sqwakvfr

Then why are they still conducting bombing operations? Their allies are China and Russia and any other countiy that does not criticize them. This is fact and not "diatribe". Why would I do myself a favor based upon what you said? Even in this tme of desperate need the government of Myanmmar says one thing in public but will do the opposite. Do you really think a US Air Force C-17 will be landing in Napiyadaw anytime soon? The US Military has a history and tradition of going anywhere in the world that needs emergency aid as long as the host country lets them in. The US Military has significant assets in Japan and S. Korea and can mobilize quickly because this is part of their global response mission. However they will not enter Burmese airspace unless they are assured of safe entry and exit. This is just common sense. This type of assurances might take time to negotiate. China and Russia do not have to be concerned about these things.

Does anyone think the Myanmmar government wants US rescue workers flooding int?

These alert systems fail more often then succeed. It's not just Thailand. Recently in LA during the height of the wildfires two false evacuation alerts were sent. It's not the system but the people who run the system that determines the accuracy and timeliness of the alerts.

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99. Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge. Good to hear prices are back to normal.

I was back in LA in Feb and a dozen eggs at Wal Mart was $9.99. Went out for breakfast and one of the local diners had an egg surcharge. Good to hear prices are back to normal.

True but I have seen many old foreigners in wheelchairs and some using walkers. I hope many do not live in high rise condos.

It would be over quick.

How many of us on this forum live on the 20th or even on the 30th floor of a high rise in Thailand? I do not and never have. I have lived on the 4th and now on the 3rd floor of an old apartment building in CNX. From the begining I have had and continue to have doubts about evacuating from a high rise or being rescued from such heights from the local fire department. Can anyone imagine walking down 20 or 30 flights of stairs in the event of disaster or electrical power outage? This lastest EQ should give all of us time to ponder these questions. Everytime I go to BKK my choices of hotels means I have to stay on a high floor(usually 20 or higher) and I have just a little bit of doubt but I carry on. On my next trip to BKK I might look for an alternative type of stay. Does the term "seismic retrofit" apply in Thaialnd?

EQ rescue operation even for LAFD USAR(Urban Search and Rescue) is slow, difficult and saves very few people. The building in BKK that collpased looks like it was under construction (I saw a crane on the roof) and hopefully number of deceaseda and injured is low.

A sincere attempt to save SS would require a combination of raising FICA contribution rates, raising the retirement ages from 62 to 64 and 67 to 69, reduced benefits for new applicants and placing SSDI in a different type of fund. But none of his is happening under the Tesla Guy or DOGE.

I had just walkd out of the US Consulate and I thought "why is the ground rolling"? Then I went back to my memories of life back in Earthquake Land (Los Angeles) and realized this was a rolling earthquake. The rolling motion lasted under 30 seconds. I thought this was a moderate quake (initial estimate was 4.9 in Thailand). I read it was a magnitude 7.4 in Myanmar. 7.4 is huge and the most powerful quake I lived and worked hrough was a 6.7 in 1994. All of us in LOS should expect aftershocks later today or possibly tomorrow. Lastly we should all have an escape/evacuation plan just in case. I have always maintained a "bug out bag". All US embassies and consulates are supposed to have a NEO (Noncombatan Evacuation Operations Plan) but I'm not sure if CNX consulate or BKK embassy has these plans or not? Stay safe, take the stairs and be on the lookout for possible falling glass.

I think actually getting rid of the SSA would take more than one POTUS term. More likely the actual purpose could be to have fewer people receiving benefits or reduced benefits across all lines of SSA (SS retirment, SSDI and SS survirvors). Somethiing like this can be done in under 4 years. I believe most pension plans in the US and possibly in the world fear people living longer and more people collecting benefits for more years than they had planned for. Even my CA state pension agency did a lame attempt at "are you still living" letter initiative for those who are over 100 and living overseas. It was a lame attempt because they sent my letter which required a notairzed response to an old address in Southern California even though they had my address in Chiang Mai. It took three loud and angry phone calls to Sacramento CA to undo their lame attempt to cut me off. Dealing wtih SSA over the phone of course will be more challgenging and getting more challenging as each day passes. I expect things get even more turbulent.

SS benefits can be deoposited into foreign bank accounts. Could this be the next move for the Tesla Guy and DOGE? This could force many overseas Americans to make a big change? My CA state retirement pay can only be deposited into a US bank account. I know some CA retirees who liive overseas and they actually have a check mailed to them from Sacramento, CA. Sometimes the check can "be in the mail for a long time".

When one is granted a security clearance all this is covered.

From what I saw it looks like Hegseth actually stated the start time of an airstrike on the chat. From the start I have stated Hegseth should not be SecDef because he has not displayed the maturity the job requires. Technically he is a Major in the IRR (Individual Ready Reserve) AKA inactive reserve but who cares this does not mean "jack". This is how battle plans or all classified information are disussed: 1 In a SCIF (Sensitive Comparmented Information Facility) and with those people who are cleared and have a need to know. Certainly not on a commercially available and unsecure messaging app 2. Through secure email on the DOD SIPRNet system and again with those who are cleared and have a need to know. Also, who were the 19 members of the Houthi Group on Signal? Hegseth is suppose to know this. Even if the Atlantic journalist was inadvertently added to the chat the violation of NISPOM has occurred because the Signal app is not approved for secure US Government communications. Even the Agriculture Department would not be cleard to use Signal to discuss government business. Someone has to go. Let's see if Trump has the sense to fire someone? I doubt it. At least Hegseth can go back to Fox&Friends and take part in hot dog eating contests on the weekends.

Why is this an issue? In CA things are really goofy. I went to vote in 2008 and showed my drivers license and poll worker she said in a huff "put that away and we don't need that". All I had to do was to say my name and my address. Of course anyone could have said the same and could have voted in my place. Also, for jury selection notices in Los Angeles County California DMV drivers license data information is used. One has to be an American citizen to serve on a jury but one does not have to be citizen to have a CA drivers license. Trump has generated a lot of nonsense in the first few months but on this I agree with him.

I would think so. The Fraud Investigation Unit Lead I spoke to said they were a low priority even back then (late 1990's). He said at best his team could only take on 4 to 5 cases per year. This could mean many other cases of fraud were untouched. Strengthening and expanding fraud investigative units might have been a bette way to go?

1) I said Partner and not "buddy" 2) I was in uniform and in a marked police vehicle and it was daytime. 3) Not well trained? This is based upon your training and experience? 4) Drawing a weapons is not "guns blazing". 5) The on duty watch commander is generally the person would be notifeid of any allied LE operations in the jurisdiction. This is SOP.

So you have law enforcement experience in the US? Back then I was the police. So in your view I am the "stupid" guy for approachiing a suspicious vehcile with my weapon drawn. Of couurse this is based upon on your experience as a police officer in a major US city for years? Any other pearls of wisdom on law enforcement tactics would you like to express at this time? SOP for fellow Law Enforcement agencies to notify the agency in the city that they are conducting any activity with a point of a contact. The exact nature of the operation does not have to disclosed. Lastly I cannot state anything about you as "stupid" because I do not know who or what you are. Maybe you are, maybe you are not?

This is one case so it isdifficult to go after many fraudsters at once. Also, from what the lead agent told me the Fraud Inestivation Unit is very small within the SSA. I know about investigations and the legal process because I encountered the Fraud Unit because a citizen reported suspicious men goiing in and out of a van that had been parked on the street for days. My partner and I ended up pulling the agents out of the van at gun point because they had failed to notify us of their suveillance operation (this is SOP). We laughed afterwards because the agents knew exactly how to respond in this type of encounter. .

I just logged onto SSA.gov and no issues. Also, the application status remains the same "pending review".

SSA actually has Fraud Investigation Units throughout the country. I saw one in action in LA years ago. The team was targeting a guy on SSDI due to back injury. He was collecting benefits but the team got a tip that this guy was working. The lead agent told me they needed hours and hours of surveillance in order to file a fraud case with a US Attorney. In this particular case the fraud guy was working at his wife's restaurant and they had him under surveillance for a month before filing the case with the US Attorney. This is how cumbersome it was or possibly still is to prosecute SSDI fraudsters.

Oh I have seen examples of SS and SSDI fraud over the years. For SS in some cases "grandma died but the checks still came in so we cashed them". Many do not see a problem with this. In terms of SSDI it's like Work Comp fraud where some who are allegedly disabled are working, playing golf etc.

Due process requires at a bare minimum an investiagtion and an OPM hearing. Doubt that will occurr because for as long I can remember Donald Trump has never taken the concept of securing information seriously. Private citizen Donald Trump probably would be able to obtain an actual security clearance.

Whoever added the journalist should have his or her security clearance suspended pending an investigation. This is the standard procedure . I doubt anything will happen/