David006

"Even teachers fail, so how can we raise the quality of students?" Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat was quoted as saying by the Bangkok Post newspaper.

So what is he going to do about it??

The English teachers from my experience with wife's kids have absolutely no bloody idea...attempting to decipher the questions from text books is a bloody challenge in itself.

The level of questions is far above the current working knowledge level of the students ..when they don't even understand basic I, thou, he, she, we, you, they!

I suspect the homework never gets marked since the teachers don't have the basic abilities and certainly unable to carry on any sort of English conversation..

.....very sad when you have many semi fluent self taught "tourist industry" people.

I have a 4720 which has a db connector (external monitor )and use a similar connector into my plasma TV, in your case you will need a hybrid cable they must exist as I have used them for attachment to presentation projectors in the past (with dell laptop) which were composite coax and/or video/audio coax input. if you cannot get audio another option would buy some PC speakers..they are good quality nowadays ..I use 'em for my music from laptop and it is quite satisfactory even though I have a Denon sound system...too lazy to hook it up I guess...

Having said all that I found it not worth the effort to feed video to tv ...so never bother now..just use the laptop monitor lol

While fibre to the business or building is a fact and viable.....one has to ask WHY FTTH....many FTTH/FTTC various technology projects and field trials worldwide have been abandoned (unless something has changed substantially)as not economically viable. (okay there are a few still up and running in high end subdivisions etc..) ....while the general trend seems to be hi speed wireless broadband.

There are just so many issues to be overcome....

Who will pay for the O to E electronics in the home ?

How is it to be powered in the home..hybrid fibre copper cables or??

What happens when the power goes off? Batteries have to be maintained!

I think this will fade into the ether unless it's all about politics and funding manipulation...

A major Category 3 Hurricane (Shazza) hit in the early hours.

Epicentre: Portsmouth, Hampshire. Victims were seen wandering around aimlessly muttering "faaackin ell" ..

The hurricane decimated the area causing approximately more than £30 worth of damage. Several priceless collections of mementos from the Balearics and Spanish Costa's were damaged beyond repair. Three areas of historic burnt out cars were disturbed. Many locals were woken well before their giro arrived.

Power FM (local chav radio station) reported that hundreds of

residents were confused and bewildered and that the hurricane would not improve matters.

One resident - Tracy Sharon Smith, a 15-year-old mother of 5 said

"It was such a shock, my little Chardonnay-Mercedes came running

into my bedroom crying "What the <deleted> was that?" My youngest two, Tyler-Morgan and Megan-Storm slept through it all. I was still

shaking when I was watching Trisha the next morning, and must av

smoked 60 Lambert an Butlers"

Apparently though, looting, muggings, spraying graffiti and car

crime did carry on as normal. The British Red Cross has so far

managed to ship 4,000 crates of Sunny Delight and chips with curry

sauce to the area to help the stricken locals.

Rescue workers are still searching through the rubble and have found large quantities of personal belongings, including benefit books, jewellery from Elizabeth Duke at Argos and Bone China from Poundland

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

This appeal is to raise money for food and clothing parcels for

those unfortunate enough to be caught up in this disaster. Clothing

is most sought after, items most needed include:

* FILA or Burberry baseball caps

* Kappa tracksuit tops (his and hers)

* Shell suits (female)

* White sport socks

* Rockport boots

* Any Garments by Donnay

* Any other items usually sold in Primark.

Food parcels may be harder to come by, but are needed all the same.

Required foodstuffs include:

* Microwave meals

* Tins of baked beans

* Ice cream

* Pork Scratchings

* Cans of Colt 45 or Special Brew.

22p buys a biro for filling in the compensation forms

£2 buys chips, crisps and blue fizzy drinks and Slush Puppys for a

family of 9

£5 will pay for a packet of B&H and a lighter to calm the nerves of

those affected.

*Breaking news*

Rescue workers found a girl in the rubble smothered in ketchup -

'Where are you bleeding from?' they asked - "Paulsgrove" said the

girl, "Woss that faaacken got to do wiv you?"

And so the joyous trivia of Britain’s working, or not so working class survives and thrives. Bless all those in the Kingdom who in fairness had mothers and fathers who were born here. We know what so many of them have become!!! Just look at police footage from any town centre CCTV on a Friday or Saturday night!!

The rest of the population, technically known as immigrants have but one quest in life, and that is to build enough resistance over the next ten years or so to counter the edict of the BNP……

Phang Nga Rd, about 100 meters from On On Guest house. Very popular among expats and tourists. Can't remember name of the shop but features in Lonely Planet.

Don't know street name but the shop is about 100metres to left opposite Thai Farmers bank main steps...downtown Phuket town..excellent shop 'tons" of books..maybe same one as above??

By "at the gate" can I presume you mean at you own farm gate.

What would the price per kilo be for liquid latex(nam yang) at the gate, say?

Did you mean for cup lump(kee yang) when you quoted 44 per kilo?

Cheers,

Chang35baht.

Hi Chang

By gate, in my case, is at the factory We have a private buyer of cup rubber who pays to use the place. So you can knock a few baht off if he or someone has to pick it up. Most of the locals with small amounts of cup and field latex just hire a man with a truck to take the rubber to the buyer.

Can't say what you would get for liquid latex where you are, but I pay 20 baht above the cup price if the seller brings it to the factory. If we pick up we charge a fee. Saying that deals are make where we pay more or charge less, depending on location and amounts. Jim

I assume you meant Two Baht?

Cup lump in our experience is discounted based on moisture content in the "opinion" of buyer also...

seems all over the map to me....

Last week we got about 44bt/kilo ...should be up a few bt this week according to today's IRCo pricing quotes

Easy answer

Return to the UK, declare yourself homeless, claim housing benefits, etc., after 6 months move abroad again with your new uprated pension.

While there get new glasses, have your teeth sorted, new hip maybe all on the government.

How easy was that?

Excellent..!!

I met a well heeled Brit on his 60 ft yacht that did just that and was advising anyone who would listen to do it..lol ...unethical yes but it is certainly strange that the freezing only applies to certain commonwealth countries...go figure... especially when the inept bankers just put out a hand and get given millions....sigh...

I know I just can't wait for my three pounds ten a month in a few years..lol

I'm nominating endure for "Bore of the Year"!

Seconded......He seems a real bundle of laughs.

If that's the mind of thing that amuses you then you're easily pleased

mind of thing??

Bet you get invited to lots of parties hugh ?.... just for you wry wit, critical thinking and sense of humour no doubt.....please just take the post in the spirit it is intended ...if you don't care for it then...well... have a lovely day mate boor of the year...lol

I stand to be corrected but The Times doesn't have a 'Letter of the Year' competition. A link to the Times website would be helpful.

its only a bloody joke mate....lighten up

Thought this would give everyone a chuckle....

> THE TIMES - - Letter of the Year:

>

> A SENIOR MOMENT - (I PRAY TO GOD THAT I HAVE THEM LIKE THIS......)

An elderly lady actually wrote this letter to her bank.. The bank manager

> thought it amusing enough to have it published in The Times and this

> newspaper thanks him most sincerely.

>

>

> Dear Sir,

>

> I am writing to thank you for bouncing my cheque with which I

> endeavoured to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations,

> three'nanoseconds' must have elapsed between his presenting the cheque

> and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honour it. I

> refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my Pension, an

> arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You

> are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportunity, and

> also for debiting my account £30 by way of penalty for the

> inconvenience caused to your bank.

>

> My thankfulness springs from the manner in which this incident has

> caused me to rethink my errant financial ways.

>

> I noticed that whereas I personally attend to your telephone calls and

> letters, when I try to contact you, I am confronted by the impersonal,

> overcharging, re-recorded, faceless entity which your bank has become.

> From now on, I, like you, choose only to deal with a flesh-and-blood

> person. My mortgage and loan payments will therefore and hereafter no

> longer be automatic, but will arrive at your bank by cheque, addressed

> personally and confidentially to an employee at your bank whom you must

> nominate.

>

> Be aware that it is an offense under the Postal Act for any other

> person to open such an envelope.

>

> Please find attached an Application Contact Status which I require your

> chosen employee to complete. I am sorry it runs to eight pages, but in

> order that I know as much about him or her as your bank knows about me,

> there is no alternative. Please note that all copies of his or her

> medical history must be countersigned by a Solicitor, and the mandatory

> details of his/her financial situation (income, debts, assets and

> liabilities) must be accompanied by documented proof.

>

> In due course, I will issue your employee with a PIN number which

> he/she must quote in dealings with me. I regret that it cannot be

> shorter than 28 digits but, again, I have modelled it on the number of

> button presses required of me to access my account balance on your

> phone bank service. As they say, imitation is the sincerest form of

> flattery.

>

> Let me level the playing field even further. When you call me, press

> buttons as follows:

>

> 1-- To make an appointment to see me.

> 2-- To query a missing payment.

> 3-- To transfer the call to my living room in case I am there.

> 4-- To transfer the call to my bedroom in case I am sleeping.

> 5-- To transfer the call to my toilet in case I am attending to nature.

> 6-- To transfer the call to my mobile phone if I am not at home.

> 7-- To leave a message on my computer (a password to access my computer

> is required. A password will be communicated to you at a later date to

> the Authorized Contact.)

> 8-- To return to the main menu and to listen to options 1 through 8

> 9-- To make a general complaint or inquiry, the contact will then be

> put on hold, pending the attention of my automated answering service.

> While this may, on occasion, involve a lengthy wait, uplifting music

> will play for the duration of the call.

>

> Regrettably, but again following your example, I must also levy an

> establishment fee to cover the setting up of this new arrangement.

>

> May I wish you a happy, if ever so slightly less prosperous, New Year.

>

> Your Humble Client

>

> Addendum from The Editor:

> IMPORTANT to REMEMBER that this letter was written by a lady who is a

> 98 year old woman; DOESN'T SHE MAKE YOU PROUD!!!?

>

>

>

Has someone taken this dog or has she gone to puppy heaven, I think we need to know.

Okay picked up the little lady this am ( NOT so little) been ocean swimming and fresh water wash down .....now she is beguiling everyone in our friends' bar/restaurant consuming most of every bodies lunch/dinner plus her own meal from the kitchen!!! take her to the farm tomorrow...what a super dog...jumped into my arms in the waves...chicken girl!!..... Bruno she is wonderful!! thank you!!

best regards

david

PS quite the tourist chick magnet !! :D

PM'd you this am.

david

David is the dog in Trang or Phuket ? Your post read as if you were going to take the dog in.

Now in Kata will pick her up this am soon as I find the place...

geesh I get emails all the time from Euro/NA rellies with the same bloody questions ....

It's not WW2 and it's not Singapore but to give a political answer to your question.."we are monitoring the situation" ( nah .....not really)

....waiting until the bows go under and the water is up to my waist...then I will look for a life jacket maybe..

It would be interesting to see/hear what answers you get from questions to the media bimbos your watching .... especially CNN

- Do you know where Bangkok is?

- Can you point to it on a map?

- can yoooooo say Thai.....land?

have a nice day in.......errr wherever you are hiding....

If you have any outside walls in your kitchen, you could consider replacing an area with glass blocks they are very effective. I installed a 7x5 block square over our bathtub ..in the bathroom obviously ....what difference!...cheap too...even one or two will make a tremendous improvement!

oops see you have window already...but could consider replacing the whole wall with blocks? Blocks tend to bring in more light than a window ..probably somthing to do with prismatics ?? Sort of like dead-lights ... good luck.

re skylights have installed them in bathrooms and kitchens in my houses in Canada in the past...very effective but drag in the heat and are subject to condensation...be good to use one that opens but they have tendency to leak...

Buying a Blackberry or similar here in Thailand as they are quad band and I want to use in Canada

I was told that they have to be unlocked somehow to roam between bands i.e. from asia to North America. ( obviously will have to change SIM but will it automatically recognise same?)

Local suppliers either don't understand the question or are less than knowledgeable with the product....

thanks for any assistance guys

rgds

david

Every installation I have had made has been custom plumbed and do not believe DIY is an option for most people - it costs almost nothing and most do know what they are doing to some extent.

You could do better on price at a local dealer or contractor who installs/repairs as an occupation. Panasonic units bought from person we have clean units were about 25-30% (not sure exact amount but was much more than I expected) less than Lotus price last time we bought.

okay thanks lopburi3 will probably go that route ... the people who installed our aluminum doors and gyproc suspended ceilings seem to be quite on the ball and also do AC.

cheers

david

So I have broken down and am now investigating air con for two bedrooms:

Questions: re DIY install..don't trust hammer and pliers equipped installers

- are the units pre-gassed with plastic acorn seals that open on torquing up?

- anyone any data on the advantages or disadvantages of double headed units i.e. one compressor otside two heads inside?

- anyone bought from Tesco bimbos?

any and all advice info welcomed..questions to retailers always seem to be "yes" no matter what you ask...lol

thanks in advance guys

david

works for me...

PM'd you this am.

david

Basically the long and the short of it is that if you live outside of the E.U. (and one or two other countries, which do not include Thailand) your UK state pension is frozen for the rest of your life.

Quite correct, unless your in a position to change this unfair law . i.e. A Civil Servant . They are exempt from the freezing of their pensions when they live abroad. That, I think is an even bigger con than us (fairly) normal working sorts having our hard earned pensions frozen, but then again someone has got to pay for all the 'Career Spongers' in the UK.

Dave

Not sure about the validity of your comment ....My late father was a civil servant before moving to Canada...his pension WAS and IS ( for my mother) frozen...

Absolutely pitiful - he has no business being here and meeting with either side. Hillary had better watch where she sends her henchmen...

Agreed..don't forget Hilary is poking her nose in the Falklands issue too!! Who knows what the US agenda is??

What I hate is when I'm back in Canada and my friends think I might want to eat a Thai meal that I'm always raving about. Then, when we go to a Thai restaurant I have to pay $14.95 for the same meal that I pay about $1.00 for in Chiang Mai.

well said...good Thai/Farang owned little restaurant on Denman in Vancouver. (opposite commuity centre)...prices good for Canada...used to give me the occasional free glass of wine too...can't remember where they are from ...South I think. Stay away from the fancy ones on Davie and or Georgia...

It beats my European family, that's why I ran away to Thailand....yeah go on, call me a dead beat dad you schmucks...what would you of done?

but, i wonder how many of tv members fit into this category?

thanks TG..for making me pee my new pants

"yeah but, yeah but but......." :D :D

all good stuff guys...just one question...it seems rechargeable LED flash lights are quite inexpensive...anyone know if permanently wired to 240v ...would the charger/battery likely to self destruct? Was thinking of building emergency and yard lighting with a couple as here in the boonies we are forever having outages.

Did have one charger for rubber cutter head lights start to smoke and melt after a week or so.. gas emission was awful! So maybe I am answering my own question...any thoughts on modification?

'LindsayBKK' good one mate

TVs throw away "news" reports certainly have had the desired effect of getting all the dogs barking ...lol