Base32

Interestingly (and amazingly) government burning policies may have developed teeth over the last couple of years. Air quality up here in the North was significantly better last year.

Is Thailand Really a Smart Place to Grow Old? If you're smart enough to have a plan, then it's a smart place to grow old. Having a family is a good place to start.

Reopened over here. Tread carefully with the comments. https://aseannow.com/topic/1386797-trumps-video-depicting-obamas-as-apes-sparks-outrage/

Exactly - which in turn keeps the moderation crew busier than we would like to be. 😎

Troll post(s) removed @Harrisfan Stop please. Thank you.

All I know is that you're never going to see either my "mod account" or my "not a mod account" in Top Posters of the (Day/Week/Month/Year).

There are some members who's lives seem to be defined by posting on this forum, and from what I can tell, sometimes hours on end. Personally, that does not seem healthy. It seems obsessive. But hey - whatever floats your boat.

You should try Global. Our local Global in Lamphun has a whole rack of various types and sizes of fire extinguishers.

You might check here to find local distributors. https://www.avdfire.com/distributors-map/

Make sure the pan you use to cook in has a lid. Put the lid over the fire and Bob's your uncle. All my frying pans have snug lids.

Along the same line are lithium battery extinguishers. Pricey but better than losing your home. https://shopee.co.th/product/543587495/25605342138?

@Nurf I'm letting this topic roll. Refrain from inflammatory accusations. Inflammatory statement edited out. @stevenl Your response was removed. Stop.

Unfortunately the topic is substantiated by other mainstream media outlets such as the Jerusalem Post and Reuters. It's a valid topic worthy of public discussion. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/100-percent-of-foreign-agriculture-workers-were-sexually-assaulted-expert-says-682532 https://www.reuters.com/article/world/thai-migrant-workers-in-israel-face-serious-labour-abuses-report-idUSKBN0KU20K/

###TOPIC CLOSED### Offensive graphics removed. This forum is not based on The Law of The Jungle. I don't see any redeeming value in this thread. The topic is mean-spirited, implicitly racist, and has turned into the typical hate-fest between those in the far-right and far-left camps of this forum to the point that's its impossible to moderate. ###TOPIC CLOSED###

It generates revenue for Thailand from unsuspecting tourists. Don't like the policy? Vietnam has more beaches and unsuspecting tourists are allowed to smoke on those wide open beaches. As a non-smoker, that is exactly where I want smokers to smoke - outside in well ventilated areas like windy beaches.

Inflammatory post adding nothing to the thread removed. Warning to follow.

Not really - on occasion ya'll just need a gentle reminder that everyone's opinions are relevant. That's when you agree to disagree in a civil and courteous manner.

@kingstonkid I'd rather not remove otherwise good opinions because members can't help but flame other members. Everyone - please restrain yourselves and be civil to other members. Thank you!

A dead link to the US Justice Department has been removed. If there was something there before, it isn't any longer. Please check your links before posting. Thank you.

Bickering and troll posts and responses remove. If you would like to keep it up, I can also arrange a AseanNow vacation break to give you time to settle down. That means you - @JBChiangRai @Nick Carter icp Tone it down as well. Don't encourage it - walk away or report it.

It seems a number of members would like to wade into the topic and then begin to troll, insult, flame, and otherwise drag the thread off topic. I'm going to remove the comments. If they continue I'll issue warning, then suspensions. Also, posts that are short, such are one, two, or three words without context will be remove. @Harrisfan @wil iam not Please stop being juvenile people and stay on topic. Thank you.

"America as a Gun Culture: Hofstadter's 1970 Classic In his influential 1970 essay published in American Heritage, historian Richard Hofstadter examines why the United States stands alone among modern industrial nations in sustaining a widespread gun culture. He describes America as the only developed country where lawful ownership of rifles, shotguns, and handguns remains common among large segments of the population, even as other nations adopted strict controls.Hofstadter traces this phenomenon to deep historical roots. Guns arrived with early English and Spanish colonists in the 1600s and became essential on the expanding frontier. For centuries, firearms served practical purposes: hunting to supplement diets, controlling predators and vermin, and defending settlements against Native American attacks amid brutal conflicts like King Philip’s War. Children learned to use guns early, turning boys into skilled hunters and defenders.The American Revolution reinforced this bond. The Pennsylvania rifle, accurate and suited for guerrilla tactics, helped colonists outmatch British forces, fostering belief in the armed citizen's superiority. This tied into Whig political ideas fearing standing armies as threats to liberty, leading to the Second Amendment's emphasis on a "well regulated Militia" for collective defense—not individual rights, as later interpretations sometimes claim. Hofstadter notes Supreme Court rulings, like United States v. Miller (1939), affirming the amendment's militia focus.Despite the frontier's end generations earlier and urbanization reducing farming to a tiny fraction of jobs, the attachment persists. Other frontier nations like Canada, Australia, and Japan implemented tight regulations during industrialization, yielding far lower gun violence rates. Hofstadter contrasts U.S. figures—such as 2.7 gun homicides per 100,000 people versus Britain's 0.05—and highlights post-WWII gun surpluses flooding markets.He critiques myths that guns protect democracy or counter tyranny, calling them stubborn and politically costly. Lax laws, influenced by rural politics, the NRA, and federalism's patchwork regulations, enable high violence levels, including murders, suicides, and accidents. Hofstadter laments missed opportunities for reform after 1960s assassinations, arguing America's gun culture privileges disorder over safety in an otherwise orderly society.(Word count: 378)Key Takeaways Historical Origins: America's gun culture began as frontier necessity for survival, hunting, and defense, evolving into a symbol of liberty during the Revolution and enshrined in the Second Amendment as a collective militia right. Unique Persistence: Unlike other industrial nations that tightened controls, the U.S. maintains widespread civilian gun ownership due to enduring myths, political inertia, and lobbying, leading to exceptionally high gun violence rates. Cultural and Political Critique: Hofstadter views lax gun laws as an anachronism that abets crime and assassins, calling for recognition that armed citizens do not safeguard democracy but exacerbate societal risks." Original source: America as a Gun Culture by Richard Hofstadter (American Heritage, October 1970)

Are you an opponent of American Gun Culture, a proponent of American Gun Culture, or does American Gun Culture simply confuse you. Let the forum know your opinion. Articles and links on American Gun Culture: AMERICAN HERITAGEAmerica as a Gun CultureIt's the only industrial nation in which the possession of rifles, shotguns, and handguns is lawfully prevalent among large numbers of its population. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_culture_in_the_United_States https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-020-0520-6 Wake Forest NewsUnpacking gun culture in America | Wake Forest NewsProfessor of Sociology David Yamane, an internationally recognized authority on gun ownership in the U.S., offers insights about the nearly 100M American civilians who own firearms. https://compass.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/soc4.12497 Pew Research CenterKey facts about Americans and gunsAbout six-in-ten U.S. adults (58%) favor stricter gun laws. Another 26% say that U.S. gun laws are about right, while 15% favor less strict gun laws.

The topic of the thread is: Americans: What Pistol or Revolver Do You Carry Concealed If you wish to comment on why you don't like or understand American Gun Culture or other off-topic posts - they will be removed. If you wish to discuss the pros and cons of American Gun Culture, then I highly recommend and I encourage members to start your own thread. But with that said, I'm not allowing this thread to be hijacked. I've created a new thread if you wish to discuss American Gun Culture. If you feel the urge to go off-topic, then go here instead and let the forum know your views. Thank you. https://aseannow.com/topic/1386305-what-are-your-views-on-american-gun-culture-public-poll/

Any insinuations that Melania Trump was a prostitute will be removed as they are defamatory and libelous. If I see reference like this again, it will invoke formal warnings and suspensions. Don't go there please. Thank you. @puck2 @Mavideol @CallumWK 7. You will not post defamatory or libelous comments. Defamation is the issuance of a statement about another person or business which causes that person or business to suffer harm or loss. A statement does not have to be false to be defamatory. Libel is when the defamatory statement is published either as a drawing, picture, painting, motion picture, film, or letters made visible by any means or by broadcasting, dissemination or propagation by any other means. Defamation is both a civil and criminal charge in Thailand and elsewhere in ASEAN.