Category Archives: Hedonism

Hip hop has been experiencing a rebirth across China thanks to a new generation of rappers who focus more on hedonism than political messages.

One of the most popular Chinese hip hop crews are the Higher Brothers. The outfit from Chengdu in Sichuan province will be flying the flag for Chinese rap at Hong Kongs Clockenflap festival this November.

The crew have notched up more than four million views on YouTube for their Made in China video and have won critical praise for their debut album, Black Cab, which was released in May this year.

In the lead-up to the citys biggest annual music and arts festival, the Higher Brothers visited Hong Kong earlier this month to preform at Kitec in Kowloon Bay, where their lyrical prowess was on full display to the packed house.

See the original post:

Clockenflap 2017: Higher Brothers bring Chinese hip hop to Hong Kong and the world - South China Morning Post

Photography: Eric Johnson

The rapper'sHedonism highlight features longtime collaborator Rye Rye.

Wed, 2017-08-16 13:08

Cakes Da Killa pumps the beat on "Gon Blow," the Rye Rye-assisted standout off his debut studio album, Hedonism. Following music videos for "Talkin Greezy" and "Been Dat Did That,"the New Jersey rapper has dropped yet another, this time pairing the aggressive sounds of "Gon Blow" with colorful animations by Ben Marlowe. Spliced together with black-and-white scenes from a party Cakes hosted, the video is a celebration of dance culture.

"The visual is a collaboration with myself, photographer Eric Johnson and animator Ben Marlowe," Cakes told Vibe. "For me, the track is all about movement, so we included some B-roll from a party Eric and I threw. Bens animations helped add some dance sequences to the video, because dance culture influences my music a lot, and I feel there is a disconnect between that and rap culture lately."

Related |Queer Rapper Cakes Da Killa on Finding Self in Music: 'I Was Born Out of the Closet'

This isn't the first time Cakes has collaborated with Rye Rye, the M.I.A. affiliate whose debut rap album Go! Pop! Bang! was one of 2012's strongest, unsung releases. The pair also joined forces on "Get 2 Werk" off Cakes' Hunger Pangs mixtape, another high-energy cut that opens with New York's Contessa Stuto proclaiming her Cunt Mafia realness.

Watch Cakes Da Killa's "Gon Blow" video, below.

See the original post:

Cakes Da Killa's 'Gon Blow' Video is an Ode to Dance Culture - Out Magazine

It's not unusual for wealthy, middle-aged men to trade in their sports cars for newer models every year, but Leonardo DiCaprio takes Crisis Hedonism to the next level by trading in his models for newer models every year.

In fairness, he's been doing this for his entire adult life, the whole thing is just a bit sleazier-feeling now that Leo is 42.

But hey, Keith Richards' blood is 43% heroin; Charlie Sheen will give you crabs if you accidentally make eye contact; and Leo is on a quest to bed every woman who has ever walked a runway.

Sometimes, their misbehavior is what we love most about our celebs.

So it won't surprise you to learn that Leo is banging yet another rail-thin, globe trotting model with close to 1 million Instagram followers.

(DiCaprio and Nina Agdal have apparently broken up after several months together.)

But this time, Leo is actually breaking away from his usual M.O. in an interesting way.

Check out this photo of 23-year-old Lorena Rae and see if you can guess what we mean:

Yes, Lorena is not blonde.

That may not seem like a big deal, DiCaprio and blondes go together like peanut butter and jelly ... if peanut butter really loved having no-strings-attached sex with jelly.

But just because she doesn't match Leo's police sketch of the perfect woman, that doesn't mean Lorena isn't getting the full DiCaprio girlfriend experience.

In the past three months, Lorena and Leo have been spotted getting their culture on at the MoMa, Citi Biking in Manhattan (Leo was vaping, of course), partying in Monaco, and yachting in St. Tropez.

Friends say Lorena is incredibly down-to-earth, and while she loves to have a good time, she also shares DiCaprio's concern with important issues like climate change.

But she's not blonde! Leo probably thinks to himself each night, as he crushes a tumbler of Scotch in his bare hand.

Of course, much has been made of Leo's taste for flaxen-haired beauties, but we're guessing blonde-ness isn't terribly high on his list of requirements.

As far as we can tell, that list goes something like this:

Hot, young, a vocabulary that's missing the words "what are we?", and a job that allows for weeks at a time spent on a yacht in the Mediterranean.

We'd say the relationship probably isn't long for this world, but who knows?

Maybe DiCaprio's days of banging 6 models in one night are over.

Seems unlikely, but dare to dream, Lorena!

13 Handsome Photos of Leonardo DiCaprio

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Read more:

Leonardo DiCaprio Is Dating Another Model ... But There's a Twist - The Hollywood Gossip

Monday, August 14, 2017 at 9:04 a.m.

Doeman

Photo by Marco Torres

While Mike Jones was taking his sweet time backstage Saturday night, the HOU's Next rappers were busy revving up the House of Blues crowd with a catalog of fire songs dashed with local love.

The HOU's Next crew represents the fledgling future of the local rap scene. These artists, not beholden to established labels or othermusic-industry snares, have the freedom to stretch the boundaries of what rap can be. Their tracks, forged in a world flush with anomie, are a far cry from the easy hedonism that defined the ascendancy of artists like headliner Mike Jones; they're sharp, they're critical, and they're self-aware in a way that an era of political and social unrest demands. Simply put, HOU's Next is making the rap both the city and the world needs right now. They're drawing an audience and raising eyebrows in a way the old guard of Houston rap can no longer do.

Genesis Blu, the "head-fucking hen" of the Houston rap scene, approached her portion of the HOU's Next set with her signature lyricism, humility and positivity. Songs like "Have it All" fed the crowd a smart message that refused despair and embraced possibility; with the lines "you can never check my mic/ I'm not your stereotype/ No limits and no ceilings/ I'm about that life," Genesis simultaneously confronted the barriers that entrap women in the world of hip hop without letting them hold her back. She kept on teaching with the fist-pumping anthem "Bluming Season" delivered a smooth, vintage flow woven into its story of personal growth.

Genesis Blu

Photo by Marco Torres

Though the artist usually resists music that's overtly sexual, Genesis cut loose with some older tracks that embraced her sultrier side. The song "Run it Back," an old-school narrative-style rap of sexual awakening, oozed into the mike with steamy innuendo, and the song "No Cuddlin'" popped back at a lousy ex-lover with a whole lot of side-eye. Genesis Blu's willingness to venture into a territory that she regularly forecloses demonstrated just how safe and supportive the House of Blues show was.

While the DJ got the crowd moving to Lil Keke's classic "Southside," T2 the Ghetto Hippie was waiting in the wings for his set. T2 fashions himself as the court jester of Houston rap. Dressed in a faded flannel shirt and pineapple pants (yes, pineapple pants), the self-proclaimed leader of the "Good Vibe Tribe" took to the stage with knowing glee, gripping the mike close as he laid into "Double Cups and Taco Trucks." Like any good jester, T2 used his moments of revelry to expose deeper truths; at one point, he proclaimed he "was going to do some cliche rapper shit," and hyped the crowd to make some noise for weed, drank, Houston, and other easy-to-pander-to items.

T2 the Ghetto Hippie

Photo by Marco Torres

By facing the these phony rap platitudes head on, however, T2 shows how he's wise to the cavern of emptiness underneath what audiences easily cheer for. It's that looming emptiness that the artist seeks to fill with his music. When T2 performed the deep and bassy "IDGAF," it was clear from his earnest performance that all his hustle, and his pleading overtures with the audience come together as one, are all done to stave off the desire "to put a piece to my head and make that bitch go bang."

The last HOU'S Next set, featuring Doeman, was a triumph of technical rap mastery. Doeman can freestyle like no other; he's quick and biting, popping into his bars faster than any writer can easily transcribe. His flow, in a word, is vicious, and it demands to be heard. The song "F.W.M.N.," the bitter, menacing diss track to all those who ever doubted the rapper, dropped like a bomb in the middle of House of Blues, unleashing an explosion of cathartic rage amidst its tinkling, horror-movie backbeat. While he might not brand it as such, Doeman's work is intellectual; for every bar that is an elaborate middle finger to the rapper's enemies, there's one that offers thoughtful critique. The line, "You worried about Instagram/I'm worried about the immigrants" showed that Doeman knows he's rapping in a world of injustice that requires a response. Unlike other rappers, Doeman is man enough to make that response.

DJ Baby Roo

Photo by Marco Torres

But what, you might ask, about headliner Mike Jones? The rapper made audiences wait over an hour for his set, starting well past the time his set was supposed to be finished. There's a metaphor hiding in that delay: the clock is striking midnight on the rap of the early aughts. In a world where nuclear attacks can be threatened with casual abandon, where white supremacists can walk the streets without hoods and where protesters can be murdered with impunity, songs like "Still Tippin" just don't resonate. In fact, that seem shamefully trivial in the face of so much turmoil. Houston's up-and-coming rappers have found a way to adapt party aesthetics to the changing world; maybe it's about time they got to take center stage.

Read the rest here:

Local Rappers Stand Out While Mike Jones Keeps Fans Waiting - Houston Press

I think theres something particularly 'Kelela about starting on a somber note;" this is how Kelela introduces her sublime, shape-shifting new EP, and in particular the cavernous tumble of its first song A Message." While the track continually falls to pieces and puts itself back together again, Kelela duets with a disembodied spectre of herself recounting the emotional purgatory of a newly abandoned relationship. Its more than an opening song, it is the moment that launches the narrative arc that is the backbone of the EP, titled Hallucinogen.

Kelela expands, It speaks to the narcotic that is loving someone. It makes you exhilarated, it makes you feel drained, its in your body and it affects you so completely, and thus the record opens with a pair of tracks that conjure the feeling of emerging from an opiate haze and into the light of the EPs middle section. Gomenasai is a stunningly low-slung piece of grime-influenced futurism, with Kelela buoyed by Nguzunguzus MA on production. I think its more honest and realistic to start with the ultimate low, but equally there has to be hope, and this is where Rewind comes in. Co-produced by Kelela/Kingdom/Nugget, Rewind perfectly embodies the breathless euphoria of infatuation. Kelela steers some mutant form of Miami-bass-freestyle-electro to a sweaty basement rave where furtive companions lock eyes across a chaotic dance floor. All The Way Down (prod. By DJ Dahi) follows, and the timid interactions are replaced with an empowered courageous nerve...the decision to go all the way in love again, despite having dealt with heartbreak. By the end of the song Kelelas voice has become a submerged, pitch-shifted blur asking what you wanna do?

Rather than answer her question, the title track brings up many more. Hallucinogen might be the most aptly-titled track you hear this year, a queasy psychedelic odyssey in which Kelela intones like a wordless shaman while the world literally shatters around her. Born out of the same series of sessions with Arca that begat A Message, Kelelas instinctual harmonizing dances around the beat, telling the story of ecstasy through impulse, with sounds and shapes rather than lyrics. The 'reset button has been hit and the glow has faded as a monochromatic chopped-and screwed techno pulse by Gifted & Blessed carries Kelela through the euphoric peak on The High, an indulgent surrender that leads to a restarting of the cycle, then you go straight back into 'A Message from 'The High - from hedonism to heartbreak - its very much a continuum.

Hallucinogen represents a turning point for Kelela, marking only the second release of her ascendant career after the out-of-nowhere runaway success of the Cut 4 Me mixtape that made her name. As an artist Kelela plays a role not unlike that of her longtime fan Bjork, orchestrating the electronic avant-garde in pursuit of her unique vision. Im pulling things out of people to create a culture clash in me. Ive spent so much time synthesizing inside myself to realize the songs.

Kelela developed her approach singing over experimental instrumentals thinking to herself, is there a place for a weird black girl in this music? I had to make sense of these two things inside myself, the color of my voice in all its R&B glory and all the other music that was resonating with me. With this EP, she has made that place pulling the parts together under the umbrella of Kelela, incorporating different voices and inspirations, from Janet to Wiley, from Tamia to Aphex Twin a universe Kelela is building for herself. With her album epic well underway, Kelelas vision of progressive soul music is about to shine very bright. Hallucinogen is a strikingly realized piece that brings that into sharp focus.

Just last week, we talked about Kelela as an artist to watch after she came out with her new single "LMK....

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A few months ago, I touched on my disappointment in the fact that there weren't many rising black artists gaining widespread popularity....

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Originally posted here:

Kelela - LMK - Baeble Music (blog)

A couple of years ago I went on a fact-finding visit to Majorca. I had been approached by local people throughout the island, wanting to highlight the problems they were facing from tourism. As you leave Palma Airport, one of the first things you see is a large office block emblazoned with the logo of a major European Tour Operator. Throughout the island, you cannot escape the various logos of travel companies and their sponsorship of public events. Everywhere is a testament to one of the greatest industries on the planet and the logistical success of their operations. I subsequently and perhaps wistfully observed that the island had been colonised by an industry and that it was difficult to see its real possibilities.

This beautiful island however hid and continues to hide some uncomfortable truths. The effect of tourism was and continues to have a profound effect on those who live on the island, from crowded roads, housing, stresses on water supplies, concerns on the sustainability of the coastline and its waters, to the growth of mega-all-inclusive resorts and the very real presence of crime, seducing our young travellers through the industrial-scale operations of bars and clubs, offering hedonism by stealth.

For several years, local people throughout Majorca have been protesting about the lack of attention the authorities have paid to these very real problems, made even more difficult by a major influx of tourists whose choice of destinations have been limited by acts of terror.

Whilst the island, and indeed Spain, enjoys this tourist boom, the pressure-points that local people complain about have become more evident. Their voice has been raised to a crescendo through the actions of a group called Arran. Whilst we can debate the rights and wrongs of their tactics and public statements, the real people who live in and around these tourist centres are still not being heard.

Take for example the words of Almundena Lopez Diaz, a resident of Barcelona, who cites the rise of illegally operating apartments, rising prices for food and drink and a sense that local people are being priced out of Barcelona in favour of the tourist. Despite these problems, she comments that "86.7 per cent of locals see tourism as a positive thing, but many think it needs to be further regulated".

The issue of 'tourist saturation' is however a point that exists closer to home on the Isle of Skye. This pristine island is now receiving calls for help from islanders, to deal with the massive surge in tourist numbers. Holidaymakers are attracted by the 'locations' used by film and television companies and its lost-world atmosphere. Complaints have ranged from clogged roads, pressure on housing, because of the rise of holiday lettings, and up to 30 cruise ships arriving in the small bay of Portree, disgorging their cargo for the next round of island tours. The VisitScotland's Regional Director points out the obvious financial advantages to the local economy but acknowledges that, "I understand these issues. They're very real for people and very immediate, and it does have an impact", supporting a call for solutions.

The respected travel writer Simon Calder however highlights what I have been arguing for some time, that local and national politicians have it within their remit to control the excesses of cruises ships, drunken people, protection of their resources or a 'saturation' of crowds. He argues action could lead to a 'time-shift' of holidaymakers' habits, thereby leading to a more balanced visitor number. Where we perhaps disagree is on the claim that 'tourism is killing Mallorca' - Simon thinks that it has actually revived the island; I hold the view that the patient is on the critical list!

Simon Kettle also highlights the pressure-points in Venice, Dubrovnik, Skye and Barcelona and observes that "We may not be an infestation yet. But we are a problem. Travel can narrow the mind too". Elizabeth Becker astutely observes that "Only governments can handle runaway tourism...without serious and difficult government co-ordination, mayhem can follow".

For the people of Majorca and elsewhere, these are serious issues and in the face of political inaction, the likelihood of further protest is real and likely to capture a political agenda if not negatively affect the travel product. Tourism is however already a major player in the political agenda of the European Union; it takes centre-stage of the Lisbon Treaty, which embodies the ambition that European Tourism is a major growth industry that can lead to economic prosperity.

I understand only too well the pressures of life and work and our desire to get away from it all, but, as consumers, we should start to think about our own travel footprint and about how our presence impacts that local economy. This is a big ask of any consumer because they will not find the answers in any travel brochure or sales-pitch. As we travel into the future, we are all going to have to take responsibility for this 'wildfire' and play our part in delivering a valuable, thoughtful and responsible tourism in partnership with our hosts.

Visit link:

The Wildfires Of Tourism - HuffPost UK

PRESENTERS from the steamy Naked News network have stripped off for their raunchiest task yet.

A trio of scantly clad babes took on Ukrainian dancing in their own unique way for the feature.

Led by busty brunette Hanna Orio, co-hosts Carli Bei and Isabella Rossini stripped down to their birthday suits for the challenge.

In the clip, the girls can be seen leaping around completely nude while traditional Ukrainian music plays in the background.

NAKED NEWS

The Naked News channel presenters have set the internet alight with their saucy, full frontal antics. Now they've released their hottest pics ever

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But this isnt the first time the networks hosts have put on such a racy display.

Earlier this year Carli Bei got naked to meet with members of a swinging community in Jamaica.

As part of the feature, couples at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Negril spoke on camera about how they got into swinging and embarrassing moments theyve had.

Naked News bills itself as the programme with nothing to hide and regularly shows hosts stripping off on camera.

The Canadian TV station started in 1999 as an English speaking show and now has one based in Japan too.

NAKED NEWS

The raunchiest celebrity photos around

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Joanna Krupa shows everything in naked snaps

It was reported to be attracting more than six million viewers at its height.

The channels Twitter page has more than 60,000 followers with current anchors including Whitney St-John, Isabella Rossini and Elise Laurenne.

Excerpt from:

Naked News presenters go fully nude for X-RATED starkers dance session - Daily Star

WHEN it comes to dream destinations, Thailand is way up there on the list for Australian travellers and with good reason.

Its flanked by some of the worlds most stunning beaches, has kilometres of untouched jungle, is laced with ancient temples, has inimitable night-life and legendary, fiery cuisine.

All of this has been drawing vagabonds, expats, travellers, and artists for decades, enchanted by the mix of peace and chaos, the spiritual and the unflinchingly capitalist, the tranquil nature and urban hedonism.

That enthusiasm on the part of travellers has made tourism incredibly important to the Thai economy. In 2017, it is expected to generate more than $99 billion.

Most tourists visiting Thailand come away with nothing but amazing memories, great tans, and a whole lot of stories.

But there is an underbelly to the tourism trade in Thailand. Some of that underbelly can be particularly unsavoury, and at times even deadly.

What follows are just a few issues that have put Thailands tourism in the news recently. All are worth considering when youre planning your trip to make sure you dont find yourself in a dangerous situation, or unwittingly supporting practices that victimise the planets most vulnerable.

IS KOH TAO REALLY DEATH ISLAND?

Koh Tao has been dubbed Death Island.Source:istock

Talk to almost anyone whos been to Thailand and youll likely hear the name Koh Tao slip out of their mouths.

This island is, for many tourists, exactly what a trip to Thailand is about. There are countless budget-friendly beachside hotels and bungalows, white-sand beaches, turquoise seas, and all sorts of backpacker bars slinging cheap drinks.

Koh Tao has gotten a bad reputation recently due to a spate of deaths involving foreign tourists. That attention became impossible to ignore when, in 2014, the bodies of Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were discovered on one of the islands beaches. While the case was supposedly resolved, responsibility was pinned on two migrant workers from Myanmar.

Complaints about the trial included accusations of an improperly sealed crime scene as well as the inappropriate handling of evidence. The death sentence of the two workers also speaks volumes about the fates of marginalised communities in tourism-heavy destinations. The pair may have been tortured and framed, in part, because of their outsider status as migrant workers.

Then in early 2017, a Belgian backpacker was found dead in the islands jungles. Her death was ruled a suicide by police, though ongoing investigations now suggest everything from murder to involvement with a rogue ashram on neighbouring Koh Phangan.

Several other deaths have occurred in recent years, with relatives of the deceased often expressing dismay at local police handling.

All of that being said, most will find the island beautiful and safe, and home to superb snorkelling.

THE KAYAN PEOPLE

A girl from the Kayan community in Thailand. Picture: Flickr/indigo moodSource:Flickr

What little unsavoury news that Westerners hear about Thailand is often focused on the fates of a small minority of foreign travellers who have met tragic ends. However, other sectors of Thailands tourism industry have problematic effects on both local Thai people and immigrants from Thailands impoverished neighbours in Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos.

Migrant workers and refugees are made scapegoats for crime and unemployment rates around the world. The same holds true in Thailand.

Youve likely seen pictures of Kayan women, who famously elongate their necks to mind-bending lengths using heavy brass coils as they age. The group fled violence and persecution in Myanmar and were granted refugee status in Thailand.

However, the Kayan people are forbidden Thai citizenship, and their rights are extremely limited. This leads to issues like exploitation and, in some cases, trafficking.

These days, the Kayan in Thailand live in designated villages that are dubbed authentic, but are often no more than a repeated performance put on by members of the community because they have no other choice. In 1997, the New York Times revealed some Kayan tribespeople were forced to inhabit Thaton, near the Myanmar border, and been kidnapped and subjected to sometimes fatal abuse to prevent them from leaving.

Kayan tribespeople have organised themselves through agencies to help ensure humanitarian needs are met for the refugee communities. More than 10 years later, though, the BBC reported that the UN was considering boycotts to the villages, as there were substantiated reports of refugees being refused the right to resettle outside of Thailand. This is, in part, because the villages are often settled on privately owned Thai land and are major sources of income for powerful landowners.

However, if tourists do stop arriving, what little income the Kayan are given to live off of disappears, and an even more bleak future may be in store.

According to a website that purportedly represents the Kayan people inhabiting Huay Pu Keng, They are reliant on tourists for income. Most of their income is generated from selling their woven scarfs and bags to visitors.

SEX TOURISM AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING

Go go dancers perform at a dance bar on Walking Street in Pattaya. Picture: AFP/Roberto SchmidtSource:AFP

Bangla Road. Patpong Night Market. Soi Cowboy. Walking Street in Pattaya. Thailand is flush with red-light districts, some of which are the worlds most notorious.

To be clear, we arent here to shame the workers themselves. But there are guilty parties involved on many fronts when it comes to the link between sex work and human trafficking in Thailand and most of the guilt rests with tourists themselves.

According to UNHCR, the UNs refugee agency, as of 2013 there were at least three million migrant workers in Thailand. And while a significant portion of that number is involved in Thailands fishing industry and other factory work which doesnt mean that theyre free from exploitation men, women, and children are also channelled into Thailands booming sex industry. The UN said conservative estimates put this population in the tens of thousands of victims.

Another UN agency, the Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons, says: Sex tourism continues to be a factor, fuelling the supply of trafficking victims for sexual exploitation, and at the same time corruption, limiting the progress of anti-trafficking efforts.

The situation is due, in part, to the relative wealth of Thailand in a region where its neighbours have some of the lowest GDPs in Asia. Those same countries also have histories of war and violence. While time goes on, Thailand has remained something of a beacon in the region. However, given Thailands dependence on international tourism as a huge source of revenue, theres little incentive to aggressively enforce laws against trafficking and sex work.

And in case you needed proof about the role of Western travellers as fuel for this industry, simply take a walk through Patpong Market any night of the week and take note of the languages being spoken by the patrons at the ping-pong shows and strip clubs.

ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES AND OTHER EXOTIC ANIMAL ATTRACTIONS

Thai vets tend to a sedated tiger at the Wat Pha Luang Ta Bua Tiger Temple on June 1, 2016, after a raid by wildlife authorities. Picture: Dario Pignatelli/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

In 2016, the happy veneer of Thailands animal-centric tourist activities was ripped right off when Thai authorities raided the once-famous Tiger Temple in the nations western Kanchanaburi province. While arguments were made that the temples monks and the staff were actually providing the 137 tigers living there with better lives than those in state-run zoos, it was the discovery of animal pelts and other products common on black markets that struck a nerve with those who heard the news. The temple was estimated to be making around US$15,000 every day, according to Al Jazeera, as tourists flocked there for pictures with seemingly docile grown tigers as well as tiger cubs. Even more, it seems, was being made from the sale of tiger body parts on the Chinese market.

Up north, in Chiang Mai, elephant rides are a popular tourist activity, though this, too, is ethically questionable. This begins with smuggling baby elephants into the country and continues with brutal training regimes in which the animals are subjected to all manner of abuse. The animals are often kept chained and otherwise confined between rides, during which they are subject to often indelicate treatment by mahouts. This is to say nothing of family syndicates that control the smuggling of elephants and who intimidate those working to improve the lives of animals in captivity.

You should do a substantial amount of research before you visit any animal-related destination in Thailand, as even those that have chosen to designate themselves as sanctuaries may be that in name only. Opt for animal encounters that take part in rehabilitation of wildlife or formerly abused animals for something that puts you in touch with nature without doing it harm. These include Elephant Nature Park and Boon Lotts Elephant Sanctuary. Just to be clear, you wont be riding the elephants in either of these venues thats a practice you should avoid if youre looking to actually help these creatures have better lives.

SHOULD YOU STILL VISIT?

All that said, it really is an incredible country. Picture: iStockSource:istock

Our resounding answer is yes, you should absolutely visit Thailand. But, expectations need to be managed and you need to exercise some smarts.

The days of Thailand as a blissed-out bohemian tourist wonderland are essentially finished. Almost all of the previously untouched, gorgeous corners of the nation have been gulped up by the tourism machine, meaning that unless youre willing to go way outside of the tourist track, youll encounter touts selling elephant rides, blocks of shops slinging identical souvenirs, men and women selling sex, and plenty of offers for illegal drugs.

To be fair, amid all of that is a centuries-old Buddhist tradition, locals willing to share their culture, amazing street culture, and all manner of gorgeous natural scenery.

It would be a mistake to pass over Thailand on the whole. Nearly every nation on earth has its thorny ethical issues to contend with and we arent saying that the world is universally safe, but in places like Thailand, a little research and some street smarts will go a long way toward making sure your next trip there is as flawless as possible.

Related links:

Where to go in Thailand: A complete guide to the most popular destinations

Bangkok travel guide

The best itinerary for Thailand

This article originally appeared on oyster.com.au.

Excerpt from:

The dark side of tourism in Thailand - NEWS.com.au

Summer is a selfish, fatalistic season. You career around the city, flitting through barbecues and ascending to rooftops, your eyes always trained on the next destination and the newest crowd. Consequences vanish: youre physically in the office, at least, though the boss is away until mid-September, so anything you do now, youll have to do again anyway. This year, Brexits penumbra and North Koreas nuclear posturings add a frisson to proceedings: global uncertainty famously breeds hedonism. Essentially, if the end is nigh, might as well make it a large one.

So you are drunk and self-interested which in turn informs your dating strategy. Winter is, notably, cuffing season finding a relationship to save on a central heating bill but once your legs are out, and shaved for the first time in six months, its a shame to be tethered up or so some millennials reckon. For a certain fast-and-loose cohort, this is a summer of love: monogamy is on hiatus.

To some,sticking with one person just feels unimaginative. Take one twenty- something chap who, after a long-winded but amicable break-up, decided not to waste a single long, languid summer evening on moping. Instead he picked up his smartphone and started swiping often left, but periodically right. Soon he had nine suitors of mixed sexes, and duly has started dating them all.

Naturally some friends were aghast though not so much by the outrageous polygamy but because even if you went on a date every single evening of the week, you still wouldnt see them all, and surely Sundays and Mondays are verboten? Think bigger: there are 24 hours in a day, and a Monday morning hangover is naught but an inconvenience if youre the only person in the office that morning. Plus, no ones getting hurt: each one knows about the other one further proof that everyone in town is playing by the same loose morals. Its all in the spirit of a bit of healthy competition.

Man sends crush hilarious ideas for a date but it goes horribly wrong

Everyone lives for the summer its like everything is heightened, observes one twentysomething committed summer singleton. People put more effort into their appearance and making plans. Everyone looks fitter and goes out more, so youre way more likely to meet someone. Why bother putting all your eggs in one basket (thank you, Love Island) when you could be trying all of the eggs to find one thats 100 per cent your type on paper? The only people I know who are in relationships during the summer are people who have genuine feelings for someone they think is the dogs bollocks. In terms of Tinder, Ive had way more spontaneous dates over the summer with minimal messaging prior.

Granted, while summer is a catalyst, theres evidence this generation has a shifting attitude to monogamy in general. A survey by YouGov published at the end of last year found that nearly half of millennials perceived monogamy on a spectrum, rather than as a binary state. Those under 30 were the least likely of any age group to want a relationship that was wholly monogamous. This chimes with our attitude to sexuality: millennials resist labels and use evasive language to describe the relationships were in (seeing each other, linking, hanging out) and sometimes avoid endings, too, even when theyre strictly necessary (ghosting to leave your flame hanging, of course).

Nonetheless theres also something about summers prickly heat that makes people go doolally. We are overstimulated there is so much fun to be had! and too weak to resist the temptations of the flesh which, despite this weeks execrable weather, is usually visible and lightly tanned from the group holiday to Turkey. While winter evenings at the pub are nicer with a hand to hold, festivals, for example, create a lawless temporary world, a mirage of sparkling lights and sparkly faces, from which the realities of the outside world are excluded. Snogging strangers in tents is all part of it: indeed, a survey by uSwitch in June found one in five people planned to download Tinder just for a festival.

These are Tinder's most popular singletons

Tinder/Cosmpolitan

Matches a day: 10

Number of first dates: 5

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 15

Number of first dates: 10

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 20

Number of first dates: 5

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 4

Number of first dates: 18

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 15

Number of first dates: 3

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 6

Number of first dates: 10

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 1

Number of first dates: 8

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 5

Number of first dates: 6

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 5

Number of first dates: 13

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 10

Number of first dates: 1

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Number of first dates: 15

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 6

Number of first dates: 3

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Matches a day: 6

Number of first dates: 4

Tinder/Cosmopolitan

Barbecues are more fun with a flirtation in your sights; reaching last orders is more thrilling if youre not yet sure whether the fun is, indeed, drawing to an end, or whether that two (or three) person after-party is about to start. Plus, invites are open and fluid in summer: dates dont mean sticking to drinks you can bring someone along to Sunfall in Brockwell Park this weekend, or as a plus-one to a mates house party. Everyones up for meeting new people. Frankly, its strategic: if it doesnt work out with you it might do with one of your mates.

Tinderis having a month of field days: the Tinder tourists are in town, which gives Londoners a chance to attempt to atone for the sins of Brexit. Sure, youd have to be a top shagger to mitigate for Article 50 in its entirety, but you can make your best attempt at international relations. One twentysomething student whos kicking about over the long summer says she downloaded it as soon as she got off the train home, despite having a few flirtations on campus that she wouldnt really want to ruin. Im far away and looking for people to meet and while away the lonely summer, she observes, shrugging.

Others confess to having changed their Tinder subscription strategy for the summer: Tinder Boost, which sends your profile top of the pile for 30 minutes, and gathers up to 10 times more profile views in that time, is worth the premium when you know youre competing with a whole capital full of people on heat.

One twentysomething girl has just started seeing someone, but both have holidays booked so theyre barely in the country at the same time, and frankly, monogamy would seem like martyred self-deprivation. Another guy grumbles that hes stretching the limits of his local knowledge to come up with a new date location several times a week he fears the opprobrium of the bartenders if he brings a rotating cast of men in every week. Dont: theyre all doing it too. Why do you think every waiter and waitress in town has a glint in their eye?

Crucially, though, dont pretend. If being a polyamorous playboy or playgirl makes you feel empty and alone, then dont persevere. Youll probably find a real gem everyone else is too busy being a lothario.

@phoebeluckhurst

Excerpt from:

Why millennials are giving up monogamy for August - Evening Standard

PUBLISHED: 12:01 11 August 2017 | UPDATED: 12:01 11 August 2017

Thorpe St Andrew author Sabena Burnett. Photo: Sabena Burnett

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Out of Order explores the life of Sabena Burnett during the 1960s, 70s and 80s in London.

The 62-year-old spent more than a year writing the book, which is described as a poignant journey of hedonism and aspiring stardom alongside the movers and shakers of London.

She said: I would say it is a very, very honest, no holds barred account of my quite eventful life up until now.

I take the reader through time from my birth in North London, through my miss-spent youth, through some difficult and life-changing experiences to the happiness I have found with my husband, children and friends,and the life we have made for ourselves here in Norfolk.

Mrs Burnett has so far sold around 70 copies of her book.

And on September 8, she will be selling copies of her autobiography at the Birdcage pub on Pottergate from 5 to 7pm.

See the rest here:

Thorpe St Andrew author Sabena Burnett publishes first autobiography - Norfolk Eastern Daily Press