2Pac and kids

Above, or left, depending o the whims of blogger and your browser, playing a game.... run!!!!!
I am so angry at this blog site for its messy layout tools that I am rejecting formatting completely and just letting this post evolve as it may.

These are the kids at the dumpsite. Pretty cool little guys. Work picking up trash day and night, and when they have some cash or rice, they go to school. The NGO next door serves 480 families, I believe, trying to get them trained to do other things and get them to school.

Notice the kid with the 2Pac hat. I have another one where he is smiling, but I won't post it out of spite.

Also, you can see the smoke a burnin'. I assume this is stuff they cannot sell, so they are making room for the next loads. More soon. Too lazy for more today.

Angkor Wat

Well, here are a few more pics of the temples. I mostly took them because I thought I was supposed to, haha, or that I would regret it later. Here they are: Above, a Buddha in the mist and halways of a fairly deserted temple (for Angkor Wat). Below, one of the marshy near-canals that seem to be near many of the main entrances. Later they fill up with more water, apparently.
Here, on the top, is the so-called Lady Temple, but I think that is a misnomer by the locals (sop I heard). Will have to check on the facts for that one. Regardless, it is beautiful and has much better carvings than the other temples. On the bottom, of course, the main temple at Angkor. So there you have it, I lined up and took my photos with the thousands of others there.


Ok, then, here we have a redified area at the main coplex which was cool. I took it right behind a Naga (snake head depiction) which I think makes it looks cool, but I am sure a true photographer would slaughter me for my composition. To finish off, a sunset that actually hurts your eyes if you look into the photo for a few minutes. More to come.

The Animals Bite Back

As I am sure Hoops knows, I will shed no tears for Steve Irwin. The world loves this guy, apparently, as he tortures animals for his own profit and fame. Ok, he ran some museums and /or organizations. Great. I don't hate him. As far as I know his father started them. Whatever. The point is, a human being maimed by an animal bothers me far less than the crap he walked around doing. Sorry for the family. I guess a sting ray got him in the heart. Experts say this is highly unusual, and makes me wonder if this particular sting ray was getting Mr. Irwin back for all the crap he had done to other creatures.
I think South Park struck closest to the essence of Mr. Irwin in this clip.

South Park - Crocodile Hunter

When the natives are restless, give them photos

Following my regular protocol, I managed to take 4 rolls of film without appearing in a single picture, haha. Here, my absolute favorite photo I got from the dumpsite out of Phnom Penh. The kids were great, even if their lives are very difficult. Later I will try to put up some more that show the conditions better.


These two: top, Bayon, one of the complexes at Angkor Wat that I liked the most. Bottom, a really blurry one of Nok (she is on the right).

Tweaking consumerism

Short post about something I don't feel has much to do with my life anymore, but is interesting.
Some basketball player, Stephon Marbury, who must be extremely famous, has created a line of basketball shoes that people can actually afford, and he says he is going to wear them as well. Interesting. Maybe this is the end of inner city kids killing each other or mugging to pay for their $175 Nike Jordan's? Status and its workings being what they are, I doubt it, but at least it is hopeful. I mean, sure, the guy will make money out of it, but, it seems a little more reasonable. Here is his page.

Thoughts before departing

Not about Cambodia, though. Just inspired by conversations I had here. Was talking with Miwa. Eric, if your African connection allows you to view this, I know you will freak out when you realize she used to work at Messhuga's, which was so much crazy fun back in the day, although many reports say it sucks now. Oh well, remember and forge on.
During the conversation we ended up talking about blogs, and I remembered going to a site that I reached somehow through Hoops' site. Benjamin, Hoops, somebody knows The Git. Not sure who. Or, you can go to my favorite story on the site: the Ballad of Carl Wilson. Anyway, just an example of something great found through these blogs. Might put a permanent link on it.
One last thing, has anyone got the scoop on these 911 photos? Interesting, just don't know what the story is behind them coming out. Worth a look if you have time.

A wonderful quote from the beer I was drinking the other day. Hilarious. I chuckled and drank one more, and then I was done. Also, found a funny review of the beer by a guy who knows more about beer than I do. Click on the pic to read it. Pretty funny. Oh, Cambodia. I take your challenge.

“Klang Beer is carefully brewed using the most advanced brewing technology available. It is brewed to the highest possible standard for beer drinkers the world over. Klang Beer is a perfect drink for all kinds of celebration and it can be savoured at any time of day. Mind you, it’s a very strong beer but go ahead and take the challenge! After all, it is specially brewed for you."

Siem Rape

or at least that is what it should be called. The place is infested with tourists and reeks of commercialism. I seriously preferred Phnom Penh. I doubt I will be back unless someone just begs me to go with them, but I doubt it.
Once I got over that, the place was ok, but I wasn't that excited about it. There were a few "wow" moments, but I still think Tikal was prettier.
I guess the coolest thing about Angkor and the surrounding temples, which is actually kind of sad, is the fact that these ruins are really in ruins. So, you walk among things that are completely deteriorating, which lends the place a bit of mystery.
Now everyone can lambast me for not loving Angkor, but all the better. I leave this place for those package tour folks to revisit year after year. That said, the people in Siem Reap are great.
That is my superficial report over this slow connection.

wrong, but so funny

Look carefully at the sign the boy is carrying. Laugh. Explanation below.

April 2004: This image, which was widely circulated on the internet, shows a U.S. Marine posing for a photo with two Iraqi children while holding a sign reading "Lcpl Boudreauk killed my Dad then he knocked up my sister". Boudreauk claims that this image was tampered with from the original, in which the sign read "Welcome Marines". A military investigation into potential wrong-doing was inconclusive. It remains unclear if this image is authentic.
Got this from an interesting look at image manipulation by someone at Dartmouth.

I stink

Well, if only I had a digital camera....
Dare to dream. Anyway, I would post the photos now, but they are on a roll of film. Today I went and rolled around in the trash and shit. Well, not rolled, but walked on it. Went to a dump where people live and work. they pick up trash and haul it off to factories to be recycled. Some is burned. Smoke is everywhere, as well as all the trash you can imagine and more, plus loads of what I assume is cow shit. Horrible conditions for these people, and I cannot imagine what kind of health problems they must have, especially the children. They are there working as well.
So, I interviewed one guy working for an NGO that is trying to provide education to the children and vocational training to the adults. Many come from the countryside and have no other way to make a living. I was there for a total of about 2 hours, but only mayube 45 minutes in the trash. the rest of the time was just next to it where the NGO is housed.
So, that is what I am doing in Phnom Penh. Pretty crazy to many, but I am having a blast. I go back tomorrow and try to finish. Wish me luck.

Mr. President, are you reading this?

Probably not. It is exactly what he needs to have a look at though. This week Doonesbury has been right on, so I thought I would post them.....Gary Trudeau can't sue me, right????? I didn't make these...he did, and you can go to his site here. Always sketched about what I can just rip off of other pages.
Anyway, enjoy. I am off to an undisclosed location that is not Thailand. Will follow up on that later. Hoops, you happy?

Marijuana makes you smarter?

A hilarious paragraph from an article in Slate about an experiment to see if pot smoking rats were more likely to become addicted to heroin. Well, turns out the stoned rats were taking more heroin, but this paragraph reveals the strange (and unexpected?) reason for their increased comsumption:
Hurd (the researcher) says that because the marijuana-exposed rats demonstrated this heightened sensitivity, she expected them to be more motivated in pursuing the drug. But they weren't. The control rats paced their cages and repeatedly pressed the active bars even when the light indicating availability wasn't on. The pot rats, on the other hand, figured out that the heroin was available only at certain times, and that pacing and tapping the bar incessantly wasn't worth the trouble. When heroin was available, the marijuana rats took more of it. But when it wasn't, they chilled in the corner.
So, I guess discernment and some chill pills get you further than anxiety. Anyway, hope all find this as funny as I do.

Doing doing Ching ching ching ching ching ching....

Ran through the Chinese district here in Chiang Mai, and was pleased to revisit my Chinese opera. Was on my way to a fight, so could not stay long, but managed to get a few pics. Where is Lan when you need her? WWWoooo bbbuuuuu xxxiiihhhhuuuaaannn wwwaaaaiii gggooouuuu rrreeeeennn !!!!! ching ching ching ching ching ching........

Thar She Blows

Yes, I had to take the pic of Alcatraz on the way to Angel island, but the main one turned out nice. Here is the close-up. On my way to the Angel.

Finally, here is an overcast San Fran. Was very pretty.

Mom, if you're looking....

Here are those fearless deer. They have no natural predators on the island (Angel Island off of SF) so they just hang out while you walk up to them. Funny funny.

Long Live Russia

***
Finally, with what was now open disrespect, the colonel from headquarters started questioning the Corps Commander about his plan for the next day.

Plan! There was something so un-Russian about the word. What plan?
***
--from Solzhenitsyn's August 1914

Bonus Question: Anybody know why chapter 22 was removed by the author? I know what the chapter is about and where it is now, but why was it taken out in the first place? You have too much time on your hands or you know your Russian emigre authors too well if you can answer this. ^^

MANGOSTEEN

Quit wasting your time with that damn stank ass Durian and get on the Mangosteen train. . . also make sure you get to an island before you leave Thailand. . . don't make me hurt you. . .

Current reading flurry

Just read a pretty cool book called Deep Survival, which is an interesting look at who survives and how the human brain functions in crisis. Read an autobiography of Gandhi "My Experiements in Truth". Pretty good, although I need to read a true history of it. Sticking with the biography phase (why??? It all started with Einstein in Korea)I am reading the biography of Richard Feynman, who is someone I've always wanted to know more about. Hopefully I will finish this monster up and then read the other, more famous one Surely, You're Joking, Mr. Feynman. Anyway, it is good to read this one, because it explains a good deal of the science he was doing.
A little quote that made me laugh regarding the religious beliefs of different physicists of the 30's and 40's:
"Einstein's piety was sincere but neutral, acceptable even to the vehemently antireligious Dirac, of whom Wolfgang Pauli once complained, 'Our friend Dirac, too, has a religion, and its guiding principle is 'There is no God and Dirac is His prophet.'"
If you don't find this funny, maybe I am spending a little too much time in my own mind. Anyway, I laughed histerically at it. Enjoy.

The frooeets that started it all

This one is for Hoops, and will almost surely provoke a retaliation in the form of a post. I ate the fruit, Durien, the mother of all huge, spikey, stinky fruits, and it is a strange one. For one, it is SUPPOSED to stink. Of course, after opening it, I realized that it smells much the same way a mango does when opened. Not exactly a stink, but a slightly less-than-pleasant smell that doesn't tell you anything about the taste.
Strangely enough, the Durien is creamy. It reminds me of Boston Cream, like the kind they put in those donuts. A creamy fruit. Apparently it is not to be eaten if you plan on imbibing large amounts of alcohol, as it will kill you or something. Have to do more research on that.
See if you can dig one up and try it. Hoops, you to, second time is the charm.

now you can watch the video over and over and over again. . . . thanks for reminding me of that shitty song. . .