Flood aftermath: Baby Boom, Food Supply Contaminated

"Boredom Past-time"

FOX NEWS  October 5

• Baby Shower in Thailand

Chemicals leach into food supply

Buriram  Fish farms are experiencing an increased death rate of cage raised fish,
believed to be the result of chemicals leached during the flooding  

• ASTV

Early arrival!! Totally exhausted!! Nalgae visits SNO Valley

SNO Airport Code Sakon Nakhon Airport

Nalgae arrived on the scene as a Typhoon, having caused considerable havoc in the Philippines, killing 59.

The typhoon quickly lost energy over the cooling South China Sea and was downgraded to a tropical storm as it passed Hainan, October 3

The tropical storm has been further 
downgraded to a tropical depression 
and was
downgraded to a low cell as it approached Vietnam. 




10 Day outlook.   Occasional, scattered thunderstorms at times.

Weakening Tropical Storm Nalgae expected Thursday

Thai Meteorological Department Weather Warning #3 October 4

"At 04.00 a.m. today (Oct 4), tropical storm “NALGAE” over the South China Sea was centered about 250 kilometers southeast of Hainan island, China or at latitude 18.0 °N, longitude 112.0 °E with maximum sustained wind 95 km/hr. It is moving westward with speed 10 km./hr. and will make landfall at upper Vietnam on 5 Oct. ..."

Nalgae lost some of it's energy sideswiping Hainan.

The tropical storm is forecast to travel in a West-Southwest direction 

The center of the storm is expected over our area Thursday morning.
Expect further storm energy loss as it makes landfall along the Vietnam coast
Rain Thursday morning, then mostly cloudy.
Occasional rain and Thunderstorms are forecast through the following week.
Rain gear should be kept handy during the upcoming Wax Castle Festival.

Very noticeable at Weather Underground

is the drop of ocean surface water temperature.

The hottest (red) regions are shrinking.

Colder temperatures (blue) are migrating south

Obviously this will mean more moderate weather.

Flooding related illnesses and diseases are on the increase.  

If you happen to wade through standing water it is highly recommended that exposed areas be washed as soon as possible.

Expect the price of Rice to Rise

• Some food shortages next year
  Sept 30 Bangkok Post


• Thai Floods Ravage 3 Million Tons of Rice!? 
  October 3 Oryza Global Rice Prices

Sakon Nakhon Kids getting some Horse Sense

Recently noticed horses where horses hadn't been seen before.
More ponies sighted in residential areas last evening.
Haven't asked why the sudden increase, but I'm guessing there are only two possibilities:

1. They are here for the parade
2. They are being evacuated from flooded farms

Local kids are getting some horse handling experience

WOLF WOLF

I hate to be the guy known to have yelled wolf once too often.

But...
Tropical Storm Nalgae is heading this way. Downgraded from a Typhoon yesterday, Oct 2.

Nalgae moved across the Philippines with wind speeds of 150mph.
Wind speeds today Oct 3, are 95.

Accu Weather Quote:  "Given that Nesat just tracked across the South China Sea a few days ago, surface water temperatures are not as warm as they could be which will limit any re-strengthening...

Luckily there are a few fairly dry days before Nalgae arrives, allowing rivers and canals to subside somewhat.

Typhoon Nalgae Tracking Map - Weather Underground






Heaviest rainfall in the past 24 hours in Sakonnakhon Province 164.0 mm (6.45 inches) - Oct 2 - Emergency Operation Center 
Major dams over capacity  - Oct  2  - THE NATION
Foreigners staying away as Thai floods stay - Oct  1 - ASIA ONE
Thai premier promises more aid to flood victims - Oct  1 - Monsters and Critics
One Third of Thailand Deluged - Sept 30 -  ThinkProgress
THAILAND FLOODS: The Worst still to come  - Sept   30 - Thai Travel News
Thai Tourist Attractions Affected by the Flood - Sept 30 - Thai Travel Blogs

Sakon FC finishes season with a 3 - 2 win

Sakon FC hosted Kalasin in the final game of the season.
Sakon FC took the lead in the first ten minutes.
The only bad thing in this game was the refereeing.
There were just too many very obvious bad calls and many missed calls and a few confrontations between players and referees.

Sakon Nakhon finished in tenth place in the division of 18 teams

On the SakonNakhon Waterfront

• The Royal Longboat Races are to be held in less than two weeks, but there is still little noticeable preparation.

• The racetrack has been cleared of seaweed and that machinery is sitting idle

• Looks like there is a new boat on the lake. I'm wondering if that's for dignitaries only, rather than tourists.
• Time will tell

• A few of the boats have been parked at the waterfront, and one boarding platform has been built to date

• The lake water level is at it's highest in the eight years I have lived here, and rising

 

• Bleachers are at the beach, but have not been placed yet "On The Waterfront"

 

• Did I say the lake had been cleared of all seaweed? Guess not

 

• Leaving the lake park I passed some ponies along the streets. Guess They're in town for the parade? 
• The one standing in the middle of the street did not move for the ten minutes I was there. Road Guard !!

Sakon Nakhon Bus Terminal 2

Almost ready for business, they are just doing some last minute cleaning and sprucing up.
It's quite easy to find if your're heading out of town on the main road.
There's a big sign announcing the newly built road.

Before you get to the bus station there are two other buildings under construction

Tropical Storm Nesat D.O.A

Nesat D.O.A.

Tropical storm Nesat, which promised to bring increased rain and flooding, left the area after four hours of light rain. Like a 'Magic Dragon' it went puff in the middle of the night and disintegrated. Those disappointed by Nesat' visit may find condolence in the next storm headed this way. Typhoon Nalgae is on on a very similar path as its predecesor.

Sanuk Caravan: Missed it

Family Rally and Trade fair
August 31 through Sept 4 2011
It's nice that Tourism Authority is posting video's of events that just happened.   Wish they would spend some time at advance publicity !!!

Thai Baht to Weaken 3.6% by Year-End...   Bloomberg



I Love it when I'm right

Years ago, back in the U.S.A., a Thai guy had asked me how he could get rid of his Asian accent when speaking English.  I told him to sing a lot.  I had noticed many foreigners singing in English seemed to have less of their foreign accent.  Apparently I was right:

Singing therapy..   Scientific American 

(Financial) Meltdown at Aljazeera

Found the forty minute videos (linked below) quite informative  and educational, especially the second video.
I had anticipated a financial crisis since early 2000. Houses were being sold and resold, each time at a higher price.
A neighbors house was resold three times in one year,, each sale raised the value by over $10,00. I knew that balloon had to burst eventually

The men who crashed the world  The first of a four-part investigation into a world of greed and recklessness that led to financial collapse. 

A global financial tsunami  Meltdown examines how an epidemic of fear caused banks to stop lending, triggered protests and led to industrial action.

Thai School parade sparks outrage  CNN   The Sun

There was quite an uproar, especially in the Jewish community, over the recent exhibition of Hitler regalia at a Thai Student day.  Of course teachers claimed they had no prior knowledge.  It was all the student's idea.
If you believe that......!!!
What it does reflect is the lack of the Thai education system.
Most of these students and teachers don't even know where they are.
I asked my students yesterday what countries are to the east of  Sakon Nakhon.
The answers were Cambodia, Burma, London and Paris.
Of course the correct answers should have been Laos and Vietnam.
These same people also thought Hainan was someplace in Europe

Metal Sculpture at S-BAC