omega

You're correct that Buddha is not held to be a god, but belief in one or more divine beings is not required for something to be a religion. Buddhism has a well defined belief system that 'guides' adherents on how to live their lives.

Or indeed, Myanmar.

Tourists should be wary of using the Motobike Taxis. Not only because of the risk of injury, but because your travel insurance might not cover the cost of treatment for those injuries or repatriation to your home nation if needed. Worth checking that it is covered before you decide on taking them. While you might be prepared to risk an injury, you may not want to risk your life savings

Amsterdam is actually a very small city. You can easily walk from one side of the city center to the other. Bangkok is far, far bigger, with many more districts. It's 'red light' district isn't really near the primary tourist traps and they're a lot less inclined to tell others how their lives should be lived.

More likely that she offered her services, and the tourist involved decided to offer up transphobic insults instead of smiling and saying "no thank you". Tourist found out that insulting Thai's to their face results in an impromptu Muay Thai match.

That's a really good way to put it, actually.

If I am bottoming, then I am like goldilocks. I'm looking for one that's just the right size to satisfy me. Not too big, and not too small. If I'm topping, then I don't really care how hung they are... as long as it's nice to look at

I'd agree. The idea that the more muscles you have the more masculine you are is absurd nonsense.

Yup. Why not explore a little bit?

Attachment to the past perhaps... not only did the business model worked, but they loved how it worked. Might also be that they're owned by people who see only costs and no profit in using technology.

You might want to consider an iPad or similar tablet that can connect to cell networks like your phone does. All you'd need to do is put in a Sim card, (or get the agent to do it when you buy the sim) and it'll work just like your phone does. In Thailand with its great network coverage, you'll probabaly find it a lot faster than random Wifi hotspots, and a lot less hassle. Some options: https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipad/ipad-10-2/64gb-silver-wifi-cellular https://www.samsung.com/us/tablets/galaxy-tab-s9-fe/buy/ https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/configure/Surface-Go-3/ Edit: You might want to check if your current ipad supports sim cards

My ex had a saying: "Don't think to much". Recognise your anxiety, and don't let it win. You'll have a good time, and you have plenty of time to explore the bars and find which one you like. Everything will be fine

I would agree. It's a fantastic view of Bangkok. Defintely worth doing at least once

I would guess "better half"

Money pox? Is that like when you fall in love with a money boy and find your life savings draining away? 😅 I jest... many healthcare providers are giving vaccines to help protect against monkeypox. Bonus, should smallpox happen to escape a lab, you'll also be protected from that

Which model? There are many that have come forward and given their stories to the BBC. One of the men said did indeed say that, and said it about the party after he was recruited by another man who had been supporting him financially. Others reportedly did not know that sex was the purpose of the party. And you're ignoring the entirely the account of Mr Bradbury who alleges that the middleman demand sex for the contact with A&F. Many of the men said that they attended more than one party becuase they were still under the impression that it would further their modelling career. The article isn't clear on whether they were given modelling work with A&F after.

You say that I missed your point on the gardener, I did not. You didn't quote my response, so let me put it again: "Your gardner is paid for a specific service - Gardening. Presumbly, he advertised that service, and you engaged him for that service. No that's not "manipulative and shady", and if you read my post carefully, I never said it was. What would have been "manipulative and shady" is if you'd demanded your gardner give you a blow job in order for you to engage his services as a gardener. It would have been even more shady, if after getting the blow job, you subsequently did not engage their services. Even more manipulative and shady, would have been if you had threatened to ensure that they would never find work as a gardener if they didn't accede to your demand." Putting this into the context of A&F story. The men were models. They were seeking work as models. In seeking work with A+F, they encountered a middle-man, a "gatekeeper" of acccess to A+F CEO who demanded sex for that access, and who would then pay the models "for their time" after they gave him the sex. This then set the models up for a similar situation when they were invited to the A+F CEO's parties. Sex in exchange for access, with money paid after to turn it into a sex for money transaction. The shady parts here is that the alleged "gatekeeper" did exactly that. Models who refused his demands for sex were not invited to these parties, clearly because they would refuse sex for "opportunities". The subsequent payments after that effectively turned the men from models to sex workers, changing the terms of engagement from "I'll give you modelling work for sex" to "here's some cash for that sex". This is all substantially different from engaging a gardener or a sex worker who is clear and consenting about what they are, what they're offering, and negotiates their fee in advance.

Not sure how useful it would be in a noisy bar.

If I may, I'll clarify using your own example, even if it would be a little to absurd to actually happen in real life: Your gardner is paid for a specific service - Gardening. Presumbly, he advertised that service, and you engaged him for that service. No that's not "manipulative and shady", and if you read my post carefully, I never said it was. What would have been "manipulative and shady" is if you'd demanded your gardner give you a blow job in order for you to engage his services as a gardener. It would have been even more shady, if after getting the blow job, you subsequently did not engage their services. Even more manipulative and shady, would have been if you had threatened to ensure that they would never find work as a gardener if they didn't accede to your demand. There is of course, a huge amount of grey area when it comes to human relationships. Sex work itself is frought with grey area. But on analysis of situations we can determine how deep into the dark a given situation is. This A&F situation seems pretty dark. The allegations suggest a deliberate abuse of power. Your promiscuous and fecund father perhaps promised love and marriage to his paramours. Or perhaps he just had that way with words that got his ladies into bed without actually promising them anything. On the face of the stated facts, I'd suggest that his actions are more towards the lighter end of the greyscale.

Oh absolutely agree with that, but I won't worry it too much. If the baht recovers just in time for my visit to LoS, then so be it... if it falls further, then so be it

I'm not such a big spender nor penny pincher that I would neccessarily see the difference too much. It might pay for a massage... one without a HE.

It's even more shocking when you consider they have security guards and metal detectors at every entrance. Clearly pointless security theatre.

I tend to ignore mainstream media when it comes to their reporting of science. The journalists are not scientists themselves. They don't understand the science. They don't understand what the studies they're reporting on actually mean. They just regurgitate it into some form that'll get people clicking on their article. Either read the study for yourself, or don't and go about your life as normal.

I think the problematic issue is the offer of "opportunities". Whether that offer got realised for most of the models or not, it's pretty shitty way to get someone do something they wouldn't normally want to do. It's the difference between performing sex acts to get a job and performing sex acts as your job. In my mind one is manipulative and shady, and the other is perfectly fine way to make money.

Another wonderful report. Hopefully tonights fare went well. On tipping, I think the meaning of the word in relation to sex services is different matter to the use of the word else where. Hopefully, the service provider is indepdendent, and with a minimum its right that good service is rewarded. When it comes to the more mundane service industry, such as waiters, bar staff and such, I tend to think it is delegating the responsibility of performance management onto the customer. It's an awful way to do business for the customer, and the staff. Makes the employer money tho.