Post Count

My new home

2007-03-26T08:59:00.000-07:00

I found another Blog site that suits my intentions better than here so I've moved everything over to MyMultiply.

The NBA Gays and all that.

2007-02-16T01:57:00.000-08:00

Tim Hardaway, former Miami Heat guard, has hit the headlines with the revelation that he wouldn't want a 'gay' player on his team.

"You know, I hate gay people, so let it be known. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."

There's a furore in the media and the the NBA commissioner distanced himself from the comments but his sentiments were quietly agreed to by many representatives of sportsmen across the USA. The general feeling was that the overwhelming majority agreed with Haradway but they would never go public, for obvious reasons.

IMO, the liberal position has been falsely forced down our throats in so many areas; racism, homosexuality, drugs, women's rights, green politics etc., and for all the media deluge and the political correctness we are subjected to, in the end, not much has changed.

I think we're due for another 'revolution' a la the sixties, only this time common sense may be the order of the day.

To pick up the pen again..

2007-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

OH No! A coup!!

2006-09-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

It's a strange feeling when you come downstairs for work, pick up the morning Bangkok post and see the Banner headline screaming COUP D' ETAT. The initial question is "What, here?"
I looked around and the girls in the office were crowded around the TV. They stopped for a second to observe me, obviously wondering what a farang will do on a 'Coup' day!

I can tell them that I'll pop off to work as usual, dribble nonsense on an internet forum, because the situation calls for nonsense to be dribbled, worry about my two printers both being repaired as we speak and of course I'll be posting my blog because Chavalit Van has got his wish, Thaksin has been outed!

Slow Sunday ...yawn

2006-09-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Only the perpetual meanderings of Cha-Am Jamal provide any substance today. His response to yet another 9/11 piece is hardly worth the mention, "Iraq was already on the cards" except to illustrate how little one needs to write to get a letter posted in the 'bag'.

Of more interest to most, would be the lead article in the Perspective pages. "Putting child sex criminals on ice" is a disturbing piece about the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in bangkok that deals with the pursuit and prosecution of paedophiles in South East Asia.
It mentions one case, among otters, of an 86 year old American who has been sentenced to 200 years in prison for child sex crimes.

Paedophiles are particularly clever scum. They are well organised as a group through the internet and they often present themselves in high profile positions instead of the oft-thought 'rock-spider' image.

I'd like to see a large government funded 'grass on a paedo' scheme introduced where the locals can earn a reward for reporting cases of child sex. Imagine the effect it would have on the creeps if they were treated to an inflight presentation of "Get paid for putting a sex-monster behind bars" on their trip to Thailand or Cambodia.
Admittedly, it's a bit 'Nazi Youth' but paedos are the lowest of the low. I suspect even the Thais would be queueing up to spill the beans on their relatives for a quick 10K baht.

I've often been critical of just exactly what our governments are doing about crimes such as this. It's so easy for someone to witness child sex offences or be offered pornographic material containing young children but or governments seem to be bound by legal issues in their efforts to pursue and prosecute the guilty parties.

Perhaps a 'Hotline' advertised in public places and a pro-active police force could stamp out this disgusting situation.

Needless to say, more action is required.

The helping hands that are Bangkok's finest

2006-09-15T01:28:00.000-07:00

Cha-Am Jamal is alone in today's Post bag with an amusing short note in reply to an article about drunkeness in Bangkok. "Wrong kind of help" notes that Bangkok's police force are coming to the aid of drunks who can't find their cars. Having seen dozens of motocy taxi drivers boldly having a large Chang at 8.00am in full view of anyone who cares doesn't fill me with any great confidence in the road rules here but then that's par for the course in many areas.

I almost chuckled when I read a recent report how a 'drunk' police officer had his drunk driving charge dismissed as he was attending an accident in his home town on his day off. Apparently he had a few and then learned of a road accident. Being the only cop in the town he headed off to the scene to deliver vital aid and was busted himself. The judge said he was a credit to his uniform.

I'm not sure...

2006-09-13T18:12:00.000-07:00

Another slow day for the 'bag'. Well, slow, if you're not a fan of Chavalit Van and his incessant pummelling of our Dear Leader. Chav's on fire again with "Trying wrongly to recover credibility", but of greater concern is his sense of humour. Here's Chav's joke...

"Why does a tiger wag its tail?"
"Because a tiger is smarter than its tail. If the tail was smarter, it would wag the tiger."

Yes, it has nothing to do with swatting flies. It's all about who is smarter!

Scary, Chavalit, scary.

So while a few of the wannabes are falling by the wayside, in particular, Sir Lance from Rayong, who can't get a letter published these days, there's one player who's made a dent.
The backwards spelt Robert has made his third appearance in the last week. I'll keep an eye and hope his contributions do improve.

A step to the left today

2006-09-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, today we shuffle over to the left side for our input from the folks who make the Post bag.
Cha-Am Jamal and Eric Bahrt appear once again(I wonder if they share an envelope to keep the postal costs down?) giving us their unparralleled intelect and wisdom or just downright old fashioned opinions on another couple of ho-hum topics.

Cha-Am Jamal leads off with "Commentary recites capitalist dogma" a 'Che Guevara inspired piece of nonsense that of course the paper could never have done without. Yes, the rich and they way they shaft the poor is an appalling state but Cha, old buddy, you've been around long enought to know the situation will never change. Just look at the former Soviet Union. How many years ago were they a communist state with no personal assets? Now they have some of the world's richest men.

Eric Bahrt bounces back from 'vegie' heaven to reality and Israel's ulterior motives in it's desire for land instead of peace in "Israeli motives make peace impossible". I certainly agree with Eric on this one. Israel has to step back from the edge every now and then to lessen the criticism from other countries over their military actions in it's neighboring Arab countries. Once the dust has settled a bit, they'll be back to killing Palestinians and crippling Lebanon. Did you know that Israel happily carries out non-judicial killing. They regularly assassinate, who they term, 'the organisers of suicide bombings' throughout the Palestinian territories with no regard for lawful process. That is a war crime surely. Naturally, the western press goes along with the Israeli story and doesn't mention the innocents killed in these rocket attacks. Shame.

Unsurprisingly, on Tuesday, Cha-Am Jamal pops up with a critique of Mao in reply to an earlier article about the fading status of the Chinese revolutionary leader. "The good mad Mao did" claims Mao to be mad and that he destroyed China. It also claims he gave dignity to all workers and to women. Oh, to have so much time on one's hands...

The Cha-Am and Eric show.

2006-09-06T20:08:00.000-07:00

You do have to wonder. How many times this week have these two made the pages.
Also, how many times have their offerings been, basically, crap.
Nevertheless, they bookend today's Post bag.

Cha-Am Jamal, has a whinge about the lack of western standards in small retail stores, in "The 'mai mee' factor". Sometimes, when foriegners moan about the way things aren't as good as back home, it is justifible, but on otter occasions, it's a miserable git just being miserable. I think Cha-Am falls into the second group with his post. Cleanliness, expiration dates and shelf accessibilty are all rather insignificant compared with lots of cold, cold beer, which I might add, I have no trouble getting. No, in my opinion, it's just the squealing of someone whose sense of self importance is a little oversized.

Eric's off on a 'vege-bender' again in "Vegetarians live longer". A bit of nonsense about how, surprise surprise, veges live longer. In fact Seventh-Day Adventist, vegetarians live even longer!! Yep, don't drink, don't smoke, don't eat meat, and, knowing those 7th-dayers like I do, I'll bet they don't gamble or have sex outside of wedlock.
Well an extra 12 years of that lifestyle wouldn't do me Eric. Make mine rare thanks, and I'll have a large TsingTao as well.
A recent Poolcleaner Foundation research project into the male lifestyle in the later years has proven that the quality of life diminishes greatly at around 72 and, despite the obvious health deterioration that occurs at this age, there is no noticable reduction in the 'fun' aspect of one's life. That's well disappeared by then.
So, the research shows there is no advantage living longer than 72 because by then, the old fellas packed up, your teeth have gone, your eyesight's shot, your legs are wobbly, you've got tummy trouble, you may well be incontinent and you can't usually remember your name, let alone when you last enjoyed yourself.

Of course, if you're a miserable bastard,(not saying you are Eric) you may well want to stay around for a few extra years to really piss off those people taking care of you. You know, giving you bed baths, changing you soiled sheets, scrubbing your underpants...

How's the PM doing Chav?

2006-09-05T18:19:00.000-07:00

I was just thinking of our Prime Minister and the absence of his prime critic from the Post bag when who should make an appearance but Chavalit Van. His lack of recent input had my mind visualising a 'tag-team' affair with the regualrs. Thankfully it all ends with another shellacking for Dr Thaksin in "Wrong 'thinking' on our PM's part".

Of more importance back on August the 27th there was an excellent contribution to the Global Viewpoint regular column in the Perspective section. The author was one Graham Fuller, ex-CIA big wig, and his piece on the Sunni-Shiite situation was an enlighteneing article from someone who should no better than everyone else. "No Sunni-Shiite faultline on the 'Arab street'" is a line we see more and more these days, with the author, who one would expect to sell the President's story, pointing out to us all that things are not what CNN and Fox are telling us.

In a thread over on 'CoolThailand' I made mention of the fact that the Muslim world has progressed little in the last 40 years because it hasn't had a leader of substance that the arabs and Muslims can rally behind. The fact that Hizbollah successfully defended their territory against an overwhelmingly superior opposition and in fact held out until a ceasefire is something that has shaken the leaders of a number of arab countries. It's the first 'victory' (as opposed to an absolute failure) that the arab world has had militarily and the stocks of Sheik Hassan Nasrallah have risen considerably. Could he be the 'chosen one' to lead us out of this wilderness? Can he end the violent cycle? Can he stop he spread of terrorism?

I hope so.

But if not, I'd like to supply him with some 'Stingers' that put keep the Israeli jets under a threat and make the cost higher for Tel Aviv.

This Week in Review

2006-09-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Starting off on the 28th of August, (has it been that long?) the big two made their mark.

Cha-Am insists "Internet will not kill off news papers". He's probably correct in that assumption but I ask "Does that mean it's a good thing?". Killing off Rupert Murdoch sounds like the job but can the 'net do it?
The same day Eric continues on his crusade to make he world a better place by pleading for everyone to "Organise boycott of Night Safari".
He doesn't eat them, he doesn't support them being in captivity, I don't know about you but I worry about people who write into newspapers protesting animal rights when so much inhumanity exists at our doorsteps.

On the 31st, only Cha-Am, with "Reaching out", had any success. Not worth reading in my humble but it prolly got the nod because he mentioned Natalie Glebova.

Roll on to the 1st of September and guess who grace the post bag. Two up and coming journalists, controversial and well read, icons of our epoch. Well, actually, it's only Eric and Cha-Am again. Eric goes into bat for the Iranians with "A Balanced View", a response to an article from a few days previous and Cha-Am stands up for Muslims in his response to an article from the 30th as well. "Aye, there's the rub",is the title.

The next day, for those who were wondering what happened to Sir Lance, he pops up in the sports section, (surely not a demotion?) with "Farewell to the three Cs", something of a "lookit me, aren't I clever" post over how he made an incredible obvious prediction that came true.

On to the 3rd and Guy Baker replies to Eric, "Buddhist concept of love not simplistic".
No, I won't bother with a summary.

He's back on the 4th with yet another letter about the problems in the deep south, "Southerners must want to hold the country together". Maybe Guy has his heart in the right place but what is he thinking with this nonsense. nevertheless, the Post bag has seen fi to include it.

The Road to Nowhere

2006-08-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

That sneak. All this time Guy Baker, the pleasantly named contibutor to the Post bag, has been a journalist of some description and now he gets to be a 'guest columnist' in the Perspective pages.

After the column from 'Harry' the teacher last week I'm beginning to think that half the paper is 'out-sourced' to various mates down the pub/club....
"Hey John, you can write a bit, can't you? How about an article on micro-organisms commonly found in uncooked vegetables? I'll get the next round in if you can!"

So Guy has given us "The 'Road to Damascus' Experience" his story of becomming a Buddhist follower.
Look, I don't want to be seen as a negative critic of everything that I put into the blog, but seriously, Guy's article is as interesting as the ADD teacher in the staffroom who has to tell you about the shoes he bought last week.

'Heard about Buddhism on TV. Then at college. Then in Russia. Then in Thailand. I love Thailand.'
That's an accurate summary.

I live with a Buddhist. Her mother used to live with us too. Very devout. Praying sometimes for hours a day. It's a religion you can have some admiration for. Unlike our brother Muslims, who must forgo unmarried sex, pork and alcohol, the Buddhists don't have these restrictions. But having said that, I see no need for a change in my spiritual situation at present.

I worship at the altar of the unwashed bar-maiden every Sunday, God willing.

Can Nazis cut it in the world of English teachers?

2006-08-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

You read some funny stuff as you make your way through the pages of the Post.
I’ve always been amused by the small sidebar snippets from around the world, the kind of thing that makes internet sites when they have a suitable video clip to go with them. You know the type of story “Dhaka Bangladesh, Man loses penis in fishing accident”

Occasionally, you will read an article that may be an area you have a little experience in. Today in the ‘Opinion & Analysis’ section, we have a letter, purportedly written by an Australian English teacher in Thailand. It’s titled “Exploiting the system, in the guise of ‘ajarn’” and attributed to one Harry Nicolaides originally from Melbourne.

We may assume Harry is indeed a teacher in Thailand. His writing style is certainly good enough to be that of a journalist, with humour and flair. But when I read the article I had the same feeling you get when you’re having a beer in Sukhumvit or Pattaya and the fifty plus year old American, next to you at the bar, is telling either, you, a disinterested bargirl, or the world in general, that he works for the CIA. Yes, we’ve all met ‘him’, haven’t we? We may sit and politely listen and, perhaps, even be entertained by his obvious lies and ‘stretching’ of the truth but we know very soon that it’s all a load of old cock.

And that’s what I think of the article. Anyone who has drinks with US senators, 85 year old Nazis and paranoid American cops is pushing the boundaries of believability but to proceed further, and try and tell us they are all English teachers as well?
Next he’ll be selling you the patents to a ‘time machine’.

The nature of the article comes hot on the heels of the suspect in a child murder case in America being arrested in Bangkok and the information that he’s had been teaching English in Thailand. Naturally, the press tries to build up people’s fears that all’s not well in the teaching business.

Having had some experience in the teaching game here in Thailand and having had time socializing in a wide variety of places both of ‘ill-repute’ and highly respectable, I’ve have yet to meet anyone who has made contact with three such odd characters as Harry seems to have the misfortune to meet. No, funnily enough, people I’ve known here for ten to fifteen years, in and out of the teaching game, have never mentioned the wild assortment of characters Harry seems to know so well. Well perhaps Harry’s a bit of a nob magnet, who can tell.

Harry is a would be ‘Thailand novelist’. The vision of the right wing ex-US senator teaching a katoey to sing the Star Spangled Banner is straight out of a dime store novel and it made me smile but it never happened. And if anyone knows an 85 year old teacher, still teaching, call the Guinness Book of Nonsense, because that’s all it is, nonsense.

The English teaching industry certainly does have its characters and its undesirables.
Do they dominate the schools and universities? What percentage do you think are child molesting, sex offenders? Are they assaulting Thai kiddies on a daily basis?

Obviously the situation is nowhere near as bad as the press would have us believe.
What should be of greater concern to Thai administrators and parents is the almost total waste of time Thai students spend in classes with ‘native’ speakers, supposedly learning English. It just doesn’t happen, the learning, that is!

There are no US senators and 85 year old Nazis (remember that movie ‘Apt Pupil’?)
and Americans don’t have to be Arizona highway patrolmen to be a little bit odd about the way Thai students manage to pass exams, by and large English teachers in Thailand are a rather uninteresting lot, just ask the bargirls!

A Bumper day for the 'baggers'

2006-08-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

A bumper day for the 'baggers' today.
Not one.
Not two.
Yep, three of the big players grace the Post bag page today.

Eric Barht gives Martin Amada a right old slapping with "Muslims have a right ot be biased". A sensible piece pointing out that the 'right wing' don't have sole rights to the international media and that we're fortunate to have a balanced source such as the Bangkok Post. Best summed up with a quote; "I guess only white right-wing Americans have the right to be opinionated". Nice work Eric!

"Thaksin should put nation first" demands Chavalit Van. He's got a hard-on for the PM and one wonders what he'll do with his time should the PM actually quit.

Guy Baker offers up what can only be assumed as an alcohol influenced letter about a Russian billionaire in "Commentary bought and paid for by Soros" a very silly post that should never have seen the print room. I'm driven to ask "Is anyone really working at the editorial desk?"

And before you write/phone/email, you caught my eye, Jack Gilead, with your second letter in the past few days. You're on Poolcleaner's 'watch list'

So if it hasn't been clear up to now, as to why this blog exists, today highlights perfectly that something unusual is happening at the Bangers Post. You know the old story that the 'Agony Aunt's', that give us such amusing advice in magazines and newspapers world wide, actually write all their own stories. Well I've got a similar theory about the Post bag...

Sunday morning.............again.

2006-08-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ah yes, Sunday. Day of rest. For some.

But not our champion of the moment! "Cha-Am Jamal, come on down!" Consecutive days, no less.
"Global warning not to blame" carries on with his correction of recent articles, educating the masses with his unparralled knowledge of melting ice in Greenland and of course the link between hurricanes and global warning.

That nicely named chap Guy Baker gets a guernsey this week for pointing out that the problems in the South of Thailand can only be solved by adherence to Buddhist treaching in "Buddhism is the answer". Good luck on that one Guy. I have more faith in free football, widespread gambling and, of course, alcohol. No army successfully went to war drunk, you know!

On a rather ironic note, that, not long after firstly supporting Imtiaz Muqbil for his balanced views in his regular column, and, secondly, gives Koh Samui the big thumbs down, we see a letter tearing shreds off Imty's weekly piece by a fellow from Samui. Obviously Martin Amada was breast-fed by Fox News for too long.

On to a much brighter comment on the whole mess that is the Middle East, Niek from Bangers once again reminds us that until the Palestinians have an acceptable homeland there will never be peace.

World peace, Miss Universe, is a long, long way off but don't give up the fight!

The evils of oil.

2006-08-19T02:22:00.000-07:00

Cha-Am Jamal presents "Have oil will travel" a rather clever little effort to refute a previous Post article about trade with a evil nation such as Venezuela. Yes, according to Jamal, the increase in trade between the US and Venezuela in 2005 is equivalent to that of the increase in the price of oil. From $36 to $50. What a genius!

Not so bright is one Thomas Friedman, who has a regular column in the Post. He goes to great lengths to attack the latest moves by Hizbollah to build it's credibilty as a major force in Lebanon by giving cash compensation to families whose homes were destroyed by Israel during the recent conflict. Thomas is outraged because he feels that the money being paid out is coming directly from Iran and it's massive oil income. He attributes Hizbollah's ability to make any attack on Israel purely to Iran's generosity, or willingness to fund a terrorist group. He says "Now Iranian citizens will foot the bill with their oil income"
The irony is that without US dollars for decades now, there wouldn't be an Israel to throw a rock at. US taxpayers have been forking out for the protection of Israel since the beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict

A refreshing change

2006-08-16T19:57:00.000-07:00

Like a cool shower after a sweaty bus journey through Bangkok's notorious traffic, the refreshing topics on offer mean the editor of the Post bag must have been back at work today. Thankfully, there's not one article on Israel.

Good for the column though is the acceptance of Cha-Am Jamal's corrective piece about an earlier article on "The Personal Computer". IBM and the whole PC thing, you know, who came first, the PC or the Apple, blah, blah...

A side issue, the Post has been running a series of articles on the tourist haven, Koh Samui, of late. Most of the articles have been critical about the corruption and crime that permeates the island. I had the misfortune to visit Samui once, and I, for one, would like to thank the Bangkopk Post for being brave enough to stand up and speak out against the criminals who effectively run the place. Imagine having the 'Bandidos' bikie gang taking tea money from your business in Thailand.
Absurd.

I'll never set foot on Samui again and will tell anyone who wants know why they should do the same.

Voices from afar

2006-08-15T22:00:00.000-07:00

Another contributor, who makes an appearance more than once a month, I'd guess, sends his mail all the way from Israel. Andy Leitner, from Haifa, once again has the Fox News franchise berating France, with "Time to question France's motives", over it's alleged support to the arab cause in the UN's security council.

As if one letter from Israel wasn't enough for a Thai newspaper, the head will spin as we see a second from a Paul Farkash, in Kiariat Bialik, Israel, continuing the Fox News line.

Had enough of the middle east?

Well the Post bag hasn't and another known minor player is Charlie Brown. Hardly, an original name I know, and his opinion is pretty much the same. "Hizbollah against peace" is worthy only because it refers back to not only Deano, but also his letter giving old Eric a spanking.

So it's a day where the pro-Israeli/anti-arab voice is heard the loudest. There was one letter about Thai politics and four for the anti-muslims.

After a couple of days absence, I'm sure some of the big boys will be foaming at the mouth to get a letter published. Now, how long will we have to wait?

Dean Barrett

2006-08-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

Whether 'my' Dean Barrett is the author of the same name, I don't know, but it's an opportunity to expand a bit on the blog and introduce a 'real' Bangers identity to the world.

You can have a read of his website http://www.deanbarrettmystery.com/

I think that's his picture, so if you see him about town, say "Hi Dean!", he'll like that.

Waiting in the wings.....

2006-08-13T20:03:00.000-07:00

Not having the knowledge how the post bag selects its daily compliment, I can only guess on the process. We have regular contributors, in fact very regular contributors and then we have some other readers who are spurred into writing a one-off letter by something they've read. In between the two there are a small group of players who maybe don't have the time to write a letter a day, but can still make there names known well enough.

Today, Monday, is a bumper day for the wannabes. No sign of the big guns but three of the second division make their mark.

First up is the interstingly named Bill Cymbalsky, a great supporter of the Israelis, gives the destruction of Lebanon's infrastructure the thumbs up in his letter, Perfect solution for unprovoked attack. Thank God the likes of Bill can only express their views in a newspaper. Imagine the state of the world if he were to be the US president. Hmmm, hang on a minute....

Now, next is a fellow named Dean Barrett. The name rings a bell. There may well be a novelist in or around Bangers named the same. Dean's given us Personal attacks miss the point, a response to none other than Eric Bahrt. Dean doesn't like Imtiaz Muqbil's weekly column. perhaps anyone who suggests that the 'white man' may be the villian and the Muslim the victim. As I mentioned before, Imty writes a pretty balanced article and doesn't hold back in making some home truths about the west's stance on Islam and the middle east. Dean refers to Imty as a Muslim fanatic. Pretty much a GWBism. "Call 'em a nasty name and everyone will hate them". He then chides Eric for resorting to personal attacks when he can't refute the logic of an argument. He also confirms my earlier suspicion of Eric being a vegetarian. I'll keep my eyes open for the continuing saga.

Our third entrant today is one Guy Baker, a rather news-paperish name if I ever heard one.
Guy takes a swipe at the the prophets of doom in the White House in Sky is falling on White House. Seems World war 3 is on it's way according to one source and Donald "Duck' Rumsfeld warns us that if the US forces leave Iraq, Muslims will take over Spain and Guy wants to make the point that the 'boneheads' in Washington' will be shown the door come the November elections. I think a more pertinent point to make would be start looking at the ''spin' that will emerge as the election approaches. Things like 'liquid' bombs on airplanes and otter threats to freedom loving nations and we should all know that the Conservatives are the only ones capable of victory over terrorism.

As I said, I don't know the selection criteria but, in my humble opinion, I would have let any one of these see light of day.

But perhaps, that has a lot to do with it!

Sunday morning

2006-08-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

I like Sundays.

I'd like them more if I didn't have to work.

Sundays are usually associated with a lie in, nice breakfast, crap morning TV (the sports round ups started after lunch) and a good read of the paper. Back home the Sunday paper was big enough to make an imitation papier-mache statue of Saddam Hussein. Lots to read, although being a tabloid, nothing really of value.

The Bangkok Post doesn't deliver anything like that. It's almost as if the staff are having a day off. Fortunately, this means they lower their guard on the 'Post Bag' and dear old Eric get get a letter published.

One of the personal joys I have with the Post is a Muslim writer, Imtiaz Muqbil, who has a column every week. Given that, Iraq, terrorism, Osama, Israel, and now Lebanon seem to never leave the dailies pages, it's refreshing to have someone who can offer something different to the 'Fox News' viewpoint that pervades every nook and cranny of western journalism.

Controversial he is. Prolly because of the large number of Americans who are ex-pats and can't believe that people are allowed to express anti-American views (we call it freedom of the press) but Imty does provoke a lot of responses.

Take this week for example. Six letters to the Post Bag and five are directed at Imtiaz. As previously stated, Eric is our resident Jewish expert and therefore, it appears, he has the right of reply on any matters Jewish. Now Eric is not your common or garden variety of Jew, as he often reminds us, no, he likes to take a pop at the Israeli governement and loves to 'bait' the conservatives with his "Criticism of one's own, is the only true crtiticism" theory.

It's the typical content of this week's letter that spurred me into 'blogging' in the first place.
I've read it six times now and I can't for the life of me find the reason why it was selected, other than being Eric's, of course!

'Double standards' in the Post Bag column, "are neo-cons predominantly Jewish?", and a slap on the wrist to Imty for harming the Palestinian cause by writing his column! Hardly anything worthy in there I'm afraid Post Bag. One can only assume lack of competition for today's copy but that has to be the case most days, I feel.

Getting up to date

2006-08-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

To catch up with some recent letters, just to give everyone an idea of the success the 'Post Bag Stars' are having here's a wrap up of some of the recent entries from our illustrious ex-pats...

Back on July 14th

Cha_Am Jamal gave us his worldly views on the ongoing violence in southern Thailand with
"Not in the mould of sectarian violence".
Here he's taken issue with an ealier written article which describes the violence in the south as a sectarian struggle between Mulim and Buddhist.
Fortunately I can't cut and paste the Post Bag from the Bangkok Post's website http:/www.bangkokpost.com/
otherwise the blog would look like the letters section itself.

On the 15th of July we were lucky enough to find two of our stars making the cut.

Cha-Am Jamal enlightening us all with his understanding of the tricky game of tourism statistics in "Confounding statistics". It's all about Korean golfers and ex-pats and how they influence arrival statistics in the tourism field.

Chavalit Van took up the popular topic of criticising the Prime minister with his submission "Letter proves PM lacking in leadership". Apparently so much can be gleaned by what one puts into a letter. Suffice to say CV demands the PM resign.

Scooting up to the 29th July the big fella Eric makes an appearance in "Up front about the Jews" this is a special letter because it's reference is to a previous posting by our friend Cha-Am Jamal. Eric agrees with Jamal that Christians carry guilt about the holocaust and the Israelis play on this guilt. He then informs us that he, himself, is Jewish.
I like this letter. Eric posts a few truths about how Israel is protected by this guilt and the fear of being labeled 'anti-Semetic' keeps any real criticism from the west, rather muted.

Of course Cha-Am has plenty of time on his hands and his letter nestled comfortably next to Eric's. "Tough for Surakiart", a peice about Thailand's proposed candidate for the soon to be vacant UN secretary's position, looks at cronyism and corruption in Thailand.

August the 4th sees Chavalit Van continue his crusade against the 'care-taker- PM, Mr. Thaksin taking aim on the PM's habit of finding someone to blame for everything that goes wrong in his letter "Who's next?"

August 8th sees Chavalit back in action and who else but the PM would be his target. Apparently CV has the inside info on Thaksin's little sojourn to Burma recently and ponders the question "Does he still deserve our trust?" in "Room for suspicion" I suspect, if we are to agree with CV and, as previosly requested, demand his resignation, we certainly wouldn't be putting much trust there.

To cap it off August the 10th has Eric in paranoia mode over the bird flu virus. "Virus mutation is the real worry" would have us believe that Eric has insider knowledge about bird flu and the threat of it mutating into a human virus with the potential to kill millions of people. Yes, Eric believes there is a 50% chance of a bird flu pandemic. He takes issue with the PM who at the height of the crisis here a year or two back was broadcast nationally promoting chicken in a local KFC.
Well Eric, running around screaming "the sky is falling" over a flu pandemic will certainly not help the vital chicken industry in this country so I'm with Thaksin on this. There will be a need for chickens long after the bird flu issue has gone. I'm pretty sure that in previous letters Eric has made it known that he's a staunch anti-meat vegetarian but we''ll confirm this soon.

That's the wrap up to date. I apologise that I have made several omissions of our pundits over the last month. I had the idea for the blog for a while but didn't decide until today to begin so some of the contributions have made it as window cleaning accessories instead of filling up the blog.

The Main Players

2006-08-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

The Letters to the Ed column publishes between six and ten letters each day and the topics covered range, as they should, from local issues, such as the current political crisis, to international events of of any flavour.

Reading someone's personal opinion on why 'Thailand should not send elephants to Australia' has never done much for me but for some unusual reason I've begun scanning the letters daily to see who's made the press today.

To date, there are four 'super contributors' who can be relied upon for an opinion on a very regular basis.

The 'top dog' at present is a Pattaya resident who goes by the name of 'Eric Barht'
On a good run you can read Eric almost twice a week for a month straight. I have to wonder at his success rate. Just how many letters does he write to get an almost regular gig in the daily paper.

Another who is a household name in 'Baan Pooly' is 'Sir Lance' from Rayong. It's not uncommon for Lance to make the pages three or four times a month, every month.

Coming in at the top three position is 'Cha-am Jamal' who most likely resides in Cha-Am.

And finally, one who has only recently come to my attention is 'Chavalit Van' from where I do not know but his contribution rate has been very high this past maonth.

I'm also keeping an eye on one 'Guy Baker' who has made a couple of appearances in the last fortnight or so.

My aim is to bring you an insight into the people who have made the Bangers Post 'Post Bag' a major part of their lives and to share with you their opinions with a little editorial suppliment by yours truly.

Kicking it off..

2006-08-09T20:19:00.000-07:00

As a resident of Bankok for over 4 years now, after sneaking in the back door, when nobody was looking, I have, perhaps naturally, renewed a few habits from my life in Australia to give it some air of familiarity.

Now I'm not talking about drinking and seeing girls (someone once said "you're supposed to see pink elephants when you drink") but in this case the subscription to the daily newspaper.

In Bangkok we are blessed with two English speaking dailies, The Nation and The Bangkok Post.
I've read both of them and for some unknown reason found the former to be an irritating read with stories inevitably continued in a column somewhere near the back of the paper. In short, too much trouble.
So I plumped for the Bangers Post as my over coffee read and to take the boredom of the bus ride to work away. It's my only real contact with the outside world, giving me updates on the international scene as well as a fair coverage of the major sporting news.

Over time I've never really taken much notice of the 'Letters to the Editor' section, I've always regarded this as the home of people who have no friends or casual aquaintances they can shoot the breeze with, but glancing through the editorial page everyday has led to my discovery about the 'stars' of this section.

Over the years I've seen a small number of names published with surprising regularity. A handful of readers who seen to have instant access to the 'Letters' column. It's not uncommon to see the same names twice a week and on occasion two or three published on the same day.

So my aim is to share the fame of these outspoken members of the ex-pat society in Thailand with the world.