simon43

Can I just mention that in a previous career I was indeed a rocket scientist, but my efforts to establish a porn-star career with my colleague Candi has come to nought...

Mods, please move this post if you think it's in the wrong sub-forum! Yonks ago, one of the first qualifications that I obtained was a certificate in 'Sound Studio Recording Techniques' from North London Polytechnic. Well, although I'm a scientist and often teach about sound energy etc, I'd like some advice as to how I can obtain good voice audio that I will use for my little educational charity work in Myanmar, which provides video and audio content to local school-teachers and their students, so that they are better-equipped when they teach/learn English. I use Filmora for editing my content files, and the video part is not as important as the audio part. The audio content consists of myself reading various English words and sentences that match with the video. So it's very important that my pronunciation is clear (no Scouse accents please!), and also that the actual audio recording is clear. Previously, I simply used to record the voice files using my mobile phone, then import the file into Filmora and then edit/trim it etc. In a few weeks, I will move into a small condo at Jomtien Beach, which I propose to use as my 'base' between my regular trips into Myanmar - I visit various orphanages/schools etc and assist local teachers to access my free content. I regulary record new files that are then uploaded to my webserver and can then be downloaded either directly from the 'web', or (more user-friendly), using my free android App So I thought it a good idea to create a small audio recording 'corner' in my condo which will provide a good environment for decent audio voice recording. I'd very much appreciate your advice about what I would need to do to create this space. I'm thinking about: - Build a little 'box' with sound-absorbing tiles to minimise echo. Good idea or not? - Use the correct microphone for the purpose. What kind of microphone etc? (Bear in mind that my work is totally non-profit and self-financed, so no $1,000 microphones!) - Microphone shields etc?? - Recording hardware/software. Should I just connect my microphone to Windows Voice Recorder or Zoom record function? Or perhaps use a simple audio mixer to adjust the input levels, equaliser etc The aim is to create a voice file that is as clear as possible, so that the local Burmese teachers and their students can clearly hear the word/phrase being pronounced. Thanks for advice 🙂

^^^ Frozen state pension, winter fuel allowance cut, triple lock under threat, means-testing pension, where will it end? I'm getting a little concerned about my UK state pension, which I'll start to receive in about 5 months from now. For various reasons (which don't include p*ssing my income up the wall), I will need to rely on my UK state pension as my main income source after I retire. I still have a decent income from inline teaching, but I don't expect to be teaching in this manner into my 70s etc, and I would be foolish to assume that I would be teaching. We all know that the UK state pension is 'frozen' for those pensioners living in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia etc, and this will never change, regardless of how many people moan about it. The winter fuel allowance is being cut, but this doesn't affect overseas pensioners. Now I hear about 'threats' to the triple lock. Again, that doesn't affect UK pensioners in the Thailand, thanks to the frozen pension state. But means-testing pensions is a possible threat to pensioners' income in future years! (It won't affect me, because I don't have a pot to p*ss in!). However, where will this all end? I fear that this UK government may try to save more money by restricting state pension payments for expats, regardless of which country they are living in. Perhaps they will only pay out for pensioners who are living in the UK? (Of course, not paying expats will force many of them to return to the UK, thus costing the government more money in claimable allowances/benefits etc, but I don't think any government has enough brain cells to think this all through...) What are your thoughts about this? And is there anything that you can do to mitigate these possible scenarios? Plan your retirement to minimise unnecessary expenses, or even plan a return to the UK? Difficult decisions....

Speaking with some of my Chinese (online) students, the news is all over China that Thailand is a very dangerous place to visit..... I countered this by pointing out that Thailand is as safe as houses when compared to Myanmar...

What are 'laptop deniers'??

[quote] so i guess this thread dies ;-( [/quote] Why? I have already planned my return trip to Myanmar. I am resting my eye for the moment by the sea at Jomtien Beach and using this time to improve my spoken/reading Burmese by taking face-to-face lessons from a native Burmese teacher. It also gives me time to update my Android app content files (the updated version of this app is almost ready for relaunch on the Playstore). @Rhodie, I went to Rutin Hospital in Bangkok, zapped by some laser gun to re-attach the retina. That eye does not have perfect vision anyway, so any sight remaining in it is a bonus for me. I don't know the final cost - my insurer handled all that directly.

As RSD1 commented, this is not a thread about Twitter/X, so I'll simply say that I have never had a Twitter/X account 🙂

Thanks! I will advertise this information to all the Thais who have expressed complete ignorance of these terms....

This comment from him: " At the end of 2022, I abandoned Twitter/X altogether, having recognized the poisonous effect that it had on my life" demonstrates to me what a mentally-weak individual this person is! If you can't take it, go and join a monastery instead, 'cos the real world is a hard and unforgiving place. Twitter/C poisoning your life? Jeez....... BTW, Elon is a top bloke!! I love his space work and I love his comments and how he can trigger so many people (same goes for Trump). Go Elon, go Trump go!! 🙂

Shark attack?! At Pattaya Beach?!! What have you been smoking? Mind you - I did spot 2 crocodiles at Pattaya Beach yesterday ...

Thanks, but that doesn't seem to work with all the Thais that I asked today and whom I showed a photo of a 'Red Indian' Perhaps I'm not associating with the right kind of Thai 🙂 [quote] India Daeng works. I guarantee it. I have heard it used by Thais many times. [/quote] I'm happy to hear that. But I'm intrigued as to what sort of conversations they were having that involved discussing Red Indians 🙂 "Hey Somchai, don't go into town today. It's full of Red Indians" "Yea I know, these Red Indians are getting everywhere. I wish they would go back to India.. er .. the prairies of North America" Perhaps they were talking about sunburnt Indians from Bombay?

Do not expect Google Translate to know everything! Of course Google Translate literally translates 'Red Indian' as 'India Daeng'. That's a literal translation. But I just asked several Thai people (in Thai language) if they understood what 'khon India Daeng' means and what people that refers to. Of course they understood the literal words, but none of them identified that phrase as referring to Native Americans. So I asked them what they would call the indigenous people of North America, and they said 'the indigenous people of north America! When I go out later, I'll ask more Thai people if they understand what people 'khon India Daeng' refers to, and I'm sure that I'll have the same reply..... As an update, I showed some images from Google of 'Red Indians' to Thai people. They all said 'Oh, those people!' "What are they called in Thai?" I asked. They all replied, "they come from north America, but there is no special name in Thai..."

Just because one uses visual images or mimes to try to get the message cross about a person's nationality doesn't make you a racist. That's pathetic woke-speak. Someone doing a 'slitty-eyes' impression might be condemned or cancelled by the woke brigade, but it sure gets understood by those who haven't been infected by woke ideology. I wonder if Thais (and other nationalities) have mimes or actions that they use to describe those from the USA or the UK etc? Be interesting to know 🙂 JT - Be careful of your pow-wow actions. Some will accuse you of cultural appropriation.....

[quote] ... India Daeng [/quote] I really don't think that would work. Just because some call Native Americans 'Red Indians' doesn't mean that you can translate those words literally into Thai and expect to be understood. I have spoken with Thais about Native Americans (I can't recall how on earth this conversation arose!). But I used a long-winded explanation in Thai ('the people who lived in north America before people from Europe arrived'), and that worked OK! Actually, I think JT's miming of pow wow might be better understood than 'India Daeng'

Faucet? Faucet?? Oh, you mean a tap!

Phew! That woman dodged a bullet......

One action that I did take a few days ago was to order some P.Harmala seeds, a plant that grows in south-east Iran. According to this scientific study: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4353063/ P. Harmala seeds were found to be quite effective against ESBL E.Coli, with a daily dosage of 1 gram of seeds.

No problem - the shaking adds to the realism (as that car bounced over the mountain road!)

As to the cause of my prostatitis,a couple of years ago I had a prostate cancer biopsy (following an MRI at Bumrungrad that found 2 suspicious 'lumps in my prostate). That biopsy found no cancer cells, but did find 2 benign prostate stones. No idea if that can lead to prostatitis. Also, I have BPH, which could mean that my bladder isn't emptying completely. That BPH hasn't worsened over the last 15 years, and I do limit my BPH medicine nowadays because I don't need it so much - I'm able to (slowly) pee. I fast-walk between 5-10km every day, eat healthy food, don't drink alcohol or smoke - so generally reasonably fit (70kg, 174cm) for my age. I'll see how this Monurol goes, but if no luck then I'll contact the recommended doctor in Pattaya 🙂

Why? That photo has been cropped and enlarged - the original photo looks fine. Both my mobile phones have OIS....

Yes, I've watched that video, and many others from Vloggers. Almost without exception they are exaggerating the dangers (of walking down a street in Yangon). I understand that they do this to get more subs and clicks of course.

Why is legal aid given to foreigners and illegal immigrants? Just asking.....

[quote] ... The Refugee Convention does not require refugees to apply for asylum in the first safe country they enter. ... [/quote] Correct, but the vast majority of those coming to the UK are not refugees, fleeing from a war-torn country. They are economic migrants, and therefore the Refugee Convention does not apply. Since the fall of Assad, have all the so-called refugees from Syria left the UK and returned to help to rebuild their own country? I bet not!!

I spent my Christmas without family. My UK ex-wife and my 3 kids disowned me 20+ years ago when my lung illness forced me to move to warmer climes. But I didn't spend Christmas alone. I was in Shan State (Myanmar), donating gifts to orphans. GG, if you want to burst into tears again, look at this short video that I made at one of the orphanages on Xmas Day. The boy's song is so apt for that war-torn country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhbRhVJm8_k

Based on my own experience (professional chap, 'gentleman', speak/read Thai to a high level, regular income but not rich etc) - I'd say that you are better off with a sex doll. I was.....