TotallyOz

In View Talay 6 there was only one market. The owner was not friendly. Never said Thank You. Never smiled. Often had to wait and ask her to get her off her computer to tally up your bill and pay which she did begrudgingly. You had to remove shoes. It was a thorn in my side when I visited the shop if something was needed that I didn't want to walk out of the building to get. When I went a yesterday, I took my shoes off and she said, "You don't have to take shoes off anymore. We had new shop open and now I need more customers." I thought odd as I didn't even see the shop when I arrived and would not have known it had she not mentioned it. I got a few sodas and she said, "Thank you so much." I almost feel down when she said thank you. After the BF and I made fun of this place for months, finally a smile and a thank you. In the afternoon, I went to the other store to check it. Instant friendliness. Good prices. More items. Wow! I was impressed. The monopoly is now over and competition rules! I love a free market economy.

Attached is a map for Mezzaninu Porto Alegre's famous and well made sauna. If you go there, it is nice to show the taxi driver the map. I hope this helps. Mezzaninu Rua Sao Salvador, 108 Proximo ao Bourbon Assis Brasil 51-3273-7777 Mezzaninu.pdf

Congratulations Traveler Jim on your entry into the Miss International Queen Contest in Pattaya sponsored by Tiffanys. I am so proud of you! I knew you had it in your and I'll be in attendance cheering for you! http://www.missinternationalqueen.com/ The 6th annual Miss International Queen pageant is scheduled to be held in the beautiful city of Pattaya, Thailand on November 14th -19th, 2010. Striving to advance and support today

I understand the need for screening of all bags and I do appreciate the extra precaution that is made to make airlines safe for travelers. In this day and age, it is of utmost importance to insure passenger safety and with the recent scare with the bombs that were bound for USA in International carriers, I appreciate even more the added security. That being said, the TSA is a often worthless shit heads! They go through bags and leave bottles that were closed opened and they don't put things back where they were. I cannot count the number of times that I have had something spill or break as a direct result of TSA doing something stupid. I can't figure out if they do this on purpose or if it is pure stupidity. I always put my breakables in a hard case cosmetics bag so there should NEVER be an issue. However, they feel that have to open all the bottles and check them. I am fine with this IF they put back where they were. Often times they don't. In a recent flight, they had a bottle of Eros that was large and inside a cosmetics bag. They unwrapped the bottle and opened it and didn't properly close it. They then couldn't fit it back in the cosmetics bag so they left it in the main compartment of the suitcase. This then ruined not only my clothes but a 500 USD man bag. If this was the first time something stupid like this happened, I'd forgive it and move on. But, it keeps happening time and time again. I also have TSA approved locks and lock all my bags. Over 50 percent of the time, they open them and leave them open and do not relock them. What good does it do to lock something if once you turn it into the airlines, the TSA opens it and leaves it unlocked 10 minutes later?

Happy Birthday to one of the nicest guys in Thailand. If you have not met Jomtien in person, he is not only a great guy but one of the funniest guys around. He is also great to all the boys he is with and a true gentleman! Happy Birthday to my good friend Jomtien! I can't wait for the party! I bought a special outfit just for you and can't wait to sing you Happy Birthday!

My favorite restaurant in Pattaya, Salt and Pepper just keeps on getting better and better! The menu keeps expanding and the place was buzzing today. I ate there 2 times today and had great service and excellent food. But, the great thing is that the menu keeps getting better and they keep offering new things. On top of that, both times I went they had a great customer base. I think many other businesses in Thailand can learn from their business model. Serve great food consistently with reasonable prices and friendly service and you will make money. Salt and Pepper is one place that always gets it right for me! I am also looking for other places in Pattaya. Any other reasonable recommendations? I am not interested in going all the way to Jomptien.

It looks like traffic is picking up in all the bars and gogo establisments in Soi Sunee. After walking around for a few hours every place had customers and many were almost full. It looks like High Season is here! Don't miss the fun. Jump on a place (if you are not already in Thailand) and head to LOS. The boys are waiting and you are needed to help make this the best high season ever!

Anyone know of reputable places to rent motorcycles in Pattaya? Have you used any places that you would recommend?

I needed a few more nights for the year so I did book a conference room a few weeks ago. I got my 10 nights. I was surprised. But, according to most, this works. If you only have a few nights left to make your elite status, check out this flyer talk info. http://www.flyertalk...s-required.html I wanted to get my 125 nights for the year so I did book 5 conference rooms and linked them to my Marriott reward number. For each I got 10 nights. That put me over the limit for my elite status and it also carries over 50 nights into 2011. If you are one of those people that like to get elite status at the hotels, this is one easy way to do it.

The very lowest (according to Delta) that one can get a upgradeable fare to gay old Thailand is 3200 USD if you plane departs from the USA. Even those fares are hard to come by and most of them are in the 3600 UDS range. For that rate, it is almost just as cheap to buy a full First Class on Thai Air out of LA. They were recently going for around 4,000 USD. With planes being packed for the holiday and a busy expected high season, if you want an upgradeable fare, it is best to book as far in advance as you can. Also, the new Delta website sucks. If one can find a way to search for upgradable fares, please let me know. I have yet to find it on the new site but the old Northwest site was very easy and the tickets could be easily purchased online.

Much to my surprise, I saw a great deal of new traffic lights along 2nd road today. They cause stop and go along the road so pedestrians can cross. While I think a good idea to have some, there seem to be quite a bit along the roads now. Makes a commute even longer! I guess someone made some cash off all the lights as I didn't really think they were needed.

Thank you for the advice. We appreciate it. I hope others get in on the conversation as well. We are always willing to listen and discuss mixing things up.

LOL 500 guys? haha. You did about 100 on the 7 days we were just there. Did you forget a 0 at the end of that?

Watch the video of the kiss in on the link below: POPE Benedict XVI consecrated a world monument to family, the Sagrada Familia church, in Spain but faced a gay kiss-in protest before he attacked abortion and defended male-female marriage. As the 83-year-old Pontiff paraded in his "Popemobile" towards the unfinished masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi in Barcelona, 200 gays kissed to protest the Church's rejection of homosexuality. It was a sign of many Spaniards' embrace of the changes that Benedict abhors: easier access to abortion, gay marriage laws that have enabled 20,000 unions in five years and swifter divorce. The Pope, his golden mitre on his head to underline the solemnity of the moment, sprinkled holy water to bless the Sagrada Familia's massive stone altar as singing from an 800-voice chorus rang out under the vaulted ceilings of the vast church during a special dedication mass. Among an estimated 250,000 people gathered for the Pope, thousands watched on giant screens outside and broke into applause as his blessing transformed the edifice into a Basilica. Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar. End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar. Only love and faith can lead to true freedom, said the Pope, draped in a golden robe and white stole encrusted with red crosses, as he addressed 6500 faithful. "For this reason the Church resists every form of denial of human life and gives its support to everything that would promote the natural order in the sphere of the institution of the family," he said in a reference to the Church opposition to all abortion. He urged that children's lives be defended as "sacred and inviolable" with judicial, social and legislative support, and defended the "indissoluble love of a man and a woman" as the foundation of human life. As Benedict distributed communion, tens of thousands of people outside lined up to receive the host from attending priests. Later, outside the church's Nativity Facade depicting Christ's early years, he recited the Angelus prayer of devotion to masses of pilgrims, breaking into a smile at the conclusion as the crowd cheered. Thick crowds had lined his route to the Basilica, most waving yellow-and-white Vatican flags as the cavalcade made its way from the city's Episcopal palace. But not all welcomed the Pope's message on his weekend visit to Spain, which began on Saturday in the medieval cobbled streets of Santiago de Compostela, a draw for pilgrims for more than 1000 years. Hundreds of gay men and women couples locked lips for five minutes as the Pope passed by, breaking off to shout "Get out," and "paedophile". "We are here to demonstrate against the Pope's visit and call for a change in the mentality of the Catholic institution which still opposes our right to different ways of loving," said one protester, Sergi Diaz. In Santiago de Compostela, the Pope had surprised many by warning of a return to 1930s-style "aggressive" anti-clericism, recalling an era when pro-Republicans killed priests and nuns and burned churches. "Spain saw in the 1930s the birth of a strong and aggressive anti-clericism," the German-born Pontiff told reporters aboard the papal plane. "The clash between faith and modernity is happening again, and it is very strong today." The Catholic Church in Spain was an all-powerful presence in the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, who defeated the Republicans in the Civil War. But after the return to democracy following his death in 1975 came an end to restrictions on politics, behaviour and sexual mores. Under Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the country has gone much further, allowing gay marriage, speedier divorce and easier access to abortions, to the consternation of the Church. Benedict underscored Gaudi's faith as he santified the edifice, which has become a symbol of this progressive Mediterranean port city. "The genius of Antoni Gaudi, inspired by the ardour of his Christian faith, succeeded in raising this sanctuary as a hymn of praise to God carved in stone," Benedict said. With the consecration, the main nave is open for daily mass for the first time since the first stone was laid March 19, 1882. Until now mass has been held in the crypt, Gaudi's last resting place. Building of the Basilica could take another 15 years at least, with 10 more spires to be constructed, including the central tower crowned by a cross reaching up 170 metres, the main Glory facade, and the sacristies. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/breaking-news/popes-spain-visit-rocked-by-gay-kiss-in-protest/story-e6freuyi-1225949172766

I came across this article and thought it was on point in many ways. Take a look below: America has long been a country of limitless possibility. But the dream has now become a nightmare for many. The US is now realizing just how fragile its success has become -- and how bitter its reality. Should the superpower not find a way out of crisis, it could spell trouble ahead for the global economy. It was to be the kind of place where dozens of American dreams would be fulfilled -- here on Apple Blossom Drive, a cul-de-sac under the azure-blue skies of southwest Florida, where the climate is mild and therapeutic for people with arthritis and rheumatism. Everything is ready. The driveways lined with cast-iron lanterns are finished, the artificial streams and ponds are filled with water, and all the underground cables have been installed. This street in Florida was to be just one small part of America's greater identity -- a place where individual dreams were to become part of the great American story. But a few things are missing. People, for one. And houses, too. The drawings are all ready, but the foundations for the houses haven't even been poured yet. Apple Blossom Drive, on the outskirts of Fort Myers, Florida, is a road to nowhere. The retirees, all the dreamers who wanted to claim their slice of the American dream in return for all the years they had worked in a Michigan factory or a New York City office, won't be coming. Not to Apple Blossom Drive and not to any of the other deserted streets which, with their pretty names and neat landscaping, were supposed to herald freedom and prosperity as the ultimate destination of the American journey, and now exude the same feeling of sadness as the industrial ruins of Detroit. Florida was the finale of the American dream, a promise, a symbol, an American heaven on earth, because Florida held out the prospect of spending 10, perhaps 20 and hopefully 30 years living in one's own house. For decades, anywhere from 200,000 to 400,000 people moved to the state each year. The population grew and grew -- and so too did real estate prices and the assets of those who were already there and wanted bigger houses and even bigger dreams. Florida was a seemingly never-ending boom machine. Could the Dream Be Over? Until it all ended. Now people are leaving the state. Florida's population decreased by 58,000 in 2009. Some members of the same American middle class who had once planned to spend their golden years lying under palm trees are now lined up in front of soup kitchens. In Lee County on Florida's southwest coast, 80,000 people need government food stamps to make ends meet -- four times as many as in 2006. Unemployment figures are sharply on the rise in the state, which has now come to symbolize the decline of the America Dream, or perhaps even its total failure, its naïveté. Could the dream, in fact, be over? Americans have lived beyond their means for decades. It was a culture long defined by a mantra of entitlement, one that promised opportunities for all while ignoring the risks. Relentless and seemingly unstoppable upward mobility was the secular religion of the United States. Alan Greenspan, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve, established the so-called ownership society, while Congress and the White House helped free it of the constraints of laws and regulations. The dream was the country's driving force. It made Florida, Hollywood and the riches of Goldman Sachs possible, and it attracted millions of immigrants. Now, however, Americans are discovering that there are many directions that life can take, and at least one of them points downward. The conviction that stocks have always made everyone richer has become as much of a chimera in the United States as the belief that everyone has the right to own his own home, and then a bigger home, a second car and maybe even a yacht. But at some point, everything comes to an end. The United States is a confused and fearful country in 2010. American companies are still world-class, but today Apple and Coca-Cola, Google and Microsoft are investing in Asia, where labor is cheap and markets are growing, and hardly at all in the United States. Some 47 percent of Americans don't believe that the America Dream is still realistic. Loud and Distressed The Desperate States of America are loud and distressed. The country has always been a little paranoid, but now it's also despondent, hopeless and pessimistic. Americans have always believed in the country's capacity for regeneration, that a new awakening is possible at any time. Now, 63 percent of Americans don't believe that they will be able to maintain their current standard of living. And if America is indeed on the downward slope, it will have consequences for the global economy and the political world order. The fall of America doesn't have to be a complete collapse -- it is, after all, a country that has managed to reinvent itself many times before. But today it's no longer certain -- or even likely -- that everything will turn out fine in the end. The United States of 2010 is dysfunctional, but in new ways. The entire interplay of taxes and investments is out of joint because a 16,000-page tax code allows for far too many loopholes and because solidarity is no longer part of the way Americans think. The political system, plagued by lobbyism and stark hatred, is incapable of reaching consistent or even quick decisions. The country is reacting strangely irrationally to the loss of its importance -- it is a reaction characterized primarily by rage. Significant portions of America simply want to return to a supposedly idyllic past. They devote almost no effort to reflection, and they condemn cleverness and intellect as elitist and un-American, as if people who hunt bears could seriously be expected to lead a world power. Demagogues stir up hatred and rage on television stations like Fox News. These parts of America, majorities in many states, ignorant of globalization and the international labor market, can do nothing but shout. They hate everything that is new and foreign to them. But will the US wake up? Or is it already much too late? YESTERDAY: AMERICA'S FALL The sociologist Robert Putnam hems and haws, not wanting to be the kind of professor who drops names to make himself seem more important. But the issue is much too important for him to resist. "I have had the chance to discuss income inequality with George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and I can assure you both were worried about the trend," he says. "It was possible to have an adult conversation with them on this topic." Putnam, a Harvard professor who sports an enormous beard, sounds pleased, as if this were an exception. He is a surveyor of the American psyche. A few years ago, he caused a stir with his book "Bowling Alone," in which he argued that more and more Americans are bowling alone -- and not in a bowling club -- because the average American hardly even speaks to other Americans anymore, and certainly not with those who hold views different from his own. Now Putnam is worried about economic imbalances and new disparities within society. Today an American CEO earns about 300 times as much as an ordinary worker. In 1950, that number was only 30. The consequence is "social segregation," says Putnam, by which he means that people go to different schools and parties and live in different neighborhoods, and that there is no longer any overlap between groups. "The fundamental bargain, the core of America, has always been that we can live with big gaps between rich and poor as long as there is also equality of opportunity," Putnam says. "If that is no longer true, then the core bargain is being violated." Click here for the article: Much more to read on the link http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,726447,00.html

Thanks Lucky! I hope that the pace keeps moving forward. No, you are not wasting your time. I love them and greatly appreciate the effort. I agree! LOL Broken record. Ain't going to change ever. The way around it is to link to the photo on another site. That way all see it. If it is hosted on this site, I will never allow non registered members to view. Period.

In Bangkok, Hero massage is my favorite place to get an afternoon massage. I also like Adonis and B and N but Hero is filled daily with hot guys. Babylon Sauna is close to Lumpini and is fun as well with a sauna, dark rooms, pool and real good Thai massage. Where are you thinking about staying in Pattaya? I love the Marriott and the Holiday Inn. The Marriott is in walking distance to the gay bars. The Holiday Inn is a trek. Also, a great place is Cabbages and Condom on the ocean and hear Buddha Hill and Jomptien. Rabbit Resort is adorable as well. Many friends will rent a condo in View Talay 6 by the night for about 1500 baht and it is adjacent to the new Central Festival mall which is fantastic. They are also supposed to have the new Hilton open when you are there. It is on top of the mall. In Chiang Mai, I love to take a bike up the mountains and then white water rafting down. It is best during rainy season as the rapids are stronger then. Also, have you been to the hill people village there? It is quite interesting to see and a bit past the mountain top temple.

I have used it a few times and it worked every time. I am Platinum for next year and I have 40 rollover nights.

I just saw Red and I loved it. It was funny, action packed and enjoyable to watch. It is the new Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, Helen Miren movie.

I love Chiang Mai. I usually stay at a gay B and B PJ's Place. It is outside the moats but walking distance to Central Mall and several restaurants as well as close to the gogo bars, gay sauna, etc. The website is: http://www.pjs-place.com/ The owners are great and the 2 story bungalow is fantastic and cheap. They serve a great breakfast and they know all about what is going on in Chiang Mai. Now Lucky, tell us what you like to do? If culture is your thing, I have little suggestions. If sex is it, well, I have a few suggestions!

LOL I met Wellington at 117 the day before I left. I was asking Tomcal about him. He didn't know him from my description. But, hey Tomcal, here is a photo. Wellington seemed like a great guy and if it was not for him being a top only, I was going to marry him. He was absolutely charming! Perfect English. Great voice and very handsome. I think you choose well with him Drey. I love the idea of a group going around Brazil. If planned well in advance, It think this could be quite successful and between your site, this one and Daddy's, we should be able to come up with a good group. I'll help in any way possible and if it is something that is going to happen, we put it on the front page for all to see and get information. You are right in that I think this would be a great way for newbies but also for us veterans.

I find this interesting as well. What do you think is the cause of so many gays moving to a more conservative party? I see the whole of America as moving more conservative but gays????

Palin is no more of a joke to the American people than the American people are to the world. The world watches Fox and asks me, "why"?

This "caterwaul" you speak about might eminate from a churlish lout for surely one of finer traits would not so treat his trusty mates

It is pretty sad that this is true. For the life of me I can't figure out how it is cheaper to buy food imported from China. I guess I don't really understand world economics.