Brendan I. Koerner's Blog, page 148

The Puputans of Bali

Microkhan’s few loyalists know that suicide is a frequent topic of interest ’round here. No surprise, then, that in the midst of reading Miguel Covarrubias’s Island of Bali, I was struck by the Mexican artist/ethnographer’s account of an infamous 1906 ritual mass suicide. Students of Balinese history (of which I’m certainly not one) are already quite familiar with the phenomenon of puputan, so apologies for serving up a familiar dish. But for those of us less acquainted with the self-slaughterin

The Epic Fail School of Espionage

The full story’s yet to be told on why David Yen Lee, a longtime employee of Valspar Paint and Coatings, allegedly decided to betray a whole bunch of trade secrets to a Chinese competitor. Perhaps he’s suffering through a messy divorce, or he’s saddled with gambling debts. Or perhaps he’s just a greedy so-and-so who couldn’t help himself when a heaping pile ‘o lucre was laid on the table.

Whatever Lee’s explanation, we know this: They won’t be teaching his techniques to future corporate spies. It

The Coatesville Arsons

After at least 70 fires since the start of 2008, the Coatesville cops have a seventh suspected arsonist in custody. This time, it’s one of the city’s firefighters. A cause for relief? Hardly—the arsons have continued despite previous arrests, as well as the best efforts of the Chester County Arson Task Force. Why are some depraved Coatesville residents intent on burning their city to the ground?

This harrowing Philadelphia City Paper story provides some much-needed insight for those of us who onl

The World’s Longest Hunger Strike

Following on last week’s post on the British experience on Pakistan’s North-West Frontier, Microkhan will soon be exploring India’s struggles to deal with its own “tribal territories.” As a somber teaser, check out this account of the world’s longest hunger strike, being carried out by a Manipuri activist named Irom Sharmila. She has been fasting since 2000, during which time she has more-or-less been in constant custody:

For eight years, Sharmila has not consumed anything through her mouth and i

Vanity Plus Guy in Cheap Gorilla Suit

My 13-month-old son and I just spent an exceedingly pleasant evening listening to WEFUNK Show 555, a chronicle of Paisley Park’s Golden Age creations. If you have even a passing interest in the genius/megalomania of Prince, the show is highly, highly recommended—not just for the killer music, but also for the fascinating trivia provided by WEFUNK guest host Duke Eatmon.

Among Eatmon’s more fascinating tidbits is his mention of Tanya’s Island, a 1980 Skinemax-style film starring a young, extremely

“…Are Doomed to Repeat It”

As we prepare to ramp up Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as focus more intently on the Taliban’s Pakistani havens, it’s worth looking back at the British experience in the Graveyard of Empires. Of specific interest is the classic 1898 account The Risings on the North-West Frontier, a detailed account of several expeditions carried out in the so-called tribal areas. Then, as now, the military campaigns were meant to pacify a people who threatened Western security interests. And then, as now,

In Post-Soviet Russia…

…cops evidently go the extra mile with their community policing methods. Sorry, couldn’t quite conjure up a killer Yakov Smirnoff punchline out of this clip of Russian cops going all Michael Phelps. Free Microkhan t-shirt to anyone who can.

Dehorning Paste Smackdown

Living here on the cramped island of Manhattan, where “nature” amounts to little more than the trees in Marcus Garvey Park, it’s easy to feel disconnected from our ranching brethren out West. So I occasionally try and force myself to get in touch with the ways of livestock management, the better to appreciate the care and technology—yes, technology—that goes into my occasional plate of dibi.

While recently perusing this detailed compendium of must-have goat-ranching supplies, I came across a ment

Burmese Voodoo

Lost amidst the week’s more high-profile news was something quite significant, at least for those of us keen on Asian affairs: a (relatively) high-level State Department official dropped in on Burma, in order to feel out the ruling junta’s openness to dialogue. Stephen Blake made a rare visit to Naypyidaw, the junta’s somewhat creepy jungle capital and a longtime Microkhan obsession. For those who don’t closely follow Burmese affairs, the nation’s government relocated from Yangon to Naypyidaw a

The Dog Ate Our Server

Apologies for the slow start today. Our Utah-based host has been down most of the morning, and is only now returning from the dead. A post on Burma got chewed up in the shuffle; starting over from Square One right now.

Do not despair, loyal readers. (Both of you.) You’ll get your full complement of polymathism soon enough. Promise.