Fat is a type of crazy

I agree that Haley as Vice President would give him some legitimacy he doesn't deserve. He is currently giving her a hard time making fun of her real name Nimarta Nikki Randhawa Haley, not racist at all, but of course that will all change if she drops out. Sad state of affairs seeing her not push back hard so as not to offend the base. I concur Joe has to go. He may still have some smarts but optics are bad and going to get worse. For the good of the nation.

Is it significantly better in low season in Pattaya ? Hoping it is.

If interested in Euro women's soccer, or whatever, why not comment. You can learn stuff and get feedback and be less ignorant. I don't think being a local, now or 20 years ago, gives one an intrinsic or important insight, that others cannot have on a particular topic, in this modern technological age. Sometimes, a posters outsider status can help them to identify interesting discussion points e.g. they can see that the Emperor has no clothes. Though it can be boring and I rarely comment - the topic of American politics is more potentially impactful to many expats - than whether there was an accident in Chiang Mai or an Englishman and a Russian had a fight in a bar in Pattaya - topics that get 100's of the same ol' boring comments. I think political discussion adds to this site if only as a contrast to the normal topics such as ladies of the night or the availability of marmite.

You tend to be fairly logical in your discussion of other topics such as sport and diet. I am not sure if you are a Trump supporter, or simply think opposition to him is overwrought, but it might be interesting to see if you think he is an appropriate and sensible option for president. In terms of derangement, despite the odd meme such as that which you have posted, the Democrats of course focused and fought the good fight and Biden is president. Such a long road ahead for Trump to get back what he lost but still can't admit he lost. That Republicans want him was possibly forgivable in 2016, but to think he is a morally appropriate or a capable candidate in 2024, is hard to comprehend. But if you have a different opinion happy to hear the same logic you use to discuss diet etc.

The $688 may have been a first up special for certain dates. Lot of options in May for $786 return. Cost should not go up unless you pick options such as free change booking or extra baggage.

Thanks. Is it fair to say they take forever as they are caught in traffic - say from Jomtiem to Pattaya - or is that only at certain times

Took it as a joke. Those buildings seem fine though let's be honest some of the downbeat descriptions of I think View Talay 1 or 2 and the local shops in this thread did not sound inspiring. Looking for a location for 6 weeks in a condo in the right location not so easy but some options look ok. Thinking I might travel multiple places to have a look at other options.

Sounds good but most people who feel like that actually know that there's closer to 10 million than 10 baht or they would not be so laid back about the whole thing.

Interesting discussion. Until about the free water. I am going for say 6 weeks in low season to size up whether the area is my cup of tea to live and I must admit have been a bit turned off by the comments on the Talay area of Jomtiem with the lack of shops and facilities and busy baht bus to town. Though surprised people talk about swimming there. Thought all beaches were too dirty. Thinking about more Central Pattaya to be near shops etc but don't want too much noise - may be a contradiction. Thought a bit towards Wongamat . Pratamnuk may be a bit separated without a bike. If anyone can suggest somewhere near transport, good gym and pool, at least 50 sqm inside, budget discretionary depending on what you get but don't mind paying a decent amount, nice to pick somewhere with potential to be long term base.

Doesn't make sense. Maybe one too many nots.

I want to un reinvent myself when I retire. No longer be defined by what I do in my working life.

Psychology is 6 years in Australia. Psychiatry is 12 years. 6 years medicine. 1 year on the job and 5 years psychiatry.

Why not acknowledge they have gone too far - been too indiscriminate in their bombings and not taken reasonable steps to limit damage to life and property. It is not to say the war was not justified but that they have at times gone too far. I have only read a percentage of your posts on this topic, I admit, but you seem reticent to do that.

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Sounds like you pay in full as it is in total less than 100,000. I do note that my policy does have a proviso that a deductible, of $750 in my case, applies to first visit to a hospital and not to others in that calendar year. I would suggest that is not the norm and others may know better. Further point is the operation and subsequent visits may possibly be treated differently depending on the cover i.e. the operation covered under hospital cover and cleaning of wounds not as a part of hospital cover even though done at a hospital. You might have to pay for the later regardless. Worth a call.

Hard topic but it could be universally a feeling amongst some individuals at certain times. Dogs maybe do feel something similar. Cats are different. Insects may feel some driving force to survive and do their thing that maybe could be defined in some obscure way as a love or love of life. ThaiBeachLovers seems to feel similar to romantic songs that it's more than a feeling - there is some thing universal in the air rather than a shared separate experience or feeling.

Your definition of love must be some universal thing. Could be strong feelings and that's it. You could go one further and say humans in love feel good, sometimes, and act a certain way that tends to be consistent with a positive outcomes for the community and therefore is held in high regard ... as compared to negative feelings that have bad outcomes or something.

I don't think love is evidence of a god. We all feel stuff. Some feelings can seem minor, and seemingly inconsequential, such as the good feeling of eating food - important though to my survival. Other feelings can seem overwhelming or bigger than others but are still feelings and they do not necessitate belief in a god or similar. No feelings or thoughts or ideas can be touched.

For what it's worth, I took the point of the post as noting the pointlessness of consumers at a restaurant, or the religious, debating and admonishing each other about what is the best food, or religious ideals, to consume. Since it is all food or all religion so let individual choice reign. Pineapple pizza or a Napoli pizza with traditional ingredients. It's all good. My point then noted that to the non religious, it is not comparing different foods, but food and an empty table. The religious sit at an objectively empty table and say they are, if you like, having a satisfying meal that only they can see. Or maybe others of a similar ilk feel they can see and may well see who knows. Of course I concur the religious should not be admonished or ridiculed or similar. But if they stand up and say, take my word that this is a thing, or do these 5000 hours of meditation or read a 5000 page book and you'll see it's a thing, it is not unreasonable that they get some hopefully polite debate and or pushback, about whether it is a thing, or that they could provide evidence that doing the hard work leads to a thing.

In the restaurant there's actual food. You are talking about something in your mind that you think is a thing. Imagine someone saying they are tasting something so yummy but there's nothing in front of them to see. You might then question, admonish, or ridicule. So if you believe something and wish to talk about it you have to cop it as a reasonable thing to be criticised when nothing can be seen on the table.

The hope of eternity was much more tempting, as you say, when life was much more unfair, people dying and in pain all over the place, still true for many in the world. Simply lighten your load and believe that god serendipitously arranged for your parents to meet, for that seed to get to the egg, for you to enter the body somehow depending on the religion, and eternity waits, and there it is. Faith means that for confusing bits - God.

Putting aside money, appearance and age, a reason why some expat types may not be seen as an attractive option is their thinking - their perception of superiority based on not much and their outspokenness and extreme opinions on politics, social issues and world news, culminating in a tendency towards conspiracy theories. Strong opinions that are not open to suggestion. Stubborn. Boring. Not fun for girls who want to have fun. A fair few of this type.

Maybe so.. but you have to acknowledge that woke has taken on a different meaning regardless of the dictionary definition. Based on the wider use of it do you not see that people can go over the top in trying too hard to be inclusive and non racist etc. Doesn't mean being racist, or non inclusive as such is a good thing ever, but simply that trying too hard in the opposite direction can be tedious and damaging and can result in people being judged too harshly for having different opinions that may have some merit, or for saying something out of turn or making a mistake.

I come across things here and there - in tv advertising, tv shows and films, at work, where there is a clear attempt to seem hip to the jive of what young people are thinking, and on occasion they go too far or muck it up. Mainly harmless - and hardly new for the powers that be to try and win favour for dubious motives. It's impact, in my opinion, is somewhat overblown, mainly by the right wing politicians and media, who will scour the world for more extreme examples and say - fear this - this is what democrats or other lefties want to do to you and your children. For sure, point out where things are over the top, but be honest about it's implications on our lives, and being a bit kinder and aware of the feelings and point of view of others, is not so bad.

Suspicious with some of these posts. This guy Jan1970, first post, starts with 'thank you for accepting my membership on the forum' and talks about his real estate issue involving someone wanting a deposit back. There's a post by Robyn2222, first post, that starts as 'thank you for accepting my membership on the forum' that talks about his real estate issue where he is looking to get a deposit back. Take from that what you will.