Paul Roper and his Grunts

Mama's House

(this posting is commandeered by Reuben)

The photograph is my wife's home in a rural village in Thailand. It is from this front porch that I have made many observations of life going on around me.

About three time annually, absolutely no more if I can get out of it, I am required to act as the dutiful husband and son-in-law by making a required visit to my wife's rural village in the northeastern portion of Thailand.

In that my wife and I own no vehicle, as none is required in Bangkok where we reside, our trip there is in its self an event possibly worth relating.

From our condo in the Tongkru section of Bangkok we begin our trek with a brisk walk, luggage in hand (OK on wheels) for about 10 minutes to reach a main thoroughfare where taxi service can be procured. Even a short trip of several days always seems to require two large bags. Gifts for the clan you know and western food or me. Just a few cans of soup or maybe a tin or two of span. Yes, I love the stuff, but only eat in on trips such as this. An emergency stash so to speak.

From that point it is about a thirty minute ($4.25) ride to the North Eastern and Northern Bus Terminal commonly called Mo Chit.

Upon entering the bus station ones attention is draw to three factors.

First the place is enormous and it is nothing like any bus station that I have ever visited in America. There is not one ticket counter where you line up to purchase a ticket, there are hundreds of them. The place is divided up into cubicles along the walls, each representing a different bus lines to a different destination. To add to the confusion, not a word is in English (tourist don't take the bus often I guess). But don't worry about the language problem, for as soon as you enter the place touts ascend upon you like flies on s---. Each is attempting to provide their services in locating the correct window for ticketing to your desired destination. Their pay depends entirely on how many customers they obtain. Based on this factor just imagine their aggressiveness. If can be quite vicious. NOTE: They don't just prey of foreigners, Thais who don't know the game are also pulled into their web.

Now that I am an old hand at this game, I know exactly where my ticket window is, so we brush past the touts straight to the Super VIP Bus. This bus service has only 24 seats, the seats almost fully recline and the air conditioning actually works. Food and drink is provided, and we will discuss these culinary delights in a ranting to follow.

So for the price of $9.40 each we are off on our five to six hour trip to Mamas house.

MORE LATER

Tade & The Confederacy

My great aunt Lela Octavia "Tade" Tyson Carr (1886-1957)is pictured here at the Confederate Cemetery Memorial in Marietta, Ga.

Her father, Obediah Tyson was born in 1852. Which he would have been 10 to 13 years old during the war. He was too young. However, Tade's great grandfather Robert Cabel Tyson (1821 - 1864) would have been in his early '40s when the war was in this area. There is no record that Robert Cabel Tyson served in the Confederate or the Union Army. He died April 6, 1864, just about the same time that Union Calvary Scouts came ahead of Sherman to check the area out, and there was a skirmish near the Tyson Family cemetery. Really! That is in the records. Did Robert die on the dirt he would soon be buried in?

Did Tade know something I don't?

My Freaking Blogging System

I have been trying to put some pictures up since 4:30am this morning and my freaking system won't let me.

#$@%&*$%#@!!!!

Averages in the Identity Stealing Business

I heard on the news tonight that an average of one in four families every year has their identity stolen.

Does that mean that in a four year run nearly everybody family has their identity stolen?

If some families get by over a four year period, then to keep the average, some families are getting their identities stolen more than once during that four year period.

And I would speculate the ones that get by are the identity stealers themselves and of course the extremely paranoid.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

I hope you have a happy 2006.
Don't make yourself any New Year's resolution which you might consider later to be unreasonable.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and/or HAPPY HOLIDAY!!!

There! That should take care of every one - but me.

You Gotta Have a Profit

I know someone who is in the commerical-making industry. Now, his company is putting together the details for a commercial for a certain auto company.

His company is working for an advertising company, who in turn, works for the auto manuafacturer that will be in the commercial. A couple of days ago the advertising agency was insisting that all for the commercial making company employees that are in the creative force of making the commercial fly down to Miami for almost a week and have a series of head banging sessions. The cost that would be a over couple hundred grand.

They compromised and agree to come to them for probably a two-day meeting which will dwindle the cost of the meeting down to about 10 grand.

Who do you suppose would pay the $200+ thousand or the $10,000? Not the commercial making company. Not the advertisors. Not the auto company. It must be the consumer again!