xylophone

"We're on the road to nowhere.............". Wasn't that by "Talking Heads?".

Going down the hill towards Patong, about 50 m past this, there is also another section of the road which is sinking because of subsidence or a drainage pipe has collapsed under it, and this has been visible for at least four or five months and has slowly gotten worse – – – – and today I noticed that this quite large dip/subsidence in the side of the road has been "repaired" by some tarmac being poured in it; probably left over from the roadworks as mentioned in this thread. Whatever the case, this "repair" must have been done by a one legged, one armed blind man, such is the quality of it.

Replying to my own post, because I can't find a thread/posts which relate to VPNs, and I thought there was one?? So I will post on here what happened yesterday when I was watching Julius Caesar with my Smart DNS Proxy, which is usually brilliant and very reliable! The series, three episodes, can run into one another if you are on the iPlayer, and am wondering if this has something to do with the fact that suddenly, when I was trying to get on to the last series, the dreaded message about, "not being available in my region/only available in the UK" or something like that came up so I couldn't watch it. No problem I thought because I would switch to Nord, because I still have some months left on my original subscription, but that was no better and no matter how many times I reset it to try and change servers, the message still appeared and I couldn't get onto iPlayer! So logged out of BBC, logged out of both VPNs, and then shut down the computer and waited awhile whilst I restarted it, but still to no avail, so I played around with the whole thing for a while and I found a solution....... when I eventually logged back on with Smart DNS, but didn't open any of the BBC programmes, I chose a different one completely than the Julius Caesar one I'd been watching, and then it worked, so I was able to get back onto the Julius Caesar one after that. I was disappointed about this, but was more disappointed when Nord, supposedly the "King of VPNs" failed to work, and now that I've got my Smart DNS Proxy working again, I'll get back onto it tonight. It got me wondering whether the techies at BBC have started working on being able to shut down access by a VPN – – any thoughts on this? PS. If someone can find the VPN thread, then kindly move this on to it if you would be so good.

Regarding that point, are there six individual episodes each with their own story, or do they run into one another as a whole? Onto an entirely different subject, I spotted a three-part doco series on BBC iPlayer of Julius Caesar and I've watched the first two parts of it, but unfortunately was unable to watch the finale because......believe it or not my bloody usually reliable Smart DNS Proxy VPN started to misbehave and BBC iPlayer picked up on it, and there was nothing I could do to revisit the series (yes I switched off the VPN, tried Nord VPN, however will probably cover this in more detail on the VPN thread running here). About the series – – very, very good and informative and it called on input from historians/scholars/scientists and just about anyone else with regard to Caesar's reign, and it really did set the record straight and I for one was so glad that I watched it because my understanding of Caesar and his time in power was seriously wrong.

No flies on The Don. But you can see where they've been..................

Sorry to interrupt the discussion, which I found very interesting, as I'm not as au fait with the politics past and present of Israel/Hamas/Palestine/whomsoever as some of you guys. But what I will say is that it would seem that a "workable two-state solution" is not workable because of the Hamas doctrine of wanting to kill all Israelis and wipe Israel off the face of the map, and as long as that exists, then a workable solution doesn't seem possible.

As I have mentioned previously, I have found that Smart DNS Proxy to be the best of the lot, especially when trying to watch BBC iPlayer. I did have Nord for a while, but had problems with that because it would occasionally drop out for some reason and I couldn't get to the bottom of why so I changed, as mentioned above. The others I have tried include: – My Expat VPN, Express VPN, Cyber Ghost VPN, Total AV and Panda, although not sure if the last two were actually VPNs – – too long ago to remember now! Don't think I will change from Smart DNS Proxy, because it's been excellent for the past months.

What are healthy fats and a healthy diet? I hope the mods don't mind me posting this, but it is related to this post and others on the thread, and it appeared this morning in the New Zealand Herald, and is very interesting, so I thought I'd post it – – – not that I think I'm going to live to be a hundred years old, but I might be able to donate my liver to Penfold's in the long run! The search for the secrets to a long, healthy life is as old as mankind. A new study has found a series of clues that take us closer than ever before – and they lie in our blood. In mid-October, a Swedish-led team of researchers reported on their study of blood samples taken from 44,000 people from the age of 64 over a period of up to 35 years. They compared 12 “biomarkers” in the blood of those who went on to live past the age of 100, and those who did not. These markers included cholesterol and blood sugar, the markers of metabolism; uric acid, a marker of inflammation; creatinine, a measure of kidney function; iron, which is linked to anaemia; and enzymes associated with liver function. The research revealed that the chances of becoming a centenarian are linked to 10 of the 12 biomarkers - and three in particular. “Those who made it to their 100th birthday tended to have lower levels of glucose, creatinine and uric acid from their 60s onwards,” says co-author Dr Karin Modig, associate professor of epidemiology at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. “But although we are genetically predisposed to having higher or lower levels, most of these markers are closely linked with our lifestyle.” In other words, there are things we can do day-to-day that can help us to stay healthy and live longer. Here are a few. 1. Get your cholesterol balance right One of the study’s main findings seems to fly in the face of received medical advice. The research revealed that the people with the lowest levels of total cholesterol had a lower chance of reaching 100 years, compared to those with higher levels. “Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – the “bad” cholesterol – can build up in the walls of your arteries, which, if left untreated, can cause strokes or heart attacks,” explains Dr Gaurav Sabharwal, founder of One5 Health, which specialises in preventative healthcare and longevity. “But high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – the “good” cholesterol – protects the heart by removing the LDL cholesterol and transporting it back to the liver, where it is removed from the body. This means HDL levels should be high to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. However, elevated total cholesterol levels – the good plus the bad – are also a major risk factor.” “The evidence from large clinical trials demonstrates very clearly that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces our risk of death," says Professor Jeremy Pearson. Photo / 123RF This is because the bad outweighs the good. The new research sits alongside several recent studies suggesting that the link between high total cholesterol and cardiovascular disease disappears in older people, but these remain highly controversial. According to the British Heart Foundation’s Professor Jeremy Pearson: “The evidence from large clinical trials demonstrates very clearly that lowering LDL cholesterol reduces our risk of death overall and from heart attacks and strokes, regardless of age.” What to do: The British Heart Foundation advises eating less saturated fat in foods such as processed meat, pies and pastry, butter, cream and coconut oil. Instead, opt for foods that are high in unsaturated fat such as olive oil, nuts, avocado and oily fish. A high-fibre diet of fruit, vegetables, wholegrains and pulses can also lower cholesterol, as can regular exercise and cutting down on drinking. Smoking increases “bad” cholesterol and lowers “good” cholesterol, so quitting is essential. 2. Tackle your blood sugar The research shows an association with lower levels of glucose in our 60s and a stronger likelihood of living to 100. “Very few of the centenarians had a glucose level above 6.5 earlier in life,” says Dr Modig. An A1C test measures the average amount of sugar in the blood over the past few months and expresses it as a percentage: of the haemoglobin proteins that are holding glucose, 5.7 per cent to 6.4 per cent signals pre-diabetes, while 6.5 per cent or higher usually indicates diabetes. People living with diabetes have a higher risk of heart attacks and strokes and damage to the blood vessels affecting the nerves, eyes and kidneys. What to do: “Type 2 diabetes is preventable for a significant majority of people,” says Dr Paul McArdle, a dietician and diabetes specialist. “It’s thought that 60-90 per cent of Type 2 diabetes is linked to excess body weight, so keeping a healthy weight has been found to maintain lower blood glucose levels.” McArdle recommends a minimally processed diet and, in particular, avoiding sources of highly refined carbohydrates such as sugars, which cause blood sugar spikes. 3. Drop your uric acid Uric acid is associated with gout, the painful joint condition, but it’s also a surrogate marker for your metabolic health in general. “We often see raised uric acid levels in people with diabetes, pre-diabetes, insulin resistance and weight-related conditions such as hyperthyroidism and obesity,” says Dr Sabharwal. It’s unsurprising, then, that people in the study with the lowest uric acid had a four per cent chance of reaching 100, while only 1.5 per cent of those with the highest levels became centenarians. Uric acid is associated with gout, the painful joint condition, but it’s also a surrogate marker for your metabolic health in general. Photo / 123rf What to do: Foods containing purine, including red wine, cheese, red meat, shellfish, bacon and organ meats such as liver, can elevate uric acid. A low-purine diet, combined with drinking two to two-and-a-half litres of water per day, can reduce our levels. “Losing weight and, in particular, dropping body fat mass can also reduce the uric acid in your blood,” says Sabharwal. 4. Get to grips with creatinine “One of the strongest correlations to living to 100 was levels of creatinine, which many people have not heard of,” says Modig. “Very few of the centenarians had a creatinine level above 125.” What does this mean? Creatinine is a waste product of creatine, a chemical made by the body which supplies energy to muscles. Creatinine is removed from the body by the kidneys, so testing our levels can ascertain how well the kidneys are working. The albumin/creatinine ratio was used in the study, showing the number of milligrams of albumin (a protein in blood) for every gram of creatinine. For men, less than 17mg/g is deemed healthy, and for women, it’s less than 25mg/g. What to do: Research by American nephrologists has shown that eating large amounts of protein, in particular cooked red meat, can increase creatinine levels. Conversely, a 2014 study showed a link between increased fibre intake and significant reductions in creatinine. Staying hydrated and lowering your salt intake helps, too. 5. Boost your iron An optimal ferritin blood level, which reveals the level of iron storage in the body, is vital to support cognitive function, the immune system and overall performance of the body. In Britain, experts estimate that 3 per cent of men and 8 per cent of women have iron-deficiency anaemia, which can be treated with supplements, although these can have gastrointestinal side effects. What to do: Sabharwal recommends eating more plant-based foods containing iron “such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, cashew nuts, kale, raisins and fortified breakfast cereal”. Increasing the iron we actually absorb from what we eat is equally important. “Vitamin C, vitamin A and beta carotene, found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, red peppers and oranges, may help you absorb more,” he says. 6. Lower your liver enzymes The study also linked lower levels of liver enzymes (proteins made by the organ) in the blood to living to 100 – unsurprisingly, since lower levels usually suggest a healthy liver, whereas higher levels indicate damage or disease. Dr Paul Kooner, consultant hepatologist at London’s Princess Grace Hospital, says that liver blood tests are particularly important, since “liver disease rarely causes symptoms unless cirrhosis develops”. What to do: Eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and limiting alcohol to within NHS guidelines of no more than 14 units per week is the best way to keep liver enzyme levels low. Drinking one cup of coffee a day has been proven to reduce the risk of dying from chronic liver disease by 15 per cent, so it’s worth incorporating into your routine. Adding folate-rich foods such as dark green leafy vegetables to your diet can also lower liver enzyme levels. A 2016 study linked folate deficiency to increased alanine transaminase (ALT), a type of liver enzyme, and liver damage.

Oh dear!!! Never heard of it before and of course wouldn't be allowed now!

This may have been going on for some time and I've not noticed it, or it may have been mentioned elsewhere, however over the past couple of months I have been getting emails, thanking me for my purchase of McAfee software and quoting an order number. Of course I have labelled them as spam and most of them find their way into the spam folder, but a few seem to escape. As yet I haven't opened one of the invoices, but have viewed the email, and I suspect that if one did open the invoice (mainly because it asks for feedback on it) it may contain a virus or some sort of malware. Just saying: – BEWARE false McAfee invoices/orders.

Thinking about it.........I believe you are right as I did see a bright white "something" in the artery on the scan.

Sorry I can't answer your question reliably because I didn't ask the neurosurgeon, although thinking about it I did see something that looked like a piece of plaque in the artery which was blocked??? My friend has been on blood thinners for quite some time and has a pacemaker fitted, and to be honest it all doesn't look very well at all, even before this episode, because his legs, arms and hands were dark blue where he was bleeding under the skin from the capillaries by the looks of things. I have just spoken to his wife today and he has had the intubation tube removed, so things are progressing, albeit slowly and I will know more when I probably go to visit him tomorrow. Thank you for your concern and the information.

Thank you for your kind comments and I wish you all the very best for the future.

I watched this and really couldn't believe what I was seeing, because the level of incompetence with regards to all things connected to 9/11 and the administrations personnel thereafter, was absolutely unbelievable. It's often said that the term "military intelligence" is an oxymoron, and in this case and in the wars fought on behalf of an incompetent government, that certainly held true. Also the fact that neither the FBI or CIA shared any intelligence on possible threats from terrorist organisations is unbelievable. Of course I grieve for the thousands of servicemen and civilians who were killed and injured in these wars and skirmishes, because it was a complete and utter waste of life in the main, and as I got towards the end of this documentary series, I realised that none of the US presidents or their advisers had any idea of what they were doing, and there was no strategy whatsoever. What a waste of lives, time and money, without achieving any real change. Sad, and by this post I do not mean to be disengenious to the US service men and women who fought in these wars, because they were doing what they were instructed to do, and they did so in the belief that they were fighting for their country and a better future.

No problem with replying Simon.............my friend is 89 yrs old and has never been a smoker and doesn't drink, with only an occasional wine or beer, but rarely so. In summary his condition is probably caused by "old age". He is in very good hands and IMO he couldn't be receiving better care.

A good friend of mine was rushed into Bangkok Phuket hospital on Saturday morning after collapsing at home, and it transpires that he had a stroke. He was put in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at Bangkok Phuket hospital and intubated and sedated until the neurosurgeon could check him out and operate, which he did. He removed part of my friend's skull because the brain was swelling and bandaged him up and fitted him with all sorts of drips and wires to be able to monitor his condition. I went along with my friend's wife to talk to the neurosurgeon and this young man (probably in his 30s) was absolutely excellent, explaining everything in great detail, what the next steps were and what we could expect to happen in the near future. In addition the nurses were also excellent and I really can't fault any aspect of hospital care or the staff, and I've been back to see him three times, and although he is still unconscious, there are some positive signs. I've got to say that there have been times when I've been critical of Bangkok Phuket hospital, but this has restored my faith in the hospital, and also in the medical profession in general, because not only was the young neurosurgeon absolutely excellent, the two other neurosurgeons I spoke to were also great.....and the nurses were just fabulous. Unfortunately the outlook doesn't look brilliant for my friend as it appears that the stroke on the right side of his brain has resulted in some brain death and it seems unlikely that he will be able to use the left side of his body again. Having said that I'm always hopeful that something more positive will come out of it, as it appears that when part of the brain dies, on some occasions the other functioning part of the brain can take over some of the "duties" of the non-functioning part. Anyway, I really want to sing the praises of the fantastic doctors and nurses at Bangkok Phuket hospital.

I sought out a few older movies to watch and one which I have seen before and wanted to watch again was, "Dark City" which starred Kiefer Sutherland, Rufus Sewell, William Hurt and Jennifer Connelly, and I've always thought this was a bit of an underrated masterpiece, because whoever thought of the premise for this was nothing short of a genius IMO. I did notice Richard O'Brien in it, and he played his part very well, almost on a par with his part in the Rocky horror picture show! I also watched one on BBC iPlayer, called, "The Sense of an Ending" with the excellent Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling, and although slow-moving, it was a good watch, with an ending that I didn't foresee.

My mum, bless her, was a terrible cook and I could fill a couple of pages with her efforts at cooking something edible, BUT there was something she could cook and which I can remember to this very day – – Apple and blackberry pie, where the apples were from the tree in our garden, and the blackberries from the hedgerow in the local large field. Absolutely delicious.

Like you, I have worked in Nigeria, in and around Lagos, Port Harcourt and environs, and I will quote you because I believe it is, "the biggest dump on the planet". You couldn't trust one as far as you could throw them, and what are they doing here?? Well it could be said that they are here for the sun, but there's plenty of that in Nigeria; perhaps they're here to get a tan, but they are born with one; maybe they have come on holiday, but there's plenty of other countries near to them to which they could travel. So perhaps they've come to Thailand where the people are generally kind and the place is full of farangs who are out looking for a good time (including drugs) and are very often inebriated, hence easy pickings? After I had worked in Nigeria, I went to Malta for a holiday and I was sitting on a bus, and in the seat in front of me were a couple of 30-ish guys who were chattering away and they turned round and spoke to me, and I asked them where they were from, and their reply was, "from Nigeria, and it's a beautiful country you ought to go there". My reply was, "I've actually been there and worked in the place for over a year and it is a sh@thole". Luckily enough they didn't speak to me again!

Unfortunately women and babies, like many others, are casualties of war, and if one starts a war, then they should be prepared for the consequences. What the Palestinians don't seem to understand is that they are being used by Hamas so that they can fulfil their own ambitions of destroying Israel and killing all Jews. Back onto Macron.......Ask him if France can give the Israelis some sophisticated military intelligence and weaponry which can identify women and babies, so that they won't be bombed?????? No have........Thought that was the case, so Macron is talking out of his rear end.

I did have Cyberghost at one time, but it became difficult to use on some occasions, so I canned that and went on to Nord, which was great and worked well for a while, but just occasionally I would get blocked on BBC iPlayer, or it would drop out halfway through a program (I think that's what was causing it) so I decided to look around and finally settled on Smart DNS Proxy, which has been great and now I use it just about all the time. It is not expensive and has a couple more options that can be used if one wishes. Another poster posted similar positive comments about Smart DNS Proxy and has been very satisfied with it.

I also watched it last night and enjoyed it, although at times I found it a little convoluted? Maybe it's just me and my age, however what I will say is that I thought that Robert Downey Jr was excellent and I didn't recognise him until at least halfway through the movie when it suddenly dawned on me who it was! I did watch the documentary on it a while back, however it didn't spoil the movie for me one bit.

My grandfather used to put a spoonful of gunpowder in his tea every morning, he said it was an old fashioned remedy that helps you to live longer. It certainly worked as he lived to 97and left 6 children and 12 grandchildren and a fifty foot deep crater where the crematorium used to be.

So who are these "cronies?".

As for high humidity, I use the dehumidifier function on my aircon to keep the humidity down and try and keep it in the 50s. Does yours have this function?