Move your money out of corporate banks...

The Known Universe by AMNH

Noam Chomsky: “The Unipolar Moment and the Culture of Imperialism”

Cool Video: Suzuki Motorcycle Assembles Itself

The Future - Leonard Cohen

Mr. Fish from Truthdig.com nails another one...

This perfectly captures/illustrates the differences between dems and repubs.

Very Cool...

Dimitri Arleri Does Slow Motion Cards

Art student's vanishing car act ...

...absolutely amazing, follow this link to see it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/lancashire/8030766.stm

Greening your house in a tropical climate...

...or, how to avoid air conditioning and it expenses.
When we bought our house 5 1/2 years ago it wasn't finished and there wasn't a plant in sight/site. Our lot is one of the larger ones in our village with the bulk of the property on the west side of the house. Both bedrooms are on the west side as is the driveway. This resulted in the west side of the house baking all afternoon and radiating that heat back into the wee hours of the morning. Also we couldn't sit on the front porch after 10 a.m. from the end Of March until the end of August. Fans work, but the house was a heat sink so; a plan was drawn up and put into action.

Shade trees were planted on the north and west sides of the house. It took 2 years to effectively shade the front (facing north). We used a couple of fast growing trees called Daw Kaes. During the summer the sun goes to 45deg. north latitude and we live at 14 deg. north latitude so the front of the house is baked for 5 mos. out of every year. 5 1/2 years later we have the west side well shaded after 3 p.m.

My wife had never had aircon and neither had I; I don't like it much because it keeps one from acclimating. Without acclimating one can never be comfortable going places with out aircon. So, now we have a house that even on the hottest days (38 c) is very comfortable with just fans. We can sit outside at any time of day and be comfortable and it only cost us very little money and some physical labor.

On a final note; many, many Thai homes have no lawn or dirt/garden. The entire property is covered in cement which is then tiled. Looks beautiful (depends on taste) but acts like a heat sink as well, thereby contributing to a very hot environment. We've avoided doing this except for a carport area along the west side of the house.

Happy Trails...

On the Economy; Peter Schiff...

...listen and look at this...copy and paste this link.

http://therealnews.com/t/index.php?option=com_seyret&Itemid=91&task=videodirectlink&id=1003

It's very much worth a watch...

Riddles

I was just sitting there looking at the screen when I felt something wrapping itself around my right arm. Startled, I looked down and there was a cobra staring at me; not threatening, just looking.
With thoughts it said, “What will you do?”
With thoughts I said, “I don’t know.”
“You summoned me,” said the cobra.
“Are you sure?” said I.
“Oh, yes, otherwise I would not have come,” said the cobra.
“Then please tell me; what did I summon?” said I.
“You summoned me,” said the cobra.
“Did I summon life, or death?” said I.
“You only summoned me and I hold both, the choice is yours,” said the cobra.
“How is it we ponder the choices of life and death and we understand neither?” said I.
“I don’t know, because for me there is no choice; it’s one or the other, neither a choice, ever,” said the cobra.
“We humans spend a life time trying to answer the riddle of life and death,” said I.
“We non-humans live until we die; we don’t commit suicide, and there is no riddle regarding life and death,” said the cobra.
“Please, bite me,” said I.
As the cobra glided its undulating body away, across the floor, dead was I; free of the life not lived.

Air conditioning; yes or no?

Summer is coming, fast, and the temperature is once again climbing into the mid 30's.
My first year here (Thailand, Ratchaburi) I had an air con hotel room (yes, a year in a hotel/long story) and worked in an air con office at an American toy factory. As a result; for the first year, I never acclimated and was always hot and less than completely comfortable. After I quit the factory (another long story) I avoided air con and to this day I don't have it. The school I taught at for 5 years didn't have air con either; so now, even in our home, we don't have it. I am now and have been for years happy as hell to just have a fan and almost never feel "too hot". I complain less about the heat than my Thai wife does, which is a good laugh for both of us (I can also eat the hottest foods that she cannot touch). She claims I'm becoming Thai and she's becoming a farang, LOL. We do have a laugh. The only air con we use is in the car, that's just common sense. So, my counsel is to avoid air con and you'll enjoy your stay here no matter how hot it gets. My friend Andy lives in Nong Bua Lamphu (Isaan) and didn't put air con in his house either and the word is; he's a poor farang, LOL. I wonder if that's the opinion in my village as well? We're one of the only houses without it, LOL.

Wealth vs income; what's the difference?

I think it's very important to understand the difference between wealth and a large income. To wit;

"Wealth is an abundance of valuable material possessions or resources. The word is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem. [1] An individual, community, region, or country possessing an abundance of such possessions or resources is called wealthy."
"The concept of wealth is of great importance in economics, especially development economics, yet the definition of wealth is not straightforward and there is no universally agreed-upon definition. Different definitions and concepts of wealth have been put forth by different authors and in different contexts.[2] The choice of a definition of wealth can normative and have ethical implications, since wealth maximization is often seen as a goal or put forth as a normative principle of its own."[3] (From Wikipedia)

Recently a couple of people I know, who depend on "wealthy" clients, have told me they have no worries in this economic "downturn" because their clients are wealthy. Both have seen their businesses decline seriously to almost nothing. Why? Because their clients are having "cash flow" problems. So, their clients are not wealthy; they just have/had large incomes subject to the vagaries of the economy. There is a huge difference between wealth and a large income. True wealth isn't dependent on monthly cash flow; a large income is not wealth if there are no substantial cash reserves to back it up. This delusional insistence that a large income is wealth is at the root of our denial and the seed of this economic disaster.
The people who will survive this have no allegiance to any government, dogma, or ism of any kind; only to life and family itself and will, as people have for millennia, migrate to the place they can survive. Don't wait too long, the window is not open for long.

True wealth is happiness.

There is no place to rest...

Yesterday, I drove into Bangkok...

...and my wife was very proud of me for this feat, and it was a feat! Bangkok has the worst traffic jams in the world (gridlock rules), BUT, it has only one traffic jam per day; it's all day (standard joke here)! Almost true; but it was good because, I hate vans and buses. Van drivers drive mechanical wrecks at 100-110 kph and buses, which wouldn't be allowed on American roads, do the same. Death from traffic related accidents here would end the existence of motorized vehicles in the west(they'd bring back donkey carts and stage coaches). For 6 years I've gambled my life riding public transportation here and I finally said "Enough"! If I die it will be at my own hand, behind the wheel of my own car. It's the first time I actually enjoyed a trip into Bangkok. Once there, we parked our car at a big department store and took taxis every where else; excellent, very good. No more vans and no more buses; now that's freedom.

Valentines Day; a poem from my wife...

...to me.

Love is everything
Music and laughter
Stars, moon and sun
All things that are beautiful
Made into one
Sharing and caring
Endlessly giving
Love in itself
Is the reason for living.

My wife is my world.

The Bailout...

...is the attempt by the incompetent, to explain the incomprehensible, to the incapable. The incapable then believe the incompetent comprehend the unfathomable. In fact, the whole world is being led by idiots whom traverse paths they've never traveled and are too scared and ignorant to include us in the glorious adventure that is once in a life time.

Amphawa is a little known gem...

...not too far south of the floating market at Damnoen Saduak and right on the Meklong (not the Mekong) river. It's an area of many Coconut Plantations and is not touristy in any way. The above picture is of a 400 year old Temple and inside are some fading but still visable wall paintings. I just love the area; it's completely mellowed out. I'll follow up with more info and pictures in an upcoming post. Cheers.

Cabbages & Condoms...

...Strange signs ; what have you seen? Just spotted this along Phetkasem Rd. Go figure, but I will get the story on this.
And here's the story: Started in 1976 in Bangkok; it's a family planning agency and they now have 19 restaurants across Thailand.
There was a large display of various condoms on the wall nicely arranged.
A Thai father came in with his roughly 12 year old daughter and roughly 9 year old son; and after ordering lunch, he took them over to the display. He talked to them about the display. Pleasantly surprised me.
We had lunch there today also and the food is okay. I had a club sandwich/fries (120 baht/3.48 USD) (not too bad) and my wife had Ruby Fish fillet (also 120 baht and not too bad. We also had a big pot of green tea (the real thing not a bag) and it was 20 baht each (1.16 USD). It should be noted; the wife and I normally spend 20 baht for a bowl of noodles (me) and 20 baht for pad khrapao (my wife). So, it was an expensive lunch by Thai standards.

Is Obama the Schmoo in...

...disguise? Is he, like the Al Capp creature (1948), all things to all people? If so, then he is nothing to anybody; he is only something to the corporatists who wouldn't ever be fooled by their own tool. The more things change the more they're the same. So, life goes on, but only for the rich and powerful.
With the first hellfire missile strike in Pakistan; the romance is on hold; with the continuation of rendition; the romance is off, finished, done. Obama's campaign of change (I won't bother with quotes) was a smooth con job known as running for office. His sales pitch was masterful and in the end will likely cause him much grief. The only change is the oratory; after 8 years of a president who constantly mangled his own native tongue; Obamas ability at oration was truly a breath of fresh air. But, that will carry him only so far and for this one (me); I will carry him no farther. If he is a leader, then he truly must lead, and following a parallel path of the previous administration is just not good enough; it's not leading, it's the worst form of plagiarism. The crumbs (platitudes/patronizing) of change just won't cut it. I'm convinced it's already too late to actually get our democracy back; but "he" maybe, possibly, could've made a difference. As it stands we'll get the leavings. Not good enough for me.
For the most part I'm done with posting on other blogs because there is no point in hashing over this view against that view and basically, a total lack of imagination. My real point is, we've arrived at the point where posting on blogs is mistaken for actually doing something. If someone agrees with you it's positively invigorating and if they flame you and denigrate your point of view you retreat a bit or you lose it and flame back. Insults/praise are the same result; only the emotion is changed but even in that it's all the same.
Now, don't get me wrong; posting for the exchange of ideas, debate (honest), conversation, relating experiences and general socializing, no problem; my point remains the same: Posting to blogs is not action, is not in and of itself change. Learning is another possible function of posting/blogging, but, for real change, something else is required...

Dogs...

...in Thailand: As Buddhists, Thais don't want to kill the dogs. Why would they, you may well ask? Well, maybe, because the majority of dogs here are not "owned"; they inhabit, breed, run in packs, are sick, diseased, flea ridden, covered in mange, and just generally run wild.
Which is more inhumane; killing and controlling or allowing the aforementioned situation. With all of that, if one is bitten: Rabies shots are a given, along with anti-biotics. It's really hard to look at the condition of the dogs here, they're a sad lot.