happenings

TV on DVD is a good thing...

check out this article...

i think for the most part it is a good thing since that is about the only way I can see any cool TV shows I like while living in Asia. What is even cooler is living in Bangkok and finding most of the good ones available in the copy DVD stores so I can get Sopranos - an entire season - for a few bucks. love it.

cya

Cool Telecom Italia Video

This is really cool. As usual the Europeans are just much more creative advertisers.

Check it out!

cya

This will be a funny movie!

Got to see this

Team America

cya

Shantaram the Movie!

This should be cool. I think Depp would be great for it.

This author dude is making some bucks!

http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/

cya

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Maybe it was seeing it on the plane or maybe it just sucked. I am not sure which.

But, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind just did not grab me.

I like Jim Carrey and I think Kate Winslet in the non-blockbuster movies is quite good. However there are just too many spots in this movie where I found myself wanting to change channels, no problem while sitting in business class with your own TV - or just plain tuning out. Not a good sign since usually if the movie is pretty decent and I am on a plane my whole attention, apart from stuffing my face, is focused on the flick.

I think I will rent it and try again while I sit at home on my couch looking at the plasma screen knowing I cannot change the DVD. Order some take in as well so I can recreate the other distraction.

Any comments from someone else who has seen it?

cheers

Around the world in 80 days...

I wanted to like it. Good story and I figured a modern version of it with some fun players would be a nice treat. Wishful thinking. Other than a few laughable moments and the various cameos - the movie pretty much sucked.

IMDB info

Save it for cable...

cya

Going Home...

Hard to put a finger on the definition of going hom anymore. Is it the place I go back to where I spend most of my time or is it going back to see my family and friends in California? Tough to say really since for me going home is probably the return trip to somewhere back in Asia. That is actually where I feel more at home or at the very least more in touch with myself. However nothing beats the feeling of going back to my parent's house, sitting around, eating home cooked food, remembering the past and embracing a new future. I did not spend enough time on this trip but the time I had was special and certainly recharges my batteries. I may not miss the good old USA all that much but I miss my family and friends for sure. I find it harder and harder to stay connected with my friends the longer I am in Asia but the beauty of family is that you can walk right into your house where you grew up and feel like you never left. I miss my family for sure and hope the miles between us never tarnish our bonds.

My Mom showed me some old pictures of my grandfather and all the family interconnecting that part of my roots. Old photos of different places in California that really opened my eyes to how much California has changed and how little I know about my roots. Mom is working on piecing it all together and it looks like at one point we will need to go to France and find the missing links but just looking at all the photos from my Grandfather's life once he had arrived in the states was incredibly eye opening and touching. I only wish I knew more about the past since it shapes who I am and what my family is made of - which to me is pretty interesting stuff.

SFO to Narita. A little sleeping, lots of reading, lots of email and a movie. Girl with a Pearl Earring - well it just plain sucked. I wanted to like it and thought for a bit that it was going to get good but it never did. I wasted my time. This bugs me more on a plane than if I had paid to see the movie since while I was wasting my time watching this movie all I had to do was flip to another channel and watch something else. Stupid on my part.

Monday. Back to the grind. Much to do about work and getting my life in gear after being on the road for a solid month. As of today I should be 1k on united for this year. Yes - 100k miles on Star Alliance in 6 month flat. I need the gym.

Straight up. Dinner on Friday night with my friend Jody and I was dying for a good steak place. Salad, flesh and a bottle of wine. Good conversation heavily sprinkled throughout. Had a great time and really enjoyed the food. Harris' - check it out.

Picked up a new iPod mini. What a racket Apple has going on these. You go to the Apple store when they open and stand in line. Everyone sees you standing in line and wonders why. So you tell them. Then you wait for them to bring out the daily batch of minis hoping there is enough for you to get one. I am sure the minis had been in the back ready to go for a while but that would not be as fun since Apple loves to have all these people wait for them and the line itself helps to generate even more buzz. Brilliant marketing for sure. Got to hand it to them but waiting in line to buy something just bugs me. Oh well. I have one now.

My blog racked up another .05 in ad revenue. I am on fire. I need to get going on the Amazon.com associates program since I link to many tangible items. I am sure my "niche" content will prove lucrative. The next thought is just stopping work all together and focusing on traveling while detailing the blog with every place I go, eat, sleep, things to see and so on and hope the ad revenue just soars. ;) wet dream ahead...

I think that does it.

Team dinner was at Timo's. Tough to judge a restaurant when you are having a group dinner, but the food was tasty and the waitstaff did a good job. Allin all I would most likely return for a smaller group and a better chance of exploring the menu.

l8r

Fun fun...

Been a crazy but productive month. Basically been on the road all month and based the travel out of Bangkok for ease of connections. Yes - the official reason. ;)

I like all the heat Thaksin and cronies are getting in Thailand. It is clear - Thaksin and team are using their political power to enrich themselves, family members and friends. It is so blatant. I doubt anyone can do anything about it given the way state of Thai politics but I am happy they are getting some heat. How obvious is it when career politicians who routinely only make 50-100k per year (US) have an amazing assortment of houses, property and businesses. Go figure.

This looks like a real good read - need to check it out.

Ate a simple but good eating Ethopian place in Bangkok. Sukhumvit Soi 3. Abysinna Cafe I think it is but I need to double check the name. Just walk down Soi 3 from the Nana cross area and stay on the right side. You will see it - right across from the Zenith hotel. Good eats, coffee and a nice place to hang out and chat. Check it out.

India was busy with all the techies filling the hotels and planes and the financial community out filling the bars trying to numb the pain of the big stock market dump. Politics in India is a strange beast for sure. Hard for me to understand it all but I think the new regime has lined up their basic agenda and the world is feeling a little bit better. Unless of course you are in the BJP party.

Thanks to the gang at Hypnos for taking care of things when I left my credit card at the restaurant. Nice group of people for sure.

In Tokyo now on the way to BEA eWorld in SF. Looks to be a good one.

I think that is it. Trying to stay awake. Partied one night at the Narcissus Club in Bangkok. This is where Oakenfield put on a show recently. Have to admit - this is a pretty good scene. Just people dancing, drinks and some real good tunes. Good fun.

That should do it.

l8r

Busy or Lazy...

Stuff - been busy.

Check out the new Kill Bill - number 2. This is awesome. I loved every second of it. Masterpiece. Need to see it again for sure.

New music - Dave Seaman and Phil K album - Renaissance Therapy Sessions. Pick it up.

HK is getting hot and sticky. It was good while it lasted.

Thai Airways - get nice or get taken out. Thai airways used to have a lock on things but with more discounters coming to Asia and with more deregulation in the Thai skies these people need to show some customer service. My issue is not with the flight staff - I always have a good time on the plane but they could use some modernization when it comes to inflight entertainment. My beef is with the ground staff. They are rude, never listen and show no preference to people with GOLD status on Star Alliance. I may be bitching but what good is an Alliance without status? Yeah - not much. These people need to wake up and smell the chai. Anyway...

I am sure I had more to say.

Yeah - my Treoo 600. It broke. Freaking handspring - cool products but poor quality. This is the second handspring product that has broke on me. What sucks even more is their support model. Send it somewhere to a country you don't live in- wait until they get it and then we will send you one back on our own sweet time table. Bottom line - I sent it in yesterday. I will let you know how long it takes. Fun fun.

go explore.

Alternate Endings...

Flew back from San Fran yesterday and saw the school of rock - that was super funny. Jack Black kills me. I think not only was this role made for him but he must actually live somewhat like a wannabe rocker. He was just too perfect.

I have an alternate ending for the film - however it might shorten it a bit.

When he steals the kids to go try and audition for battle of the bands, he wrecks the van and all the kids die in a horrific crash. He escapes but only to find out he loses his hearing...

;)