jas007

The Sony A7 IV is now a few years old. There may be a newer model coming out next year. I wonder if waiting would be a good idea?

Some people believe that the Democratic Deep State is already using several “Joe Bidens.” Supposedly, the masks are so real these days that it’s hard to tell a masked imposter from the real thing. So if they’re doing that, using AI would be kids play. The next few months should be fun to watch.

Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that, like it or not, Russia’s perception matters. For example, Russia has annexed Crimea and other territories. It considers those to now be part of Russia, absolutely. Any attempt to reclaim that land will be considered an attack on Russia, even though others might see the action as supporting Ukraine’s freedom and right to exist as an independent country. In other words, the West’s delusional fantasies are just that.

Mail between the USA and Thailand is slow, or so it seems. Someone sent me a wedding invitation on the first of April for a June wedding, and I didn’t even get it until the very end of May. So, two months.

If it’s true, the UK will be headed down the same path to war. And if that happens, you can probably kiss the city of London goodbye. If the UK attacks Russia, Russia is not going to wait around to assess the damage to its nuclear arsenal. In their mind, it’s a use it or lose it proposition. The have nukes, and they’ll use them.

His replacement is already being painted as a war monger ready to go to war with Russia. That’s a scary thought. It might just happen, if he is indeed that clueless.

I’m pretty sure that not too many people care about what’s supposedly in the new Epstein documents. Given the history of the Deep State and their campaign to destroy Trump, you’d have to be naive to believe anything that is said at this point. I can remember when some people thought that Bill Clinton’s presidency could not survive the Monica Lewinsky scandal. As it turned out, no one cared except a few Republicans.

Most people don’t have a clue about how AI is going to change the world. The chat tools we’re beginning to see now are just the beginning. And I agree, people looking at screens all day are making a mistake. Anyway, AI is going to put many many people out of work. Even some professionals. A similar situation happened when computers came into widespread use, and it’ll happen again as AI begins to roll out. An Industrial Revolution of sorts. I was born in 1951, so I grew up without any of the computers or smartphones we have today. Even as late as the late 70s, when I was in school, nobody had any of that stuff. One time in the early 70s, when I was taking a chemistry lab course, they made us use punch cards to answer questions. Those punch cards were later fed into a big computer system to determine the grade. That’s about the only time I came across a computer in my schoolwork. By the late 70s, kids still took notes in class, and nobody had access to any kind of computer system. Anyway, while I was in school, I decided that I wouldn’t even have a landline phone. As late as 1981, I didn’t have a phone. Anyone that wanted to talk to me could come over to my place, see me at work or school, or write me a letter. I was totally OK with that scenario. I didn’t miss a thing and my life was really peaceful. Today, it’s sort of silly not to use the available tools. Emails, online bill payments, messaging apps, etc. It all simplifies people’s lives.

I’ve got an Apple Watch that has the capability of connecting to the Internet via a its own separate phone line, but I’ve never used it that way because it syncs up with my phone and I always have my phone with me. The watch will still get messages and email, and you can answer phone calls right from the watch. Anyway the watch’s battery seems to last two days before it runs out. Usually, though, I charge it every day, as it charges pretty quickly.

I use Nord and have never had a problem. I usually connect to the USA (Seattle) but I’m sure the other countries also work.

Anybody who uses a computer must surely realize how much value it adds to their life. And now that AI is here, it’s really amazing. Anyway, I don’t think age has much to do with it. As long as your brain still works, you’re all set.

It depends, I suppose, on what you use the computer for. If you’re just using it to play around online, I’m sure a MacBook Air would be fine. I use all Apple products and don’t have any complaints. And I wouldn’t worry too much about learning a new system. It’s simple, and there’s no shortage of online help videos. Over the years, I’ve used both Apple and Windows computers. The Apple ecosystem is better, I think.

I’ve ordered all sorts of junk from Amazon for delivery here in Thailand. As I recall, if the item is less than about $20 or maybe $30 dollars, no Thai tax is collected. Items totaling more than that get taxed. Sometimes the tax seems extremely high. And sometimes, I later get a refund to my credit card for part of the tax. I guess someone looks at those items and if they think too much tax was collected, they refund the excess.

I haven’t lived in VA for a long time, but I remember having to deal with the DMV there was annoying. Anyway, some states issue I.D. Cards for people who don’t drive but want some form of official identification. You might look into that.

Even if a retinal tear isn’t diagnosed at this point, the original poster should pay attention to some of the typical symptoms. Don’t delay if you notice strange changes. When I first noticed I had a problem, I was sitting in my car at a traffic light. The car next to me seemed to be moving around in an odd manner. Like it was moving back and forth. As it turned out, it was my retina moving around. The car was standing still. Weird. I went to the eye doctor, he referred me to a retinal specialist, and I had surgery the next day.

Trump’s NY trial and conviction was a political stunt. The result of a witch hunt.

I think the poll assumes too much. Since when are Russia, China, and NK “rouge nations”? Do they deserve that characterization simply because they don’t kowtow to the U.S. oligarchy? The world isn’t so simple these days, as the unipolar world fades away. And yet the propaganda continues, fueled by Neocon nuts. Neither the US nor the other Western powers are in a position to control the world’s eight billion people. Trying to control the world is a path to bankruptcy as we are now witnessing. How many trillion dollars have been wasted over the last few decades? What has been accomplished?

When I had laser surgery for the retinal detachment, they used some kind of sedation. I don’t think it was general anesthesia, but I was most definitely out of it. I went home after the surgery, but at this point I’m not sure how I got there. I’m pretty sure I didn’t drive myself, but if someone else brought me home, I don’t remember at this point. Usually in the US, they want you to have someone to drive you home.

I wonder if any bookies anywhere in the world are taking bets right now about a Biden replacement?

LosLobo, My surgery was done under general anesthesia. I don’t remember anything. The brought me to a room where the operation was performed, I was transferred to another table, they started hooking me up to stuff, they gave me some oxygen to breath, and I think at the same time they must have started the drugs. The next thing I knew, it was 3 1/2 hours later and I was in the recovery room. I had to spend the night in the hospital u see “bed rest.”

Pouatchee, I think they tell you it’s “dangerous “ because it’s more dangerous than doing nothing and because it’s probably not medically necessary. My surgery was a medical necessity. The entire capsular bag with the IOL inside had become detached and was floating around in my eye. Anyway, if I wanted to regain the sight in that eye, I needed the surgery. I talked to the surgeon before hand and she said the operation was fairly common. So I went ahead with it. It has now been a week or so and my vision in that eye is improving every day. I’m still using drops and will be for another few weeks. I’m guessing I’ll be back to normal in a few weeks. I’ve had surgery on the eye twice before. Once to remove a cataract and insert an IOL, and another time for a retinal tear. On both occasions, the recovery was fairly quick. I’m going this time will be no different.

What do you see with each eye separately? Before your brain can sort out anything, I think it has to have something to work with.

Seven years ago, I had surgery to repair a retinal tear. I was in the USA at the time, I’m sure they used a laser, but I don’t know about the 360 degree part. The surgery was done the day after the tear was discovered at an outpatient surgery center. I didn’t feel any pain at all, probably because they knocked me out with something. More recently (just last week) I had surgery in Bangkok to replace a previously installed IOL, which had dropped and was just floating around inside my eye along with the capsular bag. That surgery was done under general anesthesia. Again, I didn’t feel a thing. I’m currently putting drops in my eye at various intervals, and I should be back to normal in another week or so.

I’m not sure who’s buying the US bonds, but everyone should know that the real inflation rate is not the lie they’re currently peddling. At 7%, the interest rate is still a negative real interest rate, I think. 7% is better than 4%, where it was not too long ago. Of course, the cheap rates pushed home values into bubble territory. So when you buy a house today, you’re paying too much, but you’re getting a steal on the mortgage.

I think that part of the problem is that this market isn’t much of a real market these days. At least not like we had years ago. So if we’re in a bull market and it doesn’t seem like it, that’s a possible reason why. Once upon a time, money was more like real money. It meant something. The bond market meant something. Company earnings and earnings growth and revenue and other such metrics all mattered. The industrial base of the U.S. was still intact. At some point, gold was declared to be a “barbaric relic.” Not long after the death of industrial capitalism, Wall Street gained more prominence. Financialization, securitization, etc. An emphasis on the short term. People today are chasing short term gains and profits at the expense of financial stability. It all seems just like a big casino. Anyway, what’s the alternative?