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The following two articles appear in THE NATION: _____ Red Shirt Protesters Block Access to Parliament Red shirt protesters blocked access to the Parliament and threw stones at vehicles leaving the venue after Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva won parliamentary votes to be new prime minister. They also threw stones and objects into the Parliament compound, forcing officials and reporters to cover themselves. A reporter was injured after a stone hit stone hit his nose. The stones and objects hit many vehicles, breaking their glasses and damaged them. An anti-riot police suffered head wound after an object hit his head. More police were deployed to the area. Police failed to calm them down. They had to use police with shields to push them back from the entrance of the Parliament. Then vehicles were allowed to leave the compound. The red shirt protesters were known for their supports of fugitive ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra, now-defunct People Power Party and Pheu Thai party. Latest reports said that many red shirt protesters organised protests in many provinces of Thailand, mostly in the northeastern region, to protest the victory of Abhisit. ____________________ Several Injured in Rock Throwing by Red-Shirted People A reporter and several other people were injured when angry red-shirted supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra threw rocks against vehicles leaving the Parliament compound. The red-shirted people became angry after Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva was elected the next prime minister. The protesters blocked the gates of the Parliament for about 30 minutes but were later pushed off by police. They then waited at a gate and threw rocks at vehicles which were leaving, breaking their windows. Sitthichai Jaruhiransakul, a reporter of Prachathat, was hit at his nose, causing it to bleed.

Iranian to be Blinded with Acid for Doing Same to Woman TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) -- An Iranian woman, blinded by a jilted stalker who threw acid in her face, has persuaded a court to sentence him to be blinded with acid himself under Islamic law demanding an eye for an eye. Ameneh Bahrami refused to accept "blood money." She insisted instead that her attacker suffer a fate similar to her own "so people like him would realize they do not have the right to throw acid in girls' faces," she told the Tehran Provincial Court. Her attacker, a 27-year-old man identified in court papers as Majid, admitted throwing acid in her face in November 2004, blinding and disfiguring her. He said he loved her and insisted she loved him as well. He has until early this week to appeal the sentence. Doctors say there is no chance Bahrami will recover her vision, despite repeated operations, including medical care in Spain partially paid for by Iran's reformist former president, Mohammed Khatami, who was in power when the attack took place. Majid said he was still willing to marry Bahrami, but she ruled out the possibility and urged that he remain locked up. "I am not willing to get blood money from the defendant, who is still thinking about destroying me and wants to take my eyes out," she told the court. "How could he pretend to be in love? If they let this guy go free, he will definitely kill me." Bahrami told the court that Majid's mother had repeatedly tried to arrange a marriage between the two after Majid met Bahrami at university. She rejected the offer, not even sure at first who the suitor was. Her friends told her he was a man who had once harassed her in class, leading to an argument between them. But he refused to accept her rejection, she said, going to her workplace and threatening her. Finally, she lied and told him she had married someone else and that "it would be better all around if he would leave [her] alone." She told the court that she reported the conversation to police, saying he had threatened her with "burning for the rest of my life" -- but they said they could not act until a crime had been committed. Two days later, on November 2, 2004, as she was walking home from work, she became aware of a man following her. She slowed, then stopped to let him pass. "When the person came close, I realized that it was Majid," she said. "Everything happened in a second. He was holding a red container in his hand. He looked into my eyes for a second and threw the contents of the red container into my face." Bahrami knew exactly what was happening, she said. "At that moment, I saw in my mind the face of two sisters who years ago had the same thing happen to them. I thought, 'Oh, my God -- acid.' " Passers-by tried to wash the acid off Bahrami, then took her to Labafinejad Hospital. "They did everything possible for me," she said of the doctors and nurses there. Then, one day, they asked her to sign papers allowing them to operate on her. "I said, 'Do you want to take my eyes out?' The doctor cried and left." They did want to remove her eyes surgically, she learned, for fear they would become infected, potentially leading to a fatal infection of her brain. But she refused to allow it, both because she was not sure she could handle it psychologically, and because she thought her death would be easier for her family to bear. "If I had died, my family would probably be sad for a year and mourn my death, and then they would get used to it," she told the court. "But now every day they look at me and see that I am slowly wasting away." The three-judge panel ruled unanimously on November 26 that Majid should be blinded with acid and forced to pay compensation for the injuries to Bahrami's face, hands and body caused by the acid. That was what she had demanded earlier in the trial. But she did not ask for his face to be disfigured, as hers was. "Of course, only blind him and take his eyes, because I cannot behave the way he did and ask for acid to be thrown in his face," she said. "Because that would be [a] savage, barbaric act. Only take away his sight so that his eyes will become like mine. I am not saying this from a selfish motive. This is what society demands." Attacking women and girls by throwing acid in their faces is sufficiently common in countries such as Bangladesh and Cambodia that groups have been formed to fight it. Human rights organizations have condemned the practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan. It is not clear how often such attacks take place in Iran. Iran and Saudi Arabia are the only countries that consider eye-gouging to be a legitimate judicial punishment, Human Rights Watch has said.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Abhisit Wins 235: 198 Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva beat his opponent Puea Pandin leader Pracha Promnok by 235 to 198 votes. Three MPs abstained, including Abhisit himself. The voting ended at 10:56 am. ____________________ And this, from TNA: _____ Democrat Abhisit Elected Thailand's Prime Minister BANGKOK, Dec 15 (TNA) - Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva has been officially voted Thailand's 27th prime minister by a majority of 233-197 votes in Monday's special session of the House of Representatives. Mr. Abhisit surpassed former national police chief Pracha Promnok, Puea Pandin party leader, who won support from MPs loyal to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, convicted of corruption charges and now a fugitive at an unknown location. The new prime minister is expected to be formally named later in the day on Monday. Hundreds of police were deployed outside Parliament for the session for fear of a street protest as some demonstrators gathered outside the House to protest the vote outcome. The vote comes in the wake of months of political crisis caused by anti-government protests which saw the country's two main airports seized last month. Mr. Abhisit, 44, graduated from Oxford University with first-class honour in philosophy, politics and economics, and later earned a master's degree in economics at Oxford. He first won national election in 1992 as an MP for Bangkok at the age of 28, the only Democrat MP elected in the capital that year. He served as government spokesman in 1992 and as Minister to the Prime Minister's Office in the government led by the then prime minister Chuan Leekpai in 1997. Mr. Abhisit was elected Democrat party leader in 2005. However, for some years his party has taken the role as a sole opposition party as it failed to win an outright majority in the House of Representatives. Mr. Abhisit earlier said building national reconciliation and improving the country's economy would be his first priority were he to be elected prime minister. "I think it would be good if the government leader would also lead the economic team," Mr. Abhisit said. He expressed optimism that he could improve and restore confidence among investors within two to three months. (TNA)

A waria is the way a typical New Yorker pronounces the term for those who go to fight a battle . . .

The simplest answer is: You don't. But if you want to try, then my experience tells me the first thing to do is set ground rules and limitations immediately. Make it crystal clear and don't wait. I would make it clear that I am not a walking ATM and that I didn't work my tail off all my life to come here and start giving away my life savings. If you want to do things like take the boy shopping, then give him the amount you are willing to let him spend before entering the stores and let him know that's all you're willing to spend and there are to be no arguments about it or pleadings for a few hundred baht more. He can buy what he wants out of the money you give him. No matter how much you give him, it's never enough, so you have to be fair, but firm. I would make it clear that you are not about to become the benefactor for his family. I would tell him you don't even want to hear about the family problems, with the possible exception of a life and death emergency for immediate family members, but not the cousins, aunts, nieces, nephews, and God-knows-who-else. I would also tell him that even under those circumstances, you will personally check out what you are being told before you part with one baht. One thing I think Ronald Reagan was right about was his idea of "trust, but verify." Other than that, the family has to take care of themselves just as they did before the boy ever met you. If you give him an allowance, then make it clear how much you are willing to give him and the basis on which you'll give it to him - every week, every two weeks, every month, or whatever. If he wants to help his family, it comes out of that. And no borrowing against the allowance. I would make it clear that he has to work. He doesn't get to retire at age 22. If you are going to have him move in with you, make it clear what your expectations are of him around the condo or house regarding chores. If he lives up to what he agrees to do, fine. If not, then let him know you'll hire a maid to do the chores he's failing to do and the cost of the maid service will be deducted from his allowance. If he wants to bring friends over, he has to clear it with you first. You don't want to walk in and find him sitting there, music blaring, food and drinks all over the place, your liquor supply gone, and your home in a mess. If you let him bring his friends over, then make sure you establish what time the party's over. No inviting a bunch of friends out to dinner or a night on the town with you footing the bill. He has to ask you first and he has to ask in private. Sometimes these boys will ask you right in front of the friends and now you're in a very awkward position and it can be very difficult to say no. If you have certain peeves, then make sure you reach an understanding. My biggest peeve is the friends calling at all hours of the night. After a certain hour, either the phone gets turned off or the ringer volume is set to zero. You have to try to anticipate as much you can and establish as much as you can in advance. The boy needs you a lot more than you need him. I know I probably seem callous to some, but I've come to learn that the little things do much more harm to a relationship than the big things do. I think the biggest mistake farangs make is allowing themselves to be afraid of losing the boy. You can't let that happen. If you do, then the boy will slowly but surely figure out how to manipulate you and wrap you around his little finger. There is no way I would allow a boy to live with me again until I have gotten to know him very, very well for at least a full year. The boy has to know what you expect of him and you have to know what he expects of you.

Ahhh, there's the rub. Enough money. You're talking about an enormous amount, if it's possible. If there are people out there who have that kind of money and are willing to risk losing it, along with the possibility that they can't buy their way out of it, along with what you go through being arrested and held in custody in a Thai jail, along with paying lord-knows-what for bail, along with the probability of going on trial in a 'guilty until proven innocent' country, along with having to deal with the language barrier, along with paying a Thai attorney, along with going through the not knowing what's going to happen to you ordeal, along with the risk of a long sentence to a Thai prison, along with the prospect of being deported and blacklisted, along with the possibility of being tried and imprisoned once again in their home country - if they are willing to risk all that for the sake of getting laid by a 14 year old, then to put it as kindly as I can, I'm glad my thinking, tastes, and priorities are a little different from theirs.

I wrote down a few prices this morning. Price per liter: Diesel - 16.something Gasahol 95 - 16.86 Gasahol 91 - 16.09 Gasoline 91 - 21.36 Sorry, I didn't see the price for gasoline 95.

Monday, December 15 OPENING RATES: US Dollar: 34.68 Euro: 46.575 British Pound: 52.02 Australian Dollar: 23.015 Canadian Dollar: 27.89 _____ CLOSING RATES: US Dollar: 34.67 Euro: 46.595 British Pound: 51.88 Australian Dollar: 22.875 Canadian Dollar: 27.94

You've got me confused too. If you're asking why I think if a government organization is behind these arrests, then it will be tougher for these men to buy their way out of it, my answer is because the Thai authorities will be under much greater pressure to try them, convict them, and jail them, rather than the cases somehow vanishing if enough money falls into the right hands and the press will take much greater notice too. Just this evening I did find out, however, that at least one of these men is out on bail, is back in Pattaya, is denying any wrongdoing, intends to remain in Thailand, and intends to fight it in court, so he says, despite the fact that he was in trouble for the same type of activity only a few years ago. If that wasn't the question, then please clarify what you are trying to ask.

On the face of it, the card system works. I don't recall ever reading anything about anyone having his car stolen from one of these parking lots. But I can't help but wonder if I still wouldn't be reading anything if there was no such thing as the card system. I'm wondering if the card system really does anything at all.

None of that comes as a surprise to me. What does surprise me is that none of the hotels seem to be doing anything much to attract customers. Simply hoping to survive isn't going to be enough, especially is either of the political groups stir up even more trouble. The way I see it, unless the hotels start offering incentives good enough to attract people despite the problems, then they've had it. The same goes for the bars. It's difficult enough to get customers now, and yet I don't see much of anything going on to convince people who are considering going to places other than Thailand to come anyway. I think it would serve the hotels well to start offering substantial discounts and packages. Better to take less of a profit and start filling up their rooms than to end up going out of business. The bars can do things too. Free off drawings and contests, happy hour prices . . . that sort of thing. It wouldn't kill the government to step in and start relaxing some of the rules that drive tourists away. They can start by doing away with these absurd rules that force the bars to close at 1:00am and maybe even allowing the gay bars to open at whatever time they please during the day. The bars, both gay and girlie bars, are what made Pattaya in the first place. Many people already stopped coming to Pattaya because of the 1:00am closing times. Now the tourist industry is in terrible shape and the authorities seem to be sitting on their butts and doing absolutely nothing substantial about it. There have been no major raids lately. They ought to keep it that way. They can find ways to check for under-age bar workers and boys on ya ba besides conducting massive raids that both inconvenience and frighten tourists. It also wouldn't kill them to make it easier for farang to stay in Thailand longer than thirty days. I can understand the motivation to try to eliminate the people who circumvent the law through constant visa runs, but what would be so terrible to allow people to pay a fee at the Immigration offices to get extensions to their tourist visas instead of forcing people to leave the country to do the same thing? Instead, they just imposed new rules that make it even tougher. The fact that they picked now to impose these rules made it to my "I Don't Get It" list. If things don't turn around soon, then Songkran 2009 is going to be the driest in many years . . . in more ways than one.

Drive in with an old, beat up hunk of junk. Get the card. Drive out with a brand new stolen BMW.

Nothing from our end prevents them from posting here.

Half naked? I say, if we're going to have it, then let's do it right!

What's his name, rank, and serial number . . . . . . .?

I'll give you two reasons why I believe another takeover could happen. The first is because even though it wasn't anything close to this extent, the airport siege wasn't the first time the PAD managed to cause airports to close. The second is because I fail to see who even has the capability to stop them. I don't think the Bangkok police are prepared to handle tens of thousands of protesters. Also, by the time the police finish arguing over who has jurisdiction the whole thing would be over anyway. I doubt that the military would intervene. Who would they be intervening for? The PAD is anti-Thaksin. So is the military. The military threw out Thaksin in the first place. Why would they intervene to dislodge the very group that supports their own position? As for what would happen to the economics of Thailand, I don't see anything to support the idea that the military concerns itself with that.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Hotel Struggle as Occupancy Rate Plunges 19% By SUCHAT SRITAMA THE NATION The closure of Bangkok's main airports at the height of anti-government protest is now taking a heavy toll on the country's hotel industry in terms of low occupancy rates and fewer working days for hotel workers. Employees of luxury hotels in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket have seen a cut in their working days as operators try to reduce operating costs without having to lay off workers in the light of plunging tourist arrivals. Prakit Chinamourpong, president of Thai Hotels Association (THA), said on Tuesday that luxury hotels in Chiang Mai had reduced employees' working days to five days a week due to fewer customers. Many hotels in Phuket and Bangkok have also cut working days to four and five days per week. "Some luxury hotels are running with a single-digit occupancy rate, sharply down from the average 70 per cent rate recorded in the same period last year." "For the overall hotel industry, the average occupancy rate this month alone has declined 19.1 per cent," he said, adding that the impact of the Bangkok airports' shutdown was greater than the 2004 tsunami. From January to early this month, the average occupancy rate is 65 per cent, down from 68 per cent over the same period last year. Prakit said some luxury hotels in Bangkok had also decided to cancel their gala dinner packages already booked for New Year's Eve after customers cancelled reservations. THA forecast that the hotel sector would slow until June 2009,with small and medium sized hotels suffering the most, so THA is asking the government to help by granting soft loans. He said that about 30 per cent of workers in the hotel sector are expected to lose their jobs next year. The closure of the Bangkok airports caused damage which could amount to Bt130 billion as the country could lose up to 2.3 million foreign tourists. Airports of Thailand (AOT) said about 15,000 flights had been cancelled during the eight-day closure of airports, but all airlines had resumed operations at Suvarnabhumi International Airport with the total number of flights now close to the usual 547 flights per day. However, Phornsiri Manoharn, governor of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), remains optimistic, saying the tourism sector's growth could be revived as TAT and six other industry bodies plan to launch a series of post-crisis promotional campaigns. TAT also plans more sales and marketing activities to boost domestic tourism next year. Meanwhile, industry sources said Starwood Hotels and Resorts, the world's largest international hotel chain operator, is considering the shut down of its regional Asia Pacific office in Bangkok, following the work-hour cutback at some luxury properties in major tourist cities. The regional office was part of a world wide business expansion covering its multibrand management of hotel properties, including Le Meridien, Westin, Sheraton, St Regis and W Hotel.

This is the first time I've seen anyone advertising a condo available for only two weeks. As far as I know, all the others require a minimum of a one month stay, or at least paying for a one month stay whether you stay that long or not. I'm surprised that more condos aren't making two week or even one week offers, especially considering the major drop-off of tourists coming to Thailand. If I was the owner of rental property, it would make more sense to me to have someone renting for a week or two than for the place to be vacant, but maybe that goes hand-in-hand with the Thais and business sense thread. Meanwhile, with the major construction boom that has been going on in Pattaya, I was wondering before where they think they're going to get buyers for all the new units going up all over town. Now I wonder even more. I don't think it's too far fetched to visualize Pattaya becoming a ghost town of empty units and unfinished construction sites.

Maybe it's akin to the kind of performance stage actors are likely to give to a packed house rather than when the theater is nearly empty. The high season, for obvious reasons, has been a dismal one. Perhaps the mood has rubbed off on the boys. Some bars seem to draw a good number of customers, but many remain close to empty. Yes, you would think that the boys might try harder with fewer customers, but I have a feeling that many have simply thrown in the towel. Don't forget, you were in the bars only a couple of nights, but those same boys have been working to a nearly empty house for months. I can't say I blame the boys you observed if they have given up trying very hard, considering the fact that it's getting more and more rare for them to be taken off no matter how hard they try. I would have expected to see a lot more of them trying to work the beach or work the gay personals web sites, but I don't see significantly more on the personals sites and, oddly enough, I have actually observed a very significant drop in the numbers of boys trying their luck at the beach. Maybe they're just trying to survive until this too passes. As far as their cuteness goes, however, that's in the eye of the beholder.

I'm happy to stand corrected. If it's an official governmental organization, then that will make it even more difficult for these "gentlemen" to buy their way out of it. Good!

I'm sorry you were not able to be there, but you were there in spirit. So was George. George was so exhausted from all the work he has been doing, along with the preparations for the Meet & Greet that he simply was unable to attend. We were all saddened by that, but those who came had a marvelous time. I didn't so a head count, but it appeared to be about 25 to 30 people in attendance. It was nice to be able to put a face to some of the names. The prizes for the smile and sexy boy contest were duly awarded. TOQ was present and he was generous enough to donate his winning bottle of Chivas Regal prize to the boys who work at the Memories bar. Since George was not able to be there, his prize awaits him at the Memories bar whenever he wishes to retrieve it. The food was excellent and there was plenty for everybody. George was wise enough to make some amendments to the procedure, especially in light of the "gentleman" who last year was crass enough to help himself to Glenlivet scotch all night at Rainwalker's expense. A list of the drinks available free of charge was provided. Those who wanted anything not on the list had to pay for it themselves. Good idea. Also, a "last call" for free drinks was given just before 9:00pm, at which time the freebie drinks portion of the Meet & Greet came to an end. Access to the Meet & Greet was limited to those who had sent a PM to George as an RSVP. It was not open to just anyone who happened to wander by. We were all disappointed that George, who was going to provide entertainment, was unable to do so, but there was consolation. A young Thai magician provided the entertainment and he was a lot of fun. I don't know how he did any of those tricks. For some reason he kept picking me to be his foil, but I had a good time doing it. Aside from the lack of George's presence, the Meet & Greet was a true success and I think all who attended greatly enjoyed the evening.

It seems like a good deal to me, but you need to provide some details about contact information for those who wish to have a look and make reservations.

I think this thread can be safely unpinned now.

Van Johnson, Film, Television and Stage Star, Dies at 92 (CNN) -- Van Johnson, whose boyish looks and earnest manner made him a Hollywood heartthrob in the 1940s and '50s, died Friday in an assisted-care facility, a friend told CNN. Johnson, 92, died around 11 a.m. of natural causes at the Tappan Zee Manor in Nyack, New York, where he had lived for seven years, said Wendy Bleiweiss. Johnson's career stretched over six decades and across genres, from comedies and war films, such as "The Caine Mutiny" and "30 Seconds Over Tokyo," to Broadway musicals and television shows, including a guest spot as the Minstrel on the campy 1960s series, "Batman," according to Turner Classic Movies' Web site. The red-haired, freckle-faced actor's youthful charm earned him a huge teen following in his heyday. He became known as the "voiceless Sinatra," despite a singing voice that landed him roles alongside June Allyson and Judy Garland in "Two Girls and a Sailor" and "In the Good Old Summertime," according to TCM.com. Johnson was born August 25, 1916, to a plumber and housewife in Newport, Rhode Island. He was 16 years old when he left Rhode Island for New York City so he could forge a career in acting, Bleiweiss said. A few years later, he got his break from Lucille Ball, she said. "She saw this redhead kid and said, 'Let's give him a break. He seems like he can do some acting,' " Bleiweiss said. Johnson made his Broadway debut in 1936 in "New Faces of 1936" before legendary director-playwright George Abbott hired him as a chorus member and understudy to the three male leads in Rodgers and Hart's "Too Many Girls" in 1939. The next year, Abbott cast him as a chorus boy and Gene Kelly's understudy in Rodgers and Hart's groundbreaking musical "Pal Joey," according to TCM.com. His film debut followed in 1940 with a role in the chorus of "Too Many Girls." While en route to a screening in 1942, he was in a car wreck that left him with a metal plate in his head and kept him out of the military. But that didn't stop him from acting in war films. Two years later, he received top billing in "Two Girls and a Sailor." Other big roles included "A Guy Named Joe," "Brigadoon" and "The Caine Mutiny." In 1947, Johnson married former actor Eve Lynn Johnson, who had previously been married to a close friend of Johnson's, Keenan Wynn. The two did not have children and divorced in 1968, according to TCM.com Johnson had a daughter, Schuyler Van Johnson, by another woman, according to TCM.com. As Johnson entered middle age, his features grew heavy but he still managed to find offbeat roles in films including "The Bottom of the Bottle," an unabashed melodrama in which he played an alcoholic, and "23 Paces to Baker Street" as a blind detective. As film roles became scarce, Johnson filled the gaps with stage work. He appeared in "The Music Man" in London, England, in 1961 and returned to Broadway in 1962 for "Come on Strong." In Woody Allen's 1985 comedy, "The Purple Rose of Cairo," Johnson played one of the actors trapped inside the film screen in a parody of sorts of films from the 1930s. In 1987, Johnson was praised for his work in the Broadway production of "La Cage aux Folles." He last appeared on stage four years ago in "Love Letters" in a community theater in nearby Suffern, New York, but decided afterward that he would do no more, Bleiweiss said. "He said he had seen it and done it all and now he was just going to sit back and take it easy. Those were his words," she said. Johnson retained much of his youthful energy as he grew older, and became a frequent interview subject on the old days of Hollywood and his lengthy career, TCM.com said. Bleiweiss said she met Johnson when he moved into the home, where she was a case manager at the time. "He still was tall and striking," she said. "He was one of the all-time old actors." His ability to communicate was hampered by the loss of his hearing. Instead, he passed the time by painting, needlepoint and crocheting, she said. Though he didn't cook, he loved watching cooking shows and reruns of "The Golden Girls," she said. Bleiweiss said Johnson was estranged from his daughter and stepchildren for most of his life, but children brightened his day. "When he saw them, he'd smile and wave to them," she said. "It always brought a smile to his face." A private service will be held.

Especially in this day and age. Unless they've been living in some sort of shell, they have to be as aware as the rest of us that if the authorities want to track down Internet criminals, they can. That point should have been driven home when they were even able to track down "The Swirl." It's hard to believe that anybody would still think he can outsmart or outmaneuver the authorities if they're trying to find you. Maybe they have some sort of psychological wish to get caught. I believe there are probably a great many people who find themselves attracted to young under-age boys. The difference is most people know how to exercise self control. These people not only fail to exercise self control, but they actually spend their time and money going to places where they think they can get away with it and intentionally do these things. It's such a stupid thing to do, but they do it anyway. People like this hurt us all. They reinforce the stereotype that gays are also pedophiles and they reinforce the negative reputation of Pattaya. To me, the appropriate punishment for people like that would be to put them in a prison that has a full view of a school playing field. That would be exquisite torture for them. They would be so near, yet so far.