AsianAtHeart

That's not scripture. In matters like this, only a "the Bible says..." will work with me. Many people misinterpret the Bible. I do not wish to base my understandings on them. To discuss what the Bible teaches, we must start with what it actually says.

Okay. Say I have borrowed thousands of dollars from you. Now, because you might have covid/TB/monkey pox/cancer/whatever, I won't give it back. Fair? Should the government also support this treatment? The masks are only one step in the process. In some bank branches, the vaccine has been required. This will progress to other requirements in the future. At some point, you or I may not wish to comply, for the requirements have crossed a line. I'm drawing my lines a little earlier than some, perhaps, but it is a matter of principle.

What text of the scripture might you be considering in making this statement? John could not have known Jesus already from some former existence, because Luke 7:19 says "And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?"

The limit in the bed/back of the pickup is four. It has not been consistently enforced. That one started several years ago just as the Songkran holiday was approaching--to considerable outcry. Many farm or factory workers used to pile into the back of the pickup as a makeshift bus. I'm unaware of what the limit might be for the space in the supercab just behind the front seat, for those vehicles that have them. A king-cab, four-door pickup should have seat belts on the second seat that would determine its limit, I presume.

Microwaves work by causing water molecules, which are polar (have a more negative side and a more positive side), to "dance" (reverse directions rapidly in the changing polarity) creating friction, and heat. A microwave works best on water-saturated foods, e.g. soup, tea, milk, boiled porridge, etc. Foods high in protein or fat that have little to no water content can be damaged, molecularly, by the microwave radiation. (The term "radiation" is easy to misunderstand, as this refers generally to a broad range of spectra, from sound waves to radio waves to visible light to x-rays. Microwaves are near the range of the ultrasound devices used for medical purposes, but obviously with higher output power.) Agreed on setting the A/C temp to 29C. We do the same. This is where I see a potential for some savings. Do you use fans at night while the A/C is off? We have an inverter A/C unit, and found that setting it to 29C and running it all night, 24/7 even, was almost the same price as when we had used fans. Fans are electric motors and consume a fair bit while running. The A/C does not need to come on all the time to keep the room cool, and when the pump is not running, it has a gentle, low-powered fan to circulate the already-cooled air and uses less energy than if we were trying to circulate hotter air with a higher-powered fan. I would advise that you experiment a little with this and see. If your A/C unit is efficient, running it MORE and leaving the floor fans off, might actually save electricity and be more comfortable at the same time. In our case, we're a whole lot more comfortable, but have about the same electric bill because we're running the A/C almost full time, as we used to do with the fans. I realize this is counterintuitive, and perhaps, even, it does not apply to every A/C unit. Ours seems more efficient than I initially suspected looking at its documentation, and our is still quite new--just bought it this year. We had always before just used fans, assuming that A/C would be very expensive, but this year was so hot we couldn't sleep at night, and I felt it was adversely affecting my health. Mind you, our A/C is in the bedroom, and we shut the door--so we're not using A/C except in the bedroom. We're not cooling the entire house. If one has LED lights, it will save electricity to "religiously" turn them off when not in use. But one should be aware that for fluorescent bulbs, this is not necessarily so. Fluorescent fixtures involve a little more energy requirement at startup time, and tend to shorten the life of the bulb the more it is started. So your electric savings may be lost in replacement bulbs. LED bulbs typically pay for themselves in electric savings in about 18 months assuming one is using the lights for about 6-8 hours per day. After the initial investment is recovered in electricity savings, the rest is pure "profit" per the "a penny saved is a penny earned" rule. One of the first things I do when I rent a house is convert all the lights to LEDs. As we've had our current set of LEDs for over a year now, we're already enjoying electricity savings, and the LED bulbs were basically free, having paid for themselves. And LEDs last much longer than CFLs. It's not just the switches to watch out for. Transformers that are plugged in waste a little power even when not supplying a current to a load. Those, when not in use, should be unplugged. One might even notice, when feeling them, that they are a little warm when plugged in, even without a load. So if your charger is not in use, unplug it from the wall outlet. See here for more: https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/everyday-tech/plug-in-transformer.htm

How long ago did you read it? I find that every time I read the Bible, I seem to understand new things that I had never noticed before. Especially is this true when I have neglected to read it for awhile. It is a law of the human mind, however, that people tend to see what they look for and expect. If you do not expect to find God as you read, you may not find Him. If you really want to find God, I would humbly suggest you take another look, and read it "with new eyes" as it were, to see what you might find. There are many blessings in God's Word beyond simply a revelation of who God is. Yes, there are stories about the tribes of Israel--but these are not even half of the Bible. There is much more to see. If the tribes' stories are not your favorite, start with the New Testament. John is a very nice book to read, and I like Matthew, too. The book of Acts also has good stories. You may have read them all before, but if it has been awhile, why not give it another go? Best wishes for your happiness.

Yes. This is why I specified in my first post to get the test done first if you wanted to get tested. It's an added expense, but may be well worth getting tested at the same time for homocysteine levels. The fact is that the lab will tell you that your B12 is "in range" for a rather wide range...something like 250 up to 900? (I don't remember exactly--would have to look it up.) The problem is that if your homocysteine is elevated, it shows that even if you are reportedly within the "normal" range for B12, you actually need much more of it. Again, this is better discussed with a qualified physician who knows and understands the relationship between vitamin B12 levels and homocysteine levels. Not every doctor does. You can find some information about the relationship between these by searching online. You will find a lot of information about homocysteine in general. That's another worthwhile line of research. NOTE: The homocysteine test won't be so quickly affected by having started the B12 supplements, so it should still give some good results, and may help to provide a "check" for the B12 results. I am also a vegetarian--but I consume some dairy products (yogurt and eggs, mostly), largely for their B12. Eggs, however, also are high in sulfur which helps to eliminate/counteract toxins. The highest sulfur-containing food in a purely vegan diet will be garlic, which has only 1/8 as much as the same serving size of egg--and who sits down to eat a plate of garlic? In Thailand, rice and even the water can have elevated levels of arsenic, and the sulfur is helpful to eliminate this. There will be a lower percentage of arsenic in white rice than in brown rice, so there is some advantage here, beyond shelf life, for the polished rice. Arsenic is also a possible factor in the hearing issues, though I would suspect mercury ahead of the arsenic.

I got some Firestones that were mud tires, deeper tread than what was shown in @Damrongsak's first photo. It's not the best brand, I know, but the shop at the time didn't have any near equivalent in another brand. And they have lasted me well--nearly four years, at about 15,000 km/year. Our vehicle is 4x4, though, and I've been very pleased with its performance in mud. It does make more noise on the highway, but, like you, I was willing enough to have that. And I probably only need the mud tires once in a while as well, but it's sure worth it when you need it. One suggestion: Get a larger size if your wheel well supports it--both in diameter and width. This will give more traction in mud, and better mileage, too. I did that, and the tires even rub a little on the wheel well when cornering sometimes, but it seems to have improved the traction rather noticeably.

I would say to the OP that if he has enough money to be concerned about the need for a prenuptial agreement, he does not need to stay in Thailand based on marriage. There are other legal ways for a secure man to live comfortably in Thailand. Having said that, unless he has children with the wife of his choosing, he would be risking his ability to stay should a divorce be in the reckoning. Even with children, he would be limited to 20 years, as once they are older than 20 they are no longer considered his dependents, with a few exceptions, e.g. the child is unmarried and still in school, or is sick and needing continued care/hospitalization, etc. If he's extra capable and/or fortunate, he may be able to obtain Thai citizenship within about five years of having married--which could not afterward be revoked simply for having divorced. But this is a difficult path, by all accounts, and requires learning Thai, having a sufficient income for three years, etc. A citizen, though, would no longer need to worry about visas, 90-day reporting, re-entry permits, etc. etc. I think it's a very unadvisable idea, regardless, to marry just to have a reason to stay in Thailand. Marriage is a life-impacting decision, and not to be taken lightly.

If we consider some of the reasons that people do NOT believe in God, we find that they are based on inaccuracies and myths that have been propagated by society. Perhaps it is a bit like "fake news." Many of those who believe in God have, unwittingly, become the source of these myths, by not taking time to study the Bible carefully and to see what it really says. They have jumped to conclusions. Some, perhaps, have thought that by exaggerating the facts, people would be more driven to seek God. But error is never harmless. Any inaccuracy in teaching or understanding the truth can have devastating consequences. In this post, I will tackle just ONE of the many myths that have caused people to give up their belief in God: eternal hell. Most Christians today have the wrong idea on this subject. I've seen some of its effects on display in posts made in this thread. So let's look at what the Bible actually teaches. Q: Is hell fire forever? A: "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." (Jude 1:7) "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:" (Matthew 25:41) Yes. The fire is called "everlasting" and "eternal" in the Bible. Q: Will sinners burn forever? A: "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) Unforgiven sinners must die, not live forever in flames. The forgiven receive eternal life as a gift. Q: What about this text: "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." (Revelation 14:11)? A: The word "smoke" is important here. Smoke only comes from something that has already burned and is now gone. When nothing remains but smoke, there are no flames--and, indeed, this text does not mention flames. That the smoke ascends "for ever and ever" indicates that the punishment will never be reversed: it is final. There is more to this text, but it goes beyond the scope of this post. Q: If sinners do not burn forever, why is the fire eternal? A: The fire is God. See these texts below. "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God." (Deuteronomy 4:24) "For our God is a consuming fire." (Hebrews 12:29) Those familiar with the Bible will know that God has appeared as a fire in multiple accounts. We think of the burning bush which Moses saw in the wilderness, the pillar of fire by night by which God led His people through the wilderness, the flames that descended over the apostles' heads at Pentecost, and more. And, because God is a fire, and God is eternal, the fire of God's presence is also eternal. Q: If God is a fire, will not the righteous be living in fire in heaven? A: Yes! Consider these texts. "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;" (Isaiah 33:14-15; cf. Psalm 15) "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2) The righteous will be able to live in the fire without harm. A Biblical parallel is seen in the story of Daniel's three friends who were thrown into the fiery furnace, and were seen walking with a fourth person whom the king likened to the Son of God. Only the ropes that had bound them burned, and their clothing, when they finally came out, did not even have the smell of smoke, nor was their hair at all singed. * * * * * * * * * Conclusion Hellfire lasts forever. Its punishment is irreversible. But no sinner will be tormented forever. The conclusion that many atheists make, based upon the false teaching of eternal hell, that there cannot be a loving God because no God would do such a thing is based on a true conclusion--for it is absolutely certain that a God of love would not delight in the torture of the lost for eternity. However, it is not God who deserves to be rejected in this case, but rather the false teaching. It is a teaching that has harmed millions, and still it is taught by many today.

Why should a bank be more concerning than a post office or grocery store? Or maybe I just don't know that word you used--couldn't find it in my dictionary.

Where I am, many of the Thais are not wearing them--unless they go to a superstore or something, then they virtually all do. (I think they still believe it is required in those places.) Just around town, it's hard to say exactly, but I'd estimate that it's close to 50/50 on mask wearing. The trend toward removing them began sometime back, and, in this locality, at least, it began with the elderly. The older Thais were the first to go maskless. That seemed to set an example for others to follow. EDIT: I should add that where I am there are few foreigners, and the trend that I have seen shows the foreigners wearing masks more consistently than the Thai. I'm one of the exceptions among the foreigners here. I can go days, though, without seeing another foreigner.

The account has no card.

Do they wear masks in the home country? And are people all uniform in thinking and action in the home country? Is it right to expect everyone to think alike? ... This has little to do with race, entitlement, or disrespect. From my perspective, I respect others more by not wearing the mask. Why? Because I show them that I am not afraid of them. I am willing to be vulnerable in their presence, and oftentimes they will also remove their masks. And guess what? I am not sick, nor sickened, nor are they harmed by my presence. I attend a group gathering of people, nearly always the same ones, regularly...and for the first two or three hours, a number of them will have masks on, almost as if it were a religious duty. But then comes mealtime, and, guess what? All those masks come off and we spend the next hour eating together. It seems rather silly to have worn the mask, then, does it not? But there has been no outbreak. Nor should one be expected.

https://www.newsweek.com/fauci-said-masks-not-really-effective-keeping-out-virus-email-reveals-1596703

It has been said that even a 20% rise in mortality would have been a source of panic, reported in all the news venues, as near as a decade ago. That's a very large increase. Where I am, we have noticed an average of at least two or three funerals per month, just on our street (we get to live with the funeral music virtually all the time, because each funeral goes for several days to a week). Pre-covid days, this would have been rather extraordinary. Sure, you'd get a funeral once in awhile--but several a month? From the pictures attached to the biers as they drive past the house we can see that they're not all elderly. One of the most lamented cases was that of a local teacher.

I guess I must have missed seeing it. What I saw was the moderator's comment immediately following my post in which I had quoted the mod....which concerned me as to the possible connection. I appreciate the clarification.

Am I permitted to ask? Is it acceptable to respond to mods' posts? Are you not engaging in the discussion just as anyone else? If I should not be quoting you, please tell me directly, as I'm not sure what to make of your comment.

I do. No one stops me from entering, but I think I'm the only one in the store, apart from infants or toddlers, without a mask. Sometimes the employees are double-masked. I guess they're wearing my mask for me.

Why should their clients put up with this nonsense? It's not their money, it's MINE that they are holding, and I should have a right to it. If they do not wish for me to enter their bank, for whatever reason, they must provide an alternative means to return my money to me.

Go ahead and take those--it's a good start...but I should have posted more in my prior post. It's just so hard to tell you everything that is important all at once, and this forum makes it difficult to post medical advice in the first place, so I have to tell you to research these things for yourself. Anyhow, here's the next thing to research. Look up the differences between cyanocobalamin (what you bought), hydroxocobalamin (slightly better), methylcobalamin (much, much better), and adenosylcobalamin (probably unavailable). You will probably find that studies have shown that cyanocobalamin, the cheapest and most widely available supplemental form of vitamin B12, is largely (98%) lost from the system within 24 hours of intake, regardless of whether administered via IV or orally. I became anemic while taking cyanocobalamin shots once a week--as a young person on a totally vegan diet. That was before doctors knew as much as we know now. (And I haven't been vegan since.) Even still, virtually all of the B12 on product labels as an enrichment product will be cyanocobalamin. Most all of the B12 marketed today is still cyanocobalamin. Methylcobalamin, if you can find it, will be much more expensive, but well worth it. The old adage applies: "You get what you pay for." Methylcobalamin is already in a natural form that your body can use, whereas cyanocobalamin must be broken down by the liver into its component cyanide + cobalamin molecules. But you don't need to take my word for it--the internet will be full of information from credible sources. Vitamin B12 is the largest vitamin in our bodies--a very large molecule. Taken by mouth, it requires something called "intrinsic factor" in the stomach before it can be absorbed in the upper intestine. The intrinsic factor is essentially an enzyme injector that surrounds the cobalamin molecule and later "injects" it through the lining of the intestine, where, without the intrinsic factor, the small holes in the intestine would keep the B12 from passing through. After the B12 has passed through, the intestine has to reclose that hole made by the intrinsic factor to prevent the admittance of bacteria. That's how large the B12 is. Even meat-eaters can become deficient in B12 if they have inadequate production of intrinsic factor, which tends to happen with age. And because intrinsic factor is only produced a little at a time, taking a horse pill of B12 will do no good because only as much as there is intrinsic factor for can possibly be absorbed. So, with B12, it is important to have a regular, steady source, and it can take some time to make up for a deficiency. When one is deficient and begins taking the B12, the effect may become noticeable in about two to three months. Some may notice feeling more energetic almost right away; for others it will take much longer. Taking B12 by IM injection is much better because it gets the B12 into the system without dependence on intrinsic factor. It is possible to inject a thousand times or more B12 than could be absorbed through the stomach. If you can get a diagnosis of B12 deficiency, your doctor may be able to order injections for you. Believe it or not, many doctors do not even know all of this that I have just shared. They don't study about diet or foods in medical school--they study about anatomy/physiology, diseases, and drugs. Doctors in Laos did not even seem to know that a vegan diet will not provide vitamin B12, and a friend of mine nearly died of B12 deficiency in the hospital there. "Oh no, a vegan diet, rich in vegetables, will provide all the vitamins you need"--the doctor had said (in Lao). Ha! How does one tell a doctor that his ignorance is showing?

And the forum rules here state that one cannot make any comment about the moderation here, and cannot choose a negative emoticon for one of the mods' posts. Enforced by banishment, I suppose. Is there a link somewhere here, politically?

Sorry I didn't see this sooner. Because it occurred suddenly, overnight as you say, we can safely rule out the loss of the inner-ear hairs (which would be irreversible). Those hairs would normally be lost with loud noises or over-stimulation, a little at a time. And the hairs would have nothing to do with a continued "ringing." The symptoms are entirely consistent with nerve-related issues. You need to research into three possibilities: 1) The effect of B-12 deficiency on the nerves and hearing. 2) The effects of toxins, like mercury, on those nerves. 3) The effects of an inner-ear infection which might be causing swelling and/or nerve damage. Ask your doctor about these possibilities. In the case of an infection, the doctor / otorhinolaryngologist should be able to identify this, possibly with a visual examination of the ear drum to check for color and inflammation. An infection may be treatable with a proper course of antibiotics. In my case, a doctor prescribed Augmentin for 14 days. B12 deficiency and the identification of toxins in the system will require more expensive testing. Be aware that if B12 deficiency is the cause, if the condition is allowed to remain untreated for a prolonged period of time, the hearing loss may become permanent. Because B12 is always safe, and many are deficient anyhow, I would recommend supplementing with this in any case--but if you are going to get a blood test to check your levels of B12, wait to start the supplements until after the blood draw, lest they skew the results. Again, consulting a knowledgeable physician first would be a good idea. He can then order the test if he is also concerned. A common CBC will have a line for MCV (mean cell volume, i.e. the average size of the red blood cells). If the number for the MCV is higher than about 90, this can be indicative of B12 deficiency (and most doctors don't think of this--even though they know that B12 deficiency will cause enlarged RBCs). So you can ask your doctor to have this common test done first--especially as the full test for B12 is less common and more expensive. However, the MCV will not be a perfect indicator; it only gives a rough idea.

You do not have the same rights, and never will, as a native-born Thai. But more importantly, Thai people will never accept you as a Thai--even if they treat you as one for legal purposes. Now, supposing the German of our story has obtained Thai citizenship--how would that affect people's perception or treatment of him now?

Well, I gave the short answer. There is much more, including that I collected aluminum cans as a child and the stuff stank badly. I've been told that no one really likes the flavor of beer--they drink it for the "buzz," not for the savor. When that "buzz" is accompanied by reduced mental function, beginning with the delayed reflexes and ending with lack of common inhibitions to inappropriate public behaviors, who wants it? "Happy hour" is appropriately named--as it only lasts about that long, after which one often has greater problems still and less money to meet them. Some even die of inebriation, as it is poison. Perhaps, though, my biggest reason for staying off the stuff is that it is unhealthful and I don't feel I could drink alcohol to the glory of God.