GammaGlobulin

Probably no point in asking him. He will only reply that the best things in life are to be found either in the 9th hole, or the 18th hole.. The best sound he has ever heard is the sound of a pristine ball falling into the cup. Golfing can become addictive. Golfing can also become a distraction from the reality of life, and death. Some men face reality when it hits them, like a pizza pie. Others, continue to whack away at a tiny white pill, until they finally drop in a small pit of sand, surrounded by carefully clipped grass. And then, the caddies rake sand over his body. Here lies the true duffer. Just another hazard on the golf course.

250 kph gusting winds never affected me much. It was only the brine blowing off the sea which killed the electronics. No motherboard known to Man can continue to operate under such conditions for more than 12 months. The constant Northeast winds, blowing from the sea, can turn any new car into a rust bucket within 18 months.

Thank you for your reply. Most likely, I am much mistaken. However, 20 years ago, I happened to read an article arguing that our world might soon become almost totally depleted of phosphorus, leading to a dire lack of fertilizer for shrubs, such as corn. Please check the literature if you don't believe me. As a chemist, are you able to speak to this, namely, why we were so worried about running out of phosphorus in the past? And why this has become a non-issue, today? As old as you admit to being, then you must recall the worry among the public. My thinking is that when we ran out of easily-mined bird guano, most people thought it was like Peak Oil, only worse. Also, if the world should ever run out of kangaroos, then where in the world would we get phosphorus from? I once read a great book, which is still for sale on the internet, written in the 1950s, titled "Pooh Pooh Make the Frowers Glow". Probably written by a US Army General's wife. Certainly most informative about night soil and the need of plants for phosphorus. Therefore, would you mind explaining why, years ago, phosphorus was in such high demand. And why, these days, night soil is considered to be more of a nuisance, rather than a benifit to farmers. For example, might it be due to higher concentrations of heavy metals? Or, is this due to nothing other than aesthetic considerations. As you know, some farmers raise chickens in a mobile chicken cage which can be periodically moved from one sector to another, in order to enrich the soil beneath the cage. Strangely enough, during recent decades, I have rarely thought much about night soil. It must have been your kangaroo story. By the way, I recall Clavell mentioning in one of his books about the distinctive, and alluring, smell of Hong Kong, when one first climbed down the stairs to the tarmac. Check me if I'm wrong, but I think he identified the smell as a mixture of diesel and sewage from the harbor. So invigorating! But now, those great days are lost. Now, fertilizer comes in a paper sack, sanitized with zero smell. I never found the smell of night soil particularly offensive. Why? Maybe because I am the last generation to grow up reading Tom Jones, Henry Fielding, prior to puberty, and being transfixed by the amazing writing. For example, his use of amazing titles to introduce each new chapter. One must, truly, read Tom Jones at a prepubescent age, otherwise, pointless. Anyway, hope y'all enjoy the sanitized version of Hong Kong. Clavell was there when Hong Kong was real. Now, nothing is real. I have watched Hong Kong crumble under the boot. For decades. Nothing is real, anymore. Or, maybe you prefer an Epcott Center experience, from the shores of Tripoli to the halls of everywhere. Cleanliness is next to... nothing. Enjoy. Enjoy your sanitized lives.

I KNEW it! I have had you pegged as, prof at Columbia University, or, Steven Pinker's older brother, some other high-class dude of Academia, most likely of the Natural Sciences. Why? You never get ruffled, and always remain above the frey, politely and respectfully replying to all comers. You must have been a dynamite teacher... before choosing research. So then, if you did not work for Lockheed-Martin, what was your field of research? Please don't tell me that you are a Social Science freak, so unbelievable. My guess is Physics. Physicists are playful, and you love playing golf. A golf ball is a particle, if treated as such. I give up. What did you research in the 1970s? Anything to do with either mining or kangaroos? The pill is now up to you to address. Address the ball. Your honors, sir.

Bait, in this case, must be another of your puns. Doubtless, nobody missed it.

But, it sounds better when they write it.

And, does this mean that there is no RIGHT time to listen to Wagner and Herbert von Karajan? By the way, guys in Philly always mispronounce Karajan, presumably because they think Herbert is from Spain.

Actually, there are those who have been to Paris, and yet have never SEEN Paris. I must have been speaking figuratively, while you misread me literally. Sorry for the resultant contextual confusion.

So then, your original question was nothing more than rhetorical? As I suspected.

Rice, mostly. I worry about rice. Not here, and not now.

What do you know about the TRADITION of gallows humor? Why is gallows humor important and revered? Not all humor is intended to be funny, maybe. Why?

One can delete the truth, short time, mainly through defense mechanisms. However, over years, if one continues to deny reality, one, sooner or later, may end up on the couch of the cheapest psychoanalyst, at USD150.00 per hour, with incurable nervous ticks. I feel sorry for Batali. He lost touch with reality. And then, he found reality in a court of law. He ended up a shadow of his former self, after dropping significant body weight. Thankfully, Batali has been able to retain his signature orange plastic clogs. But what is important? Good food Fast food Famous food No food Personally, I would prefer seeing Chef Batali make a meal, on television, after dumpster diving for all required ingredients.

Are you sure that you are from Australia? Before taking to the links, and putting 18 holes, just below your age, mostly in the woods, what was your profession? Did you work for Boeing? The thing is, one seldom encounters a man from Australia able to write a paragraph without first downing two liters of Foster's. And, very few are able to write paragraphs as tight as yours, no matter how tight they might be. Many myths are harmful if too many of us believe in these myths. For example, Santa Claus, Mao Zedong, Rudd, and Karl Marx. Also, when Maoist puppets like Rudd are left free to propigate delusional thinking, after being indoctrinated at the seat of CPC power, then such mythology becomes dangerous for everyone. Myth and historical mythology are two separate and distinct quantities. For example, it is a myth that women are the weaker sex. After all, is it a man or a woman who carries your bag on the course? And, does she hold your pin, too, as you sink it in the hole?

For sure: Nothing inadequate about you. NOTHING! However, as you know, it is different in every country. Sometimes it is Dogs and Women not allowed. And, in other "Foreign Concessions", especially in Shanghai, it was "Dogs and Chinese not Allowed". If only most signs had stated: "Running Dogs are Welcome". HOWEVER: Please be advised that much of this is MYTH. And, as you will agree, it is never a good idea to perpetuate a myth. Correct?

Does anybody know what one star from Michelin might mean on the Google star scale? All star systems seem inflated. How does one objectively measure taste? The star system is the ultimate in stupidity. If you really want to have a five-star meal, then why not first live on tree bark for a month. Sometimes I wonder about whether or not we might still have left any sense of proportion in our lives. Maybe one might read a book written by Edgar Snow, "Red Star Over China", in order to know how important a star might be. I am just so nonplussed by Google's star system. The stupidity and the insensitivity of guys at Google boggles my mind. In just a few decades, we go from Grapes of Wrath, and women dying on the roadside, eating tree bark, and please re-read The Good Earth, to reporting on The Spotted Pig. Please check Vanity Fair. Personally, I stopped going to rated restaurants many years ago. Why? Because I know that you and I are presently living in the sweet spot between feast and famine. Sure, you might maintain that it can't happen to me. But then, you are mistaken. Besides the books written by Edgar Snow, I have also read all the books by Upton Sinclair. Such a great muckraker was he. Maybe this is why I don't like stars. Next time you go to a star-rated Michelin restaurant, maybe best to also consider if your child's GPA has been equally inflated. And then, while chowing down at table, why not discuss the inflationary nature of our universe. Yes. Because, not only can most of you not understand Cosmology from Cosmetology, your tastebuds are equally dumb at discriminating one brand of cola from another. Bias is a wonderful thing. The best kind of bias is confirmation bias, IMHO. It's always convenient for bending reality to our every whim. Timothy Leary... Timothy Leary.

Book? Conrad? There is much meat in Conrad, yet to be plumbed. Cyrano de Bergerac, the Swordsman of Pattaya, and his "handsome-man" nose? At some point, one must return to Earth. What better place to land, other than Scotland? Cost-of-living quite low. Quality of life, extremely high. If I had my ruby slippers, I would click my heels three times, and repeat the phrase, "There is no place like Scotland". And then, I'd be there.

Or was it to make their water potable? Anyway, despite your misgivings, and honestly speaking, YES, I would go to Scotland, in a heartbeat. What's wrong with you, anyway? I thought, from your many comments, that you are a genuine gentlemanly golpher. My grandfather had clubs of wooden shafts made in Scotland.

Hercule Poirot: "I suspect everybody" And, as Poirot and Oppenheimer might have said: Sans bonne chance, où en serions-nous maintenant?

Are you stating that such a thing is completely impossible? Of course, I would never marry for the convenience of moving to Scotland. These days, meaning the days during the past four decades, it has become ever more difficult to just live anywhere you choose in this world. Still, there must always exist a legal way. If push comes to shove, I might be able to qualify for a paid research position at some university in Strathclyde or Edinburgh. I mean, I have already been to McGill. I loved it there. I was there with Pinker, but never met him. The academic teaching format in Scotland is just about the same as Canada. I think I'm still young enough to get another degree before I die. But, I will definitely steer clear of the baloney Social Sciences. All I would need is a decent academic advisor, an excellent tutor, and then, it might just be Blue Skies smiling at me. I know plenty of people, half my age, who have gotten a second advanced degree. But, this might be just one of several legal options. People should always keep in mind that it is never too late to reinvent oneself. After 45 years in Asia, I think I have paid my dues. I deserve another paper-chase opportunity at a decent institution in Scotland. Don't you agree? When I get there, I will send you a postcard. And maybe, even a few pics of me and the co-eds. I hope just the image of me with these co-eds in Scotland keeps you up at night.

This is important to me, as well. I prefer those of few words.

Nice to know where you are from, actually. I think culture outweighs climate in most cases. Humor, too, is culturally based.

Before I provide my own reasons for wishing to live in Scotland, before I die, let me refer you to this link: https://www.scotland.org/live-in-scotland In addition to warm and friendly people, vibrant cities, and stunning scenery, I also enjoy the humor of Scotland. Also, culture. Equally importantly, I like the architecture. There are many things I like about Scotland. If I listed my likes, concerning Scotland, then I would, once more, be accused of posting too much, and writing too much, on any given thread, on this forum. I think Scotland is right for me. Years ago, many moons ago, I thought China was right for me. And, it was. But then the political winds changed, and China is no longer for me. Thailand is like heaven on earth, for sure. Yet, after so many years in Asia, maybe I need to get back to my roots. You might not know this, but, some of my ancestry is Scottish. Some of my roots might even have originated from the House of Stuart, although I cannot prove it. One thing is for sure; I can trace my lineage back to Scotland. Therefore, why wouldn't I wish to return home to see the land of some of my forebears? Furthermore, I like the peace and quiet of a village in Scotland. Maybe I like living in a house of stone, rather than in a house of reinforced concrete. Many reasons, actually.

It's not about any nonexistent wish to leave Thailand. Instead, it is ALL ABOUT my wish to go to Scotland. You see?

Maybe based on the last refuge from the insanity of the rest of the world? Not sure, yet. (Or, maybe as tit for tat in some partial compensation for the Lend-Lease Act of March 11, 1941?)

My Dear Friends, I have tried out most of the countries in East Asia, a few near here, and I am wondering if, and only if, the culture in Scotland might be welcoming, then I might try it out during the waning years of my life. I am getting concerned about the GLOAMING YEARS I have left, and I wonder if I should not try to live in Scotland while I am yet agile enough to board a plane. What would be waiting for me in Scotland, anyway? Personally, I prefer small village life. However, I have lived in very small villages in East Asia, and it does take a while for the natives to adjust to a newcomer. And, I am not sure if I have that much time left, if my intention were to wait for villagers in Scotland to get used to me. I am kind of a loner, anyway. I enjoy crashing seas upon rocky shores. I enjoy the cold rain. And, I have lived in a stone house, for many years, not finely built. Therefore, what would it be like for me, as a newcomer, living in a tiny village in Scotland, maybe not even understanding the language, just as I did not understand the language when I first arrived in Thailand? I am just beginning to feel that, now that I am in my gloaming years, I might miss out if I did not take the final plunge to go to Scotland. And, in my mind, I envision that this last trip of mine might be my final journey, before the Great Journey lying ahead of us, all. Absolutely, I would have no problem loving the Celtic music in Scotland. But, I might NEVER wish to hear JS Bach while there, too!, maybe... One might be suspicious of my sincerity in even mentioning the wish to emigrate from Thailand to Scotland. Yet, this seems entirely logical to me, at this stage in my life. What might be the best place for someone like me to settle; some small village where people are friendly and cosmopolitan, and welcoming? I prefer the quiet life, mostly. However, I also enjoy walking around the village, and plenty of fresh air, too. Maybe just a dream, unless I can negotiate a passage to Scotland, and some way to keep body and soul together, not wanting overly much. Just something I am toying with, fairly seriously, not necessarily due to Global Warming issues, either. Food for thought, maybe. Regards, GammaGlobulin Please Note: I am sure that I am not the only American here who often toys with the option of going to Scotland, to retire.