Lacessit

Two residences, two cars, two scooters. I save more of my pension than I spend. Impossible in Australia, I would be paying 70 -80% of my pension in rent alone. I recently was in a government hospital with bacterial pneumonia. 90 minutes from Emergency Department to a hospital bed, with an IV antibiotic in my arm. In any Australian government hospital, the transition would have taken me 5-6 hours. It's also worth noting private hospitals in Thailand have Emergency Departments. Private hospitals in Australia do not.

Trump won't care if he is dealing with Ukraine or Russia for the minerals. Any security assurances he offers Ukraine are worthless. Not that any have seen the light of day thus far.

IIRC Putin has signed into law first strike capability for Russia's nuclear arsenal. Who has attempted to invade Russia since the Nazis? IMO Putin would be far better advised to be looking eastwards. Russia ( or should I say Putin ) was making a motza out of selling oil and gas to Europe. Nobody wanted to upset that balance except Putin, who crapped in his own nest by invading Ukraine - again. You are spouting Russian propaganda.

The Fed is not going to cut interest rates. It will probably raise them in response to the inflation crisis that is going to be occurring with tariffs, and deportation of cheap labor. There are very few people who invest in the share market that do not understand low interest rates are an incentive to buy shares, as dividends get better than bank interest rates. Conversely, when dividends are less than bank interest, it is safer to be cashed-up, and stay out of the stockmarket. Of course, the situation is much worse when investors are hoping for capital growth, rather than dividend income. Which is why Tesla shares tank if there is a downturn in sales. The ancient Greeks said Hubris is always followed by Nemesis. Strap yourselves in. Buy gold.

Attacking the poster is the sign of someone with no other argument. The objective should be to bleed Russia until it is no longer capable of aggression. Preferably with regime change. How many American and EU lives have been lost in Ukraine? The Ukrainians are doing all the work for you.

America has 80 km of high speed rail. SF to LA is about 600 km. Perhaps you should ask the Chinese to build it for you. 48,000 km in China, they would not even break a sweat. Maybe you should have put a sarcasm alert with your post.

Peace will last as long as it takes for Russia to rearm. Anything Putin signs on to is not worth the paper it is written on, he has proven that repeatedly. The Budapest Memorandum guaranteed the sovereignty of Ukraine in return for surrendering its nuclear arsenal. Putin did not honor that deal. There was no coup in 2014. Russia illegally annexed Crimea, then held a sham referendum, supervised by Russian soldiers. I guess there's a few ASEAN posters who like rewriting history. As an ally, IMO America is now more dangerous to its friends, than it is to its enemies.

I guess as some kind of financial genius, a 50% drop in sales in your most important markets would not concern you. Or the fact the Chinese are making cheaper alternatives of better quality, just like the Japanese and Koreans before them. Tariffs will fix all that, right? Like most men, Musk has a big head and small head. Perhaps the mission of the small head is to repopulate Western society with Aryan stock. He's certainly giving it a try.

If it is so painful, how was Trump able to play over 300 games of golf in his last Presidency? Perhaps $240 million from the taxpayers eases his pain.

If you want to twist what I said, that's on you. You're saying I am advocating violence, after saying no-one in Thailand had the balls to challenge you wearing a Trump hat? Classic doublethink.

Don't worry, we will still recognize your posting style.

That's because sensible people seeing it would automatically classify you as mentally defective, and walk away.

You said you wore your Trump hat around Thailand, and you are talking about wackos?

You would lose the bet. Fourth generation Australian, Scots, Danish and French ancestry. I am a realist. Trump's naked betrayal of Ukraine in favor of sucking up to Putin says to me as an ally, America is not worth p!ssing on.

It was a marvelous testament to the doctors at Walter Reed Hospital, taxpayer-funded of course. Trump's ear would have been a very small target to hit, as he does not use them for listening to anybody. The shooter would have done better aiming at his mouth.

I support my GF, and I know some of that support goes to her immediate family. In return, she will take care of me until I die. I am also helping my GF's grand-daughter through university. I have a regular massage lady and caddie. Some days, I am the only client they get. When I die, my GF will have enough to live on comfortably for the rest of her life. So yes, I have an impact, albeit a modest one.

I was under the impression Hunter received a pardon from his father for anything deemed criminal. If he is broke, at least it indicates he was not getting bribes from anyone. E Jean Carroll was more successful with a defamation suit, although I doubt a cent has been paid in damages.

There is a counter-movement gaining momentum. This organisation is handing out Swasticar stickers, to be placed on any Tesla.. Quite ironic, given Musk's espousal of free speech. https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/auto/2025/03/06/everyone-hates-elon

Your opinion means nothing too. Free ride? We have loyally stood beside you, spending our blood and treasure in wars you have engaged in, starting with Korea. You have spy bases in our country, making us a nuclear target. The USA has a positive trade balance with Australia. We don't apply tariffs to your goods and services. Yet your leader has applied a 25% tariff to a staunch ally. Free ride? We are paying you $360 billion for 6 second-hand nuclear submarines. We could buy 24 brand new subs for the same price from the French. Just take your spy bases, submarines, and soldiers stationed in Darwin, and <deleted> off. We are probably better off with the Chinese.

I go back to Australia regularly. I find it quite stressful, with the cost of living and nanny state regulations. For example, if there is a police car parked on the side of any road in Victoria, cars must slow down to 40 km/hr. More, it's a fine. The PM2.5 in my condo in Chiang Rai is 36 as I type. I can feel myself relaxing every time my aircraft descends into Chiang Rai. I am home.

Plumbing is a skilled occupation. As are electricians and carpenters. Your post is a non-sequitur. I would be very surprised too. I would expect immigrants with those skills to be coming in legally, with the protection of award wages. Are you saying there is no requirement in the building industry for unskilled labor?

It would appear you have drunk so much Kool-Aid it is coming out of every orifice, including your pores.

I get it, as a statistical sample of one employer, you are living proof the building trade does not employ illegals.

I guess you won't mind paying more for your vegetables, then. Some people like the holier than thou shtick.

1/ The cost of living is so cheap here my savings are being accrued, rather than depleted. 2/ My GF will take care of me until I draw my last breath. 3/ Plenty of entertainment - books, TV etc at the click of a mouse. 4/ The level of air pollution appears to be decreasing in what should be the worst month. Currently 35 AQI in my condo.