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If Thailand really is "far behind" then it is largely because corruption is so rife in this country. Yet the comment by @Marc in Calif fails to note that Transparency International's 2021 Corruption Perceptions Index has all three countries virtually tied well into the lower half of the list. Democracy in The Philippines is largely a joke. True, registered voters have a vote. But the country has for far too long been effectively ruled by a clutch of mega-rich families who ensure that the vast majority of Filipinos are kept poor - many desperately so. When it comes to Presidential elections, The Philippines has a near dire record. After the murdering, thieving dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, propped up for decades by the USA as a pawn in the Cold War, and his luxury-loving wife Imelda - who has still not been jailed for her many crimes, one President was a popular actor who found himself ousted and jailed on massive corruption charges. Impeachment claims were made against his successor Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in four consecutive years. Athough the economy improved under her rule, corruption remained rampant. With a rise in vigilante murders, Human Rights organisations condemned her government. A government enquiry found that most of the extra-judicial killings had been carried out by tmembers of the armed forces. But no one was charged. Duterte who was voted President in 2016 was also guity of approving thousands of extra-judicial killings. He even announced publicly that he would issue "thousands of pardons" a day to members of the police and military accused of human rights abuses. Yet early in his Presidency, a Pulse Asia survey showed that he enjoyed a 91% rating, the highest of all six Presidents since Marcos. Now the Marcos name has been whitewashed by the electorate with the son of Ferdinand Marcos elected as President. This is another indication of the corruption rampant in the country and in particular in the Province which the Marcos family has ruled virtually with a rod of iron. Re Indonesia, as the Journal of Democracy stated in January 2023, "democracy is regressing and endangered in Indonesia". After B. J. Habibe became President in 1998, there was universal hope that democracy and a freer press would become more entrenched. He tried to clean up what had been called a pollitical swamp but in 2001 legislators pressed by the pollitical elite and military leadership voted to get rid of him. An article in The Diplomat illustrates that under the present President, Indonesia has slid down democracy indices. In 2017 it was the worst performer in the Economist Group's Democracy Index when it fell 20 places. Now freedom of speech and presenting facts have regressed further. The President has now also followed the example of many dictators by promoting family members into positions of power and inflluence. Behind the scenes there are moves to permit the country's President to serve 3 consecutive 5-year terms in place of the present 2. The much admired founding father of Singapore, Lee Kwan Yew, frequently stated that the west had to realise that Asia enjoyed democracy "with Asian characteristics". It was not the same as democracy in the west. How true! Yet it is important to accept that true democracy can never evolve in Asian countries until a range of democratic institutions, the rule of law and freedom of the press are introduced and allowed to take root. That is unlikely to happen in any of our lifetimes, IMHO.

April 2023, these rates are what I was given at the following locations: Guarulhos Airport: 1 USD = 4.42r 👎 Western Union inside Frei Caneca Shopping Center (Store Sign reads "Tourismo & Cambio): 1 USD = 4.9r 👍 Hope at least 1 person finds this information useful

I was there a few weeks ago. If you like the beach, there's a nice one there. I don't think there's much of a "scene". I believe there is one gay bar, but I did not visit it. There are a couple of nice night markets/food venues - Cicada market is more arts and crafts, but there's a place next door that has tons of food options from Thai delicacies to Western options. I had Korean chicken that was very tasty and some gelato that was also very good. My friend had a papaya salad that he enjoyed.

Maybe, if that ranking is based on some kind of simple "democracy" checklist (universal franchise, fair elections, representative government, freedom to form parties etc etc), but if you look at equally political issues like minority human rights or religious freedom I think the ranking would be quite different. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_Indonesia for instance.

if only because we don't have that much time left, LOL

very relative but at least their rulers don't cling to power by any means and step aside when their terms is over

I actually am strong believer and actually practice what I preach that while travelling one should drink local beer. Very, very rarely I break that rule and only for beer imported from my own country. And I find Chang quite drinkable, thank you very much

Sad both about the demise of Pantip Court and the verdict on the man who promoted craft beer. Thailand Beverage Company is a huge monopoly that controls up to 90% of the Thai whisky market as well as owning Chang beer. It owns a vast tract of land around the Queen Sirikit Convention Centre and no doubt in other parts of Bangkok and other cities. It does not want other alcoholic beverages sold in the country and uses its muscle accordingly. The Thai government therefore places major taxes and restrictions on imported alcoholic products. Kloster beer was regularly sold in the country till the early 2000s when it disappeared from the shelves. Chang had started sales in the mid-1990s and did not want competition. So Kloster and Carlsberg soon vanished. Carlsberg eventually returned after a decade in the wilderness.

Just went to Siem Reap 3 days ago - yes Rendez-Vous bar is a nice, relaxing and friendly bar to chat with expats and boys (didn't have that much travellers when i stopped by) - Barcode show was nice and entertaining, lasting more than 3 hours. Many customers arrived around 10pm, at 11pm it was full on a Wednesday evening. Very friendly staff.

Update from my Apr23 visit in Siem Reap, yes 20USD is a right offer and what is expected from the boys

I organized a 2 day trip in Brasilia to see the city and its monuments. Worth a visit, but only one IMHO. After seeing buildings erected, I tried to see other erctions and went to one of the 2 saunas with boys in Brasilia. Arrived there around 5.30 pm. As I was obviously new, one guy showed me ghe facility : changing room, shower, bar, smoking room, darkroom, video room. He also explained me that guys wearing a blue towel are rent boys. All others with white towel are customers. The place is rather clean. Cabins though are filthy since there is only a plastic cover. One must use his towel as a sheet. Cabins are free. I stayed until 8.30 pm but only saw 5 boys. Very average type. Most customers obviously come to meet other customers, not to meet rentboys. Some action in the darkroom. I was too tired and without sufficient motivation yo wait until live sex show which is held later on saturdays. Nothing to compare with 117 in Rio or Lagoa in SP.

Well, possums, it had to happen one day. The curtain has finally come down and will not rise again. The good people of Moonie Ponds outside Melbourne are left to mourn their most famous daughter. Dame Edna has died. Barry Humphries, the much loved Australian creator of Dame Edna Everage and a host of other characters including the perpetually inebriated cultural attache Sir Les Paterson, has died at the age of 89. He suffered from complications as a result of hip surgery in Sydney last month following a fall in February. It is unlikely the world of comedy will ever see his like again. Many compared him to the great film comedian Charlie Chaplin. There are endless youtube videos illustrating his talent. This visual quality on this one made in 2004 with Michael Parkinson, Dame Judi Dench and Sharon Osbourne is not great but Humphries is at his best, especially when talking about her son's homeo . . . well, I'll leave it there. RIP the one and only, the unique Barry Humphries.

And he's known Trump as well as any other New Yorker for a long time. He knows the history -- including where the bodies are buried (figuratively, of course😇).

Flew in to São Paulo today and the colder weather is a nice change. Just arrived at Lagoa, I missed the warm welcome from the boys in Rio.

Harking back to the NYC doorman, Ronan Farrow contributed a recent piece in the New Yorker focusing on the hush money case and specifically the doorman. Anyone familiar with Farrow might agree he is in a separate, more reasonable category from the hysterical talking heads on cable TV and YouTube. His article is a sanity check the hush money indictment is not the nothing-burger that too many Dems and RINO's are admitting they believe it is. When I think back to Farrow's book Catch and Kill I tend to not trust where these sound bites that throw cold water on DA Brag are coming from. Not that I suggest opening up some conspiracy rabbit hole, but rather to remind we've been lied to before, by NBC for example. Read Catch and Kill ! You'll have a deeper understanding of these players involved in the indictment, plus much more, e.g. the Harvey Weinstein cover up. https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/inside-the-hush-money-payments-that-may-decide-trumps-legal-fate?utm_campaign=falcon_FCzP&utm_social-type=owned&utm_brand=tny&mbid=social_twitter&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social Finally, I think highly of Ronan Farrow. I expect his mother and his husband are both very proud of him.

From Forbes Fox $787 Million Dominion Settlement Tax Write Off Is No Surprise The $787 million settlement by Fox News and Fox Corporation to resolve the Dominion defamation suit made big news, but the tax news that this is a deductible business expense to Fox should be no surprise. It appeared that Fox was likely to lose the defamation suit, and likely would have had to pay much more in a verdict. That made the settlement a good business move. Some sources are expressing shock that this kind of liability could be a legitimate business expense. Compensatory settlements by businesses are clearly deductible if they arise out of the business being conducted. Fox clearly meets that test. It doesn’t matter if the conduct producing the expense is later viewed as wrongful. The only exception is for certain confidential settlements in sexual harassment cases. In fact, even punitive damages are tax deductible when paid by businesses. Tax bills have been introduced in Congress over the years to change that, but the bills never gained traction. Sometimes, even amounts paid to the government are deductible, despite corporate wrongdoing. For decades, Section 162(f) of the tax code prohibited deducting any fine or similar penalty paid to a government for the violation of any law. That includes criminal and civil penalties, as well as sums paid to settle potential liability for a fine. This sounds absolute, but the law is riddled with exceptions. To begin with, the rules cover only government payments, and some companies find ways to write off even the biggest payments.

I saw Dame Edna's show many times here in San Francisco. Her ability to improvise quips, comments, and takedowns on the spot were always entertaining. She reserved her takedowns especially for audience members. My seatmate was once severely reprimanded for wearing her comforter to the theatre. We'll never forget that one. 😅

When drag had class and humor! Dame Edna Everage star Barry Humphries dies in hospital, aged 89: ‘The characters he created will live on’ Apr 22 Dame Edna creator Barry Humphries has died in hospital aged 89. (Getty/James D. Morgan) Barry Humphries, best known as the creator of drag persona Dame Edna Everage, has died in hospital in Sydney. Humphries died on Saturday (22 April) in Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital surrounded by his family, including his wife Lizzie Spender, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. The Australian comedian, 89, had been admitted to hospital earlier in the week and was being treated for “health issues”. Humphries underwent hip surgery earlier this year after a tripping on a rug and falling, and in March was receiving treatment at a rehabilitation centre. A statement from Humphries’ family read: ”He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit. Advertisement Remove ads “With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be. “His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted,” they continued. “Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of art in all its forms. “He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives. “The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.” Barry Humphries’ career in the entertainment world spanned seven decades, with his signature character Dame Edna Everage being conceived in 1956. Humphries worked across television, film, theatre and music – both behind and in front of the camera. During his time in the industry, he received dozens of awards and was nominated for four BAFTAs. Humphries’ controversial trans views tarnished his legacy In recent years, Barry Humphries had been criticised for his comments about the trans community, which he claimed in 2019 had been “taken the wrong way”. In 2016, Humphries defended the philosopher and writer Germaine Greer, who described transgender women as “men who believe that they are women and have themselves castrated”. Humphries said he agreed with Greer, and mentioned Caitlyn Jenner as part of the discussion. “I agree with Germaine! You’re a mutilated man, that’s all. Self-mutilation, what’s all this carry on?” he told The Telegraph. Three years later, Humphries claimed his position had been “grotesquely interpreted” – but didn’t not offer further clarification. “Edna carefully said she thought that men who had themselves castrated did not become women, and that got taken the wrong way,” he told The Sunday Times Magazine. In a 2018 interview with The Spectator he also claimed that being trans is a fashion, adding: “How many different kinds of lavatory can you have? And it’s pretty evil when it’s preached to children by crazy teachers.” Tributes pour in for Barry Humphries Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese was among the public figures paying tribute to Humphries after news of his death broke, calling him “the brightest star in the galaxy”. Albanese tweeted: “For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. “But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. “A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.” For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/oSAKpxPGae — Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 22, 2023 New South Wales premier Chris Minns celebrated Humphries as a “legend”, who defined “Aussie creativity and performance for generations”. Beloved British TV host Carol Vorderman dubbed Humphries “a genius” in her tribute, tweeting: “I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it. “I’ll never forget it. Thank you Sir. A genius.” Barry and his alter ego Dame Edna Everage set the world's stages and screens alight. The all-time most successful solo theatrical performer, anywhere in the world – Barry was a legend. Defining Aussie creativity and performance for generations. Vale Barry Humphries. pic.twitter.com/atPCJe2XZ4 — Chris Minns (@ChrisMinnsMP) April 22, 2023 RIP Barry Humphries. This is probably my all-time favourite clip of his. Class, and so dead pan as well … pic.twitter.com/DUEnTktQ6w — Simon Harris – Man Behaving Dadly (THAT’S DADLY) (@simonharris_mbd) April 22, 2023 You will be mourned Barry Humphries I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it: I'll never forget it. Thank you Sir.

Yes, a wonderful actor.

So this is getting weirder and weirder on the Republican side. And probably better and better for Joe Biden and Democrats. Did anybody notice when exactly Donald Trump become the reasonable and moderate Republican in the race? The GOP’s Moderate Frontrunner If you want a Republican who won’t touch entitlements or start foreign wars, Donald Trump is your man. That quote sums up the weirdness I'm feeling. This article makes almost exactly the same points, arguing that Trump sounds like a Democrat on entitlements. It adds a detailed polling history of how Trump helped change the GOP. Since his rise in 2015, Trump has been very clear and consistent about how you don't fuck with Social Security or Medicare in his blue collar workers' party. It's a bit harder for me to buy that Trump is the voice of moderation on abortion. Seeing as how he rallied the Testicle Coalition around Kavanaugh, treated Dr. Ford like a dirty lying whore, and appointed the three judges that killed Roe v. Wade. But Trump will say, persuasively enough, that just because he's not for Roe v. Wade doesn't mean he's for the opposite extreme. Which is another broad point about Trump. As a political gadfly, he has always been exceptional. He has helped to reshape the Republican coalition into something at least more like a working class party. At least with his mouth, and his bile. His policies? Not so much. Tax cuts to billionaires did not help the working class. Or get factories built. (Score so far. Net loss of 100,000 factory jobs from Jan. 2017 to Jan. 2021 under Trump. Net gain of 800,000 factory jobs since the month Biden became POTUS.) Trump was never more unpopular, especially among have not Republicans, than when he was trying to repeal Obamacare. Which Trump himself, allegedly, said was "cruel." So Trump is good with his mouth. Had he been an LBJ or Reagan or Clinton, and been able to turn rhetoric into policies and laws that built a winning political coalition - for a while, at least - he might have actually won in 2020. Biden, by the way, has done better than average in turning his senile ideas into laws and policies. I'm guessing by November 2024 there will be at least 1 million factory jobs created on Joe's watch. I'm guessing he will bludgeon Trump with that fact, since Trump was a factory job loser. If it were just about his policies, though, I can buy that enough people would say, "Yeah, but the economy was just better under Trump." And ignore the hog feed to billionaires. And almost repealing Obamacare. And injecting Clorox in your body to fight COVID. The thing that really resonates about that quote above is that the biggest problem with Trumpism has always been Trump himself. I'd argue that was true even in 2016, when he got 3 million fewer votes than Hillary. It was certainly true in 2020, when he lost by 7 million votes. Which led to his fake win, Hang Mike Pence, and a string of losses among Senate and Guv candidates who pushed his lies and authoritarian bullshit. And it is true right now. Almost every single poll of every single swing state so far in 2023 shows that DeSantis would do at least 3 to 5 points better than Trump against Biden. In a bunch of swing states that means Ron is currently ahead by a few points, whereas Don is behind Joe by a few points. If the problem is Republicans need Trumpism without Trump, this shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure out. Steve Bannon could do the job. (And probably is, for Trump, privately.) DeSantis needs to be the moderate and competent Governor who knows how to win. MAGA lite, but win big! So why is that not happening? It was never clear that DeSantis had great political judgment. He barely won in 2018. And I completely agree with @Mavica, personally, that DeSantis looks like an extremist. And, I'd add, a bully. Now Trump is happy to make Ron look like an extremist on Social Security and Medicare, too. And it's working, it seems, based on the latest polls. As that article above points out, Ted Cruz did win the very conservative vote in 2016. So maybe Ron is going for that. But as the article also says, that's why Cruz lost in 2016. Because Trump won moderate and somewhat conservative Republicans. Why is Ron letting him do it again? I'd guess Ron might have calculated that he'd win the moderates, simply because he was not the toxic guy in the race. And he'd win the most conservative Republicans by being Cruz Lite, rather than Toxic Mini Me. And that may still work. No one is voting for a long time. Prosecutors and Democrats may still do Ron's dirty work for him. But what's looking more and more likely is that Trump will do Biden's dirty work for him. He'll take out the guy that polls say is more likely to actually beat Biden in Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin, or Arizona, or Georgia. Leaving Biden to run against the toxic reboot himself. My spat with @Mavica isn't about whether Ron seems like an extremist to us. Of course he does. It's about the polls, really. I'm assuming that DeSantis is doing better than Trump against Biden in these swing states because most people have no clue he just signed a six week abortion ban. I'm guessing mostly they've heard he's the competent guy in white boots who did a good job recovering from a hurricane and won big in Florida. If Trump wants him to be the extreme lunatic pushing Granny over the cliff and killing pregnant Moms, instead, please. Help Biden win. I will say one other thing, sincerely, in DeSantis' defense. He is not an authoritarian, at least so far. Like every other red Governor in a blue or (arguably) purple state who did really well last year (Kemp, Sununu, DeWine, DeSantis, Phil Scott), Desantis has not embraced the myth that Trump won in 2020. He may have a gerrymandered rubber stamp legislature. But they were all elected. And DeSantis did win by almost 60 % of the vote, unlike Trump in either 2016 or 2020. So he can argue this is democracy, not dictatorship. The verdict (not to mention several indictments) is still out. If DeSantis is nominated, it will be because Republican moderates ultimately decide Trump is just too toxic. So far, that ain't happening. Sorry, Governor DeSinking. 😯

I have no comments. 🙄

I did, yes alcohol free beer was undrinkable but that goes with alcohol free beers everywhere. Beer without alcohol is like church without God. But in Iran , at least then there was no imported alternative so I simply skipped beer and was contend with black tea for length of stay. Not that it was impossible to get drunk - on my first night and on main, crowded street of Shiraz I was stopped at least two times and offered moonshine. On of those guys was visibly drunk already. Other than that I wholly agree with your assessment of that country , great people and scenery although I never lost from my sight fact that those great and hospitable people to a great degree support nasty and despicable regime.

you not alone

Maybe because my phone is from 2017? Either way, I do just fine with regular SIM cards. It's no complication at all for me. And I enjoy interacting with local service providers, but perhaps that's just me. 😁

Was a bit sad to see the demise of Pantip, have been there many times buying goods

Silom seemed very hot busy indeed. I had Songkran celebrations in Siem Reap province, full of handsome smiling straight Khmer boys... another way to have good fun ! Now back to Pattaya, so quiet, seems i missed the party 😁

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) Ginni Thomas has reassured the American people that she is doing everything in her power to keep her husband’s mounting ethical issues from interfering with her work on the United States Supreme Court. Acknowledging that her husband’s controversies were a “distraction,” Thomas said, “They shouldn’t keep me from doing the important work I was sent here to do.” “There are reproductive rights to shred and environmental protections to erase,” she said. “Regardless of the mess Clarence has gotten himself into, I need to keep my focus.” Calling her post as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court “a job I’ve loved for the past three decades,” Thomas said, “I’m hopping mad that Clarence would do anything to jeopardize that. But anyone who thinks that I’m giving less than a hundred per cent to my work doesn’t know what Ginni Thomas is made of.”

Amazon Prime recommended it. I avoided paying for it before. I'm not attracted to Eichner's schtick. But now BROS is included with my membership. So I watched this morning. The reason I tire easily of Eichner is also the main theme of the movie: gay men that are a loud, whiny construct that have no off switch. Big surprise. Still, that theme would have been more entertaining if Eichner remembered that less is more. We still would have got it. That said, I loved Luke McFarland, Bowen Yang and Deborah Messing, plus a bunch of other funny supporting characters and clever jokes. Lot of good stuff. A well made movie that could have been better without Eichner playing himself.

There is even an instagram site on praia de abricó if you want to have more info. Here is what is said on gaycruising site : "Cruising works on the rocks at the end of the beach, but at nightfall it happens all over the beach. Access only by car, no buses, very quiet place". Be careful if you dare stay until nightfall. Of course many porn movies were shot in this location ... https://www.xvideos.com/?k=Amador+gay+praia+cruising+abrico

I view the security issue differently, or think I understand the concerns ... as a USA born / resident but someone who has lived in several countries and traveled to many others. "exaggerate fears and paranoia" and "blind to the ridiculously violent culture they are immersed in" might themselves be exaggerations. In the cities we come from in our own countries - each of us - we know a lot more than we know about places we haven't been to before. We know, at home (most of us), where troubled spots are, where to stay away from, etc. For many years I lived in Chicago, but the areas I lived in were not insecure. Although the crime rate in Chicago is less than many other USA cities, there are neighborhoods / sections of the city where rates of crime and violence and deaths are dangerously high - and we know to stay from them. I would read of reports of tourists turning off highways into the "bad" neighborhoods looking for a gas station, a grocery store, or someplace to eat. Some were badly victimized. The challenge when we travel away from familiar areas is we don't know what we don't know. The personal safety / security concerns regarding Rio de Janeiro are well documented ... and reinforced by local residents cautioning tourists, hotel staff cautioning tourists, travel blogs and forums reporting on incidents of crime and harm and local residents cautioning visitors walking in sections of Rio ... to be careful. Some years ago travel forums for Rio saw many reports, first-hand witness reports, of individuals waiting for the tram up to Santa Teresa being mugged, robbed and badly injured by gangs. Real, not imagined. I rode the tram up to Corcovado, and the tram was protected by an armed security guard because gangs had been hopping aboard along the way and robbing tourists / passengers. My first trip to Rio, with an elderly friend of mine, we were waiting for a bus on Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana at Rua Siqueria Campos, not far from Hotel Atlantico Copacabana, when three or four young men approached, as the bus approached, and proceeded to beat-up a man waiting for the same bus, standing 10 ft. away from us. Real, not imagined. On another visit, I was on a chair under an umbrella at the Impanema beach when a gang from a favela tore through that area hitting people sitting nearby with clubs robbing them of valuables. Yet another visit, a local resident approached me when I was walking in Centro and in pretty good English cautioned me against street violence and asked me why I was walking there. Real, not imagined. My concerns have not been exaggerated and though I attempt to be as cautious as I can ... I continue to wander about with an intuition I think I've developed ... I hope I've developed! I lived in Mexico for 6 years, and when there I've been the victim of multiple crimes: drugged in a bar and all of my valuables robbed from my apartment, my apartment(s) robbed at other times, mugged on the street multiple times. I thought / think I know the city and "dangerous" areas ...but I was victimized nonetheless. After having moved back to the USA, I still return to Mexico City once or twice yearly. I don't know how long you've lived in the USA, but the comment "I feel like a White guy feels in the US, while many Americans here experience what people of color feel in US streets: targeted." lacks context. To the best of my knowledge and observation, crimes against persons of color are perpetrated by persons of color. White people aren't killing Blacks on the South Side of Chicago, Blacks are killing Blacks. On the West Side of Chicago, Latinos are killing Latinos ... not "White" non-Latinos. Drug cartels / gangs and the obscene availability of firearms are principal culprits responsible for the violence and carnage. None of us should NOT be concerned for our safety when traveling to unfamiliar places. Gay men oftentimes place ourselves in harms way more than some other individuals. Thank you for listening / reading.

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report)—Donald J. Trump claimed that the failure of the Manhattan District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, to indict him thus far is “quite frankly, a conspiracy” to keep the Republican Presidential candidate from attracting campaign donations. “Alvin Bragg, who is a disgrace, should have arrested me by now,” Trump said. “He has treated me very unfairly.” Trump said that he had made repeated calls to Bragg’s office to demand that he be arrested but has received no response. “There’s something going on,” Trump said. “Obviously George Soros is telling Bragg not to arrest me. This should never be allowed to happen in this country.” Issuing an ultimatum to Bragg, Trump said that, if he is not arrested by Friday, “I will perform a citizen’s arrest on myself.” “We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Trump said. “The easy way would be for Alvin to keep his promise and arrest me, but time is running out.”

Yes, it is important to proceed. Yes, it gives him more of a platform but that is part of it.

Christ, I hope you’re kidding. Or maybe you live under a rock? 5 officers have been charged with his murder (it was a simple traffic stop), and another was just fired for his role. But let’s move along, no police corruption to see here!

Thank you Slvkguy, your 8 pointers are excellent and on topic, and wise from experience. That list of 8 should be pinned if not already so. The goal here is to make aware and warn tourists as to the current situation. It’s not about drama or trying to scare anyone. Some visitors may get 100 hits from an app and believe they’re in a paradise free of danger or risk. If it saves one life it’s accomplished something. I say enjoy and be careful!

So, I heard today that Fox won’t be footing this $787.5 million bill, the US tax payer will since Fox can write this money off against their taxes.

And let us not forget the horror that is Myanmar where the profits from jade and drugs keep the powerful in control. From the BBC Children perish as bombs rain on resistance By Moe Myint, Grace Tsoi and Joel Guinto in London and Singapore "The earth shook," says cattle farmer Win Zaw, recalling the sunny morning last week when he heard a military aircraft approaching, and then an explosion. He didn't think it was his village - Pa Zi Gyi in north-east Myanmar - that had been hit. But when he phoned his wife, he learnt that the military had bombed the place where villagers had gathered for a rare feast of curried noodles, rice and pork. Their seven-year-old daughter, Soe Nandar Nwe, had been among them. He says he rushed to the site of the attack and tried looking for her among the carnage. "I searched for my daughter in the smoke, and through the charred remains. All I could think of was finding her." He was looking for any sign of her favourite outfit - a white, floral dress that she wore that day. But he says he found no trace of her, or his mother-in-law who had been with her when the bomb fell. Villagers later told the BBC that a military jet dropped a bomb where people had gathered for the meal, and then a helicopter gunship fired at the village for 20 minutes. Soe Nandar Nwe, 7, wanted to become a teacher Two years after a coup plunged Myanmar into a civil war, the country's military rulers have increasingly taken to the skies to reduce resistance literally to ashes. Last Tuesday's attack, which killed 168 men, women and children, is among the deadliest so far. Last year, the military struck a school, killing several children, and later that month, a bombing of a concert killed about 50 people. Between February 2021 and January 2023, there had been at least 600 air attacks by the military, according to a BBC analysis of data from the conflict-monitoring group Acled (Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project). The civil war has claimed thousands of lives, displaced some 1.4 million people and left nearly a third of the country's population in need of humanitarian aid. The United Nations has said the regime could be liable for crimes against humanity and war crimes. Hnin Yu Wai was three years old Continues at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-65295867

Imagine that in DeSantis' America.