impulse

You know what else creates jobs? Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and buildings falling down. And they're all about as beneficial as Biden's foreign policy, fiscal policy and border policy. But they do create jobs... Some in red states.

The best laid plans... If it's any consolation, both the phone and the charger are at 100%. Edit: I may have lied about data condoms being easy to find on Lazada. I'm limited on search patience looking at a tiny screen sitting in an airport departure gate, but no luv so far. There's zillions on Amazon.

That was my fear... Good info. I'll test my cheapo power bank with my laptop, at my Chinatown hotel. And I'll buy another data condom in Khlong Thom market. They're super cheap there, but easier to find on Lazada. But I won't be in BKK long enough to count on Lazada.

So far, it seems to be working. I'll let you know in about 40 minutes when the phone says it'll be fully charged. I learn something on each trip... Sometimes even useful stuff.

Normally, I carry a data condom (USB-C Male x USB-C Female, with most of the pins blanked). This trip, I accidentally bought a ticket with a 4050 baht adder for a checked bag. So I packed light (short trip) and left behind my big bag o' cables, which also normally includes a charge only cable from my shaver, also left behind in favor of a lightweight blade. All I have is a cable to feed the power bank, and one from the power bank to the phone. Hopefully a one time problem. But a problem this trip. I'd add that, in several airports I frequent (China) the public chargers only have 3 or 4 cables with different tips for USB-C, Micro-USB and Firewire. No 220v available. That's why I bought the data condom adapter. Thanks, both for the advice.

I'm sitting on a long layover and wanted to charge my cell. The airport charging ports look so inviting, but I worry that they may be perusing my phone for nefarious purposes. Normally, I save my power bank only for when I need it, when there's no available power. Today I decided to use the power bank between the phone and the airport charger, as a data condom. I'm hoping the result is keeping the power bank charged up while using it to charge the phone, with no chance my phone's memory is being downloaded and scoured for bank numbers, etc. Is there a flaw in that plan? "Google it" is not a helpful answer since Google is blocked here and Bing returns mostly non-English responses...and it's sloooow.

I thought there were reciprocal treaties where US (for example) licenses were acceptable for a limited time with no IDP required. And Thai licenses are accepted in the USA, for a limited time.

Walls are great, but not needed. Just a rule that, if you cross illegally, you will not be considered for any asylum claims, work permit, or gub'ment funded bennnies. IOW, there's no path to work or legalization unless you enter legally. First offense... Go back and start over, down the legal path. And the 2nd time you cross illegally, it's a lifetime ban on legalization. Ever.

You mean like what the Dems did to Bernie? And tried to do to Bush?

Dems better be careful what they wish for. Just about every candidate puts together a slate of alternate electors in states where the voting is close. Gore had 'em. Hillary had 'em. Obama had 'em. Start prosecuting alternate electors on the right and you can guaranty they'll start prosecuting them on the left.

2 questions, the first rhetorical: 1) I wonder if there are visa "agents" in Mexico? 2) Is there a decent expat/visa blog?

Russia's already got the Crimea (under Obama). They have the Donbass. (Under Biden). They've already had elections in both, whether to stay in Russia or revert to Ukraine. And there is no way to win those back in a ground war against Russia. Not going to happen, even with all the Ukrainians left, fighting to the death. Those, Russia will rebuild (and based on GDP per capita, those residents will have a better quality of life than the Ukrainians) That leaves about 90% of pre-war Ukraine to rebuild. Or, you can completely annihilate the rest of an entire generation of Ukrainian men. Then rebuild. That's the only question... How many more to die before accepting the L.

I'm not disagreeing, because I don't know. You got a link for that? This is one American that supports rebuilding Ukraine with loans that could be forgiven under the right incentives, but not a dime more to perpetuate the killing in a war that's already been lost. And that doesn't make me a fan of Putin or Russia. Just a realist that worries about WW3. And what will happen to Israelis if the USA gets sucked into wars in Europe and the Pacific?

In spite of the commission, you'd probably net more using a good agent. Plus, a good one can keep you out of a lot of pitfalls (which would be a major consideration for me, if selling in a foreign country). That's assuming you can find a good one. So this isn't an endorsement of agents in general. Just good ones. The OP may want to ask if anyone knows a good one in the area that they'd recommend. You can always choose a different path after you've interviewed some (and gotten some free advice about how to price the property). Other bonus... Once you've signed on with one, the rest of them won't pester the snot out of you.

A billion here, a billion there, and eventually you're talking about real money. Since its founding America has given $260B to Israel. Add interest, and the Present Value of that aid is probably close to $1Trillion. I'd add that the US is the biggest donor to Israel, when that should be the Europeans who actually perpetrated the Holocaust. But we're a soft touch for the Israeli lobby. Don't even get me started on Epstein and blackmail... Or the USS Liberty. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-10-10/how-much-aid-does-the-u-s-give-to-israel

Chiang Mai forum. I broke down and bought a cheap set of screwdriver tips that accommodate most of the proprietary screw heads in use nowadays. Maybe not worth it for single task, but I've pulled them out on several occasions. Edit: Something like this, but my set has around 40 different tips. Cost less than 200 baht, as I recall. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/5pcs-special-shaped-screwdriver-set-50mm-u-shaped-y-type-triangle-inner-cross-three-points-screwdriver-bit-tool-i4824742305.html More like this: https://www.lazada.co.th/products/32-in-1-screwdriver-assembly-and-disassembly-machine-multi-function-screwdriver-kit-special-shaped-tools-i4807465773.html https://www.lazada.co.th/products/de-115-in-1-diy-double-e-shop-e131-i5071668986-s21414896481.html

That's a little disingenuous. Before Covid, spending was $5.31T under Trump. Admittedly, it did take off for Covid relief programs. In 2023, in spite of going down as Covid relief expires, it's at $6.13T under Biden. And it's up by $103B over the same period from 2023 to 2024, on track to be at $6.33T for the year. That data came from your link...

They're doing even better under Biden. The super-rich are also richer than ever, with their combined wealth hitting $14.2 trillion—$2 trillion more than just a year ago and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chasewithorn/2024/04/02/forbes-38th-annual-worlds-billionaires-list-facts-and-figures-2024/

With what money? We're $34.6 Trillion in debt.

Area 51 is about the right size... Maybe add some more of the western desert. And they'd also be free in the USA to move, live and work wherever they want. I'm not proposing a dedicated separate enclave. What would Israel have without American taxpayer funding? A completely unsustainable outpost in a hostile land. Edit: I'd add, How long do you think Israel would last if America got sucked into stupid wars in Europe and the Pacific?

Ukraine has already lost. I'd support loans for rebuilding, but not to continue the killing and the dying. Israel has an intractable problem, and will still be intractable in 50 years, and 100 years. If I were king of the world, I'd offer up an equivalent area in the US for any Israeli who wants to emigrate, hoping that other 1st world countries would match the offer. Win-win, because Israelis in general are great candidates for US immigration with shared values (Judeo-Christian, well educated, with a good work ethic) But then, I don't believe that any land is sacred beyond its natural beauty. So that's a non-starter. Otherwise, I have no opinion on funding Israel. Edit: But I would say that the USA is broke. It's long past time we quit funding overseas folly, and spent the money at home.

And leftist politics is the art of complicating simple truths when they don't go their way. Truths like Putin went on the march during Obama and Biden, but not during Trump. Hamas attacked on Biden's watch. Biden's watch saw 13 deaths on leaving Afghanistan. The border is an absolute disaster under Biden. Leave it to lefties to blame the other guy. But sometimes a spade is just a spade. And a leader is just incompetent.

You're making it about Jews and Palestinian protestors. But it's really about any adversarial entities.

Smack dab in the middle of a "Free Palestine" protest? Yes, it is too dangerous. But I think London's a big enough place to avoid that area. And let's leave out Jews and Palestinians for a moment. I wonder if you'd defend a guy wearing a MAGA hat to a drag queen story hour, a transgender protest, or an abortion rights protest? I'd acknowledge his right to be there, but still support the cops for arresting him, for his own safety. It's not as if they're picking on Jews. Just people who need to be protected from their own stupidity.

He was threatened with arrest to protect him from an angry crowd. In an ideal world, they'd have enough police there to escort him and even arrest the entire crowd if they threatened him. But this is real life. He had every right to be there. But there weren't enough cops, and they may have saved his life. The only thing I'd fault is the language that may have been used. But emotions run high and cops are human.