I've visited the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok. My jaw dropped when I read his history -- mostly because he was born in Greenville, DE., a few miles from where I was raised. Without knowing that, I would have wondered where the seed money came from that enabled Thompson to become a silk merchant. Greenville was where much of the duPont family lived (at one time one of the wealthiest families in the world).
An interesting aside, Thompson's mother, Mary Wilson Thompson, a daughter of a Civil War general, married into the money. As a Delaware civic leader she is, according to Wikipedia, credited with the Delaware General Assembly's failure to ratify the 19th Amendment. In a memoir written in the 1930s, Thompson explained her position against women's suffrage:
"I have always opposed votes for women. It is constitutional with me. It is not that I feel women cannot vote or are not the mental equal of our men folks, but I feel that it is duplicating our work. It is putting an extra burden on the women and it has weakened materially our power with the legislatures."
Wonderful pictures, Asha, to give us some respite. Thank you very much. And to your question—the Al Smith Dinner debacle elevated things beyond cray-cray. Safe travels, my dear. We need you home.
I have been reading the DNI's Annual Threat Assessment. It is not at all clear to me that " The world that emerges from this tumultuous period will be shaped by whoever offers the
most persuasive arguments for how the world should be governed, how societies should be
organized, and which systems are most effective at advancing economic growth and providing
benefits for more people, and by the powers—both state and non-state—that are most able and
willing to act on solutions to transnational issues and regional crises."
I think we all fear the powers arrayed against us will prevail. Not because they're better for the world, they are clearly worse for the world. Because they have more weapons and zero constraints in using the weapons they have.
I love the photos, thanks for sharing. It is so important to visit other countries and gain the perspective of what other folks think is going on in the USA. It is eye-opening.
Wonderful photos! The food looks so delicious, like an Indonesian rijsttafel feast. Love the zip line and the basket seat! I did not know the story of the Thai Silk King, very intriguing. Thank you for the tour and your insights.
So, you missed the rant about the size of Arnold Palmer's phallus. . . having moved a few thousand miles, I can testify that moving away From requires the presence of a welcoming community where you plan to move To. And I missed the elk and otters, ospreys and coyotes so much I had to move us back to the one small part of California where I feel loved by both people and wildlife.
Asha, in terms of being away and dreading coming back, I get it. Great point about prospective students thinking about study in the U.S., one I encountered when I lived in Jordan for most of Trump's first term. Five years ago I cited you alongside Madison and Aeschylus to close out my examination of why our voters being moral and of quality is key to our democracy's survival and how much disinformation works against that, hope you will check it out! https://realcontextnews.com/coronavirus-and-history-russia-and-italy-the-war-for-reality-and-the-nexus-of-it-all/
The xenophobia encouraged by Trump / Vance as a means to an end is at odds with the US success story. I understand and fully accept the need for immigration reform, but they're not doing it. They simply like the show of force. And forgive me for bringing up a subject that I'd prefer not to (but I'm good at tangents). This speaks A) to Donald Trump's increasingly apparent erratic behavior, and B) "mainstream" (I.e. serious and responsible news outlet FINALLY (and way too late) covering what unfortunately only his medical team can define as insanity. I bring this up because it was covered by PBS....a very dry, serious, publicly-funded organization that is least effected by profits. Donald was in the hometown of the late legendary golfer, and talking about Palmer's....manhood. The talking points that he was supposed to be sticking to were completely abandoned. It's obvious to me that people who are aware of Trump's insanity simply brush it off. I don't think he can be pushed out the door by invoking Article 25 of the Constitution. He is the golden (fool's gold-plated) calf and the main attraction of his rabid diehard supporters. He'd just be propped up as the increasingly incoherent, drooling, senile old man he is while supporters can only think of his fabricated reputation of “success” from the past. He’s a useful fool to the Republican elite, Vladimir Putin, and billionaire thieves like Musk and Murdoch (both immigrants, I might add).
But as far as “should I stay or should I go back home”, Asha, as I have always learned from vacations is the law of “Diminishing Margin of Utility”, and that the more you have of something, the less satisfying each additional measure is to the psyche. Bali indeed sounds like idyllic, as it long been a term that was essentially interchangeable with “paradise”, but maybe on this earth there really is the possibility of too much peace and tranquility. Perhaps there has been too much “peace and tranquility” (relatively speaking) between the end of World War II and 9/11 for the United States, and the average person became complacent.
“I’m moving to Canada” was a threat I heard people make long ago if a Republican was elected, but I started to think seriously of this before 2020, but decided firmly to “stay and fight”. I try to limit the amount of political news (and “news”) out there to stay focused on my life, and out of a rabbit hole, but keep adequately informed. I go back to the days when you got news between 6:30 and 7 PM rather than 24-hours daily. That being said, the “stay and fight” keeps the momentum in us alive.
My argument is to keep Bali alive as your “Happy Place” that you can retreat to on vacation when possible, but stay onboard in our fight as Americans to be the America that still is. Isn’t it ironic that our corporate-driven country is lauded as “great” (for a lack of a more specific term) where countries such as Bali that have a simpler and more relaxed way of life are considered idyllic vacation destinations? I think that if someone tried to conceive of “heaven”, the image would be overwhelmingly closer to the lifestyle of Bali rather than the much of the materialism that is ubiquitous here, and seems to represent the modern US. There are no cell phones and pickup trucks in heaven.
I've already ate breakfast today, and voted early through the mail a week ago. Two out of three will have to do despite today being Sunday. That being said, I do believe in God, that we never really see the end result. Even if that guy wins, it ain't over 'til its over. The God I believe in does work in mysterious ways, and such beauty can arise out of even the most hopeless wasteland. Think of Chernobyl and the wildlife that is now thriving there, and Hiroshima. I'd rather neither happened, but they did. Good somehow arises from the bleakest situations.
Excellent episode by Rick Steves (yes, the PBS travel guy) about history of fascism in Europe. He just had a zoom group watch party of the episode tonight.
With Elon now overtly working to help trump win, I'm reminded of the later House of Cards episodes where Frank works with some shaddy connected folks to rig his reelection run.
I've visited the Jim Thompson House in Bangkok. My jaw dropped when I read his history -- mostly because he was born in Greenville, DE., a few miles from where I was raised. Without knowing that, I would have wondered where the seed money came from that enabled Thompson to become a silk merchant. Greenville was where much of the duPont family lived (at one time one of the wealthiest families in the world).
An interesting aside, Thompson's mother, Mary Wilson Thompson, a daughter of a Civil War general, married into the money. As a Delaware civic leader she is, according to Wikipedia, credited with the Delaware General Assembly's failure to ratify the 19th Amendment. In a memoir written in the 1930s, Thompson explained her position against women's suffrage:
"I have always opposed votes for women. It is constitutional with me. It is not that I feel women cannot vote or are not the mental equal of our men folks, but I feel that it is duplicating our work. It is putting an extra burden on the women and it has weakened materially our power with the legislatures."
So, I have mixed feelings about the Thompsons.
Wow! Thank you for this detail! I am fascinated by his story
Wonderful pictures, Asha, to give us some respite. Thank you very much. And to your question—the Al Smith Dinner debacle elevated things beyond cray-cray. Safe travels, my dear. We need you home.
I have been reading the DNI's Annual Threat Assessment. It is not at all clear to me that " The world that emerges from this tumultuous period will be shaped by whoever offers the
most persuasive arguments for how the world should be governed, how societies should be
organized, and which systems are most effective at advancing economic growth and providing
benefits for more people, and by the powers—both state and non-state—that are most able and
willing to act on solutions to transnational issues and regional crises."
I think we all fear the powers arrayed against us will prevail. Not because they're better for the world, they are clearly worse for the world. Because they have more weapons and zero constraints in using the weapons they have.
I love the photos, thanks for sharing. It is so important to visit other countries and gain the perspective of what other folks think is going on in the USA. It is eye-opening.
Happy vacation! Get back safely and soon.
Wonderful photos! The food looks so delicious, like an Indonesian rijsttafel feast. Love the zip line and the basket seat! I did not know the story of the Thai Silk King, very intriguing. Thank you for the tour and your insights.
Amazing pictures. Thank you for sharing. 16 more days of insanity. My vote is in and counted.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing. Your reads are always enlightening in so many ways. I feel as though I'm back in school.
So, you missed the rant about the size of Arnold Palmer's phallus. . . having moved a few thousand miles, I can testify that moving away From requires the presence of a welcoming community where you plan to move To. And I missed the elk and otters, ospreys and coyotes so much I had to move us back to the one small part of California where I feel loved by both people and wildlife.
Come back!!
Asha, in terms of being away and dreading coming back, I get it. Great point about prospective students thinking about study in the U.S., one I encountered when I lived in Jordan for most of Trump's first term. Five years ago I cited you alongside Madison and Aeschylus to close out my examination of why our voters being moral and of quality is key to our democracy's survival and how much disinformation works against that, hope you will check it out! https://realcontextnews.com/coronavirus-and-history-russia-and-italy-the-war-for-reality-and-the-nexus-of-it-all/
The xenophobia encouraged by Trump / Vance as a means to an end is at odds with the US success story. I understand and fully accept the need for immigration reform, but they're not doing it. They simply like the show of force. And forgive me for bringing up a subject that I'd prefer not to (but I'm good at tangents). This speaks A) to Donald Trump's increasingly apparent erratic behavior, and B) "mainstream" (I.e. serious and responsible news outlet FINALLY (and way too late) covering what unfortunately only his medical team can define as insanity. I bring this up because it was covered by PBS....a very dry, serious, publicly-funded organization that is least effected by profits. Donald was in the hometown of the late legendary golfer, and talking about Palmer's....manhood. The talking points that he was supposed to be sticking to were completely abandoned. It's obvious to me that people who are aware of Trump's insanity simply brush it off. I don't think he can be pushed out the door by invoking Article 25 of the Constitution. He is the golden (fool's gold-plated) calf and the main attraction of his rabid diehard supporters. He'd just be propped up as the increasingly incoherent, drooling, senile old man he is while supporters can only think of his fabricated reputation of “success” from the past. He’s a useful fool to the Republican elite, Vladimir Putin, and billionaire thieves like Musk and Murdoch (both immigrants, I might add).
But as far as “should I stay or should I go back home”, Asha, as I have always learned from vacations is the law of “Diminishing Margin of Utility”, and that the more you have of something, the less satisfying each additional measure is to the psyche. Bali indeed sounds like idyllic, as it long been a term that was essentially interchangeable with “paradise”, but maybe on this earth there really is the possibility of too much peace and tranquility. Perhaps there has been too much “peace and tranquility” (relatively speaking) between the end of World War II and 9/11 for the United States, and the average person became complacent.
“I’m moving to Canada” was a threat I heard people make long ago if a Republican was elected, but I started to think seriously of this before 2020, but decided firmly to “stay and fight”. I try to limit the amount of political news (and “news”) out there to stay focused on my life, and out of a rabbit hole, but keep adequately informed. I go back to the days when you got news between 6:30 and 7 PM rather than 24-hours daily. That being said, the “stay and fight” keeps the momentum in us alive.
My argument is to keep Bali alive as your “Happy Place” that you can retreat to on vacation when possible, but stay onboard in our fight as Americans to be the America that still is. Isn’t it ironic that our corporate-driven country is lauded as “great” (for a lack of a more specific term) where countries such as Bali that have a simpler and more relaxed way of life are considered idyllic vacation destinations? I think that if someone tried to conceive of “heaven”, the image would be overwhelmingly closer to the lifestyle of Bali rather than the much of the materialism that is ubiquitous here, and seems to represent the modern US. There are no cell phones and pickup trucks in heaven.
I've already ate breakfast today, and voted early through the mail a week ago. Two out of three will have to do despite today being Sunday. That being said, I do believe in God, that we never really see the end result. Even if that guy wins, it ain't over 'til its over. The God I believe in does work in mysterious ways, and such beauty can arise out of even the most hopeless wasteland. Think of Chernobyl and the wildlife that is now thriving there, and Hiroshima. I'd rather neither happened, but they did. Good somehow arises from the bleakest situations.
Excellent episode by Rick Steves (yes, the PBS travel guy) about history of fascism in Europe. He just had a zoom group watch party of the episode tonight.
https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/video/tv-show/fascism
Compliments well the CNN episode last night on history of the America First movement:
https://www.cnn.com/videos/title-2544885
Thank you for sharing.
.....sure if that gets canceled out if I return to the U.S. in this political climate.
Probably!!! Safe travels.
With Elon now overtly working to help trump win, I'm reminded of the later House of Cards episodes where Frank works with some shaddy connected folks to rig his reelection run.
And lots of legacy media reporting on "questionable" legality. It's not questionable. Rick Hasen spells out the clear illegality:
https://electionlawblog.org/?p=146397
It is all over the internet now, here is one worth reading: https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2024-10-20/musk-offers-voters-1-million-to-sign-pac-petition-backing-the-constitution-can-that-be-legal
Many questions about him paying people...
Looks like that monkey was just about to swipe your phone!