Bangfai Payanak: Science, Belief and Thai Society

red sparks keep pink , at rise from the Mekong River , to the sky in the the end of Buddhist lent that border area , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , see until accustomed to and call this thing that , , King of Nagas firecracker , because , the sparks will that this is the sparks , red keep pink , have no the sound has no the smoke , have no the flame , go up straight , not curve and agree come to like general sparks , will switch off middle the air , observe get easy from general sparks , will happen in the border since , royal temple landing , royal temple district , down continously go to until , house water border , branch , district [ teacher night pond ] , previously will see happen especial royal temple landing , , ancient general temple , , Thai temple , and temple top landing Mrs. , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , but , nowadays will see born at water house , , harbour purple house , , the palmyra abounds , , the mouth anticipates , and , uncle islet , district [ teacher swamp black mark of death ] , previously a person , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , see then , still , ++ , because , see permanent every year in the the end of Buddhist lent , time authors when , age still a little , when , year 2508 ( , be a person , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] ) , when , the end of Buddhist lent , get go to sit see at temple Thai landing , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , and get embark go to flow the steamer with , when , flow the steamer arrives ( in/at ) landing royal temple area , will begin see the sparks aforementioned rise from the Mekong River , go up tall not exceed 2-3 the wah , long ago , ++ , rise but [ T letter ] , , go up when , people ashore walk with lighted candles in hand around a temple finished , The silent , the sparks will arrive at to go up see , but , nowadays , when , 18.00 , as a result , go up already go up tall arrive at 200-300 the meter , and go up each but [ T letter ] , as a result , very with , since , 5-20 a child consecutively , observe that , , this sparks if , go up middle the Mekong will askew meet the river bank , if , go up onshore will askew go out middle the Mekong , this sparks will go up especial the the end of Buddhist lent only , but , if , Buddhist holy Thai day , be askew with the the middle of the lunar month , of Laos , this sparks , do not go up , year ? , ( , the the end of Buddhist lent is ) , same both of Thai , and , Laos , this sparks will go up very , believe in acting as , border , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , there is nether world city , stay under the ground and is the exit to human city , call that , , be the frontier then have King of Nagas firecracker , happen regularly that this , capital that part at , uncle islet , district [ teacher swamp black mark of death ] , that thereby because , at uncle islet , when , the dry season has will Mekong River navel , through length of the Mekong River , at flow through many countries , straight that deep most , at uncle islet , when , dry season , temple fishermen by use a rope binds slack stone down can go to 99 the wah , at this will have the sparks goes up to are light-colored green , many times at member low-lying Mekong River in must die to appeared between the travel , by sea , they believe in that , be the making a mistake builds [ wasp ] two spirit residing Mrs. , or , , the god by sea , then punish the reason calls that , , mermaid eats , mermaid is , , snake , be same thing with the King of Nagas , but , King of that Nagas has the world is the location again the one dimension , can can impersonate various kinds , impersonate a human , or , , ? all right , only think only the figure , change to already , then get appear often , that , there is Naga watcher , or , see a person walks to get down the water , or , several times at have a person meets strange trace but , believe in that , be crumpled the King of Nagas that happen in the border , district [ teacher method of snaring a wild elephant range ] , or , elsewhere , ++ , even god downtown , ++ , as a result , ever happen already , but , if , think ? and can happen how that , and ? will must happen especial in the the end of Buddhist lent only , and must straight with the the middle of the lunar month , of Laos then is lievable that , King of Nagas , have nationality race , Laos , although , will happen river bank Thai way no matter , regard the incredibility , and low-lying Mekong River wonder TRUE actually , because , strange sparks is or , that call that , , King of Nagas firecracker , this happen especial in the border , Nongkhai province only , follow Mekong River line , have no go up the elsewhere although , will stay follow Mekong riverside also , then can count that , Nongkhai and Wiangchan , formerly that the administration and founding a city by the King of Nagas , then receive this influence also , although , will touch [ cheap ] separate the administration , and , separate the country departs , but , in fact geography way is same area , tradition legend differs , ++ , of strip [ zone ] low-lying Mekong River person , will pertaining to the King of Nagas the whole bunch , because , King of Nagas , mean , way agriculture fertility , and the being of a human , that deliver a speech come to that all , for , try to understand about , King of Nagas , before that , there is how is the background ? , and , important ? , with Nongkhai city - , Wiangchan , and ? King of Nagas firecracker then happen especial the border , Nongkhai province , only , and at important will happen especial the the middle of the lunar month , that same between , Thai is - , Laos , if , year ? eight twice King of Nagas firecracker , as a result , will flow go up in Buddhist holy Laos day , (15 , evening , Laos is ) , get into trouble at challenge give come to see wonderful low-lying the Mekong River , King of Nagas firecracker that , happen get ? , ? then must born in day aforementioned only , ? do why , and , get ? from the behaviour aforementioned , believe in that , many persons still want to go to prove this miracle s (stay) [doing that action] , ( , Buddhism legend , tell that , when , Buddha proceeds to go up please the king's mother , on the second heaven where Indra dwells , 3 fully month , when , proceed get back to the world , the King of Nagas has created glass ladder , money , gold , proceed get down , human , angel , King of Nagas , get celebrate celebrate with something firecracker dot dedicates , especially King of Nagas set , thus later King of Nagas set has then to assume the the end of Buddhist lent is the important day ).........

Angie's List: Adding More Space

Reported by: John Matarese
Moving up to a big house is so out these days: Fixing up yours is in.
Thats according to the consumer guide "Angie's List" ...which says many homeowners just want extra space.
"Angie Hicks says: "In an Angie's List poll, half would like to have more space in their home. 1/3 would like to move, but with the recent hosing problems, they're considering staying, knocking out walls, and hiring interior decorators for help."
Angie says an interior decorator is not as expensive as you think, because they get huge discounts.
But if you want to add space yourself, without taking down walls, Angie says:
Uncover windows to make a room larger.
Avoid dark prints on curtains and couches.
Avoid small wall pictures.
And add light to a room....and it will look and feel much bigger. For information on joining Angie's List, click the link above.

CEOs Keep Bad Company On ABC's Randy 'Big Shots'

Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, September 27, 2007; Page C01

Suppose we consider the new prime-time network season as one long show; what would we call it? "Darkness After Dark," maybe. Even the comedies, what few there are, tend toward gloominess, while the big mystery with the dramas is "Who the heck are the good guys?"
Take ABC's new "Big Shots" (premiering tonight), which is up to its beady little eyes in chicanery, adultery and malice aforethought. It's a regular Dance Macabre, a Mondo Rondo of Louses and Spouses, with its multiple story lines nudged into motion by the laughable death, early in the premiere, of someone who'd seemed to be a major character.
That's about how "Desperate Housewives" opened, and who could have guessed that it would become probably the most cloned show in ABC's history -- not that its characters and situations are copied so much as its stance, tone and dark-comic streak.
Such new series as "Dirty Sexy Money," the upcoming "Pushing Daisies" and certainly "Big Shots" (a kind of "Desperate Executives") all have the same smart-alecky attitude and tend to traffic in similar outrageous audacity. Even Charles McDougall, who directed the "Big Shots" pilot, is conveniently enough a "Desperate Housewives" alumnus.
The pivotal, laughable death in the first act of "Big Shots" is grisly-funny, the victim clobbered senseless and lifeless by a runaway golf cart full of shrimp. Later, in a posh restaurant where a distressed father meets with his troubled 19-year-old daughter, the decor is dominated by a gigantic painting of a man pointing an enormous gun right in the viewer's face. And one big shot's mistress throws a fit when she finds out that her boyfriend has been secretly going to couples therapy with the missus and growls, "What kind of man would be so disdainful as to lie to the woman he's cheating on his wife with?"
All the big shots are big chiefs at big companies. Dylan McDermott plays Duncan Collinsworth, CEO at Reveal Cosmetics; Michael Vartan is James Walker, about to become the chairman of AmeriMart Industries (and the least sleazy of the quartet); Joshua Malina is Karl Mixworthy, CEO of Fidelity Pharmaceuticals; and Christopher Titus plays Brody Johns, founder of something called Alpha Crisis Management, although he appears to have more crises than he can manage himself.
What's on all their minds -- more than power and money -- is sex, sex and, you guessed it, more sex. It's hard to believe that back in 1995, when the Walt Disney Co. announced it was buying ABC, some people worried that all the network's programming would henceforth be wholesome family mush. If only! "Big Shots" is mere seconds old when we come upon one of the executives and a young woman heating up a wine cellar while upstairs, the drug company executive worries about "spontaneous erections" caused when shipments of Viagra were mixed up with those of chewable vitamins.
While at a counseling session with wife Wendy (the appealing Amy Sloan), Karl gets a pithy, sexual text message from his mistress, Marla (the wildly blond Jessica Collins).
Whatever would Uncle Walt say? For that matter, what would Mickey and Minnie say? Or Donald and Daisy? What's the deal with all this Mouske-Smut?

As with other "Desperate" clones, "Big Shots" tries way too hard to be shocking and raunchy. The actors resemble kiddies at school trying to impress one another with the latest naughty word learned in gym class. And the more "adult" that writer and series creator Jon Harmon Feldman tries to be, the more juvenile the show seems to become.
Example: The premiere is bracketed with scenes set at the friends' favorite haunt, the "Firmwood" Country Club. Such wit, such subtlety!
We are never very far from tryst time. Karl and Marla test the sheets at the Pierre Hotel, she pouring champagne onto his bare chest and then slurping it off. Earlier, coming up for air, Karl tells her, "Something you just did, I want to get a patent on." If the stuff were funny, it might be less conspicuous. The cast works very hard, but they can't bring off the neat trick of making rats and tarantulas seem cute.
There's the pretense of making sly comments on the latest twists in the battle of the sexes and the redefinition of male and female in a changing world. "Men? We're the new women," McDermott says at one point, but the plot twists and cheeky remarks don't add up to anything particularly cogent or insightful. Not by a big shot's long shot.
Big Shots (one hour) premieres tonight at 10 on Channel 7.
credit by http://www.washingtonpost.com

"Dirty Sexy Money" Spoilers #1.04 "The Chiavennasca"

The premiere of ABC's new soap opera "Dirty Sexy Money" about the filthy rich Darling clan of New Work has finally arrived. Before we see the pilot episode (airs tonight at 10/9c after 'Private Practice') here are ABC stills and official spoilers from an upcoming episode titled "The Chiavennasca" (scheduled for October 17).At Tripp's behest, Nick travels to a vineyard in Italy to meet with a spy who may know more about the death of Nick's father.

Nick appeases his wife Lisa's annoyance with his focus on the Darlings by taking her with him. But their romantic idyll is broken -- repeatedly -- by Karen and Freddy, who decide to tag along everywhere.

Letitia confirms to Tripp that she had been unfaithful to him throughout their marriage. Heartbroken, he becomes hell-bent on determining if all of his children are biologically his.

Meanwhile, Jeremy struggles to keep his affair with Juliet's archenemy a secret, and Brian Jr. needs his dad's help to battle a bully at school.

credit by TELEVISIONISTA.Net

Dancing With The Stars Results – Josie Maran Eliminated

On the first Dancing With The Stars 5 results show, host Tom Bergeron kicked things off with a recap of the men’s performance show. Len Goodman said “All of us judges felt that this was without doubt the best start to any season.” The judges selected Sabrina Bryan and Mark Ballas to dance an encore of the Cha Cha Cha.

After the encore, hosts Tom Bergeron and Drew Lachey revealed that the first two couples that were safe were Sabrina Bryan & Mark Ballas and Jennie Garth & Derek Hough. Country music star Dolly Parton made a special guest appearance to perform “9 to 5.” After Parton’s song, Bergeron and Lachey revealed that Helio Castroneves & Julianne Hough and Albert Reed & Anna Trebunskaya were the second two couples that were safe.

Special guest Tony award-winning Savion Glover tap danced, and Dolly Parton returned to perform “Better Get To Livin’” from her album “Backwoods Barbie.” In a comedy segment, Kenny Mayne went on a quest to find the origins of dance. Bergeron and Lachey revealed that the third couples safe from elimination were Melanie Brown & Maksim Chmerkovskiy and Cameron Mathison & Edyta Sliwinska.

After a commercial break, Bergeron and Lachey revealed that Jayne Seymour & Tony Dovolani, Wayne Newton & Cheryl Burke, Marie Osmond & Jonathan Roberts, and Floyd Mayweather & Karina Smirnoff were all save. The bottom two when the judges’ scores and the viewers’ vote were combined were Josie Maran & Alec Mazo and Mark Cuban & Kym Johnson.

As the two couples waited on stage, Bergeron announced that Josie Maran & Alec Mazo had been eliminated from the competition. When asked if she had anything to say to anyone, Josie Maran said “Well, I guess, thanks for being honest. Is that what it is? And thank you for this amazing experience, and thank you Alec. You’re an incredible teacher, and this has changed my life. I have the dancing bug, and I’m going to dance alone.”

Review: 'Halo 3' an amazing package

Genre : Action
Developer : Bungie
Publisher : Microsoft
Release : September 2007

review Regardless of how you felt about its cliffhanger ending, there's no denying Halo 2 was a gigantic success that raised the bar for what we, as a game-playing society, expect out of a good console-based first-person shooter.
In the years that followed, plenty of games attempted to duplicate the Halo formula, with varying degrees of success. But there's still nothing quite like the genuine item. Luckily for all involved, Halo 3 is a positively amazing package that offers extreme satisfaction across all of its different parts. Maybe now you can finally retire your Halo 2 disc and really move into the next generation of games.
Halo 3 is an interesting mix of established protocol and intriguing new stuff. For example, the gameplay doesn't stray too far from Halo 2, which, in turn, didn't exactly reinvent the original Halo. Don't take that as a negative, because it means that Halo 3 plays extremely well, with the same types of light tactical considerations that have made the series stand apart from other, faster-paced shooters.

The balance between your guns, your grenades and your melee attack has always given Halo a unique feel in the genre, and those same considerations apply today, both in the campaign mode and in multiplayer. You'll also have new weapons and items to consider, such as a host of Brute weapons. One example is the spiker, which is an exciting automatic pistol that fires quickly and decimates opponents.
Another is the mauler, a one-handed shotgun that can level enemies up close. You'll even find weapons so huge that your movement speed slows when you carry them. When you use these weapons, the camera pulls out to a third-person perspective so you can see your missile pod, plasma cannon or flamethrower as it fires. And then there's the gravity hammer. Originally shown in Halo 2 (where it wasn't usable by the player), the gravity hammer is a large melee weapon that will wipe out most regular enemies in one swipe. Needless to say, it can be especially fun in multiplayer settings. The end result is gameplay that feels wholly familiar without retreading the same ground too heavily.
The campaign is structured in much the same way as past Halo games, with multiple chapters and effective streaming that ensures you'll see load times only between chapters. There are also lengthy vehicle sequences to break up the on-foot action. You'll pilot the classic Halo vehicles, such as the Ghost, a hovering one-person craft that's fast and deadly, and the Warthog, a dune buggy with a turret mounted in the back. You'll also see new vehicles, such as the Brute Prowler, a two-person vehicle with turrets. Like in previous games, the vehicles are fun to use. Also similar to previous games, the artificial intelligence can't drive very well, so if you're playing alone, you'll usually want to grab the steering wheel rather than the weapons.
The concept of "equipment" is new to the series. These deployable special items have a variety of effects. The most obvious example is the bubble shield: You (and your enemies) can walk through it, but bullets and explosions bounce right off. It's especially entertaining when your enemies use it, given that you can just walk through and bash them with the butt of your gun. You'll also find items that make your shields regenerate more quickly, and others that drain enemy shields and stop their vehicles dead in their tracks. These items also show up in multiplayer, where they're a little more interesting.
Halo 2's ending was widely criticized for being too much of a cliffhanger and leaving players with no sense of progress or resolution whatsoever. It's good news, then, that Halo 3's story doesn't suffer from that problem.

It opens immediately following the events of Halo 2: The Covenant is on its way to Earth, continuing its religious zealotry and attempting to activate the floating space weapons known as Halos, which could destroy civilization as we know it. The Master Chief and the other Earth forces of the UNSC are in hot pursuit to stop them, with newfound allies such as the Arbiter coming along for the ride. We'll spare you the specifics because they're quite compelling and should be seen firsthand. All you really need to know if you're on the fence about Halo 3's campaign is that it's a delicate balancing act that manages to provide satisfying closure for the trilogy, make perfect sense of all the cryptic events in Halo 2, and leave you filled with anticipation for more adventures set in the Halo universe. Not bad for a game that will take most players between 10 and 15 hours to finish on one of four difficulty settings.
But you'll probably go through the campaign more than once, thanks to the inclusion of a strong co-op mode. Previous Halo games have let two players go through the campaign; Halo 3 ups that number to four players and lets you do the whole thing over Xbox Live, if you so choose. This is a really fun way to experience the campaign's nine chapters, and you can choose to go through them in any order, provided you've already played through it alone.
Furthermore, this method of play (which you can also do alone) lets you turn on scoring in campaign mode, in which you earn points for kills and lose them for dying. This adds a sense of competition to the co-op, and there are also achievements associated with finishing chapters with high point totals. You can also customize the experience a bit by turning on a series of unlockable modifiers that open up as you collect hidden skulls. The skulls are stashed around the game, and some of them do things like increase the amount of damage you'll need to deal to take an enemy down, remove the heads-up display and make your weapon invisible, and so on. This gives the story-driven section of the game some more replay value, although it doesn't get significantly more difficult as you scale up the number of players. Consequently, finishing the game on legendary difficulty is a breeze if you're rolling through with three experienced fellow triggermen.
credit : http://www.news.com/