GammaGlobulin

Sticking my head in one is not my idea of the best way to keep on keeping on...

Not as long as I would like to.

What are the best places to locally repair microwave ovens in Chiang Mai? And, how to get faster service? And, are there any services that will repair at home (onsite)? For out of warranty, only, and sending back to company service center, for Panasonic, is not an option. This is the second time I need to repair the same oven. The first time, I had the capacitor replaced. And, I suspect that the problem is the same as last time, a bad capacitor. I am sure that the magnetron is still fine and has years of life left in it. Just a matter of finding out why the capacitor is failing repeatedly, and replacing with a more reliable capacitor. Of course, microwave ovens are cheap, these days, and maybe this is why they do not last long. However, last time I paid Bt.400 to replace the capacitor, and that is better than buying a new machine, which might also fail. (I use three microwaves simultaneously, routinely, to prepare a meal. And, the Panasonic puts out slightly more energy than the other two Electrolux machines. So, what kind of local shops repair such things? Maybe a Mom and Pop shop?

This is fine for those beginners studying the first couple weeks of passa Thai. Nice pronunciation, of course. She got the Thai definition of the English word "visit" wrong, maybe...Should have been a different Thai translation. Anyway, I do not find these UTUBE sites very helpful... Passa Thai study sessions should be interactive, if possible.

No need, in this particular situation, to find a Thai genius, as I stated in the Topic. One of my main concerns might be that the person I find must be a genuine girl, and not a ladyboy. True, I have heard that ladyboys make excellent language instructors. However, the demeanor of the Thai ladyboy often rubs me the wrong way, and this is to be avoided at all costs. I think if the instructor I find is a genuine female with and IQ of between 125 and 130, by no means genius material, then I will still be able to enjoy our language-exchange sessions online. A happy disposition is required, and she must be very motivated. AI is not yet up to snuff, but in the future I might try using an AI female.

Some of us enjoy the study of the Thai language, both spoken and written Thai. But what is the best way to find a fairly smart (genius is not required for this) Thai chick for language exchange on line? The reason this might be important is that language study sometimes becomes boring after awhile. And, in order to increase motivation, and to perk up one's spirits, then it is helpful to have a language partner who is really hot, and even about 30 years younger than one. Of course, I would not be willing to use an app such as Tinder, just because I am not interested in attracting THAT kind of girl. What might be the best and most effective methods for finding a real, long-term, language partner? Hopefully, someone here will be able to advise me and point me in the right direction. Thank you. This is important because I really must improve my passa Thai speaking skills and reading skills. Regards, Gamma NOTE: This Topic reminds me of the fact that I once had a Chinese tutor, many years ago, who I found by placing an ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. She was HOT, and she eventually ended up marrying me. Some chick from Hong Kong whose family owned a newspaper there. But this time, I am not seeking a marriage partner.

Thank you. Next time, I will buy the 10-liter container. Good info!

This is the main problem with a phrase having no meaning. Anyone can assign any meaning to it. Any your chosen meaning is just as legitimate as the choice of the next guy.

In fact, this is my best example of Culture Shock that one might experience when returning to one's Home Country after an extended stay abroad. You see, I left America before the 1980s, and then returned briefly in 1990, only to hear this grating phrase. So I left before the end of that year and haven't returned since, and no wonder. I have read some strange expressions on TV during my time here, mostly in comments made by those from the UK. But certainly, not even a Bricky from Lancashire would utter such a foolish phrase, repeatedly, without first thinking about it.

CODE? You see? I was completely right about you!

There is no doubt. Your proper spelling ability is far superior to mine.

I will not, again, have the opportunity to ask, I hope. It was just this email out of the blue, yesterday, that reminded me how terrible life was in the US with everybody exhorting anybody to "Have a good one" that jarred me so unexpectedly. Here in Thailand, and also East Asia, people do not talk like that. I feel comfortable in Asia, where people seldom utter nonsensical utterances, much less voice the same dumb phrase 50 times a day. To me, hearing that unmentionable phrase, repeated over and over, was like nails across a chalkboard. Never going back.

In my phone. Where do you keep yours?

Right. That's my objection to the phase. It's so ill-defined that it could mean both anything and also nothing. How can people even talk like this? Don't they have any respect for the English language?

If someone says to me, "How are you doing?", then I know what to say in reply. However, when they say, "Have a good one!", I inevitably think...a good what? This nonsense began sometime around 1980s, I think. Quite jarring when you first hear this phrase for the first and umpteenth time.

Thanks....

The problem is that you are speaking from a computer science perspective, which is indeed flawed. And I am approaching from a Natural Science perspective. And you should realize that computer science is NOT Science, and neither are the Social Sciences science. As to whether the Sun rises, it does, at least in Spain. It amazes me just how many computer guys are here on TV. They seem to come out of the woodwork when you least expect.

Actually, according to several dictionaries that I have referenced, the phrase does not mean to "have a good weekend". At least, certainly, not exclusively. This is why I detest this phrase... It's just far to nebulous, and nobody knows what anybody is wishing someone. Don't believe me? Check it out for yourself.

Dear Folks, This evening begins the beginning of our weekend. In America, as I recall it, back in 1990, almost everybody you met on a Friday would exhort you, and everybody else who was with you, to "Have a Good One". But...a Good what? During the past 30 years, I had thought that I had heard the last of it. Yet, yesterday, someone sent me an email from Florida, and closed the email by wishing that I might Have a Good One, tomorrow. What do you think they are talking about when they wish you a Good One? Is this just an Americanism, do you think? Each week, when Friday rolls around, do you wish your wife....a Good One? What about your wife's brother? A Good One, too? I must say that I really do not like this expression. And now, after receiving this recent email, I truly wonder what I must do to escape, for good, the inanity of this useless expression, which really means nothing...as far as I can tell. Might it be necessary to use a filter on my incoming emails? But still, just in case I might be missing some hidden meaning, I wonder if you might know... What is a Good One? Do you, yourselves, enjoy a Good One on a Saturday eve? What is good for you might not be so good for me, naturally. Or, is there some sort of Good One that is good for us all, which they are wishing me? Just wondering. Maybe C.B. Ozbourne might know? Or, if he does not... Then...do you? Tks. GG

Glad to know you, Sir! Have you ever tried Brillo?

Yes. 3 percent, I think. Not exactly sure what percent is charged to the merchant. Also, very low margin on supermarket grocery sales, as you suggest.

Good to know. Thank you. Note: Did you attend The Wharton School, by any chance?

So...anyway.... To quote the headline of this Topic: Fixing Thai Education is not just a matter for money.... This is obvious. a. First decide the goals of education b. Then create a system of education which will promote these goals. So .... then....what are the crucial goals of education? Why not consider the thinking of Humboldt? Or, if in a highly regimented society, such as Singapore and North Korea, or Xi's China.... Then the goals of education are far different. Nobody running the ed system in China wishes to educate World Citizens, maybe. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldtian_model_of_higher_education Of course, it seems that we are now witnessing a transformation of the Chinese education system under Xi Jinping. Does anybody expect this to go well when this transformation is politically motivated, and also not science-based? If anyone were to set out to "fix" and transform the Thai education system, then changes should be science-based and tested utilizing the long-forgotten Scientific Method. Opinions are like aholes, and everybody's got one. But, this is why we resort to the Scientific Method before we put in place random policies, based on random opinions, to guide education. Correct? No, not correct. Nobody, these days, loves science or the Scientific Method, especially guys like Xi, and many others. Science, for these guys is just too inconvenient. But not to worry because, nothing will change. And that might be a good thing, because.... Change is stressful.... And nobody up there likes stress.

Hopefully, we, as well as any teachers here, should recognize that we are here to exchange views and opinions in a respectful way, mindful of the fact that no two people ever share an identical set of opinions about any given Topic.

a. Although I do recall, very well, the controversy concerning the caning of Fay, I was not thinking of Fay when I mentioned this type of punishment still being doled out in Singapore. I was only referring to the statistics, and caning in general, in Singapore: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caning_in_Singapore#:~:text=A male offender between the,total number of offences committed. b. Concerning the state of education in Singapore, we can rely on rankings to obtain a rough idea of the state of the education system in Singapore. And also, we might ask the question why do Singaporean students perform so well. is it due to the education system? Or, is it due to other factors outside the formal education system? c. If we look at the rankings of Singapore universities, do they rank high on the global scale? They do not.... Note especially. Personally, I would not attend a uni in Singapore, just because one would get a substandard education...compared to some slouch school like PENN, or Princeton, or University of Chicago, not to mention Oxford. Even the University of Hong Kong is FAR better, as everybody knows. Also, as I mentioned, there are good reasons why the students in Singapore preform well. One can easily google the reasons, but culture is a major factor, and intelligence is another factor, as is Singapore's economy, and other factors. But this does not mean that the education system in Singapore is good. It only means that the education system in Singapore is better than that of Cambodia, and many other countries in the region. d. There are many scholarly articles published on this Topic, including articles published by various governmental organizations, as well. e. First, though, it is important to define what education is or should be. And, so far, nobody commenting in this Topic has yet attempted to define education, other than Noam Chomsky, in the two video links previously posted. Obviously, education is needed to pass culture from one generation to the next. But, besides this, then what is it and what should it be? How much control should governments exert over education? Education no longer works well in China due to government controls on free sharing of information. And, we know that Singapore has also exerted control over the free flow of information.... That, and chewing gum while in the underground, or is that all in the past? f. Anyway, best to be at Oxford rather than at some university in Singapore, many would say.