spidermike007

33 minutes ago, JHolmesJr said:

 

Gosh, you really are the master of timing....the paragon of virtue...the grand wizard of living a perfect life...let me know if any more illustrious titles need to be added to your resume. All human beings have flaws...even those who live in the Vatican.....your comments are completely out of place at a time of deep sorrow for many.

 

A few things happened after this event that make you wonder how people are wired these days.

 

1. A WAPO journalist decided to re-run a story about Kobe's rape case.

2. Trump tweets condolences and the crazies tweeted back saying they wished

he was on the helicopter.

3. And the crowning achievement from MSNBC....

 

 

 

Nah. Actually, if anything I think people need to be reminded of his many misdeeds, and his incredible shortcomings, as a man. When someone buys the farm, there is a tendency to forget all that, and just pile on the adulations. He is deserving of the many adulations, as a player. But, he was not much of a man. I will double down on that one. 

Flaws? I think what he committed, and got away with was way, way beyond a flaw. Feel free to PM me if you want details, from a first hand source that I had dinner with, just a few weeks after his arrest.

Also think about it. People from around the world are going to be avoiding anyone and anything Chinese for quite some time. Knowing how much stock you and your cronies have put into Chinese tourism is going to hurt you where you guys feel it the most. In your wallets! Dumb and dumber to put all your eggs in THAT basket!

This from the mystery man. Few know anything about his background. Yet, he is worth over 5 billion baht. Easy for him to recommend spending. One thing we do know is that in his previous work, he never had a thing to do with tourism, that he was appointed based entirely on cronyism, and nepotism, and his appointment had zero to do with merit, as is the case with nearly everyone in this hapless and unbelievably incompetent administration. 

Great advice, you absolute genius. Stick to high priced department stores, which are almost always empty, charge double to triple what we pay in other countries for imported products, because they have sterilizing gel on hand. It appears you have some real creative juice. 

Where did they find you? And in a time of crisis for the tourism industry, were you really the best man available for the job? Really? Seriously? 

Not just masks for the virus. Masks for the air. Hua Hin has joined the ranks of the most polluted cities in Thailand, with many days well over 50-100 PM 2.5, and often 125-200 AQI. The air there is horrrendously bad. 

This thing is going to hit Thailand hard, and it is going to hurt coming after 6 years of major sabotage to the tourism industry, on the part of the administration, a hapless PM, and a dumb as you can get army led administration and TAT.  

1 hour ago, blazes said:

 

Sorry, but you misunderstand me.  You say that Trump is the bigger gangster. My question  therefore logically follows: bigger than who????

 or even bigger than whom?

But still, you have to name who you think will be the Democratic candidate before we can take your assertion re Trump seriously.

Cos if you were to name Biden, for example, I'd have to say that Creepy Joe would give Trump a good run for his money in the gangster department.

Mike Bloomberg may very well be our next president. He has an very clever plan, and in polling he has climbed to 10%. From nowhere. He would make a great president. Very skilled. He has many of the qualities Trump lacks. Including the ability to negotiate a deal and command the respect of our allies. Plus, he is not a gangster.

As well, they should be. The army deserves all the enmity, vitriol and anger the people can muster up. 

But, do not worry. After all, as I previously said: We are in very safe hands. After all the health minister Anuthin was formerly an engineer, and has worked in many private companies including the position of Managing Director of Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited. So, as usual he was picked for his extensive level of experience, in dealing with health emergencies. 

The Prayuth administration. Always count on them to consider the public good above all else, to always select talent based on experience and merit, and to always do the right thing by their people.

4 minutes ago, blazes said:

If, as I think is correct, Madame Clinton is the boss of the Dems, I would beg to differ with this assertion of yours as to who has the bigger boss.....

Clinton is a historical footnote. After blowing the last election, to the extent of which we witnessed, and after being outed for abusing her multi billion dollar foundation, she is right up there with Trump, in terms of utter corruption of the soul. She has no credibility, and most of us dislike her intensely. So rest your head. She has minor influence at this stage. She is history. 

Both parties are bought and paid for, and owned by corporate America. Both are dishonorable, but only one has a true gangster for a leader. 

Well, I guess that argument was settled. What can one say? There are an awful lot of people here who have not developed sufficiently, on an emotional level. Especially a portion of Thai men. It has alot to do with being told how special they are, while growing up. They are not special. No man is automatically special. When we make some contributions with our work, our service to our families, and our communities, and when we behave in an honorable, and graceful fashion toward others, then we earn the right to be called special. 

I recommend to all Thai parents, that starting at the age of three, they tell their sons:

You are NOT special. You are just an average human being. Your sisters are smarter than you, they work harder, they are more ambitions and they are more clever. They basically run this nation. Until you demonstrate something to society, you are average at best. Make a contribution. Earn the right to be called special. 

4 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

I never understand why nice people die first. RIP and condolences to his family and friends.

Huh? What are you talking about? I was not going to say anything, but you compelled me to do so. Nearly all of his teammates were quoted at one time or another, as saying how aloof, and distant he was from the team. He rarely went out with the guys, he was a bit arrogant most of the time, and he did very little for his community. He became more active afterwards. But, mostly window dressing kind of stuff. An Alonzo Mourning, Kobe Bryant was not! 

And then there is the Colorado episode. I was going to try to avoid the mention of that, but you pushed me. A well placed source within the NBA commissioners office told me at the time, that it was a total coverup. He said the NBA had to do whatever it could, to cover up the truth. What was the truth? He damaged her in such a way, that she had to end up a major operation, to repair the damage he caused. You can use your imagination on that one. The sex was consensual. Up to a point. After that it was just plain rape. And due to his money, influence, and the under handed dealings of the NBA, he got off totally. So, let us leave the nice guy nonsense alone please. He was a great player. But, he was NOT a great man. And he was anything but nice. 

All the accolades will pile in. And from the point of view of an athlete and basketball star, he accomplished alot. But, from the point of view of a man, he accomplished very little, and left behind a sad legacy. He was highly respected, but not very well liked by those who knew him well, from what I understand. I lived in LA for a long time, and visit LA often. I heard many first hand stories. 

Shame about his daughter. She had a long life ahead of her.

Not always an easy thing to recount having dinner with someone you never met in your life. Especially, when you are having a direct conversation with the man. It barely matters. Trump's credibility is never really in question. At this point, if Trump says it, it is not true. If he denies it, it is true. After all, truth is not truth, right? 

One of the many consequences of installing a lifetime criminal, charlatan and scammer into the office of president. One cannot expect him to behave with honor, on any occasion. One has to wonder how often he used the term "take her out" during his former life, before becoming president.

She is not being completely loyal to me. She is questioning my motives, and the way I operate. I am the president. Nobody questions me! Take her out!

Trump is more unhinged, and less stable than he has ever been. Impeachment has driven him positively crazy, if he was not already insane, which many of us suspect.

Quite the opposite will happen. The senate will make a whitewash out of this trial, and will refuse to call any witnesses or hear any new evidence. And the GOP will pay the price come November, with a historic trouncing. I expect Trump to be defeated, and I expect both the house to pick up more seats, and the majority in the senate to be handed over to the dems. And guess what? The GOP, and Trump's loyal and lockstep devotees will have only themselves to blame. 

We are in very safe hands. After all the health minister Anuthin was formerly an engineer, and has worked in many private companies including the position of Managing Director of Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction Public Company Limited. So, as usual he was picked for his extensive level of experience, in dealing with health emergencies.

The Prayuth administration. Always count on them to consider the public good above all else, to always select talent based on experience and merit, and to always do the right thing by their people.

3 hours ago, Gecko123 said:

I'm confused. TAT wants me in Thailand; immigration wants me out, health department doesn't want me to go anywhere. What's a guy to do?

Hit the bar scene, and do your part to support the local economy. You are needed, in this time of distress.

14 minutes ago, WalkingOrders said:

I recall that the USA was freshly reeling from the horrible attacks of 9.11. This was a very fearful time in the United States. We had nearly 3000 dead, and were expecting more attacks. In this setting the Neoconservatives were able to capitalize. Even weak claims of Iraqi involvement, did not sit well. So what fell apart? The Neocons in the administration were able to override our own intelligence through manipulation. Even Colin Powell who made the case before the United Nations later said he was lied to. This presentation by Powell, a man trusted by most Americans pretty much sealed the deal for most Americans to get onboard. 

 

As for the fantasy of the Iraqi welcoming Americans with open arms, the creation of a thriving democracy etc. I dont think manyvAmericans ever bought that. And here we are decades later, and the idea is still pushed, and its still a bad idea.

 

The authorization for the Iraq war was bi-partisan, a refection of the neo-liberal/Neo-con policy consensus...but with the neocons leading the charge... fully capitalizing on the fear of the time. What if Bush was not President? I think that its difficult to think that an attack on Iraq would not have happened. The war may have been prosecuted differently, but it still would have happened. 

 

I think some fairness needs to be given to the Bush administration despite their obvious lies. That the same fear infecting the general population was affecting the Aministration is a reasonable assumption.

 

The 8 years of the Obama Clinton foreign policy apparatus resulted in nothing more then a extension of the Neolib/neocon apparatus with emphasis on regime change, while pushing a failed two state solution and pretending to be a neutral party with regard to Israel Palestine.

 

It is interesting to see that Trump, who calls for withdrawal of forces, a dropping of the phoney pretence of being a neutral party with regard to Israel, a retraction from Nato, de-escalation with Russia, and stronger stance regarding China, has met with absolute war from the policy appartaus of both parties (GOP neocon wing), and bureaucracy that wants to run policy.

 

You see how Trump has literally been forced to change, delay, or moderate positions. And who causes this the Neocons/neolibs who have created the evil orangeman fiction...which does what? Focuses hate on the man in Orwellian fashion, while hiding policy. 

Sorry to disagree, but Trump has done a good enough job on his own, in creating the evil orangeman persona. Nobody had to do it for him. And never forget. He was the one who drew first blood from the media. He started that war. It was perhaps the most mindless thing he has done to date. And he has done hundreds of mindless things. An absolute barrage of mindlessness emanates from the very white house, on a daily basis. 

I do agree with you about Obama. I think on some levels, he was more conservative than Bush Jr. 

40 minutes ago, giddyup said:

I don't have a disdain for Americans per se, only Americas interference in other countries and their readiness to wage war unprovoked.

I do not have disdain for Americans. In a sense, they are my people. But, I have tremendous disdain for the politicians, and of course, Trump. I prefer integrity, decency, honor, and grace, over a gangland mentality. Sorry, but that is just me.