Tuesday, February 27, 2007: Glass Eye 2

I picked up the 'repaired' glasses today. The still have some Alice in Wonderland effect but don't make me want to vomit or feel like I'm being crushed in a decompression tank. The down side is that the strength is LOWER so now even looking at this lap top screen is an effort.

This is highly annoying.

Sunday, February 25, 2007: Sunday Recording FLT

Not much went on today. Sandy, Pam and Pooh went to the Weekend Market. I did not go. I would pay more NOT to go. Unless perhaps I'm taking YOU to show you around.

Anyways I devoted the afternoon to trying to complete the newest latest thing that I needed to complete. I used the Vintage Keys rack and the Bass Station in complementary fashion. I also recorded several guitar tracks which is something I haven't done in a while. I am pleased with the results

Sandy got back while I was down having my swim. I ate after i'd got back up from that then we watched another Tony Scott movie - "Man on Fire". It had a lot of that un-steady-cam work and weird rock-video film student flavor but it didn't suck nearly as hard as the movie "Domino" (which Tony Scott should have been punished for making).

Saturday, February 24, 2007: Saturday Night at the Movies

This afternoon I went to back to the Glasses shop and had lenses adjusted. The original perscription was rather off. This time around though I think they were more on top of the situation. Or at least I hope so as to walk around with the original lenses would have certainly resulted in me falling in a hole or being run down by a motorcycle.

Afterwards I ate at Ole' then walked over to Siam Discovery and met up with Sandy at Starbucks there. She wanted to eat and see a movie so we went to Fuji where she had sushi and then we walked over to Siam Paragon and bought tickets for the new Thai movie "King Naresaun 2" which is the second part in the trilogy. It didn't start until 7:00 pm so we had a few hours to kill.

Sandy went over to Siam Square to shop for clothes and I stayed at the Paragon and looked in the CD shops and the music store. I bought a case for my ZOOM recorder and picked up a DVD of Jean Michel Jarre live in Poland. Sandy and I met up later at the Starbucks in Paragon on the 3rd floor then headed up to see the movie.

The movie was pretty good. The first movie in the series delt with the Prince as boy being captive and raised up and taught martial arts by a monk. This movie is about him as a young man trying to assert the soverienty of his Kingdom. I believe the final movie is out in December of this year. After the movie Sandy and I took the BTS back to the apartment and I went for swim.

Thursday, February 22, 2007: In A Glass Eye

Yesterday I picked up my new pair of glasses from the shop. The back story on this is I lost my glasses ages ago and in December when I was going through all my doctor visits I was informed that my eyes were having big problems as a side effect from taking anti-malaria drugs since 2001. In any event wearing contacts seems to make this problem worse so I was told not to wear them and to use these drops etc. I priced glasses in Canada and was horrified to see that I could get one of my eyes lasered for the cost of a pair so I waited to get back here to get a new set. Which leads me to yesterday's pick up.

I was in a rush so I didnt have time to try them out until I got back to mine later. Lets just say that the perscription wasn't quite right. In fact the perscription was quite wrong. The first reaction when I put them one was wanting to vomit. The whole world suddenly took on an Alice in Wonderland meets Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas fish-eye lense quality. Moving around was like being in some 1978 anti-drug campaign advertisement...

"hey man man man, what's what's happening..."

Flat surfaces such as tables and desks all seemed to be tilting forward, everything became small and tiny, and around any white light source there was a rainbow prism effect.

I worn them for the rest of the evening which was okay for watching TV with Sandy or looking at the computer screen but to move around the apartment I had to take them off as I was less likely to smash into something with no glasses than I was with these freakshow things on. I will be taking them back to get adjusted today. Hopefully they can lessen the Hunter S. Thompson effect. I just want my eyes to get better so I can get them lasered and be done with all this contact glasses stuff once and for all.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007: And Now, Mr. Robert Fripp

I saw this when it first aired in 1979 on Don Kershner's Rock Concert which was a live show that came on late on Saturday Nights. Blondie hosted the show (oh how I loved Debbie Harry) and then this strange fellow came out and did something that sent shivers down my spine. While the rest of my generation worshipped the rock guitar noodlings of what I considered half-wit cavemen HERE was a guitarist who spoke to me at last...

And now Mr. Robert Fripp...

Thanks to Sonicbrat for posting this up on his site.

Monday, February 19, 2007: 28 Bombs in South

At least 28 bombs explode in Thailand

BANGKOK, Thailand - At least 28 bombs exploded Sunday in apparently coordinated attacks in parts of southern Thailand plagued by a Muslim insurgency, killing three people and wounding more than 50, the military said.

The bombings targeted hotels, karaoke bars, power grids and commercial sites in the country's southernmost provinces, the only parts of predominantly Buddhist Thailand with Muslim majorities. Two public schools were torched.

Hotels = tourists aka Infidels
Karaoke Bars = Booze and music ! Allah says THOSE ARE FORBIDDEN!
Power Grids = turn off the lights
Commercial Sites = AKA businesses owned by Buddhists
Public Schools = Girls get to learn to read ! Allah says THAT IS FORBIDDEN

Police said three Thais of Chinese descent were also gunned down in Pattani province in what was believed to be the act of insurgents. The killings occurred as the country's Chinese community was celebrating the Lunar New Year Sunday.

Year of the Pig, a whole year named after something that drives these guys crazy. Not that its a very far drive.

Violence in the south has been escalating in recent months despite a major policy shift by the military-imposed government, which is trying to replace an earlier, iron-fisted approach in dealing with the rebels with a "hearts and minds" campaign.

Escalating you say? So I guess the iron-fisted approach worked better. Hearts and minds. Here's a suggestion, find out who these murdering bastards are and shoot them once in the heart and once in the mind.

More than 2,000 people have died in the provinces bordering Malaysia since the insurgency erupted in 2004, fueled by accusations of decades of misrule by the central government. The insurgents have not announced their goals, but they are believed to be fighting for a separate state imbued with radical Islamic ideology.

Have not announced their goals? Leaving notes on dead Buddhists that "We will kill all Thai Buddhists" sounds like announcement if a goal to me. Of course there is in every news report of the violence this falsehood that it started in 2004. It may have got worse in 2004 but they were blowing stuff up in 2001 when I arrived here. And no report is complete without the stuff about "government misrule" as if that is some excuse to blow up some family in a shop or saw the heads off of Buddhist monks. The whole country was misruled for eight years under Thaskin. Why aren't the Thais in Chang Mai blowing up stuff?

Riding the BTS this morning was an act of bravery.

Sunday, February 18, 2007: Basic Sunday

Today I did as little as possible. Commando is in town but was unheard from so word on the street (from Bonhomme) is that she was out and about with Fonzi last night and too hung over or some such for brunch.

This afternoon I took a swim then sat by the pool for about an hour and listened to music. It was all very lovely let me tell you. When I was hungry enough I returned to the apartment. Sandy's hi-so friend Ann was over and they were hanging out chatting.

I worked on re-mousing (rather than remixing) "Tall Ships" and I have posted up render number 6 here on my My Space profile. I have gotten used to render 3 but needed to start from scratch to fix some bits of it that bothered me. I am not sure if I am satisfied with the new render yet. Time will tell. Or listening to it while I walk around will tell.

Tonight we watched the first two episodes of The Sopranos: Season Six. Afterwards we watched the movie “Basic” which was okay. The ending was a bit convoluted but I like Samuel Jackson a lot and he was good as always in this. For that matter as much as I will never forgive John Travolta for being in Saturday Night Fever, or for Battlefield Earth, or for all that kooky L. Ron Hubbard stuff I have to say he was good in this movie as well.

Saturday, February 17, 2007: I'll Come Running...

Today I just lazed about.

Late this afternoon I went over to Siam Paragon and met up with Bonhomme at Starbucks. We hung out there for a while then went up to the good CD shop on the upper floor for a poke about. I picked up a Brian Eno compilation which features some of my favorite songs off of "Another Green World" which is a CD I've been unable to find here. This one will do for now. Afterwards we took a trip to Siam Center for su su sushi at Fuji. I think that's enough su su sushi for this month.

It's Chinese New Years, and the Year of the Pig, which I find very amusing on many levels. Getting over to the Siam Center was a challenge due to various Chinese New Years related goings on and the large crowds they drew.

I got back home at around 9:00 pm and took a swim for half an hour then Sandy and I watched a movie. She picked up a stack of cheap DVDs from the weekend market last week so we are slowly going through them. We watched "Rules of Engagement" which was actually a surprisingly good movie.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007: Valentines Day

Sandy and I had a nice Valentines Day lunch a Fuji in Siam Paragon. The restaurant was packed as Valentines Day and all its romantic trappings is very popular with the Thais. Of all the Farang holidays THIS is the one they understand best.

Tonight I moused, rendered and posted render number 2 of the track 20070204 up on my My Space site. I converted the bass tracks I recorded had on Sunday and worked them into the mix. When I did the render I had the main bass a bit hotter than I’d planned but now on listening it works well that way. I’m not really sure what else to add and I think that all it needs is some ear candy now. If even that.

My friend Caesar has pointed out that there is a Korg MS-10 for sale at local shop. I am tempted but not overly. They want over 500 bucks and I swore I wouldn't buy any more old gear or any gear at all unless it said MOOG on the back of it. Still I am TEMPTED as it has some external routing possibilities and is semi-modular.

BUT... Maybe I should save my 500 bucks and put it towards my MOOG savings fund. Or if I’m only buying it for the filter aspect, pick up a MURF or the new Kaos Pad.

When I was a lad in 1978 the Keyboard Store had a MS-10 for sale and I begged my parents to buy it for me. BEGGED. I remember dragging them into see it and BEGGING. Sadly they bought a piano instead. Something they ended up having to sell when we moved to B.C. in 1981. If only…

That aside, I think the next synth I buy will have to be a MOOG.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007: Clean Up

Sandy got the shock of her week tonight when she came into the apartment to find everything that was in the "music room" out in the kitchen / living zone. The Future Music Room has been the music room of the future for long enough and I totally snapped and began sorting through all the stuff that has been put in there for lack of other places to put it.

Job one was to move desk number 2 to the spot where desk number 1 was. This was perhaps a bad idea but desk 2 is much bigger than number one so it seemed like the right thing to do. Then there were many boxes of various things which had to be arranged and sorted through. One thing I have discovered is that I could probably build a computer out of all the old odds and ends I have kept for some reason.

And boxes. So many boxes. I uncrated the Korg Sigma from its cardboard coffin and have placed in on desk 2. Ol' Clunky my PC won't turn over although Sandy claims to have had it running at Christmas. I am tempted to just remove the hard-drives and the sound card and put them in Pentium 4 which is a newer tower unit that sits unused.

And then there were books and papers and bags of books and papers and on and on and I think now that I've begun this task I see why I put it off. It's going to be a week before I can sort all this stuff out and have a functional room. I also need some sort of bookshelf in there too. I have about 20 manuals that I do actually use but now they are here there and it drives me mad.

Sandy made tom yum which is a extremely spicy Thai soup. So spicy in fact that even though I was in the other room doing the clean up my eyes were still watering from it. I made a steak for myself once I'd had enough of trying to clean things up.

Sunday, February 11, 2007: Sunday Bass

This afternoon Sandy went over to her Sister Dang’s then to her other Sisters' watch shop. I walked over to MBK and did some grocery shopping; this would be groceries that Sandy would not think to buy such as pasta, beef, popcorn and batteries (my four main food groups). I wasn’t in the mood to look for DVDs so I strolled over to Siam Discovery for an ice latte at Starbucks. I sat there for a bit and wrote then walked to the BTS and took the train back to The Tower.

I had a swim then came back up and decided to do some additional recording on 20070204. I wasn’t in the mood to battle it out with the AN200 or any such device and I just did some bass parts on it. I set up the Zoom MRS8 and ran my Bass in through the EH LP2ube box. I did several intertwining parts. I'm not sure if they well be kept or altered but it was nice to do. I always forget what a nice Bass I have since I don't use it as often as I should. I always seem to "imagine" it’s that old Ibanez thing that Justin ended up with which did the job but wasn't a joy to play. This one is an absolute joy to play.
.
I recorded until 9:30 pm or so then made some food. I cooked up a steak and then sat and watched the "Moog" documentary yet again. What a great movie. It really makes me want a Voyager though.

Sandy got in at 11:00 pm bearing food and other gifts. She’s stopped at this chicken shop and picked up some chicken and this outstanding rice that is cooked in chicken broth. I had eaten already and wasn’t overly hungry but ate it anyways just for the taste. She also picked up another pair of swimming trucks for me. She has found a place that has Farang size (a difficult thing to find) so she’s picked me up two now.

I have now been back here a month. Why does it feel like 3 months?

Saturday, February 10, 2007: Lazy Saturday Uploads

I spent much of the morning lazing by the pool. I had a swim first off then just listened to music on my iPod and read “Hurdy Gurdy Man” which is Donovan’s autobiography.
There was no one around the pool at all which is highly unusual for a weekend. People may very well be still spooked off the water by the cool spell we had, thinking that it is still “too cold” to swim in.

In the afternoon Sandy went off to the Weekend Market to buy supplies for the necklaces she’s now making. I stayed at the Termite Towers and worked on transferring some video clips of a gig from 1998 up to Myspace. Uploading the files took forever because of the low speed of our “high speed” internet.

Sandy got back from the Weekend Market at around 7:00 pm with more necklace stuff and some cheap DVD's. So the tradition of watching a really crap movie continued on Saturday Night continues.

Tonight's experiment was a really dated movie from the 90's called "Very Bad Things". It was one of those "black comedies" everyone loved so much back in the day, starring Christian Slater and a few others including Cameron Diaz. It also had all the other elements needed for a movie made in the 90's.

1) "Hip" & "ironic" sound track
2) Ensemble cast
3) Edgy dialog/conversation
4) flashback/flash forward sequences
5) Reference to the 'internet' if only in passing
6) Road trip/Vegas
7) Ultra violence/sex combo

There are other things that were very 90's too. I'd forgotten that the cool people hated minivans the same way they now hate SUVs. So there was the line "Mr. Minivan!” spoken as an insult. It is funny to see the 90's getting dated in a way; although it’s a decade I did enjoy and contained a great deal of good music. Anyways “Very Bad Things" was itself a very bad thing.

Friday, February 9, 2007: Art Opening

Tonight I went with Sandy to her friend Thammarrat Tritara's Art Exhibit opening at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (which is not in as cool a venue as the FCC in Phnom Penh). It was dual show with another ex-University mate of Sandy's named Noppimrn Ana-Ittikul filling out the other side of the bill. The show was called “SEMI-abstract” and that described the works it presented.

Thammarrat's pieces were more minimalist where the other artist had more colorful and busy paintings. Personally I like the minimalist ones better. Quite a few of Sandy's friends from University were there only one of which I knew one, who goes by the Farang name "Otto".

I was introduced to others. The only name that stands out from the Thai "short" names was "Meow" (which was a guy too). Thais seem to have several names. They have their official ID name which usually contains 49 letters and is completely unpronounceable. Then there is the short or nick name such a "Pooh" or "Pui" or "Pet" or what have you. Then they will often have a European name for the farang to use. This makes sense as I use my middle name here because of the difficulty Thai's have with my first name.

In any event it was a good evening. There was at some point an "official" introduction by someone from the FCCI. I'm not sure if you have to be a journalist to hang out there or not. I can't see there being that many journalists here in Bangkok, or enough to sustain a bar though so it must be open to all as the one in Phnom Penh is.

They had a rather good live Jazz trio play (piano, sax, bass guitar) and there was a buffet of Thai finger foods. Sandy and her friends got into the Guinness and I taught her to put the happy face in the foam. Not having a pint is a truly difficult thing for me as I loved the taste of Guinness.

Anyways at around 9pm Sandy and her friends headed off for essan food over near Silom. I opted out and headed back to Termite Towers and had a nice swim. The water is finally warm again.

Thursday, February 8, 2007: Glad We Didn't Move There

The long cold spell we’ve been going through has finally passed. Temperatures in the morning have been very cool and I’ve worn my new fleece several times because of it. Tuesday night we went to dinner at Ole with Gary who’s in from the States. His wife Pam should be here on the 17th or so.

Sandy’s Sister Pooh was admitted to the Hospital yesterday so Sandy had to head out to deal with that situation in the afternoon. Pooh had to stay in over night but thankfully everything turned out okay and she was sent home today.

The big event of the day today was after I’d got back to the apartment and had my swim. I was heating up our pot of what Sandy’s friends call “One Thousand Year Soup” (five hundred years to make and five hundred to eat) I could hear a great deal of sirens. Being here and having been in Manila when all that Abu Saayuf business was in full swing I automatically fear that the JI or some related group of nutters has set off a bomb on the BTS. This is all the more worrying when you know your girlfriend has just headed off to the gym.

I’ve lived here long enough to know that such a large number of sirens is not a normal thing. I went to the balcony and looked out and I could see black smoke rising in the south east. At first I thought t might be BTS line near Chit Lom but then as I followed the smoke down to its source I could see that is was one of the buildings we almost moved into back in September. In fact the building was choice number two after this one. Brilliant orange flames were burning from what seemed to be the balcony but I think was the entire inside of the apartment.

Almost where we moved....

yikes!

There was a seemingly endless procession of fire trucks coming from every direction and you could hear the drivers barking “get out of the way” in Thai over their speakers. I’ve often wondered at the local fire fighters ability to deal with such a thing but I suppose in a city with so many apartments they must be well practiced. I’m not sure how many trucks responded but there were at least five large pumper trucks that I could see as well as other ones of varying size and function.

I watched (and video’d) over the next hour as they put it out. The black smoke turned grey and to steam as you could see the water coming out from inside the burning apartment. I watched the Firemen on the balcony of the apartment next to the burning one as they sprayed water on to where the flames were spreading and then over to the main burning one. Eventually Fireman’s flashlights could be seen in the apartments above the burning one and eventually they appeared and hosed more water down the fire. By sunset it was pretty much all over.

A job well done by Bangkok's Firemen. Huzzah!

Monday, February 5, 2007: Cold

Here's something I never thought I'd see in Bangkok. Morning fog. This is not smog. This is fog early in the a.m.

Sunday, February 4, 2007: Sunday Evening Noises

I've been going through one of those periods when I feel that

a) my best creative ideas are behind me

and

b) they weren't very good either!

Sonicbrat suggested that I might go at making noise for the sake of making it and or hooking up gear that I hadn't combined. So when Sandy headed out to her Sister's today I opted for somewere between those two. I made some noise and I controlled the AN200 with the XioSynth. I ended up with a new idea which may or may not evolve into a higher idea-form.

But I think the key thing was I had fun doing it. Something I've missed as of late.