GammaGlobulin

Just an intro from Amazon: "Lewis Carroll wis the pen-name ae Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a professor o mathematics at Christ Church, Oxford. His weel-kent story came aboot while he wis oan a rowin trip up the watter ae the Thames in Oxford oan 4 July 1862. Dodgson wis accompanit oan this outin bi the Rev. Robinson Duckworth an three young lassies: Alice Liddell, the ten-year-auld daughter ae the Dean ae Christ Church, an Alice's two sisters, Lorina and Edith, who wir thirteen an eight. As ye kin tell fae the poem at the stairt, the three lassies begged Dodgson fir a story, an so he went oan tae tell them, wioot a hale loat ae enthusiasm tae begin wi, an early version ae the story that wis tae become "Alice's Adventirs in Wunnerlaun". Acause ae this, there's a fair few refrences tae the five traivellers in the boat hauf-hidden away throo-oot the text ae the book, which wis published eventually in 1865. Glaswegian, the dialect ae Scots spoke mainly in Glesca an the surroondin coonty ae Lanarkshire, differs mainly fae ither Scots dialect in the range an variety ae its influences. Glesca's pairt in the 18th Century transatlantic trade o Great Britain, an its later expansion intae an industrial pooer in its ain right, saw the toon turn intae a meltin pot ae cultural differences. Linguistically, the maist important immigrants bi faur wir the Irish an the Scottish Hielanmen, who settlt in Glesca in their droves. The vowel soonds ae Glaswegian, mebbe its maist significant distinguishing merks, owe much tae the pronunciation ae the city's Irish an Hielan incomers. -- Lewis Carroll was the pen-name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, a mathematics don in Christ Church, Oxford. "

By the way: The contributor, Lacessit, seems to wish us to know something about syncope, something which may or may not have much to do with this topic. Lacessit spoke about being amused by the manipulation of vowels. Basically, Lacessit is just frustrated because most people realize that his life-long devotion to golfing has proved to be such a sorry waste of time. He cannot bring himself to admit that all of his wasted hours on the links have provided nothing more than an ever increasing golf score. Soon, he will hit 100. And then, he will hit 110. And, so on. Just so that we know: Syncope refers to a literary device that involves the shortening of a word by removing or omitting letters. This usually occurs within the middle of words and can refer to the removal of consonants, vowels, and multiple letters one after another. Being 79, one has nothing great to look forward to on the links. The writs weaken. One's balance becomes less sure. And, in the end... One needs to be carried off the golf course in a body bag, by the caddies. Truly, it's such a sad thing to witness somebody who has nothing else in life, other than to go from hole One, to hole 18, and then back to hole One. And then, do it all over again, day after day, in the sweltering sun. If you think that manipulation of vowels might be comical, then just witness somebody, hitting his eighth decade, try to hit a ball straight. So sad, really. Such a sad end, truly. Why is this so sad? Because, one's golf score just creeps up, year by year. One will never, again, hit par. Birdies become almost impossible. And Eagles are non-existent. Because, on a par 5, guys of 79 just no longer have the required power. Better call Saul, maybe. Because, without some "boost", Hitting par will always be a distant dream. Sometimes, guys just gotta wake up and get real. Or, like some, old golfers who never say die, Old golphers just fade away. FADE AWAY.

Unzed is a place, one assumes? If so, then why not use upper-case U? Besides, this topic, as is plain to see, is mostly about remembrances and nostalgia concerning HK, and also about dialects which we hope will not continue to be evened out. Maybe you have some opinions about the loss of, and the Evening-out of rare dialects. You know, my friend, sometimes I wonder about you. Superficially, you seem intelligent. However, down deep, I question if you are not shallow. You state that the music of JS Bach is joyous. But maybe you just read this in a book, somewhere. Seems to me, you are the type who is never moved by human emotion. Are you positive that you are not tone deaf to qualities which are uniquely human? What I am asking is: Are you sure that you are not a robot? Just a casual observation, and feel free to take this with a grain of salt. I got you pegged, pretty good, baby. I know that you know.

Please do not misunderstand my sympathies about this topic: I have been cryin' my eyes out, since 1997. Absolutely.

Dear Friends, Most of you know me as a newbie, here. But, I am no newbie to Asia, specifically places like Hong Kong. I may not know Aberdeen in HK from Glasgow in Scotland; it's true. However, I have long been interested in languages, as well as great Celtic music, during past decades. Today is just another manic Sunday. Wish it were a fun day.... Or, preferably, fish day, again, So that tomorrow would be Saturday. The culture of Scotland left its mark on Hong Kong, thankfully. Those days are gone, alas. Many guys from Scotland have migrated from Hong Kong to Thailand, according to my understanding. And, James Clavell used to be one of my favorite authors when I was young. Whether or not he did justice to the true history, I leave up to you to debate. The point of this post is just to wonder aloud whether you have read the book mentioned in the title of this topic? Lewis Carroll must have been a playful sort of some intelligence. His stories are remarkable. I don't know too much about Glaswegian. But, I really love it when the Glasgow dialect is referred to as Glasgow patter. In my opinion, in this case, one can never be thankful enough for diversity. From my perspective, the thicker the brogue, the more I feel alive. Nobody wants to live in a world which is sanitized and hobbled to the point where we all speak the same. Actually, from what I can tell, this "Alice's Adventirs in Wunnerlaun" translation is something new, as of 2014. The translation was done lovingly by the Scottish poet and writer, Thomas Clark. So then, what do you think? Did this guy do the book justice in his translation? And, how sorrowful do you feel about losing Hong Kong, which is something I do feel sorrowful about. Best regards, GammaG Note: We will meet again. Don't know where. Don't know when.

At least, this seems to have been a memorable experience for you, obviously. As you know, the pleasure is in the anticipation of obtaining what one desires. And not in actually obtaining it. Therefore, the longer the line, the greater the anticipatory pleasure.

In Asia, I shower in the evenings before bed. In America, I shower in the mornings before breakfast. In Asia, I have soup after the main course. In America, we have soup before the main course. Maybe, it might be interesting to wear spectacles that would reverse colors Or, we might wish to mount clocks on walls which would move anti-clockwise. Anyway, I really like to watch the woman in this video riding her bike. Some girls who love to ride bikes have a secret smile while riding.

Yes. Deeply in love. But, the result has always been fruitless.

This is not strange, at all. As you know, Russians love to stand in line, for almost any reason, especially for either bread or a funeral. Meanwhile, Lenin's body continues to improve with age. Lenin actually looks quite young for his age.

She refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring. She saw shrewdly that the world is quickly bored by the recital of misfortune, and willingly avoids the sight of distress.

Never mind what others might say. But what do you think Maslow might think of you? Just out of curiosity, what music do you favor? Country? Rock? Blues? Jazz? Or, do you dig the Shostakovich Symphony No. 13, Babi Yar? You are old enough to know about Babi Yar? Does your curiosity extend that far?

Forever planning his next trip. As you said.

Timothy Leary?

In this case of special relativity, one becomes like Isaac Newton. One believes in the universe, and one also believes in God. It is not unheard of for a logical mind to embrace two beliefs which are mutually incompatible. This is called Blind Faith. Blind Faith is something you might know about.

Just an example of my/your curiosity about life: a. Why do most household fans in Thailand rotate in the same direction? Why can't we have some fans going one way, and other fans going the other way? Is there a logical reason? b. Why is it that when I am in the Northern hemisphere the water going down the drain spins in one direction, clockwise, while in the Southern hemisphere, the water disappears down the drain with an anti-clockwise rotation? c. Why do some people say "counterclockwise", while others, in the UK, say "anti-clockwise"? If you want to get smart, then try to be like your two-year-old self. Always ask why. No question is too ridiculous for you. Never be afraid to ask anything. And, encourage your teachers to be more in tune with the Socratic Method of teaching. And, what is a Greek chorus? Always ask why.

You guys. You are so very naïve. You think two ear plugs will help you. Ear plugs will only cause you further pain. The only way to solve this noise problem is to go down. Down, about three feet. If you trust me, then just dig your hole in the ground. It's very quiet underground. And, don't come up until the music stops.

Not unsurprisingly, any time I might post a topic about noise, I get shouted down. Finally, there is someone else who has posted another noise topic which makes us all feel a bit better. All the above suggestions concerning how you might cope with noise are completely useless. There is no solution to be found, above ground. You will never find peace and quiet in Thailand, and so steel yourself for this realization, if you intend to live here for any length of time. Of course, it is NEVER the case that there is no solution to any given problem. And, really, the only solution to the noise problem in Thailand, in most places, is to go underground. What you need is to dig a bunker deep enough to obviate hearing even the loudest bass music from the lousiest bands in Thailand. I am not sure how you will do this. Actually, you do not need an overly large underground bunker. Most objectionable noise happens only during 12 hours of the day. Therefore, if you dig your bunker, then you could exist down there for most of the day, in peace, And then you could return to above ground when the din dies down. Primarily, what you need is a safe place, a safe retreat, where you can slink away when the noise gets tough. Why? Because, this is just due to human psychology. IF you have a safe retreat, then you will be far less likely to become stressed by noise. In other words, if you are provided with an "option" of going down into your underground bunker, then you will feel more at ease staying above ground, despite the same amount of noise, with far more equanimity. I could explain how this works, but it might take more time than I am allotted here. Concerning various underground bunker choices, there are plenty to choose from. And, underground bunkers are becoming evermore popular with preppers, for example. If I had purchased land in Thailand, or if I could purchase land in Thailand, one of my first priorities would be to construct an underground bunker, even before I built my above-ground living area. You might think that living below ground is too extreme a solution for you. However, nothing could be further from the truth. For example, we now have many new technologies which make underground living possible. Sunlight can easily be ducted in using so-called Solar Tunnels. But, even if you are deep enough to make solar tubes impractical, still there are very many other solution that can make our underground living space so very comfortable. Most of the noise you experience does not happen 24-hours-per-day. In order to live a very comfortable and more stress-free, almost noise-free, existence, then you would only need to stay underground for eight to ten hours per day. And then, you could emerge above-ground, to enjoy the quiet period, from 2AM to 6AM. Fortunately, these days, I do not live among roosters as I did for several years in the past. But this does not mean that I am not subjected to extremely high levels of sound pressure from aircraft flying overhead, day after day. And, this kind of noise takes it's toll on one. And, I can reference many studies which shows this to be true, if only you would read them. Therefore, the only sure solution to this noise pollution problem is just to go underground. Become a Farang mole, is my best advice. Nothing else will solve your problem so easily. Go underground, my son.

Strange as it may be, I never upload a topic here before I have fully researched it. In this case, and in consideration of this topic, there are many well-documented scholarly research papers which discuss the correlation and interconnection between curiosity, longevity, and wellbeing. Some might dispute conclusions stating there is any positive correlation between curiosity and longevity. However, there is very little evidence to support the contrary view. For one thing, we know that higher IQ scores, and higher cognitive function, helps to stave off dementia. And, we think that we know that higher proclivity for sustained curiosity throughout life correlates well with higher intelligence. However, we also know that, while a much higher IQ score can delay onset of dementia, still, once dementia sets in, then the onset of dementia seems to happen very rapidly. In conclusion: a. It is better to be curious and more open to new ideas and more liberal in one's thinking, and more cognitively adaptable. b. Liberal thinkers are just more fun. c. If you wish to live longer, and wish to remain lucid longer, then be more playful in your thinking. Always be playful in thought and spirit. If maintaining a playful slant throughout your life also means succumbing to sporadic impishness, when conditions allow, then so be it. Never be a scrooge. Because, you might live out your life without ever being rescued, unlike the fortunate Scrooge. When you get to the point that you no longer feel the need to know something new, then you are doomed. What is beyond what we cannot yet see? Does Cosmology do nothing for you? Or, are you the type that prefers the study and application of Cosmetology? I will never wear lipstick and rouge Barry Lyndon is a great film. The best music in the film, Barry Lyndon, is this...

Concerning epistemic curiosity, I just wonder how many know much about this. My guess is that quite a few of us know more than we are telling. I would say that there are just too many here who hide their lights under their baskets. This forum is a funny thing. People try to play dumb, just for the fun of it. There is no doubt that the average IQ on this forum is about 115. Meaning that there are some lurkers here with a very high IQ. However, I know of one who states he has a high IQ who, in fact, does not. He just slides by on his high emotional IQ. The traits of high curiosity and higher intelligence scores seem to be correlated. But, you can't compare a curious cat with a curious human, and then infer that curious humans are more likely to die as a result of their curiosity, as might a curious cat. Because, as was stated in the topic, or implied, the topic is mostly about epistemic curiosity, and not about the curiosity of the average house cat.

You may not appreciate this, however I am impressed and thankful to read your more nuanced response to this topic. In your cat's case, too much curiosity was a killer. Which reminds me of Lee Marvin in the film, "The Killers". The Killers is a film to die for, and Marvin said that it was his favorite film. Not to mention, John Cassavetes and Angie Dickenson, both of whom are great stars. And now, you got me going...just thinking of Gena Rowlands. To sum up: There are very few stars in Hollywood, these days, who can measure up to Cassavetes and Rowlands. Also, if one were to compare Science to Hollywood, then one would be Galileo, and the other would be Galilei. Curiosity is truly the only reason we are here. And, creativity goes hand-in-hand with curiosity. I just wish I were young enough to see all these great films, one more time, and for the very first time. Being old is not all that it's cracked up to be. JS Bach is something that you can listen to, over and over, and it only gets better the more you listen. However, Hollywood and Bollywood films, except for a very few films, become as appetizing as the night-before leftover pizza, when one tries to view them a second time. We are always seeking something new. This is our quest. We are never satisfied. And this sense of curiosity, and always the drive to seek out something newer and bigger, will be mankind's ultimate downfall, and will, inevitably lead to the end of organized human civilization, as we now know it. This is all according to Chomsky, and other thinkers. Chomsky has too much intelligence for his own good. Just a trait he has too much of, as you say.

Dear Friends, Let me make this short. I have often wondered whether or not curiosity about the world might either add to or subtract from the number of years we enjoy before inevitably heading off into the Land of Nod, by which I mean this land of nothingness that some call the afterlife. For example, how many additional years to your life might this curious and priceless trait of being curious afford you? My guess is that this trait of curiosity is very much undervalued in today’s world. And, maybe this is why people today settle for less. Curiosity contributes much to our wellbeing. Not all of us are fortunate enough to be blessed with an overpowering and everlasting curiosity about Everything. Just wondering: How curious are you? How has your tendency towards almost constant curiosity improved your life? On the day you die, will you continue to be curious about what happens next? I am a very curious fellow, and I would not choose to be otherwise. Unfortunately, there are those who seem to exhibit very little curiosity about almost anything. I feel sorry for those fellows. How curious are you? Are you proud to be a person of great curiosity? Genius, as you know, derives, at least partially, from a strong sense of curiosity about all things. The more curious the lab rat, the quicker the rat masters running the maze. Cats are known for being curious. And, it is a myth that cats have nine lives. Without curiosity, Newton would never have created his telescope with an objective mirror made of tin and copper. Now we use glass. Newton lived a good and long life. His curiosity should be a lesson to us all. I have built a few telescopes, but I never finished grinding the mirrors. I probably had too much curiosity and not enough persistence. What about your curiosity about life? How has your sense of curiosity enhanced your life from one of humdrum existence to something more? Will you live beyond your years, as a result of your curiosity? You probably would not even be here in Thailand if you were not so curious. Regards, GammaG

Can we, then, look forward to news of your next issue within the next nine months? Hot tubs are helpful during the cool season in Thailand. Probably the only way to keep warm, besides, for some, rubbing two sticks together.

Gamma-ray Cosmology and Tests of Fundamental Physics (J. Biteau, M. Meyer) "The propagation of gamma-rays over cosmological distances is the subject of extensive theoretical and observational research at GeV and TeV energies. The mean free path of gamma-rays in the cosmic web is limited above 100 GeV due to the production of electrons and positrons on the cosmic optical and infrared backgrounds. Electrons and positrons cool in the intergalactic medium while gyrating in its magnetic fields, which could cause either its global heating or the production of lower-energy secondary gamma-rays. The energy distribution of gamma-rays surviving the cosmological journey carries observed absorption features that gauge the emissivity of baryonic matter over cosmic time, constrain the distance scale of ΛCDM cosmology, and limit the alterations of the interaction cross section. Competitive constraints are in particular placed on the cosmic star-formation history as well as on phenomena expected from quantum gravity and string theory, such as the coupling to hypothetical axion-like particles or the violation of Lorentz invariance. Recent theoretical and observational advances offer a glimpse of the multi-wavelength and multi-messenger path that the new generation of gamma-ray observatories is about to open." Gamma particles are no laughing matter. After all, Gamma particles have the energy required to break chemical bonds in the structure of your DNA, which can be a nuisance some time in your near future.

Gamma rays? Of all the different types of ionizing radiation, Gamma has tremendous penetrating power. Gamma rays, however, are less ionizing than alpha or beta particles. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/15/NASA's_Fermi_Explores_the_Early_Universe.ogv/NASA's_Fermi_Explores_the_Early_Universe.ogv.720p.vp9.webm Gamma particles can travel through space with the greatest of ease. However, most are easily absorbed in Earth's atmosphere, fortunately, or unfortunately.

OK. Two separate menus is something that we have known about for very many years. I'm just stating that I think that two separate menus is a very minor issue. This is only my opinion. When I go to a restaurant, I have the choice to order from the menu written in Thai, or the menu with photos. Also, the proffered food selections on different menus is often not the same. And, consequently, the prices may differ. Basically, it's up to the clientele. The consumer has freedom of choice. I have only ONCE experienced a problem where I was consistently charged more than my Thai friends. And, in this case, I was a frequent customer eating 50 meals per month. The solution was simple. I just changed restaurants and ate at the restaurant next door. Never make an enemy of your cook might be good advice. I think Anthony Bourdain might say the same. Now, please get real... Nobody in this world pays the same for anything. Do you become angry with your bank for charging you a higher rate of interest for your house loan, compared to the lower interest rate given to some fat cat? I really don't understand the occasional frustration that some people might be feeling. You choose to come to Thailand. And then you complain that things here are not exactly the same as you knew them in your home country. Well, this is only to be expected. Not speaking too overly deridingly about Out of Towners, I think that they should keep their traps shut, and just vote with their pocketbooks, instead. Nobody likes whiners here in Thailand. Or, maybe you don't understand the culture? One thing that I have learned living here is this: Don't be negative. Don't be a whiner. Sometimes you can whine and complain. But, the very next day, you must make amends for your complaining. It's not just Thailand. If you wish to live amicably here in Asia, then you need to learn to bend like bamboo. You stay strong by knowing how to bend. I know that there are many others here who have lived in Asia more than 45 years. But not many farang can say the same. I know this because I have outlasted most of the farang I have ever met. I first set foot here in 1971. Most of my adult life has been lived in China. But that doesn't matter. What matters here in Asia is that you go with the flow. You bend like bamboo. Asia is not the West, young man. If it's your mission to reform the world, in a flash, through your personal brilliance and insight, then don't come to Asia. And, don't come here if you are likely to become outraged by anything you see or experience. Instead, if you wish a new travel experience, hassle free, then my best advice for you is to book a month's stay at the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City. There, in Quebec City, everyone is treated equally, according to whether or not one speaks English or French. Sorry for being so facetious. But, do you really think that we will ever find some place where all men are treated equal, and women, too?