Tropposurfer

Over 50 years of belligerent animosity from the US towards Cuba (Cuba not too friendly with the US either but a flea in comparison as far as harm of annoyance can be considered) . Unending, brutal US sanctions don't help detente and the fostering of healing dialogue and kindness. Yah move around the globe doing such stuff and ya get what ya sow (and no the US is not alone in such ethnocentric hegemony). Here's a novel idea for the politicians in the US grow some balls and let go of the BS hatred of Cuba and be friends. I had a sort of a dream last night, and no there was no moisture involved! It was something about how the rise of China and the power movement in the world cannot be let go of because the capitalist structures of the world cannot allow 'true' cooperation enlarge. To survive it needs control and dominance not egalitarian sharing of the world resources and the ending of nationalistic 'us and them' posture and thinking ... ... (my dream in an abridged version).

Thank you ????

We used to catch huntsman spiders as kids and hold them inside our cupped hands, and shake them to annoy them. Their bits is akin to hot pin prick.

It appears she was warned once (2 stroke penalty) then second time which resulted in her disqualification. The first time maybe an oops on her and caddies part, the second time, would to me, appear to be a deliberate act of cheating. How would one be penalised 2 strokes and not know that the penalty was for using such a device and it can't be used again? This lass is an international golfer and surely has at least some English so the thing about not understanding don't fly with me. As an addict golfer, and competing in club and other amateur tournaments I would suggest using any range device in a tournament is just not on and no competitive entity should allow it, male of female entity. I love my finder as an amateur but having said that I still enjoy eyeing my distance and subsequent club selection to keep my eye and distance judgement sharp. There are a few other2 stroke no no's I'm aware of such as hitting a removed flag (lying on the ground) when putting, hitting another players ball when putting, not using a ball marker and lifting the ball, playing off different tee markers in a round or outside the markers etc. There is quite a good handful of 2 stroke penalty rules.

Crikey what a rotten State it is. Imagine having to live there?!!! I'm so thankful I am so free and have such amazing freedom and choice ... and if things get sticky I can simply return to the sunshine of Oz.

Whats wrong with dispensing divine intervention ?

At the risk of folks crying loudly; 'Too soon!, or crass remark! The poor woman may not have a leg to stand on.

It appeared once, that I was wrong about something but it was found, in quick order that I was not ????

Thank the gods never been bitten by a Thai centipede. Have by and eastern Australian common garden one and they hurt like hell! Cats have super fast reflexes, far greater than a spider or centipede. I saw something (on Instagram I think?) the other day of a snake striking at a cat and the cat simply jumped to the side and swiped it about 4 times before the snake even knew where the cat went.

Lucky you. Medical science is not wrong about this drug. Perhaps you take them intermittently and thus haven't developed an addiction to them. It is a medical fact that if this drug is taken daily and for a little as few weeks to a month each day cravings and dependence sets in. This is not a posters opinion but an established worldwide medical pharmacological fact.

Drinking will only increase your depression and anxiety. Reach out to a good private hospital and seek an initial consult with a psychologist or psychiatrist (often all that is available in LOS) then perhaps ask them for a referral if you are not satisfied with this initial face to face consult as hopeful and effective for you. I would advise reaching out to AA. There are meetings all across Thailand where you can get understanding and expert help in cutting down and maybe stopping your alcohol intake of this is indicated. Just ask Siri to look up and dial AA Thailand. If you've been drinking heavily for a long time don't just stop 'cold turkey'. Ween yourself off. You may suffer a gran mal seizure/s if you don't. Again a decent private hospital can advise you on how to do that. They may prescribe benzodiazepines to help you avoid such seizures but be very careful if you use these and be strict with the shot time you use them and do not 'add-dosage' other than that prescribed at at the correct intervals. If you consult with a doctor be honest and tell them exactly how much you drink each day and how long you've been doing that. Thai doctors can be pretty free with medications so be careful. As to your depression this is something to treat in concert with your moderation or cessation of drinking, but it may be a seperate issue not related to, but exacerbated by the alcohol. Some longer term conversational therapy and the development of a trusting relationship with your therapist will help for sure. If medication is, even short term indicated this can help you get over the hump of the 'black dog' and begin to see more possibilities. Then if you're moving along well and not suffering form a serious depressive illness you can see whats needed a little ways down the track. There are lots of specific target SSNRI anti-depressants e.g Pristiq which aren't sledge hammer med's and they have moderate side effects unlike strong hammer like drugs such as Zoloft and some of the earlier generation SNRI medications. Don't get too focused on a drug solution as getting the drinking down to moderate levels and your health lifted is all part of feeling better about yourself and life. Ask your doctor for some Vitamin B2 B9 OR a really good qualioty strong dosage B Complex. Omega 3 fish oil is also good for anxiety and lowered feeling states (its called the Happy Oil in Aussie mental health circles). None fo these will hurt you in any way, well, not unless you eat them lie candy lol ????. Please be aware: If, If you have any predisposition to turning to any other sorts of chemical/s to amend your situations and your worries then be super careful with yourself and watch, like a hawk, your head telling you its okay to use this or that in order to get away from the booze. I encourage you to be around moderate drinkers, don't go to places where people drink heavily (especially bars and girly bars) if this can be achieved. Try to take some exercise but be careful initially of you've been drinking heavily as this can cause bad reactions like seizures. Again get the doctor to give you a good checkup, blood work, ECG wouldn't hurt to check 'da ol' ticker' out. Try to spend a some time each day with nice, gentle people, reach out to someone around you and ask for some 'mateship' time to avoid being alone too much with your own thoughts. Remember my friend we often see things as far worse than they are so being 'in our own heads' can be a dangerous place to spend too much time. Having others who are moderate people and thinkers helps us check our thinking and se ourselves better. This reaching out is a risk yes, but one we must take in order to get help and the support we all deserve and need in life. I'll be thinking of you and sending calm, strength, love, and light to you.

EVERYONE WHO READS THIS: Do not self medicate any emotional or mental illness. Pill shopping and self diagnosis or layman diagnosis is not safe. Be warmed benzodiazepine's generic names e.g's.; Valium Mogadon, Serapax are highly addictive. The onset of craving and the need to increase dosage in order to recreate the initial effect of the drug also increases rapidly from initial usage (a matter of weeks if taken every day). Withdrawal from 'Benzo's' as they are commonly called, is undoubtably one of the worst withdrawals in the drug world and can last for years in the cases of prolonged use and dependence! I speak as a 30 year licensed psychotherapist.

How to 'normalise' anarchy in the social conscience and discourse. Oh! ... its completely normal to have civil unrest, and even violence if an election is not liked by certain 'powers' to the point that almost everything shuts down but if the airports are open ... all good.

Yeah! He's cognitively impaired and senile .... yet he has steered the primary indicators of the economy upwards of any levels made by all the Presidents since Roosevelt and Eisenhower. Not bad for a guy thats conspiratorially white anted as being a daffy old geezer.

Done this, and other Thai and Malaysian trips by train starting back in the later 70's. Did this again a few years back after covid lockdowns ended and loved it just as much. I've always loved train travel. The sleeper trip to KL is wonderful too.

Far too much spare time on ones hand me suspects. First world problem huh?! Because I'm such a petty bar-steward I'm going to wear mine starched n up from now on in the hope it annoys someone.

Take him to a local boxing gym for a nice long taste of his own medicine me thinks. Scumbag.

I've frightened many an unwary but horny Thai woman with my snake but rather than green its chompoo mak mak hahahaha ????????????????

Bangkok Nursing Hospital (BNH) have a lovely dermatology clinic and while you wait for you're appointment you can sit in the foyer and listen to the excellent piano player they often have tinkling the ivory's. I use them and have for years and always get super treatment. I've had so many basal cell carcinoma's cut off my aging but buff body (lol ????) the fake stories of me being an ex-SAS hero might, if one were to view my many cancer scars, actually be believed lol ????

Poor woman. What bl@@dy tragedy! ???? and I use the word bloody in the Aussie vernacular not the literal sense of the word. Like so may other posters here have expressed ... WTH! .... what are all these employees and folks in uniforms at every conceivable governmental and mall site doing all day n night? Electrocutions, decapitations while riding along on the motocy, crushed by overturning overloaded trucks, killed in head-ons by lousy drivers, and to top it off they wanna incept a charge to enter the country! In the words of the cult classic on Australian life 'The Castle' tell him he's dreamin'; <<<< Off topic video removed >>>> I walk for the exercise in airports and rarely use these things. Won't again in LOS that's for sure! I remember when I was a tiny kid and my mum worked at the NSW Railways green building at Wynyard station entrance a person fell through the escalator and was summarily amputated ???????? I hope the woman sues these nitwits into oblivion !

Time to leave the monsoon behind for another year ????

I was contemplating one of these but my GP said; "Don't bother mate, you're full of it!" ????????????????

I am no political expert, hold no US national security clearances, and cannot tie complicated knots so take this with as much salt as is warranted; Its easy I guess if you grew up on a steady diet of 'US AND THEM' movies. music, tv, media, and a national narrative to suspect nefarious intent even in the most benign and humanitarian of outreach. If all you have is a hammer everything looks like a nail. The US and my home nation Australia gave free election-observers in the Thai elections as part of the UN initiative to support freedom of all peoples. One can, if one is so inclined, to say this is part of a plan to control the other, on some levels this has a degree of credence. Wanting peace (however hypocritical this may seem on face value) and promoting relationships through 'help' is not at all strange to do. The short circuit between help and interference is a fine line it seems given man's inability to maintain his integrity in his altruistic intentions. Withstanding this existential truth and looking squarely at historical fact, not interpretation and convenient censorship, but facts the following is true. The US and other powerful players on the world stage since the beginnings of European colonial expansion in the 1500's beginning with the e.g. Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, relational connections (both overt and covert) had from humanitarian aid with no-strings attached shared expressions of compassion and humanity to genocide, to the raping whole continents, assassination (individually, directly and through third parties) of those they dislike ideologically and the overthrowing of foreign governments and everything in between. I find the relationship with Cuba particularly inane, indigent, hateful, and adversarial. It would seem to me to be of great benefit to embrace an open and accepting relationship with Communist Cuba rather than cling to war-like memories and policies that was relevant in the 60's. The Cuban issue seems nothing like that of say North Korea (which is a dangerous one) as since the Missile Crisis of Kennedy's tenure posed zero threat to the US, other than that of a convenient US and THEM labelling. Acknowledging and honouring the Cuban system of agrarian collective lifestyle and not seemingly needing to oppose and describe same as backward, oppressive etc doesn't help detente. The interstellar levels of hypocrisy in US rhetoric is plain to see with the oppression, open persecution, and oppression of segments of their own citizenry being well known to all who are reasonably read, think critically, hold a healthy level of scepticism. Those who listen to a balanced, wide ranging, and dare I say sane commentary that is. We now see the Chinese (as very long term strategic as they are) making overtures towards Cuba. As they have in Thailand. If the USA had an open trading and non-embargo (which could be described as a spiteful, resentment driven, punitive and nasty non military waging of war against Cuba) then would this have ever arisen? If this were not policy, a policy I believe driven by a national paranoia and xenophobia then perhaps there would be no need to entertain the money that China offers here on elsewhere. It would seem real that whatever is given is rarely free, rarely without some degree of agenda. This is also an existential truth whether it be in one to one relationships or between nations.

Up to you ... tattoo or not. As to my personal preference; being with, and admiring the feminine form is to see small and very few tattoo's. I'm no fan of large ones and multiples of same. Personally, and being completely honest, I would have to meet a really amazing woman to look past a body heavily marked with tat's. Yes this is a judgement on my part but one I hold. In certain cultures of course it is part of deep cultural tradition to mark the body to represent and signify important times of one lifespan e.g. passing from childhood to adulthood, births and deaths of significant people, group identifying markings. I never ever got any myself as I knew as a young fella that exposure to the sun ruined any colours other than the indigo dyes. Seeing as I spent hours a day in the surf I knew I'd end up with these all but indistinguishable blobs on me and loose the artistic form of the original. So, I never indulged. It was also something that my family group did not do and thus I was influenced by this norm. I have on occasion considered it in my 40's and on but never did take to the chair. I bought cars, boats, n other stuff instead of breaking out of the middle aged years lol ???????? I have been told by clients in the past how tattooing becomes/became an obsession with a lot of their inked-up friends and acquaintances. I have no empirical data to prove it bUt I suspect there are some deeper motivation and imperatives behind being inked , especially in those who seem to not be able to stop being marked. In bar girls, not that I have much experience with these femme fatales, some freelancers yes in the past I wonder if the excitement, the pain, the event, and the process of tattooing itself is some sort of ameliorating or reaction to their bar-work, and the colourful and athletic relationships they have with their clients.

I've been detailing my cars for many years so I have some knowledge about this. There are 'cutting compounds' in the car polish sections of some stores in LOS. BUT these are often very harsh cutting mediums. Here's a link to an expert detailing product mob I import all my stuff through in Oz. https://www.detailstore.com.au/ These folks are experts and sell a great range of super products and will advise you very well. Such work depends on what level you want to go to in the paint restoration. Here's a comprehensive step by step: You can avoid the clay-bar steps if you wish and you'll still get an amazing result. Using a DA polisher and decent foam pads makes this job so easy, with no rubber arms form rubbing like a maniac for hours and hours, AND the DA polisher will produce a far better result. Pressure (a hose nozzle will do - thoroughly to blast the dust and dirt off the car. Wash the car thoroughly with a good quality foamy car wash - don't spare the suds (I spread and squeeze out the soapy foam across the panels before I rub across them) and continuously soak the wash mit or sponge with the solution and spread it across the panels prior to lateral movements to lift the stubborn dirt off. Use a little pressure to wash the panels not just simply passing the sponge over the panel. Wash the undersides, skirts after the topsides are finished with a separate wash sponge to the topside panels. Some use a separate 'rinse bucket' to separate out as much grit that comes off on the mit/sponge before dipping back in the soapy bucket. Wash the rims separately with a brushes and a separate mit or sponge to keep the brake dust and stuff off the paint work - lots of soap. There are products on this site for cleaning the brake dust out of the rims paint too which work well. Dry the car - don't do any of this work in a dusty area or on a windy day - wash down the entire area prior to washing the car if need be to get rid of the dust. Clay-bar the car with a soapy solution in a spray bottle - use lateral movements only, spraying your soapy solution on each section as you go to keep bar well lubricated. Fold the clay-bar over itself as you go and replace with a new bar as it becomes contaminated with the grit it pulls out of the paint. Rinse well as you go. You can get non-clay grit removing pads that are, in my opinion, better than clay-bars - better because they are reusable many times and if you do drop them you wash them in a soapy bucket and go again. Rinse and chamois car. Take your DA polisher and apply solution to 'medium cut buffing pad' as instructed. Polish at a slow speed (1 or 2) in a cross-hatch pattern sections of the panel until whole panel has been polished. 3 passes i.e. 1 way, then another, then finish section with the 3rd pass - there are plenty of UTube tutorials - Meguiars has some simple and good videos on how to do this i.e. the speed of moving the DA polisher etc. Leave applied compound to dry to a powder like you do regular polishes (swipe test with finger tip will show if dry). you can buff this powder off with another foam polishing pad or simply buff with good quality microfibre cloth. If you use a product similar to the pic attached you'll get all the micro-scratches out of the paintwork as well as polishing the oxidised clear-coat. Deeper scratches no. This product shown along with a decent DA polisher (you can buy them for as little as 2500 baht) makes it completely safe with this product. You can't cut through the clear-coat into the base coat with these products (those cut n polish and cutting compounds found commonly will cut right through all the paints into the base coat if you are not super careful) - don't use them. I always when doing this buffing add another step and use a super-high-gloss polish afterwards to really deepen the shine and further coat the paint. I do this micro-scratch and deoxidise once a year with my cars, and the high gloss polishing every 2 months after a good wash).