Autocan

Laughable. Let's start with the noisiest, the Brits. The UK armed forces total around 50,000 active members, which will fit into Wembley stadium with room left over for WAGs. In Ukraine? They will be arrested by the local constables. And then is the problem that they can't get it up. Successive attempts to launch Trident missiles failed: https://www.chathamhouse.org/2024/02/second-failed-trident-test-time-expand-and-invest-britains-conventional-capabilities France, German and Italy all have equally boutique AFs. If Uncle Sam walks the Europeans will be scrambling to cover their tiny manhoods. They need to come to DC and grovel some more. This week wasn't enough.

Well, there's going to be no great make-up sex after that spat. The comedian from Kiev will soon be going back to his old gig of playing Chopin on the piano with his dingdong. Probably not. The crook's a multimillionaire now from stealing from the US taxpayer. Whatever he does though he'll sleep with one eye open from now on. And he's not going to die peacefully in his sleep surrounded by children and grandchildren. Too many loved ones of the million Ukrainians he has sent to their death for that to happen.

I will grant the Kiev Conman this. He tried in his particular oafish manner to stand up to Trump. Unlike Starmer who abjectly abased himself. It was hard to imagine this man is the PM of a country once an empire. More like the leader of Vanuatu or Nauru granted the honor of face time with the POTUS. How the mighty fall.

Well, there you go. What you saw there was the end of the Kiev Conman. All that was missing was Trump yelling, Don't let the door hit you on the way out. (Maybe he did.) Not that the little fella cares. He's a centimillionaire from our taxpayer dollars by all accounts. But I do fear for Ukraine (well, not really). Russia will take all land east of the Dniepr plus Odesa. And then Hungary, Poland and Romania will assert their historical claims to parts of what's left. By the end of the year Ukraine should cease to exist. But then it was always an artificial post-WW2 construct within the USSR.

What's the over-under of the man from Kiev who used to play a piano with his dingdong staying President till the end of the month? How about staying alive? Don't they teach not to bite the hand that feeds you at comedy school?

The easiest way to get the reentry permit, single or multiple, is on your way out of the country at the airport. I have done it both at DMK and BKK. All of 5mins. and off you go. Bonus at BKK is you bypass the emigration line (though with the new digital system its not a long line anymore). At DMK its just after the emigration counter.

The cat is well and truly among the European pigeons. Life as a vassal state sucks. You want to stand up to the ruler but your knees shake. As the Brits would say, Jolly rude, old chap, of Vance to dismiss Ukraine with a wave of his hand. We Brits want to fight the Russians but we can't get it up. Our Trident missiles keep failing on the launchpad. The Yanks bloody well know this. Not cricket at all, old chap, for them to make us grovel.

It's beyond shocking that Trump and Putin will meet in Saudi Arabia without Zelensky or the Europeans present. The puppet and vassals must have seats at the table. Maybe on shorter chairs but they should be there.

Cat is well and truly among the European pigeons. Life as a vassal state is hard. You keep wondering if your lord and master will have use for you tomorrow. Europeans need to pool their resources and make an army that people won't point and laugh at. In any case fears of Russia are overblown. They'll take everything east of the Dniepr plus Odesa and call it quits. They have zero interest in the rest of Ukraine or Europe. Trump's new non-neocon security team has explained this to him and that there's nothing the US can do about it. Short of a nuclear exchange. And truth is Trump gives a rat's about Ukraine. Who really does? Trump was right the first time around when he called it a corrupt shihole of a country.

The west's demand that Ukraine lower its recruiting age to 18 indicates the ugly truth. That even the press gangs aren't able to seize enough bodies to fill the UAF ranks emptied by death and desertion. Ukrainians don't want to die for US-Nato. Once Pokrovsk falls it's over. Expect Russia to take everything east of the Dniepr plus Odesa and Kharkov and leave the rest for Hungary, Romania and Poland to divvy up according to their historical claims. There won't be any Ukraine for Vance to worry about when he takes over in '28.

You might want to post in the Jobs, economy, etc. forum.

Fidelity used to be a simple login name + password. Since last month they want to send an OTP as well which can only be bypassed by calling them and getting voice verified, which is what I've been doing. My account has my brother's MI address and phone number and I don't want to bother him for an OTP each time. Last time I called Fidelity I asked if they could OTP to an international number ("as I am traveling and don't have access to my US phone"). No, they aren't set up for international OTPs yet. So, if I don't want to call in every time I guess my only option is to set up a US mobile no. to receive OTPs. Anyone done that? Specifically for Fidelity? Fidelity are a nosy lot and will be quick to restrict an account if they think the holder is non-US-resident.

If you want a quick appointment with a decent specialist in Bkk then call up a private hospital like Bumrungrud, Phayathai 1 or 2, etc. You will be done within an hour of the appointed time. I go to the Institute of Dermatology near Victory Monument for monthly biologic shots. I was asked to sign up there by a doctor I first saw at Bumrungrud who's also with the ID. The registration process at the ID is half a day. Go early in the morning and then bounce from one counter to another. Then seeing a doctor is also 2-3 hours as you will join a line of patients. If time if of the essence and you want to see someone before you leave Thailand then I would say a private hospital is your only option. Another thought. I travel through Kolkata myself and pick up meds in India. There's an excellent skin clinic chain called Wizderm with multiple locations in Kol. If you have a day or two in the city you might want to call them up and explain your predicament and get an appt.

What are the biologics available here? I know of Scapho/Cosentyx.

Thanks. If the whole month ahead from today is full I am worried what the situation will be when I go in late Dec. for a Jan. slot. Last year the process was a breeze. Plenty of open slots. Weird there's not one showing for the whole next 30 days.