swissie
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Posts posted by swissie
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On 3/9/2026 at 2:55 AM, Old Croc said: I've noted Simon's life adventures through this forum for a couple of decades. He has never shied away from sharing his, always interesting, successes and travails. He's related his volunteer work with tourism and after the tragic plane crash on Phuket. He's had difficulties getting permission to erect hobby radio towers in many locations, but I recall one in Phuket that assisted with ground radar at the airport. He built, and moved on from, several airport hotels and at times has (over) shared his marriage woes with the forum.
Readers who pay attention know about his academic qualifications, surgeries and satellite builds. These days he's seems more into teaching and travel.
He's one of the foundation members of Thai Visa, Possibly the last one from 2003 still posting. I regard him as one of the more interesting posters of all, and has the highest IQ here. Over the years I have teased him a little, but he never takes umbrage, or perhaps notice!
I hope he finds the right place to settle into.
I agree with the above 100%. Like I said before, I like the guy and his ways. He deserves praise. I wish him luck. He deserves it. May he find a corner in this world that gives him solace and inner peace, making it unnecessary to chase another rainbow, thousands of miles away.
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On 3/8/2026 at 8:34 PM, GammaGlobulin said: Why not just say: "This nitwit has totally lost touch with reality", rather than beat around the bush?
Why must you couch your constructive criticisms in such polite niceties?
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Not sure.
But, my guess is that you are less direct in your approach simply because you are from Zurich.
Perhaps I am a gentleman of the "old school".
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4 minutes ago, 3NUMBAS said: https://apple.news/APl-OczLbSbKenZrh2OkNMA
“IMPARTIAL NEWS + INTELLIGENT DEBATE
WORLD
These 'big, ugly' nuclear bombers carry 31 tons of explosives - and are off to Iran
Three Stratofortress heavy bombers have touched down in the UK and are expected to take part in Trump's bombing campaign against Iran
March 10, 2026 12:13 pm (Updated March 10, 2026 1:57 pm)
Nuclear-capable American bombers have landed in Britain after Sir Keir Starmer gave Donald Trump permission to use UK bases as part of Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
Follow
on Apple News
Three heavy Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, joining other US military planes including B-1 Lancers that landed over the weekend.
This is the first time B-52s have been seen in the UK since the US and Israel launched joint strikes on Iran on 28 February.
The Prime Minister has said Washington can use British bases including RAF Fairford in south-west England and at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for defensive strikes against Iran. Starmer initially refused to permit their use by Washington in the initial US-Israeli offensive strikes.
America’s B-52s conducted strikes on Iranian ballistic missile facilities and command-and-control”
Excerpt From
“These 'big, ugly' nuclear bombers carry 31 tons of explosives - and are off to Iran”
Isabella Bengoechea
The i Paper
https://apple.news/APl-OczLbSbKenZrh2OkNMA
This material may be protected by copyright.
So what? You need ground forces to "eliminate" the revolutionary guards. The real rulers of Iran. Never mind the Mullahs.
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On 3/5/2026 at 3:15 AM, Old Croc said: I obviously haven't been following Simon's life journeys close enough of late. What happened to his plans to live in Mauritious and Cyprus?
According to his posts here, he made quite a few stop-overs. None of them worked out for him. Therefore back to S/E Asia.
I like the guy. After all, he may well be able to continue his charitable work in "sin-city".
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The threads and posts of the OP clearly show that he has abandoned everything that has to do with real live. Internet/social media have been his world for a long time.
On the other hand, sometimes I reach the conclusion that the OP is a highly intelligent person wanting to collect as many clicks as possible as the only goal, by posting absurd threads, surpassing the fantasy of anyone, born by a woman.
But then no, he is the product of a lonely live, the internet his only friend remaining.
Over.
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On 3/7/2026 at 8:15 AM, dinsdale said: Let's see what it looks like in 3 weeks.
Right on. Within 3 weeks somebody will declare "victory" and disengage.
At this point, the "world" will remember that oil is in a "oversupply" situation. Oil producers will be happy if the support at 60$/barrel will hold.
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6 hours ago, FritsSikkink said: No, as it is just over 1 usd per person.
I diden't know that ALL Americans are homeless.
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1 hour ago, bannork said: 
As tensions escalate around the Strait of Hormuz, markets have focused on the immediate threat to oil and gas. But a quieter, potentially more dangerous shock is emerging — one that could ripple through farms and food prices worldwide.
If shipping through the Gulf chokepoint remains restricted amid the conflict involving Iran, the world may face a sudden squeeze on fertiliser supplies. Analysts warn that disruption to this overlooked supply chain could hit global agriculture within months.
The Chemical Backbone of Modern Farming
Modern agriculture depends heavily on nitrogen fertiliser — a product made using natural gas through the industrial process pioneered by Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch.
Their breakthrough enabled the mass production of ammonia, the foundation of fertilisers such as urea. Today these chemicals underpin crop yields for staples including wheat, maize and rice. Without them, global harvests would plunge and food supply would tighten rapidly.
Hormuz: A Bottleneck for Fertiliser and Gas
Roughly a third of the world’s traded urea passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf region — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — has built vast fertiliser production hubs thanks to abundant, cheap natural gas.
That gas not only powers fertiliser plants in the Gulf but also fuels facilities abroad via liquefied natural gas shipments. If tankers cannot pass through Hormuz, both fertiliser exports and the energy needed to produce them elsewhere could stall.
Farmers Face Brutal Choices
The first warning signs would appear during planting seasons across the northern hemisphere. Delayed shipments or soaring prices could force farmers to reduce fertiliser use or switch crops entirely.
Even small reductions in nitrogen application can cause outsized declines in yields. Millions of tonnes of lost grain would ripple through global supply chains — pushing up feed costs, squeezing livestock production and ultimately raising supermarket prices.
Food Security Risks Spread Worldwide
Major agricultural economies are more exposed than they appear. India depends heavily on Gulf LNG imports to run domestic fertiliser plants, while Brazil relies on imported nutrients to sustain soybean and maize output.
In poorer regions such as sub-Saharan Africa — where fertiliser use is already low — higher prices could slash yields further and deepen food insecurity.
Energy shocks hit petrol pumps overnight. Fertiliser shocks arrive months later — when harvests fall and food prices surge. If Hormuz stays closed, the real crisis may not be fuel, but the cost of feeding the world.
On top of that, "bio farming" is advocated. Proplem is, without "artificial fertiliser", crop yields drop by 30%.
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2 minutes ago, Patong2021 said: Start with your own country first.
The US provides billions of $$ in social services aid and support. Unfortunately, there is a part of the population who are anti social. They may be former criminals, unauthorized migrants, the mentally ill, drug addicts or people who want to be on the street. No amount of money can cure mental illness or some drug addictions. Have you ever spoken with some of these unhoused? Many are beyond help.
Yes, many are beyond help. But there are the ones who's only crime was to lose their job.
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23 minutes ago, khaosokman said: Apple makes $400m a day in net profit.
Could it be that with 400m a day all the homeless people in the US could be fed and housed? Just wondering.
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1 minute ago, khaosokman said: Oil money later I guess. Trump should buy 50,000 cheap drones.
He should have bought them BEFORE the war.
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7 minutes ago, khaosokman said: Apple makes $400m a day in net profit.
The "Mag 7" could easily pay for it all. Unfortunately they are masters of "tax evasion".
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4 minutes ago, blaze master said: Ya seems you may be a tad off in your figures.
890 billion a day hahaha. So you're telling me that in about 40 days it will be equal to the national debt.
Yeah. But the point is, that for the US it's an expensive war. For the Iranians it's a low cost war. Who will run out of ammo first?
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5 minutes ago, FritsSikkink said: 890 billion a day. Just borrow some more money, from who though?
From countries that he punished recently with massive "import taxes". Who else. They will be glad to throw money into a black hole, called the US budget deficit.
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36 minutes ago, 1tooth said: Washington and Tel Aviv now claim they’re “lowering the intensity” of their strikes so they can keep attacking longer.
Spare us this bull<deleted>.
Iran has been throwing waves of cheap drones and missiles precisely to exhaust US and Israeli weapons stockpiles,and it’s painfully obvious that strategy is working.
And there is more:
Russia and China are providing targeting data to allow Iran to successful destroy American assets.
Is it working? Let’s see:
The American satellite imaging company Planet Labs announced that it is temporarily suspending the provision of new satellite images of the Gulf countries, Iraq, and Kuwait for 96 hours during the current conflicts "to prevent almost simultaneous analysis of damage to US and allied military facilities".
However, images related to Iran are not being delayed. The company notes that this is a temporary measure and is being taken "to protect staff and operations during wartime".
And there is more:
Latest satellite images show the complete eradication of US radomes (radars) at US Arifjan base in Kuwait following Iranian strikes.
Iran is systemically blinding America and israel.
This is an interesting kind of war. Iran is attacking with missiles that cost a few thousand Dollars, while the US intercepts them with missiles that cost a couple million Dollars a piece.
"Mammy can I borrow your pocket calculater for a minute? I want to calculate how much this war costs Donald".
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16 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said: ,he was in a English village 2 weeks ago , but....you can be whatever you want on here I guess ..and you can identify as whatever you want
Hmmm. A "lost soul" within a wild ocean called "live". Taking pride in 3 failed marriages is a strong indicator of "something is wrong with the guy". I venture to say that his 3 ex.wifes would agree.
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3 minutes ago, georgegeorgia said: ,he was in a English village 2 weeks ago , but....you can be whatever you want on here I guess ..and you can identify as whatever you want
Fine. Simon may eventually respond as long as he is in Pattaya. Harder if he stays in Myanmar, supporting the "downthrodden" in Myanmar with his meager income without access to internet.
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On 3/3/2026 at 4:37 PM, simon43 said: Hmm, doesn't seem to have stopped the Muslims coming to Pattaya and boozing and bonking.... At least it's not boys and goats now.....
According to recent posts of you, you live in Cambodia. Occasionally returning to Myanmar, teaching impoversished children, distributing your little income to impoversished people in Myanmar. While suffering from serious "lung problems". Recommendable, indeed.
But now reporting from Pattaya, delivering "up to date news" from "Sin City".
Sometimes people have found reason to re-write their "life story".
Cheers.
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6 hours ago, 3NUMBAS said: He was also named by insiders as a potential target for a US strike in the days leading up to the war.
However, he could be faced with a bloody civil war within days after reports emerged that a CIA-backed fighting force within Iran could launch an armed uprising inside the country.
Weapons have allegedly been smuggled into the country since last year's 12-day war to arm thousands of Kurdish volunteers, with the Trump administration said to have engaged in talks with leaders to discuss military support.
The Kurdish people are one of Iran's largest ethnic minorities, with an estimated population between nine and 10 million.
https://www.gbnews.com/news/world/iran-news-latest-donald-trump-us-israel-new-supreme-leader-attack
Never mind the Kurds. They have been armed for decades. (See post "US and Kurdish militias weigh new front against Iran").
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In order to have a civil war, both opposing powers must have arms. Otherwise a war can not take place.
In Iran, the only ones that have arms is the military and the revolutionary guards. The "populace" has no arms.
Who do you think will win this short civil war?
Only hope: The regular armed forces throwing over the Mullah regime. The revolutionary guards certainly won't. And the "populace" can't.
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4 hours ago, bannork said: 
Washington is in talks with Iranian Kurdish militias over a potential ground offensive inside Iran, opening the prospect of a volatile new front in an already widening war.
Sources say Kurdish factions based in Iraqi Kurdistan have consulted US officials on whether — and how — to strike Iranian security forces in the country’s west.
Plot to Exploit Tehran’s Turmoil
The discussions come as US and Israeli strikes hammer Iranian targets and senior regime figures lie dead. Kurdish leaders believe coordinated attacks could weaken Tehran’s grip and create space for unrest in major cities.
A final decision has not been taken. But the militias have reportedly sought US military backing, including possible CIA assistance with weapons and intelligence.
The Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment. The White House and Pentagon have yet to respond.
Erbil in the Middle
Leaders in Erbil and Baghdad are understood to have been in contact with the Trump administration. Any cross-border operation would likely require significant US logistical and intelligence support.
American forces already operate from bases in Erbil as part of the coalition against Islamic State. Whether they would directly back a push into Iran remains unclear.
A Region on Edge
An armed Kurdish incursion could destabilise more than Iran. It risks energising separatist movements among Iran’s Baluch minority and unsettling Pakistan’s restive border regions.
Turkey, which has long battled Kurdish insurgents and remains wary of armed Kurdish groups near its frontier, would also be watching closely. Ankara has previously threatened military action against Kurdish forces in Syria.
For Washington, the calculation is stark: open a pressure point inside Iran — or risk igniting a regional chain reaction that proves far harder to contain.
US., Kurds discuss potential Iran military operation, sources say
Let's see what we have here: The Kurds were alway pro-western. Ejecting the IS from N/E Syria just as a last example.
All they want is their own "state". Nobody willing to give it to them. They were "let down" by the (western) world time after time.
The Kurds are the "poor devils" of the world.
Co-operating with the west (the US) once more? As soon as the "deed is done", they will be let down once more.
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3 hours ago, clokwise said: Hard to believe we are living in a so-called "modern" world with this kind of nonsense still going on. The religious fundamentalists in the middle east have far more in common with their western religious fundamentalist counterparts than either side would ever care to admit.
Since thousands of years. If rulers needed support of their "actions" they declared: "It's in the name of God". Or even better: "God want's it".
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On 3/2/2026 at 3:52 AM, connda said: "Projectiles." From Reuters:
"A projectile hit the Marshall Islands–flagged product tanker MKD VYOM killing a crew member on board as the vessel sailed off the coast of Oman, manager V.Ships said on Sunday."
Insurers will no longer insure essentially creating the a blockade.
https://www.reuters.com/world/crew-member-killed-after-projectile-hits-mkd-vyom-tanker-off-oman-manager-says-2026-03-01/One would think that the US with all that firepower in the region would be able to put a "protective umbrella" over the strait.
But yes, it's the insurance companies that won't insure anymore are actually the ones that are closing the strait.
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The war is going great
in Political Soapbox
Iran is fighting a "low cost war" compared to the US. Follow the money. It would need ground forces to really change things in Iran.
Within 3 weeks, Donald will declare "victory" (Taco Taco Taco).
In 5 years it will take another "air war" against Iran to once more "stifle" their military capabilities. A 5 year cycle evolving. Indefinitely.
Actually, it's not Donald that will decide when the war will end, it's the international stock markets. = Follow the money.