unicorn

My hubbie and I are planning to visit Java and Bali next summer (probably August 2026), and have looked at some organized tours of the area. Obviously, we want to visit Borobudur and Prambanan temples, but some tours visit Jakarta and some don't. The Gate1 Discovery Tour visits Jakarta, but skips eastern Java, while EF Go Ahead Tours skips Jakarta but visits eastern Java. I should note that Gate1 Discovery seems to be less expensive, go to better hotels, and include more meals. I'm hoping someone here has visited Java and can share his opinions. https://www.gate1travel.com/small-groups/small-group-asia/2026/small-groups-indonesia-15did26.aspx?Brand=DISCOVER https://www.goaheadtours.com/guided-tours/indonesia-bali-java

https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/temu-com It looks as though almost everyone who's used them states they're scam artists.

Yes

Just in case anyone's wondering what he looks like...

The mystery thickens. A plane with no history of problems, and now there are two reported problems in short order from the exact same airline, when 1200 have been built since 2007. That makes me suspect the airline's maintenance facilities...

I threw a big pool party for Flag Day (June 14th), and one of the hunkiest men there had plenty of tattoos. He was very friendly, and we got to talking, and I asked him about a number of tattoos, some of which were in foreign languages/scripts. He was very nice, and didn't seem to mind (in fact, he was just a tiny bit flirty, though, since my husband invited him, he knew I was taken). Are most men with tattoos OK with others asking about their tattoos at frolicking pool parties? I know that it does annoy me when people comment about my skin getting red in the sun, providing their opinion that they think I'm getting burnt, although I always wear strong sunblock (at least SPF 50, and was wearing SPF 100 that day), and my skin just gets red because of the temperature, and has nothing to do with getting burnt, which I don't when I wear sunblock. I'd especially like to hear from anyone who has tattoos. Do you mind when people ask you about them at very informal parties?

Like other smart people, he was able to change his mind when new information became available, instead of sticking to his prior theory. Good for him. There are people on this message board who won't change their opinions regardless of any new information they receive. 😉

Probably intentional?

Please bear in mind that Moses is a consummate liar, so you can never know when he's telling the truth and when he isn't.

It'll be interesting to find out the actual cause, when that's been determined...

From the New York Times: “I still can’t believe how I got out alive,” Mr. Ramesh said on Friday in an interview from his hospital bed with India’s state broadcaster, Doordarshan. “I thought I was also about to die.” Mr. Ramesh, who was seated in an exit row, said the plane had felt “stuck five or 10 seconds after takeoff,” and it seemed to be trying to accelerate when it crashed. The front of the plane, after hitting buildings, crashed into an open area, he said, while the tail was stuck in a building, which was later identified as the dining facility of a medical college. Mr. Ramesh said he unbuckled his seatbelt after the crash when he saw a chance for escape. He did not make clear whether he had to open the emergency exit he was sitting next to, or if the impact had caused it to open. “When my door broke, I saw there was some space — that I could try to get out,” he said in the interview. “The other side, people couldn’t get out, as it was crushed against a wall.”

As a police force, maybe. However, the city lacks the funds. On the news, I have heard that the costs involved may drive the city into bankruptcy. From a financial perspective, I'm all for the federal government paying for its own mess. Why should the city of LA be on the hook to protect federal agents? They can and did at the onset (at the request of ICE agents), but this comes at a heavy financial cost.

Could be. Can anyone here identify if those are Teslas from those photos?

In either case, there doesn't seem to be any suspicion this had anything to do with the aircraft itself, and they said on the news that the 787 has never previously been involved with any crash.

If that's the case, this suggestion would point more towards the hazards of flying with carriers of developing countries, rather than a Boeing problem itself, similar to crashes we hear of regarding Indonesian airlines, etc. Air India carries less than 10% of the number of travelers that American Airlines carries, yet has more than its fair share of incidents. I suspect that the rigor of vetting air pilots differs between the US and India, and that's probably largely responsible for the difference.

Not that I'm a fan of Boeing, but as far as I've heard, there's been no cause assigned to this accident as of this time.

I was reading an article in People magazine about Kassius Marcil-Green, the 23 year-old gay son of Brian Austin Green. "BAG has a 23-year-old son?", I thought. That was a good reminder of my age... 😄 https://www.instagram.com/kassius_marcil_green/?hl=en Brain Austin Green as I remembered him:

Yeah, I guess I should follow Miss Manners' age-old advice: "Don't respond to rudeness with more rudeness." I find the practice rude and presumptuous, but probably have to resign to the fact that there's nothing I can do about it. Certainly, I can't expect the check-out clerks to remember not to ask me.

I was checking out at a local supermarket today, and the supermarket clerk asked "Would you care to donate to [the supermarket's favorite charity] today?". I just said "No, thanks," but I asked my hubbie if next time they ask me, I should respond with "That's not one of my favorite charities, but would you care to donate to Rainbow Railroad? They have 4 stars on CharityNavigator.org ...". He said he didn't think I should, but I thought, if it's OK for them to ask total strangers to donate to their favorite charities, why wouldn't it be OK for me to ask them the same question? Of course, I don't go around asking strangers to donate to charities of my choice, but if someone thinks it's OK to ask me, why not? If it's not polite to ask strangers to donate to charities of one's choice, maybe they might learn a lesson in good manners?

Thanks. I did a search on OF, but separated his name, entering the search as "Kurts Adams," instead of one word, as he appears to be listed. Not that I'll subscribe, but I was curious as to whether or not he had bowed out in order to pursue formal Olympic training. I would think that a more discreet and socially accepted way of leveraging his looks for financial gain would be to advertise on Seeking Arrangements, if they're still around. I presume they also hook people up whose genders are different, serving both straight and gay, depending on his sexual orientation. I agree that £16,000/year is barely helpful to help him sustain himself, and that he has to have some other source of support.