Phuket Oceanview Villa

Thailand Vacation - 50th Birthday

Phuket - Ocean View

Podcast downloaded and ready on my I-Pod

I am headed back to Miami. Including a (10) hour layover in Los Angles, it will take me over (30) hours from Bangkok to Miami.

This trip I am fully prepared!

I have fully loaded my 30gb I-Pod...with downloaded TV shows (Lost, The Daily Show, South Park, Heroes, Studio 60, Drawn Together, and 30 Rock).

I have downloaded a bunch of new music.

I have downloaded a few Audio Books including, The Art of War, Rich Dad, Poor Dad, Breathing, The Four Agreements, and The Greatest Minds and Ideas of All Time.

I have also downloaded a bunch of "Podcasts"........I am most excited about the Podcasts......Most of corporate America and media companies have been migrating to the latest technology to get specific information to a very narrow targeted market.....As opposed to traditional "Mass" media like broadcast TV, Radio, Internet Sites.....Podcasts can be developed and targeted for specific users that either don't have access to TV (like travelers)....or might not have the time to sit in front of a TV to watch complete shows....instead Podcast programs are shorter and developed for specific target markets.

I have downloaded a few health and fitness podcasts......a few financial podcasts (including Jim Cramer's radio show)...a few comedy podcasts (including the Penn radio show)....and a few spcific podcasts including lessons on Spanish, Thai, Adobe Photo-Shop, and even a podcast on making Podcasts.

Scared to jump? Don't have an I-Pod yet? Go to the web page and take a look at the future....

www.apple.com/itunes

Third World - Miami?

Why is everyone so upset.....he's right! Miami is like a third world country.

The minute you arriive at MIA...you feel it.

The second you sit in a beat-up old taxi...you feel it!

Ever been to the ER at Jackson Memorial?......you'll feel it!

What about the fine public school system? Where does it rate in the world?

Whenever you read about the government corruption....you feel it!

How about the Metro-Rail Public "Mass" Transportation System?

How about the great system of roads and exressways, not to mention the great "third-world" drivers.....

But most of the immigrants, legal or not....are good, hard working people....just trying to make it here....and the beaches are awesome....and the weather is hot.....no snow on the roads........and the restaurants are great......and it's home!

I love Miami.....and yes, we have a lot of problems....but we dont need out-of-town jerks coming here and creating more problems...just for political gain.....What an ASSHOLE!


....................here's the article from the Miami Herald


Congressman calls Miami a `Third World country'
BY LESLEY CLARK
JACK DEMPSEY/AP

OUTSPOKEN: Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Colo., is no fan of Miami's ethnic makeup.

WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom Tancredo, the leader of the anti-illegal immigration faction in the U.S. House, spent a recent weekend at The Breakers in Palm Beach.

Ninety miles to the south, he found a symbol to bolster his belief that unfettered immigration is endangering the United States: Miami, he told a conservative online news site, ``has become a Third World country.''

In South Florida to attend Restoration Weekend, a gathering of conservative activists, the Colorado Republican, whose district includes suburbs of Denver, pointed to Miami as an example of how ''the nature of America can be changed by uncontrolled immigration,'' the story says.

''Look at what has happened to Miami,'' the WorldNetDaily quotes Tancredo as saying in an interview. ``It has become a Third World country. You just pick it up and take it and move it someplace. You would never know you're in the United States of America. You would certainly say you're in a Third World country.''

The remarks drew an instant rebuke from Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who called Tancredo ''flat out wrong'' and extended an invitation for him to come and judge the city for himself.

''I invite my friend, Tom, to visit beautiful Miami, my hometown, and experience firsthand our hospitality,'' Ros-Lehtinen said. ``Come on down, Tom, the water's fine!''
Miami, Ros-Lehtinen said, is a ``world class city where diversity is celebrated. Here people have the opportunity to meet folks from across the globe and honor different cultures. Miami-Dade County is home to many outstanding universities, is headquarters to international businesses and has a vibrant economy.''

Tancredo, who chairs the bipartisan House Immigration Reform Caucus and championed a fence along the border with Mexico, said Monday in an e-mail sent by his office that his comparison was based on crime statistics he believes ``are deeply rooted in the immigration debate.
''While a recent documentary comparison of Miami-Dade County to Baghdad was a bit of an overstatement,'' he wrote, referring to an Australian documentary that compares Miami to Baghdad, ``no one can argue that it is not one of America's most dangerous areas.''

He noted in the e-mail that the number of homicides in the county recently reached 200 for the year. The number is actually a decrease from the 1980s. ''Moreover, the sheer size and number of ethnic enclaves devoid of any English and dominated by foreign cultures is widespread,'' Tancredo said in the statement. ``Frankly, many of these areas could have been located in another country. And until America gets serious about demanding assimilation, this problem will continue to spread.''

Tancredo didn't visit Miami on the Nov. 18-19 trip, but has visited before, a spokesman said. And, if Ros-Lehtinen's invitation includes ''a stay at a five-star beachfront resort, he may be willing to look beyond the inherent dangers that he had cited and visit Miami again,'' his spokesman said.

Tancredo, who has been mentioned as a potential presidential contender, criticized President Bush in the interview for Bush's push for comprehensive immigration reform.
''He is going to do what he can to create a place where the idea of America is just that -- it's an idea,'' Tancredo said. ``It's not an actual place defined by borders. I mean this is where this guy is really going.''

Why so much religion on the BLOG?

It inspires and gives hope to some people....it angers some people....and to some people it is very funny.

I am one of those people that thinks it is funny! Not "funny-funny", but "crazy funny".

I cannot tolerate the level of ignorance from the religious right in America.....It is almost like a magician using misdirection....to steer the audience away from what is really happening.

Catholics can't use Birth Control?......the planet is over-populated.....why aren't religious leaders focused on over-population?

Abortion is murder?........Why can't people make decisions for themselves.....Why do religious people think they have the right to push their beliefs on other people?

Stem Cell Research is killing a fetus? ...........what non-sense!

Religious people.....men of faith......Hating and Killing?

I got really disgusted .......when I saw the previews from a new movie about Islamic Fundamentalist called "Obsession"......it is scary stuff!

I got really disgusted..... about the arguments about gay rights and marriage.... half of the marriages in the US end in divorce....and President Bush sits there and talks about the "sanctity of marriage"? Adultery is an American past-time.....Give me a break, Mr. Moral Leader....the day I take my moral life lessons from a draft dodger....Wasn't Bush a cheerleader in college?.....You know what the rumors about male cheerleaders are??? What about other moral fakers like Tom Folley and Reverend Haggard ...that preach one thing but have the power to vote and persuade people. All the religious FAKERS make me crazy......Jimmy Swagart, Pedophile Priests, Jim and Tammy Baker, Ernest Angley, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwel, Jim Dobson are just the tip of the iceberg!!!

How many more of these insane people don't get exposed? How many more are stealing from the poor "believers" ? How many more are in the closet?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16118976.htm

I got really disgusted .......about the war in the Mideast......about the phony religious leaders that preach about GOD..... but don't do anything about the war. Where are the Muslim leaders? The Catholic leadership? Why aren't they guiding the political leaders to peace? Where is there faith in there GOD?

I really hate faith healers that take advantage of the stupid and poor people......... I love James Randi...who exposes this stuff......I also like Penn and Teller because they also expose fakers in there TV show called Bullshit. .........here are a few cool links.

http://www.pennandteller.com/

http://richarddawkins.net/foundation,ourMission

http://www.theskepticsguide.org/

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Randi

http://www.randi.org/

So why all the religious stuff on the BLOG?......it is my BLOG and I post whatever I want to! It isn't here to post things that anyone likes or accepts......I post things that I like....things that I am interested in .....and things that move me......I post things that inform and enlighten....I post things to provoke thought......I post things about me......my friends...my family.....If I offend anyone....tough shit....Don't read it!

Finally......my rant ends with this lovely thought.......It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt....or mutilated! Talk about a crazy religious tradition.....let's cut some skin off a baby? If God created us...and we are perfect...why cut something off?

http://www.nocirc.org/

Benny Hinn Meets Benny Hill

Evangelicals - Laughing stock of the world!

Fakers - Exposed

Why would GOD make people fall backwards when the get "healed"

Televangelism Fakery Skeptics

Exposé on Benny Hinn (two of two)

Exposé on Benny Hinn

Fakers - How can people belive this stuff?

Benny Hinn

Fakers...Fakers....Fakers

How can so many people believe in this shit? We are the joke of the entire world...Why does it shock anyone that Islamic Fundalmentalists can have had an impact on people...after you see how these fakers can impact Americans.

Obsession - Exposing the fakers!

James Randi Exposes Peter Popoff....check out the James Randi Institute at www.randi.org

Faith Healing?

Say Amen!

Calling people "sissy's" becasue of there hair....in the name of the lord

Nothing like a good smoke!

Rush has the greatest job....he can sit on his ass, smoking great cigars, stirring up shit!

Obsession

Radical Islam's War Against The West

UM New Coach?

Spurrier denies reports he is leaving South Carolina for UM
BY BARRY JACKSON

bjackson@MiamiHerald.com

Responding to two Internet reports, Steve Spurrier said Sunday he intends to remain coach at South Carolina and has had no discussions with Miami about replacing Larry Coker.

''I have no interest in any other job except the one I've got,'' Spurrier said on his weekly conference call. ``This is the school I wanted to coach at. I'm not leaving unless I get run off. This is where I plan to be hopefully for the next five, seven, eight years or whatever. I think everybody knows my goal here is to stay at South Carolina. I have not expressed any interest and [Miami] has not expressed any interest.''

ESPN.com and CSTV.com reported Sunday that Miami has interest in Spurrier and indicated he was likely going to take the job. Though some people at the university would be intrigued by the possibility of Spurrier coming to Miami, this marked the first time anyone reported Spurrier would take the job if offered.

''This is a bad rumor that some of you guys are running with,'' he said. ``Can somebody just put something on the Internet and all you guys think it's true?''

After the espn.com reporter, Joe Schad, told Spurrier that somebody told him Miami had targeted him as their top choice, Spurrier responded, ``Who at Miami -- the president, the AD, or some guy sleeping under the bridge down there?''

UM athletic director Paul Dee strongly denied a report on cbssportline.com that Miami had begun contacting candidates. ''We haven't contacted anybody,'' he said. ``I told you all we were going to wait until the end of the season. Could some wacko out there be doing anything? Who knows?''

Spurrier said if Coker is replaced, he believes Miami probably will try to hire Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

''My daughter Amy called me this morning and said there was something on the Internet about Miami going after you or whatever,'' said Spurrier, who's in his second year at South Carolina. ``I guess in a way it's flattering that they would throw my name with one of the top football programs in the last 25 years or so down there.

``I came to South Carolina to win an SEC championship. The experts, Lee Corso and all those guys, a lot said `You can't win, you can't win a championship. We haven't proved we could yet.'
``But we're in the process of a really outstanding recruiting class this year. With a few more players, a little help here and there, we believe it's a do-able goal. We're going to make that our goal starting next year and hopefully every year I'm here -- to win an SEC championship. That's the exciting and challenging part of coaching here at South Carolina.

'Some people said, `Coach, could you have waited a year or two and maybe gotten to a school that maybe had more players at the time, schools that maybe had a richer tradition of football?' I said that wasn't what I was looking for. I knew we would take our lumps a little bit the first couple of years or so trying to build our team up. But this is a wonderful place, wonderful fans.''
South Carolina is 6-5 this season and finishes its season Saturday against Clemson.

''We know it's not going to be easy [to win an SEC championship],'' Spurrier said. ``But it wouldn't be any fun if it was easy. . . . If [the Hurricanes] do make a change, there's a lot of guys on that list I'm sure they prefer to go after -- Schiano has to be the top candidate if they can get him.''

Spurrier said he would leave South Carolina only ``if the president and AD decide they have somebody better to hire . . . I hope I'm not going anywhere.''
Spurrier said when he was at Florida, 'every now and then a pro team would call and I would sort of say, `Are you offering me the job?' and they would say, 'No, we want to talk about it.' And I said, `Nah, I've got a job here. I don't need to talk about any jobs.
``I'm not looking for any jobs. . . . Miami is not going to call me. . . . I don't anticipate any school calling me because everybody knows I'm here at South Carolina to win an SEC championship. That's my mission.''

Spurrier also told espn.com he's ''not a candidate'' for the Miami job: ``That is a tough job. This is the challenge for me.''

Leaving Bangkok

Hui and I are flying to Phuket on Monday 11/20.....8am Thai Airway......need to be airport by 7am.....need to leave Hotel by 6am....need to wake up and pack at 5am.

We are staying at the Kata Thani Hotel.....in Kata, Phuket

I was planning on visiting a vegetarian health spa in Chiang Mai to try fasting and detoxifying......but chickened out (pun intended).....Instead I am headed for Phuket. The goal for this leg of the journey is to look for a real estate investment....perhaps a nice seaside villa, for friends and family to enjoy.....Wish me Luck!

Mysterious Ways???

The power of faith.......

If there is/was a god, I don't think this is what he/she/it intended the world to become !

Pick your ignorance....abortion, stem cell research, murder, fundamentalist, intelligent design, gay adoption, adultery, terrorism, sodomy, wars in the name of GOD, hated of other religious beliefs, gay marriage, slavery, government corruption, divorce lawyers, hair transplants, and the poster boys of hypocrisy and ignorance Ted Haggard and Tom Foley .........Disease, famine, floods, tsunamis, earthquakes, and killer hurricanes.....not to mention George Bush, Jerry Falwell, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Reverend James Kennedy, Reverend James Dobson, Robert Schuller, and Faith Healers....... or the dickheads running North Korea, Iran, Venezuala, and most of the countries in Africa.

The world is in trouble....over-population, wars, famine, water shortages, diseases, and maybe even global warming? We are over fishing the world's oceans, we are draining the natural resources, we are slaughtering so many cows, chickens, and pigs that the waste products alone are destroying the environment....and our political and religious leaders are worried about gay marriage, or birth control, or teaching abstinence, or stopping scientific research.

Why aren't the world's religious leaders meeting.....together? Wouldn't GOD want them to work together to work towards solving the world's problems?

God loves us all............

Stephen Colbert interviews Richard Dawkins

Going to Hell?

Richard Dawkins in Virginia

Is religion a fairy tale responsible for war and hate? Is personal "faith" really ignorance?

The Kingdom of Cambodia

It was a simple plan, I just wanted to avoid the lines at the Thai Immigration office ...so instead of getting my passport stamped with a new visa every (7) days, I could get a (30) day visa...if I leave Thailand........exit the country and re-enter.....

I wanted to fly to Hong Kong for a weekend.....but the closest border is Cambodia.....It was an expereince, I will never forget!

A three hour drive through the Thai countryside in the backseat of a tiny Toyota ......with Hui's friends Lang and Sommai.....to reach the border area of Poipet, Cambodia.

Hui is a Buddhist!

Did you know that when he went to the dentist, he refused Novocain during a root canal?

His goal: transcend dental medication.

Pete's sense of humor......

Pete sent ten different puns to friends with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh.

No pun in ten did!

Pete really is amazing! His metabolism keeps the fat off ...because his system burns the calories faster than he can eat....hard to believe, but true!

Before I left for Thailand, I asked him to take me for a workout at his gym.....

Truth is stranger than Friction!

Ted Haggard Interview

Phil's Grouper Impression

on the bus from Pattaya to Bangkok

Bangkok - Extended Trip

Etcetera...Etcetera....Etcetera

How much government? In the U.S. we face our government creeping into our lives...with smoking bans, seatbelt laws, wire taps, phone call surveillance.....sometimes it seems that the government is getting out of control.

Did you know that the movie, The King and I, has been banned in Thailand for almost 50 years?

No one here really cares about the ban. The Thai people love and admire their King. They feel that the movie does not show the King in a proper manner....so it was banned and out of respect, no one cares about it.

Sometimes governments make/change laws that people do care about. The new post-coup government is also trying to bring more controls to the country. First, in an attempt to reduce teenage alcohol consumption, they are trying to ban all alcohol advertising. This planned ban is very far reaching....including televised sporting events like soccer, were the TV station must digitally mask all beer signs in the stadium. They are also trying to increase the legal drinking age from 20 to 25 years old....What a terrible/horrible impact that would have on bars and restaurants.....and probably start a new underground black market...what a mess!

Since I have decided to extend my trip, I had to visit Thai Immigration to extend my original travel visa (30 days) on Monday...Since the coup, the government has changed the requirements and fee structure for tourists....making it difficult and expensive ($15/day) to stay more than 30 days....

My options...... visit the Thai immigration office once a week to re-register (think bureaucratic nightmare of long lines)...or I can travel outside the country and return, which automatically starts the travel visa back to 30 days....so I might go to Hong Kong for a weekend trip to Macau, the Las Vegas of Asia.....or maybe The Kingdom of Cambodia to walk across the border.....get my passport stamped and walk back...sounds pretty simple doesn't it?

Go GATORS!!!