Marc in Calif

Perhaps the only truly noble accomplishment from the union between his mother and father!

I cannot find a single reputable map that includes both Hong Kong and Taiwan. Can you point me to one of your sources?

Doesn't matter how you long you've been there or what you've "heard." I've formally studied the region for more than 50 years. ☺️ What counts are the recognized geographic, political, and cultural definitions. Even the Southeast Asia Research Centre at the City University of Hong Kong agrees about the nation states that constitute the region. And I am most definitely NOT being "pendantic." I don't wear one. 😇 Here's more... The term "Southeast Asia" was first used in 1839 by American pastor Howard Malcolm in his book Travels in South-Eastern Asia. Malcolm only included the Mainland section and excluded the Maritime section in his definition of Southeast Asia. The term was officially used in the midst of World War II by the Allies, through the formation of South East Asia Command (SEAC) in 1943. SEAC popularised the use of the term "Southeast Asia," although what constituted Southeast Asia was not fixed; for example, SEAC excluded the Philippines and a large part of Indonesia while including Ceylon. However, by the late 1970s, a roughly standard usage of the term "Southeast Asia" and the territories it encompasses had emerged. Although from a cultural or linguistic perspective the definitions of "Southeast Asia" may vary, the most common definitions nowadays include the area represented by the countries (sovereign states and dependent territories) listed below. Ten of the eleven states of Southeast Asia are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), while East Timor is an observer state. Papua New Guinea has stated that it might join ASEAN, and is currently an observer. Sovereignty issues exist over some islands in the South China Sea. Political divisions Sovereign states State Area (km2) Population (2020) Density (/km2) GDP (nominal), USD (2020) GDP (PPP) per capita, Int$ (2020) HDI (2021) Capital Brunei 5,765 449,002 77 12,003,000,000 $85,011 0.829 Bandar Seri Begawan Cambodia 181,035 16,718,965 92 25,192,000,000 $5,044 0.593 Phnom Penh East Timor 14,874 1,320,942 89 1,777,000,000 $5,321 0.607 Dili Indonesia 1,904,569 273,753,191 144 1,059,638,000,000 $14,841 0.705 Jakarta Laos 236,800 7,425,057 31 18,820,000,000 $8,684 0.607 Vientiane Malaysia 329,847 33,573,874 102 337,008,000,000 $34,567 0.803 Kuala Lumpur * Myanmar 676,578 53,798,084 80 81,257,000,000 $7,220 0.585 Nay Pyi Taw Philippines 300,000 115,559,009 380 361,489,000,000 $10,094 0.699 Manila Singapore 719.2 5,921,231 8,261 339,981,000,000 $105,689 0.939 Singapore Thailand 513,120 71,601,103 140 501,712,000,000 $21,361 0.800 Bangkok Vietnam 331,210 97,468,029 294 343,114,000,000 $8,677 0.703 Hanoi

The answer to "So what?" and "Who cares?" is that Drumpf and his operators and handlers covered up the Stormy situation (and others). And that they did this to help prevent news coverage that might have lost him the election. It involved criminal fraud and conduct. In indictment-ese language: Drumpf "repeatedly and fraudulently falsified New York business records to conceal criminal conduct that hid damaging information from the voting public during the 2016 presidential election." _____________ I encourage you to respond using no more words than I did in my response above. Challenge accepted? 😁

Few who know the Southeast Asian region well will agree that Taiwan and Hong Kong are part of it. Rather, they're part of East Asia. Big difference! 😇

I did not.

Under DeSanctimonious, such ads would be labeled as fake news and hysteria. They'd be banned from the media.

And he's known Trump as well as any other New Yorker for a long time. He knows the history -- including where the bodies are buried (figuratively, of course😇).

I saw Dame Edna's show many times here in San Francisco. Her ability to improvise quips, comments, and takedowns on the spot were always entertaining. She reserved her takedowns especially for audience members. My seatmate was once severely reprimanded for wearing her comforter to the theatre. We'll never forget that one. 😅

The original question was about free and open democracy in Southeast Asia. My answer included the fact that no SEA nation was "free and open." I simply described where different SEA nations ranked globally in the sphere of laws as well as political and judicial systems. Rights and religious freedoms aren't typically codified in political/judicial systems, so that's part of another question. You can see a detailed matrix of the major political/criteria at another site, along with a global ranking. Indonesia is still #1 for SEA, with the Philippines a distant #2: https://www.democracymatrix.com/ https://www.democracymatrix.com/ranking

I never said that Indonesia and the Philippines have vibrant democracies! The question posed was whether there are any "democracies" in Southeast Asia. So I presented an answer based on countries' laws and political/judicial systems, including the fact that Indonesia is ranked higher than the other SEA nations based on political/judicial systems. You can look here for a full range of criteria on a different website, including a detailed global ranking. "Corruption" is included under Independence of the government and Independence of the Judiciary: https://www.democracymatrix.com/ https://www.democracymatrix.com/ranking

Of course not totally free and open! In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is #1 and the Philippines is very closely behind at #2 in terms of relative democratic societies. Thailand and the others are far behind.

Maybe because my phone is from 2017? Either way, I do just fine with regular SIM cards. It's no complication at all for me. And I enjoy interacting with local service providers, but perhaps that's just me. 😁

As in Singapore, the shops frequently had photos of the providers in a book. You can choose that way and, if the provider you want isn't working at that moment, you can make an appointment at a time when he's next on the premises. I recall that the rates for a one-hour erotic massage — and all massages on offer were apparently erotic — ranged from HK$450 (about US$60) to about HK$700 (about US$90). You may find different prices today.

I've been to these (early 2022) and can recommend them: Eden Spa and Touch By 17 (Kowloon) Club 1069 Spa and Spa 17 (Hong Kong),

You can start here: https://www.utopia-asia.com/hkmasa.htm Click any links or sites that interest you on that page to see if the venue is still in operation. An additional Google search of those venues wouldn't hurt.

That's the way to travel! And, as you say, US roaming isn't always dependable in certain places.

When I travel, I don't want to be a "roamer." I don't want to be a Google fanboy everywhere I go. I want a local phone number and mobile account. Why should I always identify myself as an American with an American phone number? You don't need to hunt. Finding a local SIM card is extremely easy if you're brave enough to step inside a local shop and talk to local people (even if it's a 7-Eleven). You also learn things about the place you're visiting. It's even easier than your hunt for local providers of sex. 😇 Moreover, I can use the same SIM card (and number) on my next visit. That's great if you're using the phone number for certain local apps and social media. For sheltered, privileged Americans, however, it's probably best to travel with all the comforts of home.

Dual-SIM card phone. I always get a local SIM card and phone number for whatever country I'm in. Makes so many things so much easier.

Google is your friend! 🥰 Train travel is the cheapest form of public transport from Bangkok to Pattaya. However, travelling by train is not the most popular option for most foreign visitors travelling to Pattaya because train services are slow, stopping at lots of small stations before reaching Pattaya, and all depart before 07:00 in the morning. The other options for travel from Bangkok to Pattaya are bus, minivan or taxi from either Central Bangkok or Bangkok International Airport. Bangkok residents often get to Pattaya by bus. Some of the most frequent departures are from the Eastern Bus Terminal, adjacent to the Ekkamai BTS Station on Sukhumvit Road at Soi 63 (Soi Ekkamai). Air-conditioned buses leave approximately every 30 minutes between 5 am and 11.30 pm each day.

NEW YORK (The Borowitz Report) Reeling from its punishing settlement agreement with Dominion Voting Systems, a newly cash-strapped Fox News Channel has been forced to sell Representative Kevin McCarthy. Rupert Murdoch, who acquired the Speaker of the House just two months ago, expressed sadness that new financial realities had necessitated the sale. “I wish Kevin well,” the Fox owner said. “I hope whoever buys him finds as much use for him as I did.” Even as many in Washington expressed skepticism about the House Speaker’s market value, Murdoch’s plans to sell McCarthy faced a significant roadblock in the form of the Georgia congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. “I have no idea why Fox thinks they can sell Kevin McCarthy,” she told reporters. “I own Kevin.”

You're a world traveler and yet you use an "American sim card with roaming"? Why so primitive and inconvenient?

WILMINGTON, DELAWARE (The Borowitz Report) Fox News Channel’s much anticipated defamation trial was unexpectedly delayed after the network’s anchors required five hours to have their makeup done. Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, both expected to testify during the proceedings, were behind closed doors having what was described as “several substantial coats” of foundation, bronzer, and blush slathered onto their faces. Judge Eric Davis called the delay “unacceptable,” reminding Fox’s attorneys that the trial was not even being televised. But Dan Webb, Fox’s lead attorney, argued that, without their makeup, “Mr. Hannity and Mr. Carlson would be totally unrecognizable to the jury.” The trial suffered yet another delay when the anchors finally entered the courtroom and three jurors passed out from hair-spray fumes.

WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report) Ginni Thomas has reassured the American people that she is doing everything in her power to keep her husband’s mounting ethical issues from interfering with her work on the United States Supreme Court. Acknowledging that her husband’s controversies were a “distraction,” Thomas said, “They shouldn’t keep me from doing the important work I was sent here to do.” “There are reproductive rights to shred and environmental protections to erase,” she said. “Regardless of the mess Clarence has gotten himself into, I need to keep my focus.” Calling her post as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court “a job I’ve loved for the past three decades,” Thomas said, “I’m hopping mad that Clarence would do anything to jeopardize that. But anyone who thinks that I’m giving less than a hundred per cent to my work doesn’t know what Ginni Thomas is made of.”