bobbin

Jeez...

Keep up Chuck..

You responded to his post and I responded to yours.

The Bomb is totally relevant to the discussion of Israeli borders. Anything conventional will just be jostling for position. In the event of Clear and Present Danger, Israel has an ace to play and all the players know it.

Your argument is full of holes not only for the geographical proximity of opposing sides but also by some of the well documented flaws which come with so called MAD (Mutual assured destruction). Some of these are as follows;-

Perfect rationality

No "rogue states" will develop nuclear weapons. Or, if they do, they will stop behaving as rogue states and subject themselves to the logic of MAD.

No rogue commanders will have the ability to corrupt the launch decision process (this is demonstrated with Dr. Strangelove).

All leaders with launch capability care about the survival of their subjects (for example, a leader with religious ideas about the end of the world might launch regardless).No leader with launch capability would strike first and gamble that the opponent's response system would fail.

I suggest you brush up on Shiite end of the world theology and how that may apply to the mad mullahs of Iran, who show no sign of caring for any carbon based lifeform.

The geographical proximity would seem to be the linchpin....

Unlike USA/USSR that were well away from each other, the main players are next-door/near neighbors. I didn't miss this.

Attackers will not use The Bomb for this reason. See the problems in Japan or Chernobyl, which are but pale imitations.

No benefit to "regain" unlivable land.

Israel's fear is annihilation or as the phrase goes, being pushed into the sea

As a defense, it works. In a scenario where Israel might cease to exist, they take the enemy with them. Not pretty but an effective deterrent.

And of course "I" am completely rational, but my "enemy" is a complete nutter. That is such an insulting argument. You guys can't help yourselves.

Let me see if I understand you. You stayed in a unhappy marriage for 30 years with a wife how was mentally cruel to you and your solution is to come to Thailand and be mentally cruel to a Thai women who is essentially a captive.

I don't get how you can be happy married to a women who you seem comfortable with lying and cheating on and who has no options. Sounds like you have a recipe for disaster to me. Your current situation speaks volumes about why your 30 year marriage was terrible.

You don't have a marriage. You have a employee or maybe a sex slave.

Oh Oh. Seems like I might have given you a bit too much credit...

You are a self-hating male and want all to prostrate before the Almighty Vulva.

You might want to check your punctuation for this sentence, unless you are calling the Israeli government 'Nazis'.

You don't really think he is, do you....

The World had to watch daily coverage and was outraged.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

What's so hard to understand about that?

As for The Bomb...it worked for USA and will work for Israel. Nobody is going to be pushed into the sea when their final act is to unleash Fire from Heaven.

What ARE you rambling on about?

Jeez...

Keep up Chuck..

You responded to his post and I responded to yours.

The Bomb is totally relevant to the discussion of Israeli borders. Anything conventional will just be jostling for position. In the event of Clear and Present Danger, Israel has an ace to play and all the players know it.

You might want to check your punctuation for this sentence, unless you are calling the Israeli government 'Nazis'.

You don't really think he is, do you....

The World had to watch daily coverage and was outraged.

If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck.

What's so hard to understand about that?

As for The Bomb...it worked for USA and will work for Israel. Nobody is going to be pushed into the sea when their final act is to unleash Fire from Heaven.

"Read my post about western men being marginalized and restricted access to sex"

This might just be the most outrageous thing I've ever heard. Are you saying that the solution is for women to submit to unrestricted sex from men?

If there is "genetic drift" it is toward less violence not more. Read a little history The level of violence that humans were exposed to was infinitely greater than it is today.

The answer to your question, of course, is ....yes!

Your last point is historically accurate.

But let's get back to the "tricks". I'm always willing to learn....

Women would not understand men ? No problem: we are to COMPLETE one each others. It's the Law of Nature...<br>

You got that wrong Cap'n....

The Law of Nature is to boink 'em!

Succintly stated opinion and a breath of fresh air compared to the usual suspects who dominate any thread dealing with the Palestine/Israel conflict. It would be nice to have an intelligent and rational discourse on this topic but that seems to be out of the realm of possibilities.

Better get used to it Dan....

They will not allow an open debate because that does not suit their agenda. One could be forgiven for assuming they are either retired Israeli military or retired Israeli lobbyists.

How else to explain their almost apoplectic rejection of anything other than "Israel right or wrong"?

Open debate between non-involved world citizens is off the table....

But aren't they non-involved also? Or are they? If parties to the conflict, what are they doing here in Thailand?

So it's us who have an agenda and you who don't? Your 'rational discourse', usually means being a mouthpiece for Islamist fanatics or left wing antisemitic bigots. And seeing as you are so bold to speculate whether or not posters here are Israeli lobbyists I would ask myself how many posters here are in the pay of the Palestine return centre or similar bodies.

Talk about making my point!! If I wanted to discredit you, I could not have written it better myself!

I support Israel's continued existence but that assumes they are rational about their situation.

The borders don't matter. Not when they have The Bomb.

same. getting a lot of timeout on TV only these days. Sometimes aserver overloaded message. Time to get more bandwidth I guess, George

internet slowdown

Succintly stated opinion and a breath of fresh air compared to the usual suspects who dominate any thread dealing with the Palestine/Israel conflict. It would be nice to have an intelligent and rational discourse on this topic but that seems to be out of the realm of possibilities.

Better get used to it Dan....

They will not allow an open debate because that does not suit their agenda. One could be forgiven for assuming they are either retired Israeli military or retired Israeli lobbyists.

How else to explain their almost apoplectic rejection of anything other than "Israel right or wrong"?

Open debate between non-involved world citizens is off the table....

But aren't they non-involved also? Or are they? If parties to the conflict, what are they doing here in Thailand?

I am replying direct regarding the accusation my father is a bad man for taking to me with a leather belt. This could not be further from the truth. He was and still is, at 73yrs a model father. I would not have changed a moment on this earth with him. I do not have to ask my children what it is like for me to punish them. I have my own methods, and a leather belt ain't used. But that is the point. I still grew up normal. I passed nothing on as you obviously are challenged with. Entirely false statement on your part, actually utter BS. I still know that I deserved the punishment I got. I was a rat-bag. I was naughty and copped the consequences. I did however choose my own path as to how to punish my daughters. Now, if I had a son, there is a good chance a leather belt might have been used. Then again, maybe not. The point is. I am normal and can deal with my own lot, where for some reason you can't. I guess you've just got a couple of screws loose. I suggest tighten them up without pharmaceuticals, therapy or groups. This is a path exercising your own brain training it to become a decision maker with the doubts you live with. I love my dad, you hate yours. I feel sorry for you..

As for suicide, it's for wimps. My best friend did so, and he is an utter f8king asshol_e for doing so. It was real fun dealing with his father, wife, brother, 25 staff and 7 year old daughter. I am happy for as many to go and do this as they want. If they are so stupid to leave responsibility to other that have to sweep up the mess them good riddance. Enough of your statistical crap and I feel sorry I live in a society on the brink. Go jump!

High dose of Paranoia there? I don't think he said your father was a bad man, and that it was a direct accusation. Perhaps your more insecure that you realise, judging from the relatively aggressive tone of your post. It is not fine for adults to hit adults in society, but by your reasoning it is fine for an adult to hit a child, just because they "deserve it" Is that because they are bigger than them, and they can. Whats the intrinsic difference between hitting a child or an adult? Are they not both people? Sounds more like bullying to me. It teaches that hitting someone is a legitimate way to express your opinions/emotions about a problem or matter. And it would seem that you have accepted that trait yourself as you said ,

"Now, if I had a son, there is a good chance a leather belt might have been used...."

There are many other ways to discipline a child, and taking chunks out of them is not one them. Certainly don't think it is a chapter in the "Good Parenting Handbook"...

Well said, Red.... ( Hey I'm a poet!)

Please forgive the following....

Gotta love a good smackdown!

It's been my belief all along that all Thai-issued credit cards are like that.

That's why I don't have one.. You are on the hook as soon as its printed and in the mail to you.

Are you guys still here?

Why ask if they can protect themselves?

There are smaller states in the world. For a defense planner, a country the size of Russia or Canada is preferable. Not everybody has a country that size. Live with it. Live with your neighbors.

The whole argument is pointless really.

Israel has The Bomb. Quite a few of them actually. That 's their defense.

In a nutshell.

Preah Vihear was in Thailand 800 years ago

Don't think there was a Thai Empire 800 years ago. Scattered city-states in vassalage to the Khmer Empire, which built the temples, would be more correct

Here we go again.....

Some of you might have been posted here by your employer but the vast majority of us are here of our own choice. A good part of being an expat is leaving behind your investment in the politics of your home country. Yes, that's right. If you cared that much why did you cut and run?

Then to substitute, some get all frothy at the mouth about the politics of this our adopted country. Where they have no vote. But that doesn't slow them down at all unfortunately.

Have an opinion. Express it once in great while. Then shut up.

The American people are ready to endorse this strategy.

So, in other words, this is not true. It is just left-wing fantasy.

Your words, not mine. I contend, as I did above, that this policy adjustment has legs.

And don't be so deliberately obtuse as to say that this is Obama's idea. He is the spokesperson. Multiple layers of government have advised on this issue.

Cue mud-slinging and two-bit cheap shots.

Horse manure. All the polls say that Americans support Israel over the "Palestinians".

No, that's not the point. America has supported Israel unconditionally for decades. What do they have to show for it?

Let's watch this play out.

No different than the "War on Drugs". Years of doing the same thing with no victory in sight. Time for re-evaluation of the situation. The ideologues are incapable of believing that any other viewpoint is valid.

Tough love.

The usual supporters of "Israel right or wrong" will of course be having conniptions.

The American people are ready to endorse this strategy. Not one American who I have spoken to in person about this issue will have a problem with this.

Buch...

You sure have a hard-on for crims....

Where would we be without you giving us the low-down.

Are you retired?

I think this is an interesting thread, although it got off to a bad start by being a bit too ......emotional.

Not helped much either by the titters from the boys in the back of the room.

The OP has subsequently done a better job of explaining his premise and so the discussion has gained depth.

Men/Women.

An interesting article I read yesterday explored why powerful men cheat. (DSK, Arnie the most recently outed. Tiger was last year's poster boy.) Simplistic answer is because they can. But in reality, nature/evolution has given males powerful sex drives for a reason. It is a successful evolutionary strategy. Females do not share the same level of drive. They are and have to be more selective. This leaves the typical males having to learn strategies for controlling the powerful drive due to lack of access. Most men are, at least physically, reasonably successful at this. Their mind (in-bred drive) is usually another matter. What's the saying? Men think about sex 6 times a minute... Whew!

For powerful, rich men, the world is their oyster (Hoi). Opportunity abounds. As for myself, I am neither rich nor powerful. But...I live in Pattaya. Thank you God. (that was humour..for the challenged)

Oops. I think I'm going off on a tangent.

So... warrior societies, bonding, hunting in packs. That's where we come from. Not so strange. Modern life seems to be every man for himself..except in war. That's when it makes sense to stick together.

Hmmmn, if it's one of those satellite stores they're no better than a 7/11.

IN PRAISE OF THE 150

Not much has been said about the 150 lately, with all the attention on the 250, but I want to take a moment to point out what a great "little" bike it is.

Yesterday I did a "road trip" from Chiang Mai to Tak, Tak to Phitsanulok, and Phitsanulok back to Chiang Mai.

Total kilometers was just over 770, and I had a blast. On previous trips I ran between 110-115 kph, but this time I decided to up it a little and see what would happen. The road (hwy 12) from Tak to Phitsanulok is great for bikes. Very long straight, flat stretches of highway that will let you really open up. This little 150 will cruise all day at 120 or 125, with absolutely no problem, and even at 125, if you want to pass someone, give the throttle a little twist and it will very quickly take you to 130. And that is NOT going downhill with a strong wind, but on a straight flat road.

I was seriously thinking of trading it or selling it and going for the 250, but after yesterday's little jaunt, that idea has been scrapped. I'm keeping this one, but with two changes. Bridgestone tires next month, and a little more padding in the seat.

My "impulsive" side says go for the 250, but my "rational" side, which usually carries more weight, tells me that it's foolish to spend 130,000 baht for a bike that looks about the same, and cruises at only 10-20kph faster on the highways.

For those with the 250, I know you love 'em, and that's fine. I probably would as well if I had one. But on the other hand, I am perfectly happy with my 150.

J1V..

Not trying to be a jerk but you seem to have an identity crisis. Several times now you have posted the same post in both the 150 and 250 threads. Since they are usually about your 150, they don't really belong in the 250 thread.

I know initially you were undecided but you made your choice.

I'll still read your posts even if they are only in the 150 thread.

Big C is still Big C regardless of the name on the building. The selections are already changing and shows no signs of letting up. I want my CA FOO! Time to shop at Villa and Foodland I suppose.

Maybe so, but I was in the Pattaya Carrefour/Big C Extra store last week, and many of the cheese and butter products are/have been replaced by French products branded Casino. Which I believe is the parent company of Big C. Same same but different!