The Last Kingdom: Chapter 3 It is a brilliant summer morning with a westerly breeze, and the sun beats down on the beach, scattering along the tops of the incoming…

*** It was late, very late. Even in the most advanced city, night still penetrates, and the halogen lamps burn alone, fighting their losing battles. I couldn’t sleep that evening,…

Last Kingdom, Lost Kingdom The Last Kingdom: Chapter 1 To the east of the golden mountains, at the edge of the Great Sea, it is said the azaleas are more…

[And now for something completely different — in an effort to get back in the writing groove (and jumpstart this blog), I have signed up to take part in National…

The Protector (Tom Yum Goong) (2006, Dir. Prachya Pinkaew) “You killed my father, and you stole my elephant!”— Tony Jaa, The Protector Every generation has its hero — every few…

Miami Vice (2006, Dir. Michael Mann) “There’s undercover, and then there’s ‘Which way is up’?”— Det. Ricardo Tibbs, Miami Vice Appreciating a Michael Mann film means accepting several pre-conditions: a…

A Scanner Darkly (2006, Dir. Richard Linklater) Reality is what refuses to go away when I stop believing in it.— Philip K. Dick The late producer Albert R. Broccoli once…

[Note: It’s been a while since my last transmission — access to blogs in China is regulated, so I wasn’t able to finish my entries, but I am back stateside…

“A backpacker’s paradise.” That’s what Dali is referred to as, and I fell for the hype. It’s close to 10 p.m. I sit typing this on a ratty keyboard connected…

I write this from the Camelia Youth Hostel, located in the heart of Kunming, Yunan Province, China. I’ve been here for just over 28 hours, and shortly my friends Jocelyn…