Thailand's off the list

As a rule I despise country music. In the rare instances I actually allow myself to pay attention when it's played in grocery stores or Jiffy Lubes I always find I can predict what the lyrics are going to be despite never hearing the song before. Unfortunately doing so triggers a deep sense of self loathing because somehow these odes to morons apparently somehow resonates with me. The rather crappy movie The Beach was sort of the same way. As a rule I also hate hippies and this movie was all about hippies being hippies but for some reason the movie made we want to visit Bankok until the following changed my mind:

Khao San Road is where WTO protesters go to vacation. It is a collection of
cheap hostels, Internet cafes, semi-legit massage parlors, disreputable travel
agents, nightclubs, and endless stalls manned by Thai merchants willing to cater
to the desires of the First World's spiritually confused, culturally eclectic
youths. And what do they want? Primarily, tattoos, henna, and dreadlocks. As I
walked past a Thai grandmother braiding Bob Marley hair into a twentysomething
Japanese head while a Thai man was needling Superman's symbol onto his shoulder,
I thought: If this is where peace, love, and understanding lead, then let's give
war a chance.

UPDATE:

The Crawford Peace House recently lost its corporate charter with the state, and a former member who now has rights to the name is threatening legal action because the group continues operating.

Sara L. Oliver and some others are calling for a state investigation as to why only $14,700 is now in its bank account, saying tens of thousands donated during Cindy Sheehan's 2005 war protest are unaccounted for.

Why the surprise? Everyone knows Cindy Sheehan needs to train with Bangkok masters for her Ping-Pong Show for Peace.