Category: Misc.

Categories
Misc.

No posts until Oct. 11

2011 09 28 gone fishin

I won’t be posting anything here until Oct. 11.

In the meantime, you might catch me on Twitter, but dispatches there will likely be minimal.

A few administrative reminders:

  • I occasionally post material to my public Facebook page. You can “like” the page to connect with me there.
  • You can sign up to receive RSS updates for all Newley.com posts, of course.
  • I recently decided to start an email list, so I’ll be sending periodic messages in the future.

    These won’t be emailed versions of Newley.com posts, but perhaps more personal missives about what’s new in my world. You can sign up here.

  • And finally, I always welcome feedback on the site. If you’d like to get in touch, send me an email at: newley@gmail.com.

As ever, thanks for reading.

(Image: via.)

Categories
Misc.

WSJ on U.S. companies investing in Laos

There’s an interesting story over at the Wall Street Journal‘s new Southeast Asia Real Time blog about U.S. companies investing in Laos.

The lede:

It has Southeast Asia’s smallest economy. Per capita incomes are only $990, a fraction of levels in nearby Thailand and Malaysia.

Yet Laos appears to have something American companies want. In recent weeks an unprecedented number of major U.S. companies — including some that previously paid Laos little heed — have touched down in the little, landlocked nation, hunting for investment opportunities in what remains one of the least-understood countries in Asia.

Worth a read.

(Emphasis mine.)

Categories
Misc.

Self-promotion: Channel NewsAsia story on haze in Southeast Asia

Update, September 27, 2011:

I disabled the embedded video because it seemed to be available only as an auto-playing file. But you can still access it at the link below.

Go to the Embedded above Channel NewsAsia site to see a TV story I did yesterday for Channel NewsAsia.

It’s about an Association of Southeast Asian Nations meeting that took place here in Bangkok. Environmental officials from throughout the region discussed the smoke haze issue that affects Singapore, Malaysia, and other areas.

The text story is available, as well.

Categories
Misc.

WSJ on what the U.S.-Taiwan jet deal could mean for the S. China Sea dispute

An interesting story in today’s Wall Street Journal looks at what the U.S.-Taiwan jet issue means for the South China Sea dispute and China’s relations with Southeast Asian nations:

The Philippines and Indonesia shook off any concerns over a U.S. decision to forego selling new fighter jets to Taiwan, despite fears it could signal a reduction in American support for the region as China expands its military power.

The U.S. decision, reported Monday by the Wall Street Journal, means the Obama administration will upgrade Taiwan’s 146 Lockheed Martin F-16 A/B jets rather than selling it 66 new C/D models that the island has been seeking since 2006, according to a congressional official. Southeast Asian officials were watching the outcome closely to see how the U.S. would balance its growing commercial relationship with China with its commitment to help defend Taiwan against possible aggression from China. It is a subject of intense interest in Southeast Asia given ongoing disputes between many of its countries and China, especially over territorial claims in the resource-rich South China Sea.

(Emphasis mine.)

Categories
Misc.

Thailand flooding: Sept. 2011

UPDATE: For more recent news on the flooding here in Thailand, see this October 11, 2011 post.

2011 09 20 thai flooding

According to an MCOT story yesterday, flooding here in Thailand has killed 112 people, and 26 provinces “remain under floodwaters.”

Since late July, storms and annual monsoon rains have caused the Chao Phraya and other rivers to overflow, damaging surrounding areas.

I have received some questions via Twitter about the floods.

Central Bangkok has not been affected, as far as I can tell. A visit to the Chao Phraya river, in old Bangkok, last week revealed that the waters are quite high.

However, news reports indicate that Nonthaburi, north and west of central Bangkok, are under threat as floodwaters make their way down to the city from upcountry.

Above is a map, via yesterday’s Bangkok Post, of Thailand’s most severely affected areas. You can see that north and central Thailand, in low-lying areas near the Chao Phraya, have been hit hardest.

2011 09 20 tug boats

Meanwhile, a story in today’s Post says tug boats are being used to push water from Ayuttaya’s Noi River out to the ocean. I’ve never heard of the vessels being used in this way. See the image above.

Note that severe flooding also hit Thailand hit last year. See the Thailand flooding tag for previous posts.

(Images: Bangkok Post.)

Categories
Misc.

Yet more self-promotion: WSJ stories on a Phuket villa and favorite Thai eats

Two items to point out quickly:

Enjoy.

Categories
Misc.

Self-promotion: New WSJ Scene Asia story on coffee in Thailand

I have a story today over at The Wall Street Journal‘s Scene Asia blog about where to find good coffee in Thailand.

Categories
Misc.

8 links

  1. What journalists can learn from scientists and the scientific method — Poynter
  2. 10 Things Henri Cartier-Bresson Can Teach You About Street Photography — EricKimPhotography.com
  3. The One Must-See Documentary? — New York Times
  4. The Battle Over Zomia — The Chronicle of Higher Education on issues surrounding “The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia.”
  5. Sane RSS usage — Marco.org
  6. So here goes — Bangkok Glutton on her favorite places to eat in the Thai capital.
  7. Bells and Whistles for a Few E-Books — New York Times
  8. Youtube video embedded bove: Animated Sheet Music: “So What” by Miles Davis
Categories
Misc.

Second anniversary with Ashley, our adopted Bangkok street dog

File under: The adopted soi dog chronicles…

I am late in noting this, but August 15 was the second anniversary of our adoption of Ashley, our rescued street dog.

As I mentioned in my post last year providing the back story, we got her from the fine folks at SCAD Bangkok.

SCAD stands for Soi Cats and Dogs. (Soi is the Thai word for a small street.) The group takes in sick street animals and encourages adoption, fostering, spaying-neutering, and more.

The original post has all the details, but here, again, is what Ashley looked like as a puppy when SCAD rescued her.

You can see that she underwent a surgery for a stomach injury:

Ashley 01 PF

And:

Ashley 02 PF

Here’s how she appeared when we took her home with us. She had been living at SCAD for about a year at this point:

Ashley2 02

The big day:

3828968151 95fb35a667 o

I think the before and after photos tell you everything you need to know about the exceptional work SCAD does.

Okay. Ashley updates for the past year:

Her likes continue to be:

  • hanging out on the patio
  • sleeping under the coffee table
  • going for walks
  • chasing birds and geckos
  • gnawing on bones and various chew toys

Dislikes, as ever, are:

  • strangers knocking on the door
  • loud noises
  • thunder
  • the guitar
  • swimming

Ashley can be a bit skittish when she encounters aggressive dogs or people she’s never met. But when there’s a knock at the door, she responds with a ferocity that belies her somewhat delicate, 12-kilo (26 pound) frame.

Here we are at the beach:

DSC 7251

And:

DSC 7292

And here she is relaxing at home.

(She sometimes has a pensive look on her face, though I’m certain I’m projecting what I imagine to be thoughts or emotions about her human companions. I truly believe her only concerns — as they are for all dogs — are food and reliable shelter. But then again, what is loyalty anyway?)

IMG 0010

A favorite pastime: longing to lunge at the pigeons through the screen on the balcony:

IMG 0200

Caught on the couch! Not only that, but she was resting her head on a silk pillow! That is just not right…

10122010679

Hmm. Doe eyes. Ears down.

Where have I seen that expression before? Oh yeah, when she was a puppy:

Ashley Nov08 2

And finally, an interesting tidbit we discovered — through the SCAD Facebook page, if memory serves.

One of Ashley’s litter mates, Amber, was adopted by a family in Canada around the time, or just before, we took Ashley in.

Here’s Amber. Despite the differences in color, I think you’ll see some similarities between Amber and Ashley:

2011 05 05 amber

Here’s to another great year. And again, here’s a link to the SCAD site. There are, as always, adoptable dogs and cats available…

Categories
Misc.

Normal posting will resume shortly

I’m back in Bangkok after several days of travel.

Below are two images from my journey. Care to guess where I’ve been? (This will not be a mystery to those who follow my Twitter feed.)

And:

More soon on both of these destinations.