Gaybutton

Clint Eastwood to New York taxi driver: "How many stores named Bloomingdale's are in this city?" Taxi driver: "One. Why?" Clint Eastwood: "On the way over here we passed it twice." Taxi driver (with 'I got caught' sheepish smile): "It's still $3.95, including luggage fee." Clint Eastwood: "Here's $4.00, including tip." - 'Coogan's Bluff'

Congratulations. Now, if nobody minds let's return to the subject of this thread. If anyone wants to continue this discussion with Voldemar, please start a new thread to do it.

Don't forget to let us know where you do decide to publish it.

Your predictions? "As for my predictions, I do not practice Vudu science or have a Cristal ball." That is what you wrote, isn't it? As long as you don't violate the posting rules, why would we delete your 'manifesto'? After all, if the Unibomber can write a manifesto, why can't you? I'm sure yours would be at least equally coherent. You're actually allowed to express your own opinions here despite the fact that some accuse me of deleting posts that disagree with me. I suppose if a lie is repeated often enough people start to believe it. The only posts GT or I ever delete are posts that violate the rules or are just totally inappropriate and unacceptable. As long as you remain within the posting limitations, I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to post your opinion, your manifesto, or whatever you want to call it.

Which happens to be perfectly legal provided the source is cited. I wouldn't know any better than anyone else would. So far, neither side seems to be willing to compromise at all. But now we're starting to see grumblings from the Yellow-Shirt side. Whatever the outcome is, I still see the country being split right down the middle. If the Red-Shirts prevail, the Yellow-Shirts are likely to start up again. If the Prime Minister prevails, then the Red-Shirts will keep at it. If some sort of agreement is not reached that both sides will abide by, then the only two peaceful solutions I can see will be the next elections or agreement from both sides to binding arbitration from a neutral, outside source. Other than that, it seems like this is just going to go on and on and on. My personal opinion is that all the smiles, mutual respect, and friendliness we're seeing on television during these meetings is all hype. I think the reality is that both sides would love to strangle each other.

I have not watched her show. But that has nothing to do with my response. I'm simply pointing out that I bought my car on credit and I have no regrets about doing it that way. But I'll watch her show at some point to see what she says. Do you know the days and times?

Even if that's exactly what they mean, the idea of having to climb steep flights of stairs just to get to the sauna and massage areas is not very appealing to me, especially since that kind of tile is slippery and some of the flights don't even have handrails. Somehow, the idea of slipping on that tile and ending up with broken bones doesn't add to the enjoyment of the experience there. I'm not saying it's bad or that others wouldn't enjoy it, but I am saying that based on what I saw, it's not my cup of tea. Again, I think if people happen to be in the area, they ought to have a look for themselves and make their own decisions.

My guess is she's got the cash. I'll bet if she didn't, then she'd be singing a different tune. My interpretation of that is anything you want to buy, then pay cash. Great. If we go strictly by that philosophy, then having credit at all would be superfluous. I can't afford to buy a car for cash, so I'm using credit and I'm doing just fine. I could also have saved up to pay cash for the car, which might have meant I would save money in the long run, but I would also be without a car until I accumulated enough cash. That's how I actually do most things. The only item I have ever bought on credit in Thailand is my car. I'd much rather have the car than save the money I'm paying in interest.

A few months ago I asked the Toyota dealership if it is still true that farang cannot get financing. The person I spoke with said now a farang can get financing, but he has to put 50% down.

That is the way I see it too. As for the Thai boys entering free, I don't see much of a reason for that either. Maybe they mean if you bring a Thai boy with you, he gets in free, although I really don't know what they would expect you to do there with a Thai boy other than using the place as a short time room or something. Unless I truly missed something, I don't foresee Thai boys going there on their own.

The following appears in THE NATION: _____ Dissolution Call is a Ploy to Help Thaksin : PAD By THE NATION Published on March 30, 2010 The yellow-shirt People's Alliance For Democracy (PAD) yesterday opposed political talks about a parliamentary dissolution. It said the solution proposed by the red-shirt protesters had a hidden agenda to help fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. PAD coordinator and secretary general of the New Politics Party Suriyasai Katasila, said the red shirts were not qualified to negotiate with the government as they were not representatives of a majority, but just Thaksin's proxy. "The government's recognition of the red-shirt group is equivalent to recognition of a Thaksin regime - which we regarded as the root cause of the current political crisis," he said. The PAD called a meeting of its key members yesterday to take a stance in opposing the red-shirt proposal to end the on-going political stalemate. Dissolution is a normal practice in the parliamentary system, but the red-shirt proposal aimed only to help Thaksin get amnesty for his guilt, the PAD said in a statement. The red-shirt group, who are political rivals of the yellow-shirt PAD, should not use street protests, violence and innocent people as bargaining chips to achieve their goals, the statement said. The PAD strongly opposed any move to rewrite the military-sponsored Constitution since it was not the root cause of the crisis, it said. "We don't oppose changes to the Constitution as long as that is done for public benefit, rather than the personal benefit of politicians," the PAD said. Political reform was the only real solution that could get the country out of the political crisis, it said. Instead of negotiating, the PAD called on the government to enforce the laws to punish wrongdoers and end the illegal protest as well as bring peace to the country, it said. The PAD called for its supporters to exercise utmost restraint and not to confront the red shirts. The PAD would soon call a meeting of its network to seek a solution to lead the country out of crisis, the statement said.

The following appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Peace Talks End in Stalemate Again Published: 29/03/2010 at 08:53 PM The second round of talks between the government and the anti-government United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) ended in stalemate on Monday night as they could not agree on the time frame for dissolving the House of Representatives. The two-hour negotiation began around 6.20pm at King Prachadipok's Institute. It was broadcast live on national television and radio. The government and red-shirt teams were unchanged from the first round of talks. On the government's side, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was accompanied by his secretary-general Korbsak Sabhavasu and Democrat Party deputy secretary-general Chami Sakdiset. On the red-shirts' corner were UDD chairman Veera Musikhapong, opposition Puea Thai Party MP Jatuporn Prompan and political activist Weng Tojirakarn. During the early stage of the meeting, Mr Veera asked Mr Abhisit whether he will accept the UDD's demand to dissolve the House of Representatives within 15 days. The prime minister again rejected their demand, reasoning that the country would not benefit from a House dissolution at this time. Mr Abhisit, however, said he could dissolve the House within nine months or by year's end after the draft of the fiscal 2011 budget, the disputed constitution amendments and the political climate are settled. The meeting then discussed other issues from the past political protests to the role of deployed soldiers around the red-shirt's main rally site near Phan Fa bridge. Both sides tentatively set to meet again on Thursday when the prime minister returns from Bahrain. The overall atmosphere of the meeting was friendly or nonbelligerent like the previous talk on Sunday even though no progress was made.

I didn't notice the apostrophe. Another addition to my "I Don't Get It" list is the fact that so many Thai businesses print signs, menus, posters, etc, but rarely check spelling and grammar with a native English speaker. There are certainly plenty around. Why is that?

Today I received the following in an Email from the same source as the first post on this thread. The Email was longer than this, but this is the relevant part: _____ "I can now confirm that Kevin Quill was transferred to the Wandsworth prison in England last Wednesday as you previously posted 19th March on your site."

Even if the bar is operating legitimately, how much needs to be paid each month to the various BIB . . . you know who I mean, the ones who are not corrupt . . . ? However, it's certainly a promising investment with regard to "location, location, location."

Of course! When the bars start closing for the night a lot of the boys head right to an Internet shop and get on Gay Romeo, Camfrog, etc. I've had more than one Internet shop manager tell me they do some of their best business between midnight and 3:00am.

I bought my car at the Toyota dealership. At the time I bought, Thais were required to put 50,000 baht down and pay for any options up front in full. I forget the interest rates for financing, but they were reasonable. The dealership arranges financing through legitimate agencies such as banks, reputable lending companies, etc. Before financing is approved, in most cases the lending institution will check the ability of the client to be able to pay back the loan, and that includes a personal visit to the client's residence. If the client does not meet the requirements or if it is a farang, then the client will have to come up with an acceptable Thai guarantor. The car will be in the guarantor's name until the loan is paid off. So, if a guarantor is required then you need to make sure it is someone you can be certain you can trust. If the guarantor lets you pay for the car and then refuses to let the client change it over to his own name, or at any time before the loan is paid off, the guarantor can take the car and there wouldn't be a thing you could do about it because it is in his name. You would have to be very careful about that. The guarantor also has to be careful about you. After all, if the person defaults on the loan, is late with payments, or whatever, it will affect the guarantor's credit status or he could end up being stuck with the car or be the one facing the consequences of a repossession. But for these kinds of questions, wouldn't it make more sense to just go to a car dealership and ask?

Yesterday Prime Minister Abhisit and the Red-Shirt leaders sat down together to try to work out, through negotiations, a settlement and end to Thailand's current political crisis. It was all done "in the sunshine," meaning that the entire meeting, which lasted more than three hours, was shown live on television for all to see. The negotiations are continuing today. The following commentary appears in the BANGKOK POST: _____ Reasoned Discussion Offers Way Forward Published: 29/03/2010 The government and the red shirt leaders' decision to sit down for talks to settle the continuing political conflict is most welcome. Although the positions of the two parties remained far apart at the end of their three-hour meeting yesterday, it began a long-overdue process to resolve the differences between the groups. Needless to say, the two-week stand-off between the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD) and the government has caused much anxiety for all Thais. The massive street gatherings and the deployment of security forces in the capital have disrupted the lives of Bangkokians. They have also caused immeasurable damage to the economy. A series of dramatic stunts staged by the red shirts in which protesters were sent to military barracks and other public and private places have increased the danger of violence. A series of bomb attacks on government buildings, state-run TV stations and commercial banks are strong indicators that the "peaceful" protest might not remain that way for long. Those behind these subversive plots - regardless of their motivations - must be condemned. With or without the red shirts' knowledge, these senseless and barbaric acts must stop if all stakeholders in the present dispute are sincere in wanting to lead the country out of its sorry state. Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva should be commended for being open-minded in embracing the peace talks with the UDD leaders. His decision to welcome them at the negotiating table has helped significantly ease the political tensions that have gripped Bangkok for the past fortnight. With the prime minister and the red shirt leaders agreeing to resume talks later today, it is hoped both sides will come up with more accommodating propositions to make the peace talks fruitful. The red shirt leaders in particular must demonstrate more sincerity and flexibility. Their offer to give the government two more weeks to dissolve the lower house is still far from acceptable as it fails to explain how this will lead to reconciliation. Mr Abhisit has already made clear that he does not object to a snap election but prefers to see some fundamental rules in place to ensure a lasting reconciliation in the country. These may involve constitutional amendments and guarantees that all parties will accept election results. He suggested at the talks that concerned parties work out a clear road map to provide a basis for a new election before the lower house is dissolved. This proposal is reasonable and should be supported by the red shirts if they are sincere about their calls for true democracy in Thailand.

Today I paid a visit. I think, rather than write my opinion, I'll stick simply to the facts of what I saw and let you form your own opinions. First, the sign outside does say, "Thai boys free." I asked if there are any age restrictions. I was told that as long as it's a Thai male, age 18 or over, he gets in free no matter how old he is. The food is all Thai food, mostly in the 60 to 150 baht range. There are various massages available. A standard or oil massage costs 300 baht plus tip for the boy. More expensive massages, such as foam massages or Jacuzzi massages are between 600 to 700 baht. The massage rooms are located upstairs. You have to climb several flights of steep stairs to get to the massage rooms or any of the facilities other than the ground floor bar and restaurant area.. I noticed the steps are all tiled with smooth tile and only some of the flights have handrails. The saunas are small cubicles in the massage rooms. These are not large, public saunas such as you would find at Sansuk or Babylon. These are small, private cubicles big enough for you and one or two boys. There were two such cubicles. There are also two Jacuzzis, also located on the upper floors. These are both 2 to 3 man bathtub-type Jacuzzis. Both were empty and apparently are filled with use of a standard shower head and on-demand water heater. There is an additional charge if you wish to use the Jacuzzis. There is 1 dry heat sauna. It appeared to be big enough for 4 or 5 people. The venue was spotlessly clean and the Thai manager was enthusiastic about showing me around. While I was there, from about 4:00pm to 4:45pm there were no customers and no boys other than the boys who work there.

A System Restore to a date before the problem first occurred might do the trick.

I haven't been in there yet, but given that it's in the middle of the gay bars of Jomtien Complex and given that Thai boys get in free, I would guess it's much more likely to be similar to Sansuk and Babylon. We'll know for sure soon enough.

If it were me I would probably just forget about it.

This evening I was walking around Jomtien Complex with a friend. When we passed Monty's we saw several people eating there. I said I didn't know Monty's started serving food again. One boy overheard and said the food comes from the Black Cat, just across the street. Huh? What? The Black Cat had closed after having been open for only a few weeks. Now it's open again. I had no idea they had reopened. My friend told me they actually reopened about two weeks ago. They're open from 1:00pm to midnight. Farang pay 120 baht to use the sauna. Thai boys get in free. We were on our way elsewhere when we passed by, so I'm sorry, but I didn't look at their menu. I'll try to get down there within the next several days. Meanwhile, if any of you have been there, please tell us about it.

Ok, ok . . . next time I'll read it.

Thank you, travelerjim. Great eye candy! Now all you need to do is give those models some of our phone numbers. You can start with mine . . .