impulse

If that's the case, all they need is an 80286 computer and a 9600 baud modem to convey the wide range and all the richness...

Why buy new? There's an absolute buttload of parked up Thai Airways planes scattered all over Swampy. Looks like they haven't moved in years... I'm surprised they leave them at Swampy for everyone to see. The least they could do is put them out on a disused military base in the middle of Nakhon Nowhere, where they won't be a grim reminder of the airline's "competence" and superior buying decisions.

When is Zuck going to get himself a personality?

The way you've phrased that question contradicts my understanding of work permit laws. Foreigners are allowed to do many of the jobs that Thais could do, unless it's on the list of restricted occupations. But they need to have a work permit to do any work at all, even volunteer work.

Look what's happening in Philly, right now... Today. Shops have been closing left and right in LA, SF, Portland, Seattle, and other Dem controlled cities.

Are we taking bets on what some kindly taxi driver will return to his hapless passenger in response to this one? Last time, I think it was a hugely expensive violin...

Moon cakes with the egg are an acquired taste. I spat back out the first one I ever bit into, thinking that something had gone bad in the baking process. Someone explained the egg thing, so I tried another. Now, I love them. My favorites are lotus, and 5 nuts. I'm not keen on durian flavor, either. But a lot of people love them.

I think somebody smells the money. I'm forecasting weed in Thailand to go the same way as cigs and beer. Eventually, all weed for sale will have to come with a certificate of origin (commonly referred to as a tax stamp), and one or two families will control all the weed grown for sale. Because they'll be the only ones who can buy the tax stamps. They may still allow families to grow a few plants, as long as they're not for sale to the public.

That's the touchy feely part of the story. The other part is about the cartels who now control huge swathes of California and Oregon land, illegally growing weed. Taking over entire counties, stealing scarce irrigation water, trafficking illegal indentured labor... Outgunning and outnumbering local law enforcement who have basically decided it's not worth getting killed over a deadly game of whack-a-mole.

Any recent increase in China visitors is probably more related the the Mid Autumn Festival holiday going on right now, combined with the October 1 National Day Holiday. Happy Moon Cake Day, BTW. If you've never tried a Chinese moon cake, they're great. In limited doses.

Gosh, what's next? Blaming the Repubs for the horrendous crime sprees happening in Dem controlled cities, because they refuse to sit down and rewrite the laws around organized smash and grab looting? Repubs simply want to enforce the laws already on the books. They worked fine for decades. And they recognize that having theft and immigration laws on the books is meaningless if they're not being enforced. Like at the border, which was pretty darn secure until Biden's first day in office. And in the cities, before no-cash bail, defunding the police and the Summer of Mostly Peaceful Arson and Looting disguised as protests.

Has any of that actually happened, or has he just thrown $Trillions of dollars (that we don't have) at problems and held out GAO 10 years forecasts to prove that they're working?

While at the same time pushing out policy that's destroying their jobs.

Seems like the vast majority of them are from low wage countries with a land border. Hardly colonial thinkers... As a result, in the 2023 fiscal year, a total of 53,732 businesses that hired foreign laborers were inspected, leading to legal action against 1,587 employers and checks on 528,683 foreign individuals, resulting in cases against 3,464 people. The nationality breakdown of these cases includes Myanmar nationals at 1,850, Cambodians at 636, Laotians at 562, Vietnamese at 145, and 271 individuals from other countries.

If they're Chinese, I wonder how they're getting them to BKK. In each of my 5 flights this year from China to BKK, they've asked me to confirm I have nothing battery powered in my checked bags, and they limit carry on batteries to a reasonable size like a laptop. I've seen them confiscate a lot of power bricks that were too big, and those were often pretty reasonably sized. But over the limit, which is apparently pretty small. Edit: I'd also add that at least twice, I was delayed at Chinese airport security when I walked over there too quickly, before my checked bags had passed an x-ray screening. They asked me to wait 5 minutes and present my passport and BP again, at which time I went through. Can't imagine they'd x-ray one of those beasts and let it on the plane as checked or carry on. But then, I've been surprised before. Could be they bought them in Bangkok and are in for a real disappointment when it's time to haul it to China...

Could be, and pretty likely. But as a teatotaler for the past 34 years, I'm often called upon to be the designated driver. Occasionally carting my friends home after they've had a snootfull, even when that wasn't my pre-arranged plan.

Sad to see the contrast between the respect and condolences being expressed for one of our own posters who died in a traffic accident, and the absolute disdain for a Thai person who has died in a traffic accident.

Dang man. At 300 baht a throw, you'll be dead from exhaustion long before you spend your 100,000 baht.

Though I'd be interested in differentiating and quantifying the two, mostly I'd just like to see a solution for the people suffering.

Sadly, I wouldn't dismiss that possibility offhand...

The framers were smart enough not to allow the prosecution of a sitting president, lest the country be leaderless while the court battle was being litigated. So the president must be impeached first. But they weren't smart enough to foresee a disaster like Kamala. Who's going to impeach Joe when she's next up? Picking her as VP was sheer genius if he anticipated a threat of ouster for crimes or for mental decline. Repeating a link from a few posts up. Hardly qualifies as a nuthin' burger: https://oversight.house.gov/blog/evidence-of-joe-bidens-involvement-in-his-familys-influence-peddling-schemes/ Edit: I'd add that Joe could be caught on the White House lawn with a machete in one hand and a severed head in the other, and the Dems still wouldn't vote for impeachment, for fear of allowing the bad orange man back...

https://oversight.house.gov/blog/evidence-of-joe-bidens-involvement-in-his-familys-influence-peddling-schemes/

I do my own. Also cut my neighbors on both sides. Good exercise and neighborly relations. (That's when I'm not in China like I'm stuck right now for personal reasons). Edit: I hired a buddy of mine, originally from Wisconsin (with a complexion to match) to cut it in my absence.

I think part of that incentive would be to offer a living wage for those jobs. The cost of the labor component of food production probably pales in comparison with the cost of land, cost of seed, cost of fertilizer, cost of farm implements, cost of water, cost of trucking, cost of retailing, and profit percentage. I suspect doubling the picking wages would add less than 10% on the cost of a carrot. (I stand to be corrected on that by someone with one of their quick links) But as long as we're letting thousands of potential cheap labor in every day, what's the chances that's going to happen? Competing with people who have never made over $10 a day in their lives is a non starter for most Americans. And I don't blame them.

Full story, my 1st Pfizer went remarkably well. No soreness, no symptoms at all. So I eagerly went in for my 2nd when they texted me it was time (scarce doses were still being bogarted at that time). Still no soreness, no noticeable symptoms that day or the next. Then on the 2nd morning, I woke up with the left side of my face numb. Lost my sense of balance, so some home projects that required ladder work went by the wayside. And my energy level went into the toilet. Couldn't stay awake for the whole day. That was 2.5+ years ago. I've adjusted my lifestyle to accommodate the symptoms, especially the low energy level. I'd give just about anything to go back and undo that 2nd shot.