Weed Cafe in Taiwan?

I doubt it. No lead via Flickr.

Videos: Korean Christian Evangelical Lovefest/Top 20 Billboards/Asteroid Sensation

This is what too much God and kim chi will do to you.



Bonus: The Top 25 songs of the year according to Billboard Magazine.



Yet Another Bonus! If an Asteroid Hit the Earth with Music by Pink Floyd. Clip of the Year? Perhaps.

IMDB Forum: Why Jews Can't Play Jews

I've just watched Adaptation, and then checked the IMDB site, and came across this fascinating discussion on
the Message Board about why "Jew's Can't Play Jews in Hollywood. If you're interested, it's a great piece with all kinds of opinions.

Thailand First Time Visitor

Photo by Carl Parkes

Sometimes we expats, farangs, and jaded Westerners forget about what a marvelous experience our first time in Thailand, so it's good to sometimes read the experiences of somebody else who is seeing the Kingdom for the first time. Remember your first time?

Update: Igor contacted me and informed me that he has been to Thailand many times, but wrote this short story for his high school students in Japan. Still, a nicely styled piece. Thanks, Igor.

I heard many interesting things about Thailand. That it is very warm, there are many beautiful beaches, lush green tropical jungles, and delicious food. Also, that the people are very friendly. But I guess the main reason why I chose Thailand for my vacation was that I had very little money to spend and I wanted to have fun.

I found me a cheap ticket on Air Thai that ran about 40,000 Yen and I took a train to Kansai airport to board the plane. I was kind of worried that I may not have enough funds to spend a week in Thailand. I only had 20,000 Yen and that would have to carry me over for the week. As the plane was landing I was thinking about how I would manage on such a tight budget. I got off the plane and proceeded through immigration. No questions asked I was given a 30 days visa on arrival.

I am in Thailand I said to myself. I was very happy to start my adventure. I was told that the cheapest and the most interesting place to stay in Bangkok was Khao San road. I decided to go there. I went to the taxi stand to get me a taxi and I was told that it would cost me 1,000 Yen to get there. I waited, if I am to enjoy Thailand with the money that I have I must be economical. So I decided to find ways that I can save money! I looked around and found another fellow traveler who was also looking to get to Khao San road. We got into the taxi and drove through a busy road onto our destination. Arriving on Khao San road we found ourselves surrounded by many people. There were older ladies pushing wagons with chicken kabobs, frying noodles with soybeans, a fruit seller cutting up a pineapple, peddlers with baskets full of things. There were many other travelers all around us. Young Thai people walking by were shopping for clothes from the street shops. The street was alive. It was great! But it was getting late and we needed to find a place to stay.

Igor the Troll Goes to Thailand

Tourism Slump in Thailand

Art by Chris Coles in Bangkok

I'm going out on a limb here, but I predict that international tourists memory is very short, and that arrivals will back up to speed within a few months. The doom and gloom folks are wrong, so this is probably a great time to visit Thailand and enjoy the cooler weather and escape the crowds at the popular tourist attractions.

From empty sun loungers at luxury hotels to vacant bar stools in dingy saloons, tourism in Thailand is going through its worst slump in decades, a result of the global economic slowdown and its own political turmoil.

“Right now, business is so slow. Some nights, only one customer,” said Jodie, a 24-year-old transvestite go-go dancer teetering around the capital’s Nana red-light district in spike-heeled, thigh-high boots.

Jodie’s gloom is echoed by everybody in an industry that accounts for 6 percent of the economy in the self-styled Land of Smiles and directly employs 1.8 million people.

The head of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phornsiri Manoharn, estimates the eight-day closure of Bangkok’s $4 billion Suvarnabhumi airport by antigovernment protesters a month ago will have caused one million foreign visitors to cancel trips or go elsewhere.

“This is the hardest hit we’ve ever encountered in the 48 years we’ve been promoting tourism to Thailand,” she said. And that’s after the country suffered through the December 2004 tsunami, bird flu and SARS.

With arrival numbers for December likely to be 500,000 — a third of forecasts — the Tourism Authority’s goal of attracting 15.5 million tourists in 2008 and 16 million in 2009 is in tatters.

Far from the 70 percent occupancy they normally see in December, Bangkok’s top hotels are 25 percent full, forcing management to close floors, lay off contractors and ask employees to take unpaid leave.

“It would be fair to say that this will be the lowest monthly occupancy we’ve experienced in the history of the hotel,” said Wayne Buckingham, managing director of the 740-room Royal Orchid Sheraton.

The corporate and conference business has been hit particularly hard. That segment of the tourism industry was more sensitive than others to the travel warnings issued during the airport occupation, the climax of months of sometimes violent political confrontation.

But Mr. Buckingham said that people in Asia had been through downturns before and would get through this one, too. “It’s just that this one will take a bit longer,” he said, estimating that it will be 12 to 18 months before things return to normal.

With the export-driven economy already feeling the pinch from the global slowdown, many analysts say they believe the airport protests by the People’s Alliance for Democracy could tip Thailand into recession.

Even if tourism avoids the large-scale layoffs already hitting manufacturing, getting the industry back on its feet will be yet another problem for the new prime minister, Abhisit Vejjajiva, who heads a shaky coalition.

If he starts diverting provincial cash to Bangkok or the south, where the best beaches and strongest support for his Democrat party are to be found, he risks further alienating voters in the north and northeast, where loyalty to the former leader, Thaksin Shinawatra, runs deep.

However, there was expected to be great pressure to intervene, because the dearth of visitors was hurting a wide range of people, including taxi drivers, antique dealers, gem traders and thousands of service workers. The only people still smiling are the foreign visitors who decided not to be put off by the likelihood of more political unrest. “To be honest, it’s worked out fairly well — all the sights are pretty much empty and we’ve been getting a guide all to ourselves,” said Michael Gude, a businessman from London.

New York Times

Hitler as Property Speculator

Repo Antiques in SE Asia

If you're interested in purchasing Asian art during your visit to Bangkok, please tell the shopkeeper you are looking for antique reproductions and not the real thing.
Myanmar Times has background on the trade and how to avoid getting totally ripped off. Myself, I buy my Buddhas on the sidewalks of Bangkok.

Classical Khmer Art

Not sure how classical, but a Cambodian artist in Chicago is putting out some fine, fine stuff.
Lovely Apsaras for your Viewing Pleasure.

Reahu MySpace Page. Lovely Cambodian music.Phnom Penh Post has more on this controversial artist.

Singapore Flyer: White Elephant?

The Singapore Flyer (a ferris wheel) broke down again recently, and many are wondering if this is the latest white elephant to be foisted on the public by the government, though they deny they are financially involved in the project.

Future of the Flyer?

I have no idea what the balance books of the Flyer look like today, and hope everything is good. But common sense throws up a few wet blankets.

Recession means people spend less on luxury items and services. The Flyer is a non-essential visit for many people right now and costs three times more than a movie for a 30min experience. 2009 will be a really tough year to attract visitors.

Tourism keeps dipping in Singapore. The tourism folks would have us believe that a major reason is the global downturn, but let’s face it, Singapore has limited options for travellers and is really too expensive for budget travellers. And we can’t possibly air-condition the whole island.

The Flyer site is too dislocated from other parts of town. Sure, it’s a few minutes walk to the Ritz, but most people don’t go beyond Suntec and Marina Square unless they drive. And there aren’t enough road signs pointing to the Flyer.

The Flyer is better seen than to see from. Locals need to be given a great reason to patronise it, and so far there isn’t.

You know, as a guy who works in the private sector and is affected by PnLs, I really hope the Flyer business works out for its staff. After the millions spent, and all the blood and tears that went into this massive project, Singapore indeed has a beautiful addition to its skyline.

But if no drastic measures are taken to do massive damage control over yesterday’s incident and restore people’s confidence in stepping into the capsules, the Flyer risks becoming Singapore’s biggest white elephant. If it does, it’ll be a really sad thing to drive past along ECP.

Empty Vessel

FriskoDude's Most Excellent Christmas Day

FriskoDude had a fine Christmas day as show in this short video clip filmed by a close friend of mine, who then posted it on YouTube. Hope yours was just as eventful, but didn't have to return the Caddy or the mink, and didn't get wacked by Joe P. Guess it was necessary.

The most excellent turkey dinner was provided by my good friend (BFF) Mr. Bean who sent along this short video and then foolishly posted it on YouTube. Is nothing sacred?



At least I had a much better day than my old fighting buddy, little Stevie in the Nehru jacket, who just sent me this clip of his miserable day fighting the bad guys.


via videosift.com

Huffington Post on Worst Media Moments in 2008

TEN THINGS THAT SUCKED OUT LOUD IN 2008, MEDIA EDITION

1. The Economy Kills Everyone

Some greet the effects of the down economy on the media with mockery, some with mournfulness, some with a combination of the two I shall call mournckery. Eventually though, a writer you admire gets laid off, or a reporter you've depended on has to take a buyout, or RADAR Magazine folds and their fantastic web operation comes under the rule of a bunch of gibbering twits with birdcrap for brains and it all hits home. And look, everyone knows that the web is going to solve all of the world's problems, but tell me: how does the imminent failure of, say, New Jersey's Star-Ledger grab you? Worried about that at all? Of course not! Everyone knows that the State of New Jersey is filled with affluent laptop/iPhone owners and their politicians are the most honest people in the ever-loving world!

2. ABC's Terrible Debate

Political debates are all alike; every terrible debate is terrible in its own way. And yet the ridiculous attempt by ABC's George Stephanopoulos and Charlie Gibson nevertheless ranks as the supreme example of incompetence. It didn't matter that every single one of their gotcha questions, save Gibson's high-toned bitchery over his investment portfolio, had already been asked 4,751 times: George and Charlie were bound and determined to be the 4,752nd to do so! As such, the entire debate played like something ABC News took all of fifteen minutes to prepare for, right down to the tatty production values and asinine, utterly tone-deaf references to the Constitution. The resulting debate wasn't fair to either candidate and was an insult to every viewer who tuned in. "The crowd's turning on me," Gibson quipped, after it was over. Would they had done so earlier!

Oh, and did Stephanopoulos hypocritically engage in the sort of behavior that he once decried as a political operative? OF COURSE HE DID.

Read the Rest at Huffington Post

Sweet Hotel Deals in Thailand? Not Yet.

Thai tourism is down sharply, but so far, I've seen no real indication that tour operators or hotel owners are offering any real deals. The Thai way of thinking is: occupancy is down, so let's raise the damn rates and stick it to the rich farangs. Here's a Letter to the Editor at the Bangkok Post, complaining about another common problem with the Thai tourism industry.

Foreign tourist faux pas

I am a tourist in Thailand, one of the few these days if you believe the moanings of doom from local hotel general managers. Ready to re-visit towns and tourist attractions throughout Thailand, I'm drawn naturally enough to the glossy advertisements in the Bangkok Post from top hotels promoting generous deals in an effort to fill the many empty rooms.

Great, I think, I'm ready for a deal any day.

But there's a catch. These great offers are ''Exclusively for Thais and Local Residents''.

Hold on here. Wouldn't you think that the tourism industry, crying hardship with tumbling occupancies, make these offers available to all comers? Anyone who is willing and able to pay? What's so special about Thais and local residents that they can get a better deal than an international visitor? In fact, how many Thais and local residents really want to stay at a luxury riverside hotel in Bangkok?

Seems to me the short-sighted tourism industry in Thailand and hotel marketing people in particular should immediately get on a plane and go visit their traditional international market places (and the emerging markets, as well) and sell Thailand. Not just sit on their collective backsides and try to woo ''Thais and Local Residents'' with special deals. It's been done successfully before from other countries during a crisis.

No longer should the international tourist to Thailand be excluded from a good deal, nor should anyone else. TAT and hotel marketing managers: Time to re-think your strategies

JibJab's 2008 Year in Review

First, some funny Christmas photos.















And the Jib Jab video about the horrors of 2008.



Thank God 2008 is over. Wasn't it fucked?

Saigon Wiring Madness

I wonder how many repairmen are electrocuted each year working on
Saigon's crazy wiring system?

Museum of the Descendents of the Dragon in Suphanburi

Richard at
Thai-Blogs recently visited the newest attraction in Suphanburi.

Police Checkpoint Goldmine

I don't know how accurate this report is, but 4amExpat lays out the details why your 2000 baht bribe to the policeman for drunk driving may not work out. Read the entire article for the step-by-step procedure that will cost you 5000 baht. Looks like a good idea to carry that sum with you if you intend to drive home after an evening at Nana or Cowboy. Better yet, don't drink and drive, but take the MetroRail or subway home.

So what happens when you get stopped at one the the police check points, and you don't have the right bribe to offer or the right 'friend' to call? Police checkpoints are out in force in December. Why? This basic formula. For every drunk driver the police nab, they will get fined starting at 5,000 baht. Of that 5,000 baht, 2,500 goes to the police station making the stop. 250 Baht goes to the Federal government and 2,250 goes to the Bangkok Metropolitan Authority (BMA). So don't be surprised if they don't accept your bribe of 2,000 baht. They are going to to get minimum 2,500 out of you by following this simple procedure:

Stop you, take your license or ID

Make you take a breathalyzer - over 50 is a fail.

Escort you to the police station where you will be asked your details.

Escort you to a room with metal bars.

Ignore you until someone posts bond of 20k on your behalf. (unless you got it in your pocket)

Someone pays your 20k bail, and it is logged in triplicate, forms are filled, time passes.

You are fingerprinted.

You are released and allowed to drive back home.

You return two days later to fill forms, wait in lines.

You are sent to the court house. Forms filled, wait in lines.

4amExpat

Letterman's Top 10 George W. Bush Moments

Bangkok at Christmas? Check Your Change.

Fake money in Thailand has always been a big problem, but it's extra dangerous around the holidays.

Thousands of counterfeit banknotes, particularly 1,000-baht bills, are likely to go into circulation over the New Year period, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) warned yesterday. Nopporn Pramojaney, the BoT's assistant governor for note-printing, warned consumers and businesses to watch out for odd-looking notes during the holiday season. He said counterfeit notes in circulation increased by 80% this year, possibly as a consequence of hard economic times.

In the 12 months to the end of November, the BoT had confiscated 18,895 fake notes - compared with 10,819 notes seized in the same period last year. Most fake notes were 1,000-baht bills, which accounted for 61% of seized notes. Mr Nopporn said that for every one million banknotes in circulation, up to 7,000 of those would be fakes. More counterfeit notes were expected to enter circulation next year due to the economic recession.

Pol Lt-Gen Danaithorn Wongthai, chief of the Office of Police Forensic Science has given some tips for the public to differentiate real banknotes from fake ones. A real banknote bears the watermark of His Majesty the King, which can only be seen when it is held up to the light. The picture of the King, the letters and the digits showing the value on the real note have an embossed feel. Notes of 1,000-baht, 500-baht and 100-baht value have reflective and holographic metallic strips.

Police Region 1 recently arrested four people including a former school director, for banknote forgery, and seized 203 fake 1,000-baht notes. Police also confiscated three compressed bricks of marijuana weighing 3kg from the suspects. Pol Lt-Gen Chalong Sonjai, Police Region 1 commissioner, said the suspects used the fake notes to pay for drugs they bought in Laos.

In Phuket, police arrested three people and seized three fake 1,000-baht notes in Thalang district on Wednesday. Pol Col Thammanoon Faiju, superintendent of Thalang police station, said forged bills were often used at nightspots, petrol stations or grocery stores popular with the elderly.

Tourism Woes in Thailand

Will tourists return to Thailand? The TAT is claiming that many hotels and airlines are offering huge discounts to lure wary travelers to the country, but is this a fact? Not that I can see. Thai hotels and other tourism services generally take an attitude like "things are bad, must raise prices." Doesn't make much sense, but that's life in Thailand.

Top staff at one Bangkok hotel have taken salary cuts of 25 to 30 per cent. The slowdown could push Thailand's economy into recession. The Government forecast a contraction of up to 1 per cent in the first quarter of next year and zero growth in the second quarter. Tourism brought in about $27.5 billion in revenue last year, about 6.5 per cent of the country's gross domestic product.

Bangkok is especially hard hit. The loudest sound in the elegant lobby of The Peninsula is a toy train chugging through a gingerbread village near an 8.5m Christmas tree. The hotel has temporarily closed its bar and two of its six restaurants. "The decorations are beautiful. It's just a pity there aren't more people to see it," said Charles Morris, general manager of the 370-room hotel, where occupancy sank below 10 per cent this month.

The Lebua Hotel, where occupancy is 16 per cent compared with 80 per cent this time last year, has stopped all advertising until June. "All expatriate staff working here have taken 25 to 30 per cent salary cuts - all of us," said Deepak Ohri, chief executive of the luxury hotel.

Thai hotels typically average 85 per cent occupancy during the holidays, but many in Bangkok are less than 20 per cent full, says Juthaporn Rerngronasa of the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

Her agency has devised a two-part strategy to revive Thailand's image as a laid-back paradise.

First: a big apology. The tourism authority is compiling a list of email addresses of stranded passengers, collected from airlines and hotels. It plans to send a message "to express our regrets".

Second: big discounts. The authority has asked hotels and airlines to reduce high-season rates and fares. Its "Amazing Thailand" campaign is now "Amazing Thailand, Amazing Value".

New Zealand Herald

Thai Visa Forum New Year's Eve Party

Party for those witty and intelligent enough to belong to Thai Visa Forum.

New Years Eve Party 2009

You are cordially invited to the Thaivisa New Years Eve Party to be held at the NEW official Bangkok home of Thaivisa, Larry's Dive. The festivities will begin at 7pm on Wednesday, 31 December 2008 at Larry's Dive. All Thaivisa members in good standing plus 1 guest ONLY are cordially invited!

**Sign-ups Required**

**Please sign up on this thread**

***The Sign-up requirements are that you must have a minimum 5 posts effective today, 14, December 2008. The will be no exceptions to this requirement.***

Name tags will be provided and you will be free to meet and greet the "faces behind the avatars" as well as to enjoy 2 hours of free draft Chang or Tiger beer, 1 hour of unlimited shooters including Larry's famous margaritas and a midnight Champagne toast.

All other drinks that evening are sold at 100 baht (ie Happy Hour Prices) include draft pints, Heineken, Tiger, Chang, and all mixed drinks. The whole place's venues are open to Thaivisa Members: LARRY'S NEW BEACH BAR, LARRY'S DIVE GRILL and BAR, LARRY'S LOFT.

Larry's will be providing Ribs, spaghetti and chilli, wings and salads. Charge at the door of 200 baht for all THAIVISA MEMBERS (includes all the above listed food and drinks as well as lucky draws). This is an adult function and children below the age of 18 will not be permitted. Need a Hotel room in the Sukhumvit Area, click here.

Thai Visa Forum New Year's Eve Party

Thai Visa New Year's Eve Party

Not sure why they didn't choose Flaming Moe's, but the surf bar is cool enough. Thai Visa is the website to join and throw in your opinions and rants and raves about the scene in Thailand.

New Years Eve Party 2009

You are cordially invited to the Thaivisa New Years Eve Party to be held at the NEW official Bangkok home of Thaivisa, Larry's Dive. The festivities will begin at 7pm on Wednesday, 31 December 2008 at Larry's Dive. All Thaivisa members in good standing plus 1 guest ONLY are cordially invited!

**Sign-ups Required**

**Please sign up on this thread**

***The Sign-up requirements are that you must have a minimum 5 posts effective today, 14, December 2008. The will be no exceptions to this requirement.***

Name tags will be provided and you will be free to meet and greet the "faces behind the avatars" as well as to enjoy 2 hours of free draft Chang or Tiger beer, 1 hour of unlimited shooters including Larry's famous margaritas and a midnight Champagne toast.

All other drinks that evening are sold at 100 baht (ie Happy Hour Prices) include draft pints, Heineken, Tiger, Chang, and all mixed drinks. The whole place's venues are open to Thaivisa Members: LARRY'S NEW BEACH BAR, LARRY'S DIVE GRILL and BAR, LARRY'S LOFT. Larry's will be providing Ribs, spaghetti and chilli, wings and salads.

Charge at the door of 200 baht for all THAIVISA MEMBERS (includes all the above listed food and drinks as well as lucky draws). This is an adult function and children below the age of 18 will not be permitted. Need a Hotel room in the Sukhumvit Area, click here

Thai Visa Forum Party Invite

Before You Go to Thailand, Get a Tourist Visa

Before you go to Thailand, get a proper Thai visa stamp in your passport. Otherwise, big hassles.

At a press conference held late yesterday, Phuket Immigration confirmed that foreigners arriving without visas at any of Thailand’s non-airport immigration checkpoints will be granted permits-to-stay of only 15 days, half the former number.

The conference was led by Phuket Immigration Superintendent Chanatpol Yongbunjerd, who also confirmed that the former rule limiting foreigners entering on “visa exemptions” from staying more than 90 days over a 180-day period was no longer in effect.

As a result, foreigners from any of the 40 countries eligible for “visa exemptions” can now legally reside in Thailand year-round, provided they don’t mind making a “visa run” every 15 days (30 days if by air) and abide by all other laws and regulations.

The new 15-day rule is now in effect at all 54 land border checkpoints, including the seaport checkpoint at Ranong, popular with Phuket-based foreigners doing visa runs to Burma.

The new order, issued on November 25, is intended as a way of stopping foreigners from working illegally in the country in industries such as real estate, Col Chanatpol said.

Col Chadpol said he was working closely with Thai Dive Association (TDA) President Ronnachai Chindapol to find ways to improve the diving industry’s compliance with Thai immigration and labor laws, recognizing the role that foreign dive instructors play in the industry.

On the issue of migrant workers from neighboring countries such as Burma, Col Chanatpol said he personally thought their number might be in the range of 70,000 to 80,000. Of these, as many as 50,000 might be unregistered, he estimated.

Col Chanatpol said he was in favor of raising the quota on such workers, as doing so would have many advantages. These would include stemming the spread of dangerous diseases such as dengue fever through mandatory health checks, and increasing government revenue through collection of work permit fees.

However, the previous Cabinet’s plan to raise quotas early in 2009 will now have to be put on hold until a new Cabinet is formed and decides on the issue, he said.

Col Chanatpol also used the meeting to introduce two new Immigration Inspectors recently assigned to his office: Lt Col Kanya “Taen” Petchpairoj, who will be in charge of visa issues and administrative matters, and Lt Col Suparerk Pankosol, who recently transferred from Samut Prakan and will be in charge of investigations.

During the press conference, Pol Capt Napat Noosen released figures for permit-to-stay extension applications received by Phuket Immigration in 2007. The list revealed the United Kingdom as the single greatest source of applicants, with 2,560 (1,207 on tourist visas, 1,353 for non-immigrant visas).

Rounding out the top ten were: 2. Sweden (total 1,411); 3. Germany (1,196); 4. France (1,174); 5. US (1,136); 6. Italy (1,135); 7. Switzerland (745); 8. Philippines (715); 9. Australia (671) and Burma (609).

Capt Napat implored people with non-immigrant visas planning to apply for permit-to-stay extensions to submit their applications no fewer than two weeks before their current permit is set to expire.

Phuket Gazette

Elephants Still Slaughtered in Burma

It's a sad day when elephants are still slaughtered in Burma, and hardly a word comes from the Asian and Western nations that continue to import elephant ivory. It's time to stop this madness. All ivory sales must be stopped, especially in Hong Kong, where I continue to see entire stores devoted to the death and destruction of African elephants. Chinese authorities in Beijing need to wake up and stop this disgraceful massacre.

An increasing number of elephants in northern Burma are being killed for its ivory and skin for over a decade by local people, sources said.

Every year, hundreds of wild elephants around Kachin state are killed for its ivory and skin by local people after Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese military junta in 1994, said local owners of tame elephants. An elephant camp was placed near Hpakant jade mining city in Kachin state, northern Burma. At current prices in Kachin state, a set of tusks weighing from one to two Viss is valued at 500,000 Kyat (US $ 397) to 600,000 Kyat (US $ 476). It is over 1.5 million Kyat for a set of tusks weighing over 10 Viss (1Viss = 1.6 Kilograms in Burmese measurement in weight). Again one Viss of dry elephant skin is valued at over 40,000 Kyat (US $32), according to residents of Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin state. Three tame elephant owners in Myitkyina told KNG today, “Now, elephants are mainly killed for their skin. An elephant has at least over 100 Viss of skin so hunters can earn a net income of over 4 million Kyat from an elephant’s skin alone.”

According to merchants dealing in elephant ivory and skin in Myitkyina, ivory is mainly exported to neighbouring Thailand and some to China but elephant skin is mainly exported to China for traditional treatment of human gastritis and wounds on the body.

Hunting elephants and selling its ivory and skin are illegal in Kachin state but local hunters and merchants are in this business by handing out bribes to local policemen and forest officials of the Burmese ruling junta, added local elephant owners.

Elephant owners in Myitkyina said the junta and the KIO authorities are yet to take serious action against illegal elephant trappers. No hunter has been arrested yet since the increase in hunting pachyderms in the state from 1994.

Several elephants owners in Kachin state said, there are only about 1,000 wild elephants left in Kachin state and most pachyderms are in Hukawng Valley in the west of the state, bordering India. Here elephants are mainly hunted for business purposes.

Before 1994, when the KIO and the junta signed a ceasefire agreement, there were over 3,000 wild elephants in Kachin state. The animals were killed mainly for ivory at that time, said local elephant owners.
BurmaNet News

Giles on the State of the Thai Nation

Socialist, rabble rouser, and always indignant, Giles believes the Thai ongoing political revolution will lead to more power to the people, and less power and corruption among the wealthy elite who have ruled over the common people for decades. An idealistic view, but a revolutionary view that may someday force change to an aristocracy and authoritarian military-royal regime which has controlled Thailand for far too long.

Asia Sentinel

Albino Animals

This Website covers albino species in our world. Great coverage and photography.

Albino animals are very rare in nature, and man has long had a fascination for these creatures since ancient times. Some cultures regard albinos as sacred animals, and they have even been the basis of great legends and folklore. Due to their uniqueness and rarity, albino animals are some of the most valuable attractions in zoological centers and circuses throughout the world. We present 35 of nature’s rarest albino, leucistic, and white creatures to you.

I'm proud to say that I've seen most of their movie in the full. As a student at UC Santa Barbara, I worked in the audio-visual department as a projectionist and showed films all over the campus, including the films I took classes such as History of Italian Cinema, German Cinema, French and various classes in American cinema. I've seen every film by Akira Kurasawa, who I consider the greatest film maker of all time. I watch over 200 films each year.

This short doc doesn't do justice, what we need is another film with the full 10 minutes of these incredible speeches.

Christmas Video: Pee Wee Herman

I'm afraid that I'm going to subject you to more of these twisted Christmas videos over the next few weeks, but rest assured that all have been vetted by me and are of superior quality. Of course, you don't have to click, but these will be the very best of stupid and inane Christmas videos....you have my word.

Zoo Babies: Beyond Cute

Zoo Borns is new babies born in zoos around the world. Absolutely too cute. The young ape was born a few days ago right here in San Francisco. Mom doesn't seem too interested in taking care of the young kid, so zoo people have other strategies in mind. Me? i've got room in my pad for a few months until the little guy gets too big to handle.