Past weekly features from 2006 and 2007

This week's feature - 5 October 2006

Text messaging is clearly all the rage among notable Republicans in the US Congress. So as a public service  here is a list of text message abbreviations that night help their politicians understand the messages sent by their young proteges. (((H))) 2 all !!

Abbreviation Meaning 404 I don't know A3 Anytime, anywhere, anyplace AAP Always a pleasure AAR At any rate AAS Alive and smiling ADN Any day now AEAP As early as possible AFAIK As far as I know AFK Away from keyboard AISB As it should be AML All my love AOTA All of the above A/S/L Age/sex/location ASL Age/sex/location AT At your terminal ATM At the moment AYEC At your earliest convenience AYOR At your own risk B/F Boyfriend B4 Before B4N Bye for now BAK Back at keyboard BAU Business as usual BBIAM Be back in a minute BBL Be back later BBS Be back soon BC Because BCNU Be seein' you BF Best friend BFN Bye for now BG Big grin BGWM Be gentle with me BFG Big  f***ing grin BLNT Better luck next time BM&Y Between me and you BOL Best of luck BRB Be right back BRT Be right there BTA But then again BTDT Been there, done that BTW By the way CMIIW Correct me if I'm wrong CMON Come on COB Close of business COS Because CR8 Create CRB Come right back CRBT Crying really big tears CU See you CUA See you around CUL See you later CUL8R See you later CWYL Chat with you later CYA See ya CYO See you online DL Download DEGT Don't even go there DIKU Do I know you? DQMOT Don't quote me on this DTS Don't think so DV8 Deviate EBKAC Error between keyboard and chair EG Evil grin EMA E-mail address EMFBI Excuse me for butting in EOD End of day EOM End of message EZY Easy F2F Face to face F2T Free to talk FBM Fine by me FC Fingers crossed FICCL Frankly I couldn't care a less FISH First in, still here FOMCL Falling off my chair laughing FITB Fill in the blank FRT For real though FWIW For what it's worth FYEO For your eyes only FYI For your information G Grin G/F Girlfriend G2CU Good to see you G2G Got to go G2R Got to run G9 Genius GA Go ahead GAL Get a life GB Goodbye GBU God bless you GDR Grinning, ducking, and running GFI Go for it GG Gotta Go or Good Game GIAR Give it a rest GIGO Garbage in, garbage out GL Good luck GL/HF Good luck, have fun GLNG Good luck next game GMTA Great minds think alike GOI Get over it GOL Giggling out loud GR8 Great GR&D Grinning, running and ducking GT Good try GTG Got to go GTRM Going to read mail H&K Hugs & kisses H2CUS Hope to see you soon H8 Hate HAGN Have a good night HAGO Have a good one HAND Have a nice day HF Have fun HHIS Head hanging in shame HOAS Hold on a second HRU How are you? HTH Hope this helps HV Have IAC In any case IANAL I am not a lawyer IB I'm back IC I see ICBW It could be worse IDK I don't know IDTS I don't think so IDUNNO I don't know IG2R I got to run IIRC If I remember correctly ILBL8 I'll be late ILU I love you ILY I love you IM Instant message IMHO In my humble opinion IMNSHO In my not so humble opinion IMO In my opinion IMS I am sorry INAL I'm not a lawyer IOW In other words IRL In real life IRMC I rest my case IUSS If you say so IYKWIM If you know what I mean IYO In your opinion IYSS If you say so j00r Your JAC Just a sec JIC Just in case JJA Just joking around JK Just kidding JMO Just my opinion JP Just playing k/b keyboard KISS Keep it simple, stupid KIT Keep in touch KOTC Kiss on the cheek KOTL Kiss on the lips KNIM Know what I mean?

Abbreviation Meaning L8R Later LD Later, dude / Long distance LMAO Laughing my a** off LOL Laughing out loud LTM Laugh to myself LTNS Long time no see LYLAS Love you like a sis M8 Mate MFI Mad for it MoS Mother over shoulder MTF More to follow MTFBWU May the force be with you MUSM Miss you so much MYOB Mind your own business n00b Newbie N1 Nice one NBD No big deal NE Any NE1 Anyone NIMBY Not in my back yard NLT No later than NM Nothing much / Never mind NO1 No one NOYB None of your business NP No problem NRN No response/reply necessary NVM Never mind NW No way NW) No way out OIC Oh, I see OMG Oh my God OMW On my way OO Over and out OOH Out of here OOTD One of these days OP On phone OTB Off to bed OTL Out to lunch OTOH On the other hand OTT Over the top OTTOMH Off the top of my head OTW Off to work OVA Over PCM Please call me PDQ Pretty darn quick PLMK Please let me know PLS Please PM Private Message PMFI Pardon me for interrupting POAHF Put on a happy face POS Parent over shoulder PPL People PROLLY Probably PRT Party PRW People/parents are watching PTL Praise the Lord PTMM Please tell me more PXT Please explain that PU That stinks! Q Queue QIK Quick QT Cutie RL Real life RME Rolling my eyes ROFL Rolling on floor laughing ROTFL Rolling on the floor laughing ROTFLUTS Rolling on the floor laughing unable to speak RSN Real soon now RTFM Read the f***ing manual RUOK Are you okay? SAL Such a laugh SC Stay cool SETE Smiling Ear-to-Ear SICNR Sorry, I could not resist SIG2R Sorry, I got to run SIS Snickering in silence SIT Stay in touch SLAP Sounds like a plan SMHID Scratching my head in disbelief SNAFU Situation normal all fouled up SO Significant other SOL Sooner or later SOMY Sick of me yet? SOTMG Short of time, must go SPK Speak SPST Same place, same time SRY Sorry SS So sorry SSDD Same stuff, different day SSINF So stupid it's not funny STR8 Straight STW Search the Web SUITM See you in the morning SUL See you later SUP What's up? SYL See you later T+ Think positive TA Thanks a lot TAFN That's all for now TAM Tomorrow a.m. TBD To be determined TBH To be honest TC Take care TGIF Thank God it's Friday THX Thanks THNQ Thank-you TIA Thanks in advance TIAD Tomorrow is another day TLK2UL8R Talk to you later TMB Text me back TMI Too much information TMOT Trust me on this TMWFI Take my word for it TNSTAAFL There's no such thing as a free lunch TPM Tomorrow p.m. TPTB The powers that be TSTB The sooner, the better TTFN Ta ta for now TTTT These things take time TTYL Talk to you later TTYS Talk to you soon TU Thank you TY Thank you TYT Take your time TYVM Thank you very much UGTBK You've got to be kidding UKTR You know that's right UL Upload UR Your / You're UV Unpleasant visual UW You're welcome WAM Wait a minute WAN2TLK Want to talk WAYF Where are you from? W/B Write back WB Welcome back WIIFM What's in it for me? WK Week WKD Weekend WOMBAT Waste of money, brains and time WRK Work WRUD What are you doing? WTF What the f*ck WTG Way to go WTH What the heck? WU? What's up? WUCIWUG What you see is what you get WUF? Where are you from? WWJD What would Jesus do? WWYC Write when you can WYLEI When you least expect it WYSIWYG What you see is what you get X Kiss XLNT Excellent YBS You'll be sorry YGBKM You've got to be kidding me YKWYCD You know what you can do YMMV Your mileage may vary YR Your YW You're welcome ZZZZ Sleeping

March 31 2007

Victory Monument in Bangkok

Victory Monument was erected in June 1941 to commemorate the Thai victory in a brief war with the French colonial authorities in Indo- China in December 1940 and January 1941. A fight that was in fact brief and inconclusive.

Only 59 Thai troops were killed, and the final territorial settlement was imposed on both parties by Japan, which did not want to see a prolonged war between two regional allies at a time when it was preparing to launch a war of conquest in South East Asia.  Nevertheless the Thai regime of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram decided to celebrate the war as a great victory, and the monument was commissioned, designed and erected within a few months.

The monument is entirely western in its design. The central obelisk has a shape suggesting both a sword and masculine potency. The five statues, representing the army, navy, air force, police and civilian bureaucracy, are in a standard western "heroic" style.

The Monument is one of Bangkok's major traffic intersections.

December 2006

Thailand's quiet coup. What happened then and since.

The Bangkok Coup - as it happened

Coup in Thailand - latest news (click here for all)

• Loud actions, still voices in Thailand

• Poorly reasoned appointments

• Fishy meetings in Bangkok

• One month on - not a lot to report

• Could Thaksin return to power?

• The evolution of the Junta's name

• Cabinet appointed

• Democracy Thai style; ban the politicians

• A Siamese tragedy

• Just how naive was Temasek?

• Temasek's silent worries

• 1984 in 2006

• Banned book challenges image

• Thai Junta to Stay after appointing PM

• Military may seize Thaksin assets

• Is this the thin end of the wedge

• The good coup guide - a who's who for the Thai coup

week of 5 September 2006

OasisHongKong - Building an Image

This great looking 747 will make its debut flight on 25 October from Hong Kong to London Gatwick. With flights initially priced as low as HK$1,000 each way plus taxes etc they will be looking to establish a value reputation as well as a strong brand. How important is brand building? Read below to understand the airline's brand building efforts.

Flights can be booked at their website. (the airline is now out of business)

Every element of the Oasis Hong Kong Airlines identity has been crafted to convey our simple, powerful message: affordable, global mobility, provided by an airline whose home is one of the world's most dynamic cities.

Our logo is a wordmark that neatly links “Oasis” with “Hong Kong” to communicate our name, the type of brand experience we offer and our home.

The typeface, a modified version of Mondial, encapsulates the fundamental brand proposition: safety and comfort with unprecedented value. The stylized i of OASiS represents the essence of both our company and Hong Kong: international, innovative and inspired.

Our primary colours are red and white, the colours of the Hong Kong flag. “HONG KONG” is in medium grey, a colour that conveys our commitment to reliability and the professionalism of our experienced staff.

The bright tail fins of the Oasis Hong Kong Airlines aircraft feature our brand signature: bold streaks of light in red, orange and white. They are an instantly recognizable reference to ever-dynamic, diverse Hong Kong. They also communicate what we provide, i.e., the ability to fly non-stop instead of having to transit at an intermediate point.

The energy of our brand identity extends to the aircraft cabin interiors, where the theme is "refreshing and cosmopolitan". colours are warm, inviting shades of purple, magenta and orange for the seat covers and aubergine for the carpeting. Our specially-designed seat cover pattern is called "infinite oasis," and features an ever-continuing flow of dots that represents the joy of mobility and discovery.

22-24 September 2006

The 36th Ryder Cup

Bad quotes from this week's Ryder Cup.

Daily Mirror: (The USA team) "going wild in their team room, eating tortilla chips and helping their bottle-blonde wives apply the tooth-whitener."

Tom Lehman (US Captain) "I have three things I would like to say to my team. My life is the better for knowing you, you honour me with your friendship, and I am proud to be your captain."

Irish Daily Star: "We have had months now of the bloody Ryder Cup. We  have had to listen to the point of puking about what an honour it is to have these gods of golf here."

The Dubliner - "Most American golfers are married to women who cannot keep their clothes on in public. Is it too much to ask that they leave them at home for the Ryder Cup? Consider the evidence — Tiger Woods' wife can be found in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites."

(Note: you wind up Tiger Woods at your peril)

Lehmann on Tiger Woods' putting woes:  "I would say this," he replied, choosing his words with deliberation. "If I had to put my wife and kids' life on the line with somebody making a putt, I would pick him." His family must be concerned!

And the good news:

Sports Illustrated: "Sergio Garcia and his Spanish mentor Jose Maria Olazabal coasted to a 3&2 fourballs victory over Phil Mickelson and Chris DiMarco with a laughter-filled display of shot-making which demonstrated how team and togetherness can triumph over individual reputation".

Sports Illustrated: "But the demeanour of Mickelson, in particular, was not of a man hurting. It was of a golfer with his eyes on the first flight back to his personal comfort zone on Monday morning"

ESPN: "Garcia is doing everything Woods isn't. If body language had names, you'd say the hair-gelled Spaniard is fluent in Fun, and the granite-faced American is fluent in I'd Like To Wrap A Three-Iron Around Sergio's Neck. Generally speaking, Woods' facial expressions have been the same as the weather: overcast and gloomy."

Sporting Life "He tipped his umbrella to the fans, his face creased into a huge grin and the crowd burst into a chant of 'Col-in Mont-gom-erie' to the tune of Verdi's 'La Donna e mobile'"

Unknown Analyst:  "The Americans all have their own planes - this is part of the problem. No opportunity for team building or bonding on the way over as they are each travelling separately with wives, caddies, managers, secretaries, trainers, coaches, hairdressers and chefs! There would have been a race back to Dublin airport to see who could get first in the takeoff queue!"

The Sunday Singles:

1115 Colin Montgomerie v David Toms
1127 Sergio Garcia v Stewart Cink
1139 Paul Casey v Jim Furyk
1151 Robert Karlsson v Tiger Woods
1203 Luke Donald v Chad Campbell
1215 Paul McGinley v JJ Henry
1227 Darren Clarke v Zach Johnson
1239 Henrik Stenson v Vaughn Taylor
1251 David Howell v Brett Wetterich
1303 Jose Maria Olazabal v Phil Mickelson
1315 Lee Westwood v Chris DiMarco
1327 Padraig Harrington v Scott Verplank

EUROPE WINS RYDER CUP AT A CANTER. ALL HAIL DARREN CLARKE. WHAT A GREAT PERFORMANCE.

week of 30 july

Famous Danes (Great Danes?)

1. Ask Bjorn Hansen, 6680000, Computer scientist (had 5830000 hits, min 52800).
2. Hans Christian Andersen, 5630000, Author (was #6 with 1780000 hits, min 36000).
3. Niels Bohr, 5040000, Physicist (was #2 with 3010000 hits, min 30300).
4. Viggo Mortensen, 4090000, Actor (was #3 with 2270000 hits, min 12500).
5. Jakob Nielsen, 3760000, Computer scientist (was #8 with 1690000 hits, min 50200).
6. Lars von Trier, 3050000, Film director (was #5 with 1930000 hits, min 39400).
7. Michael Heilemann, 3030000, Artist (was #4 with 2000000 hits, min 660000).
8. King Diamond, 2360000, Musician (was #9 with 1570000 hits, min 19500).
9. Georg Jensen, 2050000, Silversmith (was #16 with 939000 hits, min 7500).
10. Soeren Kierkegaard, 1490000, Philosopher (was #15 with 943000 hits, min 8350).

The rules to get on the list are:

• The number of hits you get when searching for the name with Google must be higher than the currently lowest placed name. The name should be surrounded in double quotes when searching.
• The hits should be dominated by a single person.
• The person must at one time have been a citizen of Denmark.
• Name variations and pseudonymes are treated as a single entry.
• Any questionable cases are decided by the list maintainer.

4 July 2006

The Gettysburg Address November 19,1863,

Abraham Lincoln's speech was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the American Civil War and some four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg.

Lincoln's carefully crafted address, secondary to other presentations that day, has ultimately become regarded as one of the greatest speeches in American history. In fewer than 300 words delivered over two to three minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality as set out in the Declaration on Independence and redefined the Civil War as a struggle not merely for the Union but also as a "new birth of freedom."

Even today this speech still lies at the heart of US foreign policy.

Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
 

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

17 July 2006

Koh Samui

The first impression most visitors have of Koh Samui is landing at the privately owned (by Bangkok Airways) airport on the north of the island. The 2,060 metre runway (17/35) just about manages a Boeing 717 (though we landed hard). You are taken by open tram to the open air arrivals and departures area. It really is all very quaint. 

The airport is owned by Bangkok Airways; they have a monopoly on flights to the island and they are priced accordingly. This prepares you for similar excess pricing in the island.

You can also travel via Surat Thani and by ferry. Cheaper, much longer and much more hassle. Samui has great beaches; some nice hotels; a few decent spas and restaurants. And it now has its first golf course. Don't expect much more. The main resort, Chaweng, is dusty, dirty, unplanned, unfinished. A mess. It is basically one long street, spreading into a few side sois. Lamai is even quieter and the beach is not as nice. Expect almost everything in Samui to cost 2 to 4 times what it would cost in Bangkok. Expect far more Western tourists than you see anywhere else in Thailand. The Italians are there in large numbers. There are few Asian tourists and no Thai tourists. They know when they are over paying!

Bangkok Airways: Samui

Everything about Samui: Samui.org and Samui guide

Hotels: Koh Samui.com

21 June 2006

This week's Feature: The World of Suzie Wong

Source: www.nancy-kwan.com

Robert Lomax(William Holden) is a struggling American artist, who has moved to Hong Kong to learn if he can really paint. He meets Mee Ling(Nancy Kwan), a beautiful tycoon's daughter, in a fateful encounter onboard Hong Kong's Star Ferry. Departing and expecting never to find each other again, Robert checks into a local Wan Chai hotel. To his great surprise, he learns that the hotel is actually a brothel, and Mee Ling is actually Suzie Wong, the most popular prostitute in the place. What unfolds is the classic "East-meets-West" romance that made Nancy Kwan an international star. Refusing to accept Suzie because of her way of life, and surrounded by the prejudice of the local British colonials, he nonetheless takes her on his model. Meanwhile, he meets Kay O'Neil(Sylvia Syms), a respectable banker's daughter who begins to have feelings for him, and Ben(Michael Wilding), a besotted British businessman separated from his wife, who takes an interest in Suzie. Robert's relationship with Suzie begins as a purely artistic one, then becomes platonic friendship, then anger tinged with hidden jealousy and internal conflict, then passionate love, and finally an acceptance of her as a complete person. In the process Suzie both transforms him and is transformed by him. When the monsoon rains come to Hong Kong, they are finally united, but not without tragic consequences. The film captures the colorful teeming streets of a long-vanished Hong Kong, before it became the gleaming commercial capital it is today. The film also popularized the cheongsam, the high-collared form-fitting Chinese silk dress which afterwards became known as the Suzie Wong dress in America. William Holden is a charismatic leading man and shows a real chemistry with Nancy Kwan. The supporting cast turns in good performances. However, it is Nancy Kwan's wonderful portrayal of Suzie Wong, her very first screen role, that really makes this film. Combining genuine sex appeal with girlish innocence and courage in the face of adversity, her performance was widely acclaimed and she was awarded a Golden Globe.

The movie appears dated now and if you do see it remember that it is a 1960 film with 1960 values; but at the film's heart is a genuine romance, one based on a sort of mutual respect between Robert and Suzie, which develops through the film. Based on a 1957 novel by Richard Maso) the film is an early portrayal of a biracial, bicultural romance between two human beings who struggle to fit into eachothers' worlds.

It is also a remarkable time capsule/travelogue of Hong Kong as she was 46 years ago with a population of 3 million people and little of the prosperity that the city now enjoys. The city was never so brilliantly captured elsewhere on screen in that era.

28 June 2006

This week's Feature: LPGA comes to Thailand

The Honda LPGA Thailand tournament was announced in May 2006 and will be played for the first time at the Amata Spring Golf Club in Thailand from October 20th to October 22nd 2006. It is the first LPGA Tour event in Thailand and it increases the number of countries on the LPGA schedule to eight, including the United States, which is the only country with more than one LPGA Tour event. The total purse will be US$1.3 million.

The LPGA's South Korean and Japanese stops follow the next two weeks, so there is a three week Asian tour which should be sufficient incentive to bring the best of the LPGA to Asia.

The tournament's title sponsor is the Honda Group of Companies in Thailand, a division of Honda Motor Co. The Thai subsidiary has been sponsoring LPGA Tour rookie Virada Nirapathpongporn since the start of her pro career, officials said, and the tournament will allow her to play in front of her home fans.

Amata Spring (17th hole)

Official Web Sites of some of the Asian LPGA stars:

Aree Song
Grace Park
Michelle Wie (site under construction)

week of May 29

This week's Feature: Udon Thani

It is hard now to imagine that modern Udon Thani was home to the US Air Force and to Air America in Thailand from 1968 to 1976. The Americans left behind the airfield, which is still in use today, together with hotels, businesses, bars and a familiarity with western ways. But for the last 30 years Udon has been the sleepy commercial centre of a poor rural community. The local authorities are now seeking to develop tourism and to attract new investment,

More recently suspicion has fallen on a remote Voice of America relay station near Udon Thani, and rumours - all so far unconfirmed - abound that it has been used as a front for "black" or "secret" operations including the interrogation of suspected international terrorists.

The Thai government has dismissed the rumours as baseless.

LINKS

Udon Thani entry in Wikipedia
The American Forces Thailand network
Udon News, Links and Forum

This week's Feature: Suphannahongsa

week of 15 May

Something to wish for, after all it is my birthday soon...

There used to be a picture of a Cirrus airplane here!

week of 22 May

An entirely gratuitous, and very lazy, contribution this week as I cannot think of anything to write about. My mind is a void !

Thai's love beauty contests and beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder! There is something for everyone!

week of 1 May 2006

UNITED 93

As vivid today as they were 5 years go the events of September 11 2001 move us in all in deeply personal ways. The story of the flight that fought back is told in a new movie:

"United 93" - opening 28 April 2006 in the USA

"...a harrowing, honorable, even necessary memorial..." The Boston Globe

""The film is lean, harsh and remarkably free of cant. It doesn't waste a single minute of its harrowing 111 minutes." Chicago Tribune

""...a monumental achievement that stands above any film this year." Rolling Stone

The official web page of the movie

United 93 in Wikipedia

A full account from the PIttsburgh Post Gazette

It is not clear when this film will open in Asia.

This week's Feature: Pak Se-Ri; the Queen of the Seoul Sisters

At 28, Pak is on top of her game again. The jump was pure joy, something that had been missing for the last two years. 

week of 7 May 2006

Khai Luk Koei - Son-in-Law's Eggs (to be eaten with legs crossed)

This dish is traditionally made from quail's eggs, and the name is literalistic euphemism. The story goes that if a young man is being less than kind to his wife, then on a regular visit to his mother-in-law, she will give him a salutary reminder that his behavior has been noted by serving this dish. The message is plain, straighten up and fly right, or his wedding tackle will take the place of the similarly sized eggs in a dish of khai luk koei.

Mrs. Bobbit was not an original. Thai wives with errant husbands have for centuries taken a singular solution to their woes; the husband returns home with too much alcohol in his belly and lipstick on his collar to be pacified with a blow from the
granite sakh (pestle) and relieved of his offending glands which are typically fed to the pigs or geese so they cannot be restored -- a step Mrs. Bobbit omitted.

Seriously though, this dish is delicious and easy to make. If you don't have quail's eggs, then use 8 hen's eggs. You can also use the sauce to go with fried eggs or simple omelettes.

Ingredients

for 4 people

24 quail's eggs
4 tablespoons shallots, (purple onions), thinly sliced
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon of prik phom (ground red chillies)

Method

The eggs are hard boiled then shelled. If you are using hen's eggs, cut them in half. They are then stir fried in a little oil on medium heat until they are beginning to crisp and then removed from the pan and placed on the serving platter.

Add the shallots to the pan and saute until they are beginning to crisp. Remove about half of the shallots and set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients of the sauce, and add them to the wok or skillet and stir until the sauce thickens.

Pour the sauce over the eggs; then sprinkle the reserved shallot flakes on top.