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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/

I guarantee people will go. In the beginnig it will be mostly out of curiosity. Some will get hooked on the gambling side and some will just be curious as to what the experience will be like. I can see tour packages for Chinese for gambling junkets. Of course as time goes by the problems with casinos will bubble up. Some of the nearby neighborhoods near the strip in Vegas are not places I would be at night.

After 7 years in CNX the current AQI of 151 seem acceptable. Certainly it is better than the 200+ that was common a few years ago. Anyway I saw some pepole eating breakfast in the patio and I wonder why?

Many years ago I was dating girl whose mother died. I helped her by closing out the mother's affairs. The mother was collecting social security and one of the things I did was to take her to the local SS office(this was when there were many offices around) and notify SSA of the receipients death. The benefits were then shortly terminated. The girl's brothers and sisters completely lost it. The girl became the pariah of the family because she had the SS beneftis terminated by reporting the mothers death. In the minds of the other family members why not just let the money keep rolling in. I believe this type of thinking is common amongst some family members. They did not see anything wrong with. Without the family reporiing the death it can SSA some time before they found about the death of a recipient. Of course the reverse can happen and a living person can be mistakenly be reported as deceased.

No surprise here. The F-47 NGAD (Next Generation Air Dominance) figher contract has been awarded to Boeing. The annoucement was made at the White House by the 47th President Donald Trump. F-47 by the 47th POTUS? As Joe used to say "come on man". The initial contract amount is a mere 20 Billion but will be much larger as the years go by. It just feels like this was a lifelong to save Boeing from extinction. Boeing has not made a profit since the B737 Max crashes and it's reptuation as a reliable maker of passenger aircraft has been tarnished. Maybe they will regain their reputation by making the newest manned fighter aircraft. Anyway in some ways the US Defense budget has been used to create and sustain jobs for decades. This new contract will create and sustain jobs for American so I guess it's all good? Do we really need a new advnaced fighter jet at this fiscally challenging time in America? Lastly many and this includes the Tesaly Guy who have said the F-35 was a waste money. They could be right because the operational readiness rate of the F-35 has never been above 50%. All this for $100 million per aircraft and over $200K per pilot helmet. Some have said the F-35 was a jobs program for the US and some ot it's NATO partners. This does not include France because they never signed up for the F-35.

Strange that most of the countries that offer 90 day visa free entry seem to stay the course while LOS flip flops from 30 to 60 then 30 and "ah never mind back to 60 until the next flip flop". Perception when it comes to planning for international travel is important. I wonder what travelers will think after hearing about this flip, flop? Obviously this will not affect those who are only planning for 30 days or less but those who want to stay longer it will. Does LOS not want long stay tourists?

I knew some girls who were like this: "I love you, I hate you, I can't live without you". Next day same, same. Ah, making decision after a thorough review, analysis and consulting all relevant parties is normally the best course of action. Of course after making a decision it is best to stick with it.

Americans could not afford vacations long before Donald Trump 1.0 or 2.0. Many simply "charge it". Just look at the amount of credit card and personal loan debt that Americans currently hold. CNBC estimates American credit debt exceeds 1.21 Trillion debt and growing.

I thought Bhutan was the happiest country? Of coures the question is "where the heck is Bhutan anyway?"