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Misc.

Ecuador: “Pay us not to drill for oil”

Rafael Correa, Ecuador's New President

From Foreign Policy’s blog, Passport:

In a unique environmental scheme, Ecuador’s government is asking developed nations to pay $350 million for them NOT to drill for oil in a major field in the heart of the Amazon. The sum represents about half of the estimated revenue that Ecuador would receive from drilling in the Yasuni National Park, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve that may contain up to a billion barrels of crude. Since Ecuador proposed the scheme last spring, politicians from Germany, Norway, Italy, Spain, and the EU have expressed interest, according to Ecuador’s minister of energy. President Rafael Correa…had this to say:

“Ecuador doesn’t ask for charity […] but does ask that the international community share in the sacrifice and compensates us with at least half of what our country would receive, in recognition of the environmental benefits that would be generated by keeping this oil underground.”

Read the whole post for more information.

Categories
Misc.

File Under: Stories from a Small World

Grace and Colin in BA

My little brother C is studying in Buenos Aires this semester. So when A and I heard that our pal G — an American friend who used to live here in Bangkok — would be passing through Argentina, I put G in touch with C faster than you can say carne asada.

Hence, this excellent image of the two of them: Siam, the US of A, Argentina — it’s a crazy, haphazard world we live in, but it’s comforting to know that even in faraway places blood relations and dear friends can gather for a meeting of the minds, sight unseen, and enjoy some tasty vittles and red wine. Cheers to that.

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.)

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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.