LaosLover

My last decade was in Appalachia. They describe Elvis's cornball rendition of The American Trilogy as The American Tri-ology. He sings "I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray, Hooray". When will they cancel this? In Laos, they only have Ballard-Elvis. It's a communist dictate. The Tom Jones/Elvis thing was genius because Tom Jones copied Elvis and then in late-career, Elvis copied Tom Jones back. I talked to the guy about it. My brother married a stripper in Vegas at an Elvis wedding chapel. He had to promise that he would be Don't Be Cruel and never take her to The Heartbreak Hotel.

Our resident, on the ground reporter says not a great time to go there. So does Google. That whole civil war thing. Love the place, but it's def a bit of work; the opposite of a love-fest. And that hot air balloon ride over Bagan costs $500.

Luang Prubang, Laos by a mile. It's beautiful, it's low traffic, the 5* dining options come at 3* prices. A handful of unusual wats for sightseeing, a couple fun 1/2 day trips. My wife agrees that it was the most romantic, couple-ish place we ever went to. There's an area where you cross a little bridge from one of the riversides, and it's very plush and eden-like for a sexy getaway.

Just to weigh in on the important topic of Thai Elvis's, does anyone remember the guy in an upstairs nightclub next to Foodland on soi 7 off Suk who would be Elvis one night then Tom Jones the next? I'm thinking early aughts. The Asia Hotel still has an Elvis show most Saturday nights. Mostly attended by the Elvis's relatives. He has a lot of non-Elvis material like If I Had A Hammer in his short set. True: The plural of Elvis is Elvi. Google it.

I think we're not supposed to give prices here. Call Anne, tell her the plant-loving American sent you. Whether to do that fudge or not has been debated to death here. I didn't ask, but that doesn't seem Anne-like. But she'll prob refer you. As to my own processing, looking at my bank book, and photocopying it and having me sign it -a lot- was the longest part. And then there was a sticking point where they couldn't figure out that a bank wire was a bank wire. If someone goes the broker-fronts-the-cash method, I'd be interested in hearing how that part happens live at Immigration.

Maybe not. I've been milking extensions and fly-ins since last June. This last flight in, I was questioned. I showed them my bank book with my retirement visa amount in it and they said, "time for you to get a retirement visa". I can't swear as to how foreboding that is or isn't. I know it always comes down to the guy you get at the gate, but I wouldn't feel that comfortable adding two land crossings to that verdict. -Got my retirement visa done in Hua Hin in 90 minutes, by the way. Ann's Visa; Ann is a sweetie powerhouse.

I saw Chuck Brown 5 years ago -opening for Eddie Palmieri at a park show; on my feet all night. He rocked the house. There was some cross pollination with that music and NYC where I'm from so I've seen all of your list. This was the crossover attempt record that was played to death downtown that summer: https://www.amazon.com/Go-Crankin-Paint-Digitally-Remastered/dp/B009SFRL64 Sadly, sort of scary shows to go to. Google Go Go Show Masonic Lodge Washington DC Shooting and more than a few events pop up. I got tired of waiting for Chuck and missed possibly getting killed myself.

I'm a beginner compared to you (age 70), but I just surfed this topic at some length last night. A really good source was an academic paper mentioned in the 9 page cholesterol thread that you were active in. The consensus is that 4 or 6 is better than 3, but not 100% better. It's very diminishing returns. Relatedly, a book on weightlifting for oldies that I found helpful said that the third workout of the week only knocks you up by 20%, not 33%. My big take away is that training improvement is a funnel-shaped process -you can only squeeze so much of it into any given length of time, just like you can only absorb so much protein. On the upside, it seems that beginners do get a bonus-boost in growth by piling it on when starting training from ground zero. There's even a term for it, Beginner's Gains. I just started training six days a week for 5 days now. First three days had me lying down a bit. Recently, I have a lot more energy -and a lot more desire to lift. Long may it last. But my bit of googling suggests that's about 3 months, 6 if I'm lucky.

Ajarn Chah, an Ubon monk who many USA meditation teachers learned from and quote (Oprah is a fan) is virtually unknown in Thailand -maybe 2 recognitions out of 100 queries, both in Ubon. Our view of knowledge may not fit their purpose. At the wat in Nan that has Thailand's most beloved painting, most of the visitors are there for merit-making, not art appreciation. They relate to their own history and culture very flexibly. Facts are less fixed, so as not to offend. There's iconography everywhere in Thai culture, and its combinations and settings are significant to Thai's in ways that westerners may not comprehend. They see and viscerally experience a different soi view than you do. With world events, they're likewise flexible and more drawn to symbols than stories to take them in. I was taken to a topiary of a penis in Vientiane. "Clinton", said the tuk tuk guy.

Vientiane is a great dining town ($7 Peking duck, $20 Sushi where Obama ate) full of really ornate wats. Worth at least 2 nights in its own right. And Nong Khai on the way home is also worth a linger.

Skipping to the end without reading, BUT: Are you 100% married to the idea of him being in Pattaya and at that specific gym? In Pai, there's a very hippie-istic Muay Thai gym for about 400 baht a day, food and bunk bed included. Massive youth social scene, and plenty of the green around for about half the tourist rate. Chiang Mai has some great places too (and cheap weed). People actually plan vacations to get tattoo'd in Chiang Mai. The best artists of that sort of Yantra scribbling are def in Chiang Mai. Pai as hippie-central would have real tattoo options. I went to a beautiful Muay Thai gym in an old wooden building by the river in Ubon. That was about 200 baht a day all in. Ko Phagnan has cheap Muay Thai too. Short version: A first visit to Thailand is too great to waste in Pattaya. He's more likely to have a little non-pro romance in Pai than in Pattaya. Search for Reddit Thailand Muay Thai. You'll get tons of first hand accounts.

Radio beats TV. In related news, pony express beat stagecoach.

Yeah, and not a minute too soon. You're old, nobody cares about you (I get it, I get it). The mean ol' gay-loving world keeps drifting on. You're part of Fox's cheapskate, worthless base who won't even spring for a lumpy pillow or a silver ingot with Fattie's face on it. Full disclosure: I have held said ingot in my hand -though they kept in the plastic to keep it nice. They feel the same way about you as they feel about me. When they finally run out of catheter buyers, will you follow them to the end with their funeral urn ads? Because I saw covid and ham sandwiches cull about 20% of your ilk in my Bible Belt former home. Radio is like The Elephant's Grave Yard of has-beens. Claiming radio is the future makes you sound like Bing Crosby, time traveler. Who views going from prime time show to radio as a step up? Would (possible) vampire Meghan Kelly be fronting her own money if she absolutely didn't have to? Think of poor Glen Beck having to pretend he likes the Duck Dynasty guy -wouldn't he rather be back on a real network rendering people unconscious with his chalk board? Relatedly, It was Tucker's Dad who married the Swanson heiress, not Tucker. My bad. That Google throw down had results.

Tucker was their only draw for the 25-50 demographic on the network. So two big predictions are being made here today: 1) Getting fired HARD and being bum-rushed to the 6th Avenue pavement is a career GODSEND. You'll see. Just you wait. 2) Many, many more catheter ads on Fox as they adjust to an even older median viewer age.

Radio Stations? I gotta get on my stagecoach and go buy me one of these radio-things.

I'm more making fun of him for pretending to be a Joe Blow kind of guy when he married into money. My fave Tucker moments were him pretending to a hunting enthusiast. The last person you want to be in the woods with someone holding a gun would be Mr Poor Impulse Control.

I recall the Lonely Planet Guide was all over the map. "Yeah, sex work is terrible. But make sure you go and take a good, long look".

Monk mode was a Red Pill term, back when it was about self-improvement, rather than aiming the staple gun at your own face out dumb and sullen resentment. Yeah, Thailand offers a fresh start. It's inspiring to see so many guys finding a second chapter here. I'm monk-moving at the moment. Going to the gym daily, meditating more, ect. The monk part is easy, the mode part takes work.

#4 on the apple news commentary? Like being the tallest midget. Brag on. Pretending that this is not a major, major career setback for your man-crush is like at Monty Python, amputated knight-levels, screaming "it's only a flesh wound!!".

I used to bring back copies for my many (well, back then) feminist friends. It was a pretty slender read that seemed to have been put together in 20 minutes. But it was first to market and deserves it's iconic stature.

Translation: it came to me in a dream. He'll def do well, but no way will he do as well as being on a major network. Debating this is not bad faith, it's just nuts. It's like The Rolling Stones. They signed with a major label, not a small blues label. had they signed with Chess Records instead of Atlantic, they would not be still selling out stadiums today. An offer from Blaze is not even the equivalent of Chess records. It's like being signed by a record store.

This is a thread about recalling the bygone days when sex workers in Thailand reached international consciousness. And the media products that ensued. Only you -again, alone in the universe- think this thread is about debunking sex workers stories -while at the same admitting to raptly believing whatever came out of their mouths when you sat on that long ago barstool. Once again, you are claiming a deep well of knowledge -that you absolutely refuse to share, at all. What motivates you to do this?

The book was written 30 years ago, so that would be quite the bit of detective work.

"I have nothing to say about the book or the topic in general, but it's another lonely day at the rice paddy and I want to remind people that I exist"

Can we get a little rightie crowing about liberal tears going? Their number one fave just got canned like a McDonalds French fry maker. "Turn in your paper hat and hit the parking lot, loser".