Gaybutton

I hate to show my ignorance, but until this thread I've never heard of See's Chocolate. I've always like Godiva . . . when I can afford it. How do the two compare? If you like caramel, the greatest has always been Velati's, which you may never have heard of it you don't come from the Washington, D.C - northern Virginia area. I remember Velati's from when I was a kid. Nothing can compare. If any kind soul from that area can ever bring some for me - just the plain caramel is all I want, nothing fancy - I would be most grateful and would be happy to pay for it. http://www.velatis.com

I'll start by mentioning that this film has already won numerous awards and has been nominated for many more. I don't see why you found it depressing. I don't want to reveal anything that might spoil the film for those who have not seen it, but I found it just the opposite. The most I will say is that when someone is living a situation in which there is virtually no chance in life, but that one chance comes along and that someone takes it, win or lose, against all odds, despite all obstacles, that is something I think is very uplifting.

I've seen both 'Avatar' and 'Precious.' The special effects in 'Avatar' amazed me, and I'm hard to amaze. The basic story is not exactly what I would call on par with 'The Lion in Winter' or 'On Golden Pond,' but if you like 3-D and incredible special effects, then I think 'Avatar' is well worth seeing. I thought it was a little too long, though. It runs 2 hours and 40 minutes. I think at least 20 minutes could have been cut without diminishing the movie at all. I thought 'Precious' was excellent, intelligent, thoroughly believable, and every actor was fabulous. I hope this movie is nominated for an academy award. I could easily see the girl nominated for Best Actress and the mother nominated for Best Supporting Actress. In my opinion, 'Precious' is a definite don't miss film, especially if you come from the USA.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Will Drinkers Toast New Liquor Tax? December 24, 2009 Excise tax ceiling to be raised; foreign beers, liquors will be subject to a zero import duty under Afta scheme An executive decree will be issued shortly to raise the excise tax ceiling on alcoholic beverages in preparation for the implementation of the Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) on January 1, a source from the Finance Ministry said yesterday. The Cabinet is expected to consider the measure on Tuesday, just before the arrival of 2010 when all imported beer and liquor will be subject to a zero import duty under the Afta scheme. Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij yesterday declined to comment on the planned excise hike. However, official sources say the excise ceiling on beer, for instance, is expected to rise from Bt100 to Bt460 per litre based on alcohol content, while that of distilled white spirits and whisky will rise from Bt120 to Bt400. PREVENTING DUMPING The planned hike should help prevent cheaper foreign-made alcoholic drinks being dumped in the Thai market once liberalisation is in place. "Alcoholic beverages damage consumers' health, so it's necessary to use the excise tax as a measure |to manage consumption. Competition in the alcohol industry should also be curbed because fiercer competition as a result of market liberalisation will lead to more consumption. "In addition, the government should enforce a law banning the advertisement of these products to prevent further damage to public health," said a ministry official, who asked not to be named. Under the Afta scheme, Thailand and other Asean countries will be opening up their domestic markets to boost trade within the 10-country grouping. From January 1, several types of products - including alcohol - will benefit from the zero import tax rate, allowing an influx of cheaper beer and liquor from within the region. At present, Thailand is the largest market for alcoholic beverages in Asean, followed by the Philippines and Vietnam. Sources say Chinese beverage firms with production facilities inside Asean are expected to flood the Thai market with cheap beer and liquor. In addition, some European firms are already using production facilities within Asean to supply low-cost products to the Thai market. If the excise tax ceiling does not get adjusted before Afta is enforced, Thai producers will be hit hard by the dumping of foreign products. Beside beer, competition in the distilled white spirits and whiskey market segments is also expected to be fierce due to the reduction of import duty.

Well, you've got me on that one. I can understand your frustration if you're going to the beach to try to read a book. There are other beaches in Pattaya and Naklua, as I'm sure you know, but they're not gay, as I'm sure you also know.

Some of them can also be quite entertaining. One of my favorites, and a smile comes to just about everyone's face when he's passing by, is Bird, the ice cream vendor. If you've been to the gay Dongtan beach area, I'll bet a smile will come across your face right now, when you realize who he is: "Ice cream, ka." Recognize that? Police, leave these people alone. City, change the regulations.

Considering the bacteria anyone's hands normally come into contact with on a daily basis, in your own home is liquid soap really going to make much of a difference?

I like some of the street stalls every so often, depending on what they sell and if I'm in the mood for it. I don't know the names for most of it and there are plenty of items they sell and I don't have any idea what the hell most of it is, but sometimes I'll try them anyway just to see if it is something I might like. A woman on my street makes the best fried rice I've ever had - 25 baht. There is a place near where I live that makes, among other things, the typical sliced chicken on top of rice. That's benign enough. They also make the sliced pork leg on top of rice. One dish they make that I enjoy is "suki talay," which is a vegetable soup loaded with different vegetables and seafood items - 35 baht. Something that seems to be available only during mornings is "joke." I don't know what's in it. It seems to be a rice based soup with several added items. I like that too. Another soup I like is the fish maw soup. It sounds terrible, but I think it's very good - 30 baht. For farang fast food, people keep telling me that the "hamburger lady" at Sunee Plaza makes both excellent hamburgers and hot dogs, although I have never tried her food. For restaurant fast food, for me there's no question. The Canton House in the new Central Festival. While they serve many other dishes, they specialize in Chinese dim-sum, which I love. 15 baht per selection. Water or tea is 10 baht. They make a won-ton soup that I really like too and it comes in various sizes. You would have to be really hungry to spend more than about 120 baht there. If you want to go out of the way, on Sukhumvit Soi 21, right behind the Toyota dealership, there is a mom-and-pop open air Thai restaurant that is famous among the Thai locals and highly popular. The reason is they make nearly all their food items from scratch. Almost nothing comes out of a bottle. To find it, you turn left from Sukhumvit Highway onto Soi 21 and then make an immediate right. It's just down the block on the left. You can't miss it.

As most of you probably know, a major volcanic eruption is capable of causing problems thousands of miles away. If the eruption is powerful enough, it can even cause problems worldwide. ____________ Philippines' Mayon Volcano to Explode 'Within Days' (CNN) -- Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes as scientists warn the towering Mayon volcano is about to explode in the Philippines, the country's national news agency reported Monday. More than 9,000 families -- a total of 44,394 people -- are being housed in evacuation camps after authorities Sunday raised the alert status of the country's most active volcano, Albay Province Gov. Joey Salceda said. But officials said not everyone is heeding their warnings -- some villagers were spotted within the danger zone checking on their homes and farms on the foothills of the volcano. The government is trying to enforce a "no man's land" rule in the designated danger zone, with military and police instructed to double the personnel manning the nine checkpoints and double their foot patrol operation inside the restricted area, PNA reported. Philippine authorities raised the alert status to Level 4 on Sunday which "means that a hazardous explosive eruption is possible within days," according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology. "Audible booming and rumbling sounds were first reported in the eastern flank of the volcano" Sunday afternoon, and 1,942 volcanic earthquakes were detected by the institute's seismic network in the 24 hours to 7 a.m. local time on Monday (6 p.m. ET on Sunday), the institute said. One was "an explosion-type earthquake" that launched a cloud of ash about 500 meters (1,640 feet) into the air, according to the statement. Level 4 means an eruption is considered imminent and Level 5, the highest, means an eruption is taking place. The Institute recommended extending already-established danger zones of 8 km (4.9 miles) south of the summit and 7 km (4.3 miles) north of the summit of the the 8,077-foot volcano. People in surrounding Albay Province have flocked to town centers to catch a glimpse of glowing lava cascading down the slopes of Mayon since the mountain began oozing fiery lava and belching clouds of ash last week. The volcano, located about 500 km (310 miles) south of the Philippine capital of Manila, has erupted 49 times since its first documented eruption in 1616. The Philippines is situated in the so-called Ring of Fire, an arc of fault lines circling the Pacific Basin that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Mayon's most violent eruption, in 1814, killed more than 1,200 people and devastated several towns. Its last major eruption was in 1993. Since then, it has remained restless, emitting ash and spewing lava.

Probably your best bet is the following web site: http://www.utopia-asia.com/tipstaiw.htm If you scroll down, there is an entire section devoted to Taichung, including an up-to-date message board. They also sell a book called "Utopia Guide to Taiwan." Their books are very good.

While I certainly do recommend reading the guestbook entries, along with posts someone may have written on various boards, you also need to understand that those entries are not necessarily reliable. I think we've all seen posts on the various boards that are personal vendettas against venues, restaurants, people, etc. The same applies to those guestbooks. Sometimes, for whatever reason, someone has a grudge against a boy he had met and sets out to write something negative about the boy. The boys who are the victims of that probably can't read or understand much written English or may not even be aware of the guestbooks. When a negative message is posted on a board about him, the boy has no way to defend himself or tell his side of the story. The reason I'm saying this is by sheer coincidence I know the boy you mentioned. I've known him for nearly four years, although I haven't spoken to him in months. It is very difficult for me to believe that post to which you refer. If the story is true, I would be extremely surprised. The boy I know is one of the nicest, most charming boys I've ever met. While I wouldn't recommend leaving anything of value around that could tempt any boy, I would trust this boy over a great many others. He used to work as a go-go boy at Happy Bar. He was there when Happy Bar first opened. I don't think he's still there, but I haven't been to Happy Boys in quite some time. Only last year he went back to his home province because of the draft lottery. He called me from there several times, scared to death that he would get the 'red ball' and wind up drafted into the military. Immediately after the draft lottery he called me again, relieved and delighted. He got the 'black ball.' I'll bet his own story is a little different from that guestbook entry and I would want to know his side of it. He is a money boy, but he makes no demands about the amount. I also know he wants a boyfriend. I really don't believe that CFS post at all. Obviously it may be true, but if it is I would be shocked. Again, I recommend reading the guestbook entries for any boy who places a personal ad on Gay Romeo. I suppose there isn't much choice other than taking those kinds of posts or guestbook entries into consideration when making a decision about contacting and meeting boys, but I think you should also bear in mind that some of those entries may not exactly be an honest, accurate portrayal.

I'm not quite following what you are talking about. Are you trying to say you have been trying to create a profile on Planet Romeo, but are having difficulty doing it? If yes, the first question is have you registered? You first have to register if you have not already done so. What does the error message say? What do you mean by the site administration is saying the error is illegitimate? What, exactly, do they tell you and by what manner do they communicate with you? Is it an automatic message or is a site administrator contacting you by Email? I don't see how discovering whether other people are having the same problem can be of any help to you. What you need to do is let us know exactly what the error message says and get advice from someone who isn't having a problem.

It certainly provides an interesting choice: midnight mass or midnight ass . . .

That was a very kind gesture on your part and the others who contributed. I think we all know that some vendors are mafia controlled, but I believe that particular young man is not. With the exception of the blue-shirted massage guys and the white-shirted manicurists, as far as I know every vendor out there is operating illegally and they know they are taking a risk playing the daily cat-and-mouse game with the police. Meanwhile, the vendors are far more benign than they were only a few years ago and I think people who resent their presence are truly mean spirited. At least the vendors are trying to make a harmless living as opposed to the con artists who try ATM scams and the violent criminals, including the purse snatchers and gold chain snatchers. I don't know what the city thinks they are protecting us from. I would much rather see the police manpower concentrated on trying to catch the violent criminals and trying to prevent such crimes instead of protecting us all from beach vendors and helmetless motorcycle drivers.

Assuming you're talking about Euro Boys, yes. I wouldn't go as far to say the boys are all masculine, though. You know how the bars are. Many boys there today may not be there a month from today or even tomorrow. For what my opinion is worth, to me one bar is pretty much the same as the next, but I was pleasantly surprised with the fun the boys seem to have at Euro Boys. Obviously everyone has his own likes and dislikes and Euro Boys might not be for everybody, but I would say that from among the various bars you at least try when in Pattaya, I would put Euro Boys on your list.

Yes, Happy Bar is open. For those who may not be aware of it, now there is a 150 baht fee added to your bill if you take a boy upstairs to their second floor. I have no idea what the fee is if you decide to take more than 1 boy upstairs. I believe that fee is waived if you buy a minimum amount of drinks while still on the first floor, the go-go boy floor. That's what I've heard, anyway. From what I understand, they don't waive the 150 baht fee no matter how many drinks you buy on the second floor unless you have met the first floor minimum before going upstairs. I forget the minimum. It think it's about 250 baht worth of drinks or something like that. I haven't been there in quite some time, so maybe someone else can tell us what the minimum actually is.

I know many of you have been following Kevin Quill's plight and are interested in the latest information. Today I received an Email from someone who is in a position to know. The following is the significant part of the E-mail: _____ Wednesday Kevin Quill was granted by the Thai justice system his request for repatriation to England to serve out the remainder of his sentence in a prison there under the prisoner exchange agreement that Thailand has with the UK, the USA, and many other countries. It is anticipated that he will be deported back to England under prison police escort within about 5 to 6 weeks. It is taking a bit longer to process him owing to the holiday season. When he arrives in England he will be processed and assessed by the prison service there and, if luck is with him, be sent to an open prison for the next 2 years. He has already spent 2 years of his 6 year jail sentence here in Thailand and will have to do at least a further 2 years in England to comply with his release conditions from the Thai justice system.

Curiosity got the better of me. Because of these posts, this evening I stopped in at Euro Boys to see for myself. I don't think I've been in there for well over a year. While everyone has to decide for himself which bar is "Number 1," I had a wonderful time there tonight and for me Euro Boys is definitely in the running. The boys have a a lot of fun dancing, and I mean really dancing, not the one-knee shuffle, and were truly enjoying themselves. They all seem to like each other and appeared to be having fun more than simply working and being bored. That's contagious. There were about a half dozen customers in the bar while I was there and they were having a good time with the boys too. It's a bar I'll certainly visit again, and soon. All the boys appeared to be 18+. I didn't sit there checking IDs, but I saw no boys that appeared to be under age. "Be happy in your work" - Sessue Hayakawa, 'The Bridge on the River Kwai'

Good. I could have sworn I had seen it there, but I wasn't sure. I'm glad you confirmed it. Now maybe Smiles will smile.

Actually, it is . . .

And somebody had to be the first person to ever think of trying it. "Look, Dan. The civet took a shit. Hey, take a look. What's that sticking out of the shit?" "Well, Norm, it looks to me like a coffee bean." "Yeah? This morning we ran out of coffee. See if there's enough of it in there to brew a few cups." -later- "Hey, Dan, this is good! This is the best damned cup of coffee I've had in years. Who would ever have believed coffee flavored with civet turds could be this good?" "Best you've had in years? Makes me kind of wonder what must have been in the coffee you were drinking before."

I don't know if is a requirement. The application link you posted is for a business membership. The application I filled out for an individual membership was quite different. I went back again today. Yesterday I was there only to look around and see what they have. Today I had a few things I wanted to buy. The opening day chaos is over with. Today everything was quite normal. Plenty of parking, no huge crowds, and about a two minute wait at the cash register. By the way, the security card booths are still not open. The only negative, in my opinion, is the location. It's hard to get there if you don't have your own transportation and even harder to get back if now you have a load of groceries and other items. At the cash register I did not wait for the cashier to ask for the card. I simply handed it over. The cashier scanned it and my name appeared on the cash register display. I guess the membership card is used to keep track of whatever it is they want statistics about. Since the membership card is free, I imagine it is used primarily for marketing purposes.

And you actually think that's really a photo of me? I'm not surprised. No, I don't like donuts. But then everything I know about you tells me that you very likely enjoy sour grapes. I think, but am not certain, that I've noticed Irish Spring at Villa Market. I've never seen Old Spice sold in Thailand.

The same is true in Pattaya. Most stores have done away with the parking security cards. For those who don't know what we're talking about, when you enter a parking lot, first you have to stop at a booth at which an attendant hands you a plastic card. You have to give it back at the exit booth when leaving. Just what that kind of security is supposed to secure beats me, but most stores have done away with it. Makro has the same kinds of booths installed, although yesterday, the opening day, there were no attendants in the booths and no cards were being handed out. There were plenty of attendants in the parking lot, helping people find a place to park. My guess is that for the time being, until the hubbub slows down, there are so many cars trying to get in and out, along with trying to find a parking spot, that dealing with the cards would only cause a hell of a mess. I doubt they installed those booths for nothing, so sooner or later they'll probably start handing out the cards.

I was in Villa Market yesterday. They are finally carrying Fritos. They have the 11 ounce size bags for 179 baht. They only carry that one size.