Posts posted by DualSportBiker
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Oh get real.
Inflationary pressures are baked in months in advance of changes in the rate of inflation. An economy the size of the US economy takes months to change direction. US inflation was going to go up regardless of the winner of the presidential race in 2020. Trump was lucky to loose as he would have had to wear what he created. The tax break for corporations and wealthy individuals along with the stimulus packages created the momentum for inflation which started just as he was leaving office:
You can't review US inflation in isolation - only a muppet would do that:
US inflation came down further and faster than any other developed nation - under Biden.
Biden kicked butt with job creation:
Trump killed a bipartisan border bill solely to keep the problem alive. His interest in the border is selfishly political and he cares not about the problem itself. It is a tool just like his supporters.
As for Ukraine, only a myopic poorly educated and short-sighted fool would consider that Russia's actions there are not worthy of staunch opposition. Taking Russia's side is unfathomable. Trump seems to do so because he admires people who do what they want regardless of law, ethics or morality. He wants to be able to get away with rape, violence, fraud and subversion of democracy just like his poster-boy heroes, Putin, KJU and Xi.
Trump only wins on these issues to people like you who are what you know yourself to be...
On 8/3/2024 at 1:33 PM, susanlea said:If I'm Trump I'm asking for a debate on Fox. I'm highlighting four 4 things
Inflation
Unemployment
Border
Ukraine
Trump wins all issues.
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21 hours ago, watthong said:
Absolutely, it also annoys me when someone claims that he could speak "Thai to a high level", and when the local Thais don't understand them, he turns around and asks if they speak their own language. That is what I called "conceited" - a word I believe is widely used among the "master"-class
Was just chatting with my the ex of a recently deceased friend. She has lived in the US for 20 years now and recently returned for the first time. She is Thai, but multiple Thais failed to understand her throughout her trip. She was asked if she was Thai, or "Where are you from?" consistently. Asking someone if they are Thai is a legitimate question. There are plenty of non-Thai Asians in Thailand. I ask waitresses all the time because some Burmese staff speak reasonable English.
I have moments of real clarity with my Thai - everyone understands everything I say. I also have moments when I am tired, stressed, bored/non-committal when I can't understand the loose approximation of Thai that comes out of my mouth, let alone the poor sod I am talking to. When that happens I flip to English, or better still French, just to stir up my head and help myself refocus. It does not annoy me, but it can be frustrating. That frustration is more due to being tired, stressed or bored, not failing to make myself understood. There is always room for improvement. What I never do is get visibly frustrated and repeat the same phrase louder hoping that will help. I try a different tack and use completely different phrasing.
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It would be preferable for Thai news to pick up on the story of Brian Giles, a Thai national and rising star in Motocross. Multiple international wins under his belt, he is banned from riding in Thailand by the local motorcycle racing authority for reasons that are of Thai soap opera quality. His career is being crushed because of a personal vendetta by an old miserable man.
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2 hours ago, susanlea said:
What is brocoli for?
The purpose of broccoli is to make more broccoli. Same can be said for carrots and any other vegetable you can think of. We assign the purpose of sustenance to broccoli and all other items we consider food. However that does not change their original purpose.
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11 hours ago, gamb00ler said:
It is pretty clear that you haven't spent much time on a farm with livestock.
Calves are usually weaned at about 3 months or when they weigh about 100 Kg.... that's a long way from being a large bovine.
You're right about that. You can replace 'much time' with 'no time'. However, I did see a Harvard Medical School specialist give a clear breakdown of the purpose of the main component parts of cows milk. The fact remains that everything in milk is purposed to bulk up calves.
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21 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:
Milk is disgusting.
Ice Cream causes premature heart disease, too, due to super-high amounts of sugar.
The sugar in milk is disgusting.
It's natural sugar, not sure disgusting is the right term. It's effects are bad, but the sugars in milk are there for the calf... Having drunk 2-3 pints of milk per day all the way through high school, i haven't drunk milk in 20+ years.
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No adult human should take milk. Even with the fat removed, everything in it is purposed to turn a calf into a large cow as quickly as possible.
I've just switched up my diet. No more complex breakfasts that were great, unfortunately. Two meals a day; salad and fish for lunch, eggs and avocado for dinner. 4 kg down in 2 months. Now I am only 4 kg away from my target weight.
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My dearest has her own company which does translation services and business consulting. She is also the (local) regional president of a global charity. She recently passed a Thai Army course in news presenting so technically she could deliver the Royal Household news - an activity restricted to officially certified Thais. She also got IFA certs, not because she wants to sell investments, but so she can better understand what we do with our money. She has two condos she rents and also helps me with my business as needed. We had a business together 14 years ago here. Unfortunately that tanked, but not because of anything she did...
We definitely don't spend 24/7 together! Last time we did that we got frustrated with a lack of personal time/space.
In her mind she has to justify her parents investment and effort to send her and all five siblings to university between 30 and 40 year back. Doing nothing of value for herself or others would be a waste of their effort and a path to a lack of self-respect - that's as she explains it to me.
Anyhow, she is a smart lass and I am lucky to have met and married her.
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2 hours ago, thesetat2013 said:
Thailand should expect more ads posted in Chinese here since they have opened their borders and allow anyone in without visa. Similarly, I expect soon we will see Russians trying to do the same. Thailands opening of borders without Visas is opening a can of worms they will not like.
There were/are places in Thailand where the political signs put up prior to elections are only in Chinese. It might not be the case now, but I've seen it while riding along border roads up north...
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That's the way to do it!
Relax, stay loose, some anticipation is allowed. Holding on tight is the worst thing you can do.
The best pillion I ever had was a 6'8" biker who was almost not there he was so in tune. I've struggled more with smaller lighter loads!
33 minutes ago, Kinnock said:just have one hand lightly resting on the handrail so I can hold it if the rider brakes suddenly, and by relaxing you don't get that 'being thrown around' feeling that makes you hold tighter.
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I've enjoyed predominantly traditional Thai massage since about '96. For some reason I avoided them for the first few years... Anyhow, in 1998 I ruptured two disks in my lower back (L4-L5, L5-S1). Bumrumgrad suggested immediate surgery for a estimated 450,000 Baht. I got a second opinion from home and have yet to have surgery. I struggled with mobility for several months but after confirming with doctors back home, started to get Thai massages right next to my house. The masseuse was 10 years my senior and after eight years of massage service, still went to see her Ajaan once a month for additional training. She slowly but surely reduced all my sciatica to zero, and within six months I could stand for an hour without any pain. That had been impossible before - my legs would tighten up and I would need to lie down after less than 10 minutes standing...
Long story short, I now ride around Thailand on and off-road, drive 4x4s off road and exercise quite seriously. At 55 I am apparently quite fit, especially for someone with two ruptured disks. I might have slowly recovered naturally. There may have been another way to get to where I am, but that is speculation. What I do know is that I am fully mobile, live an adventurous life, and whenever I get a twinge in my back or legs, a two-hour Thai massage will typically deal with it.
In recent years the lack of any issue has allowed me to change to Thai-oil massage which still involves manipulation and focus on nerves and tendons, but includes oil and balm. It is more relaxing and although more expensive, it is my treat to myself on a fortnightly basis...
Just this Sunday I found a new masseuse with 15 years experience at the Ministry of Health Head Office. She worked in physical therapy and recovery roles there. I have never had a better massage.
So, is it worth it? Depends on your status. They are luxuries for the perfectly healthy, and can be life-changing for those with issues. Only you will know which camp you are in...
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2 hours ago, scorecard said:44 years old
22 years living in Thailand
so assume he came to LOS when he was 22 years old
how has he supported himself for 22 years
what visa has been on for 22 years - is that possible?
when / where was he a mercenary if he's lived in Thailand since he was 22 years old?
Some explanation would be nice.
I arrived here when I was 22 and am significantly older than this guy. No explanation needed - it's nobody's business.
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2 hours ago, MartinL said:
So now even "resembling foreigners' is a potential offence, is it? There seems to be no end of ways they're trying to finger foreigners for Thai crime. Surely, if the thieves definitely were foreigners, it would have been one of the first things used to describe them by the shop staff.
Hard to fathom how you get here. "Resembling foreigners" is not a crime; stealing is. Thin skin much?
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My last flight with TG was from Zurich to Bkk in 2008. I was on a business trip and any Co trip over 4 hours I flew business class. Typically we'd fly Singapore Airlines as we were based in Singapore, but this was what they got me. The lass next to me was TG staff. They were overstaffed and she got the short straw for not working that leg. They put her in business class and did not upgrade one of many regular gold-card holding customers. When I asked her why she was not in economy and an upgraded customer in her place she simply asked 'Why would we do that?' In her experience, customers never got upgraded.
That is the attitude you get with Thai Airlines. They were there for their benefit alone. Passengers are just along for the ride. Pay up, shut up, and be grateful for the privilege of being allowed on their ageing and poorly maintained aircraft.
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From the original article:
"Firstly, it helps the government keep track of the number of foreign nationals in the country and their whereabouts. This is especially important in managing overstays and ensuring that visitors comply with the terms of their visas.
Secondly, it’s part of the national security policy and by keeping updated records of foreign residents, authorities say they can more effectively monitor and prevent illegal activities.
Additionally, changing immigration policies can be a complex process, involving various stakeholders and considerations. The 90-day reporting has been in place for a long time, and any change would require careful planning and coordination.
The 90-day report is also part of the Immigration’s administrative and legal framework. Any change would require a significant overhaul of these systems, which can be resource-intensive and time-consuming."
Responding to each point above...
1. How does 90-day reporting replace the record-keeping at ports of entry? What qualitative improvement does it bring? This suggests a lack of coordination and perhaps more than one system used to track visitors (which, based on over 30 years of database and system design experience would be a design error of epic proportions). Whether one applies for a replacement visa while here or arrives on the visa that will support the entire stay, there should (must) be a centralised singular record of each visitor and visa-holder. There is no tactical advantage to confirming continued presence via an additional step. Either the visa-holder has left and that departure is captured, or the visa-holder has renewed their right to stay which is captured, or they are out of compliance with their permission to stay. The date when compliance changes to non-compliance should be updated when a renewal is completed.
2. What data is presented in a 90-day report that supports monitoring or crime prevention? Change of address is done separately. Compliance with financial obligations can be achieved in other ways. The tax department has access to inbound deposits into domestic accounts to ensure compliance with the new income tax laws, getting a simple y/n confirmation of an account's compliance with a minimum balance is not rocket science.
3. Being in place for a long time is not a reason to keep doing it. Resistance to change brings failure faster than embracing it. Thousands of old laws have been identified for review and possible removal to streamline administration. This is just one of many that need to be replaced by processes supported by a strong technical infrastructure. Complexity is an argument for rationalisation, not giving up. Those resource-intensive and time-consuming activities are learning opportunities on how to improve (should be a national goal to get better at stuff right?) and employment opportunities for the 65% of IT graduates who don't pursue technology roles due to the historically idiotic approach to IT that government and businesses have applied for years.
Hiding behind a lack of will and weak excuses and old, poorly designed systems is not how a government achieves its own goals of a tech-savvy nation.

Realistically speaking, do you think Trump will last till November?
in Political Soapbox
It is telling that you only respond to one of four topics you defined...
As for job creation, there are no serious economists who share your facile opinion. The sum of the bars under Biden is larger than the loss due to Covid. You also conveniently ignore that some of those job losses under Trump were driven by his appalling handling of the pandemic; inject bleach and bathe in UV light! Remember those classic "I am a clueless moron" moments?
Also, can you elevate your trolling from zero-effort to perhaps that of a 6 year old? Grab some data rather than your unsupported opinions?