Specialist

I've stayed at the Ambassador a few times, for seminars. The last time, early this year, was the LAST time. Sometime Saturday evening, they lost the aircon plant for the entire complex. I was in a tower room. The room was very uncomfortable Saturday night, bad enough that the Sweet Young Thing and I couldn't really do much of anything without overheating. We went downstairs for breakfast early. By Sunday morning 8 AM, the room was completely uninhabitable. They were CLAIMING they had it fixed. Right. When I protested, the only thing they could do was offer to move me to a room in the main wing. Right. I was scheduled to move over to Royal President at noon. I called them shortly after 8 AM, explained the situation, and asked if they could get me in. The desk clerk said "Let me check something", went away for a moment, then said "Yes, come on over." They moved heaven and earth to get me into a room as soon as I arrived. Housekeeping got there to deliver the final towels a few minutes after I was in the room, still talking with the bellman, explaining that I'd been attending a seminar at the Ambassador, and I'd previously missed talking with the other attendees at breakfast. I'm attending another seminar at the Ambassador in January (49 days out). This time, I'm just staying at Royal President the whole time. The Ambassador isn't that bad, but they don't know how to recover when they drop the ball. The biggest delay I had getting to Royal President was that I got stuck behind a couple of Arabs who were bitching out the desk clerks about the aircon problems. The desk clerks couldn't do anything about it, and they didn't have anyone else to handle any other customers trying to check out. And that's another thing. The Ambassador is VERY popular with the Middle Eastern trade. This is not a good thing (although it is occasionally good for humor value). They've also discovered Royal President, but Royal President is enough smaller, and out of the way of the nightlife, that they aren't inclined to take it over.

T minus 49 days and counting. And I wish the number was lower, but airfare over Christmas week is astronomical at the moment. (I may call and see if I can burn some miles.)

Well, the first step you take is YOU DON'T INVITE KNOWN LUNATICS INTO YOUR HOUSE! France has known, for some time, that some Muslims are highly dangerous. Recall the firebombing parties not too long ago. Recall that the police found a firebomb factory. Even though they KNEW the risk they were taking, they welcomed the "refugees" (all young adult males in good physical fitness, NO women or children accompanying them) with open arms in the name of woo-woo whatever. "Refugees" comprise men and women of all ages, including children and elderly. When what you have is all young adult males in good physical condition, that's not a refugee party, that's an ARMY division.

T minus 63 days and counting. Depart HSV 13 Jan oh-dark-hundred as usual. ETA Swampy late night 14 Jan. DEROS 31 Jan oh-dark-thirty as usual.

"Join the resistance." <-- God WILL get you for that one.

Boo hiss. I've got another 3 1/2 months before I do likewise. (OK, if AA doesn't do a buyup deal this year, I *MIGHT* do a quick turn trip in December, around Christmas, to run up some miles in a hurry.)

I can't carry the world on my shoulders. I do regret that I wasn't carrying the Nikon DSLR that day.

My mobile is not equipped with a camera, and I like it that way.

You didn't REALLY expect to see Hooters, complete with Hooters girls, at Thai prices, did you? I was on the skywalk from the Asoke BTS to Robinson's, while I was in town a few weeks ago. I glanced down at the street level, and almost lost it completely. There was a gaggle, about half a dozen or so, Hooters girls walking down Suk, handing out flyers. I did a fast estimate, and realized, to my sorrow, that there was no way I could get down to street level in time to accost them. I did wish I'd had my camera with me. Even without a long lens, that would have been a FUN picture to take and share.

Dates finalized. I land at Swampy just before midnight 14 Jan, DEROS 31 Jan.

For me, the plot of "Lucy" had holes you could fly a 747 through. The effects were BEAUTIFUL. The story sucked dead bunnies through a garden hose. (Seriously. For example, even with perfect recall and superhuman intelligence, you have to LEARN e.g. human anatomy and radiology, to be able to read the X-ray and recognize that the tumor is malignant, inoperable, and terminal. Ditto languages. You have to learn them, somehow.) However, at its heart, it posed a few VERY serious thought-provoking questions: What does it mean to be "human"? What does it mean to be "more human"? What does it mean to be "more than human"?

I am *TENTATIVELY* planning to be in Krung Thep the second half of January. Dates subject to change, when/if the seminar leader posts the official schedule.

Currently working on "The Virgin Way", by Richard Branson. And STILL trying to make it through "50 Shades of Grey". Temporarily interrupted for two very-much-needed and very-much-appreciated weeks in BKK.

Update. The photo shop advice was golden. I found what I needed in the second place I checked. When I got back to my hotel, the bellman was curious. I showed him the photo and explained the situation, and he gave me one of their freebie photo magazines to go with it. I dropped them off last night with the waitress, and ordered dinner. When it came time for me to pay my check, the waitress said "We take care of you." I asked "No check?" and she confirmed "No check." I think I may have scored some SERIOUS Brownie Points here...

I SAY AGAIN: Some images, once seen , can never be un-seen. AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm going to be VERY polite here, and point out that the people who know what modern surveillance satellites can really do are NOT allowed to discuss those things in open forums like this one. I spent some time working on unclassified FLIR (thermal imaging) technology. At one point, I had to do some testing, that involved seeing how small a temperature difference it could distinguish. I was amazed at the results. Add to that that this was a FLIR that had NOT been carefully tweaked for best response. This was a quick and dirty test, on an experimental image processing technique.

Anyone have any ideas where I could find a small (say 8" x 10" or so) picture of the King and Queen? This is a present for some friends in Huntsville. Long story.

An interesting shoe dropped in the Bangkok "Post" this morning, on page one no less. Of the 20 CCTV camveras placed to cover the alleged bomber's escape route, 15 of them were out of order. If this were a TV detective show, the writers would have the lead character start asking who knew which cameras were dead.

That's a shame. I'm landing just after midnight on 8/23 and leaving early morning 9/7.

If it opens in the next couple of weeks, I'll check it out while I'm in town. If not, oh well...

"Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Ferguson. Quite fun.

TCCC University???

Assault with a FRIENDLY weapon...

Reagan and Ike issued Executive Orders on pretty routine stuff, and they were both very careful to stay well within the bounds of the Constitution and the Law. Obama feels himself to be under no such constraints.

Just about, except that the airlines have all started playing revenue management games that make it essentially impossible to get a flight ANYWHERE with miles.