Baht Simpson

Nice swerve. Debate should be like tennis where you knock ideas back and forth, not golf where you hit an idea down the middle and chase after it. If you state something as fact you must be prepared to provide evidence. The "do your research" argument just doesn't cut it.

"The Total Fertility Rate of a population is the average number of children that are born to a woman over her lifetime." "The Birthrate - the number of live births per thousand of population per year." Not the same but I'm with you. So what's your answer to my questions?

I don't watch these shows, Jensen so can you suggest some examples to verify your claim? I think you mean birth rate not fertility rate. Can you provide data to prove your contention that it is this that's causing the decline in birthrate and not other social factors?

Yes, and I think it depends on the actual depiction of the character too. I don't particularly want to see Sherlock Holmes in S&M gear any more than I want to see him married off, as it just doesn't fit the character.

Explain why you think you're important but people in minorities aren't? Is that not the very definition of bigotry?

Not quite. Although Thais don't always expect you to wai back it's polite to do so. Generally you only initiate a wai to someone older, an official or a monk. You should definitely do it to Thai friends if they initiate it.

I think you mean reincarnated. Resurrection is something else. I'm so unlucky I'd probably come back as myself.

And on top of all that you've got a vivid imagination. :)

So that's roughly 285ml. and 88 bht per 100ml. which would make it £11.43 a pint or £5.72 a half. Not cheap but probably worth it as a treat.

I think it will. Carabao have invested huge sums in a beer production facility with cutting-edge, foreign technology and will produce 200-400 million litres annually. They're really serious about this.

I've managed to pick up cans of the Rosé and Weizen, issued under the Tawandang brand and the Carabao Dunkel and Lager but, like others I still haven't seen the Tawandang IPA. I've only tried the lager so far which was different and interesting but I agree about the strange aftertaste. I'll get to the others soon.

You've answered yourself.

Am I missing something here? I'm by no means an expert on womens menstrual products but the article mentions tampons and pads, presumably from a dispenser. The people that need them will use them and those that don't will ignore them. That's it. From all the pearl clutching and tizziness here you'd think it was the end of western civilization. It might seem strange but it's nothing. No real man would be offended by something so innocuous.

Yes, I'm well aware of that but your dig was at left-wingers avoiding tax. All of us want to avoid paying an unfair double-tax, which is the possible but unlikely issue here. It's not about politics, it affects everybody the same and it's wise to show financial prudence.

There's no easy answer to this. If you wait and the rate drops from its current 44 to 39 you'll have lost out. If it goes up to 50 you'll have gained. Personally for that sort of amount I'd transfer now and I can only see modest changes in the next few weeks.

It's not avoiding tax per se, it's avoiding double-taxation.

Boudica led her British army into war with the Romans and defeated them. Her PMT didn't seem to be issue.

Carabao has finally appeared out here in the sticks, but only the Carabao Lager and Tawandaeng Weizen. I haven't cracked open the weizen yet but tried the lager. It's interesting but I agree it's got an aftertaste that I can't quite identify. I'm hoping for more from the dunkel when it finally surfaces. I note that only the dunkel and lager have the Carabao branding whilst the weizen, rosée and IPA appear under the Tawandaeng German Brewery name. I'm not normally a fan of rosée but I'm eager to try the IPA.

"Working is more fun than fun." - Noel Coward.

At the company I worked for many years ago a chap died on the way to his retirement party. That was a real eye opener and was one of the factors that led to me retiring early. I think these days there's both more opportunity to retire early and to delay your retirement if you wish. It's much more flexible than it was because of better pensions. In my day people were expected to retire, usually at 65. Companies would be eager to get in new, cheaper blood to replace you. If you were highly valuable you might be put on a contract. There are so many variables for retirement and everyone has to assess their own needs. I've never regretted my decision.

Yeah. I've used those in the past.

There are surprisingly few major bands where all the original members have died. There's usually one member left. The Crickets and The Ramones are all dead.

I see.

Demonstrably untrue. We have a shop here that has sacks of about 20 diffeerent spices, all used in cooking. It's true that a few of them are more widely used though.

I) It's a big misnomer that all Thais love industrial strength spiciness. I eat with them regularly and have seen a number of them leave food because it is too spicy. A lot of them will battle on though. See Papaya Salad. 2) Often it's not the spiciness of the food that's the problem but happening upon the seeds that are in the chillies. Separate them out. 3) Ask for your food mai phet. It takes a bit of experimentation but if you're a regular they'll soon adjust to how you like it. 4) Indians tend to eat medium spiced curries not hot vindaloos. 5) Don't conflate flavour with spiciness.