Evil Penevil

A couple of things to note. Frankie Laine didn't sing the theme to the TV series Champion the Wonder Horse (called The Adventures of Champion in the U.S.). He was supposed to record it, but missed a flight and the production company used a studio singer named Mike Stewart who had a similar voice to Laine but was uncredited. Laine later released a recording of the theme song that became popular in the U.K. Many people assumed Laine had sung the title song of the series, which is exactly what the studio wanted. Laine was much more popular in the U.K. than the U.S. and still holds some records for weeks on the U.K. charts. Neither Elvis nor the Beatles were able to break them. Lisa Loring, who played Wednesday Addams in the 1964 TV series, later fell on hard times and got involved on the fringes of the porn industry as a script writer and make-up artist. She met male porn star Jerry Butler on the set of Traci's Big Trick (a fictional biography of Traci Lords) in 1987 and married him the same year. She became heroin addict and it took her some years to get clean. She now does Addams Family nostalgia events and has had a few B movie roles. Complicating things was the fact that a porn actress used the name Lisa Loring, but it's not the same person. Evil

Cucumber has three sections for seating: an al fresco balcony that's great for people watching on Pattaya Tai; an indoor "fan room;" and an enclosed air-conditioned room. I haven't eaten breakfast there,but Cucumber has a lot of breakfast variations (American, English, German, French, Italian, Thai/Chinese and even Vietnamese) as well as specialty dishes like eggs Benedict and creamed mushrooms on toast. I plan on trying the creamed mushrooms soon.

Cucumber is located on Pattaya Tai between 2nd Road and Soi Bukhao. It's about 100 meters before Tukcom (diagonally across the street) when walking from 2nd Road. When I first moved to Pattaya, I lived very close to Cucumber and ate there quite a bit. I never had a bad meal and Thai girls loved it, but after I moved to another part of town, I seldom found my way back. Until this week, I hadn't there for over a year. On Monday, I tried the grilled sea bass at 230 baht. Cucumber offers "international dishes" s well as Thai food, including Isaan specialities It came with a potato pancake, salsa and a slice of garlic bread. The potato pancake was well-seasoned and the salsa was a a good accompaniment, to it. Sea bass has a delicate flavor that doesn't need much in the way of sauce or seasoning. It was cooked perfectly. The risk with sea bass is that it is often overcooked so it looses its texture. I was very happy with that meal. The portion wasn't huge, but what it lacked in size it made up in flavor. If you're really hungry want a more substantial meal, you can always order soup , salad or several other starters from Cucumber's extensive menu. Last night I had the 200-gram charcoal grilled sirloin steak with vegetables and grilled potato for 340 baht. It came with pepper sauce in a gravy boat (yea! I hate it when sauce or gravy is poured directly on a steak) and a slice of garlic bread. It was Thai beef, but still pretty tender and had a lot of flavor. It wasn't at the standard of imported U.S. or Australian beef, nor had I expected it to be. It was nicely grilled, although I wished the sides of the steak had been seared more. I'd asked for the steak to be cooked "medium rare" and that's what I got. When I saw the potato, I thought it might have been undercooked because of the color, but It was OK. The vegetables were usual mix, but were cooked al dente and didn't have all the flavor boiled out of them. I tasted the pepper sauce, but it was unremarkable, so I didn't use it. I had no reason to complain about my steak dinner, but I doubt I'll order it again. The sea bass was excellent; the steak was OK and the side dishes uninspired. There are better choices to make from the menu at Cucumber than steak. Evil

National Velvet was the movie that made Taylor a star at age 12. The name of the horse in the film was The Pie, short for Pirate. My Friend Flicka (flicka is the Swedish word for girl) was another popular horse movie that starred a young Roddy McDowall, who also starred with Taylor in the first Lassie film. In the 1950s, a TV show based on the My Friend Flicka film was aired in the same time slot as Rin Tin Tin. That prompted a huge argument between my sister and myself over which show to watch. She wanted the horse series, I wanted Rinty. The situation was resolved by my sister watching her show at a neighbor's house where the kids favored horses. She was furious that My Friend Flicka was canceled after its first season, but Rin Tin Tin ran for another four years. Evil

When the Academy Awards began in 1929, Rin Tin Tin got the most votes as best male actor. However, the Academy wanted the awards to be taken seriously and said the winner had to be human. Rin Tin Tin silent films were hugely successful and saved the Warner Brothers studio from bankruptcy. The great grandson of the first Rin Tin Tin was supposed to play the role, but performed poorly in a screen test and was replaced with a more cooperative dog. Evil : Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I watched Rin Tin Tin every week as a kid until the Alcoa company took over as the sponsor and changed the name of the show to Rin Aluminum Aluminum. Evil

Late night supper at Secrets he other night: bacon, brie and cranberry sandwich. Good combination of flavors, sort of like brie en croute except on a baguette. I wish the cranberry component had been more pronounced. It cost 229 baht, which isn't cheap, but the brie and bacon were high quality.

The decision in the federal court doesn't bar the Washington team from using the name Redskins. Even if the case goes all the way to the Supreme Court and the team loses at every level (which would probably take 10 more years), it can still call itself the Washington Redskins and continue to use its existing logos. What's at stake is federal trademark protection, not the use of the word "redskin." Ironically, if the team loses in the end, it would mean that everybody is allowed to use the Washington Redskins name and logo, not that anyone is forbidden from using them. Should the team finally lose in the Supreme Court, then anyone could sell Washington Redskins name and logo on clothing, sports equipment, Web sites, toys, souvenir items, etc. with no risk of penalty in the federal courts. It's a complicated case and you can read more about it here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/judge-upholds-cancellation-of-redskins-trademarks-in-a-legal-and-symbolic-setback-for-team/2015/07/08/5a65424e-1e6e-11e5-aeb9-a411a84c9d55_story.html Until the appeals procedure is exhausted, nothing changes. The Redskins are still able to sue for trademark infringement as the court process grinds on. Evil

My answer would be "Fine," but of course opinions about physical attractiveness will always vary. Best way to get an idea is to visit the bar. Evil

Some pics from the July 4th BBQ at Chik N Coop. It was a great spread with all the dishes you'd expect at an American Independence Day picnic-style BBQ. In addition to the grilled burgers, hot dogs and chicken, Coop served up homemade cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, bean dip and chili con carne, plus all the fixings. There were several Thai dishes for those not so keen on U.S.. fare. The party was well-attended and everyone seemed to joy the food and companionship. Thanks Coop! Evil

I don't know any details about this year, but Coop at Chik N Coop (Smile Avenue beer bar complex across from Mike's Mall) and Skeeter at Sky Bar on Soi 6 usually have something special planned for the Glorious Fourth. (graphic and photo from the Net) Evil

"Deplane" has been part of the English language for nearly 100 years. It began as airline jargon in the 1920s and is still pretty much limited to describe getting off an airplane. It's even included in the Oxford Dictionary, albeit with the notation it is a North American term. "Deplane" was clearly patterned on "detrain" (also in the OED, dates from the 1880s). The development of new technology often leads to word usage that isn't always logical. No one thinks it strange that we "board" an aircraft, but that use of "board" has its origin in naval language, in the days when passengers got on a ship by means of a plank. Even embark and disembark have naval origins, ultimately from the Latin barca (a small ship). Even "debark" is a legitimate English verb. I've even heard that deplane originated in Pattaya when a certain BM stood on a beach in Jomtien and yelled, "De plane, boss! De plane!", but that's a false etymology, although perhaps the term "false entomology" might be more accurate in this particular case. In defense of deplane, it's a more specific term than "get off" in that it covers the actions from the time the passengers are free to leave the aircraft until they enter the terminal. One of the strengths of the English language has been the willingness of its speakers to accept new words, either through invention or borrowing from other languages. It's clear what deplane means, so what's the harm? Evil

I visited Aroi Pub and Resto on the Darkside for the first time on Sunday, June 21. I went with six other friends to try the all-you-can-eat chicken and ribs buffet for 259 baht. Aroi is a a spacious and comfortable restaurant, bright and very clean. It is indeed a pleasant setting for a meal. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing, very disappointing. That was the unanimous opinion of all the people in our group. The selection of food was limited, not particularly tasty and worst of all, cold or lukewarm. For some reason, the flames hadn't been lit under the chafing dishes, nor had they been covered. The chicken and ribs might have been OK if they had been warm. My quarter-chicken was cooked through, but another person in our group said his was still pink. Ick! The side dishes consisted of French fries and ried potatoes, cauliflower in a tasteless white sauce (NOT cheese) and peas with diced carrots. All were cold. Again, ick! There was also rather unimpressive salad table. Sauces and salad dressings were the only things that seemed plentiful. I've read some favorable reviews of Aroi elsewhere, so this might have been on off day. But even giving it the benefit of the doubt, tere were just too many cardinal restaurant sins all at once for me to go back to try one of Aroi's other buffets. Bottom line: The table conversation and the large draft Singha (110 baht) were the best parts of the meal for me. There are many restaurants in and around Pattaya that offer buffets in the 200-300 baht range and all that I have sampled are better than Aroi. If you want more information, Aroi has a Facebook page. In terms of location, Aroi isn't very far from Makro on Sukhumvit Road. Evil

Fast Track via the Premium Lane is a bit like insurance; you don't always need it but you're glad you have it when you do. I use the Premium Lane on nearly every trip for arrival and departure, but that's because I get the vouchers for free, either from the airline or through the company for which I used to work. From what I've observed, Immigration Control goes much faster nowadays at Swampy than a few years ago when lines on occasion could stretch outside the Immigration area. Whether or not you encounter a long queue depends on many factors, some of which are impossible to predict. The time of day and day of the week figure in, but most important is how many planes have landed shortly before your flight. Also, where you sit on the plane can determine how fast you clear IC. If your flight has 300 passengers and 250 deplane before you, it will take longer to clear IC than if you're among the first fifty off the plane. Evil

Just to clarify one point: What was new in my experience was the passport-visa-ticket check at the departure gate that targeted passengers with a connecting flight to Thailand. There have been checks at the landside check-in counter since about 2010, but on a more sporadic basis. Sometimes the check-in agents would ask me to show proof of a return flight, other times not. In the past five years, I have been asked about a return ticket or visa when checking in for flights to Thailand on United, Delta, EVA, Tiger, ANA, Japan Air, KLM,Cebu. Air Asia and Swiss Air. The one airline that NEVER asked was Thai. But I had not before seen or experienced an airline checking passengers to Thailand at the departure gate. It was not a general check, only passengers to Thailand were called to the counter. They didn't check passengers headed to China, just Thailand., Evil

On today's Delta flight from JFK to Narita, all passengers with an onward flight to Bangkok had their passports and return flights checked very carefully. Non-Thai passports had to have six months validity left or the passenger was denied boarding. Three passengers I saw were in trouble on that account. I don't know how it ended for them, but I didn't see them in the passenger cabin. If you had a visa for Thailand, you had to show it and those without visas had to prove they had a flight out of Thailand within a month. The gate agent told me the Thai authorities had gotten very serious about this. I had never before experienced such a intense check at the gate. It will be interesting to see if they repeat it before boarding at Narita, but no sign so far. At JFK, they made a special announcement and called the names of the 20 or so people heading to BKK. No explanation, just "see the agent at the gate." Evil

Posting pics of the girls who work in a gogo bar is a double-edged sword. If the pics aren't professionally done so the girls are presented in the best possible light, the comments will only be negative. But if the pics are professionally shot, some of the comments will nevertheless be negative (the pics were Photoshopped heavily; in real life, the girls don't look like their pics; the girls in the pics no longer work in the bar, etc). Damned if the bar owner does, damned if he doesn't. Best idea is simply to walk into the bar and look around for a few seconds. If you like what you see, sit down and have a drink. If you don't, move on. It's been a long-standing practice that customers are free to look into Pattaya bars and walk out without ordering a drink. The lineup on stage in any gogo can change radically over the course of an evening, let alone a few days. The only way to get an accurate idea of what's on offer a particular night is to visit it. Evil

Ouch! Sorry to hear that. I won't be rushing back to try the other food at Two Lions, but I may at some point try one of the Swedish dishes. Evil

I read on another board that Two Lions Pub & Restaurant served the best pizza in Pattaya. As I'd never even heard of Two Lions, I thought I check it out in case I was missing a "hidden gem." It's located on Soi 9 off Pattaya Klang (Central Road). If you are walking east on Klang, past Soi Bukhao, it is the first perpendicular soi on the right-hand side of the street. Two Lions is situated about 100 meters down Soi 9. It turns out Two Lions is a Swedish restaurant that serves Swedish "husmanskost" (roughly translates as "home-style cooking") as well as pizzas, doner kebab and hamburgers. "...the best pizza in Pattaya" was an optimistic assessment, but the pizza at Two Lions was certainly good and value for money at 230 baht. I chose the cheapest variation of 24 on the menu, the Vesuvio (cheese, tomato sauce) for 230 baht, with the most expensive multi-topping type at 340 baht. Two Lions' pizzas only come in one size and the diameter isn't specified on the menu, but I'm guessing t was 14". You have to very hungry to finish one alone at a single sitting! My personal preference is for pizza with one or two toppings, not the "earthquake in your mouth" variety. And to put bearnaise sauce on a pizza (three variations at Two Lions) is just wrong IMO. Of course, some customers may like it; that's why there are are 24 variations on the menu. Pizza long ago went from a regional Italian specialty to a popular dish all over the world. On that journey, the humble pizza has taken on forms that have little to do with its country of origin. The pizza you'll get at Two Lions is good eating, but whether it's "authentic" Italian pizza ... well ... But the Vesuvio I got was close to what you'd get at at one of the better neighborhood pizza shops in NYC. What distinguishes a Swedish pizza is a dollop of olive oil after the toppings have been placed on the base. It adds flavor, but could make the pizza too greasy for some. I'm fine with it. The crust was perfectly done. A razor-thin layer that as crispy and nicely charred, but the rest of the crust soft inside. If the whole crust is crispy throughout, it's been in the oven too long. A small serving of "Swedish pizza salads" preceded the pizza. It's a type of cole slaw, but the chopped cabbage is dressed with oil and vinegar and seasoned with fennel seeds. I prefer it to the U.S. variety that uses mayonnaise. I had a leisurely meal with a couple of bottles of SML (75 baht/bottle) and was there between 4.30 p.m and 6.00 p.m. During that time, I was the only customer in the Two Lions. I'll be back to the Two Lions not so much for their pizza but to try the Swedish "home cooking." You can find the Two Lions' menu here. Evil

Yes, it is pretty good. On the whole, the Mercure buffets offer a good choice of tasty dishes, even if each and every one of them doesn't exactly scale culinary heights. q The problem with most of the 199-baht (or cheaper) buffets in Pattaya is that the food is terrible. A lot of inedible food isn't at a buffet isn't value for money but quite the opposite. It's better to pay a bit more and get food you're happy to be eating. Evil

Along with some friends, I tried the Friday night "traditional" BB Q buffet at the Mercure.. The Saturday seafood buffet had ranged from OK to excellent and I was curious how the Friday buffet would stack up in comparison. The seafood buffet costs 599 baht (only Saturdays) and the Friday BBQ went for 300 baht, which turned out to be good value for money. There was an impressive salad and "antipasto" table. The outdoor BBQ section was set up in the same fashion as the Saturday seafood buffet, so i didn't take too many pics. You had a choice of Thai and farang warm dishes, plus BBQ meats (beef, pork, chicken, sausages). The charcoal grilled Thai beef was surprisingly tender and full of flavor. The roast chicken was the real hit, juicy and very tasty. The dessert section was also impressive: The flan was particularly good: My friend really enjoyed his banana pancake: There weren't that many guests: Bottom line: Definitely worth 300 baht. The salad tale and dessert section is what really makes this buffet. But like with every buffet, get there as close to opening time as possible. The Mercure buffets start at 6.30 p.m. Evil

There's more than roast duck that's good at Leng Kee. On Saturday afternoon, I stopped by for a quick meal. The dishes themselves were pretty much Thai standards, but excellently done. I had an order of the deep-fried crab cakes with dipping sauces (150 baht): and the stir-fried rice noodles with chicken and vegetables (80 baht): I was happy to get a large bottle of SML, fairly rare in Pattaya. It had been recently brewed, too. ... There was nothing elaborate about the two dishes I ordered, but they tasted delicious. They had been expertly prepared and cooked Total cost of the meal, including the large SML, was 340 baht. The front section of the restaurant only had a handful of guests, but the enclosed air-conditioned room that specializes in Chinese food was full with a group of Asian tourists who kept them busy.

I hadn't been back to Steak & Co since my initial visit nine months ago (time sure flies!), so I decided to make a return visit. A friend and I ate there Tuesday night. Since Ill be on a trip to the U.S. in 10 days, I decided to hold off with my monthly steak until then and went with the Moroccan lamb tagine. A tagine (named for the conical clay cooking pot) ... ... is a North African specialty, a slow-cooked stew of meat and vegetables with a savory-sweet taste. The distinct flavor comes from dried apricots, dates,figs, raisins or sultanas, prunes, etc. Sometimes honey and nuts are added. I didn't get much of the fruity sweetness usually associated with Moroccan lamb tagine, nor were the traditional spices (cumin,ginger, cinnamon. saffron) very noticeable. But the lamb was high-quality, cooked well and very tasty. The sauce was good, if a bit bland for my taste. It could have used a few more spoonfuls of the dried spices and apricots. The couscous was good, light, fluffy and not soggy. The size of the portion was fine for me, but at 375 baht, a hungry diner might have thought it small. Larger pieces of pita bread would also have been nice. My friend started with a green salad, which he felt was a bargain at 80 baht. He then had the steak (Australian Angus) and ale pie, which he found delicious and had no complaints at all. He ate it to the last morsel. It came with a generous portion of mashed potatoes. I tasted a spoonful and the mash was OK, if somewhat bland even for mash. It cost 375 baht as well. One of the sore points on my initial visit to Steak & Co had been the bread which came with the meal, a few slices of stale French bread and a weird orange-colored spread. That had been very nicely replaced with excellent fresh rolls and focaccia-style bread. In all, it was a good meal, if not a spectacular one for me, but not every meal is. My total tabwas 485 baht (375 for the lamb tagine, 110 for a SML). Steak & Co is a comfortable and nicely decorated restaurant and I'll be back to try a few more dishes. The two meals i've had there have been fine, but they haven't propelled me into culinary heaven.