Quotacious

"A wag of the finger to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. In a recent USA Today article, Ginsberg said of retired Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, 'I didn't realize how much I would miss her until she was gone.' Oh, brother. This is what happens when we appoint women Justices. Ruth, I'm sure you and Sandra enjoyed discussing tort reform while braiding each other's hair, or laughing about existence of valid precedents in Roper v. Simmons while having a pillow fight, but, I'm sorry, the Supreme Court is not a sorority house." — Stephen Colbert

Daily Report: Ribs

Mediocre work day, but it was a good day for good living. With all the grocery shopping I did last night, I have a house full of healthy food. Today, I ate breakfast for the first time in years... a (small) bowl of Corn Flakes. For lunch, I made a tossed salad.

Of course, I made up for it by going to Bob's BBQ for dinner tonight for his awesome rib special. At 179 baht, you get a foot-long rack of ribs, an ear of corn, salad, and potato salad, which is a really good deal. For 100 baht more, you get 2 foot-long racks of ribs... more than most people can eat.

Mike came over and we watched a new show (new for Thailand, natch) on TV called "Heroes" (show site, wikipedia site). Fun show. Hopefully, Mike and I remember to tune in next week.

Also, just a personal message to my friends here in Pattaya who occasionally get written about in this blog: If you ever read something in this blog about yourself that shouldn't be in here, is incorrect, unfair, or even insulting, two things to remember: (1) I may be an idiot, but you know I'm a nice guy... it was probably unintentional, and (2) immediately call me up and chew me a new one, e-mail me, or leave a comment. I promise I'll fix whatever it is that I did wrong.

Cause and Effect

Stolen from Balloon Juice and reprinted here in its entirety:

Cause

Like a retreating army, Republicans are tearing up railroad track and planting legislative land mines to make it harder for Democrats to govern when they take power in Congress next month.

Already, the Republican leadership has moved to saddle the new Democratic majority with responsibility for resolving $463 billion in spending bills for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

Effect

Democrats unveil massive spending bill

WASHINGTON - Democrats have unveiled a massive spending bill combining the budgets of 13 Cabinet agencies with increases in aid for lower-income college students, while cutting President Bush’s funding requests for foreign aid and closing military bases.

Jil says: Cool huh? Republicans leave behind a mess, and Democrats get blamed for it in the newspapers. This is a perfect example of why both Conservatives and Liberals alike cannot stand the mainstream media: Because of intellectually dishonest, lazy, and misleading articles like this.

I'll offer this extra bit of quote from the AP article just to emphasize Teh Stoopit:

The harshest criticism came from House Republicans, who complained that they were shut out of any chance to offer changes to the bill — and had barely any time to read it.

---

UPDATE:

The AP headline and quotes have been changed by the Associated Press after they realized that the author, Andrew Taylor, was an idiot. Found a screen capture of the original story though, just to corroborate my story. (Thank you Americablog.)

Update On Hmong Refugees, Airport

The United Nations is breathing a sigh of relief because Thailand will not (yet) be sending Hmong refugees back to Laos where they face possible persecution or worse.

Granted, the only way that the Thai government relented in the deportation was that the Hmong men had to rebel and barricade themselves.

Apparently other countries are stepping up to take the refugees off the Thai people's hands, including Australia, America, Canada and The Netherlands.


In airport news,it looks like some flights are going to begin landing at the old Don Muang airport instead of the new Suvarnabhumi aiport in order to reduce traffic while repairs are made. Although I'm sure the airport authority thinks they have taken into account this likelihood... what do you think the chances are that somebody will land at Don Muang and have his connecting flight leaving from Suvarnabhumi?

Oh... and from what I've been told, cracks in the runway aren't fixed by just pulling up old concrete and putting new concrete down: The airport is built over a swamp. What's under the runways? A swamp. Now, as any child will tell you, what happens when you walk through a swamp? Exactly. Same thing with 500-ton planes. Too bad Thai engineers — with 40 years' worth of planning and construction — couldn't figure that one out.

Gizoogle Fa All Yo Jive Talkin Proposizzles

Gizoogle changes webpages to Jive.
Helpful in ebonics lessons at school.For when you get bored, you can go to gizoogle.com, which will translate any web page whose URL you put into the Gizoogle translator. Unfortunately there isn't a direct word translator, so you can't drop individual words into a box, and get gizoogled words out. Oh well. It would be "dope" if you could get individual words instead of only entire web pages.

Here is yesterday's Daily Report with the gizoogle treatment to give you an idea.

Reverse of yesterday: Crappy morn'n fo` W-to-tha-izzork, but reasonably good afternoon. Subway sandwich fo` lunch . Drop it like its hot.

This even'n it was out ta Foodland ta do tha official once-a-month replenish'n of mah Western food supplies... always an expensive proposizzles sho nuff.

I loaded up an entire grocery cizzart wit salsa, Hershey's chocolate sauce, Prego spaghetti sauce, n tha real wallet killa... booze . Snoop dogg is in this bitch. Actually, this ridin' mackin' spree wasn't too bizzad, com'n in at jiznust over 4,000 baht. Usually it is twice that cuz this is how we do it.

Pui bought her own supplies as well... 30 pounds of household clean'n products, dried fish snacks, ramen, herbal tea guaranteed ta makes yo skin beautiful, n one white, crinkly, funky pig uterus . know what im sayin?. I figure that has ta be fo` some weird Santaria ritual, coz nobody is stoopit enough ta actually eat that, rizzight? T-to-tha-izzell me I'm right. Pleaze.

Afta sippin' home, I sat dizzle in frizzay of tha TV n pigged out on mah new-found delicizzle bustin' canned tamales, salsa con queso n nachos, n pistachios . Keep'n it gangsta dogg.

Mizzy stopped by n we sat n watched Stizzay Wars Episode 6, n then one hizzle of tha History Channel. (Modern Marvels... The technology of sea rescue. Jil's TV heaven, I admit.) UBC Cable has added some new educizzles channels recently called "EXP1", "EXP2", n "EXP3" , ya feel me?. These is severely hard-core edutainment channels (not tizzy "the technology of sea rescue" isn't), n they have a bootylicious show on called "Saints n Playa which is a documentary devoted ta tha history of tha papacy.

The only reason I'm gett'n out of bed tomorrow is ta watch tha next episode, I swear.

I looked into prices fo` flights ta America today... two adults n one child and my money on my mind. Travelocitizzles is shiznit, sippin' me almost $11,000 fo` tha tickets . Tru niggaz do niggaz. Meanwhile, Thai airways has a nonstop 17-hour flight fizzy BKK ta JFK fo` unda $4,000 fo` "Superior Economy" fo` all 3 of us . Keep'n it gangsta dogg. Hell , niggaz, better recognize: Fiznirst class on Thai Air is $11,000 but real niggaz don't give a fuck.

I'm hop'n ta put in 2 weeks this Jizzle in America wit Pui n Pot. First wizzay be 2 days in New York City, thizzay a day in Philadizzles T-H-to-tha-izzen 2 days in Washington D.C., tizzle a day in Colonial Williamsburg, thiznen up ta Bath, NY (my hometown) fo` various personal business (includ'n mah 20th high schoo` reunion), wit side trips ta tha local sights, mobbin' Niagara Falls, Watkins Glizzen , tha wineries, n tha glass museum .

First, howeva, is gett'n Pui a tourist visa ta America, whiznich is going ta be halfway between a fizzle n a miracle n shit.

Daily Report: Doin' The Shopping

Reverse of yesterday: Crappy morning for work, but reasonably good afternoon. Subway sandwich for lunch.

This evening it was out to Foodland to do the official once-a-month replenishing of my Western food supplies... always an expensive proposition.

I loaded up an entire grocery cart with salsa, Hershey's chocolate sauce, Prego spaghetti sauce, and the real wallet killer... booze. Actually, this evening's shopping spree wasn't too bad, coming in at just over 4,000 baht. Usually it is twice that.

Pui bought her own supplies as well... 30 pounds of household cleaning products, dried fish snacks, ramen, herbal tea guaranteed to make your skin beautiful, and one white, crinkly, funky pig uterus. I figure that has to be for some weird Santaria ritual, because nobody is stoopit enough to actually eat that, right? Tell me I'm right. Please.

After getting home, I sat down in front of the TV and pigged out on my new-found delicacies, including canned tamales, salsa con queso and nachos, and pistachios.

Mike stopped by and we sat and watched Star Wars Episode 6, and then one hour of the History Channel. (Modern Marvels... The technology of sea rescue. Jil's TV heaven, I admit.) UBC Cable has added some new educational channels recently called "EXP1", "EXP2", and "EXP3". These are severely hard-core edutainment channels (not that "the technology of sea rescue" isn't), and they have a great show on called "Saints and Sinners" which is a documentary devoted to the history of the papacy.

The only reason I'm getting out of bed tomorrow is to watch the next episode, I swear.

I looked into prices for flights to America today... two adults and one child. Travelocity.com is shit, quoting me almost $11,000 for the tickets. Meanwhile, Thai airways has a nonstop 17-hour flight from BKK to JFK for under $4,000 for "Superior Economy" for all 3 of us. Hell: First class on Thai Air is $11,000.

I'm hoping to put in 2 weeks this July in America with Pui and Pot. First will be 2 days in New York City, then a day in Philadelphia, then 2 days in Washington D.C., then a day in Colonial Williamsburg, then up to Bath, NY (my hometown) for various personal business (including my 20th high school reunion), with side trips to the local sights, including Niagara Falls, Watkins Glen, the wineries, and the glass museum.

First, however, is getting Pui a tourist visa to America, which is going to be halfway between a feat and a miracle.

Just Another Day For You And Me Here In...

First off, we have a guy from Estonia who apparently calmly walked into the ladies room, and proceeded to snap photos of some Chinese ladies while they were taking a leak. I assume he did his photography while reaching over the stall door, as bursting in probably would have spoiled the mood.

Whatever floats your boat buddy. Hope the judge's verdict is worth it... assuming the cops give you your photos back when you're finished.


Next, we have the an example of why you don't pick fights with Thai guys: A Thai-American fellow got into a scuffle with a few Thai motorcycle taxi drivers, and before the smacking sound of the first punch landing could reverberate up and down the street, another bunch of Thai guys immediately joined in the fight and started stabbing anybody and everybody they could get their hands on.

Just so you know: It's the rare fight that doesn't end up with a bunch of other Thai guys joining in to beat up the new guy (Thai or farang). So if you are going to get in a fight with a Thai guy, make sure you have a machine gun to take care of the 20 or 30 other Thai guys who are going to show up. Otherwise, you might not win.

Discount Card Doesn't Offset Two-Tiered Pricing

In a stroke of brilliance, Chonburi Province is offering the "Tourist Visa", which is some sort of discount card that can be purchased for 100 baht that will offer 20-25% discounts at tourist attractions in and around Pattaya.

Chonburi officials apparently failed to consider the irony of the card, which offers discounts to tourist venues that use the racist two-tiered pricing system and charge Europeans an average of 4 times what they charge Asians.

So instead of being charged 400% more to get into The Pattaya Crocodile Farm than Asian people are charged, you are now only charged 380%.

Thank you Chonburi. Your generosity is certainly a boon to Thailand's tourism.

Quotacious

"John Kerry announced today that he will not run for president in 2008. Finally, a politician that listens to the American people" — Jay Leno

Daily Report: Evening Visit

The first half of my work day went spectacularly. I made up for that in the afternoon.

Go cooked me a flat noodle dish with broccoli and chicken for lunch, and Pui brought home some Fuji for dinner. She got my TQ2 girlfriend, Jeab, a job at the karaoke bar, and was out tonight introducing Jeab to her new employer.

Mike came over this evening and we sat and watched TV until 11:00. Then we gang-tickled Pot for a while. Now it is off to bed.

Monday Vinnie Blogging

Christmas morning.
Vinnie discovers presents.
Shock and awe dude. Shock and awe.

Men In Coats New Video

Slow news day here... so here is some new Men In Coats skits to keep you busy.

Quotacious

The political quotes are
down for the weekend, so
here is something different.

"I love to go down to the schoolyard and watch all the little children jump up and down and run around yelling and screaming... They don't know I'm only using blanks." I discovered my wife in bed with another man, and I was crushed. So I said, "Get off me, you two!" — Emo Phillips

Daily Report: Not That Bad A Day

After carrying a semi-unconscious Pui out of Rick's bar last night, I expected today to be spent listening to a WATB Thai girl all day. However, after a night's rest, a meekly smiling Pui this morning wandered downstairs to greet the day with nary a word of complaint. What a trooper.

The morning's work was par for the course. Ditto for the afternoon. Baloney sandwiches in between. Willie stopped by this afternoon to drop off a picnic basket Kak had borrowed yesterday for the party. We had a beer and watched "Larry The Cable Guy" videos (see below) on the internet.

One of Pui's old bosses is opening up a karaoke bar catering to Koreans. Since Pui can say "Hello", "thank you", and "150 baht please" in Korean, she was recruited to work as a mammasan in the joint. I'm dubious about Pui picking up a proper "9 to 5" job since my/her social life really doesn't permit it, but if she wants to work, I won't stop her. I did however insist that she has to study Korean at school (I pay, of course) as long as she works there.

This evening it was out to do the rounds. First Pui and I had a beer at Rick's. Then it was off to Champion where we met up with Bob, Stan, and Glen for 2 beers. Then it was off to TQ2 for a beer. (Pui wanted to visit with her friends there.) After that, it was up Soi BJ for some (suprisingly good) Mexican food. Then finally off to Catz A Gogo to meet back up with Stan, Bob and Glen for yet one more beer before going home.

---

UPDATE:

I edited this post with regard to a comment I made about Bob, Stan and Glen that was written without too much thought or consideration. I apologize to them for not thinking a sentiment completely through, and then giving it ill-considered wording to compound it. If you are somebody else whose feelings were hurt by what I wrote, I apologize to you too.

You Know You're In Trouble When

The headline on CNN.com said, "Problem-plagued new airport officially unsafe."

My mind immediately said, "Bangkok."

I was right.

What you have here is business as usual in Thailand, but blown up to stratospheric world-is-watching proportions.

Perhaps Thailand will finally be shamed into joining the modern world in corruption-free and retard-free construction and business practices... but somehow I doubt it.

I Don' Care Who Ya Are, That's Funny Right There

This is for the non-Americans out there, who probably don't know this fellow... Larry the Cable Guy, redneck comedian. "I was living with a girl for about 8 months until she found out I was there." Click and enjoy.

New Poll Out

... and of course it is all bad for President Bush.

Here is my favorite tidbit:

Congress is criticized by nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of Americans for not being assertive enough in challenging the Bush administration’s conduct of the war. Even a third (31 percent) of rank-and-file Republicans say the previous Congress, controlled by their party, didn’t do enough to challenge the administration on the war. [Emphasis mine.]

Hmm... it looks like America is finally realizing that they should have listened to the caveat emptor of (gasp!) the anti-war liberals, and now 64% of America (and even 31 percent of Repbulicans) is realizing that Congress should do what (gasp!) the anti-war liberals have been telling them to do for the last 5 years: Ask questions, find answers, don't believe everything that people like Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney tell you, and most importantly... look before you f**king leap so that we don't get into messes like Iraq.

Another more unbelievable result of this particular poll: The three top Democratic presidential candidates beat the two top Republican candidates in 5 out of 6 matchups.

Clinton	v.	McCain	+6	at 50 to 44
Clinton	v.	Giuliani	+3	at 49 to 46
Obama	v.	McCain	+6	at 48 to 42
Obama	v.	Giuliani	+3	at 47 to 44
Edwards	v.	McCain	+4	at 48 to 44
Edwards	v.	Giuliani	-1	at 46 to 47

That bascially means that before any positions have been stated, any campaigning has been done... really with only personal likeability and reputations to poll about... The generally likeable McCain and Giuliani (most likely because of negative attitudes towards Republicans) are polling behind the generally unlikeable Hillary, the untested and inexperienced Obama, and even the almost-forgotten Edwards.

That bodes really poorly for Republican chances of holding the White House in 2008, as it is hard to imagine that as the campaign heats up, Hillary could become more unlikeable, Obama more inexperienced, or Edwards more forgotten.

The liberal RINO Giuliani (with no Senatorial voting record hanging over his head, which has been the kiss of death to every Senator-turned-Presidential-candidate since John Kennedy) is the only hope the Republicans have to take the White House in 2008. The question is can he win a majority of Republican support in the primaries? Probably not, but one can hope: My general preference is a split government, keeping a liberal (but not too liberal) Congress and a conservative (but not too conservative) executive.

Daily Report: Birthday By The Pool

I overslept a little bit. Work today was pitiful. My weeks lately seem to start off with such promise, and then deteriorate to a pitiful level as the weekend approaches.

This afternoon it was off to Kak's (that would be Willie's wife's) birthday party, held at their friend Pilot's apartment... or more specifically out by the pool of his apartment.

There was a nice supply of crab (my regular beach-front meal) to keep my occupied, and lots of beer. Unfortunately, the pool was designed with sun-worshippers in mind, and barely a single spot of shade was to be found, so we all huddled into a small corner of the patio trying to keep cool. (As the sun went down, however, the atmosphere improved.)

At about 7:00, it was off to Rick's bar, where we ate pizza. Unfortunately, Pui followed all the girls to oblivion with a rude introduction to tequilla shots. Now Pui is in her room in sorry shape... in college freshman co-ed sorry shape.

King Naresuan, Part 1 Movie Primer and Review

If you are a fan of Thailand, this is a must-see movie. However, be warned: If you don't prepare in advance, you are going to understand as much about this movie as a Thai person will understand upon sitting down and watching a movie about the War of the Roses.

In fact, you will be further lost because a lot of this movie relies on cues and hints that non-Thai people have no chance of understanding. You have no chance of hearing the accents, or figuring out which person is the King of Phitsanolouk and which person is the King of Lansang by the way the courtiers around them are dressed. (Nobody bothers to explain in movies about the American Revolution who the guys wearing long red coats are, so don't feel too slighted.)

In order to prepare yourself, know this: This movie regards four countries, representing 4 cites in modern Southeast Asia... (1) Phitsanulok, where the boy, Prince Naresuan is from, (2) Ayuthaya, where our hero's uncle is from, (3) Suksawatdee (modern-day Bagu) in Burma, where the conquering king is from, and (4) a small part played by Lansang (modern-day Vientienne) in Laos. Each country has its own king, a replacement king, at least a prince or two, and the odd queen or princess standing around being valiant.

There. You're all set. Go find those places on a map, and then read the first 2 paragraphs of this wikipedia entry, and you're sufficiently prepared to watch this 2½ hour movie. Like I said though, pay close attention and take mental notes early on to get the faces straight. It won't spoil the movie to lose the plot, and the movie is generally forgiving if you do lose it, but you might as well try to stick with it.

That said, I repeat: This is a must-see movie. This one in particular (of the 3-part movie being made) for the average farang living in Thailand. Why? Because this movie spends about 90% of its time in court or in temple. These are all things that we, as foreigners have never seen on film or been properly taught about. Thai people can grasp the day-to-day activities of court and temple, but we haven't had an entire lifetime of exposure to Thai culture to absorb these things. The educational value of this movie in terms of learning Thai culture cannot be stressed highly enough.

In addition, the Thailand presented here (Burma actually) is the Thailand of your dreams... where the cement shop houses, karaoke bars, and noisy motorcycles are all swept away, and for 2½ hours you can enjoy the pristine and beautiful way that Thailand used to be with grass huts, gorgeous wooden houses, grand carved palaces, and peaceful temples.

There are some battle scenes, to give you an idea of what 16th-century Southeast Asian warefare was like (the next 2 movies promise much much more warfare), and a good dose of light-hearted fun to keep the mood from getting too somber, and — like I said, if you are able to follow along — a fairly good history lesson. I will state however that this is more like "Braveheart" than The History Channel when it comes to the factual details. But don't let anything I said about following or understanding this movie discourage you from seeing it. You won't be dissappointed.

Here in Pattaya, a seating for this movie starts at the Big C approximately every 20 minutes or so. Thai language, English (good English) subtitles.

Stpuid Prostitute Contest: Turnabout Not Fair Play

This one is a little more enraging to me: This time it was a working fellow who went home with a tourist, and he wound up drugged. The article does not say who drugged the prostitute. All that is known is that he was drugged while he was out for the evening with his farang boyfriend.

Now, when the story is about a prostitute drugging a tourist, we can assume (a) the tourist is stupid, and (b) the prostitute only takes the tourist's valuables. Nothing too serious... just stupidity, and the tourist's subsequent embarassment plus loss of some money and valuables.

However, when a prostitute winds up involuntarily drugged, we are forced to assume a much more malicious sexual (or worse) intent. Also, we don't want to get to a point where the local workers start mistrusting farangs. It's one thing to have common sense and wariness, but if we get to the point of mutual distrust, that's just unhealthy... especially in Pattaya.

So, while this post is titled "Stupid Prostitute Contest", it really is only a word play on the "Stupid Tourist Contest" posts below, which are posts concerning "the prostitute drugging the tourist". Truthfully, I feel sorry for this poor Thai fellow; I don't blame him at all; and I really hope that he wasn't hurt by whoever gave him this drug.

Also, I hope they catch whoever slipped him this drug. It certainly gives the tourists a bad name.

(p.s. This is the third post in a row concerning a gay person. This blog is now officially gay. But don't worry Mom: I'm going to go look at some naked girls now to de-gay myself. Our straight programming will resume momentarily, and J.I.P.'s gay/straight balance will be restored.)

J.I.P. New Music Showcase

In keeping with the "Gay or Not?" track of the blog today, I present to you Mika (artist site, wikipedia site). Mika has that might-be-gay in a Freddy Mercury kind of way thing going on... and once you listen to him, you'll know exactly why I used that particular reference. Your ears won't believe you.

(At least Mika doesn't shy away from the vocal similarities, singing, "I tried to be like Grace Kelly, but her looks were too sad... So I try a little Freddie... Ive gone identity mad!")

The exceptionally good-looking Mika is half Lebanonese, half American, and was raised in England. His song, "Grace Kelly" is one of the catchier tunes I've heard in a while... at least since the (even more gay) Scissor Sisters did "I Don't Feel Like Dancing."

Here is the video, "Grace Kelly" by Mika:



By the way, according to this article, Mika wrote this song as

"a screw-you" to yet another music company that wanted him to be a little more of the smouldering singer-songwriter du jour. Did he know he had a hit when he finished writing the song? He must have had an inkling when he attached the typewritten lyrics — "Should I bend over?/ Should I look older, just to be put on the shelf?" — to a demo of the song and sent it to the executive who had turned him away.

Heheh. Kind of gives the "cha-ching" at the end of the song a little more meaning, doesn't it?

The Legend of Donnie Davies

Donnie Davies and his hit song "The Bible
Says (God Hates Fags)" is the biggest thing
on the internet lately... but is it a joke?The biggest thing burning up the internet today is Donnie Davies... the erstwhile gay, portly, mustachioed, evangelical country boy singing his hit song "The Bible Says (God Hates Fags)," and preaching his message of love through his ministry, Love God's Way.

You see, Donnie is (or... seems) so genuine, but he (accidentally?) adds just enough sugar to the mix to keep you guessing about the true status of his sexuality: Is this really a joke? Is the reference in his song that there is "no backdoor to Heaven" a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge to let people know this is a joke, or is it a schoolboy taunt of gay sex? Is the pink shirt he wears borne out of fashion ignorance or is it some kind of "I just can't help myself" symbol of his quashed gayness, or is it — yet again — a little wink-wink-nudge-nudge to the gay crowd?

Every aspect of this fellow seems to allow the most skeptical of minds to find a humurous, gay-sex double-entendre. (The name of his band is "Evening Service". Put your mind in the gutter for a minute and see where that takes you. Take the initials of "Love God's Way Ministries", LGWM, and see where that takes you.)

I would say that the ratio is that 90% of people think Donnie Davies whole effort is a grand comedic act, while 10% of the people seem to think otherwise. Andrew Sullivan (who Donnie thanks for (ahem) "getting behind me") seems to think it is a joke. I'm inclined to agree.

Here is my guess: Donnie isn't targeting the gay crowd with his joke. Donnie is targeting the ex-gay crowd. Donnie is a Trojan Horse. He wants to infiltrate the ex-gay upper echelons with his earnest demeanor, musical talent, and down-home appeal, and then explode like a big, gay, pink-shirted bomb all over Narth headquarters... preferably after he has made the cover of Newsweek magazine.

Most importantly however, in my opinion: If this weren't a joke, Donnie would have said so by now. I mean, if it were me... If I had put all my time into building a ministry, creating a cure for gay people (called C.H.O.P.), and producing a song and music video... and it wasn't a joke... I'd be out there defending it against the people who said it was.

But that's just me. Donnie is probably just too... uhhh... (what's another word for happy?) ... about his newfound success to care one way or the other.

Anyway, here is the video, "The Bible Says (God Hates Fags)." Enjoy.

Daily Report: Thursday Letdown

I slept really well last night for a change... still didn't make any difference once afternoon rolled around and I ate the last bite of my Subway sandwich: Nap.

Work was average for the day. The amount I'm doing is much better than previously... in fact, I'm averaging about as much work this pay period as I ever have. It's just sadly short of my ridiculously over-inflated goals that I set for myself.

Out to TQ2 tonight with Pui. Bob no longer works at TQ2, and his food is no longer available there. So if you are looking for his burgers, ribs, or other yummies, you'll have to go to his restaurant, or go to the website, or (better yet) call Door-2-Door delivery services. You can call, and even without ordering anything, they'll bring by a free menu, and then you can order anything you want from Bob's and have it delivered. (If you're somehow mentally deficient and want food other than Bob's, there are dozens of other restaurants to choose from in their menu.)

I'm really bummed about Bob leaving TQ2. The reasons I went there on Thursdays were to see Bob, eat his free buffet, and drink 5 gallons of beer. Everybody did, actually. I'm probably going to be switching to Sunday night now for my night out to TQ2, if I keep going at all. Without Steve there propping things up, holding the door open, stoking the fire, and drumming up business, I'm afraid that only more cuts and disappointments are in store for what used to be Pattaya's biggest party clubhouse.

Pui and I met up with Rat, Justin and Rick at Fuji in Big C complex on Pattaya South Road after leaving TQ2. Pui and I both had steak, and I also had sushi and dumplings. After that, we all walked around Big-C and did some here-and-there shopping, mostly just walking off our meal.

Then, it was home for a beer, some internet surfing, and now... off to bed.

Scary Looking Bugger

Check out this rarely-seen frilled shark. Weird and scary.

What's It Gonna Take?

Insurgencies. Coups. Fraud.
Bombings in the south.
Bombings in Bangkok.
Idiotic currency restrictions.
Idiotic market restrictions.
Investor fears. Tourist fears.
Diplomatic tensions. Border tensions.

The goddamn bullet-proof Thai Baht is still stuck at 35.5 to the dollar. What's it gonna take to kill this inflated p.o.s.?

Somebody Needs A Hug

I make it a point to always put up flattering photos of people on my blog no matter how evil, twisted, or idiotic they are. However, sometimes (as with Condi Rice here, and Hillary elsewhere), a photo is just so unflattering that it becomes funny.

This is officially the angriest-looking person on the planet: Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice at last night's State of the Union address.

The reason it is funny, is because the camera switched onto her, and I (as well as everybody else on the planet, it seems) was taken aback at just how angry she looked. What is worse is that the camera stayed glued to Ms. Rice's face looking like that for 4 or 5 agonizing seconds. I could feel my soul being blasted by fiery rays of hate as I watched.

The best quote I read was... "Condi looked mad... Klingon mad."

Daily Report: State of Jil In Pattaya

I overslept again today... principally because once again, about 2 hours after going to bed, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep.

I watched The State Of The Union Address and had my morning coffee. Then I did an hour's work before Pui brought home lunch — Fuji, as per usual. I then promptly fell asleep for 2 hours.

In the afternoon, I managed to put in the rest of my morning's work.

Puia and I invited Mike and Riza over for dinner tonight. The original plan was that we would cook an entreé and Riza and Mike would cook an entreé, and then we would put them on the table together for a double-big dinner. However, Riza put together 2 entreés of her own (spare ribs and spaghetti mushroom carbonara), so Pui and I just supplied the beer.

Mike and I sat in front of the television and watched NatGeoDiscHistory channel from 8:00 until 11:00. Then it was off to bed.

Quotacious

"Politics is a dirty business. Hillary Clinton announced she's running for president, and the Republicans are already busy digging up dirt. They found out that once in her lifetime she slept with Bill Clinton." — David Letterman

Stupid Tourist Contest Re-Revisited

OK. This guy gets a little more credit than the previous 15: At least this was somebody he had been seeing for a week and knows where the fellow works.... or worked. (Yes... even the gay gogo boys will slip you a mickey if you let them.) Still though, drugged is drugged, robbed is robbed, and filmed is filmed. That combination qualifies for mention in the J.I.P. Stupid Tourist Contest every time.

Stupid Tourist #16

drugged robbed and filmed.

State Of The Union Commentary

My thoughts:

1. President Bush finally sounded like a "Uniter" and not a "Divider" tonight. Wonder why?
2. Yay Congress! Give me that $15,000 health insurance tax deduction. I'll have a $5,000 beer blast with my refund here in the land of the $10 X-rays and $15 office visits.
3. Warm fuzzy immigration talk. The Mexicans will all vote Republican now of course.
4. President Bush must have gotten my e-mail about reducing gasoline consumption and increasing alternative energy uses.
5. Warm fuzzy part again. Heros stand up and take a bow. Our State of the Union is good because Dikembe Mutumbo is tall?
6. Iran: Bush SO wants to bomb that place.
7. Note the complete lack of discussion regarding: Stem cells, abortion, gay marriage, activist judges, gun rights, religious charities, Pledge of Allegiance. Nada thing for the hard core right wingers tonight. They left totally empty handed, except for a passing mention of school vouchers. That's a big change: Total avoidance of conservative social issues.

I Can Make You Feel Old

Steve Perry, lead singer of Journey,
turns 58 today.

Daily Report: Everybody Busy

I got a great start to the day, meeting my goals for the first half of the day.

Then I had microwaved pizza from 7-11... pineapple and "ham" (more like baloney if you ask me). It's actually tasty.

Unfortunately, the bread monster grabbed me and threw me into bed for a nap. I've been having a lot of trouble this week with sleeping: I go to bed at 10:00 or 11:00, and then without reason wake up completely refreshed at 1:00 a.m. Absolutely unable to get back to sleep for 2 hours. Therefore, after a heavy carb lunch and missing 2 hours of sleep from the night before (and God only knows how restfully I'm sleeping the duration of the night), I nap.

I woke up at 4:00 after a 2-hour nap, and then got in another 90 minutes of work before calling it a day.

For the evening, I drove down to Rick's bar on Soi Rungland, and met up with Mike and Riza, Willie, Rick, Justin and Rat, and Rick's friends visiting from Mexico, Wayne and Tim. I had asparagus soup from the Viking restaurant next door, and then went home.

Pui spent the entire day doing Giffarine-related things with Riza, Rat, Go, and all of her other friends. She is just so excited about the whole thing, and literally from sun-up to sun-down she is plugging away. She got her commission today... 1,500 baht (about $40), and promptly sent most of it to her family up in Isaan.

Quotacious

"During an interview with '60 Minutes' on Sunday, President Bush defended the invasion of Iraq, saying, 'We liberated that country from a tyrant. I think the Iraqi people owe the American people a huge debt of gratitude.' Said the Iraqi people, 'We've been meaning to send a card, but our Hallmark store keeps blowing up.'" — Amy Poehler

Thai National News Bureau Publishes B.S.

Check out this article... and think about it for second:

Over 70 percent of Thais diagnosed with
hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia

Department of Disease Control Region 5 revealed that over 70 percent of Thais are reportedly ill with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia.

Md. Somchai Tangsupachai (สมชาย ตั้งสุภาชัย), the director-general of the Department of Disease Control from Nakhon Ratchasima (นครราชสีมา) Province revealed the latest research of Thais’ health. He said that Thais have a high tendency to become sick as many still stick to drinking and smoking. Many of them have dislike eating vegetable and fruit in addition to disliking exercise. Most of these chareacteristics behaviors are found in men than women.

Md. Somchai has urged Thais to exercise at least 30 minutes every day, avoid carbohydrate, sugar, and fat, and comsume more vegetable and fruit. He said that it will help keep them away from illnesses.

70%?

70% of Thailand represents every man and woman over the age of 25.


THIS is what the average people with
diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and
hypercholeterolemia look like...

Not this...

And everyone knows that THIS
is an average Thai person.

I hope that this encourages you to go
out and eat your vegetables, and that
your eyes don't hurt too much now.Now, I'll be honest and admit that Thai people drink and smoke too much... But conversely, they don't eat red meat, they don't eat lots of deep-fried foods, they don't use much butter, and they don't use much salt. The average Thai person eats 10 times more fruits and vegetables as a percentage of his diet than the average American. To top it off, Thai people eat a miniscule fraction of sugar when compared with the average Westerner.

And the Thai government news agency is posting a story saying that blood pressure, blood sugar, and blood cholesterol are running amok? If Thailand has even one quarter the percentage of diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension that America does, I'll eat my goddamn hat.

Next, they'll come out with an article stating that 50% of Thai people are obese.

Fact of the matter is that Thai people operate with a community perspective: "If I have a problem, it's not so bad. If a few of us have a problem, we'll keep it quiet. If all of us have a problem, we'll all jump up and fix it lickety split." Hence, you get fake articles like this.

Now, if the Thai government wants to talk about how Thais suffer from cirrhosis of the liver due to heavy drinking, or esophageal cancer or stenosis from a lifetime of painfully spicy food, or basal cell carcinoma from sun exposure, or emphysema from pollution and smoking, or suicide rates, or AIDS, or traffic accidents... you know... the REAL health issues facing Thailand today, then they can write all they want and I'll be as avid a reader as anybody.

But this diabetes rubbish is just fear-mongering fluff.

Posting Pretty Pattaya Pictures

A friend of ours, operating under the codename "Huckingfell" is busy scanning in old photos of the beach at Pattaya from 25 years ago, and is uploading them to PattayaSecrets.com. Stop by and check the rest of them out. Beautiful stuff. (Careful reading the paragraphs in between though... certain 25-year-old stories of Pattaya exploits do not mellow with age.)

"Hi From Huckingfell."
"Pictures from Huckingfell."
"Ramberlings of Huckingfell 4."
"Ramberlings of Huckingfell 5."

Enjoy.

Al Qaeda Caused By Colorado Conservatives

I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen. — Jerry Fallwell

The title of this post is a joke...
but oddly, it has an element of truth.


Dinesh D'Souza
parrots Falwell
in his new book.There is a book out by Dinesh D'Souza called "The Enemy at Home: The Cultural Left and Its Responsibility for 9/11." What the book does is goes back and revisits the ugliness of the days immediately after Sep. 11, when Jerry Fallwell said the above statement on TV, causing a grand outrage. Mr. D'Souza decided that enough time has passed that statements such as the infamous one above can now be revisited, but based on every review of the book so far, most people disagree: Dinesh D'Souza is no less an asshole for blaming 9/11 on liberals now than Falwell was for blaming them then.

Anyhoo...

Here's a little tit for Mr. D'Souza's (and Mr. Falwell's) tat: It seems that Al Qaeda and radical Islam have a sort of "standard reading list", if you get my drift. Certain great authors and tracts and missives that are used to define their movement and mindset.

One of these publications is The America I Have Seen by Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian Muslim who wrote about the depravity and licentiousness and crudity and impeity of American society during his college studies in 1949... in the ultra-conservative, ultra-Christian town of Greeley, Colorado.

So therefore, to the booze-free, 100% Republican town of Greeley Colorado with its church dances and wrestling matches, I point the finger in their face and say, "you helped this happen."

Daily Report #1781

I overslept today until noontime. The downside is that I missed half a day of work. The upside is that I slept through my hangover.

I had Subway delivered, had a generally acceptable afternoon of work, had spaghetti for dinner (the default menu choice at Chez Jil), and then an evening in front of the computer looking at stuff.

I didn't even make it downstairs for the entire day.

Darwin Award Candidate Nabs Eight Bystanders

Pattaya is loaded to the brim with dangerous intersections. This particular accident was at the intersection of Soi 17 (the road that The Harley Bar is on) and Third Road.

As per usual, one Thai motorcyclist tried to drive through the intersection at the same time that it was being driven through by a speeding pickup truck. Unfortunately, after swerving while creaming the motorcyclist, the pickup truck skidded out of control and hit 8 other motorcycles waiting at the light, putting a total of 9 people in the hospital.

You could try to explain to Thai people that the extra 5 seconds gained from a little bit of hurrying and rushing isn't worth your life, or the lives of other people, but they will never see it that way.

For the farangs who are willing to listen, the rule is this: No matter how green that light looks to you, don't believe your eyes... It is very much yellow in color. Always slow down and keep an eye out at every intersection, no matter how much you think that you have the right of way.

Ted Nugent Spazzes Out At Austin Shindig

Ted, Ted, Ted... What were ya thinkin' man?

I always knew that Ted Nugent was a hardcore Republican type, but I didn't mind because if you are a batshit-insane, heavy-metal playing, gun-loving, bear-killing, hyperpatriotic, cowboy-slash-indian ranch owner, then being a Republican only makes sense.

I appreciated some of Ted's points of view: How hunters are the best environmentalists, how ranching and living off the land is the Great American Way, and how the police and army deserve our utmost respect. Even his "shoot the criminals, screw the feminists, and nuke the Middle East" positions are fun in a psychotic, Ted-Nugenty kind of way.

Of course, I love his music. He single-handedly invented speed metal.

But to hear this is heartbreaking.

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Hours after Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his second full term in office, Ted Nugent helped him celebrate at a black-tie gala, but not all attendees were pleased by the rocker's performance.

Using machine guns as props, Nugent, 58, appeared onstage as the final act of the inaugural ball wearing a cutoff T-shirt emblazoned with the Confederate flag and shouting offensive remarks about non-English speakers, according to people who were in attendance.

It's one thing... it's a cool thing... to be a hardcore American Patriot. It's another thing... it's an ugly thing... to be a hardcore American Supremacist.

Apologize dude.

---

UPDATE:

In a discussion forum on his website, Ted Nugent claims he said nothing that he is accused of saying.

Monday Vinnie Blogging

I think his hair is getting even more red, if such a thing is possible.

Daily Report: Fitshaced

Worked through the morning.

At 1:00, Willie and Kak, Mike and Riza, Gong and Birt, and Rick came over for lunch. We had planned on going down to the pool, but we were having too much fun just sitting around the table talking and drinking beer.

As the evening wore on, after Mike and Riza left, we switched from beer to piña coladas, with Rick, Willie and I going through about a bottle-and-a-half of rum... after about 10 beers each. We were all high as kites by 11:00.

Stupid Tourist Contest Revisited

Pattaya has a never-ending supply of very dumb and gullible tourists who hire the services of a prostitute, take the prostitute back to their hotel room, and are stupid enough to take a knockout pill offered by the prostitute, who tells the gullible doofus that it is a sexual-enhancement aid.

Fortunately, when the dumb tourist wakes up, the police and local TV station are on hand to film Teh Stoopit for posterity... so it isn't a complete loss.

I'm keeping a running total of the stupidity, so the first 11 are previous stupids, while the next 4 are all brand new, fresh from the showroom of stupidity, still sporting that new-car smell of stupidity, and 2 coats of fresh, hand-rubbed stupity. (Stupidity tax already paid by the dealer, and a full tank of stupidity included to get you down the highway.)

Welcome To Fun City!!!

Stupid Tourist #1, #2, #3	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #4 and #5	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #6 and #7	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #8 and #9	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #10	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #11	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #12	drugged robbed and filmed.
Stupid Tourist #13, 14, 15	drugged robbed and filmed.

Still no reason discovered as to why 90% of these men are middle-eastern. It obviously goes without saying that stupid tourists don't read Jil In Pattaya... a fact of which we (me) here at J.I.P. are quite proud of... and you yourself can be quite proud of as well. You help keep J.I.P. free of Teh Stoopit.

We (me) thank you for that.

Daily Report: Missing Manky and Sore Asses

I made half of my pre-lunch work goal today. Fuji for lunch. Afternoon work cancelled on account of nap. (I've actually scheduled my Saturday and Sunday afternoons off with The New Schedule, but I had planned on working this afternoon in order to make up for lost work throughout the week instead.) So that ended the week on a crap note. Bleh. (Still however, way WAY beyond where I normally am at this point in the pay period.)

This evening I sat down with Pui and Go at the kitchen table and drank beer. Maid Go has a crush on Franky, but can't remember his name. "I want to see Manky again."

Every once in a while, you stumble across something that Thai people have never seen before, but you would assume everybody on earth knows about. This evening, I took a damp washcloth and made a rat-tail out of it, and gave Pui a (very light, gentle) little snap on her backside through her jeans while she was standing at the kitchen sink. (Having been a springboard diver in my school days, I was always armed with a chamois, and I'm an ace at rat-tails.) Pui of course was a little pained and annoyed... although generally uninjured.

Maid Go, never having seen a rat-tail smack before, chastised Pui for over-reacting, thinking that getting a soft piece of washcloth fabric smacked lightly against your bottom was no reason for hysterics. Just to prove her point, she offered up her own backside for a swat from me. (She was wearing thin linen shorts... a mere wisp of material when compared to Pui's stout jeans.) No... I didn't hold back this time:

BLAM!

I call it "cultural education the hard way." Maid Go won't be sitting down in a 2-cheeked fashion for the rest of the evening.

Quotacious

"Newly released documents show that in the 1950s Britain and France talked about uniting and becoming one country. That didn't work out because France wanted to be in charge of the Army and England wanted to be in charge of the food." — Conan O'Brien

I was dubious... but it's true.

Thailand to Deport Hmong Refugees Back To Laos

Thailand is to deport 152 people of the Hmong minority back to Laos even though most of them are recognized as refugees by the United Nations, Laos officials and Amnesty International has said.

The group of 152 were arrested in mid-November and detained at the Immigration Detention Center (IDC) in the border city of Nong Khai.

This is how most people see the Hmong
in Laos: Kids looking for spare change
from tourists during stops at villages
to buy trinkets and take photos.I cannot speak to the specific details of the 152 refugees in Nong Khai, but I can speak to the Hmong people I have met in Laos. My impression of these people when I visited a Hmong villiage in Luang Prabhang is that they are economic outcasts, and therefore an impoverished and probably neglected population. However, in an entire country of bamboo dwellings, their existance didn't seem particularly — if at all — severe. I did meet Hmong people on my last trip to Laos (Tip's family specifically) who were exceptionally well-off compared to the average Lao citizen.

That's what I saw... as a tourist, on the beaten path, as it were. Laos, however, is a heck of a lot larger than a single highway which ferries tourists from Vientienne and Luang Prabhang. There is a lot of jungle out there, with a lot of people doing a lot of things that nobody ever hears about. All I can do is to hope that these 152 repatriated people aren't mistreated.

(I probably shouldn't be optimistic, eh?)

Amnesty International strongly condemns the massacre of ethnic Hmong people by Lao government troops in northern Vientiane province last month. The deadly attack, which took place some 20 kilometres northeast of the tourist town of Vang Vieng on 6 April 2006, claimed the lives of at least 26 people, mostly women and children. Another four people were wounded.

This is a good quick read on the modern history of the Hmong people. This is an in-depth long read on the complete Hmong history.

New Year's Eve Bombings In Bangkok Update

The investigative portion of the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok is in full swing:

Prelminary footwork seems to be leading back to disgruntled Thaksin supporters in the police and military.

BANGKOK, Thailand - Authorities detained 15 suspects including some military officers over a string of New Year's bombings that killed three people, police said Saturday. ...

"I was informed by police that they have detained some suspects and it is very regrettable that some of the officers are involved," Prime Minister Surayud Julanont said. "It is the power of police to investigate and file charges if they have evidence."

Col. Sansern Khaewkhamnerd, a spokesman for the military-installed Council for National Security, said soldiers were part of the raid because some suspects are army officers. He refused to elaborate.

The speculative portion of the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok is in full swing:

Opinion polls are showing less support for the coup-installed government, falling from 90% to 50% in a short while. In addition, Thailand's stock market is taking a hammering due to nervous investors.

A poll released on Friday suggested the bombs were having their desired effect, with about half of 1,600 Bangkok residents saying they wanted the army-backed government to stay, against 60 percent in December and 90 percent in October when it took power.

The Thai bourse -- Asia's worst performer of 2006 -- closed down 3.1 percent, after falling 4.5 percent in the first two trading days of 2007 amid fears that the bombs presaged a year of violent political upheaval.

Leisure industry stocks were particularly hard-hit, with top movie theater operator Major Cineplex falling 8.2 percent as the capital's party-loving population stayed in. Food delivery firms reported jammed switchboards and soaring sales.

In related news, the Thai government is telling UBC... and UBC has agreed... not to air a CNN interview with ousted Prime Minister Thaksin. UBC is the only cable network that carries CNN in Thailand.

(It is interesting to note in the AFP article how the current Thai government has gone from being referred to as "coup leaders" to the new term of "junta"... a much less flattering word reserved primarily for the contemptible government of Myanmar... ever since the coup leaders / junta made a move to block the Thaksin interview.)

Attorney General Pulls A Slick Willie On Congress

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

This is the kind of thing that Bill Clinton became famous for back when he was trying to wiggle his way out of admitting that he got a hummer in the oval office. (That such wiggling was even necessary is not coming up for argument at this point.) Now, carrying on the greasy political art of "definition acrobatics", we have Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales:

Specter: Now wait a minute, wait a minute. The Constitution says you can't take it away except in the case of invasion or rebellion. Doesn't that mean you have the right of habeas corpus?

Gonzales: I meant by that comment that the Constitution doesn't say that every individual in the United States or every citizen has or is assured the right of habeas corpus. It doesn't say that. It simply says that the right of habeas corpus shall not be suspended.

Technically... 100% true. The Constitution states that nobody shall have their right to habeas corpus suspended. The Constitution does not specifically state that everybody is assured the right of habeas corpus. Gonzales' argument is: "Nobody shall lose the right to habeas corpus" does not mean that everybody has it to begin with.

But, much like Bill Clinton, when your argument comes down to childish semantics of such a pithy level in order to justify the removal of universally-accepted prisoner's rights for terrorist suspects, you really should concede the point, and search for a more defensible logical foothold to support your argument... if such a thing exists.

Daily Report: A Relaxing Afternoon

I worked the right amount of time this morning, but was constantly distracted. Phone calls, e-mails, spontaneous desires to look something up on the internet, or talking with Pui or Go about stuff that needed to get done... All of them distracted me from work, and while sat in front of the computer for 5 hours before lunch time, I only did about 3 hours worth of work.

I took the afternoon off. I had Willie and Franky over for lunch. I figured that since both were Arid Zonians, I'd introduce them. Pui and Go put together their standard delicious Thai food lunch of various dishes including red curry, snow peas and chicken, and chicken soup. (Fresh fruit platter for dessert.) I'm sure Franky couldn't figure out how I could manage to get so fat with food like that always being served in my house.

At 3:00, the three of us took Pot down to the pool and played around. Willie had to leave shortly thereafter to pick up the kids from school. He took Pot home.

An American fellow named Tom stopped by the pool and struck up a conversation with Franky and me. He's a property developer who is interested in building an assisted living facility for handicapped people here in Pattaya.

His reasoning is that the cost of such a facility in California (where he is from, and where his handicapped son stays in such a place) is $7,500 per month. Here in Pattaya, you could find better-qualified (and friendlier) staff, excellent medical facilities, and all the amenities of the Western world, but with Thai ambience, and a tropical envoriment... all available at a fraction of the cost.

In the evening, Pui and I went to dinner with Stan and Mem, Mike and Riza to L'Olivier in Jomtien. It's very similar to Cherry Restaurant in approach: Above average decor, excellent food, and reasonable prices. Aside from their all-you-can-eat appetizer buffet, which I don't care for, L'Olivier has food that is as good as... prices that are lower than... and (oh-so-gay) staff that is a thousand times more talented and English-fluent than... Cherry Restaurant. Oh... although Mike would want everybody to know that he hates the silverware at L'Olivier.

After that, Stan and Mem went to meet up with friends who popped in unexpectedly from London, and Mike, Riza, Pui, and myself went over to Rick's bar (Rick is in Vietnam) for a beer with Justin and Rat.

Then, it was home at 10:30 and quickly to bed.

Friday Cat Blogging

Both of my cats (mother and daughter) always are falling asleep with their mouths open. Weirdos.

Stan Says: Diet Coke Makes You Gain Weight

My friend Stan's brain is filled with little tidbits and factoids that he picks up here and there, and he likes to trot them out whenever he can in order to impress and amaze. His most recent burst of trivial knowledge was last night, when he insisted that Diet Coke actually makes you gain weight.

Not surprisingly, he's right. Stan is one of those people who doesn't open his mouth to make an assertion unless he knows 100% for sure that he is correct.

So if you drink Diet Coke, your body is indeed more inclined to gain weight, even though Diet Coke provides you with no calories.