Flyguy330

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My Condo in KL refused to approve installation of charging facilities within the covered garage area at the recent AGM. They are going to provide a charging bay in the exterior parking lot. Simple fact is that many people are concerned about EV vehicle fires. Yes, petrol vehicles burn too, but not with the same intensity - fire departments here probably could not cope with an EV fire. Besides that, they weigh two or three times as much as regular IC powered cars, and our building is old (and currently undergoing heavy rehab work for decaying rebar in support structures). I'm all in favour of EV's, if you have a private house, a driveway, and - even better -some solar panels to charge it. For Condo's - the risk to all outweighs the benefit to the few.

I have no desire to befriend or influence any of the types I describe above. I do know a few of them have retired to Phuket, and may be on this forum. They must be sad lonely barstewards. This is the risk you take in fraternising with strangers you meet in anonymous fora, or Phuket sleaze bars.

There's a thread about UK Foreign Minister David Lammy on the 'World News' section of this Forum. It explains how he previously referred to Trump as a “woman-hating, neo-Nazi sympathising sociopath” in 2018, but has now praised him as 'warm' and 'friendly'. 'Now' (that is) since Trumps recent re-election, and inauguration yesterday. Quite a change of tone. It got me thinking about how people like this can thrive and exist in public life, or in business. They are liars, the weak minded, the schemers and climbers, and the back stabbers. How did a fool and a liar like Lammy become UK Foreign Minister? He is clearly lacking in self-awareness or integrity - he should have resigned his post the moment Trump was elected. But the truth is we've all met people like this in our lives. If you've been an employee in any large organisation you've definitely met some. I worked in such an industry for years, and - the stories I could tell you! There were a few decent people in management, but the vast majority of them were - like Lammy - liars, fakers, exploiters, and incompetents. I witnessed - and felt the fallout - of some absolute travesties of justice, and how people were abused and persecuted for nothing. The whole workforce was subjected to a never ending barrage of attacks aimed at wrecking our working conditions and salaries. This in a very high profile industry with huge public safety responsibility. At least one of those thugs has been so succesful in climbing the greasy pole that he now holds a post in a global regulatory branch of the industry. You'd know his name if I quoted it. I happened to meet one of his less succesful climbers recently. This minor thug (now attempting character reform in his retirement) used to count the first thug as his best (perhaps ONLY) mate. He told me that his old buddy (who had originally elevated him within our organisation) now ignores him at industry social functions if they meet. He seems to feel some remorse now for his previous behaviour - now that his only friend has abandoned him. Perhaps some of the people reading this are of the very same ilk that I speak of here. Billynomates, running away from their evil past and hiding out in 'beautiful tropical Thailand'. A curse on you all. And Lammy too. You are all Satans little helpers and destroy the world for the rest of us.

Cold Fusion is back. https://youtu.be/PGgovWTBoWY?si=3nVnsN4SxeYG3cfa

Very rousing speech for sure. When he talked about the Panama Canal he raised his voice and yelled '...and we're TAKING IT BACK!'. Hmmm...will there be blood?

I just stumbled on this thread and it's a weird coincidence that I happened to be reading up on the etymology of the word 'Indian' today (in reference to 'Red Indians'). The term 'Indian' is apparently not 'PC' nowadays, and instead 'Native American' is the proper term. My reading led to a monologue by George Carlin (US comedian, deceased), wherein he argued that the term 'Indian' is in fact right and proper. Ye see the 'non PC'ness of the term 'Indian' lies in the popular belief that when Chris Columbus set off west out of Spain he expected he'd find a route to East Asia (India in particular) rather than a whole new continent. Many historians now consider that nomenclature totally wrong, because (they say) India was not known as 'India' in 1492, but rather as Hindustan. So Columbus couldn't have named it 'India' nor its denizens 'Indians'. Except maybe for a laugh. Carlin said that the first 'tribe' Columbus encountered on making landfall were such nice people, thriving so happily in nature (according to Columbus' memoirs), that he dubbed them 'People of God', or 'People in God'. That translates into Spanish as 'Gente in dios'. In Dios. Get it? Not an insult or misnomer - but a noble handle. Then he proceeded to wipe them out. But apparently many etymologists say that's rubbish too. The history of the word remains in dispute.

Fascinating. Is it France? Someone else guessed Italy, but I think its in France. You mentioned 'Commune' which is French for local administrative unit. Does your place have any links to Napoleon? I'm a big fan of the history of that period, and have been listening to an EXCELLENT podcast about L'Empereur for the last 2 years. It's called 'The Age of Napoleon'. Highly recommended to anyone who has the spare time on their hands - I listen to it while I work out. Regarding the restoration care you've taken - I appreciate that very much, well done. I spend a lot of my time in Penang and enjoy the old town very much, but especially one little boutique hotel there called 'The Seven Terraces'. It is an old colonial building - a line of shophouses - which were in a state of dereliction until it was bought by a local man - Chris Ong - who had the money and dedication to do with it what you've done with your castle. You'd like him I'm sure. The time and care he has taken to restore it, using original Peranakan style decor and materials. The result is amazing, and admirable. He went on to set up another boutique hotel, called Muntri Mews. Same care and attention given to the restoration. I've stayed in both several times and really love them - they do have mod-cons, so its not a hardship. Its a trip back in time. Check out this Youtube video: https://youtu.be/Z8tB4MKIgiw?si=TQwLaEeFaCEYScQD

Leave it to me please 😚

From the BBC "Spain is planning to impose a tax of up to 100% on the value of properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, such as the UK. Announcing the move, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the "unprecedented" measure was necessary to meet the country's housing emergency. "The West faces a decisive challenge: To not become a society divided into two classes, the rich landlords and poor tenants," he said. Non-EU residents bought 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023, he told an economic forum in Madrid, "not to live in" but "to make money from them". "Which, in the context of shortage that we are in, [we] obviously cannot allow," he added. The move was designed to prioritise available homes for residents, the Spanish prime minister said. Sánchez did not provide any more details on how the tax would work nor a timeline for presenting it to parliament for approval, where he has often struggled to gather sufficient votes to pass legislation. His office described the proposed measure as a way to limit the purchase of homes by "non-resident non-EU foreigners". It added: "The tax burden that they will have to pay in case of purchase will be increased up to 100% of the value of the property, in line with countries such as Denmark and Canada."

You are one argumentative bugger! RSD1 has given plenty of useful info on this thread. Back off.

Broke the door down?

Regarding this 'Democracy v Republic' debate. The US is BOTH. Democracy is the political process, the Republic is the outcome. The line that they're 'different' keeps getting trotted out anytime their nutty electoral system (the College) gets criticised. The American Republic = nutty Electoral College system, that's all. And that's an archaic throwback to their post revolutionary trauma. The seeds of disaster lie in the US being a strictly Two Party system, which tends to divide the country down the middle and results in constant warring. When a sane alternative voice attempts to be heard, they just get swept away, kicked to the gutter, because the Big Money is focussed on the two main factions to the detriment of all else, and NOBODY wins an American election without Big Money. That's why Elon is their God..

Nah, the reason for the huge student support of anti-war protests was the US introduced conscription and all the kiddies were afraid they'd be sent off to die in a fight they had absolutely no interest in. Remember the catchphrase/ Hell NO we won't go! No more conscription - no big protests. The Gaza protests were minuscule and were stomped on fast. No Yankee skin in the game.