Year: 2007

Indonesia: “Rattled by Earthquakes”

Indonesia Earthquake [Image via CNN.com]

CNN.com:

JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) — Less than a day after being rocked by a deadly earthquake, people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were jolted again Thursday morning by a pair of powerful tremors that prompted the Indonesian government to issue additional tsunami warnings.

Residents in other Indian Ocean nations also were put on notice about the possibility of tsunami waves. Most of those watches were later dropped, although a watch remained in effect for Indonesia.

The 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck about 6:45 a.m. (1145 GMT), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The epicenter was about 185 kilometers (115 miles) south-southeast of Padang and about 210 km northwest of Bengkulu.

About four hours later, the USGS reported that a 7.1-magnitude quake had rocked the region. Sandwiched in-between were half a dozen temblors measuring 5.0 and above.

The quakes came just 12 hours after Indonesia had been rocked by an 8.4-magnitude earthquake that killed at least nine people, and generated a small tsunami about 61 centimeters (2 feet) high along the Sumatran coast.

(Emphasis mine.)

The first quake hit at about 6:10 p.m. local time yesterday, and even people here in Bangkok reported that tall buildings were shaken.

New Blog on Baseball and Asian Culture

Baseball in Taiwan [not my image]

Speaking of notable new blogs, Asia-watchers and baseball fans alike will want to check out the recently-launched East Windup Chronicle, “A Journal of Sports, Art, Politics, and Culture from the Pacific Rim” (with a heavy emphasis on baseball).

My pal Aaron and his friend Jackson, writing from South Korea and Taiwan, respectively, have been discussing issues such as Japan’s most underrated MLB player; Kim Ng, who may become the first female GM in baseball history; and a game-fixing scandal in the CPBL, Taiwan’s pro league.

Definitely worth a look.

French-Fry Encrusted Hot Dogs in Korea: Redux

French Fry Coated Hot Dogs in Korea [Not My Image]

Phil, author of the fantastic Cambodian food blog Phenomenon, has turned his attention to Asian food in general with a new site called The Last Appetite. And I’m pleased to see that my musings regarding the French fry-encrusted hot dogs I encountered in Korea have inspired him to do a little more digging. Don’t miss his post called “Korea: French fry-coated hot dog”:

After first witnessing this monstrosity on Newley Purnell’s site, I thought that chasing it down would be difficult. That it would be the type of food that only demented South Korean carnies sold for a scant few days of a State Fair until their consumers ended up in the waiting queue for a heart bypass. The taste is about as obvious as it looks: greasy but still crispy fries glued to a hotdog with a thick, neutral batter…

It turns out that Seoul is packed full of artisan hot dog vendors. Vendors wrap them in bacon, mashed potato, corn batter or what looked to be seaweed then invariably deep fry them. I spotted three french fry-coated hotdog vendors in the narrow alleys of Myeong dong alone and a few more in the neighbouring Namdaemun Market…

(Emphasis mine.) Read the whole thing.

Belgium: “Time to call it a day”?

Belgium Map

The Economist:

A RECENT glance at the Low Countries revealed that, nearly three months after its latest general election, Belgium was still without a new government. It may have acquired one by now. But, if so, will anyone notice? And, if not, will anyone mind? Even the Belgians appear indifferent. And what they think of the government they may well think of the country. If Belgium did not already exist, would anyone nowadays take the trouble to invent it?

Such questions could be asked of many countries. Belgium’s problem, if such it is, is that they are being asked by the inhabitants themselves. True, in opinion polls most Belgians say they want to keep the show on the road. But when they vote, as they did on June 10th, they do so along linguistic lines, the French-speaking Walloons in the south for French-speaking parties, the Dutch-speaking Flemings in the north for Dutch-speaking parties. The two groups do not get on—hence the inability to form a government. They lead parallel lives, largely in ignorance of each other. They do, however, think they know themselves: when a French-language television programme was interrupted last December with a spoof news flash announcing that the Flemish parliament had declared independence, the king had fled and Belgium had dissolved, it was widely believed.

No wonder. The prime minister designate thinks Belgians have nothing in common except “the king, the football team, some beers”, and he describes their country as an “accident of history”. In truth, it isn’t…

(Emphasis mine.)

Categories
Misc.

“Getting Things Written”

In “Getting Things Written,” Antony Johnston describes how writers can benefit from the Getting Things Done approach.

Fishing Lures Decorated by Artists

Artists' Fishing Lures

CRANKbait! Lures of Distinction: “What would happen if you shipped 20 unassembled old-timey wooden fishing lure kits off to be finished by a bunch of artists? It turns out that the answer is CRANKbait! Lures of Distinction.”

(Via.)

Yours Truly Sampling Noodles on Khaosan Road

Me on Khao San Rd., Bangkok [image credit: Austin Bush]

The one and only Austin Bush — he of RealThai and The Old Main Drag fame — snapped this pic of me sampling noodles on Khaosan Road recently. I like the colors and the lighting. Click on the image for a bigger version.

Categories
Misc.

“Autos Katrina” For Sale in Bolivia

A recent episode of Marketplace — one of my favorite podcasts — contained an excellent story from Ruxandra Guidi. It’s about how cars that were damaged by hurricane Katrina have ended up for sale in Bolivia. While the automobiles may look fine, many are mechanically beyond repair.

Categories
Misc.

Life Lists

The New York Times’s Alex Williams on “life lists”:

…
Once the province of bird-watchers, mountain climbers and sufferers of obsessive-compulsive disorder, the life list has become widely popular with the harried masses, equal parts motivational self-help and escapist fantasy.
…
Evidence of the lists’ surging popularity is all around. The travel writer Patricia Schultz currently has two “1,000 Places to See Before You Die” books lodged on The New York Times paperback advice best-seller list, two in an avalanche of recent life-list books, like “1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die” and “101 Things to Do Before You Turn 40.”

In December, Warner Brothers will release Rob Reiner’s “Bucket List,” starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman as cancer patients who set out on a series of life-list adventures, including a Harley ride on the Great Wall of China.

Multiple life-list oriented social-networking Web sites have cropped up, inviting strangers to share their lists and offer mutual encouragement. Even Madison Avenue has chimed in. Visa is currently running a print campaign built around a checklist called “Things to Do While You’re Alive” (and credit-worthy, presumably).

(Image via.)

Categories
Misc.

Passers-by Purloin Protest Papayas

Bangkok Post:

Greenpeace’s protest against the lifting of a ban on open-field trials of genetically-modified (GM) papaya yesterday was met with an unexpected reaction from a crowd of onlookers.

Passers-by took matters, and tonnes of papayas dumped by Greenpeace, into their own hands, and ran off.

The environmental group dumped the papayas in front of the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry yesterday to make its objection to the lifting of the ban loud and clear to the government.

It was the second protest about the controversial issue in five days after reports the ministry will today seek cabinet approval for the lifting of the ban on open-field trials of transgenic crops.

But this time, after the dumping, people flocked to load up on the free papayas, ignoring the environmental organisation’s campaign against the dangers of GM fruit — a message Greenpeace has been trying to get through to the government and the public for years.

Many passers-by, who mostly knew nothing about transgenic fruit, said they did not care about any health risks.

They were just thinking about how hungry they were.

”I don’t care if they’re dangerous,” said papaya salad seller Gig Krueyat, 70. ”I don’t know what the threat is … nothing serious, I think …”

Mrs Gig helped herself to three sacks of the fruit in minutes. Others, including some ministry officials and Rasi Salai dam protesters from Sri Sa Ket province who were camped near the ministry, also did not let the opportunity slip by.

A man waiting in traffic for the lights to go green near the ministry, leapt out of his car and joined the feast.

”I’m not scared of GM papayas. Rather, I’m scared I won’t have any to eat,” said Ubon Ratchathani villager Ampon Tantima, 31, before rushing back to his car with the free fruit….