GammaGlobulin

Strange, but good. Please notice, in the album cover, just who is tied up. And who is free to play, improvisationally, the piano. Free, at last. Free, at last. Thank God Almighty, We are free at last.

What? You want angular? I give you angular.... From a little man with a very big sound. So amazing! So angular, too!

Was this in Paris? Lulu!!!

Did Thelonious ever perform in Paris? Paris is a place where people have some respect for people like Thelonious. If so.... Where to find the recordings of Paris performances?

Who is the loneliest monk, she ever knew? Theloneliest!

Yes, incredible. One thought I have frequently thought, is just how difficult it sometimes is to listen to serious music, such as this, in some parts of Thailand. For me, at this location, the only possible time to listen to Monk is between the hours of 1:00 AM and 6:00 AM. At all other times of the day, low-level overflying aircraft, roosters, electronically-amplified temple chanting, pounding bass from local music festivals, whining husky dogs, screaming muffler-less motorcycles, make serious music impossible to appreciate. There is an amazing amount of great jazz one might listen to, if only one could find a place to listen. Still, quite fortunately, I live where there is still enough quiet between the hours of 3:30 AM and 5:30 AM. At 6:00 AM, the barking of dogs, beating of gongs, revving of motorbikes, crowing of infernal roosters, and buzzing of jet aircraft begins. 3AM to 5AM is the best time to listen to Felonious Monk, and any other serious music.... IF, anyone really wants to listen, which I think is probably rather doubtful, these days. Some say that the world is losing its dark sky, and that we can no longer see the beauty of the the stars, even our own galaxy. And, even worse, it's getting harder to listen to Thelonious Monk. Those that never had, which is most of the world, cannot feel the loss of what they had never known. God save the child who's never known... Who's never known...

Yes. I agree. This Monk is amazing.

Just riffing... Sometimes, riffing and introspection is healthy.

My Dearest Friends, Do you ever find yourself seemingly stuck between two cultures, and then suddenly loving the momentary realization of your juxtaposition? What are your thoughts? Thelonious Monk. Your thoughts, please. Regards, Gamma Note: Shortest Topic, Yet. Enjoy!

While your suggestion/option might sound correct, in theory, this option might not be best for everybody. Personally, I would prefer to die in Thailand. How much does hospice care cost in Thailand, done on the cheap, with just a bottle of oxygen, and hospital-prescribed drugs to keep one comfortable? I would not wish to return to the USA just to die in a hospital, even a teaching hospital. Give me hospice in Thailand, any old day, rather than boarding a plane back to the USA. Honestly speaking....

The problem is that this friend, this US CITIZEN, is not an endangered species. The US GOV is willing to spend billions to save endangered species. It's all a matter of skewed priorities. If only this person were a major bank in distress, then the GOV would give him a bailout. You guys really should read much more Noam Chomsky. In truth, I am extremely sorry to read this topic. Here we stand at the very edge of Armageddon, on so many fronts, and yet, there is no solid backstop to help these fairly-rare cases in a humanitarian way. So, am I the only one who does not understand this super rich society in which we live, this uncaring society dripping with wealth? No wonder, I have always been a fan of Upton Sinclair.

Good advice. But... Still a horror show. Each to his own, of course. But... I just hope that when my time comes, I will have easy access to the L-pill, And depart painlessly like a true James Bond. End of Life can be a horror show unless one is prepared in mind and spirit. I am glad I came across this sad story, in time, to remind me to prepare for my quick demise, when the time is ripe. I just wish to go silently into that good earth. No muss. No fuss. No horror show in hospitals on a respirator. I am ready to meet my maker when my days become clearly numbered. My only wish is that I will be able to go out like Jackie Gleeson, on a huge bed, in a beautiful room, at home, with Alice by my side, and a pool cue in my casket. Death and dying is sometimes a horror show, just like birth.

I sleep anytime the aircraft are not flying overhead, maximum 5 hours per day.

Respectfully: I just wish all us malcontents could find a place to live together, preferably in peace and harmony, someplace not too far north of the city, and close to the mountains, a place where like-minded could live in fairly close proximity, yet not cheek by jowl. For example, I have nada against living with other farang, or anyone, who share my values. If only there was a PLACE, a small community in CM, north of the city, populated by people who are diverse in knowledge, rich in wisdom, respectful of erudition, yet totally coherant concerning their beliefs about what is crucial for maintaining a happy, healthy, and fairly stress-free community life, but not a commune, and not a utopia, per se. What I am talking about is just the type of community that we learned about when we read the adventures of Mana Manee. I am a big fan of Mana Manee. And, it's often the case that I just want to jump into Mani's world when I come across the beautiful illustrations. So sorrowful to know, however, her world was the Thailand of 1978. It's not as if I was not in Thailand even before Mani was born. And, so, anyway, if you might know of a community of people, fairly like-minded to me, not too far north, then please let me know. My interests include anthropology, experimental psychology, philology, Chinese language, Classical Chinese, Thai language, the Natural Sciences, including polymerization of polimers and DNA, Thai food, Chinese food, authentic Italian food, and John Coltrane. I don't take to tourists, easily; they are here today, gone tomorrow, which I think is the REAL meaning of the Topic. Digital Nomads are maddening, sometimes, in the same way,here today, maybe in Crete, tomorrow. Sorry. Just one more thing... I forgot to mention General Intelligence. I would like to find a living arrangement in which the community has an average IQ of 130, not too bright, and not too dim. So-called emotional IQ is equally important, and so no Edvard Munches, preferably. Regarding house cats, I love them. Dogs, are acceptable, but no huskies. Farm animals of any description are strictly taboo, except for llamas. Chiang Mai, just like Naples used to be, is a wonderful place. As everybody knows, there is simply no place in Asia better than Chiang Mai. Hopefully, this truism will remain valid for, at least, the next decade. After that, I will no longer be of this world. Thank you. Wishing everyone in Chiang Mai, and everyone in Thailand, a magnificent, blessed and fruitful New Year. And, to my Chinese friends, Happy Lunar New Year on the 28th, I think. Best, Gamma

Big difference to William Hurt. William Hurt gave me a Big Chill in his performance in Body Heat. Accidental Tourist garnered 4 Academy Award nominations. Just saying...

Does anybody still recall the good old days, April, 2020, when we were warned to either immediately return to our "home countries", or, prepare to "shelter-in-place"? I feel such nostalgia, already. During those days, anytime I rarely saw another farang on the streets, I almost felt halfway inclined to smile at one, or two. It was, like, I almost felt some sort of liking for them, like. And then, about six months ago, I saw my first backpacker in my neighborhood. And then, it was, like, this relative paradise, too fleeting as I had always realized it must be, was quickly coming to its sad end. I don't know whether or not you might have also felt the same pangs of what I would term, the end of innocence, when you first espied your first returning backpacker to Chiang Mai. In Florida, years ago, we used to have a name for them, the tourists. I used to live in Naples, Florida, many years ago. Naples was a jewel of a place, just like Chiang Mai. And then, the snowbirds began flying in. And then, the snowbirds came to roost. And then, the snowbirds invited their developer friends. And, before you knew it, Naples, Florida became, not a jewel, but a tourist trap for uncouth newly rich with strange habits. I could go on, but, thankfully, the OP has already gone on about the real impacts of rampant, unbridled growth of improperly vetted tourists. Please just check out Naples, FL, if you want. And everybody knows that Naples was the last safe haven for those seeking what all tourists are seeking. Fortunately, Chiang Mai is a big place. As the tourists continue to increase, farang who prefer a more traditional Lanna style of life will move elsewhere. What does Lanna mean, anyway? I tink Lan means million. Maybe Na means field. Million Fields? There may be plans to build a second airport here to dramatically increase tourism. So if you create a gateway for 25 million tourists per year, here, then there might be 25 tourists for each field. Maybe, someday, Chiang Mai will become like Vancouver. So many rich tourists and so many rich foreigners, that nobody will be able to live here, anymore. Chiang Mai is such an amazing place. Naples, Florida once was an amazing place. Nobody can predict the future. Impossible to live in the past, probably. No worries, because, there is always Luxembourg.

Sorry. Typo. I meant the Occidental Tourist.

A line straight from Bob Seger... "I was a little too tall, could've used a few pounds" The only difference is that Seger was not thinking about ice cream. No. Far from it... He was tryin' to make some front page drive-in news. Tight points, way up high

In all sincerity, the bread which you photographed is amazing. I'm not sure if the bread I bake would rise without feeding the yeast. By the way, if you cooked for me, I definitely would not add anything, any table-side condiments, to your dishes. I would not wish to alter the intended culinary experience. However, just keep in mind that some like it hot.

Whether or not your pint of BJ contains high fructose corn syrup or cane sugar, this can easily be verified. More to the point is that children should be warned about consumption of either cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Do you disagree with me? Or, are you ready to refute Lustig's claims? Now is the time for us to understand the Bitter Truth of addiction to sugar. I purchase only one kilo of cane sugar per year. BUT I'm not stupid enough to eat it myself. I don't add it to my tea!!! All of the cane sugar I buy, I feed to yeast. In return, the yeast give me CO2. I use the CO2 to make leavened bread. I also enjoy unleavened bread. Per the Torah Old Testament, the newly emancipated Israelites had to leave Egypt in such a hurry that they could not so much as spare time for their breads to rise. Also, Jingthing, I am pretty sure you know that I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood, and thus love unleavened bread. Steer clear of ice-cream. Stop screaming for ice cream. Please just settle for Matzah Balls, instead. Far healthier are the balls, and tastier, too. Learn to wean yourself off sweets. I recall the children in Taiwan of 50 years ago who disliked sweets. They did not munch on Mars bars, either... Back in the day, most of us just sat around cracking melon seeds between our front teeth, while daintily sipping expensive DingDing WuLong. Those were the good old days before diabetes became endemic. Those were the days before Ben and Jerry cast their curse upon the world. Nobody needs ice cream to be happy... Believe me. Ice cream is a total blight upon children's health. In fact, I would go so far as to say that ice cream is worse than some illicit drugs, judging by its public health consequences. Someday, for sure, makers of ice cream will be incarcerated for the harm they do to society... Mark my words.

Yes. More meaningful than last year. I plan to go on Tinder in 2023. I'm sick of my solitary, celibate self. I'll be looking on Tinder for a woman who has skin burned by the sun, back bent over from years of rice planting in the fields, thighs still firm and sinuous; and some woman in her 40s who is still a virgin. Together, she and I will explore new meanings of Meaningfullness. The way I look at it is this: When I was 16, I was attracted to women in their 50s. And, now that I am old, I should be able to get it up for girls in their 40s. The reason I have not, thus far, is mostly because I am lazy. Tomorrow is a new year. I must turn over a new leaf, or I will dry up, surely. I must resolve to flex my joint, or risk losing my flexibility, forever. Maybe Tinder in Thailand might not be the best app for me. What I should be using is some app, one of which would allow me to find 40-year-old curious-yellow rice-planting farm girls. If only there was such an app. What I need in 2023, to completely improve my wellbeing, is about 10 farm girls, I think. Use it. Don't lose it. The popular refrain. Doctor, Doctor, Send me the link!

Great Topic. The OP's intro to this topic is too short for my taste. But, in reply, and in short: The only solution to the Accidental Tourist is the Next Pandemic.

If you cannot get repaid in cash,.. Then just enjoy a pound of flesh, instead?

There very well might be a BJ factory in Asia, as you suggest. But it's neither here nor there, to me. I'm just trying my best to avoid triple-bypass surgery by staying clear of sugar, as well as corn syrup.

You understand probability theory, then? As to your question, good or bad, you just gotta take the bad with the good, unfortunately. Joking aside, I sometimes hope that before we all go up in a glorious thermo-nuclear ball of fire,... that,... We will have created AI to carry on, to carry on. (Blood Sweat & Tears).