Dumbastheycome

I see someone has indicated a "sad" response to my initial comment.

I am also sad  but not surprised  because it perhaps represents a core problem with society in general.

The world is currently in the grip of a situation that regardless of belief in the cause , opinions over reaction to it, opinions about vaccines ..pro or anti..the base  reality is it is an event that has disrupted  the  world.

If the way forward is any Vaccine which for better or worse, good or bad, works  or not, allows a resumption in a degree of normality of international flexibility I welcome that.

I do have  reservations  about those who are adamantly  "anti " vaccines but IMO that belongs in a separate  point of  debate to my opinion in this topic.

My sadness is  that I suspect there are those  that  would care less  about  effectiveness of a  vaccine  than would  care more about the  "profitability "of one that is presented even when developed with  public (taxpayer)

subsidies and massive reductions in regulatory  requirements on the  the basis of  "emergency" need  due to "investment" expectations!

I have an associate who is  "anti vaccine" but  who has  made a point of  buying  shares  in several of the  high profile developers of  covid-19 vaccines. He does not appreciate my opinion that he  desires  potential profit while  denying an outcome that arguably could save  his  own longer life.

I get silence  when I ask such if they would  reject the MMR  program that  has ensured their  viability thus  far !

Welcome  news.

Cost?

It may be that while the picture that illustrates the problem has possibly been selective in an attempt to apportion blame to elsewhere in Asia the truth is that the  people of the entire  region do not generally and collectively  recognize the  problem. Not personally  nor officially in meaningful  terms.

Yet while the  visual impact of the evidence of the  accumulation of  material waste in the  oceans  is  significant  it provides  no comprehension of the invisible chemical  wastes that pour in from almost  all corners of the  modern  world.

The sad  fact is that while  plastic waste has an impact on the oceanic environment it is the poisoning of the  dwindling  marine  resources  humans  extract that few are made properly aware of that need be!

The  heavy  metal content of  fish is already  to a point where responsible health advisories  suggest limiting consumption of  what should  be a source of  good  protein.

Those wonderful considerate  nations  that so responsibly remove  consumer waste products and  secrete them in  some obscure location do not admit  nor prevent the leachates  of  many  metallic and  poisonous compounds into  water tables and eventually the oceans.

There seems to be some  ironical humor in the fat we  can get so indignant about visual evidences of pollution but are less encouraged  or willing to  consider  the pollution aspect  created or disposed of in the manufacturing of that evidence. Or the cynical deliberate practice of using developing countries  to manufacture on behalf of other in avoidance  of regulatory  requirements.

57 minutes ago, ThaiFelix said:

I am a bit surprised at Donald's current stance where he seems rather more casual and almost accepting of his loss.  I keep wondering if this spoilt brat has something up his sleeve.  I cant see him walking away without causing some major drama.  I hope the recent talk of attacking Iran, as well as the terrorist attack on the Iranian scientist, is not leading up to something really nasty where everything is ejected from the pram....dummy included!

Hopefully it is not due to the socio-pathic  intent to  destroy as  much and as many as possible in retaliations!

He has already conceded in a way that he is aware of the fact he  will lose the  position of POTUS  but has also said he  does not, will not  concede he lost "honestly". His ultimate  moment of  fame  is rapidly deteriorating into infamy but even that he assumes is a measure of  success.

2 hours ago, Scot123 said:

Because they are not recording them as covid deaths. I read a while ago that there is a big increase in influenza recorded deaths in Thailand plus old people and the sick who die dont get autopsies the same as in the west they are just taken to the temple and burnt and they are Covid bread and butter.

If it were true that covid  deaths are being reported  as  influenza cases then why do the  official statistics  show  a minimal fatality rate for  influenza despite an acknowledged spike in influenza infections early this year?

Also why is there  so much concern and reaction to the  Myanmar/Chiang Rai/ Mai detections if  covid is  rampant in the community?

Many old people in Thailand  who have been suffering long term illness do indeed  die at  home  but the  vast majority have had some degree of hospital stay. Thai Govt. hospitals rarely accommodate long term palliative admissions. They already try to cope with the influx of  people diseased with or  dying of  cancers, diabetic  conditions , coronary issues, etc's of the  whole spectrum of illnesses acquired to ignorance compounded  by sparse education.

If widespread Covid-19 was added the reality of it  would be to evident  too deny !

But while that does not deny the  mystery  of  why it is  not the efforts  to ensure it stays that way is  more important.

Have not read all the comments but is there a filter on the inlet to the water heater that is clogged? Some have , some do not.

12 hours ago, bunnydrops said:

I was bit by one of those centipedes (Thais call them Dhakap). The worst bite I have ever felt. It crawled up my leg. At first it felt like I was being bitten by a bunch of those small red ants. The Thais' tell me that that is a spray (they really called it a pi**). Then it bit, like fire. After an hour I thought it wouldn't be too bad as it began to feel more like a bee sting. It had bit me on the calf, but after a few hours the pain spread to my knee, then it all began to hurt really bad. It lasted about a week, ending with the pain in my foot just behind the toes. The locals told me the bite has brought them to tears.

I think the large brown millipedes are harmless. I read somewhere that they have no eyes and get around by feel.

Your description of the progression in pain is identical to my experience ! I got bit on the  top of my foot. No fun at all !

Most times  centipedes will be found  hiding in places that are a little bit damp such as under plant pots, leaves, or anywhere they  can crawl and stay in the daytime.They will also lay eggs in similar places if it is undisturbed.

Biggest ones I have ever seen exited from a gap between a concrete path and block wall after I started to water blast the concrete. They like damp but they  also drown  quite easily I have found, especially the smaller ones.

Just now, kingdong said:

Or insult it

Not even if there is  some implication that  "Britain" would not have been overwhelmed if it ha stood  alone?

6 minutes ago, kingdong said:

Answer my question and i,ll consider answering yours,obviously the house of lords is a by product of the old boy network and not elected.

Oh!  I say chap !  Do you so loosely  deride and  demean the  significance  of the House of Lords ? Is an important part of the institution of  British Democracy which provides the oversight of wisdom inherent by virtue of  wealth  and inbreeding for the sake  of  retaining  it so readily dismissed  in simple favour  of simple debate? :))

20 minutes ago, vogie said:

No Mr Barnier of course, it has been reported that he is prepared to allow the UK to have 18% more British fish caught in British waters, now doesn't that really show what a kind and considerate man he really is.

Is them  fish on a  buy back then? Like  you  catch em, we  get  18 % exstra back on quota?  Or we  gotta  catch  ourselvses?

3 minutes ago, herfiehandbag said:

Thank you - although you must be clutching at straws to assume that is a precedent for overturning a Presidential election!

I think that it was in answer to  a question as to what Court decision accounted for some petty satisfaction for  Trump  given it went against Cuomo who is not  exactly a fan of Trump.

47 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

So now I have magically morphed into a MAGA  Trump supporter?!  I guess if that works for you .. ???? Meanwhile, a non US  or UK source. Knock yourself out.

 

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/11/26/astrazeneca-says-its-covid-19-vaccine-needs-additional-study

 

 

Happy to see you found a more balanced and  accurate  item.  No belligerence or insult in it at all. lol

2 hours ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Ah so you are blaming all this on jealous competitors?!  That is the best deflection/excuse you can muster?  ????    I hope they succeed, as does everyone. That said, the Russian vaccine is MIA, with Count Vlad not touting it in recent weeks.. The Chinese is out after the Brazilian deaths. 

This is not going to be easy. Sorry to disturb you with a reality check. Now, back to your patch of sand and re-insert head.

 

 

Very strange and stressed response ! What and where  blaming? What excuse? My response was based on the  reporting source and content of opinions referred to. Other sources of reporting on the AstraZenica questions about trialing events are more factual than derogatory as to outcome. The Russian vaccine trials are still underway, not MIA. The Chinese trials have recommenced in Brazil following an investigation over a volunteers death was found to be unrelated to the vaccine.  China  is currently trialing  4 vaccines in several countries.

Perhaps the need for a reality  check  belongs with  yourself? Maybe  a need to lose the faded MAGA  hat and the Stars&Stripes glasses ?

21 minutes ago, LomSak27 said:

 

Well there are problems; 

 

After Admitting Mistake, AstraZeneca Faces Difficult Questions About Its Vaccine

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/business/coronavirus-vaccine-astrazeneca-oxford.html

Lesser biased reports of questions  raised about AstraZeneca's  vaccine trial administration reveal that the "mistakes" indicate a fortuitous result rather than a problem.

Unfortunately there is an element of jealous "competition" due to the potential revenues desired by some developers especially when that desire is threatened by success of a more cost effective or  non profit alternative developed at  greater than "Warp Speed" !

1 minute ago, Kwasaki said:

Yeah it's a drug that helps sick people.

And for those  who are  not "evaluated" to be sick then what  harm?

I am not attempting  to  advocate usage nor  deride  your opinion  raher than establish  your view and .knowledge of .

4 minutes ago, ramr said:

 

I doubt he/she would, since 95% of the arguments of this type usually sound stupid when you actually have to say them out loud and then defend them logically.

 

So would  you be so  bld as to explain  your point of view? ????

Interesting  enough  to add some knowledge about the overall geology if to be made public. Not easy to find any detailed information about this part of Asia.

7 minutes ago, wwest5829 said:

Bit of a concern. As an American I am thankful for being in Thailand which reacted quickly to embrace medical advice and lockdown in order to get a handle on controlling the Covid spread domestically. We have now been lulled into viewing Thailand as Covid free (except for those found to be positive in quarantine. More and more of us are seen without masks much of the time. Warranted as a result of the low Covid numbers. Open up fully to tourism? I recommend against especially such countries as the USA where medical advice is spurned. I think the current policy of opening to control groups and mandatory quarantine provides a safety check. Revist? Sure, if and when an effective vaccine becomes readily available and proven effective. MHO

Realistic . In the current term at  very  least.

If in the longer term the promise  of  a  genuine vaccine is false  or short lived the Thai response  has apparently  effective . Certainly  it has  caused  damage to a significant sector of the population  but  in a country which still retains a more  flexible  capacity  for  development as opposed  to the more  rigid  socio economic "developed" countries clinging to historic but  declining heights of  "what was" Thailand and  greater  Asia retain a capacity for "what could  be".

That which turns  the wheel is irrelevant to the  fact that the wheel turns if there is no way to stop it.