simon43

Coincidentally, there is an interesting article about Autism on the BBC website: Here is the link (if it's allowed): https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20250415-the-genetic-mystery-of-why-some-people-develop-autism

[quote] ... This follows increasing pressure after a March 28 earthquake struck Bangkok, ... [/quote] I wasn't aware that an earthquake struck Bangkok. Earth tremors from the earthquake that struck just west of Mandalay (Burma) were felt in Bangkok and other regions in south-east Asia. Bangkok is not on a tectonic plate fault line, and nor is it a 'hotspot' (thin tectonic plate region). Kudos for testing the mobile alert system, but better to use it for tsunami alerts (usually have some time before any large wave hits the coast). Gives the folks in Chiang Mai time to run up the nearest mountain....

I see that one section that you must complete is the date and flight number of your next departure after you have entered Thailand. This has a red asterix >> you MUST complete this information or you can't submit your completed application. So I have a 'retirement' visa and do not need to exit Thailand. I must put a flight number for my next departure from Thailand...... Ho hum, what to enter?

Well, there certainly is 'low-grade DNA' (although that's not a medical term of course). Just look at the result of inbreeding within the Royal families of Europe over the past few hundred years. Intellectually-inadequate (slow-brained). As for the huge levels of inbreeding within Pakistani communities, don't get me started on that one. Thousands of years before doctors even knew about DNA, they knew that it was not a good idea to marry your cousin and have offspring etc. They also knew that the same principle could be applied to other animal and plant species. (This is why Nature created some flowers only to have male or only female parts, so that pollinators were forced to pollinate with pollen from other plants, and not flowers on the same plant). As humans, it seems that we are fine to 'cull' the weak plants and crops, striving through genetic modification to produce healthy and strong crops with 'good DNA', but we don't apply that to the human species. Of course, this is the principle of Eugenics, and discussion of it is tainted by its links to the Nazis. Darwin postulated about the Survival of the Fittest, which is Nature's way of ensuring strong and healthy species. But apparently it doesn't apply for humans because we actively go against that idea. Surely (IMHO) the end-game is decimation of our species. Humans also encourage 'bad DNA' by breeding pets, such as pug dogs, boxer dogs and the like which accentuate bad DNA, with such animals plagued by medical problems solely caused by our desire to breed IN bad DNA, not breed it OUT. I'm looking at all this from a purely scientific viewpoint - there are of course ethical considerations. But none of the above addresses the OP topic - what causes autism? The idea that vaccinations cause autism has been proven (see other posts) to be total <deleted>. Of course, there are some who have adverse (and sometimes very severe) reactions to vaccinations, but the % is miniscule. Whereas the OP rightly points out the growing % of those with autism. I have an open mind about the causes of autism, and it's good to continue this thread discussion Update: Just to put the 'vaccination causes autism' claim to bed, peer-reviewed stats indicate that autism is generally a genetic condition (so 'bad DNA'). The autismspeaks website states: Research tells us that autism tends to run in families, and a meta-analysis of 7 twin studies claim that 60 to 90% of the risk of autism comes from your genome. If you have a child with autism, you are more likely to have another autistic child. Your other family members are also more likely to have a child with ASD. Changes in certain genes or your genome increase the risk that a child will develop autism. If a parent carries one or more of these gene changes, they may get passed to a child (even if the parent does not have autism). For some people, a high risk for ASD can be associated with a genetic disorder, such as Rett syndrome or fragile X syndrome. For the majority of autism, multiple changes in other regions of your DNA increase the risk of autism spectrum disorder. The majority of these DNA changes do not cause autism by themselves but work in conjunction with many other genes and environmental factors to cause autism.

No it couldn't! Most people don't abandon suitcases at airports and most people would have cooperated with the security authorities...

Yep, I go along with this - healthy and strong DNA. Too many people with low-grade DNA are breeding, and so the cycle goes on and on. Just look at our low-intellect royal family in the UK as an example of what happens when those with 'unhealthy' DNA are allowed to breed. I've written this in a non-scientific manner, but I teach genetics at college level, so can 'spice it up' for those not on the spectrum 🙂

I've seen female police officers in Laos do this to stop teens riding away at traffic stops...

As I mentioned in my previous posts, why bother with all the issues (qualifications, commuting, work permit etc) of teaching in a Thai school. Teach online! The need for a work permit is rather a grey area, but I've never heard of any problems concerning this from online teachers in Thailand. I have taught 'online' for the past 7 years and this income is more than adequate for me, and the flexibility of teaching online means that I can (and do) travel up and down the country and south-east Asia at will, teaching from hotel rooms and even my parked car.

Maybe I'm missing the point, but doesn't your Thai bank ATM card have a Visa symbol on it, and can be used with ATMs abroad, in-shop overseas purchases and online? Certainly my Bangkok Bank card works fine in those scenarios.

I thought he was dead....

I have been going to 7/11 at 6am.......

But this wasn't a woman. It was a man....

20 years ago I was dragged to a Songkran street fight by some mad (they usually are) Thai GF. A white guy was a bit of a novelty in that town 20 years ago, and all the local Thais wanted to do was spray me with water and rub white talc into my face. Unfortunately, I had just had very important lasik surgery on both eyes.. I spent the time with my hands over my eyes, trying to keep the talc and water out!

Amazing that we need to have a Supreme Court decision to confirm what 99.999999% of the population already knew.

Moral of this 'story': Don't buy expensive sunglasses to try to impress others - buy a 100 baht pair from 7/11

You need to Google that one 🙂. I taught Science on iTalki and there was a huge demand for me to teach primary grade science in English to students in China.

I had a good friend (deceased now) in Myanmar who taught English to middle school students in Yangon. He was a smart chap but spoke English with a very thick Scottish accent. I once asked some of his students what they learnt in their lesson with him today. They replied 'We have no idea because no one can understand him!'

Right! So go straight to iTalki.com and register as a community teacher of Czech language (and any other language where you are a native/almost native speaker). The fact that you are (I assume) a native speaker of Czech language gives you an advantage over the many thousands of English teachers who 'swamp' that website. Then go and register on other learn-language websites. Typical hourly rates of pay seem to be between $10 - $20 per hour. Over the years, I have earned more than $100,000 USD from teaching online via iTalki 🙂

Pistachio, in a previous thread, I don't think you answered a question from me. What is your nationality (native language)? Is it English or another language? That would affect employment opportunities.

From what I recall (from years ago), a driveway that doesn't have a dropped kerb is not legally a driveway. So anyone can park in front of it. My first house had a small front garden that I never used, so I paid some gypsies to come along and create a tarmacked parking area. They were good enough to remind me to get the local council to drop the kerb, so that no-one could legally park in front of my shiny new driveway, (with the thinnest layer of tarmac possible!!)

Not true! If you have lived mostly abroad and return to the UK, as long as you state that you have returned to the UK to live there permanently, then you will receive NHS treatment free from the word go.

Sadly, there is no 'White Knight" (my emphasis on colour) to save the UK. Personally, I hope for military intervention and jailing (or worse) of political leaders and that idiot king who have destroyed the UK.

Last Songkran I was riding my motorbike down a street in Luang Prabang (Laos), loaded up with shopping. I spotted a fat kid with a large water gun who was waiting alone by the side of the road to hit me full blast. Damn, I didn't want my shopping to get wet. What to do? As I approached him, he levelled his water gun. I showed alarm on my face and looking past him I shouted loudly in Lao "Look out! An elephant!!" (Elephants walking down the road in LP are a common sight). The boy spun around to look behind him for the errant elephant, giving me a vital 2 seconds to safely pass 🙂 This year I'm in Jomtien. I have got some beer/food in and I'll only venture out after dark. I suspect that revellers might be in for a shock if they soak some of the large, unsmiling Russian men with their wives and kids....

When I went back to Myanmar last year, I gave my brother in the UK some brief instructions as to what to do if I got in the way of a stray bullet, (or bus). - Burn me and chuck my ashes in the river - Don't bother searching for $$$ bank accounts, gold jewelry etc 'cos there ain't any I'm currently in Jomtien at my condo (can't get back to Myanmar right now - visas have been suspended). If I died, the first that people would know of it would be the smell, but that might take some time since all the condo building residents seem to be permanently overcome by cannabis smoke....

If you want your face to look younger/more handsome, lie on your back on the floor and take the photo - being in this position minimises the effects of gravity pulling down your face tissue. I tried it and it works - see my photo!