featography

Only in Thailand would this article have to be explicitly labeled 'Satire' at the top.

This is an excellant example of mixed emotions;

The satire is hilarious

The fact that all the real news is as absurd and unbelievabe as George's satire is frightening

It is obvious that this pervert had some resources back in the States; he would have had to come up with $50,000 dollars for a bail bond to get out. He would have had no problem getting a passport as long as he did not have any outstanding warrants, or the court did not specifically submit an order that prohibits it. Unfortunately, child molesters in the U.S. are kept separate from the general jail population so they won't be harmed. It is sickening to think that these predators are more protected than their innocent victims. I say "kill 'em all and let god sort it out!"

Take comfort my friend:

http://en.wikipedia....ki/John_Geoghan

Thanks hyku1147! The link made my day!

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On another note...there is a lot of speculation on how a a molester could get a passport. Passports are under federal jurisdiction, not the state and the U.S. justice system is so backed up that a year or more could go by before the information on a criminal is entered into the national system.

It is sad that most molestation cases will never make it to trial because the D.A. usually cuts a deal with them; which means most of them will be back out on the streets again free to molest and rape. Despicably, many cases are dropped or never filed because the D.A. does not want to deal with it; the U.S. justice system is based solely on how many convictions the D.A. can win to boost their career; if there is a chance they might lose (which looks bad on their ladder climbing resume) they often will not prosecute. This is not my opinion, it is fact and first hand knowledge!

By the way, if anyone has knowledge or suspects that a child is being abused and does not say anything, they are as guilty as the abuser. It is our duty as human beings to keep those who can not fight for themselves safe. I am NOT suggesting that people take the law into their own hands or become vigilantes due to the fact that there are many people that have been falsely accused of pedophilia (which I believe the false accuser should be locked up for life for such a heinous lie); just don't hide your heads in the sand.

Quick note on the passports...they are issued by the State Department which is under federal jurisdiction.

As Cheech and Chong once said, "BAILIF, wack off his pee pee"

Everybody has a gun except the law abiding that just want to defend their homes and loved ones. So much for gun bans and restrictions. How bout they try law enforcement?

No drinking in bars saturday night all across the country?

Shock, horror!

How will all the farangs survive?

How will all the Thai survive??

.

"What if income is not pension income but investment income? To be treated the same way?"

Yes! -- Basing income on a "pension" is clearly a simple-minded ancient outdated concept -- What about dividend income from investments paid quarterly or yearly to a foreign account? -- how about annuity income or distribution from an IRA? -- A retiree drawing on savings?

Some immigration agent with a 6th grade education and an IQ of 70 is supposed to understand and judge a retiree based on all of those possible variables?

Hopefully, this ridiculous edict will go the way of the photo-copy of both sides of a credit card that was required a couple of years ago and lasted only a few weeks until someone woke up and realized how ridiculous it was.

.

What amount does the Thai immigration gauge the rate of exchange from foreign income to Thai Baht? The US consulate charges rates for services at the rate of 40B/ 1USD

"the ministry's Subcommittee on Safe and Creative Media"

straight out of Orwell

I was thinking the same. Then one would have to deal with the Thai Circumlocution Office. If you have no idea what this is it comes from the Charles Dickens' Little Dorrit. I quote

Charles Dickens wrote Little Dorrit between 1855 and 1857. The term circumlocution describes roundabout or indirect speech, or the use of many words where a few would do. The Circumlocution Office is a place of endless confusion. Forms need to be filled in to request permission to fill in more forms.

If you have not read the book then I highly reccomend you do.

Well, Well, Well,

Now we know what the Thai govt is patterned after. They studied the West for new ideas, were so excited to read this book, stopped with that one, and started their Demo Cra Cee. Even patterned the online language translation programs from Dickens., and ever since then, it has beat the Dickens out of of us, trying figure out Thai way.:jerk:

Definitely, too old. You should try the social network website targeted specifically at our age group, faceliftbook.com.

Yep have joined GP but am advised old buggers with maximum experience are unrequired.......

. FB doesnt broadcast this, but you and your friend need to change your site address, from http:// to https"//, which is the secured status so 3rd parties cant mess with your account.

How it is done;

upper right corner, click on ACCOUNT

then click on ACCOUNT SETTINGS,

when that page appears, click on ACCOUNT SECURITY

you will get a drop down menu. Check the box marked, "Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible"

It is also advised to check the box under that

Login Notifications When an unrecognized computer or device tries to access my account: Send me an email

FB has notoriously bad security and is prone to attack.

Agreed. FB doesnt broadcast this, but you and your friend need to change your site address, from http:// to https"//, which is the secured status so 3rd parties cant mess with your account.

How it is done;

upper right corner, click on ACCOUNT

then click on ACCOUNT SETTINGS,

when that page appears, click on ACCOUNT SECURITY

you will get a drop down menu. Check the box marked, "Browse Facebook on a secure connection (https) whenever possible"

It is also advised to check the box under that

Login NotificationsWhen an unrecognized computer or device tries to access my account: Send me an email

Can the german documrntery be translated and sent to the United States, England, Australia, and even Canada?

Pirate a copy, and send it to National Geographic.

Maybe they wont air it, but it might plant the seed we need that NG does their own expose.

My order of preference would be....Amazon (at the PTT stations (especially if they are in a location where they use bottled milk and not UHT milk. Then Mc Donalds McCafe. Everywhere else falls down on consistency. Maccas also have the advantage that you get get a slightly warmed chocolate muffin and add softserve to eat with it,,,,heaven.

I agree with you, but would add Black Canyon to that list. McD is good,but, drinking coffee black, no sugar, I prefer Burger Kings coffee both in the States and here in Thailand. Bkk Paragon, Burger King, I got a coffee, sat down with some friends and thought, this tastes exactly like back home. I studied the pretty pictures on the cup and lo there it was printed "Burger King Coffee Imported from Washington, USA" A very nice surprise.

I'm already making homemade peanut butter, hummus and frijoles.... every week....

The salsa...I'm content to let someone else prepare, especially when there are decent store-bought varieties available that are shelf-stable and I don't have to worry about it getting old in the frig....

Ok show off, how about flour and corn tortillas, or, real buttermilk, or, Hidden Ranch Salad Dressing, or, jalapenos, habanero, Serano chilies? Serious as a heart attack, does Villa happen to stock any of these things??? BTW, if you like homemade peanut butter, which I think is for kids, try home made almond butter. Thats for the grownups. Once you go there, you save the peanut butter for other people

My guess would be a Xenochrophis piscator (Checkered Keelback). Not dangerous.

Im sitting next to a man that is a farmer, and I showed him the picture. He said Naja (cobra)

For fun, I pulled up the pic of checkered keelback, and the picture of the snake in question. The 2 pics side by side, are of very different snakes. The checkers are dark, the markings on the other snake are very light colored, to name but one difference. I bet a cafe yenne my neighbor sitting next to me is right; its a cobra

When I fist moved out here I put my car into storage and I did the following,

1. Vehicle on stands, stands under suspension.

2. Drained petrol and from a small container pumped Inox throughout the fuel system and with plugs out cranked the engine to lubricate the bores (put plugs back in afterwards)

3. Hand brake off and backed off rear brake shoes.

4. Removed front disc pads.

5. Disconnected the battery (fully charged).

6. left doors slightly ajar (don't want the door rubbers to sit compressed).

7. Put on Car cover.

Vehicle was stored in an airtight shipping container along with the rest of my belongings, went back after 2 years and sorted the brakes, put fuel in it connected the battery and it started as if I had only just parked it.

6. I disagree with. good chance of mice geckos, cockroaches inside the car, and whatever else might like your interior. If mice can get in, and they can squeeze thru some narrow spaces, so will the snakes. I'd rather risk the the rubbers, but leave the windows slightly open.

I would definitely jack the car up, AND remove the tires and wheels, AND store them some place else. Make it difficult for others to "borrow" the car.

Reading the responses to my post makes it clear why men are responsible for so much wreckage in society.

If this topic makes you uncomfortable or 6.7% more gay than you better stop reading now because this next post may put you over the edge. If you think that being beaten with a leather belt was OK for you than I suggest you ask your children how they felt about it when you did it to them because you were 100 times more likely to beat your own kids. You don't just get over it, you pass it along.

Raising the issue of what it means to be a strong, honorable man in the modern world should not threaten your sexuality unless you already have some doubts. There is a world of information out there on this topic because most men seeking balance are not afraid of self examination. I stated that I am a better man because of my exploration of the topic and I know that my son is a far better man because I made the effort and not pass down to him the dysfunction that is the direct result of mens failure to get a grip.

Ignorance truly is bliss and I am well aware of that. You don't know what you don't know and if your happy to live with that and the products of your ignorance have at it. The statistics which record the wreckage of mens inability to navigate their lives clinging to ignorance are staggering. If you were all so well adjusted I would think that suicide, depression, anxiety, domestic violence, and the multitude of compulsive behaviors would not exist. Unfortunately they do.

• Every 17 minutes another life is lost to suicide. Every day 86 Americans take their own life and over 1500 attempt suicide.
• Suicide was the eighth leading cause of death of all Americans, the third leading cause of death for young people 15-24.
• For every two victims of homicide in the U.S. there are three deaths from suicide.
• There are now twice as many deaths due to suicide than due to HIV/AIDS.
• Between 1952 and 1995, the incidence of suicide among adolescents and young adults nearly tripled.
• White men accounted for 72% of all suicides. Women are more likely to attempt suicide. However, men are four times more likely to die from suicide than are women.
• Suicide accounts for l in 100 deaths. The majority of those who die in this way are men.
  A worrying recent trend is the increasing rate of suicide among younger men (a trend not seen among young women). The majority of these men have not asked for help before their deaths.
• Social isolation: those who kill themselves often live alone and have little contact with others. They may have been recently widowed or have never married
• The reasons why the number of men taking their own lives has risen in recent years are far from clear. All of the proposed explanations share a common feature – the changing role of men in society.
• Boys don't cry
  In many societies, expressing emotions, for example sadness, fear, disappointment or regret, is seen as being less acceptable for boys than girls.
• Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the Veterans Affairs Department.
• Since WW2 more veteran men have died from suicide than from war.
• Here's another telling statistic that validates men's mental health. Between 600,000 and 6 million women are victims of domestic violence each year, and between 100,000 and 6 million men, depending on the type of survey used to obtain the data. The health-related costs of intimate partner violence exceed $5.8 billion each year.
• I don't know what the statistics for men behaving badly in Thailand are but I'm guessing that it is worse. One only has to read the endless stories of men who come here and go off the rails. The US State Department has recently added a requirement for a K-1 visa that the sponsor has not been convicted of domestic violence. No doubt they saw a problem with mens inability to cope with the demands of a multicultural relationship.

There's more. Twenty percent of women and ten percent of men are physically abused by men. Depression and anxiety are the fastest growing medical conditions in the US. Over half the population are on antidepressants and sleep aids already. There is a direct connection between these conditions and the growing obesity problems.

These terrible issues are the direct result of mens "isolation" and their misunderstanding of modern mens roles. The numbers are roughly the same for gay men as straight men. The latest growing problem is male on male rape in the military.

So again I ask what is wrong with trying to learn something about the issues that produce all this wreckage? I don't mean to suggest that everyone should go out and join a mens group. It worked for me 20 years ago, but I give it little thought these days. I only raised the issue because I am wittiness daily to pathetic men who seem to lack an ounce of dignity and honor.

If your life is happy and balanced, good for you. It is likely due to having strong male role models. If you are one of the many who think it gay to have an open mind well, I feel sorry for you.

73% of all statistics are made up on the spur of the moment

Before I came to Thailand I was fortunate to have been a member of a mens group of 12 men who were interested in examing what it means to be a man and how to balance ourselves to achieve a happy life

I'm so sorry if my comment sounds discriminatory in any way, but I have to ask:

Are you American??

does sound american

mmmmmm... Is Boy George and Elton John American?

At a guess if the avocados are watery and tasteless i would suggest they are seed grown varieties and not grafted hybrids, altho i have also had some avocados off a seed grown tree which have been excellent. There is no consistency with seed varieties.

Usually ,if a couple of varieties are grown ,you can extend your harvest season - Feurte and Haas are two of the older common varieties that produce fruit in different months and have different characteristics, taste and appearance. Apparently there are some tropical varieties available now for the far north of Australia which may be suitable for Thailand.

If you are looking at Avocardos as a commercial crop then the emphasis would be on good drainage - Most avocardos will die because of root disease than anything else.

I hope this helps;

http://www.avocadoso..._PG_143-145.pdf

I learned that Thai do not like avocados for eating, but there is a demand for them in the cosmetic industry. It does not surprise me that the fruit is picked before ripe. That is the custom with many fruits here, so why think different about avocados.

I won't even get into the different varieties when trying to propagate the trees. They are both male and female, and the male flowers open at different times than the females on the same tree. It's an education to know which varieties match which varieties. For sure one must have at least 1 tree in the orchard with the others, that are different variety, but is a match for the others. Confused? Google explains it much better than I can.

On a side note, Japan has discovered the avocado, it is a big hit to mash it into a paste and mix with wasabi. I've tried that, and it is delicious.

I would suggest you contact the state drivers license office in the state where your American license expired and ask them or stop into a local DL office upon your arrival. It is important that you look into this before driving anything because if for some reason your DL became suspended which sometimes happens when you fail to renew your auto insurance. In your case that is a possibility if you did not notify them at the time you sold you car before coming to Thailand. A driving on suspended license is a criminal offense and could result in a trip to the local jail until you post bond. You should be able to look up the drivers license office to the state you were licensed in on the Internet. Give them a call and ask them about your drivers license status and if you can now drive on a Thai license in your state while visiting. This may save you a lot of pain and at the very least will give you peace of mind.

I learned this option that most people are unaware of. My home state is Oregon, and I don't know if other states do or do not have the same convenience. I called a DMV from Thailand, explained I was living out of country TEMPORARILY, and my Or license expired. They gave me their site that I could pay online for renewal, and receive a drivers license with no photo, good for 5 yrs. Stipulation being, upon return to Oregon, I have 30 days to go in and exchange for a license with photo. You might inquire with your state if that option is open to you.

You went to a travel agent to book an Air Asia flight?????? Well we know who's the joke!

Who is the joke? You??

Tell me then how I can book a flight with Air Asia online with no credit card?

If you think the travel agent tried to cheat me, then why did she sell me a ticket from BKK to Copenhagen at 36,000 THB when it was officially priced on Thai Airways´ website at 47,000 THB?

Yes, we know who´s the joke :-D

if you have a debit card with visa logo on it, that works the same as a credit card. If you dont have, change and get one

Will we soon be wearing our computers?

Eventually it will be wired into your head.

Maybe then we'll find out how the Three Seashells work

That's remarkable.. Out of 20+ numbers to get number 1. What are the odds.. (Don't tell me, I KNOW what the odds are). If this is what it takes for some parties to recognize what they're up against this time around then better late than never..

Thai way; create your own luck around whatever number you get dealt

too bad the numbers didnt go as high as 70. I would be glued to the tv waiting for the explanation for getting that ever so popular double digit number.:jerk:

This is the Thai way and it will never change. Commerce Chamber should focus on Enron companies in thailand ran by foreign ownership. Strict and in depth due diligence will reveal sales to paper companies abroad with no occurence of a real transaction.

going to start it next month? Why not start RIGHT NOW

What is it with technical colleges, does anyone know?

This has been going on as long as I have lived in Thailand.

School rivals--it's past a joke, have these got any parents????? Home made bombs powerful to blow a hand off.

I agree with you, unless someone( teacher) in the know we have to assume many things Jealousy =upmanship =lower and upper class schools-state or private?- this cannot fall back on education-only............To my mind the biggest problem starts at home, discipline, knowing right from wrong, these spoilt brats want more than a ticking off, and parents have to take the blame for

minors.

HURT---one lost his hand--maimed should have read.

station 'em in those 3 southern provinces.

my suggestion...........

There are two aspects to resolving this problem. The first is the police enquiry that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The list of suspects cannot be very long, The second aspect is the difficult bit - getting these two schools (teachers and students) to direct the rivalry between them into postive and constructive channels. The threat of closure should focus their minds on the task in hand.

Here's 2 aspects for you.

1) when caught, and found guilty, deposit them in one of the 3 provinces down south, and let them play with the big boys.

2) incarcerate their parents for a few years, and force them after they get out, to pay restitution.

Make that law, and broadcast on all media, and see how fast parents take control of their future criminal offspring.

Better call Dog the Bounty Hunter!

Yep. Dog'll giterdun

A source said Yingluck would attend a general meeting today of the party executive board, which will recommend only one name - her's - for the No 1 slot on the party-list.

She will be democratically elected afterall.

The PTP members can vote for Yingluck or ... not vote for Yingluck.

I find it most curious that the polls too often include less than 3000 people in 17 provinces. What are the 17 provinces? There may be a clue there demographically showing selective attitude and mindset.