YimSiam

Intent to sell, with .77 gram? Wonder how they got to that conclusion, He'd really have to have admitted he wanted to sell, or arranged a sale, or had some tiny little subdivisions in the works.

And... daughter of national hero/independence symbol Aung San! The 1988 protest events brought a number of elements together in what appeared to be a perfect storm against the generals - only it wasn't, quite. But she returned to Myanmar, entranced the nation with her remarkable image (young, beautiful, strong, outspoken - and representing the same family that is linked to the British departure...), and scared the generals. Made for good theater - but for 20 years+, the generals stayed one step ahead (and are probably about four steps ahead right now - nursing the country on a path to something that looks more like democracy and civilian government, but which has the steely backbone of military rule and Bamar chauvinism still at the shadowy core... Let's hope the eventual progress is somehow inevitably if slowly towards the light.

My definition of "virtuous maiden" has undergone a not-so-subtle renovation over twenty years of Thai visits - married to a husband I've never met and just the two kids, doesn't work at Kangaroo Bar? Virtuous Maiden in my book...

So use the attention and leverage on something that matters, not perpetuating a mythical dynasty, says I. Different individuals and systems have varied useful attributes - Mao and Maoism is a kick-ass way to gain power in a feudal peasant-based society, as shown in China and Nepal, but it's a crap system of governance. Being a virtuous maiden locked up in her family mansion is great to garner attention to a symbol, but she's not necessarily someone with capacity or background to wrestle Myanmar towards a future of peace and democracy -- get back to being a figurehead, and let others do the political leadership. I remember that in the last years of her captivity, some of her visitors were coming out saying that they thought she'd basically been so oddly removed for so long, she wasn't even psychologically ready to step into power or leadership, at worst, that they'd basically cracked her with all the detention and isolation. Not saying they're right necessarily - but expending any real negotiating capital on getting her into the top spot will mean squandering more fundamental opportunities, I think. By the time she's allowed to take the reins, she'll be so beholden to the military's interlocutors and the Bamar-ethnic supremacists that it may not be very valuable to have her lead in the end. At least the Dalai Lama, vaguely similar situation, has always been clear that while he's a symbol and a voice, any next phase would require alternate leadership.

... living off charging people to worship a hunk of meteorite and a locked room full of idols...

The fact that the dude was willing to be on tv getting grilled by an unveiled woman probably means he's one of the most liberal public figures, too. What cosmic joke God has played, putting ignorant Saudi chumps on top of the world's oil...

Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi needs to give up on the presidency issue and get down to making sure things improve in the country without her at the helm. Going for the presidency above all else is just being willing to sell out the real issues - like the fact that the whole military constitution is a joke. Any negotiation to achieve her own presidency will involve unacceptable compromise on issues that really matter - like actual self-determination for the Myanmar nation and its people, real democracy, and respect for the interests and wellbeing of the ethnic minorities. Put the 'foreign spouse and children' issue away for now, because focusing on that as an important just empowers the military and removes the focus on serious issues. The Lady is a great symbol, especially when she's locked in her house, but the important issue is creating a broader environment of change and new leadership committed to issues other than ASSK getting the presidency... YimSiam

"women"...

RIght - anything sold down there on Suk in pretty much likely to be fake, no?

What's the story with the name 'gibsy' - is it Thai lady(boy) pronunciation for Gypsy, or somehow an actual Thai name? Flash et all, any clarifcation?

From my own muff-diving experience, I would have to guess that somehow there is a variety of flora down there, and that maybe she just has a bouquet that results in foul-tasting yogurt... Given the ease with which yogurt is made, I do think this poses a good challenge for some depraved board member: sample and culture enough pussy varietals that he actually finds the perfect starter bacteria set for a tasty yogurt smoothie... there are commercial possibilities here that may well give mushroom-farming and ice-making some competition -- at least with people like myself who have long ago drifted from the mainstream... YimSiam

That doesn't go far to reassure the tourists, though! Just tell 'em what they want to hear, that's the easy way...

A friend involved in tourism in Thailand used to be asked by foreign tourists whether the ice in their Thai drinks was drinkable or not - his answer: "Yes, all ice in Thailand must be made at Royal Thai Ice Factories, all guaranteed pure and potable!" (I'm not sure about the apples, though...)

I have also encountered a handful of mushroom farmers; there is somehow a sense of 'gentleman farmer' associated with this in my mind, these were girls with a certain autonomy. Also, duck farming - but subject to disease and the infamous floods - I would have thunk they'd just float so you could maybe tie them with a long string and ride out the flood. Ice-making can be especially lucrative in Laos - it sounds like in Thailand the industry is pretty much wrapped up! I aspire only to hold down my barstool. Arrive early, leave late, remain upright - my definition of success. (And, find an upcountry lady to look after the ducks and 'shrooms, who will come and fetch me should I ever fall off my barstool or become generally unruly).

It's friggin' huge. And very Turkey.

After Kobane and all of the ongoing heavy lifting that the Kurds are doing in the fight against ISIS in Iraq, it will really be a tragedy - though a fully foreseeable one - when the Kurds come out of the current Syrian war and Iraq crisis still without a state. Since the Iraq army basically dissolved on sight, everything was left to the Kurds when ISIS started to hit northern towns. Same in Syria, the Kurds defended/liberated Kobane - Kobane is a town solidly in Syrian territory, but you didn't hear anything about the Syrian army defending this Syrian city in the past few months - the Kurds basically administer and defend their Syrian territories now. (Of course, the Syrians don't really lift a finger against ISIS at the moment, either tacitly or overtly in cahoots with ISIS, to help ensure that eventually Assad can try to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the west as the only ally and bulwark against fundamentalist Islam. He's right that the groups under the Syrian government umbrella are basically natural allies of the West - the Alawis, Shi'a, Christians and moderates. But he's fucked things by making himself such an incompatible ally over the years, and especially with the chemical attack in 2013. Things right now are deteriorating between the government and the Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan - they've been fighting in Hasakeh city recently, which might just be a blip or maybe a sign of further drift by the Kurds from the Syrian government. They've been in such a shitty position for so long they learn to forge their alliances as and when possible, and right now they are in a relatively strong position in Iraq, and potentially in Syrian in the coming years, we shall see. My heart is definitely with them - though their future is probably as doomed as their past, and they are prone to occasional infighting between different Kurdish groups. As soon as Syria and Iraq are back on their feet, they'll be up to their same old ways with the Kurds - dividing, repressing, and generally fucking them over...

Maybe they'll agree to put trilingual Arabic-Farsi-Russian instructions on all weapons bound for Syria.

The interpreter on the Thai side seems to have the right idea - looks like he's getting ready to reach towards the floor and pick up the bar of soap that China has 'accidentally' dropped... Brave of Khun Generalissimo to so overtly play the Americans off against the Chinese, but then, this has been the game for quite a while.

Another case of Chinese misbehavior on board... And I thought it only occurred in coach, not at the very front!

Ah, what a fine line it is, from normal and acceptable, to indecent or obscene. One tank of water yes, an adjacent tank, no. It's a wonder we're able to navigate social convention as well as we generally do, so many subtle variations to consider... No wonder I drink.

So his earlier fine was only about half of this most recent overcharge - makes it hard to see why they'd even bother to levy a fine, when it is obviously so insignificant in comparison to the benefit of padding bills... but a shutdown, that'd be a bit more damaging - especially as it means he can't augment his standard prices during the shutdown!

When something's primary and accepted purpose is getting literally shit on/into, it's hard to imagine what might constitute an indecent act against it...

Chinese lesbians?! I'd provide my services for free, frankly...

I think we end up chasing our tail on this one: it's open because it's profitable, and it's profitable because it's known for selling drugs...

Things change, it gets to be time to move on - I left in 2005, the years before that were the best I'd have in LoS - it's all about time, place, situation, but it'll never be better for me than it was back in the Nana Angels/Grace coffeeshop/soi 13/soi 45 latenight 'lao chalern' days. Not exactly stellar locations, any of them, but somehow things were clicking, I was still having a great time exploring the girls, I was on a positive job trajectory, had some balance to my partying life, there was a fun vibe to things that would soon be gone with the rise of social media and sponsorship and all that. Goddamn, one of the highlights of my life involves mornings at the Grace Hotel, somebody fucking shoot me... Anyway, left almost ten years ago - still coming back regularly, countdown clock at 13 days... but just temp stays for me now.