Muntadhar Al-Zaidi; the Iraqi who threw his shoes at Bush...

The Iraqi shoe thrower is interviewed by Paul Jay of "The Real News Network", part 1;



Part 2;



Part 3;



http://tinyurl.com/35q7rc8

Example of Two stupid westerners in Thailand...

Just as the protests started the government of Thailand warned foreigners "NOT" to get involved in any way because it violates Thai law and violators will be arrested.

Iceland Volcano Time-Lapse VIDEO

The accompanying music is beautiful;

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Chris Hedges; America: The Silence of a Nation

Powerful and right to the heart...

There is a very enlightening article for those interested in the intricacies...

...of Thai politics. The article is in Asia Times @; http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LE13Ae01.html

Most westerners look at the situation here and do one of two things; they form immediate judgments based on an emotional response to news reports or; turn the whole thing off saying it's beyond their understanding.
In fact, with a little perseverance and good resources it can be mostly understood.

The Bangkok Post & The Nation are worthless for news of the protests.

For the latest updates one is far better off following BBC or The Guardian out of England. Thai news (at least English language version) is pathetic at best.
As of 2:30 pm Friday there has been no real progress in ending the protests.

Thailand; another embassy closed (Dutch)...

...and the Finnish embassy moved a month ago because of the red shirt activity.
It doesn't appear there is going to be any definitive action taken anytime soon against the protesters. The violence continues...

It's Friday morning here (10 am).

Anarchy

Bangkok is in a state of anarchy. The U.S. and U.K embassies are closed.
The Thai government has lost all meaningful control of the country. The military and police refuse to act and by default are now creating a situation that is becoming ripe for another coup.

Do not come to Thailand for any reason. Bangkok is a powder keg and there is nowhere that can be considered safe. There are some areas in the north that should also be avoided; Khon Khaen being the primary worry.

Curiouser and curiouser; Seh Daeng taken down by a shot to the head...

...during an interview by a New York Times reporter. The situation here is degraded and not getting better. I would personally advise anyone coming to Thailand to avoid Bangkok at all costs because the situation is deteriorating. There are other S.E.Asian locals offering as much or more than Thailand at this time.

Arundhati Roy on the Maoist's of India

It's not what you've heard in the MSM; but then nothing ever is, eh?