TotallyOz

New Yorker staff writer and Looming Tower author Lawrence Wright is writing what his agent calls "the most profound reckoning to date" with Scientology, told through the eyes of director and apostate Paul Haggis. This should be good. Haggis spent 35 years as a Scientologist before angrily and publicly ditching the cult in 2009 after he became convinced that leader David Miscavige is a violent nut. He hasn't spoken publicly about Scientology since, but a "blown" celebrity (to use the Scientological term for leaving the fold) like Haggis is Scientology's worst possible nightmare—it can smear and threaten rank-and-file detractors all it wants, but when one of its former leading lights is making the charges, it's harder to strike back. http://gawker.com/5725832/the-scientology-expose-weve-been-waiting-for

The letter was very moving. Thank you for sharing. It is not something that can read without great thought and contemplation. At times it was hard for me to read.

Great speech. It was nice he now feels so comfortable in his world that he is able to thank those he really loves and cares about. The world has changed a great deal since Doogie Houser hasn't it?

Expat, I hadn't thought of that to be honest but you are right. It makes perfect sense that this was their plan all along for the MacAir. I have never considered one UNTIL now. And, like you, I am a APPLE ONLY household. (except for the new Nokia Phone I just bought as it has a 12MP camera).

Thanks ihpguy. By a mini modem, do you mean one that needs a USB for access?

I stayed at the Crown Plaza hotel recently and it is lovely. It is the old Pan Pacific Hotel and it is less than 5 minute walk to the gay gogo bar area and to Silom 4. The hotel is on Rama 4 Road and easy access to the Sky Train. They have a VIP floor that is great with lots of amenities. I have always stayed at the Intercontinental or Four Seasons and recently the Marriott Executive. The Crown Plaza is great for LOCATION. You don't need Tuk Tuks or Taxis. It is easy to get everywhere and I'm glad I found this place!

Tonight's dessert is Banana Cake with Strawberry Icing. Head to YaYa tonight for a great after dinner dessert and then have the Banana Cake before you take your other dessert back home!

Much like its ITunes Store, Apple has now officially launched the App store that you can download all kinds of great apps for your computer. For me, instant download is much more important than having a CD case that I throw away anyway. In order to see the App store in your dock, go to Apple Icon and Update. It will download a new update that requires you to restart your computer. When it is restarted, a new icon then appears! It has lots of Apps and I download 3 already. It is instant download and the account is attached to your ITunes store account. Way to go Apple! Again!

I think it had a much different connotation then than it does today. History should not be rewritten. Words such as those of Mark Twain are a part of history. It is there for us to get a glimpse of and to see what a writer wrote. As a writer myself, I would hate for anyone to alter the words I put on a published work. I know that Twain would feel the same!

Does anyone play the games on Facebook? A friend got me addicted to them about a week ago and I have been obsessed with them ever since. They are fun to play but for those of us that have little self control, it is easy to spend real money to get upgrades to different things faster. I always wondered how games like Farmville was able to make money. Now I know. Millionaire City is a Digital Chocolate game that several friends recommended. Anyone else have cities? Farms? Islands? Other gaming experiences?

I find this fascinating. I never used Facebook until a few years ago and it was when I was at a spa in USA for a bit and all the college kids there wanted to "friend" me. I saw no use for this but I joined anyway. I am glad I did. I have been able to find several hundred people I knew from high school, college, grad school, law school, photography school, etc and I have been able to keep in touch with people I care about. The hard thing is to keep your info private. I have the highest privacy on my account and I do not allow friends that I don't know. I never say Yes to a request that I don't know the person and check their profile to make sure that it is the same person. I have around 300 friends on my personal account and I have denied over 1,000 requests. I will give facebook credit. They listen to customers. Like many, I got pissy when I got so many requests from people I don't know. They now do not allow anyone to have a great deal of requests in one day and if they find you don't know the person, they will deactivate your account for a few days. It is not perfect, but it has cut down a great deal on BS.

I have several nice watches that I NEVER wear. They are not practical for daily use and I don't dress up for a night on the town. When I lived in NYC, I would get off my ass and go to Broadway shows after a nice dinner. We would dress up from time to time. I also went to the Tony Awards several times and a tux was required so I would dress to the max. When I retired about 8 years back, I gave up all my suits and dressy outfits. Now, I don't even think I own a pair of slacks. So, a good watch for me is useless. I do have a Tag that I wear a good deal and a Heart Rate Monitor that I use at the gym. My favorite watch is a Timex Ironman as it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

Jim knows how to throw a party. Go over to BoyzBoyzBoyz and wish him a Happy Birthday!

Adam, I think this "tax" might be a boom if every enacted in USA. But, does the tax include "time and companionship only"?

I hate the N word. But, I also hate that a publisher would change the texts of such a well known book. Or, any book for that matter. Article from CNN: What is a word worth? According to Publishers Weekly, NewSouth Books' upcoming edition of Mark Twain's seminal novel "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" will remove all instances of the N-word -- I'll give you a hint, it's not nonesuch -- present in the text and replace it with slave. The new book will also remove usage of the word Injun. The effort is spearheaded by Twain expert Alan Gribben, who says his PC-ified version is not an attempt to neuter the classic but rather to update it. "Race matters in these books," Gribben told PW. "It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century." Is editing "Huckleberry Finn" a good idea? Tell us what you think Unsurprisingly, there are already those who are yelling "Censorship!" as well as others with thesauruses yelling "Bowdlerization!" and "Comstockery!" http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/01/04/new.huck.finn.ew/index.html?iref=NS1

Take Care is a great group and I went to this tonight. I think I would have been better off just donating some condoms to the group. We got to Bondi about 7:30 for drinks. We all sat and got drinks. It took a while to order as none of the waiters understood English. Finally, our drinks arrived. I thought they had a full menu. They did not. So, we said we would eat and come back in 45 minutes. The waiter offered to save us a table as they were going to be busy. We went around the place to find a place to reserve when the owner jumped in very rudely and nasty said that there were no reserved tables. He could have said it in a nice way but I don't think that was possible for him. Some people are just not capable of saying things in a nice and kind way. Being a southern boy, I grew up with the idea that being nice is the best way to run any business. I guess some don't share this idea. His gruff and nasty tone did not bide well for the bar. We left and had dinner and then returned. Guess what? There were reserved tables there after-all. He just simply lied. If it were not for the charity event, you would not have seen me spend another baht in the place. I was also with a group and didn't want to be rude myself so we found a table and sat and drank. I ordered a Coke Light. The waiter brought over a beer. LOL That was the beginning of the end for me. I am sure Take Care is a fabulous group and the Bondi does not represent them. Thank goodness for that! As a gay owned and operated business, I wish the Bondi well. My only advice to them would be: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. A simple concept. The Take Care group came over and chatted about their organization and how the drinks went to pay for condoms. They do a great service to the gay community and I hope that they continue to do all the can to raise money for their endeavors!

Perhaps if you re-read my post you would post here more. hehe There was no soliciting of anything. I did not ask you or anyone to play the game with me. In fact, you can't be solicited if there is nothing to offer. I don't want to play the game with you or with others here. I was only asking a question. A solicitation this was NOT. If it was a solicitation, I have have said: friend me on Facebook if you want to play. I didn't. I wouldn't. It is not my desire and hopefully not the way my post came across. If it was, then I apologize. If that is what stopped you from posting much here, well, welcome back! We are thrilled you have returned!

Does anyone play the games on Facebook? Thomas from the Corner Bar got me addicted to them about a week ago and I have been obsessed with them ever since. They are fun to play but for those of us that have little self control, it is easy to spend real money to get upgrades to different things faster. I always wondered how games like Farmville was able to make money. Now I know. Millionaire City is a Digital Chocolate game that the guys at Corner Bar recommended. Here is the city I have built. Anyone else have cities? Farms? Islands? Other gaming experiences?

A new high speed trip goes from Paris to outside Barcelona in 5 hours. The trains in Europe are great. The ones in China are the best on earth. USA is sorely lacking. What does it take for us to realize that the world is passing us by? http://www.seat61.com/

I had friends that tried to eat at the same place last night and the music was so loud that you can't think and they didn't even sit down for a bite. When music across the street is so loud that you can't eat in enjoyment, there needs to be something that can be done to lower that volume.

The Hottest Charity Temple Fair @ Albury((( Saturday, January 08, 2010 ---> Start 04.30 pm. Enjoy our Modern Temple Fair & Donation for HIV, "Wat Phra Bat Nam Pu" and of course the Hottest Albury Sexy Show at 08.00 pm. Hot Men Show Games Food Drink Free Entrance and all profit on this day will be donated to "Wat Phra Bat Nam Pu" including from massage courses. Please take BTS to Nana station and then take a Motorcycle to Albury. (Parking is not available) More information and Reservation please contact us at 0-2255-8920 http://www.alburymassage.com/

This is something that is very much needed in Thailand and I wish them great luck and success! I hope they are able to stay afloat and keep the magazine moving and improving.

When I lived in NYC, I had the pleasure of meeting him on several occasions and have always been a fan of James Levine. He is a truly amazing man!

That is hard to believe even for Thailand. It is hard to imagine that someone would actually do that. It must be uncomfortable to say the least. Another good reason that Cabbages and Condoms and other groups that give out free condoms are important. My favorite condom scene.

I was in one of the best run bars in Pattaya tonight and the boys pointed out to me a special that started in January. It is FREE Deserts. If you order certain drinks, I had coffee, they brought me over a handmade cake. It was yummy! Ya continues to come up with great ideas for the bar! For those of you than want a free Desert, go to Yaya between 6-8 each night and partake in this delicious pleasure! Keep up the great work Ya!