Viewpoint on the news

Thailand to hold long-awaited 3G auction mid-October ScadAsia We've heard this one before, for at least the past five years.  Meanwhile free WiFi is now being offered in many locations Pattaya Plans Free WiFi At 1000 Spots   Pattaya Daily News  Free WiFi without an equipment upgrade is creating a noticeable slowdown especially noticeable in the afternoon and evenings

M16 'snipers' claim    they only fired blanks   Bangkok Post

Thai exports down, imports up thestar  Asia Rice-Thai rice stocks seen sold domestically, prices firm   Reuters customs-cleared exports decline 4.5% y-y, yawning trade gap  Forex Analysis   A year on, Thai Rice Subsidy Still Looks a Mistake  Asia Sentinel   Laos agrees with Thailand on proposal   The Nation

Futsal    Day dreaming bear wins 5-2

No major weather system in the upper atmosphere at the moment. High humidity most likely will cause scattered local storms.                                          Ocean temperatures continue to heat up,                                          creating further opportunities for major storms

 Recommended by Sapphire City

Sakon Nakhon Robinson proposed floor plan found at the wafflesupply Also saw on facebook that job applications are now being accepted

 Oh God 101

God, aka: subconscious mind. Prayer is verbal or mental conversation with your inner self.   The rest is just a good fable

 Viewpoint on the news

Thai men and women rated as the most unfaithful...    ...according to a survey by Durex.  Durex, the manufacturer of condoms also stated that Asian males are the most promiscuous in the world. Results of the survey have been published by media en masse.  Of course Thai media immediately went into denial mode Thai infidelity claim brings strong denials - THE NATION As surveys go, I tend to take them with a grain of salt, especially when they are done by a business. Such surveys are often done with the intent to get media attention. In my view, condoms do prevent various diseases, but also tend to promote promiscuity to some degree. An old adage comes to mind:  Where there's smoke... there's a fire, (no matter how small).  In an unrelated article regarding Thailand's education system, one sentence probably supports the survey's claims "Education gaps 'cost country trillions' - THE NATION "One third of children live with their grandparents due to teenage pregnancy problems."   There's gotta be some humor here somewhere.   Remember the one million tablets being handed out to school children. Thailand’s ICT Ministry has just signed a contract to have all tables retrofitted with 'censoring software.' The software will block all undesirable webpages and keep track of every webpage visited. Of course I tend to believe that 'most' censorship could be replaced with a proper education.

Tinglish

Inflammatory: Speech or text which causes anger and hostility
Inflammation of the skin (Pathology)  

 News Bites

Mushroom used for medical treatment of liver cancer grows locally, valued at 3-5 million Baht per kg

Sakon the Fine City

Sakon City

During the early years of  Wikipedia.org,  Sakon Nakhon was defined as:

'Center of the Universe.' 

In more recent years the definition was changed to:

"City of City."

The rationale was both Sakon and Nakhon translate to 'city.' 

There is little argument that Nakhon does translate to 'city.' 

The translation of Sakon is argumentative, in my view.

Pronunciations in Thai and Lao-influenced-Thai differ: Sakorn, Sakohln, Sakhon, are just a few.

Sakon (and variations in pronunciation) appear in a number of Asian countries as a man's name.  

Probably irrelevant, but still interesting:

According to GOOGLE Translate, Sakon is used in the Finnish language where it means 'fine.'

Thais have some unusual nicknames, but calling a person 'City,' just doesn't sound right to me.

Pardon me, but Sakon Nakhon does not strike me as a 'City of Cities'

New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Sydney, are names that come to mind when I hear 'City of Cities.' 

Then of course GOOGLE Translate is not much help

A recent YouTube video of a Sakon FC football game came up with a surprising translation of the city of Kalasin:  "Carol Burnett."  NOTICE: Sakon is not translated!!!

The Thai script สกลนคร is one word,
while the translation results in two separate words

 News Bites

Thai unis to rule on transgender graduates      The Australian Thais can learn much from Vietnam       The Nation M'sia, Thailand, Indonesia to stabilise rubber price       New Straits Times                                 (the creation of a rubber cartel?) Thailand’s coral reefs 50% gone       Phuket NEWS   Absolutely hilarious  Tampa Bay Gay Prostitutes Gearing Up For Flood Of Closeted Republicans       Onion News Network

For that special night out

If you've brought your wife or sweetheart to Apple's restaurant, then most likely you've had requests for a new dress purse or other accessory from the shop next door
The shop seems quite popular with the ladies

There's no question about it.
New dress, new purse does require a trip to the beauty parlor, right next door.

Not A good Day for Sakon FC 'Men in Blue'

Loi FC 3  

Sakon FC 0

         

B.Y.O.C.

Bring your own cushion.

Sakon FC next travels to Amnat Charoen for a game on Saturday Sept 1.

A six hour bus trip for the team before the game 

Futsal first game a Win

 

Next game Monday evening

T.i.T.

Field expedient

These guys were working on the wiring in the center of the highway.
Obviously their a-frame ladder was not tall enough, so they leaned a tall ladder against it

Field Expedient: Definition from Answers.comThe art of getting the job done despite the limitations.

 News Bites

Thailand Economic Data in Question      Live Trading News "...the Government almost tripled the minimum daily wage, food, electricity and fuel prices are beginning to spiral."          Take my parking space          Getting even Gif

     

Futsal Season Starts

I wrote it down: Sakon Nakhon-Live Showed how they did it last time                                                         ==>                         Obviously, someone was not paying attention Murphy's Law in Thailand

 News Bites

New immune-system disease found in Asians; causes AIDS-like symptoms  - Chicago Tribune Rights group says Thai army chief obstructs violence probe - Reuters Thai general accused of meddling in unrest probe - News - Boston.com Thai army chief blames the media for everything – again! - Asia News

Sunday is Election day AGAIN in Sakon Nakhon. Think its the third or fourth election in the area this year No alcohol sales until the polls close.

Sakon FC hosts Loei FC this Sunday Loi FC is 5th in the division. Sakon FC is 15th  Whether alcohol will be allowed at the game is questionable. Polls close at 3:30 pm. Game starts at 5pm.

How to separate the egg yolk  Chinese edition

Dumb Farang

A couple of older ladies hung a plastic bag on my front gate this morning.
I must admit I was a bit puzzled why they would hang half a dozen tea bags on my gate.
Glad I had no inclination to have a cup.

When the neighborhood kids stopped by after school, they had a good laugh at my expense.  

It's a chemical added to standing water to kill mosquito larvae.
Of course I have no idea what chemical is involved and what effect it will have on the local pond fish. 

Sakon Nakhon Provincial Governors Garden

Photos by Roger April 13, 2006

Apple's Restaurant now serving pizza

According to the US Congress Pizza is a vegetable

 News Bites

Father's Age Is Linked to Risk of Autism and ...   The New York Times Older fathers pass on more genetic mutations, study ...   The Guardian

News Bites

Excise tax increases on tabaco and alcohol (updated!!)    6 to 8 Baht per pack of cigarettes Excise tax on domestic alcohol raised to 120 THB per liter Excise tax on imported alcohol raised to 400 BHB per liter Hike in excise on cigarettes and liquor backed - The Nation

The evening crowd at my house

Facebook text message

You drink beer. I go to swim home you
Yes I am at home
Now ok I going, I go home and freind. Fine munite. You buy beer

I offered glasses, but that's not how it's done.
Beer and ice is poured into a bucket and served with straws.
If you've never drunk beer through a straw, beware: it has a very immediate effect.
All evening visitors live withing staggering distance