BANISHING BOREDOM
Bloggery on music, books, films, travel, wildlife and dark matters.
Celebrate Thai New Year in the Isaan Heartland
The Thai New Year, or Songkran, has become watered down in many urban centers, writes author and photographer Jim Algie, as you can see from all the malls where Buddha images are set up to be rinsed by patrons who go through the blessing motions with little heart and...
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Ode to All the Unsung Editors
Editors are the goalkeepers of the publishing world, saving many a writer from making heinous mistakes but most of the time they are overlooked. This ode sings their praises. It’s also a requiem for a veteran editor named Paul Dorsey. During late October and...
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True Crime Show Zeroes in on Thai Serial Killer Who Targeted Masseuses
After a convicted serial killer dubbed Thailand’s “Jack the Ripper” was released from jail in 2019 only to kill again, Jim Algie looks back at a true crime show from 2013 called “The Masseuse Murders” which chronicles his deadly exploits....
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Former MTV Host Gives Phantom Lover Major Review in Asia’s Biggest English Daily
David Kendall, the former creator and host of the MTV alt.rock show “120 Minutes,” gives the Phantom Lover collection of horror and noir a four-star review in the South China Morning Post, Asia’s biggest English-language daily, in its January 3, 2015...
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The Most Heinous Flesh Trade: Book Review of Vulture Peak by John Burdett
In the bestselling mystery series by John Burdett, the Phuket-set entry, Vulture Peak, which deals with the gruesome organ trade, may be the most compelling and moving of the six novels. Review by Jim Algie. Starting with the brilliantly warped Bangkok 8, the series...
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Sexy Quest for Unholy Grail
In The Book of the Most Precious Substance Sara Gran probes those grey areas between the mind, the libido and magic in a mystery about the world’s oldest obsession. Story by Jim Algie. Should every seemingly objective review begin with a totally subjective disclaimer?...
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