xylophone

Was very disappointed with "ad Astra" and also with the new Natalie Portman film, "Lucy in the sky". IMO both films had weak storylines and not enough to keep one interested the whole movie.

23 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

she would have divided total yes answers with total responses and reached a 2% consensus,

as it is, the only thing this survey prove is the bias of the author.

Or the fact that she only wanted to include those people who had extensive knowledge in that field?

And also this would seem to indicate that we've got a problem (read the full quote in my previous post)............

Things are getting worse," said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, 

12 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Go to Oz. I promise you will be warm. 44 C in Melbourne right now. Cool change will drop it to 20 C in a few hours.

COOL CHANGE.........just love that song!!

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

What "message" would that be? Perhaps the message that we have stolen her dreams? That's not a message at all. That's a sound bite.

If she proposed a solution to her perceived climate crisis I missed it.

How did she get permission to play hookey from school? If she is old enough not to go to school, she ain't a child.

Well, let's start with the fact that her message is regarding the fact that something needs to be done about global warming and climate change – – that's a start.

So rather than focusing on this message you decide to focus on her playing hooky from school??

Sad indeed.

59 minutes ago, brokenbone said:

the nasa reference is john cook, 

its not counting scientists raising a hand,

its counting peer reviewed articles that had key words

like 'climate' in them, and then cherry picking and creative

accounting to reach the pre determined 97% answer.

somewhere i have written about john cook et al

and their modus operandi, i cant find it without hassle but i can ensure you its drivel from start to finish,

i bothered to actually read one of the abstracts they agreed on going into the 97%,

but it was not a single word in that abstract that mentioned co2 or man made, it was merely about an expected  small temperature increase in north africa,

for farmers

The m o you describe seems to be at odds with this,,,,,,

https://skepticalscience.com/97-consensus-study-hits-million-downloads.html 

Our paper immediately began receiving attacks from climate science deniers. It started with blog posts, then conservative politicians such as Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum began criticizing it, then the attacks spread to Fox News and conservative media. Probably our favourite criticism came from Senator Ted Cruz who claimed the 97% consensus was based on one discredited study.

The fact that the 97% consensus has been replicated in multiple studies is a key feature of the scientific consensus.

OOPS, nearly forgot........

 "Things are getting worse," said Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization, which Tuesday issued its annual state of the global climate report, concluding a decade of what it called exceptional global heat. "It's more urgent than ever to proceed with mitigation."

But reducing greenhouse gas emissions to fight climate change will require drastic measures, Taalas said. "The only solution is to get rid of fossil fuels in power production, industry and transportation," he said.

Seas are warming and rising faster, putting more cities at risk of tidal flooding or worse. Glaciers are melting at a pace many researchers did not expect for decades. The amount of Arctic sea ice has declined so rapidly that the region may see ice-free summers by the 2030s.

On 12/11/2019 at 10:38 PM, seajae said:

she is a hypocrite, she is told what to say as can be seen when she was asked a basic question and could not answer it, she has no real idea of the world and only what she has been told.

There are other posters on this thread who have, to some degree or another, denigrated the young lady calling her ideas part of the "loony left/tree huggers", "having an agenda", etc, and it may be true that she is not up to speed 100% on the actual message, but as far as I can tell, the message is correct, and that's what puzzles me about this whole thing........

Do scientists agree on climate change?

Yes, the vast majority of actively publishing climate scientists – 97 percent – agree that humans are causing global warming and climate change. Most of the leading science organizations around the world have issued public statements expressing this, including international and U.S. science academies, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and a whole host of reputable scientific bodies around the world. A list of these organizations is provided here. https://climate.nasa.gov/faq/17/do-scientists-agree-on-climate-change/ 

If 97% of the scientists who study this topic agree that we are causing global warming and climate change, how is it that there are still some very vocal deniers out there, and indeed on this thread??

I would think 97% of scientists would know a damn sight more than everyday TV posters?

1 hour ago, dd1988 said:

Frustrating. Once in the land of milk and honey all her problems will dissappear...  

 

In my opinion once here is when all her problems will start 

-isolation im small town

-6 months per year snow cover

-severe cold to -40

-lack of access to good vegetables

-no thai restauraunts

-no markets, all meals have to be prepped at home including lunch

-daughter will hate me for removing her from thailand.  Her daughter is shy and is likely to be bullied as the local school is only farang kids. Her daughter could be miserable.

-Miss her family

-No thais to hang with (it would be like us living in Issan village, imagine the boredom)

-Cannot drive in winter roads 

-Boring farang conversations

 

She of coarse would tolerate all this for the financial gain but who would want to hang around someone that is experiencing this? These are signifigant changes/challenges that my gf wont acknowledge

You don't paint a pretty picture, but then it seems like you are a realist and if I were in your situation I would have serious doubts about continuing the relationship based on the above.

The other thing I found with Thai girls in a relationship is they have no idea of the future, what they want or what it could hold, preferring to live day to day, this in association with the fact that they have no idea of "consequence" – – i.e., if I do this, what will happen, and so on.

It sounds too much like hard work to me, and as you say in a later post, she may be after some financial rewards, but is quite happy to stay the way she is because she doesn't have to move countries, or for that matter, make any decisions.

I think it was a book by Malcolm Gladwell, when he was talking about "gut feel" and he said that this "feeling" should never be overlooked because it was part of our survival when we were first on this earth and even though those days have long gone, this instinct still remains with us, and should be noted.........not perhaps as the be all and end all as regards making decisions, but certainly as part of the overall picture.

20 hours ago, Khon Kaen Jeff said:

Mild sore throat

Mild headache

Pretty bad cough

General weakness/dizziness

I have just been through the very same thing, although combined with a sweaty fever at one time, followed by shivering the next. Not to mention feeling washed out and the mild headache which won't go away, and the ticklish throat.

I took Panadol three times a day, and at night times I added a Nurofen, along with plenty of fluids with a bit of lemon juice and honey (old wives stuff but it seems to soothe the throat).

The next day I started on electrolytes and kept that up for two days, mainly because I had the runs for two days, and after four days I was a lot better, although I would have to say that now I am about 85%, I still don't feel on top of the world, but I am a damn sight better than I was previously.

It got so bad I thought I had dengue (again) but elected not to go to the hospital and to see how it panned out, and I'm so pleased that I didn't go because I would have come away with bags full of unnecessary tablets.

20 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

 

Canada

 

 

@VocalNeal.   Lovely and substantial looking plug, although I can't see that I've seen many like that around, otherwise I would buy them.

As for the wire colours, you forgot some that are quite regularly found here: – white for neutral and black for live (just to confuse matters). And I have to say that when I have opened up the occasional appliance, or indeed a "power board/power strip", there are even more colours and certainly not connected where they should be.

The standards here are appalling.

5 minutes ago, stevenl said:

" But what was even worse, were the many people who got away unharmed or were just arriving in Thailand the day after the disaster, trying to benefit of the situation! "

 

As someone who was in the tourism business on Phuket that day, and still is, one of the problems we had in the aftermath was a lack of tourists. We were really, really welcoming all who arrived or stayed during those days.

I was here in the March prior to the tsunami and came back about two months after it occurred, mainly to see if some friends I'd made were still here and okay, and luckily enough they were.

However I was not prepared for the absolute devastation that was there along Beach Road (for example), and I remember the tragic sight of a boat (or maybe it was a car?) wedged in the first floor of a minimart window, and it may well have been the one in which many shoppers were trapped and drowned?

There is one thing I have to say about that whole thing and that was the way in which the Thais never stopped working trying to get the place back into some semblance of working order, and I admired them for that.

What I didn't admire were the number of Thais who had donned some sort of jackets/T-shirts with logos such as, "tsunami relief" or "tsunami aid relief" on them, who were approaching foreigners here for donations, and a Thai friend of mine "in the know", said that they were just crooks and not to give any donations to them whatsoever – – such a shame that this should happen when so much money was needed to rebuild the place and people's lives.

6 minutes ago, SteveK said:

What's the point of wiring up the earth (ground) if the house is not grounded like many in Thailand? Does it even do anything? My plug sockets don't look like the ones above with upper and lower contacts for the ground strip on the plug, just two holes in a piece of plastic.

The poster who mentioned that he couldn't see on earth was in fact @Golden Triangle whereas the original poster was basically commenting on his plugs.

Those plugs are designed for the sockets that were pictured and if the OP were to remove the socket cover he would see if there is an earth there, so all will be good (that is provided the earth wires go somewhere useful!).

In the past I have replaced the socket outlet as well as the plug so that the fit is good and there are no connectors used, but as Crossey has said you can use connectors if you are careful.

1 hour ago, Olmate said:

Maybe above Coffee Club, Starbucks,or at ground level there was a convenience store now closed that always was a dead zone.

From what I remember, that place has always had a bit of a jinx on it and Villa Market opened and closed in pretty quick time when it was there, and in the couple of visits I made, it was basically empty!

Interesting times, that's for sure.

31 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

I would presume to get large premises in that location would indicate something more planned than the average curry house in a back street.

I mentioned the Pattaya link to illustrate it's somewhat more than an individual startup.

Yes, good point, although near OTOP there is a very large Indian restaurant which would seat probably about 100 people, but that doesn't seem to be that full at any time. The strange thing is that right next door there is a huge dining area which was full of small fish tanks supposedly containing oceanic delights and which would cater for probably twice that many, but again that seems to have been struggling.

If those folks have the money to spend, then so be it.

9 hours ago, Old Croc said:

I've heard some Indian company is spending big money to fit out a restaurant on Beach road near Banana.

They also have premises in Pattaya

On the one hand, it doesn't seem surprising that someone is trying to cater for the new influx of Indian tourists here, however on the other it would appear that Patong is pretty well served with Indian restaurants at the moment, with Soi Sansabai having at least four in that small narrow road!

Out and about there are quite a few more, and also quite a few restaurants which do not seem to be predominantly Indian restaurants but do serve Indian food?

Having a restaurant on the beach road would seem to be ideal, but who knows in this current environment where many restaurants are struggling as indeed are some of the Indian owned outlets.
 

16 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Pleasant, or no, music, not Thai faves that staff play loudly for themselves

I must say that you list a nice selection of positives for the Starbucks stores, although my local one is suffering badly from lack of custom.

As for music, well I know a few folks who won't go there anymore because of the stupidly loud music that is played, and I know one particular guy who likes to enjoy his coffee whilst playing on his computer who has complained a number of times (as have I) and he has written/telephoned and sent emails to the Starbucks head office in Bangkok regarding the state of the music which is always far too loud, so much so that it's difficult to hear what other folks are saying........but to no avail.

I have had words with the manager and according to him, his head office dictates that he plays the music at a certain level and that's the end of the story. Or at least it was until I and a few others walked out after commenting again on the music, and now if I do go in there, and the music is too loud he turns it down, but only when asked to do so!!

He does not understand what "background music" is unfortunately.

24 minutes ago, ExpatOilWorker said:

7 billion baht / 80 million kg = 87.5 baht/kg, not 35 at quoted!

Poor math or poor journalism or poor proofreading?

 

“The garlic market in Thailand is worth about Bt10 billion, of which Bt7 billion is Thai garlic, while the remaining Bt3 billion is imported, almost all of it from China,” Dr Aat said.

If I recall correctly, a few years ago (10 perhaps?) Chinese garlic was banned from being imported because it contained large amounts of pesticides/herbicides which were considered dangerous to health.

Obviously times have changed and they've cleaned their act up, but having said that, I find both the Thai and Chinese garlic to be very weak indeed.

13 minutes ago, RJRS1301 said:

Oh eating steak in Thailand should be outlawed by legislation, I have tried several places, a few "high end" ones recommended by others, none could cook a steak correctly, and the quality of the meat was abominable, never finished one of them.

So much good coffee around now, why bother with that dreadful Star...…… place?

I trained my local barista to make mine correctly,  

I know this is a thread about Starbucks, but you did mention steaks, so have to say that I have had very good steaks in Churrasco, Higher (before it burnt down – – such a shame), K Hotel, and friends have raved on about Sam's for a good steak.

Occasionally I go to the big Coffee Club at the front of Jungceylon, facing Bangla, and it's a very welcoming place with a caramel tart to die for, and a pretty good eggs Benedict for a brunch – – streets ahead of Starbucks.

14 hours ago, Jonathan Swift said:

The premise of this story is naive and absurdly out of touch with economic reality. Prices are solely the product of supply and demand. Period. If the prices were too high for their customer base they would go out of business. That's a fundamental inviolate principle of economics and business. So SOMEBODY is buying and paying those prices,

Sure enough prices are set in a market based on research and experience, but may have to be adjusted if the demand is not there, and I do believe that is what is happening currently in the few Starbucks that I see here where I am.

The customer numbers have dropped off quite markedly so whether the owners/franchisees will be happy to take a cut in profit is something to ponder. If the situation does become worse, then it's quite possible that the demand will have to be stimulated by such things as price cutting, added incentives, expansion of the range and so on.

To give you an example, just yesterday they were six customers in a huge Starbucks here, whereas at one time there would be perhaps 30+.

I do believe that competition, better product, better food options and of course pricing have something to do with it, of course in conjunction with the fact that Thailand/Phuket are marketing the destination to the budget market, and they won't spend that sort of money in a Starbucks.

The Australian example posted by another poster does show that even large companies like this who think they have got their finger on the pulse, sometimes get it wrong.

1 hour ago, Kay McDonnell said:

I sold this two years ago and got 50% of my commission then.  The problem came later when the buyer did not have the balance of 5 mtb.  He paid 29 mTB but not the balance.

Between the buyer and seller they agreed that buyer could move in regardless.  this was 18 months ago.  After that the owner sacked me as an agent, after the buyer moved in.

I told him that you cannot just sack a agent after they did the sale.

The buyer now has the 5mtb and the seller is not paying

I was upset with him 18 months ago when the buyer  moved in and he did not pay me the balance then/.

If buyer do private mortgage deals on the property and it could have been 30 years for all i know, and no commission

If the buyer now has the 5 million baht, then could you not approach him and show him the agreement you have, with the monies outstanding and get him to deduct that money owed to you from the 5 million baht which is payable to the previous owner?

The other thing is that the current occupier/owner is sure to have the contact address or number of the seller and you may be able to contact him through this medium, and as others have suggested send him a strongly worded letter from a lawyer, looking for full payment or perhaps a settlement of some description.