PeterRS

I find it more than staggering that one group of businessmen whose businesses in pre-Castro Cuba seemed mostly be be slightly shady at best (or who took advantage of and did little for Cuban labour) and another group of individual exiles who number a mere fraction of those living in America are able to exert such influence on the politics of both parties. It's another example of US politics being massively out of date and requiring a complete overhaul as I have suggested in previous posts. Lest I am accused again of USA bashing, what has been happening re the politics in my country - the UK - is another total shambles. That a party leader can be elected by a tiny fraction of an ageing die-hard electorate is nonsense. Sterling crashing through the floor in her first actual work week is an example of the type of idiot this procedure can elect to high office.

Slightly off topic, I have never understood why the USA has imposed such strict sanctions against Cuba for so many decades. Wasn't Cuba a den of vice for the mafia prior to the Revolution? Did the USA tolerate all that? I can understand the action against the island following the nuclear weapons discovery but that matter was resolved through back channel diplomacy between Kennedy and Kruschev. 6 decades have now passed. The Soviet Union ended 3 decades ago. The USA fought a long war against Vietnam which ended almost 5 decades ago. The countries are now friends with almost $100 billion of trade between them even though Vietnam is run by a one-party communist government. Cuba offers many of its people two items which cost a fortune for many citizens on the USA - free education and free healthcare. It also has a higher literacy rate than that in the USA. Why is the country crippled by continuing US sanctions? Why does Washington regard it in the same light as Iran?

So a vacation in The Philippines with a couple of boys a day probably costs roughly the same as in Thailand.

I will never forget my first visit to this extraordinary and stunning city. It was a three-day week-end in a goriously sunny October in 1978. Since then I have returned three times, twice with my bf of the day. Once with a Thai friend was in 1991 on a trip which we started in Grindelwald in Switzerland at the foot of the famous Jungfraujoch cable railway that takes you well above the snowline. We then drove over the Alps for a night by Lake Garda before three days in Venice where we enjoyed great weather, before driving over the amazing Dolomites to Salzburg, Munich then Zurich and home. The second was more recently in 2003 with my Taiwan bf when unfortunately we hit the period for high tides coupled with heavy rains. The day after our arrival St. Mark's Square was flooded and we had to crawl with other tourists along the raised platforms. Yet both young men showed the same sense of joy and wonder. St. Mark's Square in August 2001 St. Mark's Square in October 2003 A colonnade at the side of St. Mark's Square in December 2020 Venice has been slowly sinking for centuries. It's partly due to the piling of the buildings and the city's substructure. But it is only relatively recently that the city has seen regular virtually annual flooding. It was not supposed to be like this. As illustrated in an excellent article on today's BBC website, the lagoon barrier (name Mose - Experimental Electromechanical Module) was supposed to stop flooding from the sea. Conceived in 1991, as a result largely of Italy's labyrinthine politics, work was not even started until 2003 and was supposed to be completed by 2011. It is hoped - hoped - it will finally be ready by the end of next year. Sadly, with rising sea levels it may already be almost out of date. The gates will not be raised until there is a sea water rise of 110 cms. St. Mark's Square floods at a level of 90 cms. Each time Mose is put into operation it will cost the city over US$300,000! As bad if not worse than the flooding has been the effect of the wake of the motor boats which ply the Grand Canal and which has adversely affected 60% of the buildings. Part of the Grand Canal Three mildly positive issues are that since last year the port for the mega cruise ships which had frequently dwarfed St. Mark's Square was moved away from the city. Also from next year a daily charge of €5 will be levied on tourists. A limit will also be placed on the number of daily tourists which until recently outnumbered locals by 100:1 over the course of a year. Will Venice still be around in 100 years? It will be desperately sad for future generations if it sinks below the waves. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220927-italys-plan-to-save-venice-from-sinking Photos 4 and 5: copyright Getty Images from the BBC article

If I recall correctly, even after his column was axed he still wrote book reviews for the Bangkok Post. The only problem with his regular columns was they were focused almost entirely on the girly bars. Only occcasionally there would be a nugget or two about the gay scene. But it was always fun reading those columns.

Surely it is corruption - and only corruption - that keeps these bars open? If drink prices were reduced to 200 baht and the content of the brown envelopes distributed at the end of every week/month significantly reduced, I'm prepared to bet that harrassment would follow, if not a closure order. I have occasionally looked at the chaturbate and similar sites. I have to agree that while I am all but exclusively interested in Asian guys, some of those Columbians with their smooth skin, winning smiles and great bodies could certainly tempt me.

Whether Thais wear helmets is beside the point. They are Thais living in Thailand. Doing what feels right is also basically selfish in my view. On the Skytrain the other day, everyone in the three cars I checked was masked, including farang and all tourists, apart from three Germans who had masks on but had moved them under their chins and were chatting and laughing loudly. If the looks from the Thais on the train could kill, those guys would not have got off the train.

It seems to me that investigative jouralism outside certain western countries is a dying art. That article includes a section of particular interest ot Asia. But even that comment requires a clarification that is not mentioned. In order to marry in Taiwan one of the parties must be a Taiwanese citizen. – Taiwan first in Asia – While much of Asia is tolerant of homosexuality, Taiwan became the first in the region to allow same-sex marriage after a landmark ruling by its Constitutional Court in 2017.

Obviously quite a good job to have. Monitoring just this site enables someone in the USA to build up quite an eye-catching collection of naked bodies 🤣 🤣

Try riding the Skytrain or MRT without a mask. Or even in a taxi.

Surely the answer is simple. If you really prefer and want to be with Thai and/or Asian boys, you have no choice. It has to be Thailand or another Asian destination. If you prefer Spanish-speaking South American boys, you have no choice. It has to be Brazil or elsewher ein S. America. I read in other forums here that Columbian boys are very much an attraction. The fact that Brazil is cheaper than Thailand is hardly likely to persuade many to switch their vacation plans in my view.

I wonder which restricting plan this one is. No. 6, 11, 18? Every time there is a new President, lo and behold there is a new restructring plan. And they never work!!

Delta has been mentioned a few times as the best US airline. In the 2022 poll it comes in at 24. But in several previous years it has been pipped by Jet Blue and Virgin America.

We all rant about airlines. It's rather like a national sport! 😀 But please remember that the Skytrax list was compiled from passenger surveys from September 2021 till August 2022. I also think there is virtually an inbuilt feeling amongst many surveyed that they should vote for their national airline.

I heard a story about a virtuoso classical pianist named Cherkassky who died in 1995 before the internet was used for airline bookings. For much of his life he lived in London. His hobby was learning much of the massive two-volume ABC Airlines Timetable published every month. He then enjoyed going into a travel agency and telling the lady behind the counter that he'd like to book a flight from London to Sydney. "That will be no problem," would be the regular reply. "Oh, but I think there may be a problem because I want a number of stops and I want the cheapest ticket." He'd then reel off a list of cities and dates he wanted en route. Typical would be Basle, Lodz in Poland, Ankara, Ahmadabad, Chiang Mai (being gay he frequently visited Thailand), Urumqi, Kagoshima and Surabaya. A stupefied lady would then tell him she'd do her best but it might take her 2 days to do all the checking. No problem, he'd say, but it must be the quickest individual flights and the cheapest ticket. 2 days later he'd return and see the same lady. "Well, sir, you really gave me a difficult task but I've finally got information on the ticket you requested." She'd then give him a print out of all the flights, flight changes en route, stop-overs and arrival time in Sydney. At the bottom would be the price. "And you can confirm this has the fastest connections, the earliest arrival in Sydney and the cheapest price?" Yes sir, would be the reply. In his high-pitched voice a smile would come over his face. Looking straight at her, he say, "You're WRONG!" He had worked out a better routing at a slightly cheaper price! And of course he didn't even want to book any ticket. Not a pleasant man!

I can't believe the USA has a 20% youth unemployment rate! 😀 But the article points out yet another problem on Xi's ever enlarging plate. I don't think China has faced so many problems since the Cultural Revolution. Compared to what is facing Xi, the Tiananmen Square incident in 1989 was merely a blip. It would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall to hear many conversations going on in Zhongnanhai, the compound for government leaders in Beijing. Is anyone likely to challenge Xi for the leadership as he must surely be vulnerable to being dethroned - but only if there is a movement amongst a number of the leadership and a credible alternative candidate prepared to take him on.

That's a rather strange media comment. I wonder how many of those likely to be drafted have enough money in their bank accounts to pay for the massively inflated flight prices out of Russia since the conscription plan was announced, and then to pay for a stay in Thailand? As of September 21, ticket prices to Thailand had risen by between 4 and 5 times the pre-covid price. And to get into Thailand they will have to show evidence of a prebooked ticket out of Thailand. I expect immigration will be on an increased check for Russians coming in to the country on one-way tickets. Then, there are not that many seats available out of Russia to Thailand. Several airlines suspended flights between the countries since the invasion of Ukraine. Reopening of charter services will not start until the high season. So an large influx of Russians seeking to avoid conscription is surely extremely unlikely. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/thailand-to-fly-in-russian-tourists-on-chartered-flights-this-high-season

Cathay Pacific was always at or near the top half dozen. Clearly its massive reduction in flights due to covid have resulted in its drop to #16. For two or three years Hainan Airlines was near the top as its service was pretty spectacular based on reports both by posters here and on the Skytrax website. But it overstretched itself and had debt that a year ago was $170 billion! The annual report listed "major uncertainties" about its ability to continue flying. The restructuring has clearly affected route structure and service. As a regular on Qatar for long haul, I agree its biz class is very hard to beat. I am really surprised about the inclusion of Swiss, though. On the Skytrax comments site, the last ten comments starting 23 September have been frightful. Out of a maximum of 10, flyers have given the airline 1, 1, 1, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1. This is partcularly bad given that one comment for Premium Economy has a 1 and one for biz class has only a 2. This is worse even than Scoot where the last 10 economy comments were 1, 2, 1, 1, 4, 1, 1, 3, 1, 2. The annual survey apart, I do think the overall Skytrax comments pages are misleading because they lump all classes together. About 4 years ago I wrote to Skytrax suggesting it is fairer to likely passengers to split the comments into separate sections. By including biz and first class, the overall general star rating is inevitably skewed upwards. I got no reply.

Demand for Hong Kong flights has resulted in long delays on Cathay Pacific's website. CX will add 200 pairs of both regional and long haui flights in October. https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/cathay-pacific-increase-flight-frequencies-after-hong-kong-eases-quarantine-2022-09-23/

Taiwan has announced it plans to lift quarantine measures on October 13. Plans - but has said if the still high number of daily cases do not continue to decline, the plan will be delayed. Like Hong Kong, though, some restrictions will remain and visitors will not be able to eat in restaurants.

With sterling seemingly on an extended crash through the floor, I'm sorry for those who still have not booked their flights out of the UK. The currency is now at its lowest against the US$ in 37 years and there's no end in sight.

I appreciate the sarcasm but I wonder if @vinapu has been caught in real monsoon rain where it is like massive buckets of water being poured over you for well over an hour. Getting to the bar is just one thing. Try getting a taxi at a reasonable price when the rain is flooding down as you want to leave the bar to get home. In fact, try getting any taxi at all!

Isn't that one of the great joys of Thai food - the variety you can enjoy at each meal? As most will know the same is true with Chinese meals, although the 7 or 8 different basic cuisines in that country lead to the possibility of even greater variety.

Could not agree more. Part of me fully understands the appeal of social media to young kids. One of my great nephews even made some soccer vdos for fun on one of the sites. This was bought by Adidas for around €2,500. He was thrilled. But another part of me totally fails to understand the appeal of revealing all, mentally and/or physically, of even just bits about your life to all and sundry. I have never had any interest in facebook, twitter, tik tok and all those other platforms.

I can only guess. One is that westerners tend to have bigger pores - I assume because most westerners are relatively hairy. Most guys from southern China, Taiwan, Singapore and other parts of south east Asia have llittle hair on the arms and on their thighs. Only on the lower legs do they generally have some hair. Also they tend not to sweat nearly as much as westerners. I also have read somewhere that their skin is oilier. So their skin is probably tighter and thus smoother. Northern Chinese tend to be considerably hairier - perhaps due to a harsher climate. I have noticed the same in Japanese where those from the north have more hair on arms, legs and some on chests. Interestingly Asians tend to tan more easily than westerners. It's very usual to see young guys with very pronounced tan lines in the summer. Again I have read that this is something to do with melanin. I am not sure if we can post naked photos in this thread, but I have posted in the photo thread one of a group of young Japanese with very marked tan lines.