092506_0643a.jpg Originally uploaded by theoakmonster. Happiness is… …having a bus stop that actually has a bench in it! I didn’t take the bus on Friday so I don’t know if this new stop is old news or not. But first thing that caught my eyes was the bench. And then I realized there is a new green metal trashcan and that the entire bus stop is brand spanking new! Holy shit! This city actually upgrades their bus stop!? I [heart] Los Alamitos! It did take them a while but they actuall got to it. Wow. A long long time ago,...
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Well, enough about the Coup. We’re closing in on picking an interim PM, so I’m not worried any more. We’re back on the usual recovery path. And I’m moving on. Besides, I’m losing readership over here talking politics–foreign politics for most of you–all the time. The OakMonster’s Den is not supposed to be serious, is the main complaint. So, here. Have a completely irrelevant post. 😉 I bought a jar of Nivea Creme yesterday. This blue jar has been a Phromyothi’s household item ever since I remembered. My mom used the creme to treat her dry palms and soles, a...
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Yep. Still going on about the Coup. Probably for a while, but I promise I’ll post something more traditionally OakMonster very soon. After all, USC takes on Arizona this Saturday. Do you think I can withstand not talking about USC football? And here’s the story from the trench of why we had a coup and, as silly as it sounds, why I support it. THE NATION OVERDRIVE – 9.22.06 Sonthi outsmarted Thaksin at the eleventh hour Had Council for Democratic Reform under Constitutional Monarchy (CDRM) leader General Sonthi Boonyaratglin not moved as fast as he did to stage a coup...
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Dr. Suthichai Yoon, one of Thailand’s most respected journalists–and my personal favorite–says it best. THE NATION – 09.21.06 THAI TALK ‘Yellow ribbon coup’ was a very high price to pay Call it a “reluctant coup” or a “yellow ribbon revolt”, Tuesday’s assumption of power by military leaders was still a prohibitively high price for the country to pay to remove an entrenched political tyrant. You can of course try to stretch the point and argue that Thaksin Shinawatra did ask for it. In fact, his arrogance and autocratic proclivity might have served as the last straw, prompting the top brass...
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I’m lightening up the mood here. Thailand has coups. It’s almost a fact of life. Prime Minister abuses power. Government is corrupted. People protest to no avail. The military steps in, essentially to wipe the slate clean. A new constitution is drafted, essentially a forced reform. Temporary PM and government is installed. About a year later everything goes back to normal. About 10 years after that, a Prime Minister would come along and abuse his power. Rinse and Repeat. Once in a while you run into a Suchinda where the power went to his head and wouldn’t return democracy to...
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Well, shit. Nothing poops out a party like a military coup in your Motherland. What a downer on my celebration of the Talk Like a Pirate Day! Check here for updates: BBC International. Screw CNN in the US, they’re too fuckin’ slow. 19Sep the Blog. Someone’s quick! Bangkok Pundit. The ever so trusty Paknam Web Forum. And, of course, the unconventional yet emotional reporting of our very own Gnarly Kitty....
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