Etaoin Shrdlu

Perhaps the convictions he received were for the weakest of the charges he could have faced given J6 and the Georgie election. He certainly could have appealed his conviction.

Well, I think for non-violent offenses, perhaps community service might be appropriate. But serving as POTUS isn't the type of community service that is appropriate.

Against convicted criminals.

Trump was sworn to uphold the Constitution. When asked if he was obliged to do so, he said "I'm not a lawyer. I don't know". That tells you all you need to know as to whether he's "doing his job".

Wanna bet?

Lindsay Graham may have reasons to dislike Vladimir Putin due to Putin's stance on LGBTQ+ issues.

I also don't put much stock in Russians eating dogs, although I believe anyone in extremis probably would. Donald Trump hasn't shown any sign of standing up to Vladimir Putin so far and Trump's the leader of the Republican party. Trump kneecaps anyone who resists. Who in the Republican Party would challenge him on this point?

There is no evidence any of the Haitian immigrants in Springfield Ohio were eating dogs or cats.

Trump makes a fool of himself every day and twice on Sundays.

When I hear of an LPG tanker overturning, I'm reminded of the inferno on New Petchburi Road back in September 1990. What a nightmare that was.

I can't deny that those types exist in Thailand, but my my experience is a bit different. Most of the expats that I have come into contact with are in these categories: Senior management or industry specialists sent by their multinational company employer to work here Entrepreneurs who own successful companies. (Perhaps Bill Heinecke is the most successful of all those I've met, but since he's renounced his US citizenship I'm not sure he's still considered an expat. But there are many others.) Teachers at international schools and local universities who have relevant degrees and credentials. Lawyers who are owners of, or who work at, local law firms. Perhaps it depends upon why one came to Thailand in the first place, or perhaps on the company one keeps.

I think Patpong started to go downhill in 2001 or so when Purachai was Minister of the Interior and required things to be toned down. The Pong never recovered.

I agree. There is lots to been done in this area. High fructose corn syrup in almost any foodstuff. Hormones and antibiotics in animal feed. High levels of sodium in processed foods. Chemical preservatives. I do find it a bit strange that this would be part of the MAGA manifesto given the "drill, baby, drill" rhetoric when it comes to the environment, something also tied to human health.

Here's another graph showing the price of eggs:

The Republican tax bill contains a provision to impose a withholding tax on foreign remittances. Initially set at 5% of the amount of each remittance, reports now state that this has been lowered to 3.5%. It seems that US citizens may in most instances be exempt from this tax, or be able to claim an income tax credit for such withholding, but there are conditions. One condition is that the bank or money transfer company be a "qualified" remittance transfer company (RTC) and there seems to be a path by which a US citizen could be out the 3.5% tax: The remitter is a US citizen, but uses a remittance company that is not a "qualified" RTC. The remitter is married to someone who does not have a SSN. This applies regardless of whether tax filing status of the US citizen remitter is single, head of household, or married filing separately. A good writeup of this proposed law is here: https://taxnews.ey.com/news/2025-1108-new-5-percent-excise-tax-proposed-for-remittance-transfers