Mr_Know-it-All

Many AA chapters will have different meetings: open and closed.

Open meetings are for those who might just want to check it out, want to accompany a friend, or are sent as terms of their probation.

These often give the appearance of a tent church, with lots of the "I was screwed up; now I'm wonderful; you, too, can be like me."

Then there are the closed sessions.

These are more for people actually wanting to participate in the program.

There is typically a lot less " baring witness" and a lot more discussion.

The reason for the closure is to cut back on the debate like the one developed here.

If you don't "buy it", you will simply be told to move on.

Whether one believes in the AA solution, or not, the purpose is to help.

If nothing else, it's an environment free from pro-alcohol hype, a place for a differing opinion on the subject, maybe a little "de-programming".

I have worked with sick alkies for the last 25 years

I hope that you mean worked next to, opposed to treated?

The definition that seems to fit most often is that an alcoholic is someone who can't predict the outcome of a drinking encounter, once initiated.

I used to drink daily.

Usually things went smooth.

After work, I might head to a bar for a couple drinks.

Sometimes I had a couple and went home.

Sometimes I closed the bar.

Sometimes I got picked up for DUI.

It wasn't my call.

My sister only drank about once or twice a year, on special occasions.

But, each time she drank, it was a disaster!

She would wake in a different city; she wouldn't know where her car was; she'd move all the furniture from within her house, to the lawn outside.

I really think "alcoholism" is simply a destructive manifestion of a compulsive disorder. Most alcoholics will become obsessed with something else after they kick the bottle.

AA is good for those who like "fellowship".

It's also a good place to get a negative viewpoint on drinking.

One of the problems with AA stats is the number of "members" that are sent there as terms of their probation.

Plus, in the States, many drug probabtion cases are sent there as free therapy.

Druggies and drunks are 2 different people.

Not a lot of successees in these groups.

One of the problems we have with alcohol is the industry filling people with "Get drunk and be somebody", "The night is made for Michelob", "My country, my beer" and other visions of greatness associated with drinking.

It's a part of being "adult" and belonging.

Non-drinkers are often "suspect" and make those drinking uncomfortable.

WOW ...

Then to think that your 30 years of residence here makes you a better judge of things than my meager 3 years! WOW! Of course that would mean that your basis of comparison in living someplace new is 30 years outdated .....

As for your 'rigid class system' .... a completely different topic but the advent of test-based Uni admissions into the good schools has done a lot to diminish that, as has television etc etc etc.

After 30 years, the "just the way it is" mindset really takes over.

Many of Bangkok's best eateries mirror your experience.

At our favorite pad see ewe spot, you have to write down your order and hand it to them or get passed by.

For 5 pieces of Barguette.

1 kg Flour

40 g fresh or dried yeast

3/8 l water ( lauwarm)

4 tsp salt

Flour and yeast and water mix together. Leave the yeast going for 15-20 mins. Then put salt and then knead. Sorry I can only describe in german. Leave again for 2.30 hours to get a double volume.

Cut into 5 pieces and making a barquette form, cover with piece of clothes to let it a volume again for 15 mins.

Put the temperature 220-250 c. Make a small cut on barguette form and spread with lauwarm water on the bread. Put a small cup with water in the oven and put the bread to bake for about 35-40 mins or if you see the bread has already nice color, then it is finished.

Bon Appertite !

With all the earlier talk of bread machines, Kathe finally mentioned kneading and rising.

The bread machine is only used for this process, not the actual baking.

IMO, a bread machine is an expensive tool for this.

Tutsi just mentioned two great burger places. Bob's Big Boy and my all-time favorite, In-N-Out burger. That is a real burger man!!!!!!!!!

Bob's was all but killed off a few years back when the Marriot Corporation bought it.

Just a couple of stores survived (Burbank for one).

They are now trying to do a comeback.

Try the Tommy Burger on VT Blvd. Best Burgers in the world. Warning: lines are often 1-2 hours wait time

For me there's only one Tommy's, C/O Beverly and Rampart, LA!

The mind wobbles......

The last time the subject of kai thod came up, we went off on a tangent because someone believed a photo of FRIED CHICKEN looked like kai yang, not kai thod.

It seemed that that cycle was beginning again.

Trust me, it's fried.

It's been marinated in a garlic based marinade and fried.

my wife useta deep fry chicken in a wok until we got a cooker with an oven an' the deep fried stuff never looked like that...that's why I ask if it's broiled or not...

moot point...ain't no one selling food on the street got an oven...

I replied to your comment because you started the "looks like" theory again.

People often cling to what they remember or think, rather than to what is presented.

Early on, a picture of Khun Phen's fried chicken was posted.

Someone insisted that it had to be grilled because fried chicken is battered in Thailand like Polo Chicken's fried chicken.

It was even suggested that this was all made up.

Not only is there plenty of non-battered fried chicken around, according to the cook, Polo's has never been battered.

an' that's deep fried chicken?...looks more like basted and broiled to me...

This is "deep" fried in a wok.

Next time I pass by I will try to get some in the oil!

To date, the only battered fried chicken I have eaten in Thailand has been at KFC.

Visually, Khun Phen's chicken closely resembles the famous Polo chicken, but tastes a world better.

Visually it looks nothing like Soi Polo fried chicken, which is heavily battered and fried (like most kai thawt in Thailand).

I ate at Khun Phen's and followed it up, within a week, with Polo Chicken.

Visually, what what I ate at Khun Phen's would get lost on a plate of what I ate at Polo.

The difference is that I will eat often at Khun Phen's and will never go near Polo again.

So you're saying Soi Polo chicken isn't battered? Or that battered fried chicken and unbattered fried chicken look the same? I don't see how you could possibly think the two look even vaguely similar, unless you think all chicken just looks the same ....

But then again, it appears I must be mistaken.

The most likely option, in both cases. I'm starting to feel like I'm giving you a hard time unnecessarily. But when someone is wrong about Thai food, and tries to cover up the mistake with yet another mistake, it's difficult.

Stopped by Polo Chicken just the other day.

The cook said that she only fries her chicken one style, has always fried her chicken one style and will continue to fry it the same style.

Polo Chicken:

BTW

Khun Phen has had to move her stall outside her house, across the soi.

The neighbors were afraid of fire!