impulse

No. She won the Democratic primary. She wasn't re-elected to anything.

Too Many Words

Yup. That TDS really takes it out of you.

AP says: Tracking data captured by FlightRadar24 and analyzed by The Associated Press showed the Singapore Airlines flight cruising at an altitude of 37,000 feet (11,300 meters). Just after 0800 GMT, the Boeing 777 suddenly and sharply pitched down to 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) over the span of some three minutes, the data shows. The aircraft stayed at 31,000 feet (9,400 meters) for just under 10 minutes before rapidly descending and landing in Bangkok in just under half an hour. The descent happened as the flight was over the Andaman Sea approaching Myanmar. So it must have happened pretty close to BKK. It will be interesting to hear from passengers and crew what actually happened and why. https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2024-05-21/1-dead-others-injured-after-london-singapore-flight-hit-severe-turbulence-singapore-airlines-says

That's a lot of ping pong balls.

Studies from OZ and the USA say the risk of death per km is 20-40x as high on a scooter as in a 4 wheeler. The same sets of studies show that helmets reduce the risk by 40%. So even with a helmet, riding a scooter is still over 10x as dangerous per km. Wear a helmet, sure. Buy a good one, not a plastic POS that will only get you past the checkpoints. Leather jackets and leggings will help, too (if you can stand the heat). But they won't keep your legs or head from getting ripped off. Seat belts and 2 tons of steel will.

I'd go one or two steps further. If they suspected drugs in the hooha, they should have taken her for an x-ray, regardless of whether she was pregnant, and nobody needed to violate her with today's tech. Just from a pragmatic standpoint, they'd have completely missed the baggie up the bum trick. And from a human dignity standpoint, nobody should be subject to a body cavity search if the tech's available to do a non-contact search. Especially if it's just based on suspicion. That's just wrong.

Reminds me... I wonder what my Beanie Babies and my Yu-Gi-Oh cards are worth? I still remember when it seemed that half the items on EBay were Beanie Babies and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, and some were going for eyewatering bids.

In 35+ years and thousands of meetings, mostly in the Bible Belt, I've never felt it. People often refer to Jesus, but that's just what they call the God of their understanding. I don't take it as a trigger of any kind. Nor have I ever been proselytized toward any religion. I've run into just as many agnostics and atheists that refer to Good Orderly Direction. Which is a reference to the discipline of doing the steps and not picking up the first drink. That's their religion, their GOD... Discipline and honesty and doing the next right thing. We all get along fine, and just love each other, even when we disagree. But I can see problems for people who may be triggered by a reference to Jesus. I don't have a solution for them, other than to keep coming back if you really wanna stay stopped.

I certainly hope it's not about Thailand, but the US State Department has recently issued a travel warning around LGBTQ gatherings around the world, citing a risk of terror and/or violence. I wonder if they know anything concrete? Seems like this would be a good time for any US Embassy people to spill whatever they can... https://aseannow.com/topic/1327587-state-department-issues-travel-warning-for-lgbtq-pride-celebrations/

The only reason Assange is getting that due process is the debacle of hiding out in the Ecuadorian Embassy for so long. As it transpired, it's such an embarrassment to the British Gub'ment that they have to dot all the i's and cross all the t's. They're under the microscope, because of the publicity. Had he been arrested at the time, he'd have been bundled off to the USA before the public even knew he was in custody.

So you don't figure the Brits would have looked at 2 competing extradition requests, one from Sweden for a bogus sex assault and the other from the USA for national security issues, and decided to send him west instead of north? At the time, his only chance of avoiding extradition to the US was to not be in custody. He was never going to Sweden. So it matters not whether Sweden could extradite him.

One more tragic data point. The guy with 4 wheels and 2 tons of steel walked away. The riders on a scooter weren't so lucky. Except, it wasn't luck. Yeah. I know. Lots of people can't afford 4 wheels and 2 tons of steel. But those of us who can... Can take a lesson here. Edit: And I'd add that it doesn't matter how skilled the scooter rider was. He got smacked from behind.

I guess they don't have x-ray machines anywhere in Thailand...

He was never going to Sweden to face the sex assault charges. He would have been extradited to the USA.

Okay, I just had to look that up, and it's pretty much what I thought... Though this particular factory seems to be in Pattaya. https://jetcarthailand.com/

If only... The wealthiest 10% of Americans own a record 89% of all U.S. stocks. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/18/the-wealthiest-10percent-of-americans-own-a-record-89percent-of-all-us-stocks.html The high stock market is a boondoggle for the billionaires, while inflation is eating away at the rest of us. I think they refer to that as "trickle down economics". I call it getting pissed on as politicians look for votes and donations.

Still... I read that it took rescuers 15 hours to find the wreckage because of the fog. I'm not suggesting it happened that way, but someone with better tech and stealth could have gotten a lot done in 15 hours. I also read that there was communication (cellular?) with one of the passengers after the "hard landing". The next few days of spin and counter-spin is gonna be interesting. I hope it doesn't spin out of control.

You mean during Covid when the economy came to a halt, millions were out of work by gub'ment edict and millions of small businesses needed a lifeline to weather to storm? I wasn't too keen on giving money to billionaires, but Biden's administration has been even better for the top 1% donor class than Trump's was. Quick question: Who was the first president to run up a $Trillion deficit? I'll give you a hint. His VP was Biden. https://www.thebalancemoney.com/us-deficit-by-year-3306306

Don't drink tapwater. Bottled water is cheap in Thailand. And very little chance they'll find a dead Burmese guy in your bottled water tank. Remember, you asked for a recommendation...

From your own link: The federal budget deficit totaled $2.1 trillion over the past 12 months, up 50 percent from the $1.4 trillion deficit in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 and more than twice as large as the deficit prior to the beginning of the pandemic. From your own graph, it's headed up, with no end in sight. Not to mention Biden's 2025 proposed budget of $7.3 Trillion. Contrast that with Trump's proposed 2021 budget of $4.8 Trillion. That's a 52% increase in the federal budget in just 4 years of Bidenomics. We can't afford to keep winning like that... https://www.npr.org/2024/03/10/1237398034/biden-2025-budget-proposal https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-ap-top-news-elections-politics-election-2020-32b2fd53ef9a547c8ca7a920c2ee7c43

Coincidence?

Thai chapter of South Park's Underpants Gnomes?

You mean the Constitution that makes it a President's duty to protect the borders?

Apologies in advance for not being much help here. The OP is asking a big question that would require a lot of back and forth for details. Unless his buddy is strapped for cash, I'd suggest flying in on visa exempt and meeting up with guys who've been here and done that, then go back and sort out his bigger move. While he's on his scouting visit, nail down where he wants to live for his first few months, understanding that may change as he figures out Thailand. I'd suggest going out for breakfast looking for expats to seek advice. Better breakfast, before the heavy drinking starts... More likely to run into family units, too.