Jasmine Rice Commonplace in Asia

I hate to break anybody's bubble, but jasmine-scented rice is commonplace around Asia and not unique to Thailand. The Thais have been upset over the creation of jasmine-scented "Jazzman" rice in the U.S., but even their nationalistic efforts to protect their famed product failed. And now, according the The Bangkok Post, jasmine rice is grown all over Asia, though the Issan's unique soil and weather may make Thai rice unique. It's something like wine production, so perhaps appellation designations are in the cards.

The gene primarily responsible for the aroma of Hom Mali rice is not unique to Thailand and is found across Asia, according to the world's leading rice research body.

Following the recent local outcry over the US-developed Jazzmen rice strain, scientists from the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute analysed 318 varieties of aromatic rice to "clear up confusuion" about the origin of the aroma gene found in Thai jasmine rice.

All varieties were from the International Rice Genebank, including 16 types of Thai jasmine rice. "Ninety-five per cent of the aromatic rice analysed shared the same version of the major gene for fragrance found in Thai jasmine rice," said Melissa Fitzgerald, grain quality researcher at IRRI. "Our research also suggests that the aroma gene did not originate in Thai jasmine rice."

Traditional varieties of aromatic rice from 17 Asian and Southeast Asian countries - Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam - have the same gene that contributes to their aromatic qualities, Ms Fitzgerald said.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut said last month DNA tests conducted on Jazzman to see if it violated the Hom Mali patent showed it was developed from an "inferior" Chinese strain.

Head of the International Rice Genebank, Ruaraidh Sackville-Hamilton, said any organisation can legally obtain aromatic rice for breeding as long as it followed conditions on sharing laid out in an international treaty.

However, Dr Sackville-Hamilton also added the much-prized fragrant Hom Mali rice was due to more than just genetics. "The unique aroma of Thai jasmine rice is a result of a combination of the presence of the version of the major gene for fragrance, other minor genes, and the climatic and soil conditions in Thailand where Thai Jasmine rice is grown," said Dr Sackville-Hamilton.

"Duplicating exactly this combination of genetic characteristics and growing conditions would be difficult, assuring a place for Thailand's distinctive Jasmine rice in the market."

100 Classic Movie Quotes from AFI

Here are the films used in the order they are shown. Note that some are repeated and are not listed more than once.

1. Casablanca
2. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
3. Sunset Boulevard
4. Citizen Kane
5. All About Eve
6. Dracula (1931)
7. Animal House
8. Top Gun
9. Titanic
10. Dr. No
11. Animal Crackers
12. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
13. King Kong (1933)
14. Gone With the Wind
15. When Harry Met Sally
16. Goldfinger
17. The Silence of the Lambs
18. Soylent Green
19. Apocalypse Now
20. Forest Gump
21. Dead Poets Society
22. Caddyshack
23. The Godfather
24. Jerry Maguire
25. Wall Street
26. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
27. Marathon Man
28. Field of Dreams
29. The Shining
30. She Done Him Wrong
31. Grand Hotel
32. Dirty Dancing
33. A Streetcar Named Desire
34. Moonstruck
35. The Sixth Sense
36. Airplane!
37. 2001: A Space Odyssey
38. Taxi Driver
39. Cool Hand Luke
40. The Graduate
41. Some Like It Hot
42. On the Waterfront
43. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
44. Sudden Impact
45. Dr. Strangelove
46. Sons of the Desert
47. Apollo 13
48. Jaws
49. The Wizard of Oz
50. Chinatown
51. 42nd Street
52. The Terminator
53. Poltergeist
54. Scarface
55. Funny Girl
56. Rocky
57. Annie Hall
58. Auntie Mame
59. Yankee Doodle Dandy
60. The Jazz Singer
61. Network
62. Knute Rockne, All American
63. The Maltese Falcon
64. The Godfather Part 2
65. Psycho
66. To Have and Have Not
67. Dirty Harry
68. The Naughty Nineties
69. A Few Good Men
70. Planet of the Apes (1968)
71. Mommie Dearest
72. A League of Their Own
73. In the Heat of the Night
74. Now, Voyager
75. Bonnie and Clyde
76. Dog Day Afternoon
77. Beyond the Forest
78. Little Caesar
79. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
80. Midnight Cowboy
81. E.T. the Extra-terrestrial
82. On Golden Pond
83. It’s a Wonderful Life
84. Love Story
85. White Heat
86. Shane
87. Frankenstein (1931)
88. The Pride of the Yankees

China as 9 Distinct Nations

I'm no China expert, but the sheer size of the country makes it intimidating, to say the least. Better approach it as a collection of various states with distinct topography, history and cultural appeal. That's exactly what Atlantic Monthly did, and it makes sense. The labels are poorly chosen and really don't help with overall navigation, but China as seen as a series of distinct regional entities makes great sense, as described recently in
Shanghaiist.

Anyone who’s been trawling through the China-related web this week will surely have stumbled across the ‘Nine Nations of China’ map that surfaced on Atlantic Monthly. Patrick Chovanec, from Tsinghua University, posted his map amidst the inescapable excitement of Obama’s visit to China, reminding the US President that China is "a mosaic of several distinct regions, each with its own resources, dynamics, and historical character."

The regions Chovanec feels China could be divided into:

■The Frontier, made up of Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang and Tibet represented the mysterious desert-filled and mountainous bulk China’s land, inhabited by only 6% of its population.

■South of that lies the Shangri-La region of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, a so-called paradise on earth consisting of kaleidoscopic forests, diverse ethnicities and, sadly, a front-door for illicit drugs, as it borders Burma’s Golden Triangle.

■China's Back Door, meanwhile, holds on to Hong Kong, Macau, Guangdong, and Hainan for its lush jungles and economic successes

■... whilst the neatly tucked-away Refuge on Sichuan, Chongqing remains an area with little investment but substantial brain drain.

■The Crossroads, covering Anhui, Jiangxi, Hubei and Hunan, remain China’s transport and communications hub, neighbored by

■The Straits of Fujian and Taiwan.

■Up along the eastern coast is the likely Metropolis of Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, followed by...

■The Yellow Land, or China’s political heart (Beijing, Tianjin, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi),

■And finally, the elusive northeastern wilderness of Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang. A.k.a. The Rust Belt.

As blogger Jeremiah Jenne pointed out, the idea is hardly earth shattering; not only due to the wonderful Wikipedia age of enlightenment, but also thanks to the efforts of an anthropologist by the name of Skinner, who produced a similar map in 1977, and whom Chovanec failed to cite. Jenne shows here just how similar the ‘Nine Nations’ and ‘Nine Subregions’ of China are. Danwei’s Jeremy Goldkorn and Shanghai Scrap’s Adam Minter also responded with a gentle reminder that Chovanec could have cited his predecessor. Chovanec responded later to note that the regional descriptions were his own and that he had cited Skinner, but the citations were edited out by The Atlantic under space considerations.

Sarah Palin on Oprah in 30 Seconds

The Opray Wilfield interview with nutcase/fascist Sarah Palin in under 30 seconds. All you need to know. But, did you know both Democrats and satarists and comedians are hoping this ridiculous Sarah Palin train wreck continues for God knows how Long? The material and damage are priceless. Better than American Express. God bless the emptiness of Sarah.

Muslim Leaders in Indonesia Protest Movie 2012

Everybody has something to say about the movie 2012, including the conservative Muslim Union Indonesia (MUI) political group which feels that only Islam can predict the end of the world. Indonesia Matters has a few words on the subject.

Obscure branches of the MUI have their 15 minutes of fame in protest at the '2012' doomsday movie.

Several regional branches of the Indonesian Ulema Council/Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) have protested at the content of the apocalyptic 2012 movie, claiming it was unsuitable to be viewed by Muslims, because only Allah knew when the world would end, not heathens like the Mayans.

First out of the blocks was Mahmud Zubaidi, the leader of the Malang, East Java MUI, who asked the Information minister Tifatul Sembiring to withdraw 2012 from the nation's movie screens, and said

Only Allah knows when doomsday will come.

Meanwhile in nearby Situbondo MUI members raided several Internet cafes in the area looking to confiscate pirated DVDs of the movie and prevent happy web surfers from downloading it. MUI head in Situbondo, K.H. Abdullah Faqih Gufron, said the movie had upset a lot of people in the town.

In Kalimantan, Prof. H. Asywadie Syukur, Lc, also suggested the government ban the 2012 movie.

I agree with the Malang MUI, East Java, which states that the 2012 movie can mislead the people, especially the Muslims, so the government needs to re-evaluate the permit.

While in Bogor, West Java, primary school students at SD Kemang burned pirated DVD's and posters of 2012 in protest, among other 'spontaneous' and well beat-up by the media pseudo reactions.

Star Wars Storm Trooper Dances in Singapore

Storm Trooper in Singapore is the classic Star Wars Storm Trooper dance routine made famous by Danny Choo, who despite his Chinese name, lives in Tokyo and makes his living as a performance artist. He was recently hired to do his dance schtick in Singapore to promote some kind of product, but it's a sad, sad, sad spectacle as ALL nearby Singaporeans virtually ignore the guy.

Come on, Singapore. Where's your sense of adventure and curiosity? Dead after four decades of totalitarian rule by the PAP? Given up? This would be an amusing and entertaining video clip if only somebody in Singapore had the gumption to give a response.

Sadly, no. Singapore has no soul.

Another Thai Snake in the Thai Snakepit

Would you trust this man to run your country? This is the former general who led the coup that overthrew Thaksin and instituted the ongoing mess which has defined Thailand over the last three years. A snake of a man who has entered the viper's pit, as related by Werewolf's Lair via an editorial in The Bangkok Post. God help the Thais if dangerous psychopaths such as Sonthi are allowed anywhere near a position of power.

Former army chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratkalin’s decision to enter politics is no surprise. Speculation about his plans to pursue a political career after retiring from the military three years ago, has been around for a long time.

His announcement on Wednesday only confirms this ambition. If there are any doubts, they pertain to whether his newly chosen path will do the country any good. From the line-up of people who helped build his newly-formed Matubhum Party, his decision could be just an effort to propel himself back into the power game in order to erase his image as the leader of a coup which many see as the cause of the country’s present political crisis.

As the army chief and military coup leader who toppled the Thaksin Shinawatra regime in 2006, Gen Sonthi and the people who helped plot the power seizure failed miserably to fix the country’s problems at the time. In overthrowing the Thaksin government on the pretext that they wished to stop widespread corruption, the military leaders effectively created a new set of problems even harder to solve.

While some people may thank him for helping remove a corrupt regime, the damage from the coup has been more than disastrous. The country is now deeply divided.

The cost in removing the Thaksin government through military intervention, as it appears now, is much higher for the country and the Thai people than allowing the democratic process to take its course. Like it or not, Gen Sonthi will have to admit that he is fully to blame for the agony Thai society is suffering at present.

The continuing power struggle by the people he overthrew three years ago is now undermining not only Thai society and its institutions, but also its diplomatic relations with a neighbouring country.

In announcing his plan to make a foray into politics, Gen Sonthi has made a lot of promises to use his political career to help fix the problems in the country. He says it is his intention to reunite society and restore peace in the deep South.

Although it is still too early to pass judgement on the general’s ideas for solving these two problems, the lack of clarity in his promises makes one wonder how his party will be able to deliver on them. Social disunity and the ongoing violence in the South are two obvious issues which political parties picked up as their campaign platforms in the last general election.

Gen Sonthi appears to be jumping on the bandwagon, yet with less convincing probability that his party will be capable of resolving the situation. Besides a few Muslim former MPs from the deep South, the rest of the party leadership line-up comprises largely of politicians loyal to Vatana Asavahame, who is running away from a 10-year jail term for corruption. The line-up is unlikely to impress anyone that they can put Gen Sonthi’s ideas into practice.

While many may be reluctant to say if Gen Sonthi deserves the chance to prove he can be a good politician, it is now left to the general to convince them through his actions. Gen Sonthi must realise that not many people appreciated his role as coup leader.

The old saying, “Old soldiers never die. They merely fade away,” has always applied to great military leaders. Through his new role as a politician, Gen Sonthi now can choose to be counted among these great military leaders, or be forever remembered as the person who once brought Thai democracy down.

The Poor and Homeless of Singapore

Everyone knows that Singapore enjoys one of the highest incomes in Asia, and yet poverty and homelessness continue to be a fact of life. How could that be? Their retirement program really only covers those citizens who work, pay taxes and contributions into the national retirement fund. Those who don't make the grade are often left behind, as show in this video slide show by the activist blog Angry Ang Mo.

A Taxi Ride Through Mumbai

Timelapse video of a taxi ride through the more upscale sections of Mumbai. I barely recognize the place. Where are the cows? What about the women behind bars and the opium house on the opposite corner? Has Bombay gone completely upscale? Has anyone seen Louis Malle's Phantom India lately?

CNNGo Mumbai has the video and a few details via an interview with the film maker.

The Mystery of Red Bull

Expat at Large in Singapore probes the true origins and ownership of Red Bull and Shark, and comes up more confused than when he read my post about the products and the Full Moon Party on Ko Phangan. Sorry, Expat. And sorry about that photo -- it's the only one I've got on my hard drive. Great research, though.

Shark is a Thai energy drink, made in Austria, sold by Thai company.

Red Bull is a Thai energy drink, made in Austria and Thailand, sold by an Austrian company and a Thai company.

Note the difference?

So what is going on here? Actually I am not sure, but here is what I can work out so far. Enlightenment is welcomed from those more knowledgeable on this than myself.

Shark is a true competitor of Red Bull I believe, but it is difficult to sort out from the information available on the web who EXACTLY makes (as in manufactures) Shark.

History: both the Thai original of Red Bull, Krating Daeng (Red Guar - looks like a bull IS a bull in my book) and Shark are allegedly based on the health drink Kilane, first created by a chemist in Bangkok over a hundred years ago during a severe crisis of Bangkok Belly.

Osotspa is the Thai company that devolved from the original producers of that drink, but it imports the product they call Shark from Austria: significantly, hmmm? Osotspa also introduced into Thailand Lipovatin, one of the other direct precusors of Red Bull, from Japan in the mid 1960's.

However the Thai drink Red Guar (Bull) is not made by Osotspa but by the Thai company T.C. Pharmaceuticals. Significantly, there is no mention of Red Bull in the Osotspa or Shark websites. T.C. Pharma get 49% of the world-wide sales of Red Bull BTW. Sigh. And they thought they were doing pretty well in Thailand up till that time...

Also there is no information to directly connect Osotspa with now-billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, the Salzburger who took Red Bull from Thailand to the world. He made his deal with T.C. Pharma. Or is it just hidden in a buzz of caffeine, taurine (NOT from bulls' testicles), choline bitartrate and arginine - not to mention all that vodka?

So why is Shark made in Austria, if it is not being churned out by the Red Bull factories?

Is everything joined in one great headachey-spinning conspiracy in this world or what?

The Sad Panda of Wall Street

Shanghaiist has the summary.

Since around March this year, a sad-looking panda has been spotted roaming the streets of New York City — on the subway, in Times Square, at various parks and around Wall Street's bull statue. Over the next few months, the Sad Panda has intrigued and fascinated New Yorkers — his short disappearance on Wall Street led a few concerned individuals to put up a missing notice, and his great makeover as Spongebob Squarepants did not go unnoticed.

Turns out this Sad Panda is a 62 year old man from Guangzhou, Chen Jialing, who has now lived in the United States for many years. He confides in journalism student Michelle Tay the story of how he became Sad Panda after being forced to leave his former restaurant job.

God Bless Green Apple and San Francisco

Sales of Sarah Palin's book are almost nil here in San Francisco, but local bookstore Green Apple has gone one better.

With all due to respect to the Republicans who were as overjoyed as I was (for different reasons, of course) by Sarah Palin's nomination to the McCain ticket last year, Green Apple is donating 100% of the profits from sales of Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life to the Alaska Wildlife Alliance.

For a respectful and professional review of the book, instead of our touchy-feely knee-jerk urban liberalism, see Michiko Kakutani's review in the New York Times.

Surrealistic Cat Video

Cat lovers. Does it sometimes seem your cat perhaps took too much acid as a kitty, and can never come back to ground? This video will only confirm your worst fears/hopes as noted by SFist.

YouTube character Gay Carrington is, near as we can tell, a stoner transsexual puppet who occasional chimes in to talk to her fans in Old Hollywood-style English about her moods, pets, and experiences. She posted the above "kaleido-vision" video "while resting up" for her next real video, but we think it's positively brilliant. It stars her cat, Christina "Mooks" Carrington, and as far as stoner YouTubery goes, it's the tops. Enjoy.

Thai Temples' Five Million Baht Toilets

Richard Barrow over at Thai-Blogs visits the famed, expensive temple toilets in Samut Prakan, which also happens to be the world headquarters of the Society for World Domination (i.e. Thai-Blogs). Five million baht toilets? What would the Buddha say?

Toilets in Thailand don't exactly have the best of reputations. They are often dirty, smelly and not well-looked after. They are also nearly always squat toilets. Now comes the news that the temple toilets at Wat Bang Phli Yai Nai in Samut Prakan have recently built a toilet block which rivals any in a five star hotel. The toilets are reported to have cost as much as 5 million baht.

As you enter the toilets, you will find a shoe rack outside for changing your shoes. You then enter through an automatic glass door. Inside it is all air-conditioned. The room is divided into six toilets for women and six for men. In addition there is a separate section with urinals for men. In the middle of the room there is a garden with plants and fountains.

ThaiVisa Founder Interview

Bangkok Dan at Absolutely Bangkok interviews the founder of ThaiVisa, Thailand's most popular online forum. George gets thrown some hardball questions, but responds well to the common criticism that his moderators are more Catholic than the Pope.

He’s an institution: George, founder and owner of Thaivisa.com, Thailand’s probably most popular website among foreigners with its unique forum. George is the brain behind the success, but success invites envy and jealousy, so not all you read about Thaivisa is milk and honey. I recently had a talk with George and here is what he says about Thailand today, Thaivisa’s sometimes debatable moderators, politics, etc.

George say, how did it all start with Thaivisa?

It was an accident! It started with an experiment with SEO (search engine optimization) in 2002, I wanted to see if a forum like this would be able to reach the top of search results without any cheating (it’s called “white-hat SEO”). As we only had myself and a few friends in the very beginning, we started to ask each other questions and answered each others topics. Most forums actually start this way, even if it does sound a little strange. At that time there were not many Thai related forums around and mostly they covered the bar scene, and we weren’t interested in that and wanted to offer something completely different. I invested a lot of baht in marketing the site during the first three to four years.

Thaivisa has some dream stats. Share some of the Google Analytics data.

We have around 35-45,000 unique visistors per day, and we are approaching 6 million page views per month. We grow approx 10-15% per month, but some months are more or less due to seasonal variations and how much we spend on marketing. Around 50% of our traffic is from within Thailand. Most of our revenue is reinvested in server infrastructure and online marketing.

You seem to be constantly online. You’re hooked! Can you ever take a day off from your site?

Well, I do try to take days off, but yes, I am hopelessly addicted. However, we have a great team on Thaivisa and I know that it’s in good hands. My normal working day is between 12 and 16 hours per day, a bit less on weekends or when traveling. I went to China for a week recently and had severe withdrawal symptoms. smile.gif I have promised myself to “get a life” soon though.

Hong Kong Movie Reconstruction

Bodyguards and Assassins is an upcoming Hong Kong movie which tells the story of Sun Yat Sen, considered the father of Modern China. To do justice to the subject matter, a full sized reproduction was constructed of Hong Kong Central in the early 1900s.

Watching a backstage look at construction models in Hollywood is fairly common with TV specials often run on HBO and Showtime, but this was the first time I've ever seen the construction efforts of Hong Kong and man, it is impressive.

2010 Ko Phangan Full Moon Party Dates

Thai Pulse offers a list of the 2010 Ko Phangan Full Moon Parties, obtained from a can of "Shark" cola. Just like Red Bull.

Koh Pha-ngan's Full Moon Party experience is not all that different than what you see here on this can. Very much like that in fact.

This just released, on a bottle of “Shark” cola here in Thailand. Shark, if you haven’t had it is like Red Bull. Exactly like Red Bull and it’s even made in Austria, just like, “Red Bull”. Safe to say it’s RB.

Here are the 2010 Koh Pha-gnan Full moon party dates:

Saturday January 20
Sunday February 28
Tuesday March 30
Wednesday April 28
Thursday May 27
Saturday June 26
Monday July 26
Tuesday August 24
Thursday September 23
Saturday October 23
Sunday November 21
Tuesday December 21

Book your flight into Bangkok and head down to Koh Pha-ngan for the outrageous Full Moon Parties. There was rumor they were going to make them drug free – but, so far – that is JUST a rumor.

How 2012 Became a Hit in China

Shanghaiist has an interesting take on why 2012 has become such a huge hit in China.

2012, the new apocalyptic movie by director Roland Emmerich, opened this weekend in Shanghai to smashing box office records, showing that Hollywood's discovered at least one way its blockbusters can make a killing in China - by pandering to the Chinese.

The movie depicts fictional events tied to a Mayan prophecy predicting the world's end on December 12, 2012. We haven't seen it, but many critics have complained that it's little more than a string of ridiculous special effects, lasting a daunting 2 hours and 40 minutes. On popular review congregator site Rotten Tomatoes, it scored a measly 39%.

However, here in the Middle Kingdom, the movie has been a smashing success, grossing 9 million RMB just this weekend. Why?

Most likely because it depicts China as savior to the world, prying it from the edge of impending doom. In the movie, the Americans turn to China to build the 'ark' that will save the population because 'the task would be impossible if given to any other nation.' In one theater, the entire audience erupted into applause after the PLA saluted American refugees arriving in China.

Though the movie seems to have gotten the majority of China to fawn over it, some have been hypercritical of Hollywood's being-pro-China-for-a-quick-buck stance.

They pointed out that 2012 was one of the few international movies that made it completely past the Chinese censors without having anything cut. Other China portraying movies, like Mission Impossible III, had crucial minutes cut out for daring to portray Chinese people as uncaring or thug-like. And last year's Dark Knight, arguably one of the biggest Hollywood pictures of the year, wasn't allowed into the country because of... "cultural sensitivities."

FHM Magazine in China

China Smack provides much needed coverage (and photos) from the Chinese version of FHM magazine. Properly called "For Him Magazine" and not the vulgur abbreviation.

Manny Pacquiao -- The World's Greatest Fighter

The world's greatest boxer will next fight Floyd Mayweather, perhaps at the stadium in Dallas sometime in 2010. But I'll bet Manny goes back to Vegas. More stories about Manny's historic achievement at the Google Link below.

Google Link on the Pacquiao v. Cotto Fight

MANILA - Filipino boxing great Manny Pacquiao is bracing for two big battles in 2010: a congressional bid and a possible fight against former pound-for-pound champ Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pacquiao told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda on Tuesday that he is bent on running for a seat in Congress in 2010. "Tuloy iyong pagtakbo ko next year (My plan to run in the elections next year is still on)," Pacquiao said.

The boxing great, however, did not reveal if he will run for congressman of South Cotabato, where he lost in 2007 to Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio. There were reports that Pacquiao is planning to run for congressman in Sarangani province. He is also reportedly being courted to run in Quezon City.

Pacquiao had just snatched the WBO welterweight from Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, whom he beat after 12 rounds in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday. The title was the Filipino boxer's seventh. He also holds six titles in six different weight divisions.

Pacquiao is scheduled to return to the Philippines on Friday. He said he will stay for a while in Manila before returning to his home in General Santos City. The boxer said he would take a vacation until early next year before entering into another fight deal, possibly with the camp of Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Asked to pick between Juan Manuel Marquez and Mayweather Jr., he said he would prefer to fight the still undefeated Mayweather.

"I don't think na may manonood pa sa laban kay Marquez. Si Marquez ay tinalo na siya ni Floyd. Siguro bahala na si Bob Arum (I don't think boxing fans will be watching another a fight with Marquez. Marquez got beat by Floyd. I think I would have to leave it to Bob Arum)," Pacquiao said, hinting his desire to face Mayweather in his next fight.

Mayweather came back from retirement just hours before Pacquiao knocked down Mayweather's former opponent, Ricky "The Hitman" Hatton. There were negotiations for a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight but the talks broke down. Mayweather instead entered into a fight deal with the camp of Marquez while Pacquiao sealed the prize fight with Cotto.

Korean Video Parody

Hilarious, foot stomping parody entitled "I'm a Korean." Starring Lil' Kimmie and a cast of thousands.

No More Anonymous Messages

A sudden and dramatic increase in the number of garbage spam comments has forced me to stop (at least temporarily) Anonymous Posting. You'll need to be a Google User to leave comments until these mindless bastards go away. I think they use autobots to make mass postings, and perhaps picked up my addy from my Twitter account.

Video from the Top of Burj Dubai

Video taken at the top of Burj Dubai, the world's tallest building.

Private Island Resort in Cambodia

A private island resort has opened in Cambodia near Sihanoukville, owned and operated by Russian investors.

YMCA -- Korean Style

Another hilarious effort by a Korean to massacre the classic Village People song.

BONUS: An amazing dance performance captured on the JumboTron:

New BMW Museum in Munich

I so want to go to this museum. World Architecture News has the details.

The BMW Museum had to be integrated into the existing structural fabric of the company’s headquarters in Munich. The task was to interpret the historic 'Museum Bowl' anew and lead its design into the 21st century. The original qualities of the previous museum had to be maintained, making it suitable for temporary exhibitions and uniting it with a new permanent exhibition area.

The concept follows the key terms 'extension' and 'dynamisation'. The west wing of the headquarters was gutted and developed into an exhibition area; the 'Museum Bowl' was architecturally connected to it and staged as an epilogue with the 'Visual Symphony', a 360-degree display. The basic theme of the Bowl, 'continuation of the street in enclosed space' (Karl Schwanzer), is conceived as a principle of a dynamic architecture and finds its continuation in an urban spatial experience. A ramp system symbolises mobility. It takes on a key function as a formed and forming element.

Philippines Journalists Murdered for Corruption Reports

World Focus has posted a 7 minute video clip on the dangers of being a journalist in the Philippines.

Today in the Philippines, there are more newspapers in print, more points of view and more influence in broadcast journalism than ever before. But since People Power in 1986, more than 70 journalists have been murdered.

Worldfocus correspondent Mark Litke and producer Ara Ayer report from the Philippines on the risks some reporters face in doing their jobs.

Steaming to Ayuthaya

Everybody loves an old steam engine train, and Thailand offers steam enthusiasts 4 opportunites each year to ride a steamer from Bangkok to Ayuthaya, with plenty of time for wonderful photos. The Bangkok Post has the details.

Taking the day off to travel from Bangkok to Ayutthaya by steam train makes for an impressive journey, packed with smiles and just a little chaos. The steam train operates only on special holidays (see below right), and for a few days a year the old engines are dusted off for the run between the present capital and the ancient capital.

The coming of the train - whooshing and whistling happily as it puffs up big bursts of steam - excites everyone on the platform. Only a few minutes before leaving on the day I made the trip, on Chulalongkorn Day, Oct 23, no one wanted to take a seat before snapping off a dozen or so photos of family and friends standing at the front of the train. Passengers of other trains did a double take when they saw the roaring antique engines belching out clouds of smoke and vapour over the station. Some children managed to get an invitation to climb up into the engineer's seat, with their parents close behind.

This trip used two steam locomotives, a Pacific 824 and 850, produced in Japan. The Pacific 824 has been in use since 1949, and the Pacific 850 since 1951. The two engines easily pulled the nine fully packed carriages.

At the last minute passengers rushed aboard and found that not only did the engines come from a bygone age, but so did the carriages. None of the old-fashioned wooden seats have numbers, so most passengers were in for an adventure just finding their seats. A Japanese family seated next to me found their window wouldn't open, and soon after a child nearby fell when his seat collapsed.

However, such problems are suddenly forgotten when the train makes its grand and noisy exit from the station, huffing, puffing and whistling along the tracks as it slowly picks up speed. Everyone is excited again, particularly the children. Passengers crane their necks out the windows to get a view of the black engines in motion.

As the train rolled down the track towards Ayutthaya, I noticed everyone was smiling. We felt like VIPs, with people along the way waving happily at us and many cars following alongside on the road, taking pictures.

Everyone was particularly excited when the train approached a bend, offering a glimpse of the locomotives.

Two hours after leaving Bangkok we arrived in Ayutthaya. Some passengers left at Bang Pa-in to visit the famous summer palace. Most stayed aboard to Ayutthaya Station to explore the ancient capital, which is now an historic park. Other attractions include the Royal Elephant Kraal, with its elephant show and rides.

The Million Toy Museum is a big hit with children, and adults often find it fascinating and perhaps nostalgic. Some toys are nearly 100 years old, and there are a variety of cooking utensils from a bygone era as well.

Hua Raw market, at the north eastern tip of Ayutthaya's old town, is a shopper's paradise with various local delicacies, particularly fish. And the souvenir most passengers would not miss is roti sai mai, sugar straw rolled with pastry, the famous Ayutthaya sweet.

In the evening, all the passengers arrived early at the railway station to see the trip's main attraction - the warm-up for the return journey back to Bangkok. The platform was once again full of steam, whistles and smiles.

The train moved slowly on the way back through the vast green rice fields, taking much longer than a car. But in this case, that's a good thing.

Raccoons Line Up for Bus in San Francisco

Raccoons are very common here in San Francisco. When I lived in Pacific Heights, I had a family of 5 raccoons which lived in my backyard and enjoyed climbing the trees and hanging out in the wee hours of the morning. Kinda creepy, just as this amazing photo of raccoons patiently waiting for the bus at the Legion of Honor museum.

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