xylophone

Takes after his father Charles then, because I have absolutely no time for that pathetic individual, and it's no surprise that the Royal family with the exception of the late Queen, is full of twits.

I'm sure that we are all different with regards to our bladder emptying habits, however he is not a daytime drinker, and according to him is mostly a stay at home/watch a video type guy with maybe one beer. I have got to say that learning to use a catheter last thing at night before I go to bed has been a godsend, because then I do get a full night's sleep.

For whatever reason I decided to download and watch the original "Planet of the Apes", starring Charlton Heston and Roddy McDowall, mainly because I couldn't remember much about it as it was released over 50 years ago! It was okay because it refreshed my memory, although some of the settings and props were a little "amateurish" and the very final scene was one that I hadn't really appreciated years ago when I first watched it, and it made sense this time round.

Back on to the subject of the Rezum procedure, there have been a few mixed reports about its efficacy from those guys who have had it performed, and just yesterday I met up with an Aussie guy who comes here for about four months of the year, and we were talking about prostates and procedures and he informed me that he had the Rezum procedure about three years ago!! So I asked if it had made a difference, and his answer was surprising: – marginal difference to daytime peeing, but still having to get up four times a night to empty his bladder! Which I found very surprising, and indeed he was not too happy about it, so we talked about other options and I mentioned iTind, so he is going to investigate this when he gets back to Oz and is also considering a laser TURP.

I noticed a girl in a bar in one of the Sois here, and was sure that she had been here a few years ago, and as she was very attractive she had no shortage of customers then, however she then moved to Bangkok. I stopped and bought her a drink and we talked about the old times (such as they were) and I asked her if she was still in the same "business" when she was in Bangkok, and she said she was, and this next line of hers took me back a little, but was just her being truthful, when she said, "I go with young men or old men and it doesn't matter to me because it's only about the money". Yes, she spoke good English, and truthful with it.

There is certainly a buzz around Patong, but having said that, it's a little bit sporadic.....shoppers abound along the beach road in the early evening, whilst in other areas they are few and far between! Some businesses are doing well and two of my favourite massage shops, with whom I tried to book a massage yesterday, were fully booked, so will have to try another day. On that same note, Big C was busy with a few shelves in the food section being almost empty! Also it is great to see Jungceylon opening up again, although not fully, as there is some serious remedial work going on in a few areas, and I have to say that I miss my Subway sandwich, so I hope that shop opens up soon. I wandered around and went to the third floor to top up my phone via AIS, and although there are quite a few empty spaces (what is left of shops) the cinema is open and a few other shops have sprung up, so things are on the up/looking good. A friend of mine has just returned from Malaysia, so I met him last night at Blue Beach Café and Restaurant for a nice meal and some good wine, and that was three quarters full and it is a wonderful location in which to relax and eat, and as it was his first time back for a while, he wanted to visit a few bars, and especially the folks he knew in them, so we did, where we met up with two other friends and in all visited three bars. However I left them at about 11 PM because they wanted to go on drinking and I have never seen the sense in drinking for drinking's sake and although I enjoyed a couple of drinks which included a beer and some good wine, I felt I'd had enough, so home I went, leaving my friends to their own devices. Before I left it was good to catch up with a girl we had known from way back, as she was now working at a small bar in Soi Sea Dragon and she was pleased to see us, however far from being the petite girl of the past, she had certainly put on a few pounds but she was still a jovial soul. We asked her about the two other girls who worked with her when we knew them way back, and they were both in Australia and I think one was married, and they'd been there for a few years. So it brought to mind some of the girls I had known here who had moved on to other countries, the UK, Australia, Switzerland, Finland and Italy to name but a few that I can recall at this time, but they all had one thing in common inasmuch as they were "bar girls" who have found partners and moved on, and it was pleasing to remember that. Bangla was busy, which was expected as it is the "high season" and the music bars varied in customer numbers, although a couple of them were "murdering" songs which would even make a tone deaf person cringe!

You beat me to it because I was about to suggest that the sequel to the original "Gladiator" would not star a very pudgy Russell Crowe!!

I decided to venture into the heart of what a socially inept poster described as a "cesspit" in order to renew my 90 day extension, and I was very surprised, because I expected to see a long queue – – but there wasn't! In fact there were only three people waiting outside of the office, but nowhere to park my bike until the guy who does the 90 day extensions appeared at the back door, immediately recognised me and asked me for my passport and told me to wait! So sitting astride my motorbike (because there was nowhere to park) I waited just a few minutes and he returned with my passport and the 90 day extension and bid me Happy New Year, and I thanked him profusely, and I have to say that this guy is the one I have dealt with over many years and he is particularly well mannered and helpful. It would appear that the queues of previous months are no longer evident, which will be good news to Patong residents.

I was looking forward to the release of "The Menu", so last night downloaded and watched it, and was disappointed, and I only watched it through because I was waiting for something to happen. The plot was similar to a few other movies that have been made but I won't give the game away. Following along from the title, I thought the movie was full of plot holes, full of itself and not as tasty as the makers would have you believe, and without an understandable ending!

Experts don't agree with you...................... https://www.healthline.com/health/drinking-urine

I didn't realise you were having a bit of a laugh about what you posted, and that's why I gave it a "like"........and the reason I didn't realise that you were having a laugh is because I have personally witnessed the two events you mentioned! Indians sharing a bottle of beer is quite often quoted and I didn't believe it until a couple of bar owners I know told me about it and I dismissed it, that is until I saw five Indian guys in Soi Sea Dragon sharing a large bottle of beer between them (no straws) but passing the bottle round to drink out of! The Indian guys trying to share one woman is also not uncommon according to some of the "bar girls" I know, and indeed I was there when the attractive manager of a large bar was approached by three Indian guys who wanted to bar fine her, but she refused and told them to ask someone else, which they did (at the same bar) and she refused them, until (as I already mentioned) a really fat, ugly lady boy took up their offer and off they went. So, not barstool stories, but actual events, and as I said, I only post what I see and experience.......and no I don't spend much time on bar stools because I only drink about three small bottles of beer a week, if that. Wine is my preferred drink, and none of the bars serve any decent wine, so I mainly drink at restaurants, although I may have an occasional rum and coke at a friends bar or Red Hot. <removed>

The political fallout surrounding newly-elected Congressman George Santos continues to grow as there are increasing calls for him to resign after he confessed to lying about his education, work history, and family background. Not much left that he can lie about, is there?????

Yes it was key money, which was a concept unknown to me when I first arrived here. At the time my friend took out the 9 yr lease it was for the "best bar" in a soi which had just been totally rebuilt and the competition for bars was high................the rest is an expensive lesson.

Seems they do LL, as well as sharing a bottle of beer (and I have seen that on a few occasions, this for the non-believers) and I actually witnessed three of them going off with a particularly fat and ugly lady boy when all else had failed!!

Back on track.........and I just found this item in my files, and it was something I downloaded a couple of months ago and it may be of interest to those people who are worried about their prostate/prostate cancer and the like. Also good to see that one of these advances is available in the UK........ A recent Phase III clinical trial conducted by an international consortium of scientists from nine countries demonstrated some of the progress that has been made. It found that a potent new hormone therapy called darolutamide, produced by the pharmaceutical company Bayer, could significantly prolong survival in men with advanced forms of prostate cancer as well as reducing pain, when used in combination with standard therapies. There have also been advances for patients who have been recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. A minimally invasive technique called NanoKnife, which uses bursts of quick electrical pulses guided by MRI scans to kill tumours, has been approved for use in the UK's National Health Service. Experts hope that it can help avoid many of the problems associated with conventional surgery.

Refusing delivery on a cod item.............sounds fishy to me!!????

A Canadian friend of mine did exactly that and took out a lease on a bar for nine years, paying a substantial amount upfront (9 million baht I think it was) and a monthly rent. It went quite well for a while and then he was probably just breaking even, so decided to back to Canada to earn some more money to top up his coffers, and when he came back he found that his girlfriend had been playing around, and a little later on found that she had been keeping the rent and electricity money herself, and then she finally sold the bar when he was away again – – this because she was the one who had signed the lease papers. I have first hand experience and knowledge of this and from what I have heard and seen in my almost 16 years here, it is not that unusual.

Agree with your comment......................Certainly the so-called "zoo" in Phuket was a disgusting place, with the animals in poor condition and the smell being almost unbelievably bad, so I'm pleased to hear that it is now closed, because it was an absolute disgrace.

Unfortunately his Mother wasn't there to dress him!!!

Whilst we are on this subject LiK, I noticed that another couple of shops in Nanai Road have closed, whilst a tiny coffee shop/cafe just at the end of my drive which opened about six months ago, is now for sale. Not surprising really because the place was hardly big enough to accommodate six people let alone have enough space to be able to prepare food. Similarly the one right next to it has just changed hands from a "bar" to something which suggests a tiny restaurant with souvlaki being one of the main dishes – – good luck to that in a place where there is no foot traffic whatsoever. I also see that the restaurant/coffee shop which was previously called 555, and is almost opposite Soi Banzaan, which had closed some time ago, now appears to be in new hands and shortly to open up again as..........?? I went out last night to bid farewell to a friend here who was heading home today, and he suggested eating at the Italian restaurant in Soi Patong resort, called "Anema E Core", and it was right next door to where my favourite Italian restaurant was situated, namely "Salute" (which has now moved to Phuket town), and the food was great, and not expensive and it's no surprise that every seat in the outdoor dining area was taken. My friend was telling me about an incident that happened in a small massage shop in Banzaan, which I recommended to him, whereby a scruffy looking Indian guy wanted to get a foot massage/pedicure and the staff refused, not only because he looked scruffy/dirty, but because he offered to pay 100 baht for the service, so he left the shop, only to come back a few minutes later and asked for a manicure for the same price, and he was refused again. Strangely enough they have had similar incidents over the past few months, and lo and behold, whilst we were dining at the Italian restaurant, two Indian guys tried to get into the massage shop right next to the restaurant, and they were in lengthy discussions with the attractive young woman owner, and she kept shaking her head and they kept trying, and eventually after trying for at least five minutes to negotiate "whatever", they left. I've never been a great fan of Indians, owing to the experiences I've had with them over the years, and the experiences I've heard from various folk I know here who run businesses, and just to add another grievance to these experiences – – they seem to have taken over from the Chinese with regards to walking three abreast on very narrow roads, such as Nanai Road, which makes it very difficult for traffic to pass, and I swear that sometime in the very near future someone will plough into them as a way of saying, "get out of the way". In fact I did clip one with my wing mirror not too long ago, but they still continued walking three abreast, in their ignorance. Bangla was busy last night and after eating, my friend and I parted ways and I went to Smiley bar in Soi Freedom, and that Soi was fairly barren until late on when quite a few people gathered at the far end of the Soi to watch the lady boy show. Not "my cup of tea", so I stayed and had a few drinks with a friend at Smiley Bar and decided to go home from there, passing up my usual singing stint at Red Hot, and as I went by I noticed that the usual band which plays until about 11 PM, was still playing at 11:20 PM, so definitely wasn't in the mood for getting up to do a few numbers. And before I leave this post...........the bloody traffic in Patong is dreadful; bring on the low season!!!!!!

I have tried all of these – – – Saw Palmetto, Pygeum, Stinging Nettle root as well as many others and also those, plus others and zinc etc in various combinations, but none of them worked and I took them over many months. I thought Beta sitosterol was helping, but on careful consideration, not so sure. Also be aware of the very expensive "complex" that is advertised when you look at many prostate items/info on the Internet, because that doesn't work either.

Good idea – – and you might also want to try one called Atomic Cleaner 3 as that does a pretty decent job of seeking out bugs etc.

Well I can't complain because about 10 years ago I invested in a couple of New Zealand stocks and not only have they paid and almost 5% dividend per annum, one of them has more than doubled in price, whereas the other has improved upon the price I paid for it, by about 50%, so all well and good for me. I think it's also necessary to look at the "longer term" if one is investing in the share market, and to set goals based on the overall longer term returns if that is the time horizon that suits the investor.

Also, thanks for your help "hotandsticky", however he did receive an email after I had managed to make contact with them and they said that they had sent him a letter with regards to the payment problem, in October, and also telephoned him then, so they had received his application, but "appear to be" tardy with regards to the contact with him, because neither the letter nor the telephone contact were received by him? Anyway it's all done/sorted now (I hope) and he is much happier – – thanks again????.

Follow-up to a previous post I made with regards to friends UK passport application which seemed to have gone missing and to say thank you to @OJAS for his help. I managed to get hold of the passport people in the UK for him and because he is not too flash on the computer, I managed to get an email from them which said that they had received the application but that there was a problem with payment?? They also said that they had tried to contact him on the telephone number we had given?? Then they said they had sent a letter to him a couple of months ago, which he had never received?? Something was wrong and it wasn't from this end, however I did manage to make contact with them and put both of these people in touch with each other (again), and this friend arranged for his daughter in the UK to pay the fees applicable, and I do believe that they were "not willing to accept a Thai bank card" for payment! Quite why they couldn't have contacted him earlier with regards to this problem, I don't know, rather than leaving him in limbo right up until the last minute, and worrying the C.rap out of him. Anyway it all seems fixed now and he is less stressed, so thanks to all of the folks who helped and in particular OJAS.