jacko

The Magnificent Seven.

I took a stroll all the way from Klang to Soi Diamond along 2nd Rd, East side, recently, unusual for me as Beach Rd is my usual route. Other than an excess of Massage businesses, I was much surprised how many Indian restaurants there were, like the MPs, devoid of customers but moreso. I passed some Thai seafood places that were very busy. Made me wonder what was going on.... were they ready for an expected huge surge in Indians, or perhaps one group was enough, they do go around in large groups. Or a mass influx of businessmen who have opened there and got work permits. Quite a few of them were lowly looking places.

Well personally I don't go to an insurance broker to get money and also not to a bank to get insurance. Although if it is 'free', I will have it, as in the case of credit cards that I paid for, but very much needed to exist anyhow. Usually what keeps me away is the insurance offered is very general rather than specific, and you just know it will be taken away after a few years. For coming here I say you need good accident and health incident comprehensive coverage, with a get you home (medevac) option. Never paid for a bank account yet and see it as a bit of a hurdle.

John Voight

Striptease

So I will get my own chickens and hence my own eggs... European Union Council Directive 1999/74/EC[1] is legislation passed by the European Union on the minimum standards for keeping egg laying hens which effectively bans conventional battery cages. The directive, passed in 1999, banned conventional battery cages in the EU from 1 January 2012 after a 13-year phase-out. Battery cages were already banned in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Sweden prior to 2012. The directive does not apply to establishments with fewer than 350 laying hens or establishments rearing breeding laying hens. Such establishments are, however, subject to the requirements of Directive 98/58/EC. The directive is not supported with fines, penalties or export bans. As alternatives to battery cages, Directive 1999/74/EC allows non-cage systems and furnished cages. Furnished cages therefore represent a feasible alternative to battery cages in the EU after 2012. Under the directive, furnished cages must provide at least the following: 750 cm2 per hen, of which 600 cm2 is 45 cm high, a nest, a littered area for scratching and pecking, 15 cm of perch and 12 cm of food trough per hen and a claw shortening device. Austria banned battery cages in 2009 and is set to ban furnished cages by 2020. Belgium has also banned the battery cage – and proposes to ban furnished cages by 2024. Germany has introduced a ‘family cage’, which has more space than the furnished cages used in other countries, however, consumers in Germany have been rejecting these eggs. Outside the EU, Switzerland has already banned both the battery and furnished cage systems.[2] In February 2010, the Polish government formally requested the EU to delay enacting Directive 1999/74/EC by 5 years until 2017,[3] however, this was unsuccessful. According to figures submitted to the European Commission in 2011, 14 countries were expected to be battery cage free by 1 January 2012. However, six states including Portugal, Poland and Romania admitted they would not be ready, while Spain and Italy, among others, did not know or would not say whether they will meet the deadline.[4] In France one third of egg producers have gone out of business and according to figures of the UGPVB (the industry association) 5% of producers were still not compliant as of January 2012 and have had their licences withdrawn.[5] This has led to fears that cheaper, illegal eggs, particularly liquid egg products, from non-compliant states will flood the market undercutting compliant egg producers. John Dalli, the EU health commissioner, has issued legal warnings to 13 countries over their lack of readiness or effort to enforce the ban.[6] The 13 member states already found to be in breach of the directive are: Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Spain, Greece, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and the Netherlands.[7] Oh Fuck!

Michael Caine

Err Toby Maguire

Chocolat

Used already. A few times actually.

Can't have fun anymore. On a site of social media I was relating a particularly happy memory of a Christmas season, where we spent the afternoon in a UK town centre ancient and well known pub, really enjoying ourselves. There was a particularly grumpy barman (or landlord) in there with rather a pronounced case of Rhinophyma.... rosacea, often called boozer's nose. We were all having rather a fun time irritating him by singing 'Rudolph the red nosed reindeer'.... totally in season! I just got a comment on social media asking if I realized I was bullying him?

Constantine

I had a similar report from Pattaya, although you have to pick it up the next day.

Tukcom on Tai, Harbor Mall on Klang, Numchai on Sukhumvit, just North of Klang far side. But most people seem to like Lazada for price..

You seem to match and sometime exceed the requirements listed here for a single entry! 2. DOCUMENTS REQUIRED Passport or travel document with validity not less than 6 months Visa application form completely filled out (download / online fill-in) Recent( 4 x 6 cm.) photograph of the applicant. Evidence of travel (air/bus ticket IN and OUT Thailand) - Copy of confirmed or reserved round-trip ticket from the airline - The ticket must show the applicant’s name. - E-mail bookings with no ticket number or PNR number will not be accepted - In case of impossible to show the ticket with the applicant's name, please show the receipt of the evidence of travel. Accomodation / Place of stay **Copy of confirmed hotel reservation - Proof of accommodation to stay covering at least half of the trip with complete information. - Hotel reservation must start from the date of arrival into Thailand. - The name of the person (including family members with children or accompanying person names) applying for visa must appear on the hotel reservation. **For applicants staying with friends/family members with accommodation in Thailand, please provide the following documents: - If the person you are staying with is a Thai Nationality, please provide a copy of his/her Thai Identity card and copy of Thai house registration - If the person you are staying with is a foreigner living in Thailand, please provide a copy of passport, copy of Thai work permit, copy of accommodation ownership documents or rental agreement Evidence of adequate finance (20,000 Baht per person and 40,000 Baht per family) 40 USD for Single-Entry Not sure how strict they are wrt having proven transport out of Thailand after 60 days.... might be worth having a booking to show them. I have heard of them accepting a booking which shows a 90 day stay, but if it is a throw away booking, perhaps 60 is safer.

The Beach.

Sadly, prequels sometimes lose credibility when actors who when older, are supposed to be playing a younger character than previously. In the case of BB and BCS, Mike/ Johnathan Banks looks near geriatric, but is supposed to be a tough guy!

Too easy....in my top 5 too! Meat Loaf

Game of Thrones is good if you like Lord of the Rings, mixed with a touch of Harry Potter....... and a bit of gratuitous nudity. Very much an epic. Hard to say who will like it, I thought over-hyped but worthy. I agree with you about the Sopranos., loved it too, but I do like the gangster type things. Did you try Boardwalk Empire? I even went back into history and watched I Claudius.

Our politicians have let us down,. For too many years they sat back and let Brussels wave the stick and now can do nothing themselves. A sad state in Britain's time and i had such hopes for it. Fuck em!

The blue-blooded Helena Bonham Carter.

It is good, but far from 'Breaking Bad'.... It deals with the time prior to BB, but never seems to go anywhere, and feels like 3 or so concurrent, loosely related plots. Slightly quirky, but watchable.

Oasis has a scribbled sign, if I recall correctly it said 'Make New Open Soon' If you want short changing meanwhile you can buy beer from the nearby 7-11. Pheromones was still chained up last Wednesday, but a sole farang was rattling the door as I passed and a Thai lady sitting in-front said to him, 'Closed, will open soon'. Perhaps she knows more than most, I never heard why it had been closed in the first place. Thanks for entertaining me another morning Monkeyman.

Elizabeth