Lacessit

If I Recall Correctly. This time, I didn't.

I am wondering whether there is any room left for comedians on this thread. I started as a caddie. I mixed with some extremely wealthy people, but somehow none of the riches rubbed off on me.

Exactly how did that happen, or are you blaming the current government for your own choices? My retirement savings are the same as they were two years ago.

IIRC it was the easily led who were involved in the insurrection of January 6. Will you be donating to his campaign? Just once, I'd like to see a Trump supporter on ASEAN put their money where their mouth is.

IIRC the airlines limit power banks to 10,000.

Repeating a belief does not add to its veracity.

Possibly even more so at 18 yo. It's a bit of bigotry/racism that seems to only apply to Thais, the Chinese and Indians don't get the same lens applied. My son went through university about 30 years ago. At the time, he estimated about one-third of the female students were selling sex to help make ends meet. The immigration lawyer cost me $1100 about 6 years ago. I think the tourist visa itself was $350. Course fees are dependent on the prestige of the tertiary institution, international students pay more. These are Melbourne University fees: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0028/341893/2023-International-Fee-Table_NOV.docx.pdf Living expenses, no idea. Rents have gone through the roof, I'm glad I am not there anymore.

I am wondering when Merrick Garland will drop the other shoe. I suppose leading America from a jail cell is preferable to him doing it from a golf course, less expensive for US taxpayers.

Correct.

Any young woman ( and older ones ) coming from Thailand seems to be automatically regarded as a prostitute by Australian authorities. A very convincing data set of support needs to be assembled to satisfy them, I would suggest engaging an Australian-based immigration lawyer. Private schools are extremely expensive, the last 4 years prior to university at Haileybury one is looking at $35,920 per year.

Like it or not, the USD is still the world's reserve currency, and most international transactions are written in USD. Out of the BRIC bloc, only China has a GDP close to the US, and the CCP has its own problems with a property collapse and a faltering economy, due to draconian lockdown policies.

If I had 1000 baht for every time I was held up at a checkout by someone faffing about on their phones to pay, I'd be driving the latest Beemer.

Good grief. IIRC, the last time I paid for anything with a cheque in Australia was 2014. Cheque books there are about as up-to-date as bustles and button-up boots. I suppose America is consistent, they still have gallons and pounds. Hey fellas, the rest of the world has gone metric. I can't see this working in rural areas, cash will still be king for a long time to come. Although the poorest villagers still manage to scrape together enough for a smartphone. It's the wet dream of governments to have every transaction digital and hence traceable. I have news for them, criminals have probably worked out how to get around traceability already.

With that amount of word salad, perhaps you should try Vietnamese kopi luwak. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_luwak

All of Italy is obsessed with fashion statements, I'm not. Gucci, Versace, Prada, Zegna, Ferrari - need I go on? Black coffee + milk = flat white as far as I am concerned. Frothing and pouring does nothing to change the taste, ask any flavor chemist. It's just visual flim-flam.

Unless frothing and pouring performs some miracle of transmutation, milk is still milk, its composition is unchanged. I think what you mean is a BS ritual invented by Australian baristas to make the customer think they are getting something special.

Enlighten me, please.

They don't need to know what a flat white means. I ask for a hot Americano with milk on the side. To me, that's a flat white. In Chiang Rai, I occasionally have a spinach and mushroom omelet with salad on the side. 90 baht. At the same place, the ham, cheese, tomato, onion and lettuce roll ( fresh-baked bread ) is 80 baht, the mango smoothie 70 baht. Fills me up nicely. I'm sure Bangkok, Pattaya etc. those dishes would be much more expensive. And the coffee.

You're probably right as far as an American website goes. Oysters are capable of bio-accumulating far higher amounts of organo-mercury compounds if they are present. It depends on where they came from, and how strict or lax the food standards are. Just ask a Minamata Bay survivor. Many years ago, I worked as a consultant in the industrial area of Map Ta Phut, near Rayong. In auditing the water treatment systems, I found the most common solution to pollution was dilution. I doubt much has changed.

I recommend the OP installs DUO. Better picture quality, does not drop out like LINE. Linked to email addresses. It does seem to be a recent trend for companies to dispense with call centres as a cost-cutting measure. I've had the same experience with iHerb. They don't seem to realize the money they save is less than the cost of the customers they lose.

Oysters also accumulate heavy metals such as mercury. Come to think of it, that may explain your frenetic posting.

I guess you believe in their aphrodisiac properties. Enjoy.

IIRC, you were saying yuck to a pork tenderloin, mustard and cheese sandwich I posted on another thread. What the hell is that, chicken livers?

One can buy almost any type of air weapon in the Mae Sai markets.

I don't disagree electricity is cheaper than jet fuel, although it's worth noting electricity costs are going through the roof in Australia too. As Australia is still 70% reliant on fossil fuel, the pollution is simply being transferred somewhere else. Economy of scale is the problem. The cheapest one-way fare Melbourne to Sydney is currently $70. A conventional jet carrying 300 passengers makes $21,000 on the flight, out of which fuel, pilot wages, ground staff and airport fees have to be paid. Nine passengers would bring in $630. The two pilots alone would cost the airline about $200. There's no room left to make a profit on those numbers, unless the airline is charging a much higher ticket price for the privilege of flying electric. IMO, competing with regional aircraft carrying a similar amount of passengers would be much more viable. The flight from Moorabbin to King Island would be ideal.