bust

John Pilger, an Australia-born journalist and documentary filmmaker known for his coverage of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, has died, his family said Sunday. He was 84. Had dinner with him a couple of times in Sydney. Interesting character.

Yep Happy New Year to all. Ironically the Festive Season which is meant to be a happy time in many cases is the complete opposite. Having said that I still enjoy spending New year's Eve in Dollhouse Hope the tradition still continues after Darel's passing. It did in 2022 which was the last NYE I spent there.

I have a Christmas/New Year tradition. Been doing for probably the last 10 years. Every Christmas I do 2 things (except during Covid not the second one) I take a leg of ham down to a homeless men's shelter Woolloomooloo http://www.sydneyhomelessconnect.com/services/matthew-talbot-hostel/ And secondly go through my wardrobe and have a clean out and take it to another support group for the homeless https://www.waysidechapel.org.au/ Even got my sons involved this year to give them a bit of perspective on life.

The Exorcist. If I remember correctly was banned in some countries. Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Always enjoyed watching Richard Dreyfuss. Has that nervous kind of camera presence similar to Harrison Ford.

The man has a serious side....sort of!!!

I've actually got a different pic of her somewhere sitting legs crossed. I remember taking someone to Thermae once and gave him simple instruction on how to know if the girl is interested. "She will make eye contact" During his first lap every girl he liked looked directly at the floor as soon as he stopped. This went on for 2 or 3 laps until he got the shits and left Was hilarious

I haven't spent much time in the famed areas of Cowboy and the Plaza recently as it has lost it's appeal for me. I do pop into one particular bar in NP when the owner is is town who I have know for years. MPIH will know the one I mean. We had a whipping good time there one night. I actually prefer just sitting having a chat watching the world pass by in all it's shapes and forms. I haven't barfined up there for probably 10-12 years but do hear some of the girls should be wearing balaclavas like most thieves. I actually spend more time up in Phnom Penh these days. Sort of how BKK was 30 years ago. Was there a few months ago. There used to be 3 main areas along the riverfront where you were able to take a girl. Last time I was there Streets 136 and 130 were still pumping but Street 110 had been decimated. Went there one night and only a couple of bars still stood. Covid-19 and ruthless Chinese owners had ruined it. Bar fines from memory were $10-15 and $30-6 0 for St or LT although everything was negotiable the later the nigh got. Much cheaper to drink as well.

"British intelligence" That a bit of an oxymoron isn't it

The Sunnis and Shiites paid testament to that didn't they.

Looks I a bunch of entitled young shits running riot. The Indonesians are a special bunch 🙄 Indonesian protesters stormed the refugee shelter calling for deportation of Rohingya. A large crowd of Indonesian students has stormed a convention center housing more than 100 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar in the city of Banda Aceh, demanding they be deported. Reuters footage from the Wednesday protest showed the students, many wearing green jackets, run into the building's large basement space, where crowds of Rohingya men, women and children were seated on the floor and crying in fear. The Rohingya were then led out, some carrying their belongings in plastic sacks, and taken to trucks as the protesters looked on. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said it in a statement it was "deeply disturbed to see a mob attack on a site sheltering vulnerable refugee families" and called for better protection. "The mob broke a police cordon and forcibly put 137 refugees on two trucks, and moved them to another location in Banda Aceh. The incident has left refugees shocked and traumatized," it said. The incident has left refugees shocked and traumatised. (Reuters: Riska Munawarah) Misinformation, hate speech blamed It said the attack was the result of a coordinated online campaign of misinformation and hate speech. A city police spokesperson in Banda Aceh did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Rohingya Muslim refugees were forced onto trucks by the protesters. (Reuters: Riska Munawarah) Rohingya refugees have experienced increasing hostility and rejection in Indonesia as locals grow frustrated at the number of boats carrying members of the ethnic minority, who face persecution in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, arriving. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has blamed the recent surge in arrivals on human trafficking, and pledged to work with international organisations to offer temporary shelter. The UNHCR say the attack was was fuelled by online misinformation and hate speech.(Reuters: Riska Munawarah) Over 1,500 Rohingya have arrived in Indonesia since November, according to the UNHCR. Why these refugees made a dangerous boat trip Khairul's family is among more than 1,000 Rohingya refugees who recently fled from a refugee camp in Bangladesh to another uncertain future in Indonesia. Read more Arrivals tend to spike between November and April, when the seas are calmer, with Rohingya taking boats to neighbouring Thailand and Muslim-majority Indonesia and Malaysia. Wariza Anis Munandar is a 23-year-old student from Banda Aceh and called for the deportation of the Rohingya at a protest rally on Wednesday, while another student, 20-year-old Della Masrida, said "they came here uninvited, they feel like it is their country." Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees but has a history of taking in refugees if they arrive. For years, Rohingya have fled Myanmar, where they are generally regarded as foreign interlopers from South Asia, denied citizenship and subjected to abuse. Reuters

The association was also forced to address rumours circulating online that Yan had cheated during the competition by using anal beads equipped with wireless transmitters to send and receive signals. Yan allegedly clenched and unclenched rhythmically to communicate information about the chess board via code to a computer, which then sent back instructions on what moves to make in the form of vibrations, according to reports circulating on the Chinese social site Weibo. Did this take place in LOS?

And so I did. I checked the label on the back and it comes from a shop in MBK https://noproblemfashion.com/ So perhaps it means "Dance with a Farang"

Update on definition from Chatty who works at one of my locals. I wore it on Christmas eve and asked her. She is from BKK but has lived in Sydney for 7 years. So the RAM is the dance or can also mean thunder. Non Thai is in Nakhon Ratchasima but she believes it relates to a University in Bangkok but was not sure which one.

I believe the 1% rule applies with Thai woman. 99% are opportunistic, dishonest and generally never put all their eggs in one basket when it comes to relationships with farangs. Yes I know some have won the lottery and have observed them have a wonderful life together but it is rare. So what are the chances of you winning the lottery twice 😊

Dinner for Schmucks. I was bored 🙄

I wonder if a certain individual will be happy with https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/25/ukraine-officially-celebrates-christmas-on-december-25-for-the-first-time

I think he has learnt his lesson 😊 Will be just another day for me. Not a big fan but I conform to social requirements. One thing I do like though is society in general seems more pleasant to be around. Best wishes to all (especially the other few keeping the board alive) ✌️

I have actually requested some Molam Dub. Wonder if Jah is available 🤔

I off to get my Mongkol blessed at the local temple

Did some research. It was originally San Thai which is a Khmer name meaning place to gather salt. So I am guessing it related to maybe a muay thai gym perhaps. In other words I will be wearing a target

Ok so I have been given a T-shirt here in Sydney by a Thai girl. Simple dark blue cotton with the words in yellow stressed print "RAM NONTHAI" The best I can come up with is Ram I know is dancing and Non is a province in Isaan. But is always a good idea to know exactly what something means before wearing in public. I remember getting confronted on Sukhumvit one day outside the Landmark by some obnoxious Amerikan for wearing a PNN T-shirt (Pentagon News Network" Anyone!

Not sure what it is about Aussies and rescues underground. The guy behind the rescue in India recently with 41 trapped miners was from Melbourne.