MeGoDanceNow

At 45 you are just hitting your peak earning years. It sounds like you've got a good start, keep working, save what you can, invest in things you understand and you will do just fine. A lot of people your age don't have savings at all, they have debt, and lots of it. Now THAT'S scary.

Manny is awesome. You can see him analyzing his opponent for the first round or so. Then he moves in and dismantles, taking all the time in the world. A credit to the sweet sport.

Why did this topic get moved? Bloody hell Martin, is the neverending Cheap Charlie/LDOP debate the only topic permitted in the Members Bar? Maybe change the section name to Too Much Too Little?

The pool at View Talay 2A is excellent value as it is a big kidney-shaped pool with tables and deck chairs, and it's absolutely free if you live or own there. The occasional topless spinner from east Europe is an added bonus.

I had a similar experience this month. Maybe I'm just a dumb-ass. I had paid extra in Japan for what I thought was an open ticket. (This is because they give me a hassle at the airport in Tokyo if I don't have a visa but the ticket is for longer than 30 days.) So I tried to change the departure date in Pattaya and was told I couldn't!!! WTF? I called my agent in Japan and he said, oh sure, you can change to an EARLIER date, but of course there's no question of changing to a LATER one. Laughing on the phone, as if nobody could ever imagine such a thing possible, and why would anyone want such a strange thing anyway!!! Punk motherfucker.

Stepping in front of a baht bus is generally safe. They look for excuses to slow down so they can troll for passengers.

Nice work as always O Simian of the Seaside. Thanks.

An actual American Express commercial featuring Conan O'Brien.

Did the Ugly Brothers open for them singing Brown Ice Ghoul? (sorry)

Have been detained by urgent business over the past week but I'll be happy to lend my weight to a recon sometime in the next few days.

The dollar is toast. Put your money in anything else, while you can.

Short-term, headed down, due to uncertainty re the deficit and coalition government. After a year or two, headed higher, as the results of austerity measures start to become clear. I'd rather be holding pounds than greenbacks, personally. Disclosure: Have neither. Buy gold and silver, that's your best bet.

You know, it very well might be. In many cases condo prices and rents are falling into line -- if you buy a good condo as an investment, you can now expect to make your money back in eight years. This was not the case even a couple of years ago. If you're looking to diversify out of the pound, so much the better. The baht will probably remain strong because the fundamentals of this country are right. Also, there is some sign of a bubble in farmland prices forming worldwide, and if that's the case condo prices will probably be supported as well. That's my opinion, worth every penny you paid for it.

Kick the bitch to the kerb. A Thai chick would say thank you, sell the vacuum cleaner and buy gold.

Here's another funny one. What is it between you Brits and Ozzies anyway?

Not to mention guys like me who get paid in yen! Holding steady at 37 baht per 100 yen. That same 100 yen buys $1.25 US now. It was 28 baht per 100 yen when I bought my condo...

Top-shelf thinking! Apparently the animal activists got upset. Bundaberg responds...

Cafe Pittini on Soi Buakhao used to make great coffee. The original owner sold up so I'm not sure if it's still as good but it certainly has a lot of punters so I reckon they're doing something right.

Hmm, I'll bite... Canada Australia Japan Taiwan Hong Kong Macao China South Korea Germany Serbia Dominican Republic Brazil Colombia Philippines Sweden Russia Indonesia Malaysia Cambodia Vietnam Laos Spain Kenya Thailand (how could I forget?) ... including MANY I'm not proud of.

It seems to be one of the iron laws of the Internet.... When somebody calls someone else a "retard" on the Internet, the next opinion out of their mouths is one of breathtaking stupidity! Like BigD says, son, try carrying that shit onto the plane OR off of it and you're looking for a heap of trouble. Britain's laws on personal use of contraband are exceptionally liberal -- don't expect the same approach overseas.

Come to think of it, why not just stick with beer? It makes me more confident, better looking, more popular, and a better singer, and it makes all the women around me look better too!

Yes, and while you're at it, can anybody name a good yaba dealer, preferably with his address and phone number? Nice try, officer. Edit: Yes, I know you're not really a nark, but FFS are you not aware that those things are illegal? Est denken dann schreiben!

Lightweight. I keep a 42-pounder of Vat 69 beside my bed just to steady my hands when I wake up. That's hard to carry around so I pour some Sangsom into a coffee thermos and carry it to the beer bar, they always pour light for some reason and I need to spike my drinks with something. I don't have much for lunch as it leaves little room for the piss and I can't hold any food down anyway. Usually I choke down a chocolate bar for energy and sit outside the am/pm until the BIB move me along or my thermos runs dry. About this time I start seeing things, and when I cry out passersby get annoyed, so I head back to my fan room for a nap. A nip of cooking sherry (no more than half a bottle or so) dulls the ache in the small of my back, which I reckon is where my liver is, and when I wake up I down a couple paracetamol to kill the headache and strike out to enjoy the bright lights of the city. Can't tell you much about the early evening phase of the day as I rarely remember it and only have the usual gashes and bruises for a clue as to what I've been up to. It's only when I wake up in the hospital or the soi 9 lockup that I get any info on what I was doing with my dwindling band of friends. (I used to read about it in the Pattaya Mail but I can't really see straight anymore.) By that time the pubs that offer breakfast are starting to open and it's time to start all over again!

Hang on till Monday when they change the rates.