They think we’re idiots part 137:

Newspapers today are reporting that bus companies next year will be dropping special discounts and increasing prices, resulting in fares that in some cases are five times higher than current fares. The reason for this? One reason cited – higher fuel costs. Apparently they managed to keep a straight face while saying this.

Also in the news today:

To paraphrase Brian Eno, burning buslines give you so much more.

from Da Standard:

Internet images of a bare-chested woman posing in various public locations in Tai Po have upset local Democratic Party district councillor Kwan Wing-yip.

He feels both the practice of taking the snaps in a public place and posting them on the internet is offensive and needs to be clamped down upon. On his second point the police seem to agree, and now the lady and her friend in our photos could find themselves the subject of a conspiracy to issue indecent material charge, if a team of computer crimefighters from Asia’s finest has its way.

The naughty snaps were taken at Tai Po Waterfront Park, Plover Cove Reservoir and Tai Po Industrial Estate and posted on a website – with an age warning – which has now been blocked. Kwan says there is far too much of this sort of thing about these days and he doesn’t want it polluting the minds of the good people of Tai Po – he even called a press conference to say so.

To put the furor into perspective, the good councillor has received one complaint about the photos and before closing down, the website had just 85 visits.

But it’s a good way to get your name in the newspapers, isn’t it Mr. Kwan?

Well, about a month after the fact ….

Dinner last night at a new Thai restaurant on Lockhart Road, smack dab in the middle of the go-go bars, but clearly aimed towards patrons of those establishments. The place is called NaNa Banana – which I imaging was deliberately chosen to make frequent Bangkok visitors think of Soi Nana and Nana Plaza.

It’s a bright clean spot with big LCD TVs on the walls showing sports. More to the point, all of the waitresses are female, Thai, friendly, wearing miniskirts and boots. Pretty much everyone eating there was male – and actually very few people were eating, most were just drinking.

We tried three dishes and all were just okay – I think my mistake was asking for them to be prepared just a little spicy and perhaps if I’d gone for full-on they might have tasted more authentic. The king prawns were over cooked and the khao klik kapi didn’t have as many side things on the plate as you get elsewhere. In general, I’d say if Thai food’s your thing and you’re on that street, you’re better off going to Thai Hut or Thai Farmer.

On the other hand, I’m fully supportive of anything that opens along that stretch that isn’t a go-go bar, so I hope they make it. I don’t mind the girls sitting outside the clubs in their tiny little outfits (duh) but I hate when the mama-sans come running over and grab you by the arm and try to drag you in. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t walk down that street if I’m alone.
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In the US, the Dark Knight DVD sold 3 million copies on its first day of release. That includes 600,000 copies on Blu-Ray. This more than doubles the record set by Iron Man, which sold 250,000 Blu-Ray discs on its first day of release. After reading this last night, I had the best night’s sleep I’ve had in months.