Kevin Costner/Turkish Airlines update: here’s a cell phone snap of an ad that appears at the bottom of the front page of today’s Bangkok Post.
Background on Costner’s Turkish Airways ad campaign — and a video of the much-discussed “Feel Like a Star” TV spot — are here.
Bangkok residents woke up to something extraordinary this morning: chilly weather.
Okay, so today’s low temperature was still a rather comfortable 64 degrees Fahrenheit, or 18 degrees Celsius. And yes, temps are still climbing up to 80 degrees F (27 degrees C) during the day.
But still. But still.
This is tropical Thailand, don’t forget, where the average monthly temperature in Bangkok never dips below 77 degrees F (25 degrees C).
I love the Kingdom in November and December. For one thing, these “brisk” temperatures mean that you can actually walk down the street without breaking a sweat.
And there’s a sports-related bonus: ESPNSTAR has been carrying the World Series games live. That means that the sounds of baseball can be heard emanating from the TV in the mornings. (Here’s hoping that the Phillies can force games six and seven.)
Between the MLB action and the “chill” in the air, it almost feels like fall in the U.S.
(Weather forecast via CNNGo.)
WSJ: “Myanmar’s Neighbors Advance Pipeline Project”
HSIPAW, Myanmar — China and its neighbors are moving ahead on a multibillion-dollar oil-and-gas pipeline project that promises to greatly enhance the financial strength of Myanmar’s military regime and boost its political clout in Asia.
That promise comes as the U.S. is seeking new ways to weaken Myanmar’s regime, which has used force and imprisonment to subdue political opposition and ethnic separatists over the years, and which some analysts fear could someday pose a threat to other countries as it builds up its military. Past strategies, including the use of economic sanctions to hobble Myanmar’s junta, have largely failed.
And:
When completed, the pipeline will help unlock large untapped deposits of natural gas off Myanmar’s coast and carry it hundreds of miles to southern China, expanding Myanmar’s role as one of Asia’s important energy exporters and enhancing its influence over other countries that rely on its supplies.
(Emphasis mine.)
There’s also a video and some graphics that are worth checking out.
UPDATE: This story appears to be available to non-WSJ subscribers via Google News, but the link I provided above seems to be subscriber-only.
UPDATE 2: I meant to mention this earlier, but U.S. Senator Jim Webb, who met with Aung San Suu Kyi in August, has often warned of China’s growing influence in Myanmar. News of this pipeline project would obviously be a case in point.