drummer

So a pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel atatched to his crotch. The bartend says "Whats with the steering wheel?" Pirate says "Aaaahhhr! Its driving me nuts!"

What is ET short for?

He's got really small legs.

A polar bear is talking to his dad one day and says "Am I full polar bear? I'm not part grizzly, panda, koala, or anything right?"

dad: "No son! You come from a long line of proud pure polar bears! Why would you ask a question like that??"

"Because I'm ###### cold!"

Whats the difference between a guitarist and a large pepporoni pizza?

The pizza *can* feed a family of four....

What do you call a drummer whose girlfriend left him?

Homeless

It's economics, protecting their market share, nothing personal.

Spot on. I have moonlighted as a taxi driver off and on for about 4 years now. I get to talk to a lot of strippers, and yes, that is *precisely* what it is. They honestly couldn't give a flying fluck about you. There are 2 equally important reaons tha they care, though. (1) the revenue (2) social standing, etc. They're gonna get pissed at the woman who steals their customer because its a lack of respect

Strippers in the States ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS carry with them an unbelievable amount of drama. (far, far more than Thai BGs, from what I've seen) I get my monthly quota of drama in a 10 minute cab ride.

..... What does a stripper do to her @$$hole before going to work? Buys him a 6-pack and drops him off at band practice.....

I think it prolly came out last year, but the White Stripes' album is pretty good. I like Audioslave, too.

Not to dodge the question, but case by case. Some falang are stupid and mean, and some women are just cheats and liars.

Build it in a location that costs to get to,

If you make it *too* tough, then you still allow illegal gambling by the poorer folks. I think to keep out the poor in Thailand, you really only need to make it about 15 miles outside a city, and charge tourist prices for the busses. The tropical island is a good idea, though, too. Sort of like Las Vegas, but with water.

and give more money to the authorities in revenue to helpm these people. If the Gov decides to spend the money on a new Jumbo for his nibs instead, then that should be the target for derision.

Well said. Prohibition does not work. Legalizing it allows for the state to oversee it, minimize the sharking, and make money from it. If they don't use some of those Bhat on the poor, that is a different issue entirely. But even then, would you rather the money go to a government, who at least has to *pretend* they are helping the poor or to organized crime, with no pretensions?

Besides that, I am pretty libretarian when it comes to social issues. As long as you are not hurting someone else, I find it hard to take the moral high ground. I just don't know enough. Besides, you might as well let people do what they want cause they're probably gonna do it anyway. You might as well track it and make money from it (or someone else will!)

Thanks! Quite useful

I think the trick is to educate oneself so one is aware of the potential problems, knows the red flags to keep an eye out for, and does not subsequently become a victim.

How do u do this If you just come to Thailand to have a romp with a girl?

Well, there is the, ahem, Stickman website....

Would you find Java Man at Starbucks?

OK... Thanks. I'm looking for a decent connection from my BKK apartment when I get there next month. I won't be downloading any moivies or anything- mostly just for internet communication and sending the occasional file.

Here in PDX the entire downtown + has wi fi networks set up already, so I was wondering if BKK had area that were wireless, too. I'll probably just get a DSL connection, but if that is too expecsive I might just end up with dial-up.

Yea, can you believe it, Geronimo was also American.

So was the new Iraqi PM before he gave it up. True

Gave it up? Really? He is a CIA spook. I doubt he gave up anything.

My inlaws hire a lot of people and they have no one that will work for 4000 a month full time.Can't find people that wikll work for 100 a day anymore.

I believe the average wage in BKK is 7K THB a month. It would follow that at least half of the population makes less than that. I've a friend who works as a writer for tech magazines, and she recently got a promotion to assistant editor for 15K THB / month. That is educated and experienced. Its no stretch to find an uneducated exfarmer that is willing to take an easy job where he gets to practice english.

What are my internet options in BKK? How much are they? How extensive is the wi-fi coverage? I have a laptop if that makes any difference...

Thanks

that's FOUR rules duke! glad I'm not your tailor 

You know what they say.... There's 3 kinds of people in the world: those who can count and those who can't....

I'm glad to say that I found a little place yesterday called Mojo's.

I was talking to a friend of mine who plays down there regularly. At least he used to... A bitter Thai msucian reported them to the police for employing farang musicians under the table. The place has no problem with hiring Thai musicians- I've seen a number there before, but I hear this particular fellow wasn't actually any good. Anyway, they only have Thai bands now.

The bottom line is, on one level or another, begging cripples affect us. If for no other reason than a litmus on our current quality of life.

The visual is powerful and immediate (... look at that poor f ..., God I'm glad I'm not him ... ), that's the hook or begging wouldn't be effective.

They may be supporting themselves (and others) by begging, but they're also sending an in your face message ... this could be you, be thankful, now how about a little help ...

They'll either piss you off as malingering scammers, or break your heart as poor unfortunates.

Well said, very well said. A bit of truth to both, really. At least in America, you can be pretty certain that they are just scammers.

My dad once said that the difference between Republicans and Democrats is the Democrats would rather 100 people cheat the system than 1 person go without help that honestly needed it, while for Republicans 'cheating the system' is the bigger crime. Anyone have any input on this? I'd like to hear it...

There seems to be some political disagreement here. Some folks are saying

"Life is <deleted>, deal with it." The real objection to his begging is that he is living off of other people. That he is not *earning* his way, he is not a productive member of society.

While others are saying "He doesn't have any choice." That Thailand's culture and political system do not expect or help him to be productive. This leaves him with very few choices.

Politically, I'm in the center. I believe that the real reason he is begging is that he makes more money than he thinks he could elsewhere- probably a lot more money. This is because he doesn't have the options, and/or he is crazy.

IMHO, it takes another kind of person to humble himself the way he is. To my way of thinking, it is not in human nature to debase yourself and to live off "the kindnesses of others" This allows everyone you pass to have some control oever you, and is not a normal, acceptable human condition. IMHO.

The worm man is so lazy, instead of begging should be broker in Wall Street.

Any way you slice it, the guy isn't lazy. It takes a lot of work - physical and mental- to drag himself along the streets all day. There are a variety of reasons why he is doing what he is doing, but lazy isn't a part of any one of them.

oops... I'm pretty sure I accidentally didn't vote... Koh Lanta, so far. Haven't been to most of those spots, though. But there is lots to do and no one shoving anything in your face. Plenty of places to get away, too. And absolutely fantastic food.

I think it's very sad that western culture has got to a stage where 'bad' really is good etc...

...

There's better ways for Thai's to make money than musical prostitution.

Pop songs in Thailand are about love and heartbreak and pop songs in the west are about sex, violence and being a general badass.

Ever read the Caterbury Tales? Some rather off color stuff in there. IMHO, the part about our culture going to ###### in a handbasket is just as much a constant as people singing about sex and violence. They've both always been there are always will be.

Personally, I agree with you to a large extent. Quite a lot of the pop songs about <deleted> and being a baddass really aren't my style. I strongly dislike much of the ethos much of it stands for. More of it than not, though, is about love and heartbreak. Even most of Tata's stuff.

About musical prostitution... I play gigs for money- does that make me a sell out? I don't write much of the music I play- I usually play my parts as the boss wants me to play them, not how I would like top play them. Does that make me a whore for playing it? Would the musicians in your band have been whores, too? I am going a little outside the subject here, but this is because I am asking "Where do you draw the line?" At what point does playing music that you write translate into artistry, while covering songs equate selling out?

(Incidentally, NSYNC wrote some of their own stuff, too, as does Christina Aguilera. Miles Davis barely wrote anything he ever did. Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Dolly Parton all had some of their biggest hits from songs other people wrote for them to play.

IMHO, what you are left with is to say "Well, I don't think (so and so) is very good/talented." This is inherently subjective (Is Ingwe Malmstien a better guitarist than Jeff Beck, for example) Some people are just gonna like outside jazz and some are gonna hate it. People from all walks of life just like bubblegum pop. Granted, many like it only because they hear it, but that is an entirely different matter than the one at hand.

I am in full support of your musical tastes and your values. They are yours to have freely. The world is a more interesting place because you are in it. I'm just pointing out that there are other, perfectly valid ways of interpreting the same thing.

Speaking of, I just was flipping through the channels, and Disney has coopted some of Tata Young's songs, it seems. One of them ... the "I'd rather rescue myself" one is now being sung for some soundtrack by a girl group I've never heard of from the states. I guess you can take that to mean that American execs have decided that Tata just isn't Western enough...

There is also the occasional story of some late night factory worker who gets his package stuck in machinery when he discovers he can use the conveyor belt to pleasure himself. And you won't believe the number of people who "slip in the shower" and have to go to the Dr. to get something removed. .... vegatables, pool balls, lightbulbs, rodents....

OK.... someone asked why the Irish don't like to be called British.

From my meager, American understanding, a lot of it has to do with religion. This is why the counties of Ulster remained with GB... they were/are mostly Potestant. It also has something to do with long running feuds and rascism, etc, and guys like Oliver Cromwell. He was not just known for having the biggest head in history (honestly- the biggest recorded brain ever) but also for locking whole Irish villages in barns and burning them down.

This, of course, was a long time ago, but old feuds die hard, anywhere in the world.

OK... heres a joke and I don't want *anyone* to get offended. I'm not partisan, and I'm just making a joke. If you are English and don't like jokes, don't read.

Why can't Irish and English play chess together?

The English can't seem to tell the Bishop from the Queen.

And so people don't get too upset with me- many of my favorite jokes are about me....

What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?

A drummer.

What did the drummer get on his SATs?

Saliva.

Little Johnny is talking to his dad and says "I want to be a drummer when I grow up!" Dad says "You can't have it both ways, son."

Cheers

When will Thai people understand that singers/boy bands/girl bands/any form of manufactured music of any kind is the subject of ridicule back in the Western world?

Not anytime soon... They don't have the cultural reference. Of course, Tata get rediculed in Thailand, too (she even has Thai anti-Tata groups trying to ban her) and there are plenty of people back the the West that rush out and Buiy Britney Spears' newest album.

I have some musical elitism in my personality. I have come to realize, though, that the different styles- even the ones I don't really like that much- *enrich* culture and society and the state of music. There is plenty of great music being made these days, in every style. The Top-40 Janet Jackson imitators don't do anything to quell that.

Wouldn't it be great if everyone understood that Mozart was the best songwriter ever and listened to him all the time? It just ain't gonna happen like that, though.

Just a somewhat related aside... There is a long tradition of boy bands, though- going back at least to the Beatles (almost certainly long before them, but I haven't done the research) Good looking singers have been a a premium since singing was invented. There will always be people listening to singers because of what they look like. There always was, its just the ones without any actual talent have been forgotten, just like the New Kids on the Block are largely fergotten 15 years later.

I'm not surprised that most of you chaps voted for the yanks, but we're not talking about George Bush the tourist.  Most Americans that I have encountered in Thailand have been really cool, especially the ex-pats.

Look at the total of North americans verse Europeans. Speaks for it self.

As much as I like the logic, I'm pretty sure that the numbers of European vs. Americian tourists is reflective of that. And maybe the reason the american expats are 'cool' is because the shared culture similarities. Just trying to be fair and balanced.