Hawaiian

Is Xi willing to risk the economic fallout if he invades Taiwan. Besides sanctions, the U.S. and its allies could impose a blockade that would disrupt shipping and devastate the Chinese economy and also affect its food supply. Only time will tell.

I tend to agree with everything you have said, especially about Japan's potential to become a force to reckon with. The U.S. alliance with the Japanese is the best bet to counter China's aggression. As you implied, China has internal problems that could take down the ruling CCP. Their economy has matured to the point that it is not able to meet the needs and expectations of its people. Don't hear much about the New Silk Road. It is a financial investment that is over ambitious and over extended. In other words, a money sinkhole.

At Walmart I buy a 12 pack box of Express brand ramen with 3 ounce packs for $2.88 which comes to 24 cents a pack vs. a 2.11 ounce pack of Mama for 23 cents (with the 2 baht raise) in Thailand. I have seen Mama sold at one Hawaii supermarket for 80 cent a pack which is more than 3 times the cost of the Express brand. I often use ramen mixed in with stir fry pork and vegetables, a dish my Thai wife likes.

Price here on the island of Hawaii is almost four times. Customers on another island pay even more.

Years ago before I knew the rules, I booked a round trip with a return flight which put me at 11 days overstay. I applied for a 7 day extension (maximum allowed) at 1900 baht. Immigration told me to pay the overstay fine upon departure which I did. The young women at the airport was all smiles when I had the 2,000 baht ready and she didn't have to explain anything to me. I have made over a dozen trips since then and never had a problem with immigration.

So did Ferdinand Marcos. Now it looks like his son Ferdinand Jr. (Bongbong) is reviving the Marcos Dynasty.

I am paying 60% more for fertilizer and almost double for herbicides.

Ever heard of being self insured? I have mandated health insurance (Medicare) plus Tricare. I cancelled my dental insurance because it's a scam. I pay my dentists before I leave his office even for expensive root canals and crowns. I am fully vaccinated and boosted. I tested positive four months ago and exhibited no symptoms. Why should I have to buy Covid19 insurance, especially by a company recommended by Siam Legal? I will not visit Thailand again until they get rid of the ridiculous Thai Pass requirement.

Some of our relatives in Thailand are paying B2000 a Pfizer shot rather than trusting Chinese rubbish.

I told my Thai girlfriend that I doubt very much we will be going to Thailand this year. I will not go until all the ridiculous requirements are rescinded. She will not go without me and agrees that the rules are a bunch of bureaucratic nonsense. Both of us have been exposed to the virus, tested positive, but were asymptomatic. We both had three shots of Pfizer.

Me, at 82 years of age, triple vaccinated, also tested positive in January. Luckily asymptomatic. Latest studies show that genetics determines who experiences the the most severe symptoms.

Putin is keeping the bulk of his air force out of the conflict just in case NATO decides to get involved. Now that Poland is promising to furnish inherited warplanes from the USSR era Putin is more inclined to keep his fighters in reserve to counter the new threat.

Mystery solved.

Not a good analogy. Why? One word. Alcohol!

That's right. The sanctions have frozen one half to two thirds of their foreign currency reserves, which will be drained faster than expected.

China has it's own financial problems and cannot carry Russia for any length of time. If sanctions are not very effective, why was Putin so upset that he mentioned them as one of the reasons for his veiled nuclear threat. The SWIFT sanctions are only partial. Cutting Russia off completely from SWIFT will have a devastating effect and Putin knows this. Russia's foreign exchange reserves can last only so long and then what? The rouble's fall is not over and it may take Putin down with it.

Saw this just now. Oregon Coast Wasabi, the largest wasabi farm in the U.S. By the way, my neighbor buys wasabi tissue cultures from a Vancouver company every 2 to three years.

Wasabi may be grown commercially exclusively in Japan, but is also grown on a small scale in Hawaii. I live in the Volcano area on the island of Hawaii at 4,000 ft. elevation where winter time temperatures can drop into the 40s F. The guy raising the wasabia japonica is also a commercial vegetable farmer. His wasabi plants are watered 4 times a day and he has harvested mature plants. He got the original plants from another Japanese farmer who imported them from Japan. The first ingredient listed on a tube of PREMIUM S&B Wasabi Paste is wasabi. It sells for 3 to four times the price of the colored horseradish. As for preference, it depends on how much you want to spend.

S&B does sell "real" wasabi which costs three times more than the "imitation" wasabi. One of my neighbors grows wasabi and sells both potted plants and fresh wasabi.

Rather doubt it that he can be removed politically.

I grew up eating the many ethnic foods available here in Hawaii, including the local versions of nori maki and inari sushi. The first time I ate tekka maki and onigiri sushi was in Japan. I am far from a being a sushi chef, but make passable sushi. Prepared wasabi in plastic squeeze tubes imported from Japan is readily available. In the past everyone in Hawaii used karashi (yellow mustard, the kind served with oden and gyoza). There are a few people here that grow wasabi which does best grown next to cold, clear spring water. Yellowfin tuna in Hawaii is called ahi. The Japanese call big eye tuna maguro and tend to use the term for tuna.

Sushi is also one of my favorites. I make good inari (stuffed in deep fried tofu pockets) and nori maki (rolled in dried seaweed sheets). My favorite is tekka maki which has raw fish, preferably sashimi grade ahi, and wasabi in the center. You are right about Kokuho, although the supermarkets here stock other brands which are just as good. I only use long grain rice when cooking fried rice since it does not stick together.

One food vendor that I patronized on a regular basis sterilized all utensils with boiling water. He and his wife seemed very concerned about proper sanitation. Flies were not a problem since he was only open after sundown.

Suspect email should be forwarded to [email protected]. They usually acknowledge receipt when I do. I rarely receive another fraudulent email after that; that is, not for a long time.

Had this happen one time. Tried to use my card and found out my card wouldn't work. Upon phoning the card company I was questioned about recent transactions and we determined there were two fraudulent transactions, each for less than five dollars. The charges were reversed, a new card issued and I received it by express mail. Like you I am very cautious where I use my card.