TotallyOz

Thanks for the heads up! A very good report.

Thanks guys. I really appreciate it very much. I have not bought any wardrobe yet Barry. I am waiting a bit before I take that plunge. I also have also been pretty quiet sexually. My time has been spent mostly with family, old friends and working out. I hope to catch up on more a bit later. I think I hear Brazil calling my name.

Thanks for the Invite but I am not on the West Coast any longer. I packed up from LA about 6 weeks ago. I hope to come back this summer for a bit.

Thanks Lucky! Congrats Conway. Wow. I guess you do know how it feels. I have not felt this young in years. I have not been hit on by a gaggle of boys but I do get some women that hit on me. Not sure if I need the extra 20 for the boys to start or I am just hanging out in the wrong places.

In December of last year I took at look at my life. I have lived an incredibly amazing adventure from day to day for many years. I have also been lucky as hell when it came to health issues. I knew that I was going to turn 40 in a few months and I have never had any health issues. Luckily, I have never contracted any STD or HIV. That is quite fortunate I guess as counting the number of guys I have been with over the years, even Heidi Fleiss would blush. I have also not had any other major issues other than one heart attack scare. The doctors told me bluntly: loose the weight, lower your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol or you will die earlier than you should. That was about 2 years ago and I did not heed their advice. When I sat down in December with my family I told them I was going on a juice diet and would try to get off 70 pounds this way. I had decided that I needed a life change. I needed to reevaluate my friends, my work, my body and my life. I am not sure why I choose some of the friends I have over the years. Or, why I drank 20 diet cokes every day for years and could easily sit at Come In Bar and eat a whole pizza from the little Italian place on the same Soi. Or why I retired, got bored and then started working again. All in all, there were many things in my life that needed changing and I had a long haul ahead of me not just with the weight but also with other things in life. So I set 3 stages that I needed for the change. I only talk about Stage 1 in this post but I have been busy on the other stages as well. Stage 1: Body and Health Stage 2: Business Stage 3: Personal Relationships I did my research, ordered my juicer and books to learn and started my plan. On a Thursday, I was talking to a doctor friend who suggested that there were other ways than juice that may be healthier to loose weight. I agreed with him and I started looking over the Internet. My goal was to loose 70 pounds before my 40th Birthday. It was really a goal that I did not believe I could accomplish in 3 months but I think I wanted to set myself up for failure. I found the place that made the most sense to me. www.camptechnique.com This was not a spa but a full fledge boot camp for overweight. It prides itself on shocking the body of those who attend and getting them into shape fast. I knew I wanted to loose a lot and I called them up on a Thursday. I enrolled for the following Monday and booked my tickets to Marina Del Rey, California. When I got there, it was more than I expected. A chauffeur who took me to my fully furnished apartment where the director was waiting for me greeted me. He gave me a little tour and chatted and then he was ready to take me to the gym. The gym was small and quaint. There are never more than 10 people there and they have 4 personal trainers and a massage therapist and a nutritionist on staff. The owner took my measurements and weight totals and we talked about goals and plans. Then off to the gym we went. My first day I didn’t get in until after 1PM and we finished the day. The next 2 days were grueling and tough. I did not think I would make it. After day 3, I thought I had died. Here is the letter I wrote to my family after week 1. It has been a very hard and arduous week for me. I started the weight loss program on Monday last week. They threw me right into the swing of things with cardio, weights and sit-ups. They mix and match things into each day and often they have us go swimming, on bike rides along the beach, military style boot camp on the beach, yoga and a ton of other things. A typical day for me is: 7:30 Eat 8:00 Partner Training with Personal Trainer in weight room 9:00 Cardio for one hour 12:00 Nutrition Class and eat 1:00 Personal Training session 2:00 Massage 4:00 eat 5:00 Partner Training Session in gym 6:00 Cardio for one hour 8:00 eat They have us normally about 5-7 hours a day of work. They have us eat every four hours. My diet is limited to 1600 calories per day. I have not been hungry at all. We drink tons of water and they say we can’t drink enough. On Wednesday of last week, rickamortis set in. I could not get out of bed. I don’t think my body had felt that much pain in 30 years. I was in misery. I got out of bed anyway and made the slow walk to the gym. They were very sympathetic and the trainer stretched me out for 20 min and then said, “OK, lets work out.” LOL I tried to play the sympathy card but it did not work. My body had ached and pained more than ever. The first day I did over 300 sit-ups. I haven’t done that in 20 years. At the end of the week, a day is not a full day without 500 crunches and sit-ups. I am learning a great deal about how to eat, how to exercise and how to get my body healthy. It is not easy but it is tolerable. Today was one full week here. I did a weigh in. I lost 9 pounds total. I lost one inch around my neck, one inch around my waist and one inch around my stomach. I lost a total of 14 pounds of fat according to the body fat percentages. I have a long way to go but week one is finished. It was probably the hardest thing I have done in my life but also very fulfilling for me. If I am not online as much, that means I an tired. I have been told after this week my body will adjust more to the workouts and the change in lifestyle. I am now Diet Coke free. We are not allowed any sugar, sweets or caffeine. The food is very good and they do keep our minds busy. I had planned to keep a daily journal but often each day I could not type and just sat and watched TV until bed. I am happy with the first 9 pounds. There are about 80 more to go and each week will not be 9 as I will plateau but this is a long-term thing and not just 2 months. I do hope the 2 months will put me on the right track and from what I see, it has. Well, that was week one. I stayed for a total of 2 months. It was an amazing adventure. In 2 months, I lost 40 pounds. That was about 5 pounds a week average. Some weeks were zero and some were 9 and 10 pounds. After week one, things got easier as my body had adjusted to the program. The mountain climbs seemed to get easier and more enjoyable. The 20-mile bike rides were not painful in the end but a breeze. The long hours at the gym were no longer miserable but pleasurable. Each week, they push you to do a bit more than the previous week, to work a bit harder than the week before and to do a bit more on each stage of the program. It was a mammoth task but I was able to do it each week. I learned many things during my 2 months there. Water is the real source of cleansing and nutrition for your body. It is not easy to ever have too much. It gives the muscles the hydration they need and helps cleanse the body. Eating one or two or even 3 meals a day is not the way to loose weight. The best way is to eat many smaller means. They had us eating every 3 ½ to 4 hours and smaller portions. That keeps the blood sugar level and Insulin levels consistent. You need both proteins and carbs and a good balance of both is needed consistently throughout the day. Walking is great but running really throws off the weight. Getting healthier was not only good for me but also very enjoyable. Now, if I got a few days without it, I miss it. Not the same as when I am away from my Thai boyfriend for so long but my body tells me that I need the exercise. The people I met at the Camp were amazing. It was everything from socialites from NYC and San Francisco to professional basketball players a mom going through a divorce to just everyday average Joes. It was nice to have them as friends and as encouragement through the program. When I went there I was the only gay man. Soon, we have a few others and we had so much fun together. I also learned that I could spend 2 months with straight people and be OK. We had a very religious guy from the deep south that let it be known from Day 1 he did not approve of me but as the weeks wore by, he changed his mind and we became friends as he said he never knew a gay man before. I almost told him I didn’t know any straight ones either but then I had to remember the BF’s back in Thailand and I could not say that with a straight face. When I left the program, I knew I had to keep working on the body. I started a gym and hired a personal trainer. I currently do about 15 aerobics classes per week and 4-5 weight training classes per week. My body is in great shape. I do not now, nor will I ever, have the body of Brad Pitt with those hot abs. It is not my goal. My goal was to loose 70 pounds before my 40th Birthday. Well, after 3 ½ months, I have accomplished my goal. It is not the end of the road for me as I still have about 20 pounds to loose. The last 20 are the toughest as it is usually less than a pound or two a week and that is with many hours of exercise each day. But, I have met my first goal and enjoyed it. It has not been an easy journey as I had to learn a new way to eat, exercise and live life. I also had to be willing to work the training into my schedule. It was not easy and I am sure that let some things slide in other areas of my life. However, I did get to where I wanted to be. If you need a hand to loose weight and have 2 weeks or 2 months to set aside to learn a new way to live, I highly recommend Camp Technique www.camptechnique.com They are amazing and wonderful and I did learn a great deal from them. They set me on the right path to a road where even more amazing adventures will occur!

I always had the best time with my drag friends in NYC. They kept the fun in the evening all night long.

Yes, it is isn't it?

In Pattaya, they are really cracking down on bars and Farangs. You are required by law to carry your passport everywhere in Thailand. It has not been enforced for years. Last week several foreigners were taken to police department as they did not have a copy with them. Many bars have been raided for underage and illegal workers. They also do drug testing on many of the boys. It seems that the recent crackdowns have a bit to do with a new police chief and a bit to do with 2 Russian ladies being killed on Jomptien Beach. While I welcome the legal crackdown, I do hate to have to take my passport everywhere I go. I always took a copy of it and most will say this is OK. It all depends on which officer you talk to. I know of no one who was taken who had a copy of both passport and visa with them.

I have friends traveling there now and it must really suck as the dollar keeps declinging in value and the Bath keeps rising. One dollar for 34 bath in most places. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2007/03/16...es_30029459.php

A German boy who advertises online was found dead in his apartment in Bangkok. He was 20 years old. http://www.erados.com/SANDROCK www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30029381

Thanks for the update. I would really wonder how this is playing out in the public mind in the area the murder happened.

>No. It will always be, as has always been, the grass roots >organizations and urban gay and lesbian political >organizations, coupled with new and upcoming generations of >less bigoted people who have always lead the movement of >change and will be those tireless souls who will continue to >make the differences we demand. It's been a long road to date >and that road has many, many more miles to it. > >No politician is going to commit suicide to further the cause >of fairness and equality in our world. Unfortunately, I agree with you. Sad but true. I have never really understood why those in past generations who were discriminated against don't stand with us. Perhaps I am just stupid not to see the bigger picture but to me, all those who are left behind in laws and equality today and in times past should stand together. http://www.soulforce.org/index.php Take a look at the link above. Those are the tireless souls you refer to.

>It's always seemed to me that the great Clinton compromise >was actually the great Clinton legal landmine laid in order >eventually to explode in our favor. I agree. But, I am still disappointed that he did not do more. He was the one that had the chance to change things even more and did not. I still adore him and would vote for him again tomorrow but he did not do as much for our cause as he should have. IMHO In the current pack of those running, who are actually viable candidates, are there any you think will actually make a difference to us?

>Can a leper change his spots? This I do know. The answer is yes. But, it is not easy to do. >This >discussion, for me at least, is not about what kind of escort >he is, but what kind of person. I agree with you. Frankly, I would not hire someone because of their writing abilities but because I found them hot and wanted more them to write me a love letter. I met Ben under different circumstances. I was in Las Vegas for a convention and he was there with his boyfriend and with Hooboy. Hoo and I were good friends and had planned to meet up in Vegas. Ben and Hoo were good friends and Ben and his boyfriend were there. We were all introduced. I spent some time with Ben and found out he was charming and sweet and very enjoyable to be around. He did not see me as a potential client and had no agenda with me. A bit later, I met him in Rio at Carnival and he was with a client. I was very impressed with his focus on this client and will say that that weekend really did show me why Ben gets the great comments he does from his clients. He is good at what he does. I have not hired him and only know him from outside the escort client experience. I don't know if he has it in him to make this situation right. Only he knows that. I know many on the boards despise him and the mention of his name brings forth great emotions on both ends of the spectrum. I am not really sure why that is. I just know that for me, I accept his apology, as it is for at least he gave it. I know many who would not have taken that step and would have just avoided the situation totally. Ben at least stepped up to the plate. I am not sure how he will do at bat but I am willing to give him the chance to see.

I think Ben's words are very admirable. I am happy he admitted his mistakes and took full responsibility for them. Very few actually do that these days. I have to respect him for that. I also remember what it was to be his age. I made many mistakes as we all did. I am sure this experience has given him a real kick in the ass to wake up. Ben is talented and I have seen some of his original writing. Perhaps he will be able to show us more of that in the future. I speak for no one other than myself. I know this mess was Ben's own creation and it is now in his hands to clean it up. I hope he is able to that. It will not be easy. It will not be short. It will be a challenge. I wish him good luck in being able to get his blog and his life back in order.

>And the name of the movie is?................. Sorry. The name of the movie is: The Ultimate Gift Of course for me, that would be a night with the star. I'd be ok with either one actually.

Was the Coffee Bar across from Adam's Apple? I really enjoy Chiang Mai and have a great time in that city. I find the boys sweeter and they are more college guys there to choose from. If you return, give PJ's a try. It is really a treat.

I have always been a James Garner since the Rockford Files. Perhaps I am giving away too much of my age there. But, I also enjoyed watching him. I took a night off last week and went to the movie with a girlfriend and she and I chose this movie as we had seem most of the other ones. I really enjoyed the movie and thought it was very cute. It is cute and enjoyable. What I loved most was my new crush. This is the lead actor who was playing with James Garner. His name is Drew Fuller. Hot! http://www.drewfullerfan.com/gallery/album.../agency/002.jpg

I have enjoyed this season so far and was disappointed at a few of those who were booted out. There are still some very talented guys and girls in there. Just wondering who you think the hottest of the guys is? http://www.americanidol.com/contestants/season6/

Trannies. TVs. Drag Queens. Divas. Ladyboys. They are all men that gender bend and can look and act like ladies, but not all are the same. Straight culture often lumps all of these fine femmes together, - often calling us “chicks with dicks” but the truth is they could not be more different if they tried. Drag Queens, for example are generally well aware that they are really men deep down. Sure, they have a feminine side, but many will still want you to suck their cocks. True transsexuals are a different thing entirely. Sometimes called “trannies”, transsexuals honestly believe that deep down inside that they are women. The fact that they have a cock is simply an inconvenience. That said, they should never be confused with hermaphrodites – who have both cocks and pussies. Unless she’s had an operation a transsexual only has two holes for her boyfriends to play with. Transsexuals have been around since the dawn of time. Yet, they have almost always been shunned. The entire practice of trying to live your life as a member of another gender has almost always been considered taboo. Most western cultures, in fact, have had many religious or legal edicts against transsexuals acting out their most primal desires. Even in popular culture transsexuals are often demonized. Consider the movies Psycho and The Silence of the Lambs – both of which feature transsexuals as women hating psychopathic killers. The thing is that transsexuals desperately need to live out their lives as women. Men who feel like girls inside have a very high rate of depression and suicide when they force themselves to act like one of the guys. It is important to understand that being a transsexual is not simply a sexual fetish. Yes, many transsexuals want to do the nasty with cute boys. But, more importantly they want to live out the social roles of women in society. They want to be perceived by the world in general as women. Think about it, most women don’t spend the majority of their time having sex. Neither do transsexuals. They simply want to relate the way women do – which as our fag hags will be more than happy to tell us is very different than the way men relate to the world. What’s fascinating in American culture is how many “straight” men seem to be attracted to or even fetishize transsexual girls. Consider how both Eddie Murphy and Hugh Grant have been busted with trannie prostitutes. Some, but far from all, transsexuals decide eventually to have their cock and balls removed and have an artificial pussy installed. This is a very expensive and complex procedure and is clearly not right for every transsexual girl out there. Before you can become eligible for the operation a transsexual must live life as a woman 24 hours a day, seven days a week for at least a year. Then they must undergo rigorous psychiatric tests, to determine how female they really are deep down inside. Only if the trannie is able to live full time as a woman and is able to pass all of the tests is she allowed to go under the knife. While many members of the transsexual community have complained that the screening process is too difficult, it does seem to be effective. In surveys of post operative transsexuals, only about one percent regret the procedure – which is more than most of us can say about our one night stands! Still, this does mean that the majority of transsexuals never get the operation. Some don’t have it done because they can’t afford it. Others are denied the knife by the medical community. Those that don’t get the operation often take female hormones instead. This causes them to grow breasts and makes it impossible for them to get an erection – not that they want a hard on in the first place! Transsexuals have an interesting relationship to the gay community. More often than not they are included in the community. Yet, a man who feels like he is a woman inside will identify himself as heterosexual when he is having sex with another man. (S)he does not consider himself gay. A better term – and one accepted in the transgendered community – is that both gays and transsexuals are “queer” – meaning that they are separate and far more fun than vanilla breeders. One of the more obvious differences between a transsexual and a drag queen is the way they dress. A drag queen is often dresses to provoke and shock or make fun of outlandish female clothing. Transsexuals, on the other hand, because they want to feel like a real woman, often wear more conservative female attire in order to fit in as well as possible with the female community. Transsexuals are much more common than many people may think. Some medical communities, for example, estimate that at least one in 10,000 people born male feel deep down inside that they are really a babe. The good news is that in the past few decades’ transsexuals have become more and more accepted in society. Most western nations now allow transsexuals to be considered women under the eyes of the law after they have had their sexual reassignment surgery. In fact, in some European countries, the government will even help pay for your sex change operation! Madam Ovary aka TotallyOz cc 2007 Drag.com

The top U.S. military officer, Marine Gen. Peter Pace, doesn't plan to apologize for telling a newspaper that homosexuality is immoral, his senior staff told CNN on Tuesday. Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Chicago Tribune on Monday that he supports the "don't ask, don't tell" policy banning openly gay people from serving in the U.S. armed forces. The general also compared homosexuality to adultery -- behavior that is prosecuted in the military, he said. "My upbringing is such that I believe that there are certain things, certain types of conduct that are immoral," Pace told the Tribune. "I believe that military members who sleep with other military members' wives are immoral in their conduct." Pace also told the paper, "I believe that homosexual acts between individuals are immoral, and that we should not condone immoral acts. "So the 'don't ask, don't tell' [policy] allows an individual to serve the country ... if we know about immoral acts, regardless of committed by who, then we have a responsibility. "I do not believe that the armed forces are well served by saying through our policies that it's OK to be immoral in any way, not just with regards to homosexual acts," the Joint Chiefs chairman said. "So from that standpoint, saying that gays should serve openly in the military to me says that we, by policy, would be condoning what I believe is immoral activity," he added. Advocacy group: Pace should apologize The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, a nonprofit group that represents military personnel affected by the "don't ask, don't tell" policy, demanded Tuesday that Pace apologize for his remarks. "Gen. Pace's comments are outrageous, insensitive and disrespectful to the 65,000 lesbian and gay troops now serving in our armed forces," said C. Dixon Osburn, the group's executive director. "Our men and women in uniform make tremendous sacrifices for our country, and deserve Gen. Pace's praise, not his condemnation." The statement added, "It is inappropriate for the chairman to condemn those who serve our country because of his own personal bias. He should immediately apologize for his remarks." Asked if Pace would apologize, his senior staff members said the general stands by his statements as an expression of his personal opinion, and he has no intention of apologizing. President Clinton signed the "don't ask, don't tell" policy into law in 1994. The military has supported the policy, citing its belief that homosexuality is detrimental to good order and discipline in the armed forces. CNN's Barbara Starr contributed to this report. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/13/gays.military/index.html

Your apology is accepted. Thank you! Well, I think the full title was New Sheriff? Mayor? PT Barnum? So, no, he is not an agency informant anymore than he is the mayor of London or the head of the Ringling Brothers Circus. But, I can see how you would jump to that conclusion if you were only reading the one word. My apologies to you if I was not clear enough for you. I'll try to make things clearer next time. Yes, Really! But, instead of rehashing the original post, let me change it: I hear the red carpet should be rolled out for the grand dame of Pattaya. The one who brings the most informative news to those of us who dwell outside of the LOS and want to know about the latest bars and goings on in those seedy places in Pattaya. Here is hoping his return brings him great fun and excitement and wonderful stories from afar. BTW Dick: Just in case I offended him in my original post, I've sent an e-mail to apologize for any misunderstanding. I offer to same to you. You contributions to the gay boards in Thailand is much appreciated and we hope that you continue to help us to improve here.

We must have been reading different posts. Which thread did I condemn or demean another poster? Michael is a great writer for the Village Voice and I have admired him for years. Cindy is also a writer.

I spend great amounts of time overseas. I love Brazil as well. On my first trip there, the hotel I stayed at made a copy of the passport for me and told me to carry it with me at all times. I have done the same for all countries I visit. I have the hotel make a copy of the passport and visa and always keep that in my wallet. I have never thought to have it laminated but that is a good idea. Most hotels will copy things for you and you should keep your passport in the safe. I have lost a passport in a foreign land and it is not an easy process to recover. I also suggest that if you have a computer, make a copy of your passport and Visa and keep it on your computer. I find this is what I have done in recent years. If I do lose my wallet copy, I then just print out another copy on a printer.

I have been told there is no legal standing to these marriages. I have also heard that the Canadian consulate will marry 2 men and that is legal for Canadians. Not sure if that helps with laws in Thailand or not but they will perform the ceremony for a Canadian citizen.