Gmail Beta Status

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Gmail – but just how long is it going to be in beta? Google Docs and Calendar I can understand still being in beta, but Gmail? I mean, the shit pretty much up and conquered all the free alternatives and most of the paid ones, too. Although the invitation system is still in place, anyone in the world can freely sign up for an account now, so… Why does Google still label it a beta?
Maybe there’s a secret teledildonics function they want to unveil before going one point oh…

Escaping the Bangkok Hilton

This is not the Hilton of which I speak, this is.
Richard Barrow has scored an exclusive interview with the author of Escape, “the true story of the only Westerner ever to break out of Thailand’s Bangkok Hilton, aka.Klong Prem Prison.” He’s currently posted the first part of the interview; I’m looking forward to the final part.
Note: I won’t buy the book, but I wouldn’t mind downloading it.

Apple Form Factor Graphic

This chart is pretty cool because every model I’ve ever owned is on it (including the Apple //c our dad bought for us), except for my trusty old Powerbook 190. I gave up on Apple after the dot mac betrayal way back when, and haven’t looked back since. I was still in charge of all the mac boxes at work until last year, but Apple has pretty much zero presence here in Thailand.

07/07/07 – Big Green Bug


Is God trying to send me a message on this most auspicious day in the form of a Macross-designed praying mantis, or what?
This was definitely the coolest insect I’ve seen in a long time. He was was real friendly, too – he let me touch him before flying off. His body was about four and a half inches long.

No fireworks this year

I’d like to say it was an intentional gesture to teach the students in my public speaking class the Gettysburg Address on the Fourth of July, but the truth is that I completely forgot about it. Dammit. For a sick pyro like me, forgetting about fireworks and barbecue is sacrilege.
In other news, we have decided to build a new house.
Happy Fourth!

On the Road 2007 (Part 4) – Overloaded

After visiting Koh Chang, we took the ferry back to the mainland. Our car had travelled a thousand kilometers over hills and beaches and muddy back roads, and showed every bit of it:

wash me
In Chantaburi, I spotted the coolest lamp posts I’ve ever seen:

I want these in front of my house.
…and also some entertaining signage:

“The school at work place”
I thought this sign at a highway rest stop was pretty funny (but Nam called me a dumbass):

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– O V E R L O A D E D –
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The highways on the road home were filled with trucks carrying fruit up north to sell. This of course resulted in fruits of all types being spilled all over the road in places; accident spots were marked with smashed durian and dragonfruit. I was careful to keep a safe distance away from trucks in front as well as in back since it might suck to run over a durian at 140kph as much as to be rear ended by a 2-ton pickup carrying a ton of fresh mangosteen.

durian

rambutan

who knows?

I just like the balance of this shot.

The same trucks as above, but check out the tailgate of the red one!

Perhaps the most ridiculously overloaded truck we saw the whole trip.
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All links for the On the Road 2007 series:
On the Road 2007 (Part 1)
On the Road 2007 (Part 2)
On the Road 2007 (Part 3) – Koh Chang
On the Road 2007 (Part 4) – Overloaded
On the Road 2007 (Part 5) – Tamnanpar
On the Road 2007 (Part 6) – The Animatronic Chicken Roasters of Rayong, Thailand