The Beer Bar

From the NYTimes “I don’t really know what I like,” Frankie (Harris Dickinson) says to a man he meets on a gay hookup site in "Beach Rats." He repeats variations on that phrase throughout the film, and part of what’s refreshing about Eliza Hittman’s sophomore feature is that the character’s confusion isn’t limited to coming out. When not cruising the web with a cap on and shadows hiding his face, Frankie hangs out with macho, aimless potheads in and around the Coney Island boardwalk. (Like Ms. Hittman’s first feature, "It Felt Like Love," “Beach Rats” doubles as a portrait of Brooklyn’s southern-shore neighborhoods, lyrically photographed by Hélène Louvart.) …

Suckrates and I highjacked another thread talking about this new show. So I wanted to start a new thread about it so we (and anyone else) can talk about it here. The premise is simple. It started with 30 young guys auditioning to become part of a new boyband. They started out performing solo, then after being narrowed down to 18, they were placed in groups and had to work together as boybands. Each week, one of the three bands were safe, and one boy from each of the two remaining bands were in the bottom two. Then America decided who to save.. The judges for the show are Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys, Emma Bunton (Baby Spice from the Spice Girls), andTim…

From Coconuts Bangkok A Thai man confessed to police that he murdered a woman he was on a first date with out of anger, after she let out a complaint that he “sucked at sex” during their coupling — at least in his version of the story. In a press conference on Sunday, police in southern Songkhla province announced the arrest of Natthan Raknui, 23, for the murder of a woman named Jiraporn Theppaya, 22, who was found dead on a rubber plantation near Prawk Suwan Canal. According to police, Natthan started talking to the victim on Facebook in July. After two weeks of a long-distance courtship, he rode two hours in a public van from Phatthalung province to meet up…

From The Nation New traffic tickets include English, allow appeals August 21, 2017 By Suriya Patathayo A new generation of traffic tickets about to be launched will include both Thai and English languages, along with a barcode to help in paying fines. The new approach would also allow accused motorists to object to the officers’ charges and explain themselves within 15 days. The new ticket would have a section for a police officer to record whether the accused agreed or not with the charges. When an accused violator reported to a police investigator at the precinct to pay the fine or to proclaim innocence and object to the charges, the ticket would be …

So the other day I went to once again try and update my ad...and as of the last 1.5 years, it did not work. My ad was frozen in time, unable to moved. Well, today I decide to go onto my laptop and use different browsers. To no avail. Now its simply saying 502 bad gateway. Are there any techies here who can verify whether this is an official closure?

Stickman is telling readers in this week's column that his next will probably be his last. Stick moved out of Bangkok several years ago and has been writing from his native New Zealand with occasional return visits. He reports that readership has been holding fine. It appears, however, that the problem may be one of ad revenue. The majority owner informed him that he expected to have problems coming with future pay. Stick has frequently described the underbelly of the entertainment industry, leaving some of the powers that be less than happy. Recent columns focused on what Stick and contributors saw as increasing disillusionment of the lady bar business in Nana…

Just had our leader PM Justin Trudeau as well as the Prime Minister of Ireland marching a few feet away from me in today's parade. A nice brief break from news cycles of late.

We have installed a module that allows members to create their own forum and hopefully, approve and limit which members they wish to see and be a part of that forum. This allows members who wish to post more private photos to friends or members they trust or to have a group that has a bit more access and privacy with each other. It would allow an escort to create an escort only forum or a client to create a New York City Client Only forum. The list is endless. However, it is in the testing stage. Please have a look at the very bottom of the forum home page and see if you see an area called: Collaboration and then a test forum in which I created.

BANGKOK: -- If you are entering Thailand on a tourist visa, you may be required to show immigration officials 20,000 baht in CASH. From thaivisa.com/forum Thaivisa has learnt that immigration officials at a number border checkpoints across Thailand are asking some people entering the country on a tourist visa to show 20,000 baht in cash. https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/992844-some-tourist-visa-holders-being-asked-to-show-20000-baht-in-cash-when-entering-thailand/

Excerpts from National Public radio (US) Turning To VPNs For Online Privacy? You Might Be Putting Your Data At Risk Worried about Internet companies snooping on your online browsing? You might turn to something called a virtual private network to protect your privacy. But researchers say these networks can themselves be insecure. One solution is a VPN, which is like a dark, secret tunnel you use to go from your computer to a website. While you're inside the tunnel — clicking on Instagram photos or checking your bank account — third parties can't see what you're doing. The data are encrypted. Some VPNs promise anonymous browsing for free or just a few dolla…

From The Nation New smart driving licences to be valid across Asean Around Thailand August 15, 2017 16:42 By The Nation Thailand’s paper driving licences will be replaced with smart cards starting on September 4, the Land Transport Department has announced. The new licences will be embedded with magnetic strips and QR codes to improve security to prevent frauds. “In the future, they will be compatible with apps that are designed for enhanced road safety,” department director-general Sanith Phromwong said. Names on the smart card will be spelled in both Thai and English so they could be used to drive legally in any Asean country. Sanith said hi…

There's no retail outlets that visitors--and possibly some expats--spend more baht at than the 7-Elevens . It shouldn't surprise then that corporate owner is rolling in cash. From Reuters BANGKOK, August 14 (Reuters) - Thai companies have accumulated a record $34 billion in cash, prompting some investors to demand companies from oil producers to food suppliers consider deals to put the money to work - or hand it back to shareholders. Some of Thailand's biggest corporate names, including energy giant PTT Group Pcl (PTT.BK), the largest convenience store operator CP ALL Pcl (CPALL.BK) and agribusiness CP Foods Pcl (CPF.BK), are hoarding cash. With few invest…

From Coconuts Bangkok Police are searching for as many as three tech college students suspected of stabbing to death a student from a rival school. Chanon Chuankhunthod, 20, a student at polytechnic university Uthenthawai, died after trying to fight off attackers outside the downtown MBK Center mall on Tuesday. Chanon was the newest fatal student death in a long tradition of rival student gangs injuring and killing each other. Chanon was allegedly killed by students from Pathumwan Institute of Technology, located just a few minutes from the mall, reported Khaosod English. In a bid to prevent retaliation or other related incidents, Pathumwan Institute of T…

From CNN Evidence from a mass vaccination campaign for an outbreak of bacterial meningitis in New Zealand had unexpected results: reduced rates of the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea, a study published Monday a in the journal The Lancet finds. It is the first time a vaccine has shown any protection against gonorrhea. Scientists say the results provide fresh inspiration for developing a specific vaccine against the STD, which causes about 78 million new cases worldwide each year. In recent years, gonorrhea has shown increasing antibiotic resistance, with some patients unable to be treated with any available drug. Because of this, the World Health Organizat…

Terrorism may not be the word they are using to describe the white supremacist rally this weekend and the driver who plowed into a group of peaceful protesters but why not? Why does this term not apply? America is going down the shitter with this president. He is a true disgrace. And, the words he used in the few years are what caused the state of affairs at the moment.

From Bangkok Post A digital talent shortage, fewer digital products and uncertain policies have put Thailand near the bottom of the digital nation index, says a Singapore-based advisory firm. http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/advanced/1304502/ouch-thailand-ranked-only-10th-in-digital-nation-index

How nice. Environment Climate change, sewage and fertilisers could trigger mass extinction of life in oceans, scientists warn Areas of low oxygen known as 'dead zones' are spreading, killing or forcing marine life to flee http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change-global-warming-sewage-fertilisers-mass-extinction-ocean-life-trigger-scientists-warn-a7884861.html

From CNN (CNN) — Thailand is a country blessed by an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Navigate a local market and you'll find a diverse selection of fresh produce in massive quantities. Sounds like a dream destination for vegetarians, right? Not so fast. Once you sit down and browse a Thai restaurant menu, you'll soon realize that pork is an obsession in Thailand and fish sauce is a main flavoring ingredient in many dishes. But don't worry, one of the great things about Thailand is that in most restaurants your food isn't cooked until you order it. This means that you can specify exactly what you want to exclude from your dish before it is prepared. I…

From Bloomberg News When Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government approved $256 million to upgrade a section of a remote border road last month, few took notice. Yet India’s decision to revive plans for the trilateral highway, part of an ambitious 1,360-kilometer (845 mile) crossing to link northeastern India with markets in Thailand and beyond, marks the next phase in the jostle between New Delhi and Beijing for economic and strategic influence in the region. In the last two years alone, India has assigned more than $4.7 billion in contracts for the development of its border roads, according to government figures, including the highway which will run from M…

I grew up on Rhinestone Cowboy.

From Bangkok Post Thai Beverage, the spirits giant that makes Chang beer and SangSom rum, is expanding into the fast-food business. ThaiBev agreed to purchase more than 240 existing KFC restaurants in Thailand for about 11.3 billion baht ($340 million). http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1302575/beer-chang-maker-buys-up-kfc-thailand-restaurants

Is anyone else watching this remake of Stephen King's short story? It is a 10 episode series and this week was episode 7. To me, it has been a pretty good, suspenseful show.

Photo display available at http://www.bangkokpost.com/learning/really-easy/1301102/bangkoks-newest-skywalk

RIP Bob Barker..... http://actionnews3.com/former-price-right-host-bob-barker-dead-age-94/

From BK Insiders Guide to Bangkok Held for the first time in Bangkok last year, The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale returns for its second edition this Aug 11-27 offering more than three million English-language books at heavily discounted prices. The 17-day event will take place 24 hours a day at Hall 9 (Impact Forum) at Impact Muangthong Thani giving book lovers a chance to pore over fiction and non-fiction titles covering cooking, sports, children books, graphic novels and much more, all at 60-80-percent discount. This self-described biggest book sale in the world originated in Malaysia before moving onto Indonesia and Thailand. The event can be reached via t…