Check out this great article that summarises how media companies basically don’t want you to be able to do anything, ever, with the content they “own”, anywhere in the world. If only those pesky “governments” would hurry up.
Month: February 2007
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Sorry Steve
Sorry, Steve. The real reason no one’s buying Windows Vista is because 1) what’s the point? and 2) you basically need a new computer to run the darn thing anyway.
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Good Times in Southeast Asia
I have a whole littany of observations to post, like listening to “To Be With You” on the freeway on the way from the airport to the hotel in Bangkok this evening. Or the birthday cake in my hotel room tonight when I got upstairs. Or the cute, sweet Japanese girl I sat next to on the plane from Cambodia who works for NNR in Beijing. Or the amazing, unbelievable, scenes from Cambodia, that you simply have to experience for yourself to even begin to understand.
Yeah, it’s been a helluva ride over the past three days.
If life is the accumulation of experiences, my tour guide this afternoon for Angkor Wat is way ahead of the game. From a young age he was brought up in the war, then fled from the fighting. He has tried on various roles since then, as a buddhist monk, history teacher, and now tour guide. Given his explanations during the tour, I give him at least some credit since he gave some great descriptions and background information.
We also spent some time discussing current politics, during which I found out he dislikes the Korean tourists (too rude), the Vietnamese (traditional enemies of Cambodia), and the French (colonialists). Apparently he also likes to help the pretty girls, as he said to one rather cute Chinese woman climbing down the steps of Angkor Wat.
If you spend any time in the developing world, you become amazed by how ubiquitous cell phones are. It seems those devices have made their way in to the most remote areas.
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Holy Condo Prices
On my flight to Bangkok last night I was chatting for awhile with the guy sitting in the seat next to me. Turns out he’s from the Green Bay area and regularly flys to Thailand. In fact, so regularly he picked up a condo on the beach recently. On the 21st floor (out of 22). For about 1,000,000 baht, which sounds expensive until you realize it’s less than US$50,000. In fact, at the current exchange rate, it’s down to $31,000. I’m likely to spend more on a new car next year than I would for a condo in Thailand.
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Incompetence All Around
It’s good to know that our government’s incompetenceunder this administration isn’t limited just to FEMA, the DoD, and other major organizations. Apparently even the Consumer Products Safety Comission wants to get in on the act.
I arrived late last nigh at the new Bangkok International Airport, instantly thrust back in to the craziness and heat that defines Southeast Asia. After 30 hours of traveling without much sleep, it felt great to simply make it back to the hotel and fall asleep.
It’s pretty safe to say this room has more space than my whole apartment. In fact, it basically IS an apartment, complete with its own kitchenette. There’s a bar, “dining room”/conference room, a living room and sitting area, a huge bedroom, two bathrooms, one of which is equipped with TWO showers and a jacuzzi.
I ask you, who would ever want to leave this?
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Amazingily Rare From Here
CNN today is reporting that Prince Harry is scheduled to be sent to Iraq. While it may be a more common experience in the UK, it still strikes me as rare to have one of the members of the “elite class” have to participate in such mundane activities as war. Perhaps if more members of the US political establishment fought in wars they would be more cautious about the ones they choose to initiate.
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Stephen Colbert Pray Day
Go figure – Stephen Colbert’s prayer day is on my birthday.
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Take Me Somewhere Warm
Alright, almost time for me to head off to bed. I’ll be waking up in a few hours to start the long, long travel to Thailand.