unicorn

It's definitely doable in business class, and better than the alternative of multiple flights with a minimum of 2 hours' connection time with each flight change. If one had to go in the main cabin, I suppose it would be preferable, if one has the time, to break the flights into multiple flights, with overnight stays in airport hotels along the way (still quite a bit less expensive than flying business). I've done that before. It's so risky to use the airlines of the Persian Gulf countries, and probably will be until Trump leaves office. On our recent trip to Indonesia (started Jakarta, ended in Denpasar/Bali), we did meet one couple who flew via Doha, but that seems rather risky. We flew via Singapore. I suppose that flights on Qatar Airways and/or Emirates are probably good bargains today, but quite dicey. Australia is so far from Europe and North America, making super-long flights often the best option.

Only form of Judy-ism I'll practice:

I agree that I could have written more specifically that "...all citizens and permanent residents..." must declare one of five religions rather than "...all people." That being said, in that same post I mentioned that Vietnam is the only country in which I've been asked what religion (if any) I practiced (I put "none," of course, which they liked). One might infer from that statement that Indonesia has no such query for tourists, since I discussed being there. My guide, who lives there and had to make the choice, assured me that one has to pick one of those 5 he mentioned. I suppose Orthodox Christians, Jains, and Jews have to make believe. I do remember seeing in one of the restaurant menus a section for "Vegans and Jains," so there must be some. Or maybe it's just for tourists.

Not banned from entry, but banned from citizenship, according to our Indonesian guide (who's from central Java). According to him, at the age of 17, all Indonesian citizens must declare one of the 5 religions I mentioned. He may be wrong at this time, but he had to do it when he turned 17 (apparently the age of majority in Indonesia). I asked him what if one were Zoroastrian, B'Hai, etc., and he said you still had to pick among the 5 mentioned. I haven't seen the actual law(s) involved. If he's wrong, I'm willing to admit it, if someone wants to look it up. For my purposes, I was willing to take him at his word.

Not a term used in either medicine or gay slang in California. My husband (who's in his 30s) never heard of the term either. Probably more common in the UK, where circumcisions are far less commonly performed. No need to be haughty about it. I may know some regional slang with which you're not familiar.

Correction: I meant to say I could see most of the group chuckling. We would not, of course, have chuckled within earshot of him. We waited until we were walking back to the hotel. But everyone found the aura reading to be quite amusing in its inaccuracy. Of the group of 9, 5 or 6 declared themselves to be atheist, and the most of the rest were probably, as well. There was an English gay man in his 30s who I suspect was atheist, but it never came up. One was from Cambodia, and may have been Buddhist. He was the quietest of the group. My sense from my travels is that the Cambodian government isn't as hostile to religion as the Vietnamese government is. Vietnam is the only country I've been to in which the government asks all visa applicants what their religion is, and can get quite nasty were one to bring in religious materials into the country. In Indonesia, being religious is mandated by law. All people must declare themselves to belong to one of 5 religions: Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism, or Buddhism.

He'd have to be blind to have said that. This woman was in her late 70s.

When I said trans men, I meant FTM. For me personally, breasts are a huge turn off, and I appreciate the often buffed physiques of trans men.

As part of our group travel for our culture-experiencing group, we attended a purification ceremony and aura reading by a Brahmin Hindu priest here in Bali. He walked around and pondered my husband, pronouncing that he was a "charmer of the ladies" 😁, then walked around me (who was wearing, in addition to my sarong, some Amazon Basics shorts and an unbranded plain green T-shirt) that I was a "successful businessman." It took quite an effort on my part to keep a straight face, instead of rolling on the floor laughing. He said my aura was "orange," implying a creative personality. In reality, I'm an entirely left-brained person, who's very good at analysis and problem solving, but devoid of creativity. He pronounced another guest, who has described herself as a non-wealthy woman, as a woman of great means. After he was gone, she laughed along with us at how wrong the priest was. She's also atheist (from NSW, Australia). Our guide, a Muslim, said that the man may have been so wrong because he'd just come a cremation ceremony and may have been tired. On our way back from the ceremony, he could see most of the group chuckling.

Sex with trans men is fantastic (especially if you're.a top). The trans gay men I've met haven't had bottom surgery.

Graham was probably all of those, and certainly the last two, since he hired my husband a good decade ago.

These people are religious in name only. As most people on this forum know, I'm atheist, but many have called Trump the Antichrist, and the description fits.

Yes, that, and I also suspect that most escorts wouldn't ask for their full price if they know they're going on a luxury cruise. Unfortunately, getting a suite on an Atlantis cruise seems to be almost impossible, but one can book a decent-sized balcony cabin easily enough.

I was a little concerned about that prior to our Atlantis sailing in the Caribbean last winter. I was afraid of being met with Fire Island Pines snootiness and cool behavior. I was happily surprised that even very younger men were very friendly (albeit aware of my marital status), and some downright physically welcoming (i.e. kisses on the cheeks or even lips--in my husband's presence). I'm solidly in my 60s. If you try it out, you may be pleasantly surprised. I suppose you can increase your odds of meeting other hot men by bringing a hot guy with you.😁 Good luck!

No, not Trump (unfortunately), but another one who was way up there on my Evil Queens list. Senator Lindsey Graham finally kicked the bucket.

https://spectator.com/article/the-vulgarity-of-the-swift-kelce-wedding/?edition=us "...Those who, like me, have always been fans of both her and her music had hopes that her wedding to Kelce would not become the usual hideous exercise in celebrity tackiness. Boy, was I wrong. While the Swift-Kelces, as they may now refer to themselves, have every right to celebrate the happiest day of their lives in whatever style they see fit, the mega-ceremony that was held in New York’s Madison Square Garden last weekend was the last word in empty glitz and excess... There were so many things about the Swift-Kelce wedding that were in poor taste that it’s hard to know where to begin. The cringeworthy moment where screens lit up outside MSG declaring “JUST&T MARRIED!” Spare us. The presence of once-popular, now-declined comedian Lena Dunham, who raised eyebrows by making a speech that declared that Kelce’s celebrated football career was nothing more than “straight gays enacting gay porn.” ..."

Ecstasy can increase sexual desire, and certainly friendliness, in many people. It does tend to make it more difficult to obtain erections. It's definitely illegal, dangerous, and can give you a heart attack (especially elderly and +++ if you smoke nicotine).

I agree. I don't know about what happened with Bezo's wedding, but T&T did block off some major vehicle arteries in midtown Manhattan for at least one day. In addition to their celebrity, the fact that they inconvenienced hundreds of thousands (millions?) of people on a major holiday (the USA's 250th birthday) certainly invites comment. I asked the friend who drove us to the airport this evening "What do you think of Taylor Swift's wedding" on the way down to the airport. His answer "Disgusting! They're completely out of touch!" (I hadn't yet voiced my opinion). Of course, no one is suggesting that they can't spend their money the way they want to, obviously. Their marriage was very in-your-face, however, and invited comment. I'm not sure I'd quite call their marriage "disgusting," but I do believe it was in very poor taste.

You may speak for yourself. Trump is a smooth talker who's scammed countless people. He said a lot of BS that many people wanted to believe, and too many bought the snake oil. Now he's scammed billions of dollars at the expense of his gullible fans. I was not one of them, and refuse to be pigeon-holed with them on account of my nationality. I, for one, can put aside prejudices, and judge people as individuals, rather than compartmentalizing them according to their passports.

These days, it seems that TV shows are saving themselves a few thousand dollars by playing AI songs instead of real hits. Maybe it would be smarter to let artists let their music be heard on the TV shows, for the free exposure, probably leading to more people downloading their songs on Spotify and so on. The lyrics always seem to be pretty dumb. I heard one on the Netflix series Elite, and the lyrics went "Don't wake the birds and the bees before you shake the trees" 🙄. Of course, AI thinks it's only a matter of time before AI is able to write good songs, because when I asked it, I got this response: "While AI music has conquered digital sales, a song written solely by AI has yet to reach the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100—which measures broader radio airplay and streaming—though analysts predict it is only a matter of time before it happens." 😄

😄