FolkGuitar

If there is room behind you on a train, but you refuse to let people get past you, you are going to be moved by someone who knows how. It's easy. You turn your back to the person (or people blocking the way) with your hands down at your sides. You bend your knees, dipping down just 3-4 inches, then simultaneously lean back against the blockage, pressing with your legs as you stand back up. A simple T'ai Chi movement. A small person can move several larger ones this way. No words, no eye contact, nothing other than pressing oneself into the train. There is always room for one more.

Folks obviously never lived in Japan. The Japanese rail companies hire 'Pushers' to help pack the trains during rush hour. After a few months using the Japanese rails, a traveler learns how to 'lean forward' while pushing with feet, into the crowd. There is always room for one more! You do learn how to move people when you need to, and no one gets angry at being pushed. In fact, Japan's trains are so crowded that many lines have put in 'Women Only' cars to stop the easy groping in the crowds. But pushing is a non-issue. Differing cultures, differing outcomes.

If there is a 25cm wide, 10cm hole in the road (and right now there are quite a lot of them around the Old City,) and you hit it at 35kph with your front tire on a bike, all the tire air pressure in the world isn't going to protect your steering column. All it would take is a warning sign a few meters before it so people could slow down. Or better still, fill it in if you're not working on it.

Now vaping has joined the joint and bong as a way to ingest/inhale cannabis. Despite being illegal in Thailand, vaping is steadily gaining ground. Vaping seemed to be the answer to the problem of cigarettes... until the researchers noticed a strange effect happening to the lungs of people who vaped... called "Popcorn Lung." - E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI): This is a serious lung condition that has led to over 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths as of February 2020. Symptoms include shortness of breath, cough, chest pain, fever, and gastrointestinal issues. Popcorn lung (bronchiolitis obliterans): Vaping can cause inflammation and scarring in the lungs' tiny air sacs, leading to wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. This is linked to a chemical called diacetyl used in many e-cigarette flavors. Still considered better than smoking cigarettes with their higher nicotine content, short-term use of vape pens WITHOUT all the other carcinogens found in tobacco is a viable choice for people working to stop smoking.

As a smoker who hasn't smoked a cigarette in over 25 years (Like an AA member who hasn't had a drink,) I don't think it's fair to 'ban' smoking, nor would it be very effective. Think about the bans on drugs or alcohol. BUT... keeping it outdoors away from non-smokers is imperative. Provide covered smoking areas away from the crowds. Japan has been doing this for years. No smoking on the streets in downtown Kyoto, but there are covered smoking areas every few blocks down side streets away from the public. Certainly, keep it out of restaurants completely. Nothing ruins the taste and smell of good food like cigarette smoke. My usual lunch restaurant allows smoking in two areas. When it's crowded with smokers, I will not order better foods as the smoke ruins the taste, so opt for something simple and cheap. The owner loses money each time this happens. His choice to allow smoking.

Yes, it was really that simple. Simple and easy, that is, to temporarily solve a specific problem. Staying quit isn't as easy. That requires a firm decision not to smoke the next cigarette. The patches alone won't do that for you. They just remove one facet (nicotine) of the problem. The harder part is dealing with the 'habit' of smoking. For many, that takes years to get over. Fortunately for some, only a few months. NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy) products can be legally purchased in Thailand without a prescription and are available in various forms, including patches, gums, lozenges, and inhalers. I've been a Mod in a Facebook Smoking support group for the past 20 years. If you want to stop smoking, but don't know your options, feel free to contact me, or visit us in 'Stop Smoking Support AS3' (This group migrated to Facebook from the old Usenet group 'Alt Support Stop Smoking' hence the name now.) There are plenty of old timers who can provide insight into some of the many successful methods used for quitting, and plenty of new people looking for a 'quit buddy' to make things go more smoothly when knuckles turn white...

I'm glad to see the beautification project moving forward. Those overhead lines and cables are really ugly. But... perhaps with a little forethought? 1. Announce the day before where the road constrictions will be. Drivers can then plan to avoid them and reduce the horrific traffic jams. 2. For several days, the right turn onto Sri Donchai Road coming from the east side of the moat was completely blocked off AFTER the corner, but there was NO WARNING in either direction that this was so. You came around a blind corner and BANG! The road is blocked right there, so you have to go around it, driving into oncoming traffic... with no warning that this was required. Some notice might save lives. 3. Have a traffic cop stationed at the sites where traffic is always worst; a cop directing traffic in front of Chiang Mai Gate market might reduce the number of triple-parked cars there and allow traffic to move more smoothly. 4. And most of all... when putting on a 'temporary fill' over the holes, have it at the same level as the roadway, instead of 10cm lower. Fill in the holes, not just make them look pretty. That would save a lot of wear and tear on the vehicles going over it.

As an ex-smoker, I used to rely upon those smoking rooms at airports. But one 29-hour trip that I took years ago saw me in three airports that didn't allow them or any smoking inside. So I put on a patch. It's amazing how effective that was at solving a problem. In fact, so effective that it gave me the incentive to stop smoking. That was 25 years ago, and I haven't smoked a cigarette since.

Only once... each night when they washed and waxed it. (The cleaner I bought for them to use was a one-stop wash-and-wax.) 'Tire Black' kept the feet nice and shiny! It was my 'business' vehicle that I used to carry clients to various locations, so had to look good every day! In fact, the guy who used to do it is STILL working there 15 years later!

Most of my riding is here in town, especially around the moat. To date, I have had to repair the steering column in my bike because of hitting potholes and replace my number plate as it just vibrated off. I have to constantly adjust my mirrors as they keep getting bumped out of position, but at least that isn't costing me money. The roadwork being down has probably aged our vehicles by 10 years.

I lived in Hillside 4 for 10 years. Once you get used to the traffic pattern, it's not a problem. And, if you wish, you can have your bike washed and waxed each night by the parking attendants. They kept my car looking bright and new for just a couple of hundred baht per month. And because of that, they reserved a parking spot next to the elevator for it.

People keep asking; "Why get married?" The answer is; "When you meet the right person, you will know why." That may sound simplistic, but that's the facts, Jack! When you know, you know.

I married (and divorced) young. I remarried, and that one worked for about 10 years and then divorced again in my early 30's. At that point, I was a very happy bachelor, with an active social life... and NO plans to ever marry again. I remained a very happy bachelor for the next 17 years. Active social life, and had a few live-in girlfriends during that time, and no plans to change that. Then I met her. By the second date, I knew I was going to marry her. And did, a year later. That was 30 years ago. Still happy with that decision.

Both Rimping and Macro sell very crumbly 'Vintage' Cheddar

Be cautious when buying velcro... There is velcro and then there is 'Velcro™. I've received too many orders of the bad stuff. All stiff plastic and wears out quickly. Look for the registered brand product.

If we turn it on at all, the A/C is never set below 28, usually 29 or 30. Otherwise, we prefer windows open and fans on. We're quite comfortable with that. I guess we've been here long enough to become acclimatized. Sure, we do sweat at times. So what?

Perhaps it's time for the American to take the landlord to court for violating Thailand's Defamation Laws. Regardless of who is right or wrong in the housing situation, the Thai landlord had certainly publically defamed the tenant. It's a hard way to get back a security deposit, but it's Thailand's law...

Just to finalize the thread (Mods, please close,) It took me about 15 minutes at the Nong Hoi DLT. I went up to the information window with blue book and passport, the agent filled out some papers, then had me make copies (next door) of the main page and current visa stamp, then sent me to another window. Only one person ahead of me for license plate stuff just finishing up, and so I was seen in two minutes. I sat with that agent for 10 minutes while she did some more paperwork, paid 140 Baht for a new tax stamp, and left. I'll come back in 30 days to pick up a license plate. Couldn't have been much easier.

Is Nong Hoi for motorbike plates as well as cars?

I don't use it for sleep. I use it for pain relief topically. Better sleep is just a side benefit.

My entire plate holder, with plate and tax stamp, has gone missing today. I assume I need to contact the police and the Land Transport office? Have you had any experience with this problem? What is the correct procedure, which police station would be best, and which LTO? Thanks

With many drugs, less is more. If you take 4-5 Vallium it may make you MORE agitated and hypertense rather than putting you to sleep. For many people, 3-5 DROPS of CBD oil is an effective sleep aid, for others half a dropper full does it, and for others a full eye dropper dose. There is NO 'standard' dose. You have to discover your effective dosage by yourself over the course of a few nights. "Mellow Organic" company online sells a reliable product. It works well. I go to bed at 11:30 pm and sleep through until 6-7 am when my bladder wakes me up.

With all due respect... the water in Thailand is too clean for Sabretts... They didn't earn the sobriquet 'Dirty Water Hotdogs' without it!

The US Military Commissary in Bangkok carries (or carried) Hebrew National Hot dogs. If you are retired Military you can shop there. Hebrew National, Nathans, and Boar's Head all make a 100% beef frankfurter worthy of the name. To a real hot dog lover, no other brand is worthy of the name!

Hmmm... so if reading the posts here makes one a submissive victim, and you read the posts here (despite having read the book,) doesn't that still leave you a helpless victim? Should you re-read the book and find out which chapter you missed?