TotallyOz

Thanks guys for this great information! I want to be sure I do things right. I'll take some money out via ATM but I am taking some cash down with me as I fly into Sao Paulo. Will I get a better exchange rate at the airport or in a money changer? If it is very little difference, I'll feel much safer at the airport.

I am still interested. I will be in Brazil for the month of March and not sure what will happen in April. But, I'll know more in a few weeks.

Performance by an actor in a leading role Daniel Day-Lewis in “Lincoln” Performance by an actor in a supporting role Christoph Waltz in “Django Unchained” Performance by an actress in a leading role Quvenzhané Wallis in “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Performance by an actress in a supporting role Anne Hathaway in “Les Misérables” Best animated feature film of the year “Wreck-It Ralph” Rich Moore Achievement in cinematography “Life of Pi” Claudio Miranda Achievement in costume design “Anna Karenina” Jacqueline Durran Achievement in directing “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Benh Zeitlin Best documentary feature “Searching for Sugar Man” Best documentary short subject “Redemption” Jon Alpert and Matthew O’Neill Achievement in film editing “Life of Pi” Tim Squyres Best foreign language film of the year “Amour” Austria Achievement in makeup and hairstyling “Les Misérables” Lisa Westcott and Julie Dartnell Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) “Anna Karenina” Dario Marianelli Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) “Suddenly” from “Les Misérables” Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; Lyric by Herbert Kretzmer and Alain Boublil Best motion picture of the year “Beasts of the Southern Wild” Dan Janvey, Josh Penn and Michael Gottwald, Producers Achievement in production design “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” Production Design: Dan Hennah; Set Decoration: Ra Vincent and Simon Bright Best animated short film “Paperman” John Kahrs Best live action short film “Curfew” Shawn Christensen Achievement in sound editing “Zero Dark Thirty” Paul N.J. Ottosson Achievement in sound mixing “Les Misérables” Andy Nelson, Mark Paterson and Simon Hayes Achievement in visual effects “Life of Pi” Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan De Boer and Donald R. Elliott Adapted screenplay “Lincoln” Screenplay by Tony Kushner Original screenplay “Moonrise Kingdom” Written by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola

I thought the movie was fantastic. I thought Ben did a great job in it and it deserves some Oscar recognition. Jimmy Carter has been in the news a lot lately hasn't he? Interviews about this and about his grandson helping with the Romney video leak. I love Jimmy and wonder if he is out there for some other reason? Anyway, I really enjoyed this movie a great deal but I enjoyed Beasts of the Southern Wild as well and hope it wins Best Picture.

Beautiful photos. Love them. Thank you for sharing!

I agree with RichLB, the Avon stuff is amazing. Do you get many mosquitoes in Bangkok? When I have been in Pattaya, they are pretty bad at night and at the beaches but OK in my apartment. I have also had Dengue Fever 2 times and I think that is mosquito born.

I have put in a request for support at Invision. My apologies for the inconvenience.

I don't think he is a bigot. He just has a preference for straight guys. If I substitute straight for masculine, I have that preference as well. I always call them Lucky.

Just this week, a famous musical legend, Clive Davis, came out as being bisexual. It was nothing new to many in the industry and it was pretty common knowledge. It got me to think of a well-known rapper I know who has wild LA orgies with both male and female attendants and he and everyone else has sex with everyone. I have many gay friends who have been with him many times and use the term bisexual often. Speaking to a few young people in the past few months, many have said they have experimented with both men and women and many hate the terms that define their sexuality. Personally, I call myself gay but I also occasionally have sex with women. I have on more than a few occasions has sex with ladyboys or TS. I do love guys and I love having sex with them but I also love the touch of a woman and a ladyboy. Having been with many Brazilian boys over the years who are extremely versatile and fantastic at sex who also see women and I have asked many if they are gay and they always say they are not but that they like sex with both men and women. It is not just for pay. It is also for pleasure for many of them. In a recent thread in the Latin America Forum, one poster is very determined to never go with anyone who says he is gay. Would the same be true if they said they were bisexual? In Thailand, it seems that many of the western ways are creeping in and that they are thinking more like "us" which is scary. I hope that does not include our views of sexuality. So, I was thinking about this and wonder if those of us that are older are more prejudice towards those that are bisexual than those that are not? We we as a group discriminate against those that don't openly say, "I'm a Gay" or to those those that refuse to label themselves?

Just this week, a famous musical legend, Clive Davis, came out as being bisexual. It was nothing new to many in the industry and it was pretty common knowledge. It got me to think of a well-known rapper I know who has wild LA orgies with both male and female attendants and he and everyone else has sex with everyone. I have many gay friends who have been with him many times and use the term bisexual often. Speaking to a few young people in the past few months, many have said they have experimented with both men and women and many hate the terms that define their sexuality. Personally, I call myself gay but I also occasionally have sex with women. I have on more than a few occasions had sex with ladyboys or TS. I do love guys and I love having sex with them but I also love the touch of a woman and a ladyboy. Having been with many Brazilian boys over the years who are extremely versatile and fantastic at sex who also see women and I have asked many if they are gay and they always say they are not but that they like sex with both men and women. It is not just for pay. It is also for pleasure for many of them. In Thailand, it seems that many of the western ways are creeping in and that they are thinking more like "us" which is scary. I hope that does not include our views of sexuality. So, I was thinking about this and wonder if those of us that are older are more prejudice towards those that are bisexual than those that are not? Do we as a group discriminate against those that don't openly say, "I'm a Gay" or to those those that refuse to label themselves?

I don't consider it anymore a slug than fag hag, queen, bitch, etc. It was meant in humor and to entertain. My apologies if it was not taken that way.

Finally, the POTUS has started getting some balls in his second term. In the showdown in the OK Supreme Court, they have filed briefs saying that some laws that deny gay married couples rights are unconstitutional. http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/22/politics/supreme-court-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Anyone watching House of Cards? It was made for Netflix and is staring Kevin Spacey. I am only into the first 4 episodes and think it was very well done! Anyone else seeing it?

I am looking into Agoda for one 3 night stay in Salvador, Brazil. There are no hotels in this area I use points with. So, my question is, if I book with a Credit Card, do you think that is safe? I have used Expedia 1,000 times and never an issue but with a site I don't know, I am always worried that someone will get a hold of the card.

Lucky, everyone tells me I don't act remotely gay either. I know what he means. I mean, seriously, you have met me. If you saw me on the street would you think: 1. That is the straightest looking guy I have ever met. 2. Look at that big bear, I'd like to paw him. 3. Is that a drag queen from Esqulita? 4. I love his Jimny Choos. 5. Damm, that old man sure does have a cute Thai son. 6. He looks like that John Waters movie star from years gone by.

I am done with this show. I'll never watch it again. (most likely)

How do you keep in touch with your boy special or boyfriend? How often do you do this? For me, he sends me email ever few days and we talked 2-3 times each week. I enjoy hearing his voice if it is only 15 minutes. He also catches me up on all the family and friends. He also sends me photos once a week or more as he knows I like seeing him when I am not in Thailand so he takes photos at his work or at his home. It makes me happy to see these and keeps him in my memory a bit better. I do use Skype to talk to him but not the video call as he is on a cell phone. How often to you chat with the BF when you are away from LOS?

Is this the same group that advertised on this site for a while? Or, are they 2 different massage places in same area with Candle in them?

I can't remember the name of this place, but I think it is one of the massage places around the area of the Marriott Executive Apartments. If so, I went there one time and had a great massage. I didn't go back as I was also very close to Soi Convent and one massage house on Convent has a larger selection of guys. One thing I will say about this area is it is full of male massage places. From what I remember, this place was quite nice and enjoyable but on my next trip, I'll be staying in this area again and will try to take a few photos of the building and the rooms and area.

How are they with older farangs? It is friendly? Do younger Thais go there or mostly older Thais?

When I was staying in Sathorn, I went there several times and always found some guys who gave good massages, good Happy Endings and I thought the place was clean and fine to use. It was much easier for me in this area to go to than Hero across town esp. during the early evening and that is often when I want a massage.

I have never used Agoda but I will try it as well. I grew up knowing one booking site for mass searches and that was Expedia. Old habits are hard to break. I have used it for as long as I can remember. I never really ventured into other sites for hotels, cars, etc. But, I am willing to try Agoda as I have heard great things about it.

Last week, 49ers safety Chris Culliver was lampooned for his disembodied apology after claiming his homophobic rant during a radio interview on Super Bowl media day had no connection to the values he holds in his heart. And yet, somehow an Alabama high school teacher and coach has made the same non-apology for another rant -- only this anti-gay diatribe was in front of students and included a disrespectful reference to the First Lady as "fat butt Michelle Obama." Bob Grisham, who is a psychology teacher and football coach Lauderdale County High School in Rogersville, Ala., has been suspended for 10 days without pay and must attend sensitivity training. He explained his one minute and 24 second rant by telling the local newspaper, "I misspoke in a debate-type situation. I have no hatred toward anyone or any group. People that know my heart, they know that." You have to admit, it was a far superior non-apology to the more transparent, "I'm sorry if anyone was offended." What puts Grisham's comments in a different universe from Culliver's? He expressed his venom in an educational setting, in the role of a teacher. So let's take a look at some of the values this coach is passing along. Forget showing respect for authority, or women, or women in positions of authority. The First Lady, an attorney by trade, has made nutrition her signature effort, and installed a vegetable garden at the White House. And yet she can be openly ridiculed because of her body. That's a horrible message to send to the girls assigned to Grisham's psychology class. And as a psychology teacher, Grisham should be aware that adolescent girls often wrestle with their body image. And, at its worst, that struggle can devolve into eating disorders. His remarks only reinforce the notion that, yes, you are being judged on your size young ladies. That would be bad enough. But Grisham is also sending the message to young men that it's fine to see women as a compilation of their parts and dismiss a woman's accomplishments because of ankles – a critique Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had to endure – or some other physical characteristic. Women in power are not there to be your eye candy, even if those dismissive comments are cloaked in the context of health. Students follow the lead of their teacher, just like one of the students did when he echoed Grisham's remarks on Obama by comparing her to an animal, which evokes America's ugly history of racial discrimination. Despite that, Grisham doesn't back away from his opinions in the tape, but tells the students he'd say the same to the principal. But Grisham, who led the football team to a 12-2 record this season, didn't just offend on the basis of race and gender, he also takes a swipe at sexual identity. Sometimes I hear young people talk about how difficult the decision was to tell friends and parents they are gay, and I think to myself it must be getting easier given the changing attitudes. Gays are now accepted in the military and legally allowed to marry in an increasing number of states. But if Grisham's opinions were expressed in front of a student who is having that internal dialog, it undermines that social progress. More seriously, the state of Alabama has often ranked near the bottom nationally when it comes to student performance. That number has gone up, but Grisham doesn't represent Alabama coaches and educators well. The school district made the right move when it removed him from his psychology position. The school district is still mulling further discipline against Grisham. But what is most troubling, perhaps, is had it not been for a student with a recording device on her cell phone, Grisham would be teaching and coaching those same values. And that matters more than any number of wins on the football field. http://espn.go.com/espnw/commentary/8927814/espnw-alabama-coach-needs-more-sensitivity-training

Great photo!

Stunning!