Well folks - just finished reading Asian Godfathers and I highly suggest reading it if you live in SE Asia or are curious as to what makes this area of the world tick. Healthy amount of juice on Thailand and a fairly up to date look at Thaskin and how he got to where he is - rich and banished to London. The book is cleverly written with a background to how godfathers are made, how they prosper, how they work with the government and then detailed sections/notes on certain characters and their backgrounds. All in all a detailed but fun read. I think what I was most surprised about it how places like Hong Kong and Singapore are technically just as messed up as Thailand.
Also finished watching American Gangster and was curious how much of it is real but it seems plausible enough. Long movie but I think well worth it. I loved the first mention of Thailand in the movie with some guy talking about their buddy in Bangkok. The quote went something like this - “Where is he anyway? Bangkok. He said he loves it and is never coming home.” Amen. Was true then and I think true now. Reminds me of when I met a an older lady in Tokyo at a friend’s wedding. She used to run a fashion firm. She asked me where I live. I said Bangkok. She said, “I hear it is a wonderful place for a man to live.” Right again.
They show some girly bar scenes in the movie but I have no idea how accurate any of them are but none of the girls looked Thai to me. I am sure someone on the blog will have both seen the movie and the real thing so please comment if possible.
After watching American Gangster it was interesting to then stumble on to this article in the Rolling Stone magazine about America’s failed war on drugs. I have always felt that it is such a waste of time and money and so far that appears to be true. It dovetails well with the Asian Godfathers book given that parts of America are just as crooked as SE Asia but they tend to be slier about it.
No one is sure what convinced President Clinton to approve such an ambitious escalation in the War on Drugs. But some observers at the time speculated that the critical factor was a conversation with Sen. Christopher Dodd, the Connecticut Democrat, whose state is home to the helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft. In early 2000, Clinton unveiled Plan Colombia - and Sikorksy promptly received an order for eighteen of its Blackhawk helicopters at a cost of $15 million each. “Much has been made of the notion that this was Dodd looking to sell Blackhawks to Colombia,” Beers tells me. He pauses before adding, “I am not in a position to tell you it didn’t happen.”
How is that for severe waste of taxpayer money. I am sure Dodd got something out of it. Anyway - it is a complicated world.
Will do a go-go update soon since we tore up Cowboy on Thursday. Also had a reader telling me how quiet Nana was on Friday. Seems even AW had empty seats. Dovetails well with my theory. NEP is slowing down. I saw a bunch of Lucky Luke’s girls working on Soi 7/1. They told me Nana is too slow and they don’t like dealing with the Thai guys that loiter downstairs pretending to actually look like they belong there. I don’t blame them.
After hours was cranking with Spicy and the Tunnel on Thursday. I pulled a nice Rainbow Bar hottie who I don’t normally see on the after-hours circuit. We left Spicy to check out Tunnel and it was also rammed. I love the girls who understand the biz so to speak. After we hooked up and were chatting at home before she left she said call me sometime when u want to go out. She mentioned that for guys she likes who don’t only focus on the banging(meaning like to go out and have some fun) she only charges every other time to encourage repeat business. Smart girl. Works for me. Love the BKK after-hours scene.
Carry on. Enjoy the cool weather while u can!
Quick note on After Hours, went to Spice on Suk Soi 11 last night. It has really reached a new level and imho is the hottest club in all of Bangkok right now. It was like mardi gras last night, a huge party. People were flocking to the place around 1:30am and it stayed rammed until 6am. Very impressive. Congrats to the owner (same owner as Morning Night and the Hilary Bars) and staff for hitting big on this one. They work their asses off in there making it a classy venue with great service. However, I’m still not buying their Tequila shots for 200 baht/each.
View all comments by pmmp
“I’m sure Dodd got something out of it.”
Really? How are you so “sure”?
View all comments by Jack Dawson
jd - your attention to detail is impressive.
I heard on twitter that he attended the Sikorksy Christmas party which had an open bar. Seems fishy.
View all comments by smitty
War on Drugs? There is/was a War on Drugs in the US? I can literally drive across the bay right now and buy a gram of C on the street, a glass tube with filter at a head shop nearby, some baking soda at the convenience store all for about $30 in total and be cooking and smoking crack back home in less than 1 hour. Good thing I don’t do drugs!
The War on Drugs accomplished a few things in a ripple-like effect (1) wasted tax payers money, (2) raised the price(s) of drugs in most markets, (3) decreased the disposable “income” of the poor who are the majority of the drug users, and thereby (4) increased crime rates so that the drug users could make up for their lost “income”. The war is better left to be fought amongst the drug users and dealers. Street justice!
OK, rant over.
View all comments by John Brown
jb - great points. I thought the RS article was spot on. Amazes me how administration to administration the war completely shifts and spend money in another direction like the wind changes direction. The amount of waste created to fight the war on drugs must be astonishing.
View all comments by smitty
Saw this on CNN today:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14748793/detail.html
pretty sad how uptight America is getting.
View all comments by smitty
SMITTY —
“Saw this on CNN today: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14748793/detail.html
pretty sad how uptight America is getting.
[excerpt from story] “You can’t tell me that a bunch of marketing guys sat around talking about this promotion and no one knew of the more adult meaning,” one blogger posted……..
Sure I can. I have absolutely no frigging clue what MILF is supposed to mean. It sounds like some kind of missile the Syrians have pointed at the Jordanians. Never heard the acronym used in a sexual context. Gee, I guess the folks there in Atlanta must just be ever so much more erotically hip than I am. Right.
Anybody help me out here?
View all comments by Old Asia Hand
OAH - I have always known it as a mom I would like to fuck.
my friend in school had some milf’s.
either way america is uptight
View all comments by smitty
MILF = Moro Islamic Liberation Front
View all comments by Combover
I felt that “American Gangster” was a tad bit too long for my attention span. I was able to stand about an hour into the movie. Interesting mention of Bangkok and I have to agree that the girls don’t look Thai. While on the subject of movies, I recently sat through a marathon of Rambo I,II, & III. Its funny how he always ended up in Thailand(more significantly in part III). Even funnier is the upcoming sequel, “John Rambo”(aka Rambo 4) is also showing he’s living his dreams in Thailand.
View all comments by Crazy Jack
For early ‘War on Drugs’ stuff, try watching teh documentary ‘Cocaine Cowboys’, which tells the story of characters involved REAL Miami vice in the seventies and eighties.
Fascinating watching, but what I really took from it was not anything about the evil of drugs, but on the absolutely all pervasive and corrupting influence of huge amounts of money, made possible but the illegality of the product.
View all comments by Combover
How interesting, there is a tremendous book on the subject by Alfred McCoy, “The politics of heroin in southeast asia”. Though written over two decades ago, it’s content remains horribly relevant.
It talks of the CIA’s involvement in manipulating the opium/heroin trade in order to gain political influence in the South-east asin theatre. Unfortunately, as with all “grand plans” dreamt up by imperialist warmongers, it went pop. The agency lost control, and achieved the oposite of its aim. The CIA’s head at the time, an ambitous young man by the name of George Bush, fancy that.
Lets hope his son didn’t make the same mistakes in South America,..oh shit.
Sitting in my grand palace in Lampang, surrounded by virgins, thinking of y’all down there in the big smoke.
E
View all comments by escapeseeker
e - how are the lampang hottiess?
I think his son has pretty much blew it all the way around so far.
will check out the book - thanks for the heads up
View all comments by smitty