Here's something interesting....

As you know, I'm here in Bangkok having a fine old time.  A small monsoon blew through this morning, but then by 10:00 had cleared itself up and out, and the sun came out.  The downside of all that - well, the cool pre-monsoon weather turned a little steamy!  Oh well....I am in Bangkok so what else can you expect?!

Anyway, here' the something interesting.  I just found it in the International Herald Tribune:

Coup Fears Grow as Bangkok Boils

Boiling?  I saw tons of people shopping in the massive malls downtown, lots of people shopping with me in the muggy outdoor market this afternoon, lots of people out a few minutes ago shopping in the mall (Side note - I promise you there were at least 10 mobile phone shops in the mall, and then across the street a small outdoor shopping arcade with literally 50 - I counted!)  

My point? Well, lots of shopping but no political boiling.  I know the army has asked the Prime Minister to resign and he's refused.  I know he's the brother-in-law of the previous Prime Minister who resigned for I can't remember what reasons now but some sort of corruption probe.  I suppose there MAY be a coup, but it just shows that you really can't believe everything (and possibly anything) you read.  At least not without understanding the ideology of the person/news company it's coming from.  And even if there is it's not because the country is boiling, even if some people in the military are.

Anyway, all's quiet.  No general boiling!

Oh, and I just finished Orwell's 1984.  Maybe, just maybe, it's not quite appropriate for small children.  So ignore my earlier advice on reading it as a family.  However, all adults (that includes teenagers who are already or soon-to-be voters) should definitely be reading it.  It's very very interesting and completely relevant to today.  

An example - Did you hear about Republican congresswoman Michele Bachmann (Minnesota) who called for investigations by the media into the loyalty and (her words) anti-American attitudes of Obama, the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority leader (and by extension all liberal members of Congress?)  Of course, she used the typical weasel words that the Republicans have used so often this campaign to plant doubt and fear into the minds of voters - he "might" have this or that, I'm concerned that "perhaps they have" talked to so and so, etc.  But guess what - Innuendo is the same as a lie.  We need to hold elected representatives to the highest standard.  They seem to constantly aim for the lowest and we let them get away with it.

Sadly, it's not a Saturday Night Live skit - it's real.  You can read about it here and hear about it on YouTube here.  That was and is a purely fascist thing to suggest happen.  We, as Americans, have GOT to make sure that the people we elect to govern this country in our name are not behaving like we did in the bad old days of Joseph McCarthy.  It's time for a change!