Fat is a type of crazy

Google told me: 27 per cent of students at Harvard are foreign students. 59 per cent of foreign students leave the USA after studies. To stay they need to work under specific conditions and then apparently need a business to sponsor them. They must of course be studying if they want to graduate. Opportunities to stay are limited - an employee would only sponsor you surely if you are highly valuable to them. Not sure if this is relevant though.

Part of universities and the young has always been protests. Harvard did their own review under a new leader and have looked to improve things for students who might no feel safe. Whatever the legalities of Noem's request for student information, making it so ALL existing foreign students would need to find a new university and stopping enrolments for 2026 financial year, seems a massive overreaction as usual. This disruption could have huge damaging implications for the reputation of American Universities and give the lucrative foreign student market reason to study elsewhere. Funding has already been cut to do research that can bring big $ to the USA and often benefit us all.

How much are wine coolers now. I seem to recall you used to buy them for 27 baht.

Do you support the big beautiful bill

Tariffs can play a role of course as I said but you have to look at the circumstances , the outcomes - I have no information to say Biden used them corruptly .. what I can say is there is a well documented history of corruption with tariffs and Trumps actions to date don't give me confidence his aims are purely altruistic .. The crypto alone is bizarre - I think one day all people may wake up .. even the Trump fans and say .. hey that was a step too far

Now if the leader in control was trustworthy and treated everything at arms length, rather than taking a personal interest and applying them seemingly randomly, there is the scope for tariffs not to be corrupt of course but ..

Yes Mr Jingthing posted a good summary from Fareed Zakaria explaining this. Google tariffs and corruption - it's quite interesting - many articles to peruse

Well tariffs are well known as being a quick and easy way to corruption. Look at countries fast tracking things Trump wants There's the plane. There's the crypto with many overseas investors who are now getting one on one meetings based on their investment which has made him huge gains There's the family following dad around the middle east following up on business deals I mean jeez Mike are you happy with all this?

But it's a bit selective is the point. White farmers at threat. Shut down the meeting and show some likely biased video - biased as it is a fairly contentious argument he is making. But visiting rich countries or talking to Putin - human rights issues - no need to discuss. Come on - be honest - have I got a point.

I am in Australia and yes most basics are more expensive here - prices have gone up a lot in the last year or two - but many things: wine, beer, chocolate, many nuts, many cereals, many dairy products are more expensive in Thailand. Those things are a significant part of what I buy so Thailand doesn't come out that far on top.

Fine - but be diplomatic and polite for long term relations - and he seems to have a narrow area of concern which is .. not surprising ..nice to see him bring up similar issues with other countries .. rich oil producing middle east countries perhaps

That type of post is so 2021. Woke is such a lazy descriptor. Someone cares about a social issue - tries to improve things - woke. Think about being more specific on an issue and saying what is happening right now that shows left of centre folk - other then students and a small minority on the fringe who are always a bit more extreme - are being so unreasonable and irrational or woke as you put it.

Aspects of the media and entertainment I watch such as Washington Week with the Atlantic, certain newspapers often considered by the right to be beyond the pale leftist, and say Bill Maher gave Trump some kudos for doing his own thing, not being a war monger, and trying new ways to find solutions in trouble spots around the world. The sucking up to the oil rich countries , the blatant self interest and corruption, the potential that he is being incredibly naive and misjudging the situation was addressed but there was a definitely a change in giving him some sort of credit. So find some less extreme media is a good start I think.

I'll believe it when I see it. But you don't have to get too excited - this is pretty clear cut - even avid Trump supporting Republicans are against this such as Josh Hawley due mainly to the cuts to Medicaid.

But they accept the result of the election .. unlike you cry babies on the right

True - one would hope they've upped there game - but I don't hear them described as partisan as some suggest - even if one party in their organisation has somewhat of a political background. Their own statement indicates it is a long term problem so now lets see Trump the great fixer fix it. Or not.

But don't be too cutesie about it - 2 good friends have it - it's very unpleasant and has lasted coming up for a week and still not gone - healthy people in their 40's.

But Dr Stillwagon says vaccines aren't needed. Come on guys. It's Dr Stillwagon.

This post was likely done to have a go at Dan Cheeseman. Like a poster a couple of years ago did regularly. Poster name of GOAT.

I read today how Pakistan appears to have fancy technology they got from China for shooting down planes. Then you think Hegseth is in charge in the USA. Beggar's belief.

My Thai ex got tested today and has it.. in Australia. She's been hit pretty hard. It is nasty.

At the election last week there were representatives of five or so parties all standing together happily chatting and handing out leaflets. I thought imagine if the guys on Asean Now could be like that.

At my work we sometimes have meetings - 50 people talking about a particular topic - but they start the meeting with a recognition we are on Aboriginal land. It seems silly. At very big national events it is ok. But the way I look at it is if the side of effect of being nice and kind is some overzealous political correctness it's not so bad. Not good but no big deal most of the time. Lovely day in Melbourne today so I like spending time in both countries - prefer Australian approach to politics rather than most other countries.

Been in power 3 years and now 3 year more so not new. The losing party is called Liberal as it happens.

I am more than happy to keep discussing it. If someone took an interest in my posts I wouldn't be offended or see it as an insinuation - I might let them know what changed my mind. My 'insinuation' that foreign policy may have changed your mind would make sense and not be something leading to offence or defensiveness. But I appreciate you don't want to be the topic which makes sense and want to discuss the topic so that's all good.