Lacessit

BMI 23.5, Normal. I hate skinny people like you.

Bahtsold

Usually I find I can trust what's reported by taxpayer-funded media in a democracy. The fact politicians are always trying to neuter or defund such media is a reasonable guide to its credibility, and theirs. The ABC in Australia is hated by politicians, because it fact checks many of the claims they make, with frequently embarrassing results. Here's an example: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-18/fact-check-michael-sukkar-first-home-buyers/101074546 As for commercial media, there are two gods. Circulation numbers, and advertising. Guys like Murdoch get circulation by pandering to the lowest common denominator of society. It's probably unknown now for a motoring journalist employed by commercial media to give an honest review of any new vehicle, for fear of losing their jobs when the car advertiser cancels the revenue stream. Social media is a wasteland. Apart from China and Russia subverting it to spread disinformation, it's a picnic ground for climate deniers, antivaxxers, Putin supporters and flat earthers to find support of their confirmation biases. I could go on Facebook armed with a desk, teleprompter, shelf of books, and a serious expression, and spout the most arrant nonsense to an army of listeners who were behind the door when intelligence was handed out. Trump weaponised Twitter to do the same. Who do I trust? Mostly myself.

Many of us still want a security blanket in case we don't die immediately death comes knocking. I doubt anyone wants to die penniless. I have a friend in Australia who says he wants to spend his last dollar the day he dies. Good luck with planning that. My assets are willed to my Thai GF and son, if it helps them enjoy the rest of their lives after I am gone, so much the better.

It's not difficult to dress well cheaply. My GF loves the secondhand stores, that's where my clothes come from. I'm certainly better dressed than many foreigners wearing sandals and wifebeaters. I nearly said thongs, but that's Australian for a form of footwear, and probably would bewilder some non-Australians.

I wouldn't say I am wealthy, just comfortable here. Drive a 16 yo car, 14 yo scooter, and have a 55 yo GF. My policy is to never tell anyone what I have by way of assets here and in Australia. They can guess all they want to. I suppose I am a minimalist, I see no need to impress anyone with possessions.

Really? What is your BMI?

That's some imagination you've got there. Note to self: Be polite to this poster.

Ethylene glycol is used in many engine coolants, and has a similar toxicity to methanol. Propylene glycol is safer, as it is metabolized to lactic acid, a normal product of strenuous exercise. There are several deaths in America every year from ingesting engine coolant.

I never saw a yakuza, I was aware the tattoos were what distinguished them from other Japanese. Quite a few times, I was carefully shepherded around. Although I was left to my own devices many times too.

I guess it depends on whether one regards exercise as hard work, or enjoys it. There's a saying that goes diet is how one takes the weight off, but exercise is necessary to ensure the weight stays off. I'm not fanatical about calorie restriction, but anything that has added sugar is out the door. My general rule is if I can put it on a pantry shelf because it does not need refrigeration, it's probably not good in terms of carbs. Australian rules footballers are among the fittest athletes on the planet, a good midfielder will usually cover 15 - 20 km in a match. However, most fail the body mass index test miserably, because they are all muscle. The uncharitable would say that includes the space between their ears.

I am a work in progress, trying to get my blood sugar and HbA1c down from pre-diabetic. Sounds to me you are more concerned with the cholesterol and triglycerides, HDL, LDL etc. I'll be getting tested in another two months, after that I'll know if I have to be more drastic. It's a balancing act, I've lost 5 kg, but at the same time it's important for me to maintain muscle mass, which is heavier than fat.

Having regulations and having them observed are two different things. I have a friend here who was blocked from building on his property, because he omitted to pay the necessary bribes at the local planning office. Took him five years to get the mess sorted out. I'd assume the OP's neighbors already have the fix in with the relevant authorities. To repeat, this is Thailand.

This is Thailand, building regulations are not on the table. Sell out, and swallow any loss. It's a can't win situation, and shows the initial due diligence was faulty.

Ouch. IMO you are in training to become a diabetic. If you deprive your body of sugar, you are teaching it to metabolize fat instead. As I understand it, that is the principle behind low carb diets. I am not a big consumer of fat. Apparently I can eat yoghurt and cheese reasonably freely on the diet I am following. Fruit usually has more than enough sugar in it for me, mangoes and bananas have a fair load.

I don't freeze anything, I and my GF buy fresh in the markets, and cook the same day. Each to his own, I suppose you could argue our trips on the scooter use gasoline that you save by buying in bulk.

At least they do not appear to be tattooed, which would be even worse.

The sugar load in each of those three is quite astounding, sometimes 20%. I look at the food labeling for the following word: น้ำตาล - num tarn, or sugar in Thai. There's hardly a packaged food in Thailand that does not have that on the label, no wonder the Thais had to buy up Australian sugar production to supplement their own. Pure, white, and deadly.

Those figures are misleading, as they are carbohydrates per 100 grams. If there's sugar, I sure can't taste it. Are you talking cooked bamboo, because i would have thought any sugar gets boiled out. I've lost 5 kg in a month by getting rid of sugar, potatoes, carrots and rice. I allow myself a small amount of whole wheat bread and pasta. I'll stick to what I'm doing. Sorry, off topic.

Agree, she looks lovely. Any free samples? Fess up, would you kick Ne out of bed?

I defy anybody to get fat on a diet of celery, bamboo and cucumber. Go ahead, stuff yourself. Zero carbs.

Possibly the best book ever written on Russia was by Sir Laurens van der Post, "Journey into Russia". In it, he makes the point Russians were a society kept on the run for centuries by the Mongols and Tartars, and hence never got the chance to coalesce from tribalism into a civilized nation as we know it. That's why Putin is successful in their eyes, a strong leader. Russia has thrown up giants in various fields, Dostoevsky,Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky, Sakharov, Pasternak, Nureyev and so on. Having said that, their actions in Ukraine demonstrate at heart, they are still savages.

Perhaps this thread needs a new title, because the assault on Kiev is now ancient history. Russian tactics and logistics in that attack will be studied for decades by military colleges as an example of what NOT to do when attempting a blitzkrieg. They have been rolled back from Kharkiv, the butcher's bill of Russian soldiers stands at anywhere between 15,000 and 30,000, with probably double that wounded. The only hope for Russia in Ukraine now is to negotiate a ceasefire, so they can consolidate the territorial gains in the Donbas. I doubt the Ukrainians will come to the party, they have every reason to hate Russians. Meantime, on the economic front Russia will become a basket case for decades. Most foreign companies will not deal with Russia now, even the Chinese will tread warily. All industries will be forced to cannibalize equipment to keep going, because new spares won't be coming in. Expect several domestic airline crashes in the coming year or two. Every European nation is straining to reduce their dependence on Russian oil and gas. IMO the only hope for the Russian people is for Putin to be toppled. That's a big ask, because the majority have been brainwashed into believing he is a national hero, instead of the thief and murderer he really is. I don't know if the leaders of other countries have the stomach for it, but another option is to invite Putin to the G20. As soon as he sets foot outside Russia, arrest him, and haul him off to the Hague for trial as a war criminal.

Good question. I usually do, but only after I have run a reality check. I also think she has cottoned on to the concept I get quite upset when she lies to me, so she avoids doing it most of the time.

One of the features of Japan that pleasantly surprised me was complete confidence in my personal safety. I got the impression it would be a cause for national shame if a foreigner was assaulted in any shape or form. I was out on the Kabukicho at 2 am, and felt perfectly safe. OTOH, there are places in New York and London I would never go in broad daylight.