flickr group update

I let my flickr pro account lapse at the end of last year, and not just because they sold out to a bunch of greedy corporate zombies and made change my username, either. A lot of it had to do with the fact that my net connection, until this very week, was sad and pathetic (and reminiscent of analog modem days, but without the cool “screaming in tha ether” sounds).
Anyhow, now that I have a proper connect and even got issued a credit card here in Thailand, maybe I’ll renew again (but nothing can make me retract the corporate zombie statement). I was just checking the jump photo group I created a couple years back, and was pleasantly surprised to see that it grew a little: 226 members and 978 photos
This isn’t a huge or very popular group by any means, but just big enough to see a new photo every time you log in. Join up, if you have the jump in you!
(might as well) JUMP! on Flickr

check yourself

I know, I know. An occasional link and/or hurried musing does not (contrary to the title on my banner) an interesting blog make, but it has suddenly become so hot in this region as to shut down all unnecessary thought and action as we scurry around looking for shade and a siesta.
Anyhow. This here’s a handy site for when you think gmail/google/your website is down, but you’re not sure if it’s just your connection: downforeveryoneorjustme.com

Hanzo Steel Remix

I was sure I’d blogged about this previously but I can’t find the post, so…. You MUST MUST MUST check out this (old) remix of the Hanzo Steel albums over at b00mb0x: rollinupinmyrizla
I’ve been listening to it on and off for the past two years and it still makes me giggle.

total playing time 24:43
Track Listing:
00. i am gonna kill bill intro
01. blackstone & atari – bang bang (ouverture)
02. blackstone & atari – battle without honor or humanity
03. blackstone & atari – twisted nerve
04. bart blackstone – shepherd’s revenge
05. dj gerry v – the flower of carnage (fives mix)
06. bart blackstone – half japanesie (green hornet hardcore roar rmx)
07. billions mcmillions – the hanzo style
08. billions mcmillions – five-point palm exploding heart technique
09. bart blackstone – wrath of beatrix
10. hanzo steel outro

Last night a chili pepper saved my life

Me, the wife, the baby – we’ve all been extremely busy the whole time I haven’t been blogging. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had a gadzillion papers and tests to mark and final grades to issue, AND NOW IT’S ALL DONE!! In front of my office door, the tortured souls of those not determined enough to earn a passing grade moan and roil with much indignity. Oh wait, that’s not the sound of tortured souls, it’s just my fever hallucinations again!
Yes, I have been sleeping a lot (when not busy) trying to recover from this nasty congestive head cold thing that I even got prescribed industrial-strength pills for last week. However, the only thing that really helped was a couple nights ago when a coworker and her husband came over for a visit and she cooked up a big pot of sticky fat noodles with nuclear orange chili peppers from a market in Kalasin (a neighboring province).
I should explain here that I’ve always had a high tolerance for spicy food and enjoy feeling the heat after popping an errant chili or two… This was beyond that. After slowly chewing one, sweat was pouring from my brow and my sinuses were clear for the first time in a week… So I popped four more at once (hey, I wasn’t thinking clearly). DANGER WILL ROBINSON DANGER! It blew my head off andtears were pouring down my face for a few minutes…. But my sinuses were clear for a full 24 hours!
I woke up this morning again a little congested, but I don’t know if I can face those fiery orange hell peppers again… I can honestly say that eating them is a life-changing experience. Anyone wanna try?

More Crown History

crown-market01.jpg
I got a mail out of the blue today from the previous previous owner of the Kujira Crown I bought last year:

I owned the Crown before you bought it off Chris.
Thought you might like to hear how I came (although it was in my wifes name ) to be the proud owner of that lovely old girl.
In 2003 I was an in house English teacher at a semi-conductor factory in Pathum Thani.
While waiting for the remainder of the class to arrive the boys were talking about cars. As we do!?P, one of the best guys in the class, asked me what sort of car I would like to buy. I answered a Toyota Crown.
“Oh I have one that my father bought new in 1973, I am having it re-painted at the moment ” he said. “I’ts got a Nissan RB 20 engine in it.”
I asked him why did you put a Nissan engine in a Crown and he said it was 10,000 baht cheaper than a Toyota engine.
At that point I said that if he ever decided to sell the Crown to contact me.
Finished my contract at the factory and went on to other things.
Some 6 months later I got a call from him saying he wanted to sell it and he would bring it over at the weekend.

It was cool to be able to hear more background on this amazing car..?.She’s still running great, although I had to take off the new rims because they were – cough – just too big (surprise).