Stubby

But you're not suggesting a minority voice can't possibly be correct and should therefore be ignored, right? Do you even know how afraid most medical experts are of saying what they really think about something? My guess is that there's a silent majority behind these brave individuals who dare to speak out.

A British doctor was talking about the same thing on TV just the other day. But he went further. He said that vaccinating people who have recovered from COVID19 made them more vulnerable to a second infection. In other words, it would weaken, not strengthen, their natural defense. It doesn't help things with so many conflicting opinions 18 months into the pandemic, or should that read endemic now? I rest my case.

Not really, just pointing out that there are other experts who have different views, and maybe they should be heard, too.

Have Faith in What... Listen to Who? It's hard to know what to think with so much conflicting information still doing the rounds globally. And when the big wigs of the medical profession silent other experts who dare to disagree... well, it doesn't exactly install confidence in the public at large. Counterarguments are quickly buried, but they're still out there for anyone interested in the mature debate. Danish Physician and Medical Researcher, Peter C. Gøtzsche, says... "No-one should take a new drug that’s been on the market for less than seven years, in light of the fact that it often takes that long for dangers to become known, and dangerous drugs to be pulled off the market." But on a cheerier note... Swedish doctor, Sebastian Rushworth M.D. has this to say. "The idea that herd immunity can only be reached with vaccines is perhaps the most laughable idea to be heavily promulgated during the pandemic, at least to everyone with even a little knowledge of immunology and history. Eighteen months in to the pandemic, most countries are at or on the cusp of herd immunity, regardless of how effective they have been at vaccinating their populations. There is no need to force the remaining 15-30% of the population to take a vaccine they don't want. The end of the pandemic is in sight." Stubby

Nothing wrong with fried food, but the second part of your sentence is spot on. I eat fried and fatty foods most days, and you've seen more fat on a cold chip than my waistline. Indeed, the only times I've been chubby and sluggish is when I ate too many plant-based foods, aka fruits and veggies. Heck, look how fat the world has gotten on calorie-counting, low and no-fat meal plans. It clearly hasn't worked. Thanks for nothing, Scamsel keys! So, the the proof of the pudding, Dear Reader, is definitely in the eating, right. Alas, folks continue to fear fat, frying, and oily dishes. Stubby

Nice one, Johnno2. Andy chance of a pic or two? Stubby

Good points, but you'll find the filthiest thing on most restaurant tables are smartphones, not the tableware. Scientists at the University of Arizona saw that touchscreens are 10x dirtier than most toilet seats. It's something we should all think about the next time a phone passes hands to look at a snapshot of someone's prawn freaking cocktail. Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness—My A*se! People have become too clean nowadays, and that can't be good for the immune system. When I was a kid, we'd roll around outdoors in all kinds of muck and turn up for dinner absolutely caked in filth. When I Were a Lad Eeeee, when I were a lad, we'd eat fish and chips out of old newspapers and share a gobstopper among mates. We weren't constantly wiped down with antiseptic towelettes by overprotective mothers. Instead, she'd spit a hanky and scrub the mark off your grubby face. What's the Real Story? OK, the food at this restaurant might be to blame, but there are always two sides to every story, right. And most people—especially grumpy middle-aged men—tend to believe what they want to be true. And when that happens, nothing will sway them, even if new evidence points to the contrary. Stubby

I went there this evening. Small shop, but absolutely chock full of all those much-loved foods and snacks that are otherwise hard to find. I'm on the brink of org*sm as I sit here with HP Brown Sauce in hand, waiting patiently for my pork pie to thaw. There are more goodies on the way, apparently.

You have high blood pressure. Readings of 140+ over 90+ means you have hypertension and are at high risk, but I guess you already know that. If it's persistently high, you should try to get it down quickly. Pre Conditions, Not Pre-existing There are plenty of medical scams linked to these so-called preconditions, though. For example, your blood pressure is NOT high if you have a reading of 121-139/81-89. But they call this number range PRE-hypertension, and they like to dish out pills for it, usually for life… just in case. And the numbers keep changing as research evolves. Soon, they will decide that the textbook perfect BP (120/80) is also high and flog billions of more pills. There are now pills for all non-life-threatening preconditions, and they never used to exist. Big Pharma creates them to sell more medicines to more people until they die. But... Is Your Medication Killing You? Tens of thousands of people continue to die through the overprescription of drugs in the UK. There are more than one billion prescriptions dished out every year, often with severe consequences. It's true, and certain medications actually cause heart failure, but umm…. Shhhh! Thailand seems to have a pill for everything, too, maybe even more than the UK. And god only knows what it's like in the US. People often thank medicine for saving them. But how many ever link premature death to an overprescribed cocktail of unnecessary drugs? Thais and Heart Disease Thais are suffering from Cardiovascular disease (CVD) from the same causes as everyone else in the world. It's mainly down to poor diet. You know, treating the body as a dumping ground for rubber sausages and other such <deleted> that people can't get enough of. Stubby

Duplicate post.

There might be some truth in that, you know—diners who pratt about taking photos with smartphones of every freaking dish and posting it to social media. There was a time when folks went out to eat the food as it arrived and enjoy real-world company. The look-at-me... or in this case, my food... culture are a pain in the backside. Stubby.

What's that got to do with the price of fish?

One has to wonder if the Bangkok Bank is in serious trouble. Some of the branches are filthy, with worn out furniture and broken Foreign Exchange boards, etc. And as for the ATMs, they're old and disgusting. They must be the worst out there. It's almost as if they've given up. There are no second chances to make a first impression, but sadly, good impressions and reputation don't seem to be high on the bank's priority list.

Crikey! I didn't think there was anyone left who still bought into the artery-clogging saturated fat hypothesis. It's inflammation—and the refined/processed foods that cause it—that are the biggest threat to arteries. Or maybe I'm wrong and have been reading fake science. It happens ????

It's not true, or maybe it is, but only in your corner of the Kingdom. Thais are exercising everywhere you look, and at all ages. The parks are chock full of early morning and late afternoon joggers. And almost every village has its aerobics classes going on of an evening.

I always thought that highly refined oils were bad for you due to oxidation that can lead to inflammation inside the body. Doesn't rice bran oil fall into that category? Must have missed the update on that one. One would think that natural, stable fats like lard, tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, butter, gee, etc., should be more protective for the ol' ticker.

Thank you, Thailand. You must have been here a while to secure a handle like that ;)

Thanks, MrJ2U. It's a fair way from where I am, so I'll check out the local shop that PGrahmm suggests first. Appreciate your response, though ????

Thanks, it's an option, Bill. But like MrJ2U says, it's useful to have a printer at home, as I've just realized ????

Thanks, GregTN. The thing is, I rarely have any use for a printer, which is why I have this problem. But they can be useful at times. So, I'll make sure I print a test page or two once a week if I get this one sorted... if I remember ????

I know where that is, Sammieuk1. I'm hoping the head can be cleaned. It's had minimal use, so it won't be worn out. 1,900 THB seems expensive, but I guess it depends on the make and model. I think my printer only cost 4000 THB, give or take 500B.

Thank you, PGrahmm, I'll check them out ????

Haha, lol ???? I did exactly the same thing when I first brought the printer. The problem was, I'd close the reminder and tell myself I'll print out a page or two when I get a moment... then I'd forget until the next alarm. And so it continued. It's probably an age thing. Heck, I went out a while back and had to come home because I forgot where I was going ????

Thanks, Lopburi3. It's a small challenge, and I'll get it sorted somehow. I just prefer not to go galavanting around downtown at the moment, unless it's necessary ???? I'll miss this one but will make sure I'm better organized for the next opening, which seem to be quite regular now. Stubby

I was reading the local forum, Lopburi3, where is says: Print out your Wall of Chiang Mai registration details and bring this document with you. And... All guidelines at the vaccinations will be strictly enforced, and customers eligible for vaccination must comply with the above criteria. Individuals who do not comply will be turned away and asked to wait for a later date. They're simple requests, but I'd hate to be turned away just because I didn't have a printout of the above. Stubby