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Laos : Communist Buddhists

Saturday, April 18th, 2009

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Also known as “the land of a million elephants,” Laos is a tiny country in southeast Asia about which most people know less than they do about any of its neighbors (China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar & Cambodia.)

Join me for a virtual tour of this fascinating nation with videos & pictures galore, and maybe a bit of history and politics too.

Cross-posted @ Daily Kos
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Nipplegate, part deux

Monday, March 16th, 2009

Apparently boobs are only allowed to hold office in Washington D.C.See: Above? Where it says “the most remote places on Earth?”

Via email from Facebook:

You uploaded a video that was reported for violating Facebook’s Terms of Use. After reviewing the video, we have decided to remove it. Facebook removes reported videos that are hateful, threatening, graphic, or that attack an individual or group.

More, from Facebook’s video FAQs:

Facebook does not allow users to upload videos that contain copyrighted content, nudity, drug use, or other obscene content.

After much head-scratching, I deduced that the 1.4-second clip (captured in the screen shot above) was the offending nanoseconds’ worth of video.

Someone reportedly found it “offensive” that we had video of native tribal women in their traditional Akha dress in our trailer on Facebook. Seriously? You are offended that there is a culture that dresses differently? Or is it that the female body that sacrosanct still?The “wardrobe malfunction” (LOL) seen round the world

Super Bowl XXXVIII, which was broadcast live on February 1, 2004 from Houston, Texas on the CBS television network in the United States, was noted for a controversial halftime show in which Janet Jackson’s breast, which had the nipple completely covered by silver tape, was exposed by Justin Timberlake for exactly 9/16 of a second,

I never heard this part of the story, did you?:

Following the incident, the NFL announced that MTV, which also produced the halftime show for Super Bowl XXXV, would never be involved in another halftime show.

Banned? For life!?!

I mention this saga not because it has much in common with our story, but only because it is one of the greater “non-troversies”  in recent years. Yet the hammer came down with over $500,000 in fines of breathless severity.  Or was it with great vengeance and furious anger?

For many decades now, we have had the luxury of photography at our disposal. It is a tremendous tool that allows journalists to share “a thousand words” with a single image.

For many years, the wonderful and respected magazine National Geographic has brought the world closer via images that sometime show the people in tribal areas. They have never blurred their work so as to not offend.

To explain the tribal fashion of the areas we visit on “The Laughing Planet” would not only fall well short, but would leave the viewer wanting. There is an old adage I love:

Tell me and I’ll forget.

Show me and I may remember.

Involve me and I’ll understand.

We at “The Laughing Planet” seek to involve our audience. At very least, we will show them the world they didn’t otherwise understand.

The people who reported this, as well as the management at Facebook who caved in  pandered acquiesced to the moralist who reported our video as offensive, should be ashamed not of the exposure of a native tribe’s clothing, but of themselves.

Lao Royal Ballet

Tuesday, January 6th, 2009

Perhaps to compete with the German dancing fashion show (below), I felt it was time to show a taste of the event I captured one of my many visits to Luang Prabang.  The first time I paid to see the Lao Royal Ballet, they forbid taking still photos until the performance was over.

Posed pic; Lao Royal Ballet I guess good things come to those who wait. By chance, and for the same price, mind you, this time the performance was outdoors, with lighting. AND they let me shoot video – with a tripod, even!

Enjoy a brief taste of traditional music and dancing from Laos!

Where in the world is TLP?

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

For those of you who have difficulty following the exploits of our global vagabonding. Or if you are just like me and love maps.

[Gallery not found](Click the thumbnail to see it big-like.)

WARNING! Should not be used as an actual road map or trail map for hiking thru the jungles of Laos!

Coming soon: The Sumatra map in similar dazzling full-color 2-D imagery!

Laos: Elephants, Monks, & Commies

Saturday, May 5th, 2007

red-faced-things.gifThe country of Laos was once known as the kingdom of a million elephants. Today it’s the land of a dozen or so elephants as it has endured wars and increased pressure on limited arable land. The people are peaceful and friendly above and beyond the call of duty. Hilltribes and ethnic minorities comprise a good portion of the rather small population of 6 million. Waterfalls, caves, and great food give the visitor more than enough reasons to spend time exploring this gem of SE Asia.

Browse photo album (from 2007 visit) here

Below I’ve combined journals from my recent visit wearing my movie star hat with my writing from a trip in 2003 when I was still a fairly green world traveler. Back then I’d never had guessed I’d return 4 years later with a cameraman to shoot a docu-comedy based on my exploits.

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