Lacessit

I guess you don't look at the price of gasoline at the pump, which affects every Thai. That's a shot in the wallet.

I would be delighted if you could explain for the benefit of all how that is possible. BTW, yes you will have to be in Oz for at least 183 days in a year, if projected simplification of the residency definition goes through.

I suppose chemicals, because even they won't work if the chemistry between you is not there.

The war is about theft, in the Putin tradition. The Donbas sits on huge reserves of gas, is Ukraine's industrial heartland, and also has the black soil ( chernozem ) which supports most of Ukraine's food production. The war echoes the Nazi desire for "lebensraum" to the east. It also helps Putin's strongman image among Russians, although that would be looking pretty tattered now if Russians had a free press. I'm just wondering how the body bags are being hidden. Putin has repeatedly stated he wants to go back to the USSR. Putin lost Ukraine as an ally when his puppet oligarch, Poroshenko, got booted out in a popular uprising. NATO is a defensive organisation, of course Putin does not see it that way.

Perhaps you mean the aged care system, I mentioned health already.

True, we are not spending our pensions in the Australian economy. If there are proponents of taxing pensions of people living overseas, they conveniently forget we don't cost anything in rent assistance, the PBS, telephone and energy supplements etc. We don't get the sweeteners handed out by politicians hoping to keep us onside. We don't take up space at Centrelink offices, and we are zero burden on the Australian health system.

You'd be surprised at what a little chemistry can do for both of you. Why should youth have all the fun?

I have three good friends here, the rest are acquaintances. I define a friend as someone who would try to help me if I had a problem, and I would do the same for them. I don't socialise much, TBH I find the bar stool standard of conversation extremely limited.

Please point out to me where I said that, and stop trying to put words in my mouth. Putin tries to kill anyone who opposes him, irrespective of their religion or nationality. Abramovich changed his tune after most of his wealth got expropriated or frozen, that's why Putin wants him dead now. I'm focused on the fact your posts do not even argue competently, and attempt diversion at every turn.

Quote: " Putins inner circle of Russians who put him into power and are allied to him are Jewish." Unquote. Are you adding short term memory loss to your posting deficiencies?

IIRC, it is suspected an attempt was made to poison Abramovich recently. No good deed goes unpunished, eh?

Errrm a statistical sample of one is a long way from all of them, as implied by your original post. Try harder.

30% of what? Starting to tax the OAP would be an electoral gift to Labor.

You have some authoritative link which identifies Putin's inner circle of Russians as Jewish? IIRC, they mostly allied with the Russian Orthodox Church, as is Putin. "so the suggestion" - gaslighting of something that does not exist. Putin used de-nazification as a pretext for invading Ukraine, Zelensky being Jewish tends to neuter that pretext. I suggest you study Ukraine's history, going back to 1712. Perhaps then you might stop posting complete rubbish.

There's no difference in the tyranny both symbols have demonstrated before and now. If you think it's time the world moved on from labeling people as Nazis, have a word in Putin's ear. It is his pretext for invading Ukraine, even if Zelensky happens to be Jewish.

He gives a pretty good imitation, murdering and poisoning his opponents, extinguishing protests, shutting down the media, and having children brainwashed in schools. Actually, he's worse than Hitler, I can't recall Hitler poisoning anyone.

Increases in cost of living. The gasoline price has gone from 30 baht/litre to 40 baht/litre, that flows into costs for all kinds of goods. I'm not comfortable with a murderer, thief and poisoner trying to re-order the world back to the days of Stalin. Possibly Kremlin apologists and those lacking any moral compass are.

It’s been a year like no other. The oil price went negative, airlines were grounded, some forever. A single meat market in Wuhan, specializing in exotic meats for conspicuous consumption by wealthy Chinese, generated a virus which spread like wildfire. Countries went into lockdown, some stringently, some half-heartedly. The results are there for everyone to see. Millions became employed overnight. Some countries responded with support, others opted for benign neglect. Vaccines were developed at unprecedented speed. A would-be tyrant was rejected at the polls. Most if not all of us will say goodbye and good riddance to 2020. I’m in Thailand by choice and some good luck. Two weeks later in February, and I would still be locked down in Australia, contemplating slashing my wrists. A much more enjoyable life for me here. Having said that, there are some things I miss about my home country. I miss the wind. In Thailand, it seems the wind can’t get much above a gentle zephyr. I would rug up with about four layers of clothing in winter, go down to Gunnamatta beach with an offshore wind of 50-60 km/hr, and watch 10 metre waves pound the coast. Nature at its most primeval. I miss the wineries that dot the Mornington Peninsula, where one could have a light lunch and a couple of glasses of the local product, which most of the time was very good. Apart from Thai wine quality, I don’t believe Thais know what a cellar door is, or what it’s for. I miss my 2004 Mitsubishi Magna AWD sedan, IMO one of the most underrated vehicles ever produced. Balanced like a cat on dirt roads and wet bitumen. About a third the new car price of a comparable Mercedes. My son has it now, still plugging along with 300,000 km on the odometer. I miss the golf competitions I used to play. Par, foursomes, match play, Canadian foursomes. Here, it’s just stroke and Stableford. Boring. I miss the camaraderie of the Wednesday Boys. 15 – 20 of us, some real characters and nicknames. The Poet, The Farmer, The Whippet, Pistol Pete, Triple Treat. Best net score got a two-dollar coin from every other player, with an appropriate obeisance. Some really acid sledging during play, one of the best at my expense. A day when I was spraying my tee shots all over the course, but making pars because I’m holing putts from everywhere on the greens. Our group gets to the seventeenth tee, par 3, and I’m fretting about club selection, is it a 6 or 7 iron? One of my mates says “ Why don’t you tee off with your putter? It’s the only club you’ve hit straight all day”. I miss a Gippsland eye fillet steak, medium, with a Warby Ranges Shiraz. Followed by a King Island blue brie on water crackers. I miss grilled flake and chips,with a pickled onion on the side. Flake is also known as shark to non-Australians, very sweet fish, and filling. All the best to everyone on TV over Christmas, and may 2021 be better. What do you miss?