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Hot Pink Speed in Myanmar Patrick Winn takes us into a "Shadow Land" to follow candy-colored meth that is bankrolling full on mini narco states in war-torn Myanmar (former Burma). On CrashOut, read an excerpt from his superb book, "Hello Shadowlands"↓ crashoutmedia.com/p/hot-pink-spe…

War elephants still exist. But only in Myanmar — in the hands of the anti-junta resistance. Elephants go where roads don't. They don't need fuel, other than foliage. In battle they're useless, but as transport vehicles, they're solid. Trucks get stuck in mud. Elephants do not.

Had a great conversation w/ Brendan from HistoryNerdsUnited on Southeast Asian narcotics, Wa State and the DEA. Check it out. youtube.com/watch?v=_xyIWm…

My Q+A with veteran actress Lek Patravadi (ครูเล็ก) who plays a resort owner in The White Lotus — a huge role that arrived in the twilight of her career. She explains why, initially, she turned it down. theworld.org/stories/2025/0…

Duterte's drug war was supposed to terrify meth users/dealers into quitting. Demand would shrink. Few would risk trafficking. Meth, made rare, should've grown very, very expensive. What actually happened? A gram in 2018, when killing was rampant: ~$130 Current price: ~$120.

From JFK file release: A French ex-convict told a CIA officer in 1959 that "CHICOMS" (Chinese Communists) would give smugglers free opium — if they'd traffic it to the US. Pure hearsay, of course, but it's still interesting to read raw intel files, even if they're ancient.

These tariffs are gonna have Southeast Asian drug smugglers moving pineapples and mackerel