spidermike007

I felt that way too, until I spent alot of time researching it. They used it on very few, and they did extract alot of valuable intel. It is unlikely they would have had the opportunity to waste Bin Laden by being nice guys. So, what is the trade off? They were planning on blowing up 10 passengers jets on the same day, until they killed one of the terrorists, who was the mastermind. A fair trade off? For 3,000 innocent lives? I think so.

One other comment on her career. She was way, way off base on her CIA allegations and persecution. They might have used torture from time to time. But, it was rarely on innocents.

She was an effective politician, and got things done. I do not want to rain on her parade, but the major issue I had with her, is the same one I have with Pelosi, McConnell and a few others. They just serve for too long. They do not know when to quit. There should be both term limits (I would suggest no more than 2 terms) and age limits ( I would suggest 75 at the oldest). We should not have to wait for them to die, for their term to expire.

Too many to quote. Some of my favorites: You can’t hate an animal because it doesn’t know any better. You kick it so it learns, and if it still doesn’t learn you put it down. But you don’t hate it. I’m not going to let what animals do anger me because anger is caused by stress and stress is contagious. And it’s deadly. Negative energy spreads faster than any virus. You wake up late and you knock someone down, as you overtake them on the pavement. You didn’t mean to but they have a temper and you piss them off and they take it out on the girl at the coffee shop who got up late too and is dead tired and she gets pissed and deliberately burns the coffee of the woman with the baby who was too distracted to say thank you. And that woman with the kid needs that coffee because her newborn is ill and kept her up half the night. But the coffee sucks and she’s so tired and stressed and not coping with postpartum depression that her crap cup of coffee is the final straw as she waits for the red light at the crossing. Next, they’re scraping up her and that newborn from the asphalt and the guy who drove the bus is never going to be the same again. Tom Wood, author There is a limitation to human understanding. Our ability to comprehend is finite because our brains are physical organs. We do not expect our skin to be fire resistant or our lungs to breathe seawater, so why do we expect our brains to possess all knowledge, to unravel all mysteries? Whatever our faults, arrogance is perhaps our greatest. It is not how you play the game. It's whether or not your opponent ends up dismembered in the woods. Once core principals are surrender, it becomes nothing but power, spectacle and image. Practiced wisdom is not opportunistic judgment. If you make wise judgments, relative to constraints, principles can be compromised but still retained. “My kids are starting to notice I'm a little different from the other dads. ‘Why don't you have a straight job like everyone else?’ they asked me the other day. I told them this story: In the forest, there was a crooked tree and a straight tree. Every day, the straight tree would say to the crooked tree, ‘Look at me...I'm tall, and I'm straight, and I'm handsome. Look at you...you're all crooked and bent over. No one wants to look at you.’ And they grew up in that forest together. And then one day the loggers came, and they saw the crooked tree and the straight tree, and they said, ‘Just cut the straight trees and leave the rest.’So the loggers turned all the straight trees into lumber and toothpicks and paper. And the crooked tree is still there, growing stronger and stranger every day.” Tom Waits Since brevity is the soul of wit, and tediousness its limbs and outward flourishes, i will be brief Democracies end when autocrats master the use of the freedoms of democracy to kill democracy. Progress is man's ability to complicate simplicity. If there is a hell, if there is an afterlife, I think it is an encyclopedia. You can just look up see what everyone in your life thought about you. And if there is a heaven it is a Wikipedia, and you can change anything it says. Never lie, steal, cheat, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. If you must cheat, cheat death. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away. BJS, a movie great of another time. once a brilliant star in a firmament no longer part of the sky. ecilpsed by the movement of the earth and time. now her world is a projection booth, who's dreams are made of celluloid. She is struck down by hit and run years - and lying on the pavement trying desperately to get the license number of fleeting fame. From an episode of Twilight Zone. One of my absolute favorites: Older people are perceived as cynics and misanthropes. But, they are simply people who have at last heard the still, sad music of humanity, played by a mediocre rock band howling for fame. American women may be fun and all Victorias secrets when you first meet them. But as soon as they get their claws into you they stop f****ng, and start eating. And the only ass you are going to get, is a fat one. American women invariably become spouters of self help platitudes, and become addicted to dieting and frozen yogurt. Overall thoroughly nasty, selfish and vain creatures, that don't f***. "It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain Kirk Lazarus: Check it out. Dustin Hoffman, 'Rain Man,' look retarded, act retarded, not retarded. Counted toothpicks, cheated cards. Autistic, sho'. Not retarded. You know Tom Hanks, 'Forrest Gump.' Slow, yes. Retarded, maybe. Braces on his legs. But he charmed the pants off Nixon and won a ping-pong competition. That ain't retarded. Peter Sellers, "Being There." Infantile, yes. Retarded, no. You went full retard, man. Never go full retard. You don't buy that? Ask Sean Penn, 2001, "I Am Sam." Remember? Went full retard, went home empty handed… From Tropic Thunder. Classic stuff. Think we are going to find anything? Yeah. We are going to find something. Mother nature is a serial killer. No one is better or more creative. Like all serial killers she can't help the urge to want to get caught. What good are all those brilliant plans if no one takes the credit. So she leaves crumbs. Now the hard part, why you spend a decade in school is seeing the crumbs. For the clues they are. Sometimes the thing you thought was the most brutal aspect of the virus turns out to be the chink in its armor. And she loved disguising her weaknesses as strengths. From the movie World War Z Angels and Demons can't cross over onto our plane. So, instead we get what I call half-breeds. The influence peddlers. They can only whisper in our ears. But a single word can give you courage, or turn your favorite pleasure into your worst nightmare. Those with the demon's touch like those part angel, living alongside us. They call it the balance. I call it hypocritical BS. John Constantine What are you most afraid of: That because the last thing in the world I want to do is tweet or update my Facebook status the soul of youth will vomit me into the cesspool of the old and the worthless. Both of these quotes are from the 1st season of True Detective. Possibly one of the top 3 TV shows in the past 20 years. Both uttered by Rust Cohle, Matthey McConoughey's character. Utterly brilliant writing. I think human consciousness is a tragic misstep in evolution. We became too self aware. Nature created an aspect of nature separate from itself. We are creatures what should not exist, by natural law. We are things that labor under the illusion of having a self, a secretion of sensory experience and feeling programmed with total assurance that we are each somebody, when in fact everybody is nobody. I think the honorable thing for our species to do is to deny our programming. Stop reproducing. Walk hand and hand into extinction. One last midnight, brothers and sisters opting out of a raw deal. Transference of fear and self loathing to an authoritarian vessel is catharsis. He absorbs their dread with his narrative. Because of this, he is effective in proportion on the amount of certainty he can project. Certain linguistic anthropologists think that religion is a language virus, that rewrites pathways in the brain, and dulls critical thinking.

This is a big ask. Normally, respect has to be earned. The RTP at it's inception seems to have been created with a status quo from the government. We will NOT pay you a living wage, but you have a franchise, and the limit of your income is based solely on your own creativity and initiative, and you will always be protected. Is that not the case? There is one aspect of this, that always has to be taken into account. I think most Thais get it. But most foreigners do not. The police here own franchises. They are franchisees. They are not law enforcement officials. They rarely engage in law enforcement, traffic safety, or public safety. They are not here for the benefit of the people, and they are not here to keep us safe. They are here to collect. That is all they do. If you need to give them an official title, it would be that of a revenue collection agent. Only it is their own account, that they represent. Nobody will ever touch them. They are protected at the highest levels. They do as they please, and Thailand remains a relatively lawless state. The extraordinary aspect of all of this, is how much of a tribute this is, to the Thai people. Despite the lack of law and order, and the extraordinary lack of a deterrent, Thailand remains a relatively safe place to live, and to travel, and crime is far lower than it would be in almost any other country, without law and order. I consider this to be a great example of how good most Thai people really are, and how honorable they are, as a people. I never feel threatened here. I can walk the streets of most cities late at night, and never feel afraid of my security, like in many other nations. The most dangerous place in this country is on the roads.

Bangkok is a great city. We do not need Gen Z newbies to tell us that.

It makes total sense, that an unelected PM, would visit a serial killing, land grabbing, billionaire dictator for life, posing an an elected PM. Sen is one of the most evil leaders in Asia, and that is saying alot. After all, he was within the leadership of the genocidal Khmer Rouge. Hun Sen will have served as prime minister of Cambodia for 30 years. He joins an exclusive club of men now in power who, through politically motivated violence, control of the security forces, manipulated elections, massive corruption, and the tacit support of foreign powers, have been able to remain in power well beyond the time any leader in a genuinely democratic political system has ever served. Hun Sen’s main tactic has been the threat and use of force. During his time in power, hundreds of opposition figures, journalists, trade union leaders, and others have been killed in politically motivated attacks. https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/01/12/30-years-hun-sen/violence-repression-and-corruption-cambodia

How many years does he have left? Do you know what percentage of the population lives to be 110? He likely has no more than 25 years left. And he has enough money, especially with his pension. Quite the contrary to your position. Life is way too short to hang out in a broken down nation, that gives you no fulfillment.

He knew all the secrets. As one of the deputy directors, he was at the top of the nation's largest pyramid scheme. How could he have possibly been clean?

When you consider how many scandals played out while he was deputy director of the RTP, it is no wonder he was passed over. Good riddens.

Most people I know would take Lisa, or even Justin Bieber over Cha Cha.

I wonder when his mind got this bent? Was he a twisted child? Were his parents monsters? Was it the Australian environment? (that was meant as a joke). What can one even say?

In all the years I have lived here, the only time I carry my passport, is if I am doing some banking, where it is required, if I am going to immigration, or if I am leaving the country. Otherwise, a color copy of my passport, with the visa page on the reverse side, is always adequate for the cops, airlines, etc. That or my Thai ID or drivers license. Why take that kind of risk, when it is not necessary?

He sure liked to throw some heat toward foreigners, as director of immigration. I guess he cannot handle being on the receiving end of the heat, nor can he handle being unmasked, and exposed for who he truly is. And anyone who doubts his guilt should always remember, with the RTP, they are ALWAYS guilty, until proven innocent. They deserve that lack of respect, or benefit of the doubt, and so does the biggest joke. See ya! Finally.

Whatever happens, the numbers will be lower than before. Thailand's days as a tourist mecca are behind it now. They will have to live on scraps. None of the myriad of issues that existed long before Covid have been addressed, and the quality of tourist Thailand attracts has been declining for years. Nearly anyone in the industry will attest to that. Few tourists will be interested in visiting a Quaker state, built on a foundation of fake purity, stripped of it's character, by fools who know nothing about anything. The recession that is likely coming next year will not help. But, a lot of Thailand's current economic woes are largely self inflicted. This exceedingly reckless administration engaged in multiple, highly selective economic shutdowns, that favored their cronies, and punished the masses. They also kept the nation closed off for far too long, and decimated tourism. Then they partially re-opened, with draconian restrictions. So, if you want to put the blame in the place it belongs, blame Prayuth and Prawit. They are the architects of the downfall of Thailand, the increased suicides, homelessness, crime, unemployment, and unhappiness of the people.

That is a very good question. We all know how much corruption goes on within the banking industry. And during certain periods the requirements were far more lax than during others. But, in the case of crisis riddled Deutsche Bank, it appears to be an extreme case of bad bankers catering to a very, very bad client. The New York Times reported that anti-money-laundering specialists at Deutsche Bank internally flagged multiple transactions by Trump companies as suspicious. The German bank loaned a cumulative total of around $2.5 billion to Trump projects over the past two decades, and the bank continued writing him nine-figure checks even after he defaulted on a $640 million obligation and sued the bank, blaming it for his failure to pay back the debt. https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-inc-podcast-deutsche-bank-donald-trump

I would block her, but keep a record of the messages. Even screen shots would suffice. I doubt she can even file a report, as the first thing they will likely ask is why you waited so long, now that there is no proof of rape. It is just a cruel game. You met a bad one. A true desperado, with no moral compass, nor any compassion or humanity. You met an insect, who looked like a woman. I would not worry at all. This will blow over, if you block her.

Yes, and this is likely the primary reason why it will be re-criminalized. Lobbying from the RTP. Vast amounts of lost income. I know people who were nicked for 100,000 baht on Koh Phangan for possessing a few joints. The police must have been very unhappy when they did this. It was an enormous boost to their franchises.

Now we know. There would only be ONE reason why he was a figurehead of so many different companies.

That would not surprise me in the least. He was the ultimate publicity hound, fame and fortune meant alot more to him than fighting crime, and this was all one big game for him. How he ever even got to that position after being dumped from the chief post at immigration after only one year is anyone's guess.

If this man were serious about helping others, he would have already been donating somewhere in the range of 50 million baht per year, minimum, when you take into account his net worth. Many wealthy people do this worldwide. Why not Thailand? So, what he is doing is a PR stunt. Let us call him out for exactly that. Granted this is better than nothing. And hopefully it might set an example for others.

Many of the folks I have met in Issan, work very hard, put in long hours and are the opposite of lazy.

A judge ruled Tuesday that Donald Trump committed fraud for years while building the real estate empire that catapulted him to fame and the White House, and he ordered some of the former president’s companies removed from his control and dissolved. Judge Arthur Engoron, ruling in a civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, found that Trump and his company deceived banks, insurers and others by massively overvaluing his assets and exaggerating his net worth on paperwork used in making deals and securing loans. Engoron ordered that some of Trump’s business licenses be rescinded as punishment, making it difficult or impossible for them to do business in New York, and said he would continue to have an independent monitor oversee Trump Organization operations. This appears to be a conviction on only the 1st of 7 different charges, in New York. What does this mean for Trump? Will he be forced to sell all of his New York properties? From what I have read, some legal experts seem to think that this means his LLC will have to be dissolved, which means he can no longer do business in New York. And I believe this only relates to bank fraud, not tax fraud, which appears to be a huge, looming hazard to him, at this point, and may be far easier to prove with this conviction. What does this conviction mean for the upcoming election, and his candidacy?

Anything in moderation is better than in excess. Many doctors claim anything over 2 drinks at one time, more than four times a week, can have dire consequences for one's health. You be the judge.

My guess is that at least 80% of the time it is the woman making the choice. I like Issan and many people from Issan. I am with one. She is wonderful and so is her entire family. But, three days up there is my limit.