Total Eclipse of the Heart with Honest Lyrics

It’s Bonnie Tyler’s 1983 hit “Total Eclipse of the Heart” but with lyrics that describe what’s going on in the video. It's so gay, it's over the top, not to mention the pedophilia aspect.

Laura Ling and Euna Lee Detained in North Korea

SFist has details on the upcoming trial of Ling and Lee in North Korea, with TV appearances and information on their Facebook page, plus links.

Journalists Detained in North Korea Go on Trial Thursday, Lisa Ling to Speak Out This Week

CurrentTV journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee, who were detained for illegally crossing the North Korean border and accused of "hostile acts," are set to go on trial on Thursday. If convicted, they could spend up to ten years in a North Korean boot camp. Al Gore, a partner at Current, has been working closely with the State Department to get the women released, and the Swedish Mission at the United Nations has been serving as an intermediary.

Although it's been advised that the less said publicly the better for fear of antagonizing Pyongyang, Ling and Lee's families have decided to speak out next week. On Monday, Lisa Ling will be appearing on the 7 a.m. block of The Today Show (NBC), on the Larry King show (CNN) at 6 p.m. PST (9 p.m., EST), and on Anderson Cooper on Wednesday.

Ling and Lee are being kept separately in either a government guest house or a hotel outside of Pyongyang and have been allowed to make limited phone calls, which can be interpreted as a good sign that they're not being physically abused. Lisa Ling also received a letter from Laura on May 15, which can be read on the Facebook page that Ling and Lee's families have set up.

The families are asking people to sign their petition, which will be going to the United Nations. There will also be vigils in various cities across the country on Wednesday evening, including San Francisco, at the steps of City Hall from 6 to 8 p.m.

Cambodian Fortune Tellers in Pattaya

Pattaya is always a good source for bizarre stories, especially when they involve local prostitutes and fortune tellers from Cambodia. Pattaya Daily News has the story.

THREE PATTAYA BAR GIRLS VICTIMS OF CAMBODIAN FORTUNE TELLER SCAM

On 12th May 2009 three Thai ladies claimed they had been poisoned and robbed by a female fortune teller whom they had invited back to their Pattaya apartment, in a similar fashion to a previous case reported by PDN on 9th February 2009.

As soon as Police Lieutenant Colonel Was received a report of the incident at 9.00 pm a police and rescue team rushed to room no. 11, on the third floor of Wanpen Apartment, located in Soi Gor Pai, Moo. 10, Nongprue, Banglamung.

There, the police found two ladies lying on the bed and one in the toilet. Miss Junsri Rakmitr [23] from Surin, the room owner, together with Miss Oil and Miss Porn [alias], all employees of a bar in Soi 7, Central Pattaya, were all unconscious. Two of them had been hit on the forehead with a hard object.

Police found paraphernalia connected with a religious ritual including a tray with incense, candles, flowers and a small amount of money, placed on the bed headboard. On the Buddha shelf, there was a golden baby image and three cups of a beverage which had been consumed. The room was in disarray as if someone had carried out a search.

Initially, the rescue team gave the three ladies first aid. When Miss Junsri, the room owner, woke up in a confused state, she told police that at 4.00 am, on the same day, she and her two friends were on their way home when they met a woman aged around 45 – 50, who claimed to be a Cambodian fortune teller. As the woman began to tell their fortune, they started to show interest and the woman said, if they wanted to have good luck, they would have to carry out a ritual with her in their room.

Their interest became stronger when the woman promised if they decided to go through the ritual, they would be able to find foreign husbands like many other ladies she had helped before.

Back at their room, as part of the ritual, they had to drink a cup of dark coffee each and not too long after that they felt very sleepy. They woke up again on the next day and found out that they had been robbed. The Cambodian fortune teller had made off with their property consisting of 3 mobile phones and 3 wallets containing tens of thousands of baht.

They asked for help from neighbours to report the incident to the police. They had never seen the robber before and had no idea what her name was.

The Sulphur Workers of Mt. Ijen in East Java

Foreign Policy has a photographic essay on the sulphur workers at Mt. Ijen at the far eastern coast of Java. Travelers can also visit and observe the action, but taking a bus from Bali to the western crossing and then going south instead of the usual northern route toward Surabaya. Once in Banyuwangi, find a guesthouse and then a local guide to take you up the slopes of Ijen, then hike to the summit to watch the workers arrive with their blocks of sulphur.

Orlando won both games over the Lakers this season

The Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers played twice this year with the Magic winning both games...

December 20th - Magic 106 Lakers 103


January 16 - Magic 109 Lakers 103

Fake Disneyland in China

They copy everything else, so why not a copy of Disneyland in China? Apparently, Disney has filed a lawsuit, but the characters of Mickey, Tigger, and even Hello Kitty continue to parade around the grounds.

In May 2007, the park was exposed by international media for having made unauthorized use of Japanese and American cartoon characters.[1] According to a report originally broadcast on Fuji TV's FNN News, the park features a castle that resembles Disney's trademark Sleeping Beauty Castle and a structure that looks like Epcot's Spaceship Earth. The park also features a host of costumed characters that look amazingly similar to not only Disney's trademark characters, but also Shrek, Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Bugs Bunny and a number of other trademarked characters.

Park officials denied any wrongdoing. When asked by the FNN News reporter if the characters are related to Disney, the theme park's general manager Liu Jingwang said that their characters are based on Grimm's Fairy Tales.

According to a May 10, 2007 Associated Press report, the park deputy general manager Yin Zhiqiang said that the park's lawyers are in negotiation with The Walt Disney Company. Disney declined to comment directly on this matter.[1]

Wikipedia -- Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park

Bangkok Meals Near Chulalongkorn University

The Horizons section of the Bangkok Post often features stories about eating around Bangkok, including this recent article centered on the foodstalls and foodcourts near Chulalongkorn University. It's a splendid summary of the offerings with special perks such as embedded video, two panoramic views of the uberclean foodcourts, and a map to help you get oriented. A really fine and useful package for locals and visitors alike. Bangkok Post Horizons - Chow Down Central is well worth the click.

Nestled in the shadows of the Kingdom's oldest university, these three interconnected areas are bound to offer something to satisfy one's appetite practically 24 hours a day. One might even go so far - or be so flippant - as to suggest that graduating from the prestigious halls of Chulalongkorn might be a simpler task than emerging from this neighbourhood, which stretches from Rama I Road all the way to Rama IV, with an empty stomach!

And probably the best way to choose a good place to eat here is simply to take a look at your watch.

The Evening News

Declining viewership of the evening news has brought some big changes.

The Quickest Way to Defuse a Car Bomb in Iraq

EMBED-Tank Rolls Over Car Bomb - Watch more free videos

Run over it with a tank.

Miss Tiffany Universe 2009 in Pattaya

As you can see, the annual Tiffany Universe contest is much more than just pretty girls prancing around the stage; it's a full on Hollywood production.

Sorrawee “Nong Jazz” Nattee, a 20-year-old student from Ratchapat Suansunanta University, was crowned Miss Tiffany’s Universe 2009. Nong Jazz collected cash, a car and other prizes worth more than one million baht as the judges’ choice in the transvestite beauty contest.

On May 15 at the Tiffany Show Theatre in Pattaya, the 12th annual contest for the most beautiful women “of the second category” (transvestite) was a glittering show, attended by stars, actors, actresses, and the mass media. The event, broadcast live on Channel 7, was organized by Tiffany’s in cooperation with the Tourism Authority of Thailand Central Region 3 and Pattaya City.

In the final round of the competition, 30 beautiful contestants were pared down to 10, and then to three finalists. The end of each selection round saw a Tiffany Show performance. The judges as always had the difficult task of choosing.

Pattaya Mail

Silkworms Entomb Rotterdam Car

Talk about parking hazards. Daily Mail has the details.

Under a giant silk cocoon created by an army of caterpillars, the shape of a Honda is just about visible. The car was mistaken as food by spindle ermine larvae, which had already begun to strip a nearby tree of its leaves. Spindle ermines weave silk webs to protect themselves from birds and wasps, allowing them to gorge on leaves for six weeks before transforming into butterflies.

Cheese Rolling in England

Space Hippies Episode on Star Trek

Takes you right back to 1968. But then Spock always had musical aspirations.

Bangkok Bugle Photography

Fine photo of Bangkok buildings by Bangkok Bugle at his photography website Bangkok Taxi. Did he really take this photo from the backseat of a Bangkok cab?

Thai Rath Cartoons and Translations

Siam Report is providing a great service by posting political cartoons from Thai Rath with English translation.

Abu Dhabi Tower Gate Hotel

Not to be left in the dust of Dubai, Abu Dhabi is constructing an amazing leaning hotel, now about 50 percent completed.

Capital Gate climbing in Abu Dhabi

A symbol of engineering prowess, the Capital Gate tower hotel is starting to take form in Abu Dhabi. Designed as the most inclined tower in the world, the 35 storey, gravity-defying feature tower will lean westward 18 degrees, 4 times as far as the Leaning Tower of Pisa which currently leans 3.97 degrees.

Designed by RMJM, the tower relies on a diagrid exoskeleton constructed on top of a 7-foot-deep concrete base to hold the structure in place. 490 piles that have been drilled 100 feet underground will hold the structure still accommodating the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures caused by the lean of the building.

The halfway point is marked by the construction of a tea lounge and swimming pool suspended 263 feet above the ground on the 17th and 18th floors, above a gigantic internal atrium and halfway up the 35-story, 525-foot tall tower. Tony Archibold, RMJM Project Director, added: “Passing the half-way point in development is a great success and we are now entering a critical period in Capital Gate’s development. While we are facing some of our toughest architectural challenges, it is also the beginning of the most exciting stage as the structure takes shape.”

“When complete, Capital Gate will be a modern day icon for Abu Dhabi, recognizable throughout the world. Capital Gate is not about being the biggest or the tallest, it is about advanced technical ingenuity and aesthetic splendor,” said Simon Horgan, ADNEC Group CEO. “This is one of the most challenging buildings under construction in the world at the moment but due to the partnership between ADNEC, RMJM and all contractors on the project, ground breaking solutions are being designed on a daily basis.”

World Architecture News

Northbound Magazine Issue 2

Fans of northern Luzon might enjoy this pdf file of the 2nd issue of Northbound, though the horrible pdf format means you can only look at the photos and can't read the tiny, tiny text. Perhaps the regular html text is found somewhere on their website?

NorthBound Magazine in PDF

Penguins-Red Wings - Let's get it on!

It's a rematch from last year's Stanley Cup Finals when the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games...the Red Wings are once again favored in the series...if you believe Detroit is going to win the series, you would have to put down $15.50 to win $10.00...if the Penguins are your choice, you can lay down $10.00 to win $12.50...my money is going on the Penguins...

It all starts Saturday night on NBC...so let's get it on...

John Buccigross of ESPN.com goes over 10 factors that will determine this year's winner... "The Penguins' confidence is probably sky-high because they are young and appear to be the healthier team. And the Stanley Cup schedule favors youth and health. Games 1 and 2 are on back-to-back days to appease an American television network that doesn't pay a rights fee." ...

John Buccigross

Michael Farber of SI.com writes about the strange schedule for the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals... "The year is 1955. Canadiens fans riot outside the Forum when NHL President Clarence Campbell suspends Maurice Richard. Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person. The Mickey Mouse Club premiers on ABC-TV. The NHL holds back-to-back games during the Detroit-Montreal Stanley Cup Final." ...

Michael Farber

Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press writes how the Red Wings need to thank Darren Helm... "The puck just there? Inches from the goal? An open net? All Darren Helm had to do was swing?" ...

Mitch Albom

Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press writes how Detroit won without the Capital C... "They didn’t have their C, were running out of A’s and sustained an even further depleted D when Jonathan Ericsson underwent an emergency appendectomy Wednesday after suffering abdominal pains following the Wings’ morning skate." ...

Drew Sharp

White House Easter Egg Hunt on Acid

Somebody please tell me that acid was dropped in the White House water supply. There is no other explanation for the surrealism of this clip.

Jerusalem Syndrome

Christian nutcases visiting Jerusalem sometimes flip out and go nuts under Biblical inspiration. Sounds somewhat like the swimming incident in Rangoon, where a Missouri Mormon swam across Inya Lake to warn Aung San Suu Kyi that she was under threat of assassination, and oh, could I take a videotaped interview? She should have thrown his sorry, crazy ass back in the lake and called security. Now she faces a bogus trial intended to keep her under house arrest another five years.

Sexual Slavery Tolerated in Singapore

I have no problem with voluntary prostitution; if a woman wants to rent out her body for financial gain, who am I to judge? When pimps get involved, then I get angry, since the situation has crossed from voluntary to slavery. But it mostly pisses me off when girls are abducted, forced into performing sex acts, under the watchful eye of officials and governments. You'd hardly find a more shocking example than in moralistic Singapore, as noted today in the opinion section of The Bangkok Post.

In the jargon of those who fight against human trafficking, Thailand is a "source, transit and destination" country for those tricked or forced, or both, into slavery.

Singapore, however, is a "destination" country for victims. That's logical: there is much more trafficking within poor countries and much more trafficking to richer nations.

Most human trafficking involves women and most of it concerns sex. A recent report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimated that 79% of human trafficking worldwide was for sexual exploitation. And most of the people in charge of the trafficking are women.

In this manner, a Thai woman a little while ago went to Singapore. She thought she would work in a restaurant. Instead, she found herself working above the restaurant, locked up and forced against her will to provide sex to customers, as many as 10 a night. She cannot leave; nor can the dozens of Thai women locked up with her.

In Bangkok, this young woman worked as a bar girl. She was paid for sex but at least she had some ability to choose when and with whom. In Singapore, she is being raped, repeatedly.

Kidnapping, imprisonment and rape are crimes, no matter what the standing of the victim. She has no idea where she is but wherever it is, she and her sister sex slaves are under guard.

But she was able to get a message out to an American friend before her mobile phone went dead. Her case is now being investigated by the Thai authorities.

Thailand at least has systems for helping trafficking victims, both domestically and internationally and they are rated well by the US State Department, which reports each year on human trafficking.

Singapore's approach is less benign.

If prostitution is the oldest profession, sexual slavery would be one of the oldest crimes. In areas of Bangkok, and places like Pattaya, commercial sex is part of the drive-by scenery. In some cases (such as Eastern European women in Pattaya) sex trafficking is involved.

But in Singapore, it seems, the brothel owners imprison their sex slaves.

This does not match the Singapore brand. Singapore is a modern, cosmopolitan country. It is clean, tidy and efficient. Its people are well-educated and multi-lingual. But it also tolerates sexual slavery.

The US State Department said in its 2008 report on human trafficking: "Singapore is a destination country for women and girls trafficked for the purpose of labour and commercial sexual exploitation. Some women from India, Thailand, the Philippines and the People's Republic of China who travel to Singapore voluntarily for prostitution or work are subsequently deceived or coerced into sexual servitude."

Singapore is also a country governed by the rule of law. The report noted that Singapore had strict laws against sex trafficking, including imprisonment, fines and caning. Yet somehow the rule of law does not extend to sexual servitude.

The US State Department noted that Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs received and investigated 28 reports of human trafficking in 2007-2008. "One case remains under investigation," it said. "...the others were closed due to lack of substantiating evidence."

That may suggest that Singapore does not have a serious problem with human trafficking. But one way of making sure a dirty problem stays under the carpet is to fail to collect the information.

Singapore has thousands of foreign prostitutes but are they sellers or victims? The Singapore government is making sure it does not have to answer that question.

"In 2007 the police arrested 5,402 foreign women for prostitution, who were generally incarcerated, then deported," the State Department said. "The number of trafficking victims among this group is unknown; however, government measures to proactively identify potential trafficking victims among this vulnerable population, if any, appear to have been limited."

This approach had two effects.

First, victims of trafficking, the State Department pointed out, were penalised for acts committed because they were sex slaves. Second, no one will know the scope of the trafficking problem because the government has no statistics. No information means, publicly, no problem.

Perhaps Singapore will investigate the case of the Thai women imprisoned in a lock-up brothel. Or perhaps not. The UN report on human trafficking, in the final sentence of its small chapter on Singapore, said: "No victims of trafficking in persons were identified or sheltered by State authorities."

Thailand Cracks Down on Donut Thieves

We all know that you are supposed to pay for all food items at 7-11 before you consume them, but sometimes hunger takes over and you eat the donuts before you reach the cashier. Don't try this in Thailand, where the police will be called, you will be hauled off to jail, and only the payment of $5000 to the police will speed up the date of your hearing. Remember, this is Thailand.

What else can Thailand possibly do to screw up their tourism profile?

The Telegraph reports on the latest stupid trick coming from the Land of Smiles.

A SYDNEY school teacher is the latest Australian tourist to reveal he was locked up in Thailand - after being accused of stealing a doughnut.

His story comes as mother-of-four Annice Smoel returned from the hot destination to be reunited with her daughters after spending four nights in jail accused of stealing a beer mat, and two other Australians have found themselves before UK courts for their behaviour on flights.

Sean Kearney told The Daily Telegraph yesterday he was lining up at a 7-Eleven store in Bangkok with two bottles of water and some doughnuts when he was taken by police for eating the doughnuts before he reached the counter about January 20 this year.

Mr Kearney said the store attendant phoned the police, who arrested him when he reached the counter with the empty doughnut packet. Mr Kearney, who teaches at Waverley College in Sydney's east, couldn't believe what was happening. "Within 30 seconds police turned up and they were at the register and at the door," he said.

"I told them that I had money to pay but they wouldn't listen."

Mr Kearney said he then tried to run from the officers, who later caught him and locked him up for 22 hours before his release. They alleged he stole the doughnuts and water, worth 40 baht ($1.47). "I told them I didn't steal anything but they didn't believe me," he said. "They wouldn't talk money with me until I apologised. It was like a respect thing.

"I was told if I paid police $5000 I could get an earlier court date and be released from jail. "Once I gave them the money I got my passports back and was allowed to leave."

Zamboni is the word when it comes to cleaning ice

John Branch of The New York Times wrote an interesting article about the Zamboni - the ice resurfacing machine that is seen at ice rinks...the Zamboni is family owned and is located just outside of Los Angeles... "And, in this day, it may be comforting to know that Frank J. Zamboni & Company, still family owned and operated, is not asking for a government bailout." ...

John Branch

The Chosen One - Sonia Sotomayor

Don't count the Cavs out just yet

With the Memorial Day weekend over, here are a few thoughts that I had while off from work for a few days:

- Don't count the Cavs out against Orlando...a win tonight in Game 4 evens the series at 2 and gives the Cavs home court advantage once again...

- Even if the Cavs lose and find themselves on the short-end of a 3-1 series mark, I still believe they are capable of winning the series...whenever a team has a player the caliber of LeBron James, there is always a chance to win...

- Game 3 was over-officiated...whenever I see Joey Crawford officiating a game, I know there will be a lot of ticky tack fouls called...

- The Cavalier fans should not complain about fouls...quite often LeBron gets the benefit of the doubt when the whistle blows...that just shows that LeBron is one of the elite players in the game...all the great ones, from Bird to Magic to Michael, got this edge from the officials...

- LeBron's winning shot in Game 2 was reminiscent of something Larry Bird would do...

- The first college football preview books are on the newsstand...Athlon released its conference preview books late last week...

- If you are a fan of Michigan, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, and other big time powers, check out Maple Street Press and their preview books that are dedicated specifically for each team...each book contains quality writing and a plethora of stories...here is the link Maple Street Press

- It's hard to believe David Ortiz has only 1 homerun through Memorial Day...Big Papi hasn't just taken a dive, he has fallen completely off the table and cannot get up...

- What about the Indians last night...down 10-0, the Tribe pulled a LeBron and scored 7 runs in the bottom of the ninth and won 11-10...

- Did you Pepsi is bringing back, for a limited time, Pepsi-Cola that is made with natural sugar...I thought all that sugar was bad for you???...

Extortion in Phuket

And yet another hellish tourist experience from lovely Phuket. The Age provides a decent summary, though most of information seems cribbed from Land of Trails, the official blog of the two university students who were obviously extorted in Phuket. Phuket Post also just regurgitates the original story as posted on the blog, so I'll quote some of their post.

We left the house we were renting in Phuket to have dinner with some friends. At midnight our landlord called to tell us our house was on fire. We rushed back to find everything we owned a smoking ruin. We lost everything, including passports.

During the police investigation the cause, I was interrogated twice and my partner once. After a few weeks, we were informed that the cause had been determined: accidental electrical fire, probably as a result of the air conditioning unit.

Regardless of the first, we had already been planning to leave the county – we had bought our tickets and put in our 2 months notices at work – so we asked them if we were cleared to leave. They said we were, and without any problems we were stamped out of the country.

A month after we left and unbeknownst to us, the original investigator on the case was transferred and the new investigator changed his conclusion, blaming the fire on a lit cigarette and holding us responsible. Though we had given all of our contact information and the police station was just a short drive up the road from my partner’s previous employer, no effort was made to contact us – no phone call, email, written notification in 21 months.

On April 9, along with our friend and my partner’s sister, we arrived in Bangkok for a two-week holiday. When our passports were scanned into the system at immigration a flashing red light went off above our heads and we were taken aside by immigration officers. After twenty minutes or so an officer informed us that we were wanted in Phuket. Of course we asked for details but apparently there was not a single immigration officer who spoke decent English. Eventually an officer called his girlfriend and she told us via his mobile that we were being detained in connection with the house fire and for fleeing the country.

Our passports were taken immediately and we were detained in an office while the immigration police called Phuket to find out more information. We were informed that we would have to be escorted to Phuket and that we would have to pay for the plane ticket for the officer to escort us, which cost 7,000 Baht. That was to be the smallest expense of the whole affair.

Upon our arrival in Phuket we were met by Phuket Provincial police officers in plain clothes and taken directly to Phuket Town Police Station. There we were once again not provided with a translator and not given any means of securing our own. In broken English we were told that we were being charged as criminals; though we were not told specifically what we were being charged with.

After witnessing conversations between several officers, none of which gave us any information, police told us they would have to “control us”, meaning lock us up in a holding cell and set bail at 100,000 Baht each.

At that moment we demanded to speak to the US Embassy. They told us that we were welcome to call the embassy on our phone, which, having been arrested within half an hour of arriving, we didn’t have. They refused to allow us to use their phone to make any phone calls. We were alone.

Demanding again to call the embassy, they said they would call for us. The officer quickly spoke to the duty officer in Thai then hung up – we were not allowed to speak to our embassy. After that we were put into jail cells. I was being held with two other cellmates while my partner was being held alone. The cells were dirty, hot and disgusting – infested with bugs and feces spread on the wall.

After an hour we managed to get the attention of the guard and with great difficulty we were able to make him understand that we wanted to make bail. About two hours later, a lawyer appeared, claiming he had been sent by the US Embassy. The lawyer said he would bail us out and charge us 20,000 Baht for his 10% service fee. Once we were released, we were to transfer 220,000 Baht to him immediately.

Luckily, we were bailed Friday, the day before Songkran, the Thai New Year, which meant that the entire legal system would be shut down for 5 days, leaving us in jail.

Since no effort was made by the Thai authorities to make the situation clear to us we were forced to fall back on our own resources to figure out what was going on. We found out that the charges against us were originating from our former landlord so we arranged to meet with him on the Friday, 17 April, one week after we had been detained. We also arranged a translator, who had worked with a friend of ours.

During that meeting he claimed he didn’t want anything from us. Confused but relieved we agreed to go to the police station so that the situation could be cleared up. However, once we were all at the station, the landlord reversed his position. He demanded that we pay him 1.5 million baht to cover the cost of repairing the house. Despite the fact that he is very successful and well-to-do business owner and my partner and I are just students, he was adamant that we pay.

After hours of attempts to negotiate and plead our desperation and lack of money, we were only able to get him to agree to 1.3 million Baht, or 37,000 US Dollars. Until we paid this, we would not be given our passports.

During this meeting we also found out that our first lawyer had been trying to rob us. His first falsehood was that he had been sent by the embassy. Though the US Embassy told us that they do not send lawyers; they only send a list. The second lie that he told us was that we would only get our 200,000 Baht in bail back if we fought the case in court and won. When we told the police that they laughed in our faces. The only thing the police needed for us to be bailed was a signature from a lawyer. But who contacted the lawyer in the first place? The police.

.
See the link above to the blog for the conclusion.

Tough Times in Korea

Economic times are tough around the world, but at least this begger in Korea had the sense to employ the help of his dog and cat. The begging dog I can understand, but I never realized that cats beg by laying on their backs and spreading their legs. Throw that cat some doggie meat!

Tattoo Suggestion for Females Traveling to China

Western female travelers heading to China in search of the perfect tattoo might enjoy the calligraphy above, which means "Love Lasts Forever." Nice sentiment and a very simple tattoo that takes little time and doesn't cost too much. A memorable souvenir of your visit to China.

Japanese Creations: Lego Yamato and Bizarre Beetle Robot Car

You'd think a nation this creative could work their way out of the current recession. But then their last recession lasted an astonishing 10 years before it backed off. Short break, then on to the current crisis.

Color Photos of Old China

Rare color photos of pre-revolution China at Secret China.

Thaksin Raps

Some clever Thai has created a YouTube video of poor Thaksin attempting to speak English, then moves on to the Thaksin Rap. Funny stuff. Highly recommended.

Komodo Dragon Kills with Venom, not Mouth Bacteria

Well folks, I was wrong about the Komodo Dragon in Indonesia, as well was Bill Dalton in his Indonesia Handbook, and damn near everybody else who believed the big baby killed with bad bacteria in his mouth. Al Jazerra has the details.

The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, has a snake-like venom in its bite which sends victims into shock and stops their blood from clotting, Australian research has shown.

It has been previously believed by scientists that bacteria in the carnivorous lizard's mouth helped kill its prey.

But researchers using magnetic resonance imagery uncovered venom glands containing a shock-inducing poison which is said to increase blood flow and decrease blood pressure.

Bryan Fry, the lead researcher from the University of Melbourne, said on Tuesday that computer imaging showed it used a "grip and rip" pulling manoeuvre to tear deep wounds, similar to a shark.

Fry surgically removed a venom gland from a terminally ill Komodo at Singapore Zoo for the study, and said it contained a toxic poison which would induce strong stomach cramps, hypothermia and a drop in blood pressure.

The SF Chronicle via AP has some background on recent attacks by Komodos on the local villagers. Plus funny comments, including a reminder that publisher Phil Bronstein was once bitten on his footsie when he got too close to one of the animals.

Komodo dragons have shark-like teeth and poisonous venom that can kill a person within hours of a bite. Yet villagers who have lived for generations alongside the world's largest lizard were not afraid — until the dragons started to attack.

The stories spread quickly across this smattering of tropical islands in southeastern Indonesia, the only place the endangered reptiles can still be found in the wild: Two people were killed since 2007 — a young boy and a fisherman — and others were badly wounded after being charged unprovoked.

Komodo dragon attacks are still rare, experts note. But fear is swirling through the fishing villages, along with questions on how best to live with the dragons in the future.

Main, a 46-year-old park ranger, who like many Indonesians goes by a single name, was doing paperwork when a dragon slithered up the stairs of his wooden hut in Komodo National Park and went for his ankles dangling beneath the desk. When the ranger tried to pry open the beast's powerful jaws, it locked its teeth into his hand.

"I thought I wouldn't survive... I've spent half my life working with Komodos and have never seen anything like it," said Main, pointing to his jagged gashes, sewn up with 55 stitches and still swollen three months later. "Luckily, my friends heard my screams and got me to hospital in time."

Komodos, which are popular at zoos in the United States to Europe, grow to be 10 feet (3 meters) long and 150 pounds (70 kilograms). All of the estimated 2,500 left in the wild can be found within the 700-square-mile (1,810-square-kilometer) Komodo National Park, mostly on its two largest islands, Komodo and Rinca. The lizards on neighboring Padar were wiped out in the 1980s when hunters killed their main prey, deer.

Though poaching is illegal, the sheer size of the park — and a shortage of rangers — makes it almost impossible to patrol, said Heru Rudiharto, a biologist and reptile expert. Villagers say the dragons are hungry and more aggressive toward humans because their food is being poached, though park officials are quick to disagree.

The giant lizards have always been dangerous, said Rudiharto. However tame they may appear, lounging beneath trees and gazing at the sea from white-sand beaches, they are fast, strong and deadly.

The animals are believed to have descended from a larger lizard on Indonesia's main island Java or Australia around 30,000 years ago. They can reach speeds of up to 18 miles (nearly 30 kilometers) per hour, their legs winding around their low, square shoulders like egg beaters.

More great stories from the SF Chron about Komodo Dragons here. Yes, the great Komodo Dragon attack on Phil Bronstein is included in this Chron search.

Suicide Jumper Pushed off Bridge in China

China Smack provides new information about the incident which shocked the world, including possible motivations of the seriously disturbed man who pushed the suicide jumper off a bridge. Photos above show the pusher saluting the crowd, the suicide jumper hitting a steel beam on the way down, and the initial confrontation on the bridge in Guangzhao.

BBC Asia-Pacific News provides the background.

A man threatening to commit suicide by jumping from a Chinese bridge was approached by a passer-by who shoved him over the edge, local media say. Lai Jiansheng, 66, said he was fed up with the desperate man's "selfish activity" which caused huge traffic jams in Guangzhou, southern China.

Chen Fuchao fell 26ft (8m) on to an air cushion and is recovering in hospital, the official Xinhua news agency said. Xinhua said Mr Lai was "taken away by police", but gave no further details.

The drama unfolded when Mr Chen climbed on to Haizhu Bridge in Guangzhou on Thursday and threatened to jump. He told police he wanted to kill himself because he was 2m yuan ($293,000 or £184,000) in debt following a failed construction project, the China Daily reported.

Traffic around the bridge was stopped for five hours while officers tried to coax Mr Chen to safety. Retired soldier Mr Lai at first volunteered to try to talk Mr Chen down but was turned away by police, Xinhua said. Mr Lai is said to have then broken through the police cordon, climbed to where Mr Chen sat, greeted him with a handshake - and then pushed him off the edge. Pictures in the China Daily show him saluting to the crowd after Mr Chen fell on to the partially filled emergency air cushion.

"I pushed him off because jumpers like Chen are very selfish," the newspaper quoted Mr Lai as saying. Their action violates a lot of public interests. They do not really dare to kill themselves. Instead, they just want to raise the relevant government authorities' attention to their appeals."

Mr Chen is said to have suffered spine and elbow injuries and is recovering in a Guangzhou hospital.

The bridge has gained a macabre reputation, attracting at least 12 would-be suicide jumpers since the start of April, according to the China Daily report. None of the 12 has jumped, although each has held up traffic for several hours, it said.

The quick incident was filmed by a local TV station, then, of course, posted on YouTube:

Political Murders in the Philippines

Bulatlat (verb to investigate) is a very liberal or leftist website that covers all the heavy issues coming from the Philippines, a very good site if you're looking this kind of news. One of the more unique angles is that many of the stories are covered via slide shows or movies, which breaks up the monotony of just still images and text. They recently covered an event in Germany that points out some shocking statistics about political killings in the Philippines since the election of Arroyo in 2001.

What would be your guess about the number of recent political murders in the Philippines? 59? 116? 212? Guess again, then read the press release published on Bulatlat.

Buffeted by heavy rain and gusty winds, more than 200 visitors of the German Kirchentag took about seven hours until they were able to light one candle for each of the 1015 victims of political killings in the Philippines.

“Though it is not new to us, we are shocked by the number of victims the candles reveal,” said Hannah Wolf, spokesperson of the German-Philippine initiative “Sumabay Tayo! Walking Together – for Justice. “In fact sheets the numbers seem so abstract. The candles are the first to give an idea of about how many individuals were actually killed, how many more are left to mourn, are traumatized and hungry for justice. To no one of these 1015 victims has justice been served. It is horrific.”

The protest called attention to the murders of more than 1000 persons who have been summarily executed since 2001 under the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Organizers had earlier planned to light 1,009 candles but raised the number as they received reports of six more deaths. Among them were deaths in the central Philippine islands of Panay and Negros. The action was part of the Kirchentag, the biennial German Protestant Church gathering,[1] which was held from 20 to 24 May. Based on the Kirchentag theme “Mortal, where are you? (Genesis 3:9),” the initiative “Sumabay Tayo!“ called especially on Christians to act according to their faith and to stand for justice.

Bulatlat

Crown Prince Flies Commercial Plane

That's the Crown Prince of Thailand and the commercial plane he recently flew after the required 1000 hours of inflight training led by notorious commercial jet pilot John Travolta. The curious thing about this photo is that other crew members have had their legs amputated below the knees. I don't known why the CP would order such action, but the CP might have difficulty finding fresh staff for his next flight. Hey! How about those legless beggers on Sukumvit?

Jack Daniels Interview from Bali

Anyone involved with Bali tourism probably knows about the dapperly dressed gentleman above, Mr. Jack Daniels, who co-owns Bali Discovery Tours and publishes the highly useful, weekly, Bali Update. I've mentioned Jack several times before, and haven't met him yet, but he's probably among the most informed Westerners in the world on the current status of tourism in Bali.

Bali News Interview with Jack Daniels

The Smoel Arrest in Phuket

During my recent computer problems, I missed a few interesting stories coming out of Thailand, including this one about a Ms. Smoel from Australia who allegedly attempted to steal a "bar mat" from the Aussie Bar on Soi Bangla in Phuket. She was arrested, threatened with five years in prison for her crime, kept in jail for four days. Then some cooler heads up in Bangkok intervened, and Ms. Smoel was given a small fine, released and she's now back in Australia, reunited with her four children.

The above photos include Ms. Smoel, a sample of a "beer mat" (which sells for some $50!), and the Aussie Bar on Soi Bangla in Phuket. Anyone who has been to Phuket has certainly walked past that centrally located bar in the heart of Patong.

Thai 360 Forum has an informative discussion about the event, from those who believe the entire affair is yet another embarrassment to Thailand, to the habitual right-wing nutcases who haunt most of the Thai forums.

The real reason for Memorial Day

Another Memorial Day Observance is upon us...with nice weather happening in the midwest, people are barbecuing and having family gatherings...but the main purpose of Memorial Day is to honor those who have given their life in serving our country...

We will see pictures of President Obama at Arlington National Cemetery...however, very few see photos of American cemeteries abroad in which thousands of Americans are buried...their bodies never came back to American soil...below are just a few snippets of those cemeteries...

God Bless America...

Cambridge, England - 3,812 of our military dead



Meuse-Argonne - 14,246 of our military dead


The American Cemetery at Ardennes, Belgium - 5,329 of our military dead


Luxembourg - 5,076 of our military dead