beautifulthailand99

Oh yes, that's for sure. Unhappy single mothers with ageing unhappy farangs looking for happiness in all the wrong places all swimming in a lake of cheap booze. It ain't pretty but it is relatively safe.

All British Jews should leave now, according to the world's oldest living journalist in Jerusalem, as does this Rabbi. Israel needs you. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-771446 Yes, truly the Golden Age of British Jewry is well and truly over. I say this with a heavy heart because Britain has been good to me and my family. It provided a home when we had none, it gave us sustenance when we were hungry, it enabled us to obtain a first-class education – and we all gave back to the country willingly and abundantly, but sadly, it’s time to wake up and the smell the antisemitic coffee that lingers long in the nostrils. Sadly, my UK friends and family, it’s time to leave – close the door behind you. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-777067 To our fellow Jews in the Diaspora, I speak from the heart, based on my personal experience. Please learn from the past, and wake up to reality. The current wave of antisemitism will not pass but will get even more virulent. I can hear you are calling me a fearmonger. Well, just as events exonerated me for frequently comparing the present with the 1930s, so you will recall my words in time to come. Therefore, only in Israel will you be safe from the ever-increasing antisemitism, so don’t get caught by surprise. Consider your children’s future. Relocate to Israel, the home for all Jews.

Crikey I didn't realise how much Ukrainians actually hated the man. Here's why. https://www.promoteukraine.org/appeal-of-ukrainian-civil-society-regarding-navalnys-installation-in-place-luxembourg/

Sorry, Budanov says no. That said, the combination of deprivations that the Putin regime subjected him to and his prolonged fastings certainly killed him in the end. RIP. Why Budanov unhelpfully challenges the Western dominant narrative at this juncture is anybody's guess. But I will have a go ! He doesn't want Navalny to be a martyr. Ever since Navalny's death, the Ukrainian leadership has been very busy reminding everyone that he wasn't a saint. They seem to view it as a problem that in the Western perception the important part is that you're anti Putin, not where you stand on the issue of Crimea. I guess that ultimately their worry is that the West would be too willing to deal with a nationalistic replacement if anything should ever happen to Putin - which is not entirely unreasonable, the whole "Putin's war" trope creates room for exactly that possibility. Also, from that post up thread that the Kyiv Independent wrote they tellingly quoted this ; We should also not forget that it is the very same Navalny who, following the unprovoked Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008, wrote that he would “really like to hit the rodents at the (Georgian) General Staff with a cruise missile” and advocated for providing military assistance to now Russian-occupied South Ossetia and Abkhazia, not to mention a “complete” Russian blockade of Georgia. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/28630 “I may disappoint you, but as far as we know, he indeed died as a result of a blood clot. And this has been more or less confirmed,” Budanov told journalists on the sidelines at the “Ukraine. Year of 2024” forum on Sunday. "This wasn't sourced from the internet, but, unfortunately, natural [causes],” he added.

A lot of Ukrainian patriot's hatred Navalny and celebrated when he died on social media, often with a picture of a sandwich. Mostly because in the past he asserted that Crimea was part of Russia and was a Russian nationalist, albeit an anti-Putin one. Indeed, Zelenskiy's wife turned down an invitation to the White House when it would mean sitting near his widow. Plus actor/comedian Zelesnkiy was turned down to appear at the Oscar's when Navalny's family got seats and an Oscar so it maybe a bit of a hissy fit from the Great One. https://kyivindependent.com/kate-tsurkan-the-problem-with-lionizing-navalny-and-snubbing-zelensky-at-oscars/ After all, this is the Navalny who, in 2012, called Ukrainians and Russians “the same people” and said that there is “no more kindred country for Russia than Ukraine.” Such a view is strikingly similar to the one of Putin, who has made false claims that modern Ukrainian statehood was created by the Bolsheviks, “tearing from (Russia) pieces of its own historical territory.” In 2014, Navalny sparked outrage after failing to unequivocally condemn the illegal Russian annexation of Crimea by famously saying that the peninsula is "de-facto Russian" and asking, "Is Crimea a sandwich or something you can take and give back? I don't think so." Oh and Budanov, unhelpfully for the western narrative, said he died of a blood clot not poisoning. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/28630 “I may disappoint you, but as far as we know, he indeed died as a result of a blood clot. And this has been more or less confirmed,” Budanov told journalists on the sidelines at the “Ukraine. Year of 2024” forum on Sunday. "This wasn't sourced from the internet, but, unfortunately, natural [causes],” he added.

BTW Joe Biden is a Catholic, is nearer to his Maker than most and the Pope is infallible. How do you think that works out ! https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/social-affairs/2023/04/12/catholic-joe-biden-puts-stops-at-knock-and-mayo-cathedral-on-irish-itinerary/

He is without doubt the most progressive Pope ever who has forsaken his Papal Place for a simple 1-bedroom flat and chauffeured limousines for a simple car. That is why so many in the Vatican hierarchy hate him so much. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/pope-denounces-hypocrisy-those-who-criticise-lgbt-blessings-2024-02-07/ LGBT blessings were authorised last month by a Vatican document called Fiducia Supplicans (Supplicating Trust), but that has met with significant resistance in the Catholic Church, particularly from African bishops. "Nobody gets scandalised if I give my blessings to a businessman who perhaps exploits people, and this is a very grave sin. But they get scandalised if I give them to a homosexual," Francis told Italian Catholic magazine Credere. "This is hypocrisy," he said. https://www.latimes.com/world/la-xpm-2013-mar-14-la-fg-pope-bergoglio-profile-20130314-story.html Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, 76, is the first person from the Americas and the first Jesuit to be elected pope. The son of a railway worker, he rose to become regional superior of the Jesuit order in Argentina and then an archbishop, spending most of his career teaching priests and advocating for the poor through times of economic crisis in his home nation. “His own matter of life shows he takes his vow of poverty very seriously,” said the Rev. Drew Christiansen, visiting scholar in the theology department of Boston College. Even as a cardinal, the role he has had since 2001, Bergoglio eschewed many of the customary trappings and luxuries afforded to senior prelates, especially in Latin America, Christiansen recalled.

Probably not you, but we live in hope and it is Sunday. At least the Pope has majored on Amalek......

In the interview, the interviewer Lorenzo Buccella asks the Pope: “In Ukraine, some call for the courage of surrender, of the white flag. But others say that this would legitimize the stronger party. What do you think?” Pope Francis replied: “That is one interpretation. But I believe that the stronger one is the one who sees the situation, who thinks of the people, who has the courage of the white flag, to negotiate. And today, negotiations are possible with the help of international powers. The word ‘negotiate’ is a couragous word. When you see that you are defeated, that things are not going well, it is necessary to have the courage to negotiate. You may feel ashamed, but with how many deaths will it end? Negotiate in time; look for some country that can mediate. Today, for example in the war in Ukraine, there are many who want to mediate. Turkey has offered itself for this. And others. Do not be ashamed to negotiate before things get worse.” https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2024-03/pope-francis-ukraine-interview-rts-holy-see-response.html

That's the Bible for you. Putin would do well to truly read it rather than obscure Russian 'sages'. The Pope on the other hand has no other authority than his unshakeable belief in the scriptures. To smear him otherwise is literally in bad faith.

I am a fellow traveller of all spiritual people who do it with good grace and peace in their hearts.

Well that's good enough for me, possibly the greatest Pope in history and a true man of God who identifies with the suffering and the dispossessed. Jesus turned the God of Wrath and one people into a God of love and for the whole World. That is the underlying message of Christianity and why at its uncorrupted core is a revolutionary religion. I forgive all that think differently, for they know not what they do. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well.

It's a cheap place for cheap people, I know because I bought a condo there cheaply. But I never complain because I wanted cheap and got cheap.

I think you may have mistaken me for another poster, I now post carefully argued positions all back up by recent links from approved sources, not memes. I'm not going to out my previous employment, but it involved preparing detailed accurate briefs for very, very senior people whose attention to detail and facts was ferocious.

And of course when Russia constricts exports, the impact on prices in a tight market leads to an increase in diesel prices globally. In Europe farmers are protesting all over the place and fuel prices are part of that mix and no-one needs reminding that gas prices in the run-up to an election are critically important. Putin's stooge Trump will be making hay with them if they stay high. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/these-4-economic-variables-could-easily-flip-the-2024-election-for-biden-or-trump-moodys-164335231.html?guccounter=1 Different economic variables at play Any of those factors could flip the election results, but the price of fuel is at the top of the list with its outsized impact on voter perceptions. "All else equal, if gas prices surge back close to $4 per gallon, Trump will win," they write. The challenge for Biden is that he has limited options to push the needle one way or another. "Given the cross-currents in global oil demand and supply, it is very difficult to gauge the outlook for gas prices, and such an increase in prices cannot be ruled out," the economists note, but they currently project that prices will sit at around $3.50 a gallon on election day.

Seeing the world as it is rather than we would wish it to be is the sign of a realist, not a terrorist. Some here support Russia and probably Hamas, not me I support peace - however messy, as an alternative to death and destruction.

If I said that, others would say another fact free rant !

For those who don't know, the catalytic cracking unit at Lukoil's Nizhny Novgorod plant has been under repair since 10 January. The plant produces 349 thousand barrels per day, while Russians consume 829. That is, part of the largest plant, which provides 42% of domestic consumption, is under repair. It should be said that the price of gasoline is a very worrying issue for Russians, if no one cares about Navalny's death, increase in price can cause a real riot, so when the price rose from 47-50 rubles to 55-60 rubles, of course the government was forced to ban exports for six months. https://www.energyintel.com/0000018d-16d2-d6b1-a9bf-b6f706a60000 That said sanctions on some of the service providers involved in the upgrading of this very old installation will be having an effect but in time Chinese and others will replace these western companies that provided these services. After all it's not rocket science. https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/projects/lukoil-nizhny-novgorod-refinery/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Petroleum_Engineering_and_Construction_Corporation

When we see the epic level of destruction caused in such a small area and the collapse of health services and sanitation it doesn't take much imagination to say a heck of a lot. To get into a numbers game can only be to deflect from that salient point. Israel should be proud of that, given their logic of this war and besides it's all on Hamas is the overarching narrative. If they were truly the figures given, would you be ashamed ?

If you don't mind, on this occasion I will accept the US SoS and Biden's acceptance of the figures rather than some recently hashed up Israeli propaganda which attempts to deflect away from the utter carnage they have caused with spurious graphs and looks like some intern in the Hasbara Front had a cunning plan late night on the Mountain Dew. At the heart of the issue is the assertion by the Gaza Health Ministry that over 30,000 individuals, predominantly women and children, have been killed since the onset of the conflict. These figures have been cited by prominent figures, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and President Biden, lending them credibility on the global stage. However, skepticism has been raised regarding the veracity of these numbers, prompting closer examination of the data.

No problem, totally understood. My context was to draw attention to the absurdity of the Russian information space, but that nuance may have been lost on some, and of course you have to see the bigger picture.

For the avoidance of doubt, all views are my own and I have no time for the autocratic Putin or any other leader that oppresses their people of whatever stripe and have a strongly held belief that all wars create more problems than they solve. However, that is off-topic, so I will desist.

He said they were very similar. Of course, I would have never met a fighter as they are not allowed to leave any more, or are dead and as you say he may well not be representative. Hopefully our paths will cross again in the near future, his English was near perfect, so I suspect he is highly educated and by fleeing his has saved his lives and limbs. I would have done the same if I was in his shoes.

Even if he was just 20% of that demographic, then there's the tragedy. Like I said, he hated Putin and always had, and I was proud that my country had given him security and peace.And when the fighting stops, how do you stop the hatred and mistrust of citizen against citizen as to how 'Ukrainian' you really are ? A new Ukraine is better off without the troublesome Oblasts and Crimea rather like Eire was better off without the 6 counties. And those few pro-Russians in the rest of the country can move over there. Ukraine needs a Valera now not a Michael Collins now and Zelenskiy is not it.

I was at a birthday party in London last night for Thai friends and partners mostly Thais with just one other farang who was a partner actually of a very pretty Thai lady boy who is a long term friend of the missus. As he was nursing a drink quietly and not really joining in with the group 'madness' I approached him after about an hour to say hello. He introduced himself and said he was from Ukraine. I said I'm really sorry about what has happened to your country, it's a terrible tragedy. He never said mind but, thanks. We then spent an animated 30 minutes talking about Ukraine. He was in his early 30s and a draft dodger worked as a carpenter on building projects - he left shortly after the war began has refugee status under the Ukrainian settlement scheme. He never wanted to go back, indeed if he did now he would be drafted. He hated Putin, but he also hated Zelenskiy who he said was full of bs,a comedian and actor who had ruined the country. He had lost 2 childhood friends to the war and an Uncle. I said it seems like a civil war that we should have stayed out of, and he animately said yes - he spoke Russian and said everybody did, and it was like England and Scotland being a war. Not only that, but he said before the war the country was terrible, there was so much corruption and poverty most people he knew wanted to leave. But whatever they wanted, no-one but the mad people wanted this. When he said that, I said "Azov" - he laughed and said yes, how do you know ? He reserved his greatest venom for America who he said had stirred this conflict and kept it running pumping arms and ammo into when they knew who Putin was and what he would do. I finished by saying I hope the war stops soon, and he said so do I we all do. We then toasted to peace and joined in the dancing and party spirit. Now anecdote is not fact, but that chance meeting was very interesting and informative and confirmed me in my thinking that this war is not a black and white good vs evil, is a terrible tragedy for all concerned and that the West is as much an element of that tragedy as is Russia and the sooner the fighting stops the better for all concerned. Хай живе мир