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that's included in price or you pay for that separately?

Not only are you correct in terms of the Americans. I think what you say is true of peoples in many parts of the world. Of that group, most do not want to know. But as I have tried to at least suggest, the history of that part of the world is complex and goes much further back than the Holocaust. That hideous atrocity only made the aim of the Zionists for a separate Jewish state in Israel far more urgent. Jews had been living in Palestine long before WWII. Life was not easy for them for first the Ottomans and then the British not only did not want them, the British actually turned back shiploads of refugees, including Holocaust refugees, from attempting to land. But by the time of the United Nations declaration in 1948, there were already 600,000 Jews living in what became Israel. On the day Israeli leader David Ben Gurion declared the inauguration of the state of Israel, he made a speech. He promised the State of israel would "ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and will be faithful to the principles of the United Nations." So we should ask ourselves: has the state of Israel lived up to these specific promises? The detail of the conflicts in the following half century can be itemised elsewhere. The nearest peace came about was at Camp David in 2000 when President Clinton all but forced Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat to find a solution. Declassified documents and comments made by those present illustrate they never came close, despite the much more positive political spin later put on the negotiations. They agree that while Arafat was given many more concessions than at any other time, his aim had always been a one state solution. He killed the negotiations. And now the region is a tinder box again. Had the hugely admired soldier and politician Yitzhak Rabin not been assassinated by an ultra right wing Jew in 1995, many believe he could have brokered a workable peace. We will never know. What we do know is that with the election of the right wing governments of Ariel Sharon and Benjamin Netanyahu, the idea of a peace settlement moved much further into the future. In the meantime, America's one time ally Iran lurks in the background revelling in using proxies to get back at what is now its implaccable foe.

Finally had the opportunity to try this shop today. When I arrived and inquired what guys were available, I was presented with an array of about eight cards with photos. After making my selection, a houseboy accompanied to my cubicle on the third floor and pointed out the shower down the hall. Before leaving, he hung a card with my masseur’s photo on the outside of door. My guy arrived about five minutes after I finished showering. He had a huge smile and the first thing he did was give me an embrace and said he be right back. He was hunkier than the photo suggested but proved himself very agile. Following the workout, we showered together which he succeeded in turning into additional fun. Before leaving the lobby, he brought me a cup of warm tea. One hour oil 400. Mattress pad on the floor. Found the facilities very clean throughout. Gladly adding this place to my other list of Saphan Kwai favorites: K Man, One Spa and KK.

I was alarmed by this article in the paper today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2023/10/19/university-lgbtq-centers-disappearing/71147364007/ It seems we are still in a "two steps forward, one step back" situation here in the USA. My firm opened a new office in Dallas, TX and offered me a leadership position - I turned them down cold and was very explicit about my reasons. Our CEO was taken aback by my strong feelings about the climate in that state. He clearly thought the usual platitudes would work "be a team player" "bring mature leadership". Instead I lobbied him for the firm to take a stronger position to support our LGBTQ staff and clients in specific states. My next stop is our regulatory relations office. These "small attacks" are easy to overlook when there are much bigger news events going on. Which is why I like reading the newspaper instead of just scanning the CNN website - that is what most of my friends do.

Ja! This is just not true. If they do not plow down intentionally innocent civilians, they are unintentionally very efficient at murdering women and children in mass. Check the numbers of Palestinian and Israeli civilian deaths in the last 20 years. Hamas and the Israeli government, both are indefensible.

That’s a bit above my pay grade. Since you’re the one speculating about what the US can and cannot do, I’m content to leave that up to you to determine. I do, however, agree with Vinapu. Israel will make good on its vow to never allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Are we talking about the same Russia that has had to appeal to Iran and North Korea for munitions?

That hankering after long lost glories may be dangerous indeed as it may be sold to big chunk of population as we can see in certain belligerent country not far from Iran's illustrious shores. You not only member here who visited country and while I agree that it's people are highly cultured, sophisticated and well behaved , in short you can sense that that are supported by thousands years of history, I found pockets of fanaticism surprisingly spacious and reaching intellectually higher levels of society as well. Unsolicited lecture about sunni-shia schism in 8th century I was given by very polished university professor while visiting poet's Hafez mausoleum in Shiraz was so intense that it bordered on outright scary. Think about witnessing Dr. Jelkyll / Mr. Hyde transformation yourself. We tend to forget that even most heinous regimes are staying in power not only by sheer terror but also by being supported by , at least part of population, who buys and believes their narratives on free will or have material interest in pretending it is. To put it brutally , for every person hanged from the crane there will be somebody who will gladly take her/ his house and / or job. I put may likes in this thread not because I agree with all it's said is saying but I like elegance of arguments, that's generally the case in other discussions as well

I certainly do not condone the actions of the Israeli government vis-a-vis the Palestinian people. I donate generously to ANERA, a charitable group which helps Palestinians. I strongly condemn the Israeli settlements in the West Bank. That being said, at least Israelis don't intentionally plow down innocent civilians, shoot women and children in the back while they're running away, nor take hostages. Hamas cares only about its narrow view of the world and sacrifices its own citizens towards that goal. I'd have had a lot more sympathy had they only killed Israeli soldiers. And that being said, I feel it was foolhardy to hold a music festival so close to the Gaza Strip, and on the 50th Anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, no less. To me, that came off as an insensitive provocation. As disgusting as Hamas's actions have been, the Israelis might also consider that Palestinians (other than Hamas) are humans, too.

The weak link in Vietnam’s transportation infrastructure has been its rail network. Although this new service doesn’t represent an increase in speed, it does in comfort that is much needed.

Seems a great way to travel the 750 kms betwen the two cities, the more so as the most expensive week-end ticket seems to be just US$43. The cuisine on board seems to be western given the table layouts in the photo, but I expect it should be very good. Individuals will clearly be sharing sleeping cabins with three others. Best to get three willing Vietnamese and have a nice little orgy before sleep and breakfast!

Lol, yeah, performative masculinity is how I think of it.

For many Americans the Holocaust is the only background information they have concerning the Jewish people and their situation. (Or Charleston Heston as Moses leading them put of Egypt) It is also the reason many Americans have sympathy and support for the Jewish people.

There are lots of issues which have been raised but I will for the present reply to just two. It is fact that Prime Minister Mosaddegh was not communist, his government was not ommunist-leaning and he had no communist sympathies. There was no indication that his continuing in office would have resulted in Iran moving towards the USSR's camp. Mosaddegh had been duly elected as Prime Minster. Ironically the USA prides itself as a bastion of democracy - which of course is the subject for another long thread given the host of serious isues it now faces in Congress, with a lying and corrupt past president, and doubts over the worthiness of at least two Supreme Court Justices - but the rights of other countries to decide their own form of democracy is frequently questioned. That was certainly the view of Lee Kwan Yew who made Singapore into such an amazing economic success story. The US problem in the early 1950s was that its officials viewed Iran as backward, feudal and vulnerable to social revolution. American thinking at the time emphasised economic development driven by central state growth as a cure for what it perceived as these apparent ills - a view that prioritised security over democracy and therefore favoured authoritarian regimes over popular democratic coalitions. This view coloured US thinking in quite a few other parts of the world. But propping up the murdering thieving dictator Marcos did not turn the Filipinos against the USA in the long term. It did not turn the Vietnamese against the USA despite 3 milion deaths and its propping up deeply corrupt leaders of its proxy South Vietnam and in one case of murdering him. Similarly with most countries ruled by dictators propped up by the USA during the Cold War. I can think of no major US ally that is now such an implaccable and active foe as Iran. There we have to agree to disagree. That said, I do agree my comment was perhaps not well thought through. But the persecution of Jews in Europe had been going on for centuries, spurred on by the established churches and increasingly by governments of the new nation states. Much as we despise it today, there was a much-held view that Jews were an inferior race. The increasing anti-Jewish sentiment sweeping through Russia from the late 19th century onwards led to tens of thousands of deaths and the emigration of more than a million to the USA. As the century neared its end, the new political movement called Zionism was founded with a specific agenda being the creation of a Jewish homeland in Israel which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. Soon hundreds of thousands of European Jews became active Zionists. As antisemitism continued in Europe, spurred on in part by the Dreyfus Affair in France and a fear that the world banking system was controlled by Jews, a fiction spread from Russia after WWI, many Zionists emigrated to what had by then become British controlled Palestine. But after WWII Britain was desperate to get out of Palestine. Its actions in the three years prior to the establishment of the state of Israel were utterly disgraceful but it does not disguise the fact that Israel by then was already home to a large Jewish population and more moved there, as many others were doing to their former homes in other parts of Europe as well as emigration to the USA and UK. My OP centred primarily on Iran and changing US policy towards that country. All else being equal, Iran would always be in the mix as a terrorist state in the present situation. Why it has turned from friend to foe is I believe of particular interest.

Hope this soon will be a case for all countries with visa free admission

There have been some changes in the local massage scene since my last trip in July. One new shop has entered the scene to become the lone mixed (male and female staffed) shop in either Patpong 1 or 2. Chaichana has opened on Patpong 1, nearer the Surawong end on the same side the original Madrid was located. When I stopped by the other night, it had three guys—two of whom I found attractive—seated outside with four young women. They offer all the traditional services, including neck and shoulder massage. Some of the public services are offered on the first floor. Thai and oil massage facilities are located on the lower level accessed by wide and easily negotiable stairs. There are three large massage suites, all with massage tables and en suite shower. One hour oil 500. Hours 3pm until midnight. Attire is red polo shirts. Meanwhile on Surawong, there has been some consolidation and (if memory serves me correctly) some space swapping. The shop at the corner of the driveway for Tarntawan Hotel is now known as Avarin and has also taken over the space which appears to have been the long-time home of Green Massage a few shop fronts away. Green is now situated in smaller quarters between the twin Avarin shops. Avarin staff in maroon polos while Green continues to wear the inexplicable orange. Avarin one oil 590. Further up Surawong you’ll find Olivia’s encamped in a large quarters adjacent to the still more expansive Urban Male shop. All of the shops mentioned have male and female staffs. Toured the new and Foodland market in the recently opened Park Silom building at Silom and Convent roads. Located on the lower level, it’s L-shaped layout is expansive, featuring a salad bar and prepared (7-11 style) take away meals starting at 49 bht. It also offers an expanded beer, wine and liquor shop. The attached Took Lae Dee restaurant was going quite strong at 10pm on Monday night with about 25 customers. Like the flagship Patpong location, market and restaurant open 24/7. And for those in need, you’ll find an immaculately maintained restroom on same level. There’s a Dairy Queen outlet also on lower level that I think closed at 9.

I stopped by this shop on Sutthisan Winitchai Road in the Saphan Kwai area last year but that guy I had in mind wasn't available. Although I followed their posts from time to time, never got around to going back. Today, however, this post caught my attention because it seems that they have a small cadre on masseurs on hand in house that changes a bit by the day. Here's today group: https://www.facebook.com/bthousebkk/

This post is very long, and I know some members abhor long posts. That’s their privilege and I suggest they simply click on to another topic. Others have in the past expressed their belief that history should be confined to the trash can. That, though, is a view with which I totally disagree. I believe passionately that we are where we are, as both individuals and nations, very largely because of past actions. And it is for that reason I wish to start a discussion on the present very dangerous situation in the Middle East. It seems to me that after the last ghastly ten days, only two countries will be metaphorically rubbing their hands in glee - Iran and Russia. The former because it is the main backer of terror in that part of the world, and Russia because finally there is a world event that takes the focus off its illegal invasion of Ukraine. I want to focus this post on Iran if only because for decades it was the USA’s only major ally in the region, yet in more recent decades it has become the USA’s sworn enemy. Having visited the country in 2018, I am aware that the average Iranian utterly loathes its regime. They are a proud, cultured and in many senses western-oriented people ruled by a totally repressive government. Yet it is one that the present generation’s fathers and mothers welcomed with an unalloyed fervour back in 1979. But with President Biden’s reason for visiting the region now totally wrecked after the horrific bombing of the Gaza Hospital, I think it best to start by looking at US involvement in the region. When I was at University in the late 1960s, the Vietnam War was at its height. Nightly on the television news, we would see graphic images of dreadful fighting and bombing. Yet, as students in the UK we rarely talked about that war. It was almost as though it had nothing to do with us. Vietnam seemed almost on another planet. We were far more interested in discussing the young state of Israel. Many of my contemporaries, almost all non-Jewish, planned to fly there to work on kibbutz over the summers. It was important to us that Israel prosper amidst a region of hostile Arabs. It was only after the 1973 Yom Kippur War that I started to think more seriously about that part of the world and why there was so much anger seemingly on all sides. To many observers, the USA has changed sides with increasing regularity and increasingly unfortunate results. During the ghastly eight-year Iraq-Iran war, the USA backed Saddam Hussein. It provided dual-use technology which could be used for both military and civilian purposes, military intelligence, special operations training and several billion dollars of economic aid. Less than two years after the stalemate which resulted, Saddam invaded Kuwait which had earlier provided him with substantial financial aid during that fight with Iran! The US turned turtle and attacked Iraq, a short war that was to be the prelude to the full-scale invasion of the country in 2003 whose disastrous effects remain to this day. Some Presidents have continued the actions of their predecessors. Decades earlier after the Russians had invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the US leapt in by launching an extensive covert operation to help the Afghan Mujahadin. Using declassified documents, in 2016 Julie Lowenstein wrote US Foreign Policy and the Soviet-Afghan War: A Revisionist History. In this she makes clear that the resultant Soviet-Afghan war and in the fighting and war which followed had the US under every President from Carter to Biden playing major parts which helped launch "a cascade of devastating long-term and large-scale consequences, including the solidification of the concept of global violent jihad, the formation of Al-Qaeda and the rise of the Taliban regime." These covert US operations had exploded into the invasion of Iraq in 2003, this time under George Bush and his neocons. But there are several earlier turn-turtle events leading up to these disasters we can not forget. For three decades starting with the Eisenhower administration, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by other countries was actively encouraged by the USA. As Peter Frankopan writes in his excellent recent book The Silk Roads: A New History of the World, it was a policy “whose name and aims seem today almost comical: ‘Atoms For Peace’.” This plan was devised to allow US administrations to participate in ‘an international atomic pool’; and ultimately involved friendly governments being given access to 40,000 kilograms of Uranium 233 for non-military research. It was a fundamental part of US foreign policy! Then with the Soviet Union gaining greater access in the Persian Gulf area, not content with having organised and carried out along with the British the ouster of Iran’s democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh in the early 1952, the US decided to reinforce its backing for the Shah. Administrations paid zero attention to advice from one prominent and knowledgeable source within the region that the Shah was “a megalomaniac and highly unstable.” That was not the view of Henry Kissinger, however, who advised President Ford that the Shah was “a man of extraordinary ability and knowledge”. In 1974, the US then signed an accord with Iran to provide two nuclear reactors and a supply of enriched plutonium. In 1975 the deal was sweetened and the US agreed a deal to sell Iran eight more reactors. Ford’s Chief of Staff had no hesitation in approving the sale. That man was Dick Cheney. With the nod from the USA, France, the UK and Germany also sold Iran related nuclear technologies. In propping up Iran, it was accordingly US policy to destabilise Iraq. But Iraq had also started down the nuclear path. It had already received a nuclear research reactor from the Soviets in 1967. And it wanted a lot more, particularly from France and Italy. Soon even Kissinger had realised how the US deal with Iran could come back to haunt it. By 1976 he had turned against it. But even by the late 1970s, members of the US National Security Council stated that the US had “no visible strategic alternatives to the close relationship with Iran.” The feeling was that the US was boxed in, the more so as it had burned its bridges elsewhere in the region. Hindsight is perfect and short-termism a policy put into practice by many nations, but we surely have to wonder why the US had been so naïve by placing all its support behind the Shah, a man increasingly power hungry and loathed by his peoples. On 31 December 1977 at a dinner in Tehran, President Carter praised the “great leadership” of the Shah and the “respect and admiration and the love which your people give you.” No one in the State Department or any other branch of government realised this was a complete denial of reality. If Carter had been allowed to look out of the Embassy windows before and after his visit, he would have seen the increasing number of Iranians taking to the streets to rebel against repression, the dreaded Savak - the Shah’s secret police, massive corruption of the Shah’s family and the lack of any form of social justice. And this was unfortunate because within less than two years it had all boiled over. The street demonstrations and killings had reached such a level that the Shah had to flee, the American Embassy was stormed and many of its staff held captive in their own Embassy, and the Ayatollah Khomeini returned from exile in France to receive a hero’s welcome. By installing a religious government, Khomeini went against his own promise that clerics and religious zealots would not rule the country. Rather they would provide guidance, he had earlier claimed. So having finally realised it had been in a state of denial for years, the US awoke to find Iran was no longer a friend and ally. The Khomeini government was far stricter than even most Iranians had bargained for. Initially they were prepared to put up with it if only because they were no longer ruled by the dreaded Shah. When Iraq then invaded, they had no choice. After eight years of hideous warfare which included the use of chemical weapons and young teenage boys being sent to the front, the stalemate that ensued solidified Khomeini’s rule and ensured there would be no rebellion against his religious regime. Now Iran was a sworn enemy of the USA which then continued its backing of Iraq's Saddam. A less direct consequence was the encouragement the installation of Iran's theocratic Islamic government had provided for more extreme Muslim groups in other parts of the world, including Malaysia and Indonesia. Following World War II, it is fact that the US State Department lacked virtually any staff with much clue about Middle Eastern politics, something that basically continued for the remainder of the century. Even though it was now the world’s only superpower, it was desperate to ensure that the increasing influence of the Soviet Union in the Middle East be curbed. It was also pressured heavily by the oil lobby to ensure no disruption to the oil supplied from Iran. Consequently the decision to kick out Iran’s elected Prime Minister who had nationalised the country’s oil fields and refineries which hitherto had been in US and UK control and from which Iran received little more than a pittance in royalties. Under a 1920s agreement, Iran (then Persia) received only 16% of profits from the sale of its oil. As a result of the Great Depression, demand for oil plummeted and Persia saw its oil revenues slashed. A new agreement was reached whereby it was to receive a greater percentage of profits and a guaranteed annual fixed sum. By 1950 anger within the country at the huge profits being made by Britain and the US, the major shareholders in the Anglo-Iranian company, at the expense of Iran had increased to a dangerous level. So Iran then nationalised the oil industry. As a result several western powers deliberately stopped importing Iranian oil further angering the Iranians. It took the reinstatement of the Shah to power to turn the taps back on. But the oilfields remained nationalised. The US and the declining international power of the UK, which did believe it knew more than a little about the region, were blinded by economics and their determination to keep USSR influence out of the region. The US believed it needed a proxy in that part of the world and, as noted, Iran was basically its only hope. The oil disasters, the anti-Mosaddegh coup and support for the Shah were not the start of anti-western feelings in Iran but they brought them to a head. And we know where all this has led in 2023, not forgetting that Trump made relations much more fractious by unilaterally pulling the USA out of the 2015 seven-power nuclear agreement with Iran without consulting and obtaining agreement from the other parties. Of course, one factor that I have not even discussed is Israel and its effect on the politics of both the Middle East and the western powers. OPEC nations were determined to punish the USA for its support of Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. Oil became an even greater weapon. In 1970 the average price of a barrel of oil was US$2.96. By 1978 it had ballooned to $14.57. But then the Iran-Iraq war further threatened oil supplies. By 1980 the price had more than doubled to $33.86 thereby continuing the long near-recession in parts of the western world. Although many will argue against this suggestion, within the region Israel has now effectively become the only US proxy. The friendly relations that the US has been developing with countries in the Arab world are now threatened – even if only temporarily. The events of the last ten days sees the region on the verge of an abyss. The decades-long simmering of tensions between Palestinian Arabs and Israelis desperately needs some form of solution. It can no longer be placed on the back burner and a cease fire alone is not going to achieve it. Due to length I have not discussed the holocaust, the background to the state of Israel and other issues. They do deserve an airing, but I think they add only a little to the present situation.

From CNN Cambodia’s newest and biggest airport opened to commercial operations in the province of Siem Reap in the country’s northwest this week. The China-funded Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport is now the main gateway to one of the country’s most popular tourist sites, the UNESCO-listed Angkor Archaeological Complex. On Monday morning, a flight operated by Thailand’s Bangkok Airways was the first to land at the new airport, which is located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) away from the protected area. Using the International Air Transport Association-designated code SAI, it replaces Siem Reap International Airport (REP), which first opened in 1932 and is only a few kilometers away from the Angkor complex. The new airport, funded by China as part of its Belt and Road Initiative at a cost of about $1.1 billion, was designed to initially handle 7 million passengers a year – 2 million more than REP – and has a 3,600-meter-long runway. According to the Economic and Commercial Office of the Chinese Embassy in Cambodia, it’s the first overseas international airport to be constructed under a “Build-Operate-Transfer” model by Chinese enterprises and is operated and managed by the Yunnan Aviation Industry Investment Group. Designated a “4E airport,” it can accommodate larger commercial planes, including many of those used on global long-haul routes.

I agree with both posts. I think that one word is the key difference. Hamas intentionally terrorized and slaughtered innocent civilians in the most intentionally brutal ways. I don't think the IDF does that. For that matter, there was not that much evidence the US Army intentionally slaughtered innocents in places like Afghanistan. And the ones that did were punished. That is a key difference. I'm glad Biden went, and helped underscore that difference. One small difference he made, for what it is worth, is he forced at least a temporary delay of any invasion to force more attention to humanitarian measures for innocent Palestinians. The polls say, among Democrats, Biden is facing more pressure from people who say Israel's response is "too harsh" (25 %) than "not harsh enough" (9 %). The plurality of Democrats says Israel's response is "about right" (32 %). (Question is on page 92). Among Republicans, the plurality says Israel's response is "not harsh enough" (40 %) and only 8 % say "too harsh". Independents are almost equally split. I think it is safe to say that if Trump were POTUS Netanyahu would feel more empowered to do "whatever it takes." Biden will put more stress on the humanitarian issues that helped make Gaza and the West Bank open-air terrorist training camps in the first place. It's also a good bet that if there is an invasion that causes mass casualties among Palestinians, the balance among Americans will shift further against Netanyahu's harsh terrorist training adventures. Poll: 94% of Israelis say gov’t failing to protect them Survivors of kibbutz attack turn their ire on Netanyahu A massive security failure and antagonism toward Palestinians means many Israelis think Netanyahu has to answer for Hamas’ attack. Those poll results really surprised me, and deepened my sympathy for Israel. At least in one important regard, this may be the opposite of America's 9/11. Public support immediately rallied behind George W. Bush, and stayed there for a long time. He was the hero, or at least the protector. Not the villain. It wasn't until Trump ran in 2016 that Republicans in particular could begin to tolerate, let alone agree with Trump, that perhaps Bush did not keep us safe on 9/11. My assumption is that the most likely knee jerk response is that Israel will make all or at least some of the same mistakes the US did after 9/11. Which Biden thankfully cautioned Israel not to do, in person. Maybe they will actually listen. It's not clear yet how much of this Israeli response is that Netanyahu was not tough enough, and now we need to pave Gaza into a parking lot. And how much is a belief that Netanyahu's great achievement as a horrible leader is killing peace and turning both Gaza and the West Bank into terrorist training camps. There is no way that approach will change as long as Netanyahu is leader. So for the time being my guess is the basic trend doesn't change. Sadly.

That's very good news indeed. I ordered myself to try them next time

Dallas is pretty gay...take the job, move there and run for political office, look into The Victory Fund https://victoryfund.org/ they help train people how to run elections.

Is where the gay action used to be, I've been told Makati is better area to stay...I'm going in Feb and is where I'll stay, I stayed is Pasay last time and although it's nice and near the Mall of Asia, wasn't much action on the apps there. A friend stayed in Makati and he said it was non-stop 🤨

@Olddaddy seems to know a lot about the Philippines. You might consider sending him a PM.

This question is purely a request for more information - absolutely nothing more. The government of Iran (which I will always divorce from the people of that country) is a pariah state. Part of its actions in recent decades seem to be a hankering after some of its long lost glories. It was after all for a time the largest Empire the world had ever known. It was home to the world's first monotheastic religion, Zoroastrianism. It welcomed other religions a long time before they ventured westwards, in particular Judaism and Christianity. All three are protected state religions whose adherents have the right to practice their religions and which have dedicated seats in the Iranian parliament. Indeed there are references to Persia in no less than five books in the Old Testament. That aside, what consequences do you see or refer to if it "miscalculates the consequences of future actions"? Do you see the US taking action against it? Many might love to see that, but I consider it so unlikely it will not happen. The US is inextricably bound up with Israel/Palestine, with Ukraine and all but obligated to stand by to aid Taiwan if China were to invade. It is surely unlikely Congress and the US public will accept another war front. Israel with a thumbs up from the USA bombed a suspected nuclear facility in Iran in 2007 and kept the raid secret from the world for seven months. Iran is now a much more militant adversary and one with the ability to manufacture different and sophisticated weaponry as the Ukrainians have found out. With Russia and China in its corner, what does it stand to lose?

That's a really good way to put it, actually.

US already started dances with Iran for to pull it to their side in this game. And nobody cares about it "autocratic" regime. Money doesn't smell, "Somosa is son of the bitch, but it is our son of the bitch".

Another part of what is going on that makes no sense is the idea that what happens in Gaza stays in Gaza. The conservative realists are at least saying that there is no way that a massive terrorist network like Hamas is going to be wiped out. Especially when the horrific environment that breeds them is actually made more horrific. It's common to refer to Gaza as an "open-air prison." After this terrorist attack, it might be more useful to think of Gaza as an "open-air terrorist training camp." If Netanyahu thinks he can stop that by turning it into a parking lot, he should consider the possibility that it will only make it worse. (See: Iraq, US invasion, rise of ISIS). A few charts from Mr. "I Love Charts." I found that helpful. Because it helps to explain why both Israel, on the one hand, and Palestinians and the Arab world, on the other, feel outraged. I won't post the other chart, since it would literally be overkill. But Forbes says that between 2008 and 2020 the death toll from the Israel-Palestinian conflict was 5,592 Palestinians versus 252 Israelis. So for Israel losing five times as many people in one day compared to how many were lost in years of an entrenched conflict has to be a huge shock. Whereas for Palestinians it's mostly just the same old same old. It's a weird thing about human empathy. I can easily understand one group feeling, "Oh my God. This is so horrible. I feel so sorry for you." And the other side feeling, "Now you know how we feel." There are plenty of reliable news reports of how dozens of entire Palestinian families have been completely wiped up by Israel's bombing in Gaza just this month. As Pandora's box is opened, there ought to also be a big debate about the West Bank. The Danger of Violent Escalation in the West Bank Note that was written in June 2023. To oversimplify, the sound advice of the author is that Israel should be doing whatever it can to defuse this situation. Invading Gaza is of course going to detonate the West Bank. The author notes the usual suspects, like Hamas, and the usual networks, including Gaza and Beirut. So I guess the least bad scenario is that rising terrorism in the West Bank is mostly because local thugs are just being local thugs. The more likely scenario is that of course the known and well organized bad players will use public sentiment in the West Bank and the Arab world to set that powder keg off, too. It won't be hard. There's a great interview with former PM Ehud Olmert, who laid out that the only solution is political: a two state solution. What he said about being Mayor of Jerusalem is worth noting: I'm sure Olmert knows way more than me about what it took to stop terrorism when he was Mayor of Jerusalem. But whatever worked then, terrorism is on the rise now. And there's every reason to think what has already been happening in the West Bank recently is about to get a hell of a lot worse, if the invasion of Gaza moves forward and goes like it is probably going to go. I'd be interested in Olmert's thoughts about how you "sometimes reduce" terrorism in a "big war." The first example that comes to mind for me is Hitler. Hitler did start a war that he couldn't win, and he did lose. And beating the Nazis did stop Nazi terror. And it was very costly. This is why I think Hamas should be thought of as evil geniuses, even compared to Hitler. It seems very clear that they want to start a war that they know they can't win. But they also know they can't lose. Even trying to make them lose would involve a regional war that inflames not only Gaza, but the West Bank. And God knows where else as well.

As I wrote you and I will agree to disagree. Nothing excuses not only the Holocaust but the ghastly inhumane treatment of Jewish people in Germany throughout most of the Nazi regime. I have never denied that and would never consider doing so. And I agree that in most people's minds had it not occurred the present Israeli/Palestinian conflicts would not be happening and Iran might - although I happen to doubt this - be sitting on the sidelines wondering where next to hit US interests. But the fact cannot be denied that many Jews pre-Holocaust had emigrated from Germany to other countries including Palestine. Folllowing WWII, quite a number of Jews not just from Germany but also other parts of devastated Europe made their way to Palestine because their own pre-war homes no longer existed. The number was at least 600,000. It was more than just a matter of shame that the post-WWII British administration in Palestine denied access to the country to most Holocaust survivors. And it was before most arrived that Ben Gurion made his pledge I referred to in my earlier post. The Arab-Jewish/Israeli conflict pre-dates the Holocaust. I merely say again that the main thrust of my OP were faults of the US (seen in hindsight) through not having Middle East specialists in its post war state department. It got it policies re Iran totally wrong - just as it did in Vietnam. The result is that a country which was once a staunch ally of the US is now arguably its most stanuch foe. And that is incontrovertible.

From VN Express Vietnam's railway sector is set to put into service a pair of high-quality trains on the popular Hanoi-Da Nang route on Friday, catering to the growing demand from both domestic and international tourists. The high-quality trains have undergone comprehensive refurbishments, including fresh paintwork and meticulous interior enhancements, such as new blankets, sheets, pillows, and window curtains. The bed compartments have been designed to create a luxurious and cozy ambiance. Continues at https://e.vnexpress.net/news/places/luxury-trains-to-come-on-hanoi-da-nang-link-4665587.html To ensure a comfortable and premium experience, the railway sector has installed new water heaters and bright white ceramic sanitary equipment in the washing compartments and restrooms.

this is very true, bogota is really a charm...

Good news, bad news. U.S. intel indicates Israel didn’t bomb Gaza hospital Since I'm the one who posted the headline, which did attribute the claim to Hamas, I'll walk it back. I think it is good news that Israel did not turn a hospital into a parking lot. And it is also good news that Biden showed up and said he has Israel's back. As opposed to saying he supports Netanyahu's policies. Bad news is it still shows what happens when you open Pandora's Box. And I get that if we are going to blame someone for starting it, that goes to Hamas. But this is exactly what people have been saying so far through this thread. A lot of innocent people are going to die. And even a right-winger like Luttwak admits that taking out Hamas leadership through an invasion is a completely unrealistic goal.

. I am busy right now, but i will anwser some of your questions once i get home, except the tourist ones. that i dont know the other forum has a lot of thread about Parangonya. check their FB page https://www.facebook.com/paragonya they are more actively promoting the place. I love that sauna

That is weird. Green was doing extremely well last time I was in BKK and the chairs in the ground floor all occupied in the evening.

As usual a joy to watch his videos and very interesting too.

Ha! I'll be in Taipei for a week at the end of November. Maybe I can become a star 🤣 Well, it says guys over 20 but no maximum age mentioned!

Being a twink doesn’t equate to being other than masculine, as I think most twink lovers will attest. It relates to body style just as hunk relates to a different body style. I was walking by Screwboy last night between shows when the mainly twink staff hang around outside and at the cooked food vendors on Surawong. Impressive and masculine in my book.

If visiting him is what you're going to do, have him show you around. If not, find a Korat boy on the apps and arrange the same thing with him. The local boys always know the best places to go and you'll probably get to see and do things most farang, even those who go there as tourists, never see. For sightseeing, it's been several years since I was last there, but i believe 2 or 3 days there is plenty.

Anyone advocating a ground offensive on the 3rd most densely populated place on the planet where two million people, the majority women and children, huddle under some of the worst conditions imaginable is a fucking idiot. What Hamas did was evil and they should be severely punished for it. A ground offensive is going to get a lot more people, mostly innocent, killed. 1300 people died in the Hamas attack, many women and children. 1500 have already died in the IDF air attacks, over half women and children. Anyone cheering this on needs psychiatric help.

Hey! Just came back from a work trip but here's Days 11-12. Post trip reflections to follow. 😁 Days 11-12 I woke up with Tee still sound asleep. I tried to carefully wiggle out and move his legs off me but he instinctively pulled me back that I could feel his gentle snoring and his robust morning wood. "Not yet", I told myself. I may be a horn dog but at the moment, my body is craving for caffeine more than anything else. He's already awake when I stepped out of the shower. When I asked what he wants to eat for breakfast, he smiled and pointed at my phone which is good as I'm feeling lazy being out anyway. He ordered rice porridge while I opted for croissants, cold cuts and mangoes delivered. The croissant was surprisingly semi-fresh and Tee seemed to enjoy devouring two ham and cheese croissants I made. We chatted a bit more with him telling his story on how he survived the pandemic including how he got back into shape. He also talked about his experiences being in the trade and some weird experiences and requests he receives from customers. This made me cringe thinking what story he will be telling his mates about me. After a while, Tee stood up and motioned he's going to the shower. He removed the towel from his waist and draped it over his shoulder. "Come with me?" he asked. He's already hard down there. While I already showered and know this might be a ploy to extract more tip, this is one of those tricks I really don't mind falling into! By mid afternoon, I decided to book Knott at S'sense. I was tempted to check if the Prince spa (also in Suan Plu) is open but given I'm at the tail end of my trip, I decided to play it safe. Knott instantly recognised me and was smiling as he lead me up that endless flight of stairs. I'm happy to report that the experience with him was consistent, if not, better than the last time. I chose to spend my last night in Tawan. The Uncle hastily led me in and have me seated inside (no more disclaimer from him about BDSM boy show!). I saw Tun busy chatting with a couple of customers. After a few minutes, I was approached by one bar boy, shook my hands and asked if he can sit with me. BDSM show is not really my thing but I tried to enjoy and amuse myself with random stuff while watching. The clincher for me that night was one performance where they apparently intend to put a nipple clamp on one performer. However, rather than an actual nipple clamp, they improvised and used a large clothespin instead. The fact that both clampds are coloured pastel purple made me chuckle a bit. While I'm enjoying the show, I'm struggling to feel any sort of spark with the guy seated next to me. I think it's because he jumped the gun and switched straight to and used the transactional tone quite quickly. I mean don't get me wrong. I'm not naive of what patrons and people who work in this kind of place are aiming for. But I guess, investing more time to create rapport really goes a long way. I politely declined, gave him his tip and he was back in rotation. A few minutes later, I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder. It was Tun. "Hello my wife!" He whispered. I replied sarcastically pointing to the two guests he was chatting with and corrected him that those two are his wives. "No, they go home now" he said. We both had a laugh. Once seated, Tun seems to be working fast to secure the deal. He's extra touchy feely, sneakily kissing my neck, his hands wandering everywhere under my shirt. He even grabbed my hand and directed it down his crotch area. I was a bit flustered with the last one as I'm not used to this kind of public display - even when in a boy bar in Thailand! Moments later, Tun casually mentioned he's getting sleepy and suggest we "go home sleep together". I nodded, finished our drinks and made our way out. Just like last time, we did a quick pitstop at 7-11 before heading back to my apartment. Tun quickly made himself at home which is one of the beauty of a repeat transaction. The expectations and dynamics are somehow established and there are less unknowns compared to bringing in a new guy. While there's the risk of monotony and overfamiliarity down the line, I chose to ignore that for now given that this is my last night and it will be months before I return to Tawan. I will worry about it by then. Overall, my second time with Tun still exceeded my expectations. Given that I already had a session with Tee (morning) and Knott (afternoon), I was quite surprised and kinda proud of myself for capping off the day with another one. I think how Tun engages both in and out of the bedroom makes the difference. I may be generalising but from experience, I usually have better experience with MBs/bar boys/masseurs who are a bit older. Could be maturity? Less appetite for dramatics? Old enough to know the value of money so they tend to equate level of service? or considered old and less marketable by trade standards hence compensating through better service? Honestly, I don't know. Good thing though is that Asian guys who are in their 30s are still eye candies. We woke up a lot late than usual. Quite disappointed that with this late start, I wont be able to do my planned last massage session before flying out. It didn't help that Tun lingered even after I gave him his tip. Seriously, how do you tell a hunky, freshly showered, half naked Tawan guy to leave? I then had a light bulb moment that includes him dropping the towel wrapped around his waist and us marching back to the room. My last hurrah for this trip. With the above disappointment taken cared of, we had a relaxed lunch outside the apartment. When we finished, I handed him an extra tip which is the amount I set aside to tip my supposed to be masseur for today - then off we went our separate ways. This left me with a couple more hours before my pre booked airport pickup arrive. Plenty of time to pack up, get myself sorted and reflect a bit before saying a temporary goodbye to this gorgeous city.

Torn on this, Israel was going ever more to the right, more settlers, more oppression, no sign it might ever get better, I can understand seeing no other option than something violent. If this topples Netanyahu maybe it did accomplish something...? But the atrocities committed by Hamas will have the effect of making everything so very much worse for Palestinians. And Hamas doesn't care. In fact their hope is for unchecked atrocities to be returned in kind. Keep the cycle going, more grist for the mill.

there are people who still like bar experience and find sitting in the room , combing through the screen boring and waste of precious vacation time i.e. me

- They do have drinks - but you have to pay extra - Plenty of guys and eye candies but not offable - Nothing illicit. Just a natural high Worth it? I would say give it a try at least once

Bali and Jakarta, there used to be a gay disco in Jakarta that was fun, but they didn't survive Covid. The apps will keep you busy enough, there's no need to leave your hotel room, lol I'm going to try Surabaya on this trip as well for the first time. Side note, I met someone in Jakarta about 4 yrs ago that was def bf material and he arrived in NYC to study the same day I landed in Bali in Sept.. I'll see him in NYC next week though. I'm sure he'll have no problem finding a bf in NYC, he's cute, smart and dedicated to doing well in life.

I visited bars with working boys few times and most behave like Jake but on few cases they abused fact that I'm paying for the drinks and not only gulped few but even asked their bar friends to join without clearing with me. One guy, veteran of quite a few previous offs , in the morning got the harsh lesson - when I gave him his tip, it was 1000 less than normal. When asked why so little ( !!! ) I told him I discounted those bar drinks he gulped last night with his friend. Now we back on good terms but on subsequent trip he did not even approach me when I visited his bar. So in short , watch your boys and them spending your money. Another general comment , not related to day 9 above. When you are taking boy to the bar make sure he actually wants to go. Some boys do, some will go only because they think it makes you happy. So if one senses they are bit apprehensive , don't press the issue. After all what attraction to bar boy is to see other bar boys ? Although some genuinely like shows.

Merely as an aside, it's interesting that you mention both afernoon tea and high tea - I think meaning the same afternoon snack 'meal'. In fact they are not the same, although in many parts of the world the terms have become virtually interchangeable. Afternoon tea is a quintissentialy British tradition originating in the 19th century by some duchess or countess. It was bascially a set of snacks to fill the gap between a heavy lunch and later cocktails and an equally heavy dinner. The latter would normally start to be served between 8:00 and 9:00 pm but the British aristocracy needed something to keep them going in the interim. In addition to tea, scones with clotted cream and home-made jams were essential, as were delicately cut finger sandwiches (initially with thinly sliced cucumber filling), small savouries and a selection of small individual cakes. Anyone who has seen the 1950s movie of Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest cannot help but recall the wonderful actor Dame Edith Evans discussing the cucumber sandwiches which had been prepared for Lady Bracknell's visit but all eaten prior to her arrival by her nephew and host. High tea was very much a meal for the working class. When men returned from a day's work in the factories and mines, work that had probably started around 6:00 am, not surprisingly they were hungry. So "high" tea was invented, this to include tea, thick sandwiches and always one full cooked dish to be served between 5:00 and 6:00 pm. Apart from the confusion of names, chefs nowadays like to put their own imprint on afternoon tea. Some years ago I had a dreadful one at the Dusit Thani hotel that had none of the traditional ingredients. Last month I was invited to afternoon tea at Bangkok's Okura Hotel. Perhaps not surprisingly most of the snack items were Japanese. Invited to the Sukhothai last week, I could not believe that the two scones (i.e. one each) were little more than a mouthful and the accompaniments so small they could not cover even 4 half scones. Ah well! Time marches on and traditions fall by the wayside. Time to return to @CallMeLee's excellent trip report and the much more important cocks and poles. Mention of poles reminds me of the old Bangkok My Way bar where young guys did the most fabulous pole dancing. Sadly no cocks in sight, though.

Day 9 After breakfast and bidding my temp boyfriend goodbye, I once again am embracing singleness and ready for my next adventure. But at this point of the trip, I surprisingly found myself clueless with what to do next. It's similar to the feeling of having done a number of trips in the buffet line ---- you're not full yet unsure what to eat next. I decided to give myself a detox and declared a "cock embargo" for today. Started with distracting myself with Netflix and catching up with my series. When I start feeling a bit lethargic, I went down the gym for a bit of a run. By mid-day, the Filipino MB (Jake) I met previously (see Day 5) messaged asking if I'm still around. Turned out he'll fly out in a couple of days and wanting to know if I want to meet up. Banking on my previous positive experience, I agreed but warned him that my current mood and preference is just to go with the flow and walk around aimlessly. With that disclaimer made, we met up in Terminal 21 and eventually found ourselves making our way to Iconsiam. Inside the mall, we chanced upon what looks like an English style tea house - which made me suddenly crave for a proper tea and scone. I dragged Jake who later confessed that it's his first time doing this style of afternoon tea. Armed with this new information, I decided to give him the "full experience" and ordered the high tea set. His face lit up with excitement when the order was served. He took photos of the tiered cakes and savouries selection and asked me if I can take a photo of him with it as well. I was a bit embarrassed but encouraged by his excitement so I went for it and grabbed his mobile. After tea, we walked for a bit and did some minor shopping before finding ourselves back to my apartment. We spent the early part of the evening talking, cuddled up and making out between conversations. Nothing extra spicy happened beyond that. When he mentioned that he haven't been to a male gogo bar before, I took it upon myself to introduce him to that world. After dinner (via grab) we made our way to Dreamboys. In my 7+ years of visiting Thailand, this is the first time that I went to a gogo club with a companion. It was a different experience but I enjoyed it overall. Jake was a bit taken aback with how much I am paying for the drinks and just nursed his "entry bottle" throughout the night. As the night progress, he started being more and more touchy and affectionate. Didn't help that I introduced him as my husband to make the Mamasans leave us alone. He particularly enjoyed the drag performance. I gave him a couple of 100 baht and told him to give it to the performer he likes the most. He hesitated at first but drew the courage to approach the stage to give his tip - and was ecstatic when rewarded by one performer with a peck on the cheek. When the first show of the night ended and the guys are up in the stage, Jake asked me if I have selected who I will be taking home that night. When I said no, he responded saying "good, because you're taking me with you tonight." And consistent with today's theme of going with the flow..... I did.

Booking sites like Expedia provides a revenue management app to properties that lists under them. Logic is simple, if properties can maximise their pricing, then booking sites maximise their commission too. Booking sites are like the Mamasans of the hotel world 😜