GammaGlobulin

Wow. This is shocking to hear this news. We had a home in Naples, FL. Naples was once a tiny oasis of sanity, pretty much separate from the rest of FL. It is difficult for me to picture the new (recent 30 years) blueblood arrivals coming down with Hansen's Disease. Kind of ironic...too....

Since first joining TV, back in July of 2021, I have been impressed by the fact that you are one of the most polite and respectful members of this forum. My guess is that you are not so young, and that you still retain many of the more genteel characteristics of a now bygone era, a time when it was the norm to be civil. And so, I would like to reply to your worry that I might be lonely. In fact, I do not consider myself lonely, and I find that just a five-minute dose of human company is just about all that I need, or can even tolerate, for that matter. When you commented about this idea of loneliness, especially in the present context of this OP, I immediately recalled a book we were assigned in 12th grade by some Old Geezer of a Great Teacher. The name of this book is "The Lonely Crowd": The above image was taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lonely_Crowd I think this book is particularly appropriate for this OP because it insightfully describes middle-class America, and maybe even the UK to some extent, in the 1950s. We KNOW what America was like in the ‘50s because we can more clearly see the 1950s through hindsight. However, we cannot see the present so clearly as the past. And we can predict the future with even much less accuracy. I believe that The Lonely Crowd can help us to have some insight into where we have been, where we are now, and where we might end up, in terms of social change. I will not discuss this book myself because I would prefer to let others do it better than I ever could. So here is some of what has been said about The Lonely Crowd relating to what it can tell us about social change and society and where we are heading (and I will try to obtain a PDF copy of this book and attach it to this or other comments I might make in this OP, in case you or others might like to hear what Reisman has to say): I am actually almost absolutely sure that others reading this OP will enjoy reading The Lonely Crowd because only through a better understanding of our past can we better imagine our not-too-distant future, one which is hurtling towards us faster than some of us would like to admit. Again, I would just like to say that you deserve respect for being respectful and polite, a now-rare commodity in today's mixed-up, shook-up, muddled-up world, indeed. Riesman_Lonely-Crowd.pdf

Through my understanding of the Hedonic Treadmill gained while attending university in the 1970s, I realized that drugs were not for me. Interestingly, as well, Aldous Huxley spoke of the total impossibility of ever discovering or developing a "benign" psychotropic drug, such as his fictional drug, SOMA. With this clear knowledge, we can emphatically state that only a fool would take drugs (illicit or licit drugs) in order to feel good, or for relaxation, or for excitement. Drug taking is just another example, IMHO, of stupid behavior of humans, mostly due to both ignorance and pain, as well as temporary sensation seeking. Hopefully, by the year 2103, most children will live in a world without drugs of this mind-altering nature. Regards, Gamma Read More about the Hedonic Treadmill, but just an over view, here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedonic_treadmill

One of the most appreciated reasons for living in Thailand, at least for me, is that I no longer need to drive myself. I am still wanted for speeding tickets I received, before leaving the US, in 1978. When the cops showed up to my home to collect, my brother told them I had left for someplace in Asia, and probably would never return. That cop was steamin', so it was told to me. I still have a chuckle, anytime I think about those speeding tickets. So, no car worries for me is a very good thing. Parking tickets and speeding tickets are a thing of the past. I hate cars, these days. And with very good reason.

Is that a phrase which is part of the lyrics of the Beatles tune, "Come Together"? Because, I don't think I have yet fully understood this tune. Probably, Timothy Leary did not understand it much, either. And, no doubt Ronald Reagan never listened to it, much. And, yes. Continued and ongoing loss of freedoms will not change. Anyway, your daughter WILL see the year 2103. I am convinced of it.

I once visited Edison's home which he designed in Florida, complete with plants and spices from all over the world. I was surprised to find that, when I visited his home, he had had the same idea as I, which was to locate his kitchen in a small outbuilding, separate from his main house. I guess the Thai culture here has been ahead of Edison in his vision of the best location for a kitchen, and this might be why Thai people don't cook inside, that is...They don't like smelling their food before they eat it... You can read all about Edison's Florida home here: https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/about/historical-people-places/ In addition, it may be true what you mentioned, that Edison loved perspiration. Why else would the guy have chosen to go to such a hot and humid place as Florida, especially with all those midges. He must have enjoyed being bitten by midges, as well.

Have you given any thought to what might be done to increase the number of eureka moments for any given scientist, because scientists have been pondering this question for ages. How might one increase the number of eureka moments per scientist, for example? Richard Feynman discusses this very subject with Fred Hoyle, while walking in a park, in the interview I uploaded in the OP, for example.

It now seems that all Natural Science is increasingly being driven by Physics, and this includes Biology and Chemistry. Therefore, if one wishes to study Biology and Chemistry, one must have access to very expensive equipment. This equipment must be provided by institutions which are supported by governments. Funding is key, and this funding steers the direction of science. I was also referring to the increasing need for INTERNATIONAL cooperation among scientists. Benchwork by a single scientist, no matter how good, has very little impact on the progress of science. In order to obtain funding, one must have a Super-Star scientist at the lead, in most cases, in order to dazzle the people in government that provide the funding. Sometimes, even with a Super-Star like Elizabeth Holmes, things can still go out of kilter. All organizations, even a scientific work group, requires good leadership, as you say. Other scientists in academia follow the leader, just because the lead scientist has the money. Again, these days, for a student to study Biology, she must first have an understanding of Physics. Just check out a first-year university Biology textbook. The study of biology at the molecular level, even from the early 1950s, required machines and researchers that could conduct experiments in X-ray diffraction, for example. How else would it have been possible to verify the structure of what turned out to be a double helix? (That was way back, way back....in the early 1950s. These days, you cannot do important science without Big Funding, and Big Funding leads to Nobels....which brings us back to why cannot less-well-funded labs in poorer countries get as many Nobels as are granted to scientists from wealthier countries.)

It was not only you that called the Aha! moment a eureka moment. This is clearly an important effect which we study at school, or at least we studied this in some depth at my university... Please see more about the history and etymology of this Greek word here at this Wikipedia link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_effect

For further information on the Guest People, please refer, at least as a starting point, to Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_people I lived among the enclave of Hakka in JingMei, Taiwan, for awhile. I had a Hakka GF. I know about the Hakka and money, and wealthy, as you mentioned in a previous comment. I read Michener's description of the Hakka People in one of his books, when I was 14, maybe the book was either Hawaii, or the other one dealing with Fo' Dollah. I am not saying you are wrong, by the way. But, I will say that, just judging by the FLYNN EFFECT, your teens are probably smarter than you, and this may be due to better nutrition and better health, which might be due to better vaccines at an early age.... AND, for THIS, we can definitely thank people like Bill Gates. THAT is Science. SPEAKING of War: I am not sure what effect the Warring States Period in China may have had upon the migration of the Hakka People. Maybe none.

You mean that the Hakka People of China (客家人) who are some of the greatest travelers, being Guest People in their own land, are also great scientists? Hakka People of China can make a mean Orange Sauce for Chicken, And the Hakka People also do a great stir fried ginger-beef dish... But I would not say that just because they are Travelers, with no real place to call their Traditional Home, has helped them much to become great scientists, nor Nobel Laureates. Although, you might say that cooking is a form of science, which it definitely IS. Also, EVERYBODY knows, by now that: The greatest breakthroughs in science, these days, are done in cooperation with many scientists working and sharing information, together. GONE are the days of the Traditional Armchair Theorists, in favor of exchange of information and BIG FUNDING for BIG Projects, such as the collider built at considerable expense, by CERN, an INTERNATIONAL Effort.

Devotion to study, obviously. Why were the Germans, in general, so well educated pre-WW2? Culture is important. Without culture, where would we be? Did you ever stop to consider how much culture goes into building a Boeing-747? These days, it is funding that is crucial for scientific advancement. Big funding for big projects, for big breakthroughs. Armchair science is good only up to a point, After that, hypotheses must be tested, which requires major funding.

Your pitiful attempt to derail this Topic does not do you justice. Instead of casting groundless aspersions, why not look yourself in the mirror, And try to take the plank out of your own eye.

I am an introverted guy who prefers solitary contemplation over shouting my thoughts from the rooftops. You really cannot expect me to share my innermost musings with strangers, except maybe on a blue moon. Also, it has been my impression that very few here wish to have their holidays in Thailand ruined by reading anything serious. My interests are on the serious side. But, I think I have never failed or disappointed anyone on this forum with my poor attempts to write in a less serious way on TV. Please correct me if I am mistaken.

What I HATE about spectator sports is that I dislike joining groups. And, I even more dislike joining stupid groups concerned with ritualized aggression. In rowing, there are no spectators until the end of the race. Also, if one is the stroke, then you only gotta look at the coxswain, between the legs, mostly. And, there is no aggression involved. Sailing is also not a spectator sport. And, with sailing in the lower 50s, even though you can't see the boats, It's still exciting because you can imagine the wind and the waves and the storms. And, sometimes you have a capsize. And then, the sailor drowns. It's life or death. It's a REAL battle. Nobody to fly to your rescue. The roaring 40's is never the boring 40's. And, there is no rescue in the Screaming 60s, nor the Furious 50s, for that matter. Mountain climbing on Everest is like Central Park compared to sailing in the Southern Ocean. Sailing is NOT boring to me. Get RID of Pro Sports, and the World would be a Better place.. Definitely.

You and I must have gotten mixed up at the hospital. Your father must be my father. I am totally and utterly indifferent to news of sporting events of all kinds. I truly do dislike Pro Sports. And, as I say, rowing and sailing are the only two I like. But I very rarely watch competitions on TV. And, after the Little League Thing, I hate baseball with a passion. And, for this reason, I still don't think much about The Old Man, for sure!

Did I ever tell you about MY childhood trauma? My Dad FORCED me to play baseball when I was a child. He wanted me to be a great Little League pitcher! He bought me about 100 baseballs, and I would be out there all day, Throwing these balls as hard as I could, into a target. But that was the FUN part. On Saturdays, I would be forced to attend both practice and games. I would need to throw the balls as hard as I could. And sometimes, I would hit the batters, who were just little kids. And they would cry. This is what I hated most about baseball. But what I REALLY hated most was the ice cream after the games on Saturdays. So, if you were to ask me my thoughts on Pro Sports, I would say that Due to my experience with Little League, I hate Pro Sports. It reminds me of both pain and milling around on a hot day, Eating dripping ice cream. All sports are disgusting to me, except crew and sailing, and women's volleyball. I never watch American Soccer, or Football, or Rugby. American Football is the worst. All those guys in the center, with huge shoulder pads, bending over, Just to pass a blown-up piece of leather between their legs. It's disgusting to me. I hate my father due to all of the above.

Good Morning Folks, (and I hope you are enjoying this fine Sunday morning) This Sunday Morning’s Topic is a question I often think about. What about you? Do you spend a lot of time thinking about this question, too? This must be one of the most profound questions of our time, it seems to me. I think that we can reasonably expect that, actuarially speaking, many of our grandchildren today will live to see the turn of the century. Do you have any thoughts concerning your granddaughter's life and wellbeing twenty, fifty, and eighty years from now? Do you think she will still be living in Thailand? Or, might she leave and emigrate to a different country? And what are some of the other related questions you often ask yourself during periods of reflection throughout your day? Although I do not have a grandchild, I still, very often, and probably even on a daily basis, spend much time in contemplation considering what the lives of today’s children will be like as they reach these milestones along the way to the year 2103. Why do I concern myself with thoughts such as these? For me, it is because I see children and parents, almost every day, as they struggle to prepare for our future. Mostly, I work with Chinese kids and their parents, and I know at a fairly fundamental level just how difficult it is, and just how hard they struggle, to prepare for the years and decades ahead. For the average Chinese child, aged 10, she must look forward to endless standardized exams, and the ever-increasing pressure of attaining success, at least enough success to live up to the dreams of two sets of grandparents, her parents, and sometimes even a Tiger Mom. A Thai child, aged 10, will see the turn of the century, in all probability. What do I base this prediction on? Well, I went to the actuarial data available from the World Bank website: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN?end=2021&locations=TH&start=2010&view=chart And I played around with this really neat actuarial computer. Here is the resulting graph for Thai females born between the years 2010 and 2021 (and feel free to go to this site and use the computer yourself by plugging in different criteria if you wish). You know…When you get to be as old as I am, 77 years does NOT seem a long time, and 77 years from now, our grandchildren will enter a new century. Please do not worry yourselves; I am nowhere near becoming 77…yet. I mean, I don’t want to freak you guys out or nothing, but…the next century is just around the corner, from my perspective. As for me, if I live to be the present-age-of-my-aunt, who is not dead yet, I will live to see the year 2055. Holy Nightmare, Batman! So therefore, I first must figure out what my life in Thailand will be like in the year 2055, even before I can begin to imagine what a granddaughter’s life will be in the year 2103. For sure, I KNOW that I will be in Asia, and, I HOPE that I will be either in Thailand or in Japan. Thailand and Japan are the only places in Asia I may be able to stomach, by the year 2055, in all likelihood. When I think about the year 2055, thirty years hence, I also think about the year 1991, 30 years ago, and that was the year I last set foot on the soil of my Home Country, the year Bill Clinton assumed the office of president. That year certainly does NOT seem so very long ago, at least to me. Will I even have my wits about me when I turn 103? I can only assume I will, judging by the fact that Noam Chomsky is still smart as a tack at 94. But still, when I consider that our grandchildren today, those now aged 10, will see the turn of the century, it’s almost as unimaginable to me as my grandfather’s daily life when he was a boy, in 1885. In his case, after returning from the war in 1918, my grandfather worked at the hospital pictured below, training to become an orthopedic surgeon. And that was only about 100 years ago. He once told me that the anesthesiologist would tape a piece of tissue paper to the patient’s upper lip in order to count respirations per minute. They don’t do that in today’s hospitals; I bet. When I view photos such as this, I am reminded that the lives of our grandchildren will, someday, become just as foreign to us as were the past daily-lives of our grandfathers when they were the age our grandchildren are now. This is freaking me out, Man! And such a convoluted sentence, too! When I think about the studious, diligent, and extremely hard working Chinese students I teach, and when I think about the significant pressure they experience, then I also think that there MUST be a better way to run our World. There must be. Or, maybe I am just about the only one in Thailand who often thinks along these lines, and dwells upon these thoughts? Now you know why I saved this OP for a Sunday. It’s just too heavy a question for a weekday. Best regards, And hoping to still be writing to you in 2055, Yours Truly Please Note: If ONLY I had a crystal ball, then I would use it now, for all it’s worth. Note2: And perhaps now is the perfect moment to listen, once again, to this old tune…

The striated-heron photo in the OP is NOT mine. I did not want to get too close, or close enough to take a photo with an old phone-camera, anyway.

Thank you for the clarifying this point. It sort of surprised me that this striated heron would just walk right up to me, almost as if I were not even there.

Well, of course you are correct in what you say, but only half way. This song seems to have meant much to the uni students around the year 2013. If you read the comments on the UTUBE comments section, some are really heart wrenching. To be so young, and in love, is always painful, since love truly IS pain, as we all know. The REASON I posted it is because, at least it is sung in Thai, and many people consider Palmy to be Thai, and anyone hearing this song would say it is a Thai song. STILL, I definitely do agree with you that other selections posted here are FAR, FAR better. So far, I would go with: ดูเธอทำ : จ๊อบ บรรจบ (Doo-Doo-Doo: Job 2 Do)....Hands Down! I could easily listen to a LOT of that!

I am sure that I am not mistaken, now that I check. I call it the CLOCK song because she seems to be singing about clocks, นาฬิกา. Great singer, nevertheless!

Yes. That's IT! 2013, maybe...playing EVERYWHERE. Such great memories of my days a decade ago. Those were the days I was working just about 24/7 on my passa Thai, reading and writing, etc. Such great times! Nothing to do but learn Thai, and listen to Palmy, too! Wait! Sorry. That's NOT it! The Clock song is the song sung by Palmy which I posted in the OP. Sorry for the confusion! (I only call it the CLOCK song because...I thought that Palmy was singing about CLOCKS. My Thai was terrible back then.)

I can relate to the story. I just cannot tolerATE the music. Still, all music is good. It's a matter of personal taste, and nothing more, that I do not prefer this particular kind of music. Too many years in Taiwan, maybe.

As I ALWAYS say, and I hope you will take it to heart, the passage I read in a Zelda Fitzgerald book when I was 14: Zelda and Scott were NEVER boring. Why don't you read, or re-read, ALL of Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald's novels and essays and short stories. That will keep you busy. But, PLEASE, do NOT read The Great Gatsby! Because you might become like the characters in the novel, which is...BORED or BORING. I do not mean that the reading of the book is boring. Just that the characters in the book had too much money, and searched in vain for meaning in life. Or, why not try to become more like Elon? Elon never seems bored. He has a decent sense of humor. I loved his touch with the kitchen sink, for example.