Toolong

13 minutes ago, BKKBike09 said:

I never really cared for the Bros but it was pretty popular here. Mid 90s here I had a Kwak FX400R. First bike I had here - in 1989 - was a CB400T (this being it, no less)

 

 

I always liked the styling of the Kawa:

 

Yes, the Kawa stying is very nice.....but - and forgive me if I say this - nicer still if I put my finger over that blocky rear end, around the tail-light and imagine it cut off a bit and trimmed down. ???????? 

But having said that, that blocky rear end thing was the design norm at the time, right? That's how they were. On the plus side, I'm a big fan of lights, indicators & mirrors that actually do what they're supposed to do, for safety's sake, and that rear light & indicator set up would have definitely done the job.

And your CB400T, in the pic, really exemplifies that kind of reliable, practical functionality. Bet it had enough power to take you upcountry/downcountry at times too. In comfort too.....that seat looks well-padded! ????

5 hours ago, BKKBike09 said:

Aren't the marketer's embarrassed to have to say it produces "almost" 40 hp and "almost" 38 nm torque ... what's next, "with a top speed of almost 70 mph"!

 

For 'not exciting but very functional' from the 80s and 90s I'd shoot for a CX500, although frankly any Honda will fit that description (except maybe an NS400R or an RC30) 

Re vehicles, aesthetics has always (with exceptions) been a big factor for me (for better or worse) and with bikes I always found the transverse v-twin format too weird looking. 

I would never have gone for one, I have to admit, though in many ways they may have been great bikes to use.

The mid-90's Honda Bros, however,(called Bros in the Asian market, dunno about elsewhere) did have the looks -imho, anyway - that 

prompted me to buy one 2nd hand. Super reliable + handled well thru Bangkok traffic, despite being quite big. 

(So....sorry CX500, you were just a tad too ugly for my taste! ????)

His reasoning does not make enough sense to dispel my 'nair norn' suspicion that he's simply been offered some tat for his tit. 

10 hours ago, Denim said:

They call them retro because they are unfaired and not at all ' angular ' in their appearence. Agree with you about Hondas. A friend had a very nice 400/4. Sweet looking bike. Someone lent me a 400 twin for a few months. Not exciting but very functional.

Ah......ok. Unfaired & not so angular. Yes, I get what you mean. ????

Thanks for explaining that. 

(PS I always wanted one of those Honda 400/4's, once so popular in Thailand, but somehow in the 90's I ended up with a Honda Bros 400 V-twin. To borrow your phrase: 'Not exciting but very functional'.)

5 minutes ago, gamb00ler said:

eh?

???????????? fair enough.....but precisely what puzzles you about my comment puzzles me in equal measure. ????????

But never mind. ????

I wonder how many folk are, like me, now joining the dots as to why recent bills have been so cruelly, excessively high. Me is now a-wonderin'......????

'Oh, What fresh hell is this?'

A trigger is being pulled and he who pulls it does so with closed eyes.

Apologies if I'm the 35th person to already mention this..........but noticed earlier an opinion given by Khaosod's Pravit (well-known journalist whose exact surname & spelling thereof escapes me right now) that the deferment allows Prayuth to control the imminent military reshuffle*. 

If true....and Pravit's opinion carries weight with me (mostly).....then proof if it was ever needed that multi**-institutional collusion is at play here, almost without them even pretending to hide it. Brute 'f***-off' power doesn't even need to make an effort. How about that? Wow.....these guys really know more tricks than a cartload of monkeys. 

*reshuffle.....a word that so sadly summarizes the current, inevitable & unsatisfactory outcome of the election, with a striking 'different day, same old s**t', or 'old wine in new bottles' vibe to it. Same pack of old, worn cards, just re-ordered to jazz it up.  Thai politics in a single word.

**not sure that's the correct way to put it, as they all seem to essentially work together 'as one', so to speak.

3 hours ago, NoshowJones said:

Yes I mean the charger cable. I will try what you say though I'm not sure about trying to paste on to the audio file.

Have a try. Like I implied, my method is kind of old style, I think, but it works fine enough for me.

I described my method in a deliberately kind of basic, general way, meaning, for example, that depending on what version of windows you have, things might be termed differently, ie on my laptop (windows 10) the older 'My Computer' icon on the screen is now termed 'This PC'......which in turn, for someone of my age and somewhat stiffened mental agility, can cause confusion!

So you might encounter things I didn't mention, ie on my wife's phone (but not mine) when connected to laptop via usb port, the phone asks if you will 'allow' the info on it to be accessed. If you don't notice it, and allow, you won't be able to locate & open it on the laptop. 

But whatever things I omitted to say - if encountered - are all things you can work out ok anyway, with good old trial & error. ????

14 minutes ago, NoshowJones said:

I want to download songs on my laptop on to my smartphone. I have started by using my charger and connecting it from my desktop on to my smartphone, my phone number appears on my desktop, can anyone tell me where to go from here. Thanks.

I'm sure there are slicker, easier ways to do it, but personally I just use a connecting cable which plugs into my smartphone and using the usb plug at the other end of the cable, plugs into the usb port on the side of the laptop.

I then find the file or song that I want to transfer, highlight, do the old right click & copy (or cut) thing, go to 'computer', open my phone, then paste it in the 'Audio' file. 

(PS...not sure what you mean when you say you use your charger? You mean the charger cable, right? ????)

1 hour ago, Mr Meeseeks said:

Integrity, ethics, morals and bravery don't work round these parts, unfortunately.

True enough, Mr Meeseeks.....certainly in a political context. 

Yet if (putting my naive hat on, here?) the means* by which such virtues 'don't work' are changed or eliminated (very current example possible....say, from unelected, appointed senators to elected in future) then it's reasonable to hope that one day they will (or 'could'!) work. ????

* to go into what all those 'means' are is something I just ain't got time for right now! But I'm sure you know what I mean....rigged, corrupt judicial institutions; overly powerful military, controlled by even more powerful, monopolistic corporate elite, etc, etc..

They have wisely invested......against popular trends!.....in integrity and showing political b*lls. 

I hope will pay due dividends. Respect. ????

Despite what all it means in the short term (say, 4 years at most? Ie, until next general election?) I'm going to at least try to be a little 'glass-half-full' about all this.......in one particular sense. In the sense that without a doubt - imo & cliche alert! - 'the genie's out of the bottle.'

So to speak......and in fact there's more than one genie we are talking about (well, I am)  coming out of multiple bottles, but yet all related. Kissin' cousins, to be sure.

Each genie is a symptom of the deeper political & cultural malaise with which this poor country's been afflicted for just about all of its modern history, being most perfectly exemplified by the current crisis. (Note: a crisis deliberately engineered into its existence now by very, very crafty but nasty people, some years ago.)

So who are these genies? Well, I guess even genies have a kind of heirachy....so there must be genies possessing different status and powers to influence. I guess. 

???????????????? 

On 7/27/2023 at 2:34 AM, webfact said:

It remains to be seen whether the Pheu Thai under de facto party boss/deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra will eventually turn away from the eight coalition partners to the other side which includes the Bhumjaithai under de facto party boss Newin Chidchob, the Palang Pracharath headed by Prawit Wongsuwan and the Ruam Thai Sang Chart under de facto party boss/caretaker prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, among others

'It remains to be seen......'

Does it heck. No gift of prophecy needed, nor a crystal ball, nor anything but proper attention to what's been going down, to know what WILL go down.

Thanatorn's alleged trip to HK to deal aside, it strikes me that MFP would be well-advised to just stay as far removed from any association with this grotesque power-hustle as possible. 

Right now their perceived integrity is - imo - their highest-value asset, in the bank and earning interest as long as they avoid being tempted to make bad choices for the sake of guarantee-free promises & negotiations made by other parties in very questionably good faìth.

Let The Jurassic Ones rule again for a while longer in their old domain, until they sink into the tar-pits of Thai history. 

(Pleased to read today that some formerly prominent red shirt players are very much against Thaksin doing deals with the likes of Prayuths's & Prawit's parties. Though, so what? Thaksin's too giddily intoxicated in his own mind by his own apparent influence & power to call the shots, at least one shot is gonna badly misfire down the line, right into his foot. As it should.)

Wonderful video, GammaGlobulin. ????

As an old geezer who grew up accustomed to watching this kind of quality programming (not always!) on TV, I'm struck by how this vdo sadly emphasizes how cr*ppy contemporary stuff so often is these days..... 

But while true imo, that's way beside the point, or your point (the title of your post)...a point with which I'd agree on the whole, though reservedly and with questions about what 'super smart' (even 'intellectual') really means, and the degree of error by which we might sometimes suppose it adds positive distinction to the views of they we think are so. 

But....that's just me making a general point that is kind of irrelevant and boring when it comes to Richard Feynman and the vdo you posted. He was just a person who by natural compulsion far-reached all the way, in his own way, to figure things out...............a tendency certainly not confined to the 'super smart' or contingent on anyone being so. We all* do it...to a degree..... athiest or not. Dawn till dusk, sometimes. ????

But anyway,  loved your post, GammaGlobulin. ????

* not true...but....

7 hours ago, Elkski said:

Sad situation in Thailand.   I hope more international condemnation comes 

'More'? Has there been any? (I'm not being sarcastic. Just that I haven't seen/read any. Maybe I'm not paying enough attention ????)

I respect your comment, Elkski, and indeed would hope the same thing, but gotta say, sadly, that imo the people who control this country don't give a fig about international condemnation and if they do react to it, it's only to accuse those being critical of foreign interference and 'proof' (????) that anti-govt supporters are being backed & financed by falang meddlers. 

I'm a long-time fan of Thanatorn and reserve judgement on reports (...which I don't deny seem kind of believable...) that he's been an errand boy for MFP in the on-going Hong Kong Hustle 

seemingly played out by every party, in or out, of the 8 party coalition.

I count Anutin amongst those Thai political g*ngsters for whom I've the least favourable regard, and I can't imagine Thanatorn has any more regard for him than I, so I wonder with genuine puzzled curiousity what's happening......though at the same time I don't think I'm that naive to not be able to join the dots.

But.....and there's no implied disrespect to Thanatorn at all in this.....I'm reminded of Groucho Marx's gag, 'Those are my principles.....and if you don't like 'em, I have others'. 

Needs must. Long game. 4 years from now, MFP face off against the Jurassic ones and go landslide on their a**. Only hook I have right now to hang my hat on. ???????? 

3 hours ago, Artisi said:

Does it come with a watch? 

5555 ????

I can only take so much hustle. 

Roll up, roll up.......to the biggest political sh**sh** in town! 

Coming to you soon with a stellar cast of the nations favourite 'na-kan meuang' s**mbags, it promises to polarize the people like never before, beneath the grand big top of the most hilariously effed-up & deservedly mocked circus in the world! 

Special offer: Book early and be in with a chance to win a bonus Prawit Snoozing doll, with authentic snores and piggy little grunting noises*

* subject to availability and batteries not included.

8 hours ago, StreetCowboy said:

A bold endeavour!

There’s nothing that gives you a thirst more than a few bevvies, bar maybe an excess.

Back in the day, I’d go to the pub for my dinner, maybe a couple more, pop down to see Cliff or HankMarvin in the Reef, and then flag a taxi into town to get into trouble.  
I’m older, sadder, and maybe wiser now, The Reef has closed, and taxis are few and far between in these Grab days.

 

'Cliff or Hank Marvin in The Reef'? That's going back some, Streetcowboy. 

Your comments were amusing ????. Not exactly sure how they relate to my own comments, though. 

Re 'excess', my own drinking many years ago always involved excess. But I didn't want to get to the point where it was carry on & die young or quit outright. Quitting outright was such a terrifying option that I went for moderation with preset limits. Body's good with it now & has adapted. I can get happily mellow on very little, enough to kill the urge to binge. ????

If booze is your thing, Bob.......and I'm enough of a fan of booze myself to claim we're close friends (me & booze that is) ......then give it that which ensures a happier relationship.

Examples........wait till dusk, at least.

                .........drink at home or away

                      from a bar, in an

                       environment that pleases 

                       you.....ie, with good mates, 

                       on a seashore, hill,

                       mountain, living room 

                       listening to good jazz.

                 .......appreciate the good feeling 

                      booze gives you and show 

                       gratitude to it by not 

                      demanding too much of it.

                      Stick to a preset limit and 

                      let that be your guide. Better

                      to be just satisfyingly          

                      intoxicated and then wisely   

                      quit for the day.......and thus 

                      more happily repeat each

                      day....than to give in to 

                      excess.......every darned time

                      ...........with all the sh** that 

                      brings. 

Your call, bob. ✊