Saturday, October 30, 2004: Dentist Day

Sandy has been having tooth-aches so today we went to the Siam Center to visit my Dentist. I wasn't sure if she would be able to have anything done today, on such short notice but there was an opening at 2:00pm so we took that. We wandered around Siam Center, checking out shops, until about 1:45pm then headed back to the Dentists office.

During her appointment I sat out in the lobby zone and had to listen to this awful Euro-Weenie arguing with the receptionist about his ex-girlfriend's dental bill. The ex-girlfriend in question was there, looking rather humiliated by the scene. I would have rather been getting my tooth drilled than listen to this knob. He had the most pompous of Euro-Pompous accents and kept pronouncing na-na-na-no-no-no while interrupting the receptionist, and going on to contradict what ever it was she was trying to explain.

Not only was he annoying to listen to, he was difficult to look at. He sported the latest teen beach fashions, which is okay on a fashionable teen on the beach, but on a man in his early 50's? He had greasy, long, and formerly grey, now cheaply dyed hair pulled back into a pony tail, and skinny legs complete with bulging heart attach veins. He also smelled like dog shit. I only wish that the Blush could have seen him.

For at least 40 minutes this went on; a loud European arguing with locals about a bill that with the current exchange rate wouldn't mean much. But then perhaps, being European the whole Dentist thing is new to him. My dentist arrived (not the one working on Sandy) and seemed to set him straight on the costs. He hit on her, which was also painful to witness, then he left.

Sandy came out eventually having had a filling put in. The total cost being 1450 baht. This is roughly $45 dollars Canadian.

Friday, October 29, 2004: When Not If

Two die in Thai bomb blast
05:17 AEST Fri Oct 29 2004

Twenty-one people were hospitalised. Police said most of the victims were from Malaysia.

This probably won't make the big news in the West, unless its with a tag line about those killed in police custody. But this isn't something new. This sort of thing has been going on since January. I have noticed that the BBC and ABCAsia are now mentioning the year's death toll of over 400 but they fail to mention that about 250 of those dead are Buddhists killed by the Jihadists.

Apparently the CBC tried to link all this to Thailand having troops in Iraq, which shows how little the CBC knows. These guys aren't upset about Thai troops in Iraq, they're upset about Thai Buddhists in what they see as "their" Malay Islamic country. They want the Buddhist to leave and they want to instate Sharia law. There is very little difference between them bombing a bar and the same ilk attacking cafes and churches in Indonesia.

As for the threat here...

(AP) BANGKOK -- A militant group in Thailand has threatened to attack the capital of Bangkok to avenge the deaths of some 80 Muslims in the country's southern region.
The Pattani United Liberation Organization said it will resort to suicide attacks in retaliation for Monday's riot in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district, the Bangkok Post reported.

"Their (capital) will be burned to the ground like the capital of Pattani," said a message on the militant group's website.

I've always figured it was more of a question of when than if.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004: South Gets Worse

Well if the Thai Government wanted to make things worse in the South they have done an excellent job.

(AFP Bangkok) At least 84 people were killed in clashes with Thai security forces during protests in Thailand's strife-hit Muslim-majority south yesterday, Thai officials said.

"According to the investigation of the dead bodies, they died because of suffocation."

Just what these guys need, more reason to go around on a rampage, burning down schools, bombing Temples and hacking Buddhists to death. Not that they weren't already doing that.

But as the violence gets worse, the probability that overly enthusiastic Fundamentalists will come from elsewhere to join in and carry out activities here in Bangkok increases.

Tuesday, October 26, 2004: Perfect Weather for a Riot

I have nearly completed a new piece. I spent several hours last night cleaning up the vocal tracks and placing them, then adjusting a few things in accordance to their arrival; pulling back a guitar track, and moving over some other bits. I had a difficult time matching a drum loop to this one so the percussion is minimal. I still feel the need to mess with the very beginning of the piece, but I hope to complete it by the weekend.

The weather now is perfect. It is sunny, warm and with a nice breeze and none of the humidity that hits us in April. When I see the international weather reports on Canada's temperatures I cringe.

Meanwhile in the south...

BANGKOK, Oct. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- At least five people have been killed and dozens injured in a riot on Monday afternoon in Thailand's violence-plagued deep south.

Following the incident, the Fourth Army Commander Pisarn Wattanawongkeeree, whose troops are in charge of the region's security, ordered immediate curfew in the three southernmost provinces including Narathiwat.

The news tends to play these events as "politically" motivated, but its all about Jihad.

Around 9:00 p.m. on Monday, unidentified assailants set fire to a Buddhist school in the Bajoh District of Narathiwat and set road barricade to block traffic. No casualty has been reported.

Monday, October 25, 2004: Sunday Shopping

Yesterday was the big day out. Or a big day out. Not that it was that big. But it did take all day. Sandy and I wandered out and made the longish walk to Pantip Plaza. I have been researching digital cameras so we wanted to see what was available there. I don't want to pay a fortune, however I don't want some big bulbous thing. I want something I can carry around with me in case I see any more food venders fighting with stray dogs over a sausage.

Pantip on a Sunday afternoon is a bit much. Imagine the busiest shopping day at the busiest mall then multiply that by 1000 and squeeze the whole experience into a space which should be twice the size for the amount of things going on inside it. Then add the noise of amusement park midway, and the excitement of a trade show. That would be an approximation of Pantip. Six floors of computers, computer parts, used computers, digital gadgets of all shapes, sizes and descriptions, software, pirate software, cameras, printers, repair shops and so on. I usually have about a 40 minute time limit in the place before I begin to loose my grip.

We looked at the mini iPod at a few places. The mini seems to go for around 14,000 baht. There are a lot of these MP3 devices now, and it was funny to see Mini-disc players which retailed for 15,000 baht a year ago being sold at half price. I am suspect of the iPod in the same way I was of the mini-disc players. I just have doubts about the durability of the things. I know from 20 years of walkman experience that the FIRST thing to go is the mini-plug that you plug your headphones into. Possibility the cheapest part of the whole mechanism, but it is the part that will breakdown first. Since that piece is no different on a 900 baht Walkman, than a 14,000 baht mini-iPod I have real reservations about upgrading. It would be nice to have all my tunes on one machine and be able to take them anywhere, but my Walkman listening occurs two places now. The gym and the pool. I know the gym involves my Walkman getting bashed around and sweated on, and I know how a swimming pool can effect a phone so do I want to spend 14,000 baht on a device that has a life expectancy of about nine months?

But the mini-iPod does look pretty cool.

After almost losing my mind in Pantip we headed back out and moved along towards the (former) World Trade, which is now called something else, not that anyone refers to it by its new name. Our objective was to eat. "What we eat?" as the question goes... "We eat MK". Which we did, and it was good. We wandered around World Trade for a while and I found the "Faultline" cd which I have been looking for, then we crossed the street to Big C for the monthly re-supply of household domestic stuff. Pantip and Big C in one day is really pushing the envelope of a Farang, but I think I am a little more patient than I used to be. Slightly.

I was really glad to get in a taxi afterwards.

Saturday, October 23, 2004: Brrrrrrrr

Well I think it is safe to say that rainy season is officially done with. We are moving into "cool season" which means the temperature is only a chilly 28 or 29 degrees C at night. Brrrrrr.

I have been busy this week trying to finish off a better mix of "The Crying Man" as well as a new thing. The new thing is in line with what I've been posting in The Music Room. I may also post up some older stuff there just because I can't pump out a song a week, as much as I'd like to.

Tuesday, October 19, 2004: More of the Same

BANGKOK, Oct. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- A policeman was shot dead on Monday morning in Thailand's Muslim-dominated deep south, becomingthe latest victim of constant violence that has claimed more than 360 lives.
The 29-year-old policeman was shot by two unidentified insurgents riding on a motorcycle around 8:00 a.m. in Maikaen District of the province of Pattani, which lies some 1,000 kilometers south of Bangkok.

The region, home to most of Thailand's small Muslim population,has fallen into spiraling violence since the beginning of this year.

Thursday, October 14, 2004: Buddhist Birthday Girl

Sandy is now on this Buddhist lent vegetarian diet. This means more chicken for me. It also means she wants to eat at what I consider the worst restaurant in Bangkok. It is a Chinese style vegan restaurant which has utterly bland and tasteless food. It is also always full of horrible key-nock Farang in hemp trousers. Last year I ate there with her several times but this year I swore not to subject my taste buds to the blandness of the place.

Today is Sandy's birthday. This is why she was up and out the door to the Temple at 6:00 am. She was less than cooperative with the birthday spanking tradition. Not that complete cooperation is required. Last year I bought her a watch, but this year I'm stumped. I think it will be a new hand phone but she is undecided in which one she wants.

Monday, October 11, 2004: Sequencers

I managed to finish off the vocals for “The Awful Truth of Truth” on the weekend. The tedious part of the vocal process isn’t recording the vocals; it is going through the wave file afterwards and cleaning up all the gasps and intakes of air between the vocal lines. A proper set up would involve a nice compressor-limiter to take care of that, but that’s beyond my primitive means at this point.

I stumbled across Jean Michel Jarre on the Chinese TV channel CCTV 4. He was performing in the Forbidden City with Chinese musicians, and I’m not sure but I believe it was in conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebrations. I thought it was ironic to have his music burbling away for such an event considering it’s largely based on the American know how and ingenuity of Bob Moog; someone who would have certainly not survived the cultural revolution. In any event Jarre has aged well. Sandy noted that he looked the same age as me, but that would be unlikely as I was first blown away by his LP “Oxygen” in 1976 when I was 12. So he must be at least 10 years older than me. His old Prophet 5 and E model Mini Moog looked more worn by the years than he did.

I subjected Sandy to as much of that as I thought she could deal with and made sure she understood that long before there was Moby there was Jean Michel Jarre.

The other irony in seeing him play was having spent the day mixing “The Awful Truth of Truth” which is based around several sequences from Arturia's Moog Modular V soft synth.

Saturday, October 9, 2004: Sudden Appearances

There's a sure fire way of telling when the Thai Government thinks their might be a "threat" of some sort in Bangkok. It is the sudden appearance of a specific type of armed cop on the BTS.

I am not reassured by the sudden posting of composite drawings of three men that have sprung up in the 7-11. It is a first in the four years I've been here.

Monday, October 4, 2004: It's Summertime

I've been reluctant (dragon) to comment on the weather as of late, in fear of jinxing it. We have had some storms but last week was really nice, and right now it is absolutely beautiful.

This combined with listening to The Flaming Lips' song "It's Summertime" makes it absolutely impossible to feel anything other than euphoric.

Look out side, I know you'll recognize it's summertime...

Oh I love that echoed bass!

Time to go get a ice mocca.

Saturday, October 2, 2004: Knock His Block Off

I seem to have pulled a muscle in my back. It was bothering me yesterday, but today I woke up in absolute agony. Perhaps too much Huzzah last night.

I watched the re-broadcast of the US Presidential Debate and all I can say is neither of them can speak as well as Tony Blair. I do have some ideas to make the next debate more exciting though...

1) A different moderator. Perhaps Mr. T, Bob Barker or even better... Strong Bad.
2) A special portion where they sit at a card table and play Rock'em Sock'em Robots.
3) Skill testing questions.
4) Both Candidates have to wear Bananas in Pyjamas costumes.
5) Not completing a question in the allotted time results in green slime being dumped on the Canditdate.

You know it's a great debate when you think of stuff like that while you watch it.

Friday, October 1, 2004: Banana 1 or Banana 2?

I switched on the TV before I ran out to the gym this morning to be confronted with most of the channels playing the US Presidential debate. Now I guess I should be interested in hearing what they have to say and how they measure up against each other... Except I already have heard what they both will say and will get to hear until November, and possibly beyond.

I remember when Bush first got in how much everyone made fun of his bumpkin style of speaking and how he would always fumble when talking. I remember some commentator or other saying that watching him make a speech was like watching a three legged dog run. You're just waiting for it to fall over. Now perhaps I've grown used to GW's way of talking, but one thing that I can't get around is how much Kerry sounds like Mr. Howell from Gilligan's Island. I kept waiting for him to suggest sending the Professor to Iraq to help build their infrastructure out of coconuts and bamboo, or maybe having Gilligan and the Skipper dress up as ghosts and run around the lagoon to scare away any bad guys.

I realize that as a Canadian I really don't have a say in all this US election business. Especially considering that for a decade Canada had a Prime Minister who talked like Popeye and made no sense in either official language. In the end I switched it over and watched an "Untalkative Bunny" cartoon on the Disney Channel.

When I got to the gym they were still debating on the various TVs. I was spared listening to it by the miracle of the head phones, but it was interesting in watching their body language. Bush kept making this weird gesture with his hands as if he was describing the size of a box, and Kerry repeatedly grabbed the lapel of his suit as if to point out the nice material it was made of. I don't know anything about body language analysis so I was unable to draw any conclusions from it. I'm sure someone will though.

I will probably read the transcripts later on tonight, possibly while watching "Bananas in Pyjamas".

And speaking of Bananas...

I was eating at Fresh Milk and was subjected to yet another MTV Music Video award program. Who was up for Best Male Artist award? Amongst a bunch of people I've never heard of was...

Prince!

PRINCE???

When did he become Prince again? I don't remember any press release. Wouldn't this make him "The Artist Formerly Known As The Artist Formerly Known As Prince"? What happened to his little hieroglyphic dingbat symbol? Who's using that now?

I never liked playing Prince when I DJ'd. I would always have to follow his music with "Super Freak" just to exorcise the tinniness of his production from my skull.

And speaking of Super Freaks... Sandy is back tonight.

Huzzah!