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Was there tonight. Given its all just a few months in it feels quite established. You can sit at hotmales outside bar and in the right spot see the entrances to the five gogo bars on patpong2. Yes you are up high on their balcony and it’s not quite soi twilight. But given the big upheaval of that closure it’s amazing how much has reformed in one 50 yard stretch. And with the arrival of the massage shop it does feel quite like a community. Got to give it a full High season to see how it fully settles down.

When I interview a new lad, I ask his age, his weight, his nickname and where he’s from. Sometimes I’ll also ask if his cock is ‘original ‘ and also if he has any mooks. The boys all seem to know the terms ‘original’ and mook.

About 6-7 years ago I got to talking with a guy at the adjacent table at Telephone. He was in his early 30's, well-built and his English wasn't bad. He brought his drink over to my table and discussed the usual things for about 20 minutes. When I invited him back to the hotel, he said, "I not big", inclining his head to his crotch. "No problem," I told him because that has never been a deal beaker with me. I paid both tabs and we walked off. When he stripped to shower, it became clear that he had what is best described as a micropenis. It seemed so out of proportion to his otherwise fine body. It did turn into a bit of a grower (finger size) and we proceeded to have a good time together. As he was preparing to leave, I reached in my pocket but he said "no, you buy drinks." I then asked if he had eaten and he said no so I took him for a good meal and some more beers. The atmosphere was very relaxed. We were both clearly enjoying the evening. Still gave him more than ample taxi money when we parted and continue to have fond memories. I'd do it again in a heart beat. All told, we made each other feel a little bit better about ourselves.

Day 3 Headed to Senso! Walking along the corridor pavement outside Senso is always filled with excitement. Cuz its just so open, people in front of you/behind/opposite the road can see you going into Senso ha, although they probably not care less but im always so consious about it that i'll always always overshoot Senso, then backtrack again and enter lol.' Senso opposite of Arena, is more refined, somewhat younger cleaner muscular guys. Place is cleaner/classier as well. Rooms more expensive, 1000 baht for 1 hour room with minimum tip of 1200 baht for 1 hour. To me everything is all about the boy, no matter the room/ambience etc. But yea it's nice to see the hot guys in a well lit decorated mini bar/gym kind of place. There were about 10 guys, muscular and shirtless, evident from their recent gymming. I chose my regular guy Tim ( his pic is on the senso website) - a handsome, lean, quiet guy, but delivers an awesome massage and sensual experience. His massage is one of the best I feel in terms of technique and strength, I do walk away feeling massaged properly with knots gone and relaxed. Not only that, he does this sensual thing, my fav part is when his whole body is pressed against your back, his hands interlocked with your hands, and you can feel him breathing deeply down your neck, nibbling ur neck/ears, and his tool hard against your lower back, and his oiled up bod sliding up and down ur back - i guess this is the standard body to body massage? but it was hott.. sensual kissing with tongue and I came pretty soon , and ended up cuddling for a good while before showering. He is a quiet guy, dosent ask all the qns like what most massage boys do - " where u from, how long u in bangkok etc", but he gives a solid massage and everything else - well recommended. After resting and pondering what my next adventure will be, I decided to just check rentmen and for the first time I booked someone from there ha.. This thai/phillipino guy who's ID is Gorillasian lol.. honestly it was one of the best sex i've ever had, guess it comes with the price tag, but really, I guess most of them are all professionals. It was hott hott.. The guy was handsome, muscular, great bod, great smell ( he walked from the BTS to my hotel and was mildly sweaty ha i love it), great attitude and romantically dominant. made out a lot, groped, licked him everywhere, sucking. I guess the attraction of finding someone online is how convenient it is. No need to go to a bar to find someone u want, fighting with other bar goers to quickly off ur boy before they do, no need to walk under the sun to a massage place heh. The only thing is that i've had experiences finding someone on Jack'd who dosen't look like their pics ( happened twice before, while ultimately they still looked decent and I wouldn't have minded going thru with it, it was nothing like their hott hott model pics online). But on rentmen, there's this "gold " member escort thing, i guess it means that they are certified that their pics are real or something, and I thought this guy was kinda legit based on the reviews so I just went for it heh.. Headed to dreamboys! There were 2 seperate bars - dreamboys and dreamboys paradiso, apparently 1 starts at 10pm and the other at 10:30pm, so i guess the performers will just repeat the show at the former and then head to the other. It seemed a bit messy, like boys and performers were walking through the bar among the bar goers , in the middle of performances to go to the backroom to get prepared or something. I didn't really like the big pillar in the middle because you wouldn't be able to see half of the stage, unless sitting right smack in the middle. Few boys, maybe ~ 15, although it was a thursday but thought there would be more. Performances largely the same as at the old soi twilight bar, but because of the new stage, more limited in terms of the dance routines, I thought overall less impressive than before, largely because of the pillar and lack of space. There was a new F-show though, a guy F-ing a lady boy at the end, and they will walk throughout the bar to get tips ha.. Don't really know how I feel about it, i'm more of a conservative jock F jock kind of person, would have been hotter if it wasnt a lady boy haha but thats just my preference >.< Overall I think dreamboy is still a decent place and bar, for new comers or those that hasnt been to the old one. But as someone who's been to the soi twilight dreamboys many times before, the current set up is not as impressive. Oh and of course I chose a guy - No.100. A cute thai gay guy with handsome face and good body, nice arms, nice tattoo on the chest - a boyish kind of guy. Had a good time back in the hotel kissing, sucking, 69-ing, groping him and all sorts of debauchary heh =)

Do you mean like Trump so often does?

I think they are called '' mooks" and are another menace. Over years I saw quite a few exemplary specimens of male companions in LOS who unfortunately had those inserts but I always gnash the teeth , smile and carry on. In retrospect I'm actually surprised how many prime boys deformed their best part either way but it seems both ideas are fading thanks God.

You never have to TRY and decipher anything I type and respond to, unlike you, I said what I said... If you feel safe in Thailand, go there...Enjoy If you want to go to Brazil and enjoy EVERYTHING it has to offer, stop bitching and complaining about the country... I HATE trying to decipher your ridiculous, nauseating OVERLY long responses... Please hire somebody who speaks basic English to text for you and get your thoughts across dude...

Me and my partner rented a 4WD in January and drove north towards Phonsavan via the eastern route. We made an overnight stay in a small village along the way. Roads were fairly good, save for a few kilometres with gravel roads due to roadwork. But, with the road full of chicken, cats, dogs, cows, and children we could hardly drive faster than 40 km/h. After Phonsavan and looking at some of the jars, we took the western route via the banana pancake town of Vang Vieng on the return to Vientiane. Here, the road up until it joined highway 13 (Vientiane-Luang Prabang "highway") was surfaced, but it was a long and winding road. We stopped in a small town about 54 km north of Vang Vieng, and spent the night in a local hotel. No English spoken in neither of the small towns. Road 13 is in a dismal state (picture below), and the heavy truck traffic made it worse. I believe this is the main transport route from Vientiane into China. We did it in three days,, two nights, all in all a lovely trip.

Hey guys, so I've been to bangkok several times since my virgin trip in 2014, but it's always refreshing to visit again and write posts when im resting in my hotel in between breaks heh.. Day 1 Okay bad day, so apparently flights landing in Bangkok at prime time of about 11-12pm costs $150+ more than landing at 7pm, but because my hotel is about $100 /night, I decided to book a flight a day earlier, landing at bad timing of 7pm ( i still save money even though i have to stay an extra night), and thought I may have an extra night of debauchary. But I had a bad headache on Day 1 and spent it sleeping it off in my hotel room boo =( Day 2 Off i headed to Arena in the afternoon. Took a 5-10 min walk from my hotel at Le Meridien Hotel ( i love this hotel and have been using it since forever. location is good right smack in surawong, no problems with bringing boys in, nice room, i guess it may be a bit pricey but I hardly go on holidays so I don't care ha ). I always get a slight erection enroute the hot sweaty walk in anticipation of what is to come. Once I reach the building Arena is in ( i still have no idea what else this building is for, it seems super abandoned shrugs), I take a lift up to the 3rd floor. The sight of muscular sweaty guys is definitely one to behold. As always, Arena is just a very raw crude sweaty " dirty" place and I love it! Unlike the smooth/pretty boys/pretty rooms of Prince/Senso, there's just a gym sweaty muscular rawness vibe heh. One hour room for 690 baht for cream massage, i think cheapest is 590baht for oil massage 1 hour, and minimum tip of 1000 baht for 1 hour. The kind of guys here are older muscular buffish guys, not really my ideal kind of guys but I do enjoy sampling variety. I eventually choose this guy called Nots, who I actually had before in 2018 heh. He is a handsome good looking guy, decent body and cute smile. Had a nice naughty massage with lots of kissing, nipple play, sucking, groping heh. After I came, we cuddled abit and as there was still time he gave me a " thai massage" as what he called it, contorting my body in various angles ouch but very satisfying when there was the " crack " sound ha. Headed back to the hotel to rest abit and went to Jupiter! Now i used to only go to dreamboys but since my recent trips I find myself at Jupiter more. the guys here are just much more my type. The young muscular handsome jocks kind heh, also less ladyboy shows, less outright parading of just dicks in your face, I prefer the shows and boys here at Jupiter. 400 baht for entrance and drinks. Large selection of boys. And while most were wearing a singlet or shirt, a lot were still shirtless yums. Quite a few guys were my type, No.44, No. 59 ( Ok more on him later), and the guy I offed ( can't remember the number =( either 34 or 43? ) So i offed one of the dancers who appears often in the dance routines, wearing sunglasses, using the chains to jump around heh. He was hot hot. Handsome face, good body, nice arms, nice abs noms. Mamasan said he was straight but i don't really care. The things I do and fancy dosen't matter if gay or straight. Barfine of 500 baht, and I took him back to my hotel heh. Funny, cuz halfway while walking back and chatting, he asked " you don't like women right", in my mind im like " oh boy why do you think we are heading back to my hotel now handsome". I asked if he is straight/gay/like men/women and he said " men men" shrugs. Had a good make out /groping/sucking session/ hot kisser, nice arms and body to grope and touch. He came on my chest and we made out and kissed till I came >.< ok so back to No. 59. I had my eye on him since the beginning I entered. He is handsome, looks like a bad boy kind , but not the gangster kind. The kind that will take you out on romantic date but dominate you in bed. I usually like to look around and take my time before deciding on a off, usually only decide mid to late show. And urgh some female already took him for drinks. So im like okay maybe they wont off him and he'll go back on stage later. But no! they offed him boo.. So yea thats how I ended up with 34/43. But no story not over. Basically No. 59 looks like my ex haha ( like not thai boy ex, my actual real life ex boyfriend a few years ago). He's a gym instructor so yea that kind of bad boy look guy. oh yea back to the story, cuz on Day 4 of my trip, I was back in jupiter and bumped into No.59 ( BUDDEN I ALR OFFED SOMEONE ELSE OMG). Ok i'll post about Day 4 later chronologically heh.. So yea guys, if u see someone u fancy, JUST OFF HIM STRAIGHT AWAY KKZ! no complaints though, i enjoyed 34/43! to be continued... ( btw my style of writing is so that I can come back in future and reminesece heh, so pardon if the writing is abit not that great >.< )

I went to the gay bar area last night and it was a bit drab and quiet. Not too many guys working that I liked and got a bit bored so I headed to Starbucks to get a drink. I met this really hot Nigerian lad around 20 years old and very handsome. We talked and he said he wasn't money boy and just liked sex. So, I gave him a try. We got a grab and on the way to my place he massaged me and then went down and gave me a great BJ. When we got to my place, he showered with me and we had great sex. He wanted to spend the night which I normally don't do but did. Again, this AM, we got up and had sex. Or, I woke up when he was starting to have sex. All in all, it was excellent. He asked for nothing and was a real gentleman (except he cuddled all night which I hate). But, I was happy I met him. BTW: Big things do come in small packages at times. He was about 5'7" and this dick was 9 inches.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/photos-dawn-patrol-2019-pebble-144000789.html

PM sent, tnk u!!! He he

Yup, so exciting to see Patpong 2 transformed, felt the same when I saw it!!! In due time, it will soon be the new Soi Twilight!!!

Thanks! It's a relief, Trump is covered !

The original quote was something like “God loves children, fools and drunkards”, and of course, some idiotic self-absorbed nationalistic Westerner had to change it to “drunks and the USA”.

What was that about " God loves drunks and the United States" as why stupidity sometimes works out, if not for the best, then harmlessly. I take it as a dire warning that Trump does not drink and God has few other reasons to love him. Good article.

Nice autos, but not how I remember dawn patrol. Best regards, RA1

great report, now I hope you visited also Tawan and Moonlight. Funny thing, I always approach Senso exactly they same way you did, overshoot and then backtrack, it must be something in the air there

And that my dear is what I call a READ....Well READ....

No he really didn't...I stated that he should go where he feels safest... There is NO comparison between Asian twinks and Brazilian men...PERIOD...

Not sure how I missed hearing about the Telharmonium all these years, but I guess better late than never. Also called the Dynamophone by its inventor, Dr. Thaddeus Cahill, this early electric organ is considered the first electromechanical musical instrument. Cahill invented it in 1897, before vacuum tubes were used to generate electrical waveforms and, in fact, before vacuum tubes themselves were even invented. It used a “tonewheel” mounted to an electric motor to generate a waveform in an adjacent electromagnetic coil. The number of nubs on the wheel and the speed of the electric motor determined the frequency of the waveform generated by the coil. While the principal was pretty straightforward, the implementation was not. It took some fairly heavy-duty gear to generate a single frequency. And, since a large number of individual frequencies were required - simultaneously no less - to produce a tune, it makes sense that the Telharmonium was a large device by any standards. The first model that Cahill constructed - the Mark I - weighed seven tons! By the time he got to the Mark II, the beast weighed in at over 200 tons and required 670 kilowatts of electricity to operate! Obviously, Cahill couldn’t easily move it around to find his audiences, and amplifiers hadn’t been invented yet, so his idea was to transmit the sound produced by the Telharmonium over the telephone system which was just getting going around this time. There weren’t any loudspeakers then either, so Cahill figured he’d send a full ampere of current down the line to each telephone and get the earpiece vibrating so loudly that the listener didn’t even need to pick it up to listen. This, of course, begat its own set of problems, crosstalk in particular, so that early telephone users would sometimes hear strange musical sounds interfering with their voice calls. One story has it “that a New York businessman, infuriated by the constant network interference, broke into the building where the Telharmonium was housed and destroyed it, throwing pieces of the machinery into the Hudson river below.” For a while, around the turn of the century, Cahill leased a space at 39th and Broadway and gave live performances of his invention, while sending the music down the telephone wires to those who were interested in hearing it, as well as to some who were not interested in hearing it. Sadly, no recordings of the Telharmonium exist today and Cahill’s brother scrapped whatever remnants of the device remained in 1950. But the tonewheel mechanism and Cahill's designs formed the basis for the original Hammond organ four decades later. By that time, vaccuum tubes, electronic amplifiers and loudspeakers had been invented and Cahill’s original ideas lived on and thrived. By the way, a two hundred ton instrument would be about the equivalent of a hundred Honda Civics in mass. Dr. Cahill was nothing if not committed to getting his music out to the public.

When I see that you have made a post where you have vigorously pushed back on the oft-repeated physical stereotypes of black and brown men in Latin America / South America having much bigger dicks, and being more sexually virile and passionate than others, then I will listen to a word you spew about needless physical characterizations and harmful stereotypes.

I wouldn’t necessarily describe @badboy‘s Rio-to-Thailand comparison as “unfavorable” — just that he meant that Thailand is known for twinks (and ladyboys) much more than masculine, muscular and / or tradey hustlers. Of course, that could just be a stereotype.

Drimvoiz I would love to know who Mr Perfect Guy is!

Sad, lonely old man lashing out and projecting. I’m very sorry that you have no real friends, online or off, but I’m not to blame. Check your internal wiring.

"what is the situation" is a rather general question. The general answer to that is, that it's business as usual for Bali (been in April and many times before), meaning everything is freely and openly available: free sex and paid sex (via the apps or hookups in the bars); "regular" massages and m2m massages (both via the apps or in many (male) massage shops; gay bars (regular bars, not gogo bars), even a sauna (with attached massage shop) in Seminyak which i found really nice last year (also in April). Tip for transportation: you can either rent a motorbike (scooter) for 50k Rupiah a day or use Grab and/or GoJek for motorbike taxis, which are readily available everywhere on those two apps and incredibly cheap

Not a bad idea. Probably my next step.

Wow. I say this with all seriousness. Seek help.

Very helpful, but note that maybe they put ladyboy bars in the purple “gay” category. Not that I particularly want to get into that issue with a 10 foot mascara brush, but I think — but not sure — that Kings Garden and Kings Corner are ladyboy, as are some of the other miscellaneous patpong 2 spots.

In reality it can be undone with surgery if one wants to spend the money. Yes, just pay the fee and forget it.

Pauleiro, great advice. Thank you. I have met many on the Internet before Grindr and the online apps. I always met with someone and had someone to translate for me if they didn't speak English. I had one guy who I met online and stayed with me for a few months. It was a lucky pick. I think there is a post in the forum with his photo. There are ways to alleviate any risk. Be careful and be smart and that is not just in Brazil, but anywhere. When I was in NYC, I met a guy off of Craig's List who was hot! A very masculine thug (my type). I met him and he was more feminine that my drag queen bf at the time. When I asked him about his masculine stamp, he said, "I am a butch queen" and snapped his fingers. Needless to say, you can't always tell what you are getting online.

https://www.10best.com/destinations/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/attractions/museums/ Despite occasional dangers, Rio is a special place like none other in the world - it really is!

Like I said in a previous thread, I may understand the viewing audience a little better than you. Very few here are interested in analyzing, dissecting and digesting the results of a peer-reviewed research dissertation from the Journal of Probability and Statistics. Tone down the pseudo-intellectual rhetoric a bit. You’re blinding us with science, Ms. Sakomoto!

I have to use my decoder ring, but you’re basically saying here (in your own purposefully muddled and pretentious way) the very same thing that the travel blogger that @badboy posted said here, but in simple English: https://www.fluentin3months.com/theft/ Most, but not all, incidents of travelers’ crime and crimes of opportunity could be prevented by the targeted victims with some extra planning, precaution and awareness on the targeted victim’s part. Almost every one of these crimes can be traced back to victim error. They ain’t called “crimes of opportunity” for nothin’!

I just finished reading this article. He offers some excellent insight and advice on how to avoid being a victim of travelers’ crimes, or just crimes of opportunity in general. I agree with much of what he says — especially where he notes that almost every incident of travelers’ crime can be traced back to mistakes or errors that the victim or target made or could have prevented with some extra planning, precaution or awareness. Thanks for posting, @badboy! Here are some of the truisms he noted in the article that are absolutely correct — but are sure to piss off some of the posters here, because they hit too close to home:

Broken ribs or black eye > hurt feelings.

Your chances of getting mugged in Rio are much less than your chances of getting attacked in this forum.

https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/past-statements/

As the saying goes: “play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”

You are right. No one questioned that the incident happened to sydneyboy. No one here even said that he did something to invite it or deserve it. My chief complaints are (1) his constant referral to an incident that occurred fourteen years ago is no longer timely and not very relevant to today, and (2) he says or does nothing to instruct others on how to prevent what happened to him happening to others in the future (and when others point out to him how the incident possibly could have been averted, he gets salty).

Oh no...another thread about crime and muggings in Rio...while the homicide rate decreased of a 18% YoY. I'm gonna repeat myself ...besides people getting robbed 392 times a week...STOP PUTTING A HUGE TARGET ON YOUR BACK, acting like a tourist, or doing stupid things like acting as a rich person (brazilian or not) while you're in areas at risk. If you don't do stupid things you'll not get mugged. The only time I got assaulted was i guess 3 years ago, while sitting on Copacabana's beach at night...I deserved it as a lesson. This is not something valid only in Rio or Brazil (where the crisis is still hitting hard)....it's still valid in every big city, with some rare and extreme exceptions. But i want to spend a couple of words about 117's place....Rua Candido Mendes outside 117 is not dangerous until you don't pass the Swiss consulate which is 4 or 5 buildings upwards from 117. The route between 117 and the metro is safe even at night, until you walk staying close to the buildings. The robberies and the muggings which occurred to the garotos on the last times occurred in Rua da Gloria, on the road side which faces towards Flamengo; and in Rua Hermenegildo de Barros, which is the road above 117, where Ubers usually do a U-turn and where many garotos park their cars and motorbikes. True, these guys are complaining, but ask them why they think they got robbed and they'll all tall you they did a stupid thing. One was walking on the road side of Rua da Gloria and got stopped by two armed guys on a motorbike, while wearing a huge golden necklace and walking with his iphone on his hands wearing earplugs. Another one was having a Facetime call while walking in the night. Another one was counting the bills at the corner... Another one (which is one of the former) got beaten down because he tried himself to beatdown the assaulters. Too bad it was a 3 vs 1. Got lucky they didn't have a knife or a gun. Don't think that the thieves don't know what's going on in saunas (can be 117, 202, Lagoa....and so on) and how much money is coming in and out from it. Last week I was forced to interrupt a brief holiday in Europe and to come back to Sao Paulo, because thieves incredibly broke into my apartment (and 2 more on the same building). Curiously the same thing happened to a friend of me in NYC at the beginning of July and 2 building workers, got injured too. Around 8 years ago I was sitting "alone" waiting for a late night bus in Dublin and playing with my mobile phobe...which got stolen from a young kid. Oh and then there's a friend of a friend of me in the UK, which got seriously injured by acid attacks. (and for some reasons....i feel like it's easier to die in a big EU city due to a terrorist attack than to die in Brazil due to an assault.) The short version? Act as a local, don't do stupid things and in the case that shit happens, don't do the Rambo.

I have read your posts over several years. Prior to the above-quoted post, I previously appreciated your level-headed statements. Did you not bother to read the evidence presented showing that the poster in question had reported the exact same mugging twice - once in October of last year and again in February of this year? That double reporting of a mugging, with exact same facts, put the poster's other claim of two additional muggings in the same month in doubt. To add to the doubt of the alleged duplicate muggings at the beach, the poster did not present any details of the two additional muggings he claimed occurred in the same month; February of this year (three muggings in one month). Copies of the poster's own prior postings to this forum from last year were presented as proof the same mugging with exact same details were reported in October of last year and again in February of this year (plus two additional muggings in February that offered no details). How could you have ignored the above facts and copies of the posters prior reports and write your inappropriate comment implying that we were "venting venom" against the forum poster? The tragedy (to use your chosen word) is that you responded to our posts without reading or acknowledging the facts. You owe three of us an apology for your inappropriate attack. To my knowledge, no one on this forum ever wrote anything doubting your own street mugging that you reported as happening to you on Avenida Atlantica some years back.

I’m going to read this article in its entirety, but I did want to add a slight correction about flip-flops. Brasileiros and brasileiras LOVE their Havaianas.

“VENOM”? YOU are the one STILL posting about one crime incident that happened to you in Copacabana FOURTEEN YEARS AGO — as if you hold some grudge against the entire city for something that happened when many of the current garotos at saunas were only 7 or 8 years old. In 2014, my and my 3 friend’s ATM cards were cloned at a bank machine in Copacabana and $2300 was stolen from my account in one morning. That was 5 years ago, I’m over it. Actually, I was already over it the next month. You’re not warning posters of dangers in current dangers or instructing them how to remain safer in Rio. Nothing you’ve posted does either of those. You’re digging up your one crime story from the George W. Bush administration era in an attempt to tar and feather a city (and possibly country) for allowing it to happen to you. I have said in another post where you discussed this incident outside The Copacabana Palace, that you basically make yourself a huge target by walking around The Palace looking like a wife-eyed gringo tourist — that area is PRIME for tourist muggings! So, if you insist on telling your 14-yet old mugging story ad nauseum, the best advice you could add at the end is: “don’t stay there, don’t look like me, and don’t do what I did”! NOT, “blame it on Rio”! And again, you got mugged on your first trip to Rio, and you still returned 8 more times since. You even Saigon this thread you’re planning yet another trip. THAT is the takeaway — that the draw of Rio (Brazil) usually wins over any of the more and less obvious risks and dangers (real or perceived).

“Back in the good old days, we didn’t listen to that hippity hoppity and that rockity roll! You whippersnapper kids stay off my lawn!”

I think I am right in saying the Muslim religion believes a lot of what is written in the Old Testament. That no doubt includes the verses in Leviticus which call for death between men who lie with other men. I am sure there are other references but I do not know where. Strangely, as far as I know, nowhere in the Quran is homosexuality referred to as a similar sin. This was an added extra in the hadith, the alleged sayings of the Prophet Mohammed and forming part of Islamic tradition some time after his death. The point being that, as spoon points out, progress in LGBT rights is unlikely to occur in countries with a large Islamic population and a bunch of evangelical Christians believing the same thing. But it strikes me that it is not only religion. The British are also very much to blame. When England passed its anti-sodomy law in the 1860s, all its colonial possessions incorporated the same law. And then the British departed leaving the law on all those statue books when England itself would change the law in the 1960s. Section 377A remains law in Singapore and Malaysia.and the reason usually trotted out is, as spoon says, those in power state the public would not accept a change. Strangely the same seemed to be true in Hong Kong where successive governments claimed the 95% Chinese community would not accept a change in the law. Ironically it was Hong Kongs return to China that necessitated a sort of Bill of Rights for the city acceptable to the international community. So the law was changed almost 30 years ago. Did the Chinese population rise up? Were there demonstrations and calls for resignations? Apparently not a cheep! So much for that little political ploy.

Look, fellows ... there is a division here, fair enough, it happens. And who's zoomin'' who is actually ambiguous. LOL I don't particularly support one-sided alliance either way, and I would prefer to be friendly with everyone, however capable or incapable others are in making an accurate assessment of my motives. This thread got most derailed when I was criticized for posting some data I found interesting and relevant. I was certain that the language I used was qualitatively no different than my contributions earlier in the thread. As I reflect more on it, I think my earlier thread points were valued more because they attracted a shark school of the usual predictable array of bee-atches to send up a contributor whose posts were, granted, inconsistent and exaggerated. When that fizzled, it seems that I was the next best candidate in line for being chum in the water. Historically, it seems that anybody can be that chum for our most favourite chum here and whoever his current cronies may be ... they should all get a room, fuck themselves silly (however flaccidizing that thought) and bite each others' heads off for snacks. I have noticed similar trends in other interpersonal systems ... teams, families, working groups, etc. Best to just try to roll with it. It can be unfortunate and offputting at times. It is a challenge not to feel a teeny tiny bit superior as one witnesses substandard observational skills and half-baked pronouncements. But everybody has their own particular strengths that surpass mine. The negativity is disorienting because I had the good fortune of growing in a very healthy functioning family. On balance, I don't feel strongly I should ignore members. I accept that others may choose to react by not reacting. I think I am of average intelligence but I do like to stretch myself to learn, and I do try to track, unpack, and comprehend the often problematic dynamics that arise in the typical message board setting. I am smart enough to know that even these thoughts are up for grabs for gratuitous mockery. However, the key is simply to deposit such outliers' comments in the "questionable worth" bin, respond as needed, and calmly anticipate the next salvo. Extracting what is good about the forum as long as it is sufficiently proportional.

Unspoken theme - Maxi’s is missed!