321Rich

Anyone can get the flu... it is just as likely to be the robust super sports player or the couch potato. One simple way is to touch a door knob where the previous person with the flu just wiped his or her snotty nose and then opened the door with the "infected hand". I recently retired from the Kennedy Space Center where FREE annual flu shots were given to workers deemed to be most "at risk" (old farts like me, diabetics, heart problem people, etc). BTW, astronauts also got their annual flu shots.

Slightly off topic but the iPad2 is stable enough that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the iPad to replace the 20-30 pounds of paper maps normal carried by commercial pilots. Read about it here:

http://www.theipadfan.com/apple-ipad-2-replace-paper-charts-airline-cockpits/

I use Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3 on a daily basis... I NEVER ever put photos in iPhoto! However, I agree with Jimi007 above in his proposed use of iPhoto. For the casual user, that is one of many image management solutions.

Are you up to date with some sort of Virus detection software? Does your system(s) need Defragmentation? Are you using WiFi and have the settings set in such a way that the entire neighborhood is using your connection? Just a few thoughts ...

I remember a few years ago a lady in Michigan was quietly sitting on a toilet in her upstairs home when lightning struck and the porcelain commode disintegrated while she was taking a dump. She had to be hospitalized for scrapes and bruises from the fall to the floor, and needed therapy afterwards for the mental trauma she claimed to have suffered. The incident was in the newspaper because she was trying to sue the homebuilder for not having adequate lightning protection.

I suppose the moral of this story is don't relieve yourself in a lightning story unless your home has functional lightning rods attached.

For the most part, this is a rather stupid thread. Who in the hell would measure a place's "worth" by the number of attraction in that place? To me, the presence of "attractions" would go down in the column of "stay away from this place". In other words, "Attractions" are good places to visit, as on a vacation, but not desirable as a place to live right next door to. I expect most foreigners who live in Isaan live there because they enjoy a more peaceful lifestyle than would be possible in say Pattaya or BKK.

Oh I am so sorry, Justmaybe. Forgive me for calling them like I see em. Since about 90 percent of the post on this Forum seem to be someone whining about something, I was just trying to "Fit-In". As soon as I get through laughing I will be sure and go back and read all the Forum bylaws. However, you are right with one comment. A number of major airports in Asia, Americas, and Europe are in need of a major makeover.

As OP, thanks for the advice from those among you who tried to offer useful information. I think I discovered a few routes and airline combinations that will be useful. As for my dislike of Suvarnabhumi airport -- perhaps it is because I always thought that word, loosely translated, simply means "cesspool sheet-hole masquerading as an airport".

I am retired and plan to retire again in Chiang Mai later this year. If at all possible, I want to stay the hell out of Bangkok. Any of you ladies or gentlemen know a good route from any city in the continental US to Chiang Mai that does NOT involve flying thru Bangkok?

I've used UPS systems for years and would not dream of plugging an expensive computer straight into the wall socket. Think one good UPS unit for one computer and have the modern and router also on that UPS if practical (or on its own UPS). Forget those claims of 40 minutes or even 15 minutes uptime -- your best bet is to close files, shut down applications and power that sucker down.

I installed Firefox 6 this morning (I'm still in Florida). On a Mac, running Lion, Safari is still faster, Google Chrome comes in second in speed, and Firefox is still the slowest. Speed wise, Chrome leaves Firefox in the dust.

OP's update. That $900 USD price was a little high -- I got a new i5 Mac Mini, 10.7 Lion, 1TB HD, 8GB RAM for US $829.99, delivered. That's 24,559.404 Thai Baht.

As with most updates to an OS, there's a variety of responses from apps many of us already have running.

To check out the latest info regarding which apps work, which don't work at all, and which might be showing problems, take a look at: Mac Lion Apps Working?

I'm holding off as I can see several things I use regularly aren't working under Lion.

Just noticed my VLC media player doesn't work now

My VLC media player worked perfectly without tinkering with any settings! (On a Mac Mini, as well as MacBook Pro.)

Another easy way is to simply drop a piece of cloth like a t-shirt over it. Then gently push the cloth into a loose ball and lift it out. As long as you do not squeeze the "ball" tightly, the lizard should come out with the cloth. Be prepared to do the same thing on a frequent schedule unless you rig up some screen or other cover that allows air to circulate but not insects or lizards.

Good comeback there Endure.

Actually I have probably spent more time going blind in front of a PC than most people on this earth, as a Graphic Illustrator, armed with a Dell work station, 8 to 10 hours a day for 10 or so years at the space center.

And here at home for a long time I ran a Dell PC right along side my Macs. Then one day I woke up and realized I had "fixed' the PC about five time for every time I had to fix one of the macs. I finally gave the Dell PC to a friend and let him worry about keeping it out of Safe Mode.

There are many rabbit species suitable for raising at home. The "White Rabbit" image is simply one of the more popular breeds, it is usually a New Zealand White Rabbit. They are prolific breeders and when fed the proper diet (pellets specifically formulated for rabbits) they gain weight rapidly. Fry a rabbit and tell someone it is chicken and unless they recognize the different bone structure, chances are they will not know the difference.

When I had a 68-acre farm up in Tennessee (USA), I got this itch to raise rabbits years ago. Got one male and two female rabbits. Six months later I couldn't give them away fast enough! I followed the guidelines and kept them in an elevated pen made out of wire mesh. Their poop would fall thru the bottom and the cages were very sanitary. And, yes, the rabbit dropping is very good for garden or flower fertilizer.

Google the words "Raising Rabbits' will turn up about 6.5 million hits. lots of good information on what to do to raise rabbits for pets, food, or just for the fun of raising them.

My next door neighbor had a 6-year old daughter that would come over and play with our daughter all the time. When she found out we ate one of the fluffy bunnies, as she called them, the friend relationship went sour really quick. She hated my guts from that day on.

I'm sitting here biting my tongue trying not to blurt this out but I just can't resist ... Get a Mac and you want have those silly illogical problems! lol

Fake Plastic Owls work...

I retired from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The VAB, one of the biggest buildings in the world, has giant "high bays" for the space shuttles, rocket assemblies, etc. Lots of birds and other critters intrude into these giant hangar-like facilities all the time. Guess what they do to curtail that activity? They put out plastic Owls all over the place where birds like pigeons try to hang out. They are even placed around the launch pads. We had one stuffed owl sitting in the rafters of our outside eating area of our cafeteria.

Actually there are such devices. Google these words "home power saver device" and you should see a whole sheet load of links claiming to save you this or that on your electric bill. Most seem to claim 12 percent savings. Do they work -- I have no idea.

I agree with most of the posts above. The best power saving idea is to simply flip the switch to the OFF position when not in use or even unplug devices when you don't expect to use them for some time. Lots of appliances are still using a tiny amount of electricity when they are turned OFF. If you don't believe that, touch the back of your TV when it is off -- chances are it will be warm. That heat comes from wasted electricity.

A question for any of you Mac Mini users there in Thailand; Here in Florida, I'm about one mouse click away from ordering a new i5 Mac Mini, 10.7 Lion, 1TB HD, 8GB RAM, released July 2011, for $900.00 USD (no tax). (I think that is about 26,770 Thai Baht).

My 2-part question: Is that a good price or should I wait until I get to Thailand to pick up this system. And could I even find such a system in Thailand as this is a custom build (The Mac Mini normally does not come with a 1TB drive and 8GB RAM.)

Thanks in advance for any useful information, and, No, I don't want to get it from that fake Apple store in China.

Drink some bottled water, strain that thru your kidneys, catch the results in a clean glass beaker, and then pour that into a Brita Water Pitcher and let the carbonized filter removed any heavy metals or residual impurities. -- OR -- just get it at the local petrol station!

There's a lesson to be learned here … ALL drives fail eventually. It's not a matter of "if a drive will fail", it is a matter of "when". The preventive solution is to always have important data in at least TWO drives at the same time -- not one. If one of those data sources fail, you have the other one to fall back on. As far as not wanting anyone else to see your data, well, heck, follow the above instructions and store your important data (financial, porn, whatever) on duplicate drives. Then when a drive fails, work it over with a sledge hammer and then toss it away! Forget sending them away to have files recovered. That method is more expensive than having duplicate drives. You can get 1TB Drives for less than $80 USD.

Global warming I'm sure. lol

That's a lot of eggs for a dog to consume... Same for a snake or other wild animal. The culprit is probably one of your neighbors or helpers. If you check them daily, see if there is a pattern when a lot are missing on a certain day. Chances are if it is a neighbor they would not visit you daily. A helper, on the other hand, could be putting some away daily. Good luck.

I would like to ask help in identifying this flying bird. The photo is of bad quality but maybe one expert can tell me more.

Probably a "Black Kite". One can be seen in the 2nd pictured at this link:

http://www.trevorsbirding.com/category/eagles-and-hawks/page/3/

No, I;m not an expert -- just a photographer who likes to photograph birds in flight.

Thanks for all the response, everyone… some posts contradict others, some seems to be sound advice, some not so sound. I guess the bottom line, what works well for one person may not produce the same results for others.

As for me, I think I will simplify things and just have my social security check deposited directly into the Bangkok Bank in Thailand and continue having my pension check and some income from rental property go into an American bank, perhaps ING. Spreading it out seems a better strategy than having all one's eggs in one basket, and who knows, I might be able to convince a future Thai wife I only have the one source of income! lol