The Beer Bar

Duh! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/11...ref=mpstoryview

Today optional. Tomorrow mandatory? http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/09/fashion/...amp;ref=fashion

Interesting to see Noonan finally let her gorge rise, fully & publicly, on sister Sarah. A Farewell to Harms Palin was bad for the Republicans—and the republic. By Peggy Noonan Sarah Palin's resignation gives Republicans a new opportunity to see her plain—to review the bidding, see her strengths, acknowledge her limits, and let go of her drama. It is an opportunity they should take. They mean to rebuild a great party. They need to do it on solid ground. Her history does not need to be rehearsed at any length. Ten months ago she was embraced with friendliness by her party. The left and the media immediately overplayed their hand, with attacks on her children. …

Just noticed on the Thaiticketmajor website (www.thaiticketmajor.com) that the stage production of "Mama Mia" is coming to Bangkok in August to the Rachadalai Theatre (same as for "Chicago" and "Cats"). I believe the production comes out of London. Unbelievably far in advance, there's a special advance booking period now open for tickets for performances from August 11 to 23! My guess is that this will sell out quite fast.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ THAI Stuck with A380s Cancellation Penalties Could Reach $700m By: BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA Published: 11/07/2009 Thai Airways International (THAI) has no other options but to keep its order for six Airbus 380 megajets it wanted to cancel as doing so would lead to huge adverse consequences. "The best option available for us is to delay taking delivery of those A380s," Wallop Bhukkanasut, the chairman of THAI's executive board, said last night. The flag carrier had earlier sought to terminate the A380 contract or change to another future Airbus model, the A350-1000, as it had come to believ…

Clever.

I'm beginning to think we need a separate forum just for obituaries. _____ Robert McNamara, Ex-Defense Secretary, Dies (CNN) -- Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, a key architect of the U.S. war in Vietnam under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, has died at age 93, according to his family. McNamara was a member of Kennedy's inner circle during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, when the United States and the Soviet Union stood on the brink of nuclear war. But he became a public lightning rod for his management of the war in Vietnam, overseeing the U.S. military commitment there as it grew from fewer than 1,000 advisers to mor…

About fucking time. Doubtless this is just the opening shot in what will have to be a protracted siege. But at last the federal courts are being asked to address the constitutionality of DOMA square on. Without wishing ill on any individual, one can fervently hope for a shift in the makeup of the Supremes by the time this reaches them, should it go that far. One watches with bated breath to see what stance the current Administration will take. State Sues U.S. Over Marriage Law Massachusetts sued the U.S. government Wednesday over the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coak…

Not for the first time, I have an e-mail amid my spam that assures me I've won $1 million US, provided I supply certain personal information. It comes from an outfit in Bangkok calling itself variously Yahoo International Lottery or Yahoo Internet Lottery. Usually I delete and move on. But today I feel that this one should be forwarded: - to Yahoo for the use that's being made of their name, but I can't find an e-mail address for Yahoo, or - to some agency that pursues frauds of this kind, but I don't know what agency that would be. Any suggestions?[

Massachusetts Sues Federal Government over Marriage Law (CNN) -- Massachusetts sued the U.S. government on Wednesday, challenging the constitutionality of a federal law that defines marriage as the union of a man and a woman. "We're taking this action today because, first, we believe that [the Defense of Marriage Act] directly interferes with Massachusetts' long-standing sovereign authority to define and regulate the marital status of its residents," Attorney General Martha Coakley said Wednesday afternoon. "Massachusetts has a single category of married persons, and we view all married persons equally and identically," she said. "DOMA divides that cat…

Looking for sweaty armpits (no deodorant) escort in N.Y. City.

Those of you who regularly check THE NATION newspaper's web site may have noticed that lately there is a video that starts automatically playing, apparently some sort of commentary, entirely in Thai. Given that THE NATION is an entirely English language newspaper, does it strike you as a little on the odd side that they would be broadcasting a video in Thai? Considering that the vast majority of people who visit the site are probably native English speakers who don't speak Thai, who is the video for?

Whether or not you like Thaksin, you've got to admit that he doesn't give up easily. The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Thaksin Spotted in Malaysia By Piyanart Srivalo The Nation Published on July 7, 2009 Fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra reportedly visited Malaysia last weekend before leaving for Fiji, Deputy Interior Minister Thaworn Senneam said yesterday. Thaworn said he understood Thaksin went to Malaysia on Saturday and left on Sunday. However, his reasons for visiting Malaysia are unknown, and Thaworn admitted the report was unconfirmed. Police are verifying it. Thaksin left Malaysia before Thai police could t…

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Release Prisoners, Says PM By: ANUCHA CHAROENPO Published: 6/07/2009 Thailand wants the Burmese government to release opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners as part of its national reconciliation process, acting government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says. The position was conveyed by Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon in talks on Saturday. Thailand is chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations until the end of the year. Mr Ban made a stopover in Bangkok on his way from Burma. The Burmese junta refused hi…

Mollie Sugden, best known in most English speaking countries as the mistress of the double-entendre and a foil to the ultra camp John Inman in the BBC's sitcom "Are You Being Served", has died after a long illness. As a child (and some years before her leap to fame) I can remember seeing her in weekly rep over the summer months in my home town playing in everything from Agatha Christie to Noel Coward. She was a real pro. I guess this thread should be renamed the obituary Board!

India Gay Ruling: Local Media Reacts With Glee http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/02/i...e_n_225019.html India Gay Ruling: Local Media Reacts With Glee HuffPost has rounded up some of the reactions across India's media to today's decriminalization of homosexuality by the Delhi High Court: NDTV called the Delhi ruling a "revolutionary verdict", saying that India has become the 127th country to legalize homosexuality. A headline in the Indian Express quotes the High Court's position that "Homosexuality is not a mental disorder." The Times of India has reported Bollywood's approval of the ruling and quotes filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt: "This is a defining moment in the h…

There's a long article in today's Britush Sunday paper, The Observer. The headline reads - So, would you have your son circumcised? The idea may horrify you. But what if you knew it could potentially save his life? Here are some snippets. 1. Quite simply, circumcised men are around 60% less likely to contract HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. And of course, they are less likely to pass them on - and that has a huge effect on STD rates in women. Studies suggest that women whose long-term partners are circumcised are two to three times less likely to develop cervical cancer. 2. People of the Luo tribe have an HIV rate up to three times a…

There isn't enough money or sex to convince me to drive in the city, but could this libel be accurate? http://www.affiniongroupmedia.com/themes/s...ge_09/index.htm

Don't you love it? Now that Sarah Palin is going to step down from her post as governor, I hope she really does run for president in 2012. That way Obama and the Democrats are assured of a landslide victory. Actually, I do see an advantage to Palin as president. It would stop terrorism in its tracks. They would all be laughing too hard to cause any harm.

A Yahoo News story from the AP tells of a new flu outbreak in Mexico City that could combine the bird and swine flus, and kill humans. There have already been deaths in Mexico, and case in CA & TX but no fatalities. You can get the full story at http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090425/ap_on_...ed_swine_flu_41 Here are the first few paragraphs. MEXICO CITY – The schools and museums are closed. Sold-out games between Mexico's most popular soccer teams are being played in empty stadiums. Health workers are ordering sickly passengers off subways and buses. And while bars and nightclubs filled up as usual, even some teenagers were dancing with surg…

I've always lusted after Joe's sweet ass and body. Would loved to have crossed paths with him way back when I could have done some damage. I bring him up only because Flix movie channel showed Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein tonight with Joe front and center, including his sweet sweet ass. It stoked up the old embers.... well, some smoke anyway. Truthfully, Andy was better at Campbell Soup can art than at movies. But Joe made then imminently watchable even if he couldn't act, and they had campy kitsch. See Joe's ass move at: http://fromtherear.blogspot.com/2009/04/jo...ankenstein.html Joe then... and now...

Golden Globe-winning actor Harve Presnell has died. The 75-year-old star of 'Fargo' succumbed to pancreatic cancer on Tuesday at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif, EW.com and the Associated Press are reporting. Harve Presnell, June 30: The 'Fargo' star succumbed to pancreatic cancer at the age of 75. Presnell is best known to movie audiences for his role in the Coen Brothers drama as Wade Gustafson, the overbearing father-in-law of William H. Macy's character (Video Below). His other movie credits include 'Flags of Our Fathers,' 'The Legend of Bagger Vance,' 'Saving Private Ryan,' 'Paint Your Wagon' and 'Legally Blonde.' He won a Golden Globe …

Stu Cotts wanted less bleak topics discussed here, so what better to do than find one by a Stu Cotts? Posted by: Stu Cotts | Aug 23, 2006 5:16:47 PM Being a former TSA Officer I challenge everyone to step into the shoes of a TSA Officer and view those images. I'll bet eveen the best of you WILL FAIL!!! The TIPS images are a training tool developed to assist the officer in identifiying images to make them more proficient not to be perfect. The media is so quick to put blame on someboby, why don't you try praising the TSA Officers for a change. If it is so easy why don't YOU apply and see how easy it really is! I started with the agency from the begining and I will tell y…

A US federal advisory panel voted narrowly on Tuesday to recommend a ban on Percocet and Vicodin, two of the most popular prescription painkillers in the world, because of their effects on the liver. The two drugs apparently combine a narcotic with acetaminophen, the ingredient found in popular over-the-counter products like Tylenol and Excedrin. High doses of acetaminophen are a leading cause of liver damage, and the panel noted that patients who take Percocet and Vicodin for long periods often need higher and higher doses to achieve the same effect.

This hasn't been the right week to be a celebrity. In the space of a week it was Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Gale Storm, Ed McMahon, Fred Travalena, and now Karl Malden. At least he lived to a ripe old age. _____ Actor Karl Malden Dead at Age 97 Academy Award- and Emmy-Winning Actor Radiated Authority in Six Decades of Roles (CBS/ AP) Karl Malden, the Academy Award-winning actor whose intelligent characterizations on stage and screen made him a star despite his plain looks, died Wednesday, his family said. He was 97. Malden died of natural causes surrounded by his family at his Brentwood home, they told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts &amp…