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"For every problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." (Henry Louis Mencken)
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“The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has stretched itself to the point where neither the world nor our intelligence can find any foot-hold. It is a fact that we are suffering from nihilism.” (Albert Camus)
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Christmas Eve at Wrong Way Cafe — I Survived
Arriving back in Ubon about 5:00 p.m. on the 23rd, my first step in getting prepared for the Christmas Eve buffet was to mix myself a strong Sangsom & Red Bull. I followed this with another strong one because, well, … Continue reading
Posted in Upcoming Events and Blog
2 Comments
Moments of Clarity, Part II — Rainbow Trout
One of the main reasons I ventured up onto the Bolaven Plateau was to check if the water temperature and volume were sufficient to farm rainbow trout. The King of Thailand has a Royal Project at Doi Inthanon in Chiang … Continue reading
Posted in Construction, Rainbow Trout
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Moments of Clarity, Part I — Back to the Irish Bridge
Fire is a tool here. A child learns how to build and control a fire by about the age of 7. It is an important but mundane facet of daily life, very much as it would have been for ancestral … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
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My Luxury Retirment Home
I sometimes wonder if there is a Lao word for “progress.” It seems to be a concept quite beyond them. But, to be fair, even if they don’t have a word for “progress,” they probably don’t have one for “depression,” … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
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5th Annual Christmas Eve at Wrong Way Cafe
With 6 or so days to go until Christmas Eve, it’s decision making time. The most important ingredient is, of course, all of you. Especially the girls and not-quite girls who dressed up so finely for us last year. Everyone … Continue reading
Posted in Upcoming Events and Blog
1 Comment
Stream Crossing Proposal
This is just a proposal, but I’m fairly comfortable with it. There may be an easier way, of course, so, as the Japanese say, if the door won’t open by pushing it, then I may have to try pulling it. … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
5 Comments
Contemplating an Irish Bridge II
Judging from the comments I’ve been receiving, I guess a little more explanation, in the form of illustrations, is needed. The illustration to the left shows, crudely, sort of what the stream looks like when all the boards are in … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
4 Comments
Contemplating an Irish Bridge
I have a problem. Some of the locals pass through my land to get to their coffee plantations. There are other ways for them to get to their properties, so I’m discouraging this, to a certain extent, but not denying … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
7 Comments
The Great Escape
I’ve had tremendous trouble with compost worms. They are nature’s lesser known escape artists. I’m still in partial denial about my first failure. After smuggling them across the border and into Vientiane, those misguided fellows decided I wasn’t fit to … Continue reading
Posted in Compost Worms
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The Bomb-Proof Crapper
There are always problems associated with access. I don’t mind Billy’s cousin and other assorted people passing through my land, especially since I’ll be passing through the cousin’s land to get to my other 2+ hectares, but to get across … Continue reading
Posted in Construction
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