Gangsters

Yesterday I spent an anst Sunday lying on the balcony upstairs among the plants and mosquitos listening to BBC documentaries on the Ipod. I have to recommend "From Our Own Correspondant" this week with fine reports from Italy and Honduras. Mr. B in Italy really is a case. Even the church won't touch him despite the public pleas to condem him over his showgirl parties and mafia lifestyle. Whatever he can get away with on his own pad however, doesn't wash on the international scene and he is rapidly losing any respect from his Western contemporaries. That said, when do they actually "do" anything about anything. Catch the show while you can.

I have been watching the old BBC TV series Civilization. Heavy stuff and requires multiple viewing to digest all the information, yet is is brilliant. Highly recommended.

Yesterday I got hold of Kelly's Heroes and, more importantly, Murphy's War with Peter O'Toole. remember the one where he attempts to destroy a German Uboat stuck on the river bed? I feel another movie night coming on.

Oi is heavily pregnant and it won't be long now I am sure. I think emotionally I am in freefall right now. Not really sure what to feel. All will be revealed upon delivery.

Fortunately the mosquito problem has all but vanished with the new screens we got installed. The tenant had to pay, of course.

I have a few days off due to some public holiday. A nice little breather mid-term. Normally I would go to an island now, like Tom and Danny, but not this time.

With the discovery of Amadou and Mariam, a quick search for similar artists on LastFM led me to a bunch more names which I am currently playtesting. I love the African sound. Much of it is sung in French. Again highly recommended.

Something else worth mentioning is my encounter with a British family who have moved here to find work. Not for sun, sand, sea or a Thai experience, but for money. I was quite surprised. Thailand is not the first place I would suggest to come to look for gold. It does, however, indictate an exodus of peps from the West across the globe trying to put food on the table. I won't mention that both are hopeless as teachers and the husband has already lost one job, and they declined the offer to sit in on another class to study technique and delivery. They bring a young child with them too.

Without ruffling oh so sensitive tail feathers, the ship is still sinking and has not hit the bottom yet. The impact is yet to be fully envisioned.

Mat Beck put me onto the Reith lectures which I must recommend too. The last one in Washington was great and was prompting major change if the current society is to survive, from a money society to a civil society. I hold little hope. It will take a big hammer to knock the selfish gene from this rock. The equation of power, greed and inability to kick the luxury life will see a fight to the bloody end. Talking of which I also watched "Land of the Dead" with Dennis Hopper. A great fairly recent zombie flick with privileged rich folks living in a glass tower on a 24 hour shopping spree. The zombies cross the river and feast on designer consumers in a bloody munching feast. Great flick.

With the Western job market drying up, also sees folks who have previously emmigrated to sunnier climes having to return to their homeland, namely New Zealand and Australia.

Phit said to me, "Cana't they just go back to the farm at home?"
"It doesn't work like that over in England." I replied. "Besides, all the farm workers come from Poland."

We read about the tens of thousands of people losing their jobs, but what happens to them then?

I guess this is it, scanning the globe for an opportunity, as the whole place tightens up, and the rich folk have their guns primed and ready when, like zombies, the starving millions arrive at the gilded gates of their palaces.

Could be a great movie, if it wasn't so true.