PeterRS

On the issue of the law of the lands, I wonder what the lawyers who are members think of capital punishment. I think back to the days in the UK to two trials - before my time, I should add - of two of the last alleged criminals to be hung by the state. Derek Bentley had a reduced mental capacity due to an accident when he was four. Scotish law by this time accepted the defence of diminished responsibility but not yet England. Bentley and his accomplice (aged 16) had killed a policeman with the accomplice having fired the gun. The evidence brought foward at the trial also revealed inconsistencies. Even though convicted of murder, the jury asked the judge not to hand down the death penalty in the case of Bentley. The judge ignored the request and Bentley was hanged in 1953. He was 19 years old. In 1993 Bentley received a posthumous Royal Pardon. In 1998 the Court of Appeal quashed his conviction. There was also the case of Timothy Evans, a Welsh lorry driver convicted of having murdered his wife and daughter in 1950. The Chief Prosecution witness against him was his downstairs neighbour, John Christie. Aged 25 Evans was hung the same year. Three years after the murder of Evans, John Christie was discovered to be a serial killer who had murdered several other women in his house, including his own wife. While waiting for death, he admitted to having murdered Tomothy Evans wife. In 1966 Evans was granted a posthumous pardon. But extraordinarily in 2004 the High Court refused to quash Evans conviction on the grounds of the costs and resources that would be required being too high, even though it admitted Evans did not kill his wife. It claimed there would be no "tangilble benefit". So justice in England remains an issue of cash! In my view, this is a national disgrace for the English system of justice. As I suggested earlier, how do you justify the state killing an innocent man? What compensation can possibly make up for the loss of a life, especially a very young life?

Sepp Batter was once a salesman of ladies undergarments. "Knickers" they were known when he was appointed President of FIFA in 1998. The World Cup is a massive money spinner for FIFA. Blatter was to become as corrupt as they come and led an organisation that was just as corrupt considering the number of executives around the world who were indicted for corruption. The marketing organisation for FIFA with its huge sponsorship revenues was handed to his incompetent nephew. It quickly went bankrupt. Not surprising, though, that Blatter was re-elected to the President's position no less than four times! Money spread around voting members talks. Surprisingly, perhaps, he was ejected from his post in 2015 and then had to serve not one but two six-year bans from any activity with the sport. He also loved his position where he could mingle and be courted by the world's elite, including President Putin and Sheik Tahim Bin Hamanal Talmi of Qatar. So he unilaterally changed the FIFA bidding procedures to favour his cronies. Where in the past only one location for a future World Cup following the next one had been announced, he decided to announce two at once. 2018 would be held in - wait for it - Russia, and 2022 - wait for it - in Qatar. Russia was much less of a surprise since it was already a football mad nation. Qatar though was sheer madness! It was not a footballing nation. It had one stadium when the World Cup needs eight. The World Cup is held at the height of summer when temperatures in Qatar for players and spectators alike would be impossibly high when trying to play 90 minutes of football - or 120 minutes in the event of a drawn match. The possibility of the death of a player rose like a spectre no one in the footballing world could ignore. 90%+ of the footballing world screamed corruption. But FIFA pays no attention to the rest of the world. It is its own profitable little kingdom. In the event, both Russia and Qatar were successful events, even though the dates for Qatar had to be moved to winter months forcing football associations around the world - the very constituents FIFA should be looking after - to change their entire schedules. Now, though, Blatter cannot keep his hands - and his mouth off the organisation he no doubt believes he should still be running. At the age of 89, he has warned soccer fans around the world to boycott the World Cup in the USA this summer. As Blatter's lawyer has just said - “For fans, just one piece of advice: avoid the United States! You’ll get a better view on television anyway. Upon arrival, fans should expect that if they don’t behave properly with the authorities, they will be immediately sent home. If they’re lucky …” Splitting the 2026 World Cup between Canada, the USA and Mexico was already a lousy idea for fans. Those football fanatics who just have to be there will have to spend a fortune, not only to get to North America, not only for the outrageous price of match tickets, but also for the clearly (to be) increased cost of shuttling by air between countries. It really is time that some organisation tackled the problem of FIFA and its propensity for corruption on a massive scale.

Someone decided that it might be an idea to make a movie about Melania Trump. The Donald perhaps? I have no idea how it will play in the USA after it opens on Thursday - pretty well in MAGA territory I expect - but in London sales are nowhere near box office jubilation. Melania opens on Friday later this week. Tim Richards, the Chief Executive of Vue one of the UK's leading cinema operators, has described the public reaction so far as "soft". Well, Mr. Richards, if the public reaction to Melania is "soft", what in your view is disastrous, I wonder? At Vue's flagship cinema in London's Islington, precisely one ticket has been sold so far for the first showing and two for the second. But never fear, things are looking up for the cinemas in Wandsworth and Broughton where - wait for it - four and five tickets have been sold for the first showings. But then the five in Broughton are all the cheapest seats in the back row! Poor Richards. Totally on the back foot he spins, "We do not play judge and jury to censor films." No doubt that is true, but there are plenty of examples of movies which were first denied showings in cinemas. Why this one? Stupid question, I guess. Ah! But then we should not forget. Amazon paid US$40 million for the rights to make the movie, a fair chunk of that no doubt going to its subject. Amazon is also spending US$35 million on a worldwide marketing push. At least one potential reviewer has labelled the movie "Must Watch!" and tickets "Selling out Fast!". That can hardly be of much consolation to the subject of the movie as those predictions were made by - the Donald! No doubt he will be waiting expectedly for the announcement of next year's Oscar nominations! https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/26/melania-trump-documentary-uk-cinemas-vue-soft-sales

Taipei 101 is Taiwan's tallest Building. For a time it was the tallest building in the world. It is also angular with eight sections leaning outwards. Why anyone would want to climb it beats me. And to do so unaided without any harness or safety device. But some people get their kicks in ways which to me are strange. And if that is what he loves doing, good on him.

I'm merely curious. How does a present member digging up a post from the far distant past not have his name listed as the poster - with reference back to the old post? He is not credited as being the poster and he claims no credit in the post which follows. There surely seems to be something tin the regulations that needs to be changed to avoid this sort of issue becoming more common.

Celebrating LGBTQ-History Month in February The name Milton Moore probably means nothing to most people. Only in the art world might a few handfuls remember the name. For it is not his role as an artist’s model that we recall. It is just one photo for which he acted as the model that continues to strike us today. Robert Mapplethorpe was a photographer who preferred to work in black-and-white. Born in New York in 1946, he originally lived with his girlfriend, the musician, Patti Smith, for six years. She helped him with his work and was to remain close to him all his life. In 1972 that life changed when he met the man he assumed would be his lifetime companion, Sam Wagstaff. Although 25 years older than Mapplethorpe, Wagstaff was an art connoisseur and curator. Seeing his photographs for the first time he realised that photography was arguably the last unexplored, unrecognised and potentially wealthy art forms. This was to prove prophetic when singer Eton John started collecting photos big time in 1991. His collection now boasts over 7,000 photographs estimated to be worth at auction well over US$10 million. We know Mapplethorpe today as a gay icon largely on the basis of a series of photos of young men. One in particular, though, has achieved iconic status. The photo for which Miton Moore acted as the model was taken in 1980 and is titled Man in Polyester Suit. We’ve all seen it. It merely shows the torso of an African Amercan’s body clothed in the sleek lines of an elegant three-piece suit. The clothing is disrupted with the exposure normally hidden of the man’s impressive uncircumcised penis. Photo copyright: Robert Mapplethorple Foundation Mapplethorpe’s photos had by now become more daring and heaped scorn on him by some of the political leaders of the day. Although twice married, as a result of his new liaison Wagstaff was introduced to New York’s gay and drug-fuelled underground. Having helped put the photographer on the art map, Sam Wagstaff died in 1987 of AIDS. Mapplethorpe was sadly to follow him two years later dying of AIDS aged 42. Man in Polyester Suit continues to fascinate. All of Mapplethorpe’s work continues to attract high prices at auction. In 2015 Sotheby’s sold Man in Polyester Suit for US$478,000. At auction in 1992, it sold for US$9,000.

And what do you expect to happen when they reach 70 and older? Still bright and happy?

The magazine Classic Rock has Billy Idol's own version of the story. It is a fuller version of the link provied by @unicorn "We went there to have a whale of a time – a sex holiday, really. But it got out of hand": Billy Idol on the Thailand vacation that ended with a visit from the army By 1989, Billy Idol was out-of-control. 1983's Rebel Yell had turned the former Generation X man into a star, and 1986's Whiplash Smile, while being greeted less warmly by the critics, was still a commercial success. His personal life however, was in turmoil. Perri Lister, the mother of his son, had flown back to England the previous year after catching the singer cheating, and while the two tried to patch things up, Idol was caught in a cycle of indiscretion and depression, his bad behaviour matched only by the despair he felt about his inability to maintain the relationship. He also fell victim to the rock'n'roll lifestyle, and all that entails. He desperately needed a break, one that would sever the supply lines. And a friend, Harry Johnson, had the answer: a trip to Thailand. "We went there to have a whale of a time – a sex holiday, really," Idol told Classic Rock. "But it got out of hand. Bad things started to happen." It had started perfectly innocently. "We were just going to drink and not take any drugs," Idol remembered. "After about a week, drinking all the time was getting really heavy so we asked this cab driver if he could get us some blow. He went off and came back with this thin vial. It was six or seven inches long. We looked at each other, like, 'What do you think this is?' Because cocaine doesn’t usually come in a long thing like that. My friend put his finger in it and had a taste [mimes gingerly dabbing a sample on to his tongue]. It wasn’t blow." You can probably guess what happened next. It was heroin. And it was some of the strongest heroin around. The only trouble was that we’d got a lot of Valiums and heavy tranquillisers. I don’t do well on tranquillisers at all. It just made me change personalities completely. I would become violent and start smashing things; I’d been lifting weights so I was massively powerful. I think we went through a few hotels like that before the Thai army escorted me out of the country on a gurney [laughs]." According to legend, the army were forced to shoot Idol with a tranquilliser dart, although a more believable version of the story has him being injected with a sedative by a nurse. Either way, Idol almost certainly got off lightly. https://www.loudersound.com/features/we-went-there-to-have-a-whale-of-a-time-a-sex-holiday-really-but-it-got-out-of-hand-billy-idol-on-the-thailand-vacation-that-ended-with-a-visit-from-the-army He got off lightly? He should have been jailed for years! But then tourism was just really taking off in Thailand at that time and I am sure neither the hotel nor the Tourism Authority wanted that sort of additional publicity. Yet the punk Idol is still alive and still singing!

What nonsense! New posters are constantly - and rightly - being asked about their preferences before advice is offered. You seem to forget this is now a worldwide site

I have never noticed that before. Thanks for pointing it out. But why on this good earth would a former long-term poster wish to re-post a long post praising a hotel 12 1/2 years after the original. He must be perfectly well aware that hotels undergo changes all the time. As I pointed out, look up that hotel now and most of the photos on the present hotel booking sites look virtually nothing like those posted above. I still maintain there should be a ban on starting new threads simply by reposting one that is so old. Perhaps we need our own statute of limitations!! Had he added a comment at the start of this thread about the fact that he and his bf had stayed at this hotel many years ago and he wanted to remind readers of its good qualities, I don't think anyone would complain. But to post as he did is highly misleading and, frankly, a disservice to members given how much does change over 12 1/2 years both in and around that hotel.

Can only update the political situation. The third and final round of the junta's sham General Election is underway. As the BBC reports, many of the popular parties were banned from taking part, and voting has not been possible in large parts of the country because of the violence. The dominant party backed by the ruling military junta is expected to win a landslide victory. The current regime has rejected international criticism of the election, maintaining that it is free and fair . . . Two previous rounds were held on 28 December and 11 January - giving overwhelming victories to the USDP [the ruling junta]. The party won only 6% of parliamentary seats in the last free election in 2020 . . . polling day was preceded by a campaigning period marked by fear, intimidation and a pervasive sense that little will change after the inevitable victory by the USDP. Everywhere the BBC team travelled in southern Shan State, we were followed and closely monitored by dozens of police and military officials, always polite but very persistent. It proved nearly impossible to get people to say anything about the vote, so nervous were they of possible repercussions . . . Parliament will meet within the next two months to choose a new president, and everyone expects that to be the coup leader Gen Min Aung Hlaing. It will be the same regime with civilian clothes. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2l6wg0p8eo

When it comes to ferry disasters, The Philippines seems to have more than another other Asian country, including Thailand. CNN is just reporting that an inter island cargo and passenger ferry with more than 350 passengers from Zamboanga en route to the southern island of Jolo capsized around midnight. Apparently it encountered technical problems (as many in the past seem to have done) before sinking. So far rescuers have saved 215 of the passengers but another 7 have died. So far the others remain missing. The weather appears to be good as search and rescue efforts continue. As the CNN article continues - Sea accidents are common in the Philippine archipelago because of frequent storms, badly maintained vessels, overcrowding and spotty enforcement of safety regulations, especially in remote provinces. https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/25/asia/ferry-sinking-philippines-basilan-intl-hnk

Sorry I was not aware of that. But who would have posted that OP? Can any non member just pick up another's original post and repost it using the originator's name preceded by GUEST? That could surely open the door to a flood of spammers.

Presumably all fake since they'd not last long in the heat. No isse with that, but anyone wanting to see the real thing has to make it to Harbin in North East China - 800,000 sq. meters of stunning ice and snow sculptures that really have to be seen to be believed. There is also the ice sculpture Festival in Sapporo but it is a great deal smaller.

That website gives an address in Bangkok but provides directions in San Francisco and contains a detailed location map in that city!