Civilization runs on rules, not laws. What’s the difference? Well for example, when you go to pay at the supermarket you go to the back of the line, right? Why? Why don’t you go to the front of the line? Or into a gap between other shoppers? There is NO LAW against going right to… Read More »

Looking up at the ceiling. Laying flat on my back. I was in a sort of prison. Rows of wooden bars rose all around me, far beyond my reach even if I could move freely, which I couldn’t. I would have been about a year old I suppose, in a crib, and I had become… Read More »

Just Be Yourself (Or Not)… Megabreak runs three seasonal pool tournaments year-round. Unfortunately I am never in the area long enough to do a whole season, so my goal remains simply to win one event. Did I just say ‘simply?’ Oops. Well, simple or not, it is my goal. One side benefit of this endeavor… Read More »

Besides the paperwork and passport photos i had prepared, Vietnamese Immigration also wants $25 USD. I don’t have it. The price of the various visas are posted on the wall, all in US dollars. Now that is just a bit strange. I mean, I was under the impression that Vietnam fought a war to remove… Read More »

1. It ain’t cheap. With a baseline ticket at $425 per person and parking passes at $80 per vehicle expect to lighten your wallet. 2. There are no services. No restaurants, no stores, no nothing. If you plan to be there for a week, you’ll need food and water for a week. 3. It’s dusty.… Read More »

Swam a few laps this morning at the 31st floor pool overlooking Pattaya. Went to catch the elevator back down, noticed that all cars were around the first floor, and pushed the button. So I’m standing there waiting, watching the numbers count up, and when it gets to about 20 I start hearing a strange… Read More »

At the start of Thursday’s 9-ball tournament, there is a Calcutta auction. Each player is up for auction and people “bid” on who they think will win. Sort of like betting on a horse race. There is generally a lot of bidding action on the top players, the “pros,” because, well, they’re really good. I… Read More »

Was supposed to go to Japan, but I didn’t bring any warm clothes with me and I don’t want to buy new ones, so booked a new trip to Myanmar. Heard there’s some sort of genocide going on there, but that won’t stop me. However learning that it takes 3 days to get a visa… Read More »

Saigon is a bustling town, but not particularly scenic. Its a commercial city, with business and traffic in good measure, but short on photo opportunities. Among its attractions is a leftover from the French: The Church of Notre Dame. I walk over there to catch the evening light. There’s a kid pushing a vending cart.… Read More »

Bus rolls into Vang Vieng, I know this because the bus driver starts shouting, “Vang Vieng! Vang Vieng!” The only reason I’m here is because there are some very photogenic rice fields in the area. But it turns out that Vang Vieng is a happening tourist destination, specifically for the backpacker crowd. Twenty-somethings, college dropouts,… Read More »

From the sky, Myanmar makes a good impression, dotted with temples, rice paddies, and small villages. Undeveloped, unspoiled, old school. At the airport, the taxi dance begins. A booth inside says 20000 kyat, about $15. Decide to take my chances outside with that price point in mind. There’s a kid with a smile and a… Read More »

Got the photo I wanted, now it’s time for a different kind of shot. As a former British colony, pool halls will be hard to find, but snooker is a certainty. According to Mr. Internet, there are two snooker clubs within walking distance, so I start walking. Mandalay has perhaps the most dangerous sidewalks I’ve… Read More »

It’s a gas station. No I’m not kidding. What you can’t see is the pair of girls to the right laughing at me as I take a photo of their business. They’ve got snacks as well, just waiting for someone to run out of gas so they can spring into action, help them, and profit.… Read More »

The ad said “pool players wanted,” so I answered the ad. The guy lived in West Oakland, not exactly the safest place in the world, but pool is pool, so off I went. And so began my friendship with Bihn. Bihn was the son of Vietnamese boat people, about 30 years old, and very outgoing.… Read More »

“Warning: Death for drug traffickers under Singapore law.” That’s what it says on the immigration form the flight attendants are handing out. Well shit, I’ve got a bottle of Tylenol in my bag, why didn’t someone tell me before I got on the plane? Singapore is of course famous for its strict law enforcement. Remember… Read More »

“Do you Renounce All Violence?” That’s what she asked me. Was she serious? Did she really want to know? Or was it simply moral posturing? I don’t know. But its a commonly held view at Burning Man, which after all is a hippie, artsy festival at its core. Such proclamations are to be expected. I… Read More »

Rented a motorcycle to get around Danang, with the full understanding that the “normal” rules of driving do not apply in Vietnam. You know, quaint little Western ideas like “right of way, my lane, or one-way street.” Things regarded as “common sense” in the West, are not only absent here, but dangerous. For example, regard… Read More »

I’d locked the keys in my car. Well, it wasn’t my car exactly, it was my father’s. A 1974 Plymouth Satellite. I had just started my first “real job” in downtown Edmonton, and was borrowing the car to commute from the family farm into the city. I couldn’t yet afford a car of my own,… Read More »

There has to be 50 restaurants to choose from in Boracay. Some are packed, other languish. But why? It can’t be only taste, for tourists must choose without knowing. Location makes a difference, but neighboring establishments frequently have very different results. It’s a design problem. Ask the average person why they chose or passed over… Read More »

Both the doorman and my taxi driver seem especially concerned to which airport terminal I’m going to. I don’t know. My itinerary doesn’t say. How much can it matter? Taxi pulls up to the airport. Driver asks, “Okay?” The meter says 187, I say “okay,” pay the fare and get out. He drives away. The… Read More »

I didn’t plan to get in a fight. I didn’t go looking for trouble either, but somehow trouble seems to find me. Well, that’s not exactly true, maybe I was looking for it just a little bit. Here’s how it happened… The sun was blazing on the third day of my tour of Angkor Wat.… Read More »

A little while ago, I was invited to participate in a Class Action lawsuit for 13 million dollars. If successful, my share of this loot would only be a small fraction, perhaps a thousand dollars at most. The accused is an internet company I invested in back in the boom days. Like so many of… Read More »