The Mook

Cheshire: You use guilt by association by 2 guys in different sports. Huh? Just because a baseball player lied a bicyclist must be guilty. Other riders who were detected as users could not beat Armstrong so he must be using some not yet detected substance? But you previously wrote even if he was on the "juice" the field was level so he's great anyway. Then you state if he really didn't dope up it's a more special achievement. Clarify for me please. I don't see users as great champions. How could they be? Why do you seem to think that could be?

I did not stick up for Lance simply because he is an American. This is not a Brit vs. USA debate. If Cheshire has said the same thing about Bjorn Borg and his 5 Wimbledon titles I would have used the same argument. Also, I think Ali was a great (maybe greatest) boxer, but we'll really never know about his all around athletic prowess. If you can site specific reasons, please let me know. I know very little about him outside the ring. MJ: One if the best b-ball players ever, but not close to being the greatest athelete. My reason: he tried his hand at baseball and could not cut it. It seemed obvious he wasn't getting better, too. He's a very good amatuer golfer, but I don't think he'd qualify for the PGA tour. So, that rules him out for me. Ruth: Possibly. He was a very good pitcher and fielder and actually could run well in his early years. His hand/eye and power stayed with him until retirement. He also had tremendous strength. Other great USA atheletes: Babe Didrikson (sp?), Florence Griffith Joiner.

Spike: My 3 favorites...Jackie Robinson, Carl Lewis or Jim Thorpe. I think Carl Lewis wins, though.

Tom: I just don't buy into your theory. Lots of riders during the drug scandals were booted from The Tour. Lance Armstrong was not. Someone has to set the new standard for a sport. He did it. He didn't come from nowhere and reduce his times by astonishing amounts. His victories did not increase in time every year; he does just enough to win. He has planned very carefully and refined his training and strategy relentlessly. His team is an intergral component of his individual success. Merckx and Indurain won 5 times in row, so this kind of dominance is not unheard of in the sport, nor in The Tour de France. To make such a strong accusation, it seems to me that you should back it up with strong evidence.

Why knock the guy? He trains harder than most guys on the tour; he also concentrates on winning this race almost exclusively. He has unlimited funds to gain every advantage. He has always said he will never have the resume of an Eddy Merckx, etc. He considers those people to be icons of his sport. He behaves in a sportsmanlike manner. Why can't a guy excel at something very specific? Seems to me he has extraordinary mental fortitiude, and may have been even more motivated to excel after coming so close to death. He leverages his physical advantages (larger heart and main artery that runs down center of torso into your kegs) by surrounding himself with managers and riders dedicated to helping him succeed. He also owns a piece of his team, which allows him more discretion to choose his people.

Boots.

PDQ Thai, also Thai for Beginners by Benjawan Poomsan Becker, 3rd choice Thai for Lovers by Nit & Jack Aree All 3 have a book accompanied by CDs. You have to immerse yourself in it. Listen in the car, while jogging or hanging out at the local coffee shop. When you're humming the music between takes, your getting enough exposure. MOOK

Arrange it ahead of time and you can get it done for 1200 baht...that's how I do it. I like having someone there to meet me and get straight down to PTY. khrong fa in pattaya can set it up for you ahead of time using email...

Krowdon: BG commoditize themselves so it's understandable. Here is an analogy: 1. Let's assume you own a coffee shop and have developed a cliente that are loyal to your shop. They're your "regulars." 2. Then, another coffee shop is opened by someone else on the same block where your place is located. 3. One day you see your "regulars" giving the new place a try. 4. All of a sudden you're not so happy with the "regulars". Maybe you're thinking: "What the f*ck is going on here; my coffee's no good anymore?" It's a blow to your pride since you take pride in running a great shop that gives people a good bang for the baht. Same with TGs. They believe the time you spend with them is a commodity. So, when you are seen with TG #2 after you're spent some time with TG #1, it's a problem. Perhaps TG #1 is thinking: "What the f*ck, my puki's no good anymore?" She may take pride in her work, and in providing a service that gives punters a good bang for their baht. No pun intended.

Seems right to me. They had a losing record. They lack leadership. They don't play like a team. It's teams that make the playoffs, not a uniform.

Discount Airlines Spread Wings Across Asia By WAYNE ARNOLD April 24, 2005 TOMORROW, Asia's first low-cost carrier, three-year-old Air Asia, is scheduled to make its maiden flight into mainland China, inaugurating a route from Bangkok to Xiamen. The fare is less than $50. The new route underscores where the region's budget airline industry is going. After mushrooming across Southeast Asia in the past year, discount carriers are rapidly spreading to tap great numbers of potential passengers in China and India. There, low-cost airlines based in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand will compete with domestic budget carriers that are cropping up in both countries. For the cost-conscious traveler, this expansion is creating a network of cheap international connections that make flying around Asia less costly than ever. "It's happened extraordinarily quickly," said Peter Harbison, managing director of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation in Sydney. Only a year ago, he said, "there was a majority feeling that these carriers would not survive." Back then, many industry observers said the model used by Ryanair that has been followed by other budget carriers in Europe and in the United States would not work across a region as diverse as Asia. The population was too poor, they argued, and the list of potential routes was limited by thorny international agreements. They were wrong. Now there are more than 15 discount airlines flying from Tianjin to Bombay. What the doubters had not anticipated was the pent-up demand for travel between points separated by water. "It's unlike Europe, where airlines have to compete with high-speed rail or the autobahn," said Anthony Chin, a transportation economist at the National University of Singapore. Instead, no-frills airlines offer a quicker alternative to run-down and often dangerously overcrowded buses, ferries and trains. Since 2002, Air Asia, which is based in Malaysia, has expanded its fleet from two Boeing 737's flying domestic routes there to 30 aircraft flying to Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and now China. It has a subsidiary based in Bangkok and another in Jakarta. The success of Air Asia has spawned imitators. In Singapore alone, there are three new discount carriers - Valuair, Tiger Airways and JetStar Asia. The market is potentially enormous. The Center for Asia Pacific Aviation says that there are 235 cities in Asia with 339 airports capable of receiving the short-haul Boeing 737's and Airbus A320's favored by no-frills airlines. The fares are enticing. Valuair flies from Singapore to Hong Kong, a three-hour, 45-minute flight, for as little as $130 round trip. And while a seat on the full-service Singapore Airlines from Singapore to Bangkok costs roughly $180, without airport taxes, Air Asia recently advertised promotional fares on that route for $2.40. The Bangkok-Singapore corridor has, in fact, become a hotly contested route largely because Singapore and Thailand have dropped regulatory restrictions on each other's airlines as the two countries compete to become the air hub for Southeast Asia. Kuala Lumpur is also vying for this position and both the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Changi International Airport in Singapore are building terminals to handle low-cost carriers. Farther north, the Hong Kong and Macau airports are competing to become the budget hub into China. But there are indications that the budget carriers may bypass both cities to fly directly to points inside China. Air Asia, for example, plans to add flights from Bangkok to Kunming and Chengdu this year. Nok Air, the discount subsidiary of Thai Airways International, plans to fly from Bangkok to Shenzhen. China's regulators recently began allowing any company with at least three aircraft to operate an airline. That cleared the way for the debut in March of China's first domestic low-cost carrier, Okay, which flies from Tianjin to Kunming and Changsha. At least three other Chinese budget carriers are planning to begin operating this year. India's government has also opened its aviation sector to competition. Already the success of India's first discount airline, Air Deccan, has lured new entrants. Air-India, a national carrier, launched its low-cost subsidiary Air-India Express this year with routes from Delhi, Mumbai, Cochin and Trivandrum to the Persian Gulf. In May, two more budget carriers, Kingfisher Airlines and SpiceJet, plan to start operations. The process is not entirely smooth, however. Air Asia, for instance, has accused Singapore of protecting Changi airport by preventing the Thai carrier from busing passengers to the cheaper Malaysian airport in nearby Johor Bahru, even arresting its drivers on one occasion. For veterans of budget air travel, there will be few surprises - delays, pushy passengers and restrictions on changing reservations are common. But some carriers are blurring the line between no-frills and full service. For example, Valuair, the Singapore carrier, offers reserved seating and free in-flight meals, and flies as far as Perth, Australia, six hours away, for as little as $170. Yet, at the same time - and unlike their predecessors elsewhere - Asia's discount airlines are opting to buy new aircraft. Kingfisher and Air Asia, for example, recently signed deals to buy new Airbus A320's. The biggest headache may be the fact that, to save on agent fees, these airlines generally don't provide information to online agencies such as Expedia or Travelocity; so prospective passengers must visit each airline's Web site and keep track of rapidly changing route networks. Travelers should also make sure that the airline they choose is still around when the time comes to travel. Analysts warn that a shakeout is looming, and the proliferation of budget airlines has already created a shortage of pilots, technicians and flight crew. High oil prices are another problem. The full-service airlines aren't sitting idly by, either. Last month, the full-service carrier, Singapore Airlines, offered Internet fares to points around Asia for the no-frills sounding price of just $60.

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/trav...print&position=

http://www.weatherchannel.com

No.

Short ad/review for the Sabai Inn. I was there April 2 thru 9 2005: I consider the Inn the best place to stay in north Pattaya. The Inn has it's own pool, and you get the run of the lodge's pools, too. You just have to walk across Soi 2. Not a big deal for me. I always ask for a room on 3rd or 4th floor. I like it higher up because it is more quiet at night. Cheaper, larger rooms than lodge: superior rooms have coffee maker and full bath for 850 baht low season rate. Includes small desk area and 2 chairs with queen size bed (firm matress) and small table to make coffee/tea. Baht bus outside door, big C and beer bars just up Soi 2. Good security and very good housekeeping and an in-room safe. Snooker and pool tables (very good condition) in lobby. Courteous staff: they treat you and your TG with respect and are consistently pleasant. Complimentary tea in snooker room with assorted pastries twice per week. Excellent value for the money. Recommended. Here is website --> http://www.sabaiinn.com MOOK

This article from The Nation: THAI offers new Bangkok-New York flight Published on Apr 22 , 2005 Thai Airways International Plc has introduced a new Bangkok-New York flight trip, the shortest trip time of only 16.50 hours. According to Kanok Apiradee, President of THAI, the company will launch the inbound and outbound flight between Bangkok and New York by new 340-500 Airbus planes this May 1. There will be six flights per week, except on Monday, on the new route. The passenger cabin of the plane has a new interior design and decoration and is equipped with visual and audio appliances for entertainment. THAI expects the number of tourist arrivals from the US will increase to 650,000 from 450,000 per year, Kanok said. The airline is confident the Bangkok-New York flight will attract passengers, especially from Bangkok-Hanoi-Hochimin and other cities due to the shortest trip time of all the available flights in this region, Kanok added. The number of passengers is projected to be about 70 per cent each flight in the first operation year and should rise to 75-80 per cent in the second year.

If you think you were screwed by Syracuse, Kansas just took a ride up your pooper.

Livermore: I hear you. Promotional fares are often only a few seats per flight and very difficult to book; they must get snapped up almost immediately. I spoke with my aunt who has worked in reservations at AA for about 20 years and she tells me there are no regulations (in Asia vs. US rules) regarding the minimum number of seats per flight that must be offrered at a posted 'sale' or 'promotional' rate. She checked with a few members of AA's frequent flyer "buddy airlines". That may be key. I doubt very much you will ever see those fares on the Internet. MOOK

Don't forget The Admiral Suites on Suk Soi 22. Across the street from the Imperial Queen's Park.

livermore & torrenova: did not mean to upset you when I cut and pasted the NYT article (it is unabridged). One possibility is that a person may have to CALL a representative and ask if any promotional fares are being offered. I doubt these fares would be posted on the internet. We have a similar phenomenon here is the USA with hotel rates, unless you specifically ask for a promotional rate, you get quoted the standard rate. Just a guess, mook

This article from The New York Times may help shed some light on low cost asian airlines. By NELLIE HUANG Special to THE WALL STREET JOURNAL February 25, 2005 As a busy marketing consultant, Michael Corcoran spends more time in the air than he does at home in Bangkok. But all that flying around the world adds up, and since he started his own consulting company, Mr. Corcoran has been eager to find cheap flights. "I'm living on a budget," he says. So in mid-February, when he wanted to book a trip to Koh Samui, he started searching for a low fare. In the end, he scored a $50 round-trip ticket on Bangkok Airways. "You can't beat that. It's so inexpensive," says Mr. Corcoran. In the past two years, at least six new low-cost Asian carriers have taken off, some with backing from larger airlines. Among them are Jetstar Asia Airways (backed by Qantas), Tiger Airways (backed by Singapore Airlines), Valuair and AirAsia. And this month, a new budget start-up, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, announced plans to begin flying to Europe from Hong Kong later this year. Some of the fares are remarkable, with prices often at least half that of a major carrier. Recent pre-tax specials include a one-way flight on no-frills Bangkok Airways to Phuket from Bangkok for $43. A one-way special on Jetstar Asia to Singapore from Hong Kong was less than $25. And a round-trip fare on Tiger Airways to Bangkok from Singapore was $12.20. With prices so low travelers might wonder whether these airlines have invented a new sort of cattle class -- even worse than economy -- to cut costs. But while there are indeed pitfalls to flying these airlines -- getting their best rates often requires persistence -- they do offer real savings. No-frills Flying First off, a warning: These are no-frills airlines, and what you save in fares may cost you, literally, in other ways. On most carriers that means no assigned seats, so there's no guarantee of sitting next to the aisle. AirAsia and Jetstar Asia, for instance, charge extra for food and drinks. What's more, most airlines cut costs by eliminating business class so they can squeeze more economy seats onto the plane. And say good-bye to any frequent-flier programs -- they are too expensive for most of these airlines to run. Also, watch how much you pack: The weight limits for check-in baggage on some budget airlines are lower than on the major carriers. AirAsia, Tiger Airways and Lion Air have a 15-kilogram limit for all check-in bags. Cathay Pacific Airways, by contrast, has a 20-kilogram limit. (Expect to pay about $3 extra per kilogram for any excess baggage when flying budget.) All told, little changes like these add up to a cost structure that is 20% to 30% lower than the bigger airlines, according to Peter Harbison, managing director of aviation consulting group, the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation. "When the big boys think they can knock AirAsia out of the market by discounting, they are getting into a bleeding contest that they can't win," Mr. Harbison contends. Not that the big boys are necessarily sweating bullets. For one thing, says Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Carolyn Leung, budget airlines can't compete with the likes of Cathay Pacific in terms of transporting cargo -- "a key revenue component for Asia carriers" -- because they fly smaller planes. "We intend to remain a full-service network carrier because that is what we do best. That said," Ms. Leung adds, "we always monitor the market closely and will keep all our options open." New Destinations And, truth be told, in many cases low-cost carriers aren't even competing with the big boys -- they fly to places that aren't directly serviced by major airlines, such as Koh Samui in Thailand, or Terengganu in Malaysia. The goal is to create new "destinations" by wooing travelers with cheap flights, says Mr. Harbison. This, in a nutshell, is the model that made Ryanair, the budget European airline, so successful. So far in Malaysia, where AirAsia operates most of its flights, that model is working, says Mr. Harbison. Bear in mind that budget airlines, like the major carriers, also have their own hubs that travelers must pass through to catch the flights. Singaporeans have several budget airlines using Changi International Airport as their hub -- Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways and Valuair. But Hong Kong isn't a budget airline hub, so residents usually have to fly elsewhere to take advantage of cheap flights. And while Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta have the AirAsia and Lion Air hubs, respectively, in each case the bulk of the flights offered are only domestic. Like all airlines, budget carriers offer promotions. Tiger Airways, Bangkok Airways and Valuair each offer subscriptions to e-mail newsletters that carry deals. Otherwise, to find the best deals it's probably best to contact the airline call centers. This goes for fact-finding as much as for booking. While the Web sites of budget airlines might leap to mind when considering booking, in some cases the online systems can be confusing and poorly maintained. That's surprising because such airlines supposedly save money by leveraging the Internet. But try to reserve a Singapore to Hong Kong trip on Valuair's Web site, for instance, and it spits out a complicated fare structure -- Flexi (, Flexi (M), Saver (W), etc. -- that users have to sift through before figuring out prices. Alternatively, the sites can be aggravating and slow, such as Lion Air's, which has some pages still "under construction." Just before the Lunar New Year, Jennifer Yuen tried to book a Tiger Airways flight to Phuket from Singapore online. "Half the time the booking engine wasn't working," says Ms. Yuen, director of a boutique property-development company in Singapore. "And then another time, I could see some promotional fares and then called call centers only to be told there weren't (such) fares available." Quick Access Yet when Ms. Yuen called the airline back later that day, the customer service representatives said there were actually plenty of the promotional fares left. She booked a $6.09 (one-way, pre-taxes) ticket to Phuket immediately. Finally, perhaps the best thing about this growing crop of airlines is that travelers now have more options to fly directly to cities that once typically required a connection. Sure, Thai Airways flies to Phuket from Singapore, but you have to connect in Bangkok and it will take at least five hours. Tiger Airways will get you there in two hours by flying directly to Phuket from Singapore. And later this year, the new Oasis Hong Kong Airlines plans to fly direct to some European cities that currently require a connection in Frankfurt or London. For some travelers, these discount fares could turn out to be dangerously expensive. With one-way flights as low as $25 in some cases, you could fly from Singapore to Bangkok and go shopping for the day. "I've considered it," says Ms. Yuen. "With these low airfares it's now cheaper to take the flight and buy your stuff there than to go to the local shopping center and buy the same stuff."

FYI: I live in Southern California, and we have some outstanding Mexican food here. Authentic cuisine and family style restaurants abound. Some are run by 1st generation people: Bring a hankie bacause your nose will run and your forehead will sweat.

Johnny K...the offensive/defensive lineman position is specialized. Bulk is a necessary ingredient, without it you lose effectiveness. Even the most lean OL/DL will weigh more than 280 lbs. Just the way it is. The average line man is about 2 meters tall and weighs in excess of 300 pounds. Also, there are lineman with moblity, but when then "pull" on a sweep they run about 20 to 25 yards max. The quickest linemen in the league can run 40 yards in 4.50 seconds. Picture that coming at you wearing 20 pounds of equipment and I think you get the picture. They don't need to run any more than that, so they create the build that maximizes strength and mobility. P.S. They're smart, too. It's a position that requires as much brains as brawn; requires lots of teamwork.

Seating as follows: with 3 classes the A380 seats 555...with one class (Economy) it seats 900 (from NYT). I find it highly unlikely you will see the 1 class formation. First and business class seats make lots of cash for airlines.

At least the game was better than the half-time show, A 60+ year old rocker singing songs to kids who weren't even an itch in their daddy's pants when they were penned. Pathetic...if this is what rock 'n rolll has become, we're in deep trouble.