Walker88

"politically driven prosecutions" Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the fat man treasonous scumball tried to overthrow 250 years of US democracy, and do it by fomenting both a violent coup and by his 'fake elector' scheme. Only idiots think he had his goobers march to the Capitol on 6 Jan to buy souvenirs. Of course he's also a convicted charity fraudster, a convicted bank and insurance fraudster (who is about to lose his 30,000 sf 10,997 sf apartment), a convicted sex offender, indicted for stealing highly classified documents, indicted for his 6 January actions, indicted for paying off a pornstar for which his bag man was already convicted, and indicted for RICO and other illegal acts in Georgia to which 3 of his minions have already plead guilty. Frankly, he should be shot once convicted (If SC Smith adds "Sedition" to trump's 6 Jan actions, that is possible, as sedition is a capital offense). He might still win even if shot or fried like Sunday morning bacon in the electric chair, because his goobers are friggin morons, but at least we'd be physically done with him. The lower one's IQ, the more devoted one is to the clown trump. On Bill Maher the other night Fareed Zakaria was asked what will happen in 2024. Fareed answered, "Two things: either trump wins, or else he loses but claims he won...and he'll get the support of the newly elected Talibangical Speaker, who will accept fake electors." 2024 might be the end of US democracy and elections. If so, all bets are off, and I'll be happy to eradicate any and all traitors, no matter where they are. I took that oath, and will abide by it.

Better send out the dogs and that special BMW to search for this Khun Nobody.

Yes, even on Buddha days.....at least for 'medical reasons'.

She's cute for sure, but not a stunner. Obviously she has some sort of charisma that appeals. I don't know her background, other than she's from Buriram, but I doubt she was born into wealth. She made it on her own. She recently signed a management deal that will pay her $37 million. One has to applaud that kind of success story. Obviously Lalisa brings joy to many people. Nothing wrong with that.

Allow me to be a pedant and correct a misconception. The MLB World Series was a competition first funded and promoted by a newspaper called the New York World. They named the competition after themselves, as in The World Series. Had it been the Telegraph, the name would have been The Telegraph Series. Now you know.

The US is not the key to peace. That will have to come from rational actors on the two opposing sides. Hamas is never going to be part of that, and I have my doubts about Netanyahu. I used to work this issue as part of the foreign policy arm of the USG. Unless things have changed, the US goal is three fold: 1) Help Israel so that it will continue to exist 2) Try to minimize all innocent deaths 3) Work toward all sides accepting a Two State solution, even if it will never happen and the US is just playing Sisyphus. Perhaps a new goal nowadays is to keep Iran out of it as much as possible, hoping to buy time until the mullahs die and Iran enters a new phase of its existence, which ideally falls in that middle ground between the brutal autocracy of the Shah and the fanaticism of the mullahs. The youth of Iran certainly desire that. Yes, the US does want the flow of oil to continue, and that sometimes means walking a thin line so that the oil-producing monarchies don't do a 1974 again, but things have change even with that. The US has been content to accept/promote the dissolute lifestyle so many Gulf monarchies have adopted, because that gives them a reason to stay out of the Palestinian-Israeli issue in any meaningful way, save for words. Before the US invasion of Iraq, many who opposed the invasion argued that Saddam was no actual threat, and was content to live out the rest of his life enjoying "booze, broads and palaces". That also describes the leaders of the other Gulf monarchies.

I accept that there seems to be no middle ground in the Middle East. One must take one side or the other unequivocally. I am unable to do that. That leaves me no place in this ever-growing thread. The terror attack on 7 Oct was heinous. Were I a survivor, I'd be apoplectic. I understand that. If it is possible to step back, I recall reading of a sign a US military commander had on his office in Iraq. "In our actions killing enemies today, how many more did we create?" Maybe it's still too soon to have that sort of introspection. Another concern is the growing anti-Jewish sentiment in the world, even in the US and even on university campuses. This is revolting. Yes, this, too, is too soon, but humor sometimes can offer a temporary refuge. Bill Maher---whose mother was Jewish---had a joke in his monologue tonight that brings this anti-Jewish threat home. Maher noted that FBI Director Christopher Wray said that anti-Jewish threats are at an all time high in the US. "the threat level having moved up from Mel Gibson to Kanye". Humor is often better getting the point across to those who might not be listening, and this growing anti-Jewish hate must be addressed, lest history repeat. Finally, and a bit off topic. Maher's New Rules was rather interesting this morning.

If the issue of convergence is not solved, I suspect none of us will have to work because we'll all be dead. "Siri...what is the cause of environmental destruction, and can you halt it?"

Can't play Kissinger, but maybe Cassandra. Cassandra may have been a pessimist, but Cassandra was also correct. Nobody is going to come out of this a winner. The world has taken sides, with the major powers on opposite ends. China and Russia are voicing support for the Palestinians, while the US remains on Israel's side, but with limitations. Biden has warned Israel that support for Israel will fade if the death toll of Palestinian civilians keeps rising. Though numbers must depend on reporters who likely have picked a side, the death toll in Gaza is likely approaching 10,000, and reports claim thousands of the dead are children. A bit of a backhanded urge for restraint came from US SecState Blinken, who said he can see his own children in the faces of Palestinian children. On a US TV show, two former US military men---Adm James Stavridas and Gen Stanley McCrystal---took opposite sides. Adm Stavridas advised restraint as the innocent death toll mounts, while Gen McCrystal said Israel should keep going at Hamas hard, in spite of the loss of innocent life. It might be germane that McCrystal fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and everyone knows how those wars turned out: not good. Terrorist attacks like 7 October create a new generation of militants. Some 120 innocent Palestinians have been killed in non-Hamas controlled West Bank since 7 Oct, mostly carried out by Israeli settlers. Those killings are nothing short of racist, as the Palestinians were murdered simply because they were Palestinians. Independent sources---who may well be biased, but may also be accurate---reported that 67 Palestinian children were killed in non-Hamas controlled West Bank by the IDF and Israeli settlers this year before 7 Oct. The blood feud is ever present. With a few thousand children now dead in Gaza from Israeli actions, it is likely a new generation of militants now exist there, too, which does not bode well for peace in the future. For whatever reason---all are welcome to opinions---the Middle East issue seems to bring out strong feelings on two sides, much more than other slaughter, whether that is the invasion of Ukraine or ethnic battle like the Tutsis and Hutus in Rwanda. All victims might be human beings, but the feelings and opinions are not of equal vehemence, as if some human lives are worth more, or less, than others. Maybe we all go tribal when the victims are 'like us', and only express tacit and fleeting compassion when they're not. Is a solution even possible? Can a Two State solution ever work? If Israel decides (like some posters in this long thread suggest) that Israel just go all out innocents be damned, will that lose Israel even more support? If the civilian death toll in Gaza continues to rise, will that bring in both regional and international powers---Iran, the Gulf States, Russia and China---additionally on the side of the Palestinians? Will Russia---despite its war in Ukraine---even supply military and intelligence assistance to the Palestinians, as a volatile Middle East is certainly in the interest of a major fossil fuel power like Russia? There is also an irony that while the world is focused on this current battle, the world is also moving on as if nothing is happening. The price of oil has fallen 12% since right after the attack, and this week the US stock market soared. Maybe that is an indication that many have just had enough of the 75 year "Middle East Issue" and are now just going to live their own lives, wish both sides the best, but simply stop caring. I appreciate this thread has largely become an echo chamber, and none of us is going to solve anything. I write this just to bring up points and opinions I have seen scanning a wide cross section of sources.

Find a good ramen shop. Get a bowl of miso ramen, a side of gyoza, and a Sapporo beer. Reawaken your slurping skills, so as to fit in. Watch the guy in the back making the fresh noodles. He'll lay out the dough, grab a knife, focus zen-like, then chop away, as if he's playing Louis Moreau Gottschalk's "The Banjo" (especially the last verse). You could then use an electron microscope to measure noodle width, and it would not vary by more than an angstrom. Precision for the sake of precision....the Japanese Way. Go to the same shop every day at the same time, and soon enough the other customers, who go to the same shop at the same time everyday, will be your tomodachis. You might even hear, "I want to onsen with you!"

Then don't watch this !

Terrorists are miscreants who would engage in genocide if given the opportunity.

Part of being civilized is coming to terms with history and accepting that things once allowed/tolerated/carried out are unfair, unlawful or outright evil. That isn't "Presentism", where some expect people in the past to have today's morality or be 'cancelled' for it, but rather an admission that civility has new rules, and these rules grant (ideally) all people equal rights to life, liberty, freedom and self-determination.

My earlier post on the Mau Mau Rebellion noted those dates.

People responsible for the crimes should be punished. I was all in favor of hunting down Nazis long after the war, or going after those who committed or ordered atrocities in the former Yugoslavia, or Cambodia, or Rwanda. Personally, and as noted in a current popular thread, I would have also liked justice to have been handed to Menachem Begin. Toss in Carlos the Jackal (serendipitously caught after attending a party in Khartoum), George Habash and a host of others (some of whom did pay the price, like the Flying Ginsu-ing of Ayman al Zawahiri). As for injustices that preceded the lives of anyone now alive, I guess when Mongolia apologizes for Genghis Khan slaughtering 20% of humanity, someone else can have their turn. Until then, just learn from past bad behavior.

Your trying to use the "But Hitler was nice to his niece" argument. Is it too much just to admit that your country---and most others---have checkered pasts?

The Mau Mau rebellion was in the 1950s and 60s. Hardly 'centuries old'. I met an old Brit military guy who wrote a book on it and was part of it. Ian Stuart McWalter Henderson, and IIRC, his book was "Manhunt in Kenya". Henderson went on to be a major figure in intel in Bahrain in the 1970s to 1990s. He was one of the many Brits who played roles in Gulf intelligence in the 70s, 80s and 90s. The most colorful---slightly off topic---was Brig Timothy Landon, who was the right hand man of the Sultan of Oman. Landon was an interesting fellow, who ended up extremely wealthy before passing from cancer.

Being shallow, demanding and intolerant has probably served me well, though I applaud those of you who have found love and happiness with a Thai woman. Some on here are miffed that a topic such as this comes up on this site, but it really is quite germane to a majority of foreigners in Thailand, for reasons that need not be stated. We all know. We all know the temptations, and we all know the possibilities that exist here. For me, I could never bridge the cultural gap. I'm hardly a neophyte expat, as I've lived and worked in many countries and cultures. While I do find Thai women lovely and often quite endearing, the way most think vs the way I think are too far apart for me to be satisfied long term. I accept they would feel the same toward me. Thai women are likely the only ethnicity about whom I would feel that way, at least based on the countries in which I have lived (which include Asia, South Asia, Europe and the Middle East). I'm somewhat pedantic about beliefs, and really expect logic to be a part of everyone's thinking, especially a woman with whom I would share life. I can slough off superstitions like reincarnation or magic amulets in casual relationships, but not in anything long term. Such beliefs indicate a mind that is prone to poor decisions or that cannot accept personal responsibility. That's a recipe for disaster, as it can impact important decisions over which one can have direct control. Thai women---in what is perhaps my too limited experience---are the one ethnicity where few have moved beyond superstition and who can accept most of their cultural beliefs re faith are absolute drivel. A second thing is that I have met precious few Thais who are not of the view that Thailand is the center of the known Universe, and thus there is absolutely no need to know anything about anything, whether science, history, art or the rest of humanity. Too narrow is the typical focus, and that says BOREDOM over the long term. Unlike some men, I'm not looking for a maid, but rather an equal partner. I can wash and iron my own clothes. A final point---and this applies to all women along with the typical (not all) man's desire for fresh attractions---I have worked with and known women who have gone through menopause. I understand the hormone imbalances are not their fault, but how that impacts behavior is a cruel trick played by the impish Universe. Female behavior can be quite bizarre during that time. This is not a sexist view (some, of course, will argue otherwise), it is merely fact. Even women who have reached the 'other side' have told me how weirdly they behaved. Many are also quite happy to be done with their 'monthly visitor' as well as carnal desire. That is where my lack of tolerance would enter. The depth of love I would have to feel to chill out during that multi-year transition would have to Romeo-esque. I think the traditional Western marriage vows should say, "In sickness and in health and through menopause". I also think I will still have a desire to 'do the deed' when I'm past female menopause age, which might tempt me to break vows of monogamy. So I accept I'm not the marrying type, but like General Jack Ripper in Dr. Strangelove, I don't avoid women (Mandrake); I just deny them my essence betrothal.

Congrats on the demographics of your Mrs' village. Sounds like they also attended a prep school like Phillips Andover or Choate. Bankers, eh? Maybe they were my colleagues at Goldman Sachs or my hedge funds? My experience in Isaan, undoubtedly incorrect, differs markedly. Post-Covid I have been in Sakaeo, Buriram and Ubon. Granted, that's not all of Isaan. Half finished structures everywhere, as bank loans disappeared during Covid. Jobs are unavailable. Even in Big C and Lotus', they are wildly overstaffed (staff sitting down chatting in the aisles) and need not hire anymore. Lots of drunk men and lazy young men demanding (you know, that filial piety thing) sis send them money from Pattaya or Bangkok. Many babies being cared for by grandmoms or great grandmoms, as birth mom is working in the big city. Women who became mothers at a tender age were forced out of school, and can't even get hired at 7-11, as a degree is required. Oh, and farm production is down, so prices have risen. Some of my staff are from these cities and villages. Two differences I see between them and bargirls---whom my staff absolutely do not look down on. One is that my staff didn't get pregnant at 15 like some of their classmates. Another is that they don't have drunk uncles and neer-do-well brothers, nor gambling addict mothers, expecting to be supported by sisters, daughters or nieces working the chrome poles. Being attractive, but having a family full of parasites, is bad enough. One act of youthful indiscretion---usually initiated by the boyfriend who subsequently does a runner---changes these women's lives forever. As a male, who am I to judge? There but for the grace of Zeus......... I now return control of this thread back to Bob.

Bob, I'm trying to carry the water for you keeping your thread going strong. Of all the serial thread starters, I find Bob mildly amusing. Some of the others (unnamed) less so.

Not superior knowledge, just something I notice. In this moribund Thai economy, even the ruling leadership believes sex tourists add value. No doubt families all over Isaan feel the same way. Live and let live.

Actually, no scooter. Being a forward thinker, I did my Midlife Crisis in my 20s, with the Harley Fatboy and the Porsche Carrera (I even had a Rolex back then). Got it out of my system and cleared the deck for (hopefully) a dignified Middle Age.

Perhaps you've missed the change in demographics, but I would guess 70% of the sex tourists today are East Asian. The proverbial old, fat, bald farang is a dying breed, replaced by the increasingly chubby, 20ish to 40ish, face-for-radio, chain-smoking East Asian. Those poor bargirls never get a break (unless Bob is feeling randy and is out and about).

I suspect he's truthful. He notes having $50K ready to drop this high season. It's a modest, not an absurd amount, thus: believable. $12.5K/month, assuming a 4 month high season, is quite reasonable. Heck, he might even own a Rolex, though he's joking about any women giving a hoot about a watch. Lambo, maybe. Watch? Even women who know what a Rolex costs would assume Bob bought it off an Indian guy who interrupted him at dinner.

The same color as Bob's Roleks (sic)