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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/23/2020 in all areas

  1. I went to Silom 4 area. First, it was a rainy night so no expectations from me on anything. The Soi 4 area was fairly busy with customers and guys. It looked like a lot of things going on. There were 13 guys in Jupiter and some sexy ones there for sure. I then walked to the Patpong area. Screwboys had 3 boys there and Dreamboys was very quite. I went to Hotmale and they had about 20 guys on stage and some sexy and some kind rough looking. The sexy ones were outside trying to get people in the bar. Freshboys has over 25 guys there. Mostly gay, smooth and cute. Very twinky type area. I took guy from there at 500 baht for off and each drink was 350 baht. Had a lovely evening. OK. I admit, same guy the last 4 times so I do like him. But, the other boys that work there now give me much more attention and smiles as they know I am not just looking and willing to take guys (or one guy at least) off. I had my eye on one guy for a while there but never much eye contact. Last night, he suddenly seemed interested. It was rainy the whole way to my place and boy wanted to sleep over. I said not possible and he understood.
    7 points
  2. We decided to try the 10:30 pm cabaret show last night at Castro. Many seats were reserved but good seats were available. Drinks very reasonable, no cover charges. Cigarette smoking is permitted with ashtrays on the table but we were lucky and no one was smoking. Comfortable seating, good a/c. Lots of older gay farangs in audience, tipping the lip syncing lady Boys generously and having a good time. Lots of campy gay Asian men also loving the show. It reminded me of the early 1960’s. Campy and glitter everywhere. It was a birthday party as well. Almost a full house. We watched Boyzboyzboyz fill up with younger Asians. The Boyz show has lots of cabaret also now as the gay Thai and ladies eat it up. Castro has shows only on the weekends.
    4 points
  3. This is a superb post. Thank you beyond saying. We need these foundational reminders of what matters and how we operate, right now
    3 points
  4. I have read a number of scientific papers over recent years about SARS. The American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research stated this https://biomedgrid.com/pdf/AJBSR.MS.ID.001017.pdf With SARS the world got lucky for two reasons. The period between infection and showing signs of symptoms was as early as 2 days. Then SARS was only transmitted once an infected person started to show symptoms. Testing and tracing was far easier than with covid19. Sorry I cannot speak for the other viruses you listed. Most studies state clearly that early and accurate transmission of information between health authorities is vital in countering new viruses. With covid19 that has been lacking from the get go. The Chinese authorities are definitely in the wrong. The WHO were slow off the ball. Governments and health authorities around the world were equally slow off the ball. We should not forget the first known identified case outside China was discovered in Thailand on 13 January. Despite CDC alerts between January 6 and 8 about the danger of travel to and from China, general travel from China to the US was banned only on February 2 but with a large number of exceptions. Italy also confirmed the first European cases at the end of January and banned air travel from China at the same time. By then this virus was well and truly out of control. Vietnam, Taiwan and Hong Kong were hard hit by SARS. Hong Kong has also had waves of various waves of swine flu. In these cases governments acted fast and set up departments to deal with future health emergencies. Taiwan has only had one small wave, Vietnam now two and Hong Kong three. But total numbers remain tiny compared to most other countries. At some future time I hope a lot of people around the world are going to be held accountable for the huge death toll and the coming economic catastrophes.
    3 points
  5. It blows my mind. But, how many also believe in imaginary people and places? It is easy to convince someone who does not use logic or science as a basis for thinking. I have friends who are highly educated and post one conspiracy theory after another one. It blows my mind!
    3 points
  6. BTW: I really hate mamasans. I like to look and learn. But, a mamasan in Jupiter asked me if I liked gay or straight, I made the mistake and engaged. I know better. But, I thought I could answer that one. But, then she called calling over gay guys. I told her to stop and get away from me. I think a bit insulted but six times of telling her the same thing should be enough.
    3 points
  7. 40% of Americans support our homegrown Mussolini even after all of this. I can never stop knowing that fact.
    3 points
  8. He Predicted Trump's Win In 2016. Now He's Ready To Call 2020. I couldn't resist commenting on this. I've been waiting for this shoe to drop. And now it has. Allan Lichtman, "the prediction professor", says President Toxic is going to lose. It's locked and loaded, he says, if you watch the nicely produced seven minute video above. The caveats he adds are that Trump will try to change the outcome with voter suppression. And Putin will, too, with Round Two of "fuck up democracy good" election interference. But history is against President Toxic and his hate and racism. Maybe MLK was right after all. There are people who think that Lichtman is selling snake oil. If you think that, go right ahead. But people like Lee Atwater disagreed. I've watched lots of videos on YouTube of Lichtman addressing conventions of political scientists. He tells a story about how when he first published his theory in the early 80's, and predicted two years in advance that Reagan would win re-election in 1984, Lee Atwater asked him to visit him at The White House. Atwater asked if it would change Lichtman's prediction of a Republican victory if Reagan did not seek re-election in 1984. Lichtman said yes: you lose the power of incumbency, and you lose the charisma of Reagan, which are two of his 13 "keys". Atwater took him seriously in the early 1980's, apparently. Being right about every election since, months or in some cases years in advance, has not diminished Lichtman's stature. I won't comment on the keys themselves, since Lichtman goes through them all in the video above. I'm a data guy. So what I buy about this, other than the important fact that Lichtman has been right every time so far, is that his keys are almost all objective criteria. As an objective measure, the economy has gone to shit this year. As an objective measure, there is mass social unrest. Blacks in particular, but also most Millennials, have had enough of President Toxic stirring the pot of racism, hate, and division. So history is going to give this major national embarrassment and complete asshole exactly what he deserves. And the prediction itself is based on mostly objective facts. (I added the word asshole myself just to be mean, like President Toxic is.) What I also particularly like about Lichtman's theory, as a political science theory, is that it is built on respect for the American people. As he says in the video, ignore the polls and the politicking. It's governing that matters to people. Voters are making reasoned judgments on the performance of the party in power - and whether they have earned the privilege of more power, or the need for punishment. So Lichtman is basically saying it's always been the economy, stupid. Or the war, stupid. It makes common sense. John McCain was a profoundly decent man, and a genuine hero. Nothing he said or did in 2008 could have overcome the weight of Iraq War fatigue, and the Great Recession. So President Toxic can flap his racist and hating lips all he wants, and it won't mean a thing. All Trump is going to prove is that in 2020, it's the racism, stupid, too. But as Lichtman says, Putin trying to fuck with America and democracy again might mean something. So we have to be vigilant. And we have to send money to Democrats. In 2018 I picked my Democracy Dozen and sent each of them $100 a month all Fall. About half of them were House candidates trying to flip Republican seats, mostly in California. Then there were moderate Democratic Senators like Heidi Heitkamp and Claire McCaskill. In 2018 almost all the House Democrats won, and flipped a boatload of Republican seats. Almost all the Senate Democratic incumbents I sent money to lost. (Senator Sinema in Arizona was the exception.) What seemed to determine the outcome was simple and consistent. If your constituency is old, White, and rural, and you are a Democrat, you will lose. That's how it worked out in Indiana, North Dakota, and Missouri. If your constituency is anything else - young, Black, Brown, Gay, urban, suburban - and you are a Democrat, you will win. It seems likely to pretty much work out the same way this time. But, no. There's no racism in America, is there? My basic theory is that most young people, say under 40, pretty much see the same thing: a country and an economic system that hasn't worked all that well for them. Even when times were supposedly good. So while Black Lives Matter, and young Whites feel the same way as young Blacks, a big chunk of that is that they both know what it feels like to be crippled by debt and left behind in a top-down economy. And we now know for sure they don't like it. Smart Republican activists have been saying for years a huge tidal wave is going to take out Republicans soon. And it is a tidal wave of youth. Will 2020 be that year? We'll know soon. My 2020 Democracy Dozen is built on the same principle as 2018: go for the restoration of moderation, decency, fact, and reason. So in 2018 that meant people like Harley Rouda, a former Republican who flipped an Orange County House district. The heart of Reaganism in the 1980's, Orange County, is now solid blue, thanks to people like Rouda. He's favored to win re-election in 2020, but it will be close. So I'm sending him money. More important in 2020 is the Senate. So my priorities are people like Mark Kelly in Arizona, John Hickenlooper in Colorado, Theresa Greenfield in Iowa, Steve Bullock in Montana, Jon Ossoff in Georgia, Sara Gideon in Maine, Cal Cunnigham in North Carolina. All of them are leading or tied in polls. I think all could win in November. As a progressive who voted for Bernie in the California primary, I don't see one of these men and women I'm prioritizing as a progressive. Rev. Warnock in Georgia is. A Black pastor from MLK's home church winning a Senate seat would be very exciting. But it's not very likely. What matters most to me about the people above is that they want to restore decency, unity, reason, and good governance. Bernie himself (and my personal 2020 favorite, Elizabeth) obviously get why that matters, as they proved this week. And on the subject of decency, kudos to John Kasich and Jon Meacham for saying exactly what needs to be said repeatedly and relentlessly until Election Day. One of the breaking points I had with a former client and friend of 20 years who is a moderate Republican was when he trashed John Kasich to me for writing the book, "Two Paths". At the time, in 2017, this Republican friend said the only thing Kasich can do that matters is run for Senate in Ohio in 2018 and try to take Sherrod Brown out. Other than that, Kasich should just shut the fuck up. He has nothing of value to say. That was one of dozens of moments I can now look back on as leading me to the conclusion that something sick and vile was happening in the hearts of Republican friends I actually used to listen to, and respect. Moments like that, which ended friendship and respect, will be my lifelong recollection of the hate and ugliness of the era of President Toxic. Kasich is a man of principle. He will be heard. Kudos to him for standing for what he deeply believes in. He is, to me, an American hero. I'll close with this. Jon Meacham is another one who, like Kasich, I think eloquently defined this particular moment. If you believe Lichtman's theory, the beautiful and moving rhetoric of someone like Meacham doesn't really matter. Because it's the economy, stupid. Or it's the war, stupid. Or it's the racism, stupid. That's what will drive President Toxic's loss. While that may be true, I think Meacham at least helped define how we FEEL about this moment. His call for decency and unity was deeply felt. Just like Brayden Harrington, the kid who stutters and wants the world to feel better in 2021. Even if Lichtman's "keys" will drive the outcome, like they have in every election he correctly predicted, it matters a lot how we FEEL about what happened. I predict the residual racists will double down on the three things they did right after Obama won in 2008: they will buy guns, buy more guns, and buy even more guns. And this time they'll get a double dose of bullets. So they basically need to sit at home with their guns and bullets and have a very long time out. The rest of us will hopefully take Meacham's words to heart. In a unifying way, I think he defined the mission and purpose to come.
    2 points
  9. For the 40% that love Trump, yes it is difficult to believe so many, including friends and coworkers, support the man, until I remind myself that these people read Breitbart and worse, and watch Fox news and the newer channels that are even further to the right of Fox. I also have those types of acquaintances that believe in conspiracy theories. I even find myself slipping into beliefs of conspiracy, that we are groomed by the media to believe a certain Dem candidate is anointed as having the right stuff, where certain segments of the media are willing to shoot form the hip to vilify anyone that steps out of line. Example below. But for now, all must do the right things to defeat Trump. Anyone willing to continually trash Biden or Harris is suspect, IMO.
    2 points
  10. Its aek, dont recall his number, and there is his pic in jupiter thread in the photo section i believe. Found the post.
    2 points
  11. anddy

    Less Face Masks

    Yes I have observed that for a while now. Fewer masks, but that's almost always in outdoor settings, where I don't see too big a problem with it. Shopping malls and similar of course won;t let you in without mask (and temp check), in my condo nobody cares anymore; they also removed the footprints and instruction stickers in the elevators, how you were supposed to stand facing the walls to reduce risk of infection. As for Thai Channa, I find that hardly (if any at all) any place enforces it now, even upscale shopping malls. You can just walk past, no need to even pretend to scan the QR. I still do it most of the time, though, but not always. Even did it at Sauna Mania the other day. I also think it's a good idea, even at 3 months without local transmission. Just look at Danang, can pop up any day, unannounced.
    2 points
  12. I doubt this policy will revive the tourist industry.
    2 points
  13. I understand and makes sense. Reading the books in the 12th grade doesn't surprise me. I do not see teens at that age as children, but in that weird no one's land adolescence is.
    2 points
  14. Done. I just booked a 2 BRs apartment with a small terrace right by Posto 9 of Praia do Recreo. I am bringing a beauty from Porto Alegre to stay the whole week with me. I am negotiating for a few more visitors, a few days each. Now let's hope Bolsonaro or Trump do not get between Paradise and me.
    2 points
  15. Part of what I liked about Biden, Kasich, and Meacham this week was their tone of decency, unity, and sobriety. So if we're going to be sober, let's face facts. It's not that 40 % of Americans support our "homegrown Mussolini". It's 51 % of Americans that approve of President Toxic. At least according to the latest daily Rasmussen poll, taken a few days into the DNC. That's a fact we should not stop knowing, too. Like I said, be vigilant. And send money to Democrats. I thought the blip about 51 % was worth stating for several reasons. First, it suggests it is all about the base. In 2016 Rasmussen nailed the polling. They predicted Clinton would win the popular vote by 2 points, which is exactly what she did. (The RCP polling average in 2016 said Clinton would win by 3 points, which was also very close.) But in 2018 Rasmussen predicted that Congressional House Republicans would beat House Democrats by 1 point. Rasmussen was way off in 2018 - by almost 10 points. In 2018 the final RCP average was that Democrats would win the House popular vote by a 7.3 % margin. In fact, Democrats won the House popular vote by 8.4 %. (Meaning all the votes cast for all US House members.) So the overall polling, when you look at the averages, was way more right than wrong in both 2016 and 2018. But the huge difference between Rasmussen being dead right in 2016 and dead wrong in 2018 was about the base. In 2016 President Toxic lost the popular vote by millions. But he won a minuscule electoral college victory of less than 100,000 votes because the right parts of his base turned out just enough in just a few of the right places in the Midwest. It's not the most democratic way of winning an election, to be sure. Even so, winning is winning. In 2018 the electorate was just different. Some of the Trump base didn't vote. And some of the 2016 "Trump base" was suburban and working class women who by 2018 were thoroughly disgusted with President Toxic, and voted Democratic. Rasmussen is again way out on the margin. Their most recent daily poll (August 21) shows President Toxic with a shocking +4 % net approval rating. The RCP average on the same day was closer to what you said, @caeron: 54.2 % disapproval, 43.7 % approval, for a net disapproval rate of - 10.5 %. So Rasmussen is close to 15 points off the RCP polling averages. Second, I think Lichtman is fundamentally right that daily ticks in any one poll, or even in these broad polling averages, have just about nothing to do with the election outcome. My main reason for posting that video/article is that I think Lichtman is right that people care about fundamentals. And President Toxic will lose in November based on the fundamentals. I do think all this base politics may help explain what seems like a small and seemingly odd "Trump bump" for President Toxic coming out of the DNC this week - at least according to Rasmussen. My read of the first few nights of the DNC in particular, which is perhaps what these Rasmussen polls captured, was a play to the base of the Democratic Party. There was a lot of talk about Black Lives Matter. Bernie Sanders reached out to his progressive base, which thinks Biden is too moderate. Michelle Obama told us that President Toxic will of course steal the election if he can. If some of the language and tone turned centrists off, that would not surprise me in the least. If and when President Toxic preaches his typical bile next week, the centrists will likely be reminded how much they dislike him. Democrats were talking to their base this week. We'll know in November whether it worked. We know this week Democrats raised money in droves. They also made the case that you have to get your ballot early and vote early, and make sure your vote is counted. President Toxic went even further down the road of saying any election he does not win is not a legitimate one. This does not suggest Democrats fucked up the DNC in any way. And after you send in your ballot - again, send a check to a Democrat. Or several. The best criticism I've read about what was missing at the DNC was this one by Ron Brownstein, one of my favorite (and most data-driven) journalists. That whole article of his I hyperlinked is a very thoughtful read. His main point is that Biden and Democrats missed an opportunity to lay out with laser precision an economic plan that would appeal to exactly the White working class voters that bailed on the Obama/Biden legacy in 2016. Instead, Biden himself focused on broader themes like unity and the "soul" of the nation. On CNN Democratic talking heads were bending over backwards to argue that Biden's speech addressed all kinds of policies, at least broadly. But I think Brownstein is basically right. Brownstein also lays out in the article what is the most logical explanation for why Democrats did what they did. They want this to be a referendum on President Toxic. Not a choice between his economic vision and Biden's. So Biden mostly needs to keep his mask on, and his mouth shut. I also suspect Team Biden is smart enough to know how to play to low expectations. Even Fox News and Karl Rove admitted that the passionate guy delivering his acceptance speech this week was hardly "Sleepy Joe", or senile. I suspect Biden will also shine in the debates, when he passionately goes after President Toxic's seeming obsession with policies that are unhelpful. Like race baiting. Or giving tax cuts to the 1 %. Or talking about investing in infrastructure but not actually doing it. Or still trying to take away protection for pre-existing conditions, for example. It worked in 2018. I'm guessing it will work again in 2020. I'm doing an odd thing here. I'm using polling data to argue that Lichtman is right: fundamentals are what matter to voters. Even though Lichtman mostly dismisses polls. But I'll offer the following as an addendum to Lichtman, which to me reinforces the idea that people are not stupid. They understand what is going on. And they make decisions about who is trustworthy based on judgments about competence and character and performance - not campaign slogans or silly red hats. UPDATE ON THE APPROVAL OF EXECUTIVE PERFORMANCE DURING COVID-19 That's part of a really interesting series of polls that have been going on since Spring about how voters in all 50 states feel their Governor is doing handling COVID-19. Not surprisingly, given how incompetent our national "non-plan" to deal with COVID-19 has been, and the deep consumer-driven recession it has caused, very few Governors got higher approval ratings in late July than they did in late April. In almost every state, President Toxic's approval rating for handling COVID-19 is far worse than that of the state's Governor, whether Republican or Democrat. There's only one state in which President Toxic just managed to get 50 % approval on his handling of COVID-19: Wyoming. His national approval rating for handling COVID-19 was 32 % in late July. In any state that is not deep red, it is about that bad, or worse. This is very bad news for many Republicans, including Republican Governors. Republican Governors in Florida, Texas, and Georgia are all deep underwater. What seems likely to happen this November may well ripple out into gubernatorial elections in 2021 and 2022. That said, what I find most interesting and salient to the broad point I'm making about unity and decency and competence is which Governors are doing well. 5 Governors had approval ratings over 70 % for their handling of COVID-19 in late July. In order: Hogan in Maryland (76 %), Scott in Vermont (75 %), Cuomo in New York and Raimondo in Rhode Island (both 71 %), and Baker in Massachusetts (70 %). Note that three of the those five are Republican Governors, and all three of them happen to govern solid blue states. What explains how voters feel? It's not actual deaths. New York has by far the most COVID-19 deaths in America, as well all know. If you adjust for deaths per 100,000 state residents, New York is # 2, Massachusetts is # 3, Rhode Island is # 6, and Maryland is # 13. In other words, they were deadlier than most states in terms of your chances of dying of COVID-19. Only Vermont at # 47 can brag about being a small "safe" state where a total of only 58 people have died of COVID-19 so far. Now I'm going off into a subjective guess. But my strong hunch is that everybody knows that New England was the "COVID-19 corridor" this Spring. They got hit hard before anyone (especially President Toxic) really focused on what the virus was capable of doing on US soil. Significantly, Biden was an exception. He staked out a public position in USA Today on January 27th that this was an impending disaster an incompetent President was not preparing the nation for. Geez! How senile is that? I'm guessing voters are giving Governors that got to work on COVID-19 early and aggressively an "A" for effort. I'd also argue all three of those Republican Governors are "Kasich Republicans". Meaning they work hard to unify voters in their state. They appear competent and concerned, whatever their ideology. All three broke with President Toxic on handling COVID-19 very early. Meanwhile, the Republican Governors who sided with President Toxic on aggressive reopenings are deep underwater. The approval ratings of both President Toxic and the incumbent Republican Governor are so bad in states like Arizona and Georgia that Republicans ought to be seriously worried about public disapproval handing those states to Biden, as well as newly minted Democratic Senators. Cuomo and Raimondo were not particularly popular in 2019. Raimondo in particular is a Governor I've liked from a distance, because she is a deficit hawk. But that has made her unpopular with unions, who were defending underfunded pension plans. So she went from the # 3 most unpopular Governor in the US in late 2019 to one of the most popular ones today - even though her state was hit harder by COVID-19 than most. Why? I think because she is perceived as having been on top of whacking the virus back effectively, just like Cuomo is. Again, these are my hunches, not facts. But I went into detail about these polls because they are very broad and consistent. Wherever Governors have sided with President Toxic, even in red or purple states like Georgia and Texas and Florida, they are mostly in deep trouble. Wherever Governors put handling the health crisis first - which is how polls consistently show the vast majority of Americans feel - Governors of either party are doing well. To tie this back to Lichtman, I would argue that most voters are not stupid. And they are not into home grown Mussolinis. As he argues, they are focused on fundamentals. To the degree that President Toxic has had something even remotely close to majority support, at least in a few Republican-leaning polls like Rasmussen on a very few days out of over three years, it boils down to this: it's the economy, stupid. He inherited an economy that on the day he was inaugurated ALREADY had the lowest Black and Hispanic poverty in the nation's history. Whatever he did, it amounted to putting a cherry on the cake Obama baked and Biden put the frosting on. And now that has all gone completely to shit. The polling data also pretty much prove that in every one of all 50 US states, voters are putting dealing with the virus first. This makes sense, because we now know that consumer demand fell off a cliff before any government shut down. Because consumers stopped consuming. Consumers also seem to know that wherever the virus is raging, the economy and jobs can't really recover. This is, of course, what most economists have been saying for most of 2020. All of this is a long dance around your statement about 40 % of the voters. I certainly believe that some percentage of Americans, which is way less than 50 %, are what I think of as residual racists. They are so deeply emotionally committed to their version of America - the one they grew up in where legal segregation and legal voter suppression and racism (and, of course, legal discrimination against "homosexuals") were norms - that like President Toxic they just can't change. He is actually modeling how his strongest supporters are likely to react, both before and after the election. They will grow increasingly frantic as they move toward defeat. And increasingly bitter after they are defeated. As I said above, gun sales will skyrocket. We'll know just how bad it is once history kicks President Toxic's divisive ass into the political grave. I'm not that worried about 51 % of Americans telling Rasmussen they approve of Trump on August 21st. Most of the data has been consistent all year: President Toxic is in a downward spiral that now can not be reversed. And Lichtman is right. It's because of fundamentals. Not blips in polls after some viewers in the middle perhaps heard a bit too much about Black Lives Matters or AOC on TV last night. I was ambivalent about Biden all through 2019. One thing I do appreciate about him more than ever is this: he clearly plays the long game. That is, of course, what Lichtman and Meacham and Kasich are all speaking to. The long game. The fundamentals. The core values. The need for unity and compromise. So like many Democrats, I will never be truly excited about Biden. But I don't have a hard time accepting that he offers some things that right now the majority of Americans do in fact notice, and feel strongly about. Mostly he offers a reasonable alternative. That is what Lichtman is saying. And that is what really matters. And I'm glad you won't forget the fact that 35 % or 40 % or 45 % or whatever actually supported the hate and racism and incompetence and dividing. Even though they allowed President Toxic to convince them that this was actually somehow "healing" America. And, of course, making it great again. However many they are, we should not forget. Most of them are just going to get older, and more bitter. And we'll have to deal with them for the rest of their lives.
    2 points
  16. Yep. According to mamasan. But, you know what I think of that. Question was answered in first post. There were a fair amount of customers and boys. Were you looking for numbers? I don't know specifics of how many were in each place. There were customers and boys in every placed I walked by. I don't like to spend time sitting in those restaurants so I am not a good judge of what you may consider normal. For a rainy night, I was happy with what I saw in that area. No business should go bankrupt. As far as GoGo's. I was the only customer in Jupiter. Both Hotmale and Freshboys had a nice fill of customers. When I went to Dreamboys the first time no customers but no boys on stage either. I didn't go back to Dreamboys as the show as starting and I prefer half-naked lads to singing ladyboys.
    2 points
  17. vinapu

    B22.5bn sub buy gets nod

    Brunei, Maldives and Timor Lest I guess not to mention that great naval power of Laos
    2 points
  18. Well Certainly it will only be "guesting" as Moonlight remains closed. Assuming things return to normal at some point AND the business is still afloat by then, then I'd assume that Moonlight reopens in it's former form, and Hotmale also returns to it's previous style. That's the only thing that makes sense given the same-same ownership. As for Babe, there is a funny and in some respects interesting clip with Babe here: I'll have to watch it again (at home rather than on the beach) and listen more closely, but from watching the first time I understood Babe claiming to never had anything sexual with a guy, and that yes, he used to be for hire, but only for women. Again, I'll have to watch & listen again to confirm those statements. Interesting though, isnt' it...?
    2 points
  19. Yup, this is a better option than the current one. And if its true, youd want to queue for it as soon as possible, given the current queue to return is outrageous. And seems like this one is the first that doesnt require a special visa too. Its a way in for many, but definitely not for short term visitor.
    2 points
  20. floridarob

    Brasil (SP) comments

    Nothing much to update, except I've been with the same guy since Monday, he's so attentive and fun. Unlike the normal Latin guys that are accustomed to their moms and sisters cleaning up after them, he insists on doing the dishes , taking out the trash, cleaning up after both of us and running the errands. We went to a Thai Restaurant the other night, that I've been to before, quite simple but nice food and great friendly/fun service, very simple name of the place ...Thai Food Next night, Pizza, Veridiana...3 locations, 1 near Lagoa...more or less. Lunch was rice , beans and chicken....for him , but I was very surprised how good everything was...restaurante Temerinho. I had been on the email list for Upgrade club for years, http://upgradesexclub.com.br/....tonight was my 1st time going. He was uneasy, because it was something new and out of his wheelhouse. Notwithstanding, we still had fun, . He fucked my in a sling with a few onlookers.....I'd go back alone sometime, bartender said weekends are incredible He went home tonight and I was till horny, so called a regular from Lagoa to come over , we were watching Michael Jackson videos and I showed him Moonwalker and Captain EO....his mind was blown because he thought he had seen everything about MJ Saturday night we're planning Indian food night (yeah, I like to eat)...looking at Tandoor restaurant.
    2 points
  21. reader

    How to Retire in Vietnam

    NOTE -- Although the following article was published this month, Vietnam currently remains closed to international tourists. From US News and World Report Consider retirement overseas in this exotic and affordable country A long-favored destination among backpackers and adventure tourists, Vietnam offers staggeringly beautiful landscapes, a colorful local culture and an extremely low cost of living. Retirees considering moving overseas to Vietnam need to be adventuresome and comfortable with dramatic culture shock. If you are open to exotic new experiences, Vietnam could be your chance to enjoy a rich, vibrant retirement on a tiny budget. Vietnam is one of the most affordable places in the world to live well. A couple can live here comfortably on a budget of $1,000 per month or less. Health care, in particular, is a fraction of the cost of comparable care in the United States. Vietnam doesn't make things straightforward when it comes to visas and residency. Even to visit as a tourist, you'll need to fill out an application for a visa before arriving in the country. You can apply for a one- or three-month tourist visa and extend this up to two times before you have to leave the country to renew it. You could also apply for a business or investor visa, which could allow you to remain in the country full time indefinitely. Vietnamese is an extremely difficult language to learn. It has 11 vowels, as opposed to English's five, and subtle differences in pronunciation result in drastically different meanings. English is most commonly spoken in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, but even in these cities it's mostly the younger generation and those working in the tourism industry with English-language skills. Outside major cities you'll meet very few English speakers. As a result, the language difference can be the greatest challenge of living in Vietnam as an expat retiree. The government owns all land in Vietnam, and foreigners are restricted from owning land. The best you can do is to lease land from the government for a maximum of 50 years. Foreigners can purchase property in certain condo developments in bigger cities. Most expats and retirees prefer to bypass the complications of property ownership completely and rent. Depending where in the country you choose to base yourself, you can rent for as little as $350 per month. Vietnam has both public and private health care systems. Most expats and retirees opt to use the private facilities, where the quality of care is high and the staff includes internationally trained doctors. The most prestigious hospital group in Vietnam is Hoan My Medical Corporation, with hospitals and clinics across the country. City International Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City is the biggest international hospital, where a quarter of the patients are foreigners and most of the medical staff speaks English. Prices for health care in Vietnam are among the most affordable in the world. For example, at City International Hospital you'll pay $17 for a basic consultation, $4 for a blood test and less than $10 for an X-ray. Costs can be so low that it can make sense to pay for care out of pocket. However, private hospitals generally cater to expats with international health insurance. Continues at https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/baby-boomers/articles/how-to-retire-in-vietnam
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  22. it's not supposed to revive it, just to throw a life line. And, if successful (in terms of not getting an outbreak from it), possibly serve as a model for the rest of Thailand. How successful in terms of number of takers it might be, I am rather doubtful too. Like I said in my earlier post, stranded expats rather than real tourists might be the main takers and beneficiaries.
    1 point
  23. Enquanto isso, no Rio de Janeiro...
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  24. Do no diminish it, please. It is a whole Fucksgiving WEEK.
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  25. Such as also Dostoevsky’s Crime & Punishment. She treated us as adults, who could do difficult things, well.
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  26. NOTE -- Thailand hasn't had a submarine force since 1951 but the navy never gave up hope, maintaining the submarine division for seven decades without ever having an actual submarine in the fleet. In 2013, a new sub base was completed at Sattahip. The following article describes the history of the submarine in earlier years (1934-1951), providing a wealth of history about then Siam and later Thailand. From The Combinedfleet.com History of Royal Thai Submarines in World War Two © 2016 Bob Hackett Revision 2 Thailand was one of the Axis states which assisted Japan in World War II. On 8 December 1941, Japanese forces invaded southern Thailand, but resistance lasted only a few hours before ending in a ceasefire. On 21 December 1941, a mutual offensive-defensive alliance pact between Thailand and Japan was signed. On 25 January 1942, the Thai government declared war on the United States and Britain. Thai Lt General Jarun Rattanakun Seriroengrit's Phayap (Northern) Army invaded and occupied northeastern Burma, which was former Siamese (Thai) territory that was annexed by Britain much earlier. Thailand then proceeded to annex territories in neighboring countries, expanding northwards, southwards and eastwards, and gained a border with China. The official policy of the U.S. Government (USG) is that Thailand was not an ally of the Axis, and that the United States was not at war with Thailand. Since 1945, USG policy has been to treat Thailand not as a former enemy, but rather as a country which had been forced into certain actions by the Japanese. Thailand has been treated by the United States in the same way as such other Axis-occupied countries as Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Greece, Norway, Poland and the Netherlands. In 1934, Admiral Sindhu Kamalanavin, then Chief of Staff of the Royal Siamese Navy (RSN), led a warship-procurement project which was approved by parliament in 1935. The proposal included a 6.9 million-baht budget for three submarines the Navy wanted to protect Siam's almost 1,000 mile long coastline along the Gulf of Siam from foreign incursion, most notably by the colonial French colonists. The Siamese lacked domestic capability and the experience needed to build such vessels, so in October 1935, the RSN opened international bidding for the three submarines. Bidding was was won by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan, which offered a price of 820,000 baht each for four boats and terms including technical training of prospective officers and crews in Japan. In 1936, the RSN let a contract and purchased four submarines for delivery in 1937. Siamese navy officers and sailors were sent to Japan to be trained to operate the submarines by Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) personnel. On 31 May 1936, the first group of about 40 officers and men departed Bangkok aboard NACHISAN MARU, the Mitsui Line's first passenger liner. On 12 June 1936, they arrived at Kobe. [1] In May 1936, two 374.5 ton submarines were laid down at Kobe based on a private Mitsubishi design. Both were launched on 24 December 1936. In May 1936, two more such submarines were laid down at Kobe. Both were launched on 14 May 1937. From 13 June-25 October 1936, the Siamese sailors were billeted and trained at the Funabashi Elementary School in Tokyo. There the prospective Siamese crews underwent submariner training by the IJN in Japanese language training, gymnastics, Kendo martial arts and naval infantry training. On 15 September 1936, the trainees visited Yokosuka and the decommissioned IJN MIKASA, flagship of Admiral Togo Heihachiro throughout the Russo-Japanese War of 1904–1905. [1] On 25 October 1936, they embarked by train from Tokyo, arriving the next day at Kobe where Mitsubishi had constructed a wooden submarine model for training purposes. IJN Captain (Vice Admiral, posthumously) Yatsushiro Sukeyoshi (40)(former CO of RO-61, I-63) was their Chief instructor. On 19 April 1937, another 41 officers and men departed Bangkok, Siam on 4,433-ton liner NACHISAN MARU. They arrived at Shiminoseki, Japan in May 1937 whereupon they embarked by train for Tokyo. [1] On 4 September 1937, all four submarines were completed and delivered to Royal Siamese Navy. MATCHANU and WIRUN then underwent testing for several weeks including torpedo firing in Kobe Bay. Thai Submarine Day is now observed on 4 September. Continues with photos http://www.combinedfleet.com/Royal%20Thai%20Submarines.htm
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  27. Given that you are the only customer, mamasan are desperate to make some money of you too. Jupiter mamasan was so busy before pre covid that they barely disturbed me when i visited there lol The most famous gay guy who will not go with women customer is there. Maybe u forgot lol. And i believes there are few more that always hang out with him, but i doubt there are many before. But who knows about the current line up except michael hehe.
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  28. Congrats on your fucksgiving weekend!
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  29. On reflection, in my childhood I was reading mostly Seven leagues under the sea, other like kind of SF, A.C. Clarke, etc.
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  30. On some considered reflection, Faulkner’s novel Absalom, Absalom! is probably the single greatest book I have ever read. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/373755.Absalom_Absalom_ To include even the KJV of the Scriptures. Which for me (& including the works of my idol Harold Bloom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Bloom) is to say something.
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  31. floridarob

    Brasil (SP) comments

    Since they closed the old Fragata, it's been the same thing...next month, next month lol They just started to update their Instagram account with what the daily schedules will be
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  32. I am not sure we are comparing apples to apples here. 40% of Americans support a mysoginist, xenophobic, nationalist, homophobic, scandalously ignorant man. Perhaps we all believe in imaginary people and places. The places and the people we imagine, though, are radically different.
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  33. I missed this in the first post, but thank you for the extra details
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  34. Yes! I had just read the translated article in a conservative Argentine newspaper I check every morning. Coronavirus. Allan Lichtman: "La respuesta de Trump a la pandemia condenó su reelección" I agree with Meacham. It is very clear. My political distance from Biden and the Democrats is absolutely irrelevant in front of such a clear, easy option to make. However, I do not have confidence in the outcome of the election. Although polls and social scientists predictions seem to be very encouraging, I am afraid of sentient people becoming over confident and giving another win to the loonies. Even if Biden wins, I am still concerned. What does it say of America that Donald Trump has the support he has, even after everything he has done? It is not only White Supremacy, but also a core selfish individualism incapable of empathy and socio economic cooperativism. Let's see. Right now, let's work on expanding the anti-trump coalition. We can discuss our differences once Biden-Harris are on charge.
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  35. Went to Lagoa last night, Friday. The price has gone back to 65 reis and the wet sauna and showers were open and was fairly crowded....I stayed in a corner at the stairway. Has been chilly and drizzly out, and everytime I walk into Lagoa, going down the ramp, I feel like Trump walking down a ramp,lol The guy I've been with mostly went to see if he could get a programma ..... he didn't, so I took him and his friend back to the apt for a 3-way. They left to go to a party, invited me but I declined....Namazu would've went for sure, I would've some years ago, now just happy staying in. Invited the regular from Lagoa to come over...he stayed the night. What to do tonight bcdaron, didn't notice those guys last night, but if difficult with mostly everyone in clothes, jackets and masks.....
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  36. Menus on your cell phone now after scanning a QR code...waiter was very good, but difficult to hear with his mask. He offered to do 1 pizza with 3 of their most popular topping, divided into sections. So got to try 3 pizzas in one.
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  37. Definitely, I am planning my expedition in November, moving away from fantasy territory. It is going to be very different to my previous experiences. Usually, I would stay in Copacabana to be closer to my favorite sauna, but I am not planning to hang out in indoors places this trip. I am exploring airbnbs in Recreio dos Bandeirantes and close to Praia Grumari. It is an area I have not explored much, but liked a lot in my few visits. Hopefully, I will find a roomy an open apartment with a terrace, as I am going to hang out there with the boys more than usual. I am aware than November may deliver a rainy week for me, so I want a place that does not feel crowded with 3/4 people. Ideally, I would prefer to find a place at walking distance to go to Grumari and the protected area over there, without calling an Uber, but there is always the chance to rent a car to travel with my party, as most of the places I am checking include free parking. I have a question for those with more experience and knowledge of Rio. Besides Praia Grumari, what other interesting places can you visit in the area? I am looking for nature, and I do not like heights (I have never visited the Pão de Açúcar, or the Cristo, and I am not planning to). I do love water, if anyone knows of a port or marina where I could rent equipment for superficial scuba diving. We will probably cook and call deliveries mostly, but tips on good restaurants would also be appreciated. I have been in a few posts on Avenida Estado da Guanabara where the food was quite good. I am not high maintenance, I prefer to eat what the locals eat and avoid the Brazilian experience adapted for international tourism as much as possible. I know it is challenging in areas nearby the beaches, but if anyone knows of any places, please let me know.
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  38. Here’s this morning’s b.babe marketing
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  39. That's right. That's the way I would handle it. I don't think it's a good idea to try to book flights just yet without having any real idea about what to expect on arrival and what to expect going home, not to mention the risk of a second outbreak and ending up stranded in Thailand. Many foreigners who were stranded in Thailand are still stuck here, trying to find a way to go home. I suppose it's easy for me to say since I live in Thailand and am not trying to go anywhere, but in my opinion the smart move is to wait until you can have real confidence and certainty about what to expect before even thinking about booking flights. As much as many of you want to travel to Thailand, the way things currently are, to me there are just too many things that can go wrong. I don't know about your lives, but Murphy's Law applies to mine all too often . . .
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  40. I have not thought about this in years... mine was Stuart Little and also The Star bellied Sneetches by Dr Suess.
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  41. Tomcal

    Brasil (SP) comments

    kya the second guy in your photos and the guy on the left in mine is a stripper that has been working at least the past 12 years(with his “brother, the 2nd guy of 4 in my photo”). He still strips at gay and straight clubs both in SP and Rio
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  42. Hey @floridarob since your in SP and know Lagoa, would you happen to know if these two fine gentlemen work there still? Thank you for any info you have.
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  43. Not exactly childhood, but in 11th grade my English teacher said, ‘I know who you would like,’ and handed me a collection of short stories by Flannery O’Connor. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flannery_O'Connor Life perception was never quite the same since.
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  44. Back to the OP's original post, I agree with him. Starting a thread to say BLM is racist then repeatedly defending it, is revolting. I want to join a forum about sex work, not read Breitbart. When the site moderator misrepresents everything Patrice, Alicia, and Opal have written, it's revolting. I built a stellar reputation on that other site, but black lives matter, and BLM is not a racist organization.
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