Lacessit

I guess food inflation at 10%, bank interest rates at 21%, and a ruble that has depreciated from 60 to the dollar to 102 to the dollar are signs of a healthy, vibrant economy. Official data from Russia itself. I suggest you refrain from giving anyone financial advice.

Perhaps you could do us a favor, post the success statistics of these non-mainstream treatments for various cancers. I have been treated in hospitals for bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. I am damn sure I would not be in full remission on an alternative treatment, such as a macrobiotic diet. Why is it anti-vaxxers shy away from 0.5 mL of something in their arm once a year, while happily imbibing a Class 1 carcinogen on a daily basis?

IMO Putin had no choice. Propping up Assad with Russian troops and equipment was not feasible, when he has his hands full with Ukraine.

Certainly is, for the attention span of the average Trump supporter.

The last time Trump slapped tariffs on China, it retaliated by importing food from other countries, and freezing out American farmers. It took massive subsidies to placate them for the lost business, and wiped out any gains the tariffs had made.

I do realize there are people out there who are smarter than me, You are not one of them.

My creatinine level is in normal range, 1.09 vs 0.67 - 1.17 mg/dL. My eGFR is 63 vs normal range 90-120. Should I be concerned?

It's called realpolitik, or pragmatism. After all, Menachem Begin was designated a terrorist before becoming the prime minister of Israel. I guess the Declaration of Independence by 13 colonies was regarded as a terrorist manifesto too.

eGFr?

Sorry, I forgot Trump supporters can't understand sarcasm.

Every six months, I have a full blood test and an EKG. I send them to specialists in Australia. I get them done at Mengrai Labs and a cardiology clinic. Full blood test is 1300 baht, EKG with ultrasound 2500 baht. Mengrai highlight results outside normal range.

That's for my GF's birthday.

I don't give anything for New Year, so I guess it evens out.

I am deferring to your superior powers of prediction.

Can you pick the next winning lottery numbers, and PM me?

I did correct my post, 42% of cars in Canada are American - made. Which does make me wonder what Trump would do for the auto industry if Canada slapped tit-for-tat tariffs on American cars, given the UAW endorsed the Biden/Harris ticket.

World wide, countries import German, Japanese and Korean cars. The Chinese are coming as well, mainly with EV's. Damned if I can think of any country that imports cars made in America. Except Canada.

I don't worry too much about government surveillance. Bureaucrats are naturally nosy, the strategy is to give them minimum information, and stay under the radar. Having said that, governments hate cash because they don't know who has it, or what it is being spent on. I use cashless in Australia, and cash here. It's a matter of convenience. I think of it as having two strings to my bow. People who go cashless entirely are up the proverbial creek without a paddle if their bowstring breaks.

Climate change is real. Vaccinations save millions of people from death or serious debilitation. The science is there. No argument about big pharma, IMO Thai doctors are among the biggest shills.

Yes they can. They have bought gold sneakers ( made in China ) and Trump bibles at a hefty premium. Trading cards, and shares in a company that is so far from making a profit it may as well be on the moon. The decline in American quality of goods began in the early 1970's, when short term profits were given precedence over company reputation. A personal experience of this was when I bought a pair of Florsheim shoes in the early eighties. Superbly made, I still have them. Ten years later, I bought another pair. Utter garbage that wore out in 5 years. America can't renew its manufacturing base behind a tariff wall. That only has companies producing goods of inferior quality, with the same old focus on short-term profit.

Yes. That's why employment in science did not suit you. Manipulation in science is a career death sentence, when detected.

Women of all stripes are seeking a good provider. It comes with the territory. IMO many foreign men marry bar girls because sex is readily available, without the usual frills demanded by non- bar girls. It makes a refreshing change for many. Some girls have skills a "decent" woman would never countenance. As far as getting scammed by bar girls goes, there are good ones and bad ones, and anyone who gets scammed by a bad one IMO has been thinking solely with the small head.

Proselytizing for Christianity AND EV's?

I normally give my GF's relatives a modest cash gift for Christmas, although I am somewhat amused by the mixture of religions. Do you (a) give gifts (b ) reserve for a more Buddhist occasion (c) give something else than cash?

IMO Centrelink has some explaining to do. Why should two sets of rules re payments be applied to anyone living overseas?