Galong

I'm sure it'll be a good 'show.'

So, what we have here is Trump floating another 🥱 vague “Great Healthcare Plan” while simultaneously pouring money into everything else: roughly $901 billion in the current military budget with a proposal to raise it to $1.5 trillion, expanded ICE funding exceeding $100 billion through 2029 (about $27 to $28 billion per year), continued farm subsidies tied to an $867 billion, 10-year farm bill, plus the usual presidential travel, security, and executive excesses that never seem to face austerity. At the same time, the U.S. national debt has risen from about $19.9 trillion when he first took office to roughly $27 trillion by 2020, and now sits around $36 to $37 trillion, an increase of roughly $16 to $17 trillion across that period. So the obvious question remains: where, exactly, is the money for this mystery healthcare plan supposed to come from? Wishful thinking, accounting magic, or just another tab added to the national credit card. Midterms: assuming they proceed normally is optimistic. Losing Congress would mean investigations, resistance, and something he has always treated as optional: accountability. With emergency declarations, federalized forces, and expansive interpretations of executive power readily available, postponement or disruption would likely look safer to him than risking an election he might lose badly.

It would be nice if I could delete this topic. Admin, can you delete this topic, please?

It makes too much sense, so it's probably just a rumor. The friend who told me usually doesn't spread silly rumors, that's why I posted here.

It makes sense on many levels to have SSA form 7162 sent electronically to save on postage and to take both the US and Thai postal systems out of the transaction. We could still have to sign it and post it back, thus preventing potential fraud, but it would (sort of) assure that we get them. I never got one this year. A friend said he heard it was going to happen, but can't remember where he saw that news and I can't find anything online.

Yep, got mine at some point today too... didn't see when it came it, but it's here. thanks to the dreadful exchange rate, the COLA barely made an impact. 🤦

Correction: my wife tells me I DID get a COLA letter a while back. It's a good thing one of us still has remnants of a memory. 🤦‍♂️

That's a concern. I never got my form 7162 via post this year. I have every other year. I didn't get this COLA letter either. My address has been the same for 25+ years. I hope my address isn't somehow an issue. Thanks for letting me know.

I got my personal Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) notice online in the message section of My Social Security. I didn't get anything by post. Did others get it by post?

I haven't gotten my Bangkok Bank deposit for this month yet. I assume it will arrive tomorrow since it was a big holiday. My Soc Sec says paid on the 2nd. IF there was a problem with form 7162, would there likely be some sort of notice on the My Soc Sec site warning me of an upcoming problem or would the Feb payment not showing up being the first time I would know there is a problem. I did the phone call method on Sept 2nd. I have received nothing since then by mail or on my site stating there was an issue. I'm assuming it's all good, but who knows. 🤷

I haven't read that anywhere. It would make sense that the government would waive the form this time, but nothing this government does makes sense, so who knows. Expect the worst under this totally inept administration.

Oh sure, let’s only let people vote after they’ve “helped the country.” So, um, who decides that? A government committee? A vibes-based scoring system? Your cousin who thinks mowing his lawn is patriotic duty? And what counts as “helping”? Teacher? Nurse? Caregiver? Or just “whatever the current government feels like”? This plan turns voting rights into a permission slip handed out by whoever’s in power. What could go wrong?

Ah yes, the great mystery of why people in a tropical country with ongoing Covid cases, flu, RSV, TB, and other airborne threats might still wear masks. Shocking, really. Maybe it’s not “paranoia,” but basic disease prevention, cultural courtesy, and, you know, not wanting to share your respiratory souvenirs with Grandma. Thailand’s packed streets, crowded markets, and spotty ventilation make masks a smart move, even if you don’t personally enjoy them while buying your Slurpee. Call it what you want, but protecting yourself and others isn’t “soulless.” It’s just hygiene with manners. I’ve lived here 33 years, and I’m fit, healthy, and not exactly the paranoid type, but after catching Covid a couple of months ago, I’m still dealing with lingering symptoms (Long Covid, perhaps). So yeah, I appreciate not inhaling other people’s exhaled mystery particles, thanks.

Ah yes, the classic “I was hit and I turned out fine” defense... says adults who think violence teaches discipline. Reality: violence teaches violence. Somehow, current violence is 'justified' because of previous violence... seriously? And, nothing screams “I’m perfectly well-adjusted” like proudly defending child assault because you can’t imagine parenting without caveman tactics. Intelligent/caring parents use consequences, loss of privileges or... and here's a wild idea... communication. You know, methods that actually build respect instead of trauma.

I like your comments... and LOVE your "Spitting Image" avatar... kudos! That show is hilarious! I only recently started watching it.

Yep, my Oct and Nov payments arrived in my Bangkok Bank Direct Deposit account on schedule as well. I wonder if anyone else was snubbed either of their payments?

Oh boy, where to start. “Entitlements can’t be paid if funds aren’t available.” That's just adorable... as if Congress doesn’t routinely pull money out of thin air for wars, tax cuts, and bailouts. Apparently, feeding people is where fiscal discipline suddenly shows up. Are you OK with this prioritizing? “The government already fulfilled its duty by transferring funds to the states.” Um, sure, because passing the buck counts as compassion. Try telling your landlord you “transferred rent responsibilities” to your neighbor. “The issue is how it’s paid.” I'll translate that for you: bureaucratic hot potato with hungry people in the middle. “The Judge says payment isn’t complete until beneficiaries receive funds.” Shocking that a judge thinks paying people means actually paying them. “I’m not wrong about the funding basis.” Always a strong argument when you have to declare it yourself. 🤪 “SNAP should be renamed the large food retailer subsidy program.” Finally, something we can agree on. Walmart thanks you for your patriotism.

Yeah, actually I do. The claim that SNAP is dominated by adult beneficiaries is hilariously backward; roughly two-thirds of all SNAP funding goes to households with children, the elderly, or people with disabilities, and historically, children are the majority of all individual beneficiaries. So, yes, surprise, SNAP is very much a children's food program. Also, the notion that these federal programs are all duking it out for a tiny slice of "contingency funds" is misplaced drama. SNAP and the school meal programs are generally entitlement programs, meaning they're funded separately and guaranteed to pay out for every eligible person, not drawing down from a common, finite pot. The only thing they're competing for is who can serve the most needy families. I'd say "nice try", but it really wasn't.

Ah yes, the mysterious “children’s food fund” ... it's hidden somewhere between the Tooth Fairy’s 401(k) and Santa’s pension plan. Hate to break it to you, but SNAP is the program that feeds millions of children. There isn’t some separate, magical stash of “kid-only grocery money” waiting to be tapped. When you cut SNAP, you’re literally taking food off the plates of those same kids you claim to be protecting.

What a dumb thing to say. They're in New York. There is no reason for them to go to Iran. How about this: Send a bible thumper to Iran and see what happens. Or, better yet, why don't you go to Iran and see what happens?

I'm still researching Thai Social Security healthcare after retiring. My accountant just said, "With foreigners, you can apply M39 but they might not approve for you. As we try to do this case before and they say they might not approved and they will give you the pension rather than cover for health benefits." I'm 70 and have pre-existing conditions. I never bought health insurance as Thai Soc Sec covers everything... very pleased. Nothing has been changed in the Royal Gazette, but many things indicate that the individual officer at the SS can be the determining factor. That's scary and of questionable legality. I asked my accountant if I can simply keep working until I die and keep my Soc Sec healthcare. She said yes, that is a viable option. There is no age limit for 'retaining' a work permit. There is a limit for applying for a new one from what I've read. What a pain. I visited the head of Soc Sec in Phuket Town a few years ago for clarification on this very matter (keeping healthcare after retiring) and he said I could choose that option... now, it seems to be a grey area without any actual law being passed on the matter. 🤦😕

Seems we've run out of related things to discuss. 😕

"Prove me wrong" Really? You say “Biden didn't do anything about the Epstein files.” Fine, present the evidence. Don’t handwave and dare everyone else to disprove a negative. That’s not argument, it’s theatre. Rhetoric ≠ Logic: “prove me wrong” is a rhetorical dare. In formal reasoning, it’s a dodge and not a substitute for evidence. BTW, thanks for assuming I'm a leftist... the 'go to' move when things aren't going your way. I can't stand Biden! I didn't vote for him. I voted against Trump. I like a lot of what the GOP platform is supposed to be about. It'd be nice if they actually practiced it in the real world. Release the Epstein files!

Yeah, sorry I responded to exactly what you typed instead of reading your mind. Spare us the fake outrage seminar. You’re acting like Democrats control when Epstein’s files get unsealed, as if Merrick Garland’s sitting on a giant “Ruin Trump” button. And no, it wasn’t “never an issue under Biden”; it’s been an ongoing court process, not a partisan light switch. But sure, keep pretending the left somehow timed the Epstein release to interrupt your next Trump merch order.

Wow, really? 🤦 Ah yes, the classic “But what about Biden?!” defense, because when Epstein’s client list drops, the real issue is apparently your posting schedule. Newsflash: nobody’s afraid of Biden being in the files. Democrats actually want everyone exposed, including Clinton. It’s only the MAGA crowd sweating bullets over who’s on the guest list to Pedo Island.