allanos

Not victim blaming, but how unfair is it to put such overwhelming temptation in front of a couple of poor persons earning peanuts? It seems iniquitous to me!

Inflation is a hidden, insidious form of taxation, and governments know this. Higher taxes on wages might lead to discontent, uproar, and have a knock-on effect at the polling booth. Inflation is thus the preferred route, a de-facto devaluation of the dollar, pound, euro, whatever. Because it creeps up on the unwary (read, the average man in the street), inflation's erosion of purchasing power over time is generally un-noticed. However, inflation increases into double-digits of late have happened relatively quickly, and the docile public is starting to sit up and take notice. If inflation is not reined-in soon, expect the muttering and grumbling to take on a more overt form, and, quite possibly in my view, riots and blood in the streets.

Gay. What is wrong with the word homosexual? I accept that words like "queer", or "fag" are abhorrent but it is no reason to turn a perfectly good word into something quite meaningless. And, if truth be told, many homosexuals are anything but "gay" in a literal sense. The word "gay" has been hijacked from the English language. It once meant "happy and joyful", but no longer. I think it's a shame.

The majority of bitcoin holders are invested for the long term, believing in its characteristics and fundamentals. Unrealised losses or gains are notional, being on paper only. You only lose (or gain) once a transaction has been completed. Price gyrations are caused by speculators (gamblers). In the recent drop in prices owing to the FTX debacle, leveraged shorts will have cashed in. Leveraged longs will have lost their shirts. We will see a reversal of this process soon. If you do not understand btc, which seems to be the case with most of the posters on this forum, and if you are not a trader/speculator, then stay away from it, it is not for you! There is no safe haven. Property prices are flat to falling. Stock markets are down. Fiat (USD), subject to high inflation, is losing purchasing power of at least 10% per annum. Gold is at the same price it was ten years ago and has no coupon anyway. Bitcoin blockchain is transparent, decentralised, and confiscation-proof, with minimal inflation built in. In the lead-up to the next halving event, price will start to gain traction once more. The downside is limited and man- ageable, the upside is infinite. Hold on for the ride!

It is difficult, if not impossible, to protect people from their own stupidity. Am I my brother's keeper

Stop me if you've heard this one: Two girls had been dating the same guy and were comparing notes. The first one says, "you know, I discovered he's got 'LUDO' tattoo'd on his cock". The second, more sexy girl says, "don't be silly, it says 'LLANDUDNO'! "

There is definitely a "new" normal, in my opinion, and which has been unfolding since the end of World War II. No one seems to question the tripe they are spoon-fed by the mainstream media, a dumbing-down of whole populations it seems. There has always been an element of it, of course, but "the people" were more prepared to discuss and opine about events on , let's say, an "intellectual" level, based on the limited amount of media which was open and available to them, and even where their education was not on a par with today's. Modern education has a lot to be blamed for, I feel, as educationalists, right down the line to a humble "teaching assistant" (I'm not sure what this truly is), set the tone and curriculum for how scholars will be "brainwashed" - inculcated in a fashion designated by the political elite. Sure, it's not as overt as that say in China, North Korea or Russia, but it is done much more subtly . . . and effectively in that regards. What ever happened to the three R's? Whole swathes of populations do not look behind the headlines, nor do their own research among a spectrum of opinion to arrive at a balanced viewpoint. They simply look for a confirmation bias of their own necessarily limited, or blinkered views; a kind of self-congratulatory "I told you so", to themselves! I think it is also true to say that, in a time when the news and events were only able to be reported in newspapers and other print publications, such reports, and journalism generally, were far more accurate, truthful and less-partisan than they are today. Sadly, those days are long gone, and unlikely to return anytime soon!

Tasteful tatoo! Beauty-enhancing tatoo! Reads like an oxymoron to me, a bit like Military Intelligence! Lol

If anything speaks to the lack of integration of foreigners in Thailand, it is those calling a song taew a baht bus!

I would say to the OP, and I quote - "Don't judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes"! For some people, work is a means to an end. For others, it's an end in itself. Work is only work if there is something else you would rather be doing.

The Scots are (in)famously parsimonious. There is a somewhat apocryphal story of a Jewish shopkeeper who was obliged to leave Aberdeen because he was unable to make a living!

Observations on African culture and tradition viewed from an entirely Western-orientated, Euro-centric perspective and speaks to the "ugly American" tradition of a wish to impose an alien will on the norms and mores of sovereign nation states. That is not to say that those of us from the West wouldn't agree that male-dominated societies in the Islamic world and Africa, for instance, and egregious practices like FGM are "ok", but it is a very long way down the track before many such abhorrent (from a Western viewpoint) practices, will be able to be moderated or eradicated completely.

Tradition is an important pillar of any culture. Strip it out, or ignore it, and the subject culture is weakened by its absence. One might look at the recent funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, steeped in tradition as it was. The British, certainly, were in thrall over the pageantry and spectacle, among other things, passed down and entrenched through countless generations. Some might scoff, but such things are part of the numerous traditions which combine to produce a unique culture of "Britishness", and never to be taken lightly. The fact that countless millions around the world tuned into the event speaks to, at least, a mass curiosity, but, more likely, an admiration, possibly envy by republican nations, of British culture manifested in the burial traditions of the island's monarchs.

A New Zealand researcher, Dr James Flynn, discovered, a number of years ago, that, over the past approximately 5 000 years, IQ's have increased generation on generation, and not the other way around. The finding has become known as the Flynn Effect. Possibly, the proof can be found even at a modern-day tribal level. Not so very long ago, an American Indian would say "How"! Today, he asks "Why"?

There is a great used book store within the Chatuchak market, absolutely bulging at the seams with everything imaginable. I cannot speak to their pricing, however. I would certainly recommend a visit.

The OP is a very poorly-crafted article, in my opinion. With a modicum of effort, and a dash of creativity, it could perhaps have been turned into something half-amusing, and prompted some witty responses!

Shariah Law begs the question, what happens to a thief whose hand is cut off as a punishment, and he later successfully appeals? Is a hand sewn back on by the governing authority? Is it his original hand, perhaps kept on ice pending such an appeal, or a random one, taken from another thief whose earlier appeal has been turned down? Does the thief with the newly-restored limb in future point to such "handiwork" pun meaning heavy suturing in this case, and show his friends and family that his appeal was successful - a badge of honour, so-to-speak? Naturally, the foregoing is all a bit tongue in cheek!

To those who say "money can't buy happiness" I would say, "you just don't know where to shop"!

Whilst it is prudent for the OP to put his affairs in order at the age of 76, prostate cancer diagnosis is not a death sentence. Depending on the forms of advanced treatments and therapies which are available and which he might opt for, it is conceivable he will have a good many years ahead of him in which to enjoy his life with his family.

It's YOUR life . . . so live it YOUR way, and not someone else's!

Do you not see the irony in your response? Boxer is neither a philosopher nor a scientist. She is/ was a professional politician - ranked higher than an attorney perhaps but less-so than a used-car salesman! She was already in her dotage at the time of the hearing. Possibly you should rely less on Wikipedia for your submissions, and advance your own, reasoned response. If you only read a PART of one of the books, you might rethink your die-hard views.

I find it fascinating that, rather than reading the books mentioned, for a degree of balance in the whole question of climate change, as I mentioned, or doing your own research, you attempt to bolster your own position by posting a link to a critique from "Spiked" about the author as though that settles the question without further argument. You must surely realise that this gives you no credibility whatsoever? It is akin to the "climate protesters" and their ilk who mindlessly swallow what they are fed by their governments and the MSM, without further pause, consideration or critical thinking.

Both excellent books which will be ignored by leaderships with their own agendas iro climate change. Should be required reading at high school and above, to get a balanced picture, rather than the hocus pocus brainwashing by governments and the MSM.

I think you have chosen to miss my point altogether. Did you also miss the point that the "climate changers" will stick to the script, no matter what?

In the recent past, extreme weather events have been observed acting on some of the planets in our solar system. Astronomers and astrophysicists have either been perplexed at some of the extremes, or have blamed the sun's activity, especially where heat has made off-the-scale increases. It is obvious that man cannot be blamed for the extremes noticed on other of our neighbours'. Yet, here, man is blamed. To me, (and many others, one supposes), this is totally counter-intuitive. Such anomalies go unremarked-on by those subscribing to earth's global warming or climate change scenarios. Why? Because they have to stick to the script, no matter how ridiculous it may at times be.