GammaGlobulin

Years ago, we read of Malthus, James Lovelock, and, what's his face, the author of The Population Bomb. In light of what these great authors tell us, then how are you able to enjoy your Scottish breakfast? Fortunately, when God created Man, God provided Us with sufficient defense mechanisms strong enough to endure the unendurable. The strongest of our defense mechanisms is that of Denial. Denial of Truth. Also, Denial of Death. And, Denial of Almost Anything. Without the ability to hide the truth of our reality from ourselves, nobody would be able to survive. Therefore, thank God for His providing us with the necessary defense mechanisms which allow us to survive the unjust world created by Him, in all His Perversity. There are 6 (probably only 5) more defense mechanisms you might want to know about. But can't we first think about just the first, "denial", this Sunday? === Hopefully, no one here will deny themselves of anything, this Sunday. The World is coming to an end, quickly. Therefore, do not be guided by any church minister, this Sunday. Rather, like Henry Fielding, and his character, Tom Jones, sleep in the barnyard, among the hay, and bed ye there any comely farm girl you might see. Go ye therefore, and commune with the farm girls, be they in Pattaya, or elsewhere, this fine Sunday morn.

But fortunately, we have been granted another Sunday, this morning. Some of us, if we are not in Pakistan, in Karachi, do not need to contend with such blistering heat. And so, if you are one of the fortunate ones on planet Earth, I would suggest to you, that you seek out another human being, maybe rent a short-term room in some Japanese style Love Hotel, and, just like Savoy Brown, stay while the night is young.

Did that.

Take You HIGHER, now...

No longer is there any Common Ground. The divide is too wide. We are doomed, as a result. Enjoy the time which still remains. The time for chit-chat is at an end. The chattering classes will be doomed. And, the LaoBaiXing will soon take over, Using ancient traditional farming techniques, After the destruction of more organized technologically-based civilization.

Some of the above makes me, also, consider whether or not some of the posters here on this forum have ever attended The Citadel? Have you ever attended? What was your experience there? https://go.citadel.edu/corps/

One of the greatest scenes of filmdom is the intro to the film, The Great Stantini, based on the book by Pat Conroy. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS MAN?" It's the flu, Sir, it's weakened him.

A final observation: One important reason we should be willing to devote much time to posting useful thoughts on TV, and as many original words as possible, is because doing so may help, in some small way, to assist TV to remain forefront in Google's search algorithm. The more we write, for free, the more we can contribute to TV's preeminence in this SE Asian sphere of forums. If we do not contribute our share, each and every one of us, then TV might slip in rankings, a circumstance we do not wish to see. I like TV. I may live for another 5 or 10 years. During my lifespan, I don't want the status quo to change. Therefore, I spend my free time to post something of import. This is the way it is.

The actual quote I am looking for, which I misquoted above, is some sort of US Marine quote about "men like us" from the film Gardens of Stone. Men like us? TV Men like us? I will watch the film, one more time, and then report. Great quote, in fact. Enjoy the film, men. I am surprised this film is somehow available on YT. This guy, James Caan, has a haircut that seems similar to what we see today. Maybe the world is going to heck.

Let me please pursue this thought a bit further, though I don't mean to begin foaming at the mouth about this, overly much. I am just a guy who has spent significant time with bar girls during my life. I would say that, at least, 20 years of my life have been spent with bar girls, conservatively. Maybe my time with bar girls was somehow due to my straightlaced upbringing. My mother had always believed that consorting with sinful women before wedlock was a sin. After leaving home, arriving in Asia, and seeing the sights, especially at such a young age, I found it difficult to contain my former religiously-based restraints, and thusly went hog wild. I met so many good girls in Hong Kong, topless and beautiful. Most of the girls I met were living in the KMT's enclave on Taiwan. Those girls were so nice. At that time, the girls were not hardened and tough. They were, most of them, angels. That was a bygone era. I must have had about 28 angels during the short span of time before I found a girl that I loved, just another bar girl, but special. She was smart and intuitive. Yet, she and I were never able to share much meaningful common ground. And my point is this. During this past decade, it truly is the ThaiVisa Forum which has gradually supplanted my original needs for an Asian GF. Here is why. Intellectually speaking, ThaiVisa is smarter than any GF I have ever had. Also, TV is up 24/7, except for the short hiatus of service we experienced last week. TV always is willing to listen to me speak about thoughts of import to me. As long as, and providing that, I remain civil, and do not overstep any clearly demarcated boundaries, TV will always be my sounding board for expression of thoughts and feelings dear to me. There is always somebody here willing to listen. You know, TV is so great that, if I were ambitious enough, I might even be able to start some topic which might seem meaningful to some. You might have heard that TV has been recently branded as ASEAN NOW, which means that we can now post topics outside those normally pertinent solely to Thailand. TV is getting better, while thoughts of my former GFs are now nothing more than distant memories. I still have about 150 Topics, fresh in my mind, and ready for posting here. I will post them if my NOTE4 can endure for one more year. You know that, in most cases, I find stream-of-consciousness writing /posting intolerable. Yet, as seems to be true, this was the subject of this post. I remain satisfied and, nare I say, almost in love with TV. TV provides all of the best aspects of a girlfriend, with very few negatives. You can count on me to voice my opinion, in no facetious way, whatsoever, that, in Thailand, and in SE Asia, TV has grown on me. Might I also honestly acknowledge that TV has, during the past two years, become a revamped and even better example of what it once was. My GFs and bargirl aquintences never seemed able to improve and up their game, yet, TV has. All I can say is that the world needs more of us, people like us.

I am reluctant to mention and add even one more thing to this unworthy Topic, but... I wish to mention this all-important factor of having some Common Ground, which is the real grease that promotes true understanding in any dialogue. Without some Common Ground then true understanding can never happen. I am able to speak English and Chinese fairly fluently. I speak a smattering of Thai. But... No matter what language I speak, I find it difficult to have a meaningful discussion with anyone who shares no Common Ground with me. Therefore, from my experience, attempting to communicate with anyone who is ill-read and ill-bred soon becomes tiresome. Might as well just... Give Up... after the first few attempts to communicate with somebody who does not share common ground. This does not mean that you can't find a GF who does not have the requisite sense of humor, smarts, and insight to keep you fully engaged, happy, and on your toes. However, never marry a dumb girl who can't, at the very least, understand this Topic. Or, if you, yourself, do not understand this topic, then marry a girl, with hair down to there, who is like you. Common Ground is crucial to good communication, mutual respect, empathy for the other, and even long-lasting pleasure, in any relationship. Without common ground, even, sometimes one might post a topic, yet be completely misunderstood by one's audience. This is why any Topic poster worth his salt should always write, first, with her target audience in mind. Always be mindful of staying within the Common Ground of what is comfortably shared by both the poster and the reader.

It's actually true what our teachers say: Sometimes, when we read a great author, while in our youth, from that day forward, our entire life has changed. So impressionable, were we.

Dear Sir, I must admit that it must have been the reading of the entire writings of my beloved Joseph Conrad which ended me up, here, where I now am. Ken Kesey is a fool, compared to the likes of Conrad. I just mean that I am not a hippie.

Dear Friends, (I try to shorten Topic Titles. In EVERY Case. But, try as I might, I just cannot abbreviate this title, and still be able to ask the same question, in fewer words. Verbosity in the Title, I admit, is a sign of both stupidity and poor writing skills. However, in this topic, I am mentioning Ken Kesey, and stream of consciousness.) I always hate to write long topics. Especially on any given Sunday. Therefore, in this instance, can we let the Topic's Title speak for itself, with no FURTHER words from me? (I have noticed in my research that some guys spell FURTHER as FURTHUR. Such a crime.) Did Ken Kesey, in any way, influence you to come to Thailand, or other SE Asian countries, or India, or East Asia, when you were younger? And, what do you think of the stream-of-consciousness style of writing? I have never seen a hippie I liked. Are you conservative, a Mr.-businessman walking down the street? Are you much more laid-back? Now that we are becoming very old, then what can we do to move forward into the land of being more "out there", and less blah, blah in our old age, and sort of less tied to the real world of today, while we still have a few years to make some sort of hippie-like final statement? Are we now no more than old has-beens? Are we just dinosaurs having zero relevance to our world, a world we see as dying? Talk about a has-been. I hate the stream-of-consciousness writing style. Please, again, do not read anything here but the Title of the Topic, in order to reply to this topic, in case you might. If you don't like Ken Kesey, or Tom Wolfe, and I do not mean the other Wolfe, Virginia, then feel free to ignore this post. Best regards, as always. May you pass the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, in your sleep, And wake up refreshed, which is a rare thing, at our ages. I rarely feel refreshed. G. Licious

Speaking of busses to somewhere... And speaking of being on a bike or a bus..... Have you ever considered just going FURTUR, either on a bus, or a bike, or a yacht... Some yacht, bus, or bike, ... someplace where there are no cars? I often think of going on FURTHUR to a place with NO CARS.... I have told you, over and over, again, that, if you wish to enjoy a bike ride, then you need to go further, and further, and further, the more congested our world becomes. But, have you even listened to my good advice?

Yes. You are correct. This is the "secret" question posed in this topic. And, as I recall, you scored about 150 on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS). Congratulations for your insightfulness! But...you will find many more-difficult analytical questions on the Wechsler.

Sir, you have stated that, "she says if i no pay she will call her brother in Korat and he will do something to me". Therefore, why are you so worried? Just lie down and take it like a man, while her brother does something to you. Obviously, her brother will do unto you no more than you have done unto his sister. If she enjoyed it, then you will too. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Will this be your first time? If so, this might, very likely, not be your last time.

No need to post pics of Nancy. After all, who wants to see more of that? Maybe, preferably, just post the hottest photos of Tina. There are really too many to post here.

Dear Friends, If one is to consider only solid-color sense, then Nancy comes out the fashion winner. Nancy loves solid colors, be they yellow, blue, or pink. She inevitably prefers primary colors, obviously. Throughout the years, she has become a fashion icon by gradually learning how to mix yellow and blue to get green, for example. Why would anyone, almost exclusively, so prefer solid colors? This is a good question for further research and comment. I would bet that there is fertile ground for research at the psychological level concerning this love of both solid and primary colors. And, I think no one can deny that this fashion sense is just a bit jarring to those who may not be used to it. Tina has her own style of dress, too. And Tina can wear almost anything with aplomb while meeting heads of state. It is doubtful that Tina has ever worn anything that most of us disapproved of. This is because Tina does not dress like Nancy. However, Nancy just does not seem to have the same sense of fashion when meeting any personage of import, unlike Tina. Nancy is fine with some sort of pink jumpsuit, as you may have recently noticed...Maybe sort of like a Disney princess. And so, if one were to judge, just solely based on fashion sense, who should visit Taiwan these days, I would have preferred to see Tina Turner meet with Madame English. Personally, I have always loved Tina. Maybe it has been a combination of her fashion sense and her innate inner loveliness as a person which has always made my heart pound anytime I see her on stage. Here is what I am talking about: (You decide. Who has the better fashion sense? Tina or Nancy?) Somehow, I have never received the same vibes from Nancy, no matter how many solid colors she tries on. Please do not misunderstand me. Nancy, in my eyes, this day, can do nothing wrong after her jaunt to Formosa. However, I still question her fashion sense, as well as her sanity, after seeing her appear in Asia in a Disney bunny-rabbit suit. And, from watching the news, she did not even think to change this suit after she had, most obviously, slept in it, overnight. Sure, you might say that one should make allowances for anyone over the age of 80, fashionwise. But I don’t think so. I do not think so because I have seen Tina dressed to the nines, looking great, attractive as anything, even over the age of consent. Man, I surely would like to get me a piece of that Tina. But also, mostly due to fashion sense, I would do almost anything not to get hired by anyone dressed like Nancy, if I were a money boy. I realize that most of the young people here are unable to appreciate this topic. They might say, for example, why is Tina so HOT, and Nancy NOT? I really don’t know how to explain it to you. Tina has always been super hot. Although I do not know her, personally, I am still in love with her. What’s love got to do with it? For me, it’s all about legs. Regards, G.

Now that the virus has pretty much completely roiled our world, even beyond our wildest expectations, do you think that we have learned any useful lessons? In the past, I had never thought much of the University of Cambridge, other than as a good location for a Hollywood film. However, recently, there is some guy from Cambridge who is making news by stating this: “Global heating could become “catastrophic” for humanity if temperature rises are worse than many predict or cause cascades of events we have yet to consider, or indeed both. The world needs to start preparing for the possibility of a “climate endgame”. This is according to an international team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge, who propose a research agenda for facing up to bad-to-worst-case scenarios. These include outcomes ranging from a loss of 10% of the global population to eventual human extinction. In a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers call on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to dedicate a future report to catastrophic climate change to galvanise research and inform the public.” https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/climateendgame OK. So why is this thing newsworthy? For one thing, the scientists (the usual suspects) caught up in the IPCC might be considered lap dogs, because true science should never be done just to substantiate and buttress the political claims of any political group, such as the IPCC.. For another thing, the guy behind the link above seems to be a weightlifter. He has huge muscles. Also, he is very handsome. If he put his mind to it, then he could be another Schwarzenegger, for sure. He might even become the next governor of California. (Believe me girls, if there are any on this blessed forum... This guy looks GREAT in a tight-fitting shirt. And, he is way smart.) Another thing is that most scientists never speak their mind. They are too afraid to rub their sponsors the wrong way, which might mean loss of funding or tenure. And funding is key for any scientist. Or, like Galileo Galilei, they might be tortured for heresy, going against the religion of everlasting exponential economic growth. So very sadly, due to various reasons, scientists have, during the past decade, significantly underplayed the threats of global warming. Their shortcomings are not intentional, or even conscious. And, unfortunately, scientists are subject to bias, just like the rest of us. So anyway, this Dr. Luke (Luke Kemp), sort of like Luke Skywalker, seems to have gone out on a limb, at Cambridge. He seems to be one of a very few scientists who is willing to speak his mind. And, I guess, we all recall what happened to James Hansen when he spoke his mind. He was labeled a nut case, and then he was chained to the White House fence. (Or, most likely, did he not chain himself?) Therefore, who amongst us cannot feel gratitude for guys like Hansen and this guy Skywalker who willingly put their careers and tenure at risk, just to speak truth to Science? Still, I am not so sure why this researcher appeared, during a formal lecture, in just a skimpy white tight-fitting T-shirt. He looked so buff. And yet, he spoke wisdom, too. These are the things which are now happening as a result of the virus. Our entire world has been turned off its axis by a few degrees. Some guys are coming out of the woodwork, like rats, (good rats in white hats), to inform us of what we need to know. === Back to Luke Kemp in his very amazing white, almost transparent, shirt.... This is for the ladies, scientists all, who are still reading: With Luke Kemp, smart girls can get their cake and eat it, too. Hats off to Luke for just speaking his mind!

Thank you. Thank you, because I had begun to wonder if no one would understand the meaning of this topic. Now, here is the truly blessed, positive, outcome of our virus pandemic: https://www.cam.ac.uk/stories/climateendgame Finally, maybe a few scientists are beginning to wake up, smell the coffee, and understand that we are now (possibly) ready to face reality, and thereby have some chance of saving ourselves from ourselves. This virus has been an awakening for some. And, already, for some years, scientists have feared to state what they secretly believe. And now, after the pandemic, the public is beginning to stir from from its slumber. In fact, the public is now beginning to recognize that we have been underestimating catastrophic risk to society and humanity, simply due to our camel-like behavior, hiding our heads in sand while wearing thongs on the beach. And now, hopefully, we will see the light. Just, hopefully, not this light. There is really no way to say whether or not our most recent pandemic experience will prove to be a blessing or a curse. I prefer to think of the virus as a blessing. Or, one can, alternatively, choose to think of it as a curse. Some say that it's always better to maintain a positive outlook on life. They say that it is always good to look on the bright side. As we all know, every curse has a blessing and every blessing has a curse. Just look on the bright side.

I think you are correct. The biggest concern of old people is not dying of Covid, or dying of any other namable disease.

In my mentioning of the Subjunctive Mood, what I really meant was this: How Might Your Life have been different... IF.... there had been no virus? Or, in other words: If there had been no virus, then how might your life have been either improved or impacted in a negative way. I think this is the meaning of the Subjunctive Mood. And, this is the meaning of this topic, I think. ===== Please note: No one can say for sure, at a micro level, whether or not their lives would have been better or worse without the virus. Without the virus, our lives might or might not be better at the macro and micro level. For example: Many benefits have resulted from the pandemic virus, just as many good things happened as a result of the flu in 1918. Sometimes, we underestimate the positive effects of seemingly extremely negative impacts which, ultimately, influence our lives for the ultimate good. =========== Therefore: How has the virus changed your life for the better? This is one good question. And, if the virus had not happened, then where would you be today? The virus has changed our destiny. In your case, do you think your destiny has been changed for the better?