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) Bangkok: The old and the Buddha-ful
Shopping and gawking at the nightlife are what draw most visitors to Thailand's capital city. But for me, it was Bangkok's history and architecture that were truly spectacular.On the ride into the city from the airport, I was initially unimpressed. The high rises, the new mega shopping centers, even the old neighborhood markets were what one expects in most big Asian cities.
However, the charming traditional Thai welcome at the dazzling Shangri-La Hotel, and the view from my room of the bustling Chao Phraya River with its nonstop ferry traffic, began to make me feel that Bangkok would be something special.
It was my tour to the Grand Palace complex the next morning, given by a guide from the hotel's travel agency, that cemented the fact that Bangkok is unique. More>>
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) CNN Reports On Environmental Peril
It's a tough world, all right. Too bad it's not tougher. Earth is looking pretty fragile as it suffers from increasing human punishment.That isn't really news, of course. But CNN has packed the two-night, four-hour 'Planet in Peril' with information and images that give a familiar story new urgency. Here is an eye-opening, often-heart-wrenching exploration.
Airing at 9 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 'Planet in Peril' dispatched correspondents Anderson Cooper and Sanjay Gupta, as well as Animal Planet wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin, to report on far-flung instances of 'environmental change.' This term encompasses four key areas: climate change, vanishing natural habitats, disappearing species and human overpopulation.
By taking on so much, the series risks becoming a catchall bin of environmental woes. More>>
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) In defense of Krugman
The New York Times trashes "The Conscience of a Liberal." Alert the econoblogosphere! The Nation takes on ChinaMaking sense of the Middle Kingdom is hard enough without Qing Dynasty historians going on the rampage Bernanke speaks; market crashesWas it something he said? The Fed chairman warns that strong central bank intervention may sometimes be warranted. Wall Street immediately runs for cover. Caterpillar dump trucks are the enemy of the human raceEven as new coal-fired plants in the U.S. encounter increasing opposition, the market for mining equipment in China booms. How fast can we get to Apocalypse Junction?A record year for automobile sales and oil prices equals fun for the whole economy and ecosystem. Asian Kung-Fu GenerationDon't mess with the fan-subbing anime otaku. They are the past and future of the Internet. More>>