Polar Bear

It is very similar to human dementia in many ways, and if your dog is suffering from it, you have my sympathy because it's a tough situation. wThere isn't really any treatment. There are some supplements that people say help and a couple of meds (i.e., propentofylline), but it's debatable whether the potential for improvement is worth the side effects. The only practical advice I could give is to keep them busy with exercise and especially puzzle toys during the day because they often have sundowner symptoms, as humans do, with a disturbed sleep-wake cycle. If they are up all night pacing and barking at walls, no one gets any sleep, and that's not sustainable for any length of time. Good luck.

I haven't been to the restaurant, but I order takeout from Aesops, and the food is good. It's not the best I've ever had, but it's definitely much better than anything else I've found here, especially the Kleftiko. https://aesopsbangkok.com/

It's much the same for cats. As long as you have the paperwork in order, there's no quarantine. (This assumes we are talking about a regular domestic pet cat.) Where are you bringing the cat from? Depending on the regulations of the country and the airline, you can take cats and small dogs in the cabin. The size and weight limit depends on the airline, but it's usually around 7-8kg with the carrier, with space for them to turn around. It has to fit under the seat in front of you, but as long as it's soft-sided and will squish a bit, the airlines are usually OK about it being a bit oversized. The airline is more likely to be careful about brachycephalic breeds, like Persians, in terms of making sure they have enough space. I've flown with cats in the cabin a few times, and it was fine. They have to stay in the carrier the whole time, but they pretty much just sleep. I've also flown with a dog in the hold, and that was fine, too. He found the move pretty stressful, but I think he was better in the hold than the cabin even if he had been small enough. He wouldn't have liked all the noise and people/carts moving around him. The hold isn't cold storage. If they have live animals in there, it will be kept between 15c-20c (59-68f). If you have them with you, I'd guess you still have to go to the animal quarantine station by baggage claim #8 to get your import permit and pay the fee before going through customs, but I don't know that for sure.

It's pretty straightforward. Assuming they are too big to go in the cabin, make sure they are booked in the cargo hold as excess baggage NOT cargo. (Bringing them in as a cargo shipment is a lot more complicated and expensive.) You'll need: Microchip record (must have been done at the same time or before the rabies vax). Their vaccination record, with the latest jabs being at least 3 weeks and no more than a year old. (The vax needed are Rabies, Distemper, Parvovirus, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis). You don't need a titer test. A basic health certificate (no special format) from your vet confirming they are healthy and fit to fly. It should include the animal's name, species, age, sex (and whether neutered or not), breed, color, birthmarks, weight, microchip number, and date of birth. As well as your name and passport number. This will need to be in English. The vet needs to sign, stamp and date it. The exporting country normally determines how long the health certificate is valid for. If Mexico has no regulations on it, get it within 10 days of your arrival. You used to have to email all the documents through and get the import permit in advance, but they issue it on arrival now. But if you have to get an export certificate from Mexico (some countries do, some don't) AND you need the import permit, you can still request it in advance. They used to be pretty responsive to emails [email protected] but it seems a bit more hit-and-miss these days, so you might have to call if you need to contact them 02 1343640 When you arrive, you pick your dog up from the animal quarantine station by baggage claim #8. They will check the microchip and your paperwork and do the import permit. You have to pay the import fee there (I think it was 510 THB, cash only). Then you go through 'something to declare' and they will charge you custom's duty. I paid about 1,000 THB for my neutered mutt, but I've heard of people getting stung for a lot more for unneutered pedigree dogs. Keep all your receipts. If you take them out of Thailand again, you don't have to pay again to reimport them. If there is a possibility of you wanting to take the dog to the USA in the next few years, look into going there now and getting a 3-year rabies booster from a USDA-accredited vet before you travel. It's very difficult to take a dog to the USA with a local vaccination record.

Kinokuniya has international magazines. There's a branch in EmQuartier by Phrom Phong BTS.

They are sentient, and they have some sort of internal mental life. Whether that's equivalent to our emotions is probably unknowable. But some species have complex social structures, and within those they have strong preferences for which individuals they choose to spend time with and which ones they avoid. They are aware when an individual they prefer dies or is removed from the community. They look for them or wait for them in their favourite places. There is a lot of behavioural evidence that they thrive when they are surrounded by individuals they prefer and do poorly when forced to be alone or with individuals they would not choose to be around. It's probably anthropomorphic to say they are happier when they are with friends, but behaviorally, that's what it looks like. Commercial fish farms have to keep the fish 'happy' because they won't eat well or breed well if they don't. Even if all of their physical and nutritional needs are well met, they are still prone to something akin to depression or stress. Get it some new friends as soon as you can.

It's a millipede. I'd guess Orthomorpha (maybe coarctata or communis) but there are other possibilities. They are all pretty much harmless to humans but excrete various substances that can cause irritation if you handle them.

The Red Cross has been offering on and off for a few months. Their supply is limited, and they are prioritising people at high risk of STDs.

All that flooring is going to have to be taken up and replaced, and depending on what state it's in underneath it, it might need more work there too. It needs new cupboard doors, and some of the shelves will probably need replacing. It's hard to see from the video whether the tiles in the shower are damaged or just filthy, but there's something going on in there. I'd wager there is mould on the walls where she's got crap piled up against them, in which case the wallpaper will have to come off as well. I've no idea what this would cost in Thailand, but it needs a lot more than just trash removal.

Movable armrests like this one helped me more than changing the mouse. Aside from the elbow support, it forces me to sit up straighter instead of slouching over my desk. https://www.lazada.co.th/products/i4439367843-s17801948061.html? (That's just an example, not a recommendation for a specific seller.)

If you struggle to clearly place yourself left or right, you might find this interesting: https://www.politicalcompass.org/ A lot of people actually have much stronger opinions on authoritarian vs libertarian than they do on left vs right. They tend to get lumped together with an assumption that right is authoritarian and left is libertarian, but they are completely independent of each other.

We travel all over Thailand with our ~14kg dog and have never had trouble finding accommodation, but of course, the options are a lot more limited than without a dog. We sometimes stay in hotels and sometimes airbnb or similar. The requirements to bring them in to Thailand are pretty straightforward and you can do it yourself, but if you want an agent to help you, then Christine's Pet Travel on FB has a good reputation. The most important thing is to fly them in as excess baggage, not as cargo. They will travel in the cargo hold either way. It's just an administrative issue, but a cargo designation is a lot more expensive and complicated on arrival. Getting them out of Thailand afterwards can be a bigger problem, depending on where you are going. If you are travelling back to the USA, be aware that the rules are going to get stricter on August 1st, and they haven't released all the details yet. It's currently very difficult to get a USA import permit for a dog. At the moment, that process is waived for dogs that were rabies vaccinated in the USA and are returning there before the vaccine expires. However, if that changes, and you have to go through the whole application process to get back home, you might want to reconsider.

The calculator is a good starting point, but it only includes the most basic reliefs.

Keith has owned his house since 1980, so he has various options for the valuation date, and he lived in it as his primary residence for most of that time. So, while the sale is definitely liable for CGT, by the time he's included all the relief and exemptions he's entitled to, the final liability is likely to be zero or close to zero. Though as I said, that is an estimate based on the information given. An accountant who specialises in these transactions would help him claim everything he is entitled to to minimise tax.

I'm no expert, but I'd guess it's a type of ganoderma.

The Kz gov is currently restricting access to many Kz sites from foreign IP addresses. They do this from time to time, and it's got a lot more frequent since the Ukraine-Russia war. I can't even check my work email without a VPN this week.

Name aside, they are a great little airline. It was founded and run by a small group of pilots, techs, ground crew and other airline workers, not a big corporation. When they first started, they literally repainted the aircraft themselves and refitted and decorated their own offices. Then, they had to slog it out with unprofitable routes because the established airlines blocked them from getting anything more desirable, but they stuck with it and made a success of it. Eventually, the gov had to give them access to better routes as well. Also, I used to fly with them in Kz, and I had trips booked when COVID hit. As soon as they cancelled flights, they automatically refunded everyone's money. It took me over a year to get my money back from big-name airlines.

@Keith5588, you're welcome. I am not a professional by any means, but I know my way around the current UK housing market pretty well, so if there's anything I can help with, please just ask. I also do most of my admin myself, but I have given up with our UK taxes. It's got so complicated now, and HMRC is brutal, even over small genuine errors. It feels more and more like they are trying to catch people out so they can fine you, rather than helping you work out what's due to be paid in the first place. With regard to scams, it tends to be individual agents who've gone rogue. Working with a well-known local firm is your best protection.

The state pension is not a benefit. It's a contribution-based allowance that we specifically pay into. National Insurance payments are deducted from our salaries automatically. The rate is currently about 13% (If you are self-employed, overseas, etc., there are options to pay voluntarily as well). This is separate from, and in addition to, income tax. NI payments go towards specific contribution-based allowances (state pension, jobseeker's allowance, maternity allowance), but there are additional criteria sometimes, e.g., voluntary payments don't qualify you for job seeker's allowance. So it's more like a mandatory investment into a pension fund. Contribution-based allowances are not means-tested. If you have made enough NI contributions and you meet the criteria, you are entitled to them. If you've paid full NI for at least 35 years, you are entitled to the state pension. If you don't have 35 full years, you get a pro-rata payment for what you did pay. There are other means-tested benefits available to pensioners, but the state pension is different.

Going only on the details you have given, it's unlikely you will have to pay any CGT. You get Private Residence Relief for the time you lived there, plus additional months at the end. (The gain is calculated monthly). Then there's the £3,000 CGT allowance. There are also various things you can offset against the chargeable gain. There are also different valuations you can use. However, you do have to declare it even if the eventual charge is £0. More importantly, you have to make the declaration, submit your CGT estimate, and pay it (if anything is owed) within 60 days of completing. (The completion date of the sale is Day 1). You can do it all yourself and submit it online if you are comfortable with that. (I let my accountant deal with it.) HMRC doesn't mess about with this, so make sure you get it done on time. With regard to agents, it very much depends on the area, but having bought a couple of UK properties recently, I would say go with a long-standing local agent. When you call them to discuss it, make a note of how easy or difficult it was to get hold of them, whether they called back when they said they would, etc. In general, they are more responsive to sellers than buyers, so if you feel they are leaving you hanging, they will likely do worse to interested buyers. The online agencies were a nightmare to deal with. If your buyers can't arrange a viewing or get the information they need because no one ever replies, it may well cost you the sale. They are cheap for a reason. I don't think there is much to be gained from having multiple agents anymore. If the listing is going on RightMove, people will see it. It was different when you had to go round estate agents in person and see what each one had available. But you can negotiate sole agency for a short period (say 6 months), giving you the option to switch if they haven't found you a buyer by then. Finally, there is, unfortunately, a somewhat common scam. An estate agent takes a property on, it hardly gets any viewings and no offers or stupidly low offers. This goes on for a while. Then they say they know a cash buyer/investor who might be willing to buy it. No promises, but they can ask for you! As luck would have it, the 'investor' just happens to be in a position to buy immediately for a low price. Of course, they are all in on it and share the profit. If you feel like you are being pushed into something like that, it's almost impossible to prove, just switch agents. Good luck!

There was a huge fire in the animal section of Chatuchak Market this morning. By the time firefighters got it under control, it's estimated that over 1,000 animals had died. Some owners/staff sleep above their stores, but they were all able to escape. The only good that can come out of this now is if it's never allowed to reopen. https://thethaiger.com/news/national/devastating-fire-at-chatuchak-market-destroys-118-shops-and-kills-1000-animals

Thanks for the info. I'll watch out for it. The topic is nothing new. Biological Exuberance by Bagemihl was published 25 years ago. It was a core university text in animal behaviour courses, and it cited hundreds of studies going back decades. Back then, the main theory was that there were higher levels of homosexuality in species with high-need offspring, with homosexual adults 'nannying' or adopting the offspring of others to increase overall species survival. But then Black Swans also have a surrogacy system, and male-male pairs are by far the most successful at raising offspring, so that might have changed over time. I'm interested to see what the current theories are.

It's asking for your Skype password to confirm the transaction. Depending on how you set up your Skype account, it might be your Windows password, but there should also be an option to reset your password. That would probably be the easiest way to fix it.

I went about 10 years ago, and it was pretty popular then. We were booking stuff more than 6 months in advance and couldn't always get our first choice because things were booked solid.

This is the list I came up with, based primarily on direct flights and flight times to make weekend trips viable. We are working our way through it. The Maldives was a surprise for me. It's a 4.5-hour flight, and the local islands are beautiful but really cheap if you can live without booze for a weekend. There are the resorts, too, obviously, if that's more your thing. We also just got back from a few days in Indonesian Borneo. City Country Time Airline Phnom Penh Cambodia 01:10 Vientiane Laos 01:10 Yangon Myanmar 01:20 Hanoi Vietnam 01:55 Nanning China 02:20 Dhaka Bangladesh 02:30 Kolkata India 02:30 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 02:30 Singapore Singapore 02:30 Kolkata India 02:30 Kunming China 02:40 Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei 02:45 Royal Brunei Hong Kong Hong Kong 02:45 Shenzhen China 02:45 Macau Macau 02:55 Guangzhou China 03:00 Chengdu China 03:00 Colombo Sri Lanka 03:10 Chongqing China 03:10 Paro Bhutan 03:15 Bhutan Airlines Kathmandu Nepal 03:15 Gaya India 03:20 Changsha China 03:20 Chennai India 03:25 Lucknow India 03:25 Shantou China 03:25 Manila Philippines 03:30 Jakarta Indonesia 03:35 Wuhan China 03:35 Kochi India 03:40 Bengaluru India 03:45 Hyderabad India 03:45 Taipei Taiwan 03:50 Xian China 04:05 Hangzhou China 04:10 Shanghai China 04:25 New Delhi India 04:30 Male Maldives 04:30 Zhengzhou China 04:30 Ahmedabad India 04:35 Jaipur India 04:35 Mumbai India 04:35 Lahore Pakistan 04:40 Beijing China 04:55 Islamabad Pakistan 05:10 Seoul South Korea 05:30 Karachi Pakistan 05:35 Osaka Japan 06:05 Muscat Oman 06:15 Abu Dhabi UAE 06:30 Dubai UAE 06:30 Sharjah UAE 06:30 Ulaanbaatar Mongolia 06:30 MIAT Mongolian Airlines Almaty Tokyo Kazakhstan Japan 06:40 06:40 Tashkent Uzbekistan 07:00 Uzbekistan Airways Doha Qatar 07:10 Riyadh Saudi Arabia 07:30 Bahrain Bahrain 07:40 Kuwait City Kuwait 07:45 Jeddah Saudi Arabia 08:30 Melbourne Australia 09:10 Adis Abba Ethiopia 09:20 Amman Jordan 09:30 Royal Jordanian Tel Aviv Israel 09:45 EL AL Israel Airlines Nairobi Kenya 09:45 Kenya Airways Istanbul Turkey 10:00 Vienna Austria 11:30 Oslo Norway 12:00 Norse Atlantic Zurich Switzerland 12:00