Enzian

What was the nature of his "drug offense"? Was he tested with others in a club late at night, or a small time dealer, or what? I don't know why I'm curious, I just am.

2 hours ago, nauseus said:

I can't really agree that these passengers are necessarily criminals when they start their journeys, although many of them may well take up or be forced into criminal activities once and if they arrive at their destinations. 

How can you or the guy you disagree with make any such statements unless you have specific knowledge of a lot of individual cases, or data from reliable surveys? You're just saying how you prefer to see them based on your broader worldview. This is why honest investigative reporting is important. I watch this in Italian, and I can tell you that even good anecdotal evidence is hard to find. If anyone has any anything solid I would appreciate it.

8 minutes ago, CorpusChristie said:

Has your Thai gf heard anything about Cambodian workers coming in from Cambodia ?

I'm not saying her views are important, I'm just saying I watch the news too much and the specifics of this issue seem to have dropped out recently to my knowledge, and does anyone have anything?

Are large numbers of construction workers etc. legally (and illegally) currently entering from Burma? I stated that to my Thai gf yesterday and she claimed not to have heard of it; and I realize I haven't seen any recent reports.

I listened to J. Powell's speech, and while I didn't follow every word, it seemed to me just a giant rationalization for doing what is now necessary and inevitable anyway, namely to debase the currency in order to get us out of this debt hole that the two party system has created. 

And on another note, the US has all these unused nuclear weapons, and China just sits there. Joking, but only partly.

Maybe I've had too much Chang tonight, but this has to be the greatest TV headline of the month.

The way it's raining in places they will soon have a use for these submarines in the provinces.

1 hour ago, Dap said:

"Revered"?

I served 6 years without pay as the director of a non-profit and at the end of that time it was in far better condition than it was when I started, when it was in trouble. The books and taxes were straight from beginning to end. I left my ego out of it and let the results speak for themselves. When I meet people from that era I still get a certain feeling. It's ok if you feel the word is too strong, maybe it is.

2 minutes ago, PremiumLane said:

so he is still useless and has no morals ???? 

That's what I mean. You have your opinion. I might end up agreeing with you, but probably will not. The game's not over till it's over.

So many people insist that their political opponents (or the opponents of their masters) ought to be totally honest, truth-telling, decent persons, yet completely overlook the lies and deceptions on their own side. Politics and business are dirty businesses, and good guys seldom finish first. Life is complicated and everyone has their own interpretation. I've done things I'm glad the statute of limitations has run out, yet for the past 30 years it's safe to say I've been revered and respected by all my 100s of contacts. Look for results, not words.

"...high capital adequacy ratios at 19.2%..."

Can anyone explain what this refers to, or means? The banks have capital, equity, stock market valuation if they're listed, yes. But 19.2% of what? Thanks.

I've been reading Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy, and a theme he keeps returning to is his belief that men do almost nothing of good, be it providing for the common good and defense, innovating, solving problems, refraining from abusing their neighbors, obeying the laws, planning for the future-almost nothing-except from necessity. So, don't enforce the laws, this is what you get.

21 hours ago, userabcd said:

Observing many foreigners now walking around without masks, it would be better to keep some of them out.

I suggest the readers of this forum should pay attention to the issue thus raised. It's like the obvious consideration that if you don't want your social group or "race" (if such exists) to be viewed in a negative light, then it's in your power not to commit crimes of person or property. I try to put on my mask around Thais, because too many of them are already suspicious of us, even though after 89 days of no officially reported cases, my strong gut feeling is that it's not necessary.

I thought it was the girls of Thermae who were taking the push of Japanese pork.

When I was in Berkeley in the 60s some psychology teacher became known for suggesting that the students were mainly engaging in a sort of Oedipal rebellion against their father/authority figures; that didn't go over too well either.

Socrates, ordered to drink poison for "corrupting the youth", would understand this perfectly. Maybe he was the internet of his day.

I will never get on one of those things in this country. In 10 years I have only done it twice, when a friend said it was the only way to get to another friend's house. Then I started walking or taking real cars. And in the states I owned at least 6 motorcycles over time.

16 hours ago, bannork said:

Does Liz Truss realise that after Jan 1st 2021 UK companies lose their EU protected designated of origin (PDO) status, and from that date on any country in the world can produce Scottish whisky?

But will they be able to call it Scotch? Japan and others produce good to very good equivalent whisky, but they don't call it Scotch.

1 hour ago, Katipo said:

The US has never been completely free trade. This is in spite of extolling its virtues. The cheaper prices are more to do with bulk buying, fixed duration contracts covering minimum quantities, and trade agreements with specific products. Also, many countries apply large "sin" taxes on alcohol (which is not an import tax), plus you've got the level of VAT/GST.

And this reminds me that in the US we don't think sometimes of the almost 10% CA sales tax as part of the cost, because it's not included on the shelf price the way the VAT etc. is in Europe, but of course it is part of the cost.

This needs more detail or even a long article. Is the problem with single malt or with blended and single grain Scotch as well? One of my hobbies this horrible year has been learning about Scotch; it started when traveling around the world I realized the deals I could sometimes get at airport duty free stores. 90% of the Scotch sold world-wide is blended, so part of the higher price for single malts is the lower production as well as the snob value. I've had to continue the hobby here in LOS where the prices are driven up (probably more than in the US) by the import taxes, though the rates seem less than with foreign wine. It would be interesting to know how the rates are calculated here for different things. Thailand has various low cost domestic whiskys (leaving out the things which are actually rum) "in the Scottish style" though I don't know of any with a reputation for quality. 

I always thought the US has some of the lowest import taxes in the world. I can buy Italian wines at TJs for little more than they cost at the supermarkets in Italy. And hard liquor of all sorts seems insanely cheap in the US compared to here in Bangkok.