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35
What Are the Most Interesting Themes in Fictional Writing About Thailand?
I should have mentioned this from the start for its literary quality, somehow I had forgotten: Michel Houllebecq’s controversial novel entitled "Platform". Summary below: Platform (French: Plateforme) is a 2001 novel by French writer Michel Houellebecq (translated into English by Frank Wynne). It has received both great praise and great criticism, most notably for the novel's apparent condoning of sex tourism and Islamophobia. After describing Islam as "the most stupid religion" in a published interview about the book, Houellebecq was charged for inciting racial and religious hatred but the charges were ultimately dismissed, as it has been ruled that the right to free speech encompasses the right to criticize religions. The novel and its author have been deemed "prophetic" or "prescient", as the last part depicts an Islamic terrorist attack which bears strong similarities with the bombings in Bali in October 2002, about a year later (and the novel was published on 27 August 2001, a few days before the 11 September 2001 attacks). A similar coincidence, involving Houellebecq, Islam and terrorism, would occur 13 years later, when his novel Submission, dealing with Islam again (although in a more nuanced and less confrontational way), was published on 7 January 2015, the day of the Charlie Hebdo shooting. --- The story is the first-person narrative of a fictional character named Michel Renault, a Parisian civil servant who, after the death of his father and thanks to a hefty inheritance, engages in sex tourism in Thailand, where he meets a travel agent named Valérie. Valérie and Renault begin an affair, and, after moving back to France, hatch a plan with Valérie's boss (who works in the travel industry in the Aurore group, an allusion to the real-life Accor group) to launch a new variety of package holiday called "friendly tourism", implicitly aimed at Europeans looking for a sexual experience whilst on vacation. Single men and women—and even couples—are to be targeted, and would vacation in specially designed "Aphrodite Clubs". Initially, the name "Venus clubs"—an allusion to the Villa Venus clubs dreamed of by Eric Veen in Vladimir Nabokov's classic Ada or Ardor—is suggested, but is rejected as being too explicit. It is decided that Thailand is the best location for the new clubs, with the advertising making it clear that Thai women would also be easily available. The tours are to be marketed predominantly to German consumers, as it is perceived that there will be less moral outrage in Germany than in France. Michel, Valérie and her boss Jean-Yves travel to Thailand on one of their company's tours incognito and enjoy an idyllic holiday. They decide that they will move to Thailand permanently, to perpetuate the bliss they experience there. However, towards the end of their holiday, Muslim extremists commit a terrorist act in which Valérie is killed. Michel is left bereft, and at the end of the novel he travels back to Thailand to die. -
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Trump Doesn't Understand How Stock Market Works
Trump doesn't understand anything except that his diseased ego needs to be constantly massaged. I was raised to believe one man can make a difference in the world. For good or evil. -
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UK Police Arrest Men, One Individual Suspected of Preparing Acts of Terror, Released on Bail
I'm currently in the UK. Apart from being terrified to make political observation on social media, apart from the ugliness of pedestrian zones being shuttered of by giant concrete blocks (Merkel lego), apart from locking and chaining the door and never letting kids out to play due to grooming gangs, machete and blade merchants, apart from roads being incredibly dangerous due to so many driving on Zimbabwe and other bought licenses, apart from up to 50% inbred kids in some cities thanks to 1st cousin marriage. But it was well worth it as we now have a chicken shop every 10 meters. Bravo sir Kier -
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Texas Children Suffer Vitamin A Poisoning Amid Measles Outbreak Following RFK Jr's Claims
I hear you. I have taken too many courses of antibiotics, so after the third recent time of a very “loose” stomach, found a holistic doc here. Slowly with acupuncture, nutrient therapy, pro/prebiotic treatment and now visceral manipulation are things slowly turning around. I know if I had gone to the usual hospital a new antibiotic treatment would have been suggested. But that’s what’s been the cause of the problem. Gut dysbiosis (spelling?), is not a child’s play. Am looking forward to getting all in order. These things take time, that’s why allopathic medicine is so popular, gets rid of symptoms in a couple of days - only for the same problem to one back and even worse. The gut and the lungs seem to have a connection, because I find my lungs stronger from this treatment too. it is an incredible feeling when you find a true “healer”, you can actually feel the benefits in your whole body, not only the temporary lack of unpleasant symptoms. Patience, understanding and the willingness to listen to your body is key!- 1
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AliExpress Non - Delivery
I have never had a package go totally missing, I have had hundreds) However I have had a few that were marked as delivered when they hadn’t been, the reason for this is that the local agents (flash drivers) have a number of packages to deliver and if they start to run late the loose money. In each case the actual delivery came a day or so late. The first time this happened I queried the non delivery with AliExpress and the courier (flash express driver) came to talk with SWMBO they were extremely worried as non delivery is regarded a theft and they could loose their contract with Flash The do and often orders are consolidated FWIW the 17Track app is excellent for AliExpress and Lazada
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