Note: See also Cloth Diaper Laundry Detergents and Cleaners It seems that the more we learn about how much of the human world is manufactured, and the more we realize how unnecessary, wasteful, and destructive it is, the more self-sufficiency and self-reliance becomes a demand on my soul. By self and by soul we do ... Read more
Cecil from The Straight Dope has an article from 2005: Does Microwaving Kill Nutrients in Food and is Microwaving Safe. The result of the article is actually that we don't really know for sure but research is being done. With that in mind, we proceed. What is a Safe Microwave Oven? Safety is a tricky ... Read more
Currently I am expecting the birth of a son, sometime around early November (about two months). This of course makes me reflect on safety and other issues. Taking a look at lifespans and probabilities due to various causes, here are some comparative charts. The biggest problems for infant mortality are well-known. The gap between developed ... Read more
Living in Chiang Mai has many aspects, and what it's like will be as much about the person doing the living as the place being lived in. My guess is the question is more like "what is it like as a foreigner to live in Chiang Mai". Here are a few aspects that come to ... Read more
From 2001 to 2009 I was in a PhD program in the US that had, as many do, students from around the world. Included were students from many Asian countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau, Thailand, etc. The mainly western professors always became impatient with these students, in their first few years in the ... Read more
Ah yes, the end of a year and beginning of another. A time to reflect, etc., etc. Well, this year much was accomplished and much was not. Travel, and home life improved. Finances declined. Struggle with workouts, fits and starts. For those not in Cambodia, Laos or Thailand, 2558 is the Buddhist Era (BE) date, ... Read more
Defined by what it is not One interesting aspect of the term Indochina is that the name is derrived from the French Indochine meaning the land between India and China. That is, the name refers to what it is not. Indochina is not India and it is not China, it is the space between these ... Read more
The coming new year, 2014 or 2557 in the Buddhist calendar, augers particularly well. This will be a horse year, and therefore I will be starting my fifth cycle (of 12 years), on my 48th birthday. This is a wood element year therefore helpful to my own fire horse. With Age Comes Clarity As well, ... Read more
In a word, Internet Marketing (not the spamming stuff, but the real thing) is BAWLS. Brand, Advertising, Website, Links and Content, and Social Media. BAWLS Brand Brand name, collateral (visuals, text), offering, value to customers and competitive strategy. Includes pricing, keywords, as well as customer demand. Advertising Paid and earned. Will drive traffic either to ... Read more
An end to the geographic lies of China, where a misnomer becomes an excuse for criminality. Geographic Lies of China The geographic lies of china are well documented. The so-called South China Sea is simply one of the more anachronistic, if not damning. The English-speaking world need not continue this farce. And so what should ... Read more