impulse

Incidents like this make me wonder whether I should start packing a battery operated smoke/CO detector to use in hotel rooms. I can't recall whether the Thai hotels I usually stay in have smoke detectors (never mind whether they work or not). Seems like a good use of $15USD and a little luggage space.

Even a million old guitars sounds like a lot. But that's one per hundreds of closets. I once owned a late '50s Les Paul. I bought it from someone desperate for cash, and sold it when I was desperate for cash. Never even learned how to play it... I did the same with a Martin acoustic. Bought it, then sold it. Back then, it was similar to Thai people with their gold. Not quite as liquid, but almost. I shudder to think what they're worth today. (That was also long before the interweb and EBay)

I gave up on the idea of ever taking a double decker on a Thai road trip after seeing a factory where they take old frames, strip them down and rebuild them to look like new. The old frames, I can live with. It's the heavy use of plywood and lumber instead of metal structural components. In addition to the lack of strength, they're tinder in case of a fire. I'll gladly take a Thai bus of a normal configuration from a Toyota Coaster size to Greyhound bus size. But no kamikaze vans and no double deckers for this boy. Except on excursions around the city where the speed never gets deadly... For that, double deckers look fun.

We all know someone(s) who have a vintage guitar in their closet. I have one friend in Galveston that has a dozen on his wall. Probably $50-$100K worth. Maybe more. 200,000 may sound like a lot, but that's just one for every 1500 Americans. Cars OTOH, cost money to care for, to store, and to maintain them.

30 days... American flags will fly at half-staff at all U.S. federal buildings in honor of Jimmy Carter during Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration in January. https://people.com/us-flags-will-fly-half-staff-for-jimmy-carter-during-donald-trump-inauguration-8767355

I could see being whisked off the roof of a 5 Star hotel and dropped off on the tarmac next to the G5, instead of enduring the traffic. Sadly, I won't be in that demographic. The Uber wealthy. If they tailored it to us nobody's the skies over cities would be choked with them and they'd be colliding left and right.

Leaving aside the morality question, the math just doesn't work out when you create 20 families of terrorists for that one you took out.

Quick question... Who is the money behind factcheck.afp,com ? Never mind that "fact check" is from 2021, when all talk that went against the narrative was squelched.

One of my concerns is that they punted so badly on Covid that the public won't trust them when the big one hits. As I understand it the H5N1 jabs are a traditional vaccine (Not mRNA) and have some history. And I'm in favor of free and easy testing as long as the test is reliable. Which most of the Covid testing wasn't. And no bonuses to the hospitals for treating it (whatever "it" is). That's just too tempting... Can anyone confirm or make fun of me regarding the traditional nature of the H5N1 vaccines? I may be wrong on that one if they're hiding their nature to sucker us in. Again.

That's the sound of money being made. Sweaty tourist cash. It's like moving to Pamplona, then complaining about that thing with the bulls.

Awkward? Biden voted for Trump I'd be more worried about Pelosi, Harris, Biden and Jill being at the same funeral. They may need more coffins. Carter was an honorable man, but not a great president. He more than redeemed himself after his term. But they did him dirty pushing him out to support Harris in that condition. He deserved better.

I don't disagree, but what's the reality in Thailand? I don't ever recall having anything cultured to do a sinus diagnosis. It always seems to be an eenie-meenie-minie-moe selection of an antibiotic. Or is there more science involved?

Makes sense. I'd have bought 2nd hand if that had worked out logistically. You're right. It's a toy for me, too.

Which antibiotic?

Is the Mini still available? Here in China, they're discontinued and all I could find was a Mini 4 Pro, Mini 3, Mini 4K and Mini 2SE. I bought the Mini 3 and it's way beyond my needs and skill level. Loving it so far, but I just had it out a couple of times. Kinda scary how far away it'll fly. I hope this link works in Thailand (I can't get to their Thai focused website,,, I'm in China and keep getting diverted to the .cn site.) https://www.dji.com/cn/products/camera-drones#mini-series

A 45 day stay should have the same or a lower daily rate than a 30 day stay. If it isn't, that's cheaping out on the software.

Are there any reports from people using an agent to attempt the same border bounce?

That's good info, because kayaking would be my main draw to Koh Chang, And now that I no longer own a kayak (or a pickup to haul it) in Thailand, I'd be looking for someone to hook me up with competent equipment. Edit: I'd add that I avoid the public kamikaze vans like the plague, but I've had great drivers when they were recommended by people I trust.

The ignominiously named "Brown Mixture" (Leopard Brand) traditional Thai cough medicine works great for me. I bought some on my arrival Tuesday and the cough was 90% gone within the day. YMMV.

To that, I would add that getting a traffic camera ticket in the mail just doesn't have the same impact as being pulled over on the spot. Especially now, with the recent judge's ruling that they can't hold up a registration renewal for unpaid tickets. I got really well practiced at avoiding the cops and $$$ tickets when I first started driving and I couldn't afford the fines. Not coincidentally, those same skills helped me avoid accidents. I was a lot more afraid of the cops than of dying in a flaming wreck, just as a matter of percentages and being young and bulletproof.

Richard Smith will love getting into this, stand by for a massive rant... I'm just saying, you can reduce your odds of dying (per km) by over 95% with a ton of steel and seat belts.

With over 85% of the crashes being scooters and only 2.67% being sedans, any discussion of car safety seems rather moot.

Ms. Willis was elected. A DEI hire, nonetheless.

That should make it easy to find him.

I think the OP is confused. It's only insurrection when the bad guys do it. Like when the good guys offer up a slate of alternative electors, it's fine. But when the bad guys offer up a slate of alternative fake electors, they get prosecuted. The next few weeks are going to get good.