dekestone

Is that really a left-handed Les Paul? How difficult was that to find? (Or is the photo just reversed?)

Don't know about the legal requirements for a band, if any. But there are plenty of expats playing in bands around Bangkok. Your kind of music would probably be very popular amongst a certain crowd and in the right venue, but I think it'd be hard to make a living at it.

You will not find many American cars here as import duties are way too high compared to local assembly types. The few that you will find are mostly used for share taxi use in the South.

That is true. Couldn't believe it when I saw in the taxi queue in Songkhla a near exact replica of my first car: a 65 Bel Air!! Not exactly your muscle car but did bring back a few memories. Thought it would never make it to Hat Yai but it did.

I've heard about this kind of thing happening to guys who pick up "freelancers" and/or girls on the street, but never at a bar in one of the well-known expat/tourist areas. Does it happen a lot?

I also agree you should report it. Man, if the police are closing down bars in Nana and Cowboy for "showing" they ought to really come down hard on places where this crap is happening.

According to passengers' accounts, the bus, on the way from downtown Phatthalung to Hat Yai and Muang districts of Songkhla was travelling at high speed and tried to overtake a trailer truck.

It failed to heed oncoming traffic, it swerved and hit the road island.

That's a four lane, divided high way. (Been on that stretch form Phattalung to Hat Yai many times.) I don't see how there could be "oncoming traffic". But then I guess anything's possible on Thai roads and with Thai bus drivers

I live upcountry and a couple of times a year order Cds or DVDs from Amazon. Usually they come through with no problem but the last time the package was held at the PO and I had to go down and pay duty, forget how much exactly but seemed kinda hefty at the time.

Is it the same in Bangkok? What's your experience?

I'm sure a quickly cobbled together American All Star Team can take care of business.......

I'm not so sure, especially if a lot of the "American" players decide to play for their native country, like Sosa and many others for the Domincan Republic, Ichiro and Matsui for Japan, some other big stars for Cuba, etc...

There's a lot of foreign born players in MLB these days, just guessing but maybe what ... 20%?? ...more??

(Of course many of them are American citizens now so I guess they could choose who to play for.)

Used to many years ago but don't think I could handle a fastball these days

Softball more my style now (but I live upcountry so can't join the Bangkok softball league.)

C'mon, a parody of Bernard Trink??!! First, I think it's been done before; second, the guy hasn't even been in the newspaper for what ...about a year? (Yes, I know he's got a web site but nobody reads that.)

Pretty lame.

What's next? A scathing lampoon of the Pattaya Mail's "Dear Hillary"?

Thanks for the report frond. And congratulations!

The cost of the Greek Olympics, according to the NY Times

Government estimates over the past two weeks have put the price tag for the Olympics at nearly $10 billion. Officials have yet to make public a breakdown of the costs, other than to say that the bill for police training, bonuses, surveillance equipment and other security items is expected to come to at least $1.2 billion.

2016 in Thailand?? No problem!! Just have a special lottery and sell "shares" so that all Thais can feel they own part of the Olympics.

Never done it but a friend has asked me to help her get one so I'd appreciate hearing what actually happened in your case.

55% three-point shooting against Spain. Now maybe we're getting somewhere. (And maybe evidence that the difference in three-point distance does take some getting used to.)

Nice going Aussies! In fact they had a good chance for the gold except for a controversial "catch" by a Cuban outfielder in the fourth inning.

It's a good lesson for the US. The international competition in "America's pastime" is a lot tougher and they have to play a lot better to compete.

It will be interesting if the proposed baseball world competition does come together in a couple of years and all pros are eligible to play for their native countries.

I used to be dyslexic but now I'm KO.

After all, the USA Baseball Team didnt even qualify for the Olympics, getting knocked out in Qualifying.... and THAT WAS the strongest possible!

How do you figure that? As far as I know there were no MLB players on the Olympic squad, just college players and washed up minor leaguers. (In other words, the same make up that won the gold in Sydney. )

BTW there's plans for a World basball Championship that would take place before the MLB season starts so all the pros could play with their national teams. I believe I'd put my money on the Dominican Republic.

I ain't in favor of professionals being in the Olympics but if the U.S. truly cared and sent their very best...lopsided 50 point blow outs would still be the norm.

I don't know exactly what the selection process was but I believe some of the better playuers turned down the invitation to play on the Olympic team. Anybody know?

The other thing I've read is that they tried to pick "superstars" rather than the role players that are needed to form a true team, hence no outside shooters or play makers.

Next we play the Aussies. I don't know much about their team (is Luc Longley still playing ) but I bet they have an actual team rather than a bunch of ball hogs who can't shoot and I wouldn't be surprised if we lost to Oz.

Jeez, then I'll have to face my aussie mates at the local pub!

Yeah, our NBA superstars just barely beat the mighty Greeks!

Apparently the problem is the shooting. USA lofted twenty-one three point attempts and only made 4

"You've watched the NBA," said U.S. coach Larry Brown. "Shooting is a lost art."

When I lived there a couple of years ago the only one I knew of (in Ban Chang) was on the Eastern Star housing compound, but don't know if it was open to the public. Some of the companies on the Map Tha Phut industrial estate have excellent facilities, but obviously you'd have to be staff to use them. You might have to go to Pattaya to find a decent gym/fitness center open to the public.

The Cubs got Garciaparra for virtually nothing. Rumors were that they were gonna have to give up one of their starters but all they really lost was a 220 hitting shortstop who made a crucial error in game 6 against Florida.

There must really be some bad blood there in Boston between Nomar and management.

As a long suffering Cubs fan I'm not about to start celebrating. They're still the Cubbies after all.

At least the Yankees didn't get Randy Johnson. That's good.

The tops for MBA international programs is probably Chula's Sasin, which is jointly supported by Northwestern and U of Pennsylvania. It is very well established -- maybe twenty years now -- and has a high reputation in Thailand. I know of at least one large multi-national company which sends it's people there to groom them for higher management positions.

Good luck!

Sasin

As someone else a said, this is not a new issue in academic circles. Presumambly Wright has done his research and can back up his claims (not just an "opinion" if he can back it up with substantial evidence.)

Maybe someone will translate his article into English ?

I also heard he bought a oneway ticket to asia. No joke!

Maybe we'll see him in Nana this week ... or the next full moon party down south??

The latest i read was that he flew to Tokyo for some unstated reason but has now flown back to the states. And yes, i do believe he had trouble passing the NFLs drug tests, maybe a couple of times.

His agent said he was overused by the Dolphins. Fox news says he prefers smoking dope to playing football.

Whatever the reason, it's gotta be a shock for Miami who I'm sure were counting on him for big things this season.