A case of cart before the horse

Local DSL internet provider has been advertising a new higher volume internet connection, at a higher price of course. So we called because we continuously get disconnected.



We were told "the service is not yet available in your area. When it's available our truck will be in your neighborhood."

So it seems they are in the process of upgrading local telephone cables.

When? Don't hold your breath if they are anything like the local electric company.

Took some pictures of a tree growing into the electric wires recently. Gave them to my Thai friend explaining that the tree needed to be trimmed before it caused disruption in electrical service. He went to the local electric company.
Ten days later still nothing was done. My friend finally decided to cut down the tree himself. He needed some help and a rope so the tree would not fall into the wires while being cut. Glad I wasn't watching, I tend to get a bit hyper when I see such work being done by non-professionals.

Cocktail Talk

What's causing global warming?

Could be the fact that the world population is increasing at a rate of almost 7 million per month. (almost 84 million per year). Somethings gotta give.

Statistics at U.S. Census Bureau

When is the end coming?

According to the Aztec calender 2012. Also read somewhere that an old Chinese calender had a similar ending date.

My computer mouse was quite sluggish this morning.

I got some rubbing alcohol and toothpicks (to get into the crevices). As soon as I applied the alcohol a herd of tiny ants made their escape from the mouse.
I tell the truth.

Most the local fallangs have heard me tell this story.

A few years ago I was headed to the cash machine on my motor bike. A Sakonnakhon policeman stopped me at an intersection.
Road checks are a common practice in Thailand where they check your drivers license and registration.
This time it was a bit different though. The cop jumped behind me on the motor bike and instructed me to go.
I was surprised and baffled. I came to the conclusion that the guy could not speak English and was taking me up the street where other policemen could speak to me. We passed my cash machine and came upon a red traffic light.
The cop kept saying go... go.

Well folks, I'm not about to run a red light with a cop sitting behind me.
We finally came upon a spot where there was an empty field. I was ordered to stop. Without saying a word, the cop got off my bike, walked across the street, mounted his own bike and drove off. I was furious. Too bad I wasn't thinking fast enough, I should have charged him a taxi fee.

My first car.

I was stationed in Germany, 15 miles from my relatives. Bought the German Ford from a pig farmer. I got a really good price break. He used it to haul pigs to market. It took a number of washings to remove the stench. An officers wife cut a mattress to size and made curtains for me.

Recovering again

Don't miss Fireman Eric's blog.
He's vacationing around Sakon Nakhon and writing about his experiences and impressions daily.

http://firemaneric.blogspot.com/

Recovering from an illness and the effects of medication. The effects of the medication were worse than the illness. Hopefully things will be back to normal tomorrow.

Meanwhile: Work and visitors continue.

The front gate has been moved into the property to allow covered parking for visitors.



Video game players arrive in the early afternoon



The pool starts filling up after school lets out (2 p.m.)



Everyone cleans up after themselves and leaves at 5 p.m.

Time Machine

Year 1966, I was 21 then
Place,US Army Barracks, NCO club, Pleiku Vietnam.
Movie Star Robert Mitchum visits the troops.
One of probably a dozen stops he had made that day.
You could tell he was 'run down,' bloodshot eyes revealed he was 'stoned' on something.






Also recently added to the on line photo album are photos from PSY Ops missions, providing medical services and donated food to refugee and tribal villages, and the Pleiku airfield after a mortar attack, and other Pleiku albums

1966 Pleiku PSY Mission

1966 Pleiku airfield

1966 Lake Bien Hoa, Pleiku, Vietnam

1966 25th PSY OPS barracks

1966 25th PSY Ops Office

Trash Talk

I am always thankful when I get a heads up alerting me to correct spelling errors, or misuse of words.
A recent example was the word loose, when it should have been lose.

I will stand my ground however, when I am told to use "the Queen's English' rather than "American English."
My english education is U.S. based. The fact that Brits outnumber U.S. ex-pats in Sakon Nakhon is really irrelevant.
I'd consider learning and using the dialect if I'd be residing in Britain. I ain't.

"garbage" don't you mean "rubbish"
garbage was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Recently Read added to sidebar

I have added Recently Read to the right sidebar.
Even though I do not make daily posts to the blog,
you should find daily updates of articles which got my attention

Jokes I receive in e-mails are posted to Funny Mail as they are received.

You can see the five latest additions at the top of the right sidebar of this blog.

Catching up on Bar talk

Internet

Connections lately have been garbage, to keep it politely.
Dozens of connection errors by the hour. Uploading one photograph which normally takes 15 seconds is now at 5 minutes and still waiting.
Over half a dozen undersea cables were recently severed by Typhoon Morakat.
They are working frantically to restore the cables. We know quite well what that means!! The last time service was disrupted with the same magnitude was 2006.

GOOGLE SEARCH gets it's first improvements since 2006

Hailed as Google Caffeine it is still in Beta testing.

There's a preview at Google Webmaster Central.

I tried it, not overly impressed. I'll be impressed when I can search entries by posting date. Most searches I am still getting pages which have not been updated in the past five years: Lot's of Garbage.

Thailand

Another high profile ladyboy crime.
Less than a month ago an Australian naval officer lost his laptop to a thieving ladyboy. This time it's the Afghan judo coach. He's in Thailand for the first Asian Martial Arts Games. He left the lady and his drink unattended and went to another room. He had no idea that the lady was a man. Read the full story at THAI VISA

Pirated goods still preferred cause they are cheaper.

More measures to revive Thailand Tourism. Visa fee exemption extension, national parks fees discounts, cash loans for tour operators...

... rather prosperous country like Thailand.. Church folk giving out reading glasses with bibles

Baby Elephant wedged in street manhole rescued. FOX NEWS

Tamiflu may not help fight AH1N1. Stop wanking to avoid the flu according to one medical recommendation THAI VISA

Nothing more than gossip.

I've heard tell that Thailand want's to keep the Baht strong so the rich can import luxuries at a lesser price. Here's a local luxury. Thirteen cherries $1.75 at todays exchange rate. The price was actually much higher in previous weeks.

How many Thais does it take to scrub a tank ?

One can do it
But things go easier with two. One inside, one outside.
At my house the numbers double, and so does the cost.

My water tanks collect rainwater for the swimming pool and gardening. They get an annual scrubbing during the rainy season. That way you know the resupply of water is imminent. It's a humid, sweaty and very dirty job. The bottom four inches of water are solid black.

Meanwhile moving the entrance gate into the property is also under way. Once the gate is moved into the property, guest will have covered parking for their motorcycles, and will remove them as traffic obstacles in these narrow streets.

School Mothers Day Celebrations

Ceremonies were already under way when I arrived.
Everyone was singing, facing the picture of the HRH the Queen.
Apparently Thai National songs. Everyone was standing.

After everyone was seated, traditional Thai dancing was performed for the entertainment of students, teachers, staff, and mothers.

Mothers were then formally honored on stage by their sons and daughters.

This part of the ceremony tends to get quite emotional. The kids take this quite seriously. Many times in tears, and a lot of hugging and comforting.

At the conclusion of official ceremonies, furniture and other props were removed from the stage for the main entertainment.
Apparently a beauty contest of sorts. Of course there were the very obvious ladyboys, but others I wasn't too sure of their (ahem) gender.

The pageant was frequently taken over by funny antics which had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter.

Some of the more needy students were selected to present me with flowers.

Of course I anticipated these gestures by offering small financial rewards.