kpmsprtd

I've used Agoda to book relatively cheap hotels (never more than U.S.$30 or 40) in Vietnam and Cambodia. No complaints.

I regret to do so, but I must inform my straight fellows of something you may not have realized: Straight guys are the primary watchers of she-male porn.

It is like JT and others have tried to tell you for years: If you are attracted to she-males, it indicates that you are straight. If you are not interested in she-males at all, it indicates that you are gay.

Those on this thread who have strongly proclaimed no attraction whatsoever to she-males have indicated their sexual orientation as gay. In several cases, I am not sure that was their intention, but so it goes.

Those who think that drone strikes kill and injure only terrorists are seriously deluded. I realize that there are also those who accept a significant number of civilian casualties as the cost of warfare.

I wonder if enough terrorists are being killed by drones to make up for the number of terrorists being created by resentment of drone strikes.

Salem Ahmed bin Ali Jaber

Anonymous, it sounds like there is a significant wealth disparity between you and your spouse at the time of entering into marriage. I will recommend what lawyers recommend in such cases. In your home country, have a prenuptial agreement made up, and then have your wife sign it. If craziness occurs in the future, the assets that were yours at the time of marriage will still be yours.

I agree with the OP. I have experienced no issues at airports in Thailand, Korea, Taiwan, or Vietnam. However, I have been treated as a criminal nearly every time I exit or re-enter the United States. Somehow, the American people are okay with treating all civilians as criminals. It's quite sad, really. Unfortunately, I pay a rather heavy price for protesting such treatment.

Note: The fingerprinting when departing Phnom Penh Airport is quite disturbing. I won't be doing that again.

We're having King Tides here in California recently, flooding parking lots and streets in coastal communities. Given that they're apparently due to a certain alignment of the Earth with the Sun and the Moon, it makes sense to me that it would be a worldwide phenomenon. Stay dry.

Wonderful photos. Thanks for putting the slideshow together. I very much look forward to printing out the calendar.

How long ago is "some time ago"? I mean, I love MS-DOS 6.22 as much as the next man, but at some point I really did have to let it go. For linguistic purposes, I am quite happy with Ubuntu, which supports the Khmer, Lao, and Thai input that I need. (Not sure about Burmese, but if not yet, relatively soon I'm sure...)

Paulinho. I do not know you. Have never met you. But you, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. Thank you very much for the link to Learn Thai with Mod. It is just what I needed for renewed motivation.

I recommend AUA's Thai language program. I believe they moved to Chamchuri Square, MRT Sam Yan exit #2. Good luck.

I was not impressed by the quality of the article linked, but I believe I understand what you are getting at. I agree that studying a language analytically--especially in a stereotypical classroom language learning environment--causes the symptoms you have described. Fortunately, there is an alternative, the Natural Approach to language learning.

I see

that AUA is doing their Thai language course in Pattaya. It would certainly be worth sitting in a class or two to experience learning Thai stress-free. I have attended their Bangkok courses intermittently in the past, and look forward to the opportunity to do so again.

Disclaimer: My familiarity with the AUA courses is limited to the listening and eventual speech emergence course. I don't know anything about the reading and writing courses. I certainly like their teachers, hard workers all.

Yes. Your thinking changes after you have given up drinking alcohol. To the point that you think back to the drinking days and wonder, "Who was that person?"

I was a binger most of my life (including blackouts), but finally at age 49, I finished. It was like I had completed the mission. It kind of pisses me off when people accuse me of having quit drinking. "I didn't quit. I spent most of my life honorably completing the mission."

I have to agree with you that the NC700 would make a great first bike. I also think DCT is a big plus for a commuter bike in stop-and-go traffic. And the DCT may be attractive to new riders, or those of us with arthritis getting progressively more serious. I do like the bike. I would recommend it.

Funny thing about DCT, the very idea used to disgust me, but now I am coming around. If I were to win the lottery and suddenly have the means to buy a VFR1200X Crosstourer, I might just go for the DCT version.

The demo ride was limited to 5 minutes, with a lead rider purposely keeping me relatively slow. But my impression was that the riding position was very good (I'm a stickler for standard riding position). The seat seemed good for local riding, but I suspect it wouldn't be that great for long distance.

The handling seemed okay, but I was far short of testing it properly. It was just town streets, right turns only, and no curves.

I will say that the demo ride made me feel really good about my 2003 Honda CB750 Nighthawk. I was riding it today and thinking about how well it rides. So I guess we could say that the Honda NC700X performs in most ways like the Nighthawk, with the Nighthawk feeling more peppy and fun.

I would not do a deal to exchange the well-performing Nighthawk for the NC700X, but if something were to go wrong with the Nighthawk, I would definitely consider the NC700X as its replacement. Given a bit of money in my pocket, though, either the CB1100 (now available in Europe?) or the VFR1200X Crosstourer (now available in Europe) would be my choice.

It seems that Honda, after a long period of losing their way, is back with some very good choices. And they have also begun to address value, with the CBR250R and CRF250L (available soon in U.S.) at approximately U.S.$4000, along with this NC700X at U.S.$7000.

I am very glad that Honda, the sleeping giant of motorcycles in America, may have finally awoken.

So I got to do a short demo ride today (August 4th). I thought the shorter shifting would be the most different thing about the NC700X, but it was not. In fact, the way I shift when riding in town works just fine. And it wasn't too abrupt when the rev limiter kicked in, which I forced a couple of times. At least it doesn't suddenly slow you down. Still, when passing on a highway, you would have to make sure you shifted before that happened.

Okay. The strangest thing was the nearly complete lack of engine braking. I guess I am really in the habit of using it to stop in town, and it is just not there.

The sound of the engine is unique. The feel of the engine is unique. I don't know what a tractor feels like. I don't know what a diesel car feels like. I have nothing to compare this motorcycle to. It feels unlike any bike I have ever been on. But I do know that it was an okay ride. I believe it would make a good commuter bike, and it would also be okay on local back roads. On the highway, I'm not so sure, but that applies to any bike in the 700cc range.

An interesting experiment, kind of like a peppy scooter dressed up as a motorcycle. But the price is fair at U.S.$7000.

I have no criticism of Honda in this case. They have tried something completely unique, and offered it up at a very fair price. Me? I would rather have a VFR1200X Crosstourer. But which is more likely? For me to come up with $7000? Or $18,000 (my guess at the U.S. price if it even comes here)?

To summarize this rambling post, I would seriously consider buying the NC700X for commuting and local touring. The fuel economy is excellent, the storage is nice, and the price is fair. Well-done--for the first time in a very long time--Honda.

You guys are both doing great! I look forward to spending time in Thailand so I can do the same as you.

Do you know how these hardcore drugs affect people and the lives that they ruin? I doubt it.

End of story.

I am very familiar with how the hardcore drug alcohol affects people and the lives that it ruins. Nevertheless, I would never again attempt the folly that was Alcohol Prohibition in the United States. The result would be the same kind of madness you see in this particular case of Drugs Other Than Alcohol Prohibition.

For myself, there is little I can do but add Malaysia to the list of countries that I will never give one penny to. I'm going strong with over 7 years of boycotting Singapore because of their killing of Van Tuong Nguyen. Many are those killed since then, proving that the theory of executing to send a message in order to prevent future occurrences is not working... But the madness must continue. I mean, just think of the children!

Off the main road at the north end of the beach along Cha-Am's main commercial strip is a bar called The Temple of the Lady Man. I am not a fan of the name as I find it disrespectful of religion, but so it is named.

Go there, and you will find what you seek--in great abundance.

It is sad that we have to consider this kind of madness as reality. I still hope for a return to the days when a bottle of beer is really just a bottle of beer, that one can carry with them on a plane. I am getting very tired of putting liquids in my suitcase. There has been more than one accident.

I'm glad to see him in rehab. He was a mess at a local casino show here in California in August last year. When you think drugs, that includes alcohol, which seems to be one of his drugs of choice.

As a heavily visual learner, the reading and writing is much easier for me than the listening and speaking. The good news is that once you know how to read and write Thai, you are well on your way to reading and writing Lao and Khmer as well. Something to work towards if we live to be 100, I guess...

It is completely normal that you both THINK you need a teacher. In truth, however, you have all the teachers you need (regular Thai people) right there in ชุมพร / Chumphon. I know it sounds crazy, but why not give it a shot? Pretend that you are African tribesmen, abducted into a different tribe speaking a completely different language. What then would you do? You would listen and observe, listen and observe, listen and observe until little bits and pieces started to make sense. Also, watch as much Thai television as you can stand. It's completely okay if you don't understand what's being said. It's a great achievement just to acquire the sounds and rhythm of a language.

For reading and writing, go to a store that sells school books and supplies. Buy a book (30 baht) for learning to write the alphabet. It's the kind where you trace the letters. Then take that book and work on it in a public place. Random "teachers" (regular Thai people, including children) will stop and help you, and it will be fun as well. As soon as you can, start trying to read signs, labels, bank notes, and anything else. What I have just described is a very Natural Approach to language learning, and if you stick with it, it can result in much greater language proficiency than you would ever achieve through formal study in a classroom with a teacher.

I will go one step further and encourage you to actively avoid analyzing the language. Accept what you learn each day as that which you are ready to learn each day, and let the rest go to be learned on another day when you are ready for it. Let yourselves learn in bits and pieces. Don't force your brain to learn anything. Let it all happen naturally.

Disclaimer: The above is my personal opinion, formed on the shoulders of giants like Dr. J. Marvin Brown and Stephen Krashen. My opinion is informed by years spent learning or beginning to learn several languages. I wasted thousands of hours in countless language classrooms using a variety of methods before I came to my senses. Now I know what to do, and I do it The Natural Way, no "teacher" required--just native, target-language speakers with which to interact...

(Edited to correct some kind of bizarre shrinking-font problem.)

I can understand how the police load up small bikes like Honda Dreams and such, but what if a guy had something as heavy as a Kawasaki Versys (206 kg). Is a tow truck used, or what?