pacman

Hong Kong... Stop it! Ya killin' me...

In the next few years Russia has to re-finance its currency. The EU & North America have imposed a ban on buying Russian securities & bonds. That was in retaliation for Russia's involvement in shooting down MH17. Putin is retaliating already but the real test comes when they run out of money. I can only speculate but I suspect Russian visitor numbers might be far less than today. Or they might be banned entirely if they are deemed to be an enemy combatant. By the time the shit hits the fan with Russia's currency, Obama's successor will be in office & if America elects a Hawk then it will be on for young & old. Some drunk idiot shoots down a passenger plane & the world finishes up at war. We can only hope wiser heads prevail.

The one thing you we can say for sure about reality TV is - it isn't reality. Kim & Kanye will be looked back upon as representing everything wrong with this time in our history. Two megalomaniacs pushing their self obsession & their over-entitlements in the face of all & sundry. I find their "fame" difficult to comprehend. Reading about their wedding & how they expected the Italians to cooperate with their fanciful notions made me just a little bit ill. Dare we dream?

The parents are Aussie, dad's a local, mum's from China.

The parents have been exposed as liars. Just when you think this story can't get any worse, it is now revealed that the father of the twins is a convicted paedophile who has served two terms in jail. I wonder what his Chinese bride thinks of that. I am sure he didn't mention it when they met through an on-line dating site. Now the authorities are really sitting up & taking notice. Will the parents lose custody of the girl they brought home? Will the wife stay with her new husband now his past has been revealed? Will baby Gammy come to Australia? This whole drama has turned into the story that keeps on giving.

The day this story hit the news here in Australia I knew it would end OK. There was an immediate uproar & a demand to right the wrong. Money is pouring into the fund established for baby Gammy. And with "Hands Across The Water" administering the distribution of the money there is less chance of it being squandered by the family & everyone in the village who will demand their cut. But once the baby has received his medical treatment, sooner or later the charity will be pressured to hand over the balance of the money. I don't think the mother will see any of it. We all know what happens next, I can only hope the charity applies some stiff conditions to go with the spending of the money. I am not always pessimistic but I love melodrama & that isn't the natural bedfellow of optimism. So while I might sometimes post dark pessimistic views, that's only because I find doing so to be most cathartic. Away from the forum I like to see the good in life & am optimistic about many things.

It's not all bad for the surrogate. After declaring she wants to keep the baby, Australia has donated $135,000 in the last few days towards the child's care. It sounds like the poor Thai surrogate is going to be a quarter of a million dollars (or thereabouts) better off. Plus she has announced she is going to go after the agency who still haven't paid the rest of the money she was promised. From a terrible situation something good has come of it. I hope the baby thrives & I hope the family can rise out of poverty courtesy of the good people who donated towards fixing this shameful episode.

Nothing, I don't think there's any role for the government to be buying into this, it's an ethical question not a legal one. What Australian law have they broken? However the public are very unimpressed & if the couple are outed, their lives will be ruined. Social media are looking to crucify someone over this, this sort of shit happens in other countries, not here. No one wants to believe that "one of us" is capable of such behaviour.

So that's what is going on! I gave up trying to change my sig a long time ago. It was even starting to annoy me. If I can remember what I was going to change it to I will send you a PM. Same here. I can load three or four or more pages, suddenly they won't load. If I leave the page open it will load eventually. Sometimes I let them, most times I just close the forum. I know other BMs experience the same thing. Plus Hoot. He's the first to complain about it so hats off to him...

OMG! Was there ever anyone on TV cooler than Paladin? I would beg to be allowed to stay up to watch it. Oh fuck! I had the same outfit! I wore it till I was 25.... well I would have if I hadn't grown out of it... That's it. And wasn't it disappointing when it was Bart not Bret. Sometimes they were on together which was a real treat. And then all too soon the series ended. It was worse than a death in the family. Maverick was truly, truly special. There has never been a leading man on TV who had what Bret Maverick had. He was witty & charming not just tough & macho. He would always prevail naturally but he did it with such style & pizazz, his banter was just a joy to follow with his pretend humility & sense of irony. I never watched the Rockford Files, I figured if he could act in that he could go back & do what he did best - be Bret Maverick again.

You never wasted your time, you got to decide for yourself what you thought of the film. And I'm fine with someone not agreeing with my opinion. I even enjoy the hyperbole you employ to describe how shocking the movie is. You must mean me & I still love it. You're welcome Sam, one man's meat is another man's poison. And I also found Noah ridiculous. A waste of talent & resources. Yes, I did write that. I must have been in a very good mood because I didn't think that after I saw 12 Years A Slave, the film that did win the Best Picture Oscar. And it deserved the award. Brilliant movie even though I almost talked myself out of going due to reservations about the violence. I do apologise RX, I did see The Skin I Live In & had every intention of following up your post. A complete oversight on my part, time got away from me. That is an excellent film with a brilliant twist. I have seen all the movies made by Pedro Almodovar & this is up there with his best. As good as Jamon Jamon & Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down IMO. I'm sure you'll enjoy The Skin I Live In much more than Gravity. I think it can be categorised as falling under the science fiction umbrella. I thought there were a number of problems with the film mainly centred around the banal dialogue which I commented on when I praised it. I have never been a big fan of space movies since 2001: A Space Odyssey. After that, subsequent space films lacked innovation & any sense of being there. Being in space that is. Gravity changed all that for me. Admittedly I did see it in the perfect environment, a small blacked out theatre with speakers all round & very good 3D effects. From my seat I had the surreal experience of feeling like I was in the shuttle. The first 13 minutes of Gravity is one continuous unbroken sequence & by the end of it I was hooked. And while it is popular to criticise the practise of watching special effects movies on small screens, I found my second screening of Gravity at one of those huge whiz-bang theatres with the massive screen something of a let-down. The feeling of being in space I had found so exciting the first time was not there the second. But that isn't an attempt to excuse myself, I stand by my opinion. The space effect achieved by Gravity is now the yardstick by which all future outer space films will be measured. And that line was taken from a movie reviewer here in Oz. Not bad for something that's "phony" & "amateurish".... .

Sidney, the poor bastard! Wouldn't that just drive you crazy! I don't know how anyone could know beforehand the reels were going to be played out of order, surely if they did they would have done something about it. Another victim of gross incompetence. Sidney spends a year or two of his life making the film, some flunky on 10 bucks an hour stuffs it up for him.

I will be most surprised if you don't enjoy this. At a time when the films being offered by the studios range from humourless comedies to Over The Top action films, this little gem stands out like a flower in the desert. You're welcome. I thought of you when I when I was watching it. It IS your type of film & again, I will be shocked if you find no redeeming features in this production. And I suspect you're onto something when you mention Academy consideration. I have seen many prize winning films, most of which I did not enjoy anywhere near as much as I liked this. I am usually careful not to raise expectations about films I have seen. It often results in people feeling greatly let down & don't they love to remind one. But with Calvary I am happy to talk it up because any praise I give is tame compared to what others are saying.

Why doesn't that come as any surprise? In other words someone has a better chance of guessing the answer to a public affairs question than they can learn from watching Fox News *facts*. What an indictment! I'm sure Torurot won't mind me replying, the Fox News channel has played on cable TV ever since it started. As has virtually every other American news & current affair show. We certainly get all those produced by the main networks. Don't forget Rupert Murdoch was born here in Australia though he relinquished his citizenship some years ago.

Here is the best film I have seen all year - CALVARY. It's an Irish production written & directed by John Michael McDonagh. He previously made The Guard, another film I enjoyed very much. And he is the brother of Martin McDonagh, the guy who brought us In Bruges & Seven Psychopaths, two films that have been well received on this forum. And two films I also enjoyed very much. All of them have been completely gazzumped by this latest masterpiece. Brendan Gleeson plays the part of an Catholic priest who has to battle against the prejudice that has built up against the corruption exposed inside the church. But the film doesn't set out to attack the church, it effectively lays bare the moral dilemma faced by a good priest trying to do right by his parishioners, all of whom have issues with the church, while one of them has threatened to kill him. There is some very black humour involved along with assorted moral hazards that keep the story moving towards the most enthralling conclusion I can ever recall. And having seen a lot of movies, that is really saying something. And through the entire film Gleeson remains stoically in character delivering a note perfect performance. A popular review site already has posts calling for him to be given the next Best Actor Oscar. He will definitely be nominated, there's no way the Academy can ignore a performance of this magnitude. Daniel Day-Lewis could not have done better. What was most interesting for me was the clever way the Catholic Church gets completely belted over the head in this film yet by the end, they don't come out as being all bad. The film makes a clear distinction between the good & the bad sides of the church with some great scenes where certain people are told some very blunt truths. I am already considering seeing this again. I recommend it to anyone who yearns for a great movie experience.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with an Indian national at the Penthouse Hotel one night. We were talking about the girls & he was saying that even though they were beautiful he could never have anything to do with them outside a P4P transaction. He was very taken with one particular beauty & I suggested he take her home as a girlfriend. More in jest than anything else but sometimes these conversations go to places we could never imagine. He started calling her a whore who no man could ever want. I said lots of guys would want her, she will probably leave the bar scene by marrying a farang. Then he started.... "how could anyone marry someone who wasn't a virgin? How could they ever kiss the mouth of someone who had kissed someone else?" Oh fuck, I had just landed a live one & he wasn't getting off easy. I really took him to task suggesting he doesn't live in any sort of world I know. He persisted in raving on & long story short I just laughed at his entire argument. This guy was married to a woman who he was introduced to days before his wedding & here he was on one of his regular visits to Pattaya whoring his way through anything that moved. Yet he had the nerve to be so sanctimonious about how special he was that he couldn't see the hypocrisy in what he was saying. For simple decency I would nominate any of the Thais he was so seriously denigrating as better people than he could ever wish to be.

I like "Like A Rolling Stone" but it doesn't meet the formal definition to be classic Rock and Roll i.e, music played with a 12 bar structure with a strong back beat. Dylan wrote too many verses with too many key changes for it to be traditional rock and roll. Just my opinion but it doesn't lessen its importance as a great piece of music. Also important were the impact Elvis Presley had when he burst onto the scene along with Little Richard; Jerry Lee Lewis; Fats Domino; Buddy Holly & Chuck Berry to name a few. Later there was the Beatles phenomenon along with all the great British & American artists of the 60's, an era we shall never see the likes of again. As for Rock Music the list of significant moments are endless.The over-amplification of the sound that gave rise to Heavy Metal; the repetition of a catchy beat that turned into Disco Music; the drug influence on music writing that became Psychedelic Music; the rise of great writers like Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, Roger Waters; Bob Dylan; Paul Simon; Stevie Wonder & how many other names we don't know. They all made a contribution.

Based on what we know I don't think you're far off the mark. Some guys can't get the thought of ladyboys out of their head but the moment they cross the line they are filled with self loathing & the need to overcompensate for their 'gayness'. The give-away IMO is by grabbing two LBs, not one like any sane person would start with, in his mind, he's gone in BIG, in a manly, tough guy way, but once he's faced with the reality, he runs away to hide his shame. He is not the first & he won't be the last. I heard of a similar story in Phuket years ago.

That takes me back. I wonder how many people under 25 under 30 under 40 under 50 know what that refers to? "Paul is dead" Back on the subject, happiness is oysters served with champagne followed by fellatio. Or on a more prosaic note, being warm on a cold day.

Sam, you'll fit more into your new place than you think possible. Sustra's advice is sound, take all your boxes to the new place & decide there, it will save you tossing out things you may regret later. And I also agree about freeing yourself of all the crap we lug around but having been through the exercise, I was very glad I didn't rush to toss out everything because I worried it wouldn't fit. I still have some of the crap but it's good crap I don't want to part with yet.

Waltzing Matilda is our unofficial national song. It's the song that Aussie ex-pats will break into after a couple of beers while reminiscing about home. During the Olympics in Sydney, John Williamson, our great balladeer & national treasure was contracted to go to various venues & lead the singing of Waltzing Matilda. Visitors were caught up with the enthusiasm & reportedly joined in. It might sound corny to some but the song holds a special place here that transcends any thoughts of jingoistic patriotism. I still cringe for a moment when I hear someone leading it off but it is quite infectious & I find myself singing along in spite of any misgivings. I'll teach it to you some time Sam....

Good luck with it Lefty, please let us know what you think. And I do value your opinion.

Anything would have been better than our previous 'National Anthem'. Advance Australia Fair has some strange lyrics with a nice tune. They are not so much strange as old fashioned. "Our home is GIRT by sea". Girt? Fuck, there's an expression that was lost in time. I just wish they hadn't found it again. Our previous Anthem was God Save the Queen. It was rather embarrassing at the Olympic Games when no one could work out why the British National Anthem was played whenever we won but there were a bunch of the most conservative politicians who fought tooth & nail to keep it. Once we changed it everyone wondered why we hadn't done it years ago. Now exactly the same stupid thinking is driving the resistance for change for our flag. The argument that Australians died on the battlefields under our current flag doesn't cut it in the 21st century. With the Union Jack taking up one quarter of the flag it is as Jerry Seinfeld said when he was here "I love the Australian flag, Britain at night".

Why is Seth Macfarlane such a bad film maker? He seems a bright guy who I thought did a good job hosting the Oscars. He has some serious claims as a comic guru with his two cartoon series, Family Guy & American Dad. They both employ wit & irony. However it all goes to hell when he tries to make a movie. Ted was not something I liked or could recommend. I won't slam it as hopeless because I know plenty of people liked it & we are all entitled to our own opinion. However, his latest effort A Million Ways to Die in the West is making news here for all the wrong reasons. It is being judged as "beyond terrible". Typical comments refer to it as "puerile idiotic nonsense" that relies on the most crass & juvenile subjects for pathetic attempts at humour. Suffice to say opinion about the film here is scathing. On a popular review site here it has received 18 public reviews with 8 people rating it 0/5. In the ten years or so this site has existed I have only seen three or four zero reviews. That's total zero reviews, not the number for any one film. This marks a new low in the site's history. And there is one brave person who rated AMWTDITW 3.5/5 who makes the point that he thought it better than Wes Anderson's film The Grand Budapest Hotel. He destroyed his credibility right there. I will never ever submit myself to this film. I endured Ted, this sounds like my worst nightmare. So I ask again, why can't Seth make a film without resorting to toilet jokes, racism dressed up as comedy & bad language. Comedy does not need to plumb the depths of disgusting behaviour. And does the next hotshot who gets to make a movie have to top this? I can't imagine how bad that will be.

For most many LBs, life is a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions. For those not blessed with beauty or a big cock their prospects are poor. And even for the more fortunate ones, they still have a finite window of opportunity to lay the foundations for a decent standard of living in their latter years. Now the country is in another political crisis of its own making, tourist numbers will stay low, more bars will close, there will be more girls chasing fewer customers, things are not looking great for those in P4P. But somehow they struggle on. Rumours of the death of the bar scene have been spread before & while many girls are forced back to the farm, the place will survive. These are not happy days for LB P4P workers but the pull of their unique talents combined with the "de-feminisation" of their western sisters means there will always be a market for their services.