Deserted

Here's some food for thought, echoing my sentiments in a previous post.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/10866273/Cycle-helmets-are-useless-says-brain-surgeon.html

Did you have any problems installing Zorin? I tried the other day and couldn't but I did make the mistake of using the C drive. Must be a separate drive right?

These sites are for fools and their money only, which will soon be parted by them.

Does anyone know of a website which streams the main thai tv channels so that the other half can watch them while we are abroad?

tx

Was it a real man or a ladyboy?

Pretty sure the full name is Ban Phu Nam Rawn (as in hot spring).

Yes there are many outside, most of which are unproffesional and the price varies, and then inside the MFA there is a service. Use that.

Daiso sells the smaller ones that you can fit in you bag. Can't think of anywhere else.

You need to be careful of the operators outside the MFA, there are many of them. One I used gave me my document back littered with mistakes. It was rejected by the MFA. They have a service inside the office itself which is cheaper and more reliable. I would use that. I wouldn't use the people hanging about outside again.

Yes I saw that but wanted to double-check. So they don't close for Buddhist holidays?

Is it?

I disagree. I think there is a hidden agenda and it is obvious in the language used. As I have said repeatedly, it is there for a reason. Why use it otherwise? I don't doubt that good comes out of the program but from this thread the reasons behind that aren't well understood nor am I. I don't think this is the right place to discuss such things and will not continue with this thread.

Not assuming anything at all hence the title of the thread.

I take it as a person potentially wanting to seek help at AA but put off by the reference to "God" and "Higher Power".

Many people are, a common problem.

As other posters have explained, AA is not "run" by anyone. The program does involve learning to seek/allow help from a "higher power" but there is no sectarian requirement and no specific belief you have to have. Many people have a belief in some type of God so they use that word, but others do not and work instead with whatever sort of higher power they can accept: nature, natural law, even just the group of AA members.

It does not matter what you think the "higher power" is, what is important is what it is not: your own self will.

Many non-Christians have found help at AA; even many atheists have. In Thailand of course, most of the Thai members are Buddhist.

People with absolutely no spiritual beliefs of any sort do sometimes struggle on this "higher Power" issue initially. Remember that it can be anything other than yourself. It can be nature. It can be your fellow AA members.

To not accept that any type of higher power exists then in effect you are implicitly believing that there is no force in the universe greater than yourself, which if you think about it is clearly untrue. You are subject to many things beyond your own control, aging and death among them. So something(s) , even if not someone is more powerful than yourself. That's a higher power. The AA program will teach you to open yourself up to receiving help from it. You may feel this is odd or will not work, but I can promise you that if you do open yourself up to accepting help from a higher power, even with no idea at all of what that power is or how it works -- you will get it. It is amazing but true and it is core to the all 12 step programs.

You may find that many of the other members do have a belief in God and use that word, but you are free to understand a higher power however it works for you. It is of no importance.

Okay thanks for the reply but this does look like a rather surreptitious attempt to impart values onto others. You say that to deny no such higher power exists is synonymous with denying that there are things beyond our control, such as ageing as you mention. But these are separate issues. No rational person would deny there are things beyond our control but when you use the term 'higher power' this has spiritual connotations.

You say the term 'higher power' doesn't matter so why is it used? I would say it makes all the difference if someone has opened up to other members and are actively engaged in conversation with them, and can describe that process for what it is? That is a powerful process worthy of discussion and is very different to giving praise to someone who is controlling you, which to some degree negatives your own actions.

I'm sorry but this does look like a framework created by Christians who want to bring people closer to their god by identifying a weakness that they have. It's a common tactic to target the weak and needy. One poster claimed he was told he could use Good Orderly Direction rather than the word GOD. That's pretty despicable if you ask me.

Reread my post. That was when I was new and did not know any thing.If you had bothered to read my post you would know that the wording allowed me to change my view of God.

After many years decades actually I had to change it again last year when they discovered the God particle.

If God is religious to you then that is your belief so use it. It did not work for me.

I had tried talking with a priest it did me no good. It was only in the rooms of AA where I was aloud to use my own version.

This meant I could let go of a whole lot of Catholic schooling. As I said it took me two years just to use the word God.

AA offers a spiritual program there are many different versions of what spirituality is . The same as God.

We don't care what yours is. It is none of are business. If it is working for you well and good.

If not I might suggest you do like most of us have had to do redefine God and spirituality.

For myself spirituality is more in how I get along with others am I a part of there life or just using them.

But that is just me I don't know what others believe nor do I care if it works for them.

I long ago learned that if the word God will scare them out alcohol will scare them back.

Did i mention I know two athiests one who has been sober 46 years. All he says is there is some thing here in these rooms and he doesn't know what it is.

Actually alcohol had done a number on me. I in no way could analyze it like you have done.

I had passed that point years before I came in to the rooms. When I did finally come all I cared about was getting off the merry go round.

I was unemployable and dressed in my finest looked like I had just crawled out of a dumpster. I should have listened to my mother 8 years earlier when I was still a highly sought after worker in my field.

But I knew I could handle it. NOT Alcohol is very patient it will wait years to get you if you are an alcoholic it will wait the years it takes to get you. Unless you find an alternative. There are several other suggestions on this thread find one you like and use it.

What ever you do the best of luck to you.

I have read it. My point is again that values are pushed onto people. Changing the word GOD to Good Orderly Behaviour is pretty sly. The meaning might change for you but you've only gone from using a word to an acronym and that is my whole point. Why were either suggested in the first place?

Hi all, I was looking at the AA site the other day in the 12 traditions of AA, I saw the following:

1. For our group purpose there is but one ultimate authority—a loving God as He may express Himself in our group conscience. Our leaders are but trusted servants; they do not govern

And in the 12 steps I saw:

1. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
2. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
3. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
4. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
5. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
6. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

This all looks a bit strange to me, Could someone please clarify.

Yes, that's about as good as it gets.

I go past it about twice a week. If you are coming from Radjadamri and turn left onto Sarasin its no trouble at all. There's no problem on wireless road also.

Yes. went there today. Very good.

What details need to be reported?

The drivers name?

Taxi number?

The country is okay but Baku makes me think that Bangkok has no infrastructural problems at all. As mentioned, there are some legitimate places, one is quite close to the boulevard and everything is above board but in all probability, the OP's alleged job offer is not genuine. I pity any Thai or Asian that lives in Baku, given how they are viewed.

If you give me the name and address of the place, I can tell you if it is a legitimate job offer. By all means pm me.

Can I borrow your crystal ball?

Some of us actually work there and have an informed opinion of the place. Imagine that for a change.

How far is the border from Kanch may I ask? Road ok to motorbike along then?

In all probability, however, its highly unlikely that it is.