Dry Season is Wedding High season

July seems to be the most popular wedding month worldwide.
Not so in Isaan where July is the start of the rainy season.
Now with the dry season well underway,  I've noted a steady increase of wedding plans, and have a number of invitations confirming 'Dry Season is Wedding High Season'

  Thailand's past corruptions come home to roost

That's about the best way  to describe the discoveries reported in this news item.
Would be interesting to see statistics of how many Bangkok canals have disappeared in the last five decades

• The Nation - Many city canals 'illegally blocked'

Boat builders doing brisk business in Thailand

Love the float with a couch  (1 minute 4 seconds into the video)

A major crack is developing in Antarctica.

A big chunk of Antarctica is expected to break off later this year or early next year.
The estimated 880 sq km ice cube is expected to drift north.
It is a reoccurring event. A similar such breakup occurred in 2001.
What is of interest is the effect the ice cube will have on cooling ocean temperatures in the area.
Possibly months of drought conditions on nearby continents months after the ice cube dislodges and melts.

• BBC News - Major berg forming in Antarctica   

Dehydration a major cause of Kidney Stones

Had this pain on the left side of my groin on and off for almost two days.
Didn't take a medical degree to determine the cause.
I drink too much coffee, which we all know dehydrates the body, as does alcohol. 

The pain had not been severe enough for me to decide to seek medical attention. 

Searched out alternative treatments and determined what I had around the house to use. 

Drank a healthy amount of olive oil and apple cider vinegar, followed by extra helpings of water. 

After ten minutes I jumped up and down a few times. 

The stone seems to have been dislodged.  However, all that jumping has created uncomfortable pains in my spine.  Rum and coconut juice should remedy those pains.

Protect I.P. Act Targets Overseas Web Pirates

It is aimed at websites outside the U.S.A. distributing anything copyrighted. 

Those free downloads of music and songs are a primary target.  Even innocently recorded home movies may be targeted  if your radio or TV  happens to be playing in the background.
One website claims that kids like Justin Bieber may well wind up in the courts.  Justin got his start posting videos of him singing copy protected songs
Protect IP Act at WIKIPEDIA  

• Thailand Flood Map Dated October 31

• Mile-long cracks found in Bangkok floodwalls telegraph.co.uk

Weather

Local: increased chance of rain over the weekend, Monday and Tuesday.
While Thai Meteorological Department suggest only a 10% chance of precipitation, others predict anywhere from 40 to 80% possibility.
All weather agencies are in agreement of a cooling trend noticeable on Wednesday with lows ranging from 18C to 16C (not the previously forecast 14C)

As if there isn't enough misery in Bangkok and surrounding provinces, rain is in their forecast during the early part of next week.

Those crazy men and their flying machines

In aviation  terms this is called a crash landing.

There was no "crash" though.

With the exception that the landing gear failed to deploy, this was a near perfect landing

German aviation marvel
The eggbeater is airborne

Demise of the Sunshine Garden

The Sunshine Garden is the second Farang establishment to close this year after  disappointing numbers of patrons. 

The escape bar closed earlier this year after only a few months in operation.

Where others have been before

I didn't have a birthday party...

...but that didn't stop my Thai friends from throwing a party. Visitors arrived and left throughout the day.  Some real surprises were people I had not expect to remember my birthday.   

Quite a crowd had gathered on my porch by early evening. I made myself comfortable in front of the tube.  Still a bit under the weather from this lingering flu, I had no plans to party.
When I did step out to greet all the visitors I noted a bottle of whiskey, which had been a birthday present, was  empty and a lot of sheepish faces looked innocently at me.   

I did get quite a number of free massages that evening. After the massages and some beer I was off to dreamland for the night  

I did wake up briefly somewhere around 11 pm.   The only reminder that there had been a party was an empty case of beer bottles on the front porch

Thailand Floods, Ya' ain't seen nothing yet!

According to some soothsayers, this years floods in Thailand are a minor preview of what is yet to come.

One local prediction has it that flooding will be even worse next year.

The end of the world as we know it has been predicted as long as man has walked the earth.  So far it hasn't happened.

BUT
Somehow the prediction of
'you ain't seen nothing yet,'
made me pay attention.
That same source predicted unusually cool temperatures, some eight months ago.
Looking across the globe, that prediction has already materialized.

Next year's forecasts are all over the map everything from normal to severe cold to severe hot. Depends which agency is doing the reporting.
The answer will come right around Christmas.  That's when the heating ocean waters give birth to El Nino.
That's the mischievous little boy responsible.  It's said that he's been getting stronger with the help of global warming.  If you believe in that sort of stuff...


One of the best photography collections of the Thailand floods  and how Thais are coping
Denver Post - Oct 31

Loy Krathong and all festivities along the Chao Phraya River CANCELLED
Zero occupancy at Bangkok riverside hotels
Pattaya Mail - Nov 1

• I did receive a TAT e-mail today (Nov 2) advertising the celebration both in Bangkok and Ayutthaya from Nov 8 through 11

"We must use the wrath of nature as our teacher,"  HRH 1990

San Francisco Chronicle

Video published on Nov 1, by Associated Press on You Tube

Triple Header Birthday

Catholics have a tradition:  If you never attend church, then at a minimum you should attend Easter Mass.
Buddhist have a similar rule, except their one day of the year is your birthday.  You should at least pay homage on that day.

I participate in some of these rituals purely to appease my friends, especially this one at 6 AM.
It's a triple header birthday celebration

Unseasonably Cold Weather Approaching

My neighbors seem to be preparing for an extended cold season.  They are cutting up fallen trees and stacking firewood.

For the moment weather is still arriving from the east.  A cold front from China may soon compete with the easterly weather.


Ocean Surface temperatures in the South China Sea are dropping.  Cooler surface temperatures are approaching from the north.  This will decrease the effects of easterly weather on this area.

Sakon Nakhon inter - Provincial Youth Games

The Sakon youth football team hasn't done all that well from what I've heard. Didn't do well at all yeasterday, loosing to Mahasarakham in a big way. 

It's not that they didn't play well.  The other team just played a whole lot better

Plenty of interruptions throughout the game. A water truck circled the field to prepare the track for another sport event

From the distance it sounded like drumming band was approaching. It wasn't...

There was a request over the loudspeaker system to temporarily stop the machinery, but I guess you can't hear that on that roller. He continued circling the field

Meanwhile they were busy marking the racetrack the old fashioned way

Think They were preparing the track for a bicycle competition

In the stadium parking lot they were getting ready for volleyball competition

Further in the school complex boxing competitions were underway

Didn't quite figure out what competition they had brought in the bales of hay.

Seemingly the most popular event was lawn bowling.
There is probably a different name for this game with three steel balls. I see them playing this one every day.

With the aid of my decoding ring I was able to determine the games continue through November 5th

My flu like symptoms continue

Food Shortages Noted

Tom at Isaan Life reports of some shortages at the Khon Kaen Big C.
Worth taking a look at.  His report includes some revealing pictures.

Stocking up was a no-brainer some weeks ago, when they first mentioned the floods are coming.
I bought a 45 day supply of some  items I knew I just could not do without.
First time I ever bought a whole case of MAMA noodles.
It's interesting to note by the empty grocery shelves what the fast selling items are.

Potatoes and apples are apparently not on that list.



Local Provincial Youth Games

The Provincial Youth Games continue here in Muang Sakon Nakhon. Football, boxing, the Thai version of lawn bowling and many other sports are part of the events.
I've only attended one event. My flu like symptoms continue to zap me of energy.
Do plan to attend a Sakon Nakhon football game this afternoon.

Did watch the Mahasarakham girls defeat Korat last Saturday.  Both teams really impressed me.  There were moment when I wondered if these were really girls teams.



Thailand vs Australia Game 2

The game is scheduled for October 15.  Because of the Bangkok floods they are considering moving the game.
Chiang Mai is an alternative under consideration. Bangkok stadiums not inundated, are being used as refugee camps.  If the game does take place in Chiang Mai, they may well be faced with unseasonable cold temperatures.
Personally I wish they would not move the game.  Having the game in Bangkok at this time would be an immense morale booster for Thais.
In game one played in Australia, the hosts won 2-1.

Before the Australia game Thailand plays in Saudi Arabia on November 11. (11.11.11)


Nakhon Phanom Friendship Bridge Dedication Ceremony
is on November 11 (11.11.11)


I did recently mention that the parade season has begun.
DIRTY OLD MAN ALERT: You may be interested in other videos by this uploader. I won't post them on this blog as it IS NOT AN ADULT CONTENT BLOG.  You can find the links of interest at the end of the video