GammaGlobulin

Dear Friends, (All the many wonderful friends I have met here) Here are the reasons I post on The Farang Pub, a forum which has become ever more near and dear to my heart....than most of you might imagine. Although I must admit that I did not appreciate nor understand the Farang Pub at the time I first joined this group, I have come to love it. My only hope is that, through my infrequent postings, I have not embarrassed myself, too infrequently. Embarrassing oneself is the true spice of life. Posting on the Farang Pub, in my opinion, is a privilege which I have done my best to not abuse. Although I am not blind, physically, I still understand that I may be metaphorically blind in some minor respects concerning what I should write and should not write. Yet, I do my best, which is as much as one can be expected to do in this life. I have done my best to maintain a happy medium between what I would like to write and what I think I should write and what others would prefer me to write. Additionally, I feel that it is only through the continued contributions of other young writers, similar to me, that we can keep our community vibrant and pertinent to the needs of all, and especially, meet the needs of the metaphorically blind and deaf readers of our membership, although I am sure there are none here. I would like to leave you with my personal prognostication concerning the longevity of this useful forum: If we keep on keeping on, then in the far distant future, our Farang Forum will remain just as pertinent in the year 2122, as it absolutely is this evening, June 27, 2022, 17:49 hours. Keep on keeping on. Regards, Gamma

Breakfast Club. Even better than How I Learned to Love the Bomb. The guys, at their age, in the Breakfast Club, were just so cool. Cooler than any Hippie I had or have ever seen. These breakfast treats are now, so sadly, gone and never to return. What a true sex bomb.... Breakfast with her might not keep you waiting for much.....

Thank you for this, Sir. After 9.4 years, you are still my only friend who understands me. God bless you, every one! (You are too blessed to be just the "one", here, surely.)

I'm with you, Sir. Hopefully, our Brave New World will be one populated predominantly by Thai women of ages between 24 and 29.

Just a word about the capitalization of the term: Homo sapiens This is not a case of my becoming a member of the spelling police. Rather, from a scientific nomenclature perspective, I am just trying to clarify proper spelling of science terms in my own mind, and for the choice I made in this topic. First of all, actually I did agonize for hours whether I should use the spelling, Homo sapiens or Homo Sapiens. Second of all, I just chose the capitalization that seemed best to me. Third, I would welcome any further input from y'all if you care to disagree with my choice. Therefore, in summation, and in conclusion, do you think my choice of the capitalization in this term, Homo sapiens, is correct or incorrect. Now, I realize that Jimmy Kimmel, in the above posted hilarious clip, clearly is not following proper form when he used the capitalization, "Homo Sapiens". One more thing: Some say we should not capitalize species but what about genus? So, in the conclusion to my conclusion, and since we abbreviate Homo sapiens as... H. sapiens.... Then, I hate to admit it, as you can imagine... However, I think we should write this term, like this... Homo sapiens. Kimmel, if I am correct, is wrong. So solly to Kimmel. He is just a sick comedian, not a scientist, which is so very apparent in this video clip example. Still...Thanks so much to the guy who uploaded this video which was shot in a major city of America. Regards, Gamma Here is an example to further elucidate what I am driving at... H. erectus H. sapiens H. habilis etc., etc., etc. Also, in Pattaya, is it not true that one is more likely to encounter Homo erectus?

Dear Friends, On this Sunday morning, while sitting over your most important meal of the day, probably a true fry up, if you have been lucky enough to find the right café, yet you might still be bored. You might be sitting at a café with your beloved while she stares mindlessly at her phone, as if she had not a care in the world, while you worry about how to pay for her. Why not take your mind off your better half for a moment, and cool down while raising your consciousness by considering something of interest. Here is a question for you, the pondering of which might help raise your spirits and set you up for a very happy Sunday. Maybe you are sitting across from a chum or two, good buddies, and you wonder what, if anything, might pique your interest this morning. Here is something you might enjoy over coffee. Something that you might have already seen before, if you are like me. Here is an interview of Huxley by Wallace, and I can only assume Wallace was originally from Scotland.... And so, the question is: Knowing that this interview was conducted in 1958, how many of Huxley's predictions have proved accurate? And, how much of what Huxley stated in this interview is not on target, according to what we see around us in 2022, 64 years after this interview happened? What better have you to do over coffee on a Sunday? Or, just sit around and gas as usual, about the same old things? Better to tax your brain a bit, instead of losing it. Quite a decent interview, and this interview can be watched, every decade, or so, without losing its punch, maybe. Anyway, each to their own.... It ups to you. Watch it or not, No skin off my nose, of course. Best regards, as usual, and,... Take your Soma, Not to mention your Metamucil, Globulin

Regarding gender, during the past many decades, there seems to be much confusion, both among individuals and in society, as a whole. Perhaps this confusion is caused by a relative lack of evidence-based science. As we know, full well, the Social Sciences are inferior to the Natural Sciences. And, due to the lack of the Scientific Method in most of Social Science, or iffy practice of the Scientific Method, then too many observations and hypotheses are not subjected to any rigorous enough acid test. It is a terrible thing to see someone in pain after having elective and irreversible surgery such as is described at the beginning of this topic. Anyway, there is too much confusion out there, as Hendrix rightly stated: All that money spend on elective surgery... And, still, I can't get no relief..... And, no way to go back.

For sure, the clock is always ticking. However, I do not believe in foreordination, if that might be what you are referring to. Also, of course, we did not descend from apes. In fact, just checking DNA comparisons between species, for example, we now have a much clearer clue as to the origins of our species. Lemurs live in trees. And, we have much in common with these creatures. The following is an interesting schematic. While the clock keeps ticking, evolution keeps happening. And, much can happen in just a million years, or two.

Dearest Friends, Most of us believe, or once believed, that Humanity must obviously be worth preserving. However: Do you still believe that Humanity is worth preserving, knowing what we now know about Homo sapiens? Some might say that since all species have a finite longevity, then wishing to preserve any single species beyond its expiration date is unreasonable. Yes, we have benefitted from characteristics such as bipedalism and large, complex brains, yet these are just two of the traits which have put us most at risk of extinction. Perhaps, if we had stayed in the trees, rather than having climbed down to venture into the savanna, then our species would have been happier and less lethal to both ourselves and other species. These days, almost nobody seems happy living on the savanna, relatively speaking. To ask the question concerning whether or not Humanity is worth preserving, is an admission of our lack of understanding of our very nature and the willingness of our species to destroy ourselves using the tools our culture has created. So then, is it worth preserving a culture, and the species which created this culture, when we can now more clearly see that it is our culture which will lead to the destruction of the species? If you were to try to take an unbiased view, which admittedly might be difficult for you to do, then... Would you say that the preservation of Humanity is worth it? Regards, Gamma

Wikipedia written by bots? Apparently.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lsjbot Read it and weep.....

In all fairness, it is correct that some of Wikipedia is written by a bot, with a man behind the bot. Google it.... But, this is not a conspiracy theory. The bot-writing and the bot-contributions to Wikipedia are out in the open, and this is no secret....

So, I used to enjoy "The Atlantic Monthly", ...until...the quality of the writing deteriorated two decades ago. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2021/08/dead-internet-theory-wrong-but-feels-true/619937/ BUT...NO...of course, I do not enjoy conspiracy theories. Neither do I enjoy little minds.... Except.... What about ..... Simple Minds.....?

Please forgive my repeating myself in stating that I like the long list posted above. This is an important list which reminds us that there is just too much to do for those fortunate enough to be in Thailand. This list is helpful to those who care about body, soul, and spirit. Honestly speaking, one of the things which provides me great pleasure is seeing the multiplicity of bird species that live in, or visit, Thailand. Multicolored birds here in Thailand are such a pleasure to watch, and I do not mean the Pattaya variety. Therefore, sorry to repeat, but this list is broad enough and thoughtful enough to help any long-term visitor to Thailand stay engaged with life and remain healthy in body and mind. Very good list which will help those who might find it difficult to overcome inertia and thereby motivate themselves enough to enjoy what is easily available to them in these climes. just walk out the door....and, there is so much to behold. The long days of Covid are now over, me thinks. Thanks!

As far as I know.....CR might be a better place, compared to CM, to re-learn old tricks concerning your question.

My Dear Friends, (if you are real) We now live in uncertain times. For example, we cannot be certain who is a BOT and who is NOT. For example, I was just this morning reading in the NYT about the Google engineer who was put on leave of absence for revealing that bots now have feelings, and that computers are sentient, and that computers can even cry over the reading of Hugo’s great novel Les Misérables. Just a decade ago, who would have thought that this state of affairs would so quickly come to pass? Before anyone might be inclined to read further, I strongly recommend referring to the following two links: https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/07/20/1005454/openai-machine-learning-language-generator-gpt-3-nlp/ https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/12/technology/google-chatbot-ai-blake-lemoine.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3 (I know I said “two links”, but what I really meant was three links. “It ups to you”, as they say in Pattaya, if you want to read all three.) Therefore, we can accurately predict that in the very near future, maybe within the next five years, the performance of GPT-3-type machines will continue to improve, at lightning speed, as is always the case with computer technology. And then…. Will we soon be unable to discriminate a bot from a human, or, in Jimi's parlance, “if a SIX turned out to be NINE”….dig… ‘Cause… Now, what might we use this technology for? I am thinking that if I were not dedicated to celibacy, then I might be able to have 15 GFs, and then Love Bomb all 15 with Bot-written Poetry, simultaneously, effortlessly. Or, I could sit comfortably at my computer, while posting many more posts, almost thoughtlessly, to my favorite forums. HOWEVER, my friends, you can rest assured that I would never sink this low as to have my posts on TV ghostwritten by a sentient bot. ALSO, there is no way in this world that a BOT could write like ME. Move on, Mr. Bot, you can’t write like me! Nobody writes like me…. But, what about you? If Google, which has probably read everything you have ever written, were to share this info with it’s AI bot, and thusly your writing style, then….for sure…Google’s bot would, or will, be able to imitate your writing style well enough to pass off for being you. What do you think the implications of this present-day technology might be for you? It is truly a Brave New World in which we live… Wave on! Wave on! (I wrote all of the above words myself, using Google Docs. No bots or other writing aids assisted me in this.) Best regards, Glomule

Truly, such a thoughtful and invaluable list you have compiled here, which must have required rather a lot of careful consideration, that it sways me, for sure, past the tipping point of staying in CM. I state this with seriousness and thankfulness to you. This is a list which most of us living where I am living should read. A few things I am not sure about, which are crucial to my future wellbeing if I move to Chiang Rai: a. I want to find a small (two-bedroom) house, and one with hardwood floors. b. If no hardwood, then no way. c. No roosters within a 250-meter radius of my bedroom. d. Indoor kitchen. Outdoor kitchens with mosquitoes are too itchy. e. 3BB internet f. Water pressure which is up to international standards...which means about 5.5 kg/cm² g. Uni within walking distance h. Plenty of good uni student food available until 2AM i. Friendly neighbors j. Good and reliable electric power from the grid k. No aircraft flying overhead l. Not too many more unreasonable requirements. Once I decide to move to Chiang Rai, I do not want to get there and then feel regret after moving. For me, having a lot of baggage, moving is not something I take lightly. Again...thank you for your list of great things about Chiang Rai. This is the best list I have seen. Like you, I do not, nor have I ever, visited a bar in Thailand. I am not against bar visiting or bar hopping. I am not against any hedonistic pleasures. However, ever since I turned celibate, And, ever since I left China, Bars are not for me. Romantic relationships, one after the other, Are no longer for me. Nice list. You deserve some respect for this.

Thar she blows, mate! If it was good enough for Melville....then.... Good enough for the likes of us, me thinks....

Food insecurity is no laughing matter. I do not worry for myself. But, I DO worry for those who are more vulnerable. This is no laughing matter. In fact, it may soon prove to be a tragedy... Just as the WHO has cautioned. There is plenty of food. Yet not enough equitable distribution. Therefore, this is even more a tragedy. Or, even more a tragicomedy. We call ourselves sapiens. Yet, we are the most foolish of all apes.

Seems to me, after about 10 years, that CM is gradually and continually losing its luster. Therefore, might this be the moment to make a radical move to CR, if this might improve quality of life? There is plenty of tea up there in Chiang Rai, for example. But, other than tea, then what have you? For sure, the university campus in Chiang Rai seems rather beautiful. Other than this, I am not sure what else might attract one to move to Chiang Rai. I would move to Chiang Rai if I could find a small house like this....

Has anyone here lived in both Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, for many years? What would it be like to move from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai? Would there be a culture shock? Would housing prices, rental prices, be far lower in Chiang Rai? Or, almost the same. What are the advantages to moving from CM to CR, if any? Also, in Chiang Rai, would it be possible to find a small house with hardwood floors, and very clean environment, for less cost than the same thing in Chiang Mai? Would Chiang Rai be quieter? For example, Lampang is a very quiet city, much quieter than Chiang Mai. And so, would Chiang Rai be just about the same as Lampang? If one were already living in Chiang Mai, and wished to improve quality of life... Then, would a move to Chiang Rai be worth considering? For sure, just looking at the photos of the university in Chiang Rai.... The images look quite beautiful with mountains all around. And so, can Chiang Rai offer a much more relaxed and better quality of life?

No more sailors, these days, maybe.