bendejo

Maybe if she did things like pre-trip research, considered contingencies etc her travel tales wouldn't get much attention in Social Media Land. But maybe that's part of the entitlement of the younger generation: we don't need planning, the world should have these things laid out for us. Once was in Hat Yai waiting at a mini-bus office to get to Penang, chatting with the lad who runs the desk. Two girls from somewhere in northern Europe appear, they looked younger than 18. I asked if they had any Malaysian money, I'd buy if off them. They wouldn't even look at me. They tell the lad they want a minivan to Bangkok. The lad doesn't understand them. It's the minivan that's the problem, I have to translate to minibus for him several times. The girl who is doing all the talking (in English) keeps confusing him by saying minivan. As he's writing out their tickets I ask him how long it takes to get to Bkk, he says "11 hours." The two respond in unison "11 hours !?!???" Didn't sound right, since from Chumphon it takes 8 hours, so my guess would be at least 15. Maybe at a suicidal speed... They wandered off, probably to find another kiosk who would promise them a shorter time span. Ever think to look at a map, girls?

In general, this sounds like being busted for weed on Koh Phangan. They lock the kid up, scare them shirtless for a few days, take them to court and make them sweat, and then told all will be well, just hand over ~$3,000 US.

Probably don't care much as there is no direct money accumulation involved. The boost would be Thailand hosting the Olympics, build arenas, a "sports tourist" infrastructure, etc. Hell, there is already loads of hotels. But with their rep for monkey business fuggetabou.... My guess is LOS is taking an interest in badminton because neighboring Malaysia won silver in it in 2008.

announced on Facebook that her mystery box contained a brand new car and lots of other expensive items. Just how big are these boxes? Does she take bitcoin?

Recently on Curb Your Enthusiasm: Larry points out a cow calf at a farm. Someone tells him it is obviously a male (and it is). Larry explains that the baby bull identifies as a cow. A few years ago the wife of a US presidential candidate, a rich white lady who was born in Kenya, quipped that she was technically African-American. The US people who call themselves such did not appreciate it. Tesla Model S explosion

Skyview Hotel near Phrom Phong. Never stayed there myself, but used the spa. Big pool on the roof. Seemed kind of posh, popular with Japanese business travelers. Haven't been there lately.

Did much train travel there? Look out the window in any populated area and you'll near always see people relieving themselves. Especially early in the morning. It's as if the railway is a nationwide waste system. As soon as the human walks away from his deposit it is devoured by crows, dogs, rodents, and whatever else. The circle of life. On the other hand there are people who follow nearly any domesticated animal and collect the droppings to use (or sell) as fuel, shaping the dung into patties with their bare hands.

Tired of winning?

Honeymoon location? I thought all you needed for an ideal honeymoon is a good mattress and room service.

I've been using FF for a loooong time. Yeah, I add and remove extension now and then. This can result in pieces of something removed to remain in the profile and mess things up. I try to fix it. But instead of dedicating a lot of time to it I'll do a clean install with a brand spanking new profile. Archive the bookmarks and passwords, make a list of your extensions (there are extensions to help with all these chores). It's a bother, yeah, happens maybe once a year. I have a few things to avert tracking, block sites etc and sometimes these things need to be reviewed and re-evaluated anyway. Happens about once a year or so.

Been there, done that

Anybody we know?

The story in the media has been that the large Part B increase has to do with a new, expensive Alzheimer's drug Alzheimer’s drug cited as Medicare premium jumps by $21.60 Well, Monday brought this bit of news Biogen cuts the price tag on its Alzheimer’s drug in half Does this mean the Medicare premium for 2022 will go back to the $10 it was originally planned to be? I don't advise anyone to hold their breath for that one! But I do suspect the timing of these announcements -- would have been very different if the price-cut announcement was made a month ago. Pharma is one of the largest graft lobbying cartels in the US.

I've been dreading it. They're probably going to kill off Kim, and Jimmy will bear the guilt of corrupting her. On the other hand Lalo was not in BB, so they'll get rid of him. And Nacho.

If you are white then you are a racist and there is nothing you can do about it, an original sin that there is no baptism to remove, so anything you say about race is offensive. If not, then you are entitled to free speech with impunity.

Poles Apart is a series of pornographic movies involving 2 male-1 female throuples.

My attitude regarding who gets to call who a racist will be re-evaluated when Black celebrities on US television start getting cancelled for making remarks about White people.

Coffee. Good coffee. I think about my morning coffee when I go to bed at night. I have no family left. I really really like that. Each to his own, of course.

Did that for more than 10 years. Mostly southern South America and SEA. Move with visa expiry. Argentina, Uruguay, and Malaysia were the easiest passport-wise: all three give you three months at the border, chop-chop and the imm. officer usually too bored to give your pp more than a cursory glance. When it's done run for the border, spend a little time out and come back in. If you decide to "do it right" by applying for a visa extension will require a lot of bs: show of funds, local references, waking up before dawn to get a place in line at the imm, office etc. Also with cheap flights (pre-pandemic days) a visa run is an excuse for a week or two "vacation." I really liked South Africa, but the crime puts it beyond consideration. In the local newspapers you'll find articles about crimes that will contain phrases such as "acts committed are too grisly to describe in print." Too bad.

Does anyone else suspect that perhaps some of the people who responded to the poll don't know the difference between Taiwan and Thailand? I've come across a few people who think Thai food comes from Taiwan.

A few weeks ago there was some discussion of the greatest movie ever made. I don’t have one to offer, but one that I’ve heard that said of more than a few times over the years is Johnny Guitar. I tried watching it a few times over the ages (the film is almost as old as me) and never made it through; I don’t like westerns, and when I was a kid I didn’t like seeing Joan Crawford because I thought she looked like my mum in a bad mood. Well, this time I got it, albeit in my own way. It’s a film noir, but instead dark alleys and cheap furnished rooms it’s the Old West on the verge of change (the railroad is being built). Are the good folk of the town the bad guys? Are all of the bad guys bad? Also some timely fear mongering: change is coming, it’ll destroy us. I wonder what feminist types would have to say about the confrontation of the two female leads. Oh, and it’s in color! I don’t know about it being the greatest, but it does bear being looked at as just another horse opera. In some ways it reminds me of another old one I saw recently, The Ox-Bow Incident (with young Henry Fonda as a rowdy cowhand and, if you don’t blink, young Anthony Quinn). Found both to be entertaining.

Haven't been there in about 10 years, back when the peso was 3.xx to the US$ There is that subway line along the south of the city with the ancient cars with doors that have to be open by the passengers, and sometimes open by themselves when the train is in motion. Gotta wonder how many casualties these have caused over the years. Somewhere along that line (can't recall where) there is (was?) an ice cream parlor where the guy makes his own ice cream, worth the ride IMO, just keep away from the doors while in motion. I know in NYC not all the subway lines can use cars interchangeably as well. When I was a boy we lived on a line that was almost as bad, with straw seats that would tear your trousers.

And in the Buenos Aires subway system as well. But I don't know if they bother to refurbish, the cars there still have signs in Japanese. They probably just hose them down inside and out and that's it. There are certain lines there that have ancient cars where the passengers have to open the doors manually.