GammaGlobulin

I don't know how much you know about Mexico. However, I once raced, at breakneck speeds, in 1990, for 5 hours, through Tabasco, down near the border of Belize, and mostly across the Yucatan Peninsula, where you would see almost nothing but almost totally unclothed natives, while driving a Mercedes, chasing two faster Toyotas. The guys in the Toyotas were maniacs of speed.. Every time I would inch up on them, they would just go faster. Toyotas are faster than the 420 SE Benz, for sure. This was a very hair-raising ride, and foolish, on winding roads through the jungle. No cars coming or going on this highway, for hours, 33 years ago. Just three cars together, racing as fast as we could go, for hours on end, through the Yucatan, on an extremely lonely road. Very few (basically zero) hospitals in that area back in 1989. On the way from Naples Florida, through Mexico City, to Belize in a Benz, at a time when there were zero Mercedes in Mexico City, and this was just a couple of years after the earthquake there. Lots of excitement. I would not repeat it. The food in Mexico is wonderful. The water in Mexico, the drinking water, is terrible.

Aspergillosis is not serious, presumably like you. There are various cures available for both seriousness and aspergillosis, according to how both illnesses present upon reaching your clinic for treatment. The asparagus and cabbage treatment is sure fire. Day One: Eat nothing but asparagus Day Two: Eat nothing but boiled cabbage Day Three: East nothing but asparagus Day Four: Eat nothing but cabbage Day Five: Eat nothing but asparagus Day Six: Eat nothing but cabbage Day Seven: Gorge Only on mouth-watering decent Stilton, and nothing else.... After two pounds of prime Stilton, on the seventh day, you will be cured of all ills. Such a beautiful cheese. Not to be wasted on the likes of those who don't truly fancy a Stilton cheese. It has been many years since I tasted Stilton. And, it has been even more years since I tasted what some consider to be the essence of a woman. After you move from HK, Stilton is hard to get. After you give up Stilton, then it is easier to give up women, too. From my experience, if one gives up womanizing, then it is easier to lose weight, just from everlasting pining after them.

Thankfully, a new Wordle will be available each day! Interesting concept. Probably one might become completely engrossed in this, for better or for worse. Something for a rainy day, for sure.

Dear Jingthing, After reading your good posts for almost a decade, all I can say is that NPR is something that we might both share in common, among very few other things. You are somewhat of an enigma to me, for one. Let's see if you, probably much less likely than I, will still be posting in the year 2032, by the time the Thwaites glacier is just a distant memory. The water is rising. NPR is a shadow of what it once was. The Himalayan glaciers are melting, which could, conceivably, affect the rice harvest in the not too distant future. NPR has become bastardized during the past many years, probably due to lack of interest among the public, and lack of funding. NPR, as it now stands, is nothing like what we once believed it stood for. Anyway, who cares, now.

My Dear Friends, Soon, we will emerge from this pandemic into a New Brave World. And, I am thinking about ways in which I can recover from two years of unwelcome indolence and the resultant weight gain, concomitant staying-at-home blues, as well as generalized feeling of missing out on two years of my life. What I need is to get out on the links, see the beautifully manicured fairways, not to mention the sandraps, and even raking them. To make this short: I will caddie for you, for free, if you give a large donation to some good cause, maybe. This is something to consider. What would you offer to a good cause, in this case? (Please Note: At my age, I can only carry your clubs, minus your bag. You would need to keep your bag in your cart.) What is a caddie? What is a caddy?

You know, My Friend, these days, my heart belongs to the Farang Pub, only. The reason I enjoy the Farang Pub is that this forum is the one from which all wisdom, not to mention goodness, flows. Truly, I say unto thee, I shall never stray from the Farang Pub, again. Posting, too much, on other places, might risk my total undoing. Therefore: Lessons learned, I am always cautious, polite, and empathetic in my postings here...which.....is the way life actually SHOULD be, anyway. Take care.

Have you ever experienced, in your wife, a lack of responsiveness, anytime the weather gets cold? Maybe she begins with goosebumps in the afternoon. And then, by the time you are ready to sleep, she is just not ready to have a go. You cannot understand it, simply because you are used to very cold weather. Yet, for her, 18 degrees C, is cold, and she just becomes dry, and wishes to sleep through the cold. How many times has this happened to me during several recent decades. Probably, given my postings during this past decade, you might mistakenly believe that I have never been with a woman. And, you might discount my experience living with women. Actually, I know quite a bit. And, I can tell you that...when it gets cold....then, women are more likely to become frigid. If it were otherwise, then there would be far less frolicking in steaming hot tubs during the winter months. Sure, maybe I may have become bitter, just because I am not willing to go walking on walking street in Pattaya. And, these days, I would never be willing to fall in love with a bar girl, even if she were a regular from the most famous bar in Pattaya. Cold weather is incompatible with decent (or indecent) lovemaking. And so, just a word of advice, if you might wish lovemaking which you will never forget... Then, a. Buy some sort of portable electric room heater, 4000 Watts, minimum. b. Choose a room with a very HOT hot tub. c. Buy some food and snacks that you know she likes. d. Tell her that you love her, and that she is extremely beautiful. Other than these four points, I am not sure what else can be done, when the weather is cold and rainy. Regards, Please Note: During winter months, or cold months, when the weather gets cold, ......

TV hater, did you say? No way! NOT for me. (Anyway, that is the way I feel, obviously.)

My Dear Friends, The reason I write to you at this time is to help you recall great moments in literary history. Speaking of Fanny Hill, a simple novel loved by most of you, should you be my age, here are a number of quotes which you may fondly remember... And, the reason I post these quotes here is not to be provocative, but only to show you that, no matter how contentious some of the posters on TV once tried to be, then they are but NOTHING compared to the great John Cleland, a man who chose to stay hidden, and never received true acclaim, as was his due, Please provide your thoughts concerning the following quotes, which are, basically, nothing, other than what most scholars consider to be great literature. Quote One: "I had it now, I felt it now: and beginning to drive, he soon gave nature such a powerful summons down to her favourite quarters, that she could no longer refuse repairing thither: all my animal spirits then rush'd mechanically to that center of attraction, and presently, inly warm'd, and stirr'd as I was beyond bearing, I lost all restraint, and yielding to the force of the emotion, gave down, as mere woman, those effusions of pleasure, which in the strictness of still faithful love, I could have wish'd to have held up." Quote Two: "He did not return till six in the evening, to take me away to my new lodgings, and my moveables being soon pack'd, and convey'd into a hackney-coach, it cost me but little regret to take my leave of a landlady whom I thought I had so much reason not to be overpleas'd with, and as for her part, she made no other difference to my staying, or going, but what that of the profit created. We soon got to the house appointed for me, which was that of a plain tradesman, who, on the score of interest, was entirely at Mr. H———'s devotion, and who let him the first floor very genteelly furnish'd, for two guineas a week, of which I was instated mistress, with a maid to attend me." Quote Three: "Mr. H——— continu'd kind and tender to me, yet, with all this I was far from happy; for, besides my regrets for my dear youth, which though often suspended, or diverted, still return'd upon me in certain melancholic moments with redoubl'd violence, I wanted more society, more dissipation. As to Mr. H———, he was so much my superior in every sense, that I felt it too much to the disadvantage of the gratitude I ow'd him, thus he gain'd my esteem though he could not raise my taste; I was qualify'd for no sort of conversation with him, except one sort, and that is a satisfaction which leaves tiresome intervals, if not fill'd up by love, or other amusements. Mr. H———, so experienc'd, so learned in the ways of women, numbers of whom had past through his hands, doubtless soon perceiv'd this uneasiness, and without approving or liking me the better for it, had the complaisance to indulge me." Anyone here who is not my age probably sees not the beauty is such literary writings from the years 1748 and 1749, concerning Fanny Hill. I have read Fanny Hill, many times, and I find every word of it miraculous, and to have been written by an almost superhuman being, and equal to any works of writing, anywhere. I first read Fanny Hill when I was 12. And, I will read Fanny Hill, one more time, when I am 92. We all believe that we, each one of us, will live forever. We all believe that our world will continue, as it is now, forever. Sometimes we worry about the end of the universe. And, for some reason, we don't first consider real risk. Somehow, it seems so ridiculous to take our collective future....seriously. Really? Still, whether or not something or nothing happens, I am past my prime, and I will be dead soon. Therefore, being so close to my jumping off point, into the next great experience beyond the grave, I would like to ask for another 10 years of my life without the need to live these years with FACEBOOK. Someday, maybe not within the next 500 years, but sometime in the distant future, there will no longer be a FaceBook, and, then, Humankind will become less robotic, and more "Human". Maybe we should not question anything.

Is the "Stickboy" author actually sort of like John Cleland? Sort of the same, yet less literate? Less a man of taste. Less a man of wealth. Not even a Mick. Not even a Dickensian Jaggar? Who has any sympathy for Stickboy, one might validly wonder.

Anyway, as we continue to age, we miss what we once had, which was our juices....like this..... Thankfully, most of us, due to not being far too crazy, have outlived Janis. And so, now that we have more wisdom, then we should communicate to the next generation, 50 years younger than we, what life is really about. And so, even you do not know what Life is REALLY about,.....do you? Life ain't fair. No one tells us, before we are born, what this life might be like, without a silver spoon.

Facetiously speaking, and, perhaps sexually speaking, as you say...the Top always enjoys teaching the Bottom a lesson. Maybe, this has been your case, too. I dunno.

Beautiful! I LOVE this photo which you posted. For sure.

Was Stickman, and maybe his son, Stickboy, too, just a mythical figure who never really existed? Was Stickman just, in actuality, no more than a marketing tool used by this less than upright industry to promote a sort of sleazy industry? I am sure you will all recall the novella Animal Farm. And so, reading this novella, not everything one reads should be accepted as literal. Therefore, even if some might say, which still must be proved, that Stickman and Stickboy have somehow left us, still their spirit resides amongst us all, in minor ways. The dregs of Stickman and his boy, like Batman and Robin, will reside and resonate with us for so many years to come, no matter how we might wish to rid ourselves of the memory of these two loveable figures.

My Dear Friends, Throughout my short life, and Life is Short, I have never lived even one minute during which I was not focused on the Golden Ring, which is education and erudition for its own sake, a true Man of Learning. And so, now that I find myself so ripe, after almost seven decades, it is not strange to tell that I still am just interested in this same old thing, learning and knowledge, and continued amassing of limited wisdom. When I was very, VERY young, I read many books, books like Fanny Hill, and, certainly, these books were the cause of my belief that being the greatest monger who ever lived might be something worth aspiring to. Mongering is a pursuit for two groups of men: I mean, Young men with hard members, and, also, Old men with large bejeweled rings, and piles of money, who mostly suffer from gout. Maybe you might not know what I am driving at. I am just saying that, pursuits of the flesh are never satisfying, in the end, and can lead to depravity, debauchery, and ill health. Let’s not be bounders, for example, such as those who have very few redeeming qualities. Instead, one should find some other passion in life which provides oneself, and others, some good advantage and satisfaction, and some reason to remain alive. So, anyway, what I have found is the pursuit of teaching, and this need not be for money, either. I teach because I love to witness the mind of another change for the better. The students I teach improve with each of my classes, and, for sure, they grow in many ways. Yes, My Friends, I am a fairly dynamite teacher, when I put my mind to it. Most of you already know without any coaxing from me that you should do something to give back for what you have received during years gone by when you were younger, and when you received so much from this world. However, from just one other perspective, you can truly gain so much satisfaction in your later life just by the act of contributing to others, even in a minor way. I hate to be maudlin. But, why not be, in this case? So…anyway, I think I have reached the end of what I was attempting to communicate, here. And now…..let’s talk about SATISFACTION, maybe.... If you have ever watched the Chick-Flick Series, Big Little Lies, and if you, like I, love Chick Flicks, then you will recall how satisfying that series truly was. . Also, this series exemplifies the rampant Materialism in America, these days, maybe, which I found shocking and demoralizing, especially among the young players in this series. This comedy-drama probably not only satisfied your feminine side, but it also bowled you over in the clover, Music-Wise! For example, there was a fantastic Cover of Janis Joplin’s Ball & Chain, but so much more great old music interspersed throughout these great Chick-flick episodes of Big and Little Lies, or Little Big Man, or, whatever the title was. Well? In case you don’t believe me, here is the cover from YouTube of the Janis Joplin tune, if I can find it on YouTube. Pretty amazing cover, I would say, because…..listening to this cover, I can almost see Janis stomping her shoe into the stage, SO many years ago. This music provided me a true feeling of SATISFACTION; I must admit. Best regards, and sincere caring to you all, as usual, forever, and forever, Glob Note: There has been, and will only ever be, just ONE Janis. Janis is the REAL THING. Janis was such, SUCH, a true Siren. Only difference is...maybe....instead of leading men to their ruin, she, herself, crashed into the rocks, and died too early. What do you think?

Interesting. Watson wrote a textbook which was used by very many schools, many years ago. However, did he actually write it himself, do you know? Re: You "would see Watson occasionally at Cold Spring Harbor" Did he ever visit Stoney Brook, do you know?

Understood, Sorry, I missed that when I first read your comment. Banning books is now impossible, and pointless. Here is a book that should not have been banned in China, in case you might enjoy it: Tombstone: The Great Chinese Famine, 1958-1962 I have a copy in the original Chinese, in case you might like it. (As far as I know, the Chinese and the translated versions, might not be the same.)

Sometimes, white men feel the need to choose not among their own kind, on rare occasions. This is not something which happens frequently. Be thankful when it occurs. Forget the Nobel. And, instead, go with the Ig Nobel Prizes. Everybody knows that the Nobel is a Joke. (The science is real.) (The prizes are really taken from Cracker Jack boxes.

Tropic of Cancer? Really? (Sorry, I was thinking of Last Tango in Paris, and the Butterfingers Brando, which was not noteworthy.) Still, I forget Tropic of Cancer. Those were the days.

Sorry, but the real thing is.... That, after we reach a certain age, then it becomes almost impossible to read fiction, such as a novel, with a straight face. There is no escapism after one reaches a ripe enough age. And, when this happens, then...maybe YouTube.

The truism is that, the older one becomes, after the magic age of 59, one loses the ability to appreciate written fiction, ie, novels, in most cases. If this has happened to you, too, then read Nemesis by Roth. At least, you can still read this with quite a bit of pleasure. Roth writes beautiful paragraphs. Roth should have received the Nobel for Literature, except that, maybe, due to his "background", he was found wanting. Was Saul Bellow a Jew? Not sure. The only thing I know is that Philip could write rings around Saul. The Nobel has always been a joke. Awards, such as these are a joke, both in science and in literature. You got a small group of dirty old white men telling the world what is pure. I am white. But, I am not dirty, hopefully. I try not to be.

And, then what happened....?

The sad thing is: There is a whole flock of great books that most decent schools put on their reading lists, maybe about 500 books that students should read by grade 12. However, it should be obvious that most of these books should be read very close to the time the student passes through puberty, while his or her juices are flowing at MAX, in order to achieve the greatest Umph out of the reading of these books. Passing through puberty is a time when our brain is at a point like no other time in our life. Most of the high-school books should be read between age 11 and 14. Otherwise, this crucial time of amazement in the reading is missed, forever. Maybe you might not know what I mean. Once you miss this time in your life, this narrow window...then...this unique opportunity can never be recouped... it is gone, forever. Try reading Fanny Hill at age 40, for example. Try reading Fanny Hill at age 11.5, for example. Not the same experience. Same with so many books. Read while you are young, or be doomed to ignorance, for life.

Very, very nice. VERY.