richardjm65

Well, there you are djayz, with the help of the excellent video, thaddeus's remembering of the name of the village and my directions, you're there! Beers all round, I think.

(Cash donations also greatly appreciated).

Finding the Korat immigration office is quite easy but it does rather depend on the direction you're coming from. If you're coming from the east (Chockchai), follow the dual carriageway road towards Korat for about 10km from the traffic lights at the big crossroads. On your right you'll see two very tall red clay jars on the other side of the dual carriageway. Immediately u-turn and go back to the two big jars and from there, simply follow the signs.

If, on the other hand, you're coming from Korat and heading towards Chokchai, those big red jars will be on your left. Coming from the Korat direction you'll know you're getting near when you pass through the pottery village (can't remember the name). Hope that helps.

God, Bhuddha, or whomsoever you choose to influence your life, lives within you. It's down to you to find that inspiration. Don't look to false prophets.

Your post is indeed one of honesty and personal experience. I enjoyed. Thanks.

Buddha is not a Prophet, a prophet speaks to god, so it's not an honest post it's a post made wrongly about something.

our aim is to do exactly what this poster said, with Buddha's teaching to guide us, but we don't worship him, he says false prophet and almost quotes Buddhas ways word for word in the same line.

Perhaps you might like to re-read my entire original post (#11). You might then see that I referred to Buddhism as a philosophy and that I thought that that philosophy appeared to be sound. Nowhere have I referred to the Buddha as a prophet - you have simply taken the final line and have chosen to perceive my meaning as dishonest. I said, in one sentence, 'God, Buddha, or whomsoever you choose to influence your life, lives within you'. Then, (separate sentence), I said 'It's down to you to find that inspiration'. Third and final sentence, written to close the entire post, 'Don't look to false prophets'.

Perhaps I should have amplified that final sentence. However, in the context of the entire post, I thought it would probably be understood. I'm sorry if the meaning failed to make itself apparent to you. Mea culpa.

re

Political Correctness gone mad

the op might still be living in england : (

dave2

No Dave - I'm here in Thailand. But my correspondent, (Trevor, retired solicitor) is, I fear, still in the UK and wishing he were elsewhere. Wouldn't you?

To whomsoever it may concern.

Please accept, with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non addictive, gender neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday practised with the most enjoyable traditions of religious persuasion or secular practices of your choice with respect for the religious or secular persuasions and/or the traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all.

I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted year 2013, but not without due respect to the the calendar of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped to make our country great, (not to imply that any country is necessarily greater than any other country), and without regard to race, creed, colour, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of 'the wishee'. By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms: this greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by 'the wishor' to actually implement the wishes for her or him or others and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of 'the wishor'.

The wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of 'the wishor'.

Best regards (without prejudice)

(The above comes by courtesy of my old school chum, Trevor, a retired solicitor).

In the last few minutes I've just finished 'Savages' by Don Winslow. This man rocks! None of his books that I've read so far follows a discernible formula, like so many of the 'airport book stand' writers tend to offer. This book was good enough to encourage Oliver Stone to turn it into a movie - which I have not yet seen, but very much want to.

This time he tries a very sparse and tight narrative style. It's imaginative, and you cannot help but identify with the characters. It has to do with a couple of interesting guys with very different histories and skills, who have investigated the top end of pot growing and, having become hugely successful as a result, find themselves being fingered and compromised by a Mexican cartel. The guys share a girlfriend - their mutual affection for her leading them into war with the cartel when she is kidnapped by the cartel.

I see that I have a good few others of his books to read, but if they're anywhere near as good as those I've read so far, I have lots to look forward to. I can't think of anyone to compare him with. He's that good.

I tried a couple of Terry Pratchett books, and because he's so raved about, I guess I'll have to try again to see what I might have missed, 'cos those that I did read did not do so much for me. As for Len Deighton, he's always been a good read - whatever direction he takes.

I rather like this book thread - it introduces me to lots more potential good reads. We should keep it going.

Agree with you about Don Winslow, but there are plenty of other great writers out there producing non formulaic books in a similar genre,

Any of the following writers are as good as Winslow and some are better ;

Newton Thornberg ; R J Ellorry; James Sallis; Ken Bruen; George Pelicanos; Charlie Huston ; etc. Enjoy.

See? that's what I mean about this being an interesting thread. Of the writers you've mentioned, all, (with the exception of George Pelicanos, whom I've read a couple of, and much enjoyed), are unknown to me. I really must get that Kindle! So much to read, so little time.

In the last few minutes I've just finished 'Savages' by Don Winslow. This man rocks! None of his books that I've read so far follows a discernible formula, like so many of the 'airport book stand' writers tend to offer. This book was good enough to encourage Oliver Stone to turn it into a movie - which I have not yet seen, but very much want to.

This time he tries a very sparse and tight narrative style. It's imaginative, and you cannot help but identify with the characters. It has to do with a couple of interesting guys with very different histories and skills, who have investigated the top end of pot growing and, having become hugely successful as a result, find themselves being fingered and compromised by a Mexican cartel. The guys share a girlfriend - their mutual affection for her leading them into war with the cartel when she is kidnapped by the cartel.

I see that I have a good few others of his books to read, but if they're anywhere near as good as those I've read so far, I have lots to look forward to. I can't think of anyone to compare him with. He's that good.

I tried a couple of Terry Pratchett books, and because he's so raved about, I guess I'll have to try again to see what I might have missed, 'cos those that I did read did not do so much for me. As for Len Deighton, he's always been a good read - whatever direction he takes.

I rather like this book thread - it introduces me to lots more potential good reads. We should keep it going.

I have just also remembered that whilst doing my apprenticeship in the RAF, I built a fourteen foot GP14 sailing dinghy which I named 'Perdido', as a tribute to the quartet - it was one of their famous pieces. I believe 'perdido', in Spanish, means 'lost' - an appropriate name for my first boat.

They tell me it happens in Cumberland, too.

Sad news indeed - he did so much to bring what was still a fairly new development in jazz to thousands - millions, perhaps. My first of his albums was 'Jazz at Oberlin', and it was said that Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond were in the middle of a fairly bitter squabble, the result of which was that each tried to outplay the other, once on stage. Maybe it's true, maybe not. I went on to collect just about all his albums, but never had the opportunity to see and hear him live.

What made him special was that he remained melodic, even when improvising, unlike many others who sought to confound with their discords and 'million notes a minute' styles.

During those years of the late fifties and early sixties Dave Brubeck was, for me, right up there with the MJQ, Cannonball Adderly, Dizzy Gillespie, Zoot Sims, Charlie Mingus and Gerry Mulligan, to name but a few. He was a master of his trade.

I'd settle for constant power, having grown weary of sporadic power cuts, usually when I'm in the shower, fully soaped up! I've been told that this country has one of the most modern power generation systems, but one of the worst distribution systems with the poorest maintenance. I have no cause to doubt this, and ensure that we always have candles, ready to go, whenever the black-outs occur.

Some, I know, deal well with these conditions, Jim Collister being one, who seems to revel in the quietness and peace of such an event. For sure, it does mean that the thumping bass from some party, or the toneless wailing of a would be singer at some nearby karaoke joint are silenced for a while, at least. It's amazing how sound travels when you live in the boonies!

It does raise the question of how folk dealt with the absence of electrical power long ago. What would a temple fair have been like without the electrically powered lights and amplifiers? How would the young bloods been able to see enough to bash and stab each other? It could not have been half the fun it is nowadays.

We've become accustomed to having electrical power, and its cessation is, we feel, almost a personal affront. At such times, when the lightning is flashing, the thunder roaring, and I'm soaped up in the shower, I do sometimes spare a though for the poor bloody linemen who have to go out and fix that shit. Who'd be a Thai lineman at such times?

most are always frustrated, angst, suspiscious, anti-social, and certainly don't care for those around them [less, care for the society at large].

Typical and sad.

Occasionally frustrated, yes. Angst, suspicious, anti-social, don't care for those around, or care for society at large, wrong. A big no. Typical and sad? Come on! Get a life.

Come now, Jezz, there are some who revel in the high life, playing and re-playing Leonard Cohen songs at slower speeds to wring the deepest meaning from them.

On second thoughts, though, Leonard Cohen songs might be a little too up-beat and frivolous.

If you're attaching to concrete, then a plate, studded to the concrete, would make a good overhead attachment. A hook might be welded to the plate. If you have any steel supports, then you could attach a plate (with hook) to that. Use another hook on the top end of the vertical shaft of the fan. From the first hook, drop a plumb bob to the gypsum ceiling, mark it and drill a hole of sufficient diameter. Ease shaft up through the gypsum and attach it hook to hook. Then attach fan.

Next, surround the shaft where it passes through the gypsum with a silicone sealant and allow this to set. Starting the fan on "low", check for vibration. If you note vibration, switch off fan and then, turning the fan by hand, measure the distance (always at the same place) between gypsum ceiling and tip of fan blade. Repeat with the other two blades, bending the blades up or down to match the average measurement. You might need to do this a couple of times to get the fan balanced. After that, there should be no problems.

This little trick comes as a result of balancing the flight of helicopter rotor blades way back when.

You can, of course, cut the length of the vertical fan support shaft to your require length.

To take it a step further, the OP asks if many members have converted to the religion. Well, it should be understood that, as other posters have said, it is a philosophy rather than a religion. Therefore, what's to convert to? Or from?

If, having become familiar with the precepts of Bhuddism, you feel that they're not a such bad road plan for your life, then go ahead and "convert" if that's what you feel is required, but Buddhism runs quite satisfactorily in tandem with any of your deeply felt beliefs. It's not one of those either/or religions, like Judaism, Catholicism or Islam. Just don't get bogged down in the mumbo-jumbo, because there's plenty of that, as with all religious or philosophical attempts to control our lives.

Religion is all about control. It thrives on ignorance and superstition.

I have no objection to my wife participating in the various temple activities - indeed, I encourage her to do so, but she does understand that many of the practices are quite ridiculous, and that is why she prefers to attend the small forest temples in difficult to reach places, where the urge to part folk from their money is not quite so obvious.

I have also to say that she equally respects my beliefs and acknowledges that I have, perhaps, a better understanding of real Buddhism. In a way, she may even understand my agnosticism. That's why we're still able to rub along quite satisfactorily, I think.

Gosh! It's a deep, deep topic. I'll have to put some thought into this.......

Just finished Jeremy Clarkson's The World According to Clarkson Vols. 3 and 4. As someone who is very out of touch with the UK - I have not lived there in nearly 30 years - and have only visited twice in the period (the last time 15 years ago), I found them both very amusing and frightening. I know he is an inveterate liar, exaggerator, generalizer and subject to flights of whimsy, but even if it is not quite half as bad as he makes out, it seems that the UK has gone or is going to the extremes of PC, Big Brother (1984 not the reality series) and some form of third party involvement in all aspects of your life.

After those light reads, I decided to takle something a bit more weigthy and have started to read Paul Theroux's Ghost Train to the Eastern Star. The last paragraph of page three (not the footnote) really got me thinking and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. Certainly resonates with some contemplating returning to the UK for a short visit to see his old haunts after such a long absence.

Jeremy Clarkson's work went to volumes 3 & 4? Great god in heaven, will the man never stop yacking? Not, it appears, as long as there's a cash cow to be milked. I've also been out of the UK for a few years, (since 1972, in fact), and so missed his rise to fame and fortune. Other than u-tube clips, I must be one of the few Brits never to have seen an episode of "Top Gear". The World According to Clarkson that I recently read, and which I found more amusing and far less irritating than I'd anticipated was published in 2004, and does not show a volume number, so perhaps it was his first go. Whatever, it was comprised of his columns written for the Sunday Times and he did poke a good few sticks in the eye of the establishment, and for that alone, he deserves some credit.

If the accounts of friends returning here from the UK are anything to go by, ripping into the current system and way of life would be, (unless you're very rich), one of the few pleasures left to be had by your average Brit. Guinness would appear to be out of the question now - I heard it is now around three pounds fifty for a pint. My pension of just over one hundred pounds a week would not go far at that rate.

I have not yet found a copy of Paul Theroux's book, and since his travel stuff is some of my favourite reading, I look forward to that. I think I may have heard an abridged version of it on BBC radio, where it was serialised - is that possible? He's another writer whom I hold in high esteem, though I prefer his travel writing more than his novels, though I have both novels and travels on my shelf.

The Frederick Forsyth book I was trying to remember - "The Cobra".

What I've read from Bill Bryson has been so good that I have to ensure that I read it with an empty bladder.

The Alan Bennett stuff I'm not familiar with, but have noted it in my little black book.

I've read some real clunkers over the last couple of weeks - a reflection, I suppose, of what books become available here in up-country land. One of them was called "Single white e@mail", which was, for me, simply a really poor piece of work reflecting, (as if we hadn't heard it enough), the differences between men and women. There were a couple more - but my spirits rose when I copped a copy of Frederick Forsyth's 2010 book, about the cocaine wars, Unfortunately, just now, the title eludes me, as I've passed it on. A good read with an interesting take on the possibilities of dealing with the cocaine wars.

So, lacking further new reading, I resorted to the bookshelf and picked out a book that and old chum gave me for Christmas 2 years ago, which I'm now re-reading. It is "Kiss Me, Chudleigh", by William Cook, ISBN 978-1-444-71149-3. It's some of the collected works of Auberon Waugh (sadly no longer with us). This is quite the funniest, thought provoking book I've read in years, taking swipes at just about all the established institutes of the UK, but specifically politicians, do-gooders, the ruling class, the subservient class, literary critics and so on. If you're a Brit, you'd appreciate that Tony Benn felt moved to describe him as being "a most unpleasant man". Waugh wrote, at various stages of his life, for The Catholic Herald, The Spectator, The Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph, Private Eye, New Statesman, Literary Review, Evening Standard, Tatler and Oldie.

If you enjoy the English language at its best - equally cruel, funny, incisive, class-ridden and totally outrageous, this is a "must read".

An excerpt on politicians:- "Until the public accepts that the urge to power is a personality disorder in its own right, like the urge to sexual congress with children or the taste for rubber underwear, there will always be the danger of circumstances arising which persuade people to start listening to politicians and taking them seriously".

On sexual equality:- " No man is so boring, unpleasant or unattractive that he cannot find an equally boring, unpleasant or unattractive woman to be his life's companion if he sets his mind to it".

On dieting:- "Dieting destroys brain cells and permanently impairs mental performance. It distorts moral perceptions and tends towards unsafe driving, removing all libido while making the dieter more prone to HIV and its concomitant scourge, AIDS. It makes those who fall victim stupid, mad, ugly and boring. Death is seldom long delayed".

Enjoy!

Here is another free tip, let it cool down first before you load it in. Actually since losing my full spectrum UBC I have a lot of Explore channels to watch, saw one on coffee enemas, apparently when done right some realy nasty musousy crap should exit if detoxing at the same time. Not that neaderthal looking for an emema from Starbucks would be actually interested but there you go for the other punters, Rancid delivers the goods on any topic.

How is a coffee enema a "detoxing" event? Caffeine is classified as a toxic agent. Well, that's what they taught us in pharmacology 402. The caffeine causes the rapid heartbeat and elevated blood pressure, because of the body's reaction to the entry of a foreign chemical into the human body - the classic response to a toxic substance. The "mucousy response" is actually the destruction of the lining of the bowel and rectum as the protective mucous layers are attacked and savaged by the exposure to the vasoconstricting liquid bath. As the innards are stripped, bacteria, viruses and fungi are better able to attack the membrane and do damage. The end result is a weakened physical structure, irritation and the loss of natural defenses against disease. Enemas have a use, but medical use products are formulated with the body's physiology taken into consideration. Here we have someone who wants to take non sterile coffee , mixed with non sterile water and inject it into the body. Absolutely brilliant. Why not call over a voodoo priest to do some chanting and dancing at the same time, and then one can light some candles and pray to Turd, the god of bowel movements too?

Here is another free tip, let it cool down first before you load it in. Actually since losing my full spectrum UBC I have a lot of Explore channels to watch, saw one on coffee enemas, apparently when done right some realy nasty musousy crap should exit if detoxing at the same time. Not that neaderthal looking for an emema from Starbucks would be actually interested but there you go for the other punters, Rancid delivers the goods on any topic.

How is a coffee enema a "detoxing" event? Caffeine is classified as a toxic agent. Well, that's what they taught us in pharmacology 402. The caffeine causes the rapid heartbeat and elevated blood pressure, because of the body's reaction to the entry of a foreign chemical into the human body - the classic response to a toxic substance. The "mucousy response" is actually the destruction of the lining of the bowel and rectum as the protective mucous layers are attacked and savaged by the exposure to the vasoconstricting liquid bath. As the innards are stripped, bacteria, viruses and fungi are better able to attack the membrane and do damage. The end result is a weakened physical structure, irritation and the loss of natural defenses against disease. Enemas have a use, but medical use products are formulated with the body's physiology taken into consideration. Here we have someone who wants to take non sterile coffee , mixed with non sterile water and inject it into the body. Absolutely brilliant. Why not call over a voodoo priest to do some chanting and dancing at the same time, and then one can light some candles and pray to Turd, the god of bowel movements too?

Way too much information here, geriatrickid!

I'll just stick to my Earl Grey tea - taken the traditional way.

I've always thought, ( and in a way you've confirmed it), that the mechanisms and wonders of one's bottom and bowel functions are, generally speaking, a one-way affair. Long may it continue so.

I wouldn't want to "buck" the system!

We got one in our fridge once. We eventually retrieved him and thought he'd passed over to the great gecko heaven. He hadn't. 30 minutes later he twitched a bit, shook himself off, and made a dash for the roof where, as far as I know, he still lives. It would be nice to think that he passed on the wisdom of not getting caught in a 'fridge to his chums.

Gecko's can be weird......

I've never been a great fan of coffee. Is it possible that an Earl Grey tea enema might do the trick?

I've always liked Earl Grey.