ignoramus

Seriously though, chaps and chappesses (if there be any)....I remember a UK that perhaps a few of you do not, having spent 10 months there 40+ years ago. And again in '73 for a moment or 3.

Delightful place then, not so sure now though - what with the many and various unhappy types one hears about, not to mention the devilish cost of living.

Had a pommy gf in Oz too, back in '64. Marvellous gel, I must say. Rather feminine those English lasses. The Scots and Irish we see here are similarly appealing, I hasten to add.

Feel rather sympathetic towards you chums. Mind you, in its own way, Oz is toddling down the same gurgler it seems. I feel there's a conspiracy of sorts abroad, wouldn't you agree.

3 cheers for LOS, eh what.

samran, I don't know of course, but wouldn't a gloat (at the Poms) be agin the rools?

Mind you, being an Aussie, I am looking forward to whatever transpires.

Please encourage them a little more if you think they may possibly need it.

Spaniel, This is probably of no use to you whatsoever, but FWIW, I didn't wear my Kinetic for 3-4 years, then tried it on one day. I didn't seem to want to go, so away it went for few more weeks/months. One day I wore it again and it started to go somehow, without the waving back and forth. Oh well, I guess by now yours is in for repair. I'll get out of your way now. Cheers.

I too have heard the report that Chloe82 mentions (Hummer v. Prius).

(Just as an aside, there have been complaints here in Oz (Sydney anyway) that the blind hate them.

As one might well imagine the blind rely on hearing to a much greater extent than the sighted.

As a professional driver my experience is that other drivers as well as pedestrians rely, almost subconsciously, on sounds as well as 'sights'. I do, as a pedestrian. The point is, I guess that a Prius (e.g.) driver would need to be much more alert in certain situations - for me, a tedious prospect).

The Prius isn't cheap here in Australia.

I've heard that the batteries have to be replaced after a few years at considerable cost.

re: totally gratuitous, unwarranted and out of line attack on garro:

We now have yet another poster who's chosen to miss the point. You are judged to be left wanting of clear analysis, or just plain nasty, or both. I shant refer to this person, but merely say that:

garro is now a happy man, he has found his path - you missed that subtly by a country mile;

a happy man doesn't 'cry' about anything by, perhaps I need to say it....definition. Now that's food for thought eh, wadya reckon;

a happy man, or any man, may well relate a now-historical story, impartially, calmly, without self-pity, merely as a now-distant clear-eyed look at 'the person I once was', the person 'I no longer am', as if, in fact, he is talking about someone else;

A person who wilfully decries, laughs at, makes fun of a once-flawed person who has gained the insight and inner strength to change his life is a person whose demons are yet to be faced. People in glass houses, inter alia. (It means 'amongst other things').

Pepe,

Some years ago I knew a psycholgy-trained person who was quite brilliant in her/his day-to-day practice, but severely limited beyond the point at which her training took him/her.

(You're trying to guess the gender aren't you). This person's lack of self-insight was quite remarkable. Not to say awe-inspiring.

Relevant and gently put observations went right over this person's head.

Comprehension was nil. Her/his (his/her) training produced nought but a robot, though an effective one. The bucks came in.

I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but training in the so-called helping professions is, more often than not, bestowed upon those who themselves need help. Such people feel an irresistible attraction to the subject, and would be astonished if this attraction were mooted, much less specifically alluded to.

They just wouldn't get it (they want to help people don't they - can't one see that! This is when the blood flows to the head).

I've met more walking wounded who want to help people than you've had fried rice.

The nitty gritty is this mate: you couldn't be more wrong about garro if you were consciously (note emphasis) trying to be a nark. You are way - that is - way off the mark. Your pop-psychology is pretty impressive, but that's all it is - pop.

Your life experience (and subsequent self-actualisation and self-knowledge) wouldn't hold a candle to garro's - it's obvious from your amazingly incompetent way off-the-mark, disguised-as-kind-observations of him.

garro has learnt the hard way, and has found peace. You, my friend, are still to find it.

Leave the man alone. Indulge yourself elsewhere.

hullmonkey1,

It seems that you are mellow about the total misinterpretation of your Thai/'bribe' - UK/equivalent setup. Good one.

You gave me a good laugh. One of the reasons why people like LOS, so unreasonable yet so reasonable, so acceptable, so manageable.

I just don't know why some refuse to either read a post, or are unable to get the drift. Sense of humour thing I guess. No offence to the poster who saw fit to bother responding with anegative. I'm just gently amused.

markwhite, Sir,

Our own universe?

Implying that you, MW, feel no connection to anyone/thing outside yourself? External suffering doesn't register with you? "I'm alright Jack" sort of thing? Is that all there is for you, your own universe?

This is of course a legitimate point of view, and assume with due respect that you've examined the matter sufficiently to actually have acquired your own point of view.

I wouldn't consider, even for a moment, that you are merely quoting someone, from a song lyric perhaps, as I am not an inherently unkind person.

However, it seems I've heard the phrase 'my (her/his) own universe' or 'my (his/her) own private universe', or whatever it was you said, elsewhere.

Perhaps I'm mistaken - a not entirely uncommon phenomonen - perhaps this is indeed an original thought of yours.

Either way, I feel compelled to tell you that I am deeply envious of you. No irony, I'm serious.

I have always craved, nay, envied, self-absorption, self-aggrandisement, unbridled, unconstrained (by conscience) personal ambition, separation from the other (i.e. from the suffering of the 'other').

I see my failure to attain this evolved status - this 'new man' staus - as a flaw.

Why the h_ll can't it be all about me, I ask. I am at a loss. I've clearly failed. I shall to forfeit riches. I hang my head in shame.

Thanks MW, I needed a that.

Shoot Neeranam, Someone who has very likely read more of Mr K than I.

He (K) stopped me dead in my tracks way back (in fact I thought 'hey, this is gunna be easy-peasy') when he said something like 'if you can't handle the revelation of this (truth) then you should "just cop out, loser" - or words to that effect...I don't translate too well.

I'm still trying - I think I am anyway - to find that particular text...maybe I'm ready for it...but not sure about that.

Shoot fletch - does that mean that as a sm*rt*ss bell-ringer I have to examine my motives?

Alas, now that I think about it, I fear you are right.

I can only say that I like dogs 'et al', and wouldn't use ('torture') them that way, even for big bucks. Like the archetypically egregious Dr Taub, who use ('tortured') monkeys in the name of science all those infamous years ago. I really think he did it in the name of Dr Taub.

Ah, science, that delightful playground for those who easily compartmentalise feelings from cold intellect, those who 'enjoy' their children, spouse and pets, but don't possess the ability to love them, somewhat after the fashion, I like to imagine, of Dr Mengele. Sadly such creature do, and will always, exist. Oh dear, I digress. Apologies folks. Where are my RC glasses? I'll get out your way.

Look up :

climatescience dot org dot nz

junkscience dot com

brianwilshire dot com (clk on News)

jimball dot com dot au

bjorn Lomborg on Google

newsweek this cooling world on Google (article of April 28, 1975)

solar radiation increase on Google

mars heating up on Google

global warming hoax on Google

paul ehrlich on Google (another [we're all-gunna-starve] doomsayer, from the '70's)

global warming making money on Google (pay attention fraudsters)

Elsewhere - I don't know where - you will discover that New Zealand is up for 4+ billion for failing to live up Kyoto's expectations. NZ has a population of about 4 mill. Good luck with that lads and lasses (cross your fingers and pray Aussies).

Oh Lordy, please help me to be even vaguely interested in the opinions and 'reasoned' conclusions of the

smugly, quaintly (and ever-vigilant-for-a-soapbox-crowd) gullible.

Carbon dioxide is food for plants. We need plants, animals need plants. End of story.

Al Gore is a meglomaniacal liar. His ESTATES use more electricity than 5 or 6 ordinary homes.

I couldn't even be bothered wading through the doubtless mountainous cr*p viewable in this topic, having only one lifetime. I thank my lucky stars it's almost over. Couldn't give a tinker's cuss about the f**ls, only pity their poor children.

Goodus luckus. We are going to need it.

Neeranam (love your avatar), I think it was you who said that garro's story was a success story. I agree with your statement. I want to state that it is indisputably a fact that garro's story is a success story. The level of self-insight required to, firstly, recognise that one has a problem, secondly accept responsibility for it, and thirdly act upon it is of the Very Highest Order. It would warrant Graduation with Honours and 5 gold stars from AA (q.v. their 'steps'), or any other authority in such matters, for that matter.

Few possess such intellectual honesty and self-insight, fewer still possess the courage to go so far as to act upon same, and turn their lives around. The courage to help others is not completely uncommon, but the courage to help (love) oneself is relatively rare for whom it had hitherto not been the MO.

Who amongst us, who are too overweight, who smoke too much, who can't control out self-sabotage, are able or if able, willing, to act with courage to change ourselves? Not me - I read Krishnamurti, but can't handle his steely-eyed look into my soul. Those who do not understand this fundamental point exist in a parallel universe. Rich, perhaps famous, perhaps admired by many, but still missing the point. Still, forever, always, in parallel.

madjbs - you understand garro; you get it. mpdkorat - love your avatar (what a delightful face); you get it. TheDon - you too get it. To whomever it was who got a 'yawn' out of garro - you may have more in common than you realise with the person garro was than the person he now is. (Some smartypants said that the faults we deride in others should give us pause for thought about ouselves). I make no judgment about you - who the h__l am I anyway - I possess faults aplenty.

TonyLeung - 80% under 40 do it for you? Wow. I looked you up to no avail - please insert your domicile in your profile, if it's not a cherished secret. I shall be visiting again soon, and need a pointer or three. Hmmm, maybe I'll fly away tomorrow.

Such interesting and stimulating posts in TV. I'll get out of your way now.

Bendix, your posts have been amsuing, infomrative and procovative, but I can asusure yuo taht I cuold out-articulaet yuo any daya. An'I'm an Ossey ! Iggy.

Straycat, I know where you are coming from - you are, quite rightly, a proud Thai. Good on you for that. I am a very proud Australian, who greatly admires Thailand. I was in the UK many years ago, when anti-Australianism was not uncommon, and I easily bristled when MY country was criticised. Pride in one's origins is inborn.

I got 'ripped off' in Thailand many times, but somehow it never worried me, I suppose because it was very obvious that comparatively speaking I was a rich man compared to the locals. Back in '91/2/4 an averge day's wage was about 5 Aussie dollars I believe. Trust me, this is peanuts for ALL foreigners (and I mean all, except OF COURSE for those who are mean with money and almost certainly otherwise pusillanamous).

Many if not all foreigners will happily spend $5 for a cup of coffee and a cake. A month ago (here in Sydney) I got ripped off for the same thing, but that time it was $8.50 !!

Rip-off 'artists' exist everywhere. I know of a person who had his arm cut off just for his gold rings! Now that's a ripoff (cutoff).

When a much poorer person than I tries to rip me off I (1) firstly admire his/her enterprising spirit, and (2) if I don't dislike their face, I'll give them a bit more than they expected. I like a laugh.

Mr T - I was pleased to read your response to SC. You appear to like football; I do too, but my second-best friend here in Oz would cause instant rage to overcome you - he thinks football is a girls' game. But then he's a tough nut. He would have made a brilliant ANZAC though, in spite of sporting blindness. Cheers, iggy

Firstly thanks for the tip re CM's pollution versus BKK. I'm surprised, and wiser (though I wonder why lead is so high there). As you know, children are much more vulnerable to lead ingestion than are adults.

I had a 1-week colonic 30 years ago. Certainly flattened the stomach. Seem to recall that a week was the recommended period, but this may have chanaged since. I would find any longer quite difficult to handle.

The lady forgot to tell me to take some fruit juices, and I subsisted on water only (I can't imagine now where the energy came from to last the distance).

Salt - fruit juice - don't know what current precautions are for electrolyte maintenance, though understood recently that excess f juice sugars go to the liver.

Vitamin C (with bioflavonoids) is a very good (and natural) detoxifier. Our bodies don't produce this.

We are one of a very few creatures unable to produce it.

Have heard that milk thistle detoxifies the liver - a quick check on Google appears to confirm this.

I take psyllium husks daily (with lotsa water) which maintains good peristalsis, for me anyway (of course chilies do this too). From what I've seen here in Syd this comes mostly from India. I've heard it's good for cholesterol too, but can't vouch for this (I use it for intestinal health).

Disclaimer: I vouch for nothing mentioned, except for vit C - see Linus Pauling on Google.

Check everything noted on Google. Cheers

To the psoriasis poster: - Forgot to add that psoriasis is not contagious. I have this, and was told by the blood bank that bacteria can enter the skin - and hence into the donated blood. Quite right too, hardly surprising. (Eczema presumably comes in here too).

Incidentally, was told by the skin doc that (my genetic) psoriasis was there at birth, and can manifest in babies and old people - at any age therefore. Stress is one cause, if not the cause, and, like eczema, is quite hard to treat much less cure. (Again, not bothering to be picky about terms). Cheers

Donating blood can be good for YOUR health, too, if you are a male (mainly).

Caucasian people, appararently those specifically of Celtic origin, seem to be those mainly affected. In Australia 1 person in 300 is affected. It is the most commonally inherited 'condition'. (I'm not bothering to be 100% accurate here with terms - it's in Google fellas.)

Haemochromatosis can be fatal, but it has an extraordinarily simple 'cure' -- blood-letting. In females this manifests in....well you know. Pre-menopusal females (sorry, ladies and girls) are more likely (than males) to have low iron, for this reason.

Bottom line -- do YOURSELF a favour (and be nice to others), don't bother with the blood test...just give it away to someone in need.

The irony is that the gender with the usually most easily accessible artery is the gender most in need of the needle.

I wonder if this'll get read.

Yeah yeah, I saw the mistakes, thanks all the same...mere typo's.

By the waylad, if you are/were tempted to point the mistakes out....then you a the f**l I was a'talking about!!! There's a mirror over there, or maybe 3-4, have a close look.

Oh thank the lord, I've finally got to the end of the topic (so far anyway) and can pass judgment.

Some of you people are thought-provoking and brilliant, others are f**ls. The f**ls are mostly - but not always - the ones who have a spot of bother with the language. Or are just lazy layabouts.

thaifellow - your English is 10,000 times better than my Thai. Ignore the negatives. You are superior.

Some of you have given me much food for thought for thought. Thanks for that.

Some of you merely pretend to have been around. You lack self-insight, and true experience. Pretenders. You should 'listen more, talk less'.

"LUG" -- this is short for 'lesbian until graduation'. This acronym describes not a few university students in Sydney, at least, if not in Oz as a whole, who finds it useful to 'be nice' to the 'right people', for just the right amount of time, dearie.

Then we have the ever-so-nice ladies who moonlight as 'escorts' - such a lovely word. They make ever-so-nice-nose-in-the-air ladies of the 'better' suburbs, after graduating. Yeah, right. Guess what they do.

I 'met' (read nothing into that) a very sweet girl in a Patpong bar in '91 who was deaf. My strongest instinct was to do 'something' for her. Nix, zilch, nil else, me old mateys. My priorities sucked I guess.

The most genuinely liberated female I've ever met was one in Si Racha, in a group of about 6 Thai guys, + myself.

Aussie prostitutes are generally druggies, have poor skin and zero self-respect, and of course thay don't really know what's happening. And I'm going back to the 50's me old mateys. Those of you who pontificate about Thai females are 100% clueless, and I imagine, will remain clueless until you drop off this mortal coil. Mind you, anyone who pontificates about anything is a clueless f**l. Except me.

We need a moron-detecting s/w program. Don't forget folks, English ain't SMS text, it's a language.

Fantastic topic Kan Win, Good on you mate.

Terrific posts dudes, good on you too.

Like that 'Weary' Dunlop photo a lot. What a man. Humble as can be, too.

You're right cdnvic, it's the soldiers who gave us the freedoms we enjoy, not the toffs, the chatterers.

A few years ago I was reading a Time mag in a doctor's surgery. I wasn't young then either, so with not insignificant interest I perused a snippet on the PSA test. The magic number quoted was 2+. Today I read, on Time's site, that the magic number is now 1.5+. Oh well.

Times change, opinions change, opinions differ. Eye of newt is probably still considered good medicine somewhere or other. Sometimes a little heat enters the picture, what with professional pride n'all (and unfortunately sometimes such pride is self-serving). A couple decades back medical students here were asked their reasons for studying medicine. Sixty-five percent said 'for the money'. Oh well.

(If next week some genius invented a magic bullet for absolutely everything, where would that leave our medicos. Out of work. Imagine all those empty first-class seats. But at least the genius would be a zillionaire).

About 30-35 years ago I used to visit the main library in Sydney to peruse the Medical Journal of Australia, Lancet plus the American journals - anything written in my first language. I didn't study them, just read bits and pieces of interest. The main thing I learnt was that 'a second opinion' is a neat idea. In those days one never heard of such a concept, though of course the rich doubtless ordered their medicos to provide a second name.

The Aussie medical journal article (re the prostate) of this week is currently embargoed (www. mja. com. au), but only temporarily. Prof. Simon Chapman is one of the contributors.

If you were asked if you thought your chances of getting hit by a motor vehicle while crossing the road were 'not insignificant' you would doubtless concur. It's why you keep both eyes open in traffic.

Your chances are not 'significant', but they are 'not insignificant'.

Professor Chapman in his Nov 5 article in the Sydney Morning Herald (www. smh. com. au) :- 'a not insignificant rate of serious infection like septicaemia arising from biopsies'. (I seem to recall reading somewhere that antibiotics are gradually becoming less effective - but I'm often wrong).

A decade or two ago, in Florida I think, a surgeon removed a patient's good leg. I don't know if it was re-attached, or even re-attachable back then, but one imagines the bad leg also eventually came off. Mistakes occur, even amongst the elite. There's even a word for doctor-induced trauma/illness.

Many years ago Israeli doctors went on strike, for a month I think. People faired better.

Chapman :- 'no government anywhere recommends prostate screening', plus 'The International Union Against Cancer does not support it'.

And he says that 47% of prostate cancer deaths occur in men over 80! We here in Oz consider 80 to be quite a 'good innings', mate.

This isn't tendentious, I just reckon you guys deserve a little more input, a less worry. Cheers.

Firstly, I'm replying because no one else seems to be - I suspect because no one has a clue, perhaps because there is in fact so much contradictory info out there.

Secondly, Winston Churchill drank a lot of whisky...I understand that he was ALMOST constantly under the influence. I saw his secretary on television once confirm this, but she was careful to say that he was never 'rolling drunk'. He lived to 90 if I recall correctly. He also wrote his books standing at a lectern I understand, so one can assume that he was a fit old man in spite of the grog.

It's easy to say that everything is relative, but it is of course not just a cliche...it's true. I knew a lightweight female who could drink like a fish, and I have a male friend who drinks like 2 fish. Healthy, both of them. Both recover well.

One question of you, in my mind, would be 'how do you feel in the a.m.'? Another, over what period do U consume the bottle? Feel moderate later? Drink at leisure, don't slurp? Tempted to grab another bottle? Yes, but don't, or no? Drink on a totally empty stomach before food, or maybe with a bite or two? Start in the a.m. or in the afternoon? Are you a constitutionaly fit, a robust, person?

One hears various reports about the safe limits. Trouble is that these reports vary too much, to be, in my opinion, unreliable. One should, as in most areas, trust one's gut instinct in this respect, 'listen' to one's body. If I knew you, and you didn't ask yourself if U overdo it, then maybe I'd worry, but U do. This is a good sign. When U want to drink 2 a day, let me know. Cheers.

Dakhar, that's a bit sad, but I am not too depressed for you.

I am not involved with a child, but can understand the important place a child occupies, as I adore them, in the purest, the very best sense. Their uninhibited joy in the experience of living and wonderment with the world are marvellous to behold. Innocence is a wondrous thing, both in kids and young animals. It's a gift, to us, from god.

You have a connection to life. A meaning to your existence. A reason to remain alive. You are a lucky man.

I ain't no philosopher - forget that crap mate. You exist, your child exists, by your side, loving you, needing you. You have a reason to live. Simply, I envy you. Be grateful, lest you lose it.

oops, what did I do? Anyway....I noted previously that certain ungodly types travel the world with an mightily impressive stock of BLANK cards, just waiting for the innocent types who are silly enough to bandy their personal details about with gay abandon. (Apologies to the younger souls among you - "gay abandon" is a very old phrase meaning "in a crazy sort of way" - fewer letters though).

Just this week in dear old Sydney someone was caught - AGAIN - with a stash of said cards.

Paul of Sunbelt is spot on to be outraged. It's a preposterous situation, not to say a risible situation. As someone said, lopburi3 I think, Pattaya is but a hop skip and jump from BKK, me old mateys. Pull your fingers out and take a trip, yes?

I also mentioned previously that certain resourceful gentlemen fiddle with the ATM's here in Sydney, enabling clever retrieval of vital details, which leads to....yes, you guessed it....fraud. Check the ATM first, but ALSO cover your pinkies when keying in the PIN. (+ don't record the PIN, except maybe on your ankle.)

As some smart person also previously said, somewhere here, if the mugs in Pattaya want to photocopy the BACK of your card, blank out those magic 3 digits. Except for the crooks, the jokers wouldn't notice (if someone says 'why have U covered 'those digits Sir?' -- say 'so you won't rob me blind old son'). Say it in Thai though.

But, to ditto repeato, almost ad nauseum, the trip to the big smoke is a kind of heavy-traffic-delight, ain't it....I mean really...there's so much to see...and breathe.

God bless and good luck.

There have been several good points made about to avoid problems. Naam, I think it was, suggested using a non-activated card. Great idea. This I would imagine renders the usefullness/importance to the ungodly of those magic last 3 digits (CVV? numbers) null and void. Mind you, if one wants to actually use a credit card for something or other then one would need a second - usable - card.

The Pattaya rule is course 100% crap. I posted earlier about this, and would AGAIN