Lacessit

The general world-wide revulsion against Musk and Trump is growing. Have you looked at how Tesla sales have fallen off a cliff? Musk gets a lot of his money from the US taxpayer, more fool them. There are plenty of non-Americans saying if it has a label "Made in the USA", they are not buying it. Better get used to it.

Which lie was that? The one about ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, or reducing the cost of living for all Americans?

Thanks for admitting you don't care where material is sourced, as long as it supports your point of view. How's NZ doing in the face of Trump tariffs on your wine and meat exports to the US?

At best, the US military uses less than 5% of America's current steel production. It's not bread and butter steel going into cars, washing machines and roofing either. It's specialty steels for ships, submarines and tanks. 70% of American steel is produced by electric arc furnaces, which mainly use scrap steel as a feedstock. As far as cars and washing machines go, the Japanese and Koreans beat US producers into a cocked hat decades ago, better quality and lower prices. Now it's the Chinese. Attempts to revive the US steel industry with tariffs is like feeding a diabetic sugar. It won't end well.

There are very complex body chemistry, psychological and social factors behind doing good, helping others. The Thais call it "making merit". Normal people feel good when they do good. Sociopaths and psychopaths don't, they are wired differently.

IMO it is failing already. Most of the countries hit with across the board tariffs have responded in kind. When you have a country like Canada actually taking American products off supermarket shelves, that's not a blip. It's a major shift in attitude.

The US imports most of its bauxite. A country also needs cheap power, aluminium production is an electricity glutton. With steel, the US can either use its 30% iron ore from the Mesabi Range, or buy it at 60% Fe from Canada or Brazil. In both cases, it's an attempt to prop up industries that are inherently inefficient. As you say, dumb as.

I have moved on.

Sorry, you are probably wrong. In Australia, after one year of marriage, assets are split evenly in the event of divorce. In a defacto relationship, living together for 2 years is sufficient for a 50:50 split. It's called palimony in America. Thailand does not recognize defacto relationships.

I am worth more to my Thai GF alive and together, than separated or dead. Maybe I am a bit smarter than them.

I am wondering if Trump has the same problem. He's flip-flopping on tariffs like a fresh-caught fish.

Butter is mainly milkfat triglycerides, a small percentage of milkfat solids, salt and water. More salt in the salted version. If you want to kid yourself so-called crud is any worse than the premium stuff you pay more for, it's no skin off my nose. It's like people who buy Perrier water, it's still water.

A trade war also means large swathes of Americans losing jobs, and potential civil unrest. DOGE is lending a hand as well. The difference is, Americans have the Second Amendment.

I have heard of wine snobs, and beer snobs. I did not know there were butter snobs as well.

It can't get any sadder on ASEAN than a poster who counts how many likes they have. Have you counted up how many sad and confused emoticons you got?

Have you ever tried milking a kangaroo?

Tastes fine to me. You come from a country that likes cold pork pies and warm beer, correct? I buy Allowrie in the small sachets. Pro tip: If you want it to get soft faster on toast, unwrap the butter, but leave the wrapper covering it on top, to collect more heat from the toast.

Japan holds more US debt than China, in terms of US Treasury bonds.

I can't see how dying in an Armani suit is any better than dying in a comfortable track suit. By the time you are dying, how interested will you be in gorgeous chicks? Happiness is an aspiration. Contentment is coming to terms with one's situation.

Japan apparently has ditched the dollar by selling all its Treasury bonds. A straw in the wind.

I am guessing most private hospitals in Australia don't have ED's because they are not profitable. Costs of staff in Thailand are lower. I really can't think of a single private hospital in Victoria that has an ED.

Flagyl is most commonly used to treat giardia.

We used to get our drinking water from bores in the De Grey river near Port Hedland, 1000 - 1200 ppm. The main risk is kidney damage from too much calcium, although nobody stayed around for very long. Ten years was about maximum, unless you were a masochist. Evaporation removes chlorine. It does not remove chloramines, which are more stable. They are removed by boiling. Chloramines are either naturally occurring, by combination of chlorine with organics present, or deliberately added to assist sterilization. Chloramines have been linked to an increased risk of soft tissue cancers.

Trumpmeter, good one. The main risk with tap water is oocysts such as giardia and cryptosporidia, which are unaffected by chlorination, removed by filters, killed stone dead by boiling. I don't know about here, but giardia is endemic in North America. A former boss of mine acquired giardiitis after a visit to Chicago. Extremely debilitating, and it took specialists in Australia almost a year to diagnose what it was.

You said I clearly have not had a long-term relationship with a Thai lady. I guess 14 years with my Thai GF does not count, then. Assets in Australia are beyond the reach of any woman in Thailand. Fathering kids at my age or even 20 years earlier in Thailand was the furthest thing from my mind. Luk kreungs are the subject of discrimination, unless they are Tiger Woods. Sure, some westerner - Thai relationships end up as train wrecks, especially with kids. I am not one of them.