...BTW Gungadin, did you see the video on the BBC...

Yes I did.

You have to remember HN is from a very close Greek/Aus family & Greeks are an emotional mob.

(probably the best immigrants we have had since the 1950's)

He was told of his mother's stroke shortly before boarding for his flt back to MEL.

Maybe that would explain his demeanor at MEL in front of the cameras...... jeeeeeez!

He went straight to the hospital to see his mother.

You're still clutching at very, very, thin straws.

gd

Ah, Greeks - didn't factor that in. (Didn't they all end up as taxi drivers in Melbourne? )

Well, it was certainly an extremely emotional performance, not the type we English with our stiff upper lips would give.

As for the straws... yes, very thin, but I still think he took a chance and it's paid off for him. We'll just have to agree to disagree!

Taxi drivers and builders. Hence the numerous ostentatious houses with columns and marble statues in front sprinkled through Melbourne's suburbs.

Taxi drivers and builders. Hence the numerous ostentatious houses with columns and marble statues in front sprinkled through Melbourne's suburbs.

In Sinney, it was milk bars. Extinct now.

Any milk bars left down there in Mexico?

Well, no matter what your opinion of the man or his motivations, it sure exposed some serious concerns in the Thai legal system when it comes to this area of the law book. Intentional or not doesn't really matter, it's a clear and present concern to many.

Along with all the other 'prison life' books on the shelf, what an impact they've had

Thai gets 10 years for LM yesterday.

Link

From the article:

But in recent months, lese majeste complaints have been filed against a fledgling Australian novelist, a BBC correspondent, a prominent Buddhist intellectual and an activist who refused to stand during the playing of the Royal Anthem at a movie theater.

Nicolaides - "fledgling" !! Bwa-ha-ha-ha!

BTW Gungadin, did you see the video on the BBC ( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7903267.stm ) of Nicolaides returning to Australia? Seemed to me he was over-playing the role of innocent fledgling Aussie novelist. Just too fake for me, but I guess the sympathisers were taken in by the performance.

Looked like bad acting to me as well.