Iolare

Tuesday is Valentine's day, and it really snuck up on me this year.  I'm looking for ideas of where to go for dinner.  I thought about Rick N Roll music cafe, but I went to the web site and didn't see any special promotion, and couldn't even tell if it's open.  No way to contact the cafe that I could see on the website.  

One of the outdoor restaurants on the beach at Nai Yang I think has some live entertainment, so that's a possibility.  Anyone have other suggestions?

I haven't seen these connectors in Thailand, but they are common in the US, and so handy when installing a water heater.  They're typically either copper or stainless steel and very flexible due to a corrugated surface.  The connections on both ends are female threaded, have a rubber washer, and act as a union.  Typically they're either 18" or 24" long, and 3/4" in diameter, but other sizes are available.  Does anyone know if they are available in Thailand?  I'm in the Phuket area, and would really like to source them here if possible.  They're so handy that if they're not here already they should be (possible business opportunity?).

I came across a rather curious ad in the Gazette this morning which caught my eye and piqued by interest.  I'm wondering if anyone else saw it and wondered about it, or found it amusing. It's headlined:

"Skink Bissle / Chrome Fag Tube"  

The ad reads:

"Eight years old but still in good condition (except for gronk wire which got little bit rust). 3,500 baht. Includes carrying case, spiff roost, manual (in German), extra polishing compound, tube resonator and safety goggle. Bowser not available for this model (TN17v), but inverter can still be purchased at Courtneys bkk. Email for pork bag."

Now I'm a guy who likes likes tools and likes a bargain, and I happen to have 3,500 baht burning a hole in my pocket (and I'm a little bored with all this rain), so maybe I should investigate whether buying this skink bissle would enhance the quality of my life.

I have a few questions though, first, is this contraption used in construction, food preparation,  agricultural or animal husbandry, or recreational pursuits (I might be intersted in any of these cases)?  Is the rusty gronk wire a health and safety or just an esthetic issue?  I'm a pretty handy guy, so probably I could fix the wire problem, but is the lack of a bowser a big issue and would it be overcome by purchasing the inverter?  Is the polishing compound for polishing the chrome fag tube or the spiff roost?  Is a "spiff" slang for a chicken?  Why would I email for the pork bag when it already comes with a carrying case?

I suppose I could call the seller up and ask my questions, but that would expose me as a person who lived all these years without knowing the first thing about chrome fag tubes and skink bissles.

Does anyone know of a company that sends freight trucks down to Phuket?  I'd like this kayak to be a part of a consolidated shipment so that I wouldn't have to pay the entire cost of a truck.  I'm hoping there's a company up there that makes this route and also hoping it wouldn't be too expensive.  Any suggestions or referrals would be much appreciated.

A couple of months ago a story surfaced here about a fellow who supposedly lost seven homes including the one he lived in due to fraud on the part of a dishonest maid and supposedly corrupt local officials.  He got some help from outside police officials, but they apparently withdrew due to local police not cooperating with them, according to the report.  The man was in fear for his life and went into hiding.  This seemed like a story that would have legs, but I've noticed nothing in the local media including this site since then.  Was the story debunked, or is it still ongoing?  Quite mysterious, I seems.  I'm curious if anybody knows "the rest of the story."