Firepole

He suffered from vitiligo. It is a loss of melanin which can cause blotches of "bleached out" areas on the skin. On blacks it is, obviously, highly noticeable and there is no cure. An option is to have the skin on the entire body, or at least the visible parts, bleached for a uniform look. This he did. I can't fault him for this. The other shit that he did was just fucked up and his own, whacked out, decision. No loss except to those who can overlook the actions of a pedophile just because he could perform. Those mindless bottom dwellers can attend his concerts in Hell.

...and young boys the world over breathe a sigh of relief.

.

I give you permission to assume that if you like. Truth be told, if I wanted to engage in conversation on that level I'd go to my neighbors. They've got preschoolers. Besides, I'd hate to keep you from cataloging and archiving every post made by your pal from Philly. I'd never keep someone from something that defines him in life. Now, as you're prone to do, you'll probably want to come back with something cute. Try responding to the 2nd and 3rd sentence of this post with something like "I don't think you could handle a conversation on a higher intellectual level". Be honest, it crossed your mind. If not, you're slipping. Whatever your response, be sure to include the obligatory smilie. Without it the minions like jacko will only rock back and forth quickly and miss out on the visual stimulation that causes them to clap their hands at the same time. To the OP. I realized that I perpetuated a thread fucking. If you're still following this you don't really need to say it in Thai(if you do, even better). When you pick up, or are handed, the menu saying something like "I don't know. You come back in two minutes" should suffice. Very polite hand gestures to aid in your point might help. Of course, more often than not I've had to try to get their attention 5+ minutes later to come and take my order. They're probably busy putting snot in my food, although, I can't be sure because, as you may have heard, I can't tell the difference because, well... I can't even get it out! I'll piss myself from laughing!! Ohhh, that CT. What a rascal. He's as funny as Jan Murray! I'm done.

Missed the point, eh?

???

Looks as if Wikipedia is unavailable and the Chiang Mai Blowhard(a.k.a. joekicker) is throwing a tantrum because he's got nowhere to cull his experience and knowledge from and then dazzle the rest of us with his cut&paste techniques. For those of you that don't like to accept things that may annoy or irritate, you should follow the Blowhard's example and just bend over and take things as they come without complaint or, stick your tail between your legs and go elsewhere like he did and THEN bend over and take things the way they come without complaint. Only after transplanting yourself because you can't accept the culture you were born into do you have the right to complain about someone's request for a phrase that would provide a simple, polite solution to aid him, a person used to a different way of doing things, in avoiding the annoyance of a server hovering over him. This will also give you the right to do things like putting down an entire state made up of God knows how many different cultures such as that "xhithole California" just because they do things differently than the way you prefer(until then, the privilege of complaining about the way things are done in another country/culture is limited to the CMB). And, you can then also consider yourself intelligent and diverse enough to define something like a server hovering over you as one of the "exotic difference's" of a foreign culture. Don't you idio... people know that the servers are just putting forth cultural tradition learned over the centuries at Sizzler Restaurants throughout Thailand?? What the fuck is next? Are you going to complain because they dig snot out of their nose as if there's a prize involved just because YOU come from a culture where this has been proven to be unsanitary? Ridiculous! How dare you! You should either accept the exotic differences of a culture, such as learning to happily eat the remnants of nose mining(as, I'm sure, the Blowhard will proudly agree he's been able to do), or, as has been so diplomatically suggested, find a flight out. Be cautious though. You might end up in a place so fucked up that it actually maintains it's own culture with out forcing visitors to accept it as there own.

All of them.

Nana Hotel. Just to be able to say you did.

Don't overlook staying in Kowloon. Transportation in HK is unbelievably efficient. Even to go across the harbor. I tried to get a room at the YMCA Salisbury but they were booked up. It's directly across the street from the waterfront, bus and Star Ferry terminal, and the Peninsula Hotel(High Tea at "The Pen" and a drink in "The Bar" is a must). DO NOT be put off because its called a YMCA. This place is a hotel. I did stop in to check it out and look at a room. I will be my first choice(again) on my next trip provided I can secure a reservation. Read the reviews. www.Tripadvisor.com will help you with this or most any other hotel. Because it was full I ended up staying at the MetroPark Hotel Kowloon(there's also one in Causeway Bay). It's in the Mongkok section and there is a bus stop directly in front of the hotel although you must cross the street when catching the bus going towards the waterfront(Rt# 7 I think). The hotel also has a free shuttle to a couple of places, i.e. markets, waterfront, etc... Everyone says the subway is also super efficient but I chose to remain above ground to see the sights. MP Kowloon has a heated rooftop pool that might be closed in Jan.& Feb., and clean, decent rooms although, because it's HK, they're a little small. I will gladly stay here again if the Salisbury YMCA is booked. I didn't get one but look into an "Octopus" card for transportation. In short, don't worry too much about what section of HK you stay in. You will be all over the place anyhow so, regardless of what hotel you stay in, you will be close to some things and not so close(but still not far) to others. The really important thing is to get a decent hotel on a bus route or near a subway station and you'll be all set. Taxi's are plentiful and relatively inexpensive when you're loaded up with the days shopping buys. Google Maps has HK in it. You might want to get up early, take the ferry, and spend a full day in Macau. Just a thought. Shop around for room rates: www.agoda.com www.asiarooms.com are just a couple. I've booked through both and haven't had a problem. Have a good time.

GODDAMNED AMERICANS! Always fucking something up!

Maybe I'm not reading your post correctly but, your employer is going to give you an "allowance" equal to their cost for a trip from Tampa to Turkey for you do with as you please(as long as you get to Turkey)? If that is the case, would they even need to see documentation? None of this answers your question though. As "The Mook" said, it depends on your size. If you can comfortably sit in a coach class seat with no elbow room for 1 hour(LAS-LAX)**, 15 hours(LAX-TPE), 4 hours(TPE-BKK) then you know the answer. Me, at 6'3", 249lbs, I would have a hard time crammed in a coach seat with, no doubt, the 4'11" Chinese woman in front of me who insists on keeping her seat in the fully reclined position for the entire flight. Is it worth it for me for the extra leg room and a little wider seat? Without a doubt, yes. Food? All airline food sucks no matter what class is flown. In flight entertainment? On the 777 I understand it's decent no matter where you sit. Probably not a deal maker/breaker. If cost of the ticket is a concern you might want to check EVA flights from LAX-BKK instead of LAS-BKK. With enough advance purchase you can get $49 flights on Southwest from LAS-LAX. They fly that route roughly every 60-90minutes. You'd have to take a feeder airline from Vegas to LA anyhow as EVA doesn't fly out of LAS. So, same-same but maybe a little cheaper. ** The LAS-LAX portion would be economy class regardless of what airline you ticketed with.

The colder, the better. For whatever reason, I tend to drink very cold beer quicker than I do beer that isn't quite as cold. Yes, I drink more and, it costs me more but, I'm happy and, so is my local bar owner. All draft lines(coiled) should end immediately after they exit a barrel of ice water or chiller. It makes no sense to chill tap lines and then have the last two feet exposed to room temperature air before it hits the spigot. If it's slow or, you're the only one drinking that brand, it's going to get warm in the lines before it's poured. Once it starts to get warm it rapidly loses its carbonation as it's poured. Not even a frozen glass will replace that. Bottled beer should be kept, almost frozen, in a reach down cooler to prevent the cold air from "rolling out" every time the door slides open the way it does in a stand-up cooler. All glasses(thicker is better, i.e., mugs) should be kept in a freezer and a new one should be used for each beer. Those that enjoy beer not quite as cold(the minority, I'd bet) can always wrap their hand around the glass for a couple of minutes before drinking the first one and ask that the same "warm" glass be used for the next beer(s). Bottom line: I will pay more for ice cold, fresh beer. That's my two satangs worth. I think I'll get myself a beer. BTW, if there is a bar owner who'd like to do an experimental study on how fast beer is drunk, ice-cold vs. not-so-cold, I volunteer my services as guinea pig.

Interesting device. If you go to their website you can check your connection speed to see if it's compatible with it's use.

Thanks to Pete and "gettingno".

Thinking about including a trip to PI during my next trip(if I can make it) to LOS and will probably stay at the Pacific Breeze in AC based on other members reports and, what looks like, their re-bookings. I'll probably get an "Executive" or an "Executive Plus" room. My question: Is there anything special to request, or, request to avoid, when making the reservation(i.e. room #'s, hotel wing, etc...) I'll probably make a similar info request for Manila at a later date so, if you've got any advice on that, please add that too. Thanks up front.

BC, is there really a need to be an ass about helping someone out?

Bt1000 for a guest? That's insane. Never stayed there but I've heard it was popular with Jap/Chinese tourists so, they probably get the fee with no problem. For a decent room at a fairly reasonable price try the Soi 13 area, i.e., Dynasty Inn(NOT Dynasty Resort**), Whitehouse Condotel, Sandy Springs, etc... Book ASAP. It's a popular area. Convenient to everything, quickly, by baht bus. Good for 1st-timers and the experienced both. Enjoy. ** From what I understand, Dynasty Resort is nice also but it is not the one on Soi 13 but, rather, a little off the beaten path towards Jomtien. Same ownership as the Dynasty Inn but not as good of a locale, IMOH, for a 1st timer.

Hee Hee. That's fucking hilarious! Not quite as funny as a Children's Hospital on fire, but close. It's too bad he didn't use the bottle to cut his own throat and then bled all over the place. Think of all the publicity that would've garnered. The best thing is that customers could've been charged at least Bt200 for photos with the blood stains. More if he actually died! Crocodile Bar Soi 4. I'll pass. Is what's known as a "putz" here in the US the same thing as a "wanker" in the UK?

Something doesn't sound quite right. With all the bikes sitting around unlocked why would anyone take the chance of getting caught, by wasting time, stealing one that was chained up? Unless, of course, the "thief" could show ownership, and spare key, if questioned by the BIB about why he's "reposessing" the bike. If you're that worried about it just get the mess cleaned up for your own piece of mind. I'd go back to him and tell him you want to do the right thing and pay him for the bike but you no longer have the original Bt20,000 that you offered him. Tell him you can only offer him Bt15,000(or whatever) now and that you hope he takes it. Tell him you had unexpected expenses. I'll bet he'll think about the offer and then demand your original offer of Bt20,000. You might even be able to negotiate it down to a little less than Bt20,000 by saying you can "try" to get a couple/few thousand Baht over your new Bt15,000 over. Have your lawyer close the deal for you if the guy goes for it.

Ah, yes. With the uncanny reasoning ability you'd used earlier to decipher a coupon on a bus ticket and your latest demonstration of skills involving, not only selecting brightly colored smileys, but clicking on them also, makes me confident you'll do well in high school. When you get there in one or two years, that is. See, I can do it too.

Who gives a fuck. For any other person who is confused by what the writing on the ticket means, it is simply a discount coupon, for use at the Flipper, that is printed on your bus ticket. If you use it at the Flipper, fine. If you stay elsewhere you can't use the discount coupon because the discount is only good at the Flipper. There, enough said.

Wrong. It's for anyone no matter where you stay. I've used the service several times and I've never stayed at the Flipper. If you read the ticket you will see that it's a promotional advertisement that offers a discount for lodging if you present the ticket at the Flipper. As far as the service is concerned, I like it and have never had a problem although I've only used it for service between Bangkok hotels to Pattaya and back again. I never used it to or from the airport. The operation seems suprisingly well organised. The number of pick-ups the mini-van makes is dependent upon the number of people picked up at each stop. Once it's full it goes to the coach terminal. The first time I used it from the Nana Hotel(Nana Tours Desk) the minivan picked up it's full load at the Nana(1st stop) and proceeded directly to the motorcoach terminal in Bangkok. You then transfer to the coach that takes you to the North Pattaya Rd. bus terminal where you transfer to minivans which will take you to your hotel. Depending on the schedule you might get minivan-to-motorcoach service or you might get minivan-to-minivan service. Some of the transfers are actually made on the side of the road. Gotta love this country. Yes, it can take extra time doing it this way but, myself, I make it a point not to have to hurry when I'm on vacation. One trip from Pattaya to Nana(almost last stop) took 3 1/2 -4 hours but I enjoyed it because I got to see a little of Bangkok. To each his own. A tip: The motorcoach does not have a toilet so piss before you leave the hotel and also while you're waiting(a short wait) at their terminal for the other minivans that will drop people to fill up the motorcoach. I don't know if he direct minivan stops along the route. Another tip: Keep an eye on your luggage to make sure it ends up, and stays, in the same minivan that you do. I didn't have a problem nor did I see any. I just like to avoid easily preventable mistakes and, you never know when some asshole is going to grab an extra piece of your luggage to keep for himself.

Buy and rent out at home(U.S.) and use the eventual proceeds in LOS.

Sailfast, Excellent job.