This is a radio show on BBC Radio 4 which discusses ideas, science and philosophy. This weeks show was staggeringly brilliant. On it was an American female philosopher, the Indian female author of The God of Small Things and a Particle Physicist. I will have to listen to it again to fully grasp some of the ideas but it was a great discussion which I would recommend. Other great shows are Dr. Karl, Discovery, Science in Action, Documentaries, In Our Time, Pods and Blogs and a smattering of others. Here is the very user-friendly site for DL podcasts.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/
JJ
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Empire Total War
This is such a great game it must be recommended.
Literally, it is a government simulator of the 18th Century. Right now I am governing Great Britain, of course, and am exploring colonizing the Americas. You have tech trees, navy, army, trade, allies, pirates, coffee, cotten, sugar cane, ministers, agents etc etc.
Folks like Jimmy V would love this as it is very detailed and yet, not to hard to play as the graphics are fun and it is turn based. The real time battles are awesome and massive - hundreds of troops in lines attacking forts and enemy lines.
Go play.
Literally, it is a government simulator of the 18th Century. Right now I am governing Great Britain, of course, and am exploring colonizing the Americas. You have tech trees, navy, army, trade, allies, pirates, coffee, cotten, sugar cane, ministers, agents etc etc.
Folks like Jimmy V would love this as it is very detailed and yet, not to hard to play as the graphics are fun and it is turn based. The real time battles are awesome and massive - hundreds of troops in lines attacking forts and enemy lines.
Go play.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Joe and Vince
This week Joe (Kyle's buddy in BKK) and brother Vince popped down to Hat Yai to begin Vince's holiday and first time in Thailand. They came over and we chatted and got trashed Tuesday night. On Wednesday they hired motorbikes from the Cathay Guesthouse and with Don took them on the back road to Songkhla. We had a great meal on the beach (crab curry, steamed fish, salad) and had a great day out. Joe also very kindly brought me an orinal copy of Empire Total War we I have just been getting accustomed to.
Back to school on Thursday and quite tired when we hit Friday night. Oi is so big now as the hour draws near. Tom came over last night and we chatted and tried to sit through Dean Spanley with Peter O'Toole and Sam Neil. Great movie but we were both so tired it was a bit of a wash out.
Yesterday I went shopping with Phit to try to get ready for the birth. I got a fridge, a rice cooker and some other stuff to get ready. It is a bit unsettling waiting for the birth but Oi seems fine though obviously its hard work being pregnant. I have to try to stay sane so I can be a supporting husband/father.
I shall go swimming today to set myself up feeling as good as I can for right now.
Lately, I've seen quite a lot of Danny, Don and Tom. Other folks seem distant. I guess they're doing their own thing.
I'm really into African music right now and I got some great names from LastFM radio. Podcasts still going strong though I usually fall asleep shortly after listening begins.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, July 3, 2009
The Storyteller
Phit told me yesterday that there is is no school until next Thursday so I am enjoying a few days of rest.
To kick off this little breathing space I asked the boys over for a special movie night. Movie night has fallen by the wayside of late. Probably because I just couldn't find anything worth showing on a regular basis, so I resolved just to put something on when there was something good enough to warrant the event. S, what was it? Well, I finally clocked my mind together and DL'd Sam Peckinpah's Cross of Iron. And after watching the opening credits stopped it and saved it for the boys as it rang all the right bells.
Tom, Danny and Karl came over. I bought some Vodka and I had some smelly blue cheese too. Karl is about 30 and from Chester and a runaway from the merciless machine system. I think he worked in a bank chasing people to repay their debts. He escaped and is now married to a Thai girl and has a little boy who is is crazy about. He teaches at a local college busting with 17 year old superbabes.
Tom and Danny are off to the islands and alas I cannot join them this time with fatherhood beckoning. Next time. I am planning a trip to Sumatra in October to a volcanic lake I have heard about in a bid to start doing exciting stuff again after years of nothing. I informed Oi that our daughter will be doing plenty of exploring and traveling when she is old enough. She didn't object.
Continuing the pursuit of creative thought I am trying to spend a lot of time thinking constructively and exploring and researching multiple projects. This including teaching plans, meditation, new music, general awareness, karma and some other stuff.
What really gets me is that most folk don't have time to explore these avenues because they spend all their time working. The brain remains largely unexplored and its wonders remained untapped. So sad. What a dumb way for this beast Man to restrict himself. And that most folks buy into it without question. Is that path really the reason we are here? I try to follow the creative voice in my head. Keeping active but trying to respond to the thought that enter my mind and building on those thoughts. Teaching of course is wonderfully creative and allows for much diversity. With my older kids this week I did a lesson on Murder. There is some great vocab on this subject which most foreigners are unfamilar with and allows for some grusome fun. A project I am just now formulating is a story I want them to write and present. Something about the story I saw George Lucas talking about; a hero walking down a road who meets a frog who gives him some advice and a possibly a warning of something further down the road. Then I will leave the students to continue the story. I don't want them to confer so we have multiple stories going on. I will be interested to see what they come up with.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Rollin' On.
The term is slipping by and Oi has been very good at taking care of herself and preparing for motherhood. I must get another photo as she is fairly ginormous right now.
I am attempting to keep as busy as possible to fight the boredom that comes with everyday life. So I have been trying to keep active on creative lesson plans and projects, and it does pay off. The kids get a good English lesson and enjoy it pretty much.
It's funny now as life is sort of complete. I look at Oi and know that I could not have a sweeter, kinder person for a wife. She is just so very lovely and content that the thought of being cast adrift in the single, drunken life to which I am so vunerable is a frightening thought. As we patiently wait for our baby to arrive I find this strange stability and cosy family thing quite hard to accept and take hold off. Random destructive thoughts to which we are all prone have to be put aside as I become depended upon as a provider. Weird, but it is rightful that I should have a purpose, and thank the karma and guiding spirits that somehow brought me to this shore.
We share such a cosy little set-up as we sit a couple of meters apart on our respective coms. Oi is hooked on the Plants Vs. Zombies game and I am battling through Sid Meier's Pirates and Call of Duty World at War which is incredible. Even my teenage students were stunned at the mind-blowing graphics and gameplay. Pirates is a total hoot and I am desperately trying to win the hand of the beautiful French Governor's daughter in the sea port of Tortura. She has insisted on my finding the fabled aztec treasure before accepting my hand in marriage. Bitch! I have been roving over hill and dale using triganometry off reference points of dead trees and geysers. The game was a great find on some distant website and is a game Kyle told me about eons ago which evaded my searching for ages.
All the guys are fine. I hooked up with Danny last night and we had a good old chat a a few beers. He likes the PC games too and we had a crack on Call of Duty, torching Japanese soldiers with the trusty flame thrower and shouting out insults as they burned. We are hoping to get a couple of bods to do some online gaming within Hat Yai if we can figure out which game to play and what to do.
We went looking for new houses again yesterday but didn't have much luck. Estate Agents don't exist here so it is all done by foot work and asking friends. The other problem we have encountered is the total shittiness of the landlords to do anything to make the house nice. One we went to had condoms all over the overgrown back garden and a birds nest in the toilet. The bitch said it had already been cleaned and was ready to be occupied. I just walked off. Of course, she was Chinese and extremely rich (sorry Mary, you are the sweetest).
We have had new mosquito nets put into the current house which I hope will be effective, though I have may doubts as there is a sewer outside the back door. Still, we can hope.
Ipod fun is still going strong and I DL's all the Men at Work albums so have been reminicing. Also, I DL'd a bunch of 3rd Rock from the Sun shows which is an absolute scream. I just love John Lithgow. Fortunately, it is quite visual so Oi can enjoy is somewhat even though they barble at a thousand words per second. Also acquired is the classic WW2 movie, Cross of Iron - Sam Peckampah with James Coburn, Mason and Donald Sutherland if memory serves.
Pretty hot here right now and waiting for the rain to come.
I am attempting to keep as busy as possible to fight the boredom that comes with everyday life. So I have been trying to keep active on creative lesson plans and projects, and it does pay off. The kids get a good English lesson and enjoy it pretty much.
It's funny now as life is sort of complete. I look at Oi and know that I could not have a sweeter, kinder person for a wife. She is just so very lovely and content that the thought of being cast adrift in the single, drunken life to which I am so vunerable is a frightening thought. As we patiently wait for our baby to arrive I find this strange stability and cosy family thing quite hard to accept and take hold off. Random destructive thoughts to which we are all prone have to be put aside as I become depended upon as a provider. Weird, but it is rightful that I should have a purpose, and thank the karma and guiding spirits that somehow brought me to this shore.
We share such a cosy little set-up as we sit a couple of meters apart on our respective coms. Oi is hooked on the Plants Vs. Zombies game and I am battling through Sid Meier's Pirates and Call of Duty World at War which is incredible. Even my teenage students were stunned at the mind-blowing graphics and gameplay. Pirates is a total hoot and I am desperately trying to win the hand of the beautiful French Governor's daughter in the sea port of Tortura. She has insisted on my finding the fabled aztec treasure before accepting my hand in marriage. Bitch! I have been roving over hill and dale using triganometry off reference points of dead trees and geysers. The game was a great find on some distant website and is a game Kyle told me about eons ago which evaded my searching for ages.
All the guys are fine. I hooked up with Danny last night and we had a good old chat a a few beers. He likes the PC games too and we had a crack on Call of Duty, torching Japanese soldiers with the trusty flame thrower and shouting out insults as they burned. We are hoping to get a couple of bods to do some online gaming within Hat Yai if we can figure out which game to play and what to do.
We went looking for new houses again yesterday but didn't have much luck. Estate Agents don't exist here so it is all done by foot work and asking friends. The other problem we have encountered is the total shittiness of the landlords to do anything to make the house nice. One we went to had condoms all over the overgrown back garden and a birds nest in the toilet. The bitch said it had already been cleaned and was ready to be occupied. I just walked off. Of course, she was Chinese and extremely rich (sorry Mary, you are the sweetest).
We have had new mosquito nets put into the current house which I hope will be effective, though I have may doubts as there is a sewer outside the back door. Still, we can hope.
Ipod fun is still going strong and I DL's all the Men at Work albums so have been reminicing. Also, I DL'd a bunch of 3rd Rock from the Sun shows which is an absolute scream. I just love John Lithgow. Fortunately, it is quite visual so Oi can enjoy is somewhat even though they barble at a thousand words per second. Also acquired is the classic WW2 movie, Cross of Iron - Sam Peckampah with James Coburn, Mason and Donald Sutherland if memory serves.
Pretty hot here right now and waiting for the rain to come.
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