FolkGuitar

... and I had such high hopes back when he announced he was leaving. Damn. That would be about 1 book a week, starting at age 6. Understanding doesn't come easily when looking at Comic books.

Do I understand correctly that you don't like the women who play games... so you're going to try to game one?

I use both Shopee and Lazada several times a week, always paying either with a debit card or Bangkok scan-to-pay. Not trusting all the vendors for 'quality,' I rarely order anything for more than ฿1,000. We are usually not around during the day to deal with COD so I never use that option. But... yesterday, my wife was home alone when a driver for Lazada demanded payment for a delivery. She didn't know that I had already paid and so gave the driver the ฿240 for the package. I won't try to contact Lazada about it, as it's not worth the effort as she didn't ask for a receipt. I don't know if it was a glitch on the part of Lazada, or a way for the driver to make some extra money, but the order clearly shows that it had been paid by credit card already. This is NOT the first time this has happened with delivery drivers, although I was home the other 2 times it happened and refused to pay.

Why would someone 'plan' to go to the beach and NOT include a plan to protect their belonging while in the water? Personally, although I've been to the beach once or twice in the past 77 years, it's been at least 60 years since I learned to be responsible enough to make provisions for my own belongings when going to the beach! Was the OP 'rude' by not taking off his headphones? Perhaps. Hardly a major insult or catastrophe. Wasn't he busy? Do you always respond politely to interruptions when you are busy? Was the bag owner foolish for expecting a stranger to be responsible for his things? Perhaps. Some people make it a habit to include others in their plans without asking first, just expecting compliance from everyone else without regard for their needs.

These colored tiles are not just decorations. Those yellow squares with lines on them are to make the sidewalks more easily navigated by people who are visually challenged, using a white cane to follow the direction. At the corners, these lines should change to a series of dots to alert the walker to that fact. When completed, it will make Chiang Mai much more user-friendly to the visually impaired. Yes, it is still going on. And I'm quite upset that the municipal government did NOT stick to MY personal timetable for finishing these repairs. How dare they!

Yes. But that's easily avoided by printing a test sheet once a week and doing the routine cleaning maintenance. It's not an issue. We probably don't print more than a handful of pages during the year... except at visa extension time, vehicle tax time, and Wing 41 application time. At those times, it's worth its weight in bulk tank ink!

I had one for several years, a Canon with the bulk tanks hot-glued to the side. When I went looking for a new printer 3 years ago, I discovered that so many of them now have engineered them to contain the bulk tanks inside. I bought another Canon with /scan/print/copy functions, with the inside bulk tanks. I've added new ink ONCE in almost three years. I, for one, would never go back to paying for new ink cartridges every other month!

Having experiential knowledge of this disease, I'd be very happy to get a booster EVERY YEAR regardless of the price if if meant I wouldn't have to go through this illness again. Easily, the worst medical experience of my life. I've had Dengue Fever twice, serious cases. But I'd take 10 Dengues over one Shingles any day! Any day! This illness taught me the 'real' meaning of "Pain Management." It means accepting the pain 24/7 cuz it sure ain't going away! You can only take painkillers for just so long before they start screwing up the body more than they help. If you have NOT had Chicken Pox, you can NOT catch Shingles. If you make contact with the fluid in the rash blisters (which is about the only way to transmit the disease,) you will get Chicken Pox instead. However, if you have had Chicken Pox as a child, you ARE a candidate for Shingles later in life, without any need for contact with the disease.

As I'm still dealing with the after-effects and postherpetic neuralgia (read: pain!) six months after a serious Shingles attack, I would spend ANY amount of money for a vaccine that could be back-dated to May 23rd when I went into the hospital at 3 am with a temperature of 105°, ANY amount of money that would alleviate the intense pain I experienced for the first THREE MONTHS. I never paid attention to 'Shingles.' To me, it sounded like a 'little rash.' Maybe like Psoriasis... Nothing to worry about... I had the wrong information. VERY WRONG. You do NOT want to deal with this illness. I was in the hospital with IV tubes sticking out of me for a week, then in bed at home for the next 3 months. Today marks 6 months since my ambulance ride to Ram... and I'm still dealing with the pain and other symptoms. Get the vaccines. (Red= burning pain) This burning rash lasted for almost two months... applying medication several times daily. You do NOT want this disease. Get the vaccines!

That's the entire basis of the Keto lifestyle. We burn fat instead of sugar for energy. Our bodies run more efficiently on fat than they do carbohydrates. There is only one part of one organ that 'requires' carbs, and the body produces more than enough to fill that need by itself without needing outside sources. Removing wheat products and sugar-producing carbs immediately reduces body inflammation, especially in the joints, so our whole body feels better. Removing them stops blood-sugar spikes and their resulting low energy feelings, as well as removing the cause of Prediabetes, a component of the metabolic syndrome and is characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that fall below the threshold to diagnose diabetes mellitus. It usually does not cause symptoms but people with prediabetes often have obesity, dyslipidemia with high triglycerides and/or low HDL cholesterol, and hypertension. You can stop it all so easily, just by cutting down on carbs and cutting out wheat products, starches, and sugars.

I'm a moderator in a health group following the Keto lifestyle. Basically, just cut DOWN (not out) on carbs. Remove all wheat products such as breads and noodles, starches such as potatoes and other root veggies, and rice. DO eat plenty of fresh vegetables! You can get all the carbs you need from them. Chicken, fish, pork, beef, eggs, cheese, fruit (choose carefully to avoid the high sugar ones) etc., pretty much everything other than the carbs and starches. Don't let anyone tell you that Keto is confining. I eat in restaurants every day, cook balanced meals that are low (less than 50g) of carbs, but high in protein and healthy fats. I eat pasta (just not made from wheat,) bread every day (just not made from wheat flour,) rice (but not from the rice plant, and it even works for sushi!) cake, ice cream, etc. It's not a confining lifestyle... I went from 110k down to 74k in less than a year without going to the gym, and have stayed between 72k-74k for the past three years without any difficulty.

'Passing when the way ahead is not clear...' It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that passing on a blind curve or at the crest of a hill can be more than just dangerous. It's a flat-out admission of stupidity, and we see it every single day on Thai roads. 'Cutting inside of a turning vehicle.' I've stopped worrying about this one. If I'm making a turn, have my directional signals on, and I'm far enough over so anyone behind me knows I'm turning, yet some idiot thinks it's OK to cut inside my turn, he's not my problem at that point.

I brought my non-Thai wife to Thailand when I retired in 2001. We're both happy to be here, together, and wouldn't want it any other way.

'Self-Defense' does not necessarily mean 'fighting.' It means taking control of a situation so the outcome is NOT getting hurt or having to hurt the other person. Most of us are older. VERY few of us have had a real 'fight' since junior high school. Perhaps some pushing and chest bumping, but no 'real' fight. However, many of us still think we've 'got it.' Fact is, we don't. Fighting is a skill, and just like any other skill, it needs to be practiced regularly to be effective. But 'self-defense' doesn't mean long hours in the gym. There are things one learns in a 'good' self-defense class that a person of any age can master in a few minutes that can put you in control of a situation, especially when being grabbed by another person. And THAT is the goal of self-defense... you controlling the situation. Being in control means you have choices.

Do you want the OED definition? Or the definition in common usage today?

I do wish that sometimes I could turn them off... even for just a little while... both empathy and compassion. Empathy hurts. Compassion requires putting yourself out there. That's work. But... thank God I feel 'em.

From the SE corner of the moat, turn east on Sridonchai Road, make the first right after Suriwong Book Center, down about 300m on the right. This place has a lot!

With the Japanese cultural norm of "women are like Christmas cake. After the 25th (birthday) they are stale," it's very difficult for older men to even meet older women, as there are almost no mixed social venues for them. Few Japanese women go out partying after their twenties. By then, they plan to be married and quit their jobs as office girls and elevator operators (you need a college degree to get the job of elevator operator in Japan.) If they have not married by 25, many will seek the help of a Marriage Broker. Today 20%-25% of Japanese marriages are arranged by a broker hired (not by parents) by by the man or woman wishing to get married. The man NEEDS to be married if he is to move up through the ranks at work. And the woman 'prefers' to get married and end her working life. That's the culture. Period! Older women go out together in groups often. Unless your spoken Japanese is up to the task, they will not interact with strangers beyond pleasantries. It's also the cultural norm for Japanese people to 'hide their light under a basket.' They don't care much for people who are attention whores. They say "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down." I'm wondering (actually, I'm not...) how you plan, not only to meet women your own age (although many Japanese girls do have 'Daddy Complexes' because dad is always working and never around,) much less the really bright ones. I retired to Thailand after years of teaching Cross-Cultural Studies at a large Japanese university. Unless you plan to pay for it, you probably will spend your time alone.

I use a half-tab of Cialis every other day to control BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.) Cheaper and just as effective as the other regularly prescribed medicines, but the side effects of that are actually delightful! Junior thinks he's a teenager again! I'm 77... I wish I could keep up with him!

In case any riders are considering a new helmet after reading this thread, you might wish to think about a full-face helmet. Here are the stats on the percentage of strikes during an accident on various parts of the shell.

Hearing aid wearers have been dealing with this problem for years... and solving it. Go to a hearing aid shop and ask for 'sports retainers' for your devices. They are silicon strips that curl around inside the outer ear shell, locking the device into the ear canal. (The retainers shown here are still straight because they are unused. Normally they would be curled into a 'c' configuration following the shape of your ear) You can see them attached to the bottoms of the hearing aids in the picture. They even hold my hearing aids in place putting on and taking off my motorcycle helmet.

Bike accidents are no fun at all! Heal up quickly and well!

I remember the Merry V. It was quite popular back in the day. In fact, I was headed there my first time in Bangkok, but saw the New Siam as I was walking by, and stopped there instead.

I started visiting (as a tourist) in 1991, staying in Thailand for a couple of months each year, a month or two scuba diving on Koh Tao, then traveling around the country, landing in Bangkok for a few days before returning to Japan. I always stayed in the 'New Siam Guest House' behind the Wat. Those were fun days, with my A/C room costing 150 Baht a night. Meals on Khao San Road, people-watching. I did that every year until I finally moved to Thailand in 2001. By that time KSR was already becoming too gentrified. These days, it's nothing like its former 'glory.'

It's remarkable how angry and upset some people get when told that other don't mind staying in Chiang Mai during the Burning Season, and feel no need to leave the area for two months. I wonder why that is? Why would they get so upset that others react differently to the situation. I can understand ignoring their feelings, but getting angry at complete strangers because they are comfortable? That makes no sense.