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Money matters:
Graham Macdonald
MBMG International Ltd.
Nominated for the Lorenzo Natali Prize
Development - Art or Science? Part 1
Not for the first time, I have been irritated by people in
authority who breeze into World Conferences, pontificate for an hour or so, grab
the world press headlines with statements like, ‘The target shall be that all
the world’s poor will have clean water and proper sewage facilities in ten
years’. Alternatively, world hunger will be abolished over a similar time frame.
Then they have a few pictures taken and disappear until the next photo-shoot
opportunity.
Another pet hate is those same people who announce that they
have approved the allotment of say USD20 million as food aid for some stricken
part of the world suffering from appalling famine due to drought - without
bothering to mention that this is the equivalent of providing one Mars bar per
head of population in the afflicted area.
Development in its widest sense is a very interesting subject
yet it is a subject that is little understood - even by the experts.
In some quarters there is a moral debate as to whether the
rich Westerner has a right to change the subsistence farmer’s primitive (to us)
society. This person, providing there are sufficient resources, lives a way of
life that has allowed him to survive for centuries. Who are we to introduce a
different capitalist, technological based way of life that is entirely alien to
his way of life? The fact that the subsistence farmer may have a much lower life
expectancy than the average Westerner gives a powerful answer.
However, we do need to explain the problems of development in
a developing world, in order to extinguish the magic wand approach adopted by
many world leaders. Without doubt, there is a real need for sound development
for over half the world’s population just to provide them with what the
Westerner would consider to be minimal standards of living. The knowledge
exists, but the implementation does not seem to match the good intentions of the
actual developer.
The Western World
It is important to give a brief introduction to the
development of society in the West so as to give some background to present day
development initiatives.
For mankind to survive in the past he had to ensure there was
adequate provision for three basic needs:
- Food for the family and/or tribe each and every day, year
in and year out
- Shelter, no matter how primitive
- Security
Once these have been met he would have time to think about
other advances. The major of these was to devise a system of agriculture which
was to be the key for any further progress.
One of the next events of crucial importance to mankind’s
development was the evolution of alphabets and writing. The importance of this
is demonstrated by the lack of advancement by those tribes which did not find
alphabets.
The next essential was the mastering of power. Firstly wind
and water and then, when it came, coal and steam which provided energy for
engines. Also worthy of mention is the evolution of money (not barter), the
creation of markets and the Industrial Revolution. Along with the mechanization
of production and, regrettably, taxation all of the above have all led to where
the Western world stands now.
Also, it must be remembered, it did take a long time to
achieve the fundamental infrastructure on which Western society is now based.
Sadly, modern mankind does not appreciate what it took to achieve this. A
Western child sees water coming out of a tap without wondering how and why. The
same can be said of schools, roads, medical facilities, supermarkets, aeroplanes,
etc. Just think of all the research and effort that have gone into achieving our
present medical knowledge. Yet, curiously, governments and people in authority
think that the Western standard of living can be achieved in poorer areas with
the signing of a cheque.
To be continued…
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The above data and research was compiled from sources
believed to be reliable. However, neither MBMG International Ltd nor its
officers can accept any liability for any errors or omissions in the above
article nor bear any responsibility for any losses achieved as a result of any
actions taken or not taken as a consequence of reading the above article. For
more information please contact Graham Macdonald on [email protected]
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Snap Shots: by Harry Flashman
Dodging, Burning and Patching
 Gustave
Le Gray is not such a well known name as Daguerre, Nadar and
Cartier-Bresson (mentioned a few weeks back). Some might even say he is
forgotten, but not so. His work and what he accomplished and how he did
it has definitely lived on after him. One of my favorite tomes is
entitled “Techniques of the World’s Great Photographers” and Gustave Le
Gray is awarded six times the space in the book compared to that given
to Daguerre. He was not forgotten by that book publisher in 1981.
Le Gray is remembered, amongst many reasons, for the
technique of “patching”. This is a way of ending up with a very pleasing
photograph, by introducing new elements. This is similar to the still
current techniques of dodging and burning, so a brief word on these
first will not go astray; however, Le Gray’s technique is actually the
forerunner of today’s ‘photoshopping’.
Back to dodging and burning. When a “hand” print was
made, the technician controlled the intensity of light falling on the
sensitized photographic paper after it came through the negative. In any
negative, there will be areas that the photographer would like to see
made a little darker, or lighter. Very often the sky lacks a little
detail, so the technician will be told to “burn in” the sky and “dodge”
the foreground. So while making the exposure of the photographic paper,
the technician will give the sky area more exposure time (burning in),
while holding back the foreground (dodging).
The end result of this technique is a scene with an
“interesting” cloudy sky, rather than just a pale washed out one. So it
is “enhancing” the print a little, but this is not photo fudging - the
interesting sky was there to begin with, it is just that with the
standard printing process you lose the clouds if you keep the foreground
shadow details. The problem is the sensitivity of the film and paper,
but the selective technique does get over this. This is not
photoshopping.
Now pity poor old Gustave Le Gray. In the early
1850’s the negatives themselves were so insensitive that to get a
negative which would show any details in the foreground subject(s), the
skies were totally overexposed, so there was absolutely no cloud detail
at all. You could dodge and burn as much as you liked - if it wasn’t on
the negative to begin with, it would never appear on the final print.
(This is why you should err on the side of overexposure, rather than
underexposure. This was one of my early lessons in photography. If it is
on the negative, you can reproduce it.)
However, Gustave Le Gray produced prints like the one
with this week’s article, (which was exhibited in London in 1856).
Superb seascape with details in the foreground and ominous skies with
plenty of detail. How did he do this? The answer was a technique that Le
Gray developed called “patching”. With his insensitive negative there
was no sky detail, so what Gustave Le Gray did was to make exposures of
“interesting” skies alone, and then doubly expose the print. One
exposure was for the foreground, using its own negative, and the second
exposure was for the sky, using the special “sky” negative.
This worked very well, as you can see with this
week’s photograph, and you can see why Gustave Le Gray chose seascapes
to do this with. Confused? Don’t be. The horizon line with seascapes is
flat and well defined, so he could easily blank off the top and expose
the sea foreground, then blank off the bottom of the print and expose
for the second negative producing the clouds and sky. It is still
possible to “marry’ two sections together, but the more convoluted the
join, the harder it gets, that is why the seascape concept worked so
well.
On course, today we can get computer programs to do
this for us such as the ubiquitous Photoshop, but do not forget Gustave
Le Gray - he did it first! And the Photoshop principle is exactly the
same.
Modern Medicine:
by Dr. Iain Corness, Consultant
Hello!... Hello! Echo!... Echo?
In medicine’s grab bag of diagnostic procedures, there is one
called an “Echo”. This is short for Echocardiogram and is one of the
procedures that can yield much information on the workings of the heart,
with pictures produced by Ultrasound.
This type of ultrasound test uses high-pitched sound
waves to produce the image of the heart. The sound waves are sent through a
device called a transducer and are reflected off the various structures of
the heart. These echoes are converted into pictures of the heart that can be
viewed on a monitor similar to a TV screen.
The difference between an X-Ray and an Echo is that the
X-Ray is a static picture, whilst the Echo shows dynamic ‘action’ images of
the functioning heart. The former is similar to taking a photograph of your
car engine, while the Echo is the same as measuring your car engine’s
workings on a rolling road dynamometer.
The echocardiogram is used to evaluate how well the heart
chambers fill with blood and pump blood to the rest of the body. It can also
be used to estimate the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle
with each heartbeat (called the ejection fraction). It helps evaluate heart
size and heart valve function. Echocardiography can help identify areas of
poor blood flow in the heart, areas of heart muscle that are not contracting
normally, previous injury to the heart muscle caused by impaired blood flow,
or evidence of congestive heart failure, especially in people with chest
pain or a possible heart attack. In addition, Echo can identify some heart
defects that have been present since birth (congenital heart defects).
There are several different types of echocardiograms,
including the Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). This is the standard, most
commonly used method of echocardiography. Views of the heart are obtained by
moving the transducer to different locations on the chest or abdomen wall.
This is a totally painless procedure.
Another is the Transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE). In
this case, the transducer is passed down the esophagus instead of being
moved over the outside of the chest wall. A TEE may show clearer pictures of
the heart, because the transducer is located closer to the heart and because
the lungs and bones of the chest wall do not interfere with the sound waves
produced by the transducer. A TEE requires a sedative and anesthetic applied
to the throat to ease discomfort.
The main reasons for carrying out an Echocardiogram are
to evaluate abnormal heart sounds (murmurs or clicks), a possibly enlarged
heart, unexplained chest pains, shortness of breath, or irregular
heartbeats. It can also diagnose or monitor a heart valve problem or
evaluate the function of an artificial heart valve, detect blood clots and
tumors inside the heart, measure the size of the heart’s chambers, evaluate
heart defects present since birth (congenital heart defects), evaluate how
well the heart is functioning after a heart attack, and to determine whether
the person is at increased risk of developing heart failure. It can also
show some specific causes of heart failure, detect an abnormal amount of
fluid surrounding the heart (pericardial effusion) or a thickening of the
lining (pericardium) around the heart.
Echocardiography is a painless procedure. You will not be
able to hear the sound waves, since they are above the range of human
hearing. The gel may feel a bit cold and slippery when rubbed on your chest.
The transducer head is also pressed firmly against your chest, but this is
not uncomfortable.
There are no known risks associated with transthoracic
echocardiography. You are not exposed to X-rays, radiation, or any
electrical current during this test. However, there are some risks
associated with transesophageal echocardiography, including the possibility
of a tear of the esophagus, bleeding, and discomfort of the mouth and
throat.
Unfortunately, Echocardiography may not be accurate in
between 10 to 18 percent of people because of technical difficulties. These
are found in people who are overweight, women who have large breasts, or
people with lung disease.
Heart to Heart with Hillary
Dear Hillary,
Last week the medical column in the Pattaya Mail
newspaper had an article on ‘Viagorous’ exercise, and the doctor said he got the
information from you. I didn’t know you were an expert in these matters. Would
you like to tell us of your experiences? I am sure I will not be the only one to
ask you!
Vic
Dear Vic,
Or is that Viagorous Vic? I think if you read the doctor’s
column again, he writes about “Viagorous” exercise and says, “Unfortunately I
can take no credit for the catchy wording, this was something I stole from our
Miss Hillary, and how she knows about this, I dare not ask.” If he doesn’t dare
to ask, with the medical seal of confidentiality and all, how dare you to ask!
Goodness me, Vic, I don’t even know you, let alone enquire as to your sexual
predilections. However, if you read the item from last week again, he says,
“Unfortunately I can take no credit for the catchy wording, this was something I
stole from our Miss Hillary.” Not the information, Vic, but merely the catchy
wording. Words are my business Vic, and catchy words in particular. I will
accept your apology for your impudence, attached to a bottle of champagne
(French preferably), and or a box of nice chocolates (preferably Belgian or
Swiss).
Dear Hillary,
I am a young man, single and considered to be not bad looking
and am here on a two year contract, so I’ve got lots of opportunities to enjoy
myself here. My problem comes from one of the girls I met recently in one of the
bars while I was out doing the rounds, as you do. Anyway, this girl rang me at
work the other day and asked if I could come over and see her at the new bar she
was working in. I did remember her from her previous bar but I was embarrassed
as I could be overheard by my workmates when I was talking to her, so I just
kind of fobbed her off. How can I tell her it isn’t a good idea to ring me at
work in a crowded office? Any suggestions?
Tim
Dear Tim,
I don’t really care how long you are here for, you have
broken the cardinal rule of bar etiquette, my Petal! It’s quite simple, if you
don’t want a girl to ring you at work, then don’t give her your business card,
silly! If you feel the need to chat her up on the phone just give her your
mobile and tell her what hours to ring you between. The girl isn’t silly, she’ll
comply. But will you? That’s the question. I doubt it. You’ll be writing to me
next to tell me about how you’ve been ripped off by one of these ladies of the
night, and what should you do. I think you should ask to be sent home. Thailand
is not the place for silly young lads like you.
Dear Hillary,
Have you ever been driven out of your office by noise? They
are doing renovations in my condo building, and there are teams of builders
coming in every day with jack-hammers and it sounds as if he is drilling his way
through to China. It is going on forever and it is giving me a giant headache. I
can’t sleep in the afternoons and it has been going on for weeks. I have asked
the condo management but they just say that it is only day time after 8 a.m. and
finish 6 p.m. so it is OK. What can I do about this? Who can I complain to now,
since condo management will do nothing? Is this normal in this country?
Insomnia
Dear Insomnia,
No Petal, I’ve never been driven out of my condo, because
I work during the day. You are just lucky that you can spend all day in bed.
It’s only daytime, so go for a walk along the beach instead of living holed up
in your room like some sort of bear. If you can’t do that, then I’m afraid your
stuck. All you can do is buy some ear muffs, or a Walkman or something like
that. Don’t despair, they can renovate forever, can they?
Dear Hillary,
One of my friends from back home will be coming to visit next
month, along with a couple of her girl friends, which are girls I haven’t met,
but they would all be in their 50’s, and shocked me when they wrote and said
they wanted to see a “naughty show” while they are here. Do you think it’s
proper for me to take them to some of the more outrageous places, or what? I’m
really blown away by this. I don’t want to appear as a prude or anything, but
this is something I never experienced before. What do you recommend, Hillary?
Prue
Dear Prue,
There is nothing to worry about, my Petal. Everybody knows
we don’t have naughty shows in Thailand. They’re against the law, just like
prostitution. Remember that what they might think is a little “naughty” might be
fairly harmless really. If you’re completely worried, get your husband to take
them.
Let’s go to the movies:
by Mark Gernpy
Now playing in Pattaya
Knight and Day:
(Scheduled, but who knows?) US, Action/ Comedy/ Thriller –
The film where Tom Cruise gets to show his chops again, after some
absence. And early reports say he is charming again in every way, with
the old Cruise magic in place. And the magic of Cameron Diaz. Studio
synopsis: “An action-comedy centered on a fugitive couple (Cruise and
Diaz) on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no
one - even themselves - are what they seem.” Directed by James Mangold,
director of 2005’s Walk the Line, the Johnny Cash biography.
Stars Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, and with Peter Sarsgaard (from last
year’s excellent An Education, and the great Viola Davis who just
last week won Broadway’s Tony Award for best actress in a play (Fences,
co-starring Denzel Washington), the second time she has won that award.
Probably wasted in this film.
The Karate Kid: (Scheduled) US/
China, Action/ Drama/ Family/ Sport – Stars a talentless kid who
is only in films because his father is so powerful in the business, and
is producing it. The kid is a spoiled brat, in my opinion, and if I
could get away with it, I wouldn’t even acknowledge the film’s
existence. Also stars Jackie Chan, and it was filmed in Beijing
emphasizing tourism sites, which apparently the Chinese required as part
of the co-producing deal. Internationally the film tends to be referred
to as The Kung Fu Kid despite its origins as a remake, because in
fact what the kid does now is Kung Fu. So far, generally favorable
reviews, which I find hard to believe.
The A-Team: US, Action/ Adventure/ Thriller –
A big-screen version of the TV series, and which captures the
superficial and noisy spirit of the original. A group of Iraq War
veterans looks to clear their name with the US military, who suspect the
four men of committing a crime – they were actually framed. Going
“rogue,” the colorful team utilizes their unique talents to try and
clear their names and find the true culprits. Starring Liam Neeson and
Jessica Biel. Mixed or average reviews.
Bitter/Sweet: US/ Thai, Comedy/ Romance – Studio
synopsis: “American businessman Brian Chandler has a perfect life
with a great job and beautiful fianc้e. When his boss, renegade coffee
mogul Calvert Jenkins sends him to Thailand to inspect a crop for
purchase, Brian meets Ticha, a beautiful Bangkok executive who has
long-since given up on the prospects of finding love. At the urging of
her old village and her coffee farmer parents, Ticha brings Brian to the
coffee fields of Southern Krabi, with the hopes that Brian will purchase
coffee there.” In Thai and English with Thai and English subtitles as
needed. Not at Big C.
StreetDance 3D: UK, Dance/ Drama – In order to win
England’s Street Dance Championships, a dance crew is forced to work
with ballet dancers from the Royal Dance School in exchange for
rehearsal space. Directed by Max Giwa and Dania Pasquini; starring the
always terrific Charlotte Rampling, Nichola Burley, Roy Winsor, and
Rachel McDowall, and groups from Britain’s Got Talent. Generally
favorable reviews. At Pattaya Beach only, in their 3D cinema.
Prince of Persia: US, Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy/
Romance – Some of the rather unique moves that you make in the video
game this film is based on, such as running along walls at an angle to
the ground, are duplicated here, much to my delight, as I enjoy the
game. And there’s some sense of the game’s action and visuals. But I
can’t believe how terrible the movie really is. It’s ruined for me by
the editing of the action sequences, of which there are a lot. They’re
all rapid-fire, and devoid of any narrative structure, giving only
impressions of battle, with no idea of who is doing what to whom. It’s
as though a fairly good film was re-edited by some people high on drugs,
and the result can only be appreciated by those on the same drug. It
would have to be a fast and jumpy drug, like methamphetamines or
cocaine. Perhaps some of my readers would be willing to test this theory
for me.
The film stars Jake Gyllenhaal, a quite luscious and
appealing Gemma Arterton, an enjoyable villain in Ben Kingsley, and a
lot of fun in the comedy of Alfred Molina. It’s an old-style Arabian
Nights story, set in medieval Persia when a nefarious nobleman
(Kingsley) covets the Sands of Time, a legendary dagger that allows its
possessor to turn back time. Mixed or average reviews. Thai dubbed at
Big C.
The Losers: US, Action/ Crime/ Mystery/ Thriller –
Delicious and delightful action film, full of fun. However, it’s an
action film, so if you’re not fond of fights and fury, you won’t be
amused. Of its type, it has a much better script than you have any right
to expect, full of laughs, and with a great attitude. It’s a tale of
betrayal and revenge, in which the members of an elite Special Forces
unit are sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission,
and are then double-crossed. Left for dead, the black ops team root out
those who targeted them for assassination. With an appealing Zoe Saldana
(of Avatar fame), and directed by relative newcomer Sylvain
White, definitely a director to watch. I particularly appreciate the
clear and understandable action sequences, where you can actually follow
what’s happening – and only semi-rapid editing. Very violent, so
be warned. Only mixed or average reviews, but I like it. At Major
Cineplex only.
Robin Hood: US, Action/ Drama – Robin Hood as
gladiator, brought to life by director Ridley Scott, and starring
Russell Crowe, all grunting and scowling. It does have impressive
visuals and some great sweeping battle scenes, and strong performances,
but it took me a long while to get interested in the main characters
during the back-story, and the 1199 AD events of King Richard on his
last crusade. However, once the story got going, I did get involved.
It’s loud, noisy, and confusing in the modern way of showing battles,
where clarity is sacrificed for jittery, jumpy editing, and you are left
with visual impressions, not information. Mixed or average reviews. At
Major Cineplex only.
Shrek Forever After 3D: US, Animation/ Comedy/
Family – The further adventures of the giant green ogre. Still a fun
movie for the family – at least I was solidly amused. At Pattaya Beach
only, in their 3D cinema. Mixed or average reviews.
Nang Takien / Takien: The Haunted Tree: Thai,
Drama/ Horror – The latest ghost story to hit the big screen in
Thailand, about the spirit of a suicidal garment-factory worker
inhabiting the tree where she hanged herself when she couldn’t find her
boyfriend. There’s probably a moral in there somewhere. Rated 18+ in
Thailand.
The Bounty Hunter: US, Action/ Comedy – Gerard
Butler plays a down-on-his-luck bounty hunter who gets his dream job
when he is assigned to track down his bail-jumping ex-wife (Jennifer
Aniston). Generally unfavorable reviews. At Pattaya Beach only.
Poh Tak / Po Taek: Thai, Comedy – Directed by
popular comedian-turned-director, Mum Jokmok, this is a comedy parody
that explores lives in front of and behind the cameras of the Thai film
industry. Features many of the regulars on Mum’s popular TV show.
Sex and the City 2: US, Comedy/ Drama/ Romance –
Perhaps you will be pleased with this; most critics aren’t, and have
given it scathingly unfavorable reviews. The TV series was hugely
successful in some circles, so maybe you are among its fans. The girls
this time take on the United Arab Emirates, though it’s actually shot in
Morocco. Rated R in the US for some strong sexual content and language;
15+ in Thailand.
Staying happy in Paradise - the Counseling Corner
Caught in the stalemate
Richard L. Fellner
Presumably many of you, like myself, were shocked by
the recent events in Bangkok, and we can only hope that by the time you
read this article, the situation has already relaxed.
During the previous weeks it was hard to ignore how
little knowledge about modern strategies of conflict resolution seems to
exist in this country. According to F. Glasl’s 9-stage model of conflict
escalation, the country is already trapped in a ‘lose-lose’ stage: there
is only one other level of escalation remaining now, ultimately aiming
at the physical destruction of opponents - if necessary, at the price of
self destruction... Needless to say who would have to pay this price in
a national crisis.
For organizations or in couple therapy, it is
state-of-the-art to involve an external party to resolve insolvable and
chronic conflicts or a hardening of the situation. Such a consultant or
mediator will take a neutral position and attend and support a process
of de-escalation and reconciliation. In a catch-22 situation like the
current one, however, it requires either a powerful outside party or one
of the conflicting parties to involve a mediator! Let us hope that our
politicians succeed in finally doing that - ideally, as discreetly as
many couples do it when they need help, instead of arguing in front of
TV cameras, as we have recently experienced.
Richard L. Fellner is head of the Counseling
Center Pattaya in Soi Kopai and offers consultations in English and
German languages after making appointments at 0854 370 470.
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