RNguy

I apologize if it would seem that I am hijacking this topic but here goes. My wife is planning a trip from Sakon Nakhon to the Chon Buri area on the 11th with return trip about the 17th. Am I in for a nightmare of traffic? Will I be following the lemming herd we're taking the path less traveled?

Australia missed a perfect opportunity. Just load all the jihadis in one cargo plane and drop them over Syria frm 20,000 feet - no parachutes - direct delivery to the ISIS camps. Then everyone good morn the loss of these promising youths who disappeared of their own accord.

Okay I have a question. I have been drunk maybe 2 times in my life and I remember having difficulty with walkinG, but in both instances I remember asking myself: Am i stupid enough to drive right now? Am I so out of control that I would hurt someone or rape a woman? The answers to those questions were no at the time. So here is my question: Was I simply not drunk enough?

I watched the video that was suggested. It totally ignores the work of Astrobiologists with NASA who determined experimentally that any amino acid found on a space rock would be destroyed by temperatures of only 550 degrees C. In the interests of full disclosure - Glycine was the only amino acid that exhibited the ability to sublimate (if heated to only 150 degrees C) and thus it is possible (remotely) that glycine could have been deposited in the atmosphere by falling rocks. This study does however show that ALL other amino acids are destroyed at temperatures of 550 C while meteors - even small ones - reach temperatures in excess of 1725 degrees C on their trip groundward and of course impact temperatures of some meteors rival the temperatures at ground zero of an atomic blast - sufficient to turn native sands into glass. It seems reasonable to deduce that any amino acids found in meteorites on earth are there by virtue of earthly contamination - not by origin.

I am still waiting for an explanation that stands up to scrutiny. Please do not mistake my intent as an effort to proselytize. I am not interested in converting any of you. I do find it irksome that evolutionists do proselytize and are willing to support their arguments with flawed science. They are also willing to ruin careers and otherwise "crucify" anyone who finds their doctrine wanting. If true organic compounds are found on space rocks, that still does not mean much although some will shout that it is proof positive. It only suggests that the Earth is not the only home of life - a concept I actually endorse.

As far as kicking the can down the road is concerned - I hope you will recognise that it is not me but evolutionists who do so when they propose that life here began via seeding by an alien intelligence, or by an extraterrestrial hail storm of chemicals that themselves are created by living systems.

As predicted, when threatened with facts, the high priests of evolutionism resort to personal attacks.

Anything that can be hit by meteors etc can hold organic life just like earth.

They bring water that is trapped in salt crystals tiny droplets at a time. These combine to form bodies of water that absorb into certain strata I believe which contain amino acids. the building blocks of life.

It is absurd and quite arrogant for some people to disbelieve that there is other life out there.

The universe and even our solar system is absolutely teaming with life.

Amino acids are not found in strata of rock unless they were put there by plants. Amino acids ARE the building blocks of life. They are also the exclusive product of life and do not exist without a living source to provide them. The Organic compounds they have found on the comet are not as complex as amino acids. The definition of Organic in chemistry is still ambiguous. By one definition Methane (CH4) is organic since it contains carbon. Methane is found in the atmosphere of Jupiter - no big deal. Other definitions require that an organic compound contain linked carbon atoms to form a carbon chain such as is found in sugars or fossil fuels. So far the only source of carbon chains is the by-product of living systems. Scientists with the comet project are hoping to find complex carbon molecules so that they can fill the huge, enormous, gigantic, gaping-hole-question in the whole evolution theory: where did the organic compounds come from that led to spontaneous generation of life? It is kind of a chicken and egg question. If life requires organic compounds but organic compounds require previously existing life - that means that the first living thing had to be made by intelligent design OR it was an accident that resulted from ingredients that fell from the sky eons ago. The evolutionists are "praying" they find complex carbon chains in space because not finding them would absolutely devastate their theory. When you push the top evolutionists right to the wall about the beginning of the whole evolutionary story - they are forced to guess that the ingredients fell from the sky or else were placed here by amazingly advanced beings (and how is that so different from the advanced being that some call God?). Of course if these compounds for life came from comets and asteroids then we have to ask: so how did they get on the comet or asteroid? So the "solution" to the evolutionary quandary is really just a path to a much bigger conundrum. I have met some truly awe inspiring minds in science. People who make my paltry 145 IQ look retarded. They have all come to the conclusion that life does exist beyond the human sphere - and at least one of those beings is the one who created life on Earth. Call that being what ever you will, but if he has a preference as to what we call him - it would probably be a good idea for us to find that out. My Tee Rak and I have different ideas in that regard but I love her and respect her enough to join her in pushing Krathong into the water and walking around the Wat three times, and she joins me at church and we love to compare notes afterwards. We play together nicely. Evolutionists are like secular "Muslims" however. They do not play well with others and often hope to see those who do not agree with them in a headless state. Some of the vilest diatribes I have heard come from evolutionists who bully those who dare to question them about the roots of their doctrine. I wonder if my comments will generate any today?

How about a reward for a recent cigarette butt from this kid and from the Myanmar men too? Those could be sent to Scotland Yard

Tell her to pay for it out of her pocket money.

My Tee Rak thought to clean the TV with the same vinegar she uses on windows. The result is a rippled surface that resembles transparent alligator hide. Sony Bravia LCD (or LED - not sure). So I am wondering if the exposed surface may be a clear plastic that could be discarded to reveal a pristine screen underneath or if the surface is the screen itself. Is the TV history? She will be joining me next year in the USA so we were only going to give this away or sell it eventually but while I am in Sakon Nakhon I have been fixing all her broken appliances - I have not taken many newer style TVs apart though.

A USA extension or power cord should be great in Thailand. Twice the voltage means half the amps to equal the same watts used by the device. Amps are what heat up wires so with half the amps your USA cord will be cool and happy. Higher voltage means a greater arcing hazard but that should not be a consideration in an extension cord. The insulation in a USA cord will handle the extra voltage no sweat. Remember E=IR and P=IE (see ohms law and power formula)

MCCW, I understand and can relate to most of what you said but how is it that capitalism has anything to do with taxes? Freedom (in the United States at least) began as a rebellion against taxes. It has always puzzled me that capitalism has become a curse word in many European countries. Although it probably shouldn't puzzle me since socialism has been so embraced there. The definition of capitalism I'm familiar with has to do with earning money and getting paid what the market will bear and keeping what you've earned. If anything taxes are used most often as a socialist tool for redistributing wealth, and used in that way they certainly have nothing to do with true capitalism. .

Socialism - even if you dress it up with platitudes and faulty moralism and rename it "Fairness" is always a sh**y idea. It always amazes me that people actually think that the only reason socialism and redistribution have failed in the past is because it was not attempted with sufficient diligence. Oh yeah Mao and Stalin were just lazy in the implementation department - So lets try it again and again and again until we either get it right or we <deleted>*k up the whole planet. I am a Registered Nurse (my last name is not Gates and my first name does not rhyme with "thrill") so I am by no means rich. But I know that those with money are the ones who contribute far more to society monetarily than those whose incomes are closer to mine. Have you ever added up all the fees, taxes, tariffs other costs of producing any form of wealth? In reality business owners are contributing more in the process of creating wealth than they actually accumulate themselves. So lets just grind the most productive and contributing class into the dust. That should help everyone right?

My wife is a Thai high school teacher. She tells me about the crap that goes on in her school and what happens to her (now our) 11 year old son in the neighboring elementary school. It is all so ridiculous I would not know where to begin. She and he came for a visit to the States for her 2 month spring vacation and while here I had our boy go to my local school. From day one he was in love with his new school! I admit he is probably a better than average student as he has a mom with a more Japanese attitude toward education than Thai. Listening to the stories I could not imagine sending a kid to a Thai government school. You can do more in 2 hours or less each day than all the teachers will do for him in a Thai school. Get your kid involved in Khan Academy Online or something like it. Your kids will end up true leaders - perfect English speakers - and more prepared for life or Uni than any of the kids churned out of the public school system. Can't wait for her to finish this year so she can get her 25 year pension and then she and our son will be USA bound.

Oh and by the way Waan Jai has never had a UTI. Never heard of a woman in the US who has not had at least one episode.

I learned to like the bum gun so well I brought 3 back to the US for my bathrooms. I was doing remodeling anyway so I made a second half inch connection by each toilet. The Thai threads work fine on US half inch pipe. Saving a lot on toilet paper now. If I time it right I can skip the paper and step right into the shower. My laundry is cleaner and I hate to use the toilet any place but my house now. I recall my lovely Thai-school-teacher-wife's wrinkled nose when she first saw my daughter's underwear (teenage girl refuses to adapt). Daughter has to do her own laundry now as Waan Jai refuses to touch the "dirty girl's" clothes. (Wasted hours cleaning underwear by hand only to have all her hard work crapped on again next week).

I heard a Doctor once ask "If you fell down and your hand landed in dog sh*t would you wipe your hands off with a paper towel and call it good? Heck no! You would use water at the very least and probably soap as well! So why is your ass different?" I had to agree with his logic.

So why not apply for a new passport? I have never done it from abroad so I guess it would be harder. It will cost a bit - but it wipes out all record of any past travels. This may not be the answer for OP but for some it may help - at least once.

Many here seem to think the punishment was too severe. So if a serial conman who bilks hundreds of people out of their life savings is given 20 years for stealing a candy bar will you also cry for him? She got caught with only 250 mg. How many kilos have gone up her nose? She has been supporting the same scum that decapitate decent people who object too loudly that their communities are run by drug lords. The same people who kidnap kids and force them into prostitution. Thailand (and most other societies) is being torn apart by drugs. Millions of wasted lives. Millions of addicted babies. Is it any wonder the Authorities are glad to make a high profile example of her? I think most of you pity her because she is hot. She and all those HiSo's who make drugs seem glamorous should get much much worse than a few years in prison. If Darwin was right the human race is likely doomed already. Drugs, Dealers, and Addicts are the reason why.

My tee rak has a glass sliding door for her front door and the screen for that has wheels on the bottom that have gone bad. I spent hours trying to find new wheels that I know I have seen in various sizes at Home Depot. Tried to get some at Home Pro and a few other places and was ultimately told that not only would I have to order a whole new screen but a whole new sliding door! It took lots of extra time to find the only employee who spoke enough English to get my point across - I will definitely be learning Thai if I go back to retire in LOS. In the mean time I look forward to helping waan jai learn the ropes in the USA as she will be coming here soon.

As far as electrical breakers go - 220 breakers will work fine in LOS. The frequency (50 Hz as opposed to 60 Hz) will not be an issue. Remember amps x Volts = Watts. so if you add up the watts of your loads and divide by the local voltage that will tell you how many amps to plan for (you should have a breaker rated 10% higher than your plan) and remember to use appropriate size wire. Your only issue will be to make sure the breakers you buy in USA will fit the box you have in LOS.

Dishes? This must be one of those inscrutable expressions from British English like "take the piss" (which I still have yet to understand). Two nations forever and irretrievably divided by a common language.

My wife is a teacher too. She has made it clear that she needs to be careful what she says and who she says it to. She has told me that certain voiced opinions could cause her to lose her job or just disappear. She has told me that both yellow and red shirts are "bad people". So I guess that means she does not have a side. She hates the corruption and what it does to her country. When she finishes this last school year she will have her 25 years in for her pension and join me in Farang Land. So maybe your gal does not have a side because she knows neither one will make Thailand what it ought to be.

The Romans dealt with the people of Carthage for generations before finally coming up with a solution to their constant insurgency. A Carthaginian peace is likely the only peace that is possible with any group with Islamic tendencies.

Thanks I was afraid that might be the case. And thanks for the offer of help if you were closer. I would do the same. I just finished talking with her. She gets breaks at school now and then. I suggested a smart student from her high school could take a look and make a few baht on the side. She said she might try that. I also suggested she look for a different shop if that fails.

The only thing more frustrating than trying to find parts to repair something in a country that is not your own is trying to do so from 14 time zones away. So my darling school-teaching Mia tells me her washing machine has stopped working. That is the washer side has stopped as the drum does not turn. The drying side works fine. Her LG WP 1050 RST is 11 years old but it would be great if it would last just one more year until she can take early retirement and join me in Farang Land. I asked her to call a repair shop but maybe I don't understand how things work in Sakon Nakhon. The shop she called said they can fix it - just bring it to the shop. (Wouldn't there be more than one repair shop in such a large city?) That will work real well for a 50 kg thai gal with a washing machine stuck on her second floor porch and a Toyota Vios for hauling. She has no family close by to help (closest is Roi-Et) so I was hoping I could see a schematic online to isolate the problem and if it is simple enough I could walk her through the process of replacing the broken belt or sensor or what ever the problem is.

So I looked for the manual on the LG site - found what should have been a manual and could not get it to download as anything but a gray screen. So if anyone has any experience of value or any other suggestions I would be appreciative. Or if you just know a good handy man in Sakon Nakhon that would work too.