Page views of this blog up in USA and China -

I mean up overall, not up at the expense of blog hits in other countries -

I believe it is due to my Facebook presence -

Western Writers of America choose a bio of Geronimo as best book -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2013/03/20/the-western-writers-of-america-lasso-the-best-books-of-the-year/?tid=gog_ent_article_grid

Generation 88 Ko Htay Gywe says - it does not become a democracy just because

there is a "parliament and an election" and the environment is also totally destroyed -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3lY67B3uRA

Noam Chomsky - Who owns the World? From DemocracyNow.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDkSwfTFNbo

Kill off the characters your readers love most - a la GRRM

More books and Amazon -

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/23/145468105/publishers-and-booksellers-see-a-predatory-amazon

I buy books on Amazon now, and publishing on Amazon sounds only a bit more complicated than clicking "publish" on my blog -  The rest has to do with Economics - and market share - I can buy anything on line now, and so why would I step out?

I always hated the smell of clothes on the racks. 

I even bought George R.R. Martin's books all on line and it was easy too to find the cheapest editions - I do it all the time - I only wish GRRM's latest book was shorter - I flip through all the pages where I don't like the characters - As an author I am learning to kill 'em off like GRRM - get very upset each time he does that - like he killed -- and his mother and he killed !!! at the end of book # 5 in 3 sentences - I'm going to practice that - It is so easy to write "the bullet hit him from  behind"  :)

I just did it.

More books and Amazon -

from NPR -
http://www.npr.org/2012/01/23/145468105/publishers-and-booksellers-see-a-predatory-amazon

Bertil Lintner - Powers seek influence in Burma -

http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/powers-seek-influence-burmas-conflict

NLD patriarch U Win Tin speaks plainly -

http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/29675

Re-posting from 2011 - Release of Aung San Suu Kyi - a cynical ploy

http://www.peacexpeace.org/2011/01/the-recent-release-of-aung-san-suu-kyi-a-cynical-ploy/

National Museum of Cambodia

http://cambodiamuseum.info/en_khmer_art_history/angkor_complex.html#top

Hey Amazon, Where's my Money - from Salon.com

http://www.salon.com/2013/03/15/hey_amazon_wheres_my_money/?source=newsletter

Robert Bateman's 'Japanese lacquer screen" - storks

http://www.robertbateman.ca/paintings/Storks.htm

Withdrawal into art - as the Ming became the Qing - from the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/15/arts/design/the-artful-recluse-at-asia-society.html?pagewanted=2&_r=0&ref=arts

When in DC go to the US Botanical Gardens

http://www.usbg.gov/gardens/conservatory-whats-bloom

When in New York go to the Frick Collection

http://www.frick.org/collection/collections/paintings

Chapter from Kyi May Kaung's She-monkey goes West in Crossconnect

http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/xconnect/volume1/issue2/word/fiction.html

Malaysian author wins Man Booker Prize

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/340519/malaysian-author-wins-asia-top-literary-prize

K.M. Kaung's comment left on Irrawaddy site ref. Aung Zaw on Dictators, Part II

Ko Aung Zaw is not "wrong" he just needs to cite where he got the facts from - That is standard practice now, even among fiction writers - I'm not saying he needs a Ph.D. or even an MA - Don't you know how to read?  - Don't put words in my mouth, I resent it - you who can't even put out your real name.

Ko Aung Zaw can one day get a honorary Ph.D. like Daw Suu for his journalism as she did for her political work - That's not the point here - the point is who said what, especially opinions, which are not facts.

According to Christine who first started the book published by Ben Rogers - Than Shwe won his wife, a widow, in a high army officer lotto - CW was doing the research for her MA thesis at a US Univ.  I am not giving her full name because I don't wish to, don't think it is wise.  I don't know if it is in Ben's book - go buy the book and read it.

U Win Tin says democracy icon is too conciliatory

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/in-burma-democratic-conscience-still-wears-blue/2013/03/12/c59b0660-8010-11e2-a350-49866afab584_story.html?fb_action_ids=10151539545764669&fb_action_types=og.recommends&fb_ref=sm_btn_fb&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

New Pope Francis represents many firsts -

http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/14/world/europe/vatican-new-pope/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

May become the People's Pope, but will have to face many challenges from the establishment .