Grover

Much quicker page rendering now

isn't the speed of the page rendering determined by the browsers rendering engine ? that is, client side not server side ?

Pages load up quicker compared to most other websites on my bookmark list. At first I thought it was a good connection.

From the AEC FAQ for overseas voters

Is it compulsory to vote if I am overseas?

Enrolment and voting by people outside Australia is not compulsory, however if you are going overseas you are required to inform the AEC. For information and the relevant forms, please see Overseas Electors - Eligibility and Forms.

http://www.aec.gov.au/FAQs/Voting_Overseas.htm#compos

I was wondering what local Australians were doing about voting. Last time I was in Bangkok and it was just a matter of popping into the embassy.

By the time I sent for a postal vote and returned it I suppose it would be too late.

this thread has got the info

<a href="http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=147802" target="_blank">http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=147802</a>

I might download the form, fill, scan, email option as it seems the easiest.

Also voting is not compulsory for aussies overseas

After the last election I got a letter from the electoral commission forwarded to my dad's address in Adelaide. I had a "please explain or we are going to fine you" form inside.

I got a letter like that once too when I came back from Thailand (going back many years), except there was no please explain - just a fine to pay. Roughly from memory I sent them a letter, I said I was overseas, I photocopied the entry and exit stamps and I never heard from them again.

I was wondering what local Australians were doing about voting. Last time I was in Bangkok and it was just a matter of popping into the embassy.

By the time I sent for a postal vote and returned it I suppose it would be too late.

this thread has got the info

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=147802

I might download the form, fill, scan, email option as it seems the easiest.

Also voting is not compulsory for aussies overseas

ขี้ ตกใจ - a scaredy cat - easily frightened.

Doesnt carry the same force as a medical panic attack though;

edit/ dont believe this was the meaning you were after, unless the Thais were playing practical jokes on you like hiding then saying "boo" and you become frightened.

Only three things I would have done differently

* different power supply. Although gview cases are not bad, the generic PSU's coming with it are none to good.

* seperate smaller hard drive for OS and apps. (preferable one of the raptors, bloody fast, bloody expensive )

* better graphics card, although this one is personal, not needed if no games are being played. The GF 7200 will handle normal apps perfectly OK!

agree with the seperate 10000PRM HDD for OS/apps.

Not that expensive, about 6500baht for 74GB 10,000 RPM, 16 MB cache, 4.5 ms Read Seek Time, 5.9 ms Write Seek Time, 1,200 Mbits/s (Max) Transfer Rate

So basically you want to use this fast expensive hd for the operating system to make the base computer run a bit faster? And any programs you install on this drive will also run a bit more smoothly than normal?

Damian Mavis

yes, but will be a noticeable lot not a bit.

Only three things I would have done differently

* different power supply. Although gview cases are not bad, the generic PSU's coming with it are none to good.

* seperate smaller hard drive for OS and apps. (preferable one of the raptors, bloody fast, bloody expensive )

* better graphics card, although this one is personal, not needed if no games are being played. The GF 7200 will handle normal apps perfectly OK!

agree with the seperate 10000PRM HDD for OS/apps.

Not that expensive, about 6500baht for 74GB 10,000 RPM, 16 MB cache, 4.5 ms Read Seek Time, 5.9 ms Write Seek Time, 1,200 Mbits/s (Max) Transfer Rate

just tell her to dress more "riap roi"

haha, sheepish grin.

best to give him benefit of the doubt.

As to who created the universe, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created that, and who created the one that created tha, and so on...

Would the answer to that question reduce the suffering experienced in day to day life?

I think so.

Would not having the answer but wanting to know it generate a subtle form of suffering ?

I dont know if having a gik is considered the new 'cool' thing to do, or if its considered *almost* acceptable in Thai culture to have one, but this 40% phenomena is worryingly high

It seems to me that the "kik" relationship needs a certain amount of emotional control/restraint/maturity and a surprising lack of commitment, which makes me wonder, how prevalent and successful are these "kik" relationships

I found an answer, apparently is it extremely prevalent at 40% of Thai spouses according to this news topic

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=147741

It is an almost unbelievable percentage.

"I'm Power" ?

My guess is he had a brain snap in a moment of near unconsciousness by making a small, silly, and deadly mistake.

haha, was a bit slow today so took a while,

but good one.

Let's put it another way.

1. There's God.

Buddha must have been aware of his existence and so all his teaching must ulimately lead to establishing connection with God. Ultimately is the key word. For the vast majority of people it has no practical value and never will, for many many lifetimes.

2. There's no God.

Buddha was sharing his own realisations, not much different from authors of self-help books. Issues to which he had no answers, like the origin of universe, are irrelevant.

3. There's God but Buddha wasn't aware of his existence.

Fair enough with these three possibilities.

Perhaps nirvarna is beyond concepts of god, the origin of the universe and when reached this speculation become irrelevant ? I dont know.

But i think if the God concept was important to the cessation of suffering leading to nirvarna, then the Buddha would have mentioned it.

My view is that man made God not God made man.

Nirvana is not the end of all. We are all in for a pleasant surprise.

Are you referring to heaven ?

Thanks for all your help. I shall go to the CAT offices when I return to Chiang Mai and report back with what I learn.

keep your eye out for the USB modem version, I had a look on the website and its a bit cheaper at about 10000 baht.

I bet once you clearly define God most of the questions will disappear.

One definition of God, but not sure if this was the accepted definition of God in the Buddhas time:

The (supposed) existence of a superhuman, supernatural intelligence who deliberately designed and created the universe and everything in it, including us

Dawkins, The God Delusion p31.

Do you really believe that once you try to confirm the existence of God that faith becomes irrelevant? Is faith only worthwhile when you have nothing to base it on? That seems a bit mad doesn't it? I can see where the mocking comes from. Jesus was confounded and disappointed by the disbelief of those around Him even with an abundance of evidence. What value is blind faith? It is no more than an opinion.

As far as when faith is confirmed it then becomes redundant, that is hard to imagine. If you tell a kid you will buy him an ice cream, does his faith in the reality of the ice cream disappear when he holds it in his hand? I would think his faith would be magnified as you could no longer say the ice cream is imaginary or a trick.

Ok, i've just read this recent topic http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=147403

If you can relate this post back to Buddhism somehow then ill be able to respond.

The short answer is no, no, yes and "there is probably a better analogy".

Question: Let's say you took these roaches and in turn fed them to your local community of geckos, frogs, toads etc. Would that be wrong? It's part of the life cycle, right?

One could easily argue that dumping the roaches elsewhere is just as bad as killing them. Think about it for a sec. You could be dumping into an area that was cockroach free thereby disrupting the local ecosystem or they could be placed in a hostile environment where they would soon die or they could cause an infestation for someone else.

These procedures are curious because they can end up doing more harm than good despite the good intent.

I don't kill the spiders or beetles that visit me since I know the good they do. Like many of you do, they get gently placed outside, but disease vectors, I draw the line at.

But I have to admit, I rather admire the kindness intended. It has made me thing about some things, as to why I am nice to some bugs and not others. Conditioning I guess.

I think when you release them you should do it with some metta (loving-kindness). So feeding them to toads or releasing them out the window of a car on a busy road would be counter productive for the metta and the life you are trying to preserve.

I'm extremely sceptical about existence of arahants, btw. There's also a slim to none chance of comprehending any part of their understanding of Nirvana,

Yes, there is no chance of comprehending their understanding of Nirvarna, because being beyond description, it can only be experienced by oneself.

so, even if they exist, it matters little your average buddhist.

In a way, because the average Buddhist wouldn't have the discernment to recognise a true arahant.

It's more of a faith issue that buddhists are not willing to admit, I'm afraid.

Although Buddhists necessarily have a belief in the Buddhas enlightenment, its not close to the fevered 'faith' of other religons, its more like a working hypothesis that one sets out to prove with self practise.

Christians seek out confirmation through other means.

The moment one starts trying to confirm knowledge of God, one turns their back on faith it seems. Or it proves that it was an insecure type of faith.

But faith confirmed becomes knowledge and it is my knowledge of God that strengthens my relationship.

Once faith is confirmed and becomes knowledge, it simultaneously becomes redundant.

All faiths, he said, are paths to God. "We are all the image of God."

The Dalai Lama and Thich Nhat Hanh say things like this to make Jews, Christians and Muslims feel more comfortable about godless Buddhists.

Do you really think so? Would he not say it because he believed it to be true?

The Dali Lama often talks on the theme of uniting humanity, and I view this particular comment as his way of extending an olive branch to Jews, Christians, Muslims etc,

who might be averse to the unimportance of a God concept in Buddhism.

I dont think there is anything more in it than that.

Junta Crushed 'Saffron Revolt,' but What Next?

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

by Denis D Gray

---

Burma's "saffron revolt" has been crushed by an entrenched junta, but the brutality inflicted on Buddhist monks who braved its guns may be the only thing that could splinter the ranks of its fiercely loyal military.

<snip>

The beating and mass arrests of the monks, who led pro-democracy demonstrations last month across the country, struck at the junta's greatest fear—that factions within its ranks may side with those seeking change.

<snip>

continued here

http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=8933

You think I am a doubting Thomas???.....

I believe you have often exhibited qualities of a doubting Thomas on this forum (not that there is anything wrong with that).....

and yes, my mistake - you havnt been one in this thread.

let me recap what my offerings have been in this thread:

1. Most people want to eliminate cockroaches because of aversion and aversion is a type of attachment.

2. For a small percentage of the population with asthma it is important to clean up dust regularly and this regular cleaning will eliminate cockroach created allergins.

3. Using vacuum cleaners spreads allergins of all types unless it uses proper filters.

4. When using a vacuum cleaner devise to catch cockroaches there is a danger of dispersing allergins unless the vacuum cleaner is fitted with the proper kind of filter.

5. It is best to not run a vacuum cleaner if there is an asthmatic person in the room.

Do you take issue with any of these?

Chownah, this line of discussion has gone so comically off topic, I'd prefer to just leave it

Another time and place maybe.