ravip

2 hours ago, fvw53 said:

Thank you but I do not think that if my (new) HP desktop PC with Win 10 cannot detect a Samsung or an AJ it will detect the ASUS player your recommend

www.makemkv.com looks good but only after the Blu-Ray player is detected and is operational

The ASUS player recommend via the link is one made specially to be connected/mounted internally in a PC. Maybe, it might need a driver to be installed, and if so, when you buy it the driver CD or whatever will be included.

The two players you already have are  normal domestic type, meant to be connected to a TV or monitor.

Just because the HDMI port is located next to an USB port in your PC, does not mean it is an input.

Example >>> My HP 4530s has the HDMI port next to the USB ports, but is an output.

.

On 8/5/2020 at 7:45 PM, jaiyenyen said:

 

I dont know about the cooker, but the food looks delicious... mmmm

What are the 'signal out' connections available on your Blue Ray and what are the 'signal in' available on your PC?

(I doubt if it is possible to connect these Blue-rays to your PC)

5 hours ago, Bangkokazy said:

Hehehe not so much better there

Where can you hide from the "acts of God" ?

Another

9 minutes ago, Gandtee said:

Do I detect a lack of humour here? Smarten up.????

Sorry... your 'detection' needs calibration ????

23 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

I suppose if I had unlimited finances, I would probably leave. I despise the government and immigration here, and it does feel like the nation is moving backwards. But, considering the fact that I do not have a fortune, I will stay. There are many issues to consider. Going back to the US is not an option. I would not want to live there now, unless I was being paid over a million dollars a year, and then I would only do it for 3 years, and then leave. For me, it is about quality of life, and my level of fulfillment on a daily basis, which I seem to have here in abundance. A big factor here, is the relatively light hearted attitude of the people. You just do not find that in the US, where most seem bitter, disenchanted, unfulfilled, and heavy hearted. 

 

This is an entirely subjective topic, of course. But some of us live very good lives here. Some of us have been fortunate enough to find an outstanding woman, who is delightful to be around, on a daily basis, always has our back, and is fun, smart, and lovely. For me, that likelihood of finding that back in the US, would be very low. So, that is a big factor for me. The second factor is just the quality of life. Sure, I miss alot of the culture back home. The theatre, independent film (which I can download here with no issues at all, and a super fast 550 mbps fiber optic connection, at under 800 baht per month!), stand up comedy, live jazz, etc. But I have a lovely home that I rent, for about 10% of what I would pay in California, I live very well on an income which is not huge, have access to great health care, at a tiny fraction of what it costs in the US, and do not have to put up with alot of the aggravation that I had to when I lived back there.

 

Thailand is still reasonable. It used to be cheap. Has not been cheap for a long time. But, it is still reasonable. I know people who pay 10,000 baht a month for newer 3 bedroom houses in nice towns. In major cities in the US? $2000-3800 a month. That is 120,000 baht!

I had my motorbike seat recently redone on my scooter. 400 baht. A friend of mine had similar work done in the US. $275.

I recently had a guy come over and insulate my ceiling. I bought the insulation and paid him 2000 baht for labor. In the US? $500 and up.

I recently had an electrician do some work on the house. Nearly a full day of work. Paid him 1000 baht. In the US? $500 and up.

An oil change for my scooter costs me 200 baht, with Castrol oil. In the US? $75.

When I travel here I stay in nice four star hotels in Bangkok. Usually 1800-2000 baht. Now, during Covid. Great hotels for 1,000 baht. In the US? $130 for a crappy motel. $200 and up for a nice room.

I eat well here. In a smaller town you can get a three course meal for 150-250 baht. In the US? 2000 baht and up, plus tax and a nearly mandatory 15% tip.

I visit the emergency room here to visit a specialist, and with x-rays I am out the door for 2000 baht, at a private hospital. In the US? $300-2000. An anecdote on this subject. A good friend of mine got in a bad motorcycle accident some time ago. He almost lost his leg. He got his first of 11 operations at Bangkok Hospital Samui. It costs him over a million baht. They wanted to do a second procedure. They quoted him 1,400,000 baht. He decided to transfer to Bangkok. He was quoted 460,000 baht for the same procedure, at a top private hospital there. The surgeon told him that he worked at a public hospital too, and could do the same operation there, for alot less money. He told him he would get him a quote. In the interim, my friend called a good friend of his, in San Diego, who is an orthopedic surgeon. Since my friend is a retired chiropractor, he knew all the terminology, and explained what he needed, and asked for the best price. His friend called him back the next day, and quoted him $960,000, with cash discounts! The local surgeon here got back to him, and told him he could do it for 46,000 baht. He transferred, and they did all the rest of his procedures. So, 1,400,000 at Bangkok Hospital, 460,000 at Vejthani Hospital, and 46,000 at the public hospital, with an excellent surgeon. VS. 31,000,000 baht in the US. Again, no complaints from this peanut gallery.

Friends of mine, who are single, enjoy the company of a young, beautiful woman for a couple of hours, for 2500 baht. In the US? $800 an hour now for a beauty, with alot of attitude.

I could go on and on, all day long. I live at a level here, that I would never be able to live at, in the US, in most of Europe, in Oz, or Canada. Yes, the higher baht is an annoyance. And yes things are more expensive than they used to be. But, it is very relative.

Sure, Thailand has changed. My first trip here was in 1976! It was so much different than now. The politics here are absolutely regressive. The army is horrendous. Will that ever improve? I think so. I think the youth will eventually oust them, as they are virtually useless to Thai society, with the exception of protecting the elite. those in power and the super wealthy. But alot of things here have improved since then. The infrastructure here is quite good. Sure they could use a high speed rail. That would be amazing. Hopefully it will happen. The whole world is different now. The whole planet is being affected by a greatly expanding population, inflation, environmental issues, politics, and congestion. So, we are going to experience some of that no matter where we are. All I know, is that every day I wake up, I am very glad to be here, very glad to be with the woman I am with, and thankful for my life. Would I feel the same way in the US? I seriously doubt it. Most of my friends back in the US, say they would trade positions with me, in a heartbeat, if they could. I believe them. And I feel for them. The quality of life where I came from is a pale shadow of what it used to be. No thanks.

There is one more consideration. No matter where we go, we still have to contend with ourselves, our attitude, our issues and our minds. So, some will always be seeking greener pastures. Nothing wrong with that. But, it does not insure fulfillment.

 

 

Brilliant post.

Thank you!

6 hours ago, ChakaKhan said:

The tattoo just ruins it for me..take a work of art and "tag" it.....is grandpa catching a nap in the back there??

Wonder what the monk was thinking that tied that string to her wrist?......

Do you think the monk tied that string on the babe's wrist while she was wearing this same cloths? LOL

"...complain about their wife's or girlfriends all the time no matter what topic is posted..."

Could be the inferiority complex? Just to have a (false) sense of importance and superior?

Mark

_{This COVID has messed up the life plans of many people. Impossible to clearly think ahead.}

Is everyone in Bangkok a nutter?

OMG, just realised... could this be the reason for the Thai bashing at the drop of a hat?

????

7 hours ago, Saltire said:

I follow keto guidelines so it's all butter, ghee or virgin olive oil for me.

 

Have not eaten a 'spread' in decades.

 

 

Can virgin olive oil really be a substitute for butter, especially to eat with bread?

On 1/30/2020 at 8:20 AM, tgw said:

thanks - there are many websites with thousands of stations to choose from - can anyone recommend a station similar to the defunct 102.5 GET ?

Try the website Radio Garden and search for your preference.

I wonder if there are any good DAB+ radio stations?

"...got me thinking is everyone in Bangkok off their bleedin nut or what ???"

LOL they seems to be every where! Blame the CORONA for that!

Just finished updating to 20H2 - took about 4 hours from start to finish. So far, so good!

2 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

I used to visit a Naturopath in Australia and she said stay away from margarine. Even though butter has a lot fat it is the closest thing to natural product.

Yes, this is also what I have heard and read about.

But as usual, with time, confusion has started! Hence my post here to find different opinions.

Anyone tried the "herdProtect - Anti-Malware Multiscanning Platform in the Cloud"?

Comments?

I was reading through some articles about Butter, Margarine and Fat Spread.

Going back in time, Butter was the favourite. Then came margarine - offered as a healthier option to the beloved butter!

And now comes the 'fat spread', slowly pushing the margarine out!

So... what could be considered the 'healthier' option for our daily bread?

And why?