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Notstickmanbangkok


gsoutien

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Okay. I think we need to be systematic about this. Let's look at the facts:

 

1) Look up "Tool, Douchebag, or Unmitigated Asshole" in the dictionary and Galt's name and photo come up. 'Nuff said.

 

2) Galt's attack on Stickman, while it might have (and probably did) have its valid points here and there, was for the most part totally unwarranted and way out of line, and certainly way out of proportion to the purported sins of his target.

 

3) As a "journalist" (snicker), Stickman is a hack at best...as previous posters have rightly noted, his spelling is atrocious, his grammar often highly suspect coming from a native speaker of English, let alone a teacher (then again, he's teaching Thais, so...), and his prose is right out of the worst of the 10th-tier Thailand-based "expat fiction genre"...yaaaawwwwn. Not really relevant to anything, but there you have it.

 

4) Stickman is, um, shall we say, "given to hyperbole and exaggeration". Both of which were in ample evidence in his recent 14,000 word tome, oeuvre, whatever you (or he) want to call it. I mean, the A-Team goes to Isaan...yeah, right.

 

At the very least, if in fact his mythic "barrel-chested, wood-chopper-armed" AmeriKKKan thug friend carrying "mysterious hardware" in his car really exists (and I have my doubts), he should be thrown into the Bangkok Hilton for the duration...these are the kinds of shitbag foreigners who make it miserable for all of us who come to Thailand for simply a good time and not to harm anyone.

 

5)...and this is perhaps my most important point...No matter what the origins/motivation of Galt's campaign against Stickman--which I agree, as stated above, was totally over-the-top and uncalled for, he did manage to "out" Stick to the "prestigious international school" at which he teaches. Well, I'm sorry, Stickman, you got off VERY easily on that one.

 

Let's keep the facts straight here: this TEACHER writes a weekly column in which he tells farangs where to find PUSSY FOR SALE in Thailand...a practice which is, let's remember, ILLEGAL in Thailand (I don't agree that it should be, but it IS)...and at the same time he TEACHES KIDS at a, let's not forget (as he LOVES to remind us) "prestigious international school". And then he gets indignant at the fact that he has to scramble to cover his ass...!!!

 

From a Thai management perspective, if I had discovered that one of my teachers was running such a website, I would have sacked him INSTANTLY. And Stickman should have been aware all along that this danger was very real for him.

 

He weathered the storm, it sounds like. But to be indignant and defensive about it?? To bitch and moan about it??

 

Jesus Christ, how would you fare in New Zealand if you were a teacher at a "prestigious, international school" and were busted for running a website promoting prostitution??" At best, you'd take your lumps and disappear. At worst, you'd be facing jailtime, I imagine (not knowing the laws of New Zealand myself).

 

And the "scene" in his carefully scripted 14,000 word "drama" where he suggests, to Thai police officials, in front of school administration officials, that they handle the whole matter under the table, off the books, "unofficially"?!?!

 

He's asking the police to help him get revenge against someone who, let's remember, OUTED him as the OPERATOR OF A WEBSITE PROMOTING ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES IN THAILAND..."unofficially"...??!!

 

First of all, I highly doubt this exchange actually occurred. Stickman claims to speak Thai fairly well...and if he in fact does, and knows a modicum about Thai culture, he would know you DON'T talk about such things out in the open (despite the fact that of course they do occur)...especially not in front of the administration of your "prestigious international school".

 

And to add to the above that you're basically asking the police to play thug for you to get revenge against someone (who, admittedly, is a total asshole), whose main crime is OUTING YOU as the perpetrator and proponent of ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES?!? Sorry, but I call "bullshit" on that.

 

So you see, the sometimes-not-so-eloquent Mr. Panadolsandwich is actually right in this case: there IS another position on this whole issue which is not "black and white," "Stickman vs. Galt"...but rather a position that seeks the TRUTH about BOTH SIDES, and equally, seeks to expose the BULLSHIT on both sides.

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Good points.

 

For clarity, prostitution is legal, in NZ, living off the earnings (pimping) isn't.

 

And despite being open minded enough to legalise it, the majority of Kiwis frown heavily on any prossies and will castigate and ruin the career of anyone caught using the services.

 

Interesting Dichotomy.

 

You are right, anyone promoting the services on a website would lose their teaching position anywhere in NZ.

 

But in Stick's defence, I'd think, he thinks he is promoting nightlife, which happens, in LOS to be naughty. Not his fault you see....

 

Only my opinion.

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Interesting.

 

FYI: I did not know Stick taught English.

 

(You would not know it from his web site.)

 

 

Stickman DID teach English - past tense. That was some years ago. Also, he was teaching English as a Foreign Language to Thai students. You don't have to be a genius like Norman Einstein to do that. :D

 

Also, he started his website long before he accepted a position teaching English. He was apparently very well liked by his students, which is what really counts in LOS. If they like you, they'll pay attention. If they don't, they will shut you off no matter how good you may be. One of the worst things students can write on a teacher evaluation (and yes, they do evaluate their teachers) is that he is BORING. They expect to learn something in class, but they also expect to be entertained. Those gawdawful profs we had who droned on and on and put us to sleep would last one term in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Interesting.

 

FYI: I did not know Stick taught English.

 

(You would not know it from his web site.)

 

 

Stickman DID teach English - past tense. That was some years ago. Also' date=' he was teaching English as a Foreign Language to Thai students. You don't have to be a genius like Norman Einstein to do that. :D[/quote']

It is like playing tennis, you may be good at it but if you play someone who is of a much slower standard, your game itself starts to fall apart.

I guess it could be the same with teaching English, your English skills could disapate over time with teaching non-English speaking groups.

 

Any person who possess a good grasp of grammar, in these days, is a very lucky person. In Australia, grammar has not been taught for some 30 years, the idea was that students would just pick it up. Bloody lazy teachers :beer:

 

As with Stick

 

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Well said flash, I reckon it was something like that also.

 

It's a very swaying and drifting thing this Galt and Stickman saga. Surreal in a sense.

 

In the here and now.

 

So far that could be construed as Stickman who is (currently) master of the blogging field in Thailand, Galt having fled from Siam abandoned the field and Stick now claims victory (albeit with Mr C’s assist).

Galt, his reaching, lofty aspirations aside, did some incredibly stupid and arrogant things to undo and squander his good work and following. I reckon an expat out here get’s chances, you use them all up and you’re basically either leaving the country under a cloud, in a box or with a black stamp in the passport.

I even wonder if there's more to it than just what's on the surface.

 

Part of me thinks, in some way, Galt and Stick could of been friends, like brothers even?

Had things been different, it could of been the Galt and Stickman online buzzing back and forth... What a column that could of been...

 

Yet Stick and Galt represent two sides of the expat world in Thailand. One prefers city's and the urban scene. Galt would linger in the far flung provinces more, radiating towards the Pattaya night scene when the mood pulled him in for him to sow wild oats.

 

Stick is the more rigid, representation of the expat family man. Galt indeed is the perrenial bachelor (partly why he is popular with the expats out here). There is a Taoist vibe to this.

 

Galt represents or at least assumes the harder masculine, the macho-man, the wandering womaniser.

He doesn't teach, that’s not his way but makes his way in the world living on his wits.

Selling / making stuff that people physically have use for.

Some would say an Adventurer expat of sorts. He certainly is on the move again that’s for sure.

 

Stick represents a softer style, the feminine side, the nurturer, the gatherer.

The one who sells knowledge via teaching, his prolific blogging on actual observation and interpretation to HIS way and direction.

Someone who, when his hand is forced, fights to subdue not destroy.

Stick is static, secure and remains in his sphere, although undeniably shaken about to the core previously. He's weathered the Galt's passing whirlwind and now tells his tale on his site.

Perhaps is there any wonder there was a clash of ideas and personality’s?

 

Stick and I have both visited the Galts domain. I just after 2008 I think (need to check my Vlogs).

 

I was on my bike travels, seeking inspiration when I found Galts Retreat and lingered around the town for a day or two.

 

While Stick quested for vengence / revenge in his mission.

Both powerful things in their own way.

 

I must say, something did weird me out about Galts building, like it had a bad vibe to it. Like a hostile atmosphere or something. Probably just me in a new place and not sure about Galt, but Stick mentioning it made me think again on it.

A strange man is Galt, even I can't weigh him up entirely or understand what makes him tick...

 

I've got a book I'm writing, an ongoing project, as far as is possible in my busy schedule.

An 'allegory' short story (told within a larger book) of the final downfall of Galt in Thailand has been drafted.

 

This is to be told in a fictional and weird Sci-Fi world (alternate dimension to this one) that Galt and Stickman are in, fighting each other even there.

 

Watch this space... :)

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<< Any person who possess a good grasp of grammar, in these days, is a very lucky person. In Australia, grammar has not been taught for some 30 years, the idea was that students would just pick it up. Bloody lazy teachers. >>

 

 

It's a disaster in the States as well. California for years even had an idiotic system that let primary school students spell words any way that wanted! It would hurt their creativity to force them to spell words only the way the dictionary says. They would be taught "correct" spelling later - after they had been spelling words free style for years. :p

 

Before that California had "sight reading". Students were taught to recognise words on sight - as if they were Chinese characters, not by reading them phonetically. One university graduate told me he still can't pronounce a word if he's never seen it before. It is just a "bunch of letters" to him.

 

And naturally, the education theory that was pounded into my head in the early 1970s - "behavioural objectives" - is now a definite no-no. Everything today is "student centered" and using "participatory action" to bring the community "stakeholders" into the teaching experience even to the extent of developing curriculum. Thailand has bought into this too. Can you see Somchai the mo'cy boy and Somsak the rice farmer telling the local schools what they want their children to study? :shocked:

 

 

p.s. We moved to California when my sister was in the 2nd grade. In New Mexico she had been writing with a pen. In California the kids were still learning to print the alphabet with fat pencils. Her teacher in N Mex had written a letter telling what they had done in the first and second grade, but the California school refused to believe it! My sister said she was reading books in the 5th grade in LA that she had read in New Mexico in the 2nd. Yet California schools think they are leaders in the nation. :p

 

 

 

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We have a Korean home-stay at our place, she was suppose to stay 6 months, now it has been 5 years. One year of IELTS, and now 4 years of university in accounting. She has 2 subjects to complete to finish her undergraduate degree. Her English capabilities are almost negligible, could not write a sentence or let alone, understand what one means. Just has a great ability to be a parrot, but a sweet girl :beer:

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