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How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt.9 – Chiang Mai (WVS, Thailand)

Friday, I arrived at the WVS Centre rested and ready.  The surgery suite was already abuzz.  A local cat rescue group was notified in advance about the week being focused on cats, and they contacted other rescue groups as well, supplying us with many cats in need of sterilization.   Some were owned by people that couldn’t afford this surgery otherwise. …

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How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt. 8 – Chiang Mai (The Worldwide Veterinary Service, Thailand)

The next morning, after a great breakfast, Ian took me to the Centre, where I finally met Dr. Miglio.   He gave me a tour of the facility, including the clinic, the shelter, and the surgery area.   The clinic was pretty modern, with state of the art x-ray equipment. Most of the animals in the clinic are brought there for obvious,…

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"Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now" by Jaron Lanier

Quick Book Review: “Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now” by Jaron Lanier

The title of this book is much more compelling than the book itself.  The author hails from Silicon Valley, and his philosophizing about the evils of social media, while they make sense, ring a bit hollow to me.   Really nothing earth shattering about his list of reasons.  Too much jargon, too much fake philosophy for me.  I do think he’s…

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Quick Book Review: "Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things that Matter" by Peter Singer

Quick Book Review: “Ethics in the Real World: 82 Brief Essays on Things that Matter” by Peter Singer

Most veterinarians know Peter Singer from his books In Defense of Animals, and Animal Liberation.  His interests, however, go beyond animal welfare, and he has written many books and essays on ethics, poverty, and morality.  This book is a collection of essays that cover a broad range of topics, from vegetarianism and veganism to cloning, climate change, euthanasia, and religion. …

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How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt.5 – Bangkok (Medical emergency in Thailand? I recommend Bumrungrad)

The third and final day of the Bangkok leg of my trip was to be devoted to the massive Chatuchak Market.   I had visited it with Mark several years before, and the experience stayed in our heads for years.  It was a total shopper’s paradise.  The market is absolutely enormous. It is divided into sections (I’m not sure how many;…

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How I Spent My Winter 2019 Pt.4 – Bangkok (the next day…)

For Day 2, the itinerary was lighter:  A visit to another temple (Wat Suthat), and then a local park, and then finish the day strolling through Bangkok’s extensive Chinatown. First, I chowed down at the hotel’s excellent buffet.  I took a tuk-tuk to Wat Suthat, just north of Chinatown.   Wat Suthat is one of the city’s most beautiful and biggest…

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"Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist" by Sunil Yapa

Quick Book Review: “Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist” by Sunil Yapa

A novel about a huge anti-globalization protest on the streets of Seattle that turns unexpectedly violent.  I think it was written with millennials in mind, as it brings to mind the Occupy Wall Street protests from a few years ago.  There are complicated relationships amongst some of the police officers, and between the chief of police and the protesters (one…

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