2Bangkok.com Best Thailand News Site

This site, http://2bangkok.com/ is probably the best and most "objective" news site on Thailand. I put objective in quotes, because this site is unabashedly pro-Thaksin, the deposed leader of the country by a military coup. The group of his supporters, the "Red Shirts" continue to lobby for another revolution that will put him back in power. He was deposed by a muslim military leader and the country is still under military control.

This is nothing new for Thailand. They have a revolution on the average of once every 10 years or less. Of course, they still have their King, but he is a powerless figurehead, similar to Britain's royalty.

Back to 2Bangkok.com. This site takes Thai language media and interprets it for the English speaker. It is fascinating to learn what the popular Thai media have to say about things, and is the only way those of us who do not speak Thai would understand what is going on there. If you have an interest in Thailand or Southeast Asia this is a great site!

Jackie Chan number one! The Myth free on Hulu

The Myth, an exellent Jackie Chan flick from 2006 has suddenly appeared on Hulu just in time for Xmas. Here's the link http://www.hulu.com/jackie-chans-the-myth?c=Action-and-Adventure

I enjoyed this film as much as any Chan adventure so far. Despite moving to the role of excutive producer, Jackie still obviously does at least the majority of the stunts, and has not lost any of his strict kung-fu style.

I do not want to dis Bruce Lee, since he was cut short in his prime, much like others who had enormous potential like Jimi Hendrix and James Dean. Chan has managed to realize his ability into a tremendously marketable and highly entertaining product. Bruce Lee was on the way to becoming what Jackie Chan is only a parody of.

Never end a sentence with a preposition. Oops. As I was saying, Chan has obviously studied Kung-Fu and as he himself has admitted, he is not a martial artist, he is an athlete. A very good one at that.

My hat is off to Jackie Chan, ichi ban in my book as current living martial artists.

Project Blue Earth SOS

This is a very classy show! There is a quality of animation that is instantly recognizable to anime fans, one found in high quality shows like Ghost in the Machine, Patlabor and more recently, Baccano. This is about an alien invasion of flying saucers that attack ships powered by a new source, the G-reaction. Teenage geniuses Penny Carter and Billy Kimura join forces with a clandestine secret alliance to save humanity from the extra-terrestrials. This is a very good natured and kid-friendly show from what I've seen so far (only one episode) but based on the quality and overall tone I definately give it a thumbs up! Watch 6 episodes free on Funimation here: http://www4.funimation.com/video/?page=show&b=154

Kiddy Grade, odd but good anime series

This show is one of the strangest things I have seen yet in the world of anime. The stars are two lolitas, and I do mean lolitas, oine pre and one post-pubescent. The young one wears a totally sexy gothic lolita outfit that is seriously twisted on a girl that young. This show just proves my point that the japanese are actually aliens. The title says it all, Kiddy Grade, as in Kiddy Porn.

Once you get past the inherent wierdness in the show it is actually quite entertaining. Here's the plotline: In Star Century Zero-One-Sixty-Five, the Global Union was born. To provide an impartial mediator to the various planetary governments of the G.U., the Galactic Organization of Trade and Tariffs, or G.O.T.T., was simultaneously formed to settle economic disputes amongst the member planets. Existing in the shadows of the G.O.T.T., the ES Force serves as the G.O.T.T.'s primary law enforcement organization. ES Force members Eclair and Lumiere are on the front line, pursuing all manner of criminals and bringing them to justice.

I give this show 4 out of five stars just on weirdness alone. Although it is obviously aimed at tween girls, I don't think you want your 11 year old to watch it.

J Geils Band Proto-Ska

When I was 13 a guy brought the new record by J Geils Band http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_J._Geils_Band, Bloodshot, to school. I was impressed by the red vinyl pressing and the first song, House Party. I was more impressed by the girl he was trying to impress, Robin Greenwald. But, that's another story. That record contained a song that later became a somewhat successful hit, Give it to Me. That song was the epitome of what white boy ska came to be. Most amazing in that band was Magic Dick AKA Richard Salwitz, the harp player extroiadinaire. he still ranks as one of the finest electric harp players of all time. Just the fact that they were Snoopy and the Sopwith Camels in the early 60's just makes it cooler, I had the snoopy and the red baron album when I was like 5!

I am all ferklempt about this revelation. I am putting Give it to me on the list of formative Ska, Biker music and other. Check me if I'm wrong.

Grace Park - Number 8, Number 1!!!

Yes this is a straight fan post. Grace Park, better known as Boomer to Battlestar Galactica http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battlestar_Galactica_(2004_TV_series) fans, is a super-fine Korean-American-Canadian actress who not only stars in BG but also has been in numerous Canadian shows including Edgemont http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgemont_(TV_series). She was born on March 14, 1974 in LA and was raised in Vancouver from the age of 22 months. Unfortunately, she is married :(

Her first film role was in Romeo Must Die http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_Must_Die in 2000 with Jet Li, and in 2003 she landed the role of her life, Sharon Valerii and other copies of herself in Battlestar Galactica. Really, this post is just an excuse to post a picture of this amazing woman! Oh yes, something is also bugging me. In Season 4 episode 2 Starbuck is given the Demetrius, a sewage freighter, to take to try to find Earth. Why would they need a sewage frieghter? They have the whole of space to dump sewage, why would they need to haul it around? Afraid of polluting infinite space?

New comprehensive copyright Information site

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) www.eff.org, Electronic Information forLibraries (eIFL.net), and other international copyright experts joined together today to launch Copyright Watch -- a public website createdto centralize resources on national copyright laws at http://www.copyright-watch.org .

Copyright Watch is the first comprehensive and up-to-date onlinerepository of national and regional copyright laws. Users can findlinks by choosing a continent or by searching a country name. The sitewill be updated over time to include proposed amendments to laws, aswell as commentary and context from national copyright experts.Copyright Watch will help document how legislators around the worldare coping with the challenges of new technology and new businessmodels.

(From EFFector 22.33)