Rogie

Sorry to take a non-intellectual approach to this, but the UN can get stuffed as far as I am concerned. I am somewhat confused about the difference between genocide and civil war. Perhaps civil war is restricted to one or more factions within a country at war with each other, whereas genocide tends to be one faction initiating a killing spree against a weaker and possibly defenceless section of the population. Arguing about the reasons or justification (if any) for genocide in order to make it fit an arbitrary definition is daft IMO. I don't think I would use the term genocide to describe the bombings in WW2. I know that's a bit shocking of me to say this, but in a 'World War' it's every man (used deliberately so as to exclude women and children) for himself, running the spectrum from conscientious objector to madman.

The possibilities being endless, I am going to plough my own furrow and stick to my falung Z who's 'kind and uses his 'charm' and treats the boys well', and where it's all gone smoothly up to this point. Although Z is indeed a friend of the newcomer, Q (for want of a better name), he's also a firm believer in free will so when Q asks him about Y he's happy to divulge which bar he'll be working but doesn't say anything about what went on between Y and himself. What Q doesn't know is that Y has a bit of a reputation . . .

It seems only fair our farang gets his wish. After all, he is visiting sin city (but see below) where dreams really can come true. Working bar boys need to be pretty thick-skinned or they'll soon become disheartened and either leave the profession or get depressed. If the farang heroically manages to resist his strong impulse to sleep with boy Y from Bar B I suspect it'd take the gloss off any future time spent with boy X, his original fling, and his resentment, no matter how much he managed to stifle it, would ruin any further involvement. If he really felt unable to off boy Y he'd do better to forget both bars A and B and, assuming he still felt the urge, try a few different places - it's not as if there's any shortage of alternatives in Pattaya or Bangkok. Of course you do not actually say this scenario is unfolding in Pattaya/Bangkok but for the sake of my reply I have assumed it is. So, what are the chances of it going smoothly? A lot depends on the farang I would say - if he's kind and uses his 'charm' and treats the boys well then I think maybe 75:25 it'll go reasonably smoothly. If he's a bit of a rough diamond thinking only from the crotch, a bad outcome is far more likely.

(My bold type and italics) Could the reason for unhappiness with the new status quo be down to unrealised and quite possibly, as per Bob's comments, unrealisable goals. Can you really successfully change your personality? Like Bob I do not think that's a very likely outcome, not after 50 or 60 years of living in the same skin with your brain hard-wired and thoroughly entrenched in 'who you are'. Maybe that's where the fantasy comes in, and together with a few superficial changes such as altered sleeping and drinking patterns, lots more sex or at least lots more fraternising with young attractive men, the guy thinks he's grabbed a whole new personality for himself but unless he can keep the charade up ad infinitum he'll soon either realise it for what it is ("a guy having fun" to quote Bob) if he's lucky or if still in fantasy mode the cold reality will hit one morning or on the plane back home.

I've no plans to be in Pattaya in the near future so if any of our readers who are intending to eat there see this maybe you could do as KhorTose asks. In fact, according to the owner, he knows some people in Chiang Mai who are planning a special trip to Pattaya - a kind of pilgrimage, almost!

1. Quite agree. I don't care whether they fall or not but an non-interrogative rise grates with me I'm afraid. 2. To respond to your comment "Speaking slowly in a normal voice and greatly simplifying sentence structure is really not that difficult." I certainly agree and try to do that myself but inevitably I forget sometimes and speak too fast or use a 'difficult' word. When I communicate to Thai friends via email I also try and avoid using any 'difficult' words, unless accompanied by a simple explanation.

If your hypothetical 25 year old acts perfectly normally apart from a sex-induced reversion to childhood I would say he was playacting. Whether play acting or not, an adult sexual partner who knows the young man has this other personality and persists in having sex is clearly in need of help himself. I have no idea whether he could ever be convicted of rape, but perhaps if the 14 year old personality emerges at random during the 25 year old's daytime activities so that everybody, his family and friends know about it, then somebody having sex with him must arouse suspicion as to his motives and so he'd be in potential trouble if caught. Exactly what kind of trouble I don't know, maybe his age would make a difference, so if the 25 year old's partner was a male of similar age I doubt anyone would object, but if he was 60 years old and the setting was so as to imply some kind of financial inducement, he'd be labelled a pervert by many. Obvious question: How would the medical professionals go about treating this young man. Surely he needs help and that should be the overriding priority rather than a hypothetical case of another person being up for rape.

Having read reviews of this establishment on Gaybuttonthai.com, I popped in during a short 2 day visit to Pattaya recently. Here is the link: http://www.gaybutton....php?f=6&t=3932 NB. The link given to SGT in the first post of that topic no longer seems to work. Getting there is easy if you are based in Jomtien, otherwise you will need to get a baht bus from Pattaya. It is about a 10 minute walk once you get to the start of Jomtien Beach Road, then go past Soi 8 and between there and Soi 9 you will see another 7-11 clone and a sign to Casa Jomtien condos, and if you peer into the gloom (assuming you are going at night) you'll see the Deli-zza sign outside. First impressions were not good, there was a large party going on in the front section and they were making a lot of noise (how dare they!), so my friend and I chose to sit inside where it was marginally quieter. I was soon mollified however when a guy came up and started chatting, he turned out to be the owner whose name I think is John. Very loquacious and smartly dressed (smart for Pattaya that is) and obviously enjoying the evening. He explained the party were a group of old friends of which he was also acquainted and as the party were winding down and soon to leave I decided the place had a nice buzz, rather than my initial impression of a rather annoying ambiance. As I was with a Thai friend unfamiliar with a lot of western food I decided to order a pizza. The waitress was very helpful and chatted to us so that put my friend at ease and helped us decide which pizza to go for. As a Brit I am largely unfamiliar with the New York deli kind of fare, but had I been on my own I would probably have chosen either a Reuben or a pastrami, because they sound so delicious going by comments made on the other board. In a discussion afterwards with the owner about difficulty of obtaining ingredients, he mentioned they baked their own rye bread and so that would have clinched it for me had I been dithering as the bread is a crucial part of many of the meals, going by others' comments. We had the 'meat lovers' pizza, a medium size which feed 2 - 3 people and it was just about right size for us, but if you go with a hungry companion or are extra-hungry yourself I suggest you opt for the larger size. Verdict: Ok. I liked the thin crust which is my preferred pizza style anyway, and the ingredients were fine, but nothing special. I would award it a 3 on a rating of 1 - 5, so in other words, an average score. The pizza cost 350 baht. I don't go to restaurants/cafes often enough in Thailand to be up to speed with regard to smoking. Two men were smoking in the section we were seated so that surprised me somewhat, but being a pragmatic soul I held my peace. Maybe they had a good ventilation system (over and above the 'open door') because the smoke was not intrusive. The kitchen looked spacious, clean and efficient. I would definitely go there again given the opportunity.

Wow, bronze prize, but I have to say I am feeling a bit sheepish. To only get 5 out of 8 continents with my 3 guesses isn't up to scratch (even though some of the photos were devilishly tricky). The rules state the bronze is awarded for correct identification of all 8 continents, and I only got 5, so I would like to suggest the award be reconsidered, and I would be happy to add my prize of 1,000 baht to the sum being given to charity. Congratulations to Kokopelli - well done! Thank you Fountainhall for coming up with such a fascinating contest. It would be great if you decide to have another similar photo teaser next year. May I also take the opportunity to wish all our readers a fine Christmas and a happy New Year.

Final stab #3 A. Australasia B. South America C. Europe D. North America E. Europe F. Europe G. Australasia H. South America

Here's my stab at the Bronze Prize: #2 A. Australasia B. South America C. Asia D. Europe E. Europe F. Europe G. Australasia H. South America

Here's my stab at the Bronze Prize: #1 A. North America B. South America C. Asia D. Europe E. Europe F. Europe G. South America H. North America I wish I knew enough to hazard a few guesses re: locations but I'm nowhere near well-travelled enough.

At some stage during the Christmas holiday season extending into and beyond New Year, it's often great to grab one of your favourite films on DVD or to catch up on one you've not seen before and been meaning to watch for ages but never found the time. I'll kick off with Red Cliff 1 and Red Cliff 2. I saw this film in the cinema a few years ago and it was a condensed version dubbed into Thai and without English sub-titles - although I managed to follow the plot reasonably well I determined to try and get hold of the DVD at some future point. I picked them up in the video store in Tuk.com in Pattaya during a recent visit and watched them over the space of two evenings earlier this week. If you don't like war films, it won't be of interest, otherwise I can recommend the 2 DVD's. Why two? Well, part 1 is 145 minutes and part 2 a mere 142 minutes long. Now you can see why it was screened in a cut version (although in some countries it was screened in full but as two separate showings). The action is set in 208AD in China and although the basic plot is fairly simple, it is the twists and turns in the film as first one side gets the upper hand and them the other - the following summary is taken from the sleeve notes on the DVD: Both parts 1 and 2 cost 110 baht from Tuk.com and come with a choice of Chinese or dubbed Thai as languages and either English or Thai subtitles. This combination works well if you are watching with a Thai friend, if you (like me), are dependent on the subtitles your friend can listen to the dubbed dialogue. There is a good summary on wikipedia if you aren't familiar with the film already: http://en.wikipedia....ed_Cliff_(film) Any recommendations from others?

Just be sure to tell her that an order of chicken nuggets is terribly down-market and would surely have the good Col. in apoplexy were he still alive, God bless 'im. Please no wisecracks that nuggets were his favourite food - my suspicion is they are a recent invention and addition to the menu, but if anyone reading this remembers eating them when they were kids I happily apologise - but even were that so it ain't so Hi-so to eat 'em, of that I am truly convinced! Khun Pong, what a post! Firstly, can you educate an ignorant farang? what is khin khao and kwaytiaw? You make it sound as though they are an indispensable part of a moneyboy's diet, and of course we all know how hungry they always seem to be. On a recent bus trip from Surin to Pattaya (the bus originated in Ubon) it didn't stop once for food in the entire 8 hour journey - I guess there were no moneyboys or Hi-so types stomachs to accommodate so it sped on. You have me most intrigued regarding the trousers! Whilst I fully agree 79baht is a steal, would you really consider your wardrobe so desperate to be replenished that you would cough up for a pair of second-hand ones? As a frequent shopper in charity shops in the UK I have found some real bargains (jackets mostly) but so far the only time I have bought second hand trousers was as a part of a suit or once when I bought the trousers to go with a black tie outfit.

The Beer Bar's awash with 'em. And as for the one at the centre of the MIlky Way being the mass of 4 million sun's, pa! take a look at these, if YOU DARE! Read more: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2101916,00.html#ixzz1gb8qYtwB

An account of a frenzied encounter in a shower has earned US writer David Guterson the annual Bad Sex In Fiction Award. http://www.bbc.co.uk...t-arts-16056986 And how about this from last year's Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson's The Finkler question: "Her lips, too, were scalloped like the hem of a lace undergarment and seemed to move sideways rather than up and down" But was she capable of 'good sex' I wonder . . .

Ah, the garden sounds great, the perfect place for a cerebral game of mahjong - but methinks you'll need to be strong-willed to spurn the temptations lurking therein Mahjong Guy.

Fiendish stuff, and to think THAT there is a fiendish mind utterly obsessed with THAT word at large. Although thinking about THAT it might be better if he was safely locked away and THAT fiendish mind of his kept docile by a hefty dose of chlorpromazine. A mind THAT clever could be set on world domination! I think life's a lot more interesting down at the old Cock and Hand where sign painter Andrew is giving the landlord an 'ard time of it.

You could have called it the Happy Holidays Quiz! (but I'm glad you didn't as I dislike that modern euphemism for Christmas). Are attempts to be posted directly to the thread, or by PM, or are both types of entry acceptable (up to the maximum of 3 per person). Now all I need to do is some serious cheating

And why not throw a nice bit of cheese in to complicate matters - cheesy crack or cheesebarrel

Heygay has already replied with a canter through the minefield you are contemplating navigating. I've copied the gist of your thinking in my quote box. I have no experience at all other than as a customer, and that is largely in the past tense as I seldom venture out any more. 12 years has to be a useful starting point but unless you have a history of business experience and are familiar with dealing with people under pressure and used to problem solving, I would not encourage you to open a bar. I thought the gentleman who posted recently about his intention to start a new Message Board was taking a big gamble (not in money terms but in his future stress level!) but your idea of opening a bar has me tearing my hair out just thinking about it! But then I always have been a safety first kind of guy; you really have to like taking risks or like the idea of doing so in order to even plonk your feet down on the starting blocks.

Not really but if I were to use your fine effort as a launching pad. . . Instead of the Cock and Bull the pub is called the Cock and Hand (not very likely I would agree but the word 'hand' is quite common as part of a pub's name). However, the old sign had lost the letter 'h' from hand, consequently we have the following dialogue: When discussing the new sign, the landlord affectionately refers to it without the 'h', an alternative explanation has no missing 'h' but the landlord has a habit of droppin' his aitches! "Can we have more space between "Cock" and "And" and "And" and "and" please.And if I were to stretch credulity to breaking point, the signwriter's name is Andrew, shortened to 'And' of course!

Well, now now then, having known no different, I can only dream of fleeing the herd! Here are a few ideas I came across "Getting upgraded on a flight is one of the best travelling perks around, there's nothing like relaxing in first class knowing you paid for economy! But the thing is getting a flight upgrade need not just be a stroke of luck, there are ways to get upgraded on a flight and here's how... Blagging, flannelling, verbal gymnastics, sweet talking

Being in Thailand I don't have a dictionary to hand - is trubble a real word Do you mean the same word sound - if so how about four for four, four four for four, fore not intelligible in the slightest degree unless you know the question, what is the cricket score and what time is our table reservation interpretation: the score is 4 runs for 4 wickets and the 4 of us are scheduled for 4 minutes past 4 in the front section of the dining room

http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/7499-asian-escapes/