solved? Why does the white man come across as the crazy one?
Thankfully, I attained my compulsory 20 hours of Thai culture and language knowledge certificate the weekend prior, otherwise I may have gotten myself kicked out venting my spleen on this subject, like the drunk who stood up and said something like "when are the Thai people going to realise they are part of the international community, why is it always Thai this Thai that?" He was roundly booed but by then, he'd already upset the audience by screaming for the microphone and abusing the nice pretty well spoken lady orating the course.
In one way after a night of barking dogs no matter how far I've come to consolidate myself back with the "culture" since leaving Bangkok and a near two year fall out, it's like Tin Tin Out... always something there to remind me.
Take it East (Leave it West in a nod to Danny)
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Sunday, July 27, 2008
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