thaibeachlovers

I normally scroll past your long posts, for reasons as previously discussed, but the picture of the 2 dogs made me read this one and I'm in full accord with your viewpoint "You cannot discover the secrets of life by desecrating it. The cruelty done to animals in the name of science is beyond words. "But it's to save human life!!" So the argument would be that to defile other life is okay as long as it's for the benefit of humans? A pathetic argument indeed. Is there no other way? Yes, there is. Far as I'm concerned, such wanton acts of barbarity only prove how little humanity deserves to live long and prosper. Indeed, the way humanity is behaving at present with overpopulation, environmental destruction etc etc etc is IMO heralding the end of mankind's reign on this planet

I was trying to explain why I DON'T believe that we make our own realities, but to do so I had to give some sort of evidence as to WHY, and that can only be from my personal life experience. It's not like there are school text books about it. If I was wanting to write about my personal troubles, this isn't the thread to do so on, but in the end, we are all contributing from our personal experiences, and sometimes they are relevant to illustrate the point we are trying to make. If personal experience was "out of bounds" for this thread, it'd be completely pointless, as belief in God can only be a personal experience. Do you disagree? I'm trying to avoid getting back on here in a big way, but sometimes, something is said that IMO is worth the effort.

You're dreaming if you think NZ has "lavish" social benefits, or that the pension allows one to live a life of luxury. The only thing "free" about the health sector is being in hospital or suchlike. To even see a consultant one must pay large to see a GP first, and then wait a long time for an appointment. The public health service is apparently so short of staff that it's crumbling as I write. The heart meds I need I could buy over the counter in Thailand, but in NZ I must pay the same as a millionaire to see a GP to get a prescription. As for dental; it's so expensive that people could fly to Thailand for a holiday, AND get their teeth done for less in total, before covid. I doubt the rich have a problem, given their ability to pay for private health care. Rent a house on the pension- you're having a laugh? You are right about the military though. It's been emasculated to the extent that it's virtually invisible. We don't even have fighter planes any more. However, you're barking if you think we have "fabulous social safety nets" instead. I'm all for redirecting some taxes to rebuilding the military, but that's probably never going to happen. If I thought I was in any way like Biden, I'd have to sit in the naughty corner for a month.

Sorry, but if you and he are right, I would have to hate myself more than I could say on here. I don't think I do, as I would have had to hate myself before my brother died, and why would I do that as a toddler? Where I am now can be traced directly to the death of my brother. I'm not alone. Millions if not billions would have to hate themselves to end up with their lives. I choose not to believe that hate is the predominate emotion in humanity. IMO hope is the greatest human desire.

Apologies. Just noticed the last sentence which should read "It's certainly noticeable at the supermarket and petrol station. Too late to edit the post.

If that is true, then I must really hate myself to create my present ( and much of my past ) life. Also, the way my life turned out depended on the death of my 2 year old brother, and the effect that had on my parents. If we create our own reality why would I wish so much grief on my family at an age when I had no concept of life? I prefer to disagree with your statement. Far as I'm concerned, <deleted> happens because it happens, not because it was imagined prior. In the end, life is chaos, IMO. IMO religion is the attempt of people to make chaos rational, by believing there is some sort of "plan" for it all. I do not. I believe that God created life the universe and everything and then left the universe to get on with it.

An area with hardly any people. It's the places with people that seem to be the problem now. It'd be pointless discussing the myriad problems facing NZ on here, given they seem to be endemic in most western countries. What concerns me is that most western countries seem to be suffering the same problems, so it's like there are no good western alternatives, though apparently many NZers are heading to Australia, where they at least get paid a decent wage. NZ is apparently now a low wage, high cost of living country. It's certainly noticeable at the supermarket and petrol country.

LOL. Are you forgetting that ferries will still need to run to Phangan and Tao? I assume they will still use Nathon pier. Anyway, the bridge will probably be opening about the same time as the Hopewell project is completed.

I'm in full agreement with you. Started going there back when a songtheaw was 20 baht from ferry to Chaweng, and never bothered with Phangan, but by 2000 had no desire to ever return, and visited Phangan instead, which was more like Samui before it was ruined, though no beaches on it to equal Chaweng, which is the best beach I've ever been on. Shame they put the flight path right over it though.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Bridge_(Lake_Havasu_City) There is a popular rumor that the bridge was bought in the mistaken belief that it was London's more recognizable Tower Bridge,[9][10][11] but the allegation was vehemently denied by both McCulloch and Ivan Luckin, who arranged the bridge's sale.[8]

My initial reaction was that if there was a bridge it'd really finish the island as a desirable place to visit ( Phuket is a lesson not learned, that serves as an example of what it would likely become ), but then I remembered that I stopped going there 20 years ago because it was so ruined. I doubt more tourists could make it any worse.

I have to agree with newspaper article, but I'm not going into the real reasons why it's not the place I want to live in, though PC, too much bureaucracy and over regulation are high on the list. I've lived in several countries and while Antarctica is top of the list ( I know it's not a country per se ) it's not possible to retire there, but Thailand is second. Not a day goes by I don't wish I was still living there.

Google tells us this: The Carrington Event was the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history, peaking from 1 to 2 September 1859 during solar cycle 10. It created strong auroral displays that were reported globally and caused sparking and even fires in multiple telegraph stations. Wikipedia https://www.space.com/the-carrington-event The day after Carrington observed the impressive flare, Earth experienced an unprecedented geomagnetic storm, with telegraph systems going haywire and auroral displays — normally confined to polar latitudes — visible in the tropics, according to NASA Science (opens in new tab).

https://www.livescience.com/38848-emp-solar-storm-danger.html If a nuclear bomb went off in the high atmosphere over the United States, it could possibly take out the electrical grids over most of the country. Likewise, a huge solar flare could create widespread devastation by knocking out electricity, experts say.

So? Only states get senators. If Congress wanted to change it they could try to do so.

Second and biggest mistake. Shouldn't have built a house for the <deleted> at all IMO. Hope the car is in your name. First mistake was moving to village with her, IMO.

LOL. Washington DC is a territory, NOT a state. https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC/Monuments-and-memorials

While I do not claim to know the specifics of the mine in question, some explosives are completely safe to "handle" and "bang about a bit" so long as a detonator is not in place. C4 ( at least in my military days ) could be used to boil the kettle. Perhaps the soldier in question was trying to obtain some fuel for cooking. If one can't see from the VDO that the soldier has done the same before; perhaps many times, one isn't looking at the VDO properly. He knew exactly what he was doing.

?????? I wasn't aware that an ex PM can create any sort of ministry.

I doubt that is a tank. Do you see a turret with a big gun barrel? I don't. IMO far more likely to be an infantry fighting vehicle of the BMP class. The soldiers were not inside the vehicle and were sitting on the top, which is how soldiers have traveled on armoured vehicles for almost as long as armoured vehicles have existed. If that many soldiers were "inside" the vehicle, it'd be a APC and definitely not a tank. Can't have been a very large mine as the vehicle is apparently still intact afterwards. Of course there is no way of telling what happened to the crew from such a short VDO.

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I worked with Filipina nurses. I never got to play with any. I don't need to elaborate about Thai girls though, except to say that most were nicer than any I met in western countries.

Link?

It's not as though there wasn't all night opening back in the 90s. Worked well enough then.

I remember when Pattaya was open 24/7 and devoid of probems because of it. While many bars did close sometime early hours, between Marine disco and another nearby it was possible to party till after dawn, and there were always some drinkers in a bar on the way back to hotel. Couple of gogos in Nana in the 90s were open till after dawn. I never lasted till closing as needed some sleep before they opened about 6 pm ( or perhaps 8 pm- getting forgetful ). Those were happier days than in this century.