Death toll in Bangkok bar fire reaches 33

Bangkok is the L.A. of Asia

(DW) Deaths in a dev­ast­at­ing fire at a pub in Theravada Buddhist Thai­l­and's cap­ital Bangkok have risen to 30, reports said Tues­day, cit­ing updated fig­ures from city offi­cials.

A screen grab taken from a video released on July 12, shows people fleeing a fire at the Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao bar. Three more vic­tims suc­cumbed to their injur­ies, push­ing up the tally from the ini­tial 27 dead, local media reports said.

More than 70 people con­tinue to receive treat­ment in hos­pit­als, with 24 of them in crit­ical con­di­tion, offi­cials said.

• Bangkok, July 15: The death toll from a dev­ast­at­ing Bangkok bar fire has risen to 33, author­it­ies said on Wed­nes­day, as Thai­l­and pledged a nation­wide over­haul of enter­tain­ment venue reg­u­la­tions (Asian Standard).

Mean­while, police are prob­ing pos­sible neg­li­gence, includ­ing obstruc­ted emer­gency exits as people scrambled to flee the flames. Most killed were found trapped in win­dow­less bath­rooms.

Bangkok blaze dead­li­est in 17 years

What will the new king of Thailand say?

An explos­ive fire ripped through Rong Beer Na Lat Phrao, a pub near the pop­u­lar Chatuchak Week­end Mar­ket in north­ern Bangkok late on Sunday night.

Foot­age cir­cu­lat­ing on social media showed a power­ful inferno jet­ting out of the bar's door­way as people ran to escape. It took fire­fight­ers about half an hour to tame the fire.

The blaze is one of the dead­li­est in Thai­l­and since 2009, when a New Year's Day fire at a nightclub killed 67 people.

On Tues­day, more mourn­ers laid down flowers and hand­writ­ten notes at the site of the incid­ent as rem­nants from the bar -- includ­ing melted musical instru­ments and sooty chairs -- lay on the side­walk.

• Ed.  Zac Crel­lin, Deutsche Welle (English ed.), July 15, 2026; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Funky Buddha's Oktoberfest? Alcohol

Hey, where your tutu is, Desi? - Hey, where's your llama, Dolly? - AH HA HA HA!

.

Budai brand beer?

Imagine a place so crass that it exploits the Buddha's image to promote beer and hard liquor, drunkenness and carelessness, negligence and unskillful karma. Let's call the place "Buddha Bar." No, that's taken. Let's call it Funky Buddha. Open it on the dangling participle of the country (Sandy Schlong Beach, Florida).

Let's invite the Dalai Lama, who says he's all about laughing it up, and tell him to bring his freaky friends like the ghost of Archbishop Desmond Tutu. We can hold a skimpy BBC (Buddha Bikini Contest) with a large purse and a slow reveal that begins with the wet tee-shirt phase.

Yo yo yo, how we feeling out there tonight!?

DJ Buddhahed can spin the turntables with EDM and hip-hop beats pleasing to all. Fight through protesters and picketers to get in there and, BAM, we've got ourselves a party. Well, no need for imagination because a company called Funky Buddha beat us to it: funkybuddha.com with BuddhaFest MarZen

Alan Watts, Zen monks stole swigs of saké on Cloud Mountain, while their whereabouts were unknown? No, that was Taoists. And it wasn't saki, the water of life, but ambrosia.

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SUTRA: To Sujata (Sigalovada)

Doesn't booze make the writer?

(DN 16) Thus I have heard. One time, the Buddha was staying on Vulture's Peak (Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha), Rajgir. He was accompanied by a large assembly of 1,250 monastics.

It was then that the Buddha (the Blessed One, the Bhagavān) put on his outer robe and took his bowl into the city for alms. At the time, there was a prominent man’s son named Sujata in Rajgir. Early in the morning, he went out of the city to go for a walk in the park. He bathed, wetting his entire body. He then bowed in all the directions: east, west, south, north, above, and below.

The Buddha saw Sujata getting wet [as a mark of respect] then bowing in the directions. Seeing this, the Buddha went over to Sujata and asked: “Why did you leave the city in the early morning to go to a park, wet your entire body, and bow in the directions?”

Sujata explained to the Buddha, “My father’s death is imminent, and he gave me this instruction: ‘When you go to bow, you should first bow to the east, south, west, north, above, and below.’ I dare not neglect to carry out my father’s instruction, so after I’ve bathed, I first saluted while facing east then bowed to the east. I do this for all the cardinal directions -- south, west, north, above, and below.”

The Buddha then told Sujata, “These 'directions' are only names. We, too, have this practice, but we do not bow to the directions to pay respect to them in this noble teaching [enlightening Dharma].”

Sujata then said to the Buddha, “Please, Blessed One, it would be good if one were to explain the way it is done in the noble Teaching!”

The Buddha said, “Listen closely, listen closely! Consider it well, for I will explain this.”

Sujata replied, “Very well. I am glad to hear it.”

DUI with loaded gun and salsa: Welcome to TX

The Buddha taught: “Suppose one knows of four unskillful actions, and the grounds for their being unskillful, so one avoids them and is able to know the six actions that squander wealth.

“That is to say, Sujata, one abandons four unskillful actions and pays homage to the six directions. It will be good for the present life, and one will obtain good results in later lives.

“It will be the source for this in the present life and later lives. In the present life, one is commended by the wise and gains this one worldly reward: When the body breaks up and life ends, one will be reborn in a good place.

“Sujata, you should know, those four bad actions are: 1. killing, 2. stealing, 3. sexual misconduct, and 4. false speech. These are the four bad actions.

“What are the four grounds for these bad actions? They are: 1. desire, 2. anger, 3. fear, and 4. delusion.

“If one does unskillful actions on these four grounds, then one will decline.”

After saying this, the Buddha restated it in verse:

“Desire, anger, fear, delusion:

Those who harbor these four

See their reputation dwindle away

As the waning moon does day by day.”

The Buddha further told Sujata, “If one avoids these unskillful actions on these four grounds, then one will improve.”

The Buddha then restated this in verse:

“One who avoids unskillful actions

Done out of desire, anger, fear, or delusion

Will see improvement day by day

As the waxing moon steady gains.”

What happened to all our money, Brian? - This.

“The Buddha further told Sujata, “The six actions that squander wealth are:

1. indulging in alcohol
2. gambling
3. self-indulgence
4. getting carried away at musical performances
5. associating with bad friends and
6. idleness.

“These are the six acts that squander wealth.

“Sujata, suppose one understands these four actions, avoids these unskillful actions done on these four grounds, and knows the six actions that squander wealth.

“Doing this, Sujata, one can abandon these four grounds and make offerings to the six directions. It will be good for the present life and good in later lives. It will be the source for this in the present life and in later lives. In the present, one will be praised by the wise and gain this one worldly reward: When one's body breaks up and life ends, one will be reborn in a good place.

Defects of drinking

Go on. I'm listening. I only imbibe to drink the pain away. You got a better way?

.

Wine, women, and song! Why stop now?

“Sujata, know that drinking alcohol has six defects: 1. loss of wealth, 2. becoming ill, 3. fighting, 4. circulation of a bad reputation, 5. sudden outbursts of anger, and 6. a daily loss in wisdom. Sujata, if they drink alcohol, their family and property with decrease day by day. ...

Then Sujata exclaimed: “...The Buddha is a Wayfarer (Tathāgata), Luminary (Arhat), and a Supremely Awakened One, so he is able to reveal to the world clear instructions. Now, I go for guidance to the Buddha, go for guidance to the Dharma, and go for guidance to the Saṅgha.

How will I ever be able to stop?

“Blessed One, please permit me to become a lay follower in the true Teaching! Starting today, I will avoid killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, lying, and drinking alcohol for the rest of my life.”

Having heard what the Buddha taught, Sujata rejoiced and approved of it.

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• 善生—Charles Patton (trans.), Sigalovada Sutra (DN 16) suttacentral.net; edited and abbreviated by Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Kava Bar & Botanical Lounge (the Valley)

KBBL (kavabotanicallounge.com), Reseda, Los Angeles; Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Dhr. Seven, Jen Bradshaw (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

The root of this plant has special properties.

What if someone in Los Angeles opened a kava bar? You know, a lounge that serves kava drink from the South Pacific. The kava plant is from the island of Vanuatu, where such bars are called Nakamal, traditional meeting areas to build community.

Drinking kava is ceremonial. Gradually traditional Nakamals became less prominent, and they started functioning as prep and serve sites for groups.

As the popularity of kava grew, kava bars began to spread from the South Pacific to the USA. In recent years, they have been sprouting up in different cities across the country, such as Sedona, Arizona, but tropical Florida still leads the pack.

Current trends make kava a great social drink because people loosen up, relax, and plunge into a happy and relaxed mood. The best part is it gives one a good night’s sleep without the dreading have to nurse a nasty hangover the following morning.

Its popularity is on the rise, gaining momentum as a healthier alternative to alcohol. Some claim it offers the potential for weight loss. Is it the next innovation for coffee shops from coast to coast?

Learning about Kava

Maybe it’s a misspelling of Spain’s famous sparkling wine “Cava”? Kava is from the South Pacific with a long history and robust flavor that is experiencing a rise in interest in major US cities.

Made from the ground root of the kava plant, fans of the intoxicating beverage say it produces a state of calm relaxation and can reduce anxiety. Research suggests that frequent use does not impair cognitive function.

Its popularity has led to the opening of several kava bars that serve as pleasant social lounges, a new sort of cafe with comfortable seats, relaxed lighting, and lots of conversation.

Kava bartenders, kavatenders, are encouraged to socialize, talking up the plant’s history.

Positive Effects of Kava

Patrons of the kava community often hear a cheer from Fiji. It’s the catchall phrase “Bula!” when sharing drinks.

What is it? Most of KBBL’s kava is sourced from Fiji and Vanuatu, but there are also showcase strains from other islands. It is the root of the pepper plant Piper methysticum, hand squeeze into a semi-intoxicating drink customers find helps reduce stress, relieve muscle aches, and lubricates socializing for wallflowers.

Traditionally, kava was ceremonial on the islands bringing together friends and neighbors. Kava has a reverse tolerance. So those new to it should let KBBL know to help ensure an excellent first experience.

The more often it is consumed, the less of it that is needed to feel the effects. A bula is a shared experienced.

Customers at Kava Bar & Botanical Lounge, a non-alcoholic bar in the Valley in Los Angeles, enjoy traditional kava and premium organic mock-tails inspired by ancient island tradition.

The atmosphere in Reseda is unlike any other: Conversing, studying, gaming in the arcade are just some of the things visitors enjoy. There is a private outdoor patio, Live Music Fridays, and a plethora of events planned for this calendar year.

The community is extremely welcoming and provides a much-needed alternative for those who crave a social experience better than the average bar scene. Alcohol is so 2023. KBBL is embarking on a journey to grow the biggest sober scene in LA.

Looking for a kava bar? Look no further then Reseda’s Kava Bar & Botanical Lounge.

• Website: kavabotanicallounge.com
• MAP: Kava Bar LA & Botanical Lounge

Millennials: What does Gen Z do for "fun"?

Millennials have no idea about Gen Z (msn.com); Crystal Q., CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

I'm a fairy; look at my ears: What does Gen Z do for fun? (© TikTok/@ashleyteacozy)

.

We know how to party! On the inside

A millennial woman has admitted she is completely lost as to what members of Gen Z do for fun.

Ashley Tea, a millennial, recently took to TikTok to make the case that she thinks millennials had a “better time” than Gen Z in their 20s. “I genuinely think millennials got to have a way better time than Gen Z does,” her video began.

She then continued to give her reasoning. “I got to be an emo kid in 2005...I got to go clubbing when clubbing was the club...I was 21 years old when Indie Sleaze was going on, and I was very Indie Sleaze, and it was a very good time,” Tea said.

“You couldn’t go to the club during the pandemic? That sucks. Literally, like, my sympathies go out to you. But I have a question for the youth, like a genuine question.”

The TikToker then asked the generation what they do for fun, specifically mentioning the prime going out days like Friday or Saturday night, wondering where they would go:

“Do you go out? Do you go to a club, or do you go to shows, is it, like, only raves now?” she asked.

Tea pointed out how expensive going out can be now, as she noted that she would only go to places that were affordable for her.

“And everything is so expensive,” she continued, “I used to go to bars and restaurants because it was affordable. I worked in a restaurant, and I hung out in restaurants and bars and drank like crazy.”

She ends her video by once again asking the question: “What do you guys do? What do you do for fun??” directed at Gen Z.

Tea’s video went on to receive over one million views, with many Gen Zers leaving comments to answer her question. Some commenters explained that they had no fun at all, explaining how much money had been a factor.

“There are hardly any ‘third spaces’ anymore, free places to just exist together without expectations of spending money,” one commenter wrote.

Another commenter agreed, writing: “We aren’t having fun, we are just working. No weekend money.” More

Buddha as backdrop for sexy song (video)

Haley Bennett; Amber Larson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY

Haley Bennett as the character Cora, singing "Buddha's Delight" (photoshoot/hotactress.org)

I think I'm more beautiful. I certainly have more followers and views. I'm famous AF.

Not the Buddha: Tibetan yogi

Now that Nazi Barbie (Taylor Swift) has gotten so popular that even Margot Robbie envies her, and Beyonce gets more attention when she lightens her Becky-do hairdo, it's time to wonder if Haley Bennett -- who severely upstaged uncomfortable Drew Barrymore and old man (and former British heartthrob) Hugh Grant -- really could have had a legitimate hit on her hands.

The Monkees weren't a real band, but they did have real hits. A good song's a good song, like "Buddha's Delight."

Hollywood already had its go with Keanu Reeves

It wouldn't be the first time Hollywood did something right. They present an image, and that image gains more currency than the real thing. Just look at hate Californian governor and turncoat Ronnie Reagan. Image carries more weight than substance does. Haley Bennett was beautiful back then, and the ditty was catchy. As if "Buddha Bars" weren't bad enough, can anyone prevent the exploitation of beautiful Buddha statues as elements in pop culture.

What? I guess, technically, I'm a Ginger. Maybe I was an elf in a past life (hotactress.org)

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Original trailer for the Barrymore-Grant rom-com Music and Lyrics

A topical JOKE

Jokes4us.com; Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Three guys were talking in the local bar when the manager announced that he had just hired the strongest man around to work as bouncer. He was so sure that he offered a $1,000 bet that no one could beat him.
 

The challenge was that the bouncer would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran out then hand that lemon to the customer. Anyone who could squeeze even one more drop out of the lemon would win the money.
 

Over the next few days many people tried -- truck drivers, gangsters, karate masters -- and all failed. Then one day a geeky little fellow, a pipsqueek  of a man with heavy horn-rimmed glasses, came into the bar and inquired if he could have a go at the challenge.
 

After the laughter died down, the manager said it was only fair that he be given a chance. The bouncer picked up a lemon and started squeezing. Once he was done he handed the remains to the little guy, who promptly squeezed another drop out of it. Everyone was amazed and doubted he had actually done it. So just to assure everyone, he squeezed out 3 more drops onto the bar.
 

Everyone looked on in amazement as the manager was about to hand over the prize money. But he paused and asked the man, "Excuse me, but what do you do for a living that has given you this extraordinary ability? Construction worker, weightlifter, stage magician?" "No," replied the man, "IRS agent." Source

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Pink Buddha advertises bar, men arrested

Amber Larson, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Daily Mail Australia Reporter (FB)

Pink Buddhas on parade display of golden statues in neighboring Thailand (WQ)

Blasphemous Barbie dollhouse display with baby-sized Buddha decor? (Emily1957/flickr)

NZ man arrested in Burma

New Zealand man is among three on trial in Burma (renamed "Myanmar" by the military dictatorship) charged with insulting religion by using a pink Buddha wearing headphones to advertize a bar

• Three men have pleaded not guilty to insulting religion in Burma.
• The men posted were arrested for using a pink Buddha to advertise a bar.
• They were working in Rangoon, Burma's biggest city and former capital now replaced by the secretive, bunkered Naypyidaw.
• The men could receive up to two years in Insane Prison.

A New Zealand bar manager and two Burmese men pleaded not guilty today to charges of insulting religion, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison.

Drinking alcohol is not a Buddhist virtue. Far from it. It violates the Five Precepts.

.

Don't name your bar Buddha Bar.

Philip Blackwood, General Manager of the V Gastro Bar in Burma's biggest city Rangoon (Yangon), was arrested last week for advertizing the bar with a poster featuring a pink Buddha wearing headphones.

The advertisement was removed and an apology posted, but Blackwood and his two colleagues were arrested. About 90 percent of insular Burma's population are Theravada Buddhist, and perceived insults to what is de facto the state religion are taken seriously.

Now it is 1984.

Author George Orwell used Burma -- for decades a police state only recently beginning to thaw from the horrors of spying and authoritarian rule -- and England as his models for the dystopian classic Nineteen Eighty-Four.

 

About 15 Buddhist monks (or novices), mostly from a nationalist organization and more than 20 lay disciples were at the court as police brought in the three handcuffed defendants.
 

Burmese monks and novices with cameras

Nearly 30 policemen were in attendance, thought to be due to the sensitive nature of the case.

Four prosecution witnesses testified at the first session of the trial on Thursday, with defense witnesses due to take the stand on Dec. 26. More
 

A Buddhist monk or novice takes photos of New Zealand citizen Philip Blackwood.

"Lewd conduct" in Burma: Pres. Obama in obscene public display with Aung San Suu Kyi

.

Big Brother (NSA) is watching you.

Sexually aggressive, not because HE's drunk

Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; Maanvi Singh "If he's sexually aggressive in bars, it's not because he's drunk" (NPR.org, 3-3-14); DemocracyNow.org

She's probably not thinking that she wants that guy to grab her (Iurii Davydov/iStockphoto).

Who let the dawg out? - Rrrrr, woof!

Young women are often the targets of aggression when they are out in bars, but the problem isn't that guys are too drunk to know better.

Instead, men are preying on women who have had too much to drink.
 
When researchers at the University of Toronto and the University of Washington observed young people's behaviors in bars, they found that the man's aggressiveness did NOT match his level of intoxication. There was no relationship.
 
Instead, men targeted WOMEN who were intoxicated.
 

We're young and wild, and we love to party (drink) in nightclubs with no panties.

 
The researchers hired and trained 140 young adults to go into bars in the Toronto area and note every incident of aggression that they saw. They found that 25 percent of all incidents involved sexual aggression. And 90 percent of the victims of sexual aggression were women being harassed by men.
 

Violating the fifth precept (iStock/npr.org)

Almost all of the aggression was physical, with about two-thirds of the aggressors physically touching women without consent. About 17 percent threatened contact. And 9 percent verbally harassed their targets.
 
Men may perceive intoxicated women either as more amenable to advances or as easier targets who are less able to rebuff them because they don't have their wits about them, the researchers say.

"There's no reason that women should be touched against their will," says Kate Graham, the study's lead researcher and a senior scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health at the Univ. of Toronto. Women wouldn't accept that kind of behavior at school or on the street, she notes, but it seems to get a pass in bars, she tells Shots [Health News from NPR].
 

No means yes...but yes means maybe.

The study was published online last Monday in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
 
The researchers also wanted to look into whether unwanted sexual advances were intentional, or just a matter of misperception. This study points to the former, Dr. Graham explains.
 
"If you walk through a bar and grab a woman's breasts and then disappear into the crowd, that's probably not a misunderstanding," she says. "You don't actually think that she wants you to do that."
 
And fact that men were more likely to take advantage of intoxicated women shows that most of these incidents aren't well intentioned, Dr. Graham says.
 
And the bar staff rarely stepped in and stopped the sexual aggression. "There should be training for staff on how to intervene," Dr. Graham says. "If [a bar] wants to have female patrons, they ought to make it more female friendly."
 

I want a divorce. She went to a bar and came home drunk.

Efforts have been launched in Washington, DC and around the country to do just that. They provide bar staff with free training on how to respond when they see sexual harassment.
 
The research was observational, so it doesn't let us know what either the aggressors or their victims felt. And since the observations were made in public places in or around bars, the study doesn't tell us much about sexual assault or rape that might occur out of public view or after women leave the bar.
 
But the takeaway, Dr. Graham says, is that "people should stop believing that [Robin Thicke] song. The lines really aren't that blurred." Comments?

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Partying at the "Little Buddha" Club

Amber Larson, CC Liu, Seven, Wisdom Quarterly; HuddsFilm1/flickr.com (photography)

Waiting around to enter the Little Buddha club (Huddsfilm1/flickr.com)

  

Bar's namesake is NOT the Buddha but Hotei

What is there to do in Europe? Not much. Oh, I know! Let's go to the Little Buddha club. Bands play there, suds flow, and we can stand around looking pretty. Dirty Green Vinyl is playing. Maybe I'll meet someone, too.

Who would name a bar, a place explicitly existing to be out of it, after the most sober person in history? Enlightenment is the opposite of delusion, wisdom the opposite of intoxication, right view the opposite of hallucinations. But, hey, why so heavy? It's just a name.

Why is this place called "Little Buddha"?

And anyway it does not refer to the historical Shakyamuni, "Sage of the Shakyas," the warrior prince who abandoned the palace and the good life for a higher calling, the real high life (brahmacarya) that leads out of this misery-fraught wandering on through worlds, lives, torments, and doldrums.

It's like nirvana! I think that's why.

Still, people might think it does. We should protest. We should circulate a petition on Facebook. We should march in front of this hole in the wall. It's bad enough when this kind of thing happens in Thailand.

 

Now it's made it to the Continent and its economic environs. We can't stand for that. *Yawn* Or maybe we can.

Who?

Who is the "Little Buddha" after which the club is named anyhow? There was once a Mahayana monk in China, a Siberian St. Nick/Santa Claus character who carried around a cloth sack filled with candy instead of mushrooms to be handed out to children. He is jolly, jovial, and really chubby. He isn't the Buddha at all, just the good luck Bodhisattva Hotei (Budai, Bố Đại, Pu-Tai, "Cloth Sack").

Yeah, I hear Nirvana played here. What?

He is arguably the "face of Buddhism," obese and golden, full of good fortune, found at the entrance of many good restaurants and Asian businesses. He is more a patron saint of worldly success than any kind of spiritual icon. Nevertheless, one finds him in Pure Land temples and Theravada altars with lots of Chinese or Japanese influence. Hotei is everywhere in Asia. Who doesn't need a belly to rub for luck?

That's not "the Buddha"!

Bố Đại: the fat, happy Laughing Buddha

Hotei (Japanese), Budai or Pu-Tai (Chinese, 布袋; Bùdài), Bố Đại in Vietnamese, is a Chinese folkloric deity also popular with Taoists. His name means "Cloth Sack," and comes from the bag that he is conventionally depicted as carrying. He is usually identified with (or as a pre-incarnation of) Maitreya the future Buddha -- so much so that the Hotei image is one of the main forms in which Maitreya is depicted in East Asia. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha (Chinese, 笑佛). Sadly, many Westerners confuse Budai with the historical Shakyamuni Buddha Gautama.

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