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In Turkey you could receive 25 years in jail and in Cyprus you could be be in for a long prison sentence for possession, or receive a large fine thanks to their zero tolerance policy.

In Tunisia, if you are caught smoking cannabis or in possession any other soft drugs you will most likely receive a prison sentence.

In Thailand, possession of even tiny quantities of drugs can lead to imprisonment and sentences of 50 years without remission are not unusual. In the most serious cases, the death penalty can be given. Possession of 20 grammes or more of any Class A drug at a Thai exit point is classed as trafficking and, if found guilty, the death sentence is usually given. In Thailand, amphetamines and ecstasy are both considered Class A drugs.

In Spain, possession of any drug is illegal and could result in a prison sentence, and in the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca) it is also illegal to drink alcohol in the streets.

All this leads to the fact that with a criminal record you are refused entry into e.g. the USA.

Ah, BBB, dear Mr. Rogers. What a fantastic piano player he had behind that show for all kids, grown up and otherwise:

Listeners, in purusing the news today, I found the ten top cities in which to live on this planet.




5. Madrid, Spain
Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla... Spain is just beautiful. The weather is great, the ladies are stunning and the food is pretty good too. While Barcelona's thriving economy would help it outrank Madrid, some of us prefer to live in peaceful times all year long; sorry Barcelona.

4. New York City, United States
San Francisco, New Orleans, Santa Fe, Seattle, Charleston, Phoenix, and Chicago are all wonderful cities. In fact, many in the panel even preferred Chicago, but New York is the capital of the world for a reason. Cosmopolitan, diverse, amazing food, great nightlife, lots to do, big parks, and the center of the business world. With Bill Clinton's wife running the State, it can only get better.


3. Rome, Italy
While Florence, Venice and Milan all got votes, Rome's popularity in international circles and its rich history, combined with its fashion, modernity, cleanliness, arts, and culture, made it stand out. If you have never been to Italy, make sure to go. If you happen to visit Europe, then consider your trip incomplete until you give Rome a visit. If the country focused more on the economy, it could place even higher, but isn't that what gives it its Italian charm?

2. Sydney, Australia
Sydney (along with Melbourne) are part of the reason why so many people love Australia. The cosmopolitan city offers great beaches, beautiful weather (albeit too hot sometimes), a strong economy, and very beautiful women who like to drink with the best of them. Too bad the ozone layer is missing above the city. The only knock against Sydney is what also gives Australia its charm -- it is too bloody far away from everything.

1. Montreal, Canada
Yes, it is very cold in the winter, but some actually like winter sports. Many do not like the weather, so why don't they ever leave Montreal? Let's see: it's the most cosmopolitan and multicultural city, which explains why it has the most beautiful women, diverse restaurants and an amazing nightlife (ask any Formula One driver).

The economy is growing rapidly, the arts and culture are extremely diverse and rich, and it offers you all four seasons to the fullest. Although the language questions become mundane, we hear that they provide for good entertainment. To top it all off, Canada is systematically voted the Top Country by the United Nations.

and, here is more info:













Tired of where you live? Well, we're not. That's why we've asked our readers, consulted with the experts, tracked down travel agents, and even researched the Web, to compile AskMen's top places to live. To be fair, we have selected one city from 10 different countries because we know that all countries were created equally, but some are better than others.
Oh, and for the record, the list examined the city's nightlife, standard of living, job sector, arts and culture, weather, state of affairs, and all of the other things that encompass daily life.


10. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
So what if the crime gets you [shot] down at times, and the telecommunication companies have yet to provide phones for everyone -- that is why you have mobiles, no? You can bet your last Brazilian Real that with the best beaches in the world, you will not be looking for your phone anyway. Also, this is the country that brought you Gisele Bundchen, so need we say more?

9. Frankfurt, Germany
Germany is one of the richest and most modern countries in the world. It offers great employment careers, an elevated standard of life, and is rich with history. Few countries manage to blend state of the art technology with arts and culture like the Germans do. Football is the passion and beer is the beverage of choice (or anything with alcohol content). Germany's "aversion" to military spending after World War II partially explains why it has risen so much, by pouring all of its finances into health, sciences, the economy, and all the other good things in life.


8. Paris, France
How could we leave out the City of Lights? Whether you wish to go sightseeing or spend your honeymoon in Paris, the French Capital has something for everyone. It is for this reason that many young foreigners live in Paris for a few years to learn the culture, history and the bad manners (oh c'mon, don't even think of blasting me...). Although the food will take some time to get used to, you can drink enough wine to lose your taste buds, so don't worry, be happy.

7. London, United Kingdom
While Ireland's Dublin has rapidly risen in status, London still has a unique charm amongst international cities. Yes, the weather is gloomy and many would never live there, but the raw energy of London and its deep historical roots are hard to beat. The city has also managed to do well economically, despite shunning the EU. As for Fish 'N Chips, hey, it can't be that bad with all that beer. In all fairness, there has been a culinary improvement in London in recent years, as Europeans have settled in the Foggy City and brought along their influences.


6. Hong Kong, China
Yes, Tokyo, Singapore and Bangkok have much to offer, but as the gateway into China, Hong Kong is a pearl in the Far East as capitalism has collided with communism. The place is always alive, even after the British handed the island back to the Chinese. Hong Kong is full of history and provides a glimpse of what happens when Asian beliefs meet European culture

Can you guess the rest, listeners?

Hmmmm. Florida was even mentioned. <smile>

Well, Walter, thanks for making that quite clear. As I told McTag, I was surprised at the possible repercussions for the offense.

I think msolga had a thread about Australia's reaction, but I can't locate it in our vast radio audience.

Incidentally, listeners, please edit that last statement to read: Florida was NOT even mentioned in the top cities.

What? No Texas cities?

Looks like aggie hasn't risen from her slumber yet. I'm sure she'll mention Ian Fleming's birthday. The man who invented James Bond is certainly worth mentioning.

Ian Fleming
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.


Ian Lancaster Fleming (May 28, 1908-August 12, 1964) is an English author, best remembered for writing the James Bond series of novels as well as the children's story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Biography

Fleming was born in Mayfair, London, England, to Valentine Fleming and Evelyn St. Croix Fleming, and was a younger brother of travel writer, Peter Fleming. He was educated at Eton College and Sandhurst military academy, then studied languages on the Continent, first at Kitzbühel, Austria, then at Munich University, Bavaria, Germany; afterwards working, first as a journalist for the Reuters news service, and later as a stockbroker with Rowe and Pitman, in Bishopsgate.

In 1939, on the eve of World War II, Rear Admiral John Godfrey, Director of Naval Intelligence of the Royal Navy, recruited Fleming as personal assistant, first as Lieutenant, then as Commander. While in Naval Intelligence, Fleming conceived, and was author of, Operation Ruthless, a plan ?- left unexecuted ?- for capturing the German naval version of the Wehrmacht's Enigma communications encoder. Anthony Masters's book The Man Who Was M: The Life of Charles Henry Maxwell Knight (ISBN 0-631-13392-5), asserts Fleming conceived the plan successfully luring Nazi Party Deputy Führer, Rudolf Hess, into flying to Scotland ?- in May 1941, to negotiate Anglo-German peace with Churchill ?- and consequent captivity; this claim has no other source.

As the DNI's personal assistant, Fleming's intelligence work was the background and experience for writing spy novels. The first James Bond story, "The Hildebrand Rarity", was published in Playboy magazine in 1951, followed by the novel Casino Royale, published in 1953. It is believed the woman character, Vesper Lynd, was inspired by real-life SOE agent, Christine Granville; likewise, various inspirations for James Bond, the protagonist, have been suggested. Besides writing the twelve novels and nine short stories featuring James Bond, secret agent 007, Ian Fleming also is known for writing the children's novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The books became wildly successful and part of 1950s popular culture even before being filmed, permitting Fleming to retire comfortably to his home in Jamaica.

During development of the James Bond film series, in 1962, Fleming suggested his cousin, actor Christopher Lee, to play Dr. Julius No, the villain of the first film; sources say Lee also was considered for the James Bond role. (Later, in 1974, Lee was the eponymous villain of the film The Man with the Golden Gun, Francisco Scaramanga.)

In 1964, Ian Fleming died of a heart attack, in Canterbury, Kent, at age 56, and is interred in the Church yard cemetery in the village of Sevenhampton, near Swindon, next to his wife Ann Geraldine Mary Fleming (1913-1981) and their only son, Caspar Robert Fleming (1952-1975).

Ian Fleming was also a noted bibliophile, and put together an important library on the theme of significant books in the history of western civilization, books which had "started something". He particularly collected books relating to science and technology such as On the Origin of Species, but also included such milestones as Mein Kampf and Scouting for Boys. He was a major lender to the 1963 exhibition Printing and the Mind of Man and 600 books from his collection are now in the Lilly Library at Indiana University.

In the mid-nineties, Pierce Brosnan, the fifth, official James Bond actor, bought the gold-plated typewriter on which Ian Fleming wrote some of his James Bond novels, in Jamaica.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Fleming

Live And Let Die
by Paul McCartney

When you were young and your heart was an open book
You used to say live and let live
You know you did
You know you did
You know you did
But if this ever-changing world in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry

Chorus
Say live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die
Live and let die

What does it matter to ya?
When you gotta job to do
You gotta do it well
You gotta give the other fellow hell

You used to say live and let live
You know you did
You know you did
You know you did
But if this ever-changing world in which we live in
Makes you give in and cry

Chorus

Obviously not, edgar. <smile>

Songs for the places:



Well it's a rainy night in Paris
And I'm sitting by the Seine
It's a pleasure to be soaking
In the European rain
Now my belly's full of fancy food and wine
But in the morning there'll be hell to pay
Somewhere along the line

Sweet Virginia Cigarette
Burning in my hand
Well you used to be a friend of mine
But now I understand
You've been eating up inside me for some time
But I know your gonna get me
Somewhere along the line

Somewhere along the line
Well I know it's just a matter of time
When the fun falls through and the rent comes due
Somewhere along the line

Well, you know I love my woman
And I would not let her down
And I did my share of lovin'
When I used to get around
Now I'm satisfied that she is lookin' fine
But you pay for your satisfaction
Somewhere along the line

Hey, it's good to be a young man
And to live the way you please
Yes, a young man is the king
Of every kingdom that he sees
There's an old and feeble man not far behind
But it surely will catch up to him
Somewhere along the line:

Billy Joel

Bob, good morning. I really like that song, Boston, and I was amazed at the history behind Ian Fleming. I also like Carly Simon's " Nobody does it better", and I think that was from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

Hey, how went the karaoke last night? Sorry to say that Boston was NOT mentioned in the top ten, either.

Listeners, if you have a song that you would liked played to one or more of the top places to live, call in in.

A cofession from a hard head: I have never watched a single James Bond movie.

I actually opted for dinner with the PDiddie's at Jacob Wirths along with littlek and Dagma. I spoke to the rain gods first and they agreed to let the rains abate for that day. The Diddies did what diddies do best and a pleasant evening ensued. I was sure it would be a happy occasion for while I waiting outside for someone to show I beheld on top of the Wang Center a pair of redtailed hawks. I chose the scrod which was well prepared. Libations were poured and consumed. We fleshed out their knowledge with some recommendations. They penciled in a journey along the Freedom Trail.
The restaurant features sing alongs on Friday night. They must have heard of me since they cancelled it this Friday. We broke up about 10:00 and I headed home. Passing through Hingham I stopped at the Ocean Kai (karaoke). I'd been there before and experienced a less than glowing performance from the dj who dabbled mainly in boredom. Last night it was a woman who was interested and supportive. The system was well balanced and she was attentive to the singers. In the hour and a half that remained I sang five songs. During smoke breaks a number of people came over to say how much they enjoyed my performance.
All in all it was a wonderful evening.

Ah, Bob. You must tell us more about your gathering, right listeners?

Hey, edgar. Have you read any of Ian Anderson's books or seen his movies. Heh! heh!

Hi Letty! I'd just like to let all your listeners know about my new feature on this board.

Now all the news that you really need to know about is HERE at Must Read News.

Great, Reyn. We'll be right over Mr. Montage. <smile>

More environmental news, listeners:

Lake Pulls a Disappearing Act in Russia By Kim Murphy Times Staff Writer
Fri May 27, 7:55 AM ET



BOLOTNIKOVO, Russia ?- For as long as anyone can remember, White Lake had been the local swimming and fishing hole. Deep, cold, fed by underwater springs, the lake regularly gave up carp as fat as birch trees. A kid could cannonball into its depths from the overhanging willows and never hit bottom.



And then one recent morning, the lake was simply gone.

Fyodor Dobryakov was the first to see it ?- or not see it, as it were. The 74-year-old headed down to the lake early one morning two weeks ago, expecting to see the first fish emerging after the spring melt. Instead, all he saw was a narrow crust of ice clinging to the shore. Everything else was gone, or almost gone.

"The ice was just hanging over an empty lake. I heard a noise, and when I looked right, I saw there was an abyss, and the water was rushing into the abyss like mad. The trees were falling into the lake and getting sucked in too," Dobryakov said at his home in this small village of pensioners, about 240 miles east of Moscow near the Oka River.

Within minutes, all that was left of the 48-foot-deep lake was a silent expanse of mud a quarter of a mile wide. Small fish were flapping their death throes near the small, deep pool into which the water had disappeared.

Dobryakov rushed back to the village and grabbed a friend. "I told him, 'The lake's collapsed, the water's gone.' My friend said, 'You're lying.' I said, 'Of course I'm a liar, but not this time.' "

The authorities were called, then the television stations. All braved clouds of black flies and mosquitoes to troop through the forest and investigate the case of the disappearing lake. Where Bolotnikovo residents once picnicked and swam, there was now only a huge crater, caked mud sprouting shoots of new grass.

"I've never seen anything like it. Never," said Dmitry Zaytsev, an officer with the federal Emergency Situations Ministry sent to investigate the case.

"Pretty much all the water went down that hole, and that's it," he said. "Everything ?- fish, water, everything ?- got sucked into that hole. And judging by the size of the crater, it must have happened pretty quickly, in a matter of a few hours."

Government officials theorize that a shift in soils underneath the lake opened access to an underground channel that drained the water, estimated from several thousand to more than a million cubic yards, into a subterranean cavern. From there, it may have flowed into the Oka River a few miles away.

"It's pretty scary to even be here. You have to understand, it was like there was a pump somewhere underground. A gaping sinkhole emerged, and everything was flushed down like a toilet," said another Emergency Situations Ministry investigator, Vladimir Gryasnov. "If anyone had been near the thing when it happened, they would have had no chance of surviving."

The channel-to-the-river theory has gained credence during the last week, as several fishermen along the Oka reported catching 35-pound carp. The species has been found in the lake but not the river. At least, not in ordinary times.

But, of course, these are not ordinary times; not when White Lake is there one day and gone the next.

Residents of the few dozen cottages here say there have always been odd stories about White Lake. Bats lived in caves there, and then one day many years ago the bats ?- and the caves ?- were gone. Over the years, said Valentina Smyotova, 74, laundry would disappear.

"Women would go there to wash clothes, and sometimes a shirt would swim away from a woman, and then it would be recovered in the river," she said.

Likewise, a church was said to have stood on White Lake's edge in the early part of the 20th century, and the church crumbled into the lake, much as a church did beside a neighboring lake at the town of Dyedovo, added Valentina Dobryakova, 79.

"The church disappeared," she said, "and now God has taken the lake away."

Visitors have come from Moscow to peer into the crater, looking for some sign or explanation. Some see larger forces at work.

"This is God's judgment. God said all those who destroy the Earth will be thrown into a lake full of flames," said Sergei Zimin, who arrived Thursday from the village of Filinskoye, a few miles away. "People are saying it's a miracle. A horrible miracle."

So strange these patterns of things.

By the way, it's got nothing to do with montages. I decided to give that a rest.

I know it doesn't Reyn. I have already marked the page and intend to return when I get a moment. I hope all those here will do so as well.

and a song for Rio, all:




RAINY NIGHT IN RIO,
[verse]:
PEOPLE IN BRAZIL

ARE HAPPY IN THE MOONGLOW;

THOSE WHO WANT A THRILL

FULFILL THEIR FONDEST DREAMS.

BUT WHEN IT RAINS,

I WONDER DOES IT HAMPER

AND PUT A DAMPER

ON SENTIMENTAL SCHEMES?


[Chorus]:

WHAT DO THEY DO ON A RAINY NIGHT IN RIO?

WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN THERE IS NO STARRY SKY?

WHERE DO THEY GO WHEN THEY CAN`T GO FOR A WALK?

DO THEY STAY HOME AND TALK,

OR DO THEY SIT AND SIGH-AI-AI?

WHERE DO THEY WOO ON A RAINY NIGHT IN RIO?

WHERE DOES A GAY SENORITA SAY, `SI SI?`

MAYBE THE GIRL WANTS A TENDER KISS,

AND YET HOW TENDER CAN YOU GET

WHEN YOU`RE BENEATH A WET PALM TREE?

BUT WHAT DO THEY DO IN MISSISSIPPI

WHEN THE SKIES ARE DRIPPY?

AND WHAT ARE THEY DOIN`

WHEN IT`S MURKY IN ALBUQUERQUEE?

AND WHAT DO THEY DO TIJUANA

WHEN THEY WANNA SNUGGLE TIGHT?

WELL, THAT`S WHAT THEY DO IN RIO

ON A RAINY NIGHT.


BUT WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN SKIES ARE DREARY

ALONG LAKE ERIE?

AND WHAT DO THEY DO WHEN GRASS IS DEWY

IN OLD SAINT LOUIS?

AND WHAT DO THEY DO IN TALLAHASSEE

WHEN A LASSIE SAYS, `ALL RIGHT?`

WELL, THAT`S WHAT THEY DO IN RIO

ON A RAINY NIGHT.

UhOh, listeners. Things are weird all over:


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Ben's Silence Baffles Engineers By THOMAS WAGNER, Associated Press Writer
Sat May 28, 9:27 AM ET



LONDON - Big Ben, the landmark London clock renowned for its accuracy and chimes, stopped ticking for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday.



Officials do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It resumed keeping time, but stalled again at 10:20 p.m. and remained still for about 90 minutes before starting up again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said on condition of anonymity, citing government policy.

There has been speculation a recent spell of hot weather may have been to blame. Temperatures in London reached 90 Saturday, and forecasters called it England's hottest day in May since 1953.

Big Ben, which is operated by the Palace of Westminster, survived attacks by German Luftwaffe bombers during World War II, continuing to mark the time to within 1 1/2 seconds of Greenwich Mean Time.

However, the clock has experienced occasional problems.

In 1962, snow caused the clock to ring in the New Year 10 minutes late. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later.

Big Ben is actually the clock's 13-ton bell, which was named after Sir Benjamin Hall, the British commissioner of works at the time the clock was built.

The official name for the Gothic tower holding Big Ben is St. Stephen's Tower. Standing 315 feet tall, it was completed in 1858 after an 1834 fire destroyed most of the Palace.

Roger's river; Russia's anomaly; Diane's shelf; Walter's "Midnight in Moscow"; and now Big Ben. I find this a bit odd.

Man, things are weird all over. Even aggie hasn't posted yet. Well Bob what are you gonna do about it? Whaddayamean? Why don't you pick up the slack and post them? I don't know how. So learn. You don't think she'll get mad? Not aggie. Why don't I call her instead? Now that might get her mad. I sure don't want a madaggie. Call it survival instinct and do it. Right.



* 1759 - William Pitt the Younger, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (d. 1806)
* 1779 - Thomas Moore, poet (d. 1852)
* 1807 - Louis Agassiz, zoologist and geologist (d. 1873)
* 1818 - Pierre Beauregard, American Confederate general
* 1887 - Jim Thorpe, sportsman (d. 1953)
* 1900 - Tommy Ladnier, jazz musician (d. 1939)
* 1908 - Ian Fleming, author of James Bond books (d. 1964)
* 1910 - T-Bone Walker, blues singer (d. 1975)
* 1917 - Papa John Creech, musician (d. 1994)
* 1923 - Henry Kissinger, US presidential advisor
* 1931 - Carroll Baker, actress
* 1934 - The Dionne quintuplets, the world's first surviving quintuplets
* 1936 - Betty Shabazz, civil rights leader and wife of Malcolm X
* 1938 - Jerry West, basketball star
* 1944 - Rudy Giuliani, mayor of New York City
* 1944 - Gladys Knight, U.S. singer
* 1945 - John Fogerty, musician ("Creedence Clearwater Revival")
* 1947 - Sondra Locke, actress
* 1949 - Wendy O. Williams, musician ("The Plasmatics") (d. 1998)
* 1955 - John McGeoch, Scottish musician, Siouxsie and the Banshees (d. March 4, 2004)
* 1957 - Kirk Gibson, baseball player
* 1962 - Roland Gift, musician ("Fine Young Cannibals")
* 1962 - Brandon Cruz, actor
* 1964 - Christa Miller, actress (The Drew Carey Show, Scrubs)
* 1968 - Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
* 1977 - Elisabeth Hasselbeck, television panelist
* 1980 - Mark Feehily, Member of the Irish boyband Westlife

Howzat look? If the next time they see you and you've got a black eye, we'll know it's not good and aggie got mad. I can live with that. Good.

Hmmm. It is unusual for Aggie not to have given us the celebs update. I'll check on her later, but thanks, Bob for being her stand in black eye and all.


BELIEVE ME, IF ALL THOSE ENDEARING YOUNG CHARMS

Author: Thomas Moore

Believe me, if all those endearing young charms,
Which I gaze on so fondly to-day
Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms,
Like fairy-gifts fading away,
Thou wouldst still be adored, as this moment thou art,
Let thy loveliness fade as it will,
And around the dear ruin each wish of my heart
Would entwine itself verdantly still.

It is not while beauty and youth are thine own,
And they cheeks unprofaned by a tear,
That the fervor and faith of a soul can be known,
To which time will but make thee more dear;
No, the heart that has truly loved never forgets,
But as truly loves on to the close,
As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets,
The same look which she turned when he rose.

Can any of you out there in radio land guess to whom and why this poem was written. Don't cheat. <smile>

(edited to get rid of "hot stuff" :wink:

oops, delete all that superflous info, Letty. Okay, I will just give me a moment.