impulse

I think it makes a huge difference, just based on my personal experience. Weed wasn't my drug of choice (booze was). But when I hung out with my stoner buddies, we closed all the window shades and hid down in the basement, demonstrating fear long before anyone fired up a doobie. I must have gotten contact paranoia, because I was worried about getting busted, and I wasn't even partaking. I was just there, close enough for a possession bust. i.e. Paranoid. Strangely, nobody showed any fear (paranoia) when they lit up on camping trips 10 miles out in the woods where there was no chance of the popo showing up. So I ask again, is it the weed that makes people paranoid, or the fear of getting busted? My anecdotal belief is that it's fear of getting busted.

Does it cause paranoia where it's legal? Or is it just worrying about being banged up? Which is not really paranoia. I used to feel the same way driving down the road swilling a beer. But only after Texas made that illegal. No worries at all back when it was legal.

Probably ought to check your facts. Here's from their website: The Chinese Visa Application Service Centre (hereinafter referred to as the “Application Centre”) is a commercial service organization registered in accordance with local laws and regulations and recognized by a Chinese Embassy or Consulate-General to handle the daily routine work of processing ordinary visa and authentication applications. However, it operates independently of diplomatic missions and is neither a branch nor an affiliated organ. Which makes them a Visa Agent. Just like a lot of other visa agents recognized by the Embassy or Consulate. That's what allows them to bring in piles of passports. https://bio.visaforchina.cn/BKK3_EN/guanyuwomen/guanyuqianzhengzhongxin

Which flavor do you recommend?

Wouldn't that make them a Visa Agent? And render the rest of the information posted here (much of it conflicting) moot?

The upshot of your post is : Call a visa agent. Or risk getting really disappointed. If they can't help you, the call will cost nothing. In 25 years of getting China visas for work, for business and for tourism, here's what I've found: The rules are different in different locations, and depend on your nationality and your visa status in the country where you apply. The rules change occasionally, so what worked last year often didn't work for me the next year, even at the same office. I have found China Immigration and Public Security Bureau to be extremely reasonable, and pretty easy to work with. But they do have complex rules that change pretty often. Especially when there are activities like the Olympics or high level political meetings coming up. (Edit: And sometimes, the changes only last for limited period) Visa agents keep up with the changes. Websites don't.

I'll put the mine on my bucket list if I do retire to TH. I liked Pilok because it reminded me so much of the campgrounds back home growing up, camping with the family. First time I saw major camping activity in Thailand, and it also attracted an eclectic and very friendly crowd. Not many foreigners that I saw. At least not so many that stood out. Not zero, but not a lot.

If you want a real white knuckle experience in Thailand, drive to Pilok village. Winding mountain roads like Wyoming or N Cali, but with unmarked washouts and blind curves and idiots passing each other, completely oblivious to what's around the bend. The destination was very nice, revealing to me a side of Thailand that I'd never seen. Mostly campers, reminding me of the great community you'd find in campgrounds and national parks back home. But the drive up... And back... Crazy. Also found a great drive from Kanchanaburi to 3 Pagodas, along the lake (I forget the name). Gorgeous scenery and a lot less white knuckle driving. Stopped occasionally for a night in the national park (Bom Pee, I think is the name) Nice rustic cabins right on the lake, reasonably priced. Also worthwhile to duck off the main road toward the lake, just for the view.

My sympathies to anyone who paid good money to buy this online community. I'll bet they feel like I did when I bought that bag of juicy mangoes and found worms in a few. I was able to save most of them by cutting out the worms. But some of them were too far gone. I hope AN can salvage a few, but good luck cutting. Stay klassy, y'all.

I'm waiting for AOC and The Squad to insist that we look at the bright side. Venezuelan 12 year olds are much safer with their rapists and murderers headed north. https://insightcrime.org/news/venezuela-crime-rate-falling/

The appropriate response would have been to offer her a ride to the ER. She may need medical help. Lady obviously doesn't even know what country she's in.

At 16kg of carbon per human body, would that meet their goals? And wouldn't they have to bury us instead of cremating us? Of course, there's always the Soylent Green option.

Honest to gosh, I don't claim it was murder. I don't know. I just think it should be investigated before calling the guy stupid for swimming under a red flag warning. Especially since they found bruises on him. Maybe he wasn't swimming. I've had the crap beat out of me, body surfing and boogie boarding hundreds of times. I have never had bruises if it was a sandy beach. Edit: And I'd add that the investigation would be more credible if it was done by an entity that wasn't under pressure to protect tourism.

Okay, I didn't read that comment; this information wasn't in the article itself. If you read my next comment, you'd understand why it was disturbing that the article quoted in the OP didn't mention that they were illegals: What was interesting this morning is that during my Bing search on the topic, most of the MSM either failed to mention they were illegals, or claimed that the authorities were still looking into their status, as if it was unknown. I had to look quite a bit to find an MSM article to link, lest I be accused of linking right wing propaganda again. Because the right wing sources had them as illegals very early in the news cycle. Complete with dates they were caught and released. I suspect a bunch of lefties that only read CNN and MSDNC still don't know. And probably won't, until the anger dies down. Doesn't help Joe.

No. I'm pretty sure a tree makes noise when it falls. Even if nobody's there to hear it. If you cross a border illegally, you're a criminal. Whether you get caught or not.

Your best bet is to contact a visa agent in Canada and see what they suggest. If they can't help you, find a visa agent in Bangkok when you get to Thailand. You'll get better current information from someone who does it every day for a living than people guessing. I'm posting this from China. I got my 10 year tourist visa (L) in Bangkok and I don't even know where the Visa Center is. I used VIP Passport Services in Houston to get visas in the USA. Rarely went in myself, even when they had a consulate in Houston. Sadly, I don't know what agent my company used to get my L visa in Bangkok. But I'm sure they're easy to find with a search.

If you get a chance, post a photo of the motor and pump nameplates and the socket where the motor lead plugs into the motor. Also, it would be handy to know the cable gage, length and configuration (3+gd, 4+gd, etc). May not be too helpful immediately if you're installing a new unit, but it may be helpful in the future if you start having issues.

I suspect it's the opposite, and that Kaspersky is the only one that can keep US gub'ment snoops out of our jammies. So they ban it...

I 'member when I upgraded to 640x480 resolution.

Thanks for that. Years ago, I got away from Sony because of some of their $$$ proprietary storage. But that was way back during CD's and mini-disks. Looks like I need to give them another look see. I never did get serious about photography so I probably won't be collecting many more lenses.

That's a good price, but I rarely found big boy aspirin, 325-500 mg. And when I could find 325 or 500 mg, they were spendy, and usually out of stock. Back home at Walmart 81mg (low dose) are $7.00 for 1000, so not too far off. (And not worth packing for the difference)

I'm not sure you'd find one there, but the first place I'd look is one end of MBK where they sell touristy clothes and hats and underwear. You can't miss it if you see it. Hundreds of kiosks. The next place I'd try is the fabric market around Siam Plaza near Chinatown. Blocks and blocks of stuff like that. Lots of cubby holes in several multi-floor buildings. My 3rd choice would be the Chinatown alleys one block off Yaorawat (sp?), toward the river. Bring a sense of humor because it gets packed in there. I'm not suggesting a dedicated trip to any of them, because it's hit and miss on a specific item. Just places to look if you happen to be nearby.

Being an old thread and mostly comatose, I hope nobody minds a hijack. What happened to Nikon in Thailand? I bought a D5500 before Covid when all the shops in Fortune Town had Nikons. Made in Thailand and $500 with the 18-55 kit lens. This past year, I really have to look for any Nikon kit. None of the shops in Fortune Town have any selection. What's up with that? I'd like to stay with Nikon glass. Just so I'm not a complete hijacker, regarding the OP... Bring vitamins, supplements, big boy aspirin (325 x 500), Tylenol/ Ibuprophen and caffeine tablets if that's how you get your fix. Aspirin and caffeine are like hen's teeth and paracetamol and ibuprophen are much cheaper at Walmart back home if you buy the big bottles. I ended up getting my caffeine on Lazada, for those days I just can't squeeze in a coffee.

You close the door? How polite of you.

Nothing so fancy. I drank beer with several volunteer fire departments in my youth. We occasionally put out fires, too, when the need arose. Edit: When the Plectron went off, for anyone old enough to remember those.