impulse

All 57,000 of them? What about Mabel who works at the diner? Did she turn down a $ million? Does she even know what the offer is?

For a $ million smackeroos. And the most powerful passport in the world.

Every time I hear "Americans won't take those jobs...", I always listen for the rest of the statement that would make it true. "...at those wages". You never seem to hear that, though. If you offered a $million a year, you'd have Americans busting into the queues outside the Home Depots. I'd even be elbowing my way into the queue. Of course that's a ridiculous number, but it proves Americans would take those jobs. If wages weren't depressed by illegals willing to work for less. For those not familiar, Home Depot is where the people queue line up to be selected for day labor, usually construction, and usually off the tax books. (Americans don't queue up. We line up)

Though she's probably in a bunch of trouble, I'll bet she's really glad she wasn't on a scooter. She'd probably be a gone pecan if she'd performed that stunt on a scooter.

Greenlanders may change their mind when they hear his offer. In which case, what the Danes think becomes moot. What's 57,000 x $1 million smackeroos? Small change for the US. Life changing for the Greenlanders.

What really surprised me at the time was that it was actually a vote. It looked more like an opinion survey that was turned into a binding referendum when it went "the right way". Not being from the UK, I didn't (and don't) know enough to have an opinion about the result. I'm just surprised at the way it was done.

Here's a more disturbing revelation, if it's accurate, coming from a former ATC: In the old days, before 2010, the immunity program, if an air traffic controller got two airplanes too close, too many times, it would be decertified and retrained,” Pearson said. “Now, they’re not. All they have to do within 48 hours of being noticed or being investigated for a potential separation error, they’re called operational errors in the FAA, the controller simply has to avail themselves of this program that gives them immunity.” “The FAA cannot retrain these people. If somebody has a repetitive instance of malfeasance or lack of competency, the FAA, because of this immunity program, cannot rectify the situation. They have to basically allow the person to remain in the same position,” I can't help but wonder if they're protecting the incompetent because it impacts certain demographics more than others. Like the Biden admin suing Sheetz (gas stations) for using a candidate's criminal record as a criterion for hiring them. Literally because that affects protected demographics. Ponder that one for a minute... That's DEI for you. ‘Bowing To Wokeness Since 2010’: Fmr Air Traffic Controller Says Short Staffing Is ‘Attributable To Obama Admin’ | The Daily Caller

The vibe that I get is that we finally have someone who's competent in an important job. Nobody's going to give her a pass out of fear of being labeled a racist. And lefty heads will be 'sploding for 4 years. Maybe 12 if Vance keeps her on.

Is she an XX female, or an XY female?

Gosh. Are you talking about the same FAA that's been absolutely pilloried the past few years for its negligent oversight of Boeing that caused 2 737 Max aircraft to crash, and the door to blow off an Alaska Airlines 737? That FAA? Maybe you should listen to this from Michael Pierson, a former ATC: Former air traffic controller Michael Pearson said on “The Ingraham Angle” that the short staffing was “attributable to the Obama administration.” “The system has been under attack due to DEI and the FAA bowing to wokeness since 2010, since the Obama administration,” Pearson said. “The lack of staffing is directly attributable to the Obama administration terminating the lists of eligible, well-trained air traffic control statements in 36 universities across the country in 2013 because they were too white.” Simultaneously, the FAA rolled out an immunity program which, Pearson said, has fundamentally altered the handling of operational errors. “The FAA also, at the same time, implemented an immunity program. So you think you’re seeing legitimate statistics? You’re not. In the old days, before 2010, the immunity program, if an air traffic controller got two airplanes too close, too many times, it would be decertified and retrained,” Pearson said. “Now, they’re not. “The FAA cannot retrain these people. If somebody has a repetitive instance of malfeasance or lack of competency, the FAA, because of this immunity program, cannot rectify the situation. They have to basically allow the person to remain in the same position,” Perhaps Trump knows some stuff we don't? I'll let you find the interview on Fox's Ingraham Angle...

It's a negotiating tactic. They call it strategic ambiguity, and it kept Russia out of Donbass and Hamas in Gaza on his watch.

Give him a straw and a tiny piece of tissue and let him board his flight after he's done cleaning up after himself.

They didn't speak to me at all, just waved me through. Happens to me occasionally, too. My point was not to get nervous if they do follow their procedure and ask some questions. At first (post Covid), I thought they were really scrutinizing me. But after about 4 or 5 entries, I realized they were reading off a script and not to worry. I wasn't on any kind of hot seat. They are all business and can be intimidating. (Not unlike many Thai IOs). Especially the IOs with limited English skills. But it turns out they're okay people. Not hard to understand why, especially when they're welcoming visitors from too many countries to know all the languages.

Reading the OP, it seems the visas are genuine, but they used falsified airline tickets and hotel reservations to apply for those genuine visas? According to ARY News, the Thai Consulate in Karachi has introduced stricter visa guidelines, ensuring that all applicants submit original, verifiable documents, including genuine airline tickets and hotel bookings. A consulate official confirmed, “Anyone caught submitting forged documents, including travel agents, will face strict action, including blacklisting.”

Thank God we didn't have smartphone cameras when I was that age.

Though I'm posting this from China, I have no specific advice for the OP because there's so much variation between the different cities in China. For a short trip, I'd either change money before hopping on the plane (Super Rich, etc) or just swap it at the arrival airport. Just like anywhere, they may reject soiled, dated or torn bills, so I'd do it before hand. If you need cash while you're here, I use my US debit cards at most of the ATMs with no problem. Any issues I've had have come from my banks in the US which like me to pre-authorize debit card use overseas, even Thailand. A call to the number on the debit card cleared that up. Past the airport, swapping cash at the banks is hit and miss. I've been treated very well at China immigration, though I'm abusing my 10 year tourist visa to help care for my terminally ill Chinese girlfriend of over 20 years. I leave once a month to adhere to the 30 days per entry and they let me in and out, and all questions end when I show them my purpose. (US passport with work and business history in China from over 10 years ago). Be aware that they have a list of questions they ask everyone, every time. It's not onerous once you realize that it's just their procedure. I swap out my AIS SIM when I'm on the plane for a China Unicom SIM so I've never tried AIS from here. My Google Fi SIM works here (though Google shuts off data after about a month overseas). Google Fi text and voice calls continue to work here, but are spotty, depending on cell coverage. That's for incoming and outgoing calls and text. But if I don't get connected right away, I just move a few hundred yards and the next cell tower seems to work. Dress warm if you're going up north like me. It's cold up here. But I'd recommend a visit to most of China. Fascinating place. And any horror stories haven't been my experience. Here's one of my "colorful" neighbors:

Of the thousands of prescription drugs we see on the pharmacy shelves, Biden was planning to negotiate 10 of them down, starting in 2026. With another 10 or so added each year, long after he would have termed out had he even run and won. Hardly a stellar success against Big Pharma.

Win, lose or draw, I hope the OP posts back with his experience. It'll help the next guys. In fact, it would be nice for everyone in an unusual visa situation to post with their experience at the border. Details are also nice to have.

Some of the conspiracy theories with the longest legs are that Epstein was running honeypots for Mossad and/or the US alphabet agencies. Perhaps Trump can't release the goods without exposing ongoing activities? And opening himself up to a JFK scenario...

The more interesting question is who replaced him in that role? I don't for a minute think that it's slowed down at all.

I don't know. You'll have to ask someone who used the word. I don't see it in my post, nor the quote.

I'd call out her choice of the word "predator" given its toxic common usage since the Me Too movement. Sensationalizing a complicated issue of programs that may not be delivering more benefits than costs and harm. I'm looking forward to seeing the actual data that I'm sure has been collected, but not shown to the public. But that's going to take someone with a new paradigm. Like RFK Jr. Even if I question a lot of his statements.

The White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X (formerly Twitter) to deny the news, explaining only an OMB memo on the matter was rescinded in the wake of legal challenges the order has faced. “This is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It is simply a rescission of the OMB memo,” Leavitt wrote. “The President’s EO’s on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented.” I'll let you Google that one. It's a quote from an "unapproved source".

Last weekend, walking in Lumphini Park where there are no cars, no scooters and not even any bicycles at that hour, I found myself stopping every time I crossed the road and looking both ways before setting foot on the asphalt. It's a conditioned response from years of living in Asia. I can see where a tourist just visiting wouldn't have that kind of rational fear.

You're conveniently forgetting that there were vast tracts of cheap but farmable land available to be settled in Canada, the US and Australia. The same policies don't work so well where land is expensive.