allanos

Quote: "Other metrics like CO2 levels are at highs not seen for nearly a million years". We are being told by so-called "climatologists", whatever that truly means, that the present high level of atmospheric CO2 is caused by unsustainable anthropomorphic (man-made) activity. The present scientific paradigm is that homo sapiens have only been around for, at best, 200 000 years. If CO2 levels were as high as today, one million years ago, then what accounts for it? Not "man" clearly, as "man" had yet to evolve. It must have occurred naturally, surely! There are many holes in the "global warming" theories. Man's contribution to it has yet to be set in stone; it is not 100% proven, by any means.

Earth's climate has been changing since it was formed, around 4bn years ago. How much is anthropomorphically-induced is the subject of vigorous debate. Will "net zero" arrest or reverse "climate change"? Seems highly unlikely. Allow a lengthy period to go past the attainment of "net zero" and what will the climate change (once called global warming until it was shown that the reverse is true), theorists and activists attribute it to? Or will they have found a new bandwagon to jump on? (Generally speaking, once one sees the bandwagon is rolling, it is already too late)!

The OP is a "nothing burger", and quite pointless. The answer is that nobody, outside of the Kremlin possibly, knows. A more useful article might have been to put forward the top runners and riders for President, and detail their credentials, and, more especially in view of the subject line, their respective political instincts or leanings in respect of Thailand. Did we learn anything useful from the OP? Nope!

Why sugar-coat it?

You would need to elucidate for a dummy like me. The GDP of many countries has grown beyond the point of where they were at the outbreak of Covid. Where are these deliberately destroyed economies for now and a generation ahead and what is your reasoning? What am I missing?

I have used Melatonin for a great number of years. I have never felt strongly that it helped my sleep. It moderates one's internal body clock and is often prescribed for jet lag. It is a prescription medicine in many countries. I believe the biggest benefit to be for the elderly's mental acuity. As one gets older, so the natural production of HGH (human growth hormone) declines, to just about zero eventually. Melatonin spurs the production of HGH, helping to prompt alertness and sharpness. At 77 years old, I firmly believe my brain and mind remain in top shape.

Today, following a rush of blood to the (big) head, I abandoned a long-standing rule and scrolled through the drivel written by the self-promoting, self-described "journalist" calling himself rooster. Fatuous nonsense would be my best description of the the diatribe du jour. No more!

Countries morph, move on, over time. I visited the USA in the 60's - NYC and Florida. The people were open, friendly, hospitable and kind. Taxi drivers were fun; cops were approachable, easy-going and evidencing a good sense of humour. Perhaps not much has changed in rural America, but the big cities, like Gotham, are tough-going for large swathes of the population these days, and unable to be faced with a stoic smile, unlike in the days of the Great Depression or World War II. So much has changed, much of it for the worse, irreversibly so, in America and the world at large. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be!

A bit of synchronicity here for me today. Earlier, I was dwelling on the opening lines of Rupert Brooke's "The Soldier", when, later, I came upon this "Special Feature", which resonated somewhat. Being British-born, I find the poem below much more evocative and decided to share it in full. Brits will no doubt relate to it; other foreigners will understand the meaning and adapt it to their own circumstances, possibly. The Soldier BY RUPERT BROOKE If I should die, think only this of me: That there’s some corner of a foreign field That is for ever England. There shall be In that rich earth a richer dust concealed; A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware, Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam; A body of England’s, breathing English air, Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home. And think, this heart, all evil shed away, A pulse in the eternal mind, no less Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given; Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day; And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness, In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

To sell or not to sell is not really the question at all. It is next to impossible to time the market, or to guess what exchange rates will be in the future. Better to dollar cost average going in, taking whatever is on offer. The recent 0.75bp increase in the FedFunds rate should have strengthened the DXY, to the detriment of gold (XAU) and Bitcoin. Yet both have gained quite well over the past few days. My point being that neither of these assets performed as one would have conventionally expected. Short-sellers of both will have lost money.

Once the CCP relaxes shut-downs and lockdowns of its 1.3bn people (and counting), due to enforced Covid restrictions, Thailand will have a bottomless well of tourists to keep dipping into. I believe the Thai government has one eye on this enormous potential on the doorstep, which will again be unlocked at some stage, and can be somewhat blasé about the future of tourism for the country as a money-spinner and foreign- exchange earner. Tourists from other countries will simply be the cherry on the top of the sundae.

The WHO, in their wokeness, are very concerned that people the world over will equate the name "monkey-pox" with Africans, and have put forward a proposal that the name or designation be changed. Any decision, however, would seem to be pending at the moment.

I had cataracts removed and monofocal intra-occular lenses implanted, ten years ago. I don't know what my corrected vision is, but it's pretty good. I read, watch tv and drive without any problem whatsoever, and the surgery has been absolutely trouble-free. I am 77 years old. The ophthalmologist cautioned, before I went ahead with the procedure, that there is a failure rate of around 7%. I thought it was a chance worth taking, and have been thankful since, with the results. Prior to the surgery, I had struggled with severe cloudy vision, so my only regret was that I hadn't gone ahead with the cataract removal, earlier.

Early in the day, a blind man walks past a fishmonger's and calls out, "Morning, girls"! . . .

For those on the forum who rushed to research the name "Patel" in order to observe that the name originates in Gujurat, I will point out that I once worked alongside a certain Mr Bhikubai Patel, from India, who told me his name meant peasant or farmer. That's good enough for me! The same respondents, however, in their desire to set me on the correct path, totally missed the point of my post. A person travelling on a false/ fake/ forged passport of any nation - Britain, France, Germany, Thailand, even, cannot be attributed with any certainty as being British, French, German or Thai! If you want to argue with my last paragraph, go ahead.

If Mr Patel (it means farmer or peasant, in Hindi), holds a false passport, then how can he be described as British in the OP? Fake British, maybe . . .

When interviewed, Mr Svetakov said, "no one knows the roubles I have seen" . . .

Quote: "Gold will not go as low as bitcoin, so it's still a good investment". Not really sure what this means. Both of these assets are volatile. Ten years ago, Bitcoin was trading at below six US dollars per coin. Today, it is in excess of $20k, having reached a high of close to $70k a few months ago. Ten years ago, gold was trading at 1585.00 per fine ounce, today at $ 1707.00. It reached a high of $ 2074.00 in August, 2020. However, in ten years it has essentially gone nowhere. Now, one can cite various arguments as to which one of these assets, one physical, the other crypto, is better, and depending probably on what your reasons are for favouring one over the other, given a choice. Arguably, though, what would seem clear is that the days of gold being seen as a long-term store of value are probably numbered, and perhaps more especially because of the era of high inflation which appears to have set in for the western world particularly. Bitcoin, especially when the next halving event comes around, even in inflationary times, is likely to go a lot higher (but don't hold me to this, Lol)!

I see a potential problem looming when submitting a claim to a private insurer. Often a question is asked whether the claimant has other insurance covering the same type of event. If one were to answer, "yes", there is/was mandatory Thai government insurance cover for this accident/illness, I can see a private insurer rejecting the claim by directing the claimant to go and claim, instead, from the government insurance scheme. It could turn out to be a ping-pong fest of to-ing and fro-ing. Of course, one could lie on the private insurer's claim form and answer "no", but it might come back and bite you in the "derriere", one day.

As globalism descends into its nadir, there is less and less incentive for political blocs or individual nations to pull together to achieve common goals. Each is defending its own turf in a new dog-eat-dog world unfolding before our eyes; a case of survival of the fittest. Blinken is trotting out a theme which many don't, or never have, really subscribed to. The new world order does not allow for statesman-like visionaries to hold sway. Many countries, and including the larger power-blocs, are led by inward-looking dwarfs, (not to cast aspersions on the vertically-challenged in society), who cannot see beyond their ego and grip on their own power-base. A common theme is a reluctance of such leaders to relinquish hard-won power (lots of fatuous speaches, hand-shaking and baby-kissing). We must not expect the US leadership to be any different, led, as it is, by a self-serving political hack. The dynamics at play between rules-based order, or international laws-based order, are unlikely to change for the foreseeable future, short of a world war. In the latter scenario, if there is no outright winner, who is going to pick up the pieces in a resultant power-vacuum?

I have traveled with Qatar Airways many times over the years. In February, I bought a return ticket, the second leg of which (the return portion) I have changed twice over the past 6 weeks. Each time, I have paid zero for the upgrade, and, it seems, I am able to make further flight changes, should I wish, at no additional cost, right up until 30th September. I have always found Middle East airlines, including QR, to be of much better quality than say, BA or Virgin, even though travel times are much longer due to stop-overs in the hub country. An added bonus is the hold-baggage allowance of 2 x 23kgs, around twice what most other airlines allow. For the record, I have never once had a gripe with Qatar Airways.

Perhaps because of its vastness, or richness of local variety, the United States has long been seen to be particularly parochial. It has been my opinion that the majority of Americans would not be able to find Africa on a map (unless it was already identified as such). This would also apply to places such as Australia, China, Russia, and many others, in my view, and which the average European scholar, for example, would easily be able to identify.

Enlightened. Woke. These terms have a "modernistic" ring about them. Why try to pin a label on this man? The values he espouses may be his world view, and ones he has held throughout his life!

Are you sure he wasn't German?

The protagonist in the video is entitled to articulate his viewpoint, as are we all, providing we don't live under a censorial or totalitarian regime where free speech is verboten. The fact that HE says he is angry doesn't make him "an angry white man", in my opinion. I don't believe his message to be contentious in the slightest, whilst I do disagree with some of the things he is seemingly in favour of. To me, his basic message is that of "live, and let live". Who can argue with that?