ignoramus

I am pleased to see that so many people are viewing this topic as it is indeed a very serious topic. I'm from Oz, and if the beer is warming up and not flat then ice is essential. Though not too much. We Aussies are the experts. The Poms like it - or did like it - room temp, and the Americans don't really understand what beer is all about. It's a Starbucks kind of thing, the Americans can't make coffee either, though I dearly love them. Oh, and they think bread should taste sweet. What is that? Love you guys. Great motorised vee-hicles.

Ah, advice from the sanctimonious. Who could ask for anything more. Oh wait, there's always.....complete silence. Ah yes, that has to be the answer. Then again there's that oldy -- take a deep breath, put your head under water twice and come up once. My god, I think he's got it!!

(I have a packet of L&M's back here in Sydney just now. The best I could find in Pattaya, not that I looked too hard [much too busy drinking beer, looking for other ways to shorten my miserable life and muttering to myself about wowsers].

Had the good fortune to be in Thailand recently and caught a cable show which noted that watermelon was good for those with BP. Just the place for watermelon is Thailand, at 10 bht for a decent sized slice. Thanks to one and all, I said to meself.

Payboy, I recently met a policeman who said he was 4 up from the bottom rank. He wore plain-clothes, and had a Magnum 357 under his T-shirt. He didn't drive an official police vehicle, and seemed to have lots of freedom of movement. Is he likely to be commissioned or non-comm'd do you think? Thanks, ignoramus.

Serg, your reply regarding the Chinese diet was stupendously superfuous, to say the least. Weirdly, I read it as an apology for their dietary habits. The fact of the matter is that the Chinese will and do eat anything that lives/lived. Slightly more accurately perhaps, to pander to your unerring eye, is the fact that the Chinese consume to an extent unknown to all other peoples, e.g. items such tiger penis, bear paw and (live) bear bile, rhino horn etc etc etc (the list is neverending). Good old Mao's favourite food was reputed to be bear paw soup. Charming. Your words of wisdom will henceforth be ignored.

V8's sing too.

I've had a half-smile of delight on my dial all through this topic, except for Kurnell's post. And one or two others who simply can't get with the programme. Please oh please Kurnell don't tell me that you are from Sydney. Mind you there are quite a number of 'determined-to-be-a-party-pooper' types in Sydney, so I shouldn't beirritated by you.

I'm coming to LOS shortly for a couple of weeks. It seems that it is indeed as I remember it. Yeehaa. I forget who the OP was, but you were born on 4.8.52. Bless you Sir.

I don't think frozen shoulder was mentioned, but will try to find out.

Camerata, You will probably accept this info witha grain of salt, but here goes anyway. A long-term broadcaster on radio here in Sydney was told by 2 doctors that he would need an operation on his shoulder. He couldn't don a jacket without help. Lyprinol 'saved' him. Can't vouch for it myself, but I do trust this chap. He took the Blackmore brand but I imagine any brand would do.

bannork,

Your post evokes pictures in my mind. Your setup sounds delightful. I'm seriously into swimming (for health) so the south has seemed to be the only choice so far. is the pond you mention yours? or are such ponds everywhere?

This news has saddened me more than I thought it would. I always read his posts both as Gunga Din and Udon. Loved his avatars. A good bloke apparently. I hope his passing was peaceful. RIP mate.

Thanks tumtong, I'm feeling good now. Originally thought "oh dear, I suppose I'd better read this and hear the bad news". Thanks to others as well. Love that optimistic stuff.

I avoid pedestraian crossings like the plague. They are like a magnet, oddly. Why would one trust drivers with one's safety? I use my wits, hearing and eyes. Works a treat.

Haven't read every post....why would one bother when one has had a similar close call (funnily enough in Phuket of all places. Astonishing coincidence is what I say).

happyinkathu has just got to be (1) a Thai, or (2) a 'my country right or wrong or kind of person' (translates to Thai persons can do no wrong).

I was in a minivan some years ago with several other European-type persons (on our way to Phuket airport), when the "driver" thought it might be a good idea to overtake just before the crest of a hill. Brilliant I thought, why not make the trip 3 seconds quicker. Nobody said a word, except moi. Moi being not only a somewhat sensible person with a great deal of driving experience, but endowed also with a modicum of intelligence, screamed at the Einstein at the wheel. Repeat...nobody else said a word. Must have been each and everyone of them Buddhists, no?

Or holiday-happy dunderheads. Dunno. A total mystery. I am honestly in total awe of the "blind faith" principle, which everywhere - not only in LOS - seems to exist. It can't surely have been low IQ where the tourists were concerned - all 6 or 7 of them. The "holiday zone" perhaps. Dunno. No idea.

But as for the driver...well, that was his job, his occupation, his living. <deleted> is all I can think. How had he survived to that point???

Apologies ScubaBuddha, I just love being a smartass you see; plus I like to see my pearls of wisdom in print. Whether or not the pic shown is the actual pic of the sighted cat was/is of little import. and not, to be honest, something I gave sufficient thought to -- except for a suspicion that there would be some who might think that a cat like that depicted could actually exist there. So even though I almost certainly have given the impression that I am totally immersed in this story, and treat it seriously, I am really only (1) trying to increase my post rate, and (2) in a relatively light-hearted way trying to destroy naive gullibilty (not, I suppose, that destroying anything can ever be a light-hearted exercise). My brother, a multimillionaire, once believed that Von Daniken was legitimate. Maybe he still does, secretly. Hundreds believed in Jim Jones and the Baghwan, gawd bless 'em. Deluded dumbasses one and all.

ScubaBuddha, you've got me thinking. Well done, and thanks. A prediction:- this cat story will shortly evaporate, never to heard of again.

Oh good heavens, I forgot about ScubaBuddha's comment. Good old Wikipedia eh. Maaaate, it ain't Brittanica now is it. Anyone can contribute to it, don't you know. Anyone at all. You need to think for just a few seconds about the logistics involved for anyone, let alone an ordinary US serviceman, in bringing a big cat to any location on a war-time ship. Australia is a long way from anywhere; the cat would require a large cage (i.e. sufficient for movement); permission from the hierarchy; loads of frozen red meat (scarce in war-time) or live meat (goats etc). Nah maaate bloody ridiculous concept. So Wiki said this did it. One word will suffice:- crap.

Oh good heavens midasthailand, of course I don't believe it. I'm having a bloody laugh at the believers. That pic of the BP is a pic of an old BP. I have seen many pics of them and one in the flesh, and this baby is not a young puss. If it existed in Thailand (that is, out of its S American natural domicile) or anywhere else I can assure you it would have been sighted loooong before this. Besides the pic is way too good to be the pic of the animal being discussed.

We have people here in Oz calling talkback radio every couple of years or so saying they have seen such an animal. But then we also have thousands of feral cats, some of which are apparently quite large.

I don't believe in UFO's or black panthers (outside S America). Somehow they are always BLACK panthers...what ever happened to leopards? Or snow leopards?

(If this BP exists I would ask what it eats. Not baby elephants or people, so far. So what?) A good giggle this.

Gee, a black panther in SE Asia eh. Always thought they were indigenous to S America, but then I've been wrong once before, about something or other, but then maybe I'm wrong about that too . No mention of a missing BP from a LOS zoo I notice, or missed. Here in Oz we've had a BP for, oh, decades. Bloody thing is elephant-sized I hear tell.

If the "Canadian" had agreed to 2000bht and got a 100bht value he just might have had a case for objecting to the deal, but reneging over 50bht is pathetic in the extreme. 100bht in Canadian dollars wouldn't buy half a packet of peanuts, would it? This chap obviously wasn't worried about losing face over 50bht; the people of some cultures are shameless when it comes to money. A price is agreed upon. Honour the deal. End of story. Wonderful how the logic of this escapes some. The tuk-tuk driver's behaviour is separate issue. (Love your work Jingthing.)

Love that word "nonsence".... thanks Mr R. Great post galvheim....loved it, copied it to a doc for future reference, or is that "referense"?

Nice to read that people like MrBrit et al care enough to contribute to what has to be the most important matter confronting expats in LOS, apart from crazy-mad tuk-tuk "drivers".

Extremely sorry about the young man who died (and his family of course), and the countless others who shared his fate (there are doubtless many, unreported).

Not to take the matter lightly - but have a degree of trouble imagining why anyone would want a warm shower in LOS. I did nothing but perspire whilst there, and thanked Buddha that cold water was readily available in those bloody big pots. I hate the cold but apparently there are others who suffer more than I do. Apologies for any offence, unintended.

Gotta love those who know not whereof they speak. After - expensive in Sydney - rice bran oil (the highest smoke point of all oils), olive oil is by far the best. Trouble is, as with any frying, one needs to discard the oil after each fry, sorry to say. Coconut oil is saturated. Might taste good, but is not healthy. Frying, though providing flavour, ain't the way to go at anytime. Can't believe this is a mystery.

Have an unused one on the fridge. PM me if necessary and I'll post it.

How, one wonders, was it determined that the gentleman was crossing the road "to a beer bar"? Brilliant reporting, not.

A traitor.